The Visitors, page 1

"Excuse me, are you Dr. Townes?" a rigid man in a full suit asked a middle aged gentleman.

"No, sir. I always wear a tie to class. That's him right there talking to the blue haired lady."

The man walked further into the university classroom while attending students exited. Three other men dressed similarly followed.

"Excuse me, Dr. Townes?"

"Give me just a second. Listen Beth, I don't think your so far behind that you can't get caught up with some tutoring. Contact William. He does group tutoring so it's not a one on one thing. I think you could be caught up in two weeks. Don't drop the class."

"Dr. Townes, I need a moment of your time please."

"Who are you? Are you a paying student?"

"Are you Dr. Alfred Howard Townes? With a PHD in genealogy and minors in..."

"Yes, I am and I don't need you to remind me what I specialize in. Are you a paying student?"

"Sir, I'm Special Agent Hendrick with the National Security Administration and these three gentlemen are my field associates."

"Ah, okay. I guess you have me at a disadvantage. National Security? Do they play left field or right field?"

"Left field or.....??? What? Listen Dr., these gentlemen assist me in data collection procedures. We need a moment of your time, sir. Immediately."

"Well, I'm not involved in anything top secret and I'm not interested in anything your selling. I'm a genealogy professor at this university and I am only available for paying students who attend my lectures. Have a good day."

"Sir, I don't think you understand. The President considers you the very best on the planet in your field and he requires your attendance."

"...the President?"

"Of the United States. Dr. Townes, you may not be involved in anything top secret but the President deals with top secret issues on a daily basis and he requires your attendance immediately."

"Why? I work here. It's the middle of the semester."

"The President will send a letter to the chancellor of this university. He can call the White House to verify it's authenticity. Sir, I have a Town Car waiting outside to rush you to McClellan Field. From there, you'll board a Chinook. You'll be transported to Lincoln AFB. You'll be suited up and you'll ride an F-16C to the required location. You can ask questions in the Town Car."

"Wait, hold on. I'm going to the White House?"

"You are being transported to an undisclosed location in the lower 48 for a matter pertaining to national security. Your attendance is required by the President of the United States, sir."

"Wait a minute. Just slow down."

"No time, sir. Move! Sparrow 2, Falcon 7, gopher on the crawl."

"(squawk) Flies in Charlie. Spraying. Fly through."

"Copy that. Thunder. Flip the whip."

"What are you saying?? I don't understand what....."

"FEDERAL AGENTS! CLEAR! Move, sir, move. Out the door. Middle car, get in! Watch your head. GO, GO, GO!"

Waling sirens and flashing blue LEDs consume the scene outside as bewildered students and staff try to make sense of what they are seeing.

Two black SUVs and one black Lincoln Town Car speed away with urgency. An unmarked black helicopter follows overhead with what appears to be masked snipers hanging out of either side.

"Okay, what the hell is happening? I'm just a genealogy professor."

"Sir, the President regards you as the best doctor of genealogy alive. Anywhere. Your DNA identification skills are unmatched by the federal government's most advanced super computers."

"Am I in trouble?"

"On the contrary, sir. Were're at the stadium. Keep your head down when you approach the Chinook. The blades are spinning."

"Ah, okay. Will do....."

Dr. Townes is whisked onto the Chinook and it lifts quickly, darting toward Lincoln AFB.

"Excuse me, do you know what's going on?" Dr. Townes yells over the engine whir.

"Sir, yes sir!"

"So, what the hell is going on?"

"Sir, I'm not authorized to share that information with you, sir."

"Well, who is?"

"Sir, nobody on this helo, sir."

"Am I in danger? Can you tell me that?"

"Sir, no sir. If you were in danger, you are not anymore, sir! You are under the protection of the United States Marine Corps as directed by the President of the United States of America, sir!"

"Are you taking me to Lincoln AFB?"

"Sir, if you say so, sir. He wants to go to Lincoln!"

"Your funny. Can I call my wife?"

"Sir, hell no, sir. Don't even try, sir. Please."

"I need to tell my wife what's going on."

"Hey Alfred?" a deep, commanding voice speaks from the front.

"Yes?"

"I'm Colonel Bradchik. Please stop talking to the Marines and please, PLEASE do not try to make a phone call before we get to the location."

"We are going to throw you on an F-16C. Your going to fly super sonic to Montana. If you touch any of the controls, the pilot is authorized to eject you. He's one of the Blue Angel's finest so just sit there and enjoy the view."

"Eject me?!?!"

"Just don't touch anything on the F-16C. Okay? Just stop talking. We can barely hear you anyway. Would you like some bottled water?"

"No, I'm fine."

The Chinook lands after 30 minutes of flight. Dr. Townes is rushed into a waiting room full of people.

"Hi."

"Yeah, what do you do?"

"I'm a genealogist for Garkin University-Science Division."

"I'm a nano-biologist."

"Meteorologist."

"Astrophysicist here."

"I'm a cashier at a grocery store. I don't know what I'm doing here."

"Your a WHAT? Huh, do you have any hobbies?"

"Yeah, I run a facebook group with over 250,000 members."

"That's a great story, kid. Do you remember what the group is about? Can you share?"

"It's a flat Earth.....thing. We talk about......"

"So, why do they want us? Aliens? Did ET finally find us? Or what....."

"$100.00 says no matter what this is about, we are all going to end up in Antarctica."

"I'm in because I am NOT going to no damn Antarctica. Hell no!"

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! Your attention, please! You will now be suited for flight on the F-16C. If you have never traveled at 1,000mph or been higher then 75,000 feet, this is your lucky day. Follow me, please!"

(To be continued?)