Shoot them down!
The American President was livid. His advisers cringed away from his desk as he raged. Papers littered the floor as he tossed things left and right. “Can’t you idiots do nothing right? Those people and their pods pop up everywhere and we just let them! If they won’t give us the technology we will just take it. Shoot them down next time. I’m sure our scientists can find something worthwhile in the wreckage!”
Major General Thomas Vlákas winced at the words, shoot them down. He, unlike his predecessor, actually read the reports and the intel concerning TQB. The US arsenal didn’t have anything that could touch them. Oh, they could fight them on the ground and win if they had to. Overpowering them with sheer numbers was possible. The problem was the pods. None of the missiles would lock onto them. The General had heard of some technology in some of the skunk works that might make a difference but he didn’t have access to it.
“Mr President, none of our planes are a match for them. Look at what they did to the French aircraft. I have a copy of the original report. The pods stayed right of the wingtips of the French fighters. Anything they fired at those ships, pods, or cargo containers bounced right off.” General Vlákas grimaced. “The best we can do is try to contain them. Short of crashing into them we don’t have anything to touch them in the air.”
“They do that! We are talking about the security of our country!” The president shook his head in disgust. “Why my predecessor bowed down to these people is beyond me. I promised on the campaign trail to do something about this so called Etheric Empire and I will. What about on the ground? If they land can we arrest them?”
US Attorney General Adam Mukesh leaned forward in his chair. “Yes, Sir. We certainly can. All of these people have effectively given up their citizenship. If they were loyal Americans they would have turned the technology over to the proper authorities. Only we can use it to it’s full potential to help the world.”
“Good.That is the sort of fire I want to hear! Arrest them if they land. Or if possible, shoot them down. I need that technology… I mean to say the United States needs that technology. Good meeting. Everyone go back to work.” The ruddy faced President stood shook a few hands and strutted from the room. Secret Service agents lining the walls followed him out the door like ducklings following their mama.
The Attorney General was still seated. He wrote several things on the pad in front of him and pulled out his phone typing furiously. General Vlákas barely looked in the lawyer’s direction as he crossed the room. Tyonna Knowles, the current Chief-of-staff had also stayed in the room. She was surrounded by many of the camp followers that populated the current administration.
“Excuse me, Ms Knowles?” The General tapped the youngish looking woman on the arm. She reacted by turning in his direction. Tyonna was not known to be a trusting or even sympathetic sort of politician but he didn’t have much of a choice to go to her.
“Something more to say General? I found your previous comments to be counterproductive and against everything we stand for here.” The woman’s beady little eyes cut right into him.
“I was only telling the truth, ma’am. Our current technology isn’t enough to stop them.”
“Then find something that will! Why else do we spend so much of our, this country's, money on people like you? Fix it. What about that military base that doesn’t exist? Use one of the alien ships you have there to attack them.” The Attorney General’s entire attention was now on Thomas.
“Are you talking about Area 51? The proper name for that particular base is Groom Lake or Homeny Airport. It’s a test facility. All our spy planes and weapons tech comes from there.” Thomas had investigated Area 51 when he finally had the rank to gain access.
“Don’t give me that. Neither I or the President is an idiot! You have alien ships and bodies there. I’ve seen all the movies so I know. Why are we not using the technology?”
“Ms Knowles, there are no space ships at Area 51. Trust me when I say this. I checked the place out myself just last year. No spacecraft. What they are working on is related to TQB but only trying to match their speed and maneuverability. Weapons are useless until we can catch them.”
The Chief of staff only stared. “You are telling me an untruth General. I was an prosecuting attorney for over ten years. I know when people are lying to me.”
“I’m not lying. I did investigate Groom lake. There are no alien spacecraft there. At least there aren’t any now. There may have been something there in the 1950s. The pentagon’s records are a little sketchy about that time period. I did find a report of fighters in 1967 shooting down an unknown craft but there is no trace of it anywhere. I did find one word in our files that many of the conspiracy nuts love to use.”
“What word is that?” The Chief of Staff peered into his eyes.
“Majestic. Any search I do comes up empty. Even the file I originally found it in has disappeared. Like a ghost-in-the-machine this Majestic whatever they are doesn’t leave a clue. As I told you before. We don’t have possession of a spacecraft. Not officially.”
“I do believe you are telling me the truth. Interesting. I will do my own research then. I suggest you do as the big man asks and shoot the damn pods down! He wants results. If you can’t do it, he will find someone that can. Good-afternoon General.” The tall woman strode from the room. Like the president before her a large group of interns and hangers on trailed after her.
“Majestic.” The General said the word again. Too many unanswered questions there.
