SFSD X

Contact (6.2)

Nuclear missiles flashed across space from west to east in beautiful symmetry. Cities and armed installations exploded with satisfying bursts of red light.

General Parker Rodriguez watched the latest demonstration from the Strategic Defense Initiative with deep satisfaction. It wasn't real, of course. The IBMs were merely laser beams, standing in for their deadly cousins, but the weapons they represented were real enough.

Previous governments had tried to bury the SDI project but he was one of the few who knew it was still active. Active, with hundreds of people working silently behind the scenes to protect America and indeed, the entire planet. Rodriguez knew because he was currently the man in charge. Ostensibly the missile network was designed to counter a potential attack from a rival nation, which was still a possibility (though rather remote at this current time), but Rodriguez had a larger objective in mind.

Sooner or later, Earth would come under attack from another species. Invaders from outer space. Aliens. He knew that, as well as he knew the sun would rise tomorrow. Earth would come under attack and they would have to be ready, ready to defend themselves and fight for their lives.

Occasionally he allowed himself to speculate as to what form the Aliens would take. Would they be those small grey humanoid shapes with huge eyes that featured so heavily in science fiction? Was it possible they had already paid a visit to Earth, perhaps far enough back in Earth's past to provide a "race memory"? For a moment he could almost see them, shadowy shapes exploring the planet, ignoring the amazed stares of primitive Neanderthals.

He laughed disparagingly at his own fancy. No, far more likely they would be cyborgs—hi-tech metal robots—laying the planet waste from armed ships in the skies before descending to wipe out the last few cells of human resistance.

He laughed at himself again. Too much imagination, that was his problem. But though he didn't believe for one second in the existence of flying saucers with little green men conducting random anal probes, he still knew that Aliens were out there. Somewhere. And that one day, they would come.

And he was making damn sure that Earth was going to be as ready as possible.

~~~

Once a week, Rodriguez ate his lunch in the employee canteen, choosing a different group to sit with each time. He had to admit, it had taken him a while to adjust to civilian protocols. The majority of staff were not military and had to be treated differently than troops who were trained to obey orders. As well as helping him get to know his staff, Rodriguez found that the weekly visit helped keep his finger on the project's pulse. If the mood was upbeat, he could relax—if it was morose, he could take action to try and turn things around.

He entered the canteen and cast a quick look around as he always did, checking who was present and who was not. A group of young men was clustered around a table, peering over the shoulder of one of the tech assistants who had his tablet out in front of him. Rodriguez wandered over to join them.

"Anything interesting?" he asked, careful to sound casual.

"It's just that new dating site, sir. Contact. Manning here has got to the third step and we're all waiting to see what she looks like." The speaker turned back to peer over Manning's shoulder again. A couple of the men whistled as a beautiful young woman appeared on the screen. She had long blond hair, wide blue eyes and—apparently—large breasts.

Rodiguez looked doubtfully at the rather ordinary young man who was already flushed and grinning.

"It's a scam!" said one of his friends, scornfully. "You can't tell me a girl like that would be interested in you."

"No, it's real," said another, in earnest tones. "My brother went through the site and found his current girlfriend. She's a real stunner, and not only that, she likes baseball. I mean really likes it. She says she'd rather go to a match with Darryl than go to a movie."

"Go on! He just got lucky." The doubter wasn't convinced. "I bet they pay them to go out with guys a few times. You'll see, they'll break up after a week or two."

"Well, I wouldn't complain," laughed one. "Not if mine looked like that!"

Rodriguez joined in the laughter, but he couldn't help agreeing with the doubter, it did all sound a bit too good to be true. Still, he didn't have time to wonder about dating sites, he had a military project to finish.