“Oh yeah, why does it scare me then?”
“Because you’re too reserved in your every day life,” Amy said, looking at herself in the mirror.
“This is your way of screwing in the phone booth down at the corner.”
“Analyze this, Freudette!” Carl made a finger gesture to Amy.
Chapter 29
CARL STORMED INTO MAC’S OFFICE- “You don’t set up meetings anymore?” Mac asked, sitting behind his desk. He leaned back in his chair, as Carl walked up to the desk.
“I find it rather disturbing,” Carl stated, “that Ackerman has been able to infiltrate the mission selection and mission personnel meetings.”
“It’s to late to—” Mac tried to cut him off.”
“Hear me out!” Carl demanded.
Mac just gestured for him to continue.
Carl took a deep breath, “I talked to West over at training and he tells me that Ackerman has been everywhere and is very influential. He sounds very concerned about what happened to Donald, and the loss of signals at reentry. Ackerman passes off the Alpha thing as part of the same problem. More than one person has commented on Ackerman’s determination, and Miller out at Mission Control said it reminds him of Donald. Everyone I’ve talked to describes Ackerman as determined as hell and very persuasive. You know what’s odd?”
“I can’t imagine?” Mac sounded patronizing.
“No one is put out about it!” Carl shrugged, hands out, palms up. “He’s showing all the classic signs of an overly ambitious person, and this is a bureaucracy filled with suspicious people, and no one is reacting. They’re all behind him. Something’s up I tell you.”
Mac was smiling now. “We have an astronaut that is showing exorbitant enthusiasm about his responsibilities, and that has you concerned?”
“We have a situation that is not normal. That is what has me concerned.” Carl stated.
“These people have worked long and hard and are coming together. If you can’t see that, I think you have the problem,” Mac stated emphatically.
“Did you hear about Hollsworth and Ackerman?” Carl added.
“No . . .” Mac didn’t want to hear it, his hesitation signaled that. “What happened?”
“Hollsworth stopped Ackerman on the street and leveled some pretty damaging charges.”
“What!” Mac cried, “We can’t let whackos accost our people, especially in public.” Mac looked at Carl, “What are you going to do about it?”
“It’s public domain, besides, you need to talk to Ackerman. He’s the one that apparently blew it. Hollsworth baited him and he fell apart.”
***
“What the hell were you thinking?” Mac cried. He had arranged to met with Ackerman. “You lost it, and now people are wondering.”
“It doesn’t matter, no one can stop us,” Ackerman said with contempt as they walked down through the grass, discussing the situation on the spreading grounds of the Agency.
“We don’t want bad publicity,” Mac pleaded, “Ackerman, think, this is for the good of the people. We want them coming to us for salvation, that is the whole purpose.”
Ackerman looked at Mac with a sort of disdain on his face. “I’m not interested in what ‘they’ think, nor do you.”
“You’re wrong Henry. I long for this because of what it can do for the poor, lost souls of this world.”
“The poor, lost souls want us to make the rules. That is what they need and want.”
“It can bring us all together,” Mac stuck to his argument.
“A true uncontested leader is what will bring it all together.”
Mac was about to open his mouth to reason with Ackerman, but it suddenly dawned on him that Ackerman was too far imbedded in his own timetable to quarrel with about moral issues.
“You blow getting on the mission, and all will be for naught,” Mac finally resorted to plausible threats.
Ackerman had been departing, but this stopped him. “They can’t change their minds, not now.”
“You bring unwanted attention to yourself, and I can guarantee there will be problems.” Mac was the one to walk away first.
Chapter 30
ALICE AND WINSTON WERE IN A CROWDED LOBBY - “Well, what’s your opinion of the lecture, so far?” Alice asked Winston.
“I was of the impression the whole lecture was related to Dr. Albright’s opinion that he was right.” Winston was looking over the crowd. “The best part is this intermission, so far,” he complained.
“That’s why they’re called lectures,” Alice laughed. “Well, do you think he’s right?”
“Right about what?” Winston looked uncomfortable in the packed lobby.
“Damn you Winston.” Alice was right in front of him, trying to get him to focus instead of searching the crowd. “Why can’t you ever give me a straight answer?”
“Because I don’t have an answer.” He finally looked down to Alice.
“You keep saying that!” Alice was getting frustrated. She put her hands on her hips. “Do you have an opinion, or what?”
“Not yet.” Winston shrugged, his attention back to the crowd.
“F you Winston!” Alice stomped her foot.
“Now Alley, we agreed that we were going to be very objective about all this and I am sticking to it.” Winston said, looking at her. “I don’t want to give you the impression I know any more than I do.”
“That’s one hell of a cop-out Whinny baby.”
“No, it’s not.” Now Winston had his hands on his hips. “I’m not sure about anything at this time. That’s why I want to meet Ackerman. That is the reason we’re here, not to get into discussions about Dr. Albright’s asinine assumptions.”
“Oh, and Ackerman will confirm or discredit your suspicions?”
“I hope I will learn something from him, yes.”
“Good, I hope so because this is getting really frustrating,” Alice complained.
“Me or the subject?” Winston lowered his eyebrows and scowled at Alice.
“Both Winston, both,” she answered with clenched teeth.
Alice moved her head slightly to the side to look around Winston. “Here comes our boy Ackerman.”
Alice stepped casually around Winston and walked toward the approaching astronaut. “Say, aren’t you Henry Ackerman, the astronaut?” she asked, extending her hand.
“Yes, and you are?” Ackerman responded as he slowed, his way blocked by Alice.
“Alice Smithers and I’m a great fan of all you guys. I mean, I think it’s really exciting to be able to go up there. It must really give you a different prospective and all that?”
“On what, Ms. Smithers?” Ackerman was trying to move around her, but with all the people it was difficult.
“Oh, all our problems and things like that,” Alice kind of stumbled, trying to think of something intelligent to add.
“What problems are you referring to?” Ackerman said disinterested, still trying to get away.
“All the problems here on Earth, I guess,” Alice said softly, knowing she was making herself look stupid. “You know, the condition of the planet and all that?”
Ackerman finally gave her a small smile. “It looks just fine from up there, if that will make you feel better, and thank you for your concern.”
“Thank you,” Alice said relieved, glad that Ackerman had given her a small reprieve.
She turned, glad to see Winston was still behind her. Winston was looking at Ackerman intently.
“Mr. Ackerman, I would like you to meet a friend of mine,” she said, indicating Winston. Ackerman had not noticed Winston before, but when he was introduced he looked at Adams. There was a startled look on his face. He seemed surprised.
“Do we know each other?” Ackerman asked with an uncomfortable tone in his voice.
Winston didn’t say anything, just stared at Ackerman. Alice turned back to Winston, wondering why he didn’t acknowledge the introduction. She was about to introduce Winston ag
ain when Ackerman’s face went tense, then suddenly changed to panic.
“What do you want?” Ackerman shrieked.
The outbreak was heard by the people around them and they all fell silent, watching. Alice turned to Winston; he had a look of extreme concentration, a look that bored into Ackerman.
“I don’t give autographs or interviews lady!” Ackerman shouted, pushing past Alice without looking at her.
When Ackerman was through the door, he turned slightly and looked back. Winston was still watching him intently with a far away look on his face. Alice had to tug at Winston’s sleeve to get his attention.
“Yeah, what is it?” Winston responded tersely.
“Winston are you okay?” she asked him, concerned, still hanging on to his sleeve.
“Yeah, yeah,” he said.
“What was that all about?”
“Nothing,” Winston stated sternly.
Alice pulled down hard on his sleeve, and moved her mouth up as close to his ear as she could. “Look dammit, you said you were going to keep me informed, and something just happened here. Now tell me dammit! You owe me that much.”
Winston seemed to come out of the fog. “I don’t think you’d understand. It would only confuse you.”
“Horse pucky. You tell me what you know!”
“He’s not one of us,” Winston said very softly.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
Winston didn’t answer, but turned and headed toward the door.
***
Winston was hailing a cab, as Alice finally caught up to him.
“You can’t shut me out like this, I saw what happened in there.” Alice wanted answers.
“I’m not shutting you out, I just don’t have anything I could tell you, that’s all.”
“What happened in there?”
“Ackerman is not who he says he is.”
“Please explain.”
“Alley, you want answers I can’t give you. Now, do you think it would be fair for me to lie to you. Make something up just to get you off my back? Is that what you want?”
“Of course not, but I saw something happen to Ackerman when you met him. I saw it with my own eyes Winston.”
“Ackerman, or who ever he is, realized that I saw through him and he got scared, that’s all. I’ve done it to a lot of people, remember?”
“And that’s all I’m going to get out of you, huh?”
A cab pulled up. Winston was silent as he got in.
Thanks a lot Winston!” Alice snapped at him.
“It’s all I’m sure of, I’m sorry.” Winston closed the door and the cab drove away, leaving her standing.
Chapter 31
CARL WAS DRIVING HIS CAR - with Alice in the passenger seat.
“You met Ackerman, what do you think?” Carl asked Alice.
“He got really spooked by Winston,” she said.
“Other than that, did you form any opinion?”
“At first, before Winston derailed him, smug, one of those real righteous dudes.” She looked over at Carl. “What was Donald like?”
“A smug, righteous dude.”
“And Ackerman, before all this happened?”
“Kind of a slob, didn’t give a shit about anything. He was in the program because he was very intelligent and didn’t really have to work at anything, it all came natural. They referred to him as the fourth stooge.”
“Winston really upset him,” Alice commented again.
“What did he say to him?”
“Nothing, I told you, he just stared, but Ackerman went nuts, lost his cool. Winston really scared him.”
Chapter 32
CARL AND AMY WERE LAYING IN BED - when Amy commented. “Strange things are happening, huh?”
“Like what?” Carl returned.
“Oh, the Donald thing. First he was killed, then he wasn’t really dead, and now he’s dead for sure. I mean you guys are looking really inept. Do you think your explanations will fly?”
“We can hope. After all, everybody has problems with their computers. They should be sympathetic.”
“And the truth?”
“Haven’t the slightest idea?”
“Carl sweetie, not everybody is stupid. That’s not going to fly. People at work are asking ‘me’, for gosh sakes.”
“What could you possibly know?”
“I bed down, regularly, with the idiot that is supposed to know. They can’t help themselves. There is a rumor that one of the returning astronauts is possessed by Donald’s spirit.”
“I heard that one, it’s a mess for sure.”
“Well, I’m here for more than just the sex. You can run it by me, it might make you feel better.
“Ackerman!” Carl admitted
“Yeah, that’s the name going around.”
“It’s out already?”
“Since this morning, and you guys look like real clowns. I hate to be the one to break it to you.”
“Bullshit, you just came twice!”
“Now that we know my motives, spill your guts, you sexy thing.”
“We don’t have the slightest idea what the hell is going on. It’s all speculation right now.”
“I just came again.”
“Winston Adams is the only one that makes any sense.”
“Heard that at noon.”
“Damn, I might as well go to work with you in the morning. I’ll get more accomplished.”
“No way Jose, I don’t want to be sick of you, yet.”
“I’m thinking of meeting with Adams again.”
“It wouldn’t hurt. Going outside the problem sometimes gives a better perspective of what’s right in front of your face.”
“Yeah, I’ve been checking around the Agency and I can’t believe what my hypotheses has come to. I’ve discovered that some strange decisions have been made. Almost as if someone was hypnotizing the people in charge of mission personnel.”
“You space nuts are real spooky.”
Chapter 33
MAC WAS ON THE PHONE - “Yes, we’re on the secure line.”
Mac listened.
“I’m aware of the importance of—”
“I couldn’t stop him,” Mac said angrily into the phone, then listened.
“What are you insinuating? . . .”
“I run this agency, and right now you need me to accomplish your mission . . .”
“This thing came out of the blue, so don’t you dare suggest that I’m inept. I have run this program for three years and— ”
“She is not going to find anything, I saw to that! . . .”
“Are you going to eliminate anyone that appears to be curious? . . .”
“Where are you going to bury all the bodies? You’re going to need one hell of a big hole because this isn’t the dark ages . . .”
“Let me tell you something, and you listen closely. You find it so easy to threaten because you’re in the background. I’m out in the open and have to consider every move. I can’t afford to bring any negative attention to our . . . our plan . . .”
“Yeah, well don’t threaten me because you need me!” Mac slammed the phone.
***
“Man my tennis game is taking a beating,” Mac complained to Carl as Carl stepped into Mac’s office, “with all this damn work to do.”
“Ah, don’t take it so hard, you’re not very good anyway,” Carl commented.
“Well, at least I can get in a few licks on the miserable ball, occasionally,” Mac sighed. “But this crap just keeps coming at you and you can’t hit back.”
“Yeah, I know, everybody wants answers and they want them now,” Carl commiserated with him.
“The worst part is, I’m not really sure there is a problem.”
Mac’s phone rang and he picked it up.
“Send her in,” Mac said into the phone, then looked up at Carl. “Little Miss Smithers the pushy broad is here, and I want you to know, I do not approve, not one bit.�
��
Alice walked in.
“Well, Alice what have you got for us?” Mac asked her.
“Not much, yet, but I haven’t had too much time.”
“Well, give us what you’ve got,” Mac said impatiently.
“I’m sorry, but we took readings of Ackerman awake, asleep, sedated, and nothing resembled the Donald’s readings.”
“A dead end then, just as I figured, so—” Mac was ready to end the interview.
“So far,” interrupted Alice, “but I really didn’t expect anything. I mean those Alpha readings were something that had never been seen before and could be total misinformation entirely.”
“Meaning Miss Smithers?”
“You guys had some equipment problems at reentry, could the readings be just an extension of that.”
“Carl asked you to do comparisons, not analyze our systems. You know, I cut you loose once and I wasn’t to happy about you being brought back in.”
“Sorry, I got carried away.”
“Carl and I are under the gun and we are hoping for some quick solutions. Although I’m beginning to think there might be nothing to be so concerned about.”
“I wouldn’t hope too much for that,” Alice added quickly.
“What are you getting at?” Mac sounded suspicious.
“The official approach didn’t net much,” Alice paused, “but the unofficial approach was quite different.”
“Unofficial?” Mac asked sort of choking.
“I can’t prove it, but I think we are talking to Donald, not Ackerman,” Alice asserted.
“Miss Smithers,” Mac announced, “Donald was killed, and although there were some complications concerning that mission,” Mac was watching Carl, “don’t go saying silly and confusing things.”
“I’m just telling you what I think.”
“Well, what makes you think the way you do?”
“Like I said, I did some unofficial checking and turned up some interesting stuff.”
“I wish you would quit using unofficial, it makes me nervous,” Mac growled.
“We arranged to bump into Ackerman. It was Winston’s idea. He—”
“You took this on yourself?” Mac interrupted, shouting again. “You planned this deception on Ackerman without consulting anyone? Is that what I’m hearing here?” Mac was slapping his palm lightly on his desk.
“I did what I thought was the next step.”
“The next step young lady,” Mac commanded, “is to always get it from this office! Always! Do you understand?”
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