"No fences and clean water."(Kevin Hughes) “What?!”

“I said the Aliens request permission to let them start a colony in the Mariana’s Trench. Sir.”

“I heard you, I just have no idea what that means.”

“Well, Sir, the Mariana’s Trench is the deepest known part of the Ocean…and…”

The President waved his Senior Aide to silence. He had known her since he was twelve. She was the smartest person he ever knew. She had more Doctorates than he had Parking Tickets. That’s why he chose her to lead the delegation that first spoke with the Aliens. Nobody had seen any of the Aliens, only voice and Text messages - so far.

“I know what the Mariana’s Trench is, I even know where it is- which might surprise you. “

It did, she was amazed that he knew anything outside of Sports, how to motivate people, and that incredible charm he had possessed even as a child. He made you trust him. And…she did trust him. Because the only outstanding character trait he had, was his brutal honesty. American’s trusted him for that reason. He might not be smart (at least Academically) but he understood people…and bullshit.

“What I don’t understand Megan, is why would an Alien Civilization cross the Galaxy to colonize our Ocean. Why not our beaches? Or our Lakes? I mean if they are aquatic, amphibious - or some kind of water thing…why ask for the deepest water? And what do we get in return?”

Megan squared her shoulders. It was time to tell the President the Truth.

“Well, Sir, from what we have been able to ascertain from the transmissions they have sent us…it is the only place they can exist on our planet. What we get in return…well, they say that they would be willing to clean up our air, remove all pollutants from our water,make- and replace- all the nutrients in our topsoil. Oh…and they say they can tweak our Weather…if we want them too.”

The President stopped his pacing and turned to stare at his Top Aide, and his closest friend.

“That is an awful lot to offer for some deep water. Next you will be telling me that they have a plan for World Peace if we just give them a couple more deep water trenches for their “colonies.”

Megan coughed into her hand.

“Actually, Sir…they hinted that it wouldn’t be difficult for them to end all War. The said it only requires a few different genes to be expressed in the general population.”

The President’s eyes almost bulged out of his head.

“You’re kidding.”

“No Sir. Not at all.”

He rubbed his forehead with both hands. A signal she recognized from their childhood. It meant he was making a decision. She waited.

“Alright. Let’s tell them they can have the Challenge Deep.”

Megan let out a little gasp of surprise. How in the world did he know the proper name for the Marianas Trench.

He smiled over at her.

“I do read your reports you know. Tell them if they clean up the water, they can keep the trench. But…the water everywhere on Earth has to be clean, pure, unpolluted. If they do that. Well…let them know we have a few more trenches , like the Brownson Deep off Puerto Rico, the Factorian Deep off South Sandwich Island, and we will keep the Java trench in reserve.

Now, go make it happen.”

*****

The windows were all open. Most folks kept them open nowadays. Except for the Poles, and a narrow ridge of Desert ringing the Equator, the rest of the World was always in either Spring, or Summer. Well, except for the pesky Northern States, Canada, Siberia and the Baltic, who insisted that they be allowed a full three or four months of winter…with snow. Temperate Climate ruled the Earth now. Fresh air…was exactly that.

The President looked out the window. He shook his head for the thousand’s time. Meagan, waiting quietly in the wings for him to leave the Oval Office for the last time, knew that signal. He had something to say. When he turned to look at her, she raised an eyebrow. A bit of interpersonal communication left over from their Grade School Days.

“I know…I know. In just about an hour, you will be standing here looking out the window. And I won’t be able to call you Megan anymore…but Madame President. “

“That wasn’t what you were thinking, Sir. “

“No. (He blushed, it was almost as if she could read his mind). What I was thinking is how different your Presidency will be, than any other in History.”

“Why? Because I am a Woman…and single?”

He chuckled lightly.

“No, because, well look out that window and tell me what you see?”

She walked over and looked out the window. With clear air, you could see almost all the way across the city. The Washington Monument stood like a blazing white pillar against the incredibly blue sky. The grass and trees were unimaginably healthy looking, and the river meandered through the city with crystal clear waters. It was pretty.

So she told him that.

“I agree, but what isn’t there anymore?”

“Eh, what? Sir.”

He chuckled lightly. She would be Formal until the Ceremony. Only tonight, when their roles were reversed would she call him Sam …he was looking forward to that moment.

“No fences. None. No barriers. No Security. No Marines. Only Civilians.”

“I see. I never really noticed that. I was to busy negotiating and organizing their Colonies.”

“And you did a great job. Who would have thought that Beings made out of Supercritical Fluids, that did not use Sunlight -in any form- for energy, needed “Smoke Vents” to live would seek us out. We have water deep enough, under enough pressure, and away from any source of sunlight, allowing them to thrive. We can’t ever touch them…and they can’t ever touch us. But they are there. And because of them…well…”

He waved his hand out the window of the Oval Office.

“No fences.”

The soon to be President broke into a big smile.

“And clean water.”

“That too. That too.”

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