[ WP ] An alien invasion occurs , but the alien technology and weaponry is ... different to what we would expect .

The Retik first came to Earth under strange circumstances. On a chilly October day, a spherical wooden submarine with brass fixtures appeared about 30 feet above the Hudson river, close to Poughkeepsie. It fell into the water, then popped back up to the surface. 
 
 This happened just upstream of the only pedestrian bridge that crosses the Hudson. There were plenty of witnesses, who filmed the whole thing. A plume of steam went up from the craft, and it began to move slowly towards the eastern bank of the river. 
 
 It ran aground pretty far downstream, at the base of a cliff. Some curious kayakers came ashore nearby. After a few minutes, a valve wheel on the side of the craft began to turn. An oval-shaped door opened, and two figures came out. 
 
 They resembled human men with purple skin, dressed in top-hats and 19th-century-style clothing. Their hair was Einsteinian, white and pointing in all directions. One wore a monocle under his bushy right eyebrow. 
 
 The monocled Retek spoke in a crisp, old-fashioned English accent: `` I say, could one of you kind sirs please direct me to the president of the world?'' 
 
 -- -- 
 
 The next day found the two alien gentlemen seated comfortably on a couch in the Oval Office, drinking tea across from President Obama. A few key advisers were seated in chairs nearby. `` So you see,'' Obama was saying, `` the Earth does n't have a president.'' 
 
 The monocled individual, whose name was something like Hickory but with several glottal stops and a squeak thrown in, spilled his tea as his monocle fell from his eye. Both gentlemen were apparently stunned for a moment at the backward nature of earthly politics. 
 
 `` Terribly sorry,'' said Hickory, attempting to leap to his feet. His companion took Hickory's arm to help him, then handed him his ebony cane. His name was Smith, but Obama suspected this was just a concession to the limits of human diction. 
 
 Smith produced a handkerchief and wiped the spilled tea from the coffee table, saying `` allow me'' in an almost unintelligible accent as he did so. Hickory began pacing up and down the room. `` You must forgive my saying so,'' he began, `` but the human idea of government is rather... primitive, from our perspective. It seems to me that a species as intelligent as yours should behave in a more civilized manner.'' 
 
 `` I would agree with you on that point,'' said Obama. 
 
 `` Then there is the matter of technology. The flying machine that brought us here was quite impressive. It runs on fossil fuel, I should imagine?'' 
 
 `` That's correct. But we've made great strides in solar energy and uh, wind and tidal power. I've made it a personal challenge during my presidency to --'' 
 
 Hickory waved the president's remarks away with his cane. `` Yes, yes, rather admirable. But also terribly misguided, I'm afraid. For simple propulsion and mechanical energy, steam power is quite sufficient. It simply requires some insight into sarktuuglootgl... something akin to your'quantum physics.''' 
 
 `` I'm not a scientist, but --'' the President began. 
 
 `` Which is why they brought me,'' said a middle-aged woman in a pantsuit. `` Dr. Alice Eagler, theoretical physicist,'' she announced, extending her hand. Hickory reached for it hesitantly, but shook firmly. 
 
 `` Again I must beg all of your forgiveness. The women of our planet abide by quite different standards of behavior, as their constitution does not allow for full participation in society.'' 
 
 Hickory began to explain in detail the history of the quantum steam engine. It was to spark a revolution in human technology. 
 
 **Guess I ran out of... steam! Haha. ** 
 
 *Edit: added more and did a touch of editing.
