The ship continued the decent and was headed toward Greece. A dim light began to appear near the surface. As the ship got closer a landmass appeared. In the center a volcanic eruption was occurring. The light which had been seen was the glow from the lava. The ship continued the decent and landed in a beautiful circular courtyard. "That must be Atlantis. We know Atlantis was located on the island Thera in the Aegean Sea. This massive eruption would explain the disappearance of Thera." Monique said.
The video showed the pilot exiting the spacecraft in some sort of protective spacesuit. It wasn’t like a normal spacesuit. A ring of light could be seen surrounding the alien. He appeared to be in an enclosed atmospheric environment. A dozen large alien ships could be seen on the ground. Each was massive, and must have been at least fifty yards long. Cargo doors on all the ships were open. Most were empty, but some had humans inside. Sounds could be heard as the pilot had left the hatch open. People were running in panic and volcanic ash was thick in the air. The scene was chaotic as many people were naked and almost all of them were screaming. Suddenly in the middle of the chaos, a group of aliens appeared among the frightened humans. The aliens were not in pressurized suits and were breathing the atmosphere of Earth. The crew on the Constellation was speechless as the scene unfolded. Many of the crewmembers thought they might see an alien at some point. To actually see a group of them alive and among humans was extraordinary and frightening at the same time. There were seven aliens currently being shown on the screen. Members of the species were at least eight feet tall with large elongated heads and bulbous eyes. Some of them were standing together with their long arms hanging down past their knees. The others were carrying staffs and trying to direct the people somewhere. An earsplitting screeching noise halted everyone in their tracks. One of the aliens held something to his mouth and began speaking. "Does anyone understand what he's saying?" Vincent asked. "I don't. It sounds like it might be a type of Semitic language, but I don't understand anything he's saying. There's a possibility he's speaking Atlantean. It's been speculated the people of Atlantis had their own unique language." Dalton said.
When the alien stopped speaking he lifted the staff he was holding into the air. The staff thundered and discharged an electrical bolt into the air. The people immediately stopped running and began boarding the alien transports. With each passing minute there were less people running in panic and the ships began to become crowded. At one point a crying toddler could be seen frantically calling for a parent. One of the aliens gently picked up the small child and brought her to a ship. After about an hour the streets were looking empty. Only the occasional alien could be seen. The sound cut out as the alien shut the hatch and boarded his craft again. Within only a few seconds the ship was leaving the surface.
As the ship made a turn, a deep massive explosion could be heard. The video showed the entire volcano blowing itself into oblivion. A tsunami could be seen in the distance heading inland. The sea was swallowing the island. The tsunami came ashore and washed over the lava. Massive amounts of steam and smoke obscured any remaining sight of the quickly disappearing island. The ships hovered for a time observing the devastation. One by one each ship formed up and began to accelerate into the atmosphere. Three of the ships could be seen in front of the alien ship taking the video. All the ships were in formation and heading in the same direction. The display on the console of the craft began changing rapidly, indicating the video was only being recorded intermittently as the ship traveled in empty space.
The small armada of ships approached a moon the crew knew well. It was Rhea and the hanger was open. A ship larger then any they had seen except for Bertha was in the center of the hanger. It was truly massive. "We haven't seen one like that before. It's simply enormous." Vincent said. The ships entered the hanger, and the hanger door closed as the last one landed. The pilot didn't move until a light on the console display turned white. The pilot opened the hatch and left the ship without a suit on. "They must have pressurized the hanger." Isabella said. The video continued and some of the ships which had returned were visible in the hanger. Doors on the ships opened and the Atlanteans began moving into the open area in the hanger.
The Atlanteans disembarked the alien ships, looking confused and scared. Gathering together in the center of the hanger they numbered in the thousands. One of the aliens walked into the center of the gathered sea of humanity. After he spoke the Atlanteans began boarding the massive alien transport looking even more scared. “That ship is huge, why did they bring them all the way to Rhea? It doesn’t make sense if they are being relocated on Earth.” Monique said. “If they went to Rhea, I doubt if they were being relocated on Earth or anywhere else in the solar system. There aren’t any other habitable planets or moons. That leaves us with only one alternative. The Atlanteans were relocated somewhere outside our solar system.” Vincent replied. Half the Atlanteans had boarded the ship when the video stopped. “Well I guess we know what happened on Atlantis now. No wonder there was never any reliable historical information. Anyone who knew anything had been taken away.” Isabella said. “It looks like the aliens rescued everyone they could. I didn’t see any stragglers left on the island. It gives me hope these aliens might have a decent sense of morals.” Julia said.
“I want everyone to get some rest and think about what we've seen. These tall aliens appeared to be helping. So far we have no evidence of hostility from this species. We can't completely rule it out however. If we encounter them it’s important to have a plan in place. It appears likely we would be able to communicate with them. The alien who was speaking appeared to have some sort of translation device. I for one do not wish to be forcefully relocated.
Get some rest, we'll be arriving at Titan soon. We’re going to have to be vigilant and pay close attention to details. Don’t engage in small talk, someone could accidently give something away. We will maintain radio silence until right before we arrive. Sarah, prepare a technical reason as to why we were having communication difficulties." Vincent said.
Dalton followed Vincent back to his quarters. "So much of the evidence was always right before our eyes. Most of the scientific community and the world either rejected the information or didn't believe it. The pyramids in Egypt and the civilization of Atlantis are only two examples. The pyramids were never designed to be tombs. It’s ridiculous to come to that conclusion without any direct evidence. Why is the scientific community colluding with the governments to keep it all hidden?" Dalton asked. "I'm sure the government has known about the aliens for a long time. It's a known fact that UFO sightings always increased during times of war and battles. I’m sure they have their own reasons for observing and maybe even interfering in warfare. As far as UFO sightings in the United States is concerned, there were reliable UFO sightings as far back as the American Civil War. It's likely the governments of the world don't believe the rest of humanity could handle a reality in which we aren't the most intelligent and advanced species. It's a simple matter of controlling the information, and persuading the most highly regarded scientists and scholars to keep their mouths shut. I’m sure our government wouldn't hesitate to bribe them or threaten them. Most likely both. If the truth is ever going to come out, it won't be from our governments or leading scientists. I sure hope we can find more proof on Mars. Did you ever notice how the resolution of the Face on Mars was better in the Viking One pictures in 1976 then in the 2001 Mars Global Surveyor pictures? It's another example of NASA manipulating images. We'll find something this time. I couldn't handle finding another empty pyramid." Vincent said.
Walking in circles Tony was slowly going crazy. It had been days since he had woke up. He was still considered a biohazard and was being kept isolated. Doctor Johnson kept coming in administering test after test. He had passed every test and was within normal limits. After hearing what he had gone through, he knew the CIA would likely keep him in quarantine forever. He longed to start life over with his new young body and had to find a way out of the f
acility. He could only think of one person who might have a chance of rescuing him. Doctor Johnson came back into his room to poke and prod him some more. “Can I at least have my phone so I can call a friend and let him know I’m alright?” he asked. “I’ll see what I can do Tony.” Doctor Johnson replied.
Five minutes later the Doctor came back with his phone. “The CIA boys said you can make one phone call for now and that’s all.” he said. “I came to help the CIA and now I’m their prisoner. It isn’t fair, I haven’t done anything wrong.” he said as he took the phone from the Doctor. He would have to hope Enzo was as smart as everyone said he was. He opened his contact list and dialed the number. He was careful not to list him by name in the contact list. The name listed for him was Robin. “Hello, it’s Tony. There’s been an incident at the lab. You need to know I’m alright. I’ll try you later, pick up the phone when I call. It’s important you understand what’s really going on.” Tony made a pretense of turning the phone off and continued to hold it. Enzo had answered on the other end and he hoped the man would continue to listen.
“So Doctor, let me get this straight. I was infected by some form of alien microbe and went into a coma and woke up sixty years younger without any known side effects?” he asked. “Yes, that’s essentially correct. There appears to be some cellular damage or reconstruction. You’ve lost three inches of height and forty pounds of weight. As far as we can tell, the material which left your body was essentially old waste material. There is only one known Earth organism we’ve seen which goes through a similar transformation and such a dramatic change. The organism is the turritopsis dohrnii, otherwise known as the immortal jellyfish. The bell and tentacles of the jellyfish deteriorate and it reverts to an immature state after having reached sexual maturity. The cells undergo a change known as transdifferentiation. Your case is somewhat similar, but as a complex life form the process is much more complicated then we currently understand.” he said. “Knowing the CIA the way I do, I’m guessing I won’t be leaving this facility unless I’m dead. Is that right Doctor?” Tony asked. “Those decisions are above my head. It’s my job to keep you healthy and to watch for any dangerous changes. I’m sure it’s very frustrating for you, but you should keep in mind nothing like this has ever happened in the history of mankind. It would be dangerous and foolish to let you out into the general population.” Doctor Johnson said. “I need to rest Doctor, thanks for the phone call.” Tony said as he surreptitiously turned off the phone and handed it back to the Doctor.
Enzo had never met Tony. He only knew of the man due to his involvement with Dalton and Vincent. Had the man actually said he was sixty years younger after this infection by an alien virus? If he could figure out how to replicate the results, there would be no limit to the amount of wealth and influence he would have. If immortality could truly be achieved in humans mankind would be forever changed. Thinking back on the phone call perhaps Tony was right. Tony would have to be dead to leave the CIA facility. It was time to call in more favors.
Captain Samuels and his team recovered the bodies near the craft on Rhea. All the suits had been torn open by shrapnel and each person had undergone massive trauma. The Captain was furious. He had led each of these soldiers for years and felt like a father to all of them. He would find out who did this and they would pay a heavy price. He didn't recognize the body which had been in the alien craft. The video had already been sent to Earth, and he was waiting to see if the man could be identified by facial recognition analysis. He had also inquired as to why a human would be in the cockpit of a crashed alien ship. It was extremely frustrating having more questions then answers. He gave orders for the ship to leave Rhea and head to Titan. He would wait impatiently for answers.
It was a beautiful morning and Randy was in his office at Leviathan looking at his financial projections for the remainder of the fiscal year. The projections were looking good and Leviathan had never been busier. The space business was finally coming around, and his services were in high demand. His secretary buzzed him and told him a group of men were headed to his office. His door opened and he was approached by the man in charge. “Mr. Stedman, I’m William Spencer the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.” he said. “What can I do for the CIA today Director Spencer?” Randy asked. “I need you to answer a few questions. First off, do you know how a captain of one of your ships ended up dead in an alien ship?” Randy took a moment to respond. “I don’t appreciate you showing up unannounced, and I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about. It was my understanding the government hasn’t ever found any alien ships. Has that changed?” Randy asked. The Director was unimpressed. “I’m not going to get into a conversation about what the government has disclosed to the American public. I want answers to my questions. By the end of the day we will have access to all your computer records and we will be interviewing every one of your employees. It would be in your best interest to tell us everything we want to know. Make a smart life choice and don’t withhold any information from me.”
Enzo had offered to take Randy with him into hiding. He should have gone with him. Now he was in trouble without many options. He might be able to protect the Constellation. His only choice was to stick with the original story. The crew which was going to investigate Mars had been killed in the explosion after liftoff. He hoped the story would satisfy the Director and keep him out of trouble. “I haven’t broken any laws. I’ll talk with you provided I can have my legal representation present.” Randy excused himself from his office to use the bathroom. He was escorted by an agent. Luckily the agent didn't go in with him. While he had the chance he sent a text message to his second in command. "Send the following message to Enzo, the Constellation, and the Avenger. Leviathan has been compromised and Randy will soon be in custody. Do not trust any further messages. You are on your own, good luck. Send the message from the portable communications unit and then destroy it."
Enzo received the distress message from Leviathan. Randy had proven his loyalty and Enzo felt he was partially to blame for Randy’s predicament. He suspected something like this might happen and wished Randy would have left the country and joined him. He was in hiding but it didn't mean he was without resources. There were a precious few hours he could do something to help Randy. After that, there would be no chance for the man. He started making phone calls.
Dalton was in engineering assisting Isabella with the work on the tratium. The two of them were making good progress and were on schedule for having the material installed on the ship before the Constellation reached Titan. Dalton heard Isabella sobbing across the room. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” he asked. “No, I’m scared and upset. What will people think of me? We killed those people on Rhea. I was the one who made the bomb, and I don’t like how I feel about myself.” she replied. “We did what we had to do.” Dalton said. “It doesn’t matter, I’ll never feel good about what happened and people will always judge me.” she replied. Dalton looked directly at her. “Look at me and listen to me very carefully. You are still very young and have your whole life ahead of you. You can’t worry about what other people think about you all the time. I’ve come to know you, and you’re a good person. If you make good choices, are kind to those you care about, and have confidence in yourself, you will be just fine and have nothing to be worried about. Be true to yourself and don’t worry about what other people think. Life is hard and there is no finish line. Keep love and strength in your heart. We all do the best we can. I think you worry too much. Enjoy life, enjoy the people you care about, and have a little fun. As for the people on Rhea, we were only protecting ourselves. We are a family on the Constellation and we watch out for each other. None of us need evil people or enemies in our lives. I’ve been told you’re one of the youngest people working for Leviathan. In time you will understand it doesn’t matter how other people judge you.” Dalton said. “You sound like my dad.” Isabella replied. “Your dad is a bit older then you and he has probably learned a little more th
en you think he has.” Dalton said. Isabella felt better and more at peace after talking with Dalton. He was over twice her age and could have been her father.
Vincent was summoned to the command center and found the crew waiting for him. “We’ve received a message from Randy. The Leviathan complex has been compromised. Under the circumstances none of us want to leave the ship when we get to Titan. We would be hunted down and killed. We can no longer assume the government doesn’t know who we are.” Patrick said. “That’s horrible, you’re right of course. I guess we’re all in this together. I’m sorry I never thought it would come to this. Sarah, when we leave Titan we need to move as fast as possible and on an unexpected course. We need to be hard to find.” Vincent said. “Captain the tratium has been coated on the back third of the Constellation. The estimate was about right. We should be able to avoid any damage from earth based weaponry on the back part of the ship. Unfortunately two thirds of the ship is still vulnerable.” Isabella said. “It’s too bad we didn’t take more from the rings, but we will have to make do. Thank you and good job getting the tratium on so quickly.” Vincent said.
Surrounded by agents, Randy looked out his window as the CIA took over his complex. How had it all gone wrong? He felt hopeless. All his employees were being interrogated. Only a handful of well paid and trusted employees knew who was on each ship. The secret might be safe for now, but he knew it would be uncovered any minute. He had been placed in custody and been interrogated all day. He was now being moved to a secure facility for additional questioning, and was escorted in handcuffs to a secure SUV occupied by three agents. The SUV drove out the gate and headed for Tucson.
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