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angular table。
The meeting was about to begin when Dr。 Gogh arrived。 Under his arm he held a folder identical to the one Nick had received from Elizabeth。 Expressions of surprise spread around the table； but Dr。 Gogh sat down and immediately began poring over his notes。 Nick noticed that Gogh's seat was closer to the President's than Nick's。
Because the situation was treated as a military emergency； the CIA； NSA； and defense intelligence reports were at the top of the agenda。 Nick's report would be last。 After making sure the armed forces were on full alert and that all SAC bombers were either in the air or on the flight line； the President began taking more detailed reports。 The various intelligence reports all focused on the state of readiness of the U。S。 armed forces and threat assessment。 The immediate concern was the loss of the ELF system…the network of buried transmission lines that made up the extreme low frequency transmission system； designed to keep the nation's fleet of nuclear submarines in contact with the military authorities。 The loss of the system would mean dependence on less reliable and more vulnerable systems requiring the submarines to approach the surface to municate via satellites。 One of the naval aides estimated 30 percent of the ELF system was in terrain that was farmland and forest one minute； and arctic tundra the next。 Like the others present； the President ignored the incredible changes in the terrain and focused on the relatively inconsequential loss of the munications system。
From all over the country had e reports of huge tracts of land disappearing and being replaced by other terrain； often radically different in climate。 Nick new that part of New York had vanished； apparently replaced by grasslands； but other reports confirmed a huge sheet of ice had appeared in Iowa； a tropical jungle in Georgia； and a desert in Ohio。 Massive floods were occurring in East St。 Louis and other locales。 The flooding gave Nick an idea； and he nursed it； temporarily oblivious to the meeting around him。
〃No； Mr。 President； we have no estimate of the extent of the loss although we have some reports that part of the system we thought was lost may still be intact but dysfunctional。 Although the topography has changed； the ELF lines may remain under the surface。 We are organizing teams to check on that now。〃
After Elizabeth leaned forward and whispered in the President's ear again； he asked； 〃Colonel； do you have an estimate of when the results of that assessment will be available？ When you do； would you see that my chief of staff has that？ Thank you。〃
President McIntyre had been twirling a twisted paper clip in his fingers but put it down to run his finger down the agenda。 Before he could find his place Elizabeth leaned forward and pointed。 The President seemed unconcerned about Elizabeth's blatant intrusion。
The head of the CIA gave the next report。 Samuel Cannon was another of the President's old friends。 He'd had a rough ride through the confirmation hearings。 The Congress was leery of making a former auto executive head of the CIA； but the President had his man in the CIA； qualified or not。
〃As I understand your reports； Sam； the events are random and not targeted at military installations。 Both civilian and military targets have been hit？〃
〃That's right； sir；〃 the CIA director confirmed。 〃Whatever the weapon is； it missed our strategic capabilities。 Although we have lost munication with some facilities。〃
Lost munication or lost facilities？ Nick wondered。
〃Could the strategy be to take out civilian targets？〃 the President asked。
〃If the targets were civilian then the weapon was just as inaccurate。 We have unconfirmed reports of even nearly uninhabited areas being affected。 Whatever it was； was powerful but not accurate。〃
Cannon said it with satisfaction； as if a weapon that could make a third of New York City disappear； never mind three million people； was no threat if it could not be aimed accurately。
Elizabeth leaned forward again and whispered in the President's ear。
〃I know you don't believe the Russians are technologically capable of such an attack；〃 McIntyre said； 〃but it seems even less likely that any other country would have the technology to do this。 Is it possible something has escaped our scrutiny？ What about the project they have going at the old Chernobyl site in the Ukraine？〃
The CIA director and Elizabeth flinched at the mention of Chernobyl。 It was clear the President had mitted a breach of security just by saying the name。
〃Sir；〃 Cannon began cautiously； 〃I don't think this is the place to discuss the 。 。 。 ah 。 。 。 other matter。〃
〃I'm not asking you to discuss it； I'm asking you to assess the possibility that it has something to do with what has happened to our country。〃
The CIA director looked at his assistant behind him； who leaned forward and whispered a la Elizabeth Hawthorne。 While they whispered Nick noticed that Gogh was still engrossed in the reports。
〃Our best information suggests there is no connection between this latest event and the other matter。〃
〃Is it possible that one of our own projects could have inadvertently produced this effect？ Possibly the fusion project； or maybe that muon particle projector 。。。 or what about the antimatter space drive？ I always had doubts about that project；〃 McIntyre said dryly。
〃Mr。 President！ If you wish to discuss these projects we should dismiss all those with inadequate security clearance。〃
Nick found this discussion particularly interesting。 Whatever these black bag projects were； spilling the beans had the CIA director white…faced with rage。
〃Calm down； Sam； I'm more concerned with finding out about what has happened than I am about leaking information on pie…in…the…sky secret weapons。 I only want to know whether these projects could in some way have produced the 。 。 。 the 。 。 。 whatever it is that happened today。〃
The President was visibly angry at the CIA director's resistance to his questions。 Elizabeth whispered in the chief executive's ear again。
〃Sam； we have dozens of highly classified projects going on right this minute。 I mentioned only three。 I am ordering that all of these projects be shut down immediately。 You understand me？ No testing； no operation； no experimentation。 Until we know what has happened we're not going to risk having it happen again。〃
〃But Mr。 President…〃
〃No buts； Sam； shut everything down。〃
Samuel Cannon opened his mouth to speak but then closed it again。 It was clear he was not through arguing； but he knew better then to pursue it in this setting。 Then the President stunned the CIA director again。
〃Have you considered any other sources for this effect？〃
〃Yes； sir； but the most technologically sophisticated countries are all friendly。 We're less certain about the Russian Federation。 We know the Baltic Union wouldn't have the sophistication； but the Federation retained most of the U…S。S。R。's technological capabilities。〃
〃I'm not talking about other countries。 I'm talking about other species。〃
〃Animals 。 。 。 like whales or something？〃
〃Sam； I'm talking about the possibility that this is the result of an act by an alien i