“Have you heard anything about the fate of the hyper-reality project?” Matt asked.
“No,” Alex said with a hint of disappointment.
“I just hope they don’t sweep this whole thing under the carpet,” Matt exclaimed with a look of frustration.
“I know, just hang in there.” Alex replied.
“So…how many times have you been through this kind of thing?” Melissa asked.
Alex paused for a moment to consider his answer. “Well, let’s just say that you two are not the first individuals to be caught in the middle of a conspiracy involving different elements of the government and secret projects. Admittedly though, this particular issue is much more complex than anything else I’ve ever seen, so It’s hard to predict the outcome.”
“Have you talked with Angelia this morning?” Matt asked.
“No, I think she was called into a teleconference with an advisory panel, and I haven’t had a chance to speak with her since,” Alex replied.
“She mentioned to me before that congress would use an advisory panel to decide who would get control over the hyper-reality project,” Matt recalled.
“Then they really are closing this case fast,” Alex replied as he got up and left the cafeteria as if he needed to attend to something.
“I like Alex, and I appreciate his help, but it always seems like he only tells us part of the story,” Matt remarked.
“I think that’s because he represents both sides. He gets helps for people like us, but that help comes from the government, and he protects their interest as well,” Melissa suggested.
“I think you’re correct, but if this doesn’t turn out like he thinks, I wonder how much influence he would have after that?” Matt questioned.
“I don’t know,” Melissa replied as she finished her bagel.
“I just wanted to help Helios and find the dreamstone a new home,” Matt remarked as he followed Melissa back towards their room.
“That’s all I want too,” Melissa sighed.
Chapter 25
When they got back to their room, Melissa noticed the small white mouse was still resting in its bed and she set a small piece of biscuit down next to it. The mouse’s little whiskers wiggled back and forth as it sniffed the air. Then the mouse got up and grabbed the morsel, and proceeded to eat it.
“You made a friend,” Matt commented.
“There probably isn’t much for him to eat this far underground,” Melissa observed.
“You’re a nice person,” Matt said with a smile.
Melissa nodded and then looked over at the clock on the wall. “I wonder when we’ll hear something?”
“I don’t know, I just hope we haven’t come this far to have the whole thing black boxed,” he replied.
“At least we are safe, and that’s the most important thing of all. I know how important this is to you, but honestly, if the project gets closed down, would that really be so bad? I’m just not certain that humanity is ready to join the galactic community. If we can’t coexist peacefully with our own kind, how on earth are we going to get along with all the other more advanced species out there?” Melissa asserted.
“That’s true…I just can’t help but wonder what exploring other worlds would be like. The sheer magnitude of scientific discovery that awaits us boggles the mind,” Matt replied.
“I know, but if you have to decide between stopping the project and avoiding the potential misuse of the technology or risking it all, which would it be?” Melissa asked.
“You’re right... I just wish you weren’t in this case,” Matt sighed.
“It’s time for the meeting,” Alex interrupted as he poked his head through the doorway. Matt and Melissa immediately followed him to the conference room and sat down at the table next to him. A few moments later a stocky dark-haired woman entered the room holding a thick file folder in her hand.
“Thanks for all of your help,” she said in a cold insincere tone. “We have uncovered a few bad seeds, and they have been dealt with. Unfortunately in today’s world, assassination attempts and terrorist plots are all too common. As a result, the government likes to limit the public’s knowledge of such events to prevent the destabilization of our civilized society. The public likes to feel protected and safe, and our job is to maintain that perception. Governmental conspiracies and infighting are counterproductive to that goal, and as a result, this issue will remain classified, and there will be no media coverage. This case is officially closed, and arrangements have been made to return all of you back to your homes. I have a few forms for you to sign and then you are free to go.”
“What is going to happen to the hyper-reality project?” Matt blurted out in a moment of defiance.
“The project is under review,” the woman replied.
“What does that mean?” Matt asked, sounding irritated by her vague answer.
“It means that the people who have the power to decide what to do with it, haven’t made a decision yet,” she remarked.
Matt glared at her as she handed each of them a release waiver to sign. Then he read over the waiver and could see that it was worded so that they could not be released from the facility unless they agreed to a myriad of conditions barring them from ever speaking about the incident. Matt scribbled his name and then went back to their room.
“Are you okay?” Melissa asked as she joined him.
“I don’t know what I expected,” he said in an angry tone. “They did exactly what I imagined they would.”
“I know you’re disappointed, but one good thing has come out of this,” she hinted.
“What’s that?” he asked.
“It brought us together,” she replied with a warm smile.
Matt immediately reached over and hugged her tight for several minutes. Then as he let her go, he kissed her cheek and whispered, “I love you,” in her ear.
Melissa kissed him back and then sat on the edge of the cot for a moment while Matt started packing up their things. Then she reached into her pocket and dropped a few peanuts on the floor near the mouse’s bed.
“The little guy is going to miss you,” Matt remarked.
“I know,” she sighed.
“Well, I guess I have everything,” Matt commented after zipping the suitcase closed. Just then they heard some cheering coming from the hallway and they both rushed out to see what was going on. Angelia came running over to them and then threw a piece of paper down on the cot for them to read.
“What is that?” Matt asked.
“It’s a press briefing that will be released to the media tomorrow,” she exclaimed, unable to contain her excitement.
Matt immediately picked up the piece of paper and started reading it aloud. “NASA unveils plans for a revolutionary new spacecraft. The exact details of the new craft and the science behind it are still yet to be disclosed, but NASA claims it is a quantum leap forward. The technological breakthrough will allow astronauts to explore further into the depths of space than ever imagined. NASA has indicated that it will partner with several other countries to form a multi-national space agency in order to facilitate the development of the technology. The designated contact person for the media will be NASA Special Projects Director, Angelia Aether.”
“I can’t believe you convinced them to give NASA the project!” Matt replied in amazement.
“It would have never happened without the two of you,” Angelia said with a smile.
“When Matt and I get back home, you’ll have to come visit when you have a chance... Matt has a nice Azalea he needs to give to you,” Melissa said with a smirk.
“I would be happy to give it a new home,” Angelia replied.
###
The Facts Behind the Fiction
The story about the dreamstone might be fiction, but here are some facts that I used in the architecture of my story that are absolutely true.
The mineral Quartz is Piezoelectric, a property that allows it to be used as an electronic oscillato
r in circuits to create a precise frequency from an electrical signal. Quartz crystals are still used in the following modern electronic devices: wristwatches, clocks, radios, computers, and cellphones. (1)
The secret radar evasion project called Dark Shadow in my novel is actually based on the real life radar evasion program called ‘Project Rainbow’. The program was established by the CIA in the 1950’s in an effort to make the U2 spy plane invisible to Soviet radar. The same program was purported to have been used years earlier on the U.S.S. Eldridge, rendering the ship invisible by teleportation into another dimension. That incident, real or not, is known as The Philadelphia Experiment. (2)
Groom Lake Test Facility was established in 1955 by the CIA, for ‘Project Aquatone’, which was the code name for the development of the U-2 spy plane. The facility is located within Area 51, which is part of the Nellis Air force Range and is adjacent to the Nevada Test site. Groom Lake and the surrounding area are classified as restricted air space and are off-limits to both civilian and normal military air traffic. (3)
In 1984, the Federal Government turned over the Montauk Air Force Station property to the New York State Parks System. The deed on record at the Suffolk County offices in Riverhead, N.Y. shows that the Federal Government retains all rights to the property below the surface, and only the surface rights were actually donated to the N. Y. State Parks System. (4)
Executive Order 12591: Facilitating Access to Science and Technology: signed on April 10, 1987 by President Ronald Reagan. (5)
References:
(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartz
(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_oscillator
(2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_rainbow
(3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Area_51
(4) http://www.crystalinks.com/montauk1.html
(4) http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/montauk/esp_montauk_5a.htm
(5) http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12591.html
About the Author
I would like to express my gratitude to you for taking the time to read this book. I hope that you have enjoyed reading the story as much as I have enjoyed writing it. I appreciate the opportunity to share my work with you because writing is my passion. When I am not writing, I enjoy camping, hiking, and snowboarding with my wife and son. My love of the outdoors is frequently the inspiration landscape that my characters must navigate. If you enjoyed this book, please take a few minutes to write a favorable review so that others can find my works.
Thanks again, Ben Hughes
My Other Books
Children’s Fantasy:
The Dragon Adventure Series:
Book One: A Dragon Named Splinter
Book Two: The Blue Dragon
Book Three: The Dragon Wizard
Young Adult / Adult Science Fiction:
Dreamstone
Dominate Species (coming summer 2014)
Dreamstone Page 21