Chapter 132

Pluto

With repairs complete, Atlantis engaged her mighty shields in preparation for departure. Not since before the ancients had abandoned the great city had Atlantis been in such a fine state of repair. With the recent additions to Atlantis she and Borealis were once again similarly equipped. Time away from Pegasus while welcome, had the city sh.i.p.s crew on the edge of their seat in anticipation to return.

Maneuvering with elegance and grace, the towering city ship cleared her bonds, and moved closer to the energy screen separating the interior of Arkos station from space. Standing sentinel outside the station were the Aurora class vessels Senator Armstrong and Senator Michaels. Breaking free of the bonds of the station Atlantis began to maneuver away to her appointed location where the jump to hyperspace would be made.

"Are we ready for our return to Pegasus Radek" asked Woolsey.

"We are Mr. Woolsey. Atlantis will be piloting for the duration. It's good to finally have everything in working order" stated Radek.

"I'm sure you and your team are anxious to examine the Asgard and Furling databases also" said Woolsey.

"That we are. Thinking of what we may find in the Furling database kept me awake last night. This could potentially be very exciting" replied a most excited Radek.

In the distance a hyperspace window tore open. Exiting this window was the Athena, with an object in tow. Thirty seconds later Athena and Atlantis glided past one another. Woolsey and Zelenka standing in the control room looked out the open balcony doors at the vessel as she slipped past.

"Radek, please correct me if I'm wrong. Was that vessel towing an Ori mothership" asked a confused Woolsey.

Air Force One

Thirty eight thousand feet above the Kansas prairie the silver, blue, and white livery of Air Force one was aloft. The four General Electric turbofan engines propelled the converted 747 towards its destination at five hundred and sixty miles per hour. Inside the luxuriously appointed aircraft was the President, and members of his staff along with a key advisor.

While staff members went over the President's on the ground itinerary in the main conference room, the head of state sat in his office. Within this Oval Office in the sky a discussion was taking place that had ramifications for all mankind. Simultaneously, within the Pentagon a similar working group was having a very similar discussion with members of the military and several government agencies in attendance.

"Level with me Paul, where are we at" said President Henry Hayes.

"The intelligence estimates speak for themselves Mr. President. On one hand we have the best case scenario, where a post disclosure world joins together and humanity embraces a common cause. On the other hand we have bedlam and chaos, with religious fundamentalists taking arms and a total breakdown of social order. With the number of unknown variables at play it's difficult to really asses the impact disclosure will have" replied Lieutenant Colonel Davis.

"What of the test cases I authorized" the President asked.

"As you know, we've been conducting several evaluation test cases per your authorization. The test group is divided into civilian and military groups, covering the gamut of age ranges, socioeconomic background, educational background, and religious preference. Between both groups the single most accepting of the information provided were males between eighteen and twenty five. The single least cooperative demographic appears to be males thirty three to forty five, with no college education, and a devout religious background. Doctor McKay's briefing will provide a base line of acceptance from the academic community, but predictions favor a positive outlook" stated Davis.

"We can't afford any revolt following disclosure. The legacy of this administration cannot be a world uprising, and toppled governments. Where do we stand with the countermeasure to prevent disaster" asked Hayes.

"We've had a great deal of success on that front Mr. President. Technicians at Area fifty one have managed to reprogram the device, and built in a number of safeguards into the programming to prevent any foreseen eventuality. Seventy six of the eighty two satellites needed for global coverage are in place now, and the final six will be on station in the next twenty four hours. Upon activation, global saturation will be complete within five seconds. The secondary failsafe is in place, with National Guard, Reserve, and active duty military participating with the FBI, Home Land Security, and local law enforcement in a crisis management exercise in all fifty states. We're calling the exercise Epic Protector" stated Davis.

"I have my reservations about making use of this device, but with what is at stake I am forced to place my reservations to the wayside for the greater good. The public outcry from pulling out of the Treaty on Principles of Governing Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space is just beginning to gain steam. Our only saving grace lays in the fact that all nations participating in the program also nullified the treaty. We've violated that treaty for so many years simply by placing nuclear weapons on our sh.i.p.s among other things that it seemed like a must do. Atleast the public can't demand my impeachment over weapons of mass destruction in space" said Hayes with a smirk.

"We estimate the fallout from pulling out of the treaty should be minimized with the declassification of the F-302. Air Force Space Command, along with officers from the Russian, Chinese, French, British, and Japanese militaries are having that press conference now. We're labeling it as a joint endeavor for acceptance sake. Aviation Week is doing a write up on it as well, and that should translate well into the blogosphere" said Davis.

"Let's just hope the world is ready for what we're going to lay on them" concluded Hayes.