Astronomers spotted the object years before, but it wasn't very sensational. At the range they had, they could barely tell it was coming to the solar system, and was little more than a short blurb in a few journals, a large extra-solar asteroid passing through. There was a brief flurry of talk about a probe, but with wars going on and bureacracy in the space agencies chasing their pet projects, it faded away quickly, until March 3, 2012. A sky survey spotted the object again, and the trajectory was now seen to take it into the inner system. Pictures also showed a fairly even, spherical shape. Astronomy news exploded, and the furor caught the attention of news outside the feild, and "Joe Blow" finally heard about the extra-solar visitor. It wasn't until it started changing course that the news truly exploded. By the time it passed Jupiter, decent pictures were had, and it was obviously not natural, properly round circular hatches and goemetric patterns filled with lights belied it's artificiality, and the world started to end in June, when an astronomer stated that the controlled movements would put the object in earth orbit on December 21, 2012.

Tom looked up at the cold Wyoming sky. The "ship" as the media was calling it, was about two hundred miles in diameter, and was in what scientists called the "L4 Lagrange point" which meant that about 30 degrees ahead on the moon's orbit, a blueish white sphere that was a tenth the size of the earth's old friend. He frowned at it, and then a gust reminded him of why he shouldn't be as worried about it, all the people going crazy were in the cities and along the coasts, none here in Wyoming, even back in September it was getting too cold for idiots to riot in the streets for very long. He rebraced himself against the wind, and fought into the lee of the house. A small porch was enclosed on three sides, blocking the wind to allow a man to relax while going through the door out of the cold before unwrapping to step into the house proper.

Jacob had bought the house from another friend, Ben, who Tom didn't know so well. As he stepped in, he heard the TV from the other room. Jacob yelled for him and he moved across the gleaming hardwood to see.

"Authorities say the UFOs have orbited twice now, except the larger one which is on track to land in Tortuguero Mexico." The screen showed a video feed from the Fox News site, various frames showed a globe with orbital tracks covering most of the globe, satellite and telescope pictures of the needle nosed craft, and the reporter herself. The ticker bar talked of riots and social unrest--the Middle East was turning itself into a toxic waste dump and Europe was burning. The South Americans, despite the date and historic significance, were taking it rather calmly much like most of the rest of the world. Both Latin America and Africa were too poor to care, and the rest of the world was either indifferent, burning, or in strict martial law.

"Look at it. Right on time. You know, it not the end of the world." Jacob was only quoting months of journalists trying to keep a handle on panic. It was true, the "end" of the Mayan calendar wasn't doomsday, just accounting. On the other hand, the auspicious arrival of the aliens who had yet to reply to everything short of knocking on the door didn't bode well for the two men, who'd had a sinking feeling since the ship had arrived in orbit.

The arrival of friends was also auspicious, mutterings heard from the entrance, including at least one complaint about taking well laced boots off. Ben was the only one Tom had seen with his boots on in the house, the moccasain style he preferred were never once covered in the dirt and grit Jacob complained about no matter the weather. Three more men entered, Ben forgoing the trick of being so silent you didn't notice until he spoke right next to your ear. He particularly enjoyed pulling it on Jacob, since he'd joined the group, he'd noticed an obvious tension between the two, though he hadn't yet learned what it was. The three came in, sitting or standing wherever, and watched for a few minutes as the aliens landed their ship at an old Mayan temple.

Down south, it was quite a rush for politicians, generals, journalists and scholars who had expected the aliens to land in a center of civilization, such as Mexico CIty(pretty well prepared with the help of US intervention, despite the drug violence and doom-sayers and -followers), rather than a ruin. For the most part, the elder of the nearest village was really the only one anyone would have planned on being there. Everyone else was whoever was closest. A Mexican Army major, third tier reporters and their crews, and only a couple of UN dignitaries, proud to be the ones at the historic occasion. The ship was a one hundred foot long eight pointed star, with longer points much like a Christmas star. The longer one was clearly the front, and the only sign of an opening was a rectangular patch on the bottom of the side stars.

Far too much panic happened when one door's cracks clicked open slightly larger, and no sooner than the flurry of readying cameras and adjusting ties die down than the ramp glided open and five figures stepped out. Surprisingly, they resembled the fabled "greys" but were closer to human size. Instead of the odd eyes, they had large pupils and irises, which filled the eye, much like a horse. Their skin was grey but had too much white, making it resemble dead flesh. The face as also flatter, with a broader jaw. Each wore a tunic with a symbol on it.

They lined up and stared at the motley assembly for a minute, before the first one spoke. His symbol would later be recognized to be Mayan, representing time. "It has been five thousand one hundred and twenty six years as you now count time since we last came here. It has been 13 of those cycles since we first came, and found your ancestors."

The second spoke, his symbol being astronomy and stars. "All things are united in a grand scheme, and are synchronized. The stars and planets synchronize in the cycle ancient humans made to record our comings. But all things are united with all other, and only in harmony will the universe continue. Thus we ensure harmony. We have seen how you live in harmony with your world, and thus the world beyond it."

Nature spoke. "you shun the nature of your world, bending it forcefully to your will. You care not for it, despite your greatest objections: you misinterpret it's cycles, unlock it's poisons, and change the very harmony itself to dissonance."

The Mayan symbol on the one next to him was "thought," to put it simply. "You refuse to synchronize with your fellows. Those who seek to lead instead control and enslave. You do not wage war with one another anymore, but kill ruthlessly, without mercy, by remote. Your warriors have some honor, but thier leaders have none. Those who control production seek mere paper and gold more than the enlightenment of technological accomplishment, and the humanity of serving. Individually you hedonistically feed off industry, denying your brothers, and taking you farther out of sync with your world."

The last was Judgement, clear to all who were watching as he spoke. "You cannot achieve unity with the universe. And so the disharmony shall end here. You have come to serve nothing but pleasure, greed, and death. You shall have no pleasure, and your greed shall help death destroy you. There is but one chance. Your planet seeks the cold. Those that can harmonize with this cycle can live, and perhaps the new civilization shall find harmony where you did not. Otherwise, those who take your place, as you took the place of others, shall harmonize with the universe."

They filed back into the ship, and left the stunned audience staring. Across the planet, officers reported the other ships dipping into the atmosphere, the sprays invisible to man and machine.