'Deception Point Page 62\r'

'Pickering seemed to realize this a long time, gently stroking his tie. â€Å"And to that extent taking into account the amount NASA has to gain from this breakthrough discipline right away, the apparent signs of tampering with evidence, and your being attacked… the low gear and only logical conclusion I stomach draw is that this meteorite is a well-executed fraud.”\r\nâ€Å"Impossible!” corked sounded uncivilized now. â€Å"With exclusively respect, sir, meteorites are not some Hollywood special effect that eject be conjured up in a lab to fool a bunch of unsuspecting astrophysicists. They are chemically building complex objects with unique crystalline structures and element ratios!”\r\nâ€Å"I am not challenging you, Dr. Marlinson. I am only following a logical chain of analysis. Considering psyche wanted to kill you to keep you from revelation it was inserted below the sorbet, Im inclined to entertain all kinds of wild scenarios here. Wh at specifically makes you certain this rock is indeed a meteorite?”\r\nâ€Å"specifically?” Corkys voice cracked in the headph integritys. â€Å"A flawless fusion crust, the presence of chondrules, a nickel ratio unlike anything ever put on earth. If youre notifying that mortal tricked us by manufacturing this rock in a lab, then all I can record is that the lab was ab reveal one hundred ninety million geezerhood old.” Corky dug in his pocket and pulled away a stone shaped like a CD. He held it in front of the camera. â€Å"We chemically go out samples like this with numerous methods. Rubidium-strontium dating is not something you can fake!”\r\nPickering looked surprised. â€Å"You establish a sample?”\r\nCorky shrugged. â€Å"NASA had dozens of them floating around.”\r\nâ€Å"You mean to tell me,” Pickering said, spirit at Rachel now, â€Å"that NASA discovered a meteorite they find contains life, and theyre allow raft walk off with samples?”\r\nâ€Å"The point,” Corky said, â€Å"is that the sample in my hands is genuine.” He held the rock finis to the camera. â€Å"You could give this to any petrologist or geologist or stargazer on earth, they would run tests, and they would tell you two things: one, it is 190 million years old; and two, it is chemically various from the kind of rock we have here on earth.”\r\nPickering leaned forward, studying the fossil embedded in the rock. He seemed momentarily transfixed. Finally, he sighed. â€Å"I am not a scientist. All I can verbalize is that if that meteorite is genuine, which it appears it is, I would like to know why NASA didnt deport it to the world at face value? wherefore has someone carefully placed it under the ice as if to persuade us of its authenticity?”\r\nAt that moment, inside the White House, a security phalanx officer was dialing Marjorie tench.\r\nThe senior adviser answered on the first ring. â€Å"yea?”\r\nâ€Å"Ms. tench,” the officer said, â€Å"I have the information you communicate preceding. The radio scream call that Rachel sacristan placed to you earlier this evening. We have the trace.”\r\nâ€Å"Tell me.”\r\nâ€Å"Secret Service ops says the symptom originated aboard the naval submarine U.S.S. Charlotte.”\r\nâ€Å"What!”\r\nâ€Å"They dont have coordinates, maam, hardly they are certain of the vessel code.”\r\nâ€Å"Oh, for Christs sake!” Tench slammed down the receiver without another word.\r\n72\r\nThe muted acoustics of the Charlottes dead room were leaveing to make Rachel odour mildly nauseated. On-screen, William Pickerings troubled gaze moved now to Michael Tolland. â€Å"Youre quiet, Mr. Tolland.”\r\nTolland glanced up like a student who had been called on unexpectedly. â€Å"Sir?”\r\nâ€Å"You just gave quite a convincing objective on television,” Pickering said.  "Whats your take on the meteorite now?”\r\nâ€Å"Well, sir,” Tolland said, his annoying obvious, â€Å"I have to agree with Dr. Marlinson. I cerebrate the fossils and meteorite are authentic. Im fairly well versed in dating techniques, and the age of that stone was confirmed by multiple tests. The nickel content as well. These entropy cannot be forged. There exists no doubt the rock, create 190 million years agone, exhibits nonterrestrial nickel ratios and contains dozens of confirmed fossils whose formation is also dated at 190 million years. I can telephone of no other possible explanation than that NASA has found an authentic meteorite.”\r\nPickering fell silent now. His expression was one of quandary, a look Rachel had never before seen on William Pickering.\r\nâ€Å"What should we do, sir?” Rachel asked. â€Å"Obviously we need to alert the President at that place are problems with the data.”\r\nPickering frowned. â€Å"Lets hope the Pre sident doesnt already know.”\r\nRachel snarl a knot rise in her throat. Pickerings consequence was clear. President Herney could be involved. Rachel strongly doubted it, and yet both(prenominal) the President and NASA had plenty to gain here.\r\nâ€Å"Unfortunately,” Pickering said, â€Å"with the exception of this GPR printout revealing an insertion stroke, all of the scientific data points to a credible NASA discovery.” He paused, dire. â€Å"And this issue of your being attacked… ” He looked up at Rachel. â€Å"You mentioned special ops.”\r\nâ€Å"Yes, sir.” She told him again almost the Improvised Munitions and tactics.\r\nPickering looked much and more unhappy by the moment. Rachel sensed her boss was contemplating the number of people who top executive have access to a small military kill king. Certainly the President had access. Probably Marjorie Tench too, as senior adviser. Quite possibly NASA administrator Lawrence Ek strom with his ties to the Pentagon. Unfortunately, as Rachel considered the myriad of possibilities, she realized the controlling force behind the attack could have been almost anyone with upper-level political clout and the right connections.\r\nâ€Å"I could phone the President right now,” Pickering said, â€Å"but I dont think thats wise, at least until we know whos involved. My ability to shelter you becomes limited once we involve the White House. In addition, Im not sure what I would tell him. If the meteorite is real, which you all feel it is, then your allegation of an insertion shaft and attack doesnt make sense; the President would have every right to question the validity of my claim.” He paused as if calculating the options. â€Å"Regardless… whatever the impartiality is or who the players are, some very powerful people will take hits if this information goes public. I suggest we get you to base hitty right away, before we start rocking any boat s.”\r\nGet us to safety? The mention surprised Rachel. â€Å"I think were fairly safe on a nuclear submarine, sir.”\r\nPickering looked skeptical. â€Å"Your presence on that submarine wont stay secret long. Im pulling you out immediately. Frankly, Ill feel better when the three of you are session in my office.”\r\n73\r\nSenator sacristan huddled unaccompanied on his couch feeling like a refugee. His Westbrooke Place apartment that had only an hour ago been filled with new friends and supporters now looked forsaken, scattered with the junk of snifters and business cards, abandoned by men who had quite literally dashed out the door.\r\nNow Sexton crouched in solitude before his television, wanting more than anything to turn it off and yet being unavailing to pull himself from the endless media analyses. This was Washington, and it didnt take long for the analysts to hie through their pseudoscientific and philosophical hyperbole and still in on the ugly stuf f-the politics. Like optical aberration masters rubbing acid in Sextons wounds, the newscasters were stating and restating the obvious.\r\nâ€Å"Hours ago, Sextons lead was soaring,” one analyst said. â€Å"Now, with NASAs discovery, the senators campaign has crashed back to earth.”\r\nSexton winced, reaching for the Courvoisier and taking a hit right out of the bottle. To dark, he knew, would be the longest and loneliest night of his life. He despised Marjorie Tench for setting him up. He despised Gabrielle Ashe for ever mentioning NASA in the first place. He despised the President for being so beatified lucky. And he despised the world for laughing at him.\r\n'