Chapter 10: Presidential Briefing

"What is the situation?"

"Mr. President… I’m not sure how to begin… There are many unrelated events…"

"Give them to me in chronological order, with analysis of each."

"Very well, sir. First, we think that something was discovered on Mars. Maybe an original Martian…"

"Martian?"

"Sir, The best data that we have is that it all started on Mars…"

"Is there any data to collaborate that it is actually a Martian?"

"Not really, sir. MarsComm has discovered the chamber that the being… emerged from. Analysis is being done now. There were… a lot of bodies…"

"Bodies?"

"Whatever it was… destroyed… everyone that it came in contact with. We have one eyewitness report from Phobos station, a family that was able to lift off before they were attacked, so they say."

"So they say?"

"Yes, but their report lacks… credibility, sir."

"Credibility? Who made the report, someone who’s been on Mars too long?"

"No, sir. It was a scientist from the Photonic Carrier Wave research project."

"Well, then, let’s hear it!"

"Sir, I donno if you…"

"LET ME HEAR THE REPORT, DAMMIT! I need all the data that we have, to best assess the situation. Now, what was in the scientist’s report?"

"A monster… a… being, approximately 30 to 35 feet high, at the shoulder… Came at his family as they were preparing to evacuate to Phobos. The being is described as… Wolf-like, with red, glowing eyes."

"Why were they evacuating?"

"He states in the report that he had gotten a warning call from a co-worker that the research station had been destroyed."

"And he evacuated because of this?"

"He had also heard news reports that New Paris had been destroyed and the Marine Barracks had been attacked. After the food riots, he had kept a jump-ship ready to go, just in case."

"I want him here, NOW! I want to talk to this scientist directly."

"We tried. He says that he won’t come without his family."

"Bring them. Bring the whole family. Now. What’s next?"

"Somehow, someway, the being made it’s way to Earth. We have detected unusual magnetic and radiational patterns in Northern Pennsylvania that correspond to the readings we have received from Mars."

"We’ve re-established contact with Mars?"

"Yes, sir. After… it… left the planet, disaster recovery went into high gear and contact was quickly re-established. That is how we were able to correlate the data so fast, sir."

"OK, the being got from there to here… How?"

"Unknown, sir. It has been postulated that it was able to… spatially jump… somehow…"

"Postulated? Jump? Somehow? Not very exact, are we?"
"No, sir. But analysis of the data reveals that…"

"That the damn thing is here. What else?"

"The weather control satellites are malfunctioning… We assume it’s because of the… being. And we read usual… weather patterns… approaching the United States."

"What sort of weather patterns? Did they originate in a hostile country?"

"No, sir. Tracking indicates that there is a… Cloud mass approaching from the coast of Norway and another from Greece. The Sphinx…"

"The Sphinx? What the hell?"

"The Sphinx… apparently came to life, sir… And was headed in this direction as well…"

"Was…?"

"It was reported ‘shot-down’ by the Libyan air force. The video from the attack planes clearly show a Sphinx-like creature in the air."

"If our knowledge of the Libyans is correct, we might as well plan on the Sphinx being here, too. The Libyans couldn’t shoot down Yankee Stadium if they had three tries and we glued it to the ground."

"Heh. Good one, sir! Actually, we have detected… something… flying along the path that the… Sphinx was said to be taking. We tracked it by using the weather satellites over the Mediterranean and then the Atlantic. Here are some satellite pictures…"

"Hmmm, does kinda look like the Sphinx. But I didn’t think the Sphinx had wings."

"Neither did anyone else, sir. The Egyptian Cabinet is in an uproar; saying that we… stole one of their scared treasures."

"Tell them they can have Long Island in exchange."

"Heh. Good one, again, sir. I think they’re just as baffled as we are about it taking flight and are squawking to cover their disbelief."

"OK. What’s next?"

"The cloud patterns are moving contrary to established weather patterns, heck the one from Norway is even move AGAINST the Jet Stream."

"I thought Weather Control had that neutralized?"

"Neutralized but not eliminated. They still have to figure the Jet Stream into all calculations."

"I see. Has the ‘cloud’ been scanned?"

"Yes, sir. It’s just a… large cloud moving at over 300 miles an hour."

"What?"

"And contrary to the Jet Stream as well."

"Analysis?"

"Current analysis is that another… being, like the Sphinx, is converging on the United States. Same with the cloud pattern from the Greece/Turkey area."

"It isn’t a Turkish nuclear warhead, is it?"

"Research still indicates that they only have minimal nuclear capability and almost no way to transport a payload over the distances the ‘cloud’ has already covered."

"Keep the ‘clouds’ under surveillance. I would like to know if there’s anything inside."

The RAF tried to enter the cloud coming from Norway and an intense electrical storm dissuaded the pilot every time he got near."

"Sounds like the clouds are under conscious control."

"Our best guess as well."

"And that leaves us with…?"

"Pennsylvania, sir. Initial reports are: Two nights ago 15 houses were demolished, 76 people were killed, including 16 State Troopers. Last night 34 houses were destroyed, and we’ve counted another 54 dead, including 35 National Guardsmen at a checkpoint in the path the… being… is taken."

"Is there anything that the being could be heading for?"

"Well…"

"Spit it out!"

"The only thing we’ve been able to deduce… based on our reading and tangential extrapolation is…"

"Yes!?"

"A field in the State of Indiana."

"WHAT?"

"Our best guess related to the path is in Indiana, almost Indianapolis."

"OK, What the heck are you talking about? Give me the full story."

"Do you remember the archeological find there about twenty years ago?"

"Yes, I was a senator, then."

"The computer models indicated that there was a… massive battle… tens of thousands of years ago. Some scientists have theorized that the battle awakened the spark of intelligence in mankind. Humans went from being primitives to putting our first foot on the road to where we are now."

"And this… being… was somehow involved in this battle and is headed back there?"

"That is the working theory, sir. I know it’s kinda sketchy, sir."

"It’s better than nothing. Why…? Where does this being… go during the day? All of the attacks have been at night, haven’t they?"

"Yes, sir. We’ve been… unable to track the being except for the path that it leaves. It is somehow impervious to any satellites and surveillance planes."

"OK. Is there anything else?"

"Bigfoot, sir."

"Huh? Did you say Bigfoot?"

"Yes, sir. There are also about 30… bigfoot’s… running in the same direction. We project that they will end up in Pennsylvania as well."

"Has anyone tried to stop them?"

"Only the police of 6 states. It’s like when they were hiding from us before. If they don’t want to be seen, we can’t find them. They are running at over 60 miles an hour; and as usual, not leaving a single track. They are evading every barricade place in their path"

"OK. Anything else?"

"I think that about covers it, sir."

"OK. Stop hindering the Bigfoots. Leave them alone if they’re not hurting anyone. Maybe they can help with the thing somehow. Try to evacuate the citizens in the being’s path. Mobilize the Marines and Air Force. Track the ‘clouds’ only with the satellite; call off all aerial missions to inspect them. Declare martial law in all affected areas. And a state of Presidential emergency as well. That will be all. And thanks for your candor."

"Thank you, Mr. President, for not thinking of me as a fool."

"I only ask that every American does his best for his country. You have, for me, son. Send in the NSA advisor on your way out."

"Thank you and good bye, Mr. President."

"Mr. President, you asked to see me?"

"Come in, sit down. You’ve been briefed on the situation in Pennsylvania?"

"Yes, sir."

"I want the SkyCannon brought on line."

"Sir…? We don’t have a SkyCan…"

"Don’t bullshit me, son. I know what we have and don’t have. I want the anti-missile satellite brought on line and I want it placed under my direct control. Today. Now. Call your director right now and give him my orders. Now. While your doing that, I want the NSA assault team mobilized and placed under my control."

"We don’t have… Yes, sir." "Director? The President knows… He wants the SkyCannon placed under his control… I DIDN’T TELL HIM…He already knew about it! He also wants the assault team… Yes, he knew about them as well… placed under his control as well…OK… I’ll tell him… Good bye." " The Director has authorized the commands that you asked for. Control will be turned over to you within the hour."

"See that it is. Dismissed."

Peter awoke under a tree, his head throbbing. The throbbing was probably good because it distracted him from the pain of the scar on his chest. "Peter… Peter, wake up! We need to be out of here… Wake up!"

"I’m awake… Where are we?"

As near as I can tell, we’re in the same forest as we were before. But we seem to be on the other side of the mountain than we were. Notice the position of the sun."

"Uhnnnn, My head hurts… Like I had a bad dream…" Peter sat up and noticed the Ebon bow in his hand, the Golden Arrow in the other. He looked down at his chest and saw the scar that the Great Spirit had placed upon him. "Nope, it wasn’t a dream." Running a finger across the scar, Peter seemed to draw strength from it. "We have to go and fight the enemy, Uncle."

"You aren’t scared anymore, Peter Walkingsparrow?"

"Yes. But now I know my place in the great battle ahead.

"How are we going to get there, Peter?"

"The Great Spirit will provide for us Uncle." Peter stood up and started walking down through the trees to a nearby clearing. Standing Wolf came after, albeit slower. Peter entered the clearing and looked around. He raised two fingers to his lips and whistled. Again. The sound of hooves could be heard in the distance, getting nearer. Two large horses entered the clearing and walked directly up to Peter."

"I though you were scared of horses, Peter."

"The Great Spirit has provided us with a way to get to the battle. I am to be his weapon. My fear doesn’t matter anymore."

Continued in War of the Blood Gods #10

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