Contact across the Solar System

The Two Travelers Depart

So on the appointed day, the Aurora approached the Earth, something that provoked headlines about the return of the Schmidt-Patel Object. It hit the atmosphere over the Atlantic Ocean a few hundred kilometers east of the Delmarva Peninsula. It then sank to about 50,000 feet / 15 km and its pilots called in and requested permission to approach and hover over the peninsula's center. They accepted, and they spread the news. "The Schmidt-Patel Object is back! The SSC Ship Aurora is Coming to Visit!"

The ship reached its spot and its pilots radioed that they have done so. Some Navy warplanes took off from the Patuxent Naval Air Station and flew upstream along Chesapeake Bay. The ship's pilots radioed a greeting, and the warplanes' pilots responded. The warplanes rocked their wings back and forth, and the ship pilots then did something very startling. They made their ship change color with its active camouflage, from nearly black to gray to light blue to white to yellow to orange.

"What???", said one of the warplanes' pilots. "Did you see what I just saw???"

The others agreed, and they asked their ground controllers about that.

"We saw it also," one of them said.

Numerous people on the ground also saw these color changes, and they also took video of it.

The warplanes started circling, and the ship pilot said "Scouts coming - will be dropping from our ship." Two scouts did, and the warplanes joined them. "This is the first time I got to fly with a UFO!" said one of the warplanes' pilots. As they flew, the scouts also changed colors. They next flew past the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. They flew past a second time, and the warplanes then returned home. From the academy came some helicopters, and the scouts joined them for more flying past. Then the helicopters and the scouts headed for a nearby field where Arlene, Brad, their families, lots of other dignitaries, and an honor guard had gathered. One of the scouts and one of the helicopters landed together in that field, to great cheers from the crowd. Despite their very different propulsion systems, the two vehicles landed in the same way: slowly and vertically. The scout's doors opened, and Reznan and Kurati came out of it, both dressed in olive-green belted jumpsuits. More cheers.

Then the dignitaries made lots of annoying speeches. While they were speaking, Reznan and Kurati got Arlene and Brad to check on their luggage and bring out and test their video cameras. Fortunately, both were well-prepared for the trip. Also present were some anti-espionagers, holding up signs like "Expose the ET Spies!", and ranting at length to anyone who would listen to them about the terrible violations of planetary sovereignty that the SSC was supposedly committing. They also demanded that Arlene and Brad make learning about SSC espionage their top priority. Fortunately, the guards kept the "sovvies" at a safe distance.

Reznan and Kurati helped Arlene and Brad bring their luggage aboard the scout, and the two returned for some final festivities with Reznan and Kurati at their sides. Arlene and Brad decided to wear some plain shirts, blue jeans, and sneakers, because that was nice simple clothes for traveling. Then they went aboard, stopping at the scout's door to wave goodbye, with Kurati then closing it. Then the scout took off with the helicopter, it joined the other scout, and the two scouts headed off for the Aurora and went inside. After notifying the air traffic controllers, the ship departed for outer space.

Numerous journalists and curious people caught video of the event, and some airline pilots diverted their airplanes to fly close to the ship. It became *very* big news, with many people making cookbook jokes about it, complete with recipe names like "Arlene Almondaise" and "Brad Bouillon". It was also evident that the scouts had no visible means of propulsion, just like the ship.

On board the scout, Kurati asked Arlene and Brad to get video of the scout's interior on their cameras, saying that it was OK to photograph just about everything. "If there are any parts that we want to keep secret, we'll let you know."