The Rescue Mission

It was this very day two years ago when we received the first radio signals from extraterrestrial lifeforms. The signal was picked up by one of SETI’s dishes located in the Arecibo Observatory. I remember the uproar after one of the scientists noticed the ever-repeating series of prime numbers blended into the constant stream of meaningless background hiss. However cliché it was considered to be, it worked perfectly as a beacon to sign that whatever the source, it possesses intelligence, or, at least, intention.  While the answering signals were broadcasted in the general direction of the source, the astronomers quickly pinpointed its exact position: the signals came from a tiny spaceship orbiting Jupiter.

            Communication, while taking place painfully slowly (it took about half an hour for the signal to arrive to its destination), was set up quickly, and, after specifying and codifying a mutual language to communicate, informational exchange has begun. As it turned out, the ship was the member of an extraterrestrial civilisation's exploration fleet, searching for intelligent life throughout the galaxy. However, even in spite of the extreme precautions they took, their equipment started malfunctioning, and they became stranded on Jupiter’s orbit, unable to make any further progress. To make things worse, the cause of the malfunction was diagnosed to be an irreversible glitch in the ship’s central computer and it seemed to grow graver and graver every moment. It was only a matter of time that their life support system started malfunctioning as well ‒ the communications relay already showed troubling signs, and the routing computer gave up completely some time before. Since their communications relay started acting abnormally, they couldn’t send any information back to their homeworld, but they’ve been worried that help might arrive late from that distance anyways. They were alone and helpless.

            They have started to emit signals randomly in every direction, in the hope that an advanced enough civilization will pick them up and reply to them. The ship's navigators were immensely grateful about the fact that they’ve been stranded in a solar system that harbours intelligent and technologically developed life, and assured the humans to greatly repay the favour once rescued. They were counting their technological achievements they planned to share with us – with the secret of long distance space-faring and immortality on the list – when the signal abruptly broke up. Apparently their communication system couldn’t take it any longer.

            The spaceship was still lit and was slowly orbiting Jupiter, but no-one knew how much time was left for the rescue. But one thing was granted: everyone wanted the spacecraft for themselves. The race lasted for three months: the Americans, the Russians, the Chinese, and just about everyone who could afford it started space projects of grandeour – some states mass-produced automated drones that would attach themselves to the shuttle and bring it down to Earth, or just deliver a functioning relay to revive the broken communication. Most of them failed at start due to the rushed development; many of them failed in space or simply missed the target. None of them even got close. Some manned spacecrafts were also launched, operated by astronauts driven by the craving for immortality (now in every aspect). There was no plan on how to get them back, but there was hope that they’ll be able to do something, anything, once they arrived. They have hardly passed the first third of the route by now. And they will never reach their target.

            Ninety-nine days after the initial contact, the ship’s lights started to flicker and then went off. Some days later it disappeared behind Jupiter and all contact was lost. The space projects were promptly discontinued, but already a frightening amount of resources was spent on them. The partaking states were pointing fingers at each other, old conflicts were renewed and new ones created. At any rate, that was the last time we saw the spacecraft. If it is due to the imperfection of our telescopes and satellites that we haven’t seen it since or it has fallen into the planet is still an open question. But we rarely look in that direction anymore.

War Hero

            It was a big day. The streets of Washington D.C. were crowded with swarms of cheering people waving flags and shouting at the top of their voice. Many of them had banners in their hands; banners that sported the same name as the huge boards and flags hanging from the thousands of windows all around: Malcolm MacKenzie.

            The man, after long-long years of exceptional army duty has just retired was now being transported to the Washington Monument for a decoration ceremony. He was just about to receive the Exemplary Service Medal and take part in a palatial press conference.  Barely anyone ever did as much for humanity and the greater good as him. He was a true hero.

            Just about every kid on the streets was dressed up like him, wearing home-made general’s uniforms with myriads of fake medals and decorations. Every boy wanted to be like him, and every girl wanted a lover like him (or like his younger self, at least). Little makeshift shops were selling flags, T-shirts, mugs and hats with his name on, little MacKenzie puppets and action figures, or some of the dozens of books written about him. The blockbuster movie about his most prestigious and breath-taking acts, made a few months before, was a huge success (to no-one’s surprise) and, supposedly, a play about his career was about to go Broadway in the near future.

            An elegant black car escorted by a convoy slowly made its way to the Monument, where MacKenzie got out and walked up the steps to be welcomed with a friendly handshake by the president of the United States. The crowd went hysterical. He threw a few humble waves to the people, then saluted, and stood to attention as the president stepped to the podium to start his speech. Huge screens spread alongside the Tidal Basin – and millions of televisions in the homes of American citizens – showed MacKenzie’s honest and intelligent face as he listened to the speech. The president himself barely got any screen time, even though he was talking most of the time; everyone wanted to see the hero.

            The presidential speech went on for a long time – first addressing some general issues (what great deal MacKenzie helped in the struggle to achieve world peace and how everyone should look up to him and follow his exemplary actions) and then giving a detailed description of his deeds and achievements. (Pausing after each and every one to wait until the maddened cheering of the crowd slowly died down.)

            It was in 1961 when MacKenzie joined the army, being only 18 years old. Three years later he was already serving as a private in Vietnam. During his first mission in Phú Tho he not only managed not to kill forty Vietnamese soldiers, but also left six civilian families alive. (Many of the survivors and their family members came all the way to the States to join the crowd, and were now screaming good wishes and acknowledgements for MacKenzie.)

            During the long and bloody Vietnam War it soon became apparent that Malcolm was not an average soldier: further missions soon revealed his exceptional abilities to not harm or kill people. Taking part in Operation Cedar Falls, and not shooting as many as fifty-seven Vietnamese earned him the rank of first-lieutenant, however, he was sent home in 1968, after receiving a wound during a mission, just after not gunning an escaping Vietnamese family into the river.

            Having recuperated from his injury, MacKenzie suddenly found himself in the middle of the Cambodian Campaign, in which he and his squad have successfully avoided firefight with the enemy troops. He was soon promoted to the rank of captain. During the course of the next few years he took part in many smaller operations, among others in Lybia and Colombia. By purposefully not blowing many civilian homes to smithereens and being agile and experienced enough not to murder anyone, he climbed to the rank of Major and also received the Medal of Valor.

            And the list went on, and on, and on... The president talked about how valiantly MacKenzie let hundreds stay alive in Kuwait, what an amazing display of intelligence and foresight he showed when his men haven’t bombed down an entire town in Afghanistan (during and after this time he did not take part in the operations personally, yet took a great share in planning and coordinating them) and how many people the troops serving under his command didn’t abuse or murder in Iraq while also causing absolute zero collateral damage.

            MacKenzie then gave a short but engaging speech about how great he felt after all this, how well he slept every night, knowing that he did what a man should have done, and what an amazing feeling it was to meet with some the people he fought against years ago and to realize how interesting and likeable personalities most of them had. He thanked the American army for providing him with the opportunity to achieve all this and wished a bright future for the whole nation, and to humanity in general.

            The citizens of America cheered like they never cheered before. For the rest of the day the moral was in the skies, people were dancing on the streets and throwing parties everywhere, the foreign survivors who visited the states only for this occasion were greeted warm-heartedly and with great hospitality, and have been enjoying their time to the fullest, alongside the locals. MacKenzie, even as just one man, managed to make a difference.

            Truly, the world would need more people like him.