kilometres in length and eight hundred metres in width, representing an invaluable green space, a source of oxygen and recreation, for the almost two million inhabitants of the island.
âMr Senator, may I?" said a small bald man, with an expressionless face, knocking timidly at the elegant entrance door in dark lacquered wood. To the side, a small gilded nameplate in black italics announced, "Senator Jonathan Preston".
âWhat is it?" answered the man without even turning around.
âThereâs an encrypted video communication on hold for you."
âOkay, Iâll take it from here. Close the door when you leave."
The man walked slowly towards the elegant dark desk and sat down on the soft black leather desk chair. With an automatic gesture, he touched the knot of his tie, placed the earpiece in his right ear and pushed a small grey button located underneath the top of the desk. A large semi-transparent monitor, began to descend from the ceiling with a slight hissing sound, until it gently came to rest on the top of the desk. The man touched the screen and General Campbellâs large face appeared before him.
âGeneral, I note with pleasure that you are no longer a guest of the nation's prison service."
âSenator, how are you? I wanted to thank you, first of all, for the rapid and efficient recovery operation.â
âI think the credit all goes to the two individuals I can see behind you."
The General instinctively turned around and saw the fat guy and his accomplice, who were trying to get themselves into the webcam's range, just as the public usually does when everyone crowds behind a journalist doing a live television broadcast. He shrugged his shoulders slightly and went on saying, "Theyâre not exactly the brightest sparks but theyâre very efficient for certain types of work."
âSo! Now tell me everything. Your report should have been on my desk more than twelve hours ago."
âShall we say Iâve been rather âbusyâ latelyâ, answered the General ironically. âAnyway, I can confirm that your intuition on Doctor Hunterâs work was spot on and, thanks to your discovery, I was able to personally be present at an event that was nothing short of amazing."
The General paused a moment, hoping to increase the otherâs curiosity even more, then added, "Senator, Iâm not sure how, but our doctorâs discovery of the infamous âvase with the precious contentsâ, must have somehow activated a system that attracted none other to our planet than..." He stopped, aware that the phrase he was about to say would be a little difficult to actually take in, then took a deep breath and, without further hesitation, solemnly announced, "An alien spacecraft."
The officer tried to keep his eyes fixed straight ahead on the monitor searching for signs of amazement on the Senatorâs face. But he didnât even blink. He simply rested his elbow on the dark wood of the desk and, holding his chin between his thumb and forefinger, began gently stroking it. He continued doing this for a few seconds then very simply stated, "So, theyâre back."
The General couldnât help but open his eyes wide in surprise.
So Preston already knew everything about the aliens... How could that be possible?
The Senator rose slowly from his comfortable chair and, clasping his hands behind his back, began to pace around the desk in circles. The General and his two assistants standing behind him didnât dare add even a word. They confined themselves to exchanging doubtful glances and waiting patiently.
Suddenly, Preston went back to his desk, leant both hands on it and, looking the General straight in the eyes, said, "You had a drone with you. Please tell me that you managed to film this spacecraft."
The General turned, desperately searching for a positive response from the pair behind him. The thin guy smiled smugly and puffing out his chest with pride, announced with a satisfied air, "Certainly Senator, more than one. Iâll send them to you immediately."
He unceremoniously moved the General aside and, after tinkering a little on the keyboard in front of him, made the shots taken in Doctor Hunterâs site appear in a window on the Senatorâs screen.
Preston placed both his elbows on the desk, leant his chin on the closed fists of his hands and moved as close as possible to the monitor so as not to miss a single frame running across the screen in front of him. First the night images of the stone container discovered buried in the ground, then those of the mysterious black ball inside it and it being transported into the laboratory tent. Then the scene changed. To one of broad daylight. A circular silvery structure, apparently resting on four beams of reddish light coming from the corners of an imaginary square drawn on the ground, was in full view. The whole appeared to be a kind of truncated pyramid which bore a staggering resemblance to the Ziggurat of Ur, which could be seen rising majestically in the background.
The Senator was unable to tear his eyes away from the screen. When he saw the two figures, human in appearance but decidedly taller and bulkier than average, appear in the opening of the silver coloured structure and position themselves, legs wide apart, on what had to be a descending platform, he couldnât help but jump as he felt his heart beating wildly in his chest.
The dream he had been pursuing all his life had finally come true! All his studies, his research, above all, the substantial capital he had invested in this project were finally giving the hoped-for results. Those figures he was watching on the screen really were two aliens who, on board their highly-advanced spacecraft, had crossed interplanetary space to return to Earth again. Now he would be able to show all those people who had always criticised him that his calculations were absolutely accurate. The mysterious twelfth planet of the solar system really did exist! After 3,600 years, its orbit was about to cross the earthâs again and there before him were two of its inhabitants who, taking advantage of the ârideâ provided by the planet, had returned to visit and once again influence our culture and our lives. It had already happened who knows how many other times over the millenniums and now history was repeating itself yet again. This time however, he too was there and he certainly wasnât going to let this once-in-a-lifetime chance escape him.
âGood workâ said the Senator simply, addressing the three faces looking apprehensively at him from the screen. Then, after spinning his chair around full circle, he added "The fact General, that you allowed yourself to be discovered will complicate things a little. We shall no longer have the possibility of having an authoritative âearâ within ELSAD but, at this point, we are no longer interested."
"What do you mean, Senator?"
"Our goal now is no longer to discover if Doctor Hunter's assumptions were correct, nor to come into possession of the precious âcontentsâ."
"Yes, because they were anything but precious anyway," whispered the fat guy.
âWe can go directly to phase two" continued the Senator, pretending not to have heard. "We are faced with an incredibly advanced technology and they are handing it to us on a silver platter. All we have to do is simply take it before someone else gets in before us."
âAllow me, Senator,â ventured the General timidly. âMy two helpers have discovered at their own expense that our two lovable aliens do not seem to be all that willing to cooperate."
âLetâs just say they beat us up," added the big guy, rubbing his knee.
âI can imagine the kind of approach you used," retorted the Senator, with just the hint of a smile. âHave you ever wondered how come they entertained such friendly relations with the doctor and Colonel Hudson?"
âTo tell the truth it did seem rather strange," replied the General. âWith them, they behaved as if they had known them a lifetime."
âInstead, I believe they simply showed themselves to be much more friendly and nicer than you."
âWell, to be fair, itâs