ANA II

Chapter 15

This meeting with the senior members of the United Nations is being conducted by hologram with a projector having been sent to one of the UN main meeting rooms. The holograph before me includes a long wooden table with a polished surface surrounded by serious looking me who are backed up by their staff members, each eager to help their chief in this extraordinary meeting of major nations.

I sit down on the hard wood chair in its place at the table and try to look calm and confidant as I examine the various other participants seated around the large table for our holographic teleconference. It's not easy to hold my composure when the Heads of Government from the world's major countries are all glaring at me as if I'm on trial for some heinous crime, their holographic representations perfectly lifelike and every bit as intimidating as if they were here in person.

They're waiting for Tiger to join them, our artificially generated boss. The girls and I have spent long days working intensely with Ana to scrip out what Tiger will say and what answers he'll give to the expected questions. Ana's forecast modeling did most of the work but it was still difficult to make sure they had all avenues covered, especially now that I suspect there's something wrong with Ana. She hasn't been the same since my mind merged with hers. Where once she was supremely confident, now she seems to question herself at times. It's very unnerving considering how much I depend on her. The memory of the dark presence I felt lurking just beyond my field of vision still haunts me.

Finally, it's show time, so I give Ana the mental command to run the Tiger program. He's to start by talking about the destruction of the Monk's ship enhance the perception that we have a common enemy which should help us bond together. A side door opens and Tiger's impressive figure strides confidently into the room. He carries himself with the air of a king while still able to maintain a gentle smile on his handsome face.

A hush falls over the room with all eyes on Tiger as he seats himself at the head of the table and surveys the room with his steel grey eyes. "I've called you all to this meeting to relay to you gave news. Some of you already know that my crew and I were attacked recently by a hostile alien ship." Several of the leaders nod while others only stare in disbelief. "Fortunately, we were able to repel the attack and the alien ship was completely destroyed with no survivors.

The German Chancellor is the first to speak. "So, it seems the real owners of the spaceship you found has come to take it back." There were murmurs of concern around the room.

Tiger shakes his head. "No. You're talking about the people we call the Travelers, and according to our computer, the attacking ship was not one of theirs."

The American President speaks up, "Perhaps they attacked you because you are a band of interstellar criminals who have no regard for human life and the same seems to hold for aliens. Case in point... First you kill hundreds of innocent soldiers and civilians in Russia, and then you destroy an alien space ship that, for all we know, was trying to make peaceful first contact with the human race, and if that were not enough, just two days ago, one of your members ruthlessly attacked an office building in the Philippines killing several men, some of whom were US citizens. I think we can all agree that you and your rogue band are all a menace to society."

Tiger turns to face President Thomas. "We believe the aliens were trying to prevent us from giving the Traveler's technology to the people of Earth. Disseminating this knowledge is our only hope to defend ourselves and the only way for that to happen is through me. So, you see, my crew and I are the only hope the human race has to survive."

The room breaks out in a chorus of objections. Everyone seems very eager to get their hands on the advanced knowledge.

President Thomas motions for the others to be quiet. "If this other alien race is trying to prevent the transfer of valuable information, then it is imperative you hand it over immediately before they attack you again. The United States is prepared to offer full pardons—"

The President of China interrupts. "By your own admission, hostile forces are trying to kill you." He stands. "China is ready to combine forces with you. Give us full access to the Traveler's facility on the moon and together we will stand strong against the invaders."

The German President jumps up, practically frothing at the mouth as he shouts out his offer, which brings all the other leaders clamoring to their feet, and soon they're all making promises of equal partnerships if Tiger joins with them.

After taking his shoe off and pounding it on the table top, Russian President Parshikov is able to bring the room into some semblance of order. "Unforgiveable! The way you are all acting is nothing short of an embarrassment. Here we sit, at what may be the most important meeting of this age, and you all are acting like school children. No wonder Tiger is so carful in whom he trusts. If we hope to prove ourselves worthy, we must first show we can put our petty self-interest aside and work together for the betterment of mankind. Our actions on this matter will form the basis for an entire new civilization. There is no margin for error... no room for mistakes. We only have once chance to get this right so we must work together to ensure the human race has the best chance possible to succeed and continue to evolve to our maximum potential."

I'm genuinely impressed with his sincerity as well are the others in the room. This Russian president is widely respected as being hard, but honest.

Tiger leans back in his chair. "Thank you Mr. President. Gentlemen, and ladies, let me assure you that I plan to do everything I can to ensure the peaceful transfer of information in the most prudent way possible. That's why I've previously invited you all to pick representatives to join me on the Moon in the first place. The purpose of this meeting is to work out some of the logistics."

Most of the leaders seem pacified by this, but then a heated debate breaks out on who should arrive first and what exactly the role of each nation's team will be. No two leaders agree completely, but several hours later, they have the basics worked out to my satisfaction. Emotionally exhausted, I give the command to Ana for Tiger to close out the meeting. We need the help offered by each government, but each offer to help comes with hidden agendas and there are plots within plots that must be dealt with. It's going to be a pain in the ass to live with all that up here, but there's no other way. And then, there's ISIS to take care off. Ana recommends we wait until the delegates from each nation are the Moon before launching the strike against ISIS. I can understand why. Once they see the drones in action, all these nations surly are going to become very defensive and insecure, which in turn would change the composition of who they send up here. It's much better to have their people here before they see what we can do.