by Barlow,M
The director looked up before she finished her sentence. “What do you mean a disturbance?”
Emily took a deep breath and waved both her hands in his face. “Something teleported from the depths of space in energy form and took a physical form when it landed in Perth.”
He smirked. “Why? Was Melbourne busy?”
Funny! They won a dozen ‘Most Livable City’ titles, and now they looked down on everyone. The selection criteria had to be the quality of coffee—those hipsters made mean coffee and rocked skinny jeans, but that was it.
“I’m serious.”
“Ok, show me,” the director said and followed Emily to her office. He glanced at the cable and the spilt coffee. “I don’t know how you work in this office. It’s so small.”
She took another deep breath and resisted the urge to return his taunt. She pointed to the hologram. “Here it is.”
“Enlarge it, please.”
Emily placed her hands, facing each other on both sides of the hologram, then she parted her arms. The signal enlarged to occupy a space as big as her desk.
With his fingertips caressing his short beard, the director scrutinized the signal for a while. He inspected the time stamp, the energy signature, and the mass. “I never thought this will happen in my lifetime. Is it an isolated incident?”
Emily stared at him for a moment. Her clueless eyes opened wide. “I’ve only detected the one.”
“Fascinating! It’s small, yet well-defined.”
“Based on the signature, it had to come from the depths of the universe to punch through our cosmic space with such force. This technology is beyond the beyond.”
The director nodded, still staring at the signal and considering his next move. He picked up his five-year-old cell phone and dialed a number. Most people had wiphones that functioned using the internet, but he had one that relied on those dying communication networks.
“Hello… yes, I’m calling from the Space Center… Oh, yes, I’m the director, and I have incredible news.” He glanced at the signal one last time before he strode back to his office.
Emily sat down and leaned back in her chair with a huge grin on her face. “Best day of my life!”
*****
Jackie Wheeler, the Minister for Defense, strolled through a long hallway in Capital Hill, where the Chief of Staff waited for her.
“The Prime Minister is expecting you,” Andy said.
“What’s so urgent?”
“He didn’t tell me. I’m afraid it’s a need-to-know.”
Her eyes narrowed. “It must be something if he didn’t tell you. All right, let’s get on with it.”
Jackie followed him through Capital Hill to meet the Prime Minister (PM). An early morning meeting on such a short notice was odd. When it happened, they told her the reason for the visit in advance. This time, they didn’t give a reason, and her sources came back empty. Something unprecedented happened. What was the opposition up to now?
Jackie was too busy contemplating plausible reasons for the meeting she didn’t notice they arrived at the PM’s office. Andy opened the door for her, and she forced a polite smile on her face and walked in.
“Please take a seat,” the PM said.
Mathew Collins, the Director of the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO), had joined the meeting. A pleasant surprise!
She always felt uneasy around him. His presence confirmed her suspicions—something big had happened. Jackie exchanged greetings with Mathew, hoping her forced smile concealed her discomfort.
“How far are we from having a functioning defensive shield?” The PM asked.
“We have one.”
Mathew’s eyes widened. “We do?”
“Yes, but it’s still in the experimental stage because it needs to be tested for safety.”
“So, it’s not ready?” Matthew asked.
Jackie took a deep breath. “Our shield is functioning, and we can use it if needed. We need to do a few test runs to make sure it’s safe before we equip it on our vessels.”
The PM leaned forward and clasped his hands, weaving his fingers together. “How long will it take?”
Jackie tilted her head to face him and rested her chin on her hand. This meeting was worse than the Parliament session when the opposition grilled her over the army budget. “Six months, maybe less.”
“Good to hear because Matt has major news,” the PM said.
Wondering if Mathew would put his usual eerie silence aside for this, Jackie swung around to face him. “I hope it’s good news,” she said.
“An alien ship landed in Perth last night.”
Her jaw dropped. Mathew uttered the words as if he was describing last night’s dinner. If this conversation took place anywhere else, she would ask him to lay off the booze or have him committed. But hearing this statement from the ASIO Director had an ominous ring she couldn’t shake and left no place for doubt. Kudos to Matt for sticking to short statements though! Few people would have been able to do it, given the unbelievable event.
“Get out!”
Mathew didn’t say a word as if he’d expected her to take his word for it.
“I should’ve had my tea before the meeting,” Jackie said.
Mathew’s eyebrows lifted.
“I haven’t had breakfast or tea.”
The PM smiled, realizing Jackie was joking. He glanced at Mathew who maintained the same serious expression on his face.
“It’s a good thing,” the PM said. “Think of how much we can learn from them.”
Jackie sat back in her chair and put her right hand in her left and rubbed them against each other. “Aren’t you concerned?”
“Of course. That’s why you’re here. We’re trying to come up with a plan. Matt’s agents will track down the aliens, establish contact, and bring them in. We’ve informed the CIA to coordinate our efforts. But we need you to be prepared.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You mean if they’re hostile?”
“Yes.”
“What do we know about them?”
Mathew handed her a thin file. “They’re advanced enough to travel through space. If we discover anything, you’ll be the first to know.”
Jackie opened the file and flipped through the pages. This was a job for an army special forces team skilled enough to retrieve the high-profile targets. But if the Agency wanted to handle it, and if the PM was on board, she wouldn’t object. As long as Mathew followed through on his promise and included her in the decision-making.
“One more thing,” the PM said. “I want one person to handle this. Someone who’d stay on top of things and coordinate with our allies.”
“I have many talented people. I’m sure—”
“No,” the PM said, interrupting Mathew, “I want Noah William to handle this.”
Mathew frowned. “Noah is retired.”
“Given the circumstances, we can get him on board, just this one time.”
“Okay, I’ll contact him today.”
Jackie knew he hated the idea. He pressed his thin lips, and his jaw trembled for a moment. Noah was good. He was the best possible choice, but he and Mathew didn’t end up on good terms. The PM himself asked for Noah, and Mathew wouldn’t object—at least not outright.
“I don’t have to remind you both,” the PM said, “this assignment is our top priority and everything related to it is privileged information.”
Jackie and Mathew nodded. She had to push the shield project, and Mathew had a flight to catch and a tough conversation to have.
*****
Clouds covered the sky of Melbourne. Rain poured on the wide, crowded streets, the high rises, the pedestrians, and the trams alike. Tourists roaming the CBD rushed into the shops or hugged the walls to take cover from the rain. Still, families lined up with their kids to look at the Christmas decorations.
Noah pressed the pedestrian crossing button a few times and waited on the sidewalk. The crossing signal was red. Noah looked to
the left and to the right before he darted to the other side toward one of the popular cafes in the heart of the city. The only way to make this meeting less dreadful was the best coffee Melbourne had to offer.
He folded the umbrella and shook it before he entered the small shop and headed to the counter.
“Medium cappuccino, please.”
“Where are you sitting, sir?” The young cashier asked.
He pointed to the table where Matt, ASIO Director General, sat down, sipping a cup of coffee. His suit dripping wet. “Over there. The table with the wet, old man.” Noah paid and strolled to the table until he reached Matt. “You look a hundred.”
Matt took a sip of his coffee. “You try running the agency and see how you look in five years.”
Noah took a seat and placed his umbrella between the chair and the wall. The smell of Matt’s coffee bombarded his nostrils. “Did they force you to take a pay cut?”
Matt put down his cup. “What?”
“You’re walking around in the rain without an umbrella?”
Matt smiled thinly. “I didn’t think it would. It was sunny and bright when I landed.”
“Visitors always complain the weather is shifty. Never bothered me.”
Matt shrugged and took another sip of his coffee. “I need your help.”
“You need another suit.”
“I know we didn’t end on good terms, but I need you to lead an assignment. There isn’t anyone else who can shoulder it.”
Didn’t end on good terms? That’s an understatement. He’d tried his hardest, and they tossed him out the door the second things went wrong.
“I’m done with the Agency.”
“Well, I thought you might say that,” Matt said and reached into a leather bag next to him and grabbed a file. “You’ll do more good in this assignment than you’ve done in your fifteen-year career.”
Noah glanced at the file in Matt’s hand, stood up, and picked up his umbrella. “I wish you’d called. I would’ve saved you a trip and a nice suit.”
Mathew pushed the thin file across the table. “Just take a look, will you?”
Noah picked up the file. He hesitated for a while before he opened it and went through it. Alien landing twelve hours ago in Perth. Noah sat down.
The waitress brought his cappuccino with a marshmallow on the side. “Here you go.”
Noah smiled and thanked her. He poured a sugar packet into the cup and mixed it with the small spoon and took a sip. Then he turned his full attention to the file for a minute or two.
“Is this real?” Noah asked
“Yes.”
“You have active agents. Why me?”
“Your experience may be our best—”
Noah smiled. “The PM wanted someone with contacts and can play nice with Jackie?”
Matt nodded.
Taking large quick sips from his cup, Noah considered his options. “Is Alex busy?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Matt said and finished his coffee. “If you need him, I’ll make sure he is. Your old office is taken, but I set up another one for you to use for the duration of the assignment.”
Noah glanced at the seal on the file. “You know when you called, I almost didn’t pick up. I knew you’d try to drag me to Canberra.”
“Thank you for taking on the assignment,” Matt said, his voice colder than Noah remembered. “I’m heading back tonight.”
He picked up his umbrella and handed it to Matt. “You’ll need this.”
Matt took the umbrella, thanked him, and left in a hurry.
Noah finished his coffee and ate the marshmallow. Then he placed the file in a briefcase he carried on his shoulder and exited the coffee shop to the CBD.
Whenever he struggled with a decision, Noah roamed the streets of the city to clear his head. Something about the streets of Melbourne comforted him. It could be the cheerful tourists that crowded the streets, the packed shops and restaurants, or that he grew up here. Although he traveled around the world for fifteen years with the Agency, Melbourne had always been home.
Did he make the right call? Was he ready to get back in the field and on a high-profile assignment?
Old memories of his last operation came flooding back. He’d chased an international criminal around Asia. Memories of a massive explosion that took out three of his agents in Kuala Lumpur. Memories of their bodies arriving in Canberra in coffins wrapped in the Australian flag and his resignation from the Agency. Memories he would like to forget.
The silver lining was returning to Melbourne, to his wife and his son, well, to his wife. His son married and moved to Adelaide.
“Excuse me,” someone said.
Occupied with his thoughts, Noah bumped into somebody in the street. “Sorry!”
He stepped into the nearest alley to avoid foot traffic and noise. He leaned against a wall covered in graffiti like half the businesses in Melbourne. Some of the artwork was creative, artistic, and elegant. The majority however were initials of teenagers in crude handwriting. This one was of a lady diver in full scuba gear.
The PM may have forced Matt to enlist Noah’s help, but it didn’t mean Noah would have his old boss’s support. He never did. Navigating the hallways in Canberra wasn’t an easy job.
Was he ready?
He needed to redeem himself, write the wrongs of the past, and end his long service on a good note. And this assignment, it was history in the making. He would be crazy to refuse. Noah picked up his phone and dialed a number.
“Hey Alex, it’s Noah.”
“How are you? It’s been a while.” Alex’s voice came through.
“I’m coming back for an assignment.”
“Far out,” Alex said. “It must be something to make you change your mind.”
“I’ll be in Canberra later. Do yourself a favor and pack. You’re going to Perth.”
“Perth?”
“Yes, I will fill you in when I get to Canberra,” Noah said. “I wanted to make sure you’re on board first.”
“Of course. Why would you even ask?”
“I almost got you killed in our last assignment, and I’d understand if you—”
“C’mon, mate. That’s not on you. We knew the risks when we signed up for the Agency.”
“Try telling that to the widows.”
“Don’t do this to yourself. A bad guy took out half our team, and we tracked him down and put him away for good two years after you left.”
“I heard,” Noah said.
“So, what is it this time?”
“You’ll have to wait. This is very confidential.”
Noah ended the call.
For five years, he picked up consulting work in Melbourne that kept him busy and paid the bills. He slept in his bed every night. Today, he signed up for a job that will take him from his family for days on end. One that will take his sleep away, but might offer him redemption.
He’d have to analyze every piece of information and find the best way to bring the aliens to Canberra. He’d done this before, but his targets had always been humans—some were criminals, and others were rival intelligence agents. Now, he had to study and understand the behavior of an alien race. But first, he had to break the news to his wife and pack.
*****
Nick
December 20, 2030 - Reno, Nevada
The small ship slid down the light tunnel for a while before Mara saw the end of the traversing hole. Her destination lay ahead. One last jump.
Days passed, but her core burned with anger. Hate exploded with every pulse of energy. The passing of time didn’t help, nothing would. How could it? She had lost her world. Everything she had known had been destroyed before her eyes. How could she recover from that? She wouldn’t.
But that was fine. She wanted nothing to do with recovery, and she had no interest in moving on. She wanted to freeze this moment. To hold onto her anger, to her agony, and when she got her revenge, she would let it all out.
Her ship ex
ited the hole into a large, dark space filled with white traversing holes. Mara navigated to a specific portal on the other end. The ship blasted through another tunnel, then into the dark sky of the small, blue planet. Mara disabled the deep-space drive and activated the ship’s engine. She maneuvered the ship to a small, isolated city.
In the center of the city, a handful of tall buildings bathed in colorful lights, and small homes spread out around the center. The arrangement was odd—inefficient, disorganized, and confusing. The design was nothing like Korr, but it was intriguing in its own way.
Mara jumped out of the ship. Her body dropped in the cold air until she landed with a loud sound, leaving two deep imprints of her feet in the hard ground. She had underestimated the height. With a quick click on her belt, she activated the ship’s cloaking device and spun around to make sure she was alone. The area was quiet except for insects chirping noises.
No one was watching her. Mara stood still and sharpened her senses. Her eyes glowed with a bright, green light as she scanned her surroundings. There were several vacant, brown buildings, and one of the brown buildings had more energy flowing in and out than the rest. Humans were no longer a primitive race.
A meter above the ground, she hovered to the building. The entrance was a glass door. Mara pushed it, but it didn’t open. She raised her right arm and aimed it at the door. Her core ignited. Mara channeled the energy pulse and pushed it as a power wave toward the door. With a loud bang, the pressure shattered it.
Mara ignored the glass on the floor and walked into the building. Rows of wooden desks spread around the large hall, each with a wooden chair next to it and a small box under it. Mara sat down in a chair behind the nearest desk and examined the machine under it. The box had a big, white button. Mara pushed it. With a short beep, a hologram occupied the space above the desk. Mara stared at the strange language. When she couldn’t understand the icons, she ignored the hologram and turned her attention to the source—the small box under the desk.
She placed her palm on the box. It used energy and employed a simple security measure to prevent unauthorized access. Her eyes glowed, and an icon expanded to fill the hologram and give her access to the planet’s knowledge network.
