The world changed in less than ten minutes.
Inside the Olympus chamber, hundreds of screens lit up simultaneously, each displaying a different reaction from across the planet.
News channels exploded with emergency broadcasts.
Governments declared immediate crisis meetings.
Social media platforms flooded with billions of posts.
And everywhere—
The same question echoed.
Was the message real?
Adrian leaned against the console, watching the chaos unfold across the global network.
"Well," he said quietly, "you definitely got their attention."
Elara stood at the center of the chamber, surrounded by floating data streams.
Her eyes scanned the endless flow of information Olympus was collecting.
Military mobilizations.
Satellite movements.
Emergency alerts.
The entire planet had entered a state of shock.
"Olympus," she said calmly.
The system responded instantly.
GLOBAL RESPONSE ANALYSIS ACTIVE
Adrian glanced at one of the screens.
"United Nations emergency meeting in fifteen minutes."
Another screen opened.
"Pentagon just moved to DEFCON 3."
Another.
"Russia launched full orbital surveillance."
Elara nodded slowly.
"Exactly what we expected."
Adrian crossed his arms.
"And the panic?"
She looked at the data.
Riots had already begun in several cities.
Banks were reporting massive withdrawal attempts.
Airports were overwhelmed with people trying to leave major cities.
"Fear spreads faster than truth," she said quietly.
Adrian sighed.
"Humanity's favorite hobby."
Before he could say anything else—
A sharp alert echoed through Olympus.
INCOMING GLOBAL PRIORITY SIGNAL
Elara frowned.
"That was fast."
The signal decrypted automatically.
Adrian leaned closer.
The sender appeared on the screen.
UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL
"Well," Adrian muttered, "the world leaders want to talk."
Elara opened the connection.
The screen expanded.
One by one, faces appeared.
Presidents.
Prime ministers.
Military commanders.
Scientists.
Dozens of the most powerful people on Earth stared directly into the Olympus chamber.
For a moment—
No one spoke.
Then a voice broke the silence.
"This is Secretary-General Daniel Kovac of the United Nations."
Adrian whispered under his breath,
"Here we go."
Kovac leaned forward slightly.
"Miss Vance…"
His voice was calm but tense.
"Do you realize what you've just done?"
Elara didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
"You interrupted every communication network on the planet."
"Yes."
"You caused global panic."
Her answer remained steady.
"I revealed the truth."
Murmurs erupted across the council.
One of the generals spoke sharply.
"Or you showed the world a fabrication."
Another voice followed.
"We have not confirmed any alien vessel."
Elara tapped the interface.
The holographic ship appeared again.
Olympus projected the object in stunning detail.
Every government satellite feed combined into one massive image.
The room on the other end fell silent.
Because this time…
They could see it clearly.
The enormous structure drifting through space.
Secretary-General Kovac spoke again, slower now.
"Is this… verified?"
Adrian answered before Elara could.
"You're looking at combined data from thirty-two orbital satellites."
Another general leaned forward.
"And you're telling us that object will reach Earth in nine months?"
"Yes," Elara said calmly.
The council erupted again.
One of the scientists spoke urgently.
"That structure is far beyond human technology."
"Exactly," Adrian replied.
Kovac raised a hand, silencing the room.
"And this system you mentioned… Olympus."
His eyes focused on Elara.
"You control it."
"Yes."
"And you claim it can defend Earth."
"With global cooperation."
A military commander spoke sharply.
"You're asking the world to place its defenses under your control."
Elara shook her head.
"No."
She gestured toward the system.
"I'm asking the world to work together."
The commander scoffed.
"That's not how geopolitics works."
Adrian smiled slightly.
"Well, aliens tend to complicate geopolitics."
The council members exchanged uneasy looks.
Finally Kovac spoke again.
"If what you're saying is true…"
He paused.
"Then humanity has never faced a threat like this before."
Elara nodded.
"That's correct."
"And Olympus is the only system capable of coordinating a planetary defense?"
"Yes."
Silence fell again.
Then Kovac asked the question everyone feared.
"What do these… visitors want?"
Elara didn't answer immediately.
Instead she displayed the intercepted message.
The translated words appeared across the screen.
EARTH HAS BEEN MARKED
The council members stared at the message.
A scientist whispered,
"Marked for what?"
Adrian crossed his arms.
"That's the trillion-dollar question."
Kovac's voice grew quieter.
"And if they're hostile?"
Elara's response was simple.
"Then we fight."
The council room erupted again.
Some demanded immediate military preparation.
Others insisted the message might be peaceful.
The debate escalated rapidly.
Adrian leaned closer to Elara.
"See?"
"What?"
"Humanity arguing while the apocalypse approaches."
She didn't smile.
Because Olympus had just detected something new.
A signal.
The alien ship had transmitted again.
Elara opened the data feed.
Another message appeared.
This one was longer.
More detailed.
Her eyes widened slightly.
Adrian noticed.
"What is it?"
She hesitated.
Then she projected the message onto the council screen.
The translated text appeared slowly.
EARTH CIVILIZATION DETECTED
TECHNOLOGICAL STATUS: PRIMITIVE
RESOURCE VALUE: HIGH
A cold silence filled the council chamber.
Then the final line appeared.
PREPARING PLANETARY HARVEST
Adrian whispered,
"Oh… that's not good."
One of the generals slammed his hand on the table.
"Harvest?"
Elara's voice was barely above a whisper.
"They're not here to negotiate."
Adrian finished the thought.
"They're here to take the planet."
The council room fell silent.
Because now the truth was undeniable.
Earth wasn't about to face visitors.
It was about to face an invasion.
And humanity had only nine months to survive.