[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
of questions from overpow-ering him.
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"Know this area?" the general inquired, tapping the map again. Chester
studied the region in question.
"I've been clean across the state on Interstate 20, sir."
The finger froze. "This is a town called Cisco."
Chester shrugged apologetically. "Never been there, sir. "
"Neither have I," confessed MacGregor. "They claim to have the world's
largest man-made swimming pool there. We think they may have acquired a new
attraction." He put his finger in the metal ring at the bottom of the map,
pulled, and then let the plastic sheet slide shut without a snap.
Chester took it as a signal for him to return to his former position in front
of the general's desk. "You've been over to the Manned Space Center?"
"Numerous times, sir," Chester admitted. "There's one thing, sir," he asked
hesitantly. "May I be permit-ted to telephone my wife? She's expecting me home
by five."
"Go ahead. No reason you can't, though of course you won't be allowed to say
anything about your mission-where you're going or how long you'll be there."
At Chester's distraught look of resignation the general added, "You may tell
her that you're not going out of the country this time."
Chester looked happy. "That'll satisfy her, sir. Thanks. Where am I going?"
"To Cisco and the surrounding countryside. But first you're to proceed to
Houston to pick up three people at the Space Center." Exploring his desk, he
located a notepad filled with scribblings. "Couple of fellows named Calumet
and Tut."
"Perham 71st?" wondered Chester. MacGregor ap-peared mildly surprised.
"You know him?"
"Only by reputation, sir, and through a couple of ar-ticles. It's not a name
you read and quickly forget. I don't know this Calumet."
"Jean Calumet," MacGregor elaborated, studying the note. "And a Sarah
Goldberg."
"That's another name I know." Sometimes Chester wished the general would
begin his puzzles with the bor-der instead of loose pieces. "She and Tut are
both as-sociated with all aspects of the search for extraterrestrial life.
They both worked on the directional programming for Pioneers sixteen and
seventeen. I guess Calumet's in a related field of study, if not the same."
"You'll have a driver," the general continued. "All five of you will proceed
from Houston to Cisco. "
MacGregor's expression turned solemn. "We have evidence," he began slowly,
"unconfirmed but pretty impressive, that a small object that may be of
extrasolar construction survived entry into the Earth's atmosphere earlier
this morning and came down in one piece some-where in a circular region of 120
kilometers with Cisco at its center.
"You understand," he went on, both hands twirling a pencil back and forth,
Page 125
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"the reason for total secrecy and for informing no one of this information."
"What about local sightings?" Chester asked.
"The same rotten weather that caused us to lose this thing over New Mexico
has apparently helped us, too. We've been monitoring everything from
fifty-thousand--watt radio stations down to personal CBs in the area. No one's
reported seeing or hearing anything unusual.
"That might also mean that the damn thing's gone and burned up during final
descent. In fact, the experts tell me that's probably what happened. " He
glanced up from the pencil, and his eyes were cold. "Naturally, we can't take
that chance.
"Given the suspected small size of the object, the weather, and the fact that
people live pretty far apart from each other up in that part of the country,
it's just possible something could have set down intact without anyone
noticing it, even if it made a good-sized bang on impact.
"You'll take an unmarked station wagon from the Space Center. It'll hold the
five of you and the minimum amount of equipment the three scientists are being
al-lowed."
"Not much room for instrumentation in the back of a wagon," Chester observed.
The general smiled. "From what I hear, this Goldberg and her friends would
like about six two-and-a-halfs packed with all kinds of gadgetry. Obviously we
can't have the kind .of attention a convoy would attract in that area. "
"Obviously," Chester echoed.
"We want to try and hide our interest without hiding it," MacGregor
explained. "Nothing seems to attract at-tention like people trying not to
attract attention. So you and the driver will wear uniforms, and the three
scien-tists, of course, will be in whatever they want.
"If this isn't someone's idea of a bad joke, and if the object really exists,
and if it's come down in recognizable chunks, then we'll move in with larger
forces."
"Does that mean I can get whatever I need if I need it?"
"Use your own judgment," the general instructed him. "Keep in mind that we
want this kept as quiet as possible but that m addition to the Air Force,
you're serving as representative for all the armed forces. Special units at
Fort Hood have been placed on emergency standby. On your word, they can reach
the Cisco area by copter inside an hour.
"Also keep in mind that I, General Hartford at Fort Hood, and a few others
here and at the Space Center are in constant touch with NORAD and Washington.
"Again, there's a walloping good chance you'll find nothing but cold beef on
the hoof and a lot of mud. On second thought-" The general grinned thinly.
"-you may be spared the mud. I understand the high up that way's been well
below freezing lately. Better have your woolens."
"No problem, sir," said Chester, smiling back. "I'm wearing them."
That's good, because your driver should be waiting for you outside by now."
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ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Chester glanced involuntarily toward the closed door. When he turned back, he
saw that MacGregor was stand-ing. Coming to attention, he saluted, and the
general saluted him back.
"One last thing, Joe," MacGregor declared. Chester paused with his hand on
the doorknob.
"What's that, sir?"
"Probably worrying you needlessly. Kauai was the first of our stations to
pick this thing up. Midway missed it, but we can't tell if that means the
Russians did, too. We. haven't had any queries from them, but that doesn't
nec-essarily mean anything. Given the potential of this, if it's; what we hope
it is, well ~ . . . I'm not saying they'd try anything crazy, but . . . .
Chester didn't reply, merely patted his left underarm in a significant
fashion. "I understand, sir. I'll brief that driver
accordingly." i
"He's already been briefed," explained a grim MacGregor. "With those three
scientists jabbering among themselves, we couldn't very well keep him in the [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl freetocraft.keep.pl
of questions from overpow-ering him.
Page 124
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"Know this area?" the general inquired, tapping the map again. Chester
studied the region in question.
"I've been clean across the state on Interstate 20, sir."
The finger froze. "This is a town called Cisco."
Chester shrugged apologetically. "Never been there, sir. "
"Neither have I," confessed MacGregor. "They claim to have the world's
largest man-made swimming pool there. We think they may have acquired a new
attraction." He put his finger in the metal ring at the bottom of the map,
pulled, and then let the plastic sheet slide shut without a snap.
Chester took it as a signal for him to return to his former position in front
of the general's desk. "You've been over to the Manned Space Center?"
"Numerous times, sir," Chester admitted. "There's one thing, sir," he asked
hesitantly. "May I be permit-ted to telephone my wife? She's expecting me home
by five."
"Go ahead. No reason you can't, though of course you won't be allowed to say
anything about your mission-where you're going or how long you'll be there."
At Chester's distraught look of resignation the general added, "You may tell
her that you're not going out of the country this time."
Chester looked happy. "That'll satisfy her, sir. Thanks. Where am I going?"
"To Cisco and the surrounding countryside. But first you're to proceed to
Houston to pick up three people at the Space Center." Exploring his desk, he
located a notepad filled with scribblings. "Couple of fellows named Calumet
and Tut."
"Perham 71st?" wondered Chester. MacGregor ap-peared mildly surprised.
"You know him?"
"Only by reputation, sir, and through a couple of ar-ticles. It's not a name
you read and quickly forget. I don't know this Calumet."
"Jean Calumet," MacGregor elaborated, studying the note. "And a Sarah
Goldberg."
"That's another name I know." Sometimes Chester wished the general would
begin his puzzles with the bor-der instead of loose pieces. "She and Tut are
both as-sociated with all aspects of the search for extraterrestrial life.
They both worked on the directional programming for Pioneers sixteen and
seventeen. I guess Calumet's in a related field of study, if not the same."
"You'll have a driver," the general continued. "All five of you will proceed
from Houston to Cisco. "
MacGregor's expression turned solemn. "We have evidence," he began slowly,
"unconfirmed but pretty impressive, that a small object that may be of
extrasolar construction survived entry into the Earth's atmosphere earlier
this morning and came down in one piece some-where in a circular region of 120
kilometers with Cisco at its center.
"You understand," he went on, both hands twirling a pencil back and forth,
Page 125
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"the reason for total secrecy and for informing no one of this information."
"What about local sightings?" Chester asked.
"The same rotten weather that caused us to lose this thing over New Mexico
has apparently helped us, too. We've been monitoring everything from
fifty-thousand--watt radio stations down to personal CBs in the area. No one's
reported seeing or hearing anything unusual.
"That might also mean that the damn thing's gone and burned up during final
descent. In fact, the experts tell me that's probably what happened. " He
glanced up from the pencil, and his eyes were cold. "Naturally, we can't take
that chance.
"Given the suspected small size of the object, the weather, and the fact that
people live pretty far apart from each other up in that part of the country,
it's just possible something could have set down intact without anyone
noticing it, even if it made a good-sized bang on impact.
"You'll take an unmarked station wagon from the Space Center. It'll hold the
five of you and the minimum amount of equipment the three scientists are being
al-lowed."
"Not much room for instrumentation in the back of a wagon," Chester observed.
The general smiled. "From what I hear, this Goldberg and her friends would
like about six two-and-a-halfs packed with all kinds of gadgetry. Obviously we
can't have the kind .of attention a convoy would attract in that area. "
"Obviously," Chester echoed.
"We want to try and hide our interest without hiding it," MacGregor
explained. "Nothing seems to attract at-tention like people trying not to
attract attention. So you and the driver will wear uniforms, and the three
scien-tists, of course, will be in whatever they want.
"If this isn't someone's idea of a bad joke, and if the object really exists,
and if it's come down in recognizable chunks, then we'll move in with larger
forces."
"Does that mean I can get whatever I need if I need it?"
"Use your own judgment," the general instructed him. "Keep in mind that we
want this kept as quiet as possible but that m addition to the Air Force,
you're serving as representative for all the armed forces. Special units at
Fort Hood have been placed on emergency standby. On your word, they can reach
the Cisco area by copter inside an hour.
"Also keep in mind that I, General Hartford at Fort Hood, and a few others
here and at the Space Center are in constant touch with NORAD and Washington.
"Again, there's a walloping good chance you'll find nothing but cold beef on
the hoof and a lot of mud. On second thought-" The general grinned thinly.
"-you may be spared the mud. I understand the high up that way's been well
below freezing lately. Better have your woolens."
"No problem, sir," said Chester, smiling back. "I'm wearing them."
That's good, because your driver should be waiting for you outside by now."
Page 126
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Chester glanced involuntarily toward the closed door. When he turned back, he
saw that MacGregor was stand-ing. Coming to attention, he saluted, and the
general saluted him back.
"One last thing, Joe," MacGregor declared. Chester paused with his hand on
the doorknob.
"What's that, sir?"
"Probably worrying you needlessly. Kauai was the first of our stations to
pick this thing up. Midway missed it, but we can't tell if that means the
Russians did, too. We. haven't had any queries from them, but that doesn't
nec-essarily mean anything. Given the potential of this, if it's; what we hope
it is, well ~ . . . I'm not saying they'd try anything crazy, but . . . .
Chester didn't reply, merely patted his left underarm in a significant
fashion. "I understand, sir. I'll brief that driver
accordingly." i
"He's already been briefed," explained a grim MacGregor. "With those three
scientists jabbering among themselves, we couldn't very well keep him in the [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]