Chapter 3: Landing and Power

3

Night scatter.

For Naija, na only Christmas Eve dey busy pass this one. Okigwe wey dey always quiet, now dey hot like pepper soup.

Swift Shadow landing craft, like precision-guided meteor, trail flame, land steady for the abandoned factory for Okigwe City outskirts.

Noise loud, buildings dey shake. Some people don even faint. Pastor for nearby church dey shout prayer point, "Every strange object from above, Holy Ghost, fire!"

The big airwave shake the old buildings, ground sef tremble small.

Dust rise, small boys for nearby bush dey peep, dey wonder if na film or real. If na Nollywood, people for don dey shout "cut!"

Landing impact just finish, engine noise never die, alarms and engines from every side dey rush come.

Security men dey press radio, "Oga, e don land! Oga, e don land o!" Panic dey everywhere.

For darkness, plenty flashlights cross, lock on the new visitor.

Torches dey wave, soldiers dey run, some dey fear, some dey act bold. For Naija, when fear enter body, person go remember him God.

“Target don land, repeat, target don land.”

One commander for inside bulletproof vehicle dey give order. Him hand dey shake, but voice dey try balance.

“All units, maintain distance, prepare firepower.”

“Seal all exits, snipers in position.”

Sharp, coordinated orders fill the air. In less than five seconds, dozens of armed soldiers don form first ring, black guns all point the landing craft.

Their boots dey ground, eyes dey shine. Na only for coup plot dem see this kind arrangement.

For up, armed helicopters dey blow breeze, searchlights focus on Swift Shadow’s silver-grey body. Everywhere heavy with tension and gunpowder.

Naija no dey carry last for security show. Helicopters dey hover, dust dey rise, everybody dey alert.

World attention, through satellites and intelligence, dey focus on this abandoned factory.

CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera, NTA—all of dem dey try get inside scoop. Twitter trend na #OkigweAlien.

For Yankee Pentagon war room, general dey watch the blurry thermal image; for Lion Nation capital highest command center, atmosphere tight.

Ministers dey sweat, some dey rub hand for head, others dey drink water steady. Every eye dey the screen.

For this moment, Swift Shadow hatch hiss small, slowly slide open.

Sound small, but for those wey dey listen, na like thunder. Hearts dey beat.

For one moment, everywhere quiet—like say Okigwe hold breath.

Everybody hold breath. Searchlights focus on the hatch, soldiers fingers tight for trigger.

Nobody wan be the first to shoot, nobody wan be the last to run.

One figure step out, enter the blinding light.

No be alien monster, no be war machine, but one ordinary looking young man, just wear simple clothes.

Jeans, t-shirt, sneakers—like regular UNN student. For Naija, people go whisper, "Na our pikin be this?"

Na the university student Ifedike wey miss days ago.

To talk true, na Ifedike-1.

If person look well, e go see say smile still dey him face. Calm, eyes no dey shake.

He stand for the hatch, squint for the strong light, face no show fear or wahala, just calm like nothing dey happen.

The thing shock soldiers, some dey look am twice. For Naija, if person no dey fear, others go dey fear more.

Behind am, the two assistants stand each side, expressionless.

Dem tall, fine, no dey talk. People dey reason if na soldier from abroad.

“No move! Hands up!” the lead officer shout with megaphone, voice dey shake.

For Naija, when soldier voice dey shake, e mean matter don pass ordinary. Guns dey ready, safety dey off.

Ifedike-1 obey, slowly raise both hands, the movement sharp and steady.

No panic, no beg. E move like person wey dey do parade for passing out.

He look the plenty soldiers and weapons, small glint of calculation for him eyes—na the original body for Dawn dey observe through bionic eyes.

For mind, e dey reason all the ways e fit disappear, but e no show fear. Sharp guy no dey run anyhow.

He tap foot, rub sweat for palm, and mutter prayer under breath.

“Who you be? Wetin be this craft?” officer continue, signal communications, “Open data center, run facial recognition, confirm identity.”

Naija accent thick, radio dey buzz. Back room IT dey tap keyboard, dey shout "System dey slow!"

“I be Ifedike,” Ifedike-1 reply, voice calm. “As una dey see.”

For Naija, even when police dey suspect you, sharp reply dey disarm dem. Ifedike-1 no dey act like suspect, but like person wey dey explain.

For field command center, images and audio dey match with missing persons database, result come quick.

Technician dey shout, "Oga, na him! Na him o!" Screens dey blink, people dey murmur.

“Report to command: preliminary confirm, target name: Ifedike, age 20, sophomore, biological features match missing student Ifedike.”

Everybody mouth open. Some dey wonder if na jazz, others dey reason DNA.

This result shock everybody: student wey miss for days, come from sky inside craft wey no be Blue World technology?

For Okigwe, some people begin say, "Na so juju dey work?" But for government, na only confusion dey increase.

“Ifedike,” officer voice calm small, but still alert, “abeg explain: why you dey here? Where this craft from?”

Voice dey shake, but e dey try act big. For Naija, rank dey help control face.

Ifedike-1 lower hands, look the officer: “E get as e be. To talk am short, I get some... encounters.”

He pause, arrange him prepared story, voice spread through microphone to everybody for the place, command center, and even the world wey dey listen.

Small cough, small smile, then him face serious. Ifedike-1 dey play the card well.

“This craft, you fit call am ‘Swift Shadow’, no belong to any Blue World country.”

He make sure voice no high, no low. For Naija, if you wan make elders believe you, you no go shout.

“Where e from? Alien technology?” officer press, heart dey beat.

The officer dey look like pastor wey dey try catch person wey dey fake vision.

“You fit talk am like that,” Ifedike-1 nod. “As for exact origin, sorry, I no fit talk. But I fit tell you, this landing craft, and some other things, for some reason, dey bound to me.”

He no wan talk too much, but e wan let dem know say e get power.

“Bound?”

“Yes, one kain... permission binding. Na only me fit control am; others or any force, no fit use or hack am.” Ifedike-1 talk clear. “I no get bad intention to come back. I just wan go house.”

He show hand, sign of peace. For Naija, if you wan cool tension, you go talk small, explain well.

As he talk finish, everywhere quiet. Soldiers dey look each other; command channel sef mute.

For a second, even air stop. Only sound na from generator far corner. People dey try process.

Alien technology? Personal binding? Uncrackable?

Soldier whisper to soldier, "O boy, you hear am?" Commander dey tap pen for leg. If to say na dream, dem for wake.

The thing too much, everybody brain dey run.

“You mean say, this ‘Swift Shadow’ dey under only your control?” officer confirm.

Eyes dey search for lie, but Ifedike-1 no shake.

“Yes.” Ifedike-1 answer firm. He know say this explanation get holes, but na the best way to talk am without exposing Dawn. He act like person wey just get luck, no be mastermind.

Ifedike-1 dey act humble, like person wey win lottery but no wan shout.

Same time, emergency meetings dey happen worldwide.

Screens dey show Ifedike face, analysts dey talk, politicians dey argue. Some dey fear, some dey plan.

Yankee: “Binding? Wetin be that? Analyse every word, check credibility, tell our agents for Lion Nation to reach the target at all cost.”

Phones dey ring, agents dey pack bag, private jet dey warm engine.

Big Kudu Nation: “Na science fiction be this... but the craft real. Lion Nation don hammer or wahala dey come?”

Their ambassador dey dial number, press calculator. Naija oil no reach this kain matter.

Sakura Nation: “Monitor well. If Lion Nation get this tech...”

Eyes dey wide, plans dey fly. Everybody dey fear who go first jam the new power.

For Lion Nation command center, one old man with white hair watch Ifedike for screen, eyes sharp: “Alien tech... personal binding... interesting. Tell front-line make dem hold body, no escalate. Send expert team go meet the target, verify. Make una focus on peace and understanding.”

He pause, add: “Also, tell Ifedike parents say... dem don find am, he dey safe, but situation special, make dem cooperate.”

Old man voice soft but serious. For Naija, elders dey guide matter with calmness. For background, younger officers dey whisper, "If to say na us, we for press trigger."

For the abandoned factory, helicopter noise reduce. Encirclement no move, but tension drop small.

Birds start to return, the dust settle. People dey relax shoulder, but still dey ready.

Experts in protective suits, carry detectors, waka come near the craft under soldier protection. Detector lights dey blink, dey buzz.

Their suit dey shine, face dey sweat. For Naija sun, even astronaut go sweat.

Ifedike-1 still hold hands up, dey watch, like say nothing concern am. The two assistants behind am just stand, no move.

If person look well, e go think say dem dey do mannequin challenge. No eye move, no mouth shift.

“Ifedike,” officer talk again, more careful but still serious, “abeg come with us, you and your... people. We need to understand the matter well. Na for your own good and the country.”

He raise hand, show sign of peace. Naija way—no wan escalate.

“Okay,” Ifedike-1 reply, lower hands. He waka forward, no resistance. The two assistants follow am, their movement too coordinated, almost like robots.

People dey whisper, "Who be these ones? Army or... wetin?" For ground, even mosquito no fit waka freely again.

As Ifedike cooperate, tension ease more. Soldiers escort them. Another team with cutting and towing tools move to Swift Shadow. Dem get order to carry the craft for research.

Wahala dey cook, because Naija soldier no dey fear work. Dem ready to open anything—no matter the risk.

But as dem try touch the hull, wahala happen.

“Zzz—” Small but sharp electric sound ring. The soldier wey touch the hatch jump back like current shock am, fall for ground, combat suit dey smoke.

For background, person shout, "Jesu!" Another run small before shame catch am. Other soldiers dey run, some dey freeze. Nobody sabi wetin hit dem.

Then, faint blue energy shield flash for Swift Shadow body, low hum, ozone smell fill air.

Light flash, like say NEPA just come back. The air heavy, everybody dey reason spiritual.

“Wetin happen?” Officer face change, raise gun, aim Ifedike-1. “Wetin you do?”

Gun cock, voice high. For Naija, if wahala big, soldier go dey shout. People wey dey behind dey find where to hide.

All soldiers tense, guns all point the ordinary looking student.

For inside, Ifedike-1 calm, but mind dey reason escape route.

“I no do anything,” Ifedike-1 shrug, still calm. “I just make am dey quiet, and... protect itself. I talk am before, na only me fit control this ship.”

Voice no shake. E dey talk like person wey dey explain mathematics to JSS1 student.

He pause, small smile for him lips, small mockery for eyes: “You fit try take am if you like. But I advise, no near am—defense system dey sensitive.”

Small pride enter voice. For Naija, if person sabi pass you, e go still tell you small.

Everywhere scatter. Soldiers dey look each other, no know wetin to do. Command channel dey noisy, orders and requests dey jam.

Commander dey shout, "Hold your position!" IT dey scream, "Radio dey jam!" Everybody dey do like say e no concern dem.

For command center, the old man stare screen, eyes deep: “Shield... personal control... this boy really get power we no fit understand.” He think small, then order: “No force, no provoke am. Contact expert team sharp, show goodwill and say we wan cooperate.”

Old man dey play wise. For Naija, elder wey talk soft fit still hold cane for back.

Front-line commander take deep breath, hide shock, talk through loudspeaker to Ifedike-1: “Ifedike, we understand your concern. We no mean harm, we just wan understand. If you cooperate, we fit give you any help or protection you need.”

He voice try soft, but e still dey hide fear. For Naija, police fit beg you if wahala don pass them.

“Help and protection?” Ifedike-1 repeat, like say he dey reason am. He look up, eyes pass the crowd, like say he dey see far.

Na true, for this moment, him mind dey reason many things. If you give monkey gun, e fit still want umbrella join.

“See ehn.” He talk, break the silence, “To show say I get better mind, and make una understand this craft well... I go give una small demo.”

He raise hand, for Naija, small boys for bush dey peep. Some dey whisper, "This one na juju?"

“Demo?” Officer confuse. “Demo wetin?”

The air still. Every eye dey Ifedike-1. E fit hear pin drop.

Ifedike-1 no answer, just slowly raise right hand, snap finger toward one abandoned warehouse for distance.

The snap loud, like slap for church. People blink.

That warehouse na the only building wey still dey okay for the factory, fit hide threat.

Old security man for gate dey peep, dey pray make im generator no spoil.

*Snap*—sharp sound.

The sound echo, people dey reason if thunder go follow.

Next second, silent beam shoot from Swift Shadow front, hit the warehouse.

No explosion, no fire, nothing.

Warehouse just disappear, like say person use eraser clean am, only empty round space remain, like say nothing ever dey there.

No dust, no wood, no metal. Just emptiness—na so fear grip everybody.

Everywhere quiet.

No cough, no talk, only the sound of heartbeats and distant night cricket. Na so total silence be.

Deathly quiet.

If rat pass, e go hear am. Even the old man for command center swallow spit.

Everybody just dey look, mouth open, no fit breathe, no fit think, no even know where dem dey. Only small ozone smell for air show say na real.

Soldier dey cross sign of cross, some dey touch amulet. For Naija, nobody dey joke with spiritual.

“This... na the demo.” Ifedike-1 talk, voice still calm, like say e no mean anything.

He adjust shirt, look dem one by one, then drop hand. For inside, him mind dey dance—power get as e sweet, but to control am na the real test. For Okigwe that night, even wind dey listen, na new chief don enter bush. But every eye dey on Ifedike—who go test this new chief first?