bullying ex-general that most people secretly feared after becoming president.
“Then why is our work being taken? Everything here has to do with Peregrine.” Nathan was no longer able to hold his anger in check.
“Because, pretty soon you’ll be assisting a manned expedition to the very spot your John is now looking at.”
“You mean we’re going back to the Moon, sir?” Nathan asked, totally taken aback.
“Yes, Mr. Nathan, we are. In force if we have to.”
PART TWO
6
The crazed white hair of Charles Hindershot Ellenshaw III was something of a legend at the Event Group. Crazy Charlie, as he was known to the younger members of the Group, had fought for ten years to make his Cryptozoology Department a respected part of the mainstream sciences at the complex. The amazing thing was that he had done just that by proving almost every crazed theory he had about animal life in the past and showing that those theories not only had a foundation in today’s science, but that the animal life in question might still exist. However, that was not the reason Jack Collins had insisted Charlie go along. He knew the professor was one of the quickest and sharpest minds at the Event Group, as well as a man who could formulate a theory faster than anyone Jack had ever seen-and all on a minimum of information.
At the moment, Charlie Ellenshaw was having a hard time keeping up with Everett and Collins as he tried to follow them toward the Computer Center. He was juggling an overnight bag and several books on Ecuador and its legends. He had gotten a jump on Jack and his request by learning all he could on the area of interest. He was already considering several theories on the myths and legends of that people from time immemorial. As he dropped three of his books, he ran into the back of the much thicker Captain Everett, who turned and helped Charlie collect his fallen material.
“Take it easy, Doc. We have time. Jack’s going in to inform our good Dr. Golding that he’s going on his first field assignment.”
“Oh, that’s marvelous.” Charlie stood up, nudging his load upward as he did so with his thin knee. Once upright he tried to fix his glasses, which were askew, but couldn’t. Carl rolled his eyes. He reached out and put the professor’s glasses on straight. “Look, Captain,” Dr. Ellenshaw said, “I just want to thank you and the colonel for allowing me to come along. You don’t know how boring it gets when everyone is on an assignment they deem Crypto unqualified to assist in.”
Everett patted Ellenshaw on the shoulder. “Doc, you’ve earned your stripes. We need fast thinkers where we’re going.” Carl smiled and squeezed the thin man’s shoulder. “Besides we may need your gun hand.”
“Really?” Ellenshaw said, excitement coursing through his features.
“No, not really. You’re going to stay on the plane and assist Pete with Europa.”
“Oh,” Charlie said, the disappointment clearly showing.
Everett smiled and shook his head. He noticed Jack entering the Computer Sciences Center.
Collins stood at the top of the uppermost tier of the center aisle and tried to find Pete in the mass of humanity. The computer team was spread out everywhere, all of them mixed in with people from Virginia’s Nuclear Sciences Division and the Astrophysics Department. Jack finally spied Pete. He was moving from one group to the other and looking forlorn as he listened to ways in which they could get men and women back to the Moon in record-setting time. Collins hustled down the stairs past three hundred desks that sat on differing levels off the center. He finally reached the main floor and walked up behind Dr. Pete Golding, the most brilliant computer man in the business. He watched as Pete examined a design on a large monitor as several men and women stood around.
“This is just an opinion,” said Pete, “but in light of the Russian incident, the fuel used in the Apollo program is just too highly volatile for this kind of mission. I mean, someone could sabotage it with a firecracker. It seems-”
Pete stopped talking when several of the engineers turned and faced him. Their looks said they knew how volatile hydrogen and oxygen can be, but at the moment they had no choice but to work with what they had.
Collins tapped Pete on the shoulder. Clearly the computer genius felt embarrassed at stating the obvious to the men and women next to the engineering station.
“Colonel?” Pete said, as he turned and saw it was Jack.
“Feeling left out, Pete?”
“It seems everyone is dead set on rushing this thing-and you know what that means? It means a lot of people could get killed because someone forgot to dot an ‘i’ or cross a ‘t.’”
That statement summed up was what was on the colonel’s mind. That was why the mission he and Everett were about to undertake was so important. Maybe they could save the lives of the men and women who were destined to be shot into space on very hurriedly made plans. In particular, there were three people he was most worried about.
“How would you like to get the hell out of here, Doc?”
“Out? You mean, like outside?” Pete looked a little shocked at any suggestion of going out in the sunlight.
“Yeah, Doc. Out, like to Germany. I need you on a field team, and I need what you can do with Europa. We need-”
Pete Golding turned on his heel and started for the risers.
“Hey, where are you going?” Jack called after him.
“To get my overnight bag before you change your mind,” Pete called back.
Jack shook his head and followed Golding upward into the highest tier of the Computer Center.
“They’ve got to get you people out more,” Collins mumbled as he caught up with Pete.
Ten minutes later, Jack and Carl had their black duffel bags packed with almost everything they would need overseas, including new passports and all their operations gear. As they waited for the elevator on Level 7, they were spotted from a distance.
“So, are you two off fishing or something?” Sarah asked as she stepped up to Jack. He noticed she was carrying her own duffel bag over her shoulder. She looked at the equipment both he and Everett were carrying.
“We’re going to try and stop this insanity,” Jack said, and turned to face Sarah. “You people act all excited and privileged about this crap, but I don’t feel that way. This project is hurried, and Niles is overlooking the fact that someone out there doesn’t want anything going to the Moon. And even if they get there, they may face an armed force of Chinese or someone else.”
Everett was a little shocked at the way Jack had delivered his little speech to Sarah. The venom in his voice took both him and Sarah by surprise.
Collins lowered his head and laid down his bag. “I kind of went overboard there, huh?”
Sarah placed her own bag next to Jack’s and smiled.
“Well, you weren’t shy about saying what was on your mind. You’ve come a long way, Jack. You didn’t use to say that many words in a week.”
Collins finally smiled and put his hand on the side of Sarah’s face.
