Deception Point Page 28

Should I consult Sexton? She quickly decided against it. He was in a meeting. Besides, if she told him ab turn out this e-mail, shed have to see to it him about the separates. She decided her informants offer to meet in public in broad daylight essential be to make Gabrielle feel safe. After all, this individual had done nothing but help her for the give out twain weeks. He or she was obviously a friend.Reading the e-mail one last time, Gabrielle check all over the clock. She had an hour.30The NASA administrator was feeling less nervy nowadays that the meteorite was successfully out of the nut. Everything is falling into place, he told himself as he headed crossways the dome to the function area of Michael Tolland. Nothing can stop us now.Hows it coming? Ekstrom asked, striding up behind the television scientist.Tolland glanced up from his computer, looking tired but enthusiastic. Editing is approximately done. Im vindicatory overlaying some of the extraction footage your people shot. Should be done importeearily.Good. The President had asked Ekstrom to transfer Tollands documentary to the exsanguinous House as soon as possible.Although Ekstrom had been misanthropic about the Presidents desire to use Michael Tolland on this project, perceive the rough cuts of Tollands documentary had changed Ekstroms mind. The television stars spirited narrative, feature with his interviews of the civilian scientists, had been brilliantly fused into a electrifying and comprehensible fifteen minutes of scientific programming. Tolland had achieved effortlessly what NASA so often failed to do-describe a scientific discovery at the level of the average American soul without being patronizing.When youre done editing, Ekstrom said, bring the consummate harvest-time over to the press area. Ill have psyche upload a digital copy to the White House.Yes, sir. Tolland went back end to work.Ekstrom moved on. When he arrived at the northeasterly wall, he was encou raged to find the habispheres press area had obtain together nicely. A large blue spread over had been rolled out on the ice. Centered on the rug sat a long symposium send back with several microphones, a NASA drape, and an enormous American pin as a backdrop. To complete the visual drama, the meteorite had been transported on a palette sled to its position of honor, without delay in front of the symposium table.Ekstrom was pleased to see the liquid body substance in the press area was one of celebration. practically of his staff was now crowded around the meteorite, memory their hands out over its still-warm mass handle campers around a campfire.Ekstrom decided that this was the moment. He walked over to several cardboard boxes sitting on the ice behind the press area. Hed had the boxes flown in from Greenland this morning.Drinks are on me he scream, handing out cans of beer to his cavorting staff.Hey, boss mortal yelled. convey Its even coldEkstrom gave a rare smile. Iv e been memory it on ice.Everyone laughed.Wait a minute someone else yelled, scowling even-temperedly at his can. This stuffs Canadian Wheres your patriotism?Were on a budget, here, folks. Cheapest stuff I could find.to a greater extent laughter.Attention shoppers, one of the NASA television clustering yelled into a megaphone. Were about to switch to media visible light. You may check temporary blindness.And no kissing in the disastrous, someone yelled. This is a family programEkstrom chuckled, enjoying the raillery as his crew made final adjustments to the spotlights and accent lighting.Switching to media lighting in five, four, ternary, two The domes interior dimmed chop-chop as the halogen lamps shut down. Within seconds, all the lights were off. An great(p) duskiness engulfed the dome.Someone let out a mock scream.Who pinched my ass? someone yelled, laughing.The lightlessness lasted besides a moment forrader it was pierced by the intense glare of media spotlights. Eve ryone squinted. The transformation was now complete the north quadrant of the NASA habisphere had become a television studio. The remainder of the dome now looked equal a gaping barn at night. The barely light in the other sections was the muted reprimand of the media lights reflecting off the arched ceiling and throwing long shadows across the now deserted work stations.Ekstrom stepped back into the shadows, gratify to see his team carousing around the lighten meteorite. He felt like a stupefy at Christmas, watching his kids enjoy themselves around the tree. beau ideal knows they deserve it, Ekstrom thought, never suspecting what calamity lay ahead.31The weather was changing.Like a mournful predecessor of impending conflict, the katabatic wind let out a plaintive howl and gusted hard against the Delta Forces shelter. Delta-One finished battening down the storm coverings and went back inside to his two partners. Theyd been through this before. It would soon pass.Delta-Two was staring at the stretch forth video feed from the microbot. You better look at this, he said.Delta-One came over. The inside of the habisphere was in total darkness except for the bright lighting on the north side of the dome near the stage. The remainder of the habisphere appeared only as a dim outline. Its nothing, he said. Theyre just testing their television lighting for tonight.The lightings not the problem. Delta-Two pointed to the dark blob in the middle of the ice-the piss-filled hole from which the meteorite had been extracted. Thats the problem.Delta-One looked at the hole. It was still surrounded by pylons, and the surface of the water appeared calm. I dont see anything.Look again. He maneuvered the joystick, coiling the microbot down toward the surface of the hole.As Delta-One studied the darken pool of melted water more closely, he saw something that caused him to recoil in shock. What the?Delta-Three came over and looked. He too looked stunned. My God. Is that the ex traction pit? Is the water supposed(p) to be doing that?No, Delta-One said. It sure as hell isnt.32Although Rachel Sexton was currently sitting inside a large metal box situated three thousand miles from Washington, D.C., she felt the same pressure as if shed been summoned to the White House. The videophone monitor before her displayed a vitreous silica clear image of President Zach Herney seated in the White House communications room before the presidential seal. The digital audio connection was flawless, and with the ejection of an roughly imperceptible delay, the man could have been in the next room.Their conversation was upbeat and direct. The President seemed pleased, though not at all surprised, by Rachels companionable assessment of NASAs find and of his choice to use Michael Tollands enchant persona as a spokesman. The Presidents mood was good-natured and jocular.As Im sure you will agree, Herney said, his voice ripening more serious now, in a better world, the ramif ications of this discovery would be purely scientific in nature. He paused, leaning forward, his face filling the screen. Unfortunately, we dont rest in a perfect world, and this NASA triumph is exhalation to be a political football the moment I announce it.Considering the conclusive proof and who youve recruited for endorsements, I cant imagine how the public or any of your foeman will be able to do anything other than accept this discovery as confirmed fact.Herney gave an almost sad chuckle. My political opponents will believe what they see, Rachel. My concerns are that they wont like what they see.