UN Recovery Base...

{the First user detected...}

"What the fuck?" Captain Richard McLean shook his head.

{Congratulations! You are the first user detected...

... First user bonus maximum stats...

...First user stats are now maximum of 50...

...Strength...50...

...Durability...50...

...Quickness...50...

... Congratulations user can choose from the following alpha abilities list...}

"What are you doing?" McLean felt all his wounds healing rapidly. His muscles grew tighter, denser and his entire body felt like he had taken 10 doses of combat enhancement drugs in one shot.

He looked around and saw Jamie Petersen slowly getting up. His wounds were closing in front of his eyes.

He looked around and saw a shimmer with a human outline run away.

His head was buzzing with all the extra energy. He couldn't concentrate properly. He looked up and saw that the artifact was climbing fast. It would soon be out of sight.

"How the hell do I catch up to that now?" He asked a rhetorical question.

{...The alpha option is available...

...Space Superiority Pursuit vehicle...}

"Yeah right. Ok if you're offering I'll take that..." Captain McLean started to laugh at the absurdity of the situation.

"Are you sharing the same hallucinations I am Cap?" Sgt. Petersen grabbed the offered hand and stood up. He looked around the base and saw the widespread destruction. Bodies littered the frozen base everywhere. Crashed planes and power armor. Burning buildings. And Cpl Henderson lugging the 50 calibers up to the ramp, running like an Olympic sprinter.

"Looks like. I just got offered a space fighter to chase after that." He pointed at the trail of the disappearing artifact.

"I would rather have a space tank myself."

{...Unable to comply...

...This star system has been placed under quarantine...

...Calculating nearest available options...

...Options found...

....Level 5 Space Superiority flight enabled...

...Level 5 Full Environmental Force Fields enabled...

...Level 5 Long Range Energy Projection enabled...

...Space fighter combat skill awarded...

...Space navigation skill awarded...

...Long range targeting and sensors awarded...

The first user has been awarded all possible bonuses available to a first user. Congratulations...}

"I just got the abilities of a space tank?" A gob-smacked Sgt. Petersen blurted.

"I got my space fighter. Hold the fort Jamie." McLean pointed at the translucent energy field that just appeared over the base after a second flash.

"Will do!" McLean took off like a rocket, he heard Henderson running behind him. "Henderson!" He shouted.

"Yes, Sargent!" Henderson shouted right back.

"Get the boys on their feet and secure the base." He kept looking at the rapidly disappearing energy trail behind Captain McLean as he flew through the sky.

Low Earth Orbit.

Greenland Iceshelf.

Captain Richard McLean flew as fast as he could. He somehow saw the shadow outline of a spaceship behind the translucent energy shield.

He looked around and somehow knew that he was using his new senses to detect the spacecraft. "How do I even talk to these guys. Do I want to?"

A HUD began to form in front of his eyes. An outline in green surrounded by a blue energy field. The information to interpret the display was quickly entered into his consciousness as he thought about each item on display.

The green line was his current status.

The blue energy screen his life support force fields.

The map of the planet earth and the blue dot were self-explanatory. His position on a 3-dimensional mini-map. Height, speed and position.

The huge flashing red dot was obviously the spaceship. The yellow energy screen that separated him from the ship and slowly enveloping the planet was the quarantine field.

He pointed at the spaceship and waved.

Nothing happened. He tried a second and a third time.

He was ignored.

"How do I fire a warning shot?" As he asked the question, the information was implanted by the Xerys System.

He fired a warning shot to the right of the spaceship. The energy bolt punched its way through the quarantine field.

Galactic Police Cruiser.

"Captain the earthling is an Alpha capable of destroying the integrity of the quarantine field." The officer monitoring the sensor suite reported.

"Communications open a chat channel." Ordered the captain

"Sending guest chat request..." The communications officer waited for a reply.

An avatar of Captain McLean was displayed in front of the Captain's command suite.

"Unidentified Spaceship state your intentions!" The earthling demanded.

"This is the Galactic Police Cruiser Far Justice! Fo'Rkon D'Um commanding. Identify yourself, earthling!"

"I am Captain Richard McLean of the Earth United Nations defense force."

An obscenity could be heard behind the captain Fo'Rkon. It was the political counselor in charge of the first contact. Fo'Rkon wasn't sure why the councilor was so upset. This was as solid as a first contact as it could get. A native representative of the Planetary Organization responsible for helping the planet reach the first stage required to join the Galactic Federation. An authorized Alpha empowered world government representative.

"Are you responsible for what has just attacked my word?" The earthling demanded.

"No, we are not. We are here to monitor the progress of this world and our mission is to determine when your world would qualify for member status in the Galactic Federation."

"Is this disaster someone's idea of speeding up the application process?" The earthling accused.

Fo'Rkon thought that it probably was. He, of course, didn't say that out loud. "It is not. Your planet has been infected with a copy of the Galactic Communication network. The Xerys System. It is rapidly spreading through your world." Fo'Rkon sent a display of the molecular particles that were the artifact spreading over the planet. McLean could see that it wouldn't be long before the entire planet was contaminated. "Until an authorized officer responsible for the first contact deems your planet free of any dangerous contaminated material, your planet will not be allowed to join the Galactic Federation."

McLean was about to let loose his rage on the beings responsible for attacking his world, but he calmed down long enough to properly think about the situation. Attacking this ship even if he had the power to do so would not help his world. The being he was talking to was reasonable and explaining the situation they were in. He also didn't know if there were other ships in the system. If he was, in fact, dealing with a Galactic organization, then chances are there were other ships around.

McLean decided to try a different tack, "Is this quarantine of the planet or the Sol Star System?" He crossed his fingers and hopped.

Captain Fo'Rkon thought that was a good question. He knew that currently, humans could not travel beyond this star system. Intersystem travel was also severely limited. Keeping the humans trapped on their Homeworld would be disastrous to them as a species. "For now the quarantine will be enforced around the planet. In a year if the copy of the Xerys System stays confined to your world we will allow you to expand to the rest of this star system only until you are cleared to join the Galactic Federation."