Picking up the sheets of paper, she headed over to the scanner. Once the document was saved and moved to a USB disc, she would take it to an internet cafe and have it uploaded with the help of some software a handful of her seedier friends had put together. It wasn’t quite hacking the BAN, but everyone who subscribed to any of the BAN’s blogs would receive a copy. The little program attached to the message would automatically access their email address book, transmit a copy of itself to everyone in their contacts, and then shut down. Given a few hours, it would be all over the world.
And then she would have to see how the aliens reacted. If they could track her down, she had no doubts about her fate. She’d be as dead as the other poor bastards who’d questioned the aliens, while the world continued on its merry slide towards doom.
“Yes, I can confirm that the Junior Ambassador will be visiting your school,” Jason said, rolling his eyes. The frightfully-earnest headmistress had somehow obtained his number and was calling to confirm the arrangements — for the third time. Having a chance to boast that one of the Galactics was visiting her school was a major feather in her cap, assuming that everything went off all right. They’d offered to feed the Galactic visitor, but the Snakes had politely declined. Jason, remembering the food he’d had to eat at school, was privately relieved. They’d probably think that they were being poisoned. “They’re quite looking forward to it.”
He scowled as he thanked the woman for her call and put down the phone. Nearly a month and a half after First Contact, aliens were still not a common sight in humanity’s cities. Washington had played host to a handful of Galactics on sight-seeing tours, but most of the Galactics seemed disinclined to play tourist. Jason suspected that it was something to do with the crowds that gathered everywhere they went, watching the aliens with wide eyes. He’d heard from one of the cultural experts that westerners in Imperial China had been followed by curious crowds. It seemed likely that humans everywhere were the same, taking interest in novelty.
The Galactics, for reasons best known to themselves, had offered to send a set of visitors to schools and other educational establishments across the world. They seemed inclined to choose at random, finally deciding to send a representative to a school for young children in Washington. The oldest child was twelve, Jason had discovered while he’d been busy surfing the internet for details; they’d never have seen a live alien in the flesh. They’d probably wet themselves the moment they met the bright red eyes that marked the aliens as utterly inhuman.
“Twits,” he commented, sourly. The Welcome Foundation seemed to rely on paperwork; paperwork on alien activities, paperwork on alien technology and — ever popular — a list of applicants to visit the alien ships, once they finally agreed to allow humans to travel into space on one of their shuttles. Jason knew that hundreds of interns had been hired to help handle the paperwork, but most of them had been delayed until they’d been vetted by the FBI. The Witnesses in particular had refused to cooperate, seemingly convinced that they were being singled out for investigation. They might have been right.
He glanced up in surprise as the door opened and an alien inched into the room. They did move like humanoid snakes. He’d started to learn how to tell the difference between individual aliens, but this alien was a newcomer, wearing a simple gray tunic that was devoid of rank badges. It hardly mattered; they still hadn’t deduced what each rank badge meant, leaving them uncertain who or what they were dealing with.
The door closed behind the alien as he came forward and placed a device on Jason’s desk. There was a faint click, followed by an uncomfortable sensation in Jason’s ear, as if he was on a plane that was steadily rising ever higher in the atmosphere. The alien sat down and stared at him with bright red eyes. Jason had read endless reports that speculated that the alien homeworld was actually some distance from its primary star, but he didn’t really care. Familiarity had bred the awareness that it was still fucking creepy.
“There are no communications devices active in this room,” the alien hissed. The voice was so incoherent that it took Jason a moment to understand what he had said. And then he realised that the alien wasn’t using a voder. He was talking with his inhuman mouth, somehow making the words despite an oddly-shaped snout and very sharp teeth. “They cannot hear us.”
Jason stared, wondering if he’d heard correctly. “Who… who is listening to us?”
“Your people and my people,” the alien said. “Nothing happens in this building that they do not hear. Everything you do is recorded and studied for analysis. You must be very careful what you say in this place.”
Jason tried to think. His mind insisted on reminding him of all the times he’d gone to the toilet in the building, or of all the times he’d taken a shower… the aliens would have watched everything. It was absurd to believe that the aliens might be interested in his naked body, but his mind refused to accept it. They’d been watching everything…
Cold ice flared along his veins, reminding him of his duty. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because you must understand the danger,” the alien said. His red eyes seemed to widen slightly, although the expression on the scaly face was unreadable. But his words forced Jason to concentrate on him, without any real awareness of his alien nature. “Your world is in terrible danger. And I want to defect.”
Jason gritted his teeth. He’d have to call Sanderson…
“What danger?” He demanded. If the world was in danger… dear God, what had he unleashed upon the world? SETI had believed that aliens would be friendly, and yet… the Galactics had hidden much from Earth. “What’s going to happen?”
“Call your authorities, carefully,” the alien said. “I will speak only to those who are willing to assist me. Take me to your leaders.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Washington DC
USA, Day 45
“It’s a beautiful day.”
Toby turned sharply as Jeannette McGreevy turned from the windows and peered towards him. She looked delighted to see him, which probably boded ill. And was it his imagination, or was there a glint of triumph in her eyes? The newly-confirmed Vice President had barely taken up the position when she had ordered a reshuffling of her staff, including dismissing several of the previous Vice President’s staff, even ones who’d been in Washington for most of their lives. She would soon be surrounded by her faithful. And then what would she do? She was one bad day away from the Presidency itself.
“Yes, it is,” he agreed. And it was; the sun was shining down on Washington from a clean blue sky. High overhead, he could see the contrail of a fighter jet patrolling the secure airspace surrounding the city. The defences had been surprised once on 9/11. It wasn’t going to be allowed to happen again. “The President ordered me to brief you on a number of government programs…”
McGreevy waved her hand, casually. “We can go over those later,” she said, as if they meant nothing to her. “Right now, I want to know how we’re proceeding with the drawdown. We need to satisfy the Galactic Federation if we are to become an advanced race.”
Toby kept his face expressionless. Washington was known for a high level of political corruption — with hypocrites and double standards everywhere — but McGreevy was just… the worst he’d ever encountered. She wanted power — the power of the Presidency itself — and she would do anything to get it. Even before the Galactic Federation had arrived, she’d been dangerous; the President had only included her in his Cabinet because it would prevent her from sniping at the Administration from outside. The last thing the party — and the country — needed was a power struggle in dangerous times. And now she had the support of the Galactic Federation. Knowingly or not, she was watched by the aliens at all times. Gillian’s improved detector had shown that there were no less than four bugs on her person and five more scattered through her office.