Free Consortium of Planets: Alien Test by Jack Wells

natural stone when Dean and Beth touched them. After a few seconds of wavering, the fake walls reconstituted and appeared solid again. And, the aliens had taken their weapons.

 
    Chapter Four
     
    U.D.C. Situation Room:
    Dr Friedmark sat immersed in various mathematical equations that blazed across two separate computer screens. While the computers hummed away, he carried on a hot debate by teleconference on a third screen. Sasha stood by his desk and listened patiently while the doctor and his colleagues in Florida discussed various options. Unfortunately, they weren’t coming up with anything new. They still recommended sending up a manned craft, but not much of a mission after that.
    Once the meeting ended, Sasha voiced her concern. “Shouldn’t we have a better reason for going up than just to look at the pretty lights?”
    Friedmark looked up and realized that it was General Stranova. He gave her a tired smile. “I’m afraid the chancellor is right, General. We’re getting nowhere fast and the Beam is relentless.”
    With her most soothing voice, Sasha tried to reassure him. “I’ve suggested to the chancellor that we don’t want to fight an enemy and ourselves at the same time.” The doctor gave her a blank look. Sasha tried to explain. “I mean we don’t want to fight with the chancellor and the aliens at the same time.”
    “I totally agree, General. However, we’re fresh out of ideas and I don’t believe the chancellor will be too happy about it.”
    It was time for Sasha to bring up her ideas. “What about deflecting the Moonbeam away from the Earth or trying to absorb its energy with some kind of lightning rod? Either way it would give my guys a real mission.”
    The doctor jumped to his feet and shouted. “That could have a chance! We might be able to deflect it away!”
    Thinking the overzealous Doctor needed a short vacation, she tried to calm him down by speaking evenly. “So you believe the best idea is to use a reflective surface to bounce the Beam off into oblivion? If you can come up with the reflective material, my Plans Division can work out a time and place to deploy it. Additionally, I’ll need all the current data you have and I’ll need to be kept in the loop on any new discoveries.”
    Sasha was amazed at how alert she was, given the late hour and the fact that she hadn’t had any coffee since getting out of bed. She thought of her dream lover and sighed. Noticing General Martle’s approach brought her back to the present.
    “Hey, boss, what kind of military operation is this without coffee?”
    The general smiled approvingly. “Sasha, I thought the chancellor was going to hit you for being insolent when you brought up the way he treated Friedmark, but you had the only ideas that made any sense. He had to listen to you.”
    She dropped her head and whispered, “Sir, I think Friedmark is a good man. He’s just under tremendous pressure. The chancellor is only making it worse! I imagined that the he was smarter than that. I’ve found that people tend to live up to your expectations. If you treat them like fools long enough, they figure ‘What the hell?’ and that’s how they start acting. Right now, we need Friedmark acting and thinking like a genius – like the top man at NASA should be acting.”
    Martle looked over at Friedmark and made an observation. “He looks happier and more driven since you’ve talked to him. That’s because you have a gift for cutting through the crap. I’m going to keep an eye on the chancellor, but I’ll need your help if he starts to get in the way.”
    With no need to hide her true feelings from her boss, Sasha allowed her eyes to become narrow slits. With ice in her voice and nostrils flaring, she whispered into Martle’s ear, “The chancellor makes my skin crawl and he has no honor. I will do what you ask to conquer our new foe. All I ask is that you fly ‘top cover’ for me until it becomes absolutely necessary for me to be