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〃What should we do； sir？〃 Rachel asked。 〃Obviously we need to alert the President there are problems with the data。〃
Pickering frowned。 〃Let's hope the President doesn't already know。〃
Rachel felt a knot rise in her throat。 Pickering's implication was clear。 President Herney could be involved。 Rachel strongly doubted it； and yet both the President and NASA had plenty to gain here。
〃Unfortunately；〃 Pickering said； 〃with the exception of this GPR printout revealing an insertion shaft； all of the scientific data points to a credible NASA discovery。〃 He paused； dire。 〃And this issue of your being attacked。。。 〃 He looked up at Rachel。 〃You mentioned special ops。〃
〃Yes； sir。〃 She told him again about the Improvised Munitions and tactics。
Pickering looked more and more unhappy by the moment。 Rachel sensed her boss was contemplating the number of people who might have access to a small military kill force。 Certainly the President had access。 Probably Marjorie Tench too； as senior adviser。 Quite possibly NASA administrator Lawrence Ekstrom 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 high…level political clout and the right connections。
〃I could phone the President right now；〃 Pickering said； 〃but I don't think that's wise； at least until we know who's involved。 My ability to protect you bees limited once we involve the White House。 In addition； I'm 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 doesn't make sense； the President would have every right to question the validity of my claim。〃 He paused as if calculating the options。 〃Regardless。。。 whatever the truth is or who the players are； some very powerful people will take hits if this information goes public。 I suggest we get you to safety right away； before we start rocking any boats。〃
Get us to safety？ The ment surprised Rachel。 〃I think we're fairly safe on a nuclear submarine； sir。〃
Pickering looked skeptical。 〃Your presence on that submarine won't stay secret long。 I'm pulling you out immediately。 Frankly； I'll feel better when the three of you are sitting in my office。〃
73
Senator Sexton huddled alone 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 rubble of snifters and business cards； abandoned by men who had quite literally dashed out the door。
Now Sexton crouched in solitude before his television； wanting more than anything to turn it off and yet being unable to pull himself from the endless media analyses。 This was Washington； and it didn't take long for the analysts to rush through their pseudoscientific and philosophical hyperbole and lock in on the ugly stuff…the politics。 Like torture masters rubbing acid in Sexton's wounds； the newscasters were stating and restating the obvious。
〃Hours ago； Sexton's campaign was soaring；〃 one analyst said。 〃Now； with NASA's discovery； the senator's campaign has crashed back to earth。〃
Sexton winced； reaching for the Courvoisier and taking a hit right out of the bottle。 Tonight； 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 goddamned lucky。 And he despised the world for laughing at him。
〃Obviously； this is devastating for the senator；〃 the analyst was saying。 〃The President and NASA have claimed an incalculable triumph with this discovery。 News like this would revitalize the President's campaign regardless of Sexton's position on NASA； but with Sexton's admission today that he would go so far as to abolish NASA funding outright if need be。。。 well； this presidential announcement is a one…two punch from which the senator will not recover。〃
I was tricked； Sexton said。 The White House fucking set me up。
The analyst was smiling now。 〃All of the credibility NASA has lost with Americans recently has just been restored in spades。 There's a real feeling of national pride out there on the streets right now。〃
〃As there should be。 They love Zach Herney； and they were losing faith。 You've got to admit； the President was lying down and took some pretty big hits recently； but he's e out of it smelling like a rose。〃
Sexton thought of the CNN debate that afternoon and hung his head； thinking he might be sick to his stomach。 All of the NASA inertia he had so carefully built up over the last months had not only e to a screeching halt； but it had bee an anchor around his neck。 He looked like a fool。 He'd been brazenly played by the White House。 He was already dreading all the cartoons in tomorrow's paper。 His name would be the punch line to every joke in the country。 Obviously； there would be no more quiet SFF campaign funding。 Everything had changed。 All of the men who had been in his apartment had just seen their dreams go down the toilet。 The privatization of space had just struck a brick wall。
Taking another hit of cognac； the senator stood up and walked unevenly to his desk。 He gazed down at the unhooked phone receiver。 Knowing it was an act of masochistic self…flagellation； he slowly replaced the phone receiver in its cradle and began counting the seconds。
One。。。 two。。。 The phone rang。 He let the machine pick up。
〃Senator Sexton； Judy Oliver from CNN。 I'd like to give you an opportunity to react to the NASA discovery this evening。 Please call me。〃 She hung up。
Sexton started counting again。 One。。。 The phone started ringing。 He ignored it； letting the machine get it。 Another reporter。
Holding his bottle of Courvoisier； Sexton wandered toward the sliding door of his balcony。 He pulled it aside and stepped out into the cool air。 Leaning against the railing； he gazed out across town to the illuminated facade of the White House in the distance。 The lights seemed to twinkle gleefully in the wind。
Bastards； he thought。 For centuries we've been looking for proof of life in the heavens。 Now we find it in the same fucking year as my election？ This wasn't propitious； this was goddamned clairvoyant。 Every apartment window for as far as Sexton could see had a television on。 Sexton wondered where Gabrielle Ashe was tonight。 This was all her fault。 She'd fed him NASA failure after NASA failure。
He raised the bottle to take another swig。
Goddamned Gabrielle。。。 she's the reason I'm in this so deep。
Across town； standing amid the chaos of the ABC production room； Gabrielle Ashe felt numb。 The President's announcement had e out of left field； leaving her suspended in a semicatatonic haze。 She stood； lock…kneed in the center of the production room floor； staring up at one of the television monitors while pandemonium raged around her。
The initial seconds of the announcement had brought dead silence to the newsroom floor。 It had lasted only moments before the place erupted into a deafening carnival of scrambling reporters。 These people were professio