Wake-up Call: 2035

by Robert J. Traydon

  His call was answered within the first two rings.

  11:00 p.m. Earth: NASA – Meeting Room

  Vice President McKenzie saw the caller identification on his ringing mobile phone and answered immediately, “Director, I hope you’ve got some news for me.”

  “I sure do, Mr Vice President. I believe we may have found what you were looking for.”

  “Go on, Director,” said McKenzie with an element of surprise.

  “Mr Vice President, we’ve located an object orbiting Mars that fits your description,” said Henderson.

  McKenzie’s heart skipped a beat and his imagination began to run wild. He had really not expected them to find anything.

  Henderson went on, “It appears to be a very large spacecraft of some kind. We can only assume that it’s manmade because of its symmetrical shape, however, I am not personally aware of any spacecraft of this magnitude that has been either deployed or assembled in space by any country.”

  “Are you recording the finding?” asked McKenzie.

  “Yes, Mr Vice President. WorldSeeker is busy capturing high definition video of the spacecraft as we speak. Using the footage, we have been able to ascertain the spacecraft’s overall dimensions and shape.”

  “And?” asked McKenzie impatiently.

  “The spacecraft is two kilometres long, as per your brief Mr Vice President, and about 400 metres wide. It is shaped like a long cylinder.”

  McKenzie shuddered at the thought.

  Henderson continued, “We are still busy enhancing the images but so far cannot see any identifying markings. The spacecraft appears to be a dull, non-reflective black colour, which is adding to the complexity of our identification activities. We will continue to monitor and record it for as long as we have it in our field of view.”

  He paused, then commented, “Whichever nation embarked on an endeavour of this scale must have done so very secretively, because we, here at NASA, have absolutely no knowledge of this spacecraft. But it is equally inconceivable to think that something this size could be built and assembled in space without anyone noticing. In fact, I am prepared to say that it would be impossible.”

  McKenzie spoke, “Everything is impossible until the moment you find out that it is not … but thank you very much for the update, Director.”

  “Mr Vice President …” Henderson hesitated for a moment, then spoke on: “I am reluctant to mention this for fear of sounding irrational, but we should give credence to the possibility that this spacecraft is not from this planet. Considering NASA’s current technological level and capabilities, which can easily be assumed to be the most advanced in the world, we are not in a position to: firstly, build something like this; and secondly, launch it into space either in parts for assembly or as a whole – no matter how much funding was made available to us.

  “I am certain that no other nation on Earth could do it either – unless they were in possession of technologies that we are not yet aware of, which is unlikely. This would suggest in all absurdity that this spacecraft is from some other part of the galaxy or Universe. However, I must stress that this is a theory only, and we won’t be able to confirm anything until we’ve had time to fully render and scrutinise the footage we’re obtaining.”

  McKenzie spoke, “I appreciate you expressing your opinion, Director. As outlandish as it may sound, it has been noted. We are currently investigating this situation from another angle as well, and I will brief you as soon as I have further information on my side.

  “As I said previously, Director. This is a Top Secret matter and I cannot express the absolute importance that this information not be disclosed to anyone.”

  Henderson replied, “Yes, Mr Vice President. I can confirm that my team and I have all signed a project-specific non-disclosure agreement. The information is safe with us.”

  McKenzie sounded relieved. “Good! Thank you very much for your efforts, Director. Call me the moment you have anything else.”

  “I will do so, Mr Vice President,” said Henderson.

  The phone clicked off.

  The Director looked into the night sky contemplating the fascinating discovery, the multitude of unexplainable facts and the unusually high level of secrecy. The fact that the Vice President had asked him to look for this object in the first place meant that someone was already aware of its existence. That could mean only one thing … that it surely must have come from Earth. He turned around in the cold, late-night air and walked slowly back to the Ops Centre. He regretted his spontaneous decision to mention the possibility that the spacecraft could have originated from somewhere other than Earth. The Vice President must have had a good laugh at his expense!

  He shifted his focus onto his next objective, which was to use one of NASA’s geographic mapping satellites – currently in orbit around Mars – to perform a flyby of the supposed spacecraft. The satellite’s orbit would have to be altered to achieve a close proximity pass, which would allow for ultra-high resolution images to be captured. These images would allow them to establish exactly what this spacecraft was.

  A shroud of worry had settled over him … something just wasn’t right.

  11:10 p.m. Earth: United States – Atlantic City

  The Vice President stared at his mobile for a few seconds after his astonishing conversation with the NASA Director. He had been in two minds about President Jameson’s bizarre story, but this finding was potentially the first of many that would back its authenticity. He shook his head briefly to wake himself from his trance-like state. This situation was for real … it was happening right now.

  He tapped his mobile phone’s screen and saw that it was just after 11:12 p.m. He didn’t hesitate and dialled President Jameson. His call was answered almost immediately.

  “Zach. I’ve been looking forward to your call, have you got anything for me yet?” she asked in a hushed voice. She sounded tired and had probably been trying to get some sleep.

  McKenzie responded, “Madam President, I have just spoken with the NASA Director. Using the new WorldSeeker telescope, they’ve identified a spacecraft orbiting Mars that matches your description.”

  There was a short silence on the other end of the phone. Jameson took a moment to draw a long, deep breath of vindication. This was a breakthrough of monumental proportion that would serve as invaluable verification of the Principals’ encounter.

  The President spoke, “That is fantastic news, Zach. Please send me some pictures, I want to see this spacecraft for myself. Make sure you pass on my commendations to the Director.”

  “Right away, Madam President.”

  McKenzie phoned Henderson straight back. He was also very interested to see pictures of the spacecraft, and get a better feel for what they were dealing with here.

  11:20 p.m. Earth: White House

  The President couldn’t sleep, so instead walked through to her study. She sat in her chair and reclined it back. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, trying to bring order to the chaotic stream of thoughts swirling around her head.

  She then opened her laptop and checked her mailbox. She saw an email from McKenzie that had been received minutes earlier and opened it. It contained a forwarded email from Director Henderson with numerous images of the ‘unidentified spacecraft’ attached. She opened them and stared. The cylindrical structure was vast by any human measure. Even the largest buildings in the United States would be dwarfed in comparison.

  She was still trying to assimilate the fact that she had been on that very spacecraft just 12 hours before. The whole experience seemed surreal in retrospect.

  These images would certainly help to authenticate the encounter but there would always be conspiracy theorists who would disregard the evidence as part of some devious plot by the American Government. With all the sophisticated equipment and resources that the President had at her disposal, fabricating these images would have been a simple exercise.

  There had to be some way she could publicly demonstrate the authen
ticity of these images to narrow the scope for wild theories – but how could this be done without causing alarm or mass hysteria?

  The President stood up from her chair and started pacing around her study. Suddenly she stopped and returned to her desk. She had an idea, one that would go a long way in solving the problem. She grabbed her fountain pen and jotted the idea down on paper. This new development would need to be passed by the Principals for their review and sanction before proceeding.

  6:00 a.m. Earth: Oval Office (Friday)

  It was almost 6:00 a.m. and the sun was beginning to rise in the east. President Jameson sat in the Oval Office having just concluded a half-hour IntraGlobe videoconference with the other 11 Principals. There had been both relief and excitement when she told them about WorldSeeker’s visual confirmation of the spacecraft, and showed them the images. Then, much to her relief, the other Principals all approved of her idea on how to authenticate the sighting.

  She now awaited the arrival of Vice President McKenzie, with whom she had requested an impromptu 6:00 a.m. meeting. When McKenzie entered he noticed that the President looked tired and on edge. He had only managed to get a couple of hours sleep himself.

  After a brief exchange of greetings, the President got straight down to business. “Zach, the reason for the meeting: I am concerned that the credibility of NASA’s images of the spacecraft will be called into question. As it is, we currently have no proof supporting the encounter and it is my greatest fear that the world will find a way to discredit everything, unless we are able to offer them some hard, tangible evidence backed up by multiple reliable sources,” said the President.

  McKenzie commented, “It is a serious problem, I agree. Do you have a proposal? We can’t exactly alert the world to the fact that an unidentified spacecraft has been spotted in orbit around Mars.”

  She appreciated his full understanding of the problem and spoke, “Yes, I drafted one last night which now has the approval of the 11 other Principals.”

  “Go on, Madam President,” said McKenzie.

  Jameson spoke, “I propose a press release stating that the American Government, in cooperation with a covert division of NASA, has been carrying out a classified space exploration project called ‘Project New Horizon’. The project was executed in the shadow of the highly publicised ‘WorldSeeker Telescope Project’. It involved the assembly of a large spacecraft on the opposite side of the Moon, the purpose of which, is to facilitate long-term exploration expeditions within our solar system to find potentially habitable zones.”

  McKenzie gave a nod, confirming her line of thought thus far.

  She continued, “We should mention that the project has been going for 10 years and that the exploration spacecraft, named ‘New Horizon’, was completed just 18 months ago, in what has been classified as NASA’s most ambitious space exploration initiative to date.

  “We then state that the press release is in celebration of the New Horizon spacecraft having successfully reached Mars, where it is currently in orbit. This marks the first major milestone of the project’s mission. We can confirm that the spacecraft is unmanned and operated completely via remote control.”

  She paused briefly and then continued, “We should then invite various renowned international astronomers from space agencies around the world to share in our celebration and view the New Horizon spacecraft, using our newly commissioned WorldSeeker telescope. We should say that WorldSeeker constitutes an integral part of Project New Horizon. These astronomers can then witness WorldSeeker’s capabilities first-hand and at the same time authenticate the images taken of the spacecraft. Only this select group will be allowed access to the telescope, which will otherwise be off-limits.”

  McKenzie commented, “Very shrewd, Madam President. This plausibly substantiates that the spacecraft belongs to us, which prevents any misconception as to its origin. No one, not even the media, would question its origin. It cleverly takes the whole extra-terrestrial element out of play, effectively nullifying any chance of social disorder. Brilliant, I like it. Please go on.”

  Jameson continued, “The only aspect that could prove to be problematic, would be dealing with questions asking how a spacecraft construction project of this magnitude could be concealed so well and for so long. Scepticism about how all the materials could have been launched into space to build it would be rife.”

  McKenzie asked, “I agree with you on that point, Madam President. So how do you intend to deal with this?”

  Jameson spoke, “I believe that it would be prudent for us to state that the construction information is to remain classified indefinitely but that it was linked directly to the WorldSeeker’s construction project. This would, in all likelihood, hold until the true identity of the spacecraft is made known to the dignitaries at the Global Unification Summit.

  “At the end of the summit, the world’s population will be informed of the encounter and Ultimatum. At that point, the truth about the New Horizon spacecraft can also be released into the public domain. This would authenticate our account of the encounter and serve as tangible motivation for nations to adopt and adhere to the Ultimatum. The United States could then apologise for misrepresenting the true origin of the spacecraft and justify the cover-up’s necessity under the extraordinary circumstances. This would hopefully minimise any anger and distrust resulting from us having distorted the truth.”

  “I’m with you, Madam President. What can I do to help?” asked McKenzie.

  “Zach, I need you to prepare a written statement and give the press release which will notify the world of ‘Project New Horizon’. Give high level information only and state that no questions will be fielded until further information is released at our Global Unification Summit.”

  McKenzie remarked, “Are you not slightly concerned that the rest of the world will view this announcement with extreme scepticism and question why exactly the Unites States would want to carry out such a project in secret? Other nations could well think that there are militaristic intentions and that the spacecraft presents a threat to them?”

  Jameson responded, “Make sure you mention the peaceful nature of our space programme and that the rest of the world will benefit greatly from this promising space project, especially in light of our own planet’s deteriorating environment. This is why we are inviting them to witness it for themselves, to demonstrate the project’s transparent nature. Now we need to get moving, or we’ll lose our brief window of opportunity to execute the plan.”

  McKenzie confirmed, “I will proceed accordingly and have a statement prepared within the hour for your review and approval. I’ll make sure all the top news networks are notified.”

  “Good. Aim to give the press release within the next two hours,” said the President.

  “Absolutely, Madam President. One other thing – should we publish the images of the spacecraft on the NASA website after the press release?”

  “Zach, I would prefer not to. Let’s withhold them from the media until after the summit. Images will only complicate matters at this stage.”

  “Understood, Madam President.”

  The Vice President stood and excused himself from the Oval Office. Once he had left, Jameson stood up and paced around her desk trying to unravel her countless thoughts. It would be impossible for the world to dispute the images’ authenticity, especially if they had been directly verified by an assembly of global astronomers.

  7:00 a.m. Earth: Oval Office

  It was just after 7:00 a.m. by the time President Jameson had received and reviewed the statement from McKenzie. She made a few amendments, but other than that, it was right on the mark. She was informed that the press release had been scheduled for 8:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time and that, in spite of the short notice, it would be attended by a wide range of reporters and journalists representing various local and international news networks.

  There was another note from McKenzie stating that he had informed the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the NASA Direc
tor of the press release’s content. The NASA Director had been instructed to: support the provisional front by acknowledging the existence of Project New Horizon; facilitate the unveiling and demonstration of WorldSeeker to a host of guest astronomers; and use the opportunity to capture independently verified images of the spacecraft.

  His note also said that Henderson had been incensed by the request, but would play along provided that a full explanation followed within 10 days.

  The President turned on her television and watched the Vice President deliver the statement with unwavering conviction and pride. He stressed that this was a significant day for both science and space exploration: a day that marked the beginning of humankind’s ambitions to colonise the entire solar system. The execution was flawless and gave just enough information for the story to be wholly convincing.

  The news was broadcast around the world. President Jameson considered that over the next two and a half days, a number of the world’s most respected astronomers would be converging on NASA to witness the spacecraft for themselves. This story was sure to capture the world’s imagination and at the same time, temporarily divert their attention.

  6:00 a.m. Earth: Travel to Dubai (Saturday)

  Forty-two hours had passed since the 12 Principals had arrived back on Earth. All were on aeroplanes flying to the United Arab Emirates and would be arriving in Dubai within the next hour (4:00 p.m. Dubai time). They had been working nonstop since the encounter and all were reaching a stage of total exhaustion.

  The Principals had diligently followed their Ultimatum Plan. The listed dignitaries had received formal, government certified, electronic invitations on their personal mobile phones within three hours of the Principals’ initial videoconference. Those that had either declined or not accepted within 18 hours, had been followed up with personal calls from the Principals. The dignitary acceptance statuses were being continually updated on their IntraGlobe group and showed steady progress.