CH3 (84)
"Have they attempted to make contact?" The President asks.
"So far we have not intercepted any communications from them directed to anyone." Brennan tells them after he covers the phone he is holding to reply with what he is told.
"Do we have a way to contact them? … I'm assuming thru some NASA dish somewhere." The President asks.
"It will take time to arrange that. Plus once we do go thru NASA, word will get out that we have tried to communicate with an alien ship in near Earth orbit." Brennan advises.
"And when that happens, the Chinese will be yelling at us, as will the Russians, Great Britain, France and practically everyone else." The President was wondering how to get out of that one.
Brennan holds up a finger telling them to wait while he listens to the phone. "Space command says they have two new objects that have left the ship and are entering Earth atmosphere."
"Headed where?" The President asks.
Brennan conveys the question to who is on the phone. "Too soon to tell."
"If we get birds in the air now, we may be able to intercept them when we do know." General Campbell comments.
"You mean shoot them down and start another conflict when we already have two big ones right now." The President didn't like this idea much.
"They have been stealing information from us." Comey points out.
"So we respond to their theft with murder?" The President asks him.
James Comey however had the sense to keep his mouth shut over that question.
Brennan holds up his finger to get them to hold for a moment while he listens to who is on the phone.
"There are two targets now in lower atmosphere. One is at the southern tip of South America and headed north at a speed in excess of Mach 3.5, …. And increasing. …. The other is at the southern tip of Africa and headed north at the same speed, …. And increasing." Brennan informs them.
"Recon of some kind?" General Campbell speculates.
Quast however is shaking his head. "All the major powers are in the Northern hemisphere. The Russians, Chinese, Europe, India and U.S.. Why start down there and head this way. They are giving us a chance to get fighters in the air or have SAM batteries ready when they get that far North." Quast didn't think it was that.
"Can we get a map up so we can follow along where they are going?" The President asks.
"I'll get on it sir." The Secretary of State tells him and picks up a phone.
"Fighters sir?" General Campbell asks again.
"Fine, get them in the air. Maybe we can at least get eyes on them so we can see what they look like." The President relents.
Campbell and Quast turn from the screen to issue orders.
"The map will be up in a minute." They are all told.
They are soon watching where Brennan over the phone tells them they are.
"They are both all over the place. What the hell are they doing?" It made no sense to the President.
"I'm not sure what they hope to accomplish, but I see a pattern." Quast tells them. "The one in Africa flew over the capital city of South Africa. It has zig zagged across Africa hitting other capital cities. It should reach Cairo in seconds.
The other has gone over the capital cities of Chili, Brazil, Argentina, and is now over southern Mexico." Quast points out.
They all watch as the one in Mexico suddenly goes East and flies over Cuba before turning North.
The other has suddenly turned East and is now over Iraq, then Iran, Saudi Arabia.
"They are flying over every capital city they can find." Comey points out.
"Fighters?" The President asks.
"I've got as many in the air as I can at this time. I've also got additional AWACS in the air." General Campbell tells him.
Quast curses and gives out orders. "E2C Hawkeyes and another AWACS out of Japan will be airborne shortly."
"Here it comes." The President points out as it flies over Washington DC in a heartbeat and continues North.
However even buried deep in the basement they could hear the massive sonic boom as it passed overhead, blowing out windows for miles around and causing damage to small structures that couldn't handle the sonic movement of air.
They all watch it fly over and then start doing a zig zag over Canada headed West.
The other has finished going over Turkey and is now headed West. Greece and Italy are next, then it turns North.
"Here it comes." General Campbell notices.
Moscow was next then a sharp turn to the West. "Fighters are ready. …. AWACS has it." General Campbell tells them as he is also on a phone.
"Fighters are going to be negative. The bogie is on the deck according to AWACS. Tree top level using some kind of ground hugging navigation." General Campbell tells them. Impressed actually. Ground hugging at these speeds was amazing.
The other has finished with Canada and is now out over the Pacific headed for Japan.
The other one was now zig zagging across Europe.
Quast was on the phone trying to get his fighters down lower so they could hopefully at least see it and maybe get a gun camera picture.
They all watched it fly over Japan and then into China then south towards India.
The other had just finished flying over Great Britain and was now headed for Earth orbit.
The other had finished by flying over Pakistan and was now headed for Earth orbit.
"Anything?" The President asks.
Everyone but him was on a phone trying to get answers.
The Secretary of State hangs up his phone. "Sir there is an object that has landed in the yard just outside the White House. The Secret Service is working on it now."
That got everyone's attention.
It is now 6 hours later:
Quast could confirm there was an object in Tokyo while Campbell could confirm that the NATO capitals all had similar objects.
It took another 24 hours for the President to find out what was out front of his own home. "The object was essentially a dart that struck the ground and embedded itself. It does not appear to have any technology associated with it. Inside was a single object. It's been scanned and verified as non-threatening sir."
The President is handed over a flash dive card. "It seems everyone got one sir."
"The President takes it. "We're sure this came from them?"
"Yes sir. Each site where they were found corresponds to where the bogie flew over."
"A common flash drive card?" The President was at a loss. Not bombs or gas pellet or bio weapon. A USB flash card.
The President checks to make sure everyone else is on the screen, Quast, Campbell, Comey and Brennan, and inserts the card.
Soon a human male pops up on the screen.
"Greetings, my name is Paul Nantz. I'm a member of the ruling council for the planet Tellus, that I'm sure at least a few of you know about by now. Mostly thanks to a disgraced former council member named William Bracken.
It was unfortunate that he was on the ship that we sent to try and make contact with you a few years ago. If we had known he was onboard we would not have sent the ship with him on it. As you have no doubt found out by now, he is a ruthless man consumed with lust for power. Only too willing to kill to achieve his goal." Paul pauses and shakes his head that Bracken had gotten this far.
"His actions do not represent those of my planet. The result of which I'm deeply sorry for." And he meant it. This was not how he wanted to talk to the people of Earth.
"Since your planet is heavily fractured into different countries we have sent as many of them as we deemed necessary the exact same thing you are seeing and hearing now. …. We do not play favorites.
Mr. Bracken sabotaged our ship killing almost everyone on board. Those very few who survived managed to crash on your planet along with Bracken. These survivors did their best to acclimate to the local culture without trying to interfere in your politics.
Our second ship was more successful however. We managed to pick up the survivors except for Bracken. He eluded capture of the people who crashed with him. He is presently the sole survivor of that ship still on your planet.
However, on to more important matters and the reason for this message.
We have learned that there is a storm coming. An Interstellar war is headed this way. To be honest neither of us is presently ready for it. Our military is relatively small and we have done limited exploration. That however is about to change.
We have started to make preparations and will pray that we have the time necessary to make them.
It has been debated as to include your planet in these preparations and help us defend each other from the storm that is coming." Paul pauses again. What he was about to tell them had been hotly debated for the last 2 weeks.
"At this time, …. We have decided against it. …. To be blunt, we don't trust you. We have found that your people have a very homicidal nature. You are only too willing to kill each other as is evident in your two World Wars, Korean conflict, Vietnam, Cambodia, Bosnia, civil wars and the countless other conflicts you seem to enjoy so much. Not to mention the one you are presently involved with at this time.
You do not possess the technology to fight in space, and if we were foolish enough to give it to you, you would likely use it against us as well as the enemy that is coming. Somehow secure in the belief that you would be victorious against both of us and accomplish, …. What?
Instead of planet domination, stellar domination. Turn out to be as bad as the storm that is coming? Perhaps even replace them as the new common enemy and be fighting interstellar wars with other aliens for generations to come. Since killing seems to be the one thing you are good at." It was the single thing that Paul had argued about. Earth wasn't to be trusted. Maybe in the future, ... Maybe.
"We will attempt to shelter your planet from the storm that is coming, but we will not help you." They had however agreed to send ships to fight the enemy provided it did not weaken their strength at home or their colony planets. They would fight to protect Earth, but there were limits.
"To use the American vernacular, … "If you get your shit together" and act like one planet instead of the broken and fractured planet you are now, hell bent on killing each other, perhaps our decision will be reviewed." Paul pauses to let that soak in before continuing.
"To be honest again, we hope that you can manage to work together and learn not to kill each other. Your planet is the home of our ancestors, however you suck as parents.
We will keep our eyes open and watch you from time to time. Perhaps even provide you with information about the storm. Perhaps the danger will wake you up and help you remove your all too numerous faults." Paul was convinced they never would. They had too long a history of killing each other to change. However others on the council were more hopeful.
"Good luck people of Earth, …. I fear you are going to need it." Message ends.
Back on Athos:
Kate and Kali were in their dome quarters all alone. "Mama, can we go to the beach?" Kali wanted out, plus she liked riding on the quads.
"You want to go to the beach?" Kate looked up from her reading tablet. Very grateful that Rick had brought so many books with him from Earth. Watching Kali nod her head enthusiastically.
Kate twists her head. "Lucy?" In an unspoken question of where were the others.
"Emily is with Madison getting her physical. Alexis is in her usual place in one of the now many greenhouses. In this case greenhouse #5, which is outside the dome. Rick and Shawn are using their now two submarines to do surveys of the coastal underwater areas. And Jim is at the dry docks area going over a final punch of the train station that was completed yesterday. While the Quellers are at the city tower construction going over some minor changes to the interior design." Lucy explains.
"Is Mags available?" Kate asks. With Madison soon up on the monitor.
"Hi Becks, something up?" Suspecting Kate wants something.
"Kali is interested in going to the beach and probably a swim." Which Madison already knew was code for a ride on the quads too.
"Emily is done with her physical and is just waiting for me to end my shift in about an hour. Can our little girl wait that long?" Madison knew that part was going to be a challenge. The new Kali was almost as adventurous as the old one.
"I can try." Kate offers.
Madison chuckles. "Give us an hour and we'll be there."
Kali was dressed in her swimsuit and running around the place waiting for Madison and her sister to show up.
Madison showed up in her swimsuit with a cover-up and an eager Emily who immediately started searching for her swimsuit.
Soon the four of them were riding quads out to the beach, after leaving a message with Lucy for anyone who came looking for them. With Emily and Kali yelling and screaming WOO-HOO all the way out there. Kate had Emily and Madison had Kali.
"Hang on you two, sunscreen first." Kate tells them before they break and run for the water.
"Hurry up Mags." Kali didn't want to wait and was starting to think Madison was going slow on purpose.
"Ok little miss tornado, you are free to go." Madison tells her having finished with the sunscreen on her, so she can start on sunscreen on herself.
"Becks?" Madison holds up the bottle of sunscreen. And turns her back after Kate takes it. Then doing the same for Kate. Then it was into the water to join the girls.
Rick and Alexis had spent part of the last year giving everyone swimming lessons. Not that they were the best swimmers themselves, but compared to everyone else, they were experts.
Kate and Madison got them to stop long enough to get each of them to eat something light before being bathed in sunscreen again. Then back in the water those two went.
"So when is your first child Mags." Kate asks as they sit on towels watching the girls play.
"Oh don't even think that Becks, I've only just found Shawn. I'm not scarring him away with kids." Madison knows it's been a year already since they had already had their one year anniversary.
"Mags, if my three haven't scared him away by now having his own isn't going to do it. Besides, we've all watched you with mine. You'll do great." Kate knows Madison will be fine.
"Maybe someday." Madison was still looking to make sure it wasn't tomorrow.
"Let's go girls before you burn." Kate starts picking up everything.
The girls had a blast riding on the quads behind Kate and Madison getting home as they did getting out to the beach.
After showering Kate and the girls went home while Madison went in search of Shawn.
Kate didn't see Rick or Alexis until they were all in the kitchen eating dinner.
"So what did you two do today?" Rick asks Emily and Kali.
"We went to the beach and swimming." Kali got to answer first.
"Mom and Mags took us on the quads." Emily adds which was the fun part. "It was cool dad."
"Quads, it's been a long time since I was on a quad." Alexis dreams of days gone by. Camping trips with her dad. Even the one where they found mom.
"I think we can fix that pumpkin." Rick offers gaining Alexis's attention. "Roy's last trip he brought something I asked for."
Alexis glares at him waiting for him to tell her.
"Whoa, you've been watching your mom too much." Rick was sure he saw Kate in that glare. Meredith being ancient history.
Alexis switched to smiling. Her dad was still referring to Kate as her mom and a compliment to learning something from Kate.
Rick also saw Kate smiling, but Kate was smiling that Alexis was learning something from her.
"He brought three tents, enough sleeping bags for all of us, coolers to put our food in, ground cloths, lanterns, water purifiers, everything we would need." Rick was grinning.
"WE CAN GO CAMPING!?" Rick had Alexis's attention now.
"I figure if we take two shuttles, we can take three of the quads and all our gear. There is even this little place north of here where there appears to be forest area of some size located that we could set up camp in. And if it hasn't dried up there is this little stream we can get water from. Otherwise we need to take it with us." Rick explains. "We can even hop on the quads to reach the beach maybe depending on where we set up camp." Rick arches his eyebrows a couple of times.
"CAMPING!" Alexis was in. "We can even have smores." Alexis loved her dad.
"We have chocolate?" Kate turned on Rick with a shocked, "I'm so going to kill you for holding out on me" Look.
"Oooops." Alexis covers her mouth.