Legacy Of Korr Read Free Page A

signal one last time before he strode back to his office.
    Emily sat down and leaned back in her chair with a huge grin on her face. “Best day of my life!”
    *****
    Jackie Wheeler, the Minister for Defense, strolled through a long hallway in Capital Hill, where the Chief of Staff waited for her.
    “The Prime Minister is expecting you,” Andy said.
    “What’s so urgent?”
    “He didn’t tell me. I’m afraid it’s a need-to-know.”
    Her eyes narrowed. “It must be something if he didn’t tell you. All right, let’s get on with it.”
    Jackie followed him through Capital Hill to meet the Prime Minister (PM). An early morning meeting on such a short notice was odd. When it happened, they told her the reason for the visit in advance. This time, they didn’t give a reason, and her sources came back empty. Something unprecedented happened. What was the opposition up to now?
    Jackie was too busy contemplating plausible reasons for the meeting she didn’t notice they arrived at the PM’s office. Andy opened the door for her, and she forced a polite smile on her face and walked in.
    “Please take a seat,” the PM said.
    Mathew Collins, the Director of the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO), had joined the meeting. A pleasant surprise!
    She always felt uneasy around him. His presence confirmed her suspicions—something big had happened. Jackie exchanged greetings with Mathew, hoping her forced smile concealed her discomfort.
    “How far are we from having a functioning defensive shield?” The PM asked.
    “We have one.”
    Mathew’s eyes widened. “We do?”
    “Yes, but it’s still in the experimental stage because it needs to be tested for safety.”
    “So, it’s not ready?” Matthew asked.
    Jackie took a deep breath. “Our shield is functioning, and we can use it if needed. We need to do a few test runs to make sure it’s safe before we equip it on our vessels.”
    The PM leaned forward and clasped his hands, weaving his fingers together. “How long will it take?”
    Jackie tilted her head to face him and rested her chin on her hand. This meeting was worse than the Parliament session when the opposition grilled her over the army budget. “Six months, maybe less.”
    “Good to hear because Matt has major news,” the PM said.
    Wondering if Mathew would put his usual eerie silence aside for this, Jackie swung around to face him. “I hope it’s good news,” she said.
    “An alien ship landed in Perth last night.”
    Her jaw dropped. Mathew uttered the words as if he was describing last night’s dinner. If this conversation took place anywhere else, she would ask him to lay off the booze or have him committed. But hearing this statement from the ASIO Director had an ominous ring she couldn’t shake and left no place for doubt. Kudos to Matt for sticking to short statements though! Few people would have been able to do it, given the unbelievable event.
    “Get out!”
    Mathew didn’t say a word as if he’d expected her to take his word for it.
    “I should’ve had my tea before the meeting,” Jackie said.
    Mathew’s eyebrows lifted.
    “I haven’t had breakfast or tea.”
    The PM smiled, realizing Jackie was joking. He glanced at Mathew who maintained the same serious expression on his face.
    “It’s a good thing,” the PM said. “Think of how much we can learn from them.”
    Jackie sat back in her chair and put her right hand in her left and rubbed them against each other. “Aren’t you concerned?”
    “Of course. That’s why you’re here. We’re trying to come up with a plan. Matt’s agents will track down the aliens, establish contact, and bring them in. We’ve informed the CIA to coordinate our efforts. But we need you to be prepared.”
    Her eyes narrowed. “You mean if they’re hostile?”
    “Yes.”
    “What do we know about them?”
    Mathew handed her a thin file. “They’re advanced enough to travel through space. If we discover anything, you’ll be