Paul found himself awake before the sun had risen, he eventually abandoned the battle to return to sleep and washed up for his first full day on Earth in two months. As he was about to exit his room, he noticed that there was a small cardboard box on the table near the door. Inside he found a phone, a debit card, and a note. He pocketed the phone and the rectangular piece of plastic and unfolded the note. On it, he found a phone number followed by a schedule. He checked the time on the phone and discovered that he had several hours before his first appointment and decided to get some job-related shopping out of the way first.

As Paul exited the building, the sun had started to peak over the horizon and was casting an orange glow on the clouds. A shuttle descended from the clouds and approached the runway before vanishing behind some buildings.

“That’s not supposed to be here…” Paul muttered as he started to jog to the runway.

When he arrived at the large hanger where the shuttle was parked, he noticed the large amount of military police converging on the hanger as the large doors slid closed. As head of security, he felt obligated to investigate. It took a few minutes to cross the immense runway and when he arrived outside the large metal doors, he was stopped by a wall of vehicles.

“Sorry sir, but I am going to have to ask you to leave this area” a man in a military uniform told Paul

“Is that from the ISS? The Endeavor?” it was more of a demand than a question

“Yes sir…” the soldier stared at Paul’s face “Wait… are you Paul Burns?”

A simple nod was all he gave

“We sent someone to pick you up a minute ago and you weren’t in your room”

“And what’s the problem here?”

A higher ranking officer pulled him aside and led him to a smaller set of doors in the immense hanger doors.

“The pilot of the number 2 shuttle contacted us an hour ago and sounded scared out of his mind, repeating that he had to bring his shuttle down immediately. He said it was an emergency and that it would only be him, his copilot and three crew members.”

The officer opened the doors to reveal a shuttle surrounded by military police officers as well as a couple paramedics as well as their emergency vehicles.

“The pilot refuses to open the doors until you arrived, he wants to talk to you”

Paul was already beginning to have ideas on what this “emergency” was.

“Ok, tell the pilot I am here and that he can open the airlock”

The officer relayed the message and eventually, the airlock of the shuttle hissed as the pressure was equalized. The pilot’s head poked out and locked eyes on Paul.

“Paul Burns?”

“Yes, what’s the problem?”

The term “scared out of his mind” seemed to be an understatement

“Come aboard” was all he said before his head vanished behind the airlock door

Paul looked around and got equally confused looks from the soldiers. Their faces changed from confused to concerned as Paul started to ascend the stairs.

He entered the cabin to find it empty aside from one, terrified pilot and an equally terrified copilot.

“They’re here aren’t they?…” Paul looked around the cabin but didn’t find anything

The shaking pilot simply pointed at the cockpit door

He entered the complex cockpit to find not one, not two, but all three dragons examining various consoles. They all turned to face Paul when he entered the cockpit.

“What are you guys doing here?!” Paul didn’t know how to feel about their presence

“We were going to stick to the plan but… Thyra really wanted to come down and she got Drake to join her cause and… well… they eventually got the idea to borrow your shuttle”

Paul gestured for them to wait and popped his head out of the shuttle and asked for the highest ranking anyone possible.

He got a captain. He quickly explained that there wasn’t any danger and that both the pilot and copilot were safe but they both needed to remain aboard for classified reasons.

“Sorry captain, but I don‘t think you are high enough… maybe a general? Um… perhaps the president if possible.” he received a lot of concerned looks as the captain relayed the request to higher-ups

Paul returned to the cockpit, thanking the designers for the heavily tinted windows. Thyra was almost shaking with excitement as she flicked random switches and turned random dials.

“You know that the entire bases’ security is outside?”

“Yes, that is why we haven’t stepped outside, although Thyra almost bolted as soon as the pilot opened the door”

“You also know that your presence could cause a lot of problems?”

Before he could get an answer, he heard the captain yelling for him from outside.

“Yes? Who did you get?” Paul poked his head out of the airlock

“Well, you’re in luck” he seemed to be in disbelief “The president happens to be in Florida and will be here soon. Seems the Endeavor is pretty high on her priority list”
Paul was stunned, he hadn’t expected his sarcastic request to be granted. He retreated back into the shuttle.

“Well… guess what?”

“What?” Thyra chimed as she experimented with some wiring under a console. Her black tail flicked back and forth as she merrily tinkered with the various wires.

“You are going to meet the president of the United States”

“The who?” It was Zephyr who asked

“She is the elected leader of our country”

“So she can keep us a secret right?”

“Yes”

“Then, problem solved! We meet with her, she tells us where you got the core, we leave, and no one else knows.” Zephyr was convinced it was that easy

“It’s never that easy… especially with humans…” Paul let the trio explore the cockpit and went to comfort the pilot and copilot. The two of them were seated in the front row of the cabin and were whispering back and forth.

“I know you two are probably scared and confused” he got two nods in reply “but they are friendly. The only reason you two have to stay here is because aliens aren’t exactly public knowledge and you will probably need to sign a large stack of papers”

He got a slight chuckle from the two

“We pilot one of three shuttles that are the only way to the ISS where the biggest, most technologically advanced ship that humans have created is currently parked. We are no strangers to paperwork.” The pilot still had concern written all over his face, but Paul noticed that he seem relieved

“What are they doing in there by the way?” the copilot asked

“Just messing around with some of the wiring and consoles”

It took a moment for the copilot to realize that he wasn’t joking and he let out a small gasp. “That computer system is worth millions of dollars alone!”

The copilot got up then immediately sat back down “Can you go stop them?” he practically begged Paul

“They are hard to convince… I’m sure they won’t blame you for any damages caused by aliens”

“They look like dragons…”

“Well, they are!” He left them to their thoughts

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There was knocking on the airlock and the captain called out

“Mr. Burns! President Bell is here-” he was cut off by a stern female voice

“I don’t need someone to announce my arrival captain. And you four don’t need to be so close to me, I am entering a plane crewed by American citizens who work for the government, not a cave full of terrorists!”

A shorter woman of Caucasian descent barged through the airlock door followed by a single secret service agent.

“Ah! Hello Mr. Burns, glad I can finally make your acquaintance” She shook hands with Paul “I have been told that you needed to see me?”

“Madam president” he was almost at a loss words

“Just call me Elizabeth, I am not a fan of those formalities”

“Ok… Elizabeth…” It felt wrong “You are probably wondering why you are here”

“Yes, I was in the middle of a matter of national security… reading books to a elementary school class…but I find that the nation’s leading scientific expedition is a little more important” her voice dripped with sarcasm

It was hard for Paul to find the proper words to explain the current situation “Does the government have any aliens in Area 51?…”

“Everything about that place is classified… but I can confirm there are no gray, bug eyed aliens”

“Good to know” He paused “Can you wait here a moment?”

“Sure, I should probably talk to those two” she gestured at the two gawking pilots

“Also, is your bodyguard trigger happy?” He eyed the bulky bodyguard who was obviously trained to kill anyone in hundreds of ways without the use of weapons

“Not useless I’m in danger”

“Keep your gun holstered ok?” Paul told the agent

With that, he slipped into the cockpit. He heard the president start talking to the pilot and copilot.

“Ok, she’s here. You don’t have any weapons right?”

“Nope! Let’s go see her!” Thyra almost shot right through the door before Paul stopped her. It felt like he was trying to stop a charging bull, he never imagined that such a small creature could be so strong.

“Don’t do anything rash and try not to make any sudden moves” he said as he pushed her back

He peaked out of the room and gestured for the president and her guard to enter. President Bell and her guard squeezed into the cockpit. If she was surprised, she hid it well. Her bodyguard didn’t handle it as well, when he caught a glimpse of the dragons, he instinctively reached for the gun that was hidden inside his coat.

“That… won’t be necessary. Why don’t you wait outside and keep an eye on the two pilots?”

“Ma’am…” he gave a sigh as he pulled his hand from his coat “I would cite regulations but I am sure you would just ignore me…”

He gave another sigh and left the cockpit

Elizabeth examined each of the dragons carefully.

“Not what I expected aliens to look like… Do they speak?” She was whispering to Paul

“We can hear you… and what did you expect us to look like?” Zephyr said

“I guess I expected more… gray and buggy eyes…” She hid her surprise well and didn’t miss a second with her response “Do you have names?”

Thyra and Drake remained silent “I am Zephyr and these two are Drake and Thyra”

“I am Elizabeth Bell, president of the United States” she offered her hand and only Zephyr shook it “Now, may I ask why you are here?”

Zephyr looked around the cockpit “You wish to discuss that here?”

President Bell chuckled “I guess not, give me a moment”

She left the cockpit and Paul heard her voice echoing through the hanger as she ordered everyone to clear out. She returned to the cockpit.

“Follow me” everyone on the shuttle descended the stairs to find the entire hanger empty except for a few vehicles. “The car ride might be a bit uncomfortable…” she said, gesturing at their wings and tails

The eight of them piled into two black SUVs with heavily tinted windows, the president, her guard, and the two pilots in one, and Paul and the dragons in the other.

“We are supposed to get in that?…” Thyra spoke for the first time in a while

“um…” Paul rearranged the interior to the best of his abilities to try to make the ride as comfortable as possible for the three of them “How about you two sit in the back and Zephyr rides in the passenger seat”

The dragons did their best, Drake and Thyra sat in the middle row, both of them leaned forward to avoid sitting on their wings and tails. Zephyr did the same in the front seat. Being the only human, Paul got into the driver’s seat.

Paul followed the other car across the airstrip and towards a large building near the entrance of the base.

Every bump and turn elicited a yelp or an ouch as they accidentally squashed their tail or bumped their wing.

The group ended up in a large conference hall. A rectangle with a large table oval table in the center with a large number of chairs surrounding it. On one end of the room was a large screen that took up most of the wall.

The secret service agent remained outside with the two pilots. As the rest of them chose seats on one end of the table. The three dragons sat in their chairs with the backrests to one side so their tails could hang comfortably behind them.

“Ok, this room isn’t monitored so we should have some privacy in here” The president sat opposite the dragons along with Paul “Now. Why did you eh… visit Earth?”

“Your ship is carrying a core built by us. Where did you get it?” Paul noted that Zephyr seemed to be the leader of the group

“I was never told, I just assumed that the increased budget I gave NASA allowed them to create it”

“You don’t know… Find someone who knows where you got it and how”

Paul began to worry that there would be hostilities if Zephyr kept talking in that fashion. President Bell was known as a stern, “take no shit” kind of president, she rarely gave any ground unless she would benefit as well.

“I like you. I’ll find someone who knows that information” She pulled out her cell and started making calls, eventually, she reached someone that seemed to know. She turned on the large screen and contacted someone via video chat.

A rather obese man’s lower legs popped up on the screen.

“Ah the magic of technology!” he said as he fiddled with the camera on his computer. He sat and adjusted his glasses on his face before looking at the screen. The room’s camera was only focused on President Elizabeth at the moment.

“Madam President, what can I help you with?

“I was told you played a major part in the building of the Endeavor, especially when it came to the technological pieces of it”

“Uhm… is that room secure?” he shifted in his chair

“Yes, it’s secure” Paul wondered if the president was lying because all the security that Paul noticed was the single secret service agent that was outside with two pilots.

“Yes, I was part of the creation of the Endeavor, is there a specific part you want to know about?” the man seemed nervous

“The core, I want to know everything about it. Classified and otherwise” The president crossed her arms

“are you sure that room is secure?” the man was sweating now

Elizabeth just nodded

“Well… I don’t know where to start…”

“The beginning…” She was starting to lose her patience

“The beginning would be…1947” The man went on to explain the events of the Roswell incident, the resulting studies, the eventual warp, and its installation on the Endeavor. It was a rather long story but the dragons listened to every detail but never said a word. When he had finished there was a silence as everyone absorbed the new information. Paul was shocked that the conspiracy theorists were right about it being more than just a test of new military equipment.

“Are you at your place of work right now?” the president asked

“Um… yes… yes I am”

“Ok then… with their permission, I would like you to meet someone” she glanced at the three dragons who gave their permission with a nod

President Bell shifted the small camera to show the entire room.

“Why do you have people dressed up as dragons?…” his face became bigger as he moved closer to his monitor

“We are not dressed up as dragons…” Zephyr stood from her chair “we are dragons. And as I understand it, we are the first ‘aliens’ your people have met”

The man fidgeted for a while “I… I don’t know what to say… dammit! I wish I wasn’t in New Mexico right now… Um…I… President Bell, is it possible for me to meet them in person?”

“Depends on if they are satisfied with what they learned from you”

“If you want to know, we are not satisfied” Zephyr kept staring at the man on the screen

“Then I guess you're going to Area 51” President Bell seemed to enjoy saying that

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[excerpt from CNN news article for 2016 election]

President Elizabeth Bell wins by landslide!

Months of campaigning and speeches seems to have paid off for Democratic candidate Elizabeth Bell who beat the opposing candidate with almost two-thirds of the popular vote and nearly eighty percent of the electoral vote, something which is only beat by the presidential election of 1936. Her election marks another mile stone as the first female president in American history.

[News article for March 2018]

Increasing hostilities from Somalia- a recent addition to countries that posses nuclear weapons- forced President Bell to respond. Her first attempt at peaceful negotiations failed in January when Somali leader Hassan Ali Mireh refused to meet because of her gender. President Bell attempted a different approach. This statement is from her press release:

Since my invitations to meet with him directly were denied, I tried something new. I called an old business partner, the colonel of one of his elite special operation units who owned me a rather large favor and convinced him and his team to escort me directly to Hassan.

President Bell flew from the United States directly to Somalia the next day and was escorted from the airport to Hassan’s palace where the colonel, who wishes to remain unnamed, and his small team of the nation’s best fighters walked President Bell directly to Hassan’s personal quarters where they forced him to negotiate with the President. After hours of discussion, Hassan agreed to disarm 75% of his missiles and store the rest in exchange for food and medical supplies for his country. President Bell refuses to elaborate on what she said to get the violent dictator to stand down. The unnamed colonel only offered this statement when asked for an interview.

I refuse to see my nation slowly starve and die when my close friend leads in a mansion. It was my duty as Hassan’s friend to prevent him from making idiotic decisions so I made sure he met with Elizabeth, whether he wanted to or not.

He refused to elaborate on his relationship to the President or how he came to owe her.

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[CLASSIFIED]

Science Log
Subject: Zephyr
Date: Unknown

Gender: Female
Height: 5’ 4”
Weight: 79 lbs 6 oz
Scale coloration: Black (only on visible areas, subject refuses to allow full examination)
Eye color: Dark blue
Wing length: 5’ each
Tail length 3’ 5”

Body build is almost identical to humans, limbs are proportional and the number of fingers and toes are the same. Her head is the similar to muzzles as seen on various animals. Nostrils are on the end of her muzzle above her mouth. Eyes are angled differently from humans giving her almost 250 degrees of view. Horns are parallel to each other and jut from above and behind her eyes, their position is less than optimal as the user would have to awkwardly lower their head to use them in any manner. Horns seem to be a decorative feature that they acquired from the larger dragons who have longer necks allowing for easier use. Ears are positioned near the base of the horns but nothing extends from their ear canal leaving only small holes. This suggest that their sense of hearing is less powerful compared to their sense of smell and sight, further studies must be conducted to test this hypothesis.

Their wings are very similar to those of bats. A bony extension extends from the back and is present at the top of the whole wing with several “branches” that extend down into the thin membrane. However, the wing does not have any digits with which they can grasp or manipulate objects. The membrane which is thicker than that of bats, is still incredibly thin and is almost identical to the membrane that bats rely on for flight.

Her tail is similar to that of various reptiles: thick at the base and tapers off to a point. Several small spines jut out from the top of the tail but seem to serve no purpose. The tail itself seems to be used for balance while walking and control during flight.

Anatomy is fascinating, however, dissection would be illogical and downright stupid on a sentient being. Similar to humans, her veins carry warm blood, however, the blood is almost 200% more effective at carrying oxygen compared to humans. Almost all internal organs are much more effective at their job when compared to humans, probably due to the dragon’s flight ability. Her light weight is attributed to her lack of any excess fat and incredibly complex bones. The bones themselves are hollow which would lower the amount of force require for a break, however, they are almost as strong as steel but a fraction of the weight. Apart from dissection, we will be unable to determine the bone structure. Aside from that, her internal organs are identical to that of humans which is good in the event we need to provide medical attention.

For obvious reasons, we skipped the portion on sexual reproduction.