They Live Among Us

 President Donald J. Trump woke to the insistent shoulder shaking of a Secret Service agent. He struggled to focus his eyes but knew immediately the gravity of the red light flashing over his bed.

  “Sir, we must go. There’s been a national security breach, and the Chiefs of Staff are already gathering in the command bunker.”

  The President dressed rapidly, peppering the agent with questions. Frustrated at his lack of information, he stormed towards the emergency elevator. The two men left at sub-level seven in moments, with the President leading the way. Two heavily armed soldiers opened the door, and the President sat at the head of a long table, brushing back his dyed hair that covered his bald spot.

  “Gentlemen, what in ham hock heaven is so dog gone important that I get dragged out of bed in the middle of the night?” The President’s voice was as smooth as butter on hotcakes, but everyone felt the steel edge beneath. “General Malaise, what have we got here?

  “Sir, we have a confirmed sighting of alien life forms.”

  “Confirmed? Where?”

  “Well, Niagara Falls, sir.”

  “Niagara Falls? What do you think, Admiral Neila? ET’s on a honeymoon?” He laughed at his joke, thinking he was the most humorous person on the planet, and the Admiral broke a knowing smile. “I have insisted all along that they are living among us. Why do you think I set up the Space Force?”

  “Well, sir, there is drone footage of the…ah…incursion.”

  “Drone, eh? Well, let’s see it then.”

  All eyes turned to the center of the conference table, where the footage began to play. The scene appeared in vivid, miniature 3D detail. They were looking at the outside of the electrical generator powered by the falls. Suddenly, a string of five “beings” descended to the scene on what appeared to be an invisible stairway. The men and women at the table leaned forward to scrutinize the scene. All the creatures swung their heads warily as if they knew they were vulnerable. They were humanoid in appearance, with leathery hairless hides and eyes that glowed an iridescent green. As they reached the heavy steel door, each seemed to walk effortlessly through it. The video ended, and all eyes turned to the President.

  He lowered his gaze and put a thoughtful finger to his lips as if quietly demanding silence. He squeezed his eyes shut, finally breaking the spell with a grunt.

  “Everyone in this room,” spoke the President as his eyes scanned each of those seated around the table, “knows that President Obama signed the “Observation Not Interaction” mandate in the secret 2019 session of the United Nations. This policy has served the world well for the last twenty-five years. The alien’s presence has been known for decades, yet the aliens have not violated this agreement! I would suggest that instead of worrying about protecting a waterfall, you worry about world peace instead.”

  General Malaise interrupted, “But sir, you understand that Niagara Falls generates over 5 billion kilowatts of energy annually to the East Coast?”

Ignoring the General’s facts, President Trump turned to the man seated to his left. “Major Malady, have you had any activity on the national security net?”

  “Well, no, sir, but that doesn’t mean incursions didn’t come from inside the net. We must take this threat seriously! If we go Code Yellow, then it might…”

  “No, sir! That won’t do at all. We have an alien presence inside the security net; they would be the first to know if the alarm sounded.” the President barked at the Major.

  “Admiral Neila, as the head of my new Space Force, I’d like to hear your opinion on this matter.”

  “Mr. President. As everyone here knows, the Space Force has maintained the security of this country against incursion from above. The aliens have never shown us aggressive tendencies, and I dare say they won’t start now. They must realize that with SpaceNet, successful invasion-oriented maneuvers are less likely to succeed. Far less than likely.” He looked directly at the President. “Drone recording utilizing holographic and playback is still in its infancy and vulnerable to manipulation. I suggest that we have a deep fake reproduction of an alien incursion. The motive is to disrupt the delicate balance we have worked so hard to maintain. I do not feel that this is a credible threat.”

  Raised voices shouted their objections, but the Admiral sat motionless, unmoving in his opinion. Suddenly, the red light in the ceiling began a silent on-off cadence, and a soothing digitized voice announced, “Converting to auxiliary power. Disruption in the power grid.”

  “What do you think about credible threats now, Admiral?” General Malaise shouted.

  During the confusion, the President pressed the button hidden discreetly beneath the table. The reinforced steel door swung open, and the two guards entered the room, standing inside the room with weapons across their chests. The President was already striding to the open door as he beckoned Admiral Neila to follow. He turned to the men in the room before the door closed behind him. “A moment’s private consultation with Admiral Neila, and we will return.”

  Turning to the two armed men standing at the ready outside of the door, the President of the United States of America gave an order. “No one leaves this room without my direct orders. No one! Understood?”

  “Yes, sir! They perfectly synched their robotic reply.

  The President was silent until the doors of the elevator slid smoothly shut.

  “What in the hell happened out there!” he growled.

  The Admiral of the Space Force hung his head. “I’m sorry, sir, someone neglected to activate their Holo blocker. I assure you it won’t happen again.”

  “Do you understand, Admiral, that this invasion is D-Day to the tenth power?”

  “Yes. Um. Yes, sir, I do.”

   “A moment, I remind you, that has been thousands of years in the making. The President was planning, waiting, and choosing the exact right moment. And finally, that moment is here. The last thing I need,” the President said as he turned and stared at the Admiral, his eyes flashing a distinctive iridescent green, the threat unveiled, “is to have to find a new leader of the Space Force!”

“The Space Force is the future of our military. We all know that it was aliens that caused Covid and Global warming, so I need someone who can help me Make America Great again. I have also been working on creating a secret panel of experts who can identify the aliens living among us in the Democratic Party.”