Dark Matter

by John Rollason

  Several seconds passed. No one was speaking, some were hardly breathing. Finally, the shapes moved out into the daylight.

  They were clad in environmental suits or possibly armour. They were bipedal. They appeared to have arms and a head, but the suits covered their entire bodies. White, translucent visors obscured their faces, or at least where their faces would be if they were human. Twenty of the aliens appeared, all identically clad, all the same height and build. Ten lined each side of the walkway, armed with what appeared to be some kind of rifle. The security personnel who were within sight of this drew their weapons and trained them on the aliens. The aliens didn't move.

  The first American troops arrived. Eight open trucks with about a dozen aboard each of them. They decamped. The Captain in charge of them quickly assessed the situation and ordered her men to set up a semi-circle around the walkway four men deep. It isn't much, she thought, but it’s the best I can do until reinforcements arrive.

  Jayanti Kapoor, having persuaded her security personnel that she needed to get to the spacecraft, was ushered to the front. She stood there flanked by Jane and George who had hardly left her side since the news had come through. The three of them, surrounded by security personnel looked up at the ship. The size of it gave Jayanti vertigo. She swayed slightly on her feet, and then regaining her composure took a few tentative steps forward. Jane and George matched, but did not exceed her movements. A few more steps. A few more again. Now she was standing about ten feet from the bottom of the walkway.

  'Is this a good idea?' George whispered out of the side of his mouth to Jane.

  'You wanna leave?'

  'Heck no, no way. I just wanted confirmation that we are doing something incredibly dumb.'

  'Don't worry George. We are.'

  'Sssshhh, something's happening.' Jay said to them both, as sternly but as quietly as she could.

  Jay was looking up the walkway into the ship; she could see more shapes moving. Suddenly they burst into the light.

  'Shit!’ Jay said, not realising how tense she had become. Three figures walked out into the sun.

  The figures were also bipedal. They definitely had arms and a head. They were not wearing any kind of environmental or armour suit. They were dressed in clothes. They were human. At least they looked human.

  12 Hope

  11:30 10 November [06:30 10 November GMT]

  Outside the United Nations Building, New York, USA.

  Two men and a woman, Jay thought to herself, hang on, better not jump to conclusions, these are aliens after all. Who knows how they reproduce?

  The three aliens appeared unarmed. They walked confidently down the walkway and onto the grass below. Jayanti walked forward to meet them halfway across the grass.

  The alien woman stepped forward.

  'Chuck al a tebo farn towe.' She said. She pulled an object out of her clothing. She placed it in her ear and then pulled out another offering it to Jayanti. Jay hesitated slightly before placing the device in her ear.

  The alien woman spoke again.

  'This device allows us to communicate.'

  'Thank you.' Jay replied simply.

  'You're welcome.'

  'Who are you and what do you want?'

  'We are human and we want to help.'

  'You...you’re human? You mean you come from here? This planet?'

  'No, no. Sorry it is the way these devices work. The words you hear are not literal translations; they are the words from your own mind. Therefore, when I say we are human, that is how we think of ourselves in your concepts. We come from the planet Sunarr, in the Sunarr Realm.'

  'And where is that?'

  'It's about eleven Kaligs from here, on the other side of the Shanuin Telvar.'

  'How far is a Kalig and what is the Shanuin Telvar?'

  'My apologies again your mind has no reference for these terms. A Kalig is a measure of distance. There are about fifteen and a half Kaligs in the Shanuin Telvar. The Shanuin Telvar is that local cluster of stars in which we live.'

  'Ahh, you mean the Galaxy.'

  'As you say, the Galaxy.'

  That's interesting, thought Jay, I heard her say Shanuin Telvar again but this time it registered as Galaxy in my mind.

  Jane couldn't take this any longer, only hearing one side of a conversation.

  'What's happening? What are they saying?'

  Jane saw the alien female turn and speak to the alien male on her right, he held out something to her. It was two more of the devices.

  The alien female offered one to Jane and the other to George. They both popped them in their ears without a second thought. They continued to listen to the conversation.

  'I would like, if it is possible, to address your planet. I have a message of peace to deliver.' The alien female stated quietly.

  'Of course, I will make the arrangements. However, could I ask that you return to your ship in the meantime? I would consider it a gesture of goodwill.' Jay watched the alien carefully for her reaction, if she has reactions, she thought.

  'That would be most agreeable. When you and your planet are ready, contact me with the device.'

  'What should I call you? I'm Jayanti Kapoor by the way.'

  'I am called Shiwanevar.'

  Jay heard her pronounce it as She-Wan-E-Var, she also realised that she had started to refer to the alien as SHE, and now she would refer to her by name.

  'I will contact you when we are ready for you Shiwanevar.' Jay said, smiling. Turning on her heel, she led Jane and George back into the building. Shiwanevar and the other aliens returned into the interior of their ship and disappeared from view. As Jay returned to her office, she removed the alien device and made Jane and George do the same with theirs, placing all three in her wall safe. Where, she thought hopefully, their signals would not reach them.

  For the second time that day, Jay called for a meeting of the Security Council, followed by a full sitting of the entire United Nations council.

  12:00 10 November [07:00 10 November GMT]

  Meeting of the Security Council, United Nations, New York, USA.

  'No. No I don't. And I will tell you why I don't see them as a threat.' Jay was replying to the British Representative, 'and that is precisely because they are advanced. We have seen no overt use of force. Their ship does not have any guns trained on us. The only armed aliens we have seen could be nothing more than an honour guard.'

  'With all due respect.' The British Representative was becoming uncharacteristically animated, 'we have no idea what their weapons or guns as you put it, look like. The whole ship could be a weapon for all we know. History has shown us that the advanced nations do not come in peace, they come to conquer.'

  'I think' the French Representative said, interjecting, 'that you are once again fronting the American position. One that is typically Anglo-Saxon. It is your history of which you speak, conquering other, less advanced nations.'

  'I speak' the British Representative said, barely containing his increasing anger, 'only on behalf of the British people. If you look at the whole of human history, you will find the strong conquering the weak, advances in technology become military advances. All of our histories are so written.'

  'I say,' the Russian Representative said, raising his voice over the others and dropping an octave as well, 'that we should let the choozhyezyemtsi speak. If we like what they say, then good. If not, well, they are but one ship. I vote in favour, who is against?'

  The Russian's ploy worked. Whilst all of them had concerns and even reservations, none of them could object to listening.

  'In that case,' Jay spoke for the group now, 'I will arrange to receive what we shall interpret as a diplomatic mission, albeit one from another world. They will speak to the entire UN and the world in thirty minutes.'

  12:30 10 November [07:00 November GMT]

  Meeting of the Entire United Nations, New York, USA.

  The cameras had been rolling ever since the news broke. The reporters inter
viewing everyone they could. In the trading rooms of every country there was relative silence, all trading had been suspended. Instead, they exchanged views about the possible financial impact of the alien’s arrival. Much, they thought, would depend on what they would say, feeling that Tech stocks could go either way, some may fall as their technology is made redundant, others could rise where they could exploit the new opportunities. The traders themselves were just like everyone else, curious bystanders who could only speculate on how life was going to change.

  Jayanti Kapoor walked out into the centre of the chamber; the assembled delegates fell silent as she looked up at them, preparing to speak.

  'I would like to make the following motion: that we shall receive a diplomatic mission from the planet Sunarr in the Sunarr Realm and that we recognise their representative Shiwanevar. All those in favour?' The vote was almost unanimous, and the motion carried.

  'I shall now invite representative Shiwanevar and err....’ Jay stumbled over her words. She wanted to refer to Shiwanevar as her, as she appeared to be a woman, however this might not only be inaccurate, but cause offense, she settled on a circumspect reference. ‘...and representative Shiwanevar's delegation to speak to this body.' An aide walked up to Jay carrying a small steel briefcase, out of which he produced the translation device. Jay placed it in her ear and spoke.

  'This is Secretary-General Jayanti Kapoor of the United Nations of Earth.' She felt self-conscious adding the “of Earth” but felt that it was appropriate. 'I hereby invite you and your diplomatic delegation to speak before this body on behalf of your people.'

  A translator with the device given to George stood to the side to provide an official translate.

  'Thank you for your invitation I am delighted to accept on behalf of the Sunarr. We shall be with you shortly.'

  Outside, the Sunarr ship was still resting on the water, it was still impossible to decide whether it was floating on the river’s surface, hovering, or something else. Part of the ship resolved itself becoming translucent then disappearing altogether, the walkway extended across all four lanes of the FDR highway and touched lightly upon the grass. The guards did not appear this time, Shiwanevar and the two unnamed aliens walked out into the daylight and made their way down the walkway and onto the grass. An official UN aide was waiting at the base of the walkway. He spoke to her gesturing towards the UN building; she smiled politely and offered him a translation device.

  'This way Madam Ambassador.' He said simply, barely conscious of the fact that the Ambassador was alien and not necessarily a her, his focus was on the dozens of cameras and knowing his image was going live to the world. If I fuck up now, he thought to himself, I do so in front of billions of people.

  The combined police and army had created a path through the onlookers to the entrance of the UN. The delegation walked calmly along, people photographing them as they went. Journalists shouted a myriad of questions at them, but without translation, they went unanswered.

  Shiwanevar walked confidently up to Jay in the chamber, her two aides, if that is what they were, held back, standing to the side. Shiwanevar began to speak, her words translated by the UN official.

  'Thank you for receiving us. My name is Shiwanevar and I come from the planet Sunarr in the Sunarr Realm. We are here on a peaceful mission. We want to exchange knowledge and experiences. I know that each of you must have a multitude of questions. These will all be addressed in time. From what little we know of your people we think we could help a great deal. We have gathered that some of your people are hungry and thirsty, we can help there. Some suffer from easily treatable diseases and conditions such as cancer, heart disease and other illnesses of the body and mind, we can help there. The sources of energy you use are depleting and poisoning your planet, we can help there too. We ask little in return, except that our knowledge and help be shared equally and openly. This is why we would like, if it is agreeable, to send out representatives to your nations and offer our knowledge and experience directly, the quicker to help and to ensure that our help is spread evenly.'

  'What do you want in return?' The words escaped Jay's mouth before she could stop herself, but this was much more than she could internalise without reacting. Peace on Earth. That's what this would mean, no more fighting over scarce resources, who has what. There has to be a price, she thought.

  'We know that your planet has little to offer us in resources or technology. That is no matter. We will make our requests of your nations directly, based upon what they have to spare and can afford. Where this is nothing, we will give freely.'

  'You have enough personnel to send a mission to each nation?' Jay asked, trying to confirm Shiwanevar's intent.

  'We do.'

  ‘I believe that would be acceptable given that this body has unanimously voted to recognise your delegation,’

  'Thank you.’ Shiwanevar continued, 'I will leave now and make the necessary preparations. You can expect the first of the missions to leave shortly.'

  'How shortly, is shortly?

  'An hour.'

  Silence fell across the chamber. Jay’s own thoughts echoing those of the assembled diplomats. An hour is not an acceptable diplomatic timescale, a month might be achievable, to set all the required items in place. A fortnight if the ceremonies are skipped. A week at the very inside. An hour is just not possible.

  'I think that the nations of Earth would appreciate more time to receive your delegations. There are matters of diplomacy that require handling, protocols that have to be observed. There are sensitive issues that need to be addressed; your people will need to be properly briefed.'

  'All of the nations have representatives here, do they not?’ Shiwanevar asked.

  'Yes, they do.'

  'Well then, we will meet with each nation’s representative. Once that is done they will leave and upon arrival they will start the knowledge and experience exchange.'

  Jay felt ambushed. Shiwanevar had moved around the diplomatic protocols issue deftly. Having each nation's UN representative brief their delegation, the Sunarr would be assured a quick briefing indeed. No country would want to stand on ceremony whilst its neighbour was given all kinds of technological secrets.

  Jay was proved correct in a very short time. One hour and forty-seven minutes after her speech, the first delegation from the Sunarr Realm took off. The alien aircraft appearing out of the top of the spaceship, lifting vertically to ten thousand feet or so, before moving off at speed. One after another took off, the last taking to the air a little less than five hours after the first.

  19:10 10 November [14:10 10 November GMT]

  Office of the Secretary-General, United Nations, New York, USA.

  'That's the last of them.' William confirmed to her.

  'Thank you William. I'll call you if I need you.'

  Her aide left Jay and her two guests alone. Jane and George had been on a wild ride all day. Events had moved impossibly fast for anyone to keep up with. Jay turned to her guests.

  'Well. What do you both think?' Jay asked interested in the opinion of someone who wasn't a bureaucrat.

  'Is it me?' George spoke up first, Jane still processing. 'Or has the world just turned upside down and gone crazy at the same time?'

  'Go on.' Jay instructed him.

  'Well, we have gone from discovering that aliens exist to virtually offering them to spend the night in the guest room. They are now all over the world. Talking directly to each nation. They undoubtedly have technological superiority over us. We couldn't travel to their home world, for instance. They have offered us the cure to all our ills, virtually free. All in less than a day. Doesn't that seem a little crazy to anyone?'

  They both sat there nodding silently in agreement.

  'What do you suggest we should have done differently?' Jay asked.

  'Well I don't know....'

  'Is that the point?' Jane asked no one in particular. The journalist in her had grappled with the events of the day and didn't much care
for her conclusions. 'They look like us. They seem peaceful. There are no communications issues thanks to their devices. They have been polite and deferential. They have offered to cure disease and hunger; they offer cheap, clean renewable energy. They are the answer to our collective prayers. Now they offered those things, virtually free, nations will fall over themselves to accommodate them.'

  'What are you saying?' Jay asked.

  'I'm saying that if they have told the truth then we, the people of earth have done the right thing. If they haven't, well, then we have let the fox into the chicken coop.’ Jane replied.

  'The thing I don't like.' George said, re-entering the conversation. 'Is that most of the successful conquerors arrived under a flag of peace offering to civilise the indigenous population.'

  They sat in silence for a minute digesting that thought.

  17:50 10 November [17:50 10 November GMT]

  Chester Square, Belgravia, London, England.

  Jack arranged the three mugs in a straight line, each with its handle pointing in the same direction, forty-five degrees up from due south. A cloud of steam resolved itself with a click; he reached for the kettle and filled each mug in turn.

  'I think you had better come see this!' Sally shouted from the den.

  He wandered through the house clutching the mugs. Sally was camped on one of the settees with Anita. I’m glad I took them both on, their work is top rate, and it’s nice to have company. Jack took his attention away from them and onto the giant screen. The BBC had a Breaking News story. He could see a group of people stood in a park, or at least on some grass, he realised, as he noticed an office building in the left side of the screen. Then the camera pulled back and back and yet further back. Now he couldn't tell entirely what he was looking at. It appeared that there was a second building next to the first, only it didn't have any windows and appeared to be built out into the middle of a large river. He looked at the scrolling news caption at the bottom of the screen. Alien ship landed in New York, next to UN building. He read the words but they had no real meaning for him. His mind focused his ears into the commentary. The ship arrived some nine, no, eleven minutes ago. It appears that it has landed on the East River right here in New York. The local police are doing their best to keep onlookers at bay, but as you can imagine this is an unprecedented event. There is no doubt now, UFOs are real, and we are looking at one. The voice changed. That was the scene when the spaceship landed, we now go live to the floor of the UN where we believe the leader, that is the head of the alien diplomatic mission, is preparing to speak to the UN council and the world.