by Robert Graf
His eyes narrowed. "Are you refusing?"
Careful. "Ask Jon. He'd agree to go to wherever. You didn't mention where."
"As soon as he finishes the shipboard installation, I'm bringing him back to coordinate with NASA. They're familiar with each other." His eyes bored into hers. "I don't need you. I can get that engineer you worked with to train a tech. I'd like to understand how this works, but it isn't essential to using it."
His blunt announcement shook her. She wavered between anger and dismay. She was just another pawn. He'd fire her, and she'd never find out what made her machine a fact checker. Damn him to hell!
"Make up your mind."
She let out a breath she didn't remember holding. "I'll do it. When do I go and where?"
"Much better. Movers will arrive first thing tomorrow. MacDougal will give you the details. Inform no one about this." The window vanished.
Ann saluted the blank screen. “Yes, sir, your lordship, sir.” And he hadn’t told her where. She donned her coat and left. At the front desk she signed out.
"Ricardo, I'm gone for the day. Oh, movers will be here tomorrow morning to get some test equipment. I'm sure Mr. MacDougal will fill you in."
"Yes, Dr. Grey."
[Thursday, Petaluma]
As promised, an unmarked van was parked by the lab’s front door, its tailgate open; an aluminum ramp extended to the pavement. A stack of packing blankets lay on the asphalt. The younger guard stood by the open door, clipboard in hand.
"Good morning, Dr. Grey. Mr. MacDougal is inside."
"Thank, you, Craig." She signed the logbook and walked down the hall through the open Restricted door. MacDougal and a stocky man holding a camera were discussing something.
"Ah, there you are, Dr. Grey." MacDougal motioned to the young man, "This is Jim. He'll assist you in packing and drive the equipment to the site."
"Pleased to meet you." She turned to MacDougal. "Just where are we going?"
MacDougal shook his head. "Didn't Roger tell you? It's a small town in central Oregon, a quiet community. I'll show you when we're done. You'll like it"
She doubted that. "What's the camera for?"
"I like to see how things are put together before taking them apart. Saves a lot of grief later," Jim answered. He put the camera into his jacket pocket. When he turned away, she noticed a suspicious bulge beneath the jacket in the small of his back. She didn't say anything; that was MacDougal's business.
Ann smiled. "What a great idea." Why hadn’t she ever done that? Instead she sketched detailed layouts in her notebooks. "I've unplugged the ancillary stuff and put the lasers on the emergency backup. We have to be extra careful with the entanglement containers and the lasers. They have to remain fixed in their respective cradles. The rest is not so touchy."
"You're the boss," Jim said. "What's first?"
"These guys," she answered, pointing to the screens, power supplies, vacuum pumps, and entanglement gear. She pointed to the generator in the corner. "That's last."
"There's no room," Jim told her.
MacDougal frowned. "Is it necessary?"
"Yes," Ann answered.
"Do the EntComs have one?"
"No. Everything is internal and battery-powered." She pointed to a suitcase-sized box with cables leading to the lasers. "That's the backup power."
"How long will it last?"
"About thirty six hours. If you stay overnight somewhere, recharge. Never let the power go off."
"I'll have the generator sent up as soon as I can," MacDougal said.
The disassembly and packing went quickly.
In the parking lot MacDougal gave last-minute instructions before Jim drove away.
"Your office, Dr. Grey?"
She led the way to her office.
"Could you bring up a map of Oregon?"
Ann sank into her chair, booted her tablet and found a map with the browser.
He leaned over her desk and with his finger moved the cursor to a dot just west of Corvallis. He upped the magnification revealing a town on the east-west State Route 20. "This is Philomath. We have a small facility with good security. The town's big enough to have a couple adequate restaurants, schools, the usual. You're not in the boonies."
She wasn't so sure. "Where do I stay?" She had visions of a seedy No Tell Motel with by-the-hour rooms.
"I've arranged for a suite at the River Inn. It has a kitchen and maid service. Think of this as a prolonged vacation."
Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. "It seems so unnecessary; here we've got guards, electronic entry, and cameras. Isn’t that enough?"
MacDougal shook his head. "First, too many people know about Petaluma. Second, it's too accessible, and third the security is out-of-date."
She chewed on that a moment. "Just what do you anticipate happening?"
He kept his expression neutral, yet she sensed his discomfort. "Dr. Grey, your discovery will upset a lot of entrenched powers. You know that. What you may not appreciate is once it becomes known, we won’t be merely dealing with industrial espionage."
She wouldn’t meet his gaze. "Yes, I've thought a lot about the implications.” They frightened her, yet the hunger to understand how fact checking worked overrode everything. Or did it? Was she being foolish? "Am I in danger? And don't give me any bullshit. Am I?"
"I don't think so, not directly."
"Meaning what? Your man Jim is armed. That's not comforting."
An expression she couldn’t read flitted across his face. "If you were on-site and someone tried snatching the prototype, you would be in danger." He grinned. "You're in much more danger driving."
That old canard. "Highway statistics don't apply."
His lips thinned in impatience. "This isn't the movies. I cannot guarantee your safety even if I provided round-the-clock personal security. The machine’s the target, not you." He hesitated. "You didn't hear this from me, but you might reconsider going. Unless I misunderstand, you aren't necessary to make the device work. Is that true?"
Why is he asking? “Anyone can run the commercial version but not the prototype."
"That's unfortunate. We all have our duties. When you get to Philomath I'll be there to supervise setting up security. There'll be three armed guards, and they'll also stay in the River Inn.” MacDougal turned as if to leave. "Any questions?"
"Not now, I'll see you there."
"Until then." He gave her a mock salute and left.
She stared at the aerial image of Philomath. What a strange name. Google said it was Greek for 'love of learning'. It was a bedroom community for Corvallis. Better take rain gear. Down the hall she went to the front desk. "Could one of you help me with the EntCom?"
Ricardo winked at her. "That's work for young muscles."
Craig pretended to be angry. "Sure, you're too old and fat." He motioned to Ann. "Lead on."
Back in the lab they lifted the EntCom and laid it into its black graphene container. Ostensibly it could withstand a direct bomb blast. She grinned to herself, Jon had tested it. She folded the restraining clamps, closed the lid and snapped the latches into place.
She pointed to the cylindrical graphene container. "The spare core goes along with the tablet and cables. The movers will be here tomorrow with the shipping crates, so you have to get everything packed."
Craig smiled. "We've been informed in no uncertain terms to make sure nothing untoward happens. Anyway, it's a nice break from the usual tedium."
What was she forgetting? Her notebooks! Back to her office she went, stacked them in a pile and carried them out to the lobby. "Do you have a bag I could carry these in?"
Craig pulled a cloth bag from a drawer and handed it to her. "It's my shopping bag, but I don't need it today."
"Thank you. I'll return it in the morning."
[Friday, Petaluma]
A thunderous BOOM shook the house, jarring Ann awake. She lay still, her pulse racing. Was it an earthquake? It must be close. Should she get out? Then th
e sirens from every emergency vehicle in town went off. The incessant wailing went on and on before quieting down to an occasional howl, then silence. No further booms or shaking and she drifted off to sleep.
Her phone's insistent chirp yanked her from a troubled slumber. "What the..." she mumbled, focusing on the bedside clock: 03:10.”Yeah, what is it?" Thank the gods she’d turned Visual off.
"MacDougal here. Listen carefully. Your lab's been destroyed, blown up. Both guards killed. Get dressed, pack a quick overnight, I’ll pick you up in about fifteen minutes. Under no circumstances use lights."
Ann froze in horrified shock. She was wide awake, heart pounding. Destroyed, guards killed? Oh God, the boom that woke her earlier.
"Did you hear me?"
"Yes," she whispered. "I'll be ready."
As instructed she kept the house lights off as she hurriedly dressed and packed with the aid of a flashlight. She peeked through the drapes as headlights swept around the corner and stopped in front. It wasn't the paper delivery; his car would have only slowed. The passenger door opened and a figure stepped out. She recognized McDougal's bald features above a bulky coat. She opened her door, slipped out, closed and locked it, and ran to meet him.
He grasped her arm, pushed her into the SUV and got in beside her. The driver accelerated up the dark street, lit by intermittent street lamps. No one spoke.
Within minutes they arrived at the Municipal Airport. A white Jet Ranger awaited, rotors slowly rotating, passenger door open, beacons blinking. McDougal stepped out and gestured for Ann to follow. She grabbed her overnight, hurried to the open door and climbed in after him, coughing from the jet fumes. MacDougal plopped down on a bench seat, buckled his harness and motioned for her to buckle hers. She complied.
The driver shut the cabin door, returned to the SUV and drove off into the darkness. The rotors increased speed and the helicopter lifted off. As they gained altitude she could see beads of light outlining Petaluma's neighborhoods and the occasional flashing neon sign. Highway 101 cut a dark path across the city, marked by moving lights from trucks and a few commuters hurrying south. A cluster of flashing red lights and a red glow beneath a plume of dark smoke caught her eye. She raised her voice over the shriek of the jet engine. "Is that the lab?"
MacDougal nodded, his expression grim. “It happened about two hours ago. The guards reported a van drove into the park. We heard nothing more until the fire department called. I got here as quickly as I could, but there's nothing to be done. What a disaster."
He rubbed his eyes and yawned. "Did you pack the EntCom?"
"Yes." She thought of Craig and Ricardo and felt sick.
"There's some hope it's okay. I have to get access, convince the fire department to let me rummage around. If I get it, Roger wants you and your husband to verify it's usable." He grimaced. "He's in a blind panic about the NASA project. If there's any chance to keep the schedule..., well, you understand."
“Yeah,” she answered, thinking of the poor guards. Jon had installed his EntCom Wednesday. She was afraid to ask, but... "Was this deliberate?"
MacDougal didn't answer. She repeated her question, louder.
"Sorry. Yes. The fire department thinks it was a natural gas explosion. I didn't dissuade them."
"Am I a target? God damn it, I told you I didn't want any part of this if I am."
"I don't think so. I'm just being cautious. We'll set you up in a secure warehouse in San Mateo. It has a small flat, and you'll stay there at least today."
"Why not use the assembly facility? It's got everything to repair it."
He shook his head. "Roger thinks Sacramento's too far away. He wants to know now. If there's any chance it's functional, he wants to get it to NASA."
"Does Jon know?"
"Yes. I assured him you're quite safe."
She might be safe, but she was far from okay. She sat back and watched the building lights interspersed by dark patches of woods and fields passing beneath her. It was insanity. Who would do such a thing? She closed her eyes and dozed off in a fitful sleep.
[Friday, San Mateo]
Ann yawned, not having slept well in the strange bed. She'd snatched a few hours sleep and awakened before noon. Showering and dressing helped. She finished the coffee then prepared a minimal breakfast of oatmeal and fruit juice along with more coffee in the tiny kitchen
The wall TV showed the local news; nothing about Petaluma. She surfed the news channels and caught a segment on an explosion in Petaluma. She upped the volume:
"Early this morning an explosion and fire rocked an industrial building in east Petaluma. The fire department responded and extinguished the blaze. The cause of the explosion has not been determined, though fire personnel suspect natural gas. Firefighters uncovered two bodies that were identified as employees of Global Communication, the building's owner. Their names have not been released."
An aerial shot of the smoldering, burnt-out shell of her lab appeared. Only the rear and one side wall remained. She shivered at the sight. The view changed to a ground-level shot showing fire trucks and firefighters hosing down the ruins. She concentrated and recognized MacDougal, in blue overalls, talking, or arguing, with a fire official who kept shaking his head.
The scene faded, replaced by a car commercial. Ann switched off the TV. She was stuck here until MacDougal or Hooper or someone came to get her. Tired as she felt, she was already bored. She should call Jon. She rummaged through her overnight bag for her phone and tapped in Jon's personal code. She had an odd thought: She'd never called him on his personal phone while at the moon base. They'd always talked in the lab or office.
His face popped into view. "Ann? Are you alright?"
He actually sounded concerned. "Yes, I'm in a studio apartment somewhere in San Mateo. Have you heard anything?"
"That's a relief. MacDougal scared the crap out of me this morning. The latest is he and Hooper are trying to persuade local officials to let them find the EntCom, or what's left of it. If they succeed we can test it."
"So NASA knows?"
"Oh yeah. They're really upset.” He sounded strained. ” If they have to delay some more, we’re in deep shit."
She started to get angry. "Wait a minute. It's not our fault. Besides there was a quake last week."
She could hear his shrug. "Doesn't matter. If it comes to scrubbing the mission or launching without the EntCom, well there's going to be plenty of blame to pass around. And the political fallout.... It's ugly."
She got a sick feeling in her gut. The President's speech had set NASA up for a political disaster if the mission failed.
"I’m going over to the ship and prepare, just in case."
"I'll be here." She disconnected and switched the TV back on. She didn't want to think about the poor guards.
Her phone chirped, interrupting Forbidden Planet and her favorite character, Robby the Robot.
"Yes?"
MacDougal looked exhausted, and she could barely make out his voice. "Dr. Grey, we're on our way with the EntCom. The cases are intact, and we're hopeful everything's functional. Our ETA is a half hour, about 15:30." With a 'click' he was gone.
Her spirits lifted, there was hope. She set out to explore her surroundings. Minutes later she found herself in a cavernous warehouse filled with rows of floor-to-ceiling shelves. Illumination from skylights revealed the shelves were crammed with boxes of varying sizes. She looked down the rows; nobody around. To her right she spied tables full of flat screens connected to old-style computers on the floor.
She tried booting a computer; nothing happened. Damn, no power. She turned and studied each gray wall. There. She hurried over to a tan door and yanked it open, revealing two columns of black switches. One column was Off so she reset the entire bank one switch at a time.
Overhead lights flickered on. She tried booting a computer. Success. An LED began blinking, and a flat screen echoed the OS booting. But where was the keyboard? She examined the screen, saw a button on the b
ottom and pressed it. A red virtual keyboard blinked into existence.
She walked back to the apartment to wait.
An increasingly loud 'wop, wop' and the shriek of a jet engine announced MacDougal's arrival. She hurried down the hall and out into the afternoon sun. The Jet Ranger touched down, dust and debris blowing away from the blades' downdraft. She turned her back until the blades stopped and the engine whined down to silence.
The door slid open and MacDougal, in soot-stained blue overalls, stepped out followed by another overall-clad figure. Farid! Someone's thinking, she thought. He waved at her as she hurried over.
Farid's face wore a haunted expression. "I think we have a chance, Dr. Grey."
She wrinkled her nose at the damp ash smell. "Good! I found some computers we can connect to the EntCom."
"We don't need them, though it's easier with a standard keyboard and screen."
Ann stood aside while they wrestled the black graphene containers to the ground. Other than smeared soot and a few scratches, they appeared to be in good shape, though both smelled of damp ashes and smoke. Carrying the EntCom they followed her through the open door and down the hallway into the brightly lit warehouse.
She pointed to the active screen. "There."
They put the container down, unzipped their filthy overalls and piled them in a corner.
She flipped the container’s latches open and lifted the lid back. The green LED shone bright; the control display reported "Unknown Error."
"Backup's still on. Clamps are in place, so let's see." She unfolded the restraining clamps. "Lay it on the table by the screen."
"Can you fix it?" MacDougal asked.
She pulled her phone out. “Maybe. Calling Jon.”
Farid yanked a power cord from a computer, plugged it into the EntCom, then connected a data cable from the booted computer to the EntCom. The screen blanked. "It will serve as a dumb terminal. If not, I'll use the control panel, though it's awkward."
"We don't have the graphic interface."
