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。 Every bit of data collected by Big Bird's array of scanners could be accessed from this single station。 More importantly； the ergonomic keyboard and joystick in the center console controlled PS12's propulsion system。
Cracking his knuckles； Fin emptied his pockets to create a mound of Snickers； Milky Ways； PayDays and Baby Ruths on the desk。 With a keystroke； he activated the console and began to type。 Minutes； then an hour； passed as Fin fed information into Big Bird's telemetry puter。 Finally； he activated the large HDTV screen above his workstation and slipped a hands…free munications unit over his head。
〃This is Waystation One； Waystation One； mencing scheduled telemetry alteration for satellite P as in Peter； S as in Santa； One…Two。 That's PS 12 moving in five minutes from right。 。。。 Now。 Stand by to receive data stream。〃
Fin flipped a switch and sent Big Bird's coordinate changes to puters at dozens of space agencies； observatories and satellite tracking facilities all over the world。
〃Data confirmed； Waystation One。 Good luck；〃 a voice announced into Fin's ear。
Ready now； Fin grasped the joystick and pickled the activation switch。 Thousands of miles above the earth's surface； the propulsion system aboard satellite PS 12 came to life。 Back on Earth； Weyland Industries technicians strained at their workstations to watch the self…styled 〃Master of Telemetry〃 in action。
Legend had it that both Microsoft Game Studios and LucasArts had courted Fin to design game systems for them； but the 〃Game Shark；〃 Fin's nickname before he'd e to Weyland Industries； had found a new passion during his years at M。I。T。…satellite technology。 In the end； the National Video Gaming League's highest scorer ever had chosen a lower…paying position at Weyland's TDMC because management had let him achieve an entirely new level of kicks with his joystick by driving the big satellites。
And Fin had never lost the skills he'd honed as a dedicated game player。 Now； through barely perceptible movements of his hand； he skillfully inched two…and…a…half tons' worth of orbital mass out of its current orbit and into a new one…an orbit that would take the Big Bird satellite cruising over the bottom of the world。 Each subtle move of Fin's hand was followed by minutes of gazing at the figures dancing across the tracking puter to see if the satellite needed any adjustment。 Sweat beaded his forehead as Fin hunched over his console； eyes focused on the telemetry data that continually poured in。 Occasionally his white…knuckled fingers twitched； gently moving the joystick to one side or another。 Throughout the intense ordeal； Fin's eyes never left the screen。
Finally； after two hours of toggling the joystick； Fin sighed and sat up； blinking his eyes as if he had just awakened from a long sleep。 He stretched his arms and tilted back his chair。
〃Mission acplished；〃 Fin announced into the municator。 〃PS 12 is in its new orbit。 Systems are running normally。 Nothing to do now but sit around and wait。〃
Fin tossed the hands…free on the desk and checked his watch。 It was almost time。 Fingers flying across the keyboard； he activated Big Bird's onboard sensors。 As the satellite began its assigned task of deep…mapping the Antarctic continent from orbit； Fin propped his feet up on the console； snatched a candy bar from the pile； and tore at the wrapper with his teeth。 Munching chewy nougat and crunchy peanuts； Fin touched another button。 A television screen near his foot came to life。
〃Right on time；〃 said Fin with a sigh of satisfaction。 On the monitor； the black…and…white credits for Uni…versal's 1943 classic Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man began to roll。
Sixty…two minutes later…just as Bela Lugosi's Frankenstein monster was about to square off against Lon Chaney； Jr。's； Wolf Man in the ruins of Frankenstein's castle…a blinking red light interrupted Fin's much anticipated downtime。 He bolted upright in his chair and switched off the television； to activate the main HDTV monitor above his console。 A real…time digital image shot by Big Bird filled the big screen。 Fin studied the flickering picture for nearly a minute； trying to prehend what he was seeing。
〃Oh my God；〃 Fin gasped at last； his legendary cool shattered。 Then he whipped his head around and called over his shoulder； 〃Dr。 Langer！ Over here； quick。 Take a look at this。〃
〃What is it？〃 the day supervisor demanded。
Fin's gaze never left the screen as he replied； 〃It's the data stream ing in from PS 12。〃
〃Where is she now？〃
Fin triple…checked the satellite's navigational data before answering。 〃She's right above Sector 14。〃
Dr。 Langer blinked。 〃But there isn't anything in Sector 14。〃
Fin pointed at the image on his monitor。 〃Well there is now。〃
Over Fin Ullbeck's shoulder； Dr。 Langer saw a series of interlocking square shapes…perfectly symmetrical and； if PS12's sensors were correct； very large。 Too large to have formed naturally。
〃What are we looking at？〃 Langer asked。
〃Thermal imaging；〃 Fin replied immediately。 〃Some kind of geologic activity tripped the heat…sensitive sensors； which activated the cameras。 Then Big Bird's puters alerted me。〃
Dr。 Langer studied the image。 The shapes mimicked precisely the look of man…made structures as seen from high earth orbit。 But that； of course； was impossible。 Nothing existed in Sector 14； unless you counted polar bears and penguins。 So if those interlocking shapes really were structures； then they were built a long； long time ago…which made this the most important archaeological discovery of the twenty…first century； perhaps of all time。
〃Wake them up；〃 said Dr。 Langer。
Fin reached for the phone； then paused。 〃Who？〃
〃Everybody 。。。〃
As he spoke； Dr。 Langer's eyes never left the screen。
CHAPTER 3
Mount Everest； Nepal
Climbers had two ways to ascend the Khumbu Ice…fall。 The sensible route up the four…thousand…foot frozen waterfall was with Sherpa 〃icefall doctors。〃 These expert mountaineers would scout ahead； lay aluminum ladders across deep crevasses； plant anchors； and string rope so that climbers could proceed with some amount of caution…acpanied； of course； by their experienced Sherpa guides。
The reckless way to conquer the single most hazardous site on Everest was to go onto the ice alone； stake out a point at the base of the waterfall and start your ascent； placing your own anchors and stringing your own ropes as you went； hoping there weren't any deep crevasses that needed bridging。 In this type of climb； anyone who became trapped by an ice slide； buried by an avalanche； or swallowed by a crevass that opened then closed without warning （all pretty much daily occurrences on Khumbu） would likely remain frozen in place until global warming thawed the entire planet。
This was how Alexa Woods chose to make her ascent。
After hours of hard climbing； the young woman's lone slender form appeared as a mere speck on the vast； shimmering wall of ice。 Buffeted by fifty…mile…an…hour winds； she now dangled less than a hundred feet from the icefall's summit。
With a controlled swing of her leanly muscled arm； Lex buried the head of a Grivel Rambos ice axe into the frozen waterfall。 As the blad