Meeting at the Pentagon
"Gentlemen, and ladies, this can't go on. We keep loosing people, good people. Aside from the obvious effects on their families, it takes a great deal of time, effort and training to replace them. And now with the theft of valuable computer data -"
"Data that was backed up. And certainly not all the data."
"Be that as it may, this cannot go on. The loss of life alone is not worth the large number of money we pour into it."
"Not worth it? I object! It is worth every penny. We know virtually nothing about these people. It is imperative that -"
"We've heard it all before. Number one, we know more than what we did. Number two, they appear to want to coexist peacefully."
"And yet I hear complaining about the loss of life! And who took those lives? They did!"
"Rescusing their people. And rescuing people not even of their blood I might add. Self defence."
"Oh, self defense was it? They why do they have to kill everyone? Why do they have to destory whole labs?"
"I've read the reports, General. I know what those people did to them. Inhumane, says I. And before you say that they're not human, I'm well aware of that. I'm sure everyone here knows what I mean, even if they choose to ignore it."
"What did you propose, sir?"
"I want to can the funding."
"What? You can't do that!"
"I can and I will. Our research has proved something to me - these people are far more powerful than us."
"That's all the more -"
"And by experimenting on them you seek to create a self-fulfilling prophecy! How much more do you think they'll deal with before they do attack? They have valuable data in their possession now, and not just test results! Names, people, they have names."
"So what so you suggest?"
"We seek peace with them. The aliens at least we can contact - for the most part they seem united. The mutants appear to be more segrated, and all other creatures are another can of worms altogether. But the aliens? Yes, we can contact them."
"We know less about them than all the others put together!"
"There are other ways to learn things about a race than cutting them up!"
"I will not stand for such sheer stupidity!"
"Then sit down."
"Please, gentlemen, there's no need for -"
"How am I supposed to do my job to protect this country if I'm constantly surrounded by sentimental, naive fools! This -"
"There is no need for juvinile name calling. The decision has been made. We shall seek a way to contant the alien officials... this... YIRAAS... All funding to the research labs is now canned."
"And good riddance, too, if you don't mind my saying, sir."
"You're all fools! Fools! Mark my works, you'll regret this day. America will regret this day! You have just open our doors to an attack -"
"They've been here for over fifty years! Don't you think they would have attacked by now?"
"Just because we don't know their agenda -"
"That's exactly it, we don't know their agenda."
The argument continued for sometime, but the decision stood.