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“Well, Ed,” quipped Craig Collins, as he assumed a professional slouch in one of Ed’s office chairs, “I’d say that was a finely executed mission. SID is humming along just fine at the Lagrange point, keeping an eye out for hostiles, we made it back without any of the interference that Alec was so worried about, it doesn’t get any better than this.”
Straker was forced to stifle a laugh as the image of Alec Freeman doing his best imitation of a mother hen came to mind.
“The problem is, Craig, one of these days, he is going to be right,” he replied.
“If you spend your life worrying about what might happen, you’ll live a boring life, Ed.”
“Is that why you always push the envelope?”
“Of course,” said Craig. “I learned a long time ago that life is not a dress rehearsal.”
Collins suddenly became all business and leaned forward in his chair. “Tell me, Ed, how well do you think this new FTL tracking system is going to work? I got a chance to look over some of the code while we were installing the modules. I’ve been an engineer for almost twenty years and I could only understand a fraction of what I was seeing. It’s radically advanced stuff.”
“The theory is sound,” said Straker. “Doctor Lake believes that once the system is fully implemented, we should be able to detect objects moving at superluminal velocity beyond the orbit of Mars, and be able to triangulate their position within thirty million miles of Earth.”
“That’s quite impressive. So, how is this going to work, I mean, a civilian having access to our tracking network?”
“Well, technically Doctor Lake isn’t a civilian anymore. General Henderson called just before you arrived. The commission has given their approval to bring Doctor Lake and several members of her team into SHADO.”
“Her team?” questioned Collins. “Why, Ed, I do believe you’ve been holding out on me. Tell me, what’s she like?”
Straker handed his friend Lake’s bio, and watched as Collins scanned the paper.
“Pretty,” said Craig, when he glanced at her file photo. He continued to read.
“Stanford, graduated summa cum laude, finished her doctorate in six years,” said Craig, rattling off her credentials. “Advanced applied physics, quantum mechanics and inter-dimensional theory, is she as impressive in person?”
“Her bio doesn’t do her justice,” admitted Ed.
“I think I would like to meet this lady, someday. So, when is she coming over?”
“Not until the Utronic project is completed. Doctor Lake will continue to be employed by Westbrook until SHADO signs off on the final system configuration. After that, she’ll be assigned to our new facility in New York.”
“You mean the new research section?”
“Yes, but she’s going to oversee the tracking facility as well. SID and the tracking system are going to be her baby now. Besides, I need your engineering expertise supervising the lunar construction project. The surface domes are completed and pressurized and excavation for the interceptor bays begins next week.”
“What kind of shape are we in with the project?”
“As of right now, we are still on target to have the base fully operational by March 1980, but the substrata where the launch bays are to be located is unstable. There was a mix up in the initial core samples and it wasn’t found until the team geologist ordered an additional survey.”
“Smart man,” agreed Collins. “How bad is it?”
“We may have to excavate an additional thirty feet to get to solid bedrock.”
Craig thought about this for a moment. “This shouldn’t be a problem,” he said. “We can reinforce the subflooring and use the extra space for storage or workshops. Of course, this means that the piston lifts for the interceptor launch pads will need to be larger than the original design called for. And we’ll have to add additional reinforcement struts.”
“Henderson will be livid when he sees the cost overrun,” replied Straker. “I’ve already had to sacrifice two satellites to fund additional staff.”
“It looks like I’ve got the easy job. But, you’re much better at finagling money from the General than I would be. When do I leave for the moon?”
“As soon as I return from the states,” replied Ed. “Alec is still tied up at Electric Boat with the Skydiver issue and I have to give Doctor Lake and her team the news, as well as their first briefing. I’ll need you to mind the store for a few days.”
“Not a problem. It will give me time to set some things in order before I take my lunar sabbatical.”
“Do you ever take anything serious?”
“Not if I can help it, Ed. But, I am being serious now, you take care, okay?”
Craig extended his hand which his friend took firmly.
“I will.”
When Straker left, Craig looked over Virginia Lake’s bio again. While he found her attractive, in more ways than one, another thought came to his mind. She’d be a good match for Ed, that is, if the old dinosaur would open his eyes to see it.
Virginia was engrossed in her work when a knock at her door drew her attention. She felt her heart start to double time when she saw his face.
Ea…a…Colonel Straker, I’m sorry, I wasn’t told you were here,” she said. She could feel herself flushing as she took his hand in greeting.
“Hello, Doctor Lake. Forgive me, I asked Mr. Mahler not to say anything until I saw you myself. I believe I promised to return this,” he said, handing her a steno pad.
Virginia looked at the notebook. It was the same one she had given him six weeks ago.
“You didn’t have to fly out here for this,” she said, pleasantly. But I’m glad you did. “Can I get you some coffee?”
“Please,” he replied, taking a seat at her conference table while she prepared the beverages.
“The data we have been getting from your satellite is incredible,” she said, her voice conveying her enthusiasm. “The entire area between the moon and Earth is inundated with superluminal particles. I could spend years just studying the data we’ve collected already. I assume that is why you are here.”
“To be honest, he replied. “I have a more important reason for coming today. While the subspace particles you are seeing do hold great scientific value, they are not the phenomenon that SID is designed to track.”
Virginia stopped what she was doing and strode over to close the office door. She retrieved the two coffee mugs and sat across from him at the table.
“Thank you,” he said, accepting the drink.
She leaned back in her chair, “Please, Colonel, by all means, continue.”
“The commission finally gave approval.”
Straker lowered his voice and proceeded, “What I’m about to tell you is classified at the highest levels.”
He reached into his briefcase and produced a photograph.
Virginia studied the image intently. Inside, she felt an unexplainable feeling of dread, and she knew that this craft was not only extraterrestrial, but hostile.
“How long…?”
“The picture was taken in 1970,” he said. “It was a wooded area in southern England, and even though there have been other confirmed sightings in other parts of the world, this was the first.”
“Alien?”
“Yes, and hostile, Ed said. “Two of the three people who took this film are dead or missing. One of them was mutilated, almost beyond recognition. The second was severely wounded in the attack.”
Virginia felt her blood run cold as she stared at the spacecraft. An image flashed through her mind of the craft in flight. She suppressed a shudder.
“You’ve seen this before,” he said, not in the form of a question.
“I…I don’t know. Until now, I would have said no, but…” She put her hand to her head, trying to jog her no longer to be trusted memory.
“When we were flying to Houston, we were attacked by one of these craft.”
Over the next hour, Straker detailed the ordeal they had shared, the attack, the crash, and the circumstances surrounding their eventual rescue. He continued on about the formation of SHADO, as well as the extraordinary security measures in place.
“So this amnesia drug prevents a person from remembering the events of the past twelve hours?”
“Yes, although we have had cases where people have been able to recall fragments of their experience. Security decided this was an acceptable risk as most people would dismiss the images as nightmares.”
Virginia considered this in silence for a moment. She finally asked the obvious question.
“What happens to those people who have this information, but aren’t asked to sign on to your organization?”
“It depends on the circumstance in which they are given the classified data. In your case, we need your expertise, regardless of whether you are asked to sign on or not. You will be required to sign a non-disclosure agreement. Violation of that agreement is dealt with very directly. I don’t think you want me to go into the details."
“No, I think I get the picture,” she said. “The very cost of all this…”
“That is only part of the equation,” added Ed. “Can you imagine the social upheaval such knowledge could cause, not to mention the fact that these aliens are hostile.”
Virginia hadn’t considered that. All her life, she believed it was possible that life did exist on other worlds but having solid evidence of their existence caused her to question her own spiritual beliefs. And she was a well educated woman of science, with an open mind to such knowledge. She tried to envision a population suddenly saddled with the realization that they were no longer supreme in their corner of the universe and in constant danger from an unknown extraterrestrial enemy. The picture wasn’t a pretty one.
“I think I understand,” she answered. “The general public can never know.”
“That’s correct.”
Virginia stood and walked over to her window, contemplating her world, a world she would now always see in a different light. As grave as the situation seemed, Colonel Straker had offered her a vision of hope. An organization, dedicated to defending the planet which she called her home. He hadn’t asked her, yet, but she already knew she wanted to be a part of this.
“Tell me, Colonel Straker,” she began, as she returned to her seat. “This SHADO that you spoke of, do they have room for a theoretical physicist?”
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