The Alien Mandate

The Alien Mandate

  President Trenton Walters woke to the insistent shoulder shaking of a Secret Service agent. He struggled to focus his eyes but knew immediately the gravity of the red light flashing over his bed.

  “Sir, we must go. There’s been a national security breach and the Chiefs of Staff are already gathering in the command bunker.”

  The President dressed rapidly, peppering the agent with questions. Frustrated at his lack of information he stormed towards the emergency elevator. In moments the two men got off at sub-level seven, with the President leading the way. Two heavily armed soldiers opened the door, and the President took his seat at the head of a long table.

  “Gentlemen, what in ham hock heaven is so dog gone important that I get dragged out of bed in the middle of the night?” The President’s voice was as smooth as butter on hotcakes but everyone in the room felt the steel edge beneath. “General Malaise, what have we got here?

  “Sir, we have a confirmed sighting of alien life forms.”

  “Confirmed? Where?”

  “Well, Niagara Falls sir.”

  “Niagara Falls? What do you think Admiral Neila? ET’s on honeymoon?” He laughed at his own joke, and the Admiral broke a knowing smile.

  “Well sir, there is holographic footage of the…ah…incursion.”

  “Holo eh? Well, let’s see it then.”

  All eyes turned to the center of the conference table, where the holo footage began to play. The scene appeared in vivid, miniature 3D detail. Seen was the outside of the electrical generator powered by the falls. Suddenly a string of five “beings” descended to the scene on what appeared to be an invisible stairway. The men and women at the table leaned forward to scrutinize the scene. All the creatures swung their heads warily as if they knew they were vulnerable. Humanoid in appearance, leathery hairless hides, and eyes that glowed an iridescent green. As they reached the heavy steel door each seemed to walk effortlessly through it. The holo disappeared, and all eyes turned to the President.

  He lowered his gaze and put a thoughtful finger to his lips, as if to quietly demand silence. He squeezed his eyes shut, finally breaking the spell with a grunt.

  “Everyone in this room,” spoke the President as his eyes scanned each of those seated around the table, “knows that President Obama signed the “Observation Not Interaction” mandate in the secret 2019 session of the United Nations. This policy has served the world well for the last twenty-five years. The alien presence has been known for decades and yet not once have the aliens violated this agreement! I would suggest that instead of worrying about protecting a waterfall, you worry about world peace instead.”

  General Malaise interrupted, “But sir, you do understand that Niagara Falls generates over 5 billion kilowatts of energy a year to the east coast?”

President Walters, ignoring the General’s facts, turned to the man seated at his left. “Major Malady, have you had any activity on the national security net?”

  “Well, no sir, but that doesn’t mean that incursions didn’t come from inside the net. We must take this threat seriously! If we go Code Yellow, then it might…”

  “No sir! That won’t do at all. Don’t you think if we had an alien presence inside the security net, then they would be the first to know if the alarm was sounded?” the President barked at the Major.

  “Admiral Neila, as the head of Space Force I’d like to hear your opinion on this matter.”

  “Absolutely Mr. President. As everyone here knows, the Space Force has maintained the security of this country against incursion from above. The aliens have never shown us aggressive tendencies, and I dare say they won’t start now. They must realize that with SpaceNet successful invasion-oriented maneuvers are less than likely to succeed. Far less than likely.” He looked directly at the President. “Holo recording and playback is still in its infancy and vulnerable to manipulation. I suggest that what we have here is a deep fake reproduction of an alien incursion. The motive is to obviously disrupt the delicate balance we have worked so hard to maintain. I do not feel that this is a credible threat.”

  Raised voices shouted out their objections, but the Admiral sat motionless, unmoving in his opinion. Suddenly the red light in the ceiling began a silent on-off cadence, and a soothing digitized voice announced “Converting to auxiliary power. Disruption in the power grid.”

  “What do you think about credible threats now Admiral?” General Malaise shouted.

  During the confusion the President pressed the button hidden discreetly beneath the table. The reinforced steel door swung open, and the two guards entered the room, standing just inside the room, weapons across their chest. The President was already striding to the open door as he beckoned Admiral Neila to follow. He turned to the men in the room before the door closed behind him. “A moments private consultation with Admiral Neila and we will return.”

  Turning to the two armed men that were standing at the ready outside of the door, the President of the United States of America gave an order. “No one leaves this room without my direct orders. No one! Understood?”

  “Yes sir! They perfectly synched their robotic reply.

  The President was silent until the doors of the elevator slid smoothly shut.

  “What in the hell happened out there!” he growled.

  The Admiral of the Space Force hung his head. “I’m sorry sir, someone neglected to activate their Holo blocker. I assure you it won’t happen again.”

  “Do you understand Admiral, that this invasion is D-Day to the tenth power?”

  “Yes. Um. Yes, sir I do.”

   “A moment, I remind you, that has been thousands of years in the making. Planning, waiting, choosing the exact right moment. And finally, that moment is here. The last thing I need,” the President said as he turned and stared at the Admiral, his eyes flashing a distinctive iridescent green, the threat unveiled, “is to have to find a new leader of the Space Force!”

The End