"For the Betterment of Planet Earth" (closed)

[MarieDavisRPs]

Washington DC
The White House Situation Room

16 September 2030 (The 2nd Day)
Exact time isn't important:

US President Victoria Stevens entered the Situation Room, asking without delay, "Where is he...? Who has him? Tell me it's us."

They knew exactly who she meant: Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Director of the Central Intelligence Agency spoke up, saying, "We're not exactly sure, Madam President."

"Whaddaya mean ... we're not exactly sure?" Victoria snapped. "You're the fucking CIA! You have assets on the ground in Moscow, yes...? Satellites, drones ... big fucking domes that listen in on every fart and burp in the Kremlin. How is it you don't know where he is? We know they dragged him right out the front of the Kremlin!"

The Director hesitated, cleared his throat, then sheepishly explained that most of the CIA, NSA, FBI, and Military's assets had been directed to watch the Troyna.

"Why the fuck ... were you looking up at the Troyna?" Victoria growled.

"Madam President ... there is a ten mile long, three mile in diameter spaceship in orbit of our planet ... with the capability of neutralizing America's nuclear deterrent," the Director told her with a great deal of tone in his voice. He continued, "... and -- if they wish, as we have already seen in Russia and China -- they can melt down all of our tanks, ships, planes, and subs as easily as my granddaughter's ice cream melts down her arm on a hot day."

He paused, then continued, "Putin destroyed one city. The Troyna could destroy all of them."

"Putin nuked Kyiv, Admiral," Victoria reminded him, adding, "The capital of a country that over the past 8 years we spent almost half a trillion dollars defending."

One of the Intelligence Officers reminded her, "The United States has spent almost $10 trillion dollars on its nuclear weapons program since 1940, Madam President. And the Troyna wiped it out in less than three hours."

"How many Americans were killed in that attack, sir?" Victoria asked.

"Fewer than 20, Madam President," an Officer who'd been tasked with tracking the casualties said. Then he admitted, "But those casualties were not a direct result of the weapon. There was a fall inside a missile silo in North Dakota. A steam explosion on one of our missile subs that even the Captain says wasn't directly related."

An argument pursued about whether the US should be more concerned about a couple of dozen deaths or 2 million of them. They also discussed whether or not the US should be sending aid and aid workers to Kyiv.

An Officer said, "I don't think we really need to help, Madam President."

"Why not?" she challenged.

The Officer gestured to yet another Officer -- this one at a computer panel -- and a moment later an image filled the largest screen in the room. It was an American drone's view of the Troyna camp west of Kyiv. The Officer explained, "In less than 24 hours, it has become the largest and most sophisticated refugee camp in the world."

Several more screens filled with images from satellites, drones, aircraft, and even ground assets. "The Troyna have established a full-scale surgical hospital and a radiation treatment facility. They are using sophisticated, large scale 3D-printers to create housing and other necessities that, we are told, can serve up to half a million people. And President Zelenskyy -- who luckily was not in Kyiv at the time of the attack -- gave the Troyna permission to transport the worse cases up to the Mothership for treatment ... so long as those people come back, which we are hearing the Troyna did in fact promise."

More arguing took place over the next half hour before Victoria finally hollered out, "Everyone take a seat! Everyone! Find a chair and park yourself in it."

She waited until every butt was in a chair or on a bench, then said, "There are a lot of bad actors on this planet ... only one of which is Vladimir Putin. Kim Jong Un ... Ali Khamenei ... others: they should be our priority, not the Troyna.

"If you think we should be focusing on the Troyna ... rather than people like Putin or Kim ... please stand up. Go ahead ... stand up."

As she watched, a dozen people stood up, some of them hesitantly, some of them without doubt. They included her CIA Director, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, one of several Homeland Security Under-Secretaries, and even her own Chief of Staff.

She stood, too, saying with a calm voice, "I want to thank you all for your service to me ... to your country ... and to its citizens." She paused again, then said firmly, "You are relieved ... released ... fired ... whatever is appropriate for your particular position and duty."

There was immediate mayhem in the room, but one after another, each of the men and women who'd been standing made their way out of the Situation Room. When the last of them was gone, Victoria looked around the room again, asking, "Okay, how do we find where Putin is ... and has Queen Valla gotten back to us yet?"

"Madam President," an Officer said, gesturing for her attention. When Victoria looked to her, the Officer said with a big smile, "She's on the line now ... I mean ... I can put her on the screen if you want. We're getting a visual signal from the Mothership."

Victoria's stomach anxiously rolled over. She straightened her clothes, turned toward the big screen and the camera included with the system, and ordered, "Put her through..."

 

[desperado1089]

Motel in Spokane, Washington

"I don't miss them either," Alex admitted readily, "but I don't think we would have gotten rid of them without it taking a long time and for each one we dismantled, the others, particularly Russia and China, would have to do the same, and there's no guarantee they'd play ball. It seems the Troyna know what they're doing. Maybe they've seen what happens when they just sit up there and let a planet shit themselves and say, 'Sure, we'll get rid of them.'" The way he said that last bit was intentionally like he had dropped several IQ points. "Best to make sure that we don't slip up and go back to the same old bullshit, and it's truly brilliant how they did it without blowing anything up. And that's not the only thing they fucked up without blowing it up."

He launched into a description of the attack on Russia's military infrastructure, providing details that couldn't be faked and otherw that could be easily verified. By the time he got to the part about the Russia tank crew and the sledgehammers, he was in stitches. "Imagine a T-90 being turned into a fuckin' paperweight like that, and your first thought is, 'well maybe if I hit it, it will go.' Absolutely amazing those guys don't trip over their own bootlaces sometimes." He was alternating between drinking his coffee and eating a breakfast sandwich; he put both of these things down and said, "I do hope you see how they're here to help. They have the capability to do such terrifying things, but instead they use those gifts to help other races. Just because we've never made sci-fi like that since Gene Roddenberry walked this beautiful little planet of ours, doesn't mean benevolent aliens are an impossibility." He cleared his throat before continuing. "I would like to formally request that you communicate to the relevant parties that my medal citation shall not in any way mention the Troyna as the enemy, or that my actions were against an enemy force, with the caveat that should the relevant parties fail to do so, I will literally drop my pants right then and there, and wipe my ass with the citation, then hand it and my oak leaves to the ranking military officer present and leave." Alex said this in a calm, matter-of-fact tone. It was rather clear he meant what he had said.

 

[desperado1089]

Russian Countryside
En Route to the Polish Border

The small military convoy where the deposed Russian dictator sat in chains moved slowly enough where the throng of people that trailed it could easily keep up. The size of the crowd would ebb and flow but there would always be at least several dozen cheering their tormentor's downfall. Gulags across the country were already being thrown open, anyone still alive that had been jailed for being pro-West or even being a Westerner were set free. Political prisoners were able to reunite with their families, their official legal status still in limbo while the joke that was the Russian judicial system was purged of the rot. But there was little doubt that they were finally free. There was even talk that the arms dealer that America traded for Britney Griner would be among those sought out for immediate capture or killing once the government was stable; the basketball star's case would be tossed out once there was time to focus on such things.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Motel in Spokane, Washington

Afternoon of 16 September (Day 2)

"I don't miss them either," Alex admitted to Paula, speaking of the thousands of atomic warheads that were now fueled with inert uranium or plutonium. He spoke of his feelings on what the Troyna did to them, as well as what he did to both Russia and China's war machines and how so few lives were lost in the process. "It seems the Troyna know what they're doing."

"I do hope you see how they're here to help," he said.

"I think they are doing what they think will help protect Earth, yes," Paula agreed. "My only concern is ... why are they doing it? They say they want to take 4 billion Humans off our own planet and put us someplace else ... some distant planet that -- for all we know -- is as barren and lifeless as the moon or as hot as Venus or without sufficient atmosphere as Mars."

Paula paused, smiling as she recalled Alex's comment about Gene Roddenberry. She laughed, saying, "I'm not a Trekkie or Trekker or whichever tag they chose to use, but I do follow just enough science to sound like I know what I'm talking about."

Alex told Paula that she could contact her superiors about his medal citation and promotion, so long as the Troyna were not portrayed as an enemy. She laughed at his threat to drop his pants and wipe his ass with the award. She joked, "That I'd like to see."

She lifted a wait one index finger to Alex as she pulled her buzzing cell phone from her hip. Walking toward and out the door, she talked in short sentences -- a word here, two there -- to whomever was on the other end of the call. After less than a minute, she returned.

"A jet is waiting for us at Fairchild," she told him. "We're expected at the White House tomorrow morning at 8am. The President wants to talk to you about the Troyna, the Mothership, and his visit to both."

Paula smiled again, telling Alex, "Nothing has been said publicly about your medal or promotion. I would suggest that you speak with POTUS ... see what she says about the Troyna ... then make a decision about whether your pants are going to stay on or not."

She laughed softly, envisioning Victoria Stevens standing there as Alex's boxers hit the floor. She fetched her half empty paper coffee cup as she continued, "I'm not supposed to really be sharing this with you, Major ... but ... POTUS cleaned house earlier this morning."

Paula listed some of the Officers and Politicians who'd been canned this morning. "I don't have the full list of the dead, yet ... but my Intel tells me that they didn't think the way you did. So ... maybe that's a good thing for you."

They chatted about it a bit before Paula said, "We need to get going. I have a call to make. I'll be at my car. Hurry it up. Do you need to stop at your place first ... clothes, plants to water, a pet to feed...?"

 

[desperado1089]

Spokane

"I just need to pick up my dress uniform," he said as he tucked the pistol into the back of his waistband before he pulled on his ABU top, leaving it undone so he could get to the gun easier if necessary. "And that's at the BOQ's back at Fairchild," he had said before Paula left the room. He grabbed a few of his things from around the room then slung his bag on his back and followed Paula out to the parking lot.

When she was done on the phone, he asked, "Meet you on the tarmac?", tilting his head in the direction of his own car, indicating he was gonna either follow her or be followed back to Fairchild. It was a good omen that the President had fired anyone who seemed to have it in for the Troyna; likewise, he suspected that if Paula had been referring to his medal citation when she called the Troyna an enemy earlier this morning, said citation was written by one of the military officials who were now without a uniform.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

The Mothership

Ryla found Valla standing before her quarter's huge windows, looking down upon Earth. "My Queen, the President of the United States of America is standing by."

Valla nodded her understanding, turning her back to the windows as Ryla used her pad to direct a basketball-sized camera-drone to move from its normal resting place in a corner to hover a few yards before the Queen. The unit would both record and broadcast Valla's image to the White House's Situation Room and emit a holographic image of Victoria Stevens for Valla's benefit.

The Queen would note immediately upon seeing Victoria that the image was only two dimensional. She would make a mental note to share the Troyna 3D holographic technology with the Humans with whom they would communicate in the future.

"Madam President," Valla began, "Good to finally speak with you face to face ... as it were."

The two exchanged pleasantries and good wishes for the other, as well as for the other's species. At a lull in the conversation, Valla shared her condolences for the loss of American lives during the Troyna attack on the USA's nuclear arsenal. "If you think it would be appropriate, I would like to reach out to the families of the deceased to offer my condolences."

Victoria thanked the alien, saying, "I will reach out to the families and ask them." She changed the subject, saying, "We are following your assistance in the Ukraine. What you are doing there is ... incredible. I would like to say that we -- the US -- have the capability to do the same, but..."
"Gaza," Valla cut in with just a single word.

"Gaza...?" Victoria asked, thrown off by the sudden change in topic. "What about it ... I'm sorry, but ... I'm not sure how I am to address you: Queen Valla ... or Your Majesty?"

"Your Highness, if you please," Valla answered, smiling. She went directly back to Gaza, saying, "My Relief Forces will be deployed to Gaza in two days to assist the people there. I will be reaching out to the Palestinian Authority--"

"The Palestinian Authority is not in control of the Gaza Strip, Your Highness," Victoria interrupted. "Even after almost 7 years of war there, Hamas -- while seriously diminished -- is still in control of the Strip."

"This will not be an issue, Madam President," Valla said; her tone was confident. Victoria was eager to know just what that meant but let it go. Valla continued with a firm, almost commanding tone, "I request that you convince the State of Israel to fully withdraw from Gaza before my Relief Forces deploy."

"Well ... that's not as easy as it sounds," Victoria said.

She and the previous US President had been trying to bring an end to the war since its beginning with no success. The 7-year-long conflict had left 200,000 men, women, and children dead, with four times that many injured; 90% of Gaza's population had been displaced from their homes, with 50% of those now in other countries across the world.

The two females stared at one another in silence for a long moment before Victoria said, "I would be very interested in understanding your interest in Gaza, Your Highness."

Valla went directly to the point: "By showing the people of Earth that the Troyna are concerned with their safety and well-being, I anticipate that they will be far more acceptable of the HOME Project."
"Home?" Victoria asked.

"HOME," Valla repeated, clarifying, "H-O-M-E. It is an anagram our linguists chose for the English language ... to make it easier to speak and refer to. It stands for "Humans on Melthos Epsilon". Melthos Epsilon is a distant, Earth-like planet to which I intend to relocate at least 1 billion Humans over the next decade."

Victoria's eyes widened in surprise; even though all of Earth knew from Valla's first communication that she intended to ship out half of Earth's population, she still hadn't concluded that that was in fact the Human Race's destiny. She asked, "A billion?"

"Yes, Madam President," Valla said. "The planet once supported an advanced bipedal species we call the Melthos. At its height, the planet supported a population of more than 15 billion."

"But no more," Victoria said confidently. "May I ask what became of the ... Melthos?"

Valla drew a breath, exhaling it slowly before answering, "They caused their own extinction ... much as Human Beings were likely to do without Troyna intervention."

The two talked about Melthos Epsilon and how Human Beings were the perfect replacement for the now gone superior indigenous species. Valla then changed the subject again. "A convoy of vehicles is traveling west from the Capital of Russia toward the country of Latvia, carrying the criminal, Vladimir Putin."
"Yes, Your Highness," Victoria answered. "Our people are aware of and following the situation."
"Are they aware of the Putin-loyal forces waiting for them on the M-9 highway twenty miles east of the Russia-Latvia border?" Valla asked. The pair talked about the ambush awaiting the convoy before Valla said, "My forces could intercede ... however ... I feel that it is more appropriate for Human forces to take on this responsibility."

Victoria considered the Troyna's suggestion, then said, "I agree, Your Highness. If ... if your Intelligence Services were able to pass what they know to us ... I'm sure that a NATO unit in Latvia could intercede."

They spoke a while longer while the information was transmitted. They exchanged farewells, and the connection was severed.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Spokane, Washington

"I just need to pick up my dress uniform," Alex told Paula. He retrieved his sidearm and other things and followed the spook out to the parking lot. He indicated his personal vehicle, asking, "Meet you on the tarmac?"

Paula smiled wide, opened the back door to the waiting SUV, and said politely, "Hop in, Major. I have orders to stick with you until we are at the White House." She wagged her hand to him, saying, "Keys?"

An hour later they lifted off the strip, heading east; it would take 5 hours to reach DC, putting them there around midnight. Paula took a rear facing seat before Alex; she didn't immediately engage him in conversation because her orders were simply to get him safely to DC and not interrogate him.

And yet ...

"So ... Queen Valla," Paula began with a playful tone. "You met her face to face, I'm told."

She hesitated for his response if there was one, then continued, "She's really something ... from what I've seen. I mean, she's an alien and all ... Elf-like is what many people are saying. But from what I saw ... she's quite beautiful."

 

[desperado1089]

Over the US, somewhere

Alex was a little leery of entrusting his personal car to someone else; it was a Ford Mustang from the mid-2010s, before the mad dash to switch to hybrids or EVs. He eventually relented, but not before threatening whoever ended up behind the wheel that he was a commissioned Air Force officer who had the ear of a powerful alien Queen, so he could potentially use the toys of two powerful societies to ruin their day.

Aboard the jet, his dress uniform in a garment bag which he'd hung up somewhere, he shrugged at Paula's question. "She is just a person, like we are. They may have two hearts, but they are more similar to us where it really counts. They love, they laugh, they mourn. They have warriors, diplomats, scientists, workers I'm certain. And they're terribly insightful, or maybe they have intel that even I don't." At what was bound to be Paula's confusion, he added, "She wants me to be an Emissary, between the Troyna and Humanity. And as far as I'm aware, that means all of Humanity. Guess I'm gonna need one of their handy little translators," he added with a chuckle. "But to their credit and intelligence, they're already starting to learn English."

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Over the US, heading for Washington DC

"She is just a person, like we are," Alex answered regarding Valla. He described them physically, emotionally, and socially. "She wants me to be an Emissary..."

Paula smiled as Alex continued. She'd seen his file as part of her assignment, and while he was an Officer and a Gentleman, presumably, she would never have imagined him as the Emissary for all Humankind. Then again, who would she have imagined as such? Frickin' Kesha?

"But to their credit and intelligence," Alex continued, "they're already starting to learn English."

Paula immediately wondered whether or not the Troyna were learning other Earth languages, too. The US was the last of the original superpowers, what with the fall of Russia; China was a relatively new superpower, but with what the Troyna had done to their conventional forces, Paula wondered whether they could still be considered such.

She studied Alex a moment as he looked at the window, then put the screws to him about Valla. "You didn't comment on Valla herself." She paused, giving him an opportunity to guess where she was going. "She's beautiful ... I mean, if you like Elves, which -- judging by how much Lord of the Rings made -- a lot of people do."

Her lips spread wider yet again as she asked, "So ... what about that body, huh? I mean, she's everything advertisers tell us a modern woman is supposed to look like: perky bosom, narrow waist, perfect skin. I haven't seen her from the waist down, but I imagine she's got legs and an ass to match ... right?"

 

[desperado1089]

En Route to DC

Alex raised an eyebrow at her, much like other pointy-eared aliens had done in classic sci-fi, particularly pointy-eared aliens with a penchant for logic. "You're a CIA officer, with access to and interest in reams and terabytes of important information that can decide the fate of millions, and you want my opinion on the ass of the ruler of a sovereign nation? What if you wanted my opinion on whatever newest British royal has come of age? Or one of Kim Jong-Un's daughters?" He shook his head. "Whatever it is you're really after, and if you actually pass this on to your superiors I will end you in the cleanest, most traceless manner I can devise, while making sure you suffer for as long as possible, but with that out of the way, I've actually formed the beginnings of a real connection with the pilot whose Attack Vessel my missile knocked out of the air." As Alex spoke, Paula would notice two things. The first is how he would shift uncomfortably in his seat, then pull the pistol from the small of his back--right as he warned her to keep his secret; he simply laid it on the seat next to him, but the ambiguity remained: was he making himself more comfortable, or was he adding a subtle physical component to his threat? The second thing she would notice is how he did not say that he had shot down the AV; as far as he was concerned, the entire incident was a huge misunderstanding that resulted in five needless deaths.

All that considered, he leaned forward and asked a question of his own. "You mentioned earlier that the people of Earth are divided into roughly three camps: those who wanna fuck me, those who wanna kill me and the Troyna, and those who are absolutely clueless. You're obviously not clueless, so which of the other two are you?"

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

En Route to DC

Alex spoke of how Paula was an Officer with the world's premier Intelligence Agency, and yet she was asking him about the Troyna Queen's ass. He asked, "What if you wanted my opinion on whatever newest British royal has come of age? Or one of Kim Jong-Un's daughters?"

"Oh, I know that already," Paula said with a confident smile. "Prince George, who just turned 17, is carrying on with a 19-year-old beauty from Birmingham who he met at a polo match when he was still just 16. She took his virginity last September, and while he thought that she was still a virgin, too, we know she wasn't."

She sipped at the bottle of water she'd just opened, then continued, "And Kim Ju Ae, Kim Jong-Un's only confirmed child ... the one Dennis Rodman spoke of after his 2013 visit to Pyongyang, just turned 18-years-old last Tuesday."

Paula leaned in as if she was telling him a secret. "The KPA hasn't actually publicly acknowledged that Ju Ae is, in fact, Jong-un's daughter, but we have an asset inside the Palace."

She winked, then leaned back to finish that topic with, "She plays Chess, is studying ballet ... she spends a lot of time with a cousin ... second cousin maybe, we're not certain ... who always seems to arrive at her residence in the evening and leaves in the morning."

Paula opened a bag of cashews and continued, "Between the CIA assets on the ground and the NSA intercepts, we get the picture that if she was to come to power, which was a likely possibility before the Troyna ... that the KPA would be even more likely to launch their nuclear weapons against Japan, the US, etcetera, etcetera."

Alex surprised Paula by confessing, "I've actually formed the beginnings of a real connection with the pilot whose Attack Vessel my missile knocked out of the air."

"Interesting," Paula mused playfully. She repeated, "Beginnings of a real connection. I bet Facebook doesn't have a relationship status for that ... or, since I don't do Facebook, maybe they do."

Alex leaned forward as Paula had and reminded her of how she divided the people of Earth when it came to him: people who wanted to fuck him, people who wanted to kill me -- and the Troyna-- and people who were clueless. He said, "You're obviously not clueless, so which of the other two are you?"

Paula laughed, sipped at her water again, and answered, "Well ... I don't fuck people I don't know well enough ... and I don't know you well enough. Normally, I don't kill people I don't know well either, but I would make an exception for that one if my bosses asked me to." She smiled again. "So ... I guess we won't know for a while ... if we ever know."

She stood and stepped closer to him, patting his shoulder as she said, "I'm gonna take a nap. Talk to you again when we get to DC."

With that she passed by him to one of the reclinable chairs that was very comfortable, kicked her boots and jacket off, and dropped into the seat to cover herself with a light blanket.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

(OOC: For the time zone map I use, use the +/- times at the bottom of the map, not the colors of the individual countries/regions. It's easier that way. Of course, it's easier just to not look at the map and assume that the times I've listed are correct, seeing how this is all fiction and it doesn't really fucking matter, right? Score one for OCD.)


The Mothership

17 September 2030 (Day 3)*
(Time of day in various locations listed below in text.)

Ryla found Valla where she so often did these days, standing before the floor to ceiling windows that looked down upon Planet Earth. As she moved forward to stand near her Queen, Ryla marveled at how much water there was in this world. She waited for Valla to look to her, acknowledging her presence, then asked, "Which one is this, My Queen."
"They call it the Pacific Ocean," Valla answered. She pointed in various directions, explaining to the lesser educated Aide where various countries, continents, and more lay just beyond the horizon. She added, "The Pacific Ocean is wider across than our home planet is in diameter."

Ryla actually knew that factoid, but she wasn't about to inform Valla of that. In her spare time -- of which there wasn't much -- Ryla had studied Earth extensively, wanting to be able to better serve her Queen with her knowledge. She actually knew that the big, blue body of water below was the Pacific Ocean, too, but she knew that Valla liked to show off her own knowledge of their next project.

"What time is it, Ryla?" Valla asked. She didn't keep time keeping devices in her quarters, instead preferring to rely on her Aide for such information.

"It is 1200 hours, My Queen," Ryla answered, using the Human's own Greenwich Mean Time. GMT had actually been replaced by Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) almost 60 Earth years ago. But GMT had been so engrained in Troyna education that it was still used by the species today. She murmured to herself, "England ... and some of Western Europe. What about Washington DC, in America?"

"It's 0700 hours in Washington DC, My Queen," Ryla answered, looking to her tablet for verification.

Washington DC was, of course, the location of the United States of American's State government. National government, Valla reminded herself. It was also the current location of Major Alex Stewart, who Troyna Intelligent Services had been tracking from the moment he'd stepped off their Shuttle in Fairchilds AFB in Washington State.

Valla had great interest in Alex, of course; she'd requested him to become Emissary between the Human and Troyna species. She knew he wanted to serve in the position but also knew he didn't want to quit flying. She'd already talked to Dyah Muur about this, suggesting that the Attack Vessel pilot might serve as Alex's training, teaching him to fly Troyna shuttles and, maybe one day, their armed warbirds. Dyah had, of course, expressed her great honor in being asked to do so.

Valla had other locations on the planet that interested her as well. She asked Ryla the time in each of them:

"It's 1500 hours in Gaza, My Queen." Gaza was the location of the Troyna's next relief project, of course.

"It's also 1500 hours in the Ukraine." Kyiv, obviously, was the location of the current Troyna relief project.

"Iran, My Queen?" Ryla asked. She hadn't been informed that the Intelligence Services were searching for key Iranian politicians, religious leaders, military officers, and scientists who'd been part of a secret program to construct atomic weapons. Valla and some of her IS Officers feared that they might have missed some of that country's smaller yet still deadly nuclear explosives. Ryla answered, "Iran uses a half hour time zone for reasons of which I am unaware. It is 1730 there."
"It is 2000 hours in Beijing and 2100 hours in Korea," Ryla finished. All of the Troyna knew the reasons for Valla's interest in those two countries: China had launched ICBMs at the Mothership, while North Korea had for many years now been the greatest atomic threat to the world because of its unstable leadership and feelings of isolation from the majority of Earth's other countries.

"Let's begin," Valla said.

Ryla stepped aside, once again controlling the drone camera to position itself before Valla. They had chosen 1200 hours GMT as the time for Valla's daily messages to the people of Earth because it would be daytime or still early in the evening in key countries: 7am in the USA's capital, 8pm in China's, and other times in between.

"Greetings to the people of Earth," Valla began as she always did. "Once again, I come to you to inform you of what the Troyna people are doing for you and your planet..."

(To be continued in next post.)

* By "Day 3", I am counting from the day Valla first spoke to Planet Earth (15 September 2030), not the day the Troyna arrived in orbit 3 weeks before that (25 August 2030)

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

(OOC: Use some imagination with the pic; read the descriptions and imagine the setting.)

The Conrad Hotel
Washington DC
4am:

Elizabeth Wilson hadn't slept for crap, waking up just before 4am with no hope of getting back to sleep again. She slipped out of her bedroom and padded across the carpeted living area to the tiled kitchenette, turning on the coffee pot that she'd prepared the night before. She caught sight of herself in the reflection of the sliding glass door that opened onto the balcony and smiled; in just a thin tee shirt and panties, she liked the way she looked, even with no makeup and her mussed hair hanging wild instead of in the bun she'd been wearing the day before.

Liz hopped up onto the countertop, waiting for the coffee to finish brewing; she'd snatched up the remote on the way to the kitchen, and muting the TV on the far wall, she switched frequently between the cable news stations for more news on what was happening not only in the world but in the space beyond it.

At 6am, a soft knock at the door signaled the arrival of room service. Liz went to the door still dressed as she was, her permanently swollen nipples catching the eye of both the man delivering breakfast and the FBI agent standing outside the door. Liz smiled to the first as she signed the bill, then smiled to the second as she offered him one of the many pastries she'd ordered. She enjoyed that he had a hard time not ogling her bosom; before masturbating last night, she'd considered but then dismissed asking Robert to fuck her or -- if he wouldn't -- making the same offer to one of the Agents in the hallway.

Back in the room, Liz caught a scrawl across the bottom of the television that announced an imminent message from Queen Valla. She dropped into one of the couches, turned the volume up just enough to hear the alien speak, and listened as she ate her breakfast and downed her third or fourth cup of coffee.

At 7am, Valla appeared on the television:

"Greetings to the people of Earth," the alien began. "Once again, I come to you to inform you of what the Troyna people are doing for you and your planet."

Do for us, Liz thought to herself. Do for you, you mean.

Liz knew what Valla had said they were going to do for Earth: eliminate nuclear weapons and export half of Earth's Human population to other planets, for the benefit of Earth and the Human Race. She didn't believe it for a moment, though. The Troyna were going to put half of Earth's nearly 8 billion people into spaceships and ... what...? Fly them to distant planets that just happen to be perfect for Human Beings? Or take them out pass the Moon somewhere and space them, like she'd seen in so many Science Fiction movies and television shows in the past.

"As earlier reported," Valla continued, "I have ordered the destruction of the atomic arsenals that have threatened to destroy your planet for far too many decades. Also, as I reported, one of those weapons, launched from Russia as ordered by that State's President, Vladimir Putin, has destroyed much of the city of Kyiv in the State of Ukraine."

Last time Valla had talked about Kyiv, she'd shown the explosion of the 40-kiloton nuke over the city. This time, as she continued on, a series of video images showed the massive relief effort taking place west of the Capital City. She described how doctors, laborers, security officers, and more were responding to the disaster.

What Liz found striking about the images was how the Troya and Humans were working so well together. She saw no hesitancy on the part of either species to work closely with the other: both Human and Troyna doctors, assisted by nurses from both species, worked on the same patients; laborers of both species erected 3D-printed structures together, often fist bumping or crossing hands over chests to indicate friendship.

Human stretcher-bearers rushed the most critically injured patients up ramps into Shuttles, which -- sometimes with Human Aid Workers joining them -- lifted off to hurry skyward toward the Mothership and its highly advanced Medical Center. Liz began to wonder whether she might possibly need to give more benefit of the doubt to Queen Valla and her people.

Then, a voice she hadn't expected startled her: "It's all a lie."

Liz spun her head to find Anya standing in the now open door of the suite's second bedroom. She wore one of the hotel's thick, wool robes, it's waist tie loose enough to reveal a plunging neckline past the young woman's bosom and almost to her belly button.

"Once she has convinced you that she is nothing but a benevolent alien being, here to save you and your planet," Anya said as she headed toward the kitchenette, "Only then will you learn the true fate that lies waiting for you."
"What is that fate, Anya?" Liz challenged. "You are yet to tell us anything that conflicts with what Queen Valla has claimed. Tell us something that will convince us. Not that you are the true Queen of the Troyna ... but that Queen Valla is the duplicitous snake in the grass that you claim she is."

Anya emerged from the kitchenette with a steaming cup and a pastry, looking to the television without responding. She dropped into a deep, plush armchair, crossing her legs such that for a moment Liz found herself staring right at the woman's pussy. Anya caught the other woman ogling her womanhood, smirked, and pushed her gown down to hide herself as she teased, "You had your chance with me last night, sweetie."

Valla had continued speaking about Ukraine but now turned to Gaza. "What has happened in both Gaza and the region surrounding it over the past 8 years is horrific. The Troyna do not place blame for this horror. Blame is irrelevant. What is important is that this horror comes to an end ... immediately.

"At sunrise on the 19th of September ... 42 hours from this very moment," Valla continued, a map of Gaza and its surrounding areas now off to one side of her for those watching her, rather than just listening to her, "I will order my Disaster Relief Forces into the Gaza Strip. As has already been done in Ukraine, they will bring with them food, water, medical services, and the ability to rebuild the region to provide housing and places to work for the people of Gaza."

Valla paused, then got a bit more serious than she had been. She warned, "Before the Disaster Relief Forces are dispatched, however ... Gaza must be at peace. To ensure that this peace exists, I am asking the State of Israel to withdraw all of its military forces from the area ... immediately. Military equipment still in Gaza at sunrise on the 19th ... will be destroyed. Military personnel still in Gaza at sunrise on the 19th ... will be taken into Troyna custody.
"This warning is not meant for only the members of Israel's Armed Forces," Valla continued, "Any person bearing arms against the citizens of Gaza or -- in their minds -- for the citizens of Gaza ... will be taken into custody. Peace...! Peace is the message for the day ... beginning on the 19th of September in the year 2030."

Valla smiled again toward the camera, making her farewell and fading from the screen; the previous news program returned, with a talking head going over everything that the alien had just said.

Liz looked to Anya, saying with a challenging tone, "I dunno. She seems to be acting pretty benevolent to me."

Anya only smiled, bit into a donut, and -- with powder spatting out before her -- said, "You'll see."

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Also in the Conrad Hotel
Washington DC
6am:

Paula Reed had napped on the plane for almost 5 hours, from minutes after takeoff in Spokane, Washington, until landing at Joint Base Andrews. She had no idea, of course, that another jet -- this one owned by the FBI -- had landed earlier in the evening with a claimant to the Troyna throne.

With Alex and a pair of MIB-types, they took a blacked-out SUV to the Conrad Hotel -- also where the Troyna-Human hybrid was staying -- and got the keycards to their suite; in Paula and Alex's case, they were staying in the same two-bedroom suite, as opposed to the other group which had had two suites across the hall from one another.

No sooner had they pulled up to the Conrad then Paula had caught sight of the other FBI Security Team. She'd made some calls before ever letting Alex out of the SUV, only moving them up to the 12th floor after she'd been told that all was well and good. They'd ordered room service, but by then it was so late that all Paula had was half a glass of warmed milk and most of a dinner roll.

When she rose, dressed, and armed herself again, she made her way out to the kitchenette, going through the same motions that were happening in another guarded room elsewhere in the hotel. She caught the message on the television about Queen Valla's message and sat down to watch it.

She didn't know if Alex would wake up early or late; or stay in his room to watch Valla's message or join her here in the living room.

 

[desperado1089]

Both Hotel Rooms

Both the FBI Agent and the Air Force Major got up and watched Valla's broadcast with their various female suitemates, but that was where the similarities ended. Robert looked very much like he would have devoured Liz if Anya wasn't there...or even if she was. His attention was divided between the beautiful women here with him and the beautiful alien women on the screen. Alex only had eyes for Valla and what she had to say.

Robert/Liz/Anya

"You're gonna have to tell us what you're talking about eventually," Robert said, rounding on Anya and adopting a somewhat confrontational tone and stance, as if she were a criminal and he was interrogating her. "But I bet it's just sour grapes. After all, a classic tactic among Human political rivals, when they have nothing good to say about their own political record, and especially if that record is littered with things that would drive voters to the other person in droves, is to make up negative things about said other person. Some people will believe it, right?" He peered at Anya like he knew exactly what she was up to. Hopefully, it would goad her into revealing something. Even if it turned out to be bullshit, it would help both Robert and Liz gain insight into how Anya's mind worked and what kind of ruler she would be.

Alex/Paula

"Damn," Alex whispered when Valla was through. "I knew she wanted to help us, but now they're gonna intervene in Palestine? That woman has got some serious cojones. That said, I still understand why a third of the population would be wary. If this were a group of Humans that had somehow evolved elsewhere and come back to help their long-lost brethren, we'd definitely be looking for the other shoe to drop. Regardless, as Emissary, hopefully I can catch wind of any potential funny business and do something about it if it's too late. Although in all honesty, I still stand by what I said back in Spokane. If they wanted to invade, kill or enslave us, they could have done it at any point. Also, if they wanted to fuck us over, why would they help the survivors at Kyiv? Why would they go to Palestine? It doesn't fit a narrative of hostile intentions. So I'm gonna have to see some very compelling evidence before I change my mind."

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

17 September 2030
Conrad Hotel
Washington DC

About 7:30am local time
Both the FBI Agent and the Air Force Major got up and watched Valla's broadcast with their various female suitemates, but that was where the similarities ended. Robert looked very much like he would have devoured Liz if Anya wasn't there...or even if she was. His attention was divided between the beautiful women here with him and the beautiful alien women on the screen. Alex only had eyes for Valla and what she had to say.

Liz/Anya/Robert

After Valla concluded her message to the people of Earth, Liz excused herself to shower and dress. She'd noticed how Robert had eyed her up and down in her very relaxed morning wardrobe before entering the suite, making her smile and wish she'd made a visit to his suite after Anya went to her room last night. Little did Liz know, of course, that during a flight that had taken less than an hour, point to point, Robert had had Anya in the lavatory of the USAF jet delivering them all from Upstate New York to DC last night; unless he's showered upon arrival at the Conrad, Liz -- who nearly always started her encounters with Robert with oral -- would have smelled and tasted the other woman upon his cock.

As Liz went about preparing for the day in her bedroom, Anya stood from the armchair and sauntered up to the FBI Agent. He didn't hesitate to get to business: "You're gonna have to tell us what you're talking about eventually."

"I will," she told him, "when the time is right ... and the right people are there to listen."

"But I bet it's just sour grapes," he continued. He spoke about classic tactics of people with political aims.

Anya's playful expression had faded as he'd grilled her. She wanted to say something to Robert, something that would cement her story with him and secure him as an ally. But while she appreciated that the man was a person of authority, Anya didn't believe that Robert was high enough up the chain of power to guarantee her future.

She responded to his accusation by untying her robe and letting it fall open, revealing her nude form; Anya had found disposable razors included in the bathroom kit of the luxury hotel's bathroom and shaved her pits and legs. She gave Robert a moment to admire her even more appealing form, then turned for her bedroom, saying over her shoulder, "You get more details when I sit down with people who can guarantee my future."



Paula/Alex

"Damn," Alex whispered when Valla was through. He spoke about Valla's plans for Gaza, saying, "That woman has got some serious cojones."

"Someone needs to do something," Paula mused, more to herself than to Alex. He couldn't know this, but she was personally invested in the Gaza situation; she'd lost both Israeli and Palestinian friends, as well as a trio of assets, in the ongoing conflict. She'd done her best to get reassigned to the Beirut Bureau to put her close to the action without success.

Robert reminded Paula of her comment that a third of the world's population would like to kill him, the Troyna, or both. "If this were a group of Humans that had somehow evolved elsewhere and come back to help their long-lost brethren, we'd definitely be looking for the other shoe to drop."

"Maybe they are," Paula ventured. "You ever watch Star Trek? Either TOS or TNG? There were two theories -- one in each series -- about why there were so many Humanoid species spread across the galaxy."

Paula smiled, suddenly realizing that she was beginning to sound like a comic-book-toting, ComiCon-going nerd, not the gun-toting, license-to-kill-under-specific-legal-circumstances secret agent that she was. Still, she continued, "The Original Series had Hodgkin’s Law of Parallel Planetary Development. It basically said that on planets that had similar environmental situations, it was logical that animal species would evolve to look similar.
"On the other hand," she continued, "TNG had 'The Chase'. It was the episode where they discovered that an ancient and now extinct race had dispersed their own humanoid DNA across the galaxy in the hopes of leaving behind a legacy."

She shrugged, suddenly conflicted on whether she'd begun a conversation worth their time or made a fool of herself. "Anyway ... I'm sure we'll learn more as time goes on."

Alex spoke about his role as Emissary, saying he hoped the role would help him uncover important things early on. Again, he reminded Paula about his feelings that the Troyna could be trusted. "If they wanted to invade, kill or enslave us, they could have done it at any point."

"Could they, though?" Paula asked. "I mean, we are talking about 8 billion people. And what about the number of births every day across the globe? I mean, I saw on NPR that more than 300,000 people are born every day. How the hell are the Troyna going to ship out 4 billion people and stay up with 300,000 new people born every day."

"Also, if they wanted to fuck us over," Alex asked, "why would they help the survivors at Kyiv? Why would they go to Palestine? It doesn't fit a narrative of hostile intentions."

He was right about that, of course, which brought up another thought: if the Troyna thought there were too many people on Earth, why would they save Human lives? Why not just let them all die off?

Alex finished, "So I'm gonna have to see some very compelling evidence before I change my mind."

There was a knock at the door, leading Paula to answer and find one of the MIB-types there, telling her, "It's time."
"Thanks," she told him, turning to Alex. She smiled, telling him, "Time to get into your fancy uniform, Major. We're heading for the White House."

 

[desperado1089]

Robert/Liz/Anya

Robert just stared after Anya as she sauntered away. This girl just uses sex whenever she's backed up against a corner, doesn't she? He was sure that he would not succumb to her charms so easily a second time. Regardless, he would like to enjoy some time with a woman who he knew and trusted, and since they would not be transported to Walter Reed for another hour, by his estimate, and because he'd showered before he got to bed last night, he thought that he'd get reacquainted with Liz before shit got too crazy for such things.

He opened the door where Liz had disappeared behind and stepped up behind her, still only clad in a T-shirt and sweatpants. He slipped his arms around her and kissed her neck. "I think this'll be the last time I can say good morning like this for a while, so let's make the most of it, hmm?"

 

[desperado1089]

Alex/Paula
Alex had engaged easily and gladly with Paula's nerding out. He was glad to meet someone with the same interests as he, even though he was only interested in being her friend. Regardless, he mentioned how of all the different races involved in the episodes' titular "chase", the Romulans had been the most willing to accept what they had seen.

When the knock on the door came, Alex ducked into the bedroom he'd claimed for himself and put on his dress uniform, making sure everything was in place and polished before he emerged, cover under his arm. "I trust they won't let me bring my gun, so I left it on the nightstand," he said.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Liz and Robert

Liz was surprised to here the door behind her open and -- thinking that perhaps Anya needed a word -- was even more surprised to see Robert in the bureau mirror's reflection. She was conflicted with how she felt about the unexpected visit; she had many a great memory of Robert in her bedroom or her in his, yet there was another woman just beyond the door who might have seen Robert enter or, if not, would certainly wonder if the man was in here when she didn't see him elsewhere.

"I think this'll be the last time I can say good morning like this for a while," Robert said as he slipped his arms around her torso. He kissed her neck, saying, "So let's make the most of it, hmm?"
A shiver ran up Liz's spine at the ticklish feeling, leading to a giggle. She looked at the door in the mirror to ensure that it was close; she wished that Robert had locked it on his way in, but perhaps that would have been presumptuous. She knew that they shouldn't be doing this, but it had been almost two months since they'd last had sex; Liz had taken the weekend to visit New York -- where Robert's home office was -- for shopping and sight-seeing, only to spend nearly every hour of the visit in Robert's apartment fucking, sucking, and in between cuddling in front of the television, munching popcorn and sipping wine.

Still, Liz couldn't help but take hold of her lover's hands, directing one of them up under her tee shirt to a firm, B-cup breasts and its stiffened nipple, while the other was slipped between the smooth skin of her belly and her athletic short's waistline; she didn't stop the downward movement until she felt his fingertips upon her shaved pussy.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Paula and Alex

Alex emerged in his dress uniform, causing Paula to look him up and down and smile. "Looking sharp, Major. Dapper I think is the word."

"I trust they won't let me bring my gun," he said, "so I left it on the nightstand."

He was correct, of course; still, Paula didn't want it left behind because she'd been told there was a possibility they might not be returning to the Conrad at day's end. She led Alex to the suite's exit, gesturing to one of the FBI guards; the man would wait for the pair to head off before he entered the room and packed their things, taking them to a waiting SUV that would wait for orders.

Down at the lobby, Paula and Alex were escorted to a small room where a pair of Secret Service Agents -- one male, one female -- did a thorough search of the pair. As they finished, the male said, "They'll repeat this at the White House before you meet the President. It's procedure, Major."

Paula noticed that the Agent was speaking to Alex and not her. It seemed obvious to her that she wouldn't be meeting Victoria Steves. Even though Paula was disappointed, it didn't surprise her; she was, after all, just a spook.

They made their way to the waiting SUV, then across town to the entrance of the White House.

 

[desperado1089]

Liz and Robert

"I know that we're not always together," Robert murmured in Liz's ear, his breath warm as he began sliding his lower hand up and down, his middle finger gliding against her clit and lower lips, "but you know how much I prefer having something to run my fingers through when I do this. No one would even let you keep a landing strip? The nerve of some people!" The playful sarcasm in his voice was unmistakable as he began to work her up properly. In deference to the other people in the suite, he used the hand on her chest to slowly walk her backwards towards the door, the hand inside her panties not slowing down. When they reached the door, he locked it and then did the same thing in reverse, walking her towards the bed, his clothed erection against her butt gently nudging her along.

 

[desperado1089]

Alex and Paula

"It's all good, Agent," Alex replied to the Secret Service agent. "I left my phaser in my other uniform," he joked, hoping this one was the type with a sense of humor. Regardless, he followed his babysitter to the ubiquitous SUV and submitted to the search once more when they got to the White House. He looked to one of the more senior Secret Service and said, "Does the President have time to speak to me before the medal ceremony? I'd like to confirm what the citation says, as I've yet to read it or even be informed what medal I'm receiving. It's all rather unusual, I think."

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Liz and Robert

Robert teased Liz about her cleanly shaven crotch, leading her to push her bottom lip out playfully and make a pouting sound. Liz knew very well that he like a little patch of pubes, but she preferred the simple direction of simply shaving it all off.

"What're you doing...?" she asked as Robert began backing them away from the bureau. She laughed. "Where're we going?"

She eventually realized what he was doing and laughed, a sound mixed with the soft moans from his fingering of her clit. He changed course toward the bed, and even though Liz was beginning to really enjoy his touch, she spun to face him. She through her arms around his neck, kissing him passionately as she wrapped a leg around the back of him.

"Sit down," Liz demanded in whisper. She kissed him again, adding, "I want you in my mouth."

Liz began many if not most of their encounters with a blowjob. She'd always been good as oral sex, and he'd always enjoyed it; additionally, she'd learned after just a few nights with Robert that if she started by getting him off in her mouth, he lasted so much longer once she put him in her pussy.

If he preferred to continue pleasuring her, Liz wouldn't stop him, but she hoped Robert would turn to the bed, drop his pants, and drop a pillow onto the floor between his parted feet.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Paula and Alex

At the White House, the second full body search took place, causing Paula to wonder if Alex was going to again reassure them that he wasn't packing a phaser. She had to admit that she'd snickered at his words the first time, particularly after her commentary on Star Trek.

"Does the President have time to speak to me before the medal ceremony?" Alex asked the Senior Secret Service Agent. He was still concerned about being portrayed as a hero for shooting down a Troyna Attack Vessel, an act that let to 5 dead aliens.

"I'm sorry, Major," the Agent apologized. Then, contemplating what he was allowed to say and what he wasn't, he continued, "I don't think it will be an issue, though."

A moment later, the President's Chief of Staff came to the hallway to collect them. As Paula had expected, the CoS made it clear that only Alex was expected. In the Oval, the crowd that Alex might have expected consisted of only the President, the Chief of Staff, the Secretary of Homeland Security, her new Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and her equally new Director of the CIA; the only other person in the room was a White House photographer.

"Welcome, welcome," Victoria Stevens said, coming out from behind the Resolute Desk to offer her hand. After the shake, she asked, "Do you mind if we take some photos before we begin. Unfortunately, Bernard there doesn't have the security clearance necessary for this meeting."

 

[desperado1089]

Liz and Robert

"Your wish is my command." Robert gave her a panty-dropping smirk before he pulled down his sweatpants and kicked them aside before grabbing one of the pillows and tossing it onto the floor as he sat down on the edge of the bed. As she got to work, as it were, he ran his fingers through his hair as he worked to figure out how to say this. "Liz...I know that we've toyed with the idea of threeesomes before. What would...mmm, fuck, you know I like the way you do that. Anyway, what would you do if Anya wasn't your patient, and if she was interested in such things?"