It had been a week since the shocking discovery of what had now been dubbed the 'silent fleet,' and the story was still burning up in all major and minor news outlets. Theories of the fleet's origins were widely speculated by the people. The US government, being the overachiever it was, had recalled its James Webb telescope to get live footage of the bodies and to learn of the members of the fleet's actual identities.
The one week of uncertainty was coming to an end today. As the Webb telescope neared the earth images of the people were sent back to Earth without wasting any time the images were shared through the temporary union of space study[UOSS]. Various government agencies began passing the images through their database
China found no match in their database making them heave a sigh of relief. They were now curious about which country the people belonged to. Europe and Russia came up with blanks too leaving the US only.
It came in a cramped, high-security briefing room buried deep in the heart of the Pentagon, presenting some of NASA's top men, along with the heads of the Department of Defense and the National Security Agency, and representatives of the FBI and CIA. They'd been waiting on this data all week, bracing for any clue that would end the growing mystery surrounding the Silent Fleet. But nobody was ready for what the analysts had found.
When he finally spoke, his voice was flat, visibly shaken. "We ran every possible check, cross-referencing against all public and classified databases. Each of the bodies in the Silent Fleet has been identified," he paused, looking over the room with barely concealed dread, "and every single one is a U.S. citizen."
There was a thick, heavy silence. A general shifted uncomfortably, his fingers tapping against his polished briefing folder, while the NASA official muttered, "That's impossible." Still, the analyst plunged ahead, speaking about how they'd matched the identities of every one of the bodies using old biometric data, personal records, and other indicators. And these weren't just any citizens either; most had significant connections with space research, government intelligence, or even with defense projects.
The CIA chief leaned forward, his eyes narrowing as if in a fight to grasp the meaning. "These people—when were they… when did they go missing?" He almost dreaded the response.
"They never did sir," the analyst said, "All of the people within the silent fleet are recorded as live people."
The NASA director rubbed his temples, trying to fit together what that would entail. Every body in orbit with the Silent Fleet was presumed alive, yet here they were, floating in space in what looked disturbingly like an unmarked burial in orbit.
Already, the mind of the FBI director coursed with the implications for national security. "How did this happen?" These were citizens who'd died quietly disappearances-events tragic, yes, but ordinary enough to avoid suspicion. It was now apparent that they were all part of something far more secretive, their deaths staged, their bodies somehow launched into space under a cloak of complete obscurity.
The Secretary of Defense leaned forward, breaking the silence. "If they're Americans, then someone put them there likely someone with abilities unseen before." The weight of what he said sank in, the implications of every word echoing in every mind around that table.
"Are we looking at a rogue program?" NASA's director asked, his voice tight with controlled fury. "Because if that's what this is, someone has been conducting missions under the table--missions that we have no oversight on.
Or worse, he said, the head of the NSA leaned back, a grim thought taking hold in his mind, someone within our government has been using classified assets to cover their tracks. He looked around the room, a flicker of unease dancing across his normally impassive face. *Who in the chain of command knew about this?* he wondered. *Who might have sanctioned it?*
The analyst's voice broke into their thoughts. "There's one more thing." She pulled up a close-up of one of the bodies in orbit, and the room got even colder. "Each and every one of them is recorded to be a resident of a specific area."
A murmur ran along the table. It wasn't just some rogue mission, but it was beginning to resemble an operation-one that had been orchestrated for years, preying upon their own citizens. If these people had been part of something larger, something covert, then the nation's deepest security layers had been compromised in a way the most chilling was imaginable.
The Secretary of Defense cleared his throat; his voice came out taut with restrained fury. "We keep this quiet," he ordered, his eyes locking in turn with each official. "Until we know who's behind this, we say nothing. And when we find them," he added, his voice dark, "we make sure this never happens again."
"Too late sir," one said, "Due to the silent fleet's popularity it would be impossible to keep this under wraps."
As the officials filed out of the room, there was a silent dread following them. They had just been through the uncovering of an illogical operation that went against every sense of duty they had. But they also knew that for now, they were to face it by themselves, for the Silent Fleet circled above them, casting with its secrets a shadow on every face present in that room.
"Wait! Get agents on that area investigating whatever happened, now!" The secretary of defense said.