Chapter 44:
August 3rd, 2008 at 12:00 noon UTC, also called Greenwich Mean Time, special reports were issued on all non-magical media.
This is a special report. It is now being revealed that alien spacecraft activity was detected near Jupiter exactly 6 years ago. No contact was made by that spacecraft. It is further being reported that it has been confirmed that in 1947 an alien spacecraft crashed in the US State of New Mexico, and three aliens were detained. The aliens and their spacecraft escaped a few days later. More details are being released to the press now. Additional information will be released tomorrow and at later dates.
Various news services and web pages showed a false color images of exhaust plumes over several days between the orbits of Jupiter and Saturn. Various false color views were shown, some temperature, some density, some ion levels, some the rarer elements content.
Interviews were shown from late 1993 of retired people who had worked at the base that the Ferengi were being held in 1947. Some interviews from 2008 were shown, of some of the surviving witnesses, the youngest of whom were 82 years old. There were released from their secrecy, and it was explained to them privately that while they were interviewed in 1993, the memories of those interviews were removed using advanced techniques. The following is a typical newscast.
We have an interview with, at the time, Corporal Jones. "Initially the three aliens didn't speak our language. At some point they suddenly did, after they hit themselves on their ears. They were a family group, and didn't appear to have a plan. After they started speaking English, and were harshly interrogated, under the orders of General Denning, each of the three had a completely different story. The two scientists questioning them helped them escape, or claimed to be mind controlled to help them, but we didn't believe their claims and thought they felt sorry for the stranded aliens. Their ship took off again, and flew right into a nuclear explosion, apparently deliberately. I am not aware of any aliens seen since."
For the next 24 hours there was a lot of speculation and reporting on the facts presented. There was also a fair bit of skepticism. The interviews with people recalling 1947 wasn't that persuasive and we were not ready to show magically recovered memories, nor would they necessarily have been convincing to non-magicals, even if we did show those.
The next day at the same time the announcement was:
After researchers in secret programs throughout the world were convinced that the 1947 visit by an alien spacecraft was real, a secret program was started, called Starfleet. Within a few years, all space launching countries on Earth were part of this program, which combined advanced technology and long secret capabilities.
The secret agreements had the following goals. Earth as a whole, together, would as rapidly as possible build its space capabilities. The most ambitious goal was that by the time a future alien civilization makes open, instead of accidental contact with Earth, Earth will have a capability of defending itself, and joining the galactic community.
The next agreements were that Earth would together to end all armed conflicts. Earth would remain united when facing extra-terrestrial visitors. By 1995 all conflicts were stopped by this secret agreement.
The next agreements were to harness the capabilities of Starfleet to help the civilian economies. Infrastructure, health care, high technology, energy production, have all been vastly improved above what they would have been without Starfleet.
The nature of some of Starfleet's capabilities will not be revealed at this time, nor some aspects of history. These will be revealed at a later, undetermined time. What can be revealed is that these capabilities are from Earth.
Most of the countries of Earth are in partnership with Starfleet. Governments can continue to decide whether or not they want that partnership to continue, or to join it if they are not part of it. They must agree to certain requirements, including to distribute certain Starfleet assistance to its residents. They must participate in research and development of capabilities and the in the space program. That participation does not require having a launch ability. Each government in partnership with Starfleet must agree to freedom of religion, including the practice of witchcraft.
At this time, Starfleet is ready to increase that assistance that it is providing to the civilian economy, to include basic needs, that includes food, clothing, shelter, energy, use of computers, all at a basic level.
For more information, visit Starfleet's webpage at or send email inquiries to info . .sf is a new web domain for Starfleet.
The reaction to these announcements were not calm. There were a lot of angry confrontations with governments about having been part of secret agreements, although violence was kept in check. There were economists wondering how the economy would be affected. There was a lot of discussion about secret origins, and the statement about allowing witchcraft. Many repeated the phrase that technology sufficiently advanced was indistinguishable from magic.
Starfleet public relations specialists were made available for interviews around the world.
Deciding to get ahead of one area of speculation, it was decided to proactively seek out interviews with what could be called, UFO and paranormal enthusiasts.
"This is Clyde Lewis and welcome to Ground Zero. We have the extraordinary opportunity to interview Starfleet representative George Spivak, with no topics off limits. Welcome Mr. Spivak."
George said, "Please call me George, and I am happy to be on your show."
Clyde asked, "Tell me George, many of us have been on a lonely road of knowing that there was more going on than we were told. Why have we been kept in the dark for so long?"
"Two reasons, the evidence that could be provided wasn't sufficient. The other is that the evidence would reveal capabilities we were not ready to reveal until now. We now decided we could reveal our extensive monitoring of the Solar System. There is further evidence of what happened in 1947, that even now we are not ready to release."
Clyde asked, "I am picking out something odd about the words you and everyone at Starfleet uses. You say capabilities, not technologies. Why that word choice?"
"We consider the word technology to be too narrow to explain some of what we do. However, more specific information has not be released yet, but will be in time."
Clyde asked, "Any idea of when?"
"No, some could be 20 years, some could be tomorrow. There are security issues which will be paramount."
Clyde asked, "There have been an incredible number of UFO sightings. Why are you only mentioning two?"
"These are the only ones that we have presentable evidence for."
Clyde asked, "The fact that most of the world's governments have been keeping a secret together for years, is frankly disturbing. What do you say to that?"
"Think of where the world has gotten to in the last 20 years. From hostile alliances ready to go to war with each other, to a world united in peace and cooperation and readiness to build capabilities to defend our planet. If information were revealed too soon, that process would have been disrupted. There are still things in play that need more time before they can be exposed."
Clyde asked, "When Starfleet mentioned having advanced technologies, or capabilities as you put it, you also clarified that they were from Earth. Many would have assumed that you reverse engineered the alien spacecraft from 1947."
"That was not possible. The only people involved that were around to be interviewed were of junior rank during that incident. It is not known what the planning was by the senior people. However, there appeared to be a plan to torture them for their knowledge, and there was some sort of mutiny that assisted the aliens in escaping. I think that outcome will put us in better standing with the extra-terrestrials when we do meet them again. We plan to be strong enough to defend ourselves, but not give any cause for unnecessary conflict."
Clyde asked, "I notice that among the requirements for nations to receive technology and material assistance from Starfleet's secret capabilities, they must agree to freedom of religion, including witchcraft. Why these, and not other human rights?"
"The agreements are with the governments of Earth. They have differing understandings of the role of what is called human rights. We need the Earth governments to cooperate together and build Starfleet together to face the galaxy. We are not going to pressure for more things than we need to. We do not want part of the Earth receptive to cooperating with extra-terrestrials that might want to add Earth to their empire by using the tactic of divide and conquer, by appealing to parts of the Earth to work against other parts.
Our specific requirements of making the material assistance we can deliver be universally available, is simple common sense. We do not want to deliver assistance that some, within a nation, are excluded from receiving.
The requirement for freedom of religion, is due to that a Starfleet partnership involves people not just things. We do not want people to face persecution based on religion, or to need to hide their religion while being in Starfleet partner nations."
Clyde asked, "Should we infer that some of those people practice witchcraft? Is witchcraft itself a source of what you call Starfleet capabilities?"
"I have nothing to say about this topic, or about the origin of Starfleet capabilities at the present time, except that is from Earth."
Most of the interviews were with well known major media outlets. Here is an interview at the Times of India, which was also posted on their website immediately after the interview.
"This is the second interview with a representative from Starfleet. This interview will focus on how the most extra-ordinary recent announcements affect and have affected India. My first question is could you please describe the past interactions Starfleet has had with India?"
"Certainly. While there are origin topics that I will not get into at this time. The first priority was making sure that war became impossible. The combined might of the extraordinary capabilities of Starfleet ensured that result. We also prevented violent civil conflict and even terrorism to the greatest extent possible, throughout the world, including India and its neighbors."
"Let me ask a question then. How did you decide the results of issues such as the control over Jammu and Kashmir?"
"It was a simple formula, for that and all of the world's disputed territory issues. Actual control as of the first of May 1995 became frozen until eventual agreements can be reached. That means, no surreptitious moving of border fences, no occupying empty glaciers so as to change under which nation's control it is under, and certainly no guerrilla raids. While we provide mediation services, and encourage settling of all outstanding issues, in the absence of mutual agreements, territorial control becomes frozen, irrespective of the legitimacy of claims.
Now to continue about how Starfleet has worked with India, mind you that has worked in both directions. India has provided very significant research to develop Starfleet's space capabilities, even if that research effort was largely hidden. It has also contributed to publically known development of space resources.
The first cooperation to help India happened at the end of 1995. By late 1996, we had significantly helped with infrastructure. It was decided that this would be the most effective use of assistance at that time. At the start of the information age, assistance was provided to create good mobile phone networks and internet connectivity.
Clean energy was a major effort. We provided a world-wide standard of clean energy production plants. Then, with sufficient electricity we helped Indian industries develop locally made electrical motor scooters and three wheeled vehicles. In later years, we helped with all sorts of high technology improvements in the Indian economy, as well as more efficient manufacturing of goods.
We are about to embark on a programme, assuming continued government support for the programme, of providing basic needs for the entire population in India. That would be shelter, meaning clean safe dorm accommodations. Food, meaning basic meals that also meet the dietary restrictions found in the various groups within India. Transportation to provide essentials for commuters. Clothing, a basic allowance of clothing needed per region of India, marked with "not for resale". Free use of computers and other electronics in common areas of the free dorms and other locations."
Throughout the world, there were some countries were there was a demand to break existing ties with Starfleet, but the carrot of providing free basic needs seemed to be enough to prevent any.
Due to the requirement of freedom of religion, there needed to be some clarification. Many countries had laws against proselytizing. Starfleet decided that it didn't need to kick out that many countries from partnership and would let those stand. Egypt removed it ban on Bahai and Jehovah's witnesses from engaging in normal civic life.
For now it was decided to allow certain restrictions to remain, as long as members of all religions could exist without violence, criminal sanction, and with an ability to live a normal life, and to practice their religion, even if only in a slightly hidden manner.
Starfleet wants these restrictions to disappear, while at the same time not losing many countries from being its partners. It was considered a long term plan to gradually increase the pressure on these countries, and not to push the point as hard at the beginning of the public phase of Starfleet.
Laws against witchcraft were not accepted in any partner country. However, Swaziland was allowed to keep its ban on flying on brooms, as long as witchcraft in general was not against the law. Even though the law was specifically aimed at witches and wizards it was considered the equivalent to the law the Wizarding Britain had against flying carpets.
Romania was proposing a special tax on the occupations of witch, astrologer, and fortuneteller. While these should never be seen by the non-magical public due to the Statute of Secrecy, it was still considered that these cannot be on the books, since they would become a nuisance after that secrecy ends.
Central African Republic was a mess, with active persecution of perceived witches. The magical ministry tried to evacuate all non-magical born magical children. In many cases, they were being sent by their families to healing centers to break them of their magic. There was also much persecution of those falsely accused of witchcraft. The ICW agreed to try to solve this issue later, and not at this time.
For other countries that ban jinn's or specific magical practices, there was an attempt by Starfleet to get them to modify the bans to particular practices against non-magicals, such as mind control, or specific magic aimed at non-magicals, rather than on magic in general.