Director’s Office
U.S.E.E.T.A.
2 March 2020
Though it had only been a few days, Ae-yok looked like he had aged many years since Burbank last saw him; the once familiar light that filled his friend’s eyes had faded, leaving a gloomy emptiness in his face. Lines ran deep, like canyons, across his face, his hair wasn’t as neatly combed as it was the last time they met, even his clothes looked crumpled as if he slept in them; but Burbank knew that he didn’t get much, if any, sleep in the past days. Truth be told, he hardly got any sleep himself since he left the White House after that first night.
As per standard operating procedure after a terror attack, the guards for all government building were doubled and if Richard turned around to face out the window he was sure he could see a number of Embassy Marines standing around at what were supposedly strategic locations. He was told that when Ae-yok’s car first pulled up the guards wouldn’t let him in until Richard’s aid, Christopher, called down to the checkpoint and vetted him and his driver. Though he didn’t approve of them harassing the Druidth emissary, Burbank understood the need for being extra vigilant.
Holding up a heavily censored document that his boss from the Department of the Interior had sent over, supposedly it came from the CIA but he was skeptical that Lovett would let anyone know what time it was much less share information, with instructions to share the limited information with the Druidth. So much had been cut out of the document that it looked like a sieve and he could easily see the other man sitting across from him through it.
“This is a report from one of our intelligence agencies,” He started after Ae-yok set down the offered cup of coffee, something he found delectable without any cream or sugar which Richard simply couldn’t drink. “It says that the terrorists that attacked your colonies used Druidth communication equipment.”
Dead eyes sparking up like someone throwing gasoline on a dying fire, Ae-yok took the paper and read it quickly. Burbank sat back and watched him quietly until he put the cut-up paper on the desk. “This… This is something we can use,” He said in his lightly accented English.
“How so?” Richard inquired, if it was indeed something they Druidth could use then it was something the Human intelligence agencies could use and, thus, worth reporting.
“Well, all our communicators bounce signals off of our capital ship. Much like how your cell phones use satellites, but since we don’t yet have any satellites of our own in orbit we just use the ships arrays. All signals that come in are recorded onto the ships hard drive for obvious security reasons.” Ae-yok explained calmly.
“Fascinating,” Burbank breathed. “But doesn’t that raise privacy issues with your people?”
The purple-eyed man across from his shook his head slowly, even though he hid it as well as he could, Ae-yok was very saddened. “No, we all understand that the monarchy only has our best interests at heart and will do what it must do to keep us safe. Without citizens to feed it, clean it, and make goods for it the Kingdom will fall apart. It’s common sense.”
Richard laughed softly at the irony. “Funny, if our government used surveillance to stop a massacre of humans the people would be more upset that they were monitored than about the potential loss of lives.”
“Then perhaps Earth would do better united under the flag of the Druidth King My-Kal,” Ae-yok implied. At first, Richard thought he was threatening invasion but then saw the thin smile spread across his friend’s lips.
“If you can smile, even in times like these, all is not lost.”
Ae-yok smiled again, this time it barely reached the corners of his eyes, his face working just like any other humans face except for the skin tone and eye color. “This is true. We have a saying on Vasghyrr: ‘Though you face a storm, for you still have memories of better days past’.”
Burbank nodded. “Poetic, I like it.”
Ae-yok smiled again and stood to leave. “Thank you for your kind words and information. I will see to it that the powers that be launch an investigation immediately.”
“I trust that you’ll keep me in the loop?”
“Of course my friend. You will be the first to know,” And with that the alien man bowed gracefully and left, leaving Richard Burbank alone in his office.
He stood and walked over to the coffee pot and poured himself another cup, adding plenty of cream and sugar to mellow the taste. As he stood by the window sipping the warm brew he caught his thoughts leaning back towards the Colonial Massacre and what Ae-yok had said about bringing Earth under Druidth rule.
“No,” He shook his head slowly and continued to gaze out upon Capitol Hill off in the distance. If they did attack, he was assured by Secretary of Defense Wheeler, that they would be blown out of the sky in a matter of minutes by the large numbers of nuclear missiles aimed skyward; no matter how technologically advanced they might be, no matter how powerful their armies might have been, nothing could stand up to the destructive power of the atoms being split.
And even if any troops did manage to enter the atmosphere, he remembered Wheeler explaining to him after a meeting long ago, then the Air Force would shoot down any landing ships with ease and any that are missed surely wouldn’t dare to land within the United States where the bulk of American ground combat forces lie.
No, any attack on Earth by the Druidth would be utter suicide, doubly so since all their reinforcements need to come from so far off. If the reports the Druidth navigation officers gave were to be believed, then fresh troops would arrive months after the last forces would be finished off.
Richard nodded in satisfaction at coming to such a strong conclusion, positive that the Druidth King would have come to the same conclusion. He sat in his chair, now chilled from his time out of it and started to write up his report to be sent to the Department of Interior, and then certainly to be forwarded on to the White House and various intelligence agencies. He made sure to include the Emissary had said about the flag ship still in orbit being used as a make-shift satellite for Earth based communications; certainly someone who was paid a paltry salary yet given access to some very sensitive information could make use of it. He was also sure to leave out the part where is friend mentioned that Earth would be better off ruled under their King. Though he wasn’t the smartest man, just ask any of his high school teachers, Richard knew when to omit certain details that would seem…damaging.
After sending the email he checked his inbox and read a message from his boss, Claire Laughlin, which was forwarded to her from NORAD and the Department of Defense. Apparently about a dozen new Druidth colony ships arrived in orbit just a few short hours ago and were making preparations to begin landing on the surface. They must have passed the security checks that NORAD carried out with every ship that got within five miles of the Earth.
He read the email again and marveled at how ingenious the alien ship builders were when they were designing the colony ships. While a ship was at sail, a term used for lack of a better one for a ship that was moving, it had all the necessities to facilitate the colonists in cryo-stasis and to deliver them safely. However as soon as they were empty of colonists the ships would land on the surface and be dismantled for scrap and buildings would be made from them.
A green check mark popped up by the subject line of the email after he hit send to notify him that it went through okay and he closed down the secured web browser, then made to shut down the aging computer on his desk. He sighed, despite the importance of his position even he didn’t get the newest computers, a cross-breed between Druidth and the best of Human technology. Those were so much better than even the best of what was around just a few years ago, or even what was being churned out with just Human tech.
The oscillating two-tone sound of his desk phone brought him back to reality. He checked his desk clock, which glowed 5:35 P.M, and reached for the handset; if it rang without going through Christopher outside then it must have been one of the few people who had his direct number, which meant that it was important. Though it didn’t matter much anyway since he usually left around eight and thus had plenty of time to work.
“Burbank here,” He said as he lifted the receiver to his ear. “Oh, hey Claire.”