Area 51: The Mission-3 by Robert Doherty Page B
Authors: Robert Doherty
Tags: Fiction, General, Science-Fiction, adventure, Espionage, Political, High Tech, Unidentified flying objects, Space ships, Area 51 (Nev.), Plague, Extraterrestrial beings
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guardian was found at?"
93
"Major Quinn's got someone checking on that, but Majestic didn't keep very good records the last year and a half at Area 51 on all that—it was all at Dulce."
"And the shuttles?"
"NASA is doing a dual launch. One shuttle from Cape Kennedy, the other from Vandenberg Air Force Base. The Columbia will rendezvous with the sixth talon.
The Endeavour will go to the mothership. I talked to Larry Kincaid about it and he says UNAOC has put a blanket of secrecy over the whole thing, but his opinion is that the whole operation, starting with the dual launch, to trying to make the rendezvous, is very dangerous and he hasn't really heard a good reason why there is such a rush to accomplish this."
"What about the possibility there is another ruby sphere, like this Harrison guy suggested?" Turcotte asked. "Could UNAOC have uncovered another one and kept it a secret?"
"I doubt it," Duncan said, "but it's possible."
"Why is the mothership so important right now?" Turcotte asked. "What's this plan that Harrison mentioned?"
"I have no idea," Duncan said. "There's other news out of Area 51."
"What?"
"I don't know yet. I just got a call while flying here. Major Quinn and Larry Kincaid are on their way here on a bouncer. Should be arriving any minute."
"Why are they coming here?" Turcotte asked. "Wouldn't it have been easier to videoconference?"
"I don't know," Duncan said. "Quinn sounded very weird. We'll find out when they get here."
"Let's take a walk while we wait," Turcotte said. He led the way, along a walkway just below the flight deck, toward the bow of the ship. They stood together at the
94
very front of the Stennis, underneath the leading edge of the flight deck.
Turcotte could feel the spray as the bow cut through the water and the ship made flank speed to the north. He reached out and gave Lisa Duncan a hand as she stepped over a cable and joined him.
It was dark, but the phosphorescence of the algae being churned up glowed below them. Turcotte could feel the power of ship, its engines at full power, the propellers cutting the water, moving over 100,000 tons at forty miles an hour.
"I talked to UNAOC headquarters in New York and to the National Security Adviser at the White House on my way here," Duncan said, "to get a feel how things are going. And to try to find out about the shuttle launches and the ruby sphere."
"And?" Turcotte sensed her reluctance to speak. But he'd done some thinking on the way up from Antarctica and he had a good idea what was coming.
"From the former, like talking to a brick wall. I didn't tell them much, just tried to feel things out."
"What a surprise," Turcotte said.
"UNAOC is lying low," Duncan said. "The backlash against the destruction of the Airlia fleet took them by surprise."
"But they're still planning on launching space shuttles to hook up with the mothership and talon, right?"
Duncan nodded. "I know. Something strange is going on."
"I recommend we look at UNAOC like we used to look at Majestic-12," Turcotte said. "Don't run anything by them, don't ask them for anything."
"But they supported us against the Airlia fleet," Duncan protested.
"After the fact," Turcotte said. "And now they've changed their tune."
Turcotte let the silence play out.
95
"All right," Duncan agreed to his proposal.
"What about our government?"
"Split."
"Great."
"Politics, Mike," Duncan explained. "The progressives are growing stronger every day. And then there's the isolationists."
"So we're on our own?" Turcotte asked.
"I can get us some help if we need it." Lisa turned to face him and took his hands in hers. "I also wanted you to know that I'm going to need you for whatever comes up."
"Who else?" Turcotte felt the sea breeze on his skin. He drew in a deep breath through his nose, his nostrils flaring as the scent of salt water filled them.
"There." He pointed down to their left. "See them?"
Duncan looked.
There was a flash of something white against
93
"Major Quinn's got someone checking on that, but Majestic didn't keep very good records the last year and a half at Area 51 on all that—it was all at Dulce."
"And the shuttles?"
"NASA is doing a dual launch. One shuttle from Cape Kennedy, the other from Vandenberg Air Force Base. The Columbia will rendezvous with the sixth talon.
The Endeavour will go to the mothership. I talked to Larry Kincaid about it and he says UNAOC has put a blanket of secrecy over the whole thing, but his opinion is that the whole operation, starting with the dual launch, to trying to make the rendezvous, is very dangerous and he hasn't really heard a good reason why there is such a rush to accomplish this."
"What about the possibility there is another ruby sphere, like this Harrison guy suggested?" Turcotte asked. "Could UNAOC have uncovered another one and kept it a secret?"
"I doubt it," Duncan said, "but it's possible."
"Why is the mothership so important right now?" Turcotte asked. "What's this plan that Harrison mentioned?"
"I have no idea," Duncan said. "There's other news out of Area 51."
"What?"
"I don't know yet. I just got a call while flying here. Major Quinn and Larry Kincaid are on their way here on a bouncer. Should be arriving any minute."
"Why are they coming here?" Turcotte asked. "Wouldn't it have been easier to videoconference?"
"I don't know," Duncan said. "Quinn sounded very weird. We'll find out when they get here."
"Let's take a walk while we wait," Turcotte said. He led the way, along a walkway just below the flight deck, toward the bow of the ship. They stood together at the
94
very front of the Stennis, underneath the leading edge of the flight deck.
Turcotte could feel the spray as the bow cut through the water and the ship made flank speed to the north. He reached out and gave Lisa Duncan a hand as she stepped over a cable and joined him.
It was dark, but the phosphorescence of the algae being churned up glowed below them. Turcotte could feel the power of ship, its engines at full power, the propellers cutting the water, moving over 100,000 tons at forty miles an hour.
"I talked to UNAOC headquarters in New York and to the National Security Adviser at the White House on my way here," Duncan said, "to get a feel how things are going. And to try to find out about the shuttle launches and the ruby sphere."
"And?" Turcotte sensed her reluctance to speak. But he'd done some thinking on the way up from Antarctica and he had a good idea what was coming.
"From the former, like talking to a brick wall. I didn't tell them much, just tried to feel things out."
"What a surprise," Turcotte said.
"UNAOC is lying low," Duncan said. "The backlash against the destruction of the Airlia fleet took them by surprise."
"But they're still planning on launching space shuttles to hook up with the mothership and talon, right?"
Duncan nodded. "I know. Something strange is going on."
"I recommend we look at UNAOC like we used to look at Majestic-12," Turcotte said. "Don't run anything by them, don't ask them for anything."
"But they supported us against the Airlia fleet," Duncan protested.
"After the fact," Turcotte said. "And now they've changed their tune."
Turcotte let the silence play out.
95
"All right," Duncan agreed to his proposal.
"What about our government?"
"Split."
"Great."
"Politics, Mike," Duncan explained. "The progressives are growing stronger every day. And then there's the isolationists."
"So we're on our own?" Turcotte asked.
"I can get us some help if we need it." Lisa turned to face him and took his hands in hers. "I also wanted you to know that I'm going to need you for whatever comes up."
"Who else?" Turcotte felt the sea breeze on his skin. He drew in a deep breath through his nose, his nostrils flaring as the scent of salt water filled them.
"There." He pointed down to their left. "See them?"
Duncan looked.
There was a flash of something white against
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