In the aftermath of the Bus buzzing, Washington was in an uproar. There were many thousands of eye-witnesses to the odd event. Hundreds had recorded it with personal VISICOM units, and COM news networks were jammed with recorded data and commentary. Nobody knew what the vehicle was, who was in it, or why it had careened wildly through the Capital before shooting away towards the south and west. Speculation ran from Martians to disgruntled postal workers. Already, several fringe groups were claiming responsibility, including even the IRA and several brands of Islamic jihadists, though they had both supposedly disbanded years earlier.
About twenty minutes after the Bus visit, the National Police and White House Security informed the White House that three additional flying vehicles were heading towards Washington. These didn't stop either, but flew straight over the capital at about 4000 km/hr. and a kilometer in altitude. Within half an hour, national and international VISICOM stations were exhibiting numerous recordings of both the Bus and the saucer shaped craft, including incredible close-up saucer footage taken by Martha Cranson, a librarian from near Colesville Maryland. The National Police were soon pouring over what was left of the Twig residence, and confiscating personnel files at the nearby DOD Base.
The White House decided to take Bates' story about space aliens more seriously.