The New Horizon's probe approached the dwarf planet on July 14th, 2015 and began taking pictures of the surface. The scientists of NASA waited excitedly as the probe took pictures and data and then flung it back into the inner solar system. There were high expectations for this probe; the surface of Pluto would be known for the first time. There had always been speculation as to the surface of planet; some believed it to be smooth while others expected craters and canyons.
Instead, the probe found unusual rectangles on the surface. NASA directed the probe to swing by for additional shots of the strange objects. Infrared scanners detected higher temperatures emitting from the squares. A small atmosphere like fog was developing over the squares as solid methane sublimated into a gas. As the probe investigated the moons of Pluto, similar squares were also detected.
"Are you seeing what I am seeing?" a team leader asked his fellow colleagues.
"Yeah, that's weird. What do you think could be causing those heat signatures?"
"Maybe some volcanic activity underneath the surface?"
"I thought the planet was volcanically dead. But these heat signatures are perfect squares," the team leader pointed out.
"It looks artificial," one said, an observation that sent chills up the spines of the scientists.
"That's impossible," the team leader muttered.
"We're detecting new moons around the planet," another scientist reported.
"New moons?" the team leader wondered.
A new image of a few dozen looking objects appeared on a video screen for all the scientists to see. The objects were fuzzy at first but as the probe came in closer they became more detailed. Some of the objects were larger than others; the larger ones were several kilometers long. Continuous images of the objects showed small pieces moving quickly from one position to another position. These pieces did not act as asteroids but acted as if they were scouting for the larger ones.
"We're detecting heat signatures from the objects," a scientist reported.
The team leader stared at the screen in stunned amazement as new data started pouring in. "I think we've discovered something big here."
The New Horizon probe instantly became dwarfed as the larger object with flickering lights passed by it. Other smaller objects circled around the probe and then let the probe past by. The square objects on Pluto's surface and on Charon uprooted and shot upward towards the larger objects disappearing inside them. As the probe continued to take pictures, the objects accelerated and then disappeared from view.
The President was led to a secure facility where he was briefed on highly classified information. Members of the Joint Chiefs, the National Security and the Secretary of Defense were all present. The President took a seat as his advisers organized their reports.
"What do you got for me?" the President asked with a weary face. He had been briefed on a daily basis on the War on Terror and the continuous setbacks the nation was facing while under an economic crisis. The President had a tired expression on his face; the stress of the office had deteriorated his appearance.
"Using the New Horizon probe and the Hubble Space Telescope, NASA has confirmed that a few dozen objects are headed on a projectory towards the Earth. We know that they cannot be asteroids, because they have accelerated and decelerated on numerous occasions. The objects have slowed down as they have approached Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, and Jupiter. NASA has monitored the objects circling Saturn's moon Titan for a number of weeks," the National Security adviser reported.
"What are these objects?" the President asked the obvious.
"We don't know Mr. President. We know that they have heat signatures, they are faster than any asteroid ever discovered, and they seem to have a behavior similar to our own probes. They seem to be studying our planets and moons."
"You are presuming that these objects are….some sort of alien craft?" the President asked with disbelief.
"We cannot confirm that they are alien craft, but the objects are acting in a deliberate and intelligent manner. The objects could be alien probes for all we know," the National Security adviser said as he stressed his lack of information.
"We do know that the objects are emitting radio signals. Ever since we detected them with radio telescopes they have been sending signals back to us," the Defense Secretary reported.
"What are they saying?" the President wondered.
"We don't know Mr. President. We believe they may be testing our communications. They have been sending different signals and different frequencies and intensities. One such radio burst nearly knocked out our satellite radio telescopes," the Defense Secretary answered.
"Was it a hostile act?" the President asked with a grim face.
"We do not believe so. Once we were able to get our radio telescopes back online, they then sent out lower bursts. Our experts do not believe that it was an intentional attack on our communications," the Defense Secretary said.
"What do other countries know concerning this?" the President asked the CIA director.
"There is chatter among our European allies, Russia, Japan, and China. They are all positioning their satellites and telescopes on these objects. From what we have been gathering, they are approaching the situation with great caution," he answered.
"We will have to schedule a meeting among the Heads of States on this matter if we can confirm that this is an alien presence. If these objects are asteroids headed towards Earth, do we have the military capabilities to destroy them?" the President asked.
"We are not sure what kind of threat they would pose if they impacted the Earth. We would have to know the density of the objects and their speed. This has been difficult as the objects appear to speed up and slow down as well as the fact that our instruments are not able to get any readings on the surface of these objects," the Defense Secretary explained.
"So, they're blocking our signals?" the President asked.
"It would appear so Mr. President," the Defense Secretary confirmed.
"What about the media? Has any of this been leaked out?" the President asked.
"So far, we have had no media chatter, but we don't know how long we can keep this a secret. Our cyber teams are working to monitor the Internet and disrupt the spread of information," the CIA director said.
The President nodded thoughtfully. Normally, he would be opposed to any kind of censorship but this was not something that could be leaked. If the public were to know of alien ships approaching the Earth, there would be mass panic. The President then considered another possibility.
"What is our military readiness in case these objects become hostile?" the President asked.
"Since withdrawing from Iraq and Afghanistan, we are in a much better position to face this threat if it indeed becomes one. At this time, our military readiness is the highest its ever been since World War II. That said, I cannot say how we would approach these objects if they became hostile," the Chief of the Joint Chiefs answered.
"If we were to withdraw all of our troops back to the homeland, how long would it take?" the President asked.
"At maximum speed, we might be able to do it in six months," the Defense Secretary said.
"Work to shorten that time period," the President ordered. "Also, make sure our diplomatic cables are secure. I don't want another leak like what happened before again, especially now," the President ordered the CIA director.
"We will make sure all communications on this subject are secure Mr. President," the CIA director promised.
The Hubble Space Telescope as well as many other international telescopes eyed the objects as they approached Earth. They had circled around Mars for a few weeks and were now accelerating towards Earth. Despite the CIA and FBI's best efforts, information on the objects were beginning to leak on the Internet and the media. As the objects got closer to the Earth, even amateur astronomers were able to see small lights in the sky.
Reactions were varied among the human populations; some were delighted at the possibility of an alien encounter, some believed the End of Days was at hand, and others believed it was time to buy weapons and food.
The UN Security Council met a month after the alien presence had been made public and discussed the matter of the alien visitors. It was agreed upon that the nuclear powers would not in any way launch a preemptive strike against the ships. It was also established that the national powers not engage the alien ships militarily unless they struck first.
"It seems obvious that if these objects are alien crafts, that they must be peaceful. They have spent months studying the planets and moons in our Solar System. If they were hostile, wouldn't they have attacked Earth directly?" a professor posed to his students.
"Perhaps they were examining the planets and moons for resources and finding none, they have come to Earth," a student suggested.
"That presupposes they aren't aware that Earth has life and resources," a female student piped up.
"If they are so peaceful, why are they blocking our radio signals from gathering information on their ships?" a suspicious student asked.
"If I were them, I would have done the same. Humanity has a history of violence; they may be protecting themselves from our barbarianism," a progressive woman pointed out.
The objects remained silent as they approached the dark side of Earth's moon. For amateur scientists, the ships could not be seen. NASA launched probes towards the objects in the hopes of gathering more information. Within a few days, the probes were able to send detailed images of the objects. The objects were arranged like a naval fleet with larger ships in the center escorted by smaller ships. The larger ships were several kilometers long and seemed to be covered in a diamond like material. The other ships were also covered in the same diamond armor that kept the probes from seeing anything inside the ships. The ships were all shaped in triangle forms as if they had one time been atmospheric ships. Smaller ships zipped by the probes at a speed faster than even the New Horizon as they circled around the larger ships. Thousands of pictures of these ships were sent back to NASA for analysis.
The smaller craft made no hostile approach towards the NASA probes but as soon as they were detected they shot towards the Earth. The world was on full alert as the smaller craft approached one of the NASA shuttles in orbit. The crafts circled the shuttle giving the astronauts high levels of apprehension. They then took up positions on each side of the shuttle; the lot of them in orbit around the Earth. The astronauts watched out the windows as the alien crafts seemed to be studying them. They were triangular in appearance with small circular engines. The surface of the alien crafts were similar to that of the larger ships; a reflective diamond armor; no weapons could be seen.
After a short time, the alien crafts raced back towards their armada on the dark side of the moon. As the astronauts came back to Earth to be briefed, they were not permitted to talk to the media concerning what they say until months later. For a few months, the alien armada stayed on the dark side of the moon and rarely if ever ventured towards the Earth. The panic humanity first went through turned to fascination, and then boredom as the aliens didn't seem to be doing anything. Even NASA scientists were starting to get bored as no new data poured in. The alien crafts went through the same flight pattern in a loop for months without deviation.
After a year of silence, they came during the Roman Catholic Conclave in which the Cardinals came together to select amongst themselves a successor to the Pope who had died only the week before. For a brief time, the Catholic Church was leaderless. Their ships had orbited the moon for over a year, and during that time they watched the Earth but never interfered in human affairs.
The ships started moving again upon the death of the Catholic Pope. The reasoning for the ship movements was not clear to NASA at the time and no one assumed the ships were moving as a result of the Pope's death. The Pope was very old and his death had been expected by the faithful and neutral observers for some time. A large vigil in St. Peter's Square was conducted as the Pope was medically treated in his apartment.
As the funeral procession was underway, the alien ships came closer to Earth's orbit. It was at this time that commercial satellites started broadcasting images of the ships. One of the relatively small ships, the size of an aircraft carrier, entered the Earth's atmosphere and hovered over the Atlantic Ocean. European Union fighters intercepted the alien ship and followed it as it moved eastward; the Sixth US naval fleet also moved to intercept the ship. The alien ship seemed to ignore the European Union fighters and US naval ships. Smaller ships did emerge every so often from the larger ship and circled it at times. These small fighters were faster and more agile than European or American fighter jets. All attempts to communicate with the ship failed.
Within an hour, the ship made its way to Italy and then positioned itself above Rome. The news agencies put two and two together and created a credible connection between the alien ships and the Pope's death. BBC, CNN, FOX, MSNBC, ABC, NBC, CBS, Al Jazera and other major news networks put their full concentration on the alien ship as it hovered above the Vatican.
"This is CNN reporting in. The alien craft appears to be hovering above Vatican City and observing the funeral of the late Pope. No one knows the alien craft's intentions or why they have decided to stop here," the reporter said into the camera.
"What are your feelings on this Father Sergio?" the reporter asked a priest who was acting as a press liaison to the Vatican.
"It's too soon to say but what we do know is that we're not alone. This does not compromise the faith in anyway. The Church recognizes God's role in the creation of the universe and its continuing evolution."
"Do you think the alien visitors are Catholic?" the reporter asked with a smile.
"I think its too soon to say what their intentions or beliefs are," Father Sergio replied with an amused expression.
The alien ship hovered over St. Peter's Square and then launched a smaller ship of similar shape, material, and design as the host ship. Rome Police and Italian military forces surrounded the ship while Vatican security forces including the Swiss Guard attempted to keep the large crowds back. Cardinal Antonio of Italy, a well known and respected leader of the Church and a candidate to become Pope instructed his flock to remain calm through the video screens and speakers. The crowd stayed relatively silent as the smaller ship opened. A figure resembling a human female emerged from the ship.
She looked to be in her mid-twenties, a pale complexion, short straight brown hair, and brown eyes, a height of five feet six inches, and was dressed in white robes that covered her entire body except her neck, head, and hands. Around her waist was a sword's sheath, a holster for what appeared to be a pistol, and some other instruments. A cape flowed behind her. Her appearance was similar to an Italian woman.
She stepped out into the open and was followed by a dozen other females that were of similar European appearance and dress. They formed a semi-circle with the first female in front. She looked at the crowd curiously and then pointed at a priest. Once she had received his full attention, she motioned with her hand for him to come to her in a very human expression. The priest looked around with uncertainty but bravely walked up to the alien. The female bowed to the priest as he came closer to her. The priest returned the gesture. The female smiled as if amused by the priest's action.
"There is no need to bow to me priest," she said in perfect Italian.
"Why are you here?" the priest asked shakily.
The video cameras focused on the priest and the female alien. There wasn't any audio but already analysts were commenting on the first encounter with an alien race. The first encounter would be between a female member of the alien species and a Catholic priest.
"With your permission, we would like to pay our respects to the one who represents the will of God," she said.
The priest was stunned by their request but the crowds were elated at seeing the priest smile. "I do not have that authority, but I can ask the person who does," the priest told her.
"We await your superior's reply."
The priest ran back into the crowd and looked for a way to communicate his message with the Cardinals. Within a short time, a few Cardinals approached the priest on what he had heard and seen. "They want to pay their respects to the Holy Father," he told them.
"Should we allow this?" one of the Cardinals wondered.
"We do not know their intentions. How can we trust them?" another Cardinal said.
"Let us ask Cardinal Antonio what he thinks," the third suggested.
The aliens waited patiently for a reply and peered into the crowd. They seemed to be unconcerned with the helicopters buzzing around their ship and the high level security forces. "What's more is that she mentioned God," the priest said ecstatically.
The Cardinals crossed themselves as they assumed this validated their faith. "Remember, all things of the spirit must be thoroughly tested. Keep your feelings in check," one of the three Cardinals reminded the group.
News agencies took close ups on the alien visitors and began to rapidly analyze the possibilities. "I think it is very significant that the aliens have chosen this place on Earth to greet us. We should assume that this was done on purpose and for a strategic reason. I think a reasonable argument can be made that the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church has been seen as the leader of Earth," a commentator stated.
"I think it is too early to tell what their intentions are. Perhaps they have come to the Vatican because they think they can communicate their message to Earth more efficiently there," another commentator suggested.
"I think its far fetched to assume that the aliens are Catholic. But I do think that the aliens see the Vatican as a significant cultural and spiritual center. And they have chosen the funeral of the late Pope to speak to us due to the large crowds the funeral has generated."
"Many leaders of the free world are present in the Vatican right now. It would make sense from a certain perspective that this would be the place to be at this time."
"If that were true, we might have expected the aliens to visit the UN in New York City," another commentator objected.
"Let's consider what we already know. They haven't attacked anyone yet. And they all appear to be female humans of European descent which seems to me biologically implausible. This is probably not their true form. We also know that they speak Italian and look at how she bows before the priest."
"I do think its interesting that she did call for a priest and did bow before him. It reminds me of Japanese or Arabic culture. The question is whether the alien bowed because she bows to any human or because he happens to be a priest."
Fashion and Entertainment news networks also started to analyze the visitors. "The alien visitors are in all white which could mean a sign of purity. They are very well clothed with multiple layers of cloth. We can only assume its cloth but we really don't know. It could be a holographic projector for all we know," an entertainment reporter commented.
"The hair of alien visitors seems fairly plain and conservative which could give us an indication of their values. Or the aliens could just be imitating us."
The news agencies also caught on to the weapons on the alien's belts. Close ups on the belt made it clear that the aliens were hosting a sheath covering a blade of some sort. Additional close ups were made on the pistol looking weapon on their right sides.
"I think its unfair to make any judgments on this point. Our own security forces are pointing weapons at them. They're on a hostile world which has had a history of violence. It only makes sense."
"Yes, but keep in mind they brought weapons with them and we can clearly see weapons on their ships. These people must have made these weapons before coming here."
The cameras focused on Cardinal Antonio as he made his way through the crowd. After a brief discussion with a dozen Cardinals, he approached the alien visitor. As he came closer to the alien he crossed himself and prayed for courage.
The alien female knelt before the Cardinal and looked up at him. The Cardinal hesitated but extended his right hand out to her. The alien took his hand gently and kissed his ring; the first human contact with the alien transpired. The alien then stood up and looked up at the taller Cardinal.
"By the authority vested in me, I will grant your request to pay respects to the Holy Father. What do you wish to do?" he asked.
"There is no need to be frightened Your Eminence. We only wish to look upon the Holy Father and reflect on what he represents. In addition, we have a gift for the Holy Father," the alien said.
"A gift for the Holy Father?" the Cardinal wondered.
She reached for a compartment on her belt, opened it, and took out a blue vial. "This liquid will permanently preserve the Holy Father's body so that it will not decay nor deteriorate."
The Cardinal cautiously took the vial. "We will have to test the liquid for its properties before we can use it on the Holy Father."
"We understand. Test it however you wish," the alien replied.
"I thank you," the Cardinal said graciously and then gave the vial over to a nearby priest.
News reporters immediately reported on the blue vial given to the Cardinal and speculated madly on what the contents meant. Some thought the vial was some miracle cure while others thought it could be some sort of explosive.
"May I speak to your people?" the alien asked the Cardinal.
"Of course," the Cardinal permitted.
The alien raised her metallic wristband on her right hand to her lips and then spoke in English. "People of Earth, we have come long distances in the search for life. We have known that life has existed on this planet for thousand years, but only now have we been able to come to you. On our journey here, we received many of your radio transmissions and examined your probes. These transmissions gave us hope that an intelligent species existed in this solar system."
"We are here today to honor and pay our respects to your Holy Father who was charged with guiding more than a billion souls on their spiritual journey. This planet has many leaders and nations but we found this land the most appropriate. May the smallest country on your planet be made first," she smiled.
The crowd instantly applauded the alien's words; translators began repeating alien's words in various languages which only increased the applause. The aliens looked at each other as the sound of the crowd became louder.
"We will discuss our many intentions concerning this planet in due time. But for now we wish to celebrate the life of your Holy Father," the alien said to the Cardinal in Italian.
A path was made for the aliens to walk towards the body of the Pope. Security forces walked along side the aliens as they walked in two single file lines towards the Pope. When they reached the Pope's body, the leading female knelt before the Pope's body. The other females followed suit.
After a brief moment, the leading female stood up and circled around the Pope's body and then walked back to their ship. As they came back to their ship, they formed a wedge formation in the shape of a V. New figures exited the ship and walked outside. The females knelt down as their male counterparts exited the ship.
They likewise looked human and were dressed in white robes that resembled cossaks and a white cape behind them. Their hairstyles were short and conservative; it was apparent that the males were larger than the females in terms of size. The male leader placed his right hand on the top of the female leader's head and then withdrew as she stood up. No words were spoken between the male and female leaders. The females formed two lines as the males exited the ship and came forth out into the open.
Like the females, they hosted belts with a sword sheath and pistol. The leading male approached Cardinal Antonio. "We wish to pay our respects as well," he said in perfect Italian.
Unlike the females, the males didn't address the Cardinal by his title or kiss his ring; a fact not lost on the media. "Of course," Cardinal Antonio said.
The males formed two single file lines with the leading male up front in the center. They didn't kneel before the Pope but they did withdraw their swords from their sheaths. Security forces immediately focused on the males as they all took out their swords and pointed them up into the air. After a brief moment in which St. Peter's Square nearly exploded in chaos, the males put their swords back into their sheaths and walked in the same manner back to their ships.
The leading female knelt before the leading male, and he nodded his head to her in turn. The females then made way as the males reentered the ship leaving the females outside. The news media instantly speculated that this alien society was male dominated. But others argued that it must be female dominated as the females had a larger role in communication than the males. In any case, the scene seemed very rehearsed.
The leading female then approached the Cardinal. "We await your decision on the next Holy Father. Do not allow our visit to interfere with your decisions," she said.
"How can it not?" the Cardinal asked.
The alien smiled warmly. "Put your flock first before all other concerns."
She then knelt down and kissed the Cardinal's ring, rose up, and led the other females back into the ship. The Cardinal watched dumbfounded as the ship hovered above the ground and then flew towards the larger ship. For several hours, the news media watched for any movement within the ship but none came.
The ships did not position themselves in powerful countries but among the poorest. Half the fleet was located on the African continent. Several ships were in India and Southeast Asia as well as central China. Other ships were located in central South America. Only a few ships were in the United States and Europe.