Chapter 4

Portland PDX (Airport) control tower 20 minutes ago.

Air traffic controllers ‘John Candy’ shift supervisor and his second in command ‘Bill Murray’ (who looked as though he had not slept for a week) were having a five minute coffee break and debate away from the radar screens. They were standing side by side at the tower window looking out at nothing in particular. It had been a hectic night, Friday night always was.

“John it’s like this you Canadians may know how to play Ice Hockey and no disrespect intended big buddy, but you know tidily squat about playing American football”

“None taken Bill, but I will have you know my great Uncle ‘Norbert Jnr the Third’ on my dearly departed mothers side, God rest her sweet soul, played for the ‘Atlanta Braves’ back in the day and! And! My second cousin twice removed who got laid off from the Hersey’s chocolate factory ‘Willy Wrong-ka the first! heaven only knows why My Aunt ‘Betsy ‘on my Dad`s side called him that? Must have been something in the water back then up at lake ‘Woe-be-gone’ has a try out for the Seattle Sea Hawks this weekend ,AY”

Bill did not reply he was just staring out the window as if in a trance

“Did you hear what I said Bill, AY!”

Bill turned slowly, looked at John; spoke slowly and calmly at the same time thinking I need a vacation.

“ Tell me I’m seeing things John, but is there a giant ball of light hovering over runway 12”

“Don’t change the subject Bill”

“I am not bud, look can you see that”

“Flip me”

John turned and yelled at the controllers behind him

“Anyone seeing this …Code Red, Code Red”

“It’s not showing on the Radar screen John where the heck did that come from” said a stunned controller

Bill snapped back into reality and turned on his headset.

“Southwest Air Flight 358…. abort landing on runway 12….. Runway 12 is blocked….. I repeat Flight 358 abort landing…. runway 12 is blocked”

John put out an all call ‘CODE RED’ over the radio …..CODE RED…. CODE RED….. This is PDX Traffic Control….. This PDX Traffic Control……. All inbound traffic please hold! ... Do not attempt to land at PDX we are in Code red! we are in code red!”

The other controllers switched into emergency mode and began rerouting all incoming traffic

Within Minutes the Airport was on Lock down.

Out over the Pacific Ocean Air Force National Guard Flight Officer Randy Quaid was returning from his nightly Patrol of the Oregon Coast when he heard the code red come in over the commercial air band, he immediately switched to a secure link to The Air force controller.

“What’s Happening George I’m 5 mins out, over”

“We have a UFO Hovering over runway 12….. Looks like a big ball of light about 100 ft. wide…. need you to check it out….. Approach with caution …… circle at 300 feet all other planes are on the deck over”

“Wow…Copy that on my way”

Randy pushed his control stick forward and began a fast decent from 60,000 feet towards PDX, “Yaaaaahoooooo!” he shouted

“I finally get to see another UFO and nobody will think I’m crazy this time”

(Randy had reported seeing one a month ago but nobody had taken him seriously as he was always playing practical jokes, so he just dropped it, let it go) He could feel his pulse quicken, his heart was pounding with excitement as he raced towards PDX.

“Love this job, Mr. Space Alien! Randy has you now my little green friend, Ha-ha”

He was grinning like a Cheshire cat as he shot down towards PDX at over 800 mph.

Back at the control tower John and Bill were staring at the Ball of light, no one really knew what to do; this was the first time anything like this had ever happened. The Airport had come to a complete halt; all eyes were fixed on the UFO. It had not moved it was still hovering about 10 feet above the runway. A door in the control tower opened, ‘Jack frost’ the airport Director walked in.

“Well gentlemen what in the world is that?”

“Your guess is as good as mine Jack”

They were all thinking it, but nobody wanted to say it.

“Anybody here owe the Martians money? Think they have come to collect” said Bill

“Come on Bill you think this is some sort of you know, craft?”

“You mean ‘Flying Saucer’ Jack?”

“Well?”

“No Jack, I think it’s a flying ‘OREO’ with a really big set of headlights “

Everyone laughed nervously as they did not know what else to do.

(I mean what would you do if a flying ‘Oreo’ with extra big headlights showed up in your front yard??…..Emmm…. get some milk? All right Gracie! Good Idea: 0) ….now on with the story)

Meanwhile Back at Douglas Island nothing had happened yet, everything was still business as usual. Animals resting in the Field, humans asleep in the house, car parked in the drive way and if any trees were talking, well nobody could hear them. Nope, no one on Douglas Island had any idea what was coming. Why should they, after all they were busy occupying dream land with the rest of the 99% as that is the only true way to Experience the American Dream these days.

To Be Continued……………………