Inside the command hall of the British Special Guidance Headquarters for Security Assurance.
Personnel in either brown military uniforms or white shirts worked their consoles with grim focus, periodically calling out the information they had received.
The atmosphere was tense, solemn, and oppressive.
On the floor below them.
Senior officers led by General Peewood sat around a large round table, watching the satellite map on the big screen.
"The Atlantic Fleet has left the Firth of Clyde and is expected to reach the waters off Belfast in three hours!"
General Peewood and the others gave no response.
Northern Ireland and Scotland were separated only by the North Blue Strait.
At its narrowest point, it was only twenty-one kilometers wide; at its widest, it was less than two hundred kilometers across.
Converted, that was not even one hundred nautical miles.
For Britain's Royal Atlantic Fleet stationed at Faslane Port in Scotland, with a cruising speed of eighteen knots, it would take at most ten hours to reach Northern Ireland's coastline.
Of course, such a short distance also gave a major advantage to the mysterious enemy force occupying Belfast.
Thus, what General Peewood and the others were wary of was the possibility that the enemy would intercept their fleet at sea.
Fortunately, the Atlantic Fleet was quite formidable.
Centered around the Invincible-class light Aircraft Carrier Illustrious, it was accompanied by six destroyers, thirteen frigates, and four attack nuclear submarines.
Illustrious was also carrying a full complement of aircraft.
Nine Sea Harrier FA2 fighters, six Harrier GR9A fighters, six Poseidon HAS6 anti-submarine helicopters, and three Poseidon AEW.2 airborne early warning helicopters.
They believed they could contend with any opponent they encountered.
The only concern was that the enemy appeared to be extraterrestrials from another planet.
They might possess technology and weapons beyond this