Washington D.C.
May 10th, 2020
An hour before daybreak outside of the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport the Potomac River starts glowing with an ominous light. Pilots immediately report the anomaly and the Coast Guard is sent to investigate. No aircraft were known to have crashed into the waters. Radars were reviewed to find unusual activity and nothing of interest was recorded.
The Coast Guard used radar to detect a sunken ship but all their instruments could see was a small sphere that was somehow holding position near the riverbed. The object wasn't large enough to be a submarine and no waterjets or propellers were detected holding it in position. The information was reported and a Navy operation was sent to investigate closer.
The Navy sent a small single seater submersible vehicle attached to an air hose and loaded with sensors and recording equipment to collect information about the object. As the submersible neared the sphere at about 30 feet distance the onboard sensor equipment started malfunctioning. A visual recording was made and some information collected before the instruments cut out. The submersible was then ordered to retreat.
While sunrise started entrance into the river was restricted. A mile long section of the river alongside the airport was forbidden, pressing many ships to return to port while the glowing sphere was monitored. The airport was placed on high alert and continued operating normally.
The sphere was growing and rising, the research teams learned. And when the workday started it was at the waterline and about the size of a car. The sphere didn't seem fully solid, like it was made of energy or liquefied metals. Giving off its own dim phosphorescent light, the sphere started showing a texture of geometric shapes that were evenly patterned around it, shapes constantly shifting and slowly turning.
The press release stated that, “There is a potentially hazardous situation on the Potomac River. Travel in that area is restricted. The airport is temporarily grounded. We are investigating the situation. No details can be provided at this time. Stay tuned. Another press release is scheduled in an hour unless an emergency is declared before that time.”
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Archee and Starlette Heinteit owned their house in the suburbs of Washington D.C. Their house was the standard affair with the standard utilities. A normal family house with a driveway and a yard.
Starlette was taking a bath, massaging lotion on her legs when her husband Archee entered the room. He said, “There's an emergency and the news hasn't announced what is going on yet. Seems serious. They might evacuate D.C. if the situation escalates.”
Starlette said, “Are you going to take your shower when I'm done?”
Archee said, “You know, I was thinking about climbing into the tub with you right now.”
Starlette said, “Why waste time, you should be quick before the world ends.”
Archee said, “What if the situation gets out of hand?”
Starlette said, “When doesn't the situation get out of hand?”
Archee said, “You might be right about that.”
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Thirty minutes later Archee and Starlette were dressed and in the living room. They sat on the couch and were waiting for the channel 27 news show to return.
The reporters sat at the newsroom desk. On the lower edge of the screen their names were displayed, “Karen Engle” and “Sydney Memton.”
Sydney Memton said, “We are now receiving word that our aerial camera crew caught some video footage of the situation at hand and here in a minute we are going to talk with Bridget Peckney who is our on-site reporter. First, a recap of the situation, Karen.”
Karen Engle said, “There was reports of an enemy vessel in the Potomac River right outside of the airport. All connected areas were closed and the U.S. Navy was sent in to investigate. Information beyond that was sparse till our news crew flew overhead in a small airplane to film the area. They report that they filmed the craft and were forced to ground their plane at the request of tower control, Sydney.”
Sydney Memton said, “Local authorities haven't yet given a full report of the situation and we are continuing to investigate the area and collect information. Another press release is due at the top of the hour. We are going to show the press release and discuss the new information following that, Karen.”
Karen Engle said, “And now our on-site reporter, Bridget Peckney. Bridget?”
The screen divided and Bridget Peckney was shown on the airport tarmac with her microphone and the river's edge in the distance behind her. She said, “Yes, Karen. We cannot get a view of the object in the Potomac River here from the airport but we did a fly over twenty minutes ago and got some close-ups of what appears to be a glowing orb. It wasn't moving and the Coast Guard was standing guard near shore on their boats, I guess they're waiting for something to happen. We were ordered to bring the plane to rest and we anticipate that soon we might be asked to leave the airport as well. Karen.”
Karen Engle said, “And here is that video clip. As you can see this object is stationary, fully motionless. The water splashes on its circumference unevenly as though it is held in place with a pole that attaches to the riverbed. We cannot confirm that at this time but that is how it looks. This thing is glowing and sort of looks like it is rotating. Bridget.”
Bridget Peckney said, “Yes, you said it best. We didn't see anything else in the area that could be somehow related to the presence of this object. We don't know what the authorities think it is and they won't say anything when we ask them, only that we must wait for the press release. They don't seem to know if this thing is dangerous or not but there is a sort of tense worry about the object. Karen.”
Karen Engle said, “Thank you Bridget for your report and you stay warm out there, looks like there's a cold breeze.”
Bridget Peckney said, “And thank you, we are staying on-site till this situation ends or the airport sends us away. If there's something new to report, we'll get that to you quickly. I am Bridget Peckney with KRDX news saying have a good morning. Back to you, Karen.”
The screen returned to a full picture of Karen and she said, “We here at channel 27 news continue to investigate this situation and have sources that are reporting some new information. Sydney.”
Sydney Memton said, “Yes, sources are reporting that this object is apparently made of some sort of growing unknown material that has scientists confounded. There isn't anything like this that they'd seen and they urgently want to get some closer views than the aerial video that we've already captured. At this time our footage is the only footage of this object available to the public. We are searching for more video, maybe from the shore. If there is any out there we urge you to call us if you can provide some footage of this object.
In the meantime we invited a nuclear physicist to join us, welcome Professor Sven Brusselton, a state nuclear physicist, a nuclear reactor inspector for the United Nations and the author of Unproven Probable Physics. We are pleased that you can join us doctor, how are you this morning?”
Professor Brusselton said, “I am okay and feeling well. How about yourselves?”
Both reporters said, “Good.”
Karen Engle said, “Could you tell us your initial impression of this orb on the Potomac?”
Professor Brusselton said, “Absolutely. There isn't anything like it. When you see a ship on the water in the sunlight you usually see some reflections that shine brightly, and if you are in an aircraft, that reflecting light would move as you move. As you can see in this video, there isn't a reflection of the sunlight like you see over here on the Coast Guard boats. You see that? Now, this object is perfectly round, at least the top half of it is. There would normally be a similarly round reflection of light somewhere on it. The sun is behind the cameraman. Now if the sun were in front of the cameraman the object would look like a silhouette in the water. See what I'm saying?”
Sydney Memton said, “And that means that the thing is absorbing light?”
Professor Brusselton laughed and said, “You learned your science, didn't you? Yes. Possibly. You can also see that the orb has a dull light of its own and is making the waters around it glow in the same manner in every direction. So, it might be absorbing light and is definitely glowing enough the sunlight doesn't neutralize that effect on our eyes.”
Sydney Memton said, “What do you think this thing is, professor?”
Professor Brusselton said, “I don't know. That's the puzzling thing. What could this thing be? It has the look to it that it's, not alive precisely, but that it isn't inanimate either. There's an energy inside this thing that is static. You said earlier that you got the report that this thing is growing. That growth might contribute to the impression that it is alive. I am reminded of liquid in space, how liquid forms a sphere on it's own without gravity pulling on it. So perhaps this object isn't affected with gravity and that is why the water level constantly rises and falls yet this thing doesn't sit atop of it like a buoy would bobble around. With all of those facts considered I am unable to arrive at a solid answer. I simply cannot tell you what this object is.”
Karen Engle said, “Would you say this thing is otherworldly or could be a secret government project gone wild?”
Sydney Memton laughed and said, “Those are entertaining thoughts and you know, something like that would be exciting to say the least.”
Karen Engle said, “Do you mind staying with us professor in case we receive some more footage and information that can help you determine what we are dealing with here?”
Professor Brusselton said, “I wouldn't mind at all.”
Karen Engle said, “Thank you Professor. Ladies and gentlemen, Professor Sven Brusselton, nuclear physicist and author of Unproven Possible Physics. Now, we return to a commercial break.”
Starlette muted the television. She said, “What do you think it is?”
Archee said, “I don't know, a spaceship filled with aliens. What else could it be?”
Starlette said, “A portal to another dimension.”
Archee smiled and said, “I didn't think of that. That's probably what it is.”
Starlette said, “What should we do? Are we going out? Sunday dinner, your favorite.”
Archee said, “Should we? I want to watch this and see what happens.”
Starlette said, “We've got all day, shouldn't last that long.”
Archee said, “I was thinking the same.”
The commercial ended and Starlette unmuted the television. “Breaking News” was across the screen with bright red letters.
Sydney Memton said, “Breaking news about the mysterious object in the Potomac River. Government officials just released a press release stating that the orb is dangerous and the city is ordered to evacuate before 6:00pm. There's new video of the orb given directly from the government and we are going to show that to you now.”
The screen cuts to footage of the sphere taken from a Coast Guard boat. Karen Eagle talks while the video plays. She said, “If you saw our video earlier you can clearly see in this video that the sphere is much larger and glowing much brighter. There's a pattern that constantly moves around the sphere in a diagonal direction. This footage was taken approximately 10 minutes ago.”
The screen cuts to the newsroom. Sydney Memton said, “Professor Brusselton, could you offer new details about what you see in this government video?”
Professor Brusselton said, “Well yes, if you look at the water around the sphere, you can see that it curves under, as though it is going through a drain, much like the one in your bathtub. You can see that there's more of the thing showing than with the earlier video, that the water is lower and you don't see waves bobbling around it. You see a smooth and even line below the sphere's equator. There's no bubbles or air coming up in the other direction caused from displacement, so, if the water is draining I can't say at this time how it is draining. And look at that pattern, see how it morphs and folds, rolls and rotates? Perhaps, and I don't want to stake my career on this, but maybe this object is absorbing the water and that is why it is growing. If so, then it should be very hollow and prone to burst. Although that might or might not be the case, you can see that it retains a perfect spherical shape.”
Sydney Memton said, “Would you say this object is dangerous? Do you think the government is right on evacuating the city? Could they know more about the sphere and aren't ready to tell the public about it? Or could it be they don't know anything about it and are evacuating as a precaution out of fear?”
Professor Brusselton said, “I can't really say what the government's actions are about. Personally, at this time I wouldn't get near that sphere, maybe when it was smaller but now, I wouldn't be ready to take a risk like that without more knowledge.”
Sydney Memton said, “Me either. I say that thing looks dangerous because it is intelligently designed and sitting there without a rational reason. Someone put the sphere there, somehow, and didn't say why they did it or what it is. I can only presume that it must be a threat. That's my opinion and probably the reason that we are evacuating. Karen?”
Karen Engle said, “You know, my opinion is this object has to be something bad like you already said and I am going to obey evacuation orders and get myself out of town.”
Sydney Memton said, “So, to recap. Ladies and gentlemen, there's a city wide evacuation underway and the military has been called in to secure the area and engage this mysterious object of science-fiction. Where this thing is from, who made it and why it was left there seem to be completely unknown at this time. So please, ladies and gentlemen, please adhere to this evacuation order. The city of Washington D.C. and it's surrounding areas are now under order to evacuate before 6:00pm. If you cannot evacuate and are stranded in your house you can call the emergency evacuation hotline number that we are going to provide to you here in a minute. Once it is 6:00pm and the evacuation has ceased if you are found roaming the city, authorities would have no choice but to take you into custody. I repeat there is an evacuation order under way. At this time we are going to end our live broadcast and repeat todays program with the resource information to help you adhere to this evacuation order. Here's the resource information, you can call any of these numbers if you might be stranded and unable to evacuate. Karen?”
Karen Engle said, “We here at channel 27 news would like to wish you a safe trip out of D.C. and remember to take some supplies with you, the traffic is likely to get congested.”
Sydney Memton said, “I am Sydney Memton.”
Karen Engle said, “And I am Karen Engle.”
They said together, “Have a good day.”
Starlette muted the television once again and said, “Wow. You want to get going now so we don't get caught in traffic?”
Archee said, “I think we should.”
Starlette said, “I am going to call my sister and see if we can stay there.”
Archee said, “I can get the luggage ready.”
Starlette kissed Archee on the cheek with a smack and got off the couch to go call her sister.
Archee looked at the television, the news restarted with a scrolling bar across the screen edge. He wanted to stay at the house. He sighed then yawned then stretched. They would be on the road before noon. He sat there another minute and then got up to find the luggage and get their things together. Today was going to be a long day.
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Starlette went to the dining room to get her smart phone. She sat at the table and dialed her sister.
“Hello?” said her sister Precious.
“Yes, Starlette here.” said Starlette.
Precious said, “Starlette! Good to talk with you. It's been a couple weeks.”
Starlette said, “Yeah, I know. We were sort of busy and I forgot to say hello for a while. So, really quick now listen, there's an emergency evacuation of the D.C. area and I wanted to double check that it was alright to stay over there before we started driving that way.”
Precious said, “Really? What's going on?”
Starlette said, “There's this thing that looks like a glowing sphere in the Potomac and they closed the airport and got the military on the scene and now they're saying that we have to leave the city before 6:00pm. Archee and I decided that we were going to go ahead and leave now so we can beat the traffic.”
Precious said, “Well, Lotte and I are in Fredericksburg and we were going to stay here and rent a hotel room tonight. Why don't you meet us here and then we can drive to Richmond together tomorrow?”
Starlette said, “Okay, that's a good plan. What hotel are you staying at in Fredericksburg?”
Precious said, “We didn't decide yet, we can call you when we find a good deal on some nice rooms, how's that sound?”
Starlette said, “Okay, we can wait for your call or call you when we reach Fredericksburg.”
Precious said, “Alright, love ya sis.'“
Starlette said, “Love ya.'“
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Archee already got his own luggage ready when Starlette walked in. Their room was very normal and conservative with a single painting on the wall and a television but not much in the way of decoration. Archee said, “Already done. Let me know when you get yours done and I will carry it to the car.”
Archee reached the door when Starlette said, “Archee, my sister's visiting Fredericksburg with her husband and said we could meet them there, they're spending the night in a hotel.”
Archee said, “Well then I guess that's where we'll go. Beats driving all the way to Maine to stay with your parents. What are they doing in Fredericksburg?”
Starlette said, “I don't know, I didn't ask.”
Archee said, “Alright, I'm going to go put this in the car and then get some food together.”
Starlette said, “Make sure you get the purified water.”
“Of course!” said Archee as he walked away.
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Precious and Lotte Gunhild were shopping now that their business was finished. They owned a gas station in Richmond, Virginia, on the state highway and were now wanting to sell. They drove to Fredericksburg to discuss the property and business operations to a potential buyer and the meeting went well but there wasn't a deal yet, so they would need to wait for the interested party to make a decision.
Lotte was driving with Precious in the passenger seat. Precious just hung up her smart phone. Lotte said, “What's this about your sister?”
Precious said, “There's an emergency in Washington D.C. and the whole city needs to evacuate. They wanted to stay at our house so I told them meet us here.”
Lotte said, “Really? What kind of emergency?”
Precious said, “Something in the Potomac. Like an enemy ship or something, she said it was a sphere and the military was there.”
Lotte said, “A sphere? What does that mean?”
Precious said, “I don't know. There's a real danger about it otherwise they wouldn't be evacuating the city so quick like that.”
Lotte said, “Check your phone and see if there's some news about this sphere.”
Precious said, “Okay.”
Lotte said, “I should turn the radio on.” He turned the radio on and then found a news station.
The radio personality was saying, “...and there's some new developments on the Potomac emergency. The sphere has grown in size, now measured at over 70 feet in diameter and growing. This phenomenon hasn't been fully understood and scientists are throwing all sorts of theories around to see what sticks and what doesn't. Some call it a matter well, that this spherical thing is absorbing the river water as it grows. That hasn't been proven but there's plenty of evidence that suggests this theory is true. The immediate area surrounding the sphere is slightly hazy so that when you look at it directly and intently it has a shimmering quality but this can't be attributed to heat. Infrared shows this phenomenon to be the same temperature as the water surrounding it. At over 70 feet in diameter this thing has grown significantly since it was first sighted at the surface at around 14 feet in diameter. At times the sphere looks like it is pulsing or bulging lending credit to the belief that it absorbs water. Whatever this thing is it doesn't appear to have occupants. The military is dutifully on the scene ready to defend America should this thing attack us. The Washington D.C. area is under orders to evacuate before 6:00pm. Stay tuned for more...
Lotte decreased the radio volume to a background level.
Precious said, “Yes, what the radio said is what I'm finding here on the news sites.”
Lotte said, “Nuts. I guess it could be some sort of alien weapon or a rip in the space-time continuum. What do you think?”
Precious said, “I don't know but it better not destroy the world.”
Lotte didn't laugh, “You're right. You never know what this thing could do.”
Precious said, “Don't you look behind you when you drive Lotte? See the lights?”
Lotte said, “Damn, didn't notice.”
An unmarked car was flashing red and green lights behind them.
Lotte said, “Well look how far back he is, usually they get right on your ass, of course I didn't notice.”
Lotte pulled the car over and rolled his window.
A man in a smooth black suit and a grey tie and his partner, a woman wearing a similar black suit fit for women, got out of the unmarked car. They turned the lights off. They came walking slowly towards them, black leather gloves on their hands, their hands on their pistols, their pistols at their side fastened to belts.
They looked in the back seat carefully and then went to both Lotte's and Precious's windows.
The man said, “I am Agent Caesar and this over here is Agent Verokha. We work for the United States government, a special division, and we pulled you over in the interest of national security. I would like to kindly ask both of you to step out of your car and produce your identification before we can continue.”
Precious and Lotte did as requested of them, giving their identification to Agent Caesar.
Agent Caesar said, “Thank you, now, go ahead and step to the side of the road over there. Verokha would like to ask you a few questions.”
Lotte and Precious joined Agent Verokha as requested. Agent Verokha produced a pen and pad with some forms on them. She said, “Have you seen anything unusual or unbelievable in the last hour or so?”
Precious and Lotte both said, “No.”
Precious said, “We heard about the sphere thing in D.C., does this have anything to do with that?”
Agent Verokha said, “We seem to think so, but we can't be fully sure.”
Precious said, “They're evacuating D.C.”
Agent Verokha said, “Yes, we know. Interesting situation. So, have you seen any unusual or unbelievable aircraft that would cause you alarm or fear in the last hour or so?”
Precious and Lotte both said, “No.”
Agent Verokha said, “Have you seen any person or persons in the last hour or so who might be so different from normal that you were shocked or that you would think that they might not be human?”
Precious and Lotte both said, “No.”
Lotte laughed and said, “What are you searching for, little green men?”
Agent Verokha said, “Something like that.”
Precious and Lotte both laughed.
Lotte said, touching Agent Verokha's arm gently, “Have you checked the local bars?” and then he laughed.
Agent Verokha quit writing, noticeably irritated and said, “Sir, don't touch me.”
Lotte said, “Sorry. Didn't mean anything serious.”
Agent Verokha said, “Alright, that was all. We need to give you our cards and let you know that you should be on high alert for an emergency should the D.C. emergency become something more. Keep your eyes out for anything unusual and make sure you call us if anything at all seems twilight zone, got it?”
Precious and Lotte said, “Yes.”
Agent Verokha said, “Thank you, you can return to your car now and ask Agent Caesar there to return your identification. Have a good night.”
Precious said, “And you too.”
Lotte said, “Yeah, take it easy.”
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Starlette and Archee were ready and in their car. Archee brought a bottle of whiskey and poured part of it into a can of soda. Starlette said, “Put your bottle under that coat.” She was driving to Fredericksburg and he would drive to Richmond from there. She started the car and they were off.
Archee said, “We need to stop for some things before we get out of town.”
Starlette said, “Like where?”
Archee said, “Seaskate.”
Starlette said, “Okay.” and then made the requested stop, the market being only a mile from their house. The name of the place was 'Dirk’s Real Seaskate Market' and featured a fenced-in daytime outdoor roller-skate park. Archee got out of the car and said, “Anything you want in particular?”
Starlette said, “Got everything that I need already.”
Archee said, “Alright. Give me a minute.” He went in the store while Starlette waited. Archee returned with a large paper sack in his arm. He got in the car and put the sack in the back seat. He said, “Now I'm ready. Let's go.”
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lotte and Precious located a medium priced hotel with two adjacent vacancies and rented them for the night. They called Archee and Starlette, telling them the address.
Lotte and Precious were very tired, they didn't unload their clothes and hygiene items right away and both threw themselves onto the bed to rest for a minute with the door wide open. They thought that they'd get their luggage here in a minute, all they needed was to stretch out and relax. All they would do right now in the meantime before they did that was calmly soak in the peaceful serenity with their eyes closed. That's all they needed right here this second, first.
It was very dark in the hotel room without the lights turned on although it was sunny outside. A cartoonish high register voice startled them in their stillness with something nonsensical. Lotte opened an eye at the door and saw a short figure bending around the door frame, seeing what there was. The sunlight through the door silhouetted the shape, boldly outlining the large hairless head and small body, around four feet tall head to toe.
Lotte was instantly terrified. He thought to get up so he could defend Precious and himself. He couldn't move. He was paralyzed and terror flowed through him so fiercely it seemed like it was unnatural. He tried saying something, tried yelling, he couldn't. Precious was right there and he couldn't warn her.
The short figure entered the door and walked towards Lotte. “Shhh...” he said. The door closed itself. Lotte couldn't be more scared. Standing a foot away the odd figure stared at him. Lotte stared back, seeing the smooth hairless features. The naked body. The huge head, the huge brain. The eyes so deep he wondered if there was anybody in there. Lotte knew it was the end.
The short figure said with his cartoonish voice, almost like he was dehydrated with a huge lump in his throat, “I am Sorretikkul. I will use you to return to my own planet. You will not be harmed.”
Lotte didn't believe Sorretikkul. That didn't matter though, there wasn't a thing Lotte could do. He was completely at Sorretikkul's mercy.
Sorretikkul placed his hands on the sides of Lotte's head, his palms on his cheeks. Lotte could feel his brain haze up, like he was continuously yawning so much that those muscles inside there were stuck and he was both conscious and unconscious simultaneously. Sorretikkul didn't have eyelids. That was the...
Lotte didn't think anymore. He was blank as much as he was paralyzed. Sorretikkul released his hold on Lotte's head and then went over to Precious, intent on repeating.
Precious yanked herself up to a sitting position and screamed loudly, raised her arm to hit Sorretikkul but he was insanely quick with a sidestep. The whole room was flooded with a sharply bright flash and Precious fell face first into the mattress, paralyzed before she got halfway through her attack. Sorretikkul held a small instrument, the device that produced the flash. He pressed it into his arm and it was sucked into his flesh like a marble slowly sinks through paint.
Sometime later Sorreti