2400 AD

At about two thirty in the morning, while the world around Denizen 1 was fast asleep, Tumelo Malatsi logged a spike in radio waves emitted from their deep space satellite, DeniSat, 100 km above the Earth and approximately 2 decibels in length.

Nothing of major significance, because at the same time, a short spurt of radiation from the sun had hit the earth on the other side of the world. Tumelo understood the arrays of numerical matrii shifting across the screens. The monitors spread around the lab were live 24 hours a day. Never turned off. Graphic visuals displayed data only he and a precious few interpreted when required.

Another spike came around four forty five. Four decibels long but only for a few seconds.

And then it began.

Screens exploded into life.

DeniSat’s waves spiked right off the monitors.

Tumelo leaped up, ran around the room checking all the monitors while the alarm sounded. The sound penetrated every corner of the facility and within seconds scientists, managers, and team leaders joined him, checking and logging all the data coming in.

The analysis wasn’t what they expected.

A compromise for saying it wasn’t good.

“Attention…“ The intercom system announced. “All staff members are to report to the War Room immediately. All staff are required in the War Room immediately.”

Calls came in from all over the world. Every telephone and cell phone rang through the building.

***

A relentless siren wowed through Callum’s apartment for ten minutes. Aramis and Jenkins cried and sought refuge and comfort on Callum’s lap. He scooped up his holophone and punched in Gideon’s number.

“What the hell’s happening?”

“Something has just excited our satellite, DeniSat. It’s reporting an unbelievable spike in radio waves coming from an unknown source.”

“Where are you?”

“I’m heading towards the War Room. I’ll see you there in a few minutes. Make it snappy.”

***

In the War Room, a large screen on the far end of the room displayed images relayed through news agencies.

What they were seeing was unbelievable.

Like a swarm of millions of locusts, alien aircraft covered the entire sky like millions of pixels on a computer screen.

The sky turned grey to dark to pitch black.

Newscasts announced a red alert, meaning that a major interference had been detected in space. All public and private transportation and all air traffic ceased immediately. All public servants, Androids and the rest of humanity were to remain indoors.

Public Service Announcements interrupted normal TV viewing and radio.

England – SAT News

Britain, The USA, France, Germany, China, Australia and Mzansi have formed a war cabinet at the Hague in Amsterdam.

USA – Star News

We implore all citizens to remain at home, or stay wherever it is you are if possible, and await further instructions from the authorities.

France – Eiffel News

All governments are active. All heads of state are making plans to come together to work out a way to communicate with this alien presence.

Brad Lincoln, British Xenocon News Anchor in the USA Numerous political and religious leaders are seeking ways to communicate, with a view to making peace.

China – People’s News

No single individual speaks for Planet Earth, but perhaps the Secretary General of the United Nations would be the best single point of contact if we must select one person to negotiate.

Everyone around the table spoke in unison. The tension in the room was tangible. Gideon called for order but no one listened. All he could hear were discordant phrases.

“This is the end.”

“We must protect our families.”

“Maybe they’re peaceful.”

“This is all out war.”

“We have no chance of winning a war with an advanced alien civilization.”

“Quiet! Everyone!” Gideon banged his fist on the table and the room went silent. “If, by any chance, this invasion is hostile, our satellites, DeniSat, SimuSat and SatSA are armed and our Interstellar Team is preparing them for that scenario.”

Callum spoke. “I take it they haven’t made contact with us.”

“Maybe that’s because they don’t know who to make contact with. Maybe they’re waiting for us to contact them first,” Gideon said.

“Governments around the globe have said nothing about communicating with them,” Callum said, pointing to the newscasts. “They’re far too busy scrambling around, panicking, finding safe havens in which to hide, getting ready to launch an attack, instead of doing the most logical thing, make contact,” Callum changed his position from the middle of the room and went to stand beside Gideon and Kendall. “I say we find their frequency and at least try to communicate.”

“And what if they want to annihilate us?” A question from the floor.

Gideon answered. “Then we attack too. In the meantime, we need to find their frequency.”

A question from the floor. “But there are millions of them. All small craft. Where is their mothership?”

“We don’t know. It’s just happened. We know virtually nothing,” Gideon said, wiping his brow with the back of his hand.

Terces, a Generation 4 Bionically Advanced Automated Robot or G4BAAR, spoke over the rowdy crowd.

“All our senses indicate this is not an invasion,” Terces said.

Callum was struck by the strong features of Terces’ face, the pumped up veins of his thick neck, the overall confidence of his stance. The immaculate shimmering blue uniform. He stood at ease with his hands behind his back. At his feet, a shining, metallic, ladybug drone hovered a few inches off the floor.

Gideon shook his head. “And you’ve been wrong before Terces. Scan the UFO’s, let’s see what they’re up to. If they have weapons, then we know what to do.”

Terces’ infrared vision located hotspots within the UFOs and the images surrounded everyone in the room.

“These hotspots are weapons,” Terces said, indicating all the areas in red.

Gideon said, “If they have weapons, then the message is clear. I’m not sure if the world’s governments are going to wait for the attack, or attack first.”

Terces stared straight ahead. “In this situation, where we are faced with the unknown, it would be suicide for mankind to contemplate an attack on a superior civilization from space. The easiest and most admirable thing to do would be to capitulate. “

“You mean surrender?” Kendall asked.

“That’s not going to happen,” Callum said.

“No way in hell will mankind surrender buddy. Human will dictates that we fight for our existence. We always have,” Gideon said.

Terces crossed his arms. “The probability is high that this alien invasion is here to terraform the planet and defeat the human species. The chances of survival are low.”

“We don’t know that,” Callum said. “If they were going to attack, they would have done so by now.”

A voice came over the intercom. It sounded eager and excited. “Gideon! Gideon! I’ve found the frequency, and you won’t believe this…” Tumelo exclaimed.

“Where is it coming from?”

“From here. From earth.”

“Not possible,” Kendall said.

Gideon said. “Ask them what their intentions are.”

Tumelo went off-line for a few seconds while everyone in the room remained silent.

“No answer, Gideon.”

“Try again. Keep on trying. What are the co-ordinates of the frequency, Tumelo?”

“You won’t believe this. Check your screens.”

Gideon faced the screen that Tumelo turned on remotely from the communications lab. What he saw made his hair stand on end.

The signal was coming from a warehouse in Tshwane.

DeniSat zoomed in on the suburb, the street, and the building.

Gideon’s heart skipped a beat.

His worst fear confirmed.

Lillian. His mother.

Then everything went black.

“What’s happening, Tumelo?” Callum exclaimed.

“I don’t know, sir. I don’t understand.”

The screens returned to life.

The skies above them were clear.

“What the hell?” Kendall said.

“News just in from the Kremlin. The alien craft have disappeared. Every one of them. We also have reports of clear skies over England, the USA, China, Australia and Mzansi. We’ll update you the moment we are able to get confirmation from world leaders and Xenocon.”

Callum turned to face Gideon. “What the hell just happened?”

“I have no fucking clue. Tumelo, did you get the address of this house in Tshwane?”

“No, Commander. Everything is gone. All trace of the record. It’s as though what we saw didn’t even happen.”

“Another Xenocon simulation?” Callum asked.

“This has Xenocon written all over it,” Kendall said.

Gideon said, “We need to find that house before they unleash more damage.” He brought up a holographic screen and manipulated the images with his fingers. “Patrick, I need logistics. How many people are in there? How many points of entry are there? Callum, I want an alternate plan of approach.”

Callum and the Ukhuzi team left the room while Tumelo brought up an image of the house with three entry points. Front door, side door and back door. Heat imaging found eight signatures. Three belonged to children.

Ages unknown.

***

Callum and the Ukhuzi team gathered in the next room. Jack stood to one side, arms folded across his chest.

The ideas were fruitless at first. Every time someone came up with a suggestion, Jack grunted or shook his head. One thing was clear, the group had very little experience in simulation tactics. Besides, if they were going to launch a missile aimed at the house, why consider a Plan B? Why destroy Terces’ Androids?

“All this doesn’t matter,” Callum said. “What matters is that we must stop whatever is going on in that house. It’s target number one, and it must be stopped. We all thought it was Xenocon doing this, but it’s clear that it isn’t.”

Jack stepped into the conversation. “I don’t know about that. The target might just be a Xenocon front.”

“We don’t have information confirming or denying that, Jack,” Callum said.

Cleo rubbed the tattoo on her forehead. “The frequency signal is enough, isn’t it? If we can tap into that frequency we can block it. We won’t need to use Terces for that. No fatalities.”

Intercept and block. Callum felt a wave of goosebumps crawling up his arm.

“I say we fight. Send Terces. We observe and reveal if need be,” Jack said.

“We’re not allowed to reveal if we’re observers. Have you forgotten?” Constance said, talking directly to Jack.

“She’s right,” Callum said. “Attacking an unknown entity without a plan, and to reveal ourselves at the same time, will be suicidal. We can’t afford to do that. Besides, we don’t want fatalities. We don’t want a war.”

The message was clear, a peaceful solution, or nothing at all, and Gideon wanted an alternative.

“Those in favor of blocking the signal before further damage is done?”

Everyone agreed.

Callum and the Ukhuzi team returned and presented their alternative plan.

“We can’t use missiles. There are children in that warehouse. “That means we must block the frequency to prevent any more simulations, and run a gauntlet to save the children,” Callum suggested.

“You got that right. We’ll take Terces and a force of 24 Androids with us. There are three entry points. As far as we know the occupants are unharmed but we can’t take the chance. We need the frequency open to lock the simulation. Once we’re back with the payload, we can block the frequency.”

Tumelo said, “The frequency block should prevent any further simulations from the warehouse. Unless they change the frequency.”

“Make it happen, Tumelo.”

Tumelo knew the protocol involved and the permissions required, but he had never blocked a frequency before.

“When do we go?” Callum asked.

“Right now,” Gideon said, heading towards the door.