The Landed Man Part 1

Capitol city was in a high state of patriotic excitement.

Headlines flashed on a million TV screens

"President Confronts Enemy At Global Conference."

Outside of the Capital building, in the public square, a vast crowd of people assembled, in support, and waited for the President to return.

The President, when elected, had brought hope and change to the people.

Women were drawn to his strong, sleek structure and the confident way he spoke. Men admired him and were inspired by him. He was considered a very progressive man. Full of ideas and knowledge most of the time far beyond the scope of normal men. His politics were no less than brilliantly effective and his foreign relations were extraordinary.

"Our nation is the most powerful nation in the world and we will not back down."

He said that many times.

As the President's limo approached the square the crowd of people began to strain their necks to catch a glimpse. A small group of protestors tried to make their way to the limo.

"You will kill us all." one screamed.

"The end is near." Yelled another.

"Bringer of the Apocalypse." Screamed yet another protestor.

But, before they could reach the limo they were beaten down and removed from the square by police guards.

The crowd cheered and waved little flags as the President's limo slowly pulled through the square and through the iron gates leading into the base of the capitol building, a gigantic slab of marble. It's sheer, glistening walls towering hundreds of feet above the heads in the public square.

The President was a celebrity and regularly featured in the tabloids.

He was a mysterious man well guarded and very private with his private life. His age was not known and although he had youthful features he sometimes appeared very old. There were many rumors about his health since it was reported that each night he slept in a strange chamber with tubes and dials. It was reported to be some form of incubator, made from his own design, that helped his body regenerate while he slept. It was also known that the President had an adversity to the outdoors and was always shaded from the sun. He often wore sunglasses, his eyes weak against harsh light. Sometimes in dim light he would remove his sunglasses and reveal piercing eyes, gray opal eyes, that often brought chills to those he gazed upon.

As nighttime fell upon capitol city, the President stood at a window in his office located at the very top of the capitol building. He gazed out over the city at the lofty skyscrapers and broad highways. The city lights spiraled and were stringed across the skyline lighting it like a jewel. For several minutes he stood at the window of his darkened office and contemplated many things. Anticipation rattled his nerves.

"Hello, Mister President." an unknown voice called out to him.

The President, startled, turned around and searched the darkness.

A man appeared from a curtain of shadow. The President recognized the man as a journalist, one of many, that followed him.

"Do you mind if I have an interview Mister President?" The man said.

The President became very uneasy by the man's presence and was not in the mood for an unannounced interview.

"How did you get in here?" The President said and quickly called for his guards to remove the man. When the guards entered they lit the room and searched every inch but, could not find the man. When the president was sure the man was gone he dismissed his guards. When he was alone again the voice came back.

"I would like to ask you a few questions mister President."

Without hesitation the President went to call for the guards again but, the man interrupted and said.

"You can call the guards but, I will only disappear again and, I will come back. I will keep coming back until you grant me this interview."

The President was very tense, He stared at this man and felt great hatred build within his being. He had wanted to be alone to collect his thoughts and prepare for the plans that were to soon be set into motion but, he believed what the intruder said and he believed that if he granted the interview the journalist would leave.

"I'll give you three minutes." The president said.

The intruder smirked and walked over to a telescope that stood in front of a window. He looked into the telescope and for a few moments seemed to be studying what he saw. "Mr President' the intruder said. 'Do you believe there is life out there? In space, I mean."

The president braced himself and then said.

"I wouldn't know, my concerns are here with the people of this nation and of this world."

The journalist wasn't satisfied with this answer but, kept it to himself.

"Sure, mister President." he said.

The journalist then began to wander around the office looking at the random official relics that decorated the President's presidential office.

"Mister President..' the journalist said. 'the people of this nation look up to you as the greatest leader they have ever known. They blindly follow you and to them you have become a certain type of Prometheus. A world, a nation who once never knew of war is now engulfed in one. Weapons of apocalyptic destruction once unknown to a race of men is now threatening to destroy those men. Your contributions to mankind have been many. Maybe, too many."

The president became even more uneasy.

"Your time is almost up." He said to the journalist, and in a tone to ease his own nerves said. "and, this isn't much of an interview."

The journalist perked up at this and said. "Well then, mister President let me ask you. Isn't it true that our enemy, as we speak, are preparing to engage our nation in nuclear war. A war that would no doubt wipe the world's surface clean of all races of men?"

"That is not true." The president said. "The people of this nation, as well as all the people of the world are safe from a nuclear war. I've made sure of that."

The hatred for this man grew more and more and the president stared at this man wondering why. Why was this man asking these questions? How could he possibly know these things? What more did he know? This man made the President very anxious and his nerves were humming.

"Your time is up now. You must go, I am a very busy man."

The journalist ignored the president and approached his desk and stared at it's dark wood.

"You must leave." The president repeated.

But, instead of leaving the man began to open a drawer in the President's desk.

Suddenly, the president grabbed his arm and with great anger began to shake the man's arm but, in an instant the man was gone and the president found himself alone thrashing about gripping only onto air. The President stopped and examined the shadows around him in disbelief. The intruder had certainly made him nervous and on edge but, as he stood there alone and silent in his darkened office he began to wonder if there had actually been an intruder at all. He thought maybe it had been just a dream of even a hallucination brought on by his acute anxiety.

He looked at his watch. It was time.

Before the President became leader of the free world he was a man of science and enterprise. Many corporations were made in his name and from his innovations industry flourished. He had been a very wealthy man and with wealth came power. Citizens of the nation adored and admired this man even before they had made him their President. He, as the choice of the people was unavoidable since, it seemed, no other candidate could match him in wit and intelligence. Through enriching the lives of his fellow citizen's with an extraordinary knowledge of chemistry, biology, and computer technology, he was celebrated and honored and great monuments were erected for him. Just a few miles from the capitol building one particular monument stood. The President himself had built this monument and it was dedicated to all the citizens of capitol city. It was made of a unique polymetal, much stronger than regular metals and very difficult to produce. It had a bizarre, intricate design that baffled most people, but, never the less was considered high art and most citizen's would argue that it was the most magnificent monument ever known in the history of the world. A monument meant to last for aeons, a symbol, to the citizens, of capitol city's immortality. It was at this monument that the president had stolen away to in the dead of the night. With great stealth and unknown to all, even his guards, the president approached the monument and entered a secret, hidden door, completely invisible to any observer even at close inspection, on the side and within a crevice of the jagged design. Without the slightest suspicion the President, like a thief in the night, had escaped from the city and the world and was completely sealed and sheltered within this monument that was actually a bunker. Without the slightest suspicion or so he thought for, in the shadows that circled the monument two eyes were held in an ominous stare and watched as the monument opened to receive the President.