Deception Point Page 99

Pickering sighed. NASA, for each(prenominal) its flaws, must remain a government entity. sure enough she can understand the dangers. Privatization would send NASAs best minds and ideas flooding into the private sector. The humour trust would dissolve. The military would lose access. Private space companies looking to stomach capital would start selling NASA patents and ideas to the highest bidders worldwideRachels voice was tremulous. You faked the meteorite and killed innocent deal in the name of national security?It was never supposed to die resembling this, Pickering say. The plan was to save an important government agency. Killing was non part of it.The meteorite deception, Pickering knew, like most tidings proposals, had been the product of fear. Three historic period ago, in an effort to extend the NRO hydroph singles into deeper water where they could not be fey by enemy saboteurs, Pickering spearheaded a program that utilized a saucily developed NASA designing m aterial to secretly design an astonishingly perpetual submarine capable of carrying humans to the deepest regions of the ocean-including the bottom of the Mariana Trench.Forged from a revolutionist ceramic, this two-man submarine was designed from blueprints hacked from the computer of a California engineer named graham flour Hawkes, a genius sub designer whose life dream was to build an ultra-deepwater submersible he called Deep Flight II. Hawkes was having trouble finding musical accompaniment to build a prototype. Pickering, on the other hand, had an unlimited budget.Using the classified advertisement ceramic submersible, Pickering sent a covert police squad underwater to supply new hydrophones to the walls of the Mariana Trench, deeper than any enemy could possibly look. In the process of drilling, however, they show geologic structures unlike any that scientists had ever captivaten. The discoveries included chondrules and fossils of several uncharted species. Of cours e, beca expend the NROs ability to dive this deep was classified, none of the information could ever be shared.It was not until recently, driven yet again by fear, that Pickering and his quiet team of NRO science advisers had clear-cut to put their knowledge of the Marianas unique geology to work to service of process save NASA. Turning a Mariana rock into a meteorite had proven to be a deceptively simple task. Using an ECE slush-hydrogen engine, the NRO team charred the rock with a persuade fusion crust. Then, using a small payload sub, they had descended infra the Milne Ice Shelf and inserted the charred rock up into the ice from beneath. Once the presentation shaft refroze, the rock looked like it had been there for over three cardinal years.Unfortunately, as was often the case in the world of covert operations, the grandest of plans could be undone by the smallest of snags. Yesterday, the entire illusion had been shattered by a few bioluminescent planktonFrom the cockpit o f the idling Kiowa, Delta-One watched the drama unfold before him. Rachel and Tolland appeared to be in clear control, although Delta-One almost had to laugh at the hollowness of the illusion. The machine gun in Tollands hands was worthless even from here Delta-One could see the cocking bar assembly had kicked back, indicating the clip was empty.As Delta-One gazed bring out at his attendant struggling in the Tritons claws, he knew he had to hurry. The focussing on ornament had turned completely to Pickering, and now Delta-One could make his move. Leaving the rotors idling, he slipped out of the rear of the fuselage and, using the chopper for cover, made his way unseen onto the channelise gangway. With his own machine gun in hand, he headed for the bow. Pickering had given him specific orders before they landed on deck, and Delta-One had no intention of failing at this simple task.In a matter of minutes, he knew, this will all be over.122Still wearing his bathrobe, Zach Herney sat at his desk in the prolate Office, his head throbbing. The newest piece of the puzzle had just been revealed.Marjorie tench is dead.Herneys aides said they had information suggesting Tench had driven to the FDR Memorial for a private merging with William Pickering. Now that Pickering was missing, the staff feared Pickering too might be dead.The President and Pickering had endured their battles lately. Months ago Herney learned that Pickering had engaged in illegal consummationivity on Herneys behalf in an attempt to save Herneys floundering campaign.Employing NRO assets, Pickering had discreetly obtained enough dirt on Senator sacristan to sink his campaign-scandalous sexual photos of the senator with his aide Gabrielle Ashe, incriminating financial records proving Sexton was pickings bribes from private space companies. Pickering anonymously sent all the evidence to Marjorie Tench, presume the sportsmanlike House would use it wisely. But Herney, upon seeing the data, had forbidden Tench to use it. Sex scandals and bribery were cancers in Washington, and waving another one in front of the public only added to their distrust of government.Cynicism is killing this country.Although Herney knew he could destroy Sexton with scandal, the cost would be besmirching the dignity of the U.S. Senate, something Herney refused to do.No much negatives. Herney would beat Senator Sexton on the issues.Pickering, angered by the White Houses refusal to use the evidence he had provided, tried to jump-start the scandal by leaking a rumor that Sexton had slept with Gabrielle Ashe. Unfortunately, Sexton declared his innocence with such convincing indignation that the President ended up having to apologize for the leak personally. In the end William Pickering had done more damage than good. Herney told Pickering that if he ever interfered in the campaign again, he would be indicted. The grand irony, of course, was that Pickering did not even like President Herney. The NRO d irectors attempts to help Herneys campaign were simply fears over the fate of NASA. Zach Herney was the lesser of two evils.Now has someone killed Pickering?Herney could not imagine.Mr. President? an aide said. As you requested, I called Lawrence Ekstrom and told him about Marjorie Tench.Thank you.He would like to speak to you, sir.Herney was calm down furious with Ekstrom for lying about PODS. Tell him Ill bawl out to him in the morning.Mr. Ekstrom wants to talk to you right away, sir. The aide looked uneasy. Hes very upset.HES upset? Herney could feel his temper fraying approximately the edges. As he stalked off to take Ekstroms call, the President wondered what the madhouse else could possibly go wrong tonight.123Onboard the Goya, Rachel felt lightheaded. The mystification that had settled nigh her like a heavy fog was lifting now. The stark reality that came into focus left her feeling naked and disgusted. She looked at the stranger before her and could scantily hear his v oice.We needed to rebuild NASAs soma, Pickering was saying. Their declining popularity and funding had become dangerous on so many levels. Pickering paused, his gray eyes locking on hers. Rachel, NASA was awful for a triumph. Someone had to make it happen.Something had to be done, Pickering thought.The meteorite had been a final act of desperation. Pickering and others had tried to save NASA by lobbying to incorporate the space agency into the intelligence community where it would enjoy increased funding and better security, but the White House continuously rebuffed the idea as an assault on unadulterated science. Shortsighted idealism. With the rising popularity of Sextons anti-NASA rhetoric, Pickering and his band of military powerbrokers knew time was running short. They decided that capturing the imagination of taxpayers and Congress was the only remaining way to salvage NASAs image and save it from the auction block. If the space agency was to survive, it would need an infus ion of grandeur-something to instigate the taxpayers of NASAs Apollo glory days. And if Zach Herney was going to defeat Senator Sexton, he was going to need help.