Detailed Chapter outline

Chapter One: Interviews in the Retirement Home.

1. Norma Parson's chicken scratch story. Sets the stage regarding Aaron's profession. Deals with the difficulty of telling what parts of oral history are dependable and what it is difficult to validate. Establishes introduction of Mad Aunt Hattie and how you "can't believe what she says."
2. Setting up the interview and discussing the job with Jack. Introduces Mad Aunt Hattie and her own quirky view of herself. Establishes mentor relationship with Jack. Sets up use of cell phone in Aaron's business.
3. I think there will probably need to be a scene that gets closer to the kind of coalition that exists among the industries along the lakeshore. The harbormaster is not the one calling the shots in terms of his disagreement with Pol, but is receiving motivation from the steel mills and oil refineries that stretch from Michigan City to Chicago. Maybe Nina’s boyfriend is working with them.

Chapter Two: Mad Aunt Hattie’s story.

1. We need to see Nina interacting with both Pol and with her staff. I was thinking that Pol would be a State Senator, but am thinking that in order to get the launch to governor that she's ready for and a staff the size of what she has, perhaps she will have to be a US Representative. That opens up the scenery a little bit, too, with Nina coordinating offices both in Washington DC and in Indiana.
2. Mad Aunt Hattie's story. Introduces the idea that things aren't what they seem. Provides motivation for investigating. Establishes relationship between Aaron and Hattie so that they have grounds to continue meeting together as she progressively reveals more of her story through Aaron's repeated visits.
3. Aaron's investigation following Hattie's instructions and accident when lightning flashes. Creates the cliff-hanger for turning to the next chapter.

Chapter Three: Meet the players.

1. Establish that Pol is about to run for Governor and is assembling a campaign staff. Introduce Alex as an advisor who calls her back to Indiana for a meeting.
2. Nina is attempting to hire an old boyfriend/classmate as the new press manager for Pol. There is some interest that she might rekindle the romance, but also that she is interested in having him "report to her." She has some real power issues.
3. Follow Nina's story a little more closely to find out she is a Political Science graduate from Purdue University. Her goal is to become chief of staff to the President of the United States. She is counting on Pol to get her there, or close enough to it that she can jump to a winning candidate. She is a classic king-maker. She wants the power, but not the position.
4. I need to elevate Jack's position a bit as both friend and mentor to Aaron. First of all, the weekly poker game needs to be more than a bunch of old guys playing cards and shooting the bull. These guys need to be savvy businessmen and civil servants who use the game as much for their own agendas as for recreation. I think that Aaron's call after the accident will be completed to Jack, who is at the game. Aaron doesn't realize he's deaf, just that the call didn't go through.

Chapter Four: An alien encounter

1. Aaron's awakening in the wrecked car. Establishes that he's out of contact when there is no cell service. Establishes his disorientation. Creates the question of whether he is lucid or hallucinating when he stumbles on the meeting, and also casts doubt on his hearing, affected by the thunder clap.
2. Looking in the church. Establishes that there is a window that is in viewing distance of the rendezvous place even though it is not used at this time. Establishes that the church is empty and still. Establishes that the church is unlocked.
3. Following the light to the grove behind the church. Validates Hattie’s story of 12 oaks. Introduces Aaron to the scene of the aliens. Gives us our first sample of an overheard conversation taken out of context. Begins Aaron's imposition of his context (inherited from Hattie) on what he hears.
4. Taking the photo and being discovered. Brings us to another cliff-hanger where Aaron is unconscious.

Chapter Five: The Good Samaritan.

1. Aaron's awakening in the wrecked car unable to hear again. Creates doubt over whether he ever saw or heard what he thought he did. Introduces Pol as a human character who is caring and helpful.
2. Casts into question whether or not there is cellular service because she calls 911. Distracts Aaron from his quest when EMTs arrive and take him to the hospital.
3. Checking out of the hospital and discovering Pol waiting for him. Establishes a lingering concern for Aaron on Pol's part. Gives them a chance to talk as she takes him home. Reveals the fact that she is looking for a writer. Also establishes that she is unwilling to talk about what he saw the night before.
4. Coffee with Pol. Establishes that Pol intends to keep an eye on Aaron in one way or another. She takes charge of getting him settled, calling his insurance company, using her staff to make things right. Leaves us with a spoken and an unspoken invitation as Pol invites Aaron to come to her office.

Chapter Six: Succumbing to the urge to investigate.

1. Aaron’s visit to the service station. Collects his belongings from his wrecked car. Discovers the insurance company has already been to visit. Bemused over how fast they responded.
2. Aaron returns home to find the insurance agent waiting for him. Hands him a check for more than what Aaron thinks his car is worth and says that he’ll take care of it from there on out. Lucky he wasn’t killed in the accident and tells him to bill any additional medical care. Aaron is overwhelmed at the agent’s speed and generosity. Agent lets slip that he was tipped off to move fast by a powerful person.
3. Aaron’s telling of the events at the weekly poker game with his buddies. Establishes that he can’t remember exactly what order things happened in or what they were. Makes Jack wonder if he has a concussion. Establishes that Jack has loaned him a car.
4. Aaron decides to revisit the scene, recording every detail he can to refresh his memories. More suspicions aroused when Aaron can’t find a trace of where his car went off the road. The church door is locked, further rousing Aaron’s doubts of what he thinks he remembers. Then he explores behind the church and finds the circle of 7 trees and 12 stumps. There is no trace of activity, but he pulls out his camera phone to take a picture. When he looks at it he discovers a picture from the night before. Finding the picture ends the chapter with the revelation that it wasn’t all a dream.

Chapter Seven: Face-to-face with the enemy.

1. Aaron visits with Mad Aunt Hattie again to get more of her story. She can tell by the questions he is asking that he has been to see the rendezvous. She tells him that if he really wants the truth, he’ll have to get close to the source. Motivates Aaron to go see Pol.
2. Pol and Alex discussing the situation in the inner office. Allusion to old way of doing things makes it sound like they might be in a criminal activity. Establishes that there is conflict between Pol and her “superiors”.
3. As Pol and Alex leave the inner office, they find Aaron standing in the middle of the office with his cell phone out. There is a moment of recognition and the phone rings distracting them. Aaron quickly adjusts his phone and the ringing stops. Says he was just calling, but gives him the opportunity to cover taking a picture of Alex as he leaves.
4. Aaron pulls out resume and says that he’s interested in applying for the writing job. Aaron & Pol talk and just as they are turning to go into Pol’s office Nina arrives. She is apologetic for leaving the office unattended, etc. Pol introduces her to her new writer. Nina is appalled and says she has interviews scheduled. We establish that Pol has just hired over Nina’s head as chief of staff which puts Nina instantly in opposition to Aaron.

Chapter Eight: Touching the planet

1. Nina with the staff. We discover that Nina was supposed to hire a candidate and had one in mind. Staff questions her authority putting her on the defensive. We find out that Pol has taken Aaron to “Ditch him,” a phrase we find out means visiting her favorite project.
2. Aaron and Pol at Burns Ditch. We find them meeting with the harbormaster. Pol is concerned with the level of pollutants in the water at the harbor. Argues about environmental concern. Harbormaster tells her she won’t get votes from the shipping industry.
3. Pol and Aaron at the Dunes. Pol takes Aaron for a winter walk in the Indiana Dunes State Park. From the beach they can see the shipping traffic. She seems to get lost talking about the way to heal the earth. Aaron doesn’t understand and she takes his hand to guide him (like hypnosis). The experience is so intense that Aaron opens his eyes to find himself kissing Pol. (Maybe. Might just feel the connection and not make the connection.)

Chapter Nine: Nina vs. Aaron part 1

1. At staff meeting, Nina blames Aaron for mess-up with Harbormaster. Aaron wins points with some of the other staff members, however, with some witicism that sets Nina off. After staff meeting Aaron is with others and jokes about Nina just as he is summoned to her office.
2. a) In Nina's office, she brings up his participation in the failed Carter Campaign. But he points out that Carter won in SF. She’ll bring up his proximity to Wounded Knee as another failure. b) She will make no bones about her being in charge no matter who hired him. Wouldn't have hired him based on his resume. He responds about Pol's poor hiring choices making it clear that he doesn't think much of Nina. Nina pulls rank and tells him she will give him the assignments and no one goes to Pol independent of her. c) She tells him that he made a mess of the Burns Ditch Harbormaster interview and it is up to him to make it right. Win the shipping and steel votes with tight deadline.
3. Aaron takes the problem to Jack and they launch an investigation. Jack’s contacts discover the hold that the steel mill has over the harbormaster and the payoffs going to the EPA. This will fuel Pol’s campaign by showing that the conspiracy is damaging the health of workers. He’ll show it to Nina and she’ll veto it as ridiculous.
4. Pol sees the material on Aaron’s desk, she gets excited. Pol’s response will be to have it checked before she goes forward with it. She calls Alex to get the approval.

Chapter Ten: Nina vs. Aaron part 2

1. Nina furious that Aaron has gone to Pol with his idea instead of following channels. Even though Aaron never actually talked to Pol about the concept. Nina has him pick up the press kits for conference in Indianapolis without telling him that his outdated calendar will direct him to Michigan City instead.
2. Alex, we will discover, is using his almost expired human embodiment to experience some uniquely human sensations that are highly prized by the aliens. I'm thinking it is food related. It certainly isn't sex or relational because he thinks that is really disgusting. But there is something about the alien's make-up that gets an illicit kick out of earthly food. Alex especially wants to experience food of all cultures and regions, but has a special affinity to ... what? cumin?
3. In Michigan City Aaron runs into Alex making contact. He finds out he's in the wrong place by getting a meeting update on is cell-phone. Aaron has to decide whether he should try to make the meeting in Muncie or follow Alex. He chooses the latter when he observes that Alex has a copy of his Burns Harbor report. Then when he’s heard Alex divulging the contents to the unknown visitor, Aaron rushes back to the office.
4. Meanwhile, Nina goes with Pol to Indianapolis to the correct conference telling Pol that Aaron is supposed to meet them there with the press kits. She meets with her staff there after Pol goes back to the office in Ft. Wayne, ridiculing Aaron for not being there when Nina and Pol are depending on him.
5. Aaron catches Pol there just as she arrives back from the press conference that Nina has miraculously saved from Aaron’s incompetence. Aaron bulls past the objections and addresses the suspected conspiracy to subvert the Harbor proposal. This scene gets played out to the mutual satisfaction of Pol and Aaron who end up in an embrace just as Nina opens the door.

Chapter Eleven: Falling in Love

1. We've got to talk--all night. Pol goes to Aaron's house. Probably surprises him there. She wants to spend time talking to him, but doesn't want to be seen "out" with him. It would be bad for the political image to date an employee. They talk all night, obviously falling completely in love with each other. But there is an unspoken barrier between them that prevents anything more than a passionate kiss.
2. After Aaron drops Pol off at the airport (she has to go back to Washington), he stops to see Mad Aunt Hattie again. This time, she deftly describes to Aaron what it was like to fall in love with her disappearing boyfriend. The story is remarkably the same as what has just happened to Aaron. Hattie tells him that he just has to keep her away from "that church."
3. Hattie's tells Aaron the entire story of falling in love with her alien and what it meant and cost, foreshadowing Aaron and Pol.
4. Pol, in Washington, meets with Alex to discuss Aaron's proposal. (It now has to do with exploiting a division in the coalition between the Steel Mills and the Harbormaster). In the course of the conversation, Pol reveals her feelings for Aaron. Alex is appalled. Tells Pol that she has to cut it off or he'll be forced to take action. This is where he refers to humans as plants. She adds his addiction to human food to her arsenal of arguments. But in the end, she agrees that she has to back off from the relationship.
5. Aaron and Jack. Aaron confesses that he's falling for Pol. Jack suggests a little investigation. Aaron suggests that he start with Uncle Alex.

Chapter Twelve:

1. Pol takes Aaron back to the accident site and conceals him in the church. She tells him that he has to stay hidden and that she will let him know if and when it is safe to come out. Then she waits for Uncle Alex. When Alex arrives, he inquires about Aaron’s whereabouts and Pol says she changed her mind. They go into the grove behind the church and the other presence joins Pol and Alex. Aaron listens from the window, not understanding half of what is being said. He pulls out his cell phone to take a picture of the third presence with it, still not sure what he is seeing. The light from the screen on the phone illuminates Aaron’s face and Alex sees him and points him out. The presence is angry and demands that Aaron be captured. There is a repeat of the lightning flash and thunder clap that has affected Aaron before. As Aaron falls forward in a faint, he drops his phone into an empty and disused baptismal font. Aaron blacks out.

Chapter Thirteen:

1. Aaron awakens hearing voices discussing what to do with him. The voices suggest that a lot of people disappear and he will just be one of them. Pol argues that it’s not necessary. No one would believe him no matter what he saw or said. Aaron manages an escape which leads him into different chambers in the where he sees miniature worlds in various stages of development in individual hothouses. In one of these rooms Pol catches up with him. He still believes he is in Indiana at a secret facility that is doing some kind of miniaturized ecological modeling. Poll suggests that there is more here than he can understand and introduces him to the greenhouse concept. She explains that these are not miniatures at all, but are actual living worlds that she and the architects, like gardeners, tend until the little balls of energy develop their personalities and can stand on their own. Pol says they have to get out of here before they are discovered. Aaron, thinking they are still in Indiana in a manufacturing facility looks for a door, but Pol shoves him toward one of the “planters,” keys in her code and shoves him through. Aaron wakes up in the car driving back into town next to Pol. He moves to the middle seatbelt.

Chapter Fourteen:

1. Aaron is hosting the weekly poker party at his home when his land-line rings. It is the preacher at St. Michael’s who would like speak with him about his missing cell phone. Aaron agrees to meet the preacher at the church on the hill. There the preacher hands Aaron the phone and takes him on a tour of the church and the grounds. Aaron thinks it is strange that he never asks him how his cell phone came to be in the baptismal font. Gradually the preacher explains that the church has no congregation and that he is part of a select group that guard and maintain its secrets. He couches his terms in rather old-style mythical terms as he tells Aaron that this circle of trees is where the gods dance. Aaron thinks he is being told something in an allegory, but the preacher makes it perfectly clear to Aaron that this is a holy place of the order of Mount Sinai. He declares that he is fully human, but that he is dedicated to doing anything that is necessary to protect the secrets of this holy place. Aaron thinks he may be attacked for a moment, but the preacher tells him that now Aaron is one of them and he must do his part to protect these secrets. The preacher looks pointedly at Aaron’s phone, then wishes him a good day.

Chapter Fifteen:

1. This is the climax. Nina has plotted her revenge for being all but replaced in her role, and certainly in her relationship with Pol, by Aaron. She arranges an accident that she will put Aaron out of commission for the duration of the election, she thinks, so that Pol will return her loyalty to Nina. The accident goes horribly wrong, and as Pol is preparing to present her acceptance speech for the nomination, she is caught in the midst of the disaster and is mortally injured. Seeing how her plan has gone awry and that she has killed Pol, Nina is devastated and runs away. Aaron holds Pol in his arms telling her she can’t die because she is a god. Pol tells him it’s just a human body. He asks her to come back to him, she says she can’t, but one day he will come to her. Until then, he needs to carry on the work and heal the dunes.

Chapter Sixteen:

1. Former Governor Aaron Case sits in the nursing home reading the report that the old 12 Oaks Church had been demolished to make room for 12 luxury homes on the old property. The development would be called Twelve Oaks, though there had been no trees on the site for nearly ten years. He then greets a young historian who interviews him as part of collecting an oral history of the pre-solar days of energy. Aaron surprises the young man by telling the story of aliens that are growing the earth as if it were in a greenhouse. The interviewer chuckles about the story to himself. He suggests that no one would believe him if he claimed that almost Governor Pol Stamos was an alien. There was no proof and he’d be put in an asylum. But Aaron reaches into a box and pulls out what looks like an ancient communications device. People have cellular implants now so that they can communicate effortlessly whenever they want. Aaron has kept his cell phone from his time with Pol and shows the interviewer the photos he took both of Pol and the alien encounters. He hands the interviewer the phone and with the words of the preacher at St. Michaels, tells him that the responsibility is now his.

New Chaplets

1. The priest doesn't really come into play much until he calls Aaron and returns the phone to him, telling the story of the non-denominational "12 Oaks Church." But he will be present at the Memorial Home the day that Aaron shows up to find that Mad Aunt Hattie is dead. The funeral will be conducted at the 12 Oaks and there will be an allusion to the idea that there is some form of reunion awaiting her with her high school boyfriend.
2. Finally, I'm going to have to deal with Pol and Aaron's relationship. It needs to develop with passion and intent, but not be overbearing in its presence. I think they are going to have to mutually agree that it needs to be kept secret until after the election. She doesn't dare have any questions asked during the campaign.