Authors: Mark G Brewer
Kevin looked puzzled. "Hold on, if
your Government holds three percent and they aren't selling, why is the VP
calling you encouraging you to sell?"
Bill stood, shaking his head. "Gentleman,
this gets more and more disturbing. You'll forgive me if we miss dinner
tonight. I'm going to hit the sack so I'm fresh tomorrow. Kevin, Marcus said
something to me on the phone about Regan and I agree. He said she's a handshake
kind of girl and I operate that way myself," he held out his hand. "We
have a deal, neither of us will sell without the others’ agreement."
They shook.
*
The Stein Traveler, the Solar System
A long curving trajectory beginning outside
Neptune allowed them to finally cruise in under cover of the moon. As The Stein
Traveler passed Luna they chose a path that kept them from silhouette and took
advantage of its distracting brightness.
They parked in geostationary orbit above
the Pacific.
Regan and Marin were engrossed in the
control room, she with her legs tucked under her, he with long limbs stretched
out on the forward console as Ham's presentation brought them up to date with
all the changes since they left. It came to an end, leading to a long moment of
silent contemplation.
"The Vice President," Regan
finally broke the silence, "Why would he take such a risk?"
"How could he act so traitorously
against his own country's interests?" Marin asked.
"Money," Ham stated confidently.
"It's possible." Regan sat up and
turned to Marin. "Jim Walker wouldn't see this as traitorous, to him it’s just
business. He's been an active opponent of NASA investment for years and doesn't
believe in it, so losing USDynamics Aerospace wouldn't be a problem for him.
And he knows they weren't giving away military secrets so he'd be comfortable
with that. No, it's just business, but it's got to be for money."
"He owes millions Regan," Ham
explained. "His campaign for the Democratic nomination cost him personally
big time. He gambled heavily and lost, to Sarah Allen. Now he sees the writing
on the wall, he's getting too old and there's no guarantee she'll run with him
again next time. He faces going out of office bankrupt and he's bitter."
Regan couldn't fault Ham's analysis.
"And the USDynamics shareholders,
STEIN, the employees, we're all just expendable to him?"
"All collateral damage," Ham put
it brutally.
"What about the Chinese Government?
What's their motivation?" Marin asked.
"Are they involved at all?" Regan
looked doubtful. "Sure they wouldn't be happy that their own spying led to
problems for their IT, Arteis did its job and they're pissed. But I wonder
whether they're aware of how they've been manipulated into backing China Air's
case? This smacks to me of smart billionaire Chinese business interests looking
to join the space cowboys the fast way."
"You're partly right Regan, but it is
the other way around. The Chinese Government sees the business opportunism as a
way of obtaining the latest space technology while maintaining deniability.
They're one step ahead of the billionaires and if they have any problems a
Chinese prison is a powerful motivator."
"Well," Regan stood to stretch,
confidence surging through her. "STEIN won't be collateral damage for
anyone. And when anyone attacks my family they attack me. Mary's not going to
face that committee alone and we're going to get her out of there whether the
US Government like it or not. Ham, I want a step by step breakdown of the forensics
you've gathered stored somewhere accessible to me. Make sure it has all the
calls, people, data changes and visuals and put them in a timeline so that it
can all be easily followed and checked."
"It's done!" [I can transmit when
ready.]
"Great, now listen carefully, here's
my plan . . ."
They would go in fast. They would do it in
the open, and midday sounded good to Regan. They would take the Saucer, as she
called it and laughed at the idea,
now that
will
make a media splash.
They would get the world to come to them and then they'd get the shits who'd
crossed STEIN.
She has a way with words!
thought Ham as he readied the Transport and Regan stalked off to
change. She wanted to look her intimidating best.
US Aircraft Carrier John F Kennedy, off
Brisbane, Australia
"Hold the line for Secretary of Defense
Hayman, sir."
Rear Admiral Hank Coogan composed himself
as he waited for connection.
How the hell is this going to sound?
he
thought. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest and drew long steady
breaths as he tried to relax but it was difficult, the whole ship buzzing with
speculation. Word had spread like wildfire.
"This is James Hayman," a
familiar voice came on the line, "is that really Chuck Coogan?"
"Certainly is Jamie, calling all the
way from Brisbane, I thought I was just going to be setting off for home."
his voice managed to convey the expectation that everything had changed.
"Good to hear your voice, Chuck, but I
take it this isn't a friendly call, we're not at war are we?" He laughed.
Chuck paused nervously.
"Chuck?"
"Sir, this is going to sound crazy but
I wouldn't waste your time if it wasn't absolutely legit. Within an hour the international
news media are going to be reporting something we witnessed ourselves and recorded
just twenty seven minutes ago. Sir, it's a UFO, a saucer and no bullshit, it
dropped into atmosphere over the central Pacific heading southward around
thirty minutes ago. We've been tracking it from early on as have air traffic
control units all round the South Pacific and Asia." He paused to slow
down and breathe.
"You say you witnessed it?"
"We had F18's in the air over the
Tasman sir, and while this thing didn't buzz them as such it certainly had a
look at them before continuing on toward New Zealand."
"Did your boys attempt to chase it?"
Hayman couldn't hide the scepticism in his voice.
"Sir, we weren't fuelled up for a trip
across the Tasman and anyway, we're talking around three thousand miles per
hour. There's no way we could keep up."
"What have the Kiwi's reported?"
"I haven't talked to anyone yet, as
soon as I had confirmation I called you. We do know they've diverted all aircraft
away from the flight path and an Airbus en route to Singapore got a good look,
but everything else is being grounded quick smart."
There was a long pause and Coogan finally
sat down to rest, so keyed up his legs were shaking.
"Chuck, start steaming for New Zealand
and give it everything you've got. I know we're looking at about three days but
I want you close. Also, I want a flight on the way there, get them in the air
and decide your destination as soon as you're sure where this thing is headed.
Even if it disappears back wherever it came from, which I guess it might, I
want us to be ready. Do we have any spooks on board?"
"We have intelligence personnel with
us, yes sir." Coogan nearly choked on the words.
"Get one of them on a plane; I want
someone on the ground."
"And the New Zealand Government Jamie,
how do we handle them?"
"Hell, just get your guys on the way,
they won't stop our boys landing, I'll make the calls."
The Admiral could almost sense the
Secretary of Defense thinking and sure enough he spoke again.
"You're sure about this Chuck; you
know I'm on the way to the President?"
"No doubt about it, and Jamie, I'd get
NASA or whoever peers into space these days to have a look around up there.
Maybe this thing has a partner."
*
Houston, Texas
At the NASA Mission Control Centre in
Houston the man and woman were deep in conversation assessing the data.
". . . it's not space debris, the
object's huge, we're talking forty to fifty meters in diameter Steve, and it's
keeping position. We need to notify Department of Defense Joint Space
Operations."
"Can we see it from anywhere, the
space stations maybe?" The man was grabbing at straws.
"Unlikely, they'd have to pick it out
from a hell of a distance. The stations are at around three hundred and fifty
thousand kilometers, this thing is closer to satellite height, about thirty six.
How it's just sitting there is anyone's guess."
"It's got to be related to that UFO
report, it has to be. Jesus, I can't believe it!"
"Let's get DOD on the line, pronto!"
*
As the disc slipped effortlessly up the
valley, skimming the water in places and soaring over the trees, Regan wished
for a window to wind down, to be able to hang over the side door like a child
[or a dog!] to feel the wind in her hair and smell the river.
The screens were magnificent but knowing
the river as she did her sense of disconnect from all she could see was more
profound here than in space. She thought about Marin at her side and understood
his feelings, she too needed to feel the soil under her feet.
Sweeping up over the Kennedy Good Bridge
she could see a car brake suddenly and as she spun for the reverse view cringed
as a small truck thumped into the car's rear.
"Over there Ham." And she
gestured to the left. They soared over the trees planted for flood protection,
all in full summer leaf, beautiful she knew, but screening the view of the
water that she loved. They flew on across the old tennis courts she had played
on as a child then drifted down to settle in the centre of the Belmont Domain.
They had entered by elevator through what
was now the base of the Saucer and now she looked around, confused for a moment,
wondering how they would exit. A section of the half meter thick wall slid
smoothly out toward the river and with a deep inhalation she could smell the
dry grass, the smell of Earth summer and it took her breath away.
Regan turned to look at Marin, magnificent
in a black body suit that Ham assured her could stop a bullet. She hoped so; this
was going to be a shock for some.
No mirrors.
She
patted herself down, stroked nonexistent hair into place, and then stepped
toward the gap.
"Ready?" Marin asked.
"I'm as ready as I'm ever going to be,"
she replied, stepping through the gap, and down a single step to the ground as
the disc hovered above it. Reaching up she took Marin's hand as he stepped down
easily beside her.
"Welcome to my world." she said
smiling.
Regan gestured forward and they set off
across the grass together, heading upriver toward home. Suddenly confident she
laughed with joy, the more so when she saw Marin examining one foot and
scraping off horse manure, probably left there in the last few days; it was
fresh. It broke the tension that had built unbearably as they neared this
moment.
Continuing on quickly she led him down the
river trail and up toward the old house, conscious of sirens already drawing
nearer in the background. Once out of sight of the domain she relaxed slightly,
only to be caught off guard as they walked up the track suddenly spying the oak
tree and the house.
A moment,
she thought.
I need a moment,
and
instead of going to the house she led Marin down to the old swimming hole.
Ham monitored the activity around the
domain, police cars arriving at the end of the street and the officers, unable
to drive into the park, leaving their cars and walking cautiously toward the
black vessel. He could see a woman filming from houses at the domain side and
simultaneously tracked approaching helicopters from the south. With the all
seeing, all knowing monitoring of The STEIN in orbit he also followed the F20
squadron dispatched from the John F Kennedy, noted their likely arrival time
and intentions. He listened in to the calls of updates to police commanders,
the military, and the Prime Minister. He listened, he saw and processed . . . all.
[Regan, sorry, but there isn't much time,
perhaps thirty minutes.]
[I know Ham, I'll get it done.]
Curious locals were also out on the domain
now, emboldened by the presence of police, gathering around the Saucer. With too
few police to form a cordon, everyone drew nearer, some lying down to look
underneath. A small dog was running from one side to another to the alarm of
its elderly owner.
He could see the woman who was filming
talking to police. They then reported in by radio, and moved quickly away toward
the river trail.
[Regan, move now if you're going to. There
are people moving toward you. If you want to do this do it soon.]
[Ok Ham, I just needed to get myself
together, I've got this.]
Through Regan’s eyes, Ham then shared the
walk with them back to the trail from the river and climbed the bank to step
over a low fence to the lawn. He felt every tentative step as she walked to the
rear ranch slider, the catch in her throat as she spied her mother, and the
flash of panic as Jean Stein slid out of sight behind the bench.