The world had survived. That was what every news channel was saying. But nobody seemed to know what surviving actually meant. Three days had passed since Bermuda. Three days since five unknown beings had appeared through the portal.
Three days since hundreds of soldiers had died.
The OPESTM is now busy collecting the bodies of those soldiers who sacrificed their lives on that Island. No one knows what they were thinking on the last moment of their life. Were they terrified? Or were they proud? That they laid down their lives for the people of this planet. Were their sacrifice justified? Probably not.
Three days since humanity had learned that its strongest weapons were not enough. And three days since those five beings had simply walked away. No declaration of war. No demand. No explanation.
Nothing.
That silence was becoming more frightening than the attack itself.
Inside the OPESTM headquarters, the main conference hall was filled again. But this time there were no emergency sirens. No soldiers running through the corridors. No scientists shouting. No aircraft preparing for deployment.
Just people, politicians, military commanders, scientists, representatives from different countries. intelligence officials, OPESTM officers, and people who had never sat in the same room before.
At the center of the room stood David Fletcher. He looked at the people sitting around him. Some looked exhausted. Some looked angry. Some looked afraid. And some looked like they had already made their decision.
David placed a folder on the table.
-Three days ago, he began, "We lost contact with the Bermuda operation."
Nobody interrupted.
-We've confirmed the destruction of fourteen warships, one carrier group, multiple aircraft and thousands of military personnel.
A representative interrupted with an exclamation and with a surprised face, like he was never expecting such numbers.
-How many?
David looked at him.
-We're still calculating the final number.
The man leaned back. With a heavy face
-Three days.
David didn't respond.
-We've had three days, the representative continued. "And you still don't know how many people died?"
-We know how many people were deployed.
-That's not what I asked.
Silence around the room again. David opened another document.
-We also confirmed that the five beings who attacked Bermuda did not continue their assault.
A military commander spoke.
-They didn't have to.
Everyone looked at him. A mild chattering filled the room. He continued.
-They already proved their point.
David's expression didn't change.
-That's one interpretation.
-No.
The commander shook his head.
-That's the only interpretation that makes sense.
Another representative leaned forward.
-Then what exactly are we supposed to do?
Nobody answered. He looked around the room.
-They came through our portal. They destroyed our military. They killed our people. And then they left.
He paused.
-So what happens when they come back?
Again, silence.
David finally spoke.
-We don't know.
The representative laughed bitterly.
-Exactly.
He pointed toward the large screen behind David. A satellite image of Bermuda appeared.
Smoke, burned land, wreckage. The remains of the military operation.
-This is what we know.
He pointed toward the image.
-They are stronger than us. No doubt on that. They have technology beyond ours. No doubt on that. They came through a portal we don't understand. Still no doubt on that. And they have an organization powerful enough to order them to stop.
David looked at him.
-Correct.
-So why are we pretending we have options?
A voice came from the other side of the room.
-Because we do.
Everyone turned. It was a military representative. He stood slowly.
-We can resist.
A few people exchanged glances. The first representative smiled.
-With what?
The military man looked toward him.
-Whatever we have.
The representative with a mocking face
-Fourteen warships?
Silence.
-Thousands of soldiers?
Silence.
-Super Soldiers?
Still silence.
The man leaned forward.
-You saw what happened to them.
The military representative's jaw tightened.
-Yes.
-Then what exactly are you resisting with?
The military representative looked at the screen. For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then:
-With time.
The room became quiet.
-What?
-If they wanted to destroy us, they could have.
Nobody moved.
-They had the opportunity.
The military representative pointed toward the screen.
-They didn't.
A scientist finally spoke.
-That doesn't mean they won't.
-No.
The military representative nodded.
-It doesn't.
He looked around the room.
-But it means something.
At the far end of the room, Veronica had remained silent. She had been listening for almost an hour. David noticed her.
-Veronica?
Everyone looked at her.
She slowly lifted her head.
-I don't think we're discussing the real question.
The room became quiet. The representative who had argued for surrender looked at her.
-Then what is the real question?
Veronica stared at the destroyed island on the screen.
-Why did they leave?
Nobody answered. She continued.
-They could have killed everyone.
Her voice was calm.
-They had already destroyed the operation.
She paused.
-They had no reason to stop. If they wanted, they might have wiped the Earth within a day, if not shorter than that.
The military representative nodded.
-Exactly.
Veronica looked at him.
-No.
He frowned.
-That's not exactly.
-What do you mean?
-They didn't stop because they couldn't continue.
The room became silent.
-They stopped because someone told them to.
David looked at her.
-And that distinction matters.
Veronica nodded.
-Very much.
A scientist slowly raised his hand.
-So you're saying the people or whatever that was we fought weren't acting independently?
-No.
-Then who controls them?
Veronica looked toward the screen.
-We don't know.
Another representative spoke.
-Didn't the survivors hear something?
David answered.
-One of our soldiers reported that the beings received an order.
-From whom?
"MJC."
The room erupted. Questions came from every direction. Like what is this MJC.
They already knew MJC had warned them. What they couldn't understand was the rest of it. Why send five soldiers instead of an army, if this was retaliation? Why let so many survive? Why call them back the moment it started working? Was this the attack Unu had promised or something else wearing its face?
David raised his hand.
-Enough.
The room slowly became quiet.
-We don't have answers.
A politician immediately responded.
-Then find them.
David looked at him.
-We will.
-How?
David glanced toward Veronica. Then toward the scientists. Then toward the military representatives.
-That is what we're going to decide today.
The meeting continued for another two hours. Nothing was decided. That was the first sign of the problem. By the third hour, the room had effectively divided itself into two camps.
One wanted to submit. The other wanted to resist.
The first group had logic. They weren't cowards. That was what made their argument dangerous. One representative stood near the window.
-If an organization can control creatures capable of destroying our military in minutes, then joining them may be our only realistic method of survival.
A scientist frowned.
-And if joining them means giving them access to our planet?
-Then we give them access.
-To what?
-Our resources, our technology, our military, our people.
The scientist stared at him.
-You're suggesting we hand over Earth.
-I'm suggesting we keep Earth alive.
Nobody answered. The representative continued.
-You call it surrender, but I call it survival.
Across the room, another man stood.
-Survival without freedom isn't survival.
The first man looked at him.
-Freedom means nothing if everyone is dead.
-And obedience means nothing if we're eventually destroyed anyway.
-At least obedience buys us time.
-For what?
The first man paused. The other stepped closer.
-For them to decide when to kill us?
The room went silent. That was the problem. Nobody knew.
Later that evening, David walked through the corridor alone. The headquarters was quieter now. Most of the officials had already left. The meeting had ended without a decision. He stopped beside a window. Outside, the city was still alive. Cars moved through the streets. Buildings remained illuminated. People walked home. Restaurants remained open.
Life continued.
Almost normally. Almost. Veronica approached from behind.
-You haven't gone home.
David didn't turn.
-Neither have you.
-I asked first.
He smiled faintly.
-No.
She stood beside him. For several seconds they watched the city. Then David spoke.
-They're going to ask us to surrender.
Veronica remained silent.
-And some countries will support it.
-I know.
-Others will demand that we prepare for another attack.
-I know.
David finally turned toward her.
-And you?
Veronica looked at him.
-What about me?
-Submit or resist?
She didn't answer immediately.
Her eyes returned to the city.
-I don't know.
David looked surprised. He waited. Veronica continued.
-I've spent my entire life preparing for enemies.
She paused.
-Every enemy had something. A weapon, a weakness, a pattern. Something.
She looked down at her hands.
-But these people...
Her voice became quieter.
-I don't even know what we're fighting.
David didn't respond.
Veronica looked toward him.
-So before we decide whether to surrender or resist...
She paused.
-We need to understand what they want.
David nodded slowly.
-And if we can't?
Veronica looked back at the city.
-Then we decide whether dying on our knees is better than dying standing.
Neither of them spoke after that. Outside, the city continued to live. Inside OPESTM headquarters, humanity was preparing to make the most important decision of its modern history. And somewhere beyond Earth... the decision had already been noticed.
To be continued...