note: sorry for indecisiveness, but I've decided I will post part II here because it seems more convenient. This prologue is sort of optional and different from the rest of the story.

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At the conference table, Michael cleared his throat, clasping his restless hands together so his nervousness didn't show. He took a deep breath before addressing the room.

"We have confirmation that the Species has infiltrated City 17. There's been an increased incidence of electromagnetic activity in the stratosphere. We believe their converts are herding large groups of people in enclosed spaces, then performing mass conversions. Frankly, things are looking dire, ma'am. They've permeated the barrier. Their technology is rapidly becoming more formidable—"

The president gave him a stern look. "Things will be fine. Put the city on lockdown and flood the streets with soldiers."

"Not more guards?" he asked uncertainly, his pen hovering over his notes.

She shook her head. "Ordinary police are useless here. We need soldiers programmed to kill. Most of those performing the conversions are young—teenagers and young adults, correct?"

"Right," Michael said. "The original abductees' bodies and brains were primed for the Species to use, while everyone else was not. We don't know exactly what that means yet, but it looks like they're using the abductees as pawns for all land operations."

"So we will find these rogue abductees. Right, General Everson?"

The General, the room's representative from the military, leaned forward. His grayed hair and beard gave him an air of wisdom. He spoke in a gruff voice, slowly, "Yes, President. All forces will be called to action. We will dispense battalions to march in the streets and sweep every home and business until all targets are neutralized."

President Kade turned to the medical representative, a recent replacement of Dr. VanderMeulen. She'd thought Van had been annoying, but this man was twice as much so.

"Once we capture some of the converts, I want your people to take them apart," she told him. "Find out what this Species"—she spat the word—"is doing to our kind."

"But first, we should do some living tests and interrogate them, right? Take some blood, spinal fluid, brain samples—"

This was one thing that annoyed her. Never carrying out orders with a simple okay or yes, ma'am—they always had to ask unnecessary questions.

"That's your department and your jurisdiction. Take some initiative instead of asking for permission for every little thing," she said derisively.

The room was quiet for a moment, oppressed by the threat of her vexation. She smiled, reveling in the power she had over people.

She'd been second to her brother for so long, her father's favorite and his heir as president in their dynasty. But he was gone now, and at last, she had inherited all of the power. She could feel it coursing through her in moments like these, when people acted so cautiously and submissively around her.

A woman named Pam Erickson, who dealt with the awful job of public relations, interrupted her musing. "So, the citizens—what would you like me to tell them?"

The president leaned back against her chair. "Tell them we're dealing with a terroristic threat. It's half true, anyway."

Michael spoke up meekly. "How long will we be under lockdown? And what do you intend to tell them after it's done? That you found the terrorist and everything is fine? What if this gets out of control?"

"Then we'll deal with it." She methodically met every set of eyes in the room, one by one. "Everything is under control. This is what you should tell anyone who asks. Including your families." Her voice was steady and convincing. "Because it's the truth. We cannot tell the public the details because it would sow panic and doubt in us. People would think we were a joke, telling them aliens have descended upon our city."

After a silence, Pam spoke up. "But surely people will begin to notice the flashes in the sky, or the people behaving so strangely—"

The President dropped her fist onto the table with a little too much force, making half of her audience jump. "We knew this was going to happen. We're prepared. This operation will be successful, and once we capture the abductees, the Species won't have any pawns left to play with. Maybe they'll finally face us themselves."

"Are you sure that's what we want?" Michael asked. "We have no idea what they're capable—"

"They'll take control over my dead body," she snapped, teeth grit, almost seething with anger. All heads turned as she suddenly stood, smiled viciously, and strode out of the room.

Michael stayed to gather her things as the others filed impatiently out of the room. It wasn't until someone awkwardly cleared their throat that he realized he wasn't alone.

Fischer, the new medical director, stood behind him. He spoke quietly, "I meant to inform the President that we captured one of the converted abductees alive."

Michael raised his eyebrows, turning to the man. "That's huge, Fischer! Why didn't you speak up during the conference?"

"It's complicated. It looks like this poor kid...well...it looks like the alien scrambled her brains so we couldn't study her. We were trying to interrogate her, but she just...collapsed. She's in a vegetative state now, completely unresponsive."

"That's not good," was all Michael could muster for a moment. He scratched his head. "We really have no idea what we're dealing with here, do we?"

"No," Fischer said gravely and left the room.

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[ I swear I'm going to try to write this one more quickly. I thought it'd be nice to get a look inside a meeting with the city's key players and how they're dealing with the alien invasion. ]