1988

February

The U.S Congress defeats a plan to build a missile defense system capable of operating in space after the Soviet Union announces that it will not deploy any anti-ICBM or satellite weapons of it's own, and offers full access to the U.S for inspections. Privately, the Soviet General Staff recommend to Mikhail Gorbachev if in the event the Americans DO build one, the best response by the Soviet Union would be to add more relatively cheap (compared to the cost of Star Wars) ICBMs to overwhelm any system the Americans might build.

June

Upon further exploration of all sites confirmed to be "abducted", archaeologists find similar metal bars to the one found in Greece. Nothing else even vaguely relating to to the abduction or any aliens are found, through.

December

The team jointly led by Carl Sagan and Dr. Susan Bradley publishes the first comprehensive review of what by now has been termed the "Abduction Event". The report finds that thanks to the nature and age of the technetium-aluminum-lead bars found at the site, it is very likely that aliens with interstellar travel capability disappeared (not necessarily abducted- the aliens could have destroyed or killed the people there for some unknown reason) the villages, along with the people living there at the time. In addition to the bars, some historical evidence is also presented suggesting that other villages and travelers in the area vaguely suspected something was going on, but Dr. Bradley cautions against relying on these sources to find out about the event, since they have been distorted and passed through third-party hands, as well as filled with myth and legends.

Elizabeth Warren thumps her head (job-wise) against the glass ceiling thanks to a sexist executive high up. Ella then notices that the man is a womanizer, yet married. A plan begins to form in her mind...

OOC: I should note that everything else that happened in history is happening the same way here, at least until a few years later...