37 The White House

——

July 5, 2019

Colorado Springs

Jack woke up next to his wife, Samantha, ready to start the day. After a pleasant night fishing with his buddies from work, he felt fulfilled and energetic. He sighed happily as he went downstairs to prepare breakfast. While gathering the ingredients for a delicious French toast, he decided to turn on the TV and watch the news.

After a short advertisement for a new season of Wormhole X-treme, a musical note played alongside an animation, signifying the continuation of today's news. On the screen, a handsome caster introduced himself and today's primary topic.

"Good Morning America, I'm Harlan Davidson with BFA News. Today, we're going to discuss the talk of the town, or more appropriately, the world! Yesterday, the President announced the existence of intelligent alien life on this new world, Gaerra. This officially marks the first time humanity has encountered such aliens, unless the government knows something we don't!" He laughed, joking at the possibility of alien conspiracists being correct.

The image of the newscaster faded away as the clips from yesterday's announcement came to view.

"In case you missed it, here are some of the highlights from President Keener's speech."

Jack, who was too busy setting up for his Fourth of July party, was incredulous that he had missed such a historical announcement. He nearly burnt his food, causing his wife to wake up and come down.

Both of them watched the clips intently, unable to believe that they were literally watching a talking humanoid cat give an interview. When the clip concluded, the caster listed some examples of food items discovered in Gaerra, with mouth-watering pictures sliding into the screen.

"This is one of the more popular dishes according to the noble folk we've talked to: Cav Steak. Usually served with a portion of local greens, bread, and a special sauce derived from unique, alien spices, the cav steak is a staple amongst the medieval nobles of this world. According to some reports from scientific expeditions in Gaerra, the meat itself tastes a bit like beef, but with an indiscernible taste to it. They also say that trade talks are commencing and we might see the introduction of this meat into high-end supermarkets initially, with projected prices past those of A6 Wagyu Beef.

We tried to get an exclusive interview with one of these scientists, but unfortunately we were turned away by the military. A transcript of the expedition's press release will be available on our website at BFS.com later tonight.

Another particularly succulent looking item from the Gaerran menu is this, the Kaltrian Freshwater Eel, similar to unagi…"

"So Mr. Ramsay, are you excited for your upcoming trip to this new world?"

"Oh, certainly. I've been asked to work with some of the scientists and experiment with the new food items that they've considered safe to eat. Over the course of two weeks, the personnel stationed there will be my test subjects, tasting the masterpieces I will perfect. These meals will be free of charge. Once my stay is over, President Keener has graciously allowed me to bring some of these new dishes over to my restaurants in Las Vegas."

"Sounds appetizing, Mr. Ramsay. I bet a lot of people watching this interview right now are wishing they could be one of those scientists!"

Gordon Ramsay nodded. "I can't say much, but I can say that we're getting a pretty good supply."

"That's wonderful news. Can you say what the prices in your restaurants might be?"

"That I can't say right now. My initial shipment of meat and spices will be free, but afterwards I'll need to pay the normal market price."

"Yeah, that makes sense. Well, if you're ever curious, be sure to check out Mr. Ramsay's restaurants in Las Vegas! These new menu items will debut by August, so plan your trips accordingly! Mr. Ramsay, thank you for doing this quick interview."

"Oh, it's my pleasure to be here. Have a good day, Mr. Davidson."

Harlan clasped his hands after saying farewell to the famous chef. "In other news, the United States government has received numerous requests for access to Gaerra by nations around the world. China is currently leading a loose coalition of countries under the U.N., hoping to pressure the United States into opening its borders for scientific expeditions and corporations. The response from the White House remains to be announced, but we at BFA were able to talk to an anonymous source. According to them, a few key American companies have already been selected to expand their enterprises into the new world.

The official response will be released by White House Press Secretary Alice Waltz later this evening.

After this short break, we will return to discuss SpaceX's rumored contracts and Russia's growing amiability and open mindedness with NATO."

Another musical note played as the camera panned away and the screen faded to black.

——

New York City

Ambassador Perry looked down at his wedding ring as he waited for the Sonarans and Mekkanese at the hotel lobby. He rubbed the ring, thinking about his wife, claimed years ago by cancer. He wondered if magic could've saved her; could she still be alive if the portal to Gaerra opened back in 2014?

The elevator ding brushed away these thoughts, although seeing Sera Sindis caused some memories regarding his wife to resurface. The resemblance is uncanny, he thought. Even the names: Sera and Sarah.

John sighed and took a deep breath before greeting the Sonarans and Mekkanese delegations.

"I hope you all enjoyed the fireworks last night," he smiled.

"It made me think of a constant siege," one of King Selios' knights commented.

"My, this amount of explosives could certainly scare away any army in Eanif!" King Selios added.

The Mekkanese on the other hand voiced simple opinions, with "indeed" and "it was quite nice" being common remarks.

"Well I'm glad everyone had a good time yesterday. Today will be a bit more serious. We will be flying to our nation's capital, Washington D.C., so you all may commence your scheduled meetings with the President. Now, before we leave, who here wants a jacket?"

Nearly everyone raised their hands, causing Ambassador Perry to chuckle. The last time they flew, only the Mekkanese desired jackets. The Sonarans rejected the offer of jackets, thinking such an offer I be ridiculous while the surrounding environment was baking under the scorching Nevada sun. Now, they've learned their lesson, as airplane flights can get very cold, with blankets provided during said flights usually being insufficient.

Despite the Mekkanese group's relative familiarity of flying, they were still amused by the various amenities provided by their private jet.

—

As the group settled in, Perry took a seat alone by a table so he could work on new documents regarding the integration of the Ecith Kingdom and Arasol Province as American territories. While analyzing details on the Arasol Province's population, he was interrupted by a woman who took the seat in front of him on the opposite side of the table.

"Hello Lady Sindis."

"Hi there Ambassador," she smiled.

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Can we talk about last night, when we were watching the fireworks together?"

"Uh, sure," John said with much uncertainty in his voice.

"Why didn't you tell me you were married!" She hissed, pointing at the ring on his finger. "Wasting my time, hmph!"

"I am sorry you feel that way, Miss Sindis. I actually used to be married, but my wife succumbed to cancer."

"Oh," Sera replied, now feeling embarrassed because of her small outburst. "I am sorry…"

"It is fine. In fact, I almost lost it, but thanks to you and your people, my government was able to rescue me back in Sorn."

Sera's mood lightened upon hearing this, glad that they could be of some use to these highly advanced and sophisticated foreigners.

Changing the topic, Ambassador Perry began describing the details regarding Sera's upcoming meeting. Once they arrived, the Mekkanese and Sonarans would be directed to the White House. Lodging more spacious than that of the hotel will be provided, causing Sera to sigh gratefully. With regards to the meeting itself, Perry listed several major topics that Sera and King Selios can expect, such as the recent land transfer, international politics in Gaerra, and magic.

Prion and Jean joined in after overhearing some of the topics; Jean was particularly interested in technology exchange.

He thus asked John about it, to which he replied, "I'm not at liberty to discuss our plans with regards to technology exchange." Upon seeing Jean frown slightly, he continued, "Don't worry, you'll find out about it in just a few hours. You all might want to head back to your seats. We're about to land."

On cue, the pilot announced their position and asked the passengers to put on their seatbelts. As the plane descended slowly, the pilot pointed out famous landmarks, such as the Washington monument and the Capitol building.

Sera, confused about the architecture, asked John, "Why do the buildings here look much older than the buildings in New York?"

Well-versed in historical knowledge of Washington D.C., John explained the architecture of the city. Some sections, as he pointed out, were modernized just like New York, albeit without the towering skyscrapers. Sera simply nodded in response.

The passengers then sat in silence, taking pictures of the scenery outside their windows with their newly acquired phones. Despite not knowing what the rest of the phone was capable of, they understood the basic functions of calling, texting, and taking pictures. The Mekkanese in particular learned quickly.

"Prion, if such high quality photos can be sourced from this puny device… What might a dedicated camera of theirs be capable of? I wager that their spy planes are able to produce excellent pictures," Jean said, remembering the drone video they watched weeks ago.

"Yes, yes. I will be sure to ask their leader about such technologies. We must make our shield technology as valuable as possible in their eyes: something they can't figure out on their own," Prion whispered.

Thinking back to the massacre they witnessed when the Americans brought fire and an entire mountainside down upon the Bractin Gang, Prion realized that the Americans have already witnessed their reactions. Indeed, the whole reason they were there was to flex their aerial capabilities and to see how they would react to an overwhelming display of firepower.

Prion continued, "Is there anything you would be willing to trade from the Artificers?"

The plane buckled, experiencing turbulence as it descended into a cloud. The Sonarans erupted into a small commotion before being calmed down by the attendants on the plane, who reassured them that the turbulence is the same thing they experienced during the flight to New York. Meanwhile, the Mekkanese continued their conversations and activities as if nothing had happened; they were used to rougher flights than the ones provided by the Americans.

"Ah, I just remembered that I have some recordings in my baggage."

"And you just remembered now? How did you become a third commander in the first place? How are we supposed to review our materials when we're about to land?" Prion hissed.

"Ah, do not worry Prion. I believe I can recall some of the Artificers' most incredible achievements. For example: they figured out how to miniaturize shield emitters into a small box!"

Prion smiled and nodded in satisfaction. "Yes, yes. As long as the Americans don't know about the Ancient Vaults, they'll never be able to learn how to make such barriers. Anything else?"

"They would certainly be interested in our WD Engines."

"Have they even seen our airships yet?" Prion wondered.

"Hm, I don't believe so. However, I think there might be some general information on our airships in the material I've brought."

"What if they think it is propaganda?"

"Eh," Jean shrugged. "It's up to them to believe it or not. The initial ancestors likely wouldn't believe it either, if they had our knowledge on scientific principles."

"True, I suppose. I wonder: shall we sell engines or the technology itself?"

"Either would probably be fine. Their aircraft seem to be quite heavy, and it stands to reason their engines consume a lot of fuel to provide enough lift for this heavy beast to fly," he said as he looked outside the window toward the plane's left wing and associated turbines. "We could probably inflate the prices of our blueprints and documents; I doubt they have the magical capacity to even make our WD engines in the first place. Nor can they study the Ruins."

Prion laughed and nodded his head. "Indeed! We can potentially come out of these negotiations with far more than expected!"

The two men laughed as their hopes swelled for an extremely productive relationship with the United States. Despite being on friendly terms, the Mekkanese were above all focused on their own prosperity, and thus were willing to take advantage of even their closest of allies, as evidenced in their disproportionally favorable trade deals with neighboring countries.

"A toast," Prion suggested, "to our newfound friends, and our ever-increasing prosperity!"

The two Mekkanese men hit their wine glasses together, a tradition remarkably similar to that of Earth society. An announcement interrupted their small celebration, prompting them to prepare for landing.

As the two men looked out their respective windows in order to watch the plane setting down, a hidden camera in an obscure corner of the plane traced their movements.

——

The White House

"Hmph, can't blame them for being businessmen I guess," President Keener remarked, his hand over a mouse as he rewound the recording.

CIA Director Samantha Gray, who sat next to him, nodded in agreement.

President Keener continued, "Would be real nice if we could get these into President Lin's office. Or President Ivanov for that matter." He then sighed as he shut off the laptop.

"I wish for the same thing, sir. Maybe some new toys from the Groom Lake Facility or even Site Beta One?" Samantha smirked, hoping to get a positive response from the President.

"Ha, in your dreams. Mike's got all of our scientists working full time on either reverse engineering the alien tech we've got, studying the stuff we found in Gaerra, studying that portal, or collaborating with the Sonarans on magic." President Keener analyzed Samantha's reaction. She nodded reluctantly. "Even then, I don't think we'd be able to appease the Chinese short of granting full access. And Mikhael, shit, he's a damn enigma. I mean, I'm glad his administration is opening up to NATO a bit, but I sure do wish the man himself was a bit more open, y'know?"

"On that I wholeheartedly agree, sir."

President Keener, satisfied with her response, continued, "I just got off the phone with Richard, General Harding, and also Tyler's guy, what's his name… well anyway he's the main candidate for the new Secretary of Science position. They've all suggested gestures of goodwill toward our closest allies, and even Russia, if China ever wants to bring this matter to the Security Council. For some reason, Richard is the most supportive of giving away some of our magical artifacts and alien biological samples. Secretary of Defense advocating for the release of precious defense secrets! Can you believe that?"

"No, sir."

"Neither did I, but he later explained his plan. Apparently, we've got a lot of minor magical artifacts, which give off very minimal readings on the new magic detectors. This stuff, alongside some samplings of Gaerran flora and fauna, would certainly be enough to satisfy our British brethren and the French. The Russians on the other hand… eh I'm not too certain. We could lift the rest of our sanctions on them, but this might arouse the suspicion of the Chinese. ESPECIALLY if all we're doing in response to their demands is giving away some insignificant materials for research and allowing more foreign scientific and exploration teams through to Gaerra. Eventually, the world's gonna call for an oversight committee… urgh." President Keener buried his face in his hands.

"I'm sure you'll figure everything out, sir," Samantha replied, trying her best to be supportive. As a former CIA operative, she was excellent with personal relations, particularly in seducing top officials around the world, but that time has long past. Additionally, none of her past experiences had anything to with emotional support. Her niece Sarah would probably know, but she's off on mission, probably socializing with the cat people right now.

The President's stressful state made her nervous. Thankfully, he recuperated quickly in order to answer a knock on the door. He answered and an aide appeared.

"Mr. President, the guests are a minute away."

"Alright, I'll be heading down to greet them. Give me a sec," he said as he turned around to relay the news to Samantha. "I've got to meet the Mekkanese and Sonarans now. Let me know if anything resurfaces in regard to our new acquaintances, and do look into the ancient vaults and ruins the Mekkanese spoke of. I'm guessing they're Homagus sites, so I'm giving you full access to the data we've got from Gaerra. Hopefully whatever you need will be in the 0.1% we've managed to analyze so far."

President Keener then exited the Oval Office and ventured toward the front of the White House, where he saw two columns of Marine guards and a lavish red carpet waiting to greet the first living aliens from another world. He straightened his tie, amused by the difference between reality and expectations. The first aliens to step foot into the White House looking, talking, and acting like humans? Incredible, he thought as a convoy of black vehicles pulled up.

It's time to make history once more.

——

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