Revelation, p.15
Revelation, page 15
“Flash of light, yes. Explosion, no. The flash of light was the result of the shield deflecting. The shield is extra-dimensional, like the shuttle’s movement is. Small deflections like that allow light from other dimensions to slip into this one. At some point, your physicists will understand this.
“Anyway, as the agent fell, he lost control of his rifle, on which he had released the safety. When the rifle landed, it fired and hit the CNN producer on the other side of the fence.
“When I moved toward the CNN producer, the three agents there to greet me attempted to tackle me. This was a bad idea. Whenever I’m in a first contact situation, I wear a personal shield for my own protection. When those three agents hit my personal shield, they also went flying. Thankfully, they were smart enough not to have removed their safeties.
“I then did a point-to-point transport over to where the CNN producer was, so that I could care for his wound. I’d just started examining the man when another agent fired a high-power rifle at me. It was a perfect kill shot. It would’ve gone in my right ear and destroyed my brain stem were it not for the personal shield.
“Turning in the direction the shot came from, I saw weapons raised all over the place. So, I stood and activated nanobots that had been released into the air when we landed. The nanobots quickly dissolved all the guns in visible range.
“Now free to help the CNN producer, I removed the bullet, repaired the injured tissues, and then applied a cream to seal the wound. It was about that time that I saw the CNN camera man filming me. It was also when I saw the shoulder-mounted missile launchers being pointed at my shuttle. So, I ordered the shuttle to launch.”
“Michael, why launch the shuttle? The missiles wouldn’t hurt the shuttle, would they?”
“No. The missiles would not hurt the shuttle. In fact, the people inside wouldn’t even notice other than the flash of light coming in through the door.”
“So, why then?”
“Those two missiles had enough explosive in them to bring down a building. If they had detonated against the shield of my shuttle, all that energy and shrapnel would have been deflected back toward the White House. All the windows would have been shattered and anyone in that first set of rooms would have been shredded. The building might even have been destroyed.
“Our shuttle can move very fast, faster than the missiles. Launching the shuttle redirected the missiles away from the White House and gave the missile controllers enough time to trigger the self-destruct mechanism.”
“Michael, I had no idea how bad it was out there this morning. Initially, the news services were reporting that you attempted to attack the White House. But as they went back through the slow-motion replays, all the weapons fire came from Secret Service and Capital Police. The only thing that came from you was the two flashes of light.”
“Sarah,” Michael started to say, then looked directly into the camera. “America, my people are a non-violent people. We do not use offensive weapons. We really don’t even have defensive ones. We don’t need them because we have impenetrable defensive shields.
“We come in peace and offer you defense from enemies near and far. Lay down your weapons.”
There was a pause in the flow of the interview. Then Sarah asked, “Michael, is it true that the President called to apologize and offered to meet with you?”
“Yes, he did. And we talked for about an hour.”
“On the phone?”
“No. In person. Our demonstration team and I, plus our demonstration equipment, transported directly into the Oval Office. We met with the President and a number of his cabinet members.”
“How did that go?”
“I think it went well. They got to see the same equipment that we used on your show this morning. In fact, the President’s granddaughter worked with my colleague Noelani to replicate a pile of toys she plans to take to an orphanage.
“We had a pleasant lunch, then discussed the outline of a treaty we’d like to enter into with the United States. A draft copy will be in his hands shortly.”
“Do you think he will sign it?”
“I’m optimistic, but I don’t know. We’ll be offering a similar treaty to every nation on Earth. Those that accept the treaty will gain tremendous advantages over nations that do not.”
“What kind of advantages?” Sarah asked.
“A much higher standard of living. Longer life expectancies. Much less pain and suffering. In short, greater prosperity than has ever been seen on Earth before.”
“Why would anyone not sign the treaty?”
“It will change the balance of power in and among nations. Member nations will have to guarantee their citizens at least a minimum degree of civil rights. The US already meets the minimum standard, but many nations do not. Member nations will need to dismantle the offensive portion of their militaries over a period of time. The US, which has powerful offensive capabilities, will resist this, while other countries that do not have significant offensive capabilities will welcome it.
“I anticipate that the vast majority of citizens of every nation will welcome the treaty. The resistance will come from the authority figures in each country that have something to lose personally.”
“Michael, thank you so much for speaking with me, both this morning and again now. Being with you today has changed my perspective on so many things. I truly wish you well.”
“Thank you, Sarah.”
…
As they headed back to the ranch, Sarah looked at Michael and said. “Where to from here?”
He laughed. “I think you have some footage to upload.”
“You know that’s not what I meant.”
“I know.” He paused thoughtfully. “Because of your show and the events of the day, we’ve been contacted by quite a number of heads of state, a few of which were quite insistent that we come to see them immediately.
“When are you going to start?”
“Jiaying, my communications person and protocol officer, is setting up appointments starting tomorrow. I’m expecting that the first two will be Moscow and Beijing, but the time zones work against them a little because I need to get some sleep tonight.
“The priority goes basically by population, but I would like to meet with Canada, Israel, the Vatican and Saudi Arabia as soon as possible.”
“The epicenters of three of the world’s biggest religions… I think I get that. Why Canada?” Sarah asked.
“Mostly location.”
“Location?”
“Yes. The northern hemisphere holds the majority of the world’s landmass and population. So, there would be an advantage to having our Embassy somewhere in the far north. There are only two countries with enough land mass in the north to be viable candidates, Canada and Russia. From a location perspective Russia would be better. But Canada has a more neutral political standing in the world. If they were to invite us to put our embassy in Northern Canada, they would have a good shot at getting it. But there are several other attractive locations.”
“Can I ask how many staff you have, Michael?”
“At the moment there are about 35 of us, 30 from the Confederation and 5 humans. As soon as treaties start being signed our numbers will grow. I have a thousand or so Confederation staff ready to come when needed. I will also need quite a few human staff. You interested?”
“Yes. But not so sure about Northern Canada.”
As they pulled into the driveway of the ranch, Jiaying called over the car’s intercom. “Michael, are you free to talk?”
“Yes Jiaying. What’s up?”
“If you’re willing to start a little earlier than planned, I can get you Israel tonight.”
“What time?”
“10:00 PM Hawaiian, 10:00 AM in Tel Aviv.”
“Arrival arrangements?”
“They saw video of the fiasco in Washington this morning and would prefer that you transport to the location rather than attempt to land. They propose the following… The Prime Minister will be addressing the Knesset in the morning. They would like you to appear alone in an alcove near the side entrance. You will be met by a security team personally chosen by the Prime Minister to protect you. The Prime Minister would like to speak with you in private for a few minutes, then arrange for a demonstration of our technology. The rest of the team and equipment can transport in when you call them. He hopes that you will stay and enjoy lunch with him. He has also asked for a draft copy of the proposed treaty in advance, if that is possible.”
“I’m good with that. Confirm the arrangement, then send the draft treaty in both English and Hebrew. Thank you, Jiaying.”
Michael parked the car in front of the Residence, and everyone got out.
Michael turned to Sarah. “I need to go now. If you were on my staff, I’d invite you to come to Israel tonight. But it would be imprudent of me to make that offer before you join my staff.” He gave her a teasing smile.
Mei, could you come over to escort Sarah and her team? Michael sent.
“Mei Chin, from my staff, will be here in a moment. She can get you set up to transmit the video back to headquarters. You are welcome to stay as long as you like. Mei can show you around the property or the island. She can also coordinate your return. I’m going to need my shuttle tonight, so if you would like to use it, you’ll need to go by sunset.
“Ah, there she is. Mei, this is Sarah from ABC News. Sarah, this is Mei. She will take good care of you.”
After greetings were exchanged, Michael turned toward Sarah.
“Sarah, it’s been a pleasure meeting you. I look forward to working with you again, hopefully soon.”
“Me too, Michael. Good luck tonight.”
ISRAEL
[02.03.2025 Midnight] PRIME MINISTER’S RESIDENCE, JERUSALEM
“There’s no way we can accept this agreement. We cannot give up our offensive capabilities. We need to be able to strike back. We’re surrounded on every side,” said the Defense Minister.
“It says, ‘phase out our offensive military capability,’ not give it up,” the Prime Minister replied.
“Same difference. It has to be completely dismantled within 10 years.”
“Not the same. We don’t have to remove a single weapon until we have been free of attack for six months. We don’t even have to start dismantling until they have proven they can protect us.”
“But for how long? How do we know they will still be here in 10 years, 100 years…?”
“We don’t, so we ask for rights to monitor.”
“I’m not sure I follow…” said the Defense Minister.
“If we must dismantle, so does everyone else. We simply have to ask for the right to monitor our enemies. If they cheat, then we cheat. If they start to rebuild, then we start to rebuild. From Day 1, we have been able to outcompete our ignorant and lazy adversaries,” the Prime Minister replied.
“What if they don’t sign the treaty?”
“I think we would need to work with our new allies to address that.”
“And, what about Iran? The reason it took so long for them to get nukes is because of the aggressive actions we took to neutralize their efforts.”
“Yes. But we ultimately lost that one, didn’t we?”
The Prime Minister went back on the offensive. “I think this treaty is an imperative for Israel. We must sign it. It’s our only long-term hope of containing Iran and it would bring in an era of unprecedented prosperity. If we are the first to build out their carbon scrubbing technology, we’ll be awash in gasoline; no more long lines and $15 a gallon gasoline.”
“That would be very popular.” The Defense Minister reluctantly admitted.
“And the uncompromised supply of food.”
“But, would it be kosher?”
“We would have to get the rabbis to weigh in on that.” The Prime Minister nodded at the Defense Minister.
“And what about the civil rights clause? Would we have to give the Palestinian residents the right to vote? You know that will never fly,” said the Defense Minister.
“You’re giving me hope.” The Prime Minister smiled at his friend.
“What?”
“You’re fighting too hard. The only time you fight this hard is when you’re losing.” They both laughed at the line. “Tomorrow, I’m going to propose that we accept this treaty agreement. You are going to agree, with the stipulation that you will work with our thought leaders to put forward a set of objections to discuss with our new alien friends. Then you will second the motion. We will then vote to authorize me to sign the Letter of Intent that starts the negotiation process and puts us under the Confederation’s protection. We’ll know whether these aliens can deliver on their promises before we ever even ratify the treaty,” the Prime Minister declared.
“You are good, my friend. Maybe that’s why you live in this nice mansion and I slog around in the muck with the marines.”
RESEARCH LAB, KOHALA MOUNTAIN
“Charles.” Michael walked into the medical lab. “We’re going to hit the road again this evening at around 9:00. We’re going to Israel to do the same dog and pony show. It also seems likely that we’ll go directly to Moscow or Beijing.”
“That’s going to be a full day or more we’ll be away, right?”
“Right. That’s why I’m here. The question is… Do we keep Patterson in the tank while we’re gone? Or, do we pull him out now?”
“I say leave him in. His legs have responded better than I thought possible. Maybe two more days in the tank will give him a third option.”
“I agree. What about the Sergeant?”
“He is fully in Hiroshi’s care at this point. He and the Sergeant have already bonded, so it will be good. Nonetheless, we should stop in to see them before we go. But, what about Noelani? I think we should leave her here with the Sergeant until he’s further along.”
“Great minds think alike. How about we take Joel and Mei instead of Kale and Noelani.”
Joel Rubinstein was the Ascendant who ran the gas production plants in Paso Robles. His specialty was engineering. Although the same rank as Charles, Joel’s technical interests were more in the infrastructure and civil engineering area than in medicine.
“The Paso facility can run for a while without Joel. In fact, it could run a long time without Joel. He now has several staff for maintenance and each plant now has an industrial AI operating it.”
“So, what’s he doing with his time?” asked Charles.
“He’s just finished assembling the first of the shield emitter arrays suitable for planetary protection. And it’s coming online just in time. The world may not react well if Israel is the first to sign a letter of intent. There’s some chance we’ll need to deploy the shield in the next 24 hours.”
GAS PRODUCTION FACILITY, PASO ROBLES, CALIFORNIA
“Henry, can you confirm the plasma flow through the tertiary conduit on the south side?” Joel asked.
Although his official job was running the Paso Robles gas facility, he had spent the better part of the last year bringing up the giant shielding array they would need once they took over defense responsibilities with treaty partners.
Overall, the project had gone well. They had nearly a terawatt—a million-million watts—of continuous power available, which was just a little less than the entire electric generating capacity of the United States. The power was generated by the giant zero-point energy power cubes they’d installed beneath the gas generators over the last several years. With that much power, shield generators were relatively simple to operate. All they had to do was create an extra-dimensional bubble, move it to the right place, and form it to the right shape. The shield emitters were simple devices, thin sheets of metal a few molecules thick and aligned in the right orientation. Saturate them with high-energy plasma and presto, an extra-dimensional bubble.
The metal used was relatively exotic. But there was a bountiful supply in a nearby asteroid. Joel’s problem today was the north-south plasma conduit. It was the third of three, which they referred to as the tertiary conduit. For some reason the energy density was fluctuating.
“Found it boss. There’s an impurity in the lining material at a resonance point,” Henry said. Henry was the AI that ran the gas field’s power and distribution system. “It’s a simple fix. I’ve sent a bot. It’ll only take a couple minutes.”
Joel sighed with relief. There were only a few hours left before he headed out to Israel. Michael was concerned that this trip would trigger a strong reaction, one they needed to be able to deal with.
While the bot was working, Joel double-checked the field manipulation software. It passed the simulation and was ready to go. He also double-checked the nanobot cylinders and confirmed that they were properly loaded and ready to deploy.
Remote shield generators like this created spherical or dome-shaped shields. To shape the field in a different way required a local array of emitter-sensors. The shuttle had an array of emitter-sensors spread evenly across its hull. All of the Ascendants, including the androids, had the same kind of an array spread evenly through their skin. To get the same effect in an atmosphere, airborne nanobots needed to be deployed. The tanks being loaded on the shuttle tonight would have enough nanobots to encase most of Asia, and more than enough for a small country like Israel.
“Boss. The conduit has been repaired. Want to run the test again?”
“Let’s do it.” They applied power to form a small extra-dimensional bubble, then projected it to a spot near the first Lagrange point between the Earth and Moon. A group of pebble sized asteroids were scheduled to pass near this Lagrange point within the hour.
“Shield in place.” Henry said.
“OK. Expand it to 1,000 miles in diameter and put the image on the screen.”
The asteroids must be part of a much larger cloud. Joel thought, noticing small flashes of light that corresponded to grains of dust hitting the shield.
“Henry, how bright is the flash going to be if a one-ounce pebble hits the shield.”
