“Mr. President. It is such an honor to meet you,” he said offering a frail hand.
“Dr. Stineman. Have a seat. Please tell us what you think is going on here. We are all anxious to hear what you have to say.”
“First, let me say that it may seem a bit far-fetched initially but if you will let me tell the story from start to finish, it will make sense. It least I think it does.”
“I believe we are already prepared for far-fetched. It seems to be the current theme. Please go on with the story.”
“I was instrumental in working on the early Pioneer 10 and 11 space probes that went to Saturn. In those days we were using the Atlas Centaur rockets. The payload wasn’t very big by today’s standards. Anyway, we sent the Pioneer 10 to Saturn. As a part of that mission, the satellite was to swing close to Titan and eventually land on the satellite's surface. Titan is the largest moon that orbits Saturn. We were very interested in what Titan was like. It is very mysterious. It has an atmosphere and it is larger in size than the planet Mercury. I won’t go into all the details but one of the strange things that happened is that when it approached Titan we received a steady stream of data that would prove very useful in determining what Titan was all about. While we were unable to obtain any pictures of the surface, the data suggested what it was comprised of. That was all well and good until it impacted the surface of the moon. Once it was on the surface, the readings changed, contradicting the original data. We have received unusual readings ever since. Later we sent up the first Voyager flight. When it went by Titan on its way to Saturn, we got totally different readings. At first we thought it was because of the rains in Madrid, Spain. It became apparent that something was not right the next day when it stopped raining and the readings remained the same. They were vastly different than the ones from Pioneer 10. We worked on the anomalies for the better part of a year but could reach no real conclusions.
When Voyager II went by Titan we again received data totally different from anything in the past. It was actually out of the realm of scientific possibility. We were totally baffled. Nothing was making sense. We decided to build Voyager III and have it actually penetrate the atmosphere of Titan, make a soft landing, and find out once and for all what data regarding Titan was correct. The probe got off as planned. It was a few weeks late, but nevertheless, a good launch. The data started coming back as usual. As Voyager III was approaching, we got a total wash on all of the onboard instruments. Every reading was off the scale. Some type of interference was bombarding the probe. The Voyager started to tumble and actually impacted the surface of Titan. We lost everything for a time. Then the Voyager started to send a wild array of signals and continued to do so until it suddenly went dead. One of the things we received was this,” he said, handing over a picture to the President. The three others gathered around.
“What is it?” the President asked looking at it and changing its position several times.
“It’s a lot of nothing. At first that’s what we all thought. We all went over it several times. None of us could make a thing out of it. Like all things it went into the files and nothing more was thought about it. We have not sent any more Voyagers or any other probes to Saturn since then. As you know, funding is a little hard to come by.
After several years we are once again sending Voyager IV to Titan. It started me thinking, and I got out the old files. The picture you’re looking at was in there. On a hunch I took it to our photo lab. With their current imaging abilities they reworked the picture. Here is what the camera really saw,” he said handing over a second picture.
The President looked at it. It was better but he couldn’t see all that much more.
“Notice the white area at the bottom left corner? Here,” he said, handing the President another picture, “it is enhanced.”
The President could clearly see a domed bubble of some sort.
“What is it?”
“Frankly we don’t know. It is big and it is not a natural formation.”
“How big?”
“Almost two miles across.”
“You’re telling me there is a manmade bubble almost two miles across on the surface of Titan?”
“No sir. I never said it was manmade.”
The men in the room just looked at him. At last the Secretary of Defense spoke up.
“The implication being other origin made. You mean extra-terrestrials, like in E.T. phone home?”
“Something made that bubble. Maybe a race of beings was there millions of years ago. All I do know is that no one on this planet has the technology to make such a structure on Titan or any other planet.”
“And Voyager IV will tell us what’s down there?” The President asked.
“Unless it meets the same fate as Voyager III. We are broadcasting a message in every major language that we are on a friendly mission for scientific information. I don’t know if it will do much good.”
“Or if anyone is really down there. Hell, it could be a reflection or ice formation. This is a remarkable picture but I don’t think we should start yelling about life on Titan just yet,” the President's Chief of Staff said.
“You are probably right, but I take it the good Doctor has more to tell us. Correct?”
“Yes sir. We have been monitoring the Saturn moons and especially Titan very carefully for the past several years. We have detected a strange band of what appears to be some type of communication signal emanating from Titan. The DSN has logged thousands of energy bursts from Titan. The frequency of the transmissions is increasing. While we have no clue as to what the signals mean, one thing is abundantly clear.”
“And that is?”
“They are focused at the planet Earth.”
Everyone looked at Dr. Stineman.
“At Earth? You’re absolutely sure?”
“DSN is monitoring Titan almost around the clock.”
“DSN?”
“Stands for Deep Space Network. It’s the link up of three 64-meter listening antennas. One here in the US, near Goldstone, California, one in Madrid, Spain, and the third in Canberra, Australia. That’s why when the weather acts up in one of those areas we often lose valuable data.”
“Are you telling me that a life form is trying to get in touch with us here on earth?”
“I’m not really telling you anything like that. With all due respect Mr. President, I am only giving you one possibility. It happens to be one I strongly believe in but there are certainly others.”
“What are they?”
Dr. Stineman went over the twenty different theories that had been offered by the different scientist think tanks working specifically on deep space theories. Many were just as believable. Dr. Stineman did not attempt to attack any of the theories. He was aware that they had the right to their opinions as much as he did.
“So what makes you think you are right?” the President asked.
“Well sir, I have been tracking the destination of the transmissions most of my life. Two days ago at a height I estimate to be 60,000 feet, a transmission terminated in air.”
“And?”
“The exact location was latitude 50 degrees seven minutes north, longitude 162 degrees twelve minutes east.”
“What is there?”
“The Sea of Okhotsk. At the exact location the Blackjack bomber disappeared,” the Secretary of Navy said.
The President placed his elbows on the table with his arms up and fingers clasped. He placed his chin on his thumbs and looked at the Doctor. Finally he said, “I suppose you’re going to tell me that it was at exactly the same time of the disappearance.”
“I’m afraid so. Not only that, but a transmission was sent to that location. It goes without saying that it originated from Titan.”
“Without saying,” the President said, opening his hands and placing his palms over his eyes.
It appeared the good Doctor Long was right. Two separate confirmations of the same incidents could no longer be brushed off as a coincidence. They continued to
talk for another two hours before the Doctor was dismissed.
“Now what?” the President said. No one said a thing. It was meant to be a rhetorical question.
“Do any of you buy his story?”
“Well sir, he is compelling. You asked for confirmation of Doctor Long’s theory and I would say that pretty much does it. I don’t see how there could be any doubt that Dr. Long did indeed locate E.T.”
“But here in our own back yard. I sure didn’t expect to find it so damn close. I know Dr. Long indicated that as a possibility but good grief.”
“Sure we did. We have always had Martian fever on this planet.”
“That was sci-fi stuff. This is real.”
“So is Operation Deep Flight,” the Secretary said.
“Just out of curiosity, how did they come up with that name?” the President asked.
“It was picked because it will be our first manned flight to the ocean floor. It will actually touch the deepest known spot on our planet.”
“Mariana Trench?”
“Close. Actually we now believe that an abyss in Kuril Trench is even deeper.”
“How deep?’
“Around 48,000 feet.”
The President just shook his head.
“Sir, since you okayed the funding, we are really making good progress.”
“Sounds like we need to be. Whoever they are, they are becoming more aggressive. Make sure these people get everything they need. If anyone gets in the way, I want to know about it.”
“Yes sir. Oh, and by the way the DSV, the submarine, is called Chameleon.”
“I don’t care if it’s called the USS Outrageously Priced. Get it ready to go.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
- WASHINGTON DC -
Peter was surprised to find both Admiral Marcus and Doctor Long in the room when he entered. He knew he had been called to meet with the Secretary of State but was shocked to find Susan already there. She nodded as he came in.
“Dr. Ferris, you are here because of Admiral Marcus’s insistence. I am uncomfortable with divulging such sensitive material to anyone outside of the Military. However, the Admiral has put his rear on the line for you so......”
“Sir, if the Admiral thinks I should be here it’s for a damn good reason.”
“I agree or you wouldn’t be sitting at this table. Now, what I am about to tell you is a hypothetical situation and needs to be treated as such. Understood?”
They both indicated that they did. The Secretary went on to explain the concurrence of the theories that Doctor Long and Doctor Stineman had laid out for them. He told them of the incidents that had been taking place and of the results of the investigations.
“With the exception of the loss of the B-52’s, we have been unable to get a trace on any of the missing bombs.”
“The ones from the B-52 were recovered however, correct?”
“Well, not exactly,” Marcus added quickly. They were located initially in the area of the Puerto Rico Trench but they were too deep to bring up.”
“And this Dr. Stineman thinks they could have actually built a base of operations on the ocean floor and be checking us out?”
“That’s one theory for sure.”
“What do you think?” Peter asked the Secretary.
“I think we damn sure had better find out. It could be hog wash for all I know, but then again.....”
“Doctor Long, your thoughts?”
“I still maintain that there are multiple locations. I think we are looking at a minimum of three. Titan is one, probably the Tonga Trench and around the Mariana Trench off the coast of Japan. All in very deep water. If you intend an attempt to locate them the Chameleon is your best bet at this point.”
“What do you think Peter?” Admiral Marcus asked.
“I think my head is going to explode. I mean, just an hour ago I thought this was all about building a submarine for the future and now…hell, I don’t know what to think. Doctor Long are you saying you discovered all of this?”
“I stumbled across some anomalies that needed explanation. It just rather happened. The President and the others were willing to listen to me. I didn’t know about the other occurrences.”
“Those are hypothetical, remember,” the Secretary reminded them.
“So, Peter. About the SDV?”
“The Chameleon is coming along at a very good clip. I brought in a man to help. He is working on the navigational system and has made remarkable progress in a short time. Come to think of it, he worked on the NASA Pioneer probes. Maybe he has some insight.”
“No. I don’t want this discussed with anyone outside of this room.”
“Alright. It was just a suggestion,” Peter said.
“I appreciate that. It stays here for now.”
“Understood.”
“Good. Now, what’s next for the Chameleon?”
“The main computer project leaders will be on site by the end of the week. They have at least ten to twelve weeks’ worth of work to do. After that, it’s just tying up loose ends and sea trials. We should be ready in five months. Add another thirty days for training of the crew and it should be ready for turnover in six months, seven at the outside.”
“Ninety days from now, Gentlemen.”
“Ninety days from now what? You want it ready?” Marcus asked.
“That’s right. We need to be ready in ninety days?”
“Why? What could possibly make such an effort worth the risk of rushing into a mistake?”
“The Voyager IV is due to penetrate the atmosphere of Titan in eighty-nine days. I want the Chameleon ready to find the source of the transmissions, if it exists. Once the Voyager lands you can bet a lot of information will be exchanged. If there are other beings on this planet I want to know why they are here and what their intentions are.”
“Ninety days. All we can do is give it our best effort,” Marcus said.
“I know you will. Any resources you need will be at your disposal.”
“We need to get cracking then Mr. Secretary,” Peter said and stood.
“Good luck. I’ll be checking in on a weekly basis from now on.”
Peter, Susan, and Ray and walked to the waiting car without talking. They continued the ride in silence all the way back to the Pentagon.
Susan caught a cab back to the airport where a military Citation was waiting to take her back. Marcus took Peter by the arm and led him to a small alcove before they got to his office.
“I’m not saying my office is bugged, but let’s face it, it is the Pentagon. They are a little paranoid in there,” he said indicating the Pentagon Building.
“What’s up?”
“Can we do it in ninety days?”
“Actually I think we can. I was just fudging the timeline in there.”
“You’re a dog, Peter Ferris,” Ray said, slapping him on the arm.
“Well, with you military types, it’s best to be one step ahead.”
“The navigational system is coming along?”
“Yes. I think we have it just about whipped. We ran some tests yesterday at twenty-five knots and it went flawlessly.”
“I knew you could do it,” Ray said.
“Not me. Luke is the one who figured out what we were doing wrong.”
“Doesn’t’ matter who, as long as it’s done. And Dr. Long and the computer team?”
“They arrive tomorrow. I should be there to greet them and get them acclimated.”
“You mean to see Susan Long, don’t you?” he kidded.
“Me? I’m a pure scientist. I have no time for personal relationships,” Peter said straight faced. The Admiral just broke out laughing.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
- OTIS AIR FORCE BASE -
“Doctor Long, nice to see you again,” Peter said, smiling.
“Doctor Ferris. It’s a pleasure to see you as well. It’s been what? All of a day now?”
“That hardly counted,” Peter replied.
“I would like to introduce my fellow team members who will be working on this project,” she said, shaking Peter’s hand.
They both understood that anything less than total professionalism could jeopardize their capacity to effectively oversee the project. The gleam in Peter’s eye could have given it away but he did his best to maintain his composure.
“This is Doctor Motto. He will be installing all of the required hardware along with Bob James,” she said, indicating each person, “And this is Barbara Willard. She will be helping me most of the time.”
“Nice to meet all of you. What do you want to be called?
Barbara and Bob okay? Or do you have a preference?”
“Most people call me BJ. That seems to make it easier since there always seem to be so many ‘Bobs’ in the world.”
“BJ it is then,” Peter replied.
“Barb is fine for me. Quicker to say than Barbara. Besides I have a feeling we are all going to be pretty close by the time this is all over,” she said, giving Peter the once over.
“Barb works for me. You might as well call me Chang. At some point in time it always gets down to that anyway. Why fight it? I am a Korean, so it seems to be the natural thing to be called,” Dr. Motto offered.
“And that will not offend you?” Peter asked seriously.
“It doesn’t matter what I think. I am in your country as I have been reminded so many times. You make the rules. I have to play by them. No, Doctor Ferris, it does not offend me. Amuse, yes. I am over being offended.”
“In that case, Doctor Motto will be fine for me. I’m not really in the amusement business,” Peter said dryly.
Susan quickly introduced the remaining members, sensing a possible personality conflict between the two men.
“This is Doctor Langford. He will be working on the logic and shunt defaults. If something fails it will be up to him to bail us out.”
“Doctor Langford,” Peter said shaking his hand.
“Harry will be just fine for me.”
“And last but not least are my two cohorts. This is Ted Fellows and Vicki Shearson. They will be working directly with me until we are finished.”
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