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White House is in possession of a video taken earlier today in which she endorsed this meteorite data in its entirety in front of the President； his cabinet； and his entire staff。 If now； for whatever motives she might have； Rachel Sexton attempts to besmirch the good name of Zach Herney or of NASA； then I swear to you the White House will see to it she falls hard and far。〃 Tench waited a moment； to be sure her meaning had settled in。 〃I expect you to repay the courtesy of this call by informing me immediately if Rachel Sexton contacts you。 She is attacking the President directly； and the White House intends to detain her for questioning before she does any serious damage。 I will be waiting for your call； director。 That's all。 Good night。〃
Marjorie Tench hung up； certain that William Pickering had never been talked to like that in his life。 At least now he knew she was serious。
？ ？ ？
On the top floor of the NRO； William Pickering stood at his window and stared into the Virginia night。 The call from Marjorie Tench had been deeply troubling。 He chewed at his lip as he tried to assemble the pieces in his mind。
〃Director？〃 his secretary said； knocking quietly。 〃You have another phone call。〃
〃Not now；〃 Pickering said absently。
〃It's Rachel Sexton。〃
Pickering wheeled。 Tench was apparently a fortune…teller。 〃Okay。 Patch her through； right away。〃
〃Actually； sir； it's an encrypted AV stream。 Do you want to take it in the conference room？〃
An AV stream？ 〃Where is she calling from？〃
The secretary told him。
Pickering stared。 Bewildered； he hurried down the hall toward the conference room。 This was something he had to see。
70
The Charlotte's 〃dead room〃…designed after a similar structure at Bell Laboratories…was what was formally known as an anechoic chamber。 An acoustical clean room containing no parallel or reflective surfaces； it absorbed sound with 99。4 percent efficiency。 Because of the acoustically conductive nature of metal and water； conversations onboard submarines were always vulnerable to interception by nearby eavesdroppers or parasitic suction mics attached to the outer hull。 The dead room was； in effect； a tiny chamber inside the submarine from which absolutely no sound could escape。 All conversations inside this insulated box were entirely secure。
The chamber looked like a walk…in closet whose ceiling； walls； and floor had been pletely covered with foam spires jutting inward from all directions。 It reminded Rachel of a cramped underwater cave where stalagmites had run wild； growing off every surface。 Most unsettling； however； was the apparent lack of a floor。
The floor was a taut； meshed chicken…wire grid strung horizontally across the room like a fishing net； giving the inhabitants the feeling that they were suspended midway up the wall。 The mesh was rubberized and stiff beneath the feet。 As Rachel gazed down through the webbed flooring； she felt like she was crossing a string bridge suspended over a surrealistic fractalized landscape。 Three feet below； a forest of foam needles pointed ominously upward。
Instantly upon entering Rachel had sensed the disorientating lifelessness to the air； as if every bit of energy had been sucked out。 Her ears felt as if they'd been stuffed with cotton。 Only her breath was audible inside her head。 She called out； and the effect was that of speaking into a pillow。 The walls absorbed every reverberation； making the only perceivable vibrations those inside her head。
Now the captain had departed； closing the padded door behind him。 Rachel； Corky； and Tolland were seated in the center of the room at a small U…shaped table that stood on long metal stilts that descended through the mesh。 On the table were affixed several gooseneck microphones； headphones； and a video console with a fish…eye camera on top。 It looked like a mini…United Nations symposium。
As someone who worked in the U。S。 intelligence munity…the world's foremost manufacturers of hard laser microphones； underwater parabolic eavesdroppers； and other hypersensitive listening devices…Rachel was well aware there were few places on earth where one could have a truly secure conversation。 The dead room was apparently one of those places。 The mics and headphones on the table enabled a face…to…face 〃conference call〃 in which people could speak freely； knowing the vibrations of their words could not escape the room。 Their voices； upon entering the microphones； would be heavily encrypted for their long journey through the atmosphere。
〃Level check。〃 The voice materialized suddenly inside their headphones； causing Rachel； Tolland； and Corky to jump。 〃Do you read me； Ms。 Sexton？〃
Rachel leaned into the microphone。 〃Yes。 Thank you。〃 Whoever you are。
〃I have Director Pickering on the line for you。 He's accepting AV。 I am signing off now。 You will have your data stream momentarily。〃
Rachel heard the line go dead。 There was a distant whirr of static and then a rapid series of beeps and clicks in the headphones。 With startling clarity； the video screen in front of them sprang to life； and Rachel saw Director Pickering in the NRO conference room。 He was alone。 His head snapped up and he looked into Rachel's eyes。
She felt oddly relieved to see him。
〃Ms。 Sexton；〃 he said； his expression perplexed and troubled。 〃What in the world is going on？〃
〃The meteorite； sir；〃 Rachel said。 〃I think we may have a serious problem。〃
71
Inside the Charlotte's dead room； Rachel Sexton introduced Michael Tolland and Corky Marlinson to Pickering。 Then she took charge and launched into a quick account of the day's incredible chain of events。
The NRO director sat motionless as he listened。
Rachel told him about the bioluminescent plankton in the extraction pit； their journey onto the ice shelf and discovery of an insertion shaft beneath the meteorite； and finally of their sudden attack by a military team she suspected was Special Ops。
William Pickering was known for his ability to listen to disturbing information without so much as flinching an eye； and yet his gaze grew more and more troubled with each progression in Rachel's story。 She sensed disbelief and then rage when she talked about Norah Mangor's murder and their own near…death escape。 Although Rachel wanted to voice her suspicions of the NASA administrator's involvement； she knew Pickering well enough not to point fingers without evidence。 She gave Pickering the story as cold hard facts。 When she was finished； Pickering did not respond for several seconds。
〃Ms。 Sexton；〃 he finally said； 〃all of you。。。 〃 He moved his gaze to each of them。 〃If what you're saying is true； and I cannot imagine why three of you would lie about this； you are all very lucky to be alive。〃
They all nodded in silence。 The President had called in four civilian scientists。。。 and two of them were now dead。
Pickering heaved a disconsolate sigh； as if he had no idea what to say next。 The events clearly made little sense。 〃Is there any way；〃 Pickering asked； 〃that this insertion shaft you're seeing in that GPR printout is a natural phenomenon？〃
Rachel shook her head。 〃It's too perfect。〃 She unfolded the soggy GPR printout and he