by Don Viecelli
“Do you have any more stuff like this coming in from the crash site, Colonel Hampton?” Bill asked.
“We should be flying in some wreckage from the main crash site tomorrow. It will take two or three more days to recover everything and ship it here. There is something else the NTSB expert mentioned, though, which may support your theory. He said none of what looked like the computer systems aboard the spacecraft used any cables. Everything operated wirelessly or they used some other technology.”
“Good. We’ll be ready to examine everything when it comes in. Let me know if you have any more questions. Otherwise, I must get back to work.”
Dave and General Anderson thanked everyone for their help and left the room. They walked around the hangar and saw the first large piece of wreckage being unloaded from one of the trucks. It was the spacecraft engine Dave had seen lifted up by helicopter earlier in the day. It would be inspected by the team tomorrow and he was certain new revelations would be forthcoming. This investigation was going to continue for a long time, he was certain. Now, he was truly tired and needed some sleep. Dave excused himself and told him the general he needed to go to his hotel room and get some sleep. He promised to stay in touch with the general tomorrow as usual. The general planned to stay at the air base and watch over the inspection process while Dave continued to handle the crash investigation. They would meet in a day or two as things were taken care of at the crash site and Dave moved his command center to Milwaukee. In the meantime, Dave would finish his work with the TV reporters and get a copy of the video for the general to review before sending it to the White House.
Dave found his driver and they left the hangar. He could barely keep his eyes open. He checked into the hotel, found his room and set the alarm. He quickly fell into the bed. He closed his eyes and tried to clear everything from his mind. A picture of Kaye’s face suddenly appeared. She was smiling at him for some reason. It was the last image he remembered before he fell fast asleep.
Chapter 20
As Kaye Weston watched the helicopter take off from the parking lot with Dave inside, she felt a pang of disappointment. She had hoped they would meet tonight and have a chance to talk. She suddenly realized she wanted to get to know him better. She felt an attraction she hadn’t felt in a long time. It was unexpected. She wondered how it would turn out. “Time will tell,” her father would say. She really didn’t know. She turned around and walked away.
Inside the visitor center, Kaye, Debbie and Kurt removed their hazmat suits and got freshened up. Kaye called Joe on her cell phone and he said he was on his way to pick them up. He would be there in half an hour. Kaye checked her phone messages. Still no call from Ryan. She was convinced that something had happened to her brother and his friends. There was no way Ryan would not have called her by now.
She thought about the events of the day and suddenly she had a scary thought. What if they had run into the same type of people who had shot at the National Guard troops today? She needed to get more information and wondered who she could talk to. Maybe her contact at the local radio station? She would call him on their way to the hotel.
Debbie walked up to Kaye and grabbed her arm. They were pretty good friends already, but this project was bringing them even closer. “Miss him already, huh?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I hardly know him.” She tried to hide her smile.
“What are you two women talking about now?” Kurt asked. When it came to women, he was clueless.
“Nothing. We were just wondering when Joe will get here,” Debbie lied.
“I hope soon. I’m starved,” Kurt said. He was ready for a good dinner and some beer would be helpful.
Just then, Colonel Feldman walked up to them. “Your friend is here. He just landed. I suppose we’ll see you in the morning?”
“I believe so, Colonel,” Kaye said. “We would like to take some more video of the work going on, and maybe film some of the park visitors you’re questioning. When will you start?”
“We don’t have many more left, Miss Weston. The park rangers found a few more stragglers and we’ll talk to them in the morning, probably around eight o’clock.”
“Have you found everyone yet, Colonel?”
“No, we still have some vehicles in the parking lot that we’re checking license plates. We should know who’s still missing in the morning. I’ll arrange to have some coffee and donuts for you tomorrow. Have a good evening.” Colonel Feldman left the group.
Kaye looked at Debbie and Kurt. This could be a problem. It was only a matter of time before they found out who the red Jeep belonged to in the parking lot. She wondered what the Colonel would say when the name ‘Weston’ popped up. “I hope my brother calls soon. Otherwise, I’m going to have to ask these guys to help find him.”
“I’m sure he will, Kaye. Let’s get to the hotel and have dinner. If he doesn’t call you by then, we’ll contact the police. Maybe they have some information,” Kurt said.
It sounded like a good idea and Kaye felt a little more at ease. At least they could take a break from all this and try to enjoy themselves for a few hours.
They packed their things and walked outside the visitor center lobby. There were still a few people in the parking lot trying to pack their vehicles for the long trip home. It was getting dark outside and Kaye could see the stars trying to break thought the evening sky. It was going to be clear tonight and Kaye wondered if there would be any Northern Lights to see. She had seen how beautiful they were on the Internet and decided she would stay up long enough to see them. Maybe she would learn more once she checked her email and read the NASA press release her boss promised to send her.
Joe was waiting by the helicopter at the end of the parking lot. They loaded their things quickly and climbed in. Joe started the engine and they took off. He told them it was seventy miles to the hotel. It was the only one their travel agent in Chicago could find on short notice that was near the small airport they needed for the helicopter. They followed M-107 out of the park past Ontonagon and flew over covered forest until they reached M-26 for the final leg to Houghton. According to Joe who passed around the hotel brochure, Houghton was the biggest city in the area along with Hancock. Both cities were on opposite sides of a channel that engineers had carved through the Keweenaw Peninsula in 1873 to carry copper ore blasted from hundreds of mines in the peninsula. Mining had been the main source of income for the early inhabitants including the Ojibwa and other Indian tribes since the earliest of time. When the copper ran out in the early 1900s, the locals turned to tourism. Kaye briefly wondered what would happen to this pristine land once the world learned about the UFO crash. I’m lucky to see it now, she thought to herself. It would never be the same again.
The helicopter arrived at the local airport just before dark. Joe had previously rented a car, so they drove the short distance to the hotel. Joe had already checked them all in. At the front desk, they picked up keys to their rooms, which were all on the same floor and went inside to unpack. They agreed to meet in thirty minutes for dinner in the hotel. They were too tired to try and find someplace else to eat. Kaye unpacked her bag and washed her face. It had been a long day.
She turned on the TV and checked her message box by phone. Sure enough, there was a long message from her boss, Dick, regarding the NASA press conference. He sent her a copy of the press release on the solar flare and magnetic storm expected soon. Dick said there was a big story on the six o’clock news about the damage to the ISS and what the magnetic storm may bring tomorrow. Kaye found the TV channel and listened to the news while she sent a note back to Dick. He knew about the deal she had cut with the President, but not what they had accomplished today at the crash site. Kurt was probably downloading all the videotape they shot today for Dick to review and start editing for the eventual news story. Dick would have to be very careful who reviewed the tape because of the security implications. She bet he was personally doing some of the work himself at the office. She decided to
call him and see if he was there. She dialed his cell number. He answered on the second ring. “Hello, Kaye. How’s it going up there?”
“Just fine, Dick. We’re through for the day. We’re at the hotel. I got your message. Did you receive any tape from Kurt yet?”
“Just got it. We’re reviewing it now. This stuff is unbelievable, Kaye. You’re going to win a Pulitzer with this you know.” He wasn’t kidding and Kaye half believed him. And it was all due to her brother and his friends. How was she ever going to repay him?
“I didn’t see any shots of the aliens. Do you have more film?”
“Not yet. They transported the bodies this morning before we got here. Colonel Hampton flew to the medical facility at Milwaukee Air Force Base this afternoon where they’re performing autopsies on the bodies. He promised we would get to see them soon. They also have a hangar in Milwaukee where they’re shipping all the wreckage and doing the final investigation.”
“When are you coming back then?”
“Probably in two days. I still have to do an interview with Colonel Hampton tomorrow. Then we’ll fly to Milwaukee to finish the filming. However, I have to find my brother and his friends first.”
“You haven’t found him yet? But I thought that was one of the reasons you flew up there today.”
“I know. He hasn’t called me. We don’t know where he is. I’m getting worried. This is not like Ryan. Something must have happened. Kurt suggests we call the police after dinner if we still haven’t heard from Ryan.”
“I think that would be a good idea. He has the evidence you needed when you went up there, doesn’t he?”
“Yes, but we don’t need it now. Colonel Hampton is demanding I return what I have.”
“Does he know about Ryan?”
“No, but they’re about to find out. Ryan’s Jeep is still in the visitor center parking lot. They’re doing license plate checks on every vehicle to locate the missing park visitors. They’ll figure it out by tomorrow.”
“Then I suggest you let them help you find him. We have all the evidence we need on tape now. We don’t want them to get hurt.”
“You’re right, I suppose. It wouldn’t hurt. Oh—by the way. Did anyone tell you about the shooting today?”
“No, what shooting?”
“Someone was too close to the wreckage today and when the National Guard tried to catch them, they fired at the troopers. One of the guardsmen was injured.”
“Does this have anything to do with your brother?”
“I hope not. Colonel Hampton said there’s a paramilitary organization operating near here. Some of the men are trying to find them now.”
“Well, your brother and his friends may have another problem.”
“What’s that?”
“If anyone finds out what they have, they’re going to want to keep it. It’s going to be worth millions to another news channel. I can see why the Colonel is worried about getting it back.”
Kaye hadn’t really thought about that. “You’re probably right. I’ll call you tomorrow. We’ll see what the police say tonight. Then I’ll tell Colonel Hampton tomorrow what I know. Maybe he can help.”
“All right, Kaye. Tell Debbie and Kurt you’re all doing a great job. I wish I were up there with you. When this story breaks, you’re all going to be famous and I mean it. Good luck. Talk to you tomorrow.” They ended the call.
Kaye finished what she was doing and went downstairs for dinner. She met the group in the lobby. There was only one dining room in the hotel. They all entered together and waited to be seated. The hotel was not very busy and there were only a few patrons already seated and eating dinner. The hostess led them to a table away from the other guests and they sat down. Kurt spoke first in a hushed voice. “Did you talk to Dick? I sent him the video from today.”
“Yes, I did. He says you’re all doing a great job. We’re about to become famous. His words.” They laughed.
“Nobody will believe us,” Debbie said. “This is almost too much for me to believe.”
“Me too. What did you guys see at the crash site today?” Joe asked. They had to stop talking for a minute while they all ordered drinks from the waiter. Kaye gave a brief description of the day’s events to Joe. He listened in amazement. As a pilot, he could only imagine what flying a spacecraft must be like.
When the drinks came and after they ordered dinner, Kaye proposed a toast. “Here’s to the future. May we all benefit from this amazing experience?” They all clinked their classes and took a sip. The few dinner guests around them saw they were celebrating something and the mood improved in the entire room. The conversation level picked up around them. They decided to change the subject for dinner.
They chatted about other things for a while. Joe was planning to retire in a year or two and start a helicopter charter business somewhere. Kurt suggested starting a business here. Things were certainly about to change for the better. They laughed. Debbie suggested they all should buy land in the area. Prices were about to go up. Everyone agreed with that. Kaye said she planned to move south when she retired, which certainly was a long way off. Her parents already owned a seafront home on the coast near Wilmington, North Carolina, and she was looking forward to visiting them on vacation this summer. It was a yearly event and the whole family tried to meet there.
Dinner continued for an hour. After dessert, they were all ready to hit the sack. They were very tired and they had to get up early in the morning. They all agreed to meet downstairs at six-thirty for breakfast. Kaye stopped by the desk to pick up a paper to read before going to sleep. Kurt walked up behind her as she walked to her room and tapped her on the shoulder. “Do you want to call the police now?”
“Yes, I think I better. Maybe there was an accident or something. I’ll call them from my room. If they know something, I’ll let you know. Otherwise, I’ll tell Colonel Hampton in the morning when we see him. By then I’m sure they will have traced the Jeep to Ryan. Maybe Ryan will still call me tonight.”
“I hope so. Call me if you need anything, Kaye.”
“I will, Kurt. Thank you. See you in the morning.” They both went to their rooms.
Kaye checked her phone messages one more time. There was no message from Ryan. Kaye looked up the number of the local police. She called the number. A duty officer answered and she told him she needed to talk to someone about a missing person. He asked for her name and other contact information and then asked her who was missing. She told him it was her brother and his two friends. He asked Kaye several questions as he filled out a form. The duty officer looked on a computer database and told her no one had been found or recently picked up that matched the descriptions of her missing brother and friends. He assured her the police would have been notified if they had been hurt in an accident or involved in some other incident. So far there was no record of them in the area. He would continue the search and let her know immediately if anything was uncovered. Kaye didn’t mention that Ryan’s Jeep was in the visitor center parking lot. It would be discovered soon enough. By tomorrow morning, everyone would be looking for her brother and his friends. The police officer had all the information he needed. He promised to keep her informed. They hung up. Kaye felt better. She had done what she could. She hoped it was enough.
Kaye called Kurt and told him what she had told the police. She was going to bed now and wished him a good night’s sleep. He said the same and they agreed to meet in the morning for breakfast. Kaye watched TV for a while and then turned it off. She got ready for bed. She put on her pajamas and sat on her bed reading the paper. It was almost eleven o’clock. Then she remembered she wanted to see if the Northern Lights were visible tonight. Luckily, her room had a balcony and it faced away from the city lights toward Lake Superior on the northwest side so there were few city lights to get in the way. She turned off the lights in her room, opened the balcony patio door and walked outside into the cool night air. Several hotel quests were already outside looking at the sky. The
parking lot was below, but the lamp poles were of a special design to reduce the light pollution that was so common in the larger cities. The night sky did not seem to be affected by the light from the hotel. It must be customary for the hotel quests to come out on their balconies at night to view the spectacular site she saw before her. It took her breath away. The sky was lit up with brilliant colors that seemed to be dancing in the sky. Red was the most prominent color. It hung like a curtain as far as the eye could see. At the top it turned green and then blue until it melted into the stars that could still be seen by the millions in the dark sky. It was even more beautiful than she had imagined. No wonder people lived up here. They had this to look forward to at night.
Kaye watched the dancing pillars of light for an hour, until she could no longer keep her eyes open and she felt cold. She hoped the others in her group remembered to look at the lights. Maybe Kurt was filming this. He mentioned it was something he wanted to do if he got a chance. Well, this certainly was his chance unless he planned to come back here another time. Maybe this was the start of the solar storm NASA was warning us about, she thought. It certainly didn’t look harmful, but what did she know. The effects of the sun were poorly understood by a large portion of the world’s population, including her. She would investigate it more after this story was done. Now it was time for bed. She closed and locked the balcony door and fell into bed. No one had called her and she was too tired to care. She hoped her brother was okay. She tried to picture his face, but it was Colonel Hampton’s face she saw as she closed her eyes. He was trying to say something to her, but she couldn’t make out the words. It was the last thought she had before she fell asleep.
* * * *
Colonel Nash and his men arrived at the cabin by the lake at ten o’clock. There were four small bedrooms, a kitchen, dining room, living room with fireplace and a two-vehicle carport attached to the cabin. Everyone picked a bedroom they could share and Colonel Nash lighted a fire in the fireplace. The cabin had electricity and running water. He turned on the electric heater to warm the cabin. There was an old TV in the corner of the living room. They turned it on and watched whatever they could tune in on the antenna. The only phones they had were cellular. There was a tower down the road that covered the whole area. Colonel Nash poured drinks for everyone and they settled in for the night. In the morning he would make his next move. He would call the FLM and make them an offer they couldn’t refuse. Otherwise he was going to sell the disk and other items to the highest bidder. He figured they were worth millions, to TV stations alone. He was prepared to go the distance and do whatever it took to come out on top of all this. He was sure he could do it. It would just take a little more time.