“Hole spotted in Venus’s Cloud Cover”

It was rare that Venus happened to make headlines across most of the world. Most people simply just shrugged it out of their minds; Mars and the Moon were of greater interest. (Along with Pluto, which most people still argue should have remained a planet.)

The news report stated that not only was this hole in Venus’s cloud cover spotted by NASA, but also other countries’ air and space programs. Even a few private observatories had managed to get somewhat of a picture of this hole in Venus’s cloud cover.

Because Venus was still relatively unexplored due to the extreme temperatures known about it, nobody really had many good explanations as to what it could have been. NASA released maps from flybys or telescopes, showing almost nothing different on the Venus Landscape.

The most common assumption was that the hole was caused by something like a meteor. However, what was curious was that there was no indication of a meteor or an asteroid within proximity to Venus. It was dubbed “The Phantom Impact” by the media.

For some reason, Alex was somewhat intrigued by this. He wasn’t involved with this at all, only being a standard high-school student. It was always interesting to hear about space, apart from a stuntman who made a jump at the edge of space. In fact, his fellow student was giving his current event on it.

“Alex? Your turn to do current event,” Mr. Laabi said. He noticed his classmate walking back to her seat, having presented the current event. Alex gathered his papers and walked to the front of the class, ignoring all of the eyes staring at him. Most of his social studies class seemed unconscious, drawing in their notebooks (or even their textbooks!) or texting, thinking Mr. Laabi was too busy to look their direction.

“My current event is somewhat related to the stuntman doing his jump from the edge of space. Only in that it involves space,” Alex said, “Mine is about the Phantom Impact on Venus.”

“How does this relate to us?” Mr. Laabi asked.

“They didn’t detect the meteor that hit Venus at all. It’s relevant to us because it sends a message. What if something like that was headed past Earth, and we don’t know it’s coming?”

“That’s legit,” Mr. Laabi responded, giving thumbs up, “Does anyone have any questions about the Phantom Impact on Venus?”

There was no response. Everyone else seemed to be unconscious or wasn’t even paying attention to him. He could spot a few people who were jut doodling in their notebooks instead of paying attention to the person giving the current event.

“What did Alex just say?” Mr. Laabi asked, raising his voice, “Because if we don’t get some discussion on our current events, then maybe I ought to start giving some POP QUIZZES on this material!”

That got everyone to pay attention. Several students set down their cell phones and faced the front (Although some of them must have stopped to text about how much of a pain their world geography teacher was). What followed was a few seconds of awkward silence, simply because so many people weren’t paying attention to Alex.

“Alex, repeat what your current event was, since it seems some people weren’t paying attention,” Mr. Laabi said.

Alex gulped and repeated his event, starting off a small discussion on what this could have meant. The threat of quizzes always seemed to get the students to pay attention somehow, fortunately.

---

Polec basked in the sunlight. If there was one nice thing about the second planet from this sun, it was its proximity to the sun. It was far enough that it was within the toroid of the habitable zone, but close enough to create an almost perpetually warm environment for his kind. Only the feathery members of his kind truly had any objection to this.

If he could have had it his way, he could have simply just moved many to this planet and just retire there. Maybe when they conquered the solar system, they could use this as a resort town. It already acted as one, what with how many of his kind rested in the sunlight.

Polec was soon interrupted when he heard claws scraping the ground. He opened his eyes, watching the anthropomorphic Lambeosaurus walking towards where he was resting, holding onto a device. It must have been after dark in those parts of Earth again.

“Already?” Polec said to his orange-crested secretary, “I was just relaxing.”

“Commander,” The Lambeosaurus said, “You’re wanted in the video call.”

“Is he napping in the again? One good winter will cure you of that old useless habit,” a voice came out of the phone-like device.

“Ha! Slothy Polec,” A female voice said.

“I will be right in the room,” Polec grunted, stepping out of his chair and stretching his muscles. The green scaled allosaurus-like human walked off to the structure that had been constructed nearby, his secretary following him inside.

The second she shut the door behind him, she turned off the device. Several screens appeared on a larger monitor, while the allosaurus sat down in a chair made specifically for someone of his size.

Along the large computer screen, he could see some of his companions on the third planet from the sun. Each of them separated from each other by their own screens. One of them, Xerida, had removed her DNA-cloak and taken her true form, that of an anthropomorphic pterodactyl. She was the only one who appeared to be able to do so; everyone else was still wearing their disguises.

“Well well, getting a tad too used to looking like those sapiens?” Polec asked all of them.

One of the humans rolled his eyes.

“It’s not like everyone is able to get into a good spot where they can remove these accursed DNA cloaks,” he said, “Look down at Dynton down there. The last time I ever saw your feathery crest was when we were on Venus.”

“I don’t happen to get much opportunity to be completely by myself. Things are quite cramped down here in Kiribati,” ‘Dynton’ responded.

“As I have heard you say, let’s get right on down to business. Denis and Iada, what is your update?”

Two humans smiled, a man and a woman. The man happened to look a bit like a Native Alaskan, while the woman seemed to be Caucasian.

“The American Election is FINALLY ending tomorrow. It hurts me SO much to allow these Super PACs to fund such gruesome attack ads,” Iada said, “Either way, it doesn’t matter. Whether or not the next president of the United States is Bianca Goode or Dennis Reynolds, one of us will have successfully infiltrated the very top of the American Government.”

“Mind you, this wasn’t an easy task!” Denis raised a finger, “The Europeans had such an easier time.”

“You’re still having much better luck than those in Asia,” Dynton added, “I don’t even want to begin describing what little news reaches the pacific islands.”

“Just shoot me now,” Xerida said, “you will not believe what it’s like…”

Polec smiled a toothy grin. Seems human politics were just as annoying as their own politics on the home planet.

“Well, it seems most of you have been having your own luck. Dynton, have you found some promising types to help in the invasion?”

“Kiribati is trying to persuade Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji to take in its people. With the sea levels rising, I’m pretty sure you’ll find no shortage of people to convert.”

“How many?” Polec asked.

“Roughly 108,000.”

“That will definitely be boosting our numbers there. Still, can’t exactly be invading a planet with only a couple hundred thousand strong, now can we?” Polec said, “Now, how about those of you in America?”

“One of my students brought up something interesting today. I’m sure the rest of you have heard the news, haven’t you? That there was a hole in Venus’s cloud cover. I have to say this, what in the heck were you doing? Was somebody sleeping on the job and broke your illusionary cloud covers? They should land on the other side of the planet. The OTHER side.”

“Wow, calm down. It seems that yes, maybe someone was asleep on the job again. These things should have been idiot-proof, but they evidently aren’t completely idiot-proof. Such morons…how big was the damage?” Polec said.

“I checked after a student of mine – Alex, great kid, shows a lot of potential – brought up this so-called phantom impact. NASA thinks it’s a meteor,” Mr Laabi said.

“Well, glad my fools weren’t completely incompetent,” Polec said, “In speaking of the space programs, I assume you have been keeping the funding suppressed?”

“Of course, most people think it gets so much more funding than it actually gets. They’re so gullible sometimes,” Denis said.

“You got it there. Would you believe those campaign ads that say you would want Alaska to secede from the rest of the country, despite that you happen to be running for the president of it?”

Both of them started laughing.

“Ahem, no time for joking,” Polec said, “Teachers, keep checking your students. Whichever one of you wins the election, congratulations. And Dynton, we’ll have to arrange that mass emigration of the Kiribati islands some other time. Right now, I guess you can say we’ll be beta testing our new invasion plans. Conscription.”