Alien
Copyright© 2025 by Harry Carton
Chapter 8
April 7, Sunday. 20:00. Alister 5 reporting.
The room was silent for a moment, the leaders stunned by the sudden appearance of an extraterrestrial. C’Droit stepped forward and spoke again, his voice calm and measured. “Thank you, Your Highness. Our mission is one of peace and friendship. We come with a warning of an impending event that could affect us all.”
The Empress nodded gravely. “Please, go on.”
C’Droit was silent for a moment. “A ship from outside our galaxy is approaching Earth. Like you, we of the Confederation will be trying to communicate with that ship. The Confederation that I represent is an organization of civilized planets that operate in a sector of our galaxy that you call the Milky Way. This alien ship has traveled across inter-galactic space ... thousands of light years. That is a long, long distance and it has taken centuries to get here.
“The ‘here’ is your planet. I have been charged with coming to your Earth to try to communicate with the occupants – if any – of that ship. I want to be frank with you: the Confederation is NOT trying to enroll the Earth in our Confederation. For several reasons, we feel the Earth is not ready to join ... yet. First of all, you do not have a unified, world wide government. And you are not able to travel to the stars, yet.
“If you wish to discuss the matter of joining with the Confederation, that subject is for another time.
“The appearance of the inter-galactic ship in the Oort Cloud of this solar system has accelerated the original time for planning. Actually, it has nearly obliterated the time for planning. The ship, as you undoubtedly know, is passing through the vicinity of Jupiter. It will probably intersect with Earth sometime in the next twelve hours – or less. That means the time for planning what to do, and how to do it, has elapsed. By the time you wake up tomorrow it will be here. Most likely it will come down in the Pacific-Indian Ocean area.
“The Confederation has tried for centuries – centuries mind you – to make any sense out of the huge message it has been broadcasting since it was first detected. Our best scientists have not succeeded.
I came to earth and was foruntate to find a group of scientists who were sending broadcasts out into space. I have interrupted their lives with my mission. One of them, a young man, was able to find some meaning in that message. As of now, we have only a partial meaning.
“We now know that the ship has communicated with us, in part, in response to a musical composition we sent to it. We also know that its mission is somehow related to the seawater of your ocean. And that it is waiting for a response by persons or creatures unknown.”
The room buzzed with whispers as the gravity of the situation began to sink in. Prime Minister Sussman stepped up. “What do you propose we do, Commander?”
C’Droit held up a hand. “I am here on a mission: to establish contact with the inhabitants of the alien ship. I recognize that, to your eyes, I am an alien. It, or they, are alien to my Confederation as well. We must first establish a means of communication.”
Suzi stepped forward, her voice steady. “We’ve been working on a response to the message they’ve been sending. It’s a pattern of sounds, like a symphony, but we believe it’s their way of speaking to us.”
The room remained still as they digested this revelation. The world’s leaders immediately broke into discussions among themselves.
Admiral Harkness took the floor, his military posture at odds with the serene surroundings. “While this is fascinating, we must consider the strategic implications. What do they want from us?”
C’Droit’s gaze swept over the leaders. “We do not yet know their intentions. But what we do know is that they are coming. No, they are HERE, and you must be prepared to meet them with open minds and peaceful intentions. I am going to continue to execute my mission.”
The group looked at each other, the weight of their words hanging in the air. Suzi took a deep breath. “We need to assemble a team to go out to the Pacific-Indian Ocean and make contact when the ship arrives.”
The leaders began to murmur among themselves, discussing the logistics and implications of such a monumental task.
“This area of the oceans is a region in which we have significant forces,” said President Ho of the US. “As do our friends in Australia, Japan, Indonesia, India, and South Korea. I’m sure we can mount a welcoming committee in the area.” She is the first Hawaiian President of the US and has a close relationship with the TPTO – the Trans Pacific Treaty Organization.
Prime Minister Carmotie of Australia nodded. “We must act quickly and decisively. We need to coordinate our efforts with the Confederation and prepare for a peaceful first contact.”
The group of leaders exchanged glances, the gravity of the situation weighing heavily on their shoulders. The room was a cacophony of voices, each one discussing the potential risks and rewards of this unprecedented encounter.
After two hours of discussion, Chairman Sing Cha of China noticed that his supporting advisors were absent. “Is your gate keeper... “ he motioned to Jules Wilson with his back to the door, “ ... keeping out our staffs?” He directed his question to Clair Sussman of Canada.
“I have asked my Chief of Staff to keep the doors closed until you all have decided to let your respective staffs in,” Sussman answered.
The group nodded in understanding, the seriousness of the situation requiring their full attention. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation and tension as they debated the course of action.