Deception Point Page 91

Rachel stood in silence as the Bathynomous pages rolled out of the printer. She tried to guarantee herself this was all(a) an honest NASA mistake, alto constituteher if she knew it was not. deal who do honest mistakes didnt try to ef manifestation people.The nasal voice of Corky echoed utterly across the lab. ImpossibleBoth Tolland and Rachel turned. stair the damn ratio all over once more It bugger offs no senseXavia came hurrying in with a electronic computer printout clutched in her hand. Her face was ashen. Mike, I dont know how to say this Her voice cracked. The atomic number 22/zirconium ratios were chating in this prove? She cleared her throat. Its pretty obvious that NASA made a huge mistake. Their meteorite is an ocean rock.Tolland and Rachel looked at each other but uncomplete spoke a word. They knew. Just bid that, all the suspicions and doubts had swelled up manage the crest of a wave, reaching the recess point.Tolland nodded, a sadness in his eyes. Yeah . Thanks, Xavia. that I dont understand, Xavia said. The fusion crust the locating in the ice-Well explain on the fashion to shore, Tolland said. Were leaving.Quickly, Rachel collected all the papers and designate they now had. The evidence was shockingly conclusive the GPR printout video display the insertion shaft in the Milne Ice Shelf photos of a living sea louse resembling NASAs fossil Dr. Pollocks expression on ocean chondrules and microprobe data showing ultradepleted zirconium in the meteorite.The conclusion was undeniable. Fraud.Tolland looked at the stack of papers in Rachels detention and heaved a melancholy sigh. Well, Id say William Pickering has his confirmation.Rachel nodded, again wondering why Pickering had not answered his phone.Tolland lift the receiver of a nearby phone, keeping it out for her. You want to try him again from here?No, lets get moving. Ill try to mop upting him from the chopper. Rachel had already decided if she could not make contact wi th Pickering, shed wealthy person the strand fore theory fly them directly to the NRO, only when nigh 180 miles.Tolland began to hang up the phone, but he paused. Looking confused, he listened to the receiver, frowning. Bizarre. No dial tone.What do you mean? Rachel said, vigilant now.Weird, Tolland said. Direct COMSAT lines never lose carrier-Mr. Tolland? The Coast Guard pilot came rushing into the lab, his face white.What is it? Rachel demanded. Is someone coming?Thats the problem, the pilot said. I dont know. All onboard radar and communications own just gone dead.Rachel stuf ply the papers duncish inside her shirt. Get in the helicopter. Were leaving. like a shot109Gabrielles heart was racing as she get across the darkened office of Senator sexton. The room was as expansive as it was elegant-ornate wood-paneled walls, oil paintings, Persian carpets, leather rivet chairs, and a large mahog either desk. The room was lit only by the eerie neon flash of sextons comput er screen.Gabrielle moved toward his desk.Senator sacristan had embraced the digital office to maniacal proportions, eschewing the overflow of buck cabinets for the compact, searchable simplicity of his personal computer, into which he fed enormous amounts of information-digitized meeting notes, scanned articles, speeches, brainstorms. Sextons computer was his numinous ground, and he kept his office locked at all times to protect it. He even refused to connect to the Internet for consternation of hackers infiltrating his sacred digital vault.A division ago Gabrielle would never have believed any politician would be stupid nice to store copies of self-incriminating documents, but Washington had taught her a lot. Information is power. Gabrielle had been amazed to learn that a common practice among politicians who accepted doubtful campaign contributions was to keep actual proof of those donations-letters, bank records, receipts, logs-all hidden away in a safe place. This counte rblackmail tactic, euphemistically cognize in Washington as siamese connection insurance, protected candidates from donors who felt their generosity in some manner authorized them to assert undue policy-making pressure on a candidate. If a contributor got too demanding, the candidate could only when produce evidence of the illegal donation and remind the donor that both parties had worried the law. The evidence ensured that candidates and donors were joined at the pelvic girdle forever-like Siamese twins.Gabrielle slipped behind the senators desk and sit spate garbage down. She took a deep breath, looking at his computer. If the senator is judge SFF bribes, any evidence would be in here.Sextons computer screensaver was an ongoing slideshow of the White support and its grounds created for him by one of his gung-ho staffers who was sizeable into visualization and positive thinking. Around the images crawled a ticker-tape banner that read President of the unite States Sedg ewick Sexton President of the United States Sedgewick Sexton President of theGabrielle jostled the mouse, and a security talk box came up.Enter Password_She pass judgment this. It would not be a problem. stick up week, Gabrielle had entered Sextons office just as the senator was academic session down and logging onto his computer. She saw him eccentric person threesome short keystrokes in fast succession.Thats a password? she challenged from the verge as she walked in.Sexton glanced up. What?And here I thought you were concerned about security, Gabrielle scolded good-naturedly. Your passwords only three keys? I thought the tech guys told us all to use at least(prenominal) six.The tech guys are teenagers. They should try retrieve six random letters when theyre over forty. Besides, the door has an alarm. Nobody can get in.Gabrielle walked toward him, smiling. What if someone slipped in while youre in the loo?And tried every confederacy of passwords? He gave a skeptical laugh . Im windy in the bathroom, but not that slow.dinner party at Davide says I can theory your password in ten seconds.Sexton looked intrigued and amused. You cant afford Davide, Gabrielle.So youre saying youre squawker?Sexton appeared almost sorry for her as he accepted the challenge. Ten seconds? He logged off and motioned for Gabrielle to sit down and intermit it a try. You know I only order the saltimbocca at Davide. And that aint cheap.She shrugged as she sat down. Its your money.Enter Password_Ten seconds, Sexton reminded.Gabrielle had to laugh. She would need only two. Even from the doorway she could see that Sexton had entered his three-key password in very rapid succession apply only his index finger. Obviously all the same key. Not wise. She could also see that his hand had been positioned over the far left(a) side of his keyboard-cutting the possible alphabet down to only about nine letters. Choosing the letter was simple Sexton had always love the triple alliteration of his title. Senator Sedgewick Sexton.Never underestimate the ego of a politician.She typed SSS, and the screensaver evaporated.Sextons jaw hit the floor.That had been last week. Now, as Gabrielle faced his computer again, she was certain Sexton would not have taken time yet to put down out how to set up a different password. Why would he? He trusts me implicitly.She typed in SSS.Invalid Password plan of attack DeniedGabrielle stared in shock.Apparently she had overestimated her senators level of trust.one hundred tenThe attack came without warning. Low out of the south-west sky above the Goya, the lethal silhouette of a gunship helicopter bore down like a giant wasp. Rachel had no doubt what it was, or why it was here.