Are You Using This?

           Archie took a swig of his coffee and spit it out.

           “What the Hell…” he said out loud at the monitor.

           Everyone in the control room looked up as he put his feed on the big screen. There was a stunned silence from most. Others muttered some kind of “What the…” like Archie.

           They watched as this silver, triangular object grew larger on the Juno probe’s camera. Juno had been orbiting Jupiter for a few years. Nothing like this had ever happened.

           Julie broke the silence. “Is that a ship?”

           Sharon helped Archie check the feeds. Everything was in proper working order.

           The team started chattering amongst themselves. Shock turned to joy and excitement as it became more apparent, they were seeing a spacecraft made by intelligent beings. It reflected a silver colour. They saw three sides, each a triangle shape, a three-sided pyramid. There were no windows that anyone could see. Something definitely propelled it because it was heading directly toward the Juno, perpendicular to the probe’s orbit.

           Then there was a flash and nothing more. Only static on the screen. A hush fell over the room again. Sharon and Archie checked all the feeds. Everything was in working order.

           Archie picked up the phone.

           “Betty, get me the Chief. We are not alone.”

           Karen took a swig of her coffee and spit it out. The room was silent as everyone turned their attention to the big screen.

           Karen checked the feeds.

           Someone said, “Good God…”, and everyone else started muttering, then voiced their surprise.

           The feed from the Mars Rover Curiosity was following a silver, triangular vehicle land on the Martian surface. Odd shapes and scribblings were on one side.

           Dust kicked up around the craft as it landed, obscuring the view. Someone cursed. Others tried switching to secondary imaging equipment. Someone else tried to contact the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter people to see where it was.

           As the dust blew away, a hush fell over the room again. Everyone saw some kind of hover vehicle emerge, kicking up the dust again as it approached Curiosity. It stopped near the rover. There was a flash, then static. The signal was gone.

           Karen picked up the phone.

           “Betty, get me the Chief. We are not alone.”

The news anchor heard the music come up as he sorted and arranged papers, waiting for his cue.

A countdown from his floor director, and there he was.

“This WNN, The World News, The World at Your Demand, and I’m David Davis.”

The image on the screen changed to an older, white man standing at a podium with the Seal of The President of the United States of America. Davis took a quick look at his papers while the video clip played.

“Yes, we are not alone.”

The image retreated to a corner of the screen, and Davis was given the cue.

“These five words have stunned citizens from every walk of life. Synchronously, leaders of nations around the world made the statement.

“We are not alone.

“An amazing statement that there is other intelligent life in this universe. And, despite initial concerns, they have come in peace.”

           The United Nations General Assembly rose as the Xl’xli’xan ambassador floated to the podium. Their many arms shone in the lights, changing colours and transparency. Their large, brain-like head did the same thing until they settled on a translucent red. Tiny receptors surrounding the head moved in an ethereal wave as the ambassador took the podium. A small box seemed to appear before them as they spoke.

           “Beings of Earth,” they said to each person who heard it in their own native language. “We come in peace, friendship, and curiosity.”

           A cheer and a roar went up as the Assembly applauded.

           The members of the UN Security Council sat in puzzled silence and shock, waiting for some kind of suggestion that the translation had failed. They then stood up and yelled. The Xl’xli’xan ambassador just floated with his black box, wiggling his arms and receptors. His brain-head was a translucent green.

           “As stated, hu-mans,” the ambassador explained as if to children, “we insist you stop your unauthorized explorations of the planets you call Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, and their moons. You must also stop any unauthorized attempts at the asteroid belt and Oort cloud, including passage through. Each is under the protection of the Xl’xli’xan Assembly as per the Interstellar Trade and Commerce Agreements, specifically section 8.3 and section 20.1 through 20.5.”

           “Interstellar what’s?” The U.S. representative barked. “Are you out of your space-alien-jellyfish mind?”

           The Russian representative echoed the sentiment. “You are insane to come here and dictate to us what can be done with our solar system!”

           The ambassador wriggled. “We have clearly explained and shown you the relevant parts of ITCA. It is an inviolable law. The properties here are undeveloped and may be claimed by any member of ITCA and the Galactic Federation Council. You are neither and have no claim.”

           “We never heard of this until 20 minutes ago!” The Chinese representative said.

           “Ignorance is no excuse,” the ambassador replied.

           “This is impossible,” the French representative commented. “This is our solar system. You have no right to dictate to us what we can do with it.”

           “Again, beings, ITCA clearly states the terms and conditions. None of us can do anything about it.”

           “Surely there must be a dispute mechanism in place where our argument can be heard?” The British representative insisted.

           “There is, but you hu-mans are not eligible to bring forward a complaint or speak before the tribunal.”

           “Why is that?”

           “Because you are not a signee of ITCA.”

           “And how do we sign?”

           “First, because you yourselves are an underdeveloped world, your name must be put forward by your parent sponsor once the conditions outlined in ITCA are reached.”

           “And who would be our parent sponsor?”

           “The Xl’xli’xan Assembly.”

           “We will fight you with everything we have,” the U.S. representative stated.

           “Not likely. We have already neutralized your nuclear weapons and stockpiles as we spoke. With one orbital charge from an Exostatic Generator, your technologies will be destroyed, and you will be sent back to living in your Stone Age. But no one wants this, do we?

           “Now, what we would like to talk to you about is this planet you call Earth…”