“I think this look suits me, don’t you think, Major?” She adjusted her cap, readying herself for battle.
The major packed away her civilian clothes, placing them in the duffel bag.
“I’ll leave the bag hidden here under the bush,” he said. “You’ll have to use your GPS to find it again after you’re done inside.”
“Excellent, now let’s get going, officer. I have an appointment with a bag.” She was thoroughly enjoying this game of espionage.
The two of them turned around and began the twenty-minute trudge through the thick bush back toward the main entrance of the building.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Alastair scanned through the information, trying to make some sense of all the threes that appeared before him. He had arranged them in a multitude of different ways imaginable, but they just seemed to “bob” up and down like dozens of buoys floating on a rough sea.
Not much luck with this opening gambit, he thought. Perhaps I need a bit of a boost. He glanced at the giant virtual clock across the room. It read 19:57.
He perused the room, searching for any clandestine eyes that might be spying on him. There was none. He reached inside his jacket pocket and brought out his favorite poison. He quickly slugged a mouthful and returned the bottle to his jacket. Much better. Now I can think.
He felt the slightest pang of guilt wash over him when he recalled the concerned look on his wife’s face a few weeks ago, when she had caught him sneaking the alcohol into his pocket. He wasn’t an idiot. Of course he knew the stuff wasn’t good for him, but life was currently just too challenging to face without it. Besides which, he could stop anytime he liked, but for the moment it helped him focus.
He instructed the computer to move the “sea of threes” out of the plane of the computer and toward himself, to see if that might make a difference. Perhaps it would allow him to see the numbers in a different light. He was quite stunned by the result. The three separated out into three concentric rings, constantly rotating through a 360-degree loop. Every now and again a few of the threes joined up with the ring above it, as if they had somehow been summoned by some higher force.
“Mmm, very interesting indeed,” he said out loud, rubbing his coarse white beard between his thumb and forefinger. The wavelengths, although identical, seemed to be carrying different forms of information. They all traveled on the same frequency and yet they were different. He wondered what information the numbers might represent. Could it be a television or radio signal? There was no way to know without being able to decode the information.
His first thought was radio, but it didn’t seem to behave like a simple radio signal, as relaying it to a radio receiver failed to decipher it. He attached a television monitor, just in case this alien race watched TV, but that proved to be a worthless exercise, too. The streaming signal continued unabated.
Then out of the corner of his eye he saw some movement in the room. It was the general. He squirmed in his seat as the uniformed man approached him.
“Glad to see you made it here, Professor.”
Alastair felt his stomach twist itself into a tight knot. “Wouldn’t miss this for the world,” he replied, managing to keep his eyes focused on the screen. He continued on with his work, punching instructions onto the touch-screen console.
“Well good day to you, too,” responded Denny, his tone brusque.
At least a minute of silence ensued until the professor stopped what he was doing, turned around, and looked the general directly in the eye. “Let’s get one thing straight here, General. I’m here simply because I desire to be here. You see, I have an interest in this project. Let’s not kid ourselves, I don’t like you, and I’m not going to pretend I do, yet I will do whatever I’m required to do in order to accomplish this assignment. If that means meeting with you for a brief or working with your people, then so be it. I will not, however, be exchanging pleasantries or childish nuances with you, nor will I be joining you for a social drink or a meal. As far as I’m concerned, you don’t deserve the right to be wearing that uniform.”
The general for once in his life seemed at a loss for words.
After a pause he spat out, “How many times do I have to tell you that there wasn’t enough time to get Tom out? If we had spent a second more searching for him, we would’ve all perished.”
“Smith, if it weren’t for my son, you wouldn’t be here lying to me right now.” Alastair felt the first effects of the alcohol hit him, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. It didn’t stop the hammering inside his head though, as the blood thumped away inside his skull.
“You’re right, Alastair, your son was a hero, he freed us all, and it’s a tragedy that we couldn’t get him out, but that’s the way it is and you’re going to have to accept that someday.”
Alastair rose to his feet. The thumping in his head had intensified, and he knew his blood pressure was probably suborbital by now. “I’ll never accept it!” he snapped, spit spraying from his mouth. “From what I hear, you couldn’t wait to get into that chopper. In fact, there were rumors that you wanted the chopper to take off before half the boys were even in it.” Alastair pointed at the general and shook his forefinger at him, as if he were berating a child. “You’re a coward, General, and one day I’ll prove that.”
The general glanced upwards at the ceiling. “I’m not listening to this crap anymore. I’ve got more important business to take care of,” he said, pulling on his beret and storming off.
“How do you sleep at night, General?” Alastair screamed after the retreating figure. “I want to know, how do you bloody well sleep?”
* * * *
After exiting the control room and trudging back to his office, the general slammed the door shut behind him, loosened then ripped off his tie and tossed it onto the leather sofa. He refused to allow himself to feel guilt. He was a soldier, and a damn good one. He did what was necessary at the time, and no one had the right to judge him, especially civilians or, for that matter, anyone who wasn’t there, who didn’t see what he had seen, who hadn’t visited hell.
He has no fucking idea what I went through, none! A sharp electric sting shot through into his groin, forcing him to catch his breath. He grimaced, instantly transported back to that abyss, his mind haunted yet again by visions of demons and fire.
A knock on the door brought him back to the present.
“Who the hell is it?”
“Baistow, sir, from Public Affairs. General, do you have a moment please?”
“Not now, soldier, I’m busy.” He was not in the mood for trivialities.
Through the door the man said, “General, are you aware that something serious is going on with the magnetic polarity of the Earth? There are a bunch of reporters at the gate demanding to speak with you. They seem to think we have something to do with it.”
Reluctantly he opened the door. “Can’t you handle it, Sergeant?”
“Afraid not, sir, they say they won’t leave until you’ve given a statement, and by the Freedom of the Press Act they’re entitled to a statement within twenty-four hours from us.”
“I’m aware of the damn Press Act, soldier. Damn left-wing politicians making ridiculous laws. How are we supposed to defend our country with these lefty reporters continually running around like puppy dogs sniffing at our feet?”
“What should I tell them, General? They’re threatening to take this to the President if you don’t talk to them.”
Denny briefly considered that possibility, but realizing that would merely delay the inevitable, not to mention all the paperwork, meetings, forced apologies and the obligatory wrist slapping from the White House, he decided against it. More questions could be asked, to which he was not sure he wanted to supply answers.
He looked at his watch. “Okay, tell them I’ll be outside in twenty minutes. We’re in lockdown, remember. There’ll be no accessing the press room, soldier, and that’s an order.”
The sergeant saluted, spu
n on his heels and marched back down the corridor. The general picked up his cap and made his way toward the entrance of the building. He could feel the rage inside him about to boil over, but he knew he needed to stay in control. Years of cautious planning absolutely depended on it.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Janine checked her watch. It read 20:17. They had thirteen minutes to get to the front door of the complex before the guards changed shifts. It was a cool, clear night and the rain had fortunately cleared off to the north about an hour earlier, leaving an uneasy stillness behind. The moon, only a few days old, had just risen over the eastern horizon so the sky was quite dark, and despite the LA smog, a few bright stars were visible. The unnerving silence was only disturbed by the noisy crickets crying out to their potential mates.
“I hope it’s not much farther,” said Janine, trying to keep up with Graham, who seemed determined to reach the finish line as if his life depended on it.
“Another few minutes and we’ll be at the perimeter fence. I’m going to need to give you the retinal hologram shortly. In case someone gets suspicious at the scanner, I’ve imprinted it onto a pair of clear glasses. You’ll need to put them on as soon as we reach the fence.”
They stopped briefly. “What’s all this for?” she asked, snatching the glasses from his hand.
“Easy now,” he said. “You don’t need them right this second.”
“I don’t like waiting. So what’s this for anyway?” she repeated, studying the glasses as a child might do with a new toy.
“Did you really think you’re going to just march through the front door? To gain access to the building you’ll have to pass a retinal security scan. Obviously you’re not programmed into the system, but with this, I think we’ll be okay.”
“You think?” she said, her confidence in the mission waning slightly, and for the first time felt a twinge of nerves set in.
“When the system was being developed and tested, we used a fake retina or hologram of a generic retina. There were only two produced for obvious reasons, and one was destroyed as soon as the system was declared operable.”
“And the other one is this one?”
“Correct. This one was locked up in a safe to which only three people have access, in case the system failed or crashed.”
“Locked up until today?” she asked, the pang of guilt she felt earlier for the man returning. She hadn’t realized quite how much Graham had at stake.
“Exactly.”
Gaps in the shrubs began to appear and she was able to make out parts of the NASA complex through the bushes. It was well lit with floodlights, and numerous uniformed guards patrolled the entire perimeter with enough ammunition and weapons to trigger World War III. No matter how courageous she tried to convince herself that she was, a good stirring of nervous adrenaline had managed to settle in. She became aware of her heart thumping in her chest. “What’s that?” she asked, stopping mid-stride.
“What’s what?” he responded, his eyebrows coming together.
“Stop and listen. I could’ve sworn I heard the cracking of branches behind us.”
The major spun around and shone his flashlight in the direction from which they had come. Something quite large darted from a tree and then flurried off into the bushes.
“Probably a rat or a snake,” he said.
“No, I’m sure it was something bigger than that.”
“Now who’s getting scared?” he asked, shaking his head.
After a few moments of listening for any further sounds, Janine said, “Okay, we better get going or we’ll be late.”
As they approached the perimeter fence, Janine took out the glasses. She was about to put them on, when they detected an unusual commotion at the front gate to the right of them. Forty or fifty raucous individuals with video cameras and vans were congregating outside.
“Shit!” cursed the major. “What the hell is that?”
Janine smiled. She knew exactly who they were, and they couldn’t have arrived at a better time. “My colleagues. Surprised it even took them that long to figure it out.”
“What the hell are they doing here?”
“I bet they’re here to demand an explanation for that magnetic problem. It’s got everyone all ruffled up. I was rung about it just prior to meeting you. Perfect timing!”
“Perfect timing? Are you mental?”
“What better than a distraction. All the security, including your soldiers, will be focused on them, which means there’s less chance we’ll be noticed slipping inside the complex. Now let’s get moving,” she demanded.
“Remember, it’s a transparent membrane attached to the left lens. So for heaven’s sake don’t look into the scanner with your right eye.”
“Yes, sir!” She saluted. If there was one thing that Janine Fuller hated more than anything else, it was being patronized. She’d endured enough of that from Adam. Three years of living alone with just Sabrina to take care of, had emotionally blunted her. It was easier that way. Sure, at times she missed the intimacy and romance that came with being in a relationship, but at least there were no disappointments, no lies, and most importantly, no heartbreak. It was a simple and uncomplicated life, and she liked it as such. Being treated like a simpleton by this supercilious soldier reminded her just how much she valued her independence. She despised anyone who tried to smother her free spirit.
The two headed for a side security gate, avoiding the main entrance and the scores of reporters, while a pair of eyes behind powerful binoculars continued its surveillance of them from deep within the safety of the bushes.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Denny Smith strode across the lawns of the NASA complex toward the crowds of reporters and environmentalists that had been gathering at the front entrance and screaming abuse. Heavily guarded by more than a dozen marines sporting semiautomatic assault rifles, he felt only irritation rather than concern as he approached them. One reporter attempted to climb the wall adjacent to the gate, but only made it halfway before catching an unpleasant 200-volt electric jolt from the electrified upper portion of the wall. It was enough to throw him off without causing any serious harm. Denny couldn’t help but feel a little smug about that. Electrifying the fence had been his idea.
The general climbed the few steps to the podium that had been temporarily erected for the purpose of the press conference. After clearing his throat, he removed his cap, took in a deep breath, and began to speak.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the press, I have a short statement to make, after which time you may ask me three questions, and then I’m afraid duty calls me back in—”
“General, why is this complex in lockdown? What’s going on?” asked a male voice.
“Has this got something to do with the magnetic field problem?” asked another.
There was yet another question from the back. “What are you trying to hide, General?”
Eventually the entire mob erupted into a mass of protest and hysteria.
“Please, please, quiet. Enough already,” responded Denny in his deep, signature voice. He raised his hands and the noise slowly abated. “Okay, okay let me speak.”
Denny cleared his throat. “I’m going to set the record straight here. The government and what we are doing here at NASA with EMB have absolutely nothing to do with this magnetic field ‘glitch’ that has been going on since yesterday. We have absolutely no reason to believe that anything that’s been happening inside the walls of this complex has anything whatsoever to do with the magnetism issue. It’s—”
“How can we know that for sure?” a reporter interrupted. “And what are we going to do about it? Do you realize that hundreds, if not thousands of species of animals navigate and migrate on the basis of the Earth’s magnetic polarity? Right now there are millions of confused birds, animals and fish that are going to start dying if something’s not done.”
The horde stirred and the noise once again intensified.
The general raised his rig
ht arm. “First of all, my scientific advisors have told me that every ten thousand years or so, the polarity of the Earth’s magnetic field, for some yet to be determined reason, reverses.” He nodded, trying to appear sympathetic. “Now yes, it is true that these changes usually occur slowly over the course of a few hundred or even thousand years, but it’s not inconceivable that this could have, and in fact has in the past, happened suddenly. There’s scant evidence in the fossil record to show that mass extinctions have occurred abruptly due to this particular change. Animals and birds are remarkably adaptable creatures, and we therefore hope that they’ll be able to adapt to this change.” What he had said was only half true, but he knew he needed to give them something. He hoped they would buy it.
The high-pitched voice of an elderly woman rang out. “But what if they can’t adapt, General? What then? This will affect the entire food chain, and ultimately us.”
The general shook his head. Damn that Freedom of the Press Act. “That, my dear, is pure speculation. Now I really must be getting back to work.”
The timeworn woman was in no mood to let go. “Why is the complex in lockdown, then? Why aren’t you allowing the press in if you have nothing to hide? What aren’t you telling us?”
“That is due to a completely different issue, one which in the fullness of time, will be made public to all.” Denny lied again. He had absolutely no intention of letting any of these vultures in on the discovery. It was a military operation, and there was no need to evoke mass panic around the world. More importantly, though, he couldn’t stomach the interference.
“I cannot say much about it,” he continued, “only that it has nothing whatsoever to do with this current situation that we find ourselves in. Now I will refer you to my scientific advisors for further questions, as I really must return to work.”
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