Deception Point Page 59

In ab emerge five minutes the hot seat would kick off Ekstrom and his NASA cater. Then, in a dramatic sitellite tie beam from the top of the world, NASA would join the Presi retreatt in communion this news with the world. After a brief bill of how the disc everywherey was made, what it meant for space science, and whatever mutual backpatting, NASA and the chair firearm would hand duty off to celebrity scientist Michael Tolland, whose objective would roll for just under fifteen minutes. Afterward, with credibleness and enthusiasm at its peak, Ekstrom and the President would say their good-nights, brilliant more information to come in the old age ahead via endless NASA press conferences.As Ekstrom sat and waited for his cue, he felt a cavernous confuse settling inside him. Hed known he would moderate it. Hed been expecting it.Hed told lies endorsed untruths.Somehow, though, the lies seemed inconsequential now. Ekstrom had a bigger weight on his mind.In the chaos of the ABC production room, Gabrielle Ashe stood articulatio humeri to shoulder with dozens of strangers, all necks craned toward the bank of television receiver monitors suspended from the ceiling. A hush fell as the min arrived. Gabrielle closed her eyes, praying that when she opened them she would not be looking at chains of her own naked body.The striving inside Senator sextons den was alive with excitement. All of his visitors were stand now, their eyes glued to the large-screen television.Zach Herney stood before the world, and incredibly, his greeting had been awkward. He seemed momentarily uncertain.He looks shaky, sacristan thought. He neer looks shaky.Look at him, somebody whispered. It has to be big(p) news.The space station? Sexton wondered.Herney looked directly into the television camera and took a deep breath. My friends, I agree throw for many days now over how beat out to make this announcement Three easy words, Senator Sexton willed him. We blew it.Herney spok e for a moment about how black it was that NASA had become such an issue in this option and how, that being the case, he felt he unavoidable to pre represent the timing of his impending statement with an apology.I would check preferred any other moment in history to make this announcement, he said. The governmental charge in the air tends to make doubters out of dreamers, and yet as your President, I have no choice but to share with you what I have recently learned. He smiled. It seems the magic of the cosmos is something which does not work on any human memorandum not even that of a president.Everyone in Sextons den seemed to recoil in unison. What?Two weeks ago, Herney said, NASAs new wintry Orbiting Density Scanner passed over the Milne Ice ledge on Ellesmere Island, a remote landmass situated above the Eightieth Parallel in the gritty Arctic Ocean.Sexton and the others exchanged confused looks.This NASA satellite, Herney continued, detected a large, high-density rock b uried two cardinal feet under the ice. Herney smiled now for the first time, finding his stride. On receiving the data, NASA immediately suspected PODS had found a meteorite.A meteorite? Sexton sputtered, standing. This is news?NASA sent a aggroup up to the ice shelf to take inwardness samples. It was then that NASA made He paused.Frankly, they made the scientific discovery of the century.Sexton took an incredulous step toward the television. No. His guests shifted uneasily.Ladies and gentlemen, Herney announced, several hours ago, NASA pulled from the Arctic ice an eight-ton meteorite, which contains The President paused again, giving the whole world time to lean forward. A meteorite which contains fossils of a life-form. Dozens of them. Unequivocal proof of alien life.On cue, a brilliant image hearty-lighted on the screen behind the President-a perfectly show fossil of an enormous buglike creature embedded in a charred rock.In Sextons den, six entrepreneurs jumped up in wide-eyed horror. Sexton stood frozen in place.My friends, the President said, the fossil behind me is 190 million years old. It was observe in a fragment of a meteorite called the Jungersol Fall which hit the Arctic Ocean nearly three centuries ago. NASAs exciting new PODS satellite discovered this meteorite fragment buried in an ice shelf. NASA and this governance have taken enormous care over the past two weeks to confirm every thought of this momentous discovery before making it public. In the next half hour you will be hearing from numerous NASA and civil scientists, as well as viewing a short documentary prepared by a familiar face whom Im sure you all will recognize. Before I go any further, though, I absolutely mustiness welcome, live via satellite from above the Arctic Circle, the man whose leadership, vision, and hard work is solely responsible for this past moment. It is with bully honor that I present NASA executive director Lawrence Ekstrom.Herney turned to the screen on perfect cue.The image of the meteorite dramatically dissolved into a regal-looking panel of NASA scientists set at a long table, flanked by the ascendent frame of Lawrence Ekstrom.Thank you, Mr. President. Ekstroms air was stern and imperial as he stood up and looked directly into the camera. It gives me great pride to share with all of you, this-NASAs finest hour.Ekstrom spoke stormily about NASA and the discovery. With a fanfare of patriotism and triumph, he segued flawlessly to a documentary hosted by civilian science-celebrity Michael Tolland.As he watched, Senator Sexton fell to his knees in front of the television, his fingers clutching at his silver mane. No God, no69Marjorie tench was livid as she skint away from the jovial chaos outside the apprise Room and marched back to her private corner in the West Wing. She was in no mood for celebration. The speech sound call from Rachel Sexton had been most unexpected.Most disappointing.tench slammed her office door, stalked to her desk, and dialed the sinlessness House operator. William Pickering. NRO.Tench lit a cigarette and paced the room as she waited for the operator to track down Pickering. Normally, he qualification have gone home for the night, but with the albumen Houses big windup into tonights press conference, Tench guessed Pickering had been in his office all evening, glued to his television screen, query what could possibly be outlet on in the world about which the NRO director did not have prior knowledge.Tench cursed herself for not bank her instincts when the President said he wanted to aim Rachel Sexton to Milne. Tench had been wary, feeling it was an unnecessary risk. exclusively the President had been convincing, persuading Tench that the White House staff had grown cynical over the past weeks and would be suspect of the NASA discovery if the news came from in-house. As Herney had promised, Rachel Sextons authorization had squelched suspicions, prevented any skepti cal in-house debate, and forced the White House staff to move forward with a unified front. Invaluable, Tench had to admit. And yet now Rachel Sexton had changed her tune.The bitch called me on an unsecured line.Rachel Sexton was apparently intent on destroying the credibility of this discovery, and Tenchs only console was knowing the President had captured Rachels earlier briefing on videotape. Thank God. At least Herney had thought to obtain that small insurance. Tench was starting to fear they were going to need it.At the moment, however, Tench was trying to origin the bleeding in other ways. Rachel Sexton was a smart woman, and if she truly intended to go tete-a-tete with the White House and NASA, she would need to recruit some powerful allies. Her first logical choice would be William Pickering. Tench already knew how Pickering felt about NASA. She necessary to get to Pickering before Rachel did.