First Signal

John F. Kennedy

A global conflict is coming. When President Helen Colton (Wendy Hartman) arrived at the G-7 summit in Brussels, Belgium she was facing an international crisis with Russia's annexation of Crimea. But no sooner did she land when Elisabeth Seward (Stephanie Eaton), her National Security Advisor, informed her that General John Reager (Paul Noonan), the Commander of Air Force Space Command, wanted an immediate unscheduled meeting.As Colton and Seward secretly descend into a nearby bunker, Reager is reviewing the slide presentation he is about to give to the leader of the free world with the assistance of Major Ellen Sampson (Patience McStravick) of Space and Missile Systems Center. But just as Reager advises Sampson on the nuances of Presidential diplomacy, their stoic world is interrupted by Cedric Yonah (Conor Timmis), accompanied by James Griffin (Chris Goodwin). Incensed by the intrusion of a civilian, Reager's start of an interrogation falls short when Colton arrives and takes command of the moment.Awkward introductions present Yonah as a science advisor to Colton. But Reager immediately locks horns with the mysterious Yonah who comes across as neither present nor absent. Was it Yonah's mid-thirties looks, Nehru styled suit and flagrant disrespect that bothered Reager or was it is Reager's four-star uniform that represented military power and overconfidence that offset Yonah? With time short Colton instructs Reager to get on with his presentation. In military precision with each passing slide, Reager builds to the moment of revelation - an alien satellite is parked at LaGrange Point 2 (a point in space where the gravity of moon, earth and sun creates an equilibrium point and allows a satellite to just hang there and observe the 2 space bodies). Discovered when Sampson's unit intercepted an alien signal through a military satellite (coming from LaGrange Point 2), the decoded signal reveals all Earth orbiting satellites (3500 satellites orbiting the Earth, plus over 500,000 pieces of space debris), military and civilian air traffic (more than 100,000 flights each yr) and weather forecasting models. But its greatest reveal-a flight plan of an unknown aircraft. The aliens are already here. Reagar reveals that he had sent an experimental spacecraft towards LaGrange 2, which took pics of the extra-terrestrial satellite sending the signal. But the satellite retreated (it had anti gravity propulsion systems) when the earth space craft approached, and is untraceable since then. All this happened in Aug, its June of the following yr now.James Griffin leaves the meeting at this point. Shocked by its revelation, Colton's attempts to learn more results in a confrontation between Reager and Yonah who are both protecting their worlds. Ellen continues to say that the alien satellite continues to send signals via x-ray transmission to Earth. These signals terminated in the Atlantic ocean and have no apparent receiver. Yonah argues that the alien craft could have been in orbit for a yr or for a 1000 yrs. But what world is Yonah protecting? When an exasperated Reager literally orders Colton to sign a worldwide surveillance order to track down this alien presence, Yonah erupts into an impassioned plea citing world history and the oppression of millions based on fear of the unknown. Reager argues that the war has already begun, while Yonah argues that the aliens are simply watching the humans. So this is a time for observation and learning, not war. The speech falls cold on Reager who dismisses Yonah as a pacifist. A reluctant Colton signs OPERATION Troy giving Reager near unlimited resources and funding to identify this alien threat. Upon signing, it's Seward and Sampson that see Yonah go blank as he relives the horrors and sounds of a war fought over seventy years ago-a war he was in.As the meeting disbands, a dejected Yonah accepts a ride by an empathetic Sampson under a previous order by Reager to learn more about him. As Reager leaves, Colton finds herself alone with Seward and informs her that she's been aware of an alien presence on Earth since she assumed office. A stunned Seward follows Colton's instructions to have two other world leaders (Prime Minister Allison Colby (Lindy Nettleton) of the UK and President Sergei Tupolov (Yefim Somin) of Russia) join her to implement a plan to stop Reager before he inadvertently starts a war of biblical proportions. She says she signed the order as she feared a plot by Reager to use this ploy to wrest military control away from civilian hands. Colton reveals that she knew Yonah is an alien and has been on Earth for several yrs. Colton knows that both sides of the conflict now know each other and are set for conflict. She also knows that public opinion is against the aliens, even if the aliens have been humanity's friend for decades (and across the 2 world wars).. Colton tries to figure out how to support the aliens without letting Hadrian or Reager know, or dismissing them.Reager goes to a Belgian air base and reports to Senator Paul Hadrian (Michael Anthony Coppola). Apparently Reager was working on behalf of Hadrian. Hadrian is reviewing footage from Reager's meeting with the president, which shows Yonah as a blur, while everyone else is clearly visible. It is implied that Yonah is the alien. Hadrian and Reager discuss the development of prototype planes that can fly fast enough to catch up with alien space craft. Hadrian also plans to use intelligence from TROY to shape his Presidential bid in the upcoming elections to defeat Colton.With OPERATION Troy now implemented, a nervous Yonah directs Sampson not to an airfield, but an actual field. As they awkwardly exit her vehicle and begin a slow methodical walk, Yonah attempts to recruit Sampson in a vain attempt for assistance to find his missing people and to defy Reager. He claims that he was the one who sent the signal and the signal did not come from deep space. He also questions Sampson on how Reager had the knowledge to Decrypt the signal in the first place. Bewildered, angry and fearing a plot, Sampson states the she cannot pledge allegiance to Yonah on his words alone. Yonah reveals that 1947 was the Roswell incident and 1972 was when the Apollo mission was ended. he reveals that his species got involved with Earth after WW II, as Earth technology was not progressing fast enough. The aliens wanted a back-up for their technology and knowledge. So, Yonah joined the German rocket effort at Peenemunde. When he learned what the German's were up to, he stopped, and was sent to a concentration camp. After the war, the German rocket engineers went to US to work on the Apollo program. The aliens developed surveillance technology to keep an eye on humans and that's when one of their planes went down in Roswell. Humans reached the moon in 1969, and first contact was made then. Aliens were supposed to meet UNSC in 1972, to reveal their existence, but the military never brought them to that meeting. Those aliens were Yonah's parents and he has been searching for them ever since. He tells Sampson that US military has enough nukes to destroy the world 10 times over as they know they are not alone and are paranoid. and now Reager will build an surveillance network to end humanity as we know it.It is in that moment than an unknown aircraft (looks like an oversized SR-71 Blackbird) reveals itself. Shocked and confused, Sampson's attempt to understand begs her to ask "Where are you from?" When Yonah responds "Earth" he hopes Sampson's confusion abates with a gift that only NASA can authenticate - the plaque from Apollo 11 that states - we came in peace for all mankind. No sooner does she look up to thank him and a warping of air is all that's left of Yonah and the mysterious aircraft.