Alien Storm

by Don Viecelli

  They came to an area where the trees where all broken and blackened from fire damage. The sun was able to shine through the trees and Dave saw a large tubular piece of ragged metal that was crumpled on one end and open on the other end. It was the size of a small truck trailer twisted into a heap of blackened metal on the ground. Two other persons were working near the object unrolling a large piece of foil.

  “We better stop here, Colonel,” Lieutenant O’Rorke said. “You can’t get any closer without special protective suits. I have two team members preparing to cover this piece of wreckage with a lead shield lining. They have to be careful it doesn’t get torn by the wreckage.”

  “It looks pretty big, Lieutenant. We didn’t find any pieces this large at our site.”

  “It is big, Colonel Hampton, but it isn’t as heavy as we thought at first. The material is much lighter than conventional engines we use in our planes. We were able to lift each end pretty easy to get the cables under it for transport. The helicopters will be able to haul them out of here without any trouble, sir.”

  “How many pieces like this did you find, Lieutenant?”

  “Two, sir. The other one is about one hundred yards further inland. They are the same size, but the first one broke in two pieces when it hit the ground. We found several smaller pieces scattered around the site, but nothing we can’t pick up ourselves and put into a container. We were waiting for your orders before doing anything more.”

  “Thank you, Lieutenant. If you have all the pieces marked and photographed, then the only thing left is to get the biohazard team in here to take samples for analysis. I can probably send in someone this afternoon. Start with the big pieces, so we can begin moving them tomorrow. I want to clear the wreckage in both sites by the end of the week. We need to transport all the debris to Milwaukee Air Force Base to complete the investigation as soon as possible. Tell your people to keep everything confidential as we discussed earlier. This investigation is classified ‘Top Secret’ until further orders, Lieutenant.”

  “I understand, Colonel. Colonel Feldman also informed me of the situation. There won’t be any problems on our end, sir. Do you want to see the rest of the wreckage?”

  “Yes, I do, Lieutenant O’Rorke. Lead the way.”

  Lieutenant O’Rorke and Dave spent the next half hour walking the crash site. As the lieutenant said before, there was only one more big piece of wreckage similar to the first. There were several smaller pieces of debris found by the team and each piece was marked and photographed for later identification. It wouldn’t take long to clear this site once the biohazard team finished their work. Dave got on his radio and called Doctor Sing to see when she could send someone over to this site to collect soil samples. She said she could send someone after lunch. Dave thanked her and started to walk back to the waiting helicopter. First he had to be processed through the decontamination tent. As he walked out of the tent with his mask and gloves off, his satellite phone rang. He expected to hear from the General, but it was Colonel Feldman instead. “Colonel Hampton,” he answered.

  “Hello, Colonel. We have a small problem up here I think you better handle.”

  “What is it, Jack?” Dave asked.

  “Some TV news reporter just called and said she wants to talk to the person in charge of this investigation. I tried to send her to the Pentagon, but she refused. She said she already has a copy of the Pentagon press release and says she knows it isn’t true. She wants an interview with the person in charge of the investigation before she goes public. She wouldn’t take no for an answer, Dave. She has a crew on the way up here from Chicago.”

  “What do you think she knows, Jack?”

  “I don’t know, Dave, but she sounded like she knew something about what’s going on up here. I don’t know how.”

  Dave thought for a moment. The only way anyone would know what’s going on up here was is if they saw the crash site up close and told someone else. It has to be the persons they were looking for from the other crash site. They must have called the press. He wasn’t sure what this reporter knew, but he would have to find out and see if he could stop her. He hoped she was the only one. “When did she say she would be here?’

  “Within the hour. It sounded like she was in a helicopter.”

  “Okay, call her back and arrange for an interview in one of the rooms at the visitor center. I’ll be at the center in a few minutes. I’ll call and tell the General.” Dave ended the call and climbed into the waiting helicopter and told Major Cole to take off. General Anderson isn’t going to like this development at all, Dave thought to himself as the helicopter left the ground.

  Chapter 13

  Chicago, Illinois

  In Chicago, Kaye, Kurt and a third person named Debbie Myers, a sound and light person, got on a company news helicopter for the trip from Chicago to Houghton, Michigan around 11:00 a.m. in the morning. The weather was perfect for flying, with the wind speed blowing in from the west at ten miles per hour. The helicopter had already landed on the rooftop of the Channel Two News building to pick everyone up. The helicopter could seat four people including the pilot named Joe Polenski. Joe was an old army veteran with twenty years of experience flying helicopters for local media stations before he accepted the job at Channel Two News. Kurt got in the front with the pilot while the two women climbed into the back seat. The trip to Houghton, Michigan would take about two and a half hours flying time at a cruising speed of 160 miles per hour with a stop in Green Bay, Wisconsin to refuel. It was about 405 miles to their final destination in the UP and Joe didn’t want to take any chances. Besides, everyone would need a restroom break after an hour and a half in a helicopter and the stop would allow everyone to stretch their legs.

  Just before she left her office, Kaye had called the Pentagon to confirm what the radio station manager had told her over the phone and to get the name of the person who was leading the crash investigation. She was somewhat familiar with airplane crash investigation procedures from a previous news story she had covered last year when a commuter plane went down in a summer storm north of the city. The Pentagon had transferred her call to the PR person who offered to send her the press release, which she accepted. She had to coerce the PR person to give her the name of the chief investigator at the crash site. He finally gave her the name of the person in charge, someone named Colonel Dave Hampton, but he would not give her a number to call. She thanked him for the information and hung up. Then she called information to get the number for the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park and got the visitor center number. She decided to wait before she called the park to track down Colonel Hampton until she got closer to the site. She needed to talk to her brother first and dialed his cell phone number. Ryan’s voice message service answered and Kaye left a message to call her back immediately. Ryan still hadn’t called when Kaye had to board the helicopter. Kaye wondered why, but wasn’t too concerned about it. They were probably busy trying to get to Houghton where they planned to meet. She would try again when she got in the air.

  The first leg of the trip to Green Bay was uneventful. The liftoff from the top of their building was always exciting because they were already twenty-two stories in the air. The drop-off as the helicopter cleared the rooftop always made her stomach feel as if she were on a roller coaster. The pilot flew out towards Lake Michigan to avoid the tall buildings in Chicago and then turned north and followed the shoreline. Kaye decided to get organized for the day’s activities. She had to speak loudly to be heard over the noise of the rotors. “Do you know where we’re going, Joe?” Kaye asked the pilot.

  “They only told me to fly you people to Houghton, Michigan. I don’t know where you want to land or how long we need to be there. I can land at the local airport where the seaplanes land or we can get permission to land at one of our local radio stations. Whatever you prefer, Kaye.”

  “I’m not sure where we should land yet either, Joe. I’m waiting to get more information on our way up there. We may nee
d to land at the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. That’s where we’re shooting the story for the evening news. I’ll fill you in on why we’re going in a few minutes.”

  Kaye turned to Kurt. “Kurt, I haven’t been able to get a hold of my brother. He should have called me back by now. I’m starting to get worried.”

  “He’s probably fine, Kaye,” Kurt said. “Why don’t you call him again and see if he answers the phone?”

  Kaye tried Ryan’s phone number again and left another message. She had to decide pretty soon what to do. Maybe he would call before they got to Green Bay. If not, she would have to meet him later after she tried to get an interview with Colonel Hampton. It was time to fill in Joe and Debbie on what this trip was all about. Kaye took the next fifteen minutes to tell them about the UFO crash and what her brother and his friends had found. They were as unbelieving as Dick Hughes had been until she showed them the pictures on her notebook.

  “Do you really believe in aliens?” Debbie asked Kaye after seeing the pictures.

  “I never gave it much thought before this,” Kaye answered. “My brother tried to convince me when we were young, but I’m pretty pragmatic. I need proof. If this is for real, then we’re all going to be in for the biggest story of the century.”

  “What’s the action plan, Kaye?” Kurt wanted to know.

  “Well, if my brother doesn’t call me before we get to the UP, then we need to fly to the park’s visitor center to shoot the story. I want to get an interview with the person leading the investigation. The Pentagon says his name is Colonel Dave Hampton. I have the number to the park. I’ll call him when we land at Green Bay. We need to shoot the story and get confirmation for the evening news.”

  “What if he doesn’t give us permission, Kaye?” Kurt asked.

  “Then we’ll go with what we have on film and shoot some footage of them working at the crash site. We’ll state what’s in the Pentagon press release and tell the world it’s a cover-up for something much more significant. We’ll show the film Ryan sent me of the UFO exploding, the crash scene and the dead alien. That will put a lot of pressure on the Pentagon to open up and tell the truth. With the evidence my brother has, we ought to have enough proof to back up our story. What do you think? Will it be enough?”

  “If the Colonel denies our story, then we’ll need the evidence your brother has before we can go with it on the air, Kaye,” Kurt answered.

  “I know. I don’t know why he hasn’t called me back. Debbie, you and I need to work on my interview script.”

  As Kaye and Debbie worked, the other passengers became silent for a while until Joe said they were approaching Green Bay. They would land at a helicopter pad in a few minutes. They all decided to look out the windows at the view of the bay below as they approached the airport where they had permission to land and refuel for the final leg to Houghton.

  The landing went smoothly. Everyone got out to stretch their legs. There was a visitor building nearby with public restrooms and two of them, Kurt and Debbie, decided to use the facilities. Joe hung around to inspect the helicopter and wait for the fuel truck. Kaye decided to use the time to call her brother. Again, there was no luck. The phone rang and Ryan’s answering service took the call. Kaye decided to leave a message that she would be at the park’s visitor center for her interview and would let him know where they were staying for the night and to please call her as soon as possible.

  The refueling took less than fifteen minutes once the truck showed up. Joe took care of the expenses and checked in with the control tower to file his flight plan and get some directions. Kaye told him where she wanted to go first and Joe had to find it on his flight maps. While Joe prepared for the next leg of the trip, Kaye worked with her company’s travel agent to find a place to stay in Houghton for the night. She really didn’t know how long they were going to be in the area before they returned home, probably a day or two.

  When everyone returned to the helicopter, Joe was ready to go. They climbed back into their seats and took off. Joe said they had at least one more hour of flying time before they reached the park. Kurt started to check his camcorder equipment while Debbie finished working on the script for Kaye to use during the interview. Kaye called the Wilderness Visitor Center telephone number she found earlier to try and talk to the lead crash investigator, Colonel Hampton. She was directed to Colonel Feldman. “Hello, Colonel Feldman, my name is Kaye Weston. I’m a TV reporter for Channel Two News in Chicago. I’m doing a story on the crash in the Porcupine Mountains State Park. I need to talk to the lead crash investigator whom I was told by the Pentagon is Colonel Dave Hampton.”

  “I’m sorry, Miss Weston, but Colonel Hampton is not available for telephone calls right now. He is at the crash scene conducting the investigation. Can I help you with something?” Colonel Feldman asked.

  “No, I’m afraid I need to speak with Colonel Hampton. I would like to set up an interview with him today to discuss the crash, Colonel. When would Colonel Hampton be available for a meeting?”

  “I’m afraid that will not be possible, Miss Weston. This is a Top Secret military investigation and interviews with the press are not allowed. I can send you to the Pentagon PR department or send you a copy of the press release on the crash if you wish. Everything on this investigation is clearly stated in the press release.”

  “I’m sorry, Colonel Feldman, but I know for a fact that the Pentagon press release statements are untrue. I can’t go into the details over the phone, Colonel, but I’ll be happy to show you what I know in person and give you a chance to confirm or deny it before I go on the air and tell the true story on the six o’clock news.”

  That got Colonel Feldman’s attention. He stopped trying to convince her otherwise and said he would contact Colonel Hampton, advise him of her request and get back to her. Then they hung up. Kaye was going to find a way to see Colonel Hampton today if she had to land the helicopter on their heads to do it.

  “What did he say, Kaye?” Kurt asked.

  “He said he would get back to me. I don’t know if he will or not. We’re going to land at the park’s visitor center one way or another. Can we do that, Joe?”

  “We need clearance from the military to get near the place right now. They have a no-fly zone in effect. I can’t get within ten miles of the park per air traffic control. When will you know?”

  “I’m waiting for the call back. Give me thirty minutes. If they don’t agree, then we have to fly to Houghton and drive back to the park.”

  While she waited for the call from Colonel Feldman, Kaye called her brother. Again, all she got was his voice message service. She was getting real worried now. She had hoped to meet her brother and his friends and see the evidence from the UFO crash site before her meeting with Colonel Hampton. She planned to shoot some footage of the young men for the newscast tonight. Now she wasn’t sure what to do. It depends on what happens with the interview, she thought.

  The three of them worked on the script with Debbie outlining what questions Kaye should ask and in what order with Kurt throwing in his comments as they continuously revised the script. Kaye practiced rehearsing the questions until she had them firmly committed to memory. She wouldn’t hesitate to improvise as the interview progressed. She had the natural ability to put the person she was interviewing at ease and get him or her to open up and answer the questions as best as they could. With Kurt on the camera, she was usually able to use what they shot without a lot of editing which saved time and effort when you’re in a hurry to meet deadlines.

  As they were finishing up the work, Kaye received her call from Colonel Feldman. “Miss Weston, this is Colonel Feldman. I talked to Colonel Hampton and he agrees to meet with you. He’ll arrive here at the Wilderness Visitor Center where we’re conducting the crash investigation. He’ll meet with you as soon as you wish.”

  “I appreciate this a lot, Colonel. Our viewers need to know the truth about what’s happening up there and I don’t want to give o
ut the wrong story. We can be there within the hour. I’m traveling by company helicopter and we need permission to land at the center. Can you clear us in?”

  “Yes, we can do that. I’ll advise our traffic control people to let you revise your air route. I must warn you, though, you’re not to fly over the crash sites and take any pictures. We have helicopters and people working there and they cannot be put at risk. This is still a Top Secret investigation and Colonel Hampton wants to impress upon you the seriousness of violating national security interests. We will not be able to comment on anything outside of the investigation for public use that is not already stated in the press release. Am I making myself clear, Miss Weston?”

  “Perfectly clear, Colonel, and I appreciate the opportunity. But I must add that the public deserves to hear the truth about what is happening up there and I have access to information that contradicts your story. I promise to give you an opportunity to comment if you wish to do so. I would like to schedule the interview for two-o’clock if that is okay with you.”

  “Two-o’clock would be fine, Miss Weston. See you then. Have a safe trip.” Colonel Feldman hung up the phone.

  Kaye gave a thumbs-up to the crew in the helicopter and they grinned back with excitement. Things were finally starting to fall into place. Within minutes Joe received word from the air traffic controller that he had been cleared to land at the park. He entered the new coordinates for their destination and checked his travel time. He announced they would be at the park in thirty or forty minutes.

  The passengers looked outside the windows at the ground below. They were still flying over Wisconsin. They could see farmhouses and farmland scattered below in well-defined plots. As Kaye looked out the window, she was amazed at all the space between houses and the lack of traffic. It was hard to imagine life in the country after living in or near a big city like Chicago her whole life.

  Soon the land below turned more rugged. The farmland gave way to rolling hills, covered forests with many lakes and rivers. They flew across the Wisconsin border into the Upper Peninsula just south of Iron River. Joe had been following Highway 141 since leaving Green Bay. Now he was looking for Highway M-28 that would lead to M-64 and straight to the park. They were making good time. The sun was high overhead and they all wore sunglasses to break the glare coming through the windows.