Arrived
"Collision!"
"The crust in western China was already precarious, being the juncture of tectonic plates. With such an impact, the likelihood of triggering a massive earthquake and subsequent chain reactions is alarmingly high!"
Representatives from numerous nations found themselves on edge at the prospect of extraterrestrial contact.
"The arrival of an unknown extraterrestrial civilization... one can only hope for benevolence upon its descent in China, facilitating communication with us."
"Challenging, considering its vantage in deep space and the destruction of numerous satellites..."
"Sigh, one can only hope that China doesn't suffer extensive damage from this event. The ripple effect of an extraterrestrial encounter extends far beyond China, encompassing all of Asia and even the entirety of Earth..."
On the other hand, some representatives adopted a detached stance, fixating on the screens, preparing to decipher the appearance of the colossal entity and devise countermeasures.
Yet, as minutes stretched into an uneasy silence, the countenances of all representatives began to falter.
"What?"
"Strange, why hasn't anything happened?"
"No explosion? No signs of detonation?"
"This doesn't feel right, does it?"
Representatives from diverse nations found themselves dumbfounded!
The Himalayas fell into an eerie stillness. Since the deafening roar, silence enveloped the mountains.
Minutes elapsed, yet tranquility persisted.
Even the most obtuse individual could discern that something was amiss.
What's the situation?
As the dust settled, eyes widened, nearly bulging from their sockets.
Forget about explosions and fiery displays!
The Himalayas bore no trace of impact, not even a dent!
As if the meteorite were an illusion!
"What's happening?!" exclaimed the British Minister of Defense.
With such velocity from the skies, even a mere rock would yield destructive force akin to a missile! Yet now, how could it vanish...?
Are the Himalayas truly this impervious?
Informed officials across nations were flummoxed, utterly confounded!
After such a resounding clamor, now, nothing?
No repercussions?
No seismic activity?
...
At the US Space Agency, a middle-aged man in a tailored suit fixated on satellite imagery of the Himalayas.
Seeking the Extraterrestrial Being's location.
"Could it be that this Extraterrestrial Being is benign? Deliberately avoiding Earth's destruction by descending upon China?"
As soon as the words escaped, an alarm pierced the air.
"Beep beep beep!"
The middle-aged man froze, trembling, swiveling his head.
This sound was all too familiar!
Today alone, it sounded countless times, each iteration symbolizing another shattered US satellite in orbit!
"What's going on..."
Despite the Extraterrestrial Being's absence from the outer realm, how could this persist...?
"Beep beep beep!"
Another!
"Beep beep beep!"
Another!
The incessant beeping inundated the room. Almost instantaneously, before the middle-aged man in the suit could react, all satellites monitoring the Himalayas disintegrated!
"What...?"
The middle-aged man in the suit stood transfixed, as if struck by lightning, immobilized.
"What's happening! What's going on? Who's targeting the United States!"
"Everything's destroyed? All of it?!"
The middle-aged man in the suit collapsed to his knees, rendered speechless!
It wasn't solely the US!
Satellites monitoring the Himalayas, from the UK, Russia, every nation... incinerated!
Across the Earth's atmosphere!
Reduced to ash!
At that moment, all space agencies worldwide fell silent, gazing at screens veiled in static, their spines tingling!
As if an icy hand reached through billions of miles, seizing their hearts!
Their breath hitched...
What's occurring?
Is this Extraterrestrial Being truly so formidable?
...
At the pinnacle of the Himalayas,
The golden luminescence waned.
Lithos reduced his colossal form to three hundred meters, emitting a fiery aura.
He gazed impassively into the distance.
"Unyielding."
Lithos's demeanor scarcely shifted.
Eons traversing the cosmos acquainted him with numerous formidable entities.
The technological strides these nations made in recent decades paled in comparison to Lithos's perspective.
Surveying the snowy expanse, Lithos exhaled slowly.
Three hundred meters was Lithos's zenith in compression.
Mighty stature harbored mighty power. The grander the deity, the more colossal the form.
One eye of a formidable deity rivalled sun and moon.
Yet, augmenting strength entailed appropriating others' power. Thus, when the ancient god of Aquila Galaxy schemed to ensnare him, it aimed to usurp his might.
Alas, the capture faltered, the ambush thwarted, heralding calamity for Lithos's kin.
"It shouldn't be far. One day, our paths will cross again, this time on my terrain."
Gazing skyward, Lithos's tone remained placid, eyes glinting with resolve.
Foes would inevitably reunite.
Lithos sensed it wouldn't be protracted.
Drawing a breath, he savored the Himalayas' abundant energies.
He scrutinized his environs.
"Not confined here alone; Earth pulsates with fervent energies?"
"The Tian Shan, the Alps, the Caucasus, Kilimanjaro...?"
"Centuries amassed substantial energies."
"Even portioning some to them."
Years of interstellar odysseys left Lithos with a select few deemed friends.
A hint of a smile graced Lithos's lips as he resumed his search.
"Recently ascendant... Mount Fuji in Japan, I presume?"
"Judging the flux, a week remains."
"Patience shall bear fruit."
...
As Lithos alighted on the Himalayas, awaiting the opportune moment to unveil the treasure,
The internet erupted!
As nations scrambled to mend their communication grids, the golden meteorite's impact burgeoned.
Globally...
A video ignited cyberspace!
Capturing the "meteorite" descent at the Himalayan base!
Radiant starlight cascading from heavens. Golden hues bedecking every direction!
In moments, the video went viral, garnering tens of thousands of likes and shares!
"Incredible! Unparalleled awe just watching!"
"So breathtaking! To witness firsthand would be truly magnificent!"
"Absolutely riveting!"
"What a divine meteorite!"
Viewers were rendered speechless, ensnared by the screen's palpable intensity!
Just witnessing it, breaths hitched!
Yet, some recoiled in trepidation.
"My God! Such a colossal meteorite, such might... akin to a nuclear blast if it descended!"
"Is the videographer safe? Unharmed?"
"Truly a meteorite? Its descent would precipitate earthquakes!"
"Gone, obliterated, life eradicated for hundreds of miles!"
"Its impact would yield a formidable shockwave, far surpassing nuclear might!"
"Though beautiful, it symbolizes death..."
Countless mourned online, yet revelations left them dumbstruck!
"What! This meteorite plummeted onto the Himalayas, yet wrought no destruction?"
"Divine providence, truly!"
"No way, this gargantuan meteorite... I must visit China!"
"A miracle! No, I must witness!"
The meteorite...
Scores of media outlets, countless newspapers, frenziedly relayed news!
Yet, upon uncovering
some truths, doubts sprouted online.
"Is it truly a meteorite? Why no damage, not even a tremor?"
"And the recent communication disruptions, linked to this meteorite?"
Rumors surged as the incident escalated.
Just then, the US Department of Defense convened a press briefing!
The US Secretary of Defense took the stage!
"The video showcases a massive meteorite's descent in the Himalayas, a rare natural spectacle."
The Extraterrestrial Being's arrival, wrought panic and loss!
Yet, it heralded unimaginable opportunities!
In US eyes, establishing contact with the Extraterrestrial Being wielded pivotal influence for the forthcoming global paradigm shift!
Hence, it must remain firmly within US control! In this maelstrom of uncertainty, any misstep proved intolerable!
Japan, a US "ally," naturally rallied in support, with its defense department echoing the US stance.
"It's merely a commonplace meteorite!"
Other nations followed suit, their statements akin.
"Just a meteorite, albeit sizable!"
"Please, citizens, remain calm; it poses no peril!"
Nations worldwide staunchly asserted the meteorite's mundanity, dissuading overanalysis!
Fanning the flames, swaying media narratives.
Despite nations' disparate agendas, their aims aligned remarkably...
Meanwhile, China sealed off the Himalayas, evacuating all within hundreds of miles and echoing similar sentiments.
Thus, the extraterrestrial origins of the meteorite were temporarily suppressed.
Simultaneously, they breathed a sigh of relief; the Extraterrestrial Being refrained from erratic behavior, preserving the falsehood, presumably signaling goodwill.
Days passed, yet the meteorite fervor endured.
Flights from across the globe to China teemed, passengers flocking in droves.
However, China had cordoned off the Himalayas, thwarting entry.
Eminent geologists ventured forth, yearning to study the meteorite, yet China forcibly repatriated them...
Yet, at the Himalayan base, serenity prevailed.
Uneventful calm persisted.
Gradually, nations relinquished their lingering apprehensions over the Extraterrestrial Being's arrival.
"Phew! How fortunate."
"This Extraterrestrial Being must harbor goodwill."
"Perhaps we could dispatch envoys for negotiations..."
...
Unbeknownst to these nations, Lithos had long discerned their machinations.
Having traversed the cosmos, Lithos regarded Earth's geopolitical intrigue with disdain...
Prostrate on the Himalayas, Lithos quietly absorbed Mother Earth's energies, convalescing.
Awaiting the zenith of Japan's Mount Fuji energy core in a few days before acting.
"I anticipate consuming that energy core may bolster my recovery somewhat..."
...