I thought you were objecting to the plan.”

“I did,” Debra replied. “But that didn’t mean I couldn’t participate. I don’t want to be here anymore than you guys do. I’ll help the team, if that’s what you’ve decided. We’re in this together, right?”

“Indeed.” Warren frowned. “Does anyone know how long we’ve been traveling?”

“Thirty minutes,” Jake said, “give or take.”

“Okay, depending on how fast their propulsion is, we may have another hour or so before we arrive at the larger object. I recommend you take this opportunity to get some rest.” Warren sat down and leaned against the wall. “Focus on the vibration. If you feel it stop, let us all know right away.”

“Are you people talking about violence?” The civilian with the phone stepped forward, looking desperate. His thin hair was sticking up, sprouting on his head like weeds. He wore a suit that was disheveled, the tie askew. “Because this sounds crazy! What’s even happening to us? Why were we taken? What’s going on?”

“Settle down,” Warren said. “We’re doing the best we can. Trust me, we’ll do everything in our power to keep you safe and get you home. But right now, you just need to sit down and remain calm. Okay?”

The man muttered something about the situation being unbelievable and stormed away. Dex shrugged and took up his own position, leaving Warren alone. He slid down the wall and stared out ahead of him, thinking of what might be happening on Earth. I hope you’re prepping the ship, Serling. You might have to launch without me.

 

***

 

“This is Dirk Reidel coming back to you with some updated information about the strange object currently orbiting our planet.” They’d been looping the information for almost an hour when someone finally brought him something new. Viewers had to be tired of listening to him reiterate the same stuff over and over.

Dirk quickly read over the page and his eyes widened involuntarily, a major faux pas for a newscaster. He cleared his throat and looked up into the camera, adopting his practiced, neutral expression. “We have eye witness reports and video footage of smaller objects entering Earth’s atmosphere. Furthermore, it seems the Agency has interacted with the object as well. Please have a look.”

He turned to the monitor to see them for himself, squinting to take in the round objects casually floating not even three hundred yards above the ground. “Sources state they measure seven-hundred square feet and are moving at approximately one hundred miles an hour. Dozens appeared over the United States with others in Europe, Australia, Russia and the Middle East.”

One of the interns tossed another sheet on his desk and he quickly read the information. “Oh my. We have many reports that state they saw the objects cast beams over vehicles and people on the streets. This might … I don’t want to jump to any conclusions, but they are either taking people somehow or … or killing them.”

It sounds a lot like alien abduction to me, He thought.