The president was pacing back and forth in the oval office. This was an extremely trying decision. Although his top advisers and generals were all on hand and had weighed in, he sent them away to consider what they had said. After all, he was the one that had to make the final decision.
It was war with China either way, he knew that. Talk had proved futile. He refused to listen to their wild demands for concessions or aid. If he took the chance and launched a nuke he might be able to remove the hostile leadership and replace them with something more benign. The war could be quick and painless. Of course, he may not get them all. Or they may issue a counter-launch. US missiles could probably shoot down Chinese missiles, but it was by no means certain.
Otherwise it was a full-scale ground assault. China had invaded parts of India and while it was completely unsustainable territory for them to hold, they could make the US pay very dearly for every inch they gave up. India and the US had a treaty and the Americans were obligated to come to their rescue. It was a lose-lose.
He decided to risk it. He reached for the red phone on his desk when suddenly he heard a high pitched warbling sound above his desk. He looked up and saw a distorted image of a face hovering above it, flat like a projection.
"Security!" he bellowed, running for the door. It wouldn't budge. And nobody came.
"This will only take a moment Mr.president," the head said between a couple of racking coughs.
"Who are you? What do you want?" he responded, his back to the door and still trying to jam it open.
"I come to warn you," came the reply.
"The US does not give in to threats! Now tell me what you want!"
"I do not threaten you. I am here to warn you. My people live a galaxy away. We have searched for thousands of years to try and find another planet with life. Now, finally, we have found yours."
"Suuuure you did. And you just happen to be human too, huh?"
"Call this face a...disguise. We do not wish to alarm you."
"I don't believe a word of this nonsense."
The face sighed before saying "Very well," and the image changed. The creature's face closely resembled an elephant but with a shorter trunk, more pronounced mouth and bigger eyes. It also had a golden sheen. It was like nothing the president had ever seen.
"What...are you?" the president said shakily.
"We will say my race is similar to your mammals on Earth and leave it there, it would take too long to explain further and time is short."
"What..why?"
"I am the last of my race. We were coming to initiate first contact with you when a plague came across our world and decimated it. Some escaped to shuttles and made their way to space, hoping to wait it out. I am the only one left of that group. Communications have met with silence."
"That still doesn't answer why you're here."
"My race searched high and low throughout the universe for another sentient species in the universe. The only thing we ever found was a dead bacteria sample in a dead star system billions of light years away. Then we found you. When I am gone, you will be the only race of beings in the known universe with the capacity for thought. If you disappear, the universe will be silent again. That is my warning. Take care of your planet and its people. There aren't any other."
"Why don't you come here? Perhaps we help treat you."
"Thank you for your kindness. But I must remain on board my ship or risk transferring this sickness to you. In any case, my time is almost up. Consider what I said. Observe the fragility of life. You are the universe's representatives now...take care!"
With that the elephant man's breathing became shallow and raspy. He shut his eyes and his skin changed from golden to copper. The face continued to hang in space but it was completely immobile. He was gone.
The president was very still for several minutes. He went back to the red phone and looked at it. He turned towards the regular phone, picked up the receiver and said
"Get China on the line. We need to try talking again."
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