UFO: The Possessed

Scene 10 - Less than 24 hours

The Harlington-Straker building and its signpost. Nighttime at SHADO HQ. Quiet, relaxed, and cool. Few of the personnel remain. Ayshea remains at her desk, operating her keyboard. Straker meanwhile writes some documents at his desk, his eyes tired and sore. He rubs them before taking a breath of air. He clicks on his monitor and calls out.

Straker:

Lieutenant, will you get me Moonbase please?

Ayshea:

Yes sir.

Moments later, Lieutenant Barry appears on the screen.

Barry:

Commander Straker?

Straker:

Oh, hi Nina. I want you to keep Moonbase on yellow alert until the conference has finished tomorrow. Just in case of another Ufoe incident.

Barry:

Right sir. Good night.

Straker:

Good night.

Straker looks at his watch, now 7PM. He then takes a stroll around his office and looks to the calendar, marking September 1984 with Sunday 16th he has written "Conference" on. After another sigh, he slowly returns to his desk and the document he writes. Foster enters.

Foster:

Hi Ed.

Straker:

Well Foster? Just finishing up on some film executive business here. Must maintain our cover. I haven't really had the chance to get around to it much with this Conference. Anyway, big day ahead of us tomorrow. The future of UFOs will be decided by the United Nations of the world.

Foster:

What would you do if you could yourself decide sir?

Straker:

A good question. Build more moonbases. Convince the world of the need for more money. Another venture to explore the alien's homeworld, this time by sending an astronaut up. But of course, roadblocks. UN. International Astrophysical Commission.

Foster:

Henderson?

Straker:

Henderson.

He gets up and heads to SHADO's control room to Ayshea.

Foster:

Pretty quiet out here.

Straker:

Yes. Well Foster, I think the time has come to begin sending our mobiles in. You and Colonel Lake will be in charge of security at Glen Carrick. Get the mobiles out there. And send our guards to be standing by at the airports to escort them to the castle. And Gaitskell will be needing special treatments.

Foster:

Tests and everything.

Straker:

Right.

Foster:

I'll see to it.

Foster then leaves. Straker then returns back to his office, with his coloured portable phones bleeping. He picks the orange one up.

Straker:

Ms. Ealand?... Right. Put him on.

The image of Henderson flashes onto his monitor, as Ed begins to smoke.

Henderson:

Straker! Everything ready for tomorrow?

Straker:

Yes, less than twenty-four hours now. And almost everything is prepared. Colonels Foster and Lake have been put in charge of security at Glen Carrick, and are mobilizing their forces this very minute to stand ready for tomorrow by two o clock. As the delegates will be arriving at one to convene at two, that gives them... just under eighteen hours to prepare.

Henderson:

Good. And Jackson's report on the alien body so far?

Straker:

Still at it. He's so far not even come close to any form of conclusion.

Henderson:

When does he reckon he will fully understand this infection?

Straker:

Who knows. But I very much doubt it will be anytime within the next eighteen hours.

Henderson:

That's too long Straker. For we have no idea what we are dealing with it could easily have its serious consequences tomorrow afternoon.

Straker:

And I'm sure you can deduce a better explanation, Henderson. Dr. Jackson has been working many hours under considerable pressure on a subject in which the answers will take if perhaps several weeks for us to finally comprehend. I'll see you at one. Good night Henderson.

Henderson:

Now listen here Stra-

He angrily grunts as Ed switches off the video link. He remains alone in his office once more.