The Manhattan Incident

by Raymond Poincelot

  We really don’t know the outcome of these political games of showmanship between Congress, the NRA, and President Tomlinson, as the chaos and disaster that followed left very little recorded knowledge of events just before and just after THE INCIDENT. Most of the individuals in power didn’t survive, so their take on events is unavailable. We do know that there were some riots in the United States and around the world. The imposition of martial law tended to limit riots in the United States. There were some armed clashes in the United States between citizens, police and National Guard troops around some gun stores as people tried to arm themselves. Most of the riots took place in the big overcrowded cities in the more run down areas. Several cities in the United States went up in flames, but many-fold more burned in the Third World countries. The death toll, arson, destruction, and looting was significant, but reliable numbers are unavailable.

  The possible threat from the extraterrestrial space craft pushed up the launching of the powerful new series of radar satellites, dubbed the Space Eye, to replace the aging Lacrosse-class radar imaging satellites. The origin of the Space Eye traces back to January 2017, when the Secretary of Defense and the Director of Central Intelligence together, signed a letter of appointment. The letter’s intent was to appoint a new program, the Space Radar Integrated Program, which was meant to be the single future space radar program for the nation. The first satellites were expected to be launched by the end of 2020, but given the crisis, the first ones, Space Eye 1, 2 and 3 were launched immediately. One major change was made. These satellites were designed to monitor the earth’s terrain as would be expected from a reconnaissance satellite. In this case, the radar monitoring was reversed to monitor space at orbital levels above Earth. Data was immediately routed to the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, the NGIA. The agency was a sprawling major complex near Fort Belvoir, Virginia. These satellites locked on the approaching space crafts and monitored their incoming approach to Earth. The space craft stopped in near Earth orbit, which was noted by the NGIA as Alien Arrival Day, February 16th, 2020. Based on the radar images, there were 100 saucer-like space crafts.

  CNN was the first to report Alien Arrival Day, February 16th, 2016. The news had been released by the NGIA to the news media. There was no valid reason to conceal the news, as so many amateur and professional telescopes were monitoring the situation that it was improbable that no one would spot them. John Cabrot was surfing the net out of boredom at his Vermont cabin and saw the Breaking News flashing banner. Saucer-like crafts had been detected in orbit over various parts of the United States, China, Russia, Brazil, and so on. The first telescopic photos were shown around the world. They looked very much like large, flying saucers of the type mentioned in the Bible, Ezekiel 1:4-28, to Roswell, to current times. It was no longer possible to deny the credibility of UFO sightings. Close detail showed the disks to be quarter scored by a significant ridge. The purpose of the sectioning was not clear. No one could offer a plausible explanation.

  What they saw was déjà vu to some. Were they one and the same, the current and past UFOs observed all these centuries, John wondered. So did many others. Had they been observing us and gathering data all those years? The speculation that they were monitoring us and gathering data increased with each day the space craft remained in orbit. The saucers just stayed in orbit and did not acknowledge any signals beamed at them in various languages, mathematical symbols and equations, or computer languages. There was just dead silence; they were paying us no heed. Some attempts were made to reduce our internal communications and encrypt as much as possible. The wisest among us worried about their interception of our abilities, our knowledge, and our strategic locations. They were right to worry.

  PRESENT DAY. At this narrated juncture, Laurent thought to himself. We know the answer now about surveillance of our planet, but it doesn’t help us now.

  VIDEO: THE INCIDENT. Suddenly on February 23rd, 2020, everything changed. A radar screen with many blip-like images is visible. Military officers make frantic calls. The scene morphed from the United States, to Russia, to China, to England, to France, to Brazil, and so on. The images had seemed to split apart and suddenly there were 400 wedge shaped space craft. They looked like pie wedges. Apparently the quarter-score ridges were joining areas and each section was capable of independent activity.

  Additional fighter jets were scrambled all around the world. The objects currently were beyond the extreme operating range for any fighter jet. However, all the generals felt it prudent to have a respectable air deterrent in place as near as possible. It was hoped that the show of force would serve to indicate our people were not to be trifled with. We were not pushovers and were prepared to fight, if hostility was even being considered. The saucer offshoots, now dubbed “Wedgies” because of the quarter wedge appearance, seemed to go in multiple directions. John Munger didn’t think much of the name as he tracked them at NORAD with tracking radar from the older Lacrosse-class radar imaging satellites. These older spy satellites still pointing down on Earth confirmed likely paths of various groups of Wedgies. Fortunately, these older satellites still functioned, as it took several hours to reposition the Space Eye radar to look downward. The computer-predicted destinations as determined by the NGIA and NORAD were the United States, the Peoples Republic of China, Russia, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, India, Brazil, Japan and Turkey. The bulk of the crafts went to the top three military powers, the United States, the Peoples Republic of China, and Russia. The speeds of the craft were determined to be Mach 2. Given that the targets were the top 10 global military powers, the outlook among the various militaries became pessimistic in a hurry. Some politicians instead saw it a visit and first contact to the most important countries on the globe.

  Reports sent to ground controllers in the militaries presumed to be destination points around the world were met with skepticism. But pilot after pilot confirmed sightings of the crafts. Response varied from country to country, as there was no time to communicate with counterparts on what the appropriate strategy was. The Chinese Air Force General in command, Yao Liang, decided to not wait to see what the intent was. The General ordered all fighter jets to fire everything they had upon their first opportunity. The first planes to make contact were a squadron of Chengdu-J-20s. The pilots dutifully obeyed, although outnumbered seven to one. One plane failed to fire. His weapons sighting target control in his helmet malfunctioned, so he didn’t fire for fear of hitting his fellow pilots.” Pilot Lee Hong suddenly reported in a panic to ground control. “Pulses of light from the object have intercepted and incinerated all missiles and apparently cannon fire. The objects are unfazed.” “No, no, no” followed in an anguished voice. “Light pulses again, all fighters vaporized instantly. I am alone,” he wailed. General Yao Liang ordered him to return to base immediately. He did, as his plane was spared by the alien crafts.

  The Chinese episode was communicated rapidly around the globe, so cautious restraint became the byword. Since one Chinese aircraft that did not fire was spared, it seemed that the aliens were not hostile. Shortly afterward, the Wedgies, as they were now called, suddenly reversed their courses and went back up into lower earth orbits over the 10 respective countries that appeared to be their destinations. They did not rejoin though. Soon after President Tomlinson took refuge in the Mount Weather facility, built into the granite of the mountain and protected by a five foot thick blast door. Vice President Luanne Chung was dispatched to an unknown bunker. Leaders in other countries took similar precautions. The Chinese sent their leaders to an underground facility in the Himalayan Mountains. The Russians sent theirs to an underground facility in Siberia. Shadow governments in the United States were already set up at these locations per Executive Order of President George Bush after the 9/11 event.”

  PRESENT DAY. Probably the only good, sensible thing President Bush ever did, thought Laurent.

  VIDEO: THE INCIDENT. The United States government, through its embassy in Beijing, made a formal
request for the videotape from the surviving Chinese Chengdu-J-20. The digital video was received at the embassy and then sent via the internet to NORAD. There several specialists studied the tape carefully. Their report was turned over to General Straub. The countries on Earth took a watch and wait attitude, given that no further firing came in the China incident and the pilot who didn’t fire was spared. U.S. fighter jets were ordered to monitor. Given the Wedgies seemed to do nothing for two weeks except remain stationary in lower orbits over at their arrival points, shifts of F-15 Eagles, F-16 Falcons, F-18 Hornets, F-22 Raptors, and F-35 Lightning IIs were there constantly. Chengdu-J-20s circled in China. Russia's Sukhoi PAK FA T-150s patrolled in Russia and India. Various other fighter jets patrolled the skies in other countries. Radar and laser probes were beamed at the Wedgies, but no useful information was gleaned. Stealth high altitude planes also monitored from a distance. Similar plans took place world-wide. All of this was shown with fantastic graphics in the video.

  PRESENT DAY. Not that it mattered, thought Laurent. They could have sent Piper Cubs. Same result.

  VIDEO: THE INCIDENT. At the NORAD Complex at Cheyenne Mountain in Wyoming, General Straub is shown on the hot line with President Tomlinson. “The consensus of our NORAD intelligence team after viewing the Chinese video is that the Wedgies possess advanced pulsing lasers coupled with highly advanced targeting radars that are computer directed. Extremely rapid response times and 100% hits are not possible with human pilots even with our best weapons systems. While we don’t know what other types of weaponry exist on these crafts, I am worried as our current weaponry looks primitive next to what they have. We have to be very concerned, if their intentions are hostile.”

  “What does your intelligence team say about their intentions,” asked President Tomlinson? “Well, our psychologists can only speculate and assuming their psychological profile is similar to ours, we have a split opinion. They have withdrawn to reassess their contact with us. All agree on that premise. The reason why is split. Scenario one is that they are hostile and encountered stiffer resistance than expected. While they received no casualties, given a reversal of numbers on the next contact such that we outnumbered them 7 to 1, the end result might be different. Their targeting system might fail if it is overwhelmed by sheer numbers of acquired targets. Given that they have 400 crafts, it is possible for our air forces around the globe to achieve numerical superiority and take out at least some of their crafts. Our losses would likely be high, though. Team one believes that this possible outcome has given our alien arrivers pause for further thinking. They believe the withdrawal is a ploy to appear peaceful. The real purpose is to buy time to monitor our communications and to learn more about our military strengths and weaknesses. Team two believes they are friendly and only returned fire out of the need to protect themselves. Team two also believes that they are monitoring our communications to learn our languages prior to first contact. They believe the alien arrivers, while still non-communicative, are trying to develop a form of communications to us that would show their peaceful intent. To do this and show an act of peaceful intent, they have withdrawn.”

  “What do you think, General?” “I think your withdrawal to the Presidential bunker was highly prudent. My gut tells me they will come back and attack with a lightning quick strike in hopes of taking us down before we get our logistics in order. Therefore, I ask you as Commander-in-Chief to declare DEFCON 1.” “No President has ever authorized that level. President Kennedy went to DEFCON 2 in the Cuban missile crisis. God, the repercussions are mind boggling. OK, I will not authorize at this time Cocked Pistol, color white, nuclear war is inevitable. I will authorize DEFCON 2 Fast Pace color red and I hope truly it is not the next step to nuclear war. I repeat. You are to take no hostile action with nuclear weapons, unless I directly order it. If attacked, you are authorized to return hostilities short of nuclear weapons. I will advise all our allies and those less friendly countries of our intentions so that they don’t think we are using this alien invasion as a pretense to attack them. You know how paranoid the Chinese and Iranians are.” “Thank you, Mr. President.” General Straub felt the Commander-in-Chief made a bad call, but orders were orders.

  PRESENT DAY. Nice rendition of the control room at NORAD, thought Laurent. He wondered if the students appreciated it as much as he did.

  VIDEO: THE INCIDENT. The scene shifts to the war room at NORAD. Suddenly Colonel Jonesville said, “General Straub, Sir, the hostiles are tracking at Mach 2 and now are at 60,000 feet. The F-22s can keep up, but for how long is uncertain. They are being pushed to their limits. The F-15s, F-16s, and F-35s are falling behind.” General Straub groaned to himself. If only Secretary of Defense Gates hadn’t ended the F-22 production line in 2010. We could have used more than the 187 produced. Still, General Straub was grateful that the oxygen depletion problems at the maximal ceiling had been resolved years ago. The inflatable vests, cold water ejection gear, the computer algorithm, better sensors, and backup oxygen supply meant the pilots could safety fly at these extreme heights and speeds.

  Quickly, he walked over to the red phone and pressed line two. That was a direct link via underground line to President Tomlinson at Mount Weather. General Straub rapidly updated the President. Upon completion of the call stating “I understand the orders. I will deploy them now.” He turned back to the colonel and said, “Issue orders to the F-35s to disengage. Track the projected routes of the hostiles and issue orders to all standby F-22s to go airborne until they receive orders. Hopefully, some of them will be in proximity to track the hostiles on my orders,” said General Straub. He was already thinking of them as hostiles. “Next, order the tactical nuke units around all strategic military and civilian critical sites to deploy to DEFCON 2. Same for ICBM sites around the States,” barked General Straub. Lord, please grant us help, if I have to issue DEFCON 1, he mentally stated.

  Back in his Vermont cabin, John Cabrot is reading his computer screen. The camera zooms in on the New York Times latest news in Alexi’s blog. Alexi the NYT reporter had created a blog about his captivity by the NSA, because he stumbled onto the discovery of alien vessels our between the Moon and Mars. His blog simmered with suppressed rage about the government’s attempt to cover up the news about the aliens’ arrival. Alexi continually updated his blog and had last reported on the Chinese incident with its loss of fighter jets. He was pessimistic about our ability to successfully destroy the Wedgies should they return with hostile intent.

  PRESENT DAY. I remember that time in Vermont well, thought Laurent.

  VIDEO: THE INCIDENT. The scene showed John reading as he muttered, “Shit! Unbelievable.” John knew Alexi was an NYT reporter that was highly respected. Might be something seriously worrisome about these alien Wedgie craft, he thought. The scene then showed John searching the internet for other information. It wasn’t long before he found other blogs with religious overtones. The scariest ones were where men of the cloth pontificated that the aliens were not extraterrestrials, but were angels sent by God. Beware the Day of Judgment that was coming soon seemed to be a common theme for these religious blogs. What a load of crap, though John. Just then, John received a tweet. Looking down at his smart phone, he read “Supreme Court rules closure of gun stores unconstitutional, vote 5 to 4. Orders stores reopened. NRA triumphant.” Wow, thought John noting the tweet was from Alexi. This guy is on top of things.

  Next the scene flashed back to NORAD headquarters. The Aide to General Straub approached him and saluted. “At ease, Sergeant O’Malley, what is Tech Sergeant Munger’s report on the hostiles’ trajectories,” said the General. “Sir, the latest trajectory projections show them on high probability courses to major population centers, Mount Weather, and major military installations,” intoned Sean O’Malley. “Orders, Sir?” Having already conferred with the President for just such an outcome, General Straub replied. “Put all military bases on highest alert and authorize them to use whatever force they deem necessary to protect t
he bases, if attacked. Tactical nukes are not to be used, unless I get specific approval from President Tomlinson. Tell them to disperse as many men and as much equipment away from their bases as possible. Issue orders for full biological and gas warfare protection and decontamination. Make sure our own base gets these orders before you send them out nationally.” General Straub erred on the side of caution, not knowing the capabilities or intent of the hostiles.

  “Sir, what about the civilian sites?” asked Sergeant O’Malley. “Alert all State National Guard commanders to await further orders. We need to know exactly where these Wedgies are going first. Tell them to be prepared to mobilize from their current martial law duties on the spur of the moment. Instruct them to issue orders for full biological and gas warfare protection and possible decontamination.”

  PRESENT DAY. Paul thought at this point, while watching in the classroom, that the part of the order for full biological and gas warfare protection was the best thing that General Straub did that day.

  VIDEO: THE INCIDENT. Similar alerts were issued throughout other countries across the globe. Some countries did nothing, their leaders having fled to what they thought were safe havens and left their military and citizens to cope on their own. A few scenes in the video of those infamous leaders were shown. The video showed one Asian leader climbing into his helicopter with bodyguards, while a second helicopter was loading the elite presidential guards. The helicopter flew off and shortly army troops were seen looting the presidential palace. Another showed an African leader surrounded by a fleet of highly armed SUVs fleeing from the capital city. Smoke and gunshots were seen and heard in the background on the video.

  By now civilian unrest was growing. The internet buzzed with talk of “Wedgies”, as the saucer quadrants were now universally called. There were even some grainy videos taken by cell phones that were circulating on You Tube. Tweets were flying through the air. The various governments tried to downplay the situation, lest panic set in. Some folks took it seriously. Video zooms in on a mother loading their huge SUV with food, children, and dog. The father is shown driving up in the second family car. He is flush with cash, having cleaned out most of the bank account. He is shown walking into the house and going to the closet. He reaches up and pulls down a 9 mm Smith and Wesson and grabs the nearby box of ammo. He also reaches behind the clothes and pulls out a shotgun and grabs more ammo for it. They are then seen driving away, presumably heading for some vacation house in the less populated boondocks. Numerous other families did the same, many of them as a result of discrete phone calls from highly placed friends or family. General Straub’s son was one of them. For some of those families, it meant that they survived. Unfortunately, the majority of American families stayed put, confident in their belief that the armed forces would protect them.