April 9, 2016
Paris, France

Considering its scale, this was the best kept secret in history.

Gordon McBean was counting down the seconds before he delivered the words which would change the world forever. It had taken a significant amount of arguing about exactly who would tell humanity what had been found in Kenya. The International Council for Science had been fighting with the Kenyan government for the right to announce, and it had nearly spilled into legal action before Nairobi backed down and let the scientists handle it. After all that, and not a single leak. Well, sort of. The world's media knew something was going on, something of massive importance. That was how the first ICS press releases had described it; "an announcement will take place at twelve o'clock of incomparable importance." President Obama had gone before the media at the White House to implore the networks to broadcast the announcement live, cryptically telling them that "they're gonna tell you something which will change the world forever." And so the networks had done so and were now waiting.

An enormous flood of reporters had swarmed in before the table, where McBean sat at the centre. Either side of him were the three people who had made the discovery, and the heads of the International Union of Speleology, International Union of Geological Sciences, International Council for Scientific and Technical Information, and various other experts were spread out along the table. Gordon kept looking at his digital watch, just waiting. He couldn't believe what he was about to do.

Finally, he tapped his microphone and the five hundred or so people in the audience fell mostly silent.
"Well, thank you for coming ladies and gentlemen, to this extraordinary announcement by the International Council for Science," he began. Millions were watching on television, perhaps many more online. "As you know, we announced a major discovery which took place two days ago and which now offers to utterly revolutionise the way we see the universe, the world, and ourselves." Not too dramatic? "Two days ago, the two people to my immediate left, and the one person to my immediate right, Vera Lorenzo and Professor Mark Fleming of Cambridge University, and Émilie Houde from the International Union of Speleology, respectively, began the exploration of a previously undiscovered cave system in southern Kenya. This cave had somehow been hidden from human eyes perhaps since the dawn of time. It descended almost two miles underground." He paused, and inhaled. Here was the big bit.

"What they found was absolute proof that alien life exists."

Mombasa, Kenya

Mohammed Quraishi was fuming. Of course, he always was, but this time it was different. He was , sat on the floor of his shack, resting against the wall which he could feel bending outward and hoping to hell that it wouldn't collapse like last time, sending him tumbling into the street. He couldn't handle that happening. Even in this forgotten part of the city, the rumours were circling. Something about a discovery out in the wild. It certainly seemed that way; one of his contacts, in the city itself, had said the naval base seemed to be going on high alert. Then he'd gotten a text from one of the boys he was trying to recruit from Belgium, asking if he'd seen the news. Avoiding any reflection on the irony of watching a Western news site, he'd witnessed the chaotic scenes in France after some scientists had claimed… well, he still wasn't sure what they were claiming. He'd heard their words, certainly. They'd been repeated a thousand times by a thousand people. Apparently even Obama was gonna be giving a speech about it. But the idea that they'd found what they found, some giant structure deep under his homeland, and the implications it brought with it, shook him. It felt like a personal attack. No stone had been left unturned in the announcement. They'd talked of words and concepts he'd never heard together. It sounded like they were making up an entirely new mythology. The Forerunners, the Flood, Halo. All the world's scientific establishments were insisting it was real.

If it was, it threw every aspect of Mohammed's faith into question. He knew not what to do with that. But if it wasn't true, they were trying to destroy his faith. This was exactly the lengths the West would go to destroy Islam. He felt a surge of pride in his chest. He had it figured out. The West had made up nonsense and called it science before, all to discredit faith. They had so little shame they'd even try to destroy their own religions. That was why they'd invented evolution, to tear Christianity apart. Now there were the Forerunners, another lie to destroy Islam this time. Suddenly Mohammed stood, and began pacing. Everything was falling into place in his mind. The West would lie through their teeth about this so-called discovery forever. They'd only let the people on their side into that cave, people like Mohammed would never be invited in to prove it. They knew the word of Allah couldn't be destroyed by bullets or bombs, so they had to use faith instead. He knew others around him, maybe his own brothers in arms, would fall for the ruse. He couldn't let them win. Not this time.

Mohammed half-ran to his computer and checked his messages. It seemed he wasn't the only one thinking that way. Feeling vindicated he scrambled out from the shack and into the dirt-laden street, practically sprinting past crowds who seemed oblivious to all that had happened today. He came to the house of his friend, Abdul, and knocked frantically, threatening to knock down the door in the process.
"Fuck me, I'm coming, damn," came a slurred British voice from within. The door swung open and Abdul stood, naked from the waist up, glaring at Mohammed.
"Did you see the news?" asked Mohammed breathlessly.
"What, you mean that shit about alien machines underground? Yeah I saw it, then turned it off," replied Abdul. "What of it?"
"Well do you see the implications behind it?" Mohammed asked impatiently. "The implications for us?"
"Yes of course, everyone does. Are you panicking or something? Have you gone weird again?"
"No, have you?"
"No."
"Look, I've been talking to others and they all agree, this is just the West trying to fuck with us," said Mohammed. "Why else would they stick it in Kenya?" he asked.
"Well… I mean, they could have said it was in Syria," replied Abdul, doubtfully. "That would have been far more on the nose, and I reckon they see discrediting ISIS as more important than discrediting us." Mohammed sighed.
"No, Kenya's good," insisted Mohammed. "Kenya's still being touched by the jihad, but there's no civil war, not yet. Far easier to protect their lie." Abdul took a moment to think.
"I suppose so," he agreed, stifling a yawn. "What's all this in aid of?"
"We need to fucking expose it!" Mohammed yelled. People walking past on the street looked at him. Abdul watched them anxiously before grabbing Mohammed's arm and pulling him inside.

Mohammed immediately walked ahead of Abdul towards the kitchen, before turning and leaning on the counter.
"I wouldn't do that, it's dirty," said Abdul. Mohammed ignored him.
"What's the best way to get people to believe a lie, even a giant lie?" asked Mohammed. Abdul waited for him to answer his own question. "You repeat it, and repeat it, and repeat it again. Sooner or later people will believe anything. So we have to beat that lie immediately, before too many people believe it."
"Is that possible?" asked Abdul. He seemed a little less disinterested now.
"For fuck… do you see any alternative?" Mohammed shouted. Abdul rolled his eyes. He'd grown used to Mohammed's outbursts. "Besides, right now no-one really believes it. Watch those morons on Fox News! They don't know how to process it!"
"You watch Fox?" asked Abdul disgustedly.
"So we disprove it before everyone believes it regardless. We know exactly where the damned cave is, after all."
"Pretty sure it'll be crawling with soldiers now," replied Abdul.
"Don't doubt Allah's commitment to our goals. This is a direct challenge to his authority. He will be with us in this battle."
"I pray you are right," said Abdul quietly. Mohammed smiled. Raising an army was easy.