by John Walker
“We’re in it,” Dex said. “And we’ll fight to the end. First order of business will be getting our hands on some weapons. Bare hands might get us out of this mess but if we want to keep going, we’ll need something harder. Even a pipe would do well.”
“Okay.” Warren hummed, looking around the room again. “I think we’ll know when this thing stops. Do you feel the vibration on the floor? Once that ends, we’ll get ready. They could come from any side, even the top. Be prepared for that. Debra, stay out of our way. The rest of you, fight like your lives depend on it. Believe me … it does.”
“I attended combat training,” Debra said. “I can help.”
Warren nodded. “I apologize for the assumption. I thought you were objecting to the plan.”
“I did,” Debra replied. “But that didn’t mean I couldn’t participate. I don’t want to be here anymore than you guys do. I’ll help the team, if that’s what you’ve decided. We’re in this together, right?”
“Indeed.” Warren frowned. “Does anyone know how long we’ve been traveling?”
“Thirty minutes,” Jake said, “give or take.”
“Okay, depending on how fast their propulsion is, we may have another hour or so before we arrive at the larger object. I recommend you take this opportunity to get some rest.” Warren sat down and leaned against the wall. “Focus on the vibration. If you feel it stop, let us all know right away.”
“Are you people talking about violence?” The civilian with the phone stepped forward, looking desperate. His thin hair was sticking up, sprouting on his head like weeds. He wore a suit that was disheveled, the tie askew. “Because this sounds crazy! What’s even happening to us? Why were we taken? What’s going on?”
“Settle down,” Warren said. “We’re doing the best we can. Trust me, we’ll do everything in our power to keep you safe and get you home. But right now, you just need to sit down and remain calm. Okay?”
The man muttered something about the situation being unbelievable and stormed away. Dex shrugged and took up his own position, leaving Warren alone. He slid down the wall and stared out ahead of him, thinking of what might be happening on Earth. I hope you’re prepping the ship, Serling. You might have to launch without me.
***
“This is Dirk Reidel coming back to you with some updated information about the strange object currently orbiting our planet.” They’d been looping the information for almost an hour when someone finally brought him something new. Viewers had to be tired of listening to him reiterate the same stuff over and over.
Dirk quickly read over the page and his eyes widened involuntarily, a major faux pas for a newscaster. He cleared his throat and looked up into the camera, adopting his practiced, neutral expression. “We have eye witness reports and video footage of smaller objects entering Earth’s atmosphere. Furthermore, it seems the Agency has interacted with the object as well. Please have a look.”
He turned to the monitor to see them for himself, squinting to take in the round objects casually floating not even three hundred yards above the ground. “Sources state they measure seven-hundred square feet and are moving at approximately one hundred miles an hour. Dozens appeared over the United States with others in Europe, Australia, Russia and the Middle East.”
One of the interns tossed another sheet on his desk and he quickly read the information. “Oh my. We have many reports that state they saw the objects cast beams over vehicles and people on the streets. This might … I don’t want to jump to any conclusions, but they are either taking people somehow or … or killing them.”
It sounds a lot like alien abduction to me, He thought. Jesus Christ, I’ve stumbled into a conspiracy theory.
Dirk was handed more information, showing him additional incidents of the objects casting their beams upon populated areas. No place seemed to be safe and he needed to tell it without breaking down emotionally. Drawing a deep breath, he cleared his throat and spoke. “We have reports of these objects firing this beam on people all over the world, in just about every major city.”
He paused, then added, “our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those impacted and we hope we discover their fates soon enough. Authorities are hard at work, attempting to get to the bottom of these incidents. I am certain there will be a military response to these and we will let you know what they are going to do as soon as we are informed.”
That shouldn’t get me in too much trouble. Melvin, his producer, didn’t look particularly angry so he was either beaten down by the situation or didn’t care. Either way, Dirk added another thirty seconds of material to his overall story. He wondered how much mileage they would get out of it before they needed something else.
But alien abduction probably went a long way. If people were even watching anymore, all things considered.
***
Colonel Jacks stepped into the council meeting, fully prepared for them to go at him with both barrels. He anticipated them being in an agitated state as they were pressured by their respective governments for answers. The questions tossed at them would be obvious and the inference they hadn’t done enough just as likely.
Just a moment before the politicians arrived, Doctor Meyers moved close and whispered, “did they get a hold of you? I told them to contact you right away to tell you what happened with the Demeter.”
“I heard there was a malfunction,” Jacks replied. “That the results were inconclusive and that we’ve got some smaller objects descending on the Earth.”
Meyers laughed, but it was clear he was not amused. “Unbelievable. I don’t know how they got that message. No. That’s not it at all. The object shot our ships just as the smaller units were leaving. We attacked but it was ineffective. The alien craft has some sort of shield. My people are analyzing it right now … to the best of our ability.”
“There’ve been hostilities?” Jacks sighed. “That’s going to change matters.”
“It gets worse. I can’t believe they didn’t tell you.” Meyers rubbed his eyes. “Those smaller objects have either captured or killed people. Most of them are on their way back.”
“How many?” Jacks asked.
“We don’t know yet. They haven’t been tallied.”
“Shit.” Jacks didn’t know what to say. “Okay, thank you, Meyers. We’ll figure out why my report was lacking later. Right now, get ready to answer some questions.
Ted Grandy stepped into the light before Meyers even got back to his podium. Grandy was the US representative and a longtime supporter of the Agency, one of the men who pushed for the budget they needed. He proved to be a staunch ally but just then, his expression suggested a lack of patience Jacks hadn’t seen before.
“Colonel,” Ted began, “it seems we have quite a few problems. Let’s start with a quick break down. How long have you known about the object? When did we detect it?”
“Our research buoy picked it up when it entered the solar system near Saturn,” Jacks said. “From there, it moved swiftly into its current position. Our people didn’t have time to wake me up before it arrived. Since then, we’ve been studying it from afar with the scanning equipment at our disposal though I have something to report about contact as well.
“We know that it’s constructed from an unknown metal type and that it is not naturally occurring. Unfortunately, the list of what we don’t know dramatically outweighs what we do. The smaller objects are essentially miniature versions of the big one. We’re assuming they are designed for entering atmosphere.”
“Is that because,” Jean Aguillard, the French member, spoke up, “the larger object would cause massive destruction if it tried to enter atmosphere?”
“Yes, sir,” Jacks replied. “It’s big. We’ve measured it at just shy of forty-kilometers around. Yes, it would cause a lot of damage if it came down on us but this isn’t a world killer by any stretch of the imagination. An asteroid large enough to annihilate the planet would have to be nearly a hundred kilometers.”
> “When will you know more?” Ted asked. “We have a lot of people to answer to and I’m sure you’re not going to be able to give us the details we want right now. I need to give them a time frame and a plan of action.”
“That’s … something we should discuss.” Jack rubbed the back of his neck. “We have made contact with the object with our experimental attack vessels, Demeter One and Demeter Two. They … appear to have been attacked.”
This brought gasps from the council.
“Yes, we’re attempting to verify the status of the crew. The object itself did not advance or move after the engagement. Now, we are prepping the Leviathan for launch. If this thing becomes hostile, we’ll need a lot more firepower in position. And if we decide to attack.” Jacks shrugged. “We’ll be ready to do so.”
“Yes, I have heard this,” Jean said. “People all over the world supposedly though the reports are not substantiated yet. Is the ship ready? We were waiting for the opportune time to launch and I believe we have found it.”
“Yes, it’s been ready,” Jacks replied. “We’ve held off to make a political statement, to show off what we’ve accomplished with all the money we’ve spent. I can’t think of a better testament to our success than defending the Earth against a potential threat. What about you?”
“I agree,” Ted said. “I’m in favor of letting the Leviathan launch when ready. Is Captain Miller prepared?”
Jacks paused. “Captain Miller is on his way back to base and we expect him soon. His first officer, Commander Serling, is preparing the ship as we speak.”
The council began muttering amongst themselves. Ted spoke up. “We’d be more comfortable with the captain at the helm.”
Jacks nodded. “I agree. But we may not have that option if we want to get the jump on this situation. I assure you, the crew of the Leviathan has been training hard together. Commander Serling is an excellent military officer with an impeccable record. I don’t have any cause to think she would be unable to handle this.”
“Of course,” Ted said. “Still, I would like to ensure you give the captain just a little more time to arrive. You have authorization to launch immediately upon his arrival.”
Jacks sighed internally but he kept his face carefully neutral. There was no reason to argue. These men put their faith in Miller a long time ago and he’d been assuring them of his success personally over the past six months. At least they did have the sense to suggest only a little more time. Anything else, and that would’ve caused an argument.
“May I say,” Jacks spoke carefully, trying to clarify, “that if he doesn’t arrive soon, we should launch anyway?”
“Yes,” Ted replied. “Don’t hold out too long. I believe preparation takes a while anyway, does it not?”
Jacks smiled and nodded. “Indeed.”
“There you have it. We’ve got a built-in delay.” Ted turned to a pile of paper. “I’d like to go over some of the finer details about what your people have discovered with Doctor Meyers if you can spare him for a while.”
Alexander Meyers had been on the project since day one. He started his career as a young NASA genius who rose through the ranks with some solid theories and excellent research. When the Agency came about, he was the top candidate to lead the technical side of the house.
Since then, he’d gone almost completely gray but maintained a youthful look about the face. The contrast made it hard to place his age but the file said forty-eight. He tended to be a good politician but it was always obvious he didn’t enjoy it. His world lived in a lab. Even with the possibility of heading into space, he made it quite clear he never intended to board a ship.
“Yes.” Jacks gestured to Alex. “He’ll take over for me for a few moments while I step out of the room. Thank you.” He left the room and established a com connection to the Leviathan bridge.
“Serling here.”
Jacks frowned. “I thought you had a com officer on there.”
“I’ve got your signal routed directly to me,” Victoria replied. “What news do you have?”
“The council just talked to me about the launch. You’ve got permission to prep but they want Miller on board before you leave.”
“I do too,” Victoria said, “but it might not be practical to wait. Did you tell them that?”
“I did and they agreed. They still want us to delay a bit to see if he shows up. Can you try to reach him? I need to get back into this meeting and help Doctor Meyers before he’s eaten alive.”
“Yes, we’ll do what we can to find him.” Victoria paused. “Thank you. I know they were probably rough.”
“It’s my job,” Jacks said. “But they haven’t even started yet. I’ll talk to you when this meeting’s over.” He clicked off the com and went back into the room, steeling himself for the rest of the interrogation. As he expected, they were drilling the doctor with a myriad of semi-informed questions that he would have a hard time answering.
“Begging your pardon,” Jacks interrupted. “There’s something we should focus on before we get too deep in the weeds. We’ve issued only one statement to the public so far and I know for a fact the media will be seeking information anywhere they can get it. I’d like to make sure the press is doling out what we want, rather than what a conspiracy nut can regurgitate. Especially with what happened.”
“What do you propose?” Ted asked.
“First off, we need to talk about a response to those objects and what they did to our people.”
“Yes,” Doctor Meyers said, lifting his hand. “They have already left and returning to orbit. Several fighter planes attempted to engage but couldn’t keep up as they departed. Even the US interceptors weren’t able to scramble and get to them before they were on their way back up.”
“We definitely need to get a head of this,” Jacks said. “You know how the media is and worse, the general population. With those things flying around either killing or kidnapping people, we need to find a way to assure them … to prevent the inevitable riots and other carnage that goes along with this type of thing.”
“Now is certainly the time,” Jean said, “to reveal our warship. Show the people we were prepared but that this happened far quicker than we could’ve anticipated.”
Jacks smiled grimly. “My thoughts exactly.”
“Give us a moment,” Ted said. The council left the room, returning to their little conference area where they could have some privacy.
“I hope we can spin this well.” Jacks rubbed his eyes. “The news outlets are going to crucify us.”
“Not when we launch the Leviathan and save the world,” Alex pointed out. “That’s why we built a battleship, right? To fend off an invading force.”
“We don’t even know if our weapons will penetrate the metal,” Jacks replied, “or those shields you talked about. I wouldn’t get too excited about attacking them. We might be in for a real shit storm. And nothing quite backfires like failing to deliver on a promise to the entire world. I want to talk about the Leviathan, give them some hope but I won’t tell them we’re going to destroy anything.”
“Probably wise.” Alex looked at his tablet. “The larger object would take quite the force to knock out. Perhaps an internal explosion could do it but I need more data about what’s inside. Right now, the exterior is blocking all our scans. We’ll run some simulations against our current offensive capabilities to see what the chances are of getting through.”
“Perfect.” Jacks looked up as the door opened. “Oh boy. Here they come.”
Ted returned alone. “I’ve spoken to the others. Get with the communications team and make sure we word our statement well. You have authorization to go public with something in the next hour but make it quick. Talk about the Leviathan but don’t make any promises.” Jacks smirked at Alex. “We’ll reconvene for the rest of our questions in four hours.”
“Thank you,” Alex said. “That should give my team a chance to compile some answers to the questions you posed.”
<
br /> Ted nodded. “We’ll send them over to you. Thank you, gentlemen. Good luck.” He left them alone.
Jacks let out a sigh of relief. “That’s good news for us. Do you need anything from me before I start preparing this statement?”
Alex shook his head. “No, I’ll be in the main lab if you need me. Good luck talking to all those people. I don’t envy you one bit.”
“Believe me,” Jacks opened the door and let Alex go first. “Of the two of us, you have the harder job. You have to make sense of all this. All I have to do is respond to questions and make sure our ship is in the air. Seems pretty easy by comparison, don’t you think?”
“Believe me,” Alex said, “science is easier than talking to people. I’ve spent my whole life proving that fact. Talk to you later, Colonel.”
***
Victoria leaned forward, peering at the floor as she considered Warren’s location. During the secure call, he claimed to be on his way but he also mentioned some pretty heavy traffic. The civilian population already started flooding the streets, fleeing their homes for the promise of someplace safer. Where, she had no idea.
“Ensign,” Victoria turned to Madeline, “reach out to the main gate and see if Captain Miller has arrived. If they say he has not, then try his satellite phone. We need to locate him ASAP.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Madeline began speaking quietly into her microphone.
Victoria considered how they’d go about a search if something happened. During such an event, the roads likely became hazardous. Other drivers could’ve caused delays with accidents. Worst case scenarios played through her head, not to mention the news about the smaller objects flying around shooting strange beams at crowds.
If Warren ended up dead on the side of the road, it’ll be quite a blow. Victoria scowled. What an unfair way to go for a man on the verge of making history. I refuse to believe such a thing is possible. He must be out there. Whatever has prevented him from arriving will be a monumental obstacle. It could even be the aliens themselves.
