Email: Secretary of the Navy to Secretary of Defense:.
Top Secret: During the past four months attack submarines have on three separate occasions reported USOs moving in groups of up to six. This is a new development since all prior contacts have been of solo ones. Our marine consultant, Dr. Octavian feels that this suggests that the USOs are more likely a previously unknown natural biologic phenomenon rather than man-made. This would also coincide with my own thinking since our research on expanding the capabilities of our submarines does not come close to approaching what the USOs are capable of. It would require radical scientific breakthroughs by someone else which, from our intelligence sources, I do not believe any other country has achieved or is close to achieving. Unless one were to invoke the importation of extra-terrestrial technology.
Secretary of Defense to Secretary of the Navy:
Top Secret: I assume you are joking re extra-terrestrial technology.
Secretary of the Navy to Secretary of Defense:
Top Secret: Sorry. Bad joke.
Sears Institute.
“Carlos, at last we have use of the Institute’s unmanned deep sea submersible,” said Dr. Octavian. “But only for a month.”
“Of the ideas we’ve been tossing around, have you decided which one to use?” asked Carlos.
“Since our time is limited, I think the one you proposed, to send the sub to the depth where the USO’s cruise and have the sonar on the sub search for objects fitting the profile that the Navy provided.”
“And since the number one suspect is some form of marine life, possibly squids, and we know that squid fishermen attract Humboldt squids with light displays,” said Carlos. “I think we should borrow what they do.”
Yes, definitely. See if a towed light display will lure them within video range if that’s the case,” said Dr. Octavian.
“And keep the video cameras running at all times,” said Carlos, “Since we don’t know what, if anything, we’ll find. Or when.”
“Good idea. And just in time, since the Navy Department would like some progress.”
Jessica Turner.
“I’m so glad I came to visit, said Mrs. Elizabeth Turner. “I can’t believe how much Cecelia has changed since I last saw her. And that was only three months ago!”
“Her pediatrician is also surprised at her development, both language-wise and physically,” said Jessica. “At sixteen months she’s already as agile and active as any two year old and her language skills are off the chart.”
“It’s not surprising,” said Mrs. Turner. “After all, both you and Greg went to MIT.”
“Yes, but was I doing the things that Ceci is doing at this age?”
“Well, no. Actually you didn’t walk till 14 months.”
“And the Chao’s think that she’s quite ahead of where Greg was at sixteen months. They are happy that she’s becoming bilingual, and that she’s picking it up by herself. Mrs. Chao began with teaching her a few words every time they called and Ceci really took to it. Now Mrs. Chao talks to her in only Mandarin. And Ceci answers.”
Ceci’s voice came over the monitor from the bedroom, ‘Mommy, I woke up.” The screen showed her sitting up in her crib, holding her Teddy.
Elizabeth went into Ceci’s bedroom ahead of Jessica, “Ceci had good nap?” she cooed.
“Yes, Gramma, I had a good nap, now I want to get up,” said Ceci, holding up her arms to be lifted out of her crib.
The Squids
A small group of squids had been drawn by curiosity to follow the robotic Institute submarine with its towed light display that constantly repeated a series of flashes. Other submarines that they had previously encountered had not been lighted.
“small hard whale flash lights,” signaled Number 22. “say nothing. not like me-you talk.”
“no make sense,” agreed Number 9. “me-you follow. see if do more.”
The squids swam along, commenting until they became bored with the lack of any new activity and left. The submarine turned and tried to follow them, but the squids were faster and were soon gone out of range.
Wilhelm Octavian and Carlos leaned in towards the screens on board the surface sub-tender that followed the submersible. “Did you see the flashes of light that seemed to follow our display!?” asked Dr. Octavian. “Did we record them all?”
“They were a ways off, but yes,” said Carlos. “It’s too bad we couldn’t see what was responsible.”
“The sonar profiles fit the USO profiles. And there were five of them. We are so close to the answer!” said Dr. Octavian. “But we need definitive proof like visual evidence.”
For the rest of the week, the Institute submarine continued to tow the light display, but there were no further contacts since the same sequence of flashing was used and the squids had already investigated and decided that it was uninteresting.
“We’re drawing a blank now,” said Dr. Octavian, after the disappointing week.
“It did work at first,” said Carlos. “But now the USO’s seem to have lost interest.”
“You’re talking like we piqued their interest at first. Like they exhibited curiosity.”
“I guess I did. Whatever they are.”
The Long and The Short of It 