by M. D. Neu
Playing with the end of the armrest on the couch, picking at a string, Todd replayed the last twenty-four hours. His thoughts drifted to his family, the stupid fights, and all that wasted time. He focused on how stubborn he had been, and for what? All he wanted was to repair the relationship with them. And thanks to Brad, they were on their way.
Todd took Jerry’s hand and swallowed heavily, remembering how lucky he was to have Jerry. His face softened, and his heart steadied.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the president of the United States of America.”
The Sergeant at Arms snapped Todd out of his thoughts. People clapped and cheered as President Zachary walked up to the podium. Normally, he would stop and take his time shaking hands. Tonight, he pushed through. Reaching the podium faster than normal, the president started to speak, quieting the group.
“Thank you all. Mister Speaker, Vice President Fillmore, members of Congress, members of the Supreme Court, and diplomatic corps and my fellow citizens. Today, I stand before you, not as the president of the United States, but as a man from one planet in one small solar system, a tiny speck of a much larger universe. Filled with wonders both great and small. For centuries, man has searched the skies wondering if we’re alone in the universe. Or are we the only outpost of life in this galaxy?”
The president paused.
“That answer has finally come. Ladies and gentlemen, we are not alone.” He stopped and peered into the camera. The lines on his forehead relaxed, providing the kind of comfort only a man in his office could.
Todd and Jerry shared a glance, then turned to Dan. His eyes were large and his expression blank. The color slowly drained from his face. Dan’s hands started to shake, causing him to hold his wine glass with both hands so it didn’t fall. Jerry’s hand tightened around Todd’s as they continued to watch the presidential address.
“Scientists on the International Space Station discovered the unexpected—several alien ships of varying configurations. Within a few hours of this discovery, the lead ship contacted the space station. After discussions within the United Nations Security Council, every scientific mind familiar with this type of scenario was contacted. The purpose of which was to formalize a response. This was not a single national endeavor, but a worldwide initiative.
“Our nation has been in constant contact with our allies and friends from around the world as well as with our guests. All nations approved a motion that no information would be released to the public before now.
“I want to emphasize three things: first, from what we’ve learned, these aliens mean us no harm. Let me say that again. They are here for peaceful purposes and peace alone. Second, the United States of America and our allies, along with the UN Security Council, have worked together with our guests. Lastly, as part of our good neighbor policy, I’ve been in contact with both the prime minister of Canada and the president of Mexico to offer our support, logistically or militarily, and assistance to secure their territories should the need arise.
“Acting in our nation’s best interest, and after consulting with other world leaders, I made the decision to bring much of our military home to keep the peace and help enforce local laws. As of this moment, by executive order, I am suspending the Posse Comitatus Act. We are not declaring a state of emergency, nor will we do so.
“As a precaution, effective tonight and for the next forty-eight hours, there will be a national curfew of nine p.m. In addition, by executive order, all financial institutions will be closed, including the New York Stock Exchange. These actions are being duplicated around the world. This is for forty-eight hours and forty-eight hours only. Any future actions will be implemented, as needed, with the full approval of the Senate and the House. It is vital at this sensitive time we remain calm and go about our normal lives.
“Regarding our guests: they are called the Nentraee and are a humanoid race. Their leader has requested to meet with the full assembly of the UN tomorrow at noon. The address will be in English, with simultaneous broadcasts in all other major languages worldwide. As I address you tonight, all current materials on the visitors are being sent to local television stations and posted on government websites.
“My fellow Americans, we are on the brink of a new frontier. These are exciting times, and my only hope is that, as a race, we pull together and show our guests what it means to be human. We can learn much from each other.
“Before history is written in books, it is written in courage. Like mankind before us, we will show that courage, and so we will move forward—optimistic about our world, faithful to its future, and confident of the experiences to come.
“May God bless America.”
The president’s posture was strong in front of a flabbergasted audience. Finally, there was robust applause as he left the room among mumbled conversations of those in attendance. The cameras panned around to the House chamber, and the network cut back to a stunned-looking newscaster. She turned off-camera, muttered something, and then turned back. After she regained her composure, she spoke, “Ladies and gentlemen…uh…we have heard the single most important speech in our history. The lifelong question of intelligent life on other worlds has been answered. There will be an ongoing dialogue between the aliens and our world leaders tomorrow. We…um…we’re going to break, and when we come back, we’ll go over the information sent to us from the National Security Office.” The TV went to a commercial break.
Dan, Jerry, and Todd looked at each other.
“Holy shit!” Dan yelped. He finished off his wine in one gulp.
“Okay, so what does this mean?” Todd squeezed Jerry’s hand, which was damp.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Dan said, “Well, it means I need to get drunk. Where’s the booze?” He got up and headed off to the kitchen.
“I guess Brad wasn’t lying. He was a day off, but he wasn’t lying.” Jerry’s face was pale, and his eyes grew large, and droplets of perspiration started to bead on his forehead.
Todd bit at his goatee again and ran his hand through his hair. He had nothing to say. Everything Brad said was real; there was no avoiding this.
“I should call my folks.” Jerry grabbed the phone off the coffee table and headed into the study.
Todd sat alone. Outside were distant noises.
I don’t hear anything odd. No screaming. No car wrecks. No gunfire.
He went to pet Bianca on his lap when he realized she wasn’t there. He wondered if she had sensed what was coming and took to hiding.
From the kitchen, Dan called out, “What do you guys want?” Silence. After sounds of wrestling, Dan added, “Ah, never mind; you’ll get what you get.”
Rocking back and forth, Todd stared at the TV. There were more important things to focus on. What would this mean to the people of the world? What did these creatures look like? Would they appear human, be some lizard-type creature, or something completely unknown?
Walking back into the room, Jerry set the phone on the table, his face paler than before he left.
“I…I can’t get through. The cell phone and the regular phone are both busy. Maybe I should text them?” Jerry wiped his hands on his pants, collapsed on the sofa, and started a text. “I guess everyone’s calling family and friends. I’m glad I talked to my folks already.”
Breaking from his trance, Todd picked up his laptop and opened up the internet browser. He clicked on his Facebook page. “It’s running really slow. Everyone must be online too.” He started to type a message but stopped clicking. He frowned. “And now nothing. Dammit!”
He tried again, but this time he got the message: “Due to current demands on our system, we are unable to load the page you are requesting. Please try again later.” He clicked over to Twitter and received a similar message. Then he checked the other social media sites he could think of, with no positive results. “So much for technology.” He scowled and closed the laptop, putting it back on the coffee table.
Walking back in with three drinks balanced i
n one hand and a bottle of spiced rum in the other, Dan held the glasses out to Jerry and Todd. He held up his glass and showed a nervous grin. “Well, to what comes next. Cheers!” He downed his full glass and poured another before either Todd or Jerry took sips. He put his glass on the coffee table and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I should try to call my mom; she’s probably freaking out.”
“Don’t bother,” Jerry said. “I tried, and the phone lines are busy. Even my text messages aren’t being sent yet.” He tossed the cell phone back on the coffee table.
“Todd tried his Facebook page, and it crashed. Everything was gone. I guess the social media sites and the cell networks couldn’t handle the volume.” Jerry’s jaw relaxed. “I’m sure they’ll be fine. We’ll have to wait. I might try later tonight when things settle down.”
Dan thumped back in his chair. “I’ll text my mom and my sister anyway. It’ll go through at some point, and they’ll know I’m all right.” He picked up his cell and tapped out a text.
The commercial ended and they turned toward the TV. The newscaster came back, with a bright, fake smile on her face, appearing composed.
“Wow!” Dan said. “The show must go on.”
“Welcome back. For those joining us, moments ago, President Zachary finished his address to the nation. We have the information from the National Security Office and we can tell you that a race of humanoids known as the Nentraee—I’m hoping I am pronouncing that correctly—” The newscaster let out a strangled chuckle. “—from the planet Benzee, have made contact with our planet. The report says their home world is forty-three light years from us. Tomorrow, the speaker general of the Nentraee people will address the United Nations General Assembly.”
The newscaster switched camera angles as the screen split. Information on the Nentraee filled the other half of the screen as she spoke. “There are three hundred eighty-eight total ships of different sizes and types. They will be coming into orbit during the next ten to twelve hours. The largest ships will be able to be seen by the naked eye.
“As stated by President Zachary, effective nine tonight, a national curfew will be in effect. That is in a little under an hour for those of us on the East Coast. The curfew will occur between nine p.m. and nine a.m. for the next forty-eight hours. We are being advised that Army National Guard troops are mobilized to keep our cities safe. Also, we are being advised that police, fire, public works, and life-safety workers are being asked to report to work.”
The newscaster relaxed. Todd saw her take on a more professional posture with each consecutive word.
“All forms of nonessential travel will be discontinued tonight at ten and will not resume until after the forty-eight-hour cooling-off period. FEMA has been activated and is currently setting up temporary shelters for any travelers stranded. We are hearing from our bureaus around the world that similar precautions are being put in place in several countries.”
The announcer continued, “The Posse Comitatus Act, which many of you may know prohibits federal military personnel and units of the United States Army National Guard from acting in a law enforcement capacity within the United States, has been suspended. With its suspension, our armed forces will be working with local law enforcement throughout the country to maintain law and order and help administer the forty-eight-hour cooling-off period.
“Once again, ladies and gentlemen, if you are on the East Coast, the curfew will take effect in under an hour. If you are on the streets, head home. If you work in fire, police, public works, or life safety, you are requested to report to work immediately and await further instruction.”
“How did they plan this so quickly?” Jerry asked.
“It’s not that difficult.” Dan didn’t take his eyes off the TV. “They have this shit planned out.”
“Shh,” Todd hissed.
“We’re getting word from phone companies around the country and globally, reporting a collapse of their systems; both cell phones and landlines have been affected.” The announcer was back on. “A spokesman for AT&T informed us they are working on the problems and hope to have the phone lines up within the next couple of hours. Cell companies and even social media sites are reporting similar problems. Please be patient.”
“Tell us something we don’t know,” Todd said.
Jerry and Dan nodded.
“Information being sent by the speaker general of the Nentraee will be broadcast tomorrow at noon eastern. Directly after that, the president will again address the nation from the Oval Office. Stay tuned for news from around the globe. We go now to—”
Jerry picked up the remote and turned off the TV.
Todd raised his eyebrows.
“I think, that’s enough of that.” Jerry was pale but sounded composed. “We won’t know more until tomorrow. They’re going to rehash the same facts till then.”
With the TV off, Todd could hear what transpired outside—a big bang and then a car peeling out down the street. Then some yelling.
So it begins.
Another loud bang came from outside. Jerry shuddered and Dan jumped. He checked out the front window and saw his neighbors rushing to their car. “Well, Nathen and Claire are getting ready to leave.” Todd turned to Jerry. “I wonder where they’re gonna go.”
Dan took another sip of his drink, which he had refreshed. He rolled the glass between his hands. “Not far, if I know the military.” He leaned back. “My guess is they have most major cities closed. They’ll be sending people home.”
Jerry and Todd shared a look.
“Even though the curfew doesn’t begin till nine p.m., it doesn’t mean they won’t start closing the highways, airports, and train stations. If they are stopping the trains and planes, they’ll need that time to make sure that people return home, or if not, they will keep folks where they are. Which would explain why FEMA is involved. They’ll use the airports and train stations as temporary shelters.” He chuckled. “Our military may be many things, but people can’t call them inefficient. Hours before that address, everything went into action. I guess that would explain why there was a military transport sitting at the airport yesterday. Christ, I’m lucky I got here yesterday. That would have sucked hardcore being stuck at the airport.”
“What do you think is going to happen?” Jerry asked.
“Well, just what the president says.” Dan shrugged. “They’ll shut us up tight. With air traffic stopped, the Air Force will be patrolling our skies. They’ll put everyone on alert and watch for some crazy country, like North Korea or Iran, or who knows to do something stupid.”
“They’ll focus on protecting our assets; food, water, sanitation, medical, transportation, all that stuff,” Dan said. “The way the president addressed us, it appears they’re not worried the aliens are hostile, but it wouldn’t surprise me if you don’t see the vice president for a while. They’ll have her nice and secure, just to see how this plays out. They will move the president to various secure locations. He won’t be in one place too long.” Dan shrugged. “That’s my guess.”
Todd wanted more and he leaned a bit closer to Dan.
Staring at his glass, Dan continued, “I doubt we’ll have to worry about these Nentraee. If they were hostile, they would have attacked us already. We don’t have any way to fight an attack from space. Well, at least not that I know of. It’s possible the CIA or the NSA does. Perhaps NASA. Anyway, nukes take time and there is always the issue of them not working or working too well.”
Dan paused.
“My guess is they’re friendlies and want something. Probably to trade.” Dan polished off his third drink and put the empty glass down. His mouth lifted and his eyes sparkled. “I guess I won’t be going to the beach to cruise the boys tomorrow.” He sat back deeper in the chair. “That sucks! They’re keeping me from my menz. How rude.”
A knock at the front door caused the three to jump.
Todd answered the door, seeing his neighbor standing on his porch. “Hey, Nathen, are
you okay?” he asked. Nathen was pale and sweaty. “Is everyone all right? We saw you guys take off. What happened?”
Nathen shook his head and ran a hand over his face to try to remove the sweat. “I just thought…we thought…” Nathen took a shallow breath. “I wanted to let you know that they won’t let us leave. They’re sending people home. We thought…”
Nathen took another shallow breath and continued, “We thought we’d head to our house in the mountains. Before the curfew.” Nathen shook his head. “But…Todd…man, the radio says they’ve already closed the freeways. They closed every damn freeway. I don’t get it. So, we tried to go up Mt. Hamilton Road, but the military had it closed, too, turning people around. It’s insane! They wouldn’t fucking let us leave. Todd, man, they even pointed their guns at a few people, maybe worried they would challenge them.” Nathen glanced over his shoulder to his house. “I thought you should know in case you try to leave. I can’t believe this. This is America. They can’t do this…” Nathen trailed off, shaking his head.
Nathen and his family were good people. Hell, all the people in the neighborhood were nice. There was another car accelerating down the street; both Todd and Nathen watched it speed by.
Todd was mentally and emotionally drained. Still he tried to brighten his expression. “Nathen, it’s cool. We decided to stay here. Don’t worry. These aliens, Nentraee, or whatever, aren’t here to hurt us.” He paused.
Wow, is that what I was like yesterday? Poor Jerry.
“It’ll be fine. Listen, I talked to my brother; he works for NASA, and he said we have nothing to worry about.” He put his hand on Nathen’s shoulder. “Look, why don’t you and Claire come over and hang out? You’re more than welcome. We would love the company, you know, while we try to wait this whole thing out.” He peeked over to Jerry and Dan, who both nodded.
Nathen shook his head, clearly not hearing all Todd said. Certain words must have struck a chord because Nathen started talking fast. “The phones are working again. We tried texting but got nothing back and our internet isn’t starting up. Is it working?” he asked, with a nervous smile. “We couldn’t get through to anyone. When did they start working? I’ve gotta let Claire know. Thanks, Todd.” Nathen rushed back to his house.