The Invitation-kindle

by Michael McKinney

  “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, my name is Jim Thatcher. I want to welcome everyone to this news conference. We at the Federal Bureau of Investigation are shocked and deeply saddened by the events of last night. We extend our deepest condolences to the President’s grieving wife and mother, and we ask the American people to join us in remembering them in our prayers. We can assure the people of the United States that the FBI is presently bringing the full weight of its resources to the investigation of this national tragedy.

  “Now a brief word on our format here today, I’m going to turn it over to Director Slaughter who has an opening statement, followed by Senator Fields, and CIA director Paul Stuart. After their opening remarks we’ll start taking questions. So please, ladies and gentlemen, no questions until after opening remarks. With that I’ll now turn it over to Director Slaughter.”

  “Thank you, Jim. I want to thank all of you for coming this morning. First let me say that like all of you, I was horrified by what took place in Miami last night. The brutal and public manner in which this terrible event took place will leave a national scar that will take years to heal. I join with you in praying for the President’s family in what must be for them a deeply painful time.”

  As the Director pauses his countenance changes, as if preparing to impart unwelcome news.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, what I have to say now won’t be easy. I am well aware of the extraordinary political sensitivity of what I’m about to tell you. My motivation in this is, and has always been, what’s best for the country, and I’m confident in leaving that for others to judge.

  “On May 9th of this year the FBI was contacted by a man named Phillip Garrett who claimed to have certain materials that pertain to President Myers when he was a college student. Phillip Garrett was a roommate of Ken Myers for about three months when they were college freshmen. Mr. Garrett said, and I quote, ‘began to notice certain abnormal behavior’ in Ken Myers. This behavior consisted of clairvoyant foreknowledge of future events and enhanced intellectual comprehension beyond the range of normal human limits. After reviewing the material provided to us which consisted of a two hour video recording of Ken Myers, we concluded that it was authentic. After careful examination of the evidence it was my decision, and my decision only, to conduct an informal investigation. On the basis of that inquiry, I obtained the medical records of President Myers, and discovered something very troubling. A detailed brain scan revealed the presence of what looks to be a microprocessor embedded deep in the brain of Ken Myers.”

  Suddenly, everything stops, and all in the room are stunned. All eyes freeze on the FBI director.

  “Could you please repeat that?” a reporter asks.

  “Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that’s what I said. A microchip of some type was found in the brain of Ken Myers. The origination of this object is still unknown. Knowing how politically sensitive this would be, I asked that leaders of both parties come in and review the case. I felt then, and I still do, that I didn’t have the authority to go any further with it. I asked the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee Senator Merrick and ranking member Senator Fields to see the evidence we have, and they were both completely briefed on our investigation. I was not able to get in touch with Senator Merrick this morning, or else he would be here with us right now, but he can confirm the things I’m saying. I know you have a lot of questions, but if you’ll just let us complete our opening remarks we’ll get to them immediately. I would now ask Senator Fields to say a few words.”

  As the director of the FBI relinquishes the podium, Senator Fields steps forward and begins his statement. His stiff, inelegant remarks are thankfully brief.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, today is a sad day for America. I was personally shocked and horrified to see what happened last night, and I join millions of Americans who want to see this tragic chapter in our history come to a close. I join you in your prayers for national healing. I am also here today to corroborate everything Director Slaughter has said, and commend him for going public with this difficult information. It truly shows his allegiance is to the country, and no single leader, so Director Slaughter, thank you for doing this. In the interest of brevity, I now ask CIA Director Paul Stuart to speak.”

  Nimble, and evasive, Paul Stuart has a very clear idea of what he wants to achieve in this news conference. He must gently but persuasively suggest a connection between Ken Myers and espionage, and he must also sew sufficient doubt in people’s minds to make enough of them at least wonder whether or not the incredible events of the last several days were actually real. Second to none in the smooth duplicity of verbal deception, the CIA director is wily and intelligent. He knows he will not convince many. He also knows he doesn’t have to. With rumors of every type in circulation, adding more confusion to the mix can only work to his advantage. Paul Stuart knows he’ll be sharply criticized for what he’s about to say, but if the intended effect is achieved it will be more than worth it. He moves confidently to the lectern.

  “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Let me say at the outset that I share the sorrow that our nation is now experiencing in the wake of last night’s tragedy, and I too pray for the President’s family. As Director Slaughter said, I was asked to review the evidence of the FBI’s investigation of Ken Myers. When I did, I completely agreed with his decision to initiate that investigation, and let me say this: it takes a lot of courage for the Director of the FBI to say these things here today. I know this is a highly charged issue, politically and emotionally, but I believe that at this critical hour, our country needs clarity and straight talk from government officials, and that’s why we’re here today. So let’s start with what we know. Last night, tragically, our President was murdered by what appears to be a lone assailant, a man named Todd Keniston who regretfully was shot and killed resisting arrest. As we know, that’s not all that’s been happening in our world the past few days. Are they related? We don’t know, but what I’m about to suggest is as rational an explanation as any, in my opinion. When FBI Director Slaughter briefed us on his investigation we were shown the brain scan of Ken Myers and saw something disturbing. The scan showed that some type of microprocessor had been inserted into his brain, and high magnification revealed it was actually connected to nerve endings. That’s a remarkable piece of microsurgery, and yet there is no record in any hospital of such an important operation. We know of every hospital visit that Ken Myers had in his life, except one.

  “When Ken Myers was Governor of Florida six years ago, he went on a trade mission to China, and spent nearly twenty hours unaccompanied in a hospital outside of Beijing. He basically told his aide to take the day off, and then went alone to some sort of medical facility for nearly an entire day. This visit was not on anyone’s itinerary. It was completely unscheduled, and strangely, he never spoke about it afterwards. Now, you can come to your own conclusions. I’m simply telling you the facts that we were able to verify.

  “I want to make just one more point before we open it up for questions. Do you remember the unusual behavior of President Myers in Miami when all these bizarre things were going on around him? He wasn’t surprised by any of it. As a matter of fact he hardly raised an eyebrow. It seemed almost as if he was part of it. Ladies and gentlemen, I believe that logic forces us to consider the possibility, that what we saw in Amelia Earhart Park in Miami may have been an elaborate hoax. Now please bear with me here. What exactly did we see these past few nights? Well, to begin with, what we saw so dramatically in the sky wasn’t actually real. It was a projected image. What else did we see? We saw some type of craft land in Miami. What exactly it was, we don’t know. We have aircraft that can hover and pull away, not like what we saw last night, but who knows what breakthrough technologies might’ve been achieved in other parts of the world? What else did we see? We saw what appeared to be an alien creature, but how do we know if that wasn’t just a projected image as well? The truth is we don’t. We don’t know what secret programs that foreign
governments could have developed. We know this: something this sophisticated would require billions of dollars of research, and levels of expertise that only a rich and powerful nation could provide. Let me be clear. I can’t prove that what we saw the past two nights in Miami was a hoax, but I can confidently say that nobody can prove it wasn’t. I want to be completely frank with everyone here. It’s the unexplained hospital stay in Beijing that troubles me the most. A hospital stay that Ken Myers never spoke about afterwards. It just doesn’t add up. I think what we saw in Miami the last few nights, and that hospital visit are in some way related. I can’t prove it. It’s just my gut feeling, and that’s basically all I have to say, so I guess it’s time for questions now.”

  Knowing he’ll get the first question challenging his assertions, Paul Stuart walks away from the lectern. The immediate harangue of simultaneous questions forces spokesman Jim Thatcher to impose order.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, one at a time, please,” he says, and pointing to a reporter in the front row, hushes the rest.

  “Go ahead with your question, Sir.”

  “This question is for the CIA director. What exactly are you saying, or implying here when you say this was all a hoax, and secondly, how do you explain what happened with Congressman Kearns? Doesn’t that disprove what you’re saying?”

  “I don’t think so. It doesn’t disprove it at all. As far as the Congressman is concerned, I don’t have an answer for that.”

  “Then what factual evidence do you have to say it was a hoax?”

  “I don’t have any. I never claimed to have any. All I have are clues.”

  “Like what, what clues?”

  “One clue is the way President Myers behaved when all of this was going on. He wasn’t surprised or startled by any of it. It was almost as if he was expecting it. If—think about this now—if all this happened as we’ve been told, then how did the President seem to know about it beforehand? It seems to me that if this thing occurred naturally, he would’ve been astonished like all the rest of us. Did he look astonished to you? He practically introduced this alleged extraterrestrial, or whatever it was. Clue number two: we have incontrovertible evidence that some type of communications microchip was deliberately placed in the brain of Ken Myers, and the overwhelming likelihood is that it was done in a government hospital in Beijing. The question is, are they linked? I don’t have an answer, but if any of you can come up with a better explanation, I’m ready to hear it.”

  “Are you saying President Myers was some kind of agent for the Chinese government?”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “Well, what are you saying? Because it certainly sounds that you’re alleging espionage.”

  “I’m not making allegations here. All I’m saying is that we need to consider every rational explanation for what happened in Miami. That’s all.”

  “And as a follow-up, quickly, can I ask you, Director Stuart, how did you verify this hospital visit in China by Ken Myers that, uh, you say took place?

  “That question touches on methods and procedures that I’m not at liberty to discuss, not because we have anything to hide, but because this has been long-standing policy for all intelligence agencies in this country for decades. I will say this: I believe the evidence we have is compelling.”

  Another teeming spate of questions prompts Jim Thatcher to interject.

  “All right, all right, you, Ma’am in the third row, your question, please.”

  “This is for the FBI director. Mr. Slaughter, you said you had a video recording of Ken Myers that was taken by his college roommate, and you said he, Ken Myers, and I’m quoting you now, ‘exhibited strange behavior.’ What did you mean by that?”

  “The recording basically shows Mr. Myers reading for several hours. There’s nothing remarkable about it except for one thing. The phenomenal speed reading that Ken Myers displays is something way beyond anything normal, and we have no explanation for it.”

  “How fast are you talking about?”

  “An average of about 240 word per second.”

  “How do you know he was actually reading that fast? Maybe he was just pretending for the camera.”

  “Well, first, he was alone, and secondly, he didn’t know he was being recorded.”

  “Are you saying he was secretly recorded?”

  “Yes”

  “Is that, or was that, legal?”

  “No, it wasn’t.”

  “So what you’re saying, Director, is the FBI accepted a recording of Ken Myers from someone who obtained that recording illegally. In other words, he broke the law.”

  “That’s correct.”

  “Doesn’t that undercut his credibility?”

  “I don’t think so, not in this case. Our experts have looked very carefully at this recording, and found it to be completely authentic. As to the question of Phillip Garrett breaking the law in surreptitiously recording Ken Myers, this happened over twenty-six years ago. The statute of limitations has long since passed. Besides, Phillip Garrett came to us with this, and as far as we can tell, he’s been completely open and honest with us.”

  “Yes, Sir, you in the sixth row, your question please,” the spokesman says.

  “This is for the CIA director. Mr. Stuart. If I read you correctly, you are suggesting, maybe not alleging, but at least suggesting that the President of the United States was an agent for the Chinese government. I hate to use the word, but you’re essentially suggesting, if not alleging, that Ken Myers was a traitor. Isn’t that right?”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “But you are. You’re suggesting the possibility of treason.”

  “No, those are your words, not mine. All I’m trying to do here is find the truth. None of us have anything to gain by being here today. It’s not easy saying these things, and I guarantee you that we’ll be excoriated for it. Some will say there’s a partisan motivation in what we’re saying. If you believe that, ask Senator Merrick, who, most would agree is a friend and ally of President Myers. He received the same information as we did. We’re here today because it’s the right thing to do, not because we want to somehow tarnish the memory or reputation of Ken Myers. Look, my nine-year-old daughter came to me in tears this morning, asking me what they did to our President. I didn’t…”

  Choking his emotions, Paul Stuart pauses, and begins again.

  “I’m sorry.… I didn’t have anything I could say to my daughter. Believe me this isn’t easy, what we’re doing here today. In fact it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my career, but I’m absolutely convinced that it’s the right thing to do. Senator Fields, do you want to say anything else?”

  As Senator Fields moves toward the podium, he reaches out and briefly squeezes the arm of Paul Stuart as they pass, offering a comforting gesture of emotional empathy, and support.

  “I just want to say that we’re trying our best to do what we think is right, what’s right for our country.”

  The noisy gaggle begins again, cutting off the Senator’s words, and spokesman Thatcher responds again.

  “Please, ladies and gentlemen, one question at a time. You, Ma’am, in the green, your question, please.”

  “Yes, thank you. My question to any of you is this: why are you having this press conference so soon? Couldn’t you have waited at least until the nation had paid its respects? I mean the man hasn’t even been buried yet.”

  “Because if we waited, there’s a real danger that this information would be leaked from an unofficial source, and we all know how long secrets last in Washington. That would only add to the confusion and uncertainty that we already have enough of. We all agreed that it’s better to have it come out now. It shows the public we have nothing to hide. We’re putting it all on the table,” Senator Fields says, and then yields the lectern.

  “This question is for the FBI director. Sir, do you intend to make this evidence available to the news media, and if so when is that likely to happen?”

 
; “That is not my decision. My guess is the courts will decide that question.”

  “Director Slaughter, are we to understand that the FBI has in its possession, the President’s brain scan?”

  “That’s correct.”

  “How did you obtain access to his medical records?”

  “The brain scan image was sent to the FBI anonymously by a person who described himself as a concerned citizen.”

  “Did you try to identify who sent the brain scan, or where it came from?”

  “It’s currently under investigation. That’s all I can say.”

  “Okay, a question, you Sir, yes, your question, please.”

  “This question is for the CIA director, Mr. Stuart.”

  “Yes,”

  “You say your hunch is this was in your words ‘an elaborate hoax’ requiring as you say billions of dollars of research. That’s a lot of money for an elaborate hoax, as you put it. My question is why would someone perpetrate such an elaborate, and expensive hoax? Thank you, and I have a follow up.”

  “That’s a good question. I don’t know the answer, but let me suggest one possibility. Do you remember when this so-called extraterrestrial was talking about nuclear weapons? He said that he could neutralize our nuclear deterrent, and we wouldn’t even know it. Then he said, ‘but it’s better that we do that ourselves’. That’s exactly what he said. If we took that advice, this country would in fact be completely unprotected against any form of foreign aggression, or even blackmail. We’d be utterly defenseless.”