For a single instant, time was frozen, and then it shattered into a thousand pieces. Robert watched, stunned, as Susan stepped out of the helicopter. She stood there for a second, and then started toward Robert, but Monte Banks who was right behind her, grabbed her and held her back.
"Run, Robert! Run! They're going to kill you!"
Robert took a step toward her, and at that moment, General Milliard and Colonel Frank Johnson stepped out of the helicopter.
General Milliard said, "I'm here, Commander. I've kept my part of the bargain." He walked over to Robert and the woman in white. "I assume this is the eleventh witness. The missing alien. I'm sure we'll find her very interesting. So it's finally finished."
"Not yet. You said you would bring Janus."
"Oh, yes. Janus insisted on coming to see you."
Robert turned toward the helicopter. Admiral Whittaker was standing in the doorway.
"You asked to see me, Robert?"
Robert stared at him, unbelievingly, and there was a red film before his eyes. It was as though his world had collapsed. "No! Why ...? Why in God's name?"
The Admiral was moving toward him. "You don't understand, do you? You never did. You're worried about a few meaningless lives. We're worried about saving our world. This earth belongs to us, to do with as we please."
He turned to stare at the woman in white. "If you creatures want war, you're going to get war. And we'll beat you!" He turned back to Robert. "You betrayed me. You were my son. I let you take Edward's place. I gave you a chance to serve your country. And how did you repay me? You came whining to me to let you stay home so you could be with your wife." His voice was filled with contempt. "No son of mine would ever do that. I should have seen then how distorted your values were."
Robert stood there, immobile, too shocked to speak.
"I broke up your marriage because I still had faith in you, but ..."
"You broke up my ...?"
"Remember when the CIA sent you after the Fox? I arranged that. I hoped it would bring you to your senses. You failed because there was no Fox. I thought I had straightened you out, that you were one of us. And then you told me you were going to quit the Agency. That's when I knew you were no patriot, that you had to be eliminated, destroyed. But first you had to help us with our mission."
"Your mission? To kill all those innocent people? You're insane!"
"They had to be killed to stop them from spreading panic. We're ready now for the aliens. All we needed was a little more time, and you've given it to us."
The woman in white had stood there listening, saying nothing, but now her thoughts floated into the minds of those standing in the field. We have come here to prevent you from destroying your planet. We are all part of one universe. Look up.
Their heads turned toward the sky. There was an enormous white cloud overhead, and as they stared up at it, it seemed to change before their eyes. They were looking at a vision of a polar ice cap, and as they watched, it began to melt, and the water came pouring through the rivers and oceans of the world, flooding London and Los Angeles, New York, and Tokyo, and coastal cities around the world in a dizzying montage. The vision changed to an enormous vista of desolate farmlands, with crops burnt to cinders under a broiling, merciless sun, and the corpses of dead animals strewn across the landscape. The scene before their eyes changed again, and they saw riots in China, and famines in India, and a devastating nuclear war, and finally, people living in caves. The vision slowly disappeared.
There was a moment of awed silence. That is your future if you go on as you are.
Admiral Whittaker was the first to recover. "Mass hypnosis," he snapped. "I'm sure you can show us other interesting tricks." He moved toward the alien. "I'm taking you back to Washington with me. We have a lot of information to get from you." The Admiral looked at Robert. "You're finished." He turned to Frank Johnson. "Take care of him."
Colonel Johnson removed his pistol from his holster.
Susan broke away from Monte, and ran to Robert's side. "No!" she screamed.
"Kill him!" Admiral Whittaker said.
Colonel Johnson was pointing a gun at the Admiral. "Admiral -you're under arrest."
Admiral Whittaker was staring at him. "What ... What are you saying? I told you to kill him. You're one of us."
"You're wrong. I never have been. I infiltrated your organization a long time ago. I was looking for Commander Bellamy not to kill him, but to save him." He turned to Robert. "I'm sorry I couldn't get to you sooner."
Admiral Whittaker's face had turned ashen. "Then you'll be destroyed too. Nobody can stand in our way. Our organization ..."
"You no longer have an organization. At this moment, all the members are being rounded up. It's finished, Admiral."
Overhead, the sky seemed to be vibrating with light and sound. The huge mothership was floating down directly above them, bright green lights flashing from its interior. They stared in awe as they watched it land. A smaller spaceship appeared, and then another, and then two more and another two, until the sky seemed to be filled with them, and there was a great roar in the air that became a glorious music that echoed throughout the mountains. The door of the mothership opened and an alien appeared.
The woman in white turned to Robert. I am leaving now. She moved toward Admiral Whittaker, General Hilliard, and Monte Banks. You shall come with me.
Admiral Whittaker drew back. "No! I won't go!"
Yes. We will not hurt you. She held out her hand, and for an instant nothing happened. Then, as the others watched, the three men began slowly moving toward the spaceship in a hypnotic daze.
Admiral Whittaker screamed, "No!"
He was still screaming when the three men disappeared inside the spaceship.
The woman in white turned to the others. They will not be harmed. They have much to learn. When they have learned, they will be brought back here.
Susan was holding Robert tightly.
Tell people they must stop killing this planet, Robert. Make them understand.
"I'm only one man."
There are thousands of you. Every day your numbers grow. One day there will be millions, and you must all speak with one strong voice. Will you do it?
"I'll try. I'll try."
We are leaving now. But we will be watching you. And we will be back.
The woman in white turned and entered the mothership. The lights inside began to glow brighter and brighter, until they seemed to light up the entire sky. Suddenly, without warning, the mother-ship took off, followed by the smaller ships, until finally they all vanished from sight.
Tell the people they must stop killing the planet. Right, Robert thought. I know now what I'm going to do with the rest of my life.
He looked at Susan and smiled.
