Astronomicaly Problematic

A comedic Sci-Fi presidetial dilemma short story.

Astronomicaly problematic

***

Even though the streets were being showered by the clouds there was a lot of movement around the city. The drenched military men all around the secured area were all huffing and puffing, moving in artillery or setting up defenses. It was hard to concentrate on anything as the shouting of men, sounds of helicopters and the slamming of the metal against metal really sent your thoughts out through your ears.
Still the presidents work had to continue. The whole event looked more like a parade than a military preparation, if you don’t look at the terrible weather; the rows of armored men with their high tech machinery stretched all over the city, you couldn’t take a look outside without noticing the commotion.
The president was sitting in his office, papers flooding his desk and his cabinet waiting outside his door. He was thinking of what he had to say, do, answer and even think when the encounter will be upon him.
He glanced though the report on top of all the other papers that caused him to lose 2 of his 5 wished for sleeping hours. Not an hour goes by in his career without him needing to take some critical decision or action, it is either that or he has to go over his paperwork of which there is a supply dripping from every corner of his job. This was different though, he has only made two calls this morning compared to his usual of 12.
“Confidential…” The report read.
“Unidentified communications from surroundings of the moon…
“Communications request to talk to the one running the ‘United States of America’…
“No further communications where possible…”
This was not something he expected to happen in his career, but maybe it will help him salvage the way that the public see him. It has been pretty rough for him since his election with all the problems of the country accumulating and right as he stepped into office. He was regretting becoming the president; too much stress and too little appreciation. He expected to be loved for all his attempts and goals but all that that was hidden by the voices which stated all the wrongs that have pulled him down from good grace.
The weather outside just echoed the mood today. It was pouring rain, providing him with the sympathy he most longed for; at least Mother Nature could soothe him. He arrived wet and unsuspecting, but now he might be facing the extinction of not only his career, life, country and respect, it was also the whole planet he held in his responsibility sphere. He sensed two only outcomes; go into history as the man who held his own against an alien visit or the man who set an alien race against mankind. He couldn’t believe what he was facing at first but hours of sitting in his office forced him to face reality.
He was hearing whispers outside his office but he wasn’t sure if it was the stress or reality kicking in. The phone rang and it took quite the look from him at it to confirm that it was in actuality ringing.
At the press of a button words started spraying from the speaker, “Mister President, we are tracking an unidentified flying object just outside our atmosphere but it is not making any move yet. We are assuming it is waiting for something but we haven’t figured out-”
The communication was cut short and the office went dark. All that you could hear in the president’s office was the sound of rain pounding surfaces outside. The president arose from the chair to which he was attached to for the last 4 hours and took a look outside. No light, just the gray haze of the rain and faint blots representing the bodies and vehicles engaged in handling the situation.
He turned towards the flag in his office. He could hear the scattering outside but he knew no one could access the office door with the power gone, whether outside or inside.
I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
That was his promise and he was planning to keep it. He may have had shortcomings but he knew, deep inside, that he was able to revert.
The office lit up for a whole second and the world seemed to slow. After recovering from the blinding light the president turned the window again.
There it was; his destined demise or his saving grace. The ship was shaped like a lotus flower but more oval with the tips of the leaves facing the stern. It had no visible windows or even engines for that matter. The ship’s bright white exterior made it clearly visible from his window.
The office was filled with life once again by the power coming on and the phone started ringing again.
Not this time. I will handle this… Myself.
The president put up his most confident image and strode forward and through the door. Outside his cabinet was in an intimate discussion which none would grasp because of the cacophony caused by each member speaking at the same time. Whatever it was, he had bigger purposes in mind.
Walking through confidently with his cabinet pushing and stampeding behind him he was ready for the speech of his life. He was walking though the Diplomatic Reception room on his way out when his sixth sense started tingling.
A statement completely stopped the presidential clique in its tracks, “Excuse us, but are we in the right place?”
It was a very definite and confident voice, but it was not an accent anyone could recognize. The president, swinging his eyes around the room, was flabbergasted when he focused on the two anthropoid bodies standing by a couch at the edge of the round room.
“Our informant stated that this room was the one for visiting envoys,” continued one of the visitors. They were clad in suits, not space suits but what seemed to be business suits, blue business suits. Their skin reminded one of hardened mercury, and it seemed like they were made of metal.
The president took steps toward them. The rest of the cabinet seemed to be frozen in time while the visitors expected an answer.
Their pearl-like pupils floating in the complete black of their eyes were following the presidents movements with each step. Once in the middle of the room and directly in front of his guests the president started his speech.
“Greetings and yes, you are in the right place. I am…”
Hearing the introduction the two bald heads standing in front of him looked at each other, pleased it seemed.
“…we welcome you to our planet and hope your first visit will be-”
One of the grey men put up his hand halting the speech, “No, this isn’t our first visit. We have been around for about a few thousand years.”
Caught off guard the president quickly blurted out, “I am sorry, what?”
The other guest put his hand on the other’s shoulder and came forward, “We, our kind, have been here since about three thousand years ago, at least not directly on your planet. We have been waiting for you to discover more sophisticated technology before introducing you to the rest of the galaxy.”
The president’s face lit up like the finale of a fireworks show.
I am going to be the greatest president in history!
Unfortunately the fireworks inside of the presidents had abruptly stopped when the next statement was spoken.
“But that is not the reason for us being here for right now,” continued the grey man, “you must perceive that we get a lot of trade traffic through this area to the center of the galaxy and since you are the ones that have your logo on the debris hitting our shuttles we needed to come down here to discuss the problem you are causing us.”
The cabinet was coming back into reality and starting another cacophony of a discussion. Lighting stuck outside and the president remembered what the mood of the day was. Beautiful seas of sadness and regret.
It was at this moment he regretted approving the new NASA program. It was also at this exact moment that he knew his presidency was over.

***