Read Online Carinae Sector: 01 - Traders' Scourge - Part 2 - Maveen Offer by David Buck - Free Book Online Page B

reached a new level of understanding.
    No unilateral action by the US will be tolerated by us either in our waters or in our lands. This is now understood by our long time allies and we are working in a new direction with regards to dealing with these alien ships. We are proposing a joint science mission to the alien fleet, and four US scientists are already in the process of joining a suitable Australian support vessel that happened to be at the Abrolhos islands at this time.’
    A flurry of questions now came from the media with regards to the identity of the ship, with rumors that an alien had been rescued from the ocean, and was now on board the ship. The media contingent then all fell quiet as the prime minister continued on again.
    ‘Well I will confirm that the support vessel is an Australian civilian ship, the Aurora Discovery, captained by a Mr. Steve Greene. Mr. Greene recently retired from the Royal Australian Navy last year and now operates a marine contracting business between Australia and Malaysia. His ship is also contracted by our navy to support medical aid teams still operating in South East Asia. The other news I can confirm is that an injured alien in a space suit was rescued by Mr. Greene himself, and is currently being treated for both injuries and illnesses about their ship.’
    Another flurry of questions and speculation erupted from those assembled in front of the podium, and a rising crescendo of noise came from the news teams. The prime minister waited impassively until most of the noise had stopped before he spoke again.
    ‘Now we do not know if we are facing another pandemic, however rest assured we are doing all we can to manage this situation correctly. I would just like to say, I repeat, like to say, that we owe a real debt of gratitude to our fellow Australians out at the Abrolhos islands. We wish them luck, along with the US scientists, in their negotiations with the alien visitors.’
    The press release continued for several more minutes, and the prime minister stayed for an extended period for questions. He was aware that he needed to reassure the Australian population further as he answered the first question with what limited information he possessed.
     
                                                                ***
     
    Douglas Stoneham regarded the nearby Australian frigate with mixed feelings of acceptance and impatience. HMAS Melbourne had pulled over the Southern Cross halfway to the Abrolhos islands and the navy commander was busy speaking on the radio to the captain of the search and rescue boat. Douglas was grateful that the Australians had implemented quarantine of the islands, but he wanted to join Steve Greene and his associates on their ship as soon as possible.
    The problem that the commander of the Melbourne had was that the course the Southern Cross would take would place them too close to the two alien space ships that Douglas could see patrolling as cover for the main ship. Douglas knew that the much larger ship was now sitting alongside a small island just over the horizon, but for now he returned to studying the space ships in the air near the horizon again with a set of binoculars.
    He was continually amazed as he viewed the two space ships, so just how did they manage to fly so effortlessly without any wings at all? He considered once again the size of the space ships. Each one would have weighed as much as the nearby Anzac second generation frigate, but be nearly a third longer, with their sleek stepped bullet like hulls.
    Douglas knew that the technology of the ships really interested him, but he was well aware of his duty not just to the US government but to all mankind as well. He wanted all involved, including the aliens to be looked after properly despite calls from one of his team’s members for a combined Australian/US effort to just seize all the aliens and their ships. He had already had been