Deception Point Page 60

Ms. tench? the transp atomic number 18nt utter on the line say. William Pickering, here. To what do I owe this honor?tench could hear the television in the background-NASA commentary. She could already sense in his disembodied spirit that he was still reeling from the press conference. Do you convey a minute, director?I expected youd be busy celebrating. Quite a shadow for you. Looks like NASA and the death chair are back in the fight.Tench perceive stark amazement in his voice, combined with a tinge of acrimony-the last mentioned no doubt on account of the mans legendary distaste for consultation breaking news at the same time as the recline of the world.I apologize, Tench said, trying to build an immediate bridge, that the washcloth set up and NASA were forced to backing you unapprised.You are aware, Pickering said, that the NRO detected NASA activity up at that place a couple weeks ago and ran an inquiry.Tench frowned. Hes pissed. Yes, I know. And just-NASA told us it was nothing. They said they were running some kind of extreme environment training exercises. interrogation equipment, that sort of thing. Pickering paused. We bought the lie.Lets not remember it a lie, Tench said. More of a necessary misdirection. Considering the magnitude of the discovery, I trust you understand NASAs need to keep this quiet.From the public, mayhap.Pouting was not in the repertoire of men like William Pickering, and Tench perceive this was as close as he would get. I plainly fork out a minute, Tench said, working to retain her dominant position, except I thought I should call and warn you.Warn me? Pickering waxed juiceless momentarily. Has Zach Herney decided to appoint a new, NASA-friendly NRO director?Of course not. The President understands your criticisms of NASA are simply issues of security, and he is working to plug those holes. Im actually calling approximately one of your employees. She paused. Rachel sexton. Have you heard from her this even ing?No. I move her to the light House this morning at the Presidents request. Youve obviously kept her busy. She has yet to check in.Tench was relieved to fork over gotten to Pickering first. She took a drag on her cigarette and spoke as calmly as possible. I venture you may be getting a call from Ms. Sexton quondam(prenominal) soon.Good. Ive been expecting one. Ive got to tell you, when the Presidents press conference began, I was concerned Zach Herney might have convinced Ms. Sexton to participate publicly. Im pleased to see he resisted.Zach Herney is a decent person, Tench said, which is more than I can say for Rachel Sexton. in that location was a long pause on the line. I hope I misunderstood that.Tench sighed heavily. No, sir, Im afraid you did not. Id prefer not to talk specifics on the call back, but Rachel Sexton, it seems, has decided she wants to undermine the credibility of this NASA announcement. I have no idea why, but later she reviewed and endorsed NASAs info early this afternoon, she has suddenly pulled an about turn and is spouting some of the most improbable allegations imaginable of NASA treachery and fraud.Pickering sounded anxious now. Excuse me?Troubling, yes. I hate to be the one to tell you this, but Ms. Sexton contacted me two minutes before the press conference and warned me to erase the whole thing.On what grounds?Absurd ones, frankly. She said shed found earnest flaws in the data.Pickerings long silence was more wary than Tench would have liked. Flaws? he finally said.Ridiculous, really, after two full weeks of NASA experimentation and-I find it very hard to believe someone like Rachel Sexton would have told you to postpone the Presidents press conference unless she had a damn mature reason. Pickering sounded troubled. Maybe you should have listened to her.Oh, please Tench blurted, coughing. You saw the press conference. The meteorite data was confirmed and reconfirmed by countless specialists. Including well-mannere dians. Doesnt it seem suspicious to you that Rachel Sexton-the fille of the only man whom this announcement piques-is suddenly changing her tune?It seems suspicious, Ms. Tench, only because I happen to know that Ms. Sexton and her father are barely civil to one another. I cannot imagine why Rachel Sexton would, after age of service to the President, suddenly decide to switch camps and tell lies to support her father.Ambition, perhaps? I really dont know. Maybe the opportunity to be first daughter Tench let it hang.Pickerings tone hardened instantly. Thin ice, Ms. Tench. Very thin.Tench scowled. What the hell did she expect? She was accusing a prominent member of Pickerings staff of treason against the President. The man was going to be defensive.Put her on, Pickering demanded. Id like to let out to Ms. Sexton myself.Im afraid thats impossible, Tench replied. Shes not at the White House.Where is she?The President sent her to Milne this morning to examine the data firsthand. She has yet to return.Pickering sounded livid now. I was never informed-I do not have time for hurt pride, director. I have simply called as a courtesy. I valued to warn you that Rachel Sexton has decided to pursue her own agenda with wish to tonights announcement. She pull up stakes be looking for allies. If she contacts you, you would be wise to know that the White House is in possession of a video taken earlier today in which she endorsed this meteorite data in its entirety in anterior of the President, his cabinet, and his entire staff. If now, for whatever motives she might have, Rachel Sexton attempts to besmirch the good flesh 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 convinced(predicate) 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 inte nds to detain her for questioning before she does any serious damage. I will be waiting for your call, director. Thats 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 converge the pieces in his mind.Director? his secretary said, knocking quietly. You have another phone call.Not now, Pickering said absently.Its Rachel Sexton.Pickering wheeled. Tench was apparently a fortune-teller. Okay. Patch her through, refine away.Actually, sir, its an encrypted AV stream. Do you want to take it in the conference populate?An AV stream? Where is she calling from?The secretary told him.Pickering stared. Bewildered, he hurried cumulus the hall toward the conference room. This was something he had t o see.70The Charlottes dead room-designed after a similar structure at Bell Laboratories-was what was formally cognise as an anechoic chamber. An acoustical clean room containing no parallel of latitude 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.