Discovery

Nevada Area 18 Military Base.

Inside the control room for the imaging reconnaissance satellite, the photographs displayed across several large screens plunged the operating room into dead silence.

The screens vaguely showed a white object hurtling toward Earth, blazing like a meteor as powerful flames streamed from its thrusters.

The photographs were blurred by the intense flames, but based on its outline and the elongated trail of fire, they could still make out some of its original appearance! Several white-coated staff members specializing in aviation widened their eyes and rose to their feet, bracing their hands against the control desk.

"It's a spacecraft!"

"A small white spacecraft!"

"A science-fiction spacecraft!"

"A spacecraft capable of traveling through space—where did it come from?!"

"A spacecraft belonging to a civilization with interstellar travel has come to Earth."

"Humanity is not the only race in the universe. Some race has developed interstellar travel technology, and now they're coming to Earth."

In an instant, fervent excitement swept through the vast control room, and emotions surged.

Everyone was overwhelmed with excitement. They stared unblinkingly at the screens, their hands clenched into tight fists.

This was an unprecedented discovery, a great discovery of the century.

Within the boundless universe, humanity was not the only intelligent life. Other life existed.

And now, it was coming to Earth.

A white-coated staff member, his face flushed red, excitedly gave orders.

"Calculate where the spacecraft will land. This is a great discovery. Humanity's contact with the stars will begin with us!"

"A discovery worthy of being recorded in history."

"A discovery that will immortalize our names."

Every staff member was impassioned. They could practically see themselves becoming pioneers, uncovering unknown races from the starry skies for humanity.

Through them, humanity would take its first step into the endless stars.

Through them, humanity would take its first step toward contact with alien races.

Just as Armstrong had said upon stepping onto the moon on July 20, 1969: "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."

The brilliant starry sky was waiting for them to reach out to it. The unknown stirred their hearts like a devil, making them charge ahead like moths to a flame.

Working feverishly from the spacecraft's descent trajectory, the staff determined that it would crash into Sequoia Forest, three hundred kilometers away, before long.

Nevada was the driest state in the entire United States. More than half of its territory had a desert climate, and there were few places with large forests. Yet by coincidence, the spacecraft was going to crash into Sequoia Forest.

It was only three hundred kilometers away. It was as if fortune had dropped right onto their heads, and the entire control room erupted in cheers. If nothing unexpected happened, then within a few hours at most, they would be able to see the alien inside the spacecraft—and perhaps even study its spaceflight technology.

It was simply irresistible. They wanted to see everything.

Just as the control room's excitement reached a peak, a commanding voice brought it to an abrupt halt.

"Delete it."

General Vick, who had been standing tall in the control room, watching the large screens and the many staff members, spoke with authority.

General Vick was in his forties, a white man in his prime. He had a hawkish nose and eyes that carried both authority and ferocity. Judging by his imposing aura alone, anyone could tell he was a forceful man whose word was absolute.

The cheers in the control room stopped instantly. It became quiet enough to hear a pin drop. The staff members fell silent, unable to process what they had heard.

This was a great discovery. Why delete it?

Several quick-witted researchers turned pale.

General Vick was a hardline hawkish general, notorious even within the United States for his brutality. Most famously, during the Vietnam War, which ended in 1975 five years ago, dissatisfied with North Vietnam's victory, he had passed through villages while withdrawing and ordered the massacre of more than ten thousand people across several villages. He had once been brought before a military court, but in the end received only a token punishment to placate other countries and emerged unscathed. He was tyrannical to the extreme, his accumulated authority deeply ingrained.

By all reason, a matter as significant as discovering an alien spacecraft should have been reported to national defense, the national information department, and the president. That was the proper procedure.

Now, General Vick was ordering them to delete the information and records here. His intentions were obvious.

He wanted to keep all information about the alien spacecraft for himself!

The control room was silent enough to hear a pin drop. Without question, General Vick was the highest authority here. Within this military base, his word was law.

The staff exchanged looks, unsure what to do.

"General Vick, this isn't appropriate..."

A middle-aged researcher in a white coat, his forehead lined with wrinkles, spoke timidly. General Vick's authority was so overwhelming that beads of sweat had formed on his brow.

This brutal general seemed intent on covering up the discovery.

The control room fell into deathly silence. The excitement over discovering an alien spacecraft had vanished.

"Carry out the order, soldiers! Delete Observer 14's records."

Of the two colonels standing behind General Vick, one man and one woman, the man stepped forward. A fierce gleam flashed in his eyes as he swept his gaze over all the staff and issued the command in a low voice.

He was tall and powerfully built, with deep-set features characteristic of a European face, a hard, stern countenance, and calm eyes. In his military uniform, he stood half a head taller than General Vick before him, appearing robust, fierce, and intensely intimidating.

Colonel Slade Joseph Wilson, a vicious man who had likewise followed General Vick during the Vietnam War and massacred everyone in entire villages.

His gaze swept across everyone in the control room like blades in a cold wind, cutting straight into their hearts and chilling them to the bone.

Those with weaker nerves already felt their legs go weak and began to tremble.

They had no doubt that any act of defiance would bring terrifying consequences.

"I... understand, General Vick."

Trembling, the staff obeyed General Vick's orders and deleted the records of the alien spacecraft's discovery. At General Vick's command, they also slightly altered older records to replace today's timestamp.

"Everyone, rest assured. When the alien spacecraft is studied, there will be a place for all of you."

General Vick said this, then turned and left the control room with the two colonels.

At General Vick's words, the white-coated staff went ashen. They no longer had any freedom. Soon afterward, armed soldiers poured in and took up positions, making the atmosphere even heavier and more oppressive.

General Vick left the control room with heavy footsteps.

Colonel Slade followed behind him, with the other colonel, a blonde, blue-eyed woman, keeping pace at his side.

He was somewhat puzzled by General Vick's actions. As one of his trusted subordinates, sharing honor and disgrace with him, he would naturally support his actions. But privately withholding the discovery of an alien spacecraft was truly nerve-racking. The slightest mishap could result in punishment by the nation. The general and his colonels would all be treated as traitors, with nowhere in the entire United States for them to hide.

General Vick slowed his pace slightly, as though sensing Slade's troubled thoughts. His authoritative voice sounded again. "There won't be any problems. There are not many satellites capable of transmitting information in real time. The others are not in this direction, and as for the reconnaissance satellites that make repeated imaging passes, afterward I can dismiss it as a meteor."

Colonel Slade had no objection. He answered firmly, "The general's instructions are the direction of my unwavering actions." He was only a subordinate. All he needed to do was act.

General Vick nodded in satisfaction. After pondering for a moment, he said with sharp eyes, "What I'm about to tell you must remain confidential."

Colonel Slade raised an eyebrow slightly.

"This is not the first alien to come to Earth," General Vick said. "Area 51 lives up to its name."

Colonel Slade froze mid-step. Only after realizing what that meant did he hurry after General Vick.

It was truly shocking. Intelligent life beyond humanity had set foot on Earth long ago. What was even more surprising was that alien life capable of crossing and traveling through the stars had not destroyed humanity or enslaved it. No matter how he thought about it, it was astonishing.