After she had left the White House, she had analyzed her work on the laser and begun to get excited about the possibilities of bringing a new version on line to help the president. Not just the president, but the entire country.
As she sat still and kept her head raised in anticipation of her boss’s next comment, Cammy felt more emboldened than ever. If he wouldn’t let her pursue this, she’d figure out a way to do it somewhere else.
As if reading her mind, the CEO leaned forward and asked her a question. “You really think this laser is going to work, don’t you?”
Cammy slowly nodded her head. “Look, Stan, I know you have other priorities. But right now, the country doesn’t. This project could be the most important thing we’ve developed since … well, since Q-3.”
“Okay, I’ll give you Q-3. It worked. I still don’t think this thing’s going to pan out, but I’ll give you a couple of weeks. And if it doesn’t, I’m pulling the plug. I can’t afford to keep your whole department heading down some blind alley. Do you understand me?”
“Perfectly,” Cammy replied.
“One more thing,” Stan said as Cammy was about to stand up, “For heaven’s sake, keep it out of the press. Tell Melanie to shut up about it. If that thing doesn’t work, I don’t want Sterling or any of our stockholders finding out that we have some fiasco on our hands. Got that?”
“Yes, sir. I most certainly do.”
Back in the lab, Cammy reviewed her latest set of notes on the laser project. She hoped her friend and fellow scientist would be available. She desperately needed to talk to him, see if she could persuade him to devote more time to their collaboration, and hopefully figure out a way to double-time their experiments.
She had met him when she was working on her Ph.D. at M.I.T. They had been in the same class. When she opted for a job with Bandaq, he accepted an offer to stay in Cambridge to teach and continue his research. They had worked on a couple of projects together, and now she needed his advice and expertise more than ever. She set up her computer, keyed in his number and after a few rings saw his image on the screen.
“Dr. Wen Hu here.”
“Hello, Doctor, it’s Cammy.”
“Yes, Cammy, I saw the ID. How are you today?”
“Quite frankly, I’m in a bit of a jam here.”
“I seem to have some troubles of my own. Do you remember we talked about my attending that symposium at the University of Chicago?”
“Yes, but then you said you changed your plans at the last minute because of some work you needed to do.”
“That is correct. But do you remember when that conference was?”
“Wait a minute. Uh, it’s going on this week, isn’t it?”
“Quite so. The plane that was shot down at Logan Airport? I was originally scheduled to be on board.”
“Oh no,” she exclaimed. “Thank God you changed your plans.”
“Yes, indeed. But I find it to be a rather strange coincidence.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ll tell you in a minute. But first tell me your situation.”
“I was called into a meeting at the White House this morning,” Cammy said. “And this must stay just between us, okay?”
“Most certainly. But the White House. I’m impressed. What was the subject?”
“It’s about our project. They keep track of our R&D, so they know about my work on a new laser. Now they want me to see if I can speed up the research and try and apply the technology to our commercial planes as a new protection device.”
“Because of the recent attacks, of course.”
“Yes. Everyone is so up in arms about the crashes, they’re trying everything. Or maybe I should say, they’ll try anything.”
“I see what you mean,” he replied. “I’ve had a few new ideas about our project. Let me make a suggestion. Could you come up here so we could work together for a day?”
“Sure, why not? When would be a good time?”
“The sooner the better. Maybe tomorrow.”
“Let me check.” Cammy brought up another screen to check her calendar, saw that there was a staff meeting and a luncheon briefing by their internal control officer, but she figured she could miss both of those. “Yes, I could do that. It’s just that I don’t want to …”
“Fly,” he finished her sentence. “I completely understand. I know the train ride is quite long, but we can be in touch if need be while you’re on the train and then when you get here, we’d still have several hours to work together. Could you do that?”
“Yes. I’ll make a reservation on the Acela. But wait a minute, tell me more about that cancelled flight.”
There was a long pause. Wen Hu then said in a halting voice, “It’s rather difficult. I’m worried that my research, our research, may be compromised.”
“Compromised? How is that possible?”
“I have been contacted several times by agents of my country asking me to come back to China and work there. They know I have no desire to go back to Beijing. I want to stay in America and do my work here. But they are most insistent. Rather ironic, isn’t it?”
“Ironic?” Cammy asked.
“Yes. The government there is insisting that people like me, ones who came on a legal H-1b work visa, go back, but when the American immigration officials try to repatriate the thousands who come here illegally, China refuses to take them.”
“Yes, I’ve heard about that. Guess they’re trying to pick and choose.”
“I suppose you are right. Then again, while China won’t take back forty or fifty thousand people who fled the country for a better life, they are insisting that the ones who came here for religious reasons must return.”
“Our government wouldn’t force those people to go back.”
“I know. So I guess it is a bit of a standoff. Now in my case, they have been exerting enormous pressure. They make new threats all the time.”
“But if you say no, they can’t force you to go back,” Cammy protested.
“They obviously think they can. You see, they are very interested in my work. They want it for their own defense projects. They don’t want me to get the patents. They want them.”
“Okay, so they’re competitive. Just say no.”
“It’s a bit more complicated than the old Nancy Reagan program, if I may be so bold. You see, they have been making threats about my family back in China. They’re saying that if I don’t return, they will either see that my family is never allowed to emigrate or that I may not be allowed to continue my research.”
“But that’s awful. I mean, here we are working on a new technique that might be able to save lives when a bunch of crazy terrorists are shooting down our planes, and who knows? Their planes might be next. Why in the world would they be so nasty as to want to take your technology or harm your family? Competition is one thing, but we’ve been cooperating with China on all sorts of projects and trade deals. Why get so difficult?”
“I’m afraid you don’t understand the Chinese mind. We, I mean China, ruled the world as they knew it for a thousand years, and they are determined to be pre-eminent once again. They see America and its strength in technology as just a short detour on their road to domination again, and anything they can get their hands on at this point is fair game to them. As for the trade deals, certainly they trade with America. But look who still has the big trade deficit.”
“I see your point. Look, I don’t want you to be in any kind of danger. That’s just not right. But wait! You don’t think this has anything to do with your being scheduled on the flight do you? How would they have known your itinerary?”
“They probably saw the notice of the Chicago symposium, and they speculated about which flight I would take. On the other hand, even though I’ve got a great firewall, maybe they’ve hacked into my computer. I do change all my passwords frequently though.”
“This is crazy. If they want your … our … technology, they wouldn’t try to kill you an
d take dozens of other people with you when the plane went down. This is just too preposterous,” Cammy said.
“Yes, I agree it is a crazy thought. I am probably being overly paranoid.”
“Well, with all that’s going on, I can certainly understand your concern. Then again, I don’t always believe in coincidences. But this is almost too weird to contemplate. Now let me ask you something. Do you still want to work with me on the laser?”
“Yes, I do. I will not capitulate to their demands. Please come up here tomorrow and let’s see what we can do for your White House. I shall be waiting.”
CHAPTER THREE
THE WHITE HOUSE
The cameramen in the back of the East Room of the White House jockeyed for position and adjusted their tripods as members of the press corps grabbed seats and shuffled their notes. A buzz of conversation bounced off the white walls and polished wooden floor. The gold drapery was the only adornment in place to mute the noise.
The room had been set up quickly for this impromptu news conference, and everyone was anxious for it to begin. The print reporters were close to their evening deadlines, and the TV correspondents needed time to grab the shortest logical sound bite from the president, add their own voice-over explanation and do their live stand-ups on the North lawn for the next top-of-the-hour cable news headlines.
The cameras began to roll, filming a long shot of the president coming down the impressive hallway with its deep red carpet, stepping up to his podium with the presidential seal affixed to the front and a set of American flags behind. He pulled out what looked like a short announcement.
“Ladies and Gentleman,” the president began. “The United States airline system has suffered three major attacks in the last week. We are well aware of the effect of these senseless terrorist acts on our transportation systems, our stock market and the well- being of the American people, but especially on the families of those who have lost their lives. I am here to reassure you that I have deployed every resource at my disposal to locate and disarm the group responsible for so much loss of innocent life. Make no mistake. We will find these cowards and they will be prosecuted!
“At this time, our Department of Homeland Security is working with several of our top defense contractors to speed up the process of applying existing military defensive technology to our fleet of commercial airliners. We are examining a number of systems, not only American made, but we are also working with allies such as Israel which has developed what they call “Flight Guard,” a device which uses an advanced radar-based missile warning system to detect shoulder-launched missiles that may be fired at their airplanes. Their technology, called “Dark Flare” diverts a missile away from its target and is not visible to the naked eye as it operates only in the infrared section of the spectrum. Therefore, it will not harm any passengers who may be on board.
“I want to assure the American people that our best scientists are working night and day to perfect a variety of missile defense systems, and we will deploy them as soon as we possibly can.
“Finally, in order to ensure a heightened stage of alert on the part of all local, state and federal employees, especially those working or stationed near our nation’s airports, the Department of Homeland Security has raised the threat level from orange to red. Now I’ll be glad to take your questions.”
In the second row, the reporter from USA Today leaned over and whispered to the anchor from CNN, “Orange to red? This administration is so confused, I’m surprised he didn’t raise it to plaid!”
“Mr. President?” A voice called out from the front row.
“Yes. Alan.”
“Mr. President. You’re saying that you want to put military systems on commercial airplanes to protect against shoulder-fired missiles. But the FAA has announced that no such missiles have been detected on any radar in any of the three crashes. Maybe they were fuel tank explosions. How can you be so sure they were missile attacks?”
“Obviously, this is all under investigation. A team from the National Transportation Safety Board is in the process of raising Enterprise flight one-fifty-five right now. As soon as that wreckage is available, our best people will be examining it along with the other two planes, and we will announce the results as soon as we have them. But meanwhile, I feel it only prudent to take every step necessary to protect our airliners.
“One other point that I meant to make at the outset. I have asked the vice president to head up a team working on these new technologies, and my national security advisor will coordinate the search for the terrorist group that may be responsible for these heinous acts.” The president looked down at his watch and then glanced over at his press secretary who took the cue.
“The president is on a very tight schedule. Just one more question please,” the press aide called out.
The president pointed to a young woman in the back. “Yes, Carmelita.”
“Mr. President. If you’re turning the issues of technology and terrorism over to the vice president and NSC advisor, does this mean that you’re going to continue with your usual schedule and concentrate on issues you outlined last week such as countering Russian moves to encourage their proxies in the Balkans in an effort to redraw those borders, releasing more animals from the endangered species list and planning the upcoming visit of the president of Mongolia?”
A collective groan rose from the press corps as the president looked exasperated. “I want to assure the American people that I will first focus on this new threat to our lives and to our economy, but yes, my staff will continue to pursue other issues that are important for our wellbeing and that of our allies. Now if you will excuse me, I have another meeting to attend.”
“So the ole man is abdicating, huh?” a reporter from the New York Times muttered to his colleague in the next seat. “Sure looks like he’s turning over the reins in anticipation of the upcoming election. Makes him look awfully weak though.”
“Yeah, but we all know he wants Keller to succeed him. Maybe he’s a bit craftier than we thought.”
“That would be a refreshing change. Let’s get outta here so we can file something.”
“What’s your headline?”
“Out of this? Beats the hell outta me.”
“Yeah, this guy is known for his ASTRO performances.”
“Right. Always Stating The Really Obvious!”
CHAPTER FOUR
GEORGETOWN
Deep green leaves provided a heavy canopy over the trail along the edge of the Canal in Rock Creek Park. An early summer evening usually drew several runners to the winding path as a balmy breeze offered temporary relief to over-zealous athletes. Cammy wore khaki shorts and a white tee shirt while Melanie, with her jet black hair tied in a ponytail, ran in multi-colored warm-ups that matched the color of her hazel eyes.
“Glad you suggested this,” Cammy said as they jogged past a picnic table where a young couple sipped lemonade and kept an eye on two youngsters tossing a Frisbee nearby. There were a few groups of runners far ahead of them and one lone jogger quite far behind. For this next stretch, they seemed to have the path all to themselves. “I’ve been so slammed with this new laser project, I’ve been cutting back on my work-outs.”
“You’d never know it. You’re still thin as a rail. Of course, all I ever see you eat in the cafeteria these days is a salad,” Melanie observed.
“Hey, I had a BLT today. But now that I think about it, I eat the same food all the time.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, a BLT has bacon, lettuce, tomato, toast and maybe some mayo dressing, right?”
“Right.”
“Then on days when I have a salad, I have lettuce, tomato, bacon bits, croutons … that’s toast … and some sort of dressing. See? Same food. Kinda boring, huh?”
“Well, on that subject, I’m still collecting those silly recipes, you know,” Mel said.
“You mean for that restaurant you fantasize about owning some day?”
�
�Yep. Wanna hear the latest from my don’t-ever-serve-this-file?”
“Sure.”
“Well, in Southern Living Magazine I found Pickled Okra Ham Rolls and Tomato Chutney Cheesecake.”
“Who eats that stuff?” Cammy asked with a grin.
“Southerners, I guess. And how about this from the Wall Street Journal of all places? They wrote about some restaurant in Denver that serves nachos with Prickly Pear Cactus sauce.”
Cammy laughed through her panting breaths and said, “That reminds me of what a congressman told me about the difference between a cactus and a caucus.”
“Yeah? What’s what?”
“A caucus has the pricks inside.”
“Not bad,” Melanie giggled as she slowed down and stopped to tie her shoe. When she leaned down, she looked around and noticed that the single jogger was gaining on them. She quickly stood up and said, “You mentioned a congressman, and that reminds me, I wanted to tell you about my big date last night.”
Cammy jogged in place until Melanie started again. “With Winters? That senator from Vermont? So does he drive a Subaru hybrid, eat granola and have a weekend place at Stowe?”
Mel laughed again. “Well, some of that. He actually does drive a hybrid.”
“And I’ll bet he takes the tax deduction too.”
“Sure. Doesn’t everybody?”
“Most everybody,” Cammy admitted. “But that guy seems to spend all his time ranting and raving over proposed tax cuts. He always wants to raise taxes, have the government spend more of our money on Lord knows what, and I just read that he wants to hold hearings on this whole airline disaster. How can you be interested in that guy anyway?”
“Killer smile!” Mel answered. “He’s a real SNAG, you know.”
“You mean a Sensitive New-Age Guy?” Cammy snickered. “C’mon, Mel. He’s a senator, a man who discusses issues all day long. But they’re usually his issues, certainly not yours.”
“I have to admit we argue about most everything, but how can I explain the magnetism? Sometimes I think I’m in love with him.”
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