Wake-up Call: 2035

by Robert J. Traydon

  He sat back in his chair and reflected on the encounter. China, the Chinese people and he himself, would finally be vindicated after three years of global disparagement. His reputation had taken a battering internationally, and he was often compared to the likes of Mao Zedong for his ruthless vigour in implementing his ideals. But his constant striving for the greater good had always been honourable and had never wavered. No matter what circumstances and hardships had been endured, China had prevailed.

  He felt a deep sense of personal responsibility for his citizens’ wellbeing, and his extensive efforts had now safeguarded them from the threatened remediation. His authoritarian ideals and style would be shown on the world stage to have been absolutely necessary. He would now be seen as the saviour of his people; the hero who transformed China into the world-leading environmentally sustainable nation it had truly become. Post remediation, China would be seen in a different light across the world … in the blink of an eye it would shift from rogue to saint.

  While lost in thought his phone rang. It was his Presidential Assistant. “Mr President, I have President West on the line for you.”

  11:10 a.m. Earth: Jameson Country Manor

  Sally Jameson was devastated after her brief exchange with President West. Her warning had been deflected with his usual arrogant insolence. But she couldn’t afford to fail again. She had to think of other options, limited as they may be. She considered contacting someone in the upper ranks of the US government who could possibly assist her, but that too had its own difficulties. For starters, if President West got wind of it she would be summarily arrested and placed into solitary confinement.

  Just then her husband entered the room with two steaming cups of tea. They sat down together on the sofa overlooking their exquisitely manicured garden. She took a sip of the tea, which helped her relax and clear her head.

  She looked at her husband and spoke, “The tea is perfect as always, my dear. Thanks very much”.

  “A pleasure,” he said, smiling at her.

  He spoke after a brief pause, “Not that I want to add to your stress Sally, but I couldn’t help myself overhearing the abrupt end of your conversation with President West. What’s going on?”

  She then recounted the whole of the second encounter to him. Right from the first moment she had been transported onto the Supreme Beings’ spacecraft, up until the point she had reappeared in her study.

  He looked at her, bewildered. He didn’t doubt the veracity of what she had said for a second, but it was too terrible to contemplate. The only thing he could do was comfort her and reassure her that he, at least, believed her.

  He spoke, “Sally, I agree that taking this to the media would be a serious mistake. The repercussions of global unrest could end up being an even bigger disaster than the remediation itself. But you have to think of some way to take this further – who else is there that you can speak to?”

  “No one, unfortunately. To go behind the President’s back would be tantamount to treason and I can’t afford to have that against my name as well.” She looked at her husband, appreciating both his ability to listen and the unconditional support he offered her. She respected his opinion and was glad to know that her thoughts and actions were being reaffirmed by her most trusted confidant.

  They sat together, looking out at the peaceful view … with a terrible dread hanging over them.

  11:10 a.m. Earth: White House – Precaution

  President West was still unconvinced of Jameson’s warning, even after speaking with the Chinese President. It was highly likely that all 12 of the original Principals would corroborate the same ridiculous story, since all of them had been in it together right from the start. As far as he was concerned, it confirmed nothing … but against all logic he decided to escalate the dubious intelligence.

  He speed-dialled another number and the call was answered on the third ring.

  “Pentrow here.”

  Rory Pentrow was the newly appointed American Secretary of Defence, having taken over from Stuart Rendell just six months prior. He was as old school as they came, and at 62 years of age was finally in charge of the world’s largest military entity. From humble beginnings, scrubbing galley floors in nuclear submarines, he had worked and studied his way through the ranks of the US Navy. Having completed a ground-breaking doctoral thesis in ‘tactical subsurface to surface warfare’, he was moved into the Pentagon where he joined the Nuclear Game Theory Strategic Team.

  After the publication of 32 highly regarded war strategy papers, and having worked closely with all the divisions of the Armed Forces, he was appointed as deputy-secretary to Stuart Rendell. Upon Rendell’s retirement, Pentrow was promoted to Secretary of Defence. With multiple decorations and stars complementing an impeccable record and reputation, there was no other man in the United States that was more suitable for, or more deserving of, this key position.

  “Mr Secretary, its President West.”

  “Good day to you, Mr President. What can I do for you?” asked Pentrow.

  “I’ve got something here that I need you to follow up on. It’s going to sound crazy, but it must be done … and urgently.

  “Go ahead, Mr President.”

  The Defence Secretary was surprised, not only by the impromptu phone call, but also by the almost hesitant demeanour of the President. Gone was the steadfast confidence that he was accustomed to. He was dealing with someone who was genuinely concerned about something.

  President West spoke, “I have received some perplexing intelligence of a threat to our nation. Its source is questionable, but I would like to take due precaution nonetheless. As such, I am ordering a full-scale emergency drill which is to include a defence readiness condition increase to DEFCON 3. Make sure the Armed Forces, National Guard and emergency services of every kind are placed on high alert and standby. Notify our foreign embassies of the exercise, and instruct a worldwide lockdown. This needs to be carried out with extreme discretion, as I don’t want the media catching wind of this.”

  Pentrow was shocked by the scale of the executive order, but kept his cool. “Yes, Mr President. I shall contact the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs immediately and we will carry out your order.”

  West hesitated slightly before going on, “The threat is apparently in orbit around the Earth, although I am uncertain as to the exact details of this threat.”

  There was stunned silence on the other end of the phone. Pentrow himself was not aware of any non-US weapons in orbit, or other potential threats in space. But the President’s intelligence seemed to suggest otherwise.

  The President continued, “Thus, I need all observation, tracking and surveillance equipment that the US Government has at its disposal, to be mobilised into action to look beyond our atmosphere for anything peculiar, like an unidentified spacecraft of sorts. Involve non-military organisations if you have to, like NASA.”

  “Yes, Mr President. I’ll get onto it right away,” replied Pentrow.

  “Good … and to ensure that there is no unnecessary alarm or rumour, state very clearly to your senior staff that this is a drill – but at the same time, make them aware that the status of the drill could change at any second,” said West.

  Pentrow spoke, “Mr President, please excuse me for asking, but what exactly is the potential threat we’re dealing with here? Are the Soviets up to their usual trouble?”

  “Not exactly, Mr Secretary. I myself cannot elaborate further, but I will disclose the source of this intelligence, as I believe it to be absolutely necessary. It is Sally Jameson …”

  The President said it quickly, pausing as if waiting for laughter to erupt on the other end of the line, but there was none.

  He continued, “I’ve personally corroborated her story with the Chinese President, but I’m still unconvinced. Give Jameson a call. She should be able to give you more information about this supposed threat.”

  The dead silence on the other end of the phone spoke volumes to President West. The Def
ence Secretary’s hesitation was followed swiftly by a clearing of his throat and an affirmative response.

  “I will do so immediately, Mr President,” said Pentrow.

  Pentrow’s hesitation had not been from amusement, but rather from calculated scepticism. He was fully aware that it was the much-vaunted third anniversary date of the Ultimatum’s so-called ‘interim compliance review’. It had been mentioned briefly in the morning news, but he had paid little attention to it since the whole Ultimatum story was now widely regarded as nothing more than an elaborate conspiracy.

  West responded, “Thank you, Mr Secretary. You understand, of course, that this source is to remain strictly confidential,”

  “Understood fully, Mr President,” said Pentrow.

  West spoke further, “Please make immediate arrangements to travel to the White House. I want you on hand should anything unexpected arise.”

  “Certainly, Mr President,” said Pentrow. “I will keep you fully informed of the developments at all times.”

  Terry West ended the call and placed his phone back into his pocket. He tugged at his collar which suddenly felt tight and asphyxiating. He stretched his neck uneasily and moved his head from side to side; then composed himself, straightened his tie, and left the suite to return to the budget meeting.

  11:15 a.m. Earth: Jameson Country Manor

  Sally Jameson and her husband talked through a few other options but all were equally impossible. The hopelessness of the situation was unbearable.

  As they sat talking, her mobile phone vibrated on the small coffee table beside her. She looked over and saw a new message: “DEFCON 3 ordered under pretence of emergency drill; expect a call from Defence Secretary Pentrow. There will be severe repercussions for you if this is some political game. – President West.”

  She breathed out a deep sigh of relief and sank back into the sofa – then closed her eyes and said a prayer of thanks. The idiot was not such an idiot after all.

  11:20 a.m. Earth: United States Airspace – Follow-up

  Ten minutes since his phone call with President West, Defence Secretary Pentrow was on a Bell-888 helicopter flying to the White House. He had already spoken with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs regarding the emergency drill and respective DEFCON increase; and also with his Intelligence Colonel about mobilising all available surveillance resources, including that of NASA, to search for any potential threat in space.

  He was now contacting the White House priority call centre to obtain former President Jameson’s number. He had liked President Jameson while she was in office, but once this bizarre encounter business had started, he had lost all faith in her. Being a man of logic, order and control, the notion of extra-terrestrial life coming to Earth was beyond his rational level of thinking. He was not looking forward to this phone call.

  A minute later the former President’s number was received on his phone and he hit the dial button. It was answered within seconds.

  “Hello, Sally Jameson here.”

  “Good day to you, Madam President. This is Defence Secretary Pentrow speaking. I am phoning you as requested by President West.”

  “Thank you for contacting me, Secretary Pentrow,” said Jameson.

  “Madam President, President West said that you have information for us pertaining to an immediate threat.”

  She was quick to respond, “Yes, Mr Secretary. In the interest of saving time I will keep this brief. The information I have is limited, but this should not undermine its importance. Now, I realise that there is much controversy surrounding the Ultimatum but right now you need to believe that it is 100% true.”

  Pentrow raised an eyebrow as he pulled an ice cold soda out of the helicopter’s centre-console fridge. He opened it and sat back.

  “Go on, Madam President. You have my full attention,” said Pentrow.

  She proceeded, “The very first thing you need to do is move the President and his executive staff to the White House bunker. Then immediately raise the nation’s defence readiness condition to DEFCON 1. Assume that all-out nuclear war is imminent since the Supreme Beings’ external intervention may just be on that scale. You need to act immediately.”

  Pentrow replied with a hint of sarcasm, “You know that I am not authorised to do that Madam President. President West was very clear that he wants this defence readiness emergency drill to be carried out with the utmost discretion. There is nothing discreet about evacuating the President and his executive staff to the White House bunker, or raising our alert status to DEFCON 1. I need real, substantiated evidence of an imminent threat for me to take action like that.”

  Jameson continued, “Well, Mr Secretary, I’m going to give it to you then. As I’m sure you’re already aware, today marks the third anniversary date of the original encounter, when I and the 11 other Principals were transported on board that extra-terrestrial spacecraft.”

  “Yes, I recollect the event well, Madam President – although I too am sceptical of your story’s veracity,” said Pentrow, responding openly.

  “Well, personal opinions aside Secretary Pentrow, I wish to inform you that a second encounter occurred this morning. At this encounter the Supreme Beings informed us Principals that since we failed to comply with the Ultimatum, they would be carrying out imminent external intervention. They refer to it as remediation.”

  The Defence Secretary replied in a casual tone, “This is a very interesting story, Madam President. But I must ask you one very important question: what credible evidence do you have to support your claims?”

  Jameson responded, “Mr Secretary, feel free to verify my story with any of the other 11 Principals. I’m sending their contact details through to you as we speak. Also, check what the Chinese Armed Forces are up to right now. Even though China is exempt from remediation as a result of their total compliance, their President has pledged worldwide assistance to all those regions where this remediation is expected to be carried out. Please, Mr Secretary, you have to listen to me … we are wasting precious time here.”

  “Madam President, President West has already verified your story with the Chinese President but he remains unconvinced … and so do I. All of you Principals have been working together since the very beginning.”

  President Jameson replied, “Mr Secretary, please don’t let scepticism stand in the way of your duty to serve and protect your nation and the American people. Right now, the Supreme Beings’ spacecraft is in orbit around the Earth and the whole world is at risk. Hundreds of millions of lives are depending on you.”

  Pentrow spoke, “Madam President, need I remind you that this emergency drill has mobilised over two million United States personnel around the world. We consider this action to be more than sufficient at this stage, especially since there is no tangible threat. I certainly hope that this exercise is not in vain.”

  “To the contrary, Mr Secretary. We should all be hoping that it is in vain … but I know for a fact that it is not.” She continued after a brief pause, “I have an important recommendation that might make a significant difference in saving lives.”

  “Yes, go ahead,” said the Defence Secretary, showing his irritation by deliberately leaving out the ‘Madam President’.

  She continued, not paying any attention to the omission, “Our emergency drill should be focused primarily on defensive measures such as damage control, emergency response, rescue and recovery operations, and medical support – rather than potential offensive strike measures. It is almost certain that we will not be able to stop this remediation, or respond to it. Our weapons will be useless against the technology that is available to these Supreme Beings, and any retaliatory action taken by us is only likely to provoke further remediation.”

  “Noted,” said Pentrow running thin on patience.

  Former President Jameson continued since she had nothing to lose, “Mr Secretary, one last thing. The Supreme Beings showed us compliance statistics from across the world, and the United States was highlighted as one
of the many nations that failed to comply with numerous core aspects of the Ultimatum. From what I saw of the information, a number of American cities were shown to be non-compliant in terms of their population and pollution targets. We know which ones they are from the Global Compliance Monitoring Agency’s report. I would recommend that these cities be evacuated as a priority to limit potential loss of life.”

  Her statement tested the Defence Secretary’s tolerance and he became noticeably more antagonistic. “Madam President, do you have any idea what you are asking for me to do? As soon as I launch any evacuation procedure on the scale you describe, mass hysteria will grip this nation and thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of people will die in the ensuing panic. We must also consider the probability that should this ‘imminent threat’ not materialise, then we will have lost all of those lives for no reason whatsoever.”

  Former President Jameson countered, “Mr Secretary, our nation chose to ignore the Ultimatum at its own peril and now we are about to face the consequences of our non-compliance. The Supreme Beings will be executing their threatened remediation to neutralise the non-compliant areas that are regarded as most damaging to the planet’s environment. This will include our cities that are deemed to be non-compliant. You have to take action on my recommendations immediately – or at least bring them to President West’s attention. Please, I implore you!”

  The Defence Secretary responded in an aggravated tone, “Madam President, let me make something quite clear to you …” A short double beep interrupted their conversation and Pentrow paused to look at his phone. There was an incoming call from his Intelligence Colonel, Fred Miller.