by R. D. Brady
Maeve did a quick calculation in her mind. Traveling at a normal air speed of five hundred miles per hour, that placed them about two thousand miles from Dayton. The plane touched down and outside, the ground was arid, with little covering.
She went still. No freaking way.
People began gathering their things as the plane came to a stop, and a short time later the cabin door opened. An officer, yet again all in black with no insignia indicating his branch of service, stepped on the plane. “Good morning. You will be exiting this plane and getting on a bus for a short ride to the next plane.”
“Another plane?” someone called out.
The man gave them a brief smile. “Don’t worry. It’s just a short trip. But before that. please take out the bag that was placed in the seat pocket in front of you.”
Maeve frowned as she pulled out the cloth bag.
“Please write your name on the front and place your cell phone inside.”
“Our phones?” someone asked.
The man nodded. “Cell phones do not work at the base. And no one is allowed to carry one. They will be returned to you when you leave the base each day.”
Grumbling filled the cabin, but Maeve just wrote her name and slipped her phone in. The soldier walked through and gathered them before returning to the front of the plane. “Thank you for your cooperation. Now follow me, please.”
Maeve followed the crowd out of the plane and onto a waiting bus. It was only a short ride to the other side of the airport. When they disembarked from the bus, a white 737 with a red stripe across the side sat only a hundred yards away. Maeve stared at it for a moment.
I’m taking a Janet flight.
Greg hurried to catch up with her as she headed for the plane. “Well, that was fun.”
Maeve smiled, trying to act at ease. But her concern for Alvie was making that difficult. One of the guards frowned at them. Greg waved back at the man. “Man, these guys are a little stiff, aren’t they?”
“Well, considering where we’re going, I’m not really surprised.”
Greg smiled. “So you figured it out too.”
Maeve nodded. “Yup.”
The smile on Greg’s face was huge. Maeve struggled to smile in return. But inside she was terrified. Because she knew exactly where they were heading, and now the release she had signed basically giving away her rights blanketed all other thoughts. She climbed the ladder to the plane and looked around the cabin.
A Janet flight—flights that were never officially confirmed by the US government because the base they led to was never officially confirmed until 1999.
Maeve swallowed as she took a seat, feeling numb.
They took Alvie to Area 51.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Area 51, Nevada
Outside the bus window, hills rose on every side of the base. Chris knew that the base extended ten miles by six miles. And that the border was further enhanced by both the nuclear testing site that rested to the west and Nellis Air Force Range that bordered the base on its north, west, and south sides. The government controlled all of the land for over fifteen miles within this part of the country. And even without that, the nearest town of Rachel was dozens of miles away with a population of only 200 to 300.
Chris caught sight of the long runway that had been created by the salt plain known as Groom Lake. The base’s location had been chosen because the salt bed provided a natural runway. Created by the CIA in 1955, that long runway was necessary for the U-2 spy plane they had in development. Over the years, as the planes became more advanced, the runway had been extended until it reached 12,400 feet, although about half of the runway was closed now.
Area 51 was the site where most of the United States government’s experimental planes were developed. The U-2 spy plane had first been tested, as had the stealth bomber. Both had been denied by the US government until their existence had become undeniable. And that was the key to the base—everything about it was denied. It had been that way since it had first been established.
With satellite imaging and the creation of planes like the U-2, it was possible for other governments to photograph US bases without their knowledge. In fact, the U-2’s job was to do just that to Russia, all while the United States denied ever engaging in such activities. All those denials blew up in the United States’ face however, when a U-2 plane was shot down on May 1, 1960 in Russia.
And yet, the US government had refused to acknowledge its existence, even going so far as to digitally remove it from satellite photos. The denials continued, in spite of the mounting evidence through the years, including Russian satellite photos which clearly demonstrated a base did in fact exist at Grid 51 of the land survey.
Originally, pilots, engineers, and agents lived in little more than tents. But over the years, more and more buildings had been added, including scoot and hides, which allowed aircraft to be quickly moved under cover when the wrong satellite came within range. Chris knew that part of Area 51 was built to stay permanently out of the satellites’ range. Area 51 was also a DUMB base—deep underground military base.
Finally, in 1999, the United States government admitted that Area 51 existed. But that didn’t mean the government was opening the area up to visitors. The security at the base was all-encompassing. The roads surrounding the base were all monitored, motion sensors were buried in the land surrounding the base, some even along public lands.
And then there were the camo guys who patrolled the hills. F15s or armed helicopters were regularly scrambled when a threat was detected—a threat as simple as a civilian with a camera or even without one. Reports of strong-arm tactics to remove anyone who came too close were rampant.
And that was just off the base. On the base, security was even stricter. No one was allowed to drive into Area 51. Most people were flown in from Vegas on unmarked planes known as Janet flights. No one was allowed on the base without an extreme background check. And often, the people working on projects lived on the base. There were thirty-three dorm buildings available to house the employees on the base.
Individuals were not allowed to know what anyone else was working on, and it was not unusual for people to be blindfolded when being taken to certain parts of the base. Occasionally, employees would be required to pull down the blinds to their windows and stay away from them for a certain period of time, or they’d be moved to a windowless room.
And yet, people continued to sign up to work at 51. Because in the world of aeronautical and extraterrestrial research, there was no one doing more cutting-edge research than the scientists here.
Chris stepped off the bus in front of a brick building. The building looked like it was one of the older buildings on the base. A sign indicated that it was the former base headquarters, but thanks to the briefing on the plane ride over, Chris knew it had been refitted to accommodate the incoming projects. Chris glanced at the edges of the building, looking for any hint of the structures that were buried well below it, but it gave off no indication of the twelve sub-levels of floors that would house some of the most critical projects in United States history.
To the north, he could just make out the large quick-kill radar array. It would be deployed to intercept any missiles that were aimed at the base. Behind it, built to a smaller scale, were the radar arrays and support buildings that monitored the skies. The entire base was a no-fly zone. In fact, the no-fly zone extended for 215 miles. Anyone who violated the no-fly zone would be swiftly and uncompromisingly dealt with.
Chris kept his face neutral, but as he looked around, he couldn’t help but worry. He understood the need to keep Alvie a secret, to keep the government’s work secret. But Alvie didn’t deserve to spend his life here. He didn’t think the people here were going to allow him to take any more rooftop breaks. He wasn’t even sure they were going to let Maeve stay on the project, not once they learned about how close she was to Alvie.
He glanced to the west, where the nuclear tests had been conducted, and a c
hill ran through him.
It’s not like the place has a history of putting human concerns above national security.
While Trinity, the first atomic bomb test in 1945, occurred in Alamogordo, New Mexico, many of the later tests occurred at the Nevada testing site that borders 51. As the testing continued, they moved the tests underground with Project Neva to address public concerns. But the coal tar epoxy seals were notorious for leaking.
And the people affected by the testing even had a name for themselves: Downwinders. Downwinders were the people living in the areas surrounding the Trinity testing site, ranging from Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, all the way up to Washington State and Idaho. And in many of those communities, the cancer rates were much higher than the rest of the country. The soldiers at the test sites had double the cancer rates compared to soldiers stationed elsewhere. And that’s what they exposed their soldiers to. What would they expose an alien to?
“Man, they’ll let anyone into this place.”
Chris glanced over at the tall, muscular African American woman who had spoken. He grinned, extending his hand, feeling some relief at the familiar face. “Tell me about it.”
Leslie gripped his hand and Chris struggled not to wince. “So, kind of crazy these last few hours, right?”
“That’s an understatement.”
At Wright-Patt, there’d been strict protocols in place to keep all lines of research, researchers, and even their security separated. Here, that was all blown to hell. Chris didn’t like to think about what that meant for Alvie.
He lowered his voice. “Any idea why the big shakeup?”
Leslie glanced around, making sure no one was listening. “It’s got to be the change at Command. The Foreign Material Division has been brought into the DOD under the Bureau of Science Advancement and Cooperation, BOSAC. I’m guessing it stems from that.”
Chris frowned. “What the hell is BOSAC?”
“A new division, freshly minted.”
“Oh, crap,” Chris groaned. Any time a division, agency, or task force was developed, everything was in limbo. New heads always wanted to flex their muscles. Meaning no one seemed to know their ass from their elbow. It usually took months for all the kinks to be smoothed out.
A commotion by the doors drew their attention. The double doors were held open by two uniformed airmen. A woman in her late forties strode through, her dark hair pulled tightly back. She was followed by another officer. Chris squinted, trying to read their tags—Commander Regina West and Mitch Roberts—no title was on the man’s chest. West stopped in front of the building.
Roberts stepped next to her. “Fall in,” he barked.
All the soldiers immediately arranged themselves into three lines, ten people long.
West nodded. “At ease.”
Along with the rest, Chris eased his posture but kept his attention on West. He’d heard about her. She was a force to be reckoned with. She was moving up the ranks quickly. She had an encyclopedic knowledge of military affairs, made quick but sound decisions, and was by the book. He was not surprised she had been tapped for this kind of duty.
West’s voice carried across the space. “I realize this move was abrupt. I assure you, it was unavoidable. Having said that, you are each here because you carried out your duties faithfully at your last assignment. You are being offered the same opportunity here. I realize that for some of you with families and ties back in Ohio, this may not be convenient. For the rest of you, if you agree, your belongings will be packed up and shipped here. An apartment will be provided for you until you can find your own lodging. Unlike many assignments in the military, this one is purely voluntary. Think hard about your decision. But I will need it in fifteen minutes. Those who elect not to join us will be escorted back to Wright-Patt.”
She turned and headed back out.
When she had disappeared, murmurs began to rumble through the room. “What do you think?” Leslie asked from next to him.
“I don’t know. That was really—” he paused, “Unusual.”
“Yeah. And the military tends not to do unusual.”
Chris nodded. One thing he loved about the military was how consistent they were in their approach. “You know what that means.”
Leslie nodded with a frown. “Yeah—the military’s not calling the shots. Somebody else is.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The Janet flight had taken about an hour. Now Maeve sat next to Greg on the bus that had been waiting for them.
“Well, this is cozy,” he muttered.
“Not exactly going out of their way to make us feel welcome, are they?” Maeve said.
The plane they had flown in had the shades pulled down for the entire trip. It had none of the usual signs indicating which airline it belonged to. There had been no flight attendants, just some rather severe-looking guards wearing the same unadorned black uniforms as the men who'd shown up to take Alvie. As soon as the door to the plane had closed, they had each been given a manual to read—the rules and regulations of Area 51. The manual was three hundred pages long. And it included lots of information about what would happen to someone who broke the rules—physical injury and incarceration were mentioned often. Needless to say, Maeve had not been reassured.
But what really hit home was that all correspondence would be monitored and all calls from the base had to be approved. Before the door was opened after landing, the manuals had been collected with the explanation that a manual had been placed in each of their offices. No manuals were allowed to leave the base.
When they’d disembarked, Maeve had only had a brief glimpse of the surrounding area. They were in a valley and the runway was extremely long. High hills surrounded them with very little vegetation. In the distance, she could see dozens of buildings. So many that it looked like a small town. But a few factors ruined the illusion—the giant radar dish was one, and the dozens of hangars and Quonset huts was the other.
Once they landed, they’d been hustled onto a waiting bus. The bus they were riding on had blacked-out windows with chain link across them. More chain link divided the riders of the bus from the driver and two guards who sat up front.
“Did you hear what happened to Rob Kinney?” Greg asked.
Rob had been a classmate of theirs in school. Maeve shook her head, wondering why on earth Greg would bring him up now. “No. What?”
“You know how he started up that lab?”
“Yeah, he was looking into how to replace damaged cells with healthy ones, right?”
Greg nodded. “Yup. And he apparently figured it out. He just sold the lab for a cool billion. Then he bought a yacht and now he’s sailing the world.”
“Wow. That’s awesome.” Maeve glanced at him and raised an eyebrow. “Any particular reason you bring that up now?”
“Just comparing the differing paths our lives took.” Greg fingered the chain link on the window. “Think they got this from a prison? Maybe at a going-out-of-business sale?”
Maeve smiled in spite of her fears, although she’d made the prison comparison herself. “I’m pretty sure prisons don’t have going-out-of-business sales.”
Greg grinned at her. “It would be pretty cool if they did though, wouldn’t it?”
Maeve shook her head but couldn’t keep from smiling again. She was glad Greg was here. He was keeping her distracted, which she truly appreciated. But she couldn’t help but wonder what project he was working on. He didn’t seem even slightly worried about his work. Could there be another Alvie somewhere on the base? She’d never thought about it before. Her mother had assured her that Alvie was the only subject of his kind.
But recalling those coffin-like boxes, she wondered if her mother told her the truth or if she even knew it. The bus pulled to a stop and Maeve looked up. One of the guards unlocked the gate and gestured for everyone to move forward. Maeve grabbed her bag and followed Greg off the bus.
A tall, muscular female soldier walked up to Greg almost immediately. “Hey, G
reg. You’re with me.”
Greg smiled, and Maeve couldn’t help but notice how much. Apparently Greg’s got a little crush.
“Leslie,” Greg said. “I was worried we were going to be separated. I know how difficult that would be for you.”
Leslie rolled her eyes. “Yes, my life would lose all meaning.”
Greg turned to Maeve. “Maeve, this is First Lieutenant Leslie Cole, my perpetual protector.”
“Protector?” Maeve asked.
Leslie narrowed her eyes at Greg before turning to Maeve. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Leander. I’ve heard good things.”
“You have?” Maeve asked.
Leslie smiled. “I have.”
Chris walked up. “Yup, I’ve been singing your virtues to all who will listen.”
Maeve felt the blush spread across her cheeks and relief flood her system at the sight of him. “Um, thanks?”
Chris nodded to Greg. “Dr. Schorn.”
Greg shook his head. “How come you all know who we are?”
Neither Leslie nor Chris answered him. Chris took Maeve’s arm. “You’re with me.”
“With you? What does that mean?” Maeve asked.
“All scientists have been assigned a personal guard,” Leslie replied.
“Why?” Maeve asked.
“Uh, because that’s how it’s always been done?” Greg asked.
Chris tugged her forward. “Come on, Doc, your project is all set up.”
Maeve’s gaze flew to Chris’s face but he shook his head, warning her not to ask. The four of them started toward the large building in front of them. At the elevator bank, Chris stepped to the right and Leslie to the left, each inserting their security cards to call up the elevator. Maeve noticed they were both heading down.