CHAPTER FOUR

Stephen and Irene had adjourned to the Refuge's laboratory after what they had witnessed in the office. Irene was looking over a mixture of recorded and live images from the satellite intercept. Stephen was more reticient. "Are you absolutely sure that what we saw was alien?"

Irene mused this over. "Mysterious craft from space with advanced technology crashlands? Can you think of any other explanation?"

Stephen hesitated as he considered the matter. "No,"he admitted at last.

Irene gestured to the scans she was looking at. "Plus there's a whole load of scientific evidence that I won't bother telling you because you wouldn't understand it."

"Thanks,"Stephen replied sarcastically.

"No problem!"Irene responded, apparently genuinely. "So, do you want to check it out?"

Stephen tried to follow her train of thought. "What do you mean?"

"Are you going to go to the island? Have a look?"

Stephen was surprised at the suggestion. "You think we should?"

"It's a subject of great scientific curiosity."

"Yeah, but not for us. I mean, there's government and agencies and things that deal with this sort of thing."

"The biggest event in the history of humankind and you want to trust it to governments and agencies?"

Stephen had to admit she had a point. "Well, what if they're invaders or something?"

"I think we already established they crashed,"Irene pointed out. "Maybe if we find out some more about this island where it landed, we could have a better idea of what's going on."

"The island is part of a country known as Malosa,"Tim explained, once Stephen, Cara, John, Irene, Russell and Astrid were again assembled in the office. "It is ruled by a dictator known as General Papa Minn." Tim's screen displayed a picture of an Afro-Carribean man wearing a flamboyant but practical military uniform. "It has been the subject of numerous sanctions by the United Nations and other governments. During his twenty years in power, Papa Minn has conducted numerous wars of aggression against neighbouring countries in order to increase his territory."

"Well, that's great,"Russell sighed. "The human charged with making first contact with aliens. And he's an idiot."

"He's worse than that,"Cara pointed out.

"He's not the person I'd trust with a job like that,"John agreed.

"But then who should be doing it?"Astrid asked. "Us?"

"That's what we've got to decide,"Stephen told her.

"Could we even get there?"Astrid asked. "I mean, the booster belts…"

"…would handle a trip to the Carribbean no problem,"Irene replied. "We could go there now if we wanted."

"Well, then let's get packing!"Russell enthused. "I could do with a trip to sunnier climes and if it means we get to meet some beautiful alien babes who want to be shown how us Earthmen do things…"

"That's not what this is about,"Cara argued. "This could be a good thing for us. When the media get wind of it, the whole world's going to be on alien alert. They're not going to be paying attention to break-outs. If we go in there and end up in the middle of the biggest story of the millennium, we're risking being exposed."

"Cara's right,"John agreed. "This whole thing's too dangerous. We've got a bunch of advanced aliens on one hand and a crazed warmonger on the other. I don't think we should take our people in there until we know exactly what we're dealing with."

Stephen nodded, considering. "Do I need to ask, Irene?"

"The greatest scientific and social development that's likely to happen in our lifetime?"Irene asked. "If I had a chance to be a part of that and didn't take it, I'd never forgive myself."

"You got an opinion, Astrid?"

Astrid shifted uncomfortably. "Well…I'm not really a part of this."

Stephen gave her a reassuring smile. "You think we'd go and leave you behind?"

Astrid smiled gratefully. "I dunno, this is something I'd never have even had a chance to be involved in if I wasn't friends with you. I'd like to take a look but…you all come first. I don't want to do anything that would put you at risk."

Stephen nodded. "We don't know what's going on, we don't know what we'd be walking into. We'll hold off for now. Tim, keep monitoring both the news and security channels and record any information on the landing. If there's anything we need to know…tell us."