THE BRINK - OPERATION DEEP FLIGHT

by Marshall Huffman

  “Yes sir,” Marcus replied.

  CHAPTER NINE

  - WASHINGTON DC -

  Admiral Zoren lingered outside, waiting for Peter and Susan to leave the president.

  “Doctor Ferris. Doctor Long. I think it would most beneficial to have you come with us and talk about this further over at the Pentagon,” Admiral Zoren said, taking Peter by the arm.

  “Really Admiral,” Peter said removing Zoren’s hand from his arm, “I have told you all that I know. There are some things we just can’t elaborate on because they have been blocked from our memory. I don’t think there is much we can do for you.”

  “Let’s just say that I’m not convinced of that doctor.”

  “Sir, I really don’t want to stand here and argue with you. We are all exhausted. It has been a very eventful week, to say the least. We are not going anywhere with you right now. We all need to get some sleep.”

  “Alright. I’ll let it drop for now, but believe me, I do intend for us to have a little chat. You get some rest. I’m sure we will have a chance to talk later,” he said and quickly walked away.

  Marcus had seen the exchange and came over as soon as Zoren left.

  “What was that all about?”

  Peter gave him a quick rundown on how the conversation had gone.

  “I don’t like that man very much,” Susan said.

  “I get the feeling he doesn’t care much for us either,” Peter said.

  “It’s just his way. He hates everyone. Sort of an equal opportunity hater,” Marcus said, “I have a car waiting. Shall we all get a good night’s sleep?”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Twelve Days Later

  - UNITED NATIONS BUILDING -

  “Ladies and Gentlemen, please take your seats,” the speaker said.

  Slowly the delegates made their way to their seats and at last the noise died down.

  “You have been asked to attend this special closed session because each of your countries is involved in space exploration in one way or another. Some of you operate your own space program, others with partners or through the formation of an alliance. The President of the United States called this urgent session and has asked for an opportunity to address this distinguished group.”

  The translators were hard at work relaying the speaker’s introduction.

  “Ladies and Gentlemen, the President of the United States.”

  They dutifully applauded as he entered the room and took his place at the podium. He waited for them to quiet down again before beginning.

  “Distinguished members, thank you so much for your attendance today. I acknowledge that this conclave was arranged on short notice and without sufficient information regarding the issue to be discussed, but I must beg you to bear with me. I am here on the most unusual mission of my life. Please know that the intention of this meeting is not to alarm or to threaten you. What you are about to hear will forever change the way in which you view this planet on which we live. The United States has recently made a startling discovery that must be shared with the representatives in this room. As you know, The United States has been involved with the exploration of space. While the popularity and deemed importance of space travel has had its peaks and valleys over the past decades we have always been involved to some extent. As a natural part of this exploration, we have made many unusual and beneficial discoveries that have helped us to better understand our universe. However, most recently we made a far greater discovery. We have discovered an intelligent alien life form.”

  A resounding noise slowly built as those present received the translation. It continued to build for some time. The President waited, not speaking. Slowly the babble died down.

  “As startling as that statement is, we have made an even more profound and shocking discovery. The aliens have been visiting our planet and have in fact, established a base right here on Earth.”

  The room erupted. Everyone was trying to speak at once. Once again President Beland waited for it to subside. It took considerably longer this time.

  “Believe me, I know how difficult this is to understand and to accept. I would not be standing here before you if we did not have irrefutable proof. Not only do we know that they have bases here on Earth and have for a long time, but several of our scientists have been in direct contact with them. The aliens are called the Bhakktah and they are from a moon within our own solar system.”

  Once more the noise level increased. President Beland was expecting as much and was prepared to wait it out. He stood patiently at the podium. Some of the members were standing trying to be recognized to speak. He refused to acknowledge them. Eventually the representatives realized that he would not continue until they settled. Finally, when the room quieted, he once again began to speak.

  “I understand your fears and doubts. We were just like you when we were confronted with this information. We have undergone the same emotional upheaval that you are now experiencing. We have suspected the alien presence for some time but it wasn’t until two weeks ago that we actually located them and made initial contact. I know the shock of all of this is almost overwhelming but there is more. Unfortunately, it does not get any easier to accept or to understand. We have brought the team of scientists who made direct contact with the alien species to meet with you. They have been instructed by the Bhakktah to bring you a message. Please listen carefully to what they have to tell you. It is the most important message you will ever hear in your lifetime. Would you please show in the team members?” the President asked.

  The chamber door opened and Drs. Ferris, Long, and Hall were lead into the room along with Admiral Marcus. Immediately the noise level once again increased. They were led to the podium to stand beside President Beland. He waited until the discordance had settled down.

  “These men and woman have been on a most incredible journey and have made actual direct contact with the aliens, the Bhakktah. The unusual looking attachments on their heads were implanted by the Bhakktah to serve as a form of telepathic communication device. Doctor Ferris is one of the key people in this project and will begin the message that they have been instructed to deliver. Doctor Ferris, if you would please,” the President said stepping out of the way.

  Peter looked out at the representatives of the various nations that were summoned to this important conclave. He stood very still for a moment then his eyes glazed over and he began speaking, “We are directed by the inhabitants of Bhakktahra to deliver this message. The Bhakktah forbid the inhabitants of this planet to venture to our world. The humans of this planet, Earth, are too violent and uncivilized. We find your species of humans to be undesirable and do not want you on our world. We have been watching you for over 100 of your earth years and have found no qualities that we wish to emulate on our world. You have been killing your own kind ever since we first visited this planet. You continue to do so even today. We have watched you make advances in many areas but you continue to kill one another. Your planet is in a worse condition today than it was 100 of your years ago.”

  He stopped. It was totally silent in the room for the first time. He continued.

  “We find you to be an undesirable species and will not allow you to travel to our world. Your advancements in space exploration have prompted us to take defensive action. We have taken measures to ensure that you will never venture to our world. We have the means to destroy this planet that you occupy. The instruments of destruction were provided by you. You have made available to us over time, numerous highly destructive nuclear devices. These destructive devices have been placed in critical areas throughout the planet Earth and are completely functional. This is not intended as a threat but as a statement of fact,” Peter told them.

  He stopped for a moment to let the interpreters catch up. It took a moment for he and the delegates to realize that there were no translations occurring. Each delegate was hearing the message in his or her own native language. Peter continued.

  “You are being given a chance to c
hange our planned course of action. You are being given an opportunity to develop a plan that the Bhakktah are willing to accept. It must be a plan that will assure us that you will never visit our world. You will not send any manned or unmanned probes to our world again. If you do not devise and agree upon an acceptable plan that gives us such assurances, your planet will be destroyed. We do not desire to resort to this measure but we will not let our world be corrupted or endangered by this one. We have the means to destroy this world and all of humankind. You have but one chance to assure us of your willingness to comply with our demand. Use your chance wisely or your planet will cease to exist and you will become nothing more than cosmic dust.”

  Peter stopped speaking and stepped away from the microphone.

  The noise was slow in building but when it did, it erupted. The room was in pandemonium. It was several minutes before some semblance of order was restored. The President took over the microphone once more. Even with him stand there, trying to quiet them down, the chaotic noise continued for several more minutes. At last it was quiet enough for him to resume speaking.

  “I know what you are experiencing. We have been through the exact same thing little more than two weeks ago. At this time you are being passed a general outline of what you just heard. In addition to that, is a proposal that we have been working on. It is not an ultimatum but merely a starting point. You will be directed to break up into four smaller groups so that we can go over this in detail.

  One of the scientists who made the initial contact with the Bhakktah will be facilitating each group so that you can ask direct questions. They will answer as many of your questions as they are able. We all understand how difficult this is to grasp but we are convinced that Bhakktah mean what they say. They gave us a vivid demonstration which will be explained in your group meeting. The very future of our planet depends on what we accomplish together in this room.

  They say that we have only one chance to save our world. We believe it. If we fail, our world fails. Please, carefully read over the transcript and proposal then move to your assigned group,” he told them.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  - THE UN BUILDING -

  Peter had delivered the core message that the Bhakktah had instructed. The part about relocation to another planet had not been triggered and for that he was very grateful. It was going to be difficult enough as it was without that additional potentially threatening information to digest. The attending delegates were slow to react. Many sat in stunned silence. Eventually they all began to read the documents in front of them. Peter still did not understand how he had been able to communicate with them in all of the represented languages simultaneously; nevertheless, somehow they had, each and every one, understood him.

  The proposal called for a world organization of supreme power to regulate and enforce restrictions on the exploration of space. It was to be called the World Commission for Space Exploration. Every country, no matter what size, would be bound by the agreement and none would be exempt from its regulatory powers.

  The very essence of the proposal was the control to be exercised over any vessel sent into outer space. No country would be allowed to send a probe, of any type, near Saturn or any of its moons. The trajectories for all missiles would require approval from this organization. All nations would be held accountable and if permission was not first obtained, the craft would be destroyed in flight. This would apply to both manned and unmanned space vehicles.

  The document was long and had many details. It took a long time for it to be read. Many wanted to read it over several times before they were ready to meet in the smaller groups. Several members looked to be in a daze themselves. It was just too mindboggling.

  Eventually they were all in their assigned areas. It was a slow and time consuming process made even more difficult by the language barriers. This would have been a useful time to have the devices do the translations. Hundreds of questions were directed at the four of them. They answered as frankly and as honestly as they could, often answering the same questions over and over again.

  The major powers of Russia, England, France, Germany, China, and Japan were the key groups. The President was representing the US and Peter was heading up the discussion in that group. If there was any chance for success it rested with this group. They had the real power of enforcement. Peter answered every question to the best of his ability but never mentioned the possibility of relocation to another planet. He knew if he did that it would only make the members more agitated and reluctant to cooperate. They had enough to deal with at present.

  “So from what you are saying, this proposal has not been presented to the aliens. Is that correct?”

  “That is correct.”

  “And you are open to counter proposals as well?” the French delegate asked.

  “That is the purpose of this meeting. We are not dictating a method of operation. These are merely our suggestions.”

  “They will accept this proposal?” he asked.

  “We have no way of knowing. We cannot guarantee that this will satisfy their demands. We needed to have a starting point and what you have before you is just that. There are no assurances or guarantees with it,” President Beland interjected.

  “I am not faulting the proposal. I just want to be clear on what is being stated here,” the French delegate said.

  “What about military weapons? We all have them up there in space. How would we handle that?” the Russian asked.

  “That is a very good question. I guess we would need to really think that one through. I’m not sure what we should do with the ones already in place but I would suggest that all future ones should come under the jurisdiction of the World Commission,” President Beland said.

  “What I am asking is; what about the weapons we now have in our possession. Maybe we could join forces and find a way to defeat them and drive them from our planet. It is our world and they have no business dictating terms for our survival.”

  “Ah, spoken like a true military man. Do you not understand? The Bhakktah who are here on earth are just an observation force. The devices they have placed in the earth’s crust are operational. They can detonate them from outer space or even their home world. Our present technology could never locate and disarm them in time. Attacking them would only ensure the destruction of Earth,” Peter said.

  “I think you underestimate our combined forces,” he insisted.

  “Do I? Do you think you could get to Bhakktahra and stop them? How? Only one country has even sent a man to another planet, no, correction, to the moon. That is a long, long way from sending someone to Titan. I don’t mean to be disrespectful but that kind of thinking is just exactly what has brought them to this point with mankind. We humans want to war with everyone and everything we encounter. Sir. We cannot fight them. To do so would mean certain destruction. We are out of time. What could you hope to gain by attacking a highly advanced superior force?” Peter asked.

  “I will not just sit by and hand over my country to these creatures. If we must die then it will be in defending our homeland,” the Russian said stubbornly.

  “That’s all very patriotic and noble but I must remind you that you are dealing with all of our homelands, not just Russia’s. Not everyone is willing to sacrifice the world for foolish pride,” Peter said.

  “Perhaps you could tell us more about these devices planted in the earth’s crust,” the representative from England said.

  Peter told them about what he had been shown and what the Bhakktah had told him. The questions were non-stop and the debates raged on for hours. Food was brought in but was left mostly untouched. This time food was the furthest thing from their minds.

  After many hours of arguing and talking they could only agree on one point, to continue the meeting tomorrow. At that time they would try to hammer out an agreement that they could all live with. That, in itself, indicated that they had accepted the fact that the threat was real and that the issue could not be ignored. />
  As small as it was, it was progress. As expected, the smaller countries that did not have their own program and relied on other nations' facilities and technology were less difficult to deal with. The hard sell was with the superpowers.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  - TWO DAYS LATER –

  - THE UN BUILDING -

  “I feel like I was in a knife fight and everyone had a knife except me,” Peter said.

  “I know what you mean. Those damn Russians. They are as paranoid as our own military. Let’s just charge right in there and kill the aliens,” President Beland said, imitating the way the Russian spoke, “Never a moment's thought about what would happen to the rest of world if they tried and failed.”

  “And France,” Peter said rolling his eyes.

  “Don’t even get me started. From the way they talk you would think they are the leaders in space flight. I would be a little more impressed if they could get a man to the moon much less one into outer space. Arrogant fools,” Beland said in disgust.

  “Japan is docile enough,” Peter pointed out.

  “I think they have put two and two together. They know the earthquake they experienced is somehow related to all of this. They haven’t said so directly but I’m sure they have it figured out,” Susan replied.

  “China. They just watch. They scare the hell out of me. For all I know they are planning an attack this very minute. I don’t trust them one bit,” Beland said.

  “Honestly, how do you even assess this?” Susan asked, “I have no background in dealing with other nations. I don’t even understand my own half the time.”