“Ladies and gentlemen, the lighting of the Olympic flame. The symbolism is apt. The light of a torch can lead us out of a dark cave into safety. The light of a fire can protect us from the cold, and the light of knowledge, and imagination can lead us into a better future. Today is a day unlike any other in the history of mankind, because on this day mankind shall be offered an invitation into his own future. This day is predestined. Since before Homo Erectus stood upright on the plains of east Africa more than five million years ago, this day has been foreordained.”
At hearing these words, some of the faces of those standing behind the President grimace in bewilderment, as they wonder to themselves what he is talking about. As the President continues a few people in the crowd begin pointing at something in his direction, but most continue looking at him tentatively, perplexed by what their hearing. The Vice President, with a visibly pained expression on his face, cringes internally as the President continues.
“Sometimes in our life we meet someone who can help us through a difficult time, a friend whose experience and good advice can make a critical difference in our personal journey. For mankind, the time has come to make that new friend, a friend who can help us make the right choices to secure a peaceful, abundant future for ourselves, our children, and all posterity.”
As he continues more people in the crowd are pointing at something in the direction of the President, who along with all others behind him, is facing westward. From their point of view, it seems they’re just pointing at the President for some reason. As people in the President's entourage start looking at each other in embarrassed confusion, he continues speaking.
“Humanity’s long march through time has been seen, and known by others, others who have long ago faced challenges very much like the challenges that mankind is now facing.”
As more, and more people in the crowd point in the direction of the President, the Vice President finally turns and looks at the eastern sky. What he sees instantly seizes his attention. He looks at the full moon, and sees beside it, a circular object roughly half its size, but getting larger, and apparently in movement. As more and more people take notice of it, they are immediately transfixed by what they see, many giving voice to their curious amazement, wondering aloud what it could be. Still more become cognizant of the strange object, and an eerie silence comes over the crowd. Once as small as a point of light, it’s now as large as the full moon. The light it now emits is enough to brighten the landscape noticeably. All the while President Myers continues to speak, seemingly oblivious to what’s happening around him. As the object approaches, its color, at first a soft white, now changes to a rich lime green.
There’s no doubt that whatever it is, it’s getting closer. As it grows larger, it ominously starts to eclipse the full moon, and eventually completely blocks it from sight. A sense of apprehension begins to spread as people wonder if it will collide with the Earth. Could it be an asteroid? Its movement seems directed.
Vice President Scott Conner, along with others, watch as the object gets closer and closer, increasing in size until it finally stops, and astoundingly occupies a full quadrant, one quarter of the entire night sky. As more, and more people see something that no analogue in either their personal experience or collective history can describe or explain, a general sense of complete and overwhelming astonishment slowly grips all. Reaction to the presence of this enormous object varies from person to person. Some stare at it in rapt, incoherent amazement, some with tears flowing, some on their knees in earnest prayer, some with genuine fear, not knowing what might happen next. For others, what they see seems strangely beautiful, and powerfully compelling. A general tension in the air, as if waiting for a lightning strike, is palpably widespread. Just outside the stadium, several hundred feet away, a man proclaims he is the second coming of Jesus Christ, claiming his blood will cleanse the world then pulls out a hand gun and fatally shoots himself. Television crews that stopped what they were doing as they were swept up in the powerfully dramatic scene unfolding before them, now eagerly start filming again, feeding live images to a global audience. The object now being seen by over six hundred million human beings on four continents could be seen pulsing rhythmically, as if it were a living thing. Eventually most human activity comes to a complete stop, not only in and around the Olympic facilities, but throughout the city of Miami, most of the continental United States, South America, Europe, and Africa.
As unbelievable as it is, the President of the United States doesn’t bother to look at an object that now fully dominates a full quarter of the sky behind him. His words are reassuring, and at the same time completely inexplicable. His physical demeanor has not changed even slightly since he began speaking. As the President continues to speak, jet fighters can be seen rising in the sky. General Croft, still in contact with his base commanders, reluctantly interrupts his Commander in Chief, and urgently asks the President, “Mr. President, our commanders are asking for instruction.”