Life-Scientist Toni Morrell collected her daughter from the baby-sitter Jenny Morgan.

She parked her VW beetle up onto the curb outside on the tree-lined suburban street. 

"I'm so sorry - the traffic from the research center is unbelievable - I've seen nothing like it"

Jenny came forward and handed over the two year old to her mother as she stepped out of the car.

"It's okay...my Dad says that the president said that there is nothing to worry about"

Toni strapped her daughter into the child seat and closed the back door of the vehicle, "lets hope so...I just want to get home..."

VVV

 Toni's husband Ross Morrell, pulled his station-wagon into the underground car-lot of his building. The first thing his eyes focused on was at the vacant parking space - no VW beetle - meaning no Toni and Carla. His heart started to race as he slammed the car door and hurried towards the direction of the elevator.

VVV

Gillian Armstrong stood in the corridor waiting for her husband the President. Since being woken up in the early hours, when the original call came through about the UFO crisis, there had been one meeting after another, whether it was here at the White House, the Pentagon space center or at the senate office.

Now she herself had just watched her husband's broadcast informing the US public not to panic. One of Neil's closest aides, Robyn Colburn, came up the corridor in her pressed trouser-suit, "Mrs Armstrong, I think he has five minutes"

Gillian grabbed Robyn's arm and thanked her with a grateful smile, then hurried to the oval office door and knocked.

A tired looking Neil came to the door and immediately embraced his wife, "Ohhh Neil, do we really know that these..things...don't mean us any harm?", there was a trembling score in her voice.

Neil smiled warmly at her, "I prayer that is true...we've sent up airforce jets as you have seen, they have been completely de-ranged off course by a cosmic force that only could have come from that thing up there"

Gillian tried to calm her deep fears, "maybe... I suppose...that they would have blown us all up by now if they were hostile, wouldn't they?"

Neil kissed his wife on the forehead, "try to get some sleep honey...I'll call you later...and try not to worry, huh?"

She nodded as she slipped out of his arms and walked away from him.

VVV

Toni Morrell parked her VW beetle in the appartment basement car-lot. After snatching up Carla from the child seat, she hurried up to her appartment where Ross met her at the door. He rushed forward and pulled his family close to him in sheer relief, "Oh thank god...I just wanted us to be all together...."

Toni reached out and put a finger to his lips, "....less we are together.....if something bad happens"

Toni set Carla down in her cot and Ross placed his arms around her and kissed the back of her neck, "Nothing will happen....I'm sure of it"

VVV

Juliet Ryan paced up and down the carpet. She stared out of the bay window and turned to face her daughter in a sheer dither, "Maybe we should leave the city...everybody else on this street sure have"

Caitlin went over to her and sat her mother down onto the couch, "Mom...stop this...the president has told us not to panic, you heard him yourself...now just calm down...please"

Juliet nodded and looked at her, "Yes....I just need my pills"

VVV

Rosemary Kennedy watched the TV screen from where she stood at the window of her George town mansion.

Susan Feldman, the news reporter on screen stated, "the UFO over Washington is one of 50 around the world - it is still unclear what their intentions are - but be reasured that everything is being done to make sure that world safety comes first"

She turned away from the TV with her hands held together - images flashed up on screen again showing a UFO over various world cities, she then turned to see her husbands limousine pull up onto the gravel driveway outside.

She ran out of the front door and met him as he came out of the back of the limo. Senator Edward Kennedy grasped his wife's arms, "Hey...don't look so worried - you watched the President's broadcast didn't you not?"

Rosemary followed her husband back into the house, "It's Angela - I'm so worried about her Edward, she is still not home yet"

Edward pulled her closer to him trying to calm her shaking, "the President has given us some leave until something happens - and as for Angela, you know what our daughter is like - she can look after herself"

Rosemary set her chin onto her husbands shoulder, and opened her eyes to see the image on the TV screen. It was of the golden gate bridge in San Francisco and a UFO was passing over the top of it.

VVV

As the day wore on, the UFO's portrayed no immediate threat. Once stationary over the worlds major cities, the crafts settled still and did nothing more.

It seemed they were just hanging there waiting....

VVV

Sam Walker leapt onto his belcony of his Maryland appartment block. He was still half asleep from being woken up from his afternoon knap.

The piercing pulsing sound had evaded his ears, he turned and went back into his lounge, grabbing up the TV remote from his cluttered coffee table and switched the television on.

News reporter Kristine Walsh was on screen from the network studios in New York. 

"The pulsing sound is now global - it's as if each of the 50 ships are communicating with on another....", she touched her earpiece, "....and now I am being told that the ship over Washington has joined in this new development"

Sam scratched his head and went back out onto his belcony looking across to the UFO that sat over Washington"

VVV

Kristine Walsh's report continued on set as Caitlin sat at the dining room table doing her college assignment. Her mother Juliet was laid out on the couch in her dressing gown.

"....I am now being told that a human voice is being received on the international SOS frequency signal....."

Caitlin looked up to the TV from where she sat and chewed the top of her pen.

"I am now being told that the voice is speaking in English....", Kristine touched her earpiece again, "....no...I am now being corrected...it is in fact speaking in every known language around the world...."

VVV

Edward Kennedy slipped off his tie as his wife fixed him a drink, "the President has just called...all non urgent staff might get called in"

The concern was evident on Rosemary's face as she handed him his glass, "oh...I hope not Edward dear...I don't want to be left alone"

 Edward knocked back the whiskey and gave her a reasuring nod, "It's going to be fine...you just wait and see..."

Rosemary nodded and with the remote, turned the volume up on the TV. An alien voice was counting down from 20 to 1 in every known language across the planet.

Edward took hold of his wife's hand just as their daughter Angela hurried in through the front door.

Rosemary gasped, "thank the Lord - where were you - I have been so worried!"

Angela shook away her concern, "oh mom, I was just at Kerry's place", she sat in the armchair looking at the TV, "Shhhhush...listen"

The TV blared to life as the alien voice was broadcast, "citizens of the planet Earth we bring you greetings to all of man-kind. May I respectfully request your Secretary General of your United Nations come to the top of the UN building in New York at 0100 hours Greenwich meantime...thank you"

The mysterious alien voice was then silent, like it never was. The Kennedy family hugged eachother for comfort.

VVV

 Kath Wagner placed Sam Walkers meal down onto the kitchen table, "Have I missed much?"

Sam picked up his knife and fork, eyes still glued to the lounge TV, "No...not really....just speculation about what might happen in New York - Isaac Asimov was just on now..."

Kath sat down opposite him and lit up a cigarette - Sam turned around to see her trembling, so he placed his hand over hers across the table, "hey...it's going to be okay...relax"

Kath bravely smiled back at him, but it was far from what she was feeling deep down inside....

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX