The MPs led Alec to the old storage room adjacent to Monty’s office. Mounds of military communications gear were strewn about in obvious haste. Against one wall, a portable computer desk that sported a strange device that looked like an old Teletype machine was winking and blinking in an impressive display of technological importance. General Gomez was sitting stiffly at a small table in the center of the room. Floating over the table in magnetic suspension was an apparatus that looked like a combined spotlight, microphone, and camera. The general waved Alec to the empty chair.
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"Well, …umm…Mr. Booner…Alec is it? Well, I understand that you were the one to first report seeing an alleged phenomena on the patio." Alec nodded. "So then, why don’t you tell me in your own words just what you think you saw, right from the very start. Everything you say will be recorded," the general said waving vaguely at the apparatus overhead. "That’s an Omnivore 90…like a camera, only more. We’re talking 90 frames a second here Alec. Got three of ‘em running right now watching the…umm…intrusion," the general said casually. "Now, umm…just tell me what you think you saw."
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Without hesitation, Alec described the encounter from the moment he started watching the sphere gliding in for a landing. The general listened intently and flashed her too-bright smile whenever Alec added details or his own interpretations.

"Ahhh, this has been so extremely helpful, Alec." the general pronounced when Alec had finished his account. "Now, just one more thing and then you can go home for the night. If anyone asks you about the affairs here today, you just tell them…umm, you are a witness in a…government matter...you are cooperating with us in an urgent investigation. Isn’t that so?" the general oozed as a glint of light flashed on a shiny military insignia that Alec judged to be just about at the apex of her ample, left breast.

Alec nodded into the daze from the hovering halogen illumination.

"Excellent," the general grinned. Now, just this simple form here," she murmured as a large document suddenly was pushed across the table at him. "Basically, Alec, this…umm…form just says that you are now covered by our Witness Protection Program. You promise not to talk about these events that you just described to me with anyone except Mr. Sturm, your employer. We are talking the highest levels of national security here, Alec, and I think you understand the importance of…umm… containing… ummm…keeping this all confidential for the time being."

"What if I were to just have a slip of the tongue and say something by accident to somebody, maybe my parents say?" Alec pressed.

"Well, that would be very serious," the glittering mouth across the table said. "We might have to…umm, yes, quarantine you or take you to court on espionage charges. You see, Alec, what we might have here is an utterly pernicious and insidious attack, or prelude of attack, from one of our country’s many enemies. Probably a new techno-terrorist group…we’re following up the leads fast on this. Right now, my brain boys think it’s an…umm…intermediated cyber intrusion. They tell me that as soon as we figure out how to disintermediate it, the damn thing will disintegrate into harmless photons." Suddenly, the general pounded her fist loudly on the table. "We’re talking, Alec, about a Code One Delta Orange situation here. Do you understand kid?"

Alec was about to say that he really was not a kid and that he really did not understand because the creature seemed friendly to him, but General Gomez suddenly leaned across the table and bore down on him. "You will cooperate, won’t you Alec? Just sign this little agreement that you won’t blab about government secrets. Then you’ll be on your way."

"You will give me a copy of this with my signature on it, yes?" Alec asked firmly.

"Umm…of course. Now just sign. I have a conference with the president in ten minutes, so we have to wrap this up now. OK?"
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