Chapter 1

Stars

Zach walked to the balcony of his apartment.  He was in his late twenties and lived near the top of a hill in the city.  From his balcony, he could see the city lights, the cars, the buildings.  Looking up, he could see the stars.  Of course, the lights obscured many of the stars, but there were still plenty to see. 

It was an awesome thing really, to think of the stars.  They were so far away and Zach knew that there were billions of stars in the universe.  He had read that in the Milky Way galaxy alone there are at least 200 billion stars.  Also, he had read that there are at least 125 billion galaxies in the universe.  That’s a lot of places for life to develop and Zach knew that some scientists had calculated that there was probably other intelligent life out there somewhere.  In fact, Zach thought that the odds were extremely small that there was only one planet in the entire universe with intelligent life. 

If there was other life out there, what would it look like?  What would their primary motivations be?  If they ever found Earth, what would they do?  Zach knew that they were commonly portrayed as coming with guns blazing, with a massive show of force.  While possible, he thought that was a primitive approach.  Perhaps they had more refined methods.  Perhaps they preferred to operate behind the scenes.  Perhaps they were already here.

A Meeting of Warlords

The Orion space station measured 3 miles across and maintained a circular orbit around the Sun.  Few humans on Earth knew that this station existed.

The Reptilian Overlord had called a council meeting and Angelina was prepared.  The eight Reptilians were 7 to 8 feet tall.  They looked like humanoid lizards and used an upright, two-legged posture.  Their clothing reflected their positions as the elite of the war council.  Angelina was the sole human in the room.  The council sat around a circular table.

The Overlord opened the proceedings: “Admiral, your progress report.“? 

Angelina replied with confidence and authority, “We have commanders stationed in leadership roles in all targeted institutions: government, military, energy, food supply, banking, communications, and mass media.  As a whole, the humans suspect nothing.  The conditioning programs have been highly effective.  Humans on the fringe who seriously suggest the possibility of our existence and plans are systematically ridiculed and dismissed.  Everything is going according to plan.“?

“Excellent.  What of the over-achievers?“?

Angelina continued, “As of this moment, only 144,000 humans have attained sustained access to the higher levels of consciousness.  They are disparate and disconnected.  Our diplomatic protocol has been effective in handling any concerns they present.“?

“And what if diplomatic protocol fails?“?

“Each of these humans is under close surveillance.  If diplomacy does not work, I have other methods.“?  She could not resist a slight sneer.

The Overlord slammed his fist on the table, “Protocol violations will not be tolerated!   He looked directly at Angelina, “They Great Masters recognize your skills, Admiral, but they do not want to repair your mistakes.“?

One of the more aggressive Reptilian Warlords broke in with a raspy voice, “Her human DNA makes her hasty - and weak.  She does not understand the importance of free will.“?

Angelina did not hesitate, “My human DNA is what qualifies me to lead this project!  I know how they function.  I am the most powerful specimen from the hybrid breeding program.“?

The aggressive Warlord stood and leaned on the table in a sinister manner, “Hisssssssssssssssssssssss.“?

Angelina would not be intimidated, “Is that a challenge?  Perhaps you want another chance at me in the arena?“?

The Overlord had heard enough, “Silence!  Are there any additional matters to discuss?“?
All were quiet.  “Very well then.  You are free to go.“? The Overlord waved his hand and all present except for two of the Warlords immediately dissipated out of the scene.  The two remaining Warlords discussed quietly.