George looked round the Ambassador’s office, which was Western in design and Eastern in decoration. Presumably important vases skulked within the recesses of a display cabinet, daring new comers to touch them. He resisted the temptation, choosing instead to stand and wait for the Ambassador to be seated first. The Ambassador smiled and waved his right hand in a gesture to allow them to be seated.
Jane noted the smile, so he likes every bit of protocol does he? Now she would have to wait for him to speak and then to address her directly before she could speak.
The Ambassador leaned forward onto his desk; resting his elbows on the edge, he made a tower of his fingers in a splayed prayer fashion. Seconds ticked by as he sat impassively observing them. At last he spoke, breaking the silence.
'George Hamilton. Are you related to William and Sarah Hamilton?'
'Yes,' replied George, the pain ever present, 'they were my parents.'
'I see.' The Ambassador didn't even blink. 'How long have you been a journalist?'
'I've just returned to Photo-Journalism, but previously I was in it for nearly four years.'
'What do you like about it?'
'I enjoy the action, the people I meet, making a difference by capturing a story.'
'I see.'
The Ambassador lapsed back into silence. Apart from the wave earlier, he hadn't even acknowledged that Jane was present. He didn't now, instead his eyes remained fixed on George, his face disclosing nothing of what he was thinking if anything.
Two full minutes passed. The Ambassador reached out, picking up a glass of water from which he took a sip. His head turned to the left and he locked eyes with Jane.
'Jane Spencer-Brown. You are fortunate to meet me. I read your article on the border intrusion we suffered two years ago. Your analysis was entirely incorrect. However, your writing was flawless. So you understand, this meeting was arranged as part of my country's well-known openness. Were we not so open I might have refused your request.'
So, Jane thought, he doesn't like me, the Free Press, or being open. If it was up to him we wouldn't be here, or at least, I wouldn’t be here.
'Thank you for seeing me.’ Jane offered, not rising to his bait.
'You are entirely welcome. I believe that you wish to discuss my country's opinion on the outrageous plan by the Americans and Russians to conduct provocative and dangerous joint military manoeuvres.'
'The upcoming exercise, that is correct.' Jane ignored the obviously intentional snub; he hadn’t mentioned Great Britain’s participation.
The rest of the interview was just posturing. The Ambassador stating how his country would be holding its own military exercise at the same time. How he hoped there would not be any incidents. What were the Americans and Russians so worried about that they needed to train together less than a day’s drive from the Chinese border? His rants and pontificating went on for over an hour. They both felt entirely drained at the end of it. One thing was clear though, the Chinese were very, very unhappy and their state of military readiness would be escalated to match the perceived threat level.
18:20 09 November [13:20 09 November GMT]
40th Floor, United Nations Building, New York.
The screen dimmed and went blank, the session over. This was only Jayanti Kapoor's second visit to this room, the second time seeing the secret organisation and now they had delivered the bombshell. They are coming. They are coming here. They will arrive tomorrow. No part of her brain was ready to accept this. What should I do? She had asked. Nothing, yet. Allow your people to inform you when they discover it. React how you would have reacted, exactly as you did this evening. Keep calm and look to your duties. She told them about her interview with the Global Disclosure journalists scheduled for tomorrow asking whether she should reschedule. No. Keep the appointment, we know about it. That reply had stressed her even further. Of course, they know about it, they seem to know pretty much everything! Again she had pressed. What should I do about the journalists then? Keep them with you, had come the reply, make them part of the story.
Jay headed home that night and poured herself an especially large glass of red wine. Guilt set in so she kept it to just that one glass, I'm going to need a clear head for tomorrow. Dark images plagued her mind that night. The nightmare of arrival beckoning out to her as the four horsemen rode across a burning sky.
10:20 10 November [05:20 10 November GMT]
Office of the Secretary-General, United Nations Building, New York.
Their meeting with Jayanti Kapoor, the Secretary-General of the United Nations did not start well. They were late. It was George's fault. He had not slept well, finally admitting defeat he had taken two sleeping tablets at around five in the morning in an attempt to get some much needed rest. He had always had them to hand, ever since he was fourteen. He had not needed them in years, but always renewed them as a charm against the bad times. Now was becoming such a time. The talk of his parents, especially his mother, had brought back the waking nightmares. He had relived their captivity, every day of it imagined in the smallest detail. Their last day became the broken record. How he believed that his parents both knew it was Christmas day. How they had awoken and wished each other Happy Christmas and then said the same in a prayer to each of their three children. Images of his own Christmas day interplayed in his mind, the excited nine-year-old racing downstairs, still half expecting to see his parents, racing to see what Father Christmas had brought him. The terrorist coming to the door, opening and inviting his parents out at the point of a gun. His brother and sister, looking on as he opened his presents. The walk into the room, a camera set up pointing against the wall. The longed for train set found amongst the treasures. The stern look upon their captors faces, different from how they had looked previously, when they had forced them to make an appeal on camera. The unpacking of the pieces and feverish assembly of the train set. The binding of their hands and feet, this was new. The excitement as the power was switched on and the first train exited the station. The strap placed around their heads, tied to their feet, forcing their heads back, exposing their necks. The glee as the train hurtled around the track. The appearance of the knife at his wife's throat, his pleas to them to spare his wife. Another train now on a different track. The unmanly scream as the spray of blood hit the right side of his face, trickling into his still screaming mouth. The second train gathering speed now, hurtling in the opposite direction of the first. The man with the knife, moving behind his father. The trains colliding at a crossing.
George had finally appeared in the hotel lobby, unshaven, without breakfast, a look haunting him that Jane did not care for at all. He had apologised profusely. Jane accepted it without criticism. She was not one to throw stones. Now the two of them sat waiting, still hoping to see the Secretary-General.
'The Secretary-General will see you now.' The assistant spoke very good English, hardly betraying her Nigerian parentage.
We've only been waiting five minutes! Jane's mind screamed, and we were twenty minutes late! Either this is an impossibly slow day or she actually wants to see us.
'Thank you' Jane replied as the assistant showed them through.
Jayanti Kapoor rose from behind her large, ornate desk, and approached them hand out-stretched, a smile fixed on her face.
'It's so good to meet you both.'
'It is an honour to meet you Madam Secretary-General.’ Jane replied overly formally, the better to set the ground for being so late.
'Oh please, call me Jay.'
'Thank you. I'm Jane and this is George.'
'Please won't you take a seat?' Jay said pointing them to some comfortable chairs arranged around a coffee table.
They talked at some length, discussing the planned military exercise. Jane noted that Jayanti was factual but otherwise not especially interested. She said all the required things; “Military exercises always being preferable to actual conflicts”, “Closer relations between East and West are most welcome”. Jayanti kept un
consciously looking at her watch, making Jane and George feel that they had already outstayed their welcome. Maybe, Jane wondered, she does have a busy day after all and seeing us was just out of politeness.
There was a loud knock at the door, followed by her personal aide William entering without waiting for the customary acknowledgement.
'Madam Secretary-General, I must inform you that we are tracking an object entering Earth's orbit. It, it,' He stammered trying to get the words out, he took a deep breath, 'It appears that it is going to land.' He said finally, waiting for the enormity of it to hit them.
'I see,’ Jay replied coolly, and then she remembered what she had been instructed, 'what do you mean it's going to land?'
'It appears as though there is a space born vehicle that is going to land on Earth.' He replied as calmly as he could, his palms sweating, pulse elevated.
'Do you mean aliens are going to land?'
'Well, err, no human spacecraft are due to return to Earth that we know of, so yes, it is logical that this is manned by aliens.' The humour of the statement was not lost on him, he just didn't have the vocabulary to say it another way. He thought for a moment, perhaps commanded by aliens would be better. So much is going to change, not just our language.
'Do we know where it is going to land?' Jay asked.
'No, not yet.'
'When are they landing?'
'We estimate in about thirty minutes given their current rate of descent.'
'Have they attempted to make contact with us?'
'I have no idea. I'm not sure how anyone would know how?'
'So I guess we are not trying to make contact with them?'
'Not to my knowledge, no.’ This was probably the most important moment in his career and he was feeling like a schoolboy who hadn't done his homework, again.
'OK.' Jay said, thinking fast, how would I react if I hadn't known this was going to happen? 'Alert the Security-Council we will be meeting in fifteen minutes. Call a meeting of the full council for after that. Alert the media, tell them what we know, and that we are monitoring the approach, we will take all precautions necessary, not to panic or create panic. Tell them I will come down hard on any organisation that does. I will issue a formal statement after the Security Council and in time for the full council. Most of all wake people up.'
William still stood there.
'William! Get Going!’ Jayanti shouted at him.
'If you would like to call your news desk you may use the one of the phones in my assistant's office. I'll need mine for a little while as I have some calls to make. By the way, you are most welcome to hang around; after all I still owe you the second half of the interview.'
Jane was surprised how she was more shaken by Jayanti's helpfulness than the news that aliens were going to land. She took the offer of the use of the phone. The UN probably has priority on the communications network anyway, she thought to herself.
11:00 10 November [06:00 10 November GMT]
Meeting of the Security Council, United Nations Building, New York.
The pressure on the Security Council members was just incredible. This worked in Jayanti’s favour. They had had only the briefest conversations with their respective countries. They were totally out on a limb. They could not agree on any substantial coordinated action. All had increased their military alert status and were tracking the object. They all denied it was anything to do with them before finally agreeing it was what it appeared, an alien vessel. With scant minutes to go before the full council meeting, they finally agreed that they would speak with one voice to the full council, and that Jayanti’s would be that voice. However the agreement was limited, she could not announce anything substantive. This was good enough for her; just to stay their hands from any independent action was necessary whilst they gathered the measure of what the Earth was facing.
11:15 10 November [06:15 10 November GMT]
Meeting of the Full Council, United Nations Building, New York.
Just as she was about to take the floor, Jay was informed that the latest projections put the landing zone in the northern hemisphere, probably somewhere in the West.
Jane and George were on floor of the UN council. A hush descended over the giant room, as Jayanti took the floor and prepared to speak. Network cameras beamed her image into millions of homes and offices all over the world as more channels took the live feed, interrupting normal scheduling.
Jay, suddenly aware of her audience and how many times this would be replayed, took a deep breath, relaxed and looked up.
'Ladies and Gentlemen. What you have doubtless already heard is true. We are tracking an alien vessel that is going to land on Earth. We have not yet been able to establish communications with them. We do not know why they are visiting. What we do know is that they have been utterly peaceful in their approach. The Security Council is united. We will make no overt, aggressive action. However, we are fully prepared to protect ourselves if necessary. The vessel is expected to land in the Northern Hemisphere, in the West and it looks likely that it will land within the continental United States, probably on the Eastern seaboard. This is an historic day, one that you will tell your children and grandchildren. Humans are not alone in the universe, we have neighbours, and they are coming to visit us.'
Jay had kept it as light as she could. People would be scared enough as it is, but by referring to them as visitors and neighbours it gave them a friendly feel. The truth is, she thought to herself, no one has a clue what they want. Well OK, some people do. She wondered when the secret organisation would next make contact. Jay continued, this time directing her remarks more to the council than to the general public, but still aware that the cameras were live.
'Delegates, I speak to you from my heart. Not only as your Secretary-General, but also as a Mother and an orphan child from Delhi. This is a momentous occasion and one that we should both embrace and recognise as the tremendous opportunity it represents. I would like your support in opening a dialogue with the visitors on behalf of you all, and every man, woman and child on Earth. I truly believe that we have much to offer and my hope is that they have much to offer us in return.'
The vote came back with unanimous support.
'Thank you so much for your confidence and trust in me.'
William approached her and whispered in her ear.
'Thank you. I have just been given the latest update on the approaching vessel. It is now confirmed that it is going to land within the continental United States, on the Eastern seaboard, most probably right here in New York. If we make our way calmly outside we should be able to see it in a few minutes.'
'Follow me.’ Jay said to Jane and George.
The spaceship, that's what they were calling it now, dipped below the high cirrus cloud and gave the world below their first glimpse. Just a spec against the clouds it was impossible to gauge its size, let alone make out any kind of detail. The dark spot grew at a rapid rate, revealing what must be a fast descent. As it came closer to the crowd waiting below, there were a series of gasps as some in the crowd started to realise the size of the spaceship. More gasps as the ship came ever closer, its physical bulk becoming more and more obvious to everyone watching. The media were in frenzy now, channels not even bothering to alert people to the switch from regular programming to live coverage, they just kept scrolling the same message. “Alien spacecraft landing in New York City.” Now the cameras could provide detail to viewers as to how it looked. A long thick body, with two pods running along either side. There was almost something of the animal about it.
They could make out windows now. More windows. They were appearing all over the ship, what at first appeared to be solid resolved itself into a transparent material. Size was becoming a real issue, so was the deep, resonating throbbing sound emanating from the ship. It literally pounded the inside of the chest, like the heartbeat of a whale, sucking the air out of your lungs, then ramming it back in. People started to move back, further and further as they r
ecalculated the amount of the ground it would occupy once it landed. Now the sound was both deafening and choking.
The bottom of the ship started to draw level with the top of the UN building. Suddenly seeing its size contrasted with something known, something solid, something of steel and concrete just overwhelmed. This was the size of a large office building. Three hundred metres long, seventy or eighty metres wide, and at least fifty high. It settled on the East River, squatting on the water but not moving with it. It's physical presence challenging the world to deny its existence. This was no weather balloon, no ignited swap gases, no mistaken commercial or military jet. This was real, this was here, this was alien.
UN staff were now pouring out of the building desperate to get a close up view. Security personnel were surrounding the ship the best they could, trying and failing to keep people away from it, there were not nearly enough of them for something of this size.
A section of wall on the front-end side of the body of the ship grew paler, and paler until it disappeared altogether. The crowd on the left side of the ship could now dimly see the interior of the vessel. Shapes were moving around inside. A low hum accompanied the appearance of a walkway, flat and smooth it extended at an angle down to the ground, several people moving back out of its way.
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