danbrown.deceptionpoint-第55部分

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hite　House　gripping　her　microphone。
　〃Beyond　the　mind…numbing　repercussions　for　mankind　as　a　species；〃　she　announced；　〃this　NASA　discovery　has　some　harsh　political　repercussions　here　in　Washington。　The　unearthing　of　these　meteoric　fossils　could　not　have　e　at　a　better　time　for　the　embattled　President。〃　Her　voice　grew　somber。　〃Nor　at　a　worse　time　for　Senator　Sexton。〃　The　broadcast　cut　to　a　replay　of　the　now　infamous　CNN　debate　from　earlier　in　the　day。
　〃After　thirty…five　years；〃　Sexton　declared；　〃I　think　it's　pretty　obvious　we're　not　going　to　find　extraterrestrial　life！〃
　〃And　if　you're　wrong？〃　Marjorie　Tench　replied。
　Sexton　rolled　his　eyes。　〃Oh；　for　heavens　sake；　Ms。　Tench；　if　I'm　wrong　I'll　eat　my　hat。〃
　Everyone　in　the　Roosevelt　Room　laughed。　Tench's　cornering　of　the　senator　could　have　played　as　cruel　and　heavy…handed　in　retrospect；　and　yet　viewers　didn't　seem　to　notice；　the　haughty　tone　of　the　senator's　response　was　so　smug　that　Sexton　appeared　to　be　getting　exactly　what　he　deserved。
　The　President　looked　around　the　room　for　Tench。　He　had　not　seen　her　since　before　his　press　conference；　and　she　was　not　here　now。　Odd；　he　thought。　This　is　her　celebration　as　much　as　it　is　mine。
　The　news　report　on　television　was　wrapping　up；　outlining　yet　again　the　White　House's　quantum　political　leap　forward　and　Senator　Sexton's　disastrous　slide。
　What　a　difference　a　day　makes；　the　President　thought。　In　politics；　your　world　can　change　in　an　instant。
　By　dawn　he　would　realize　just　how　true　those　words　could　be。
　
　　
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　Pickering　could　be　a　problem；　Tench　had　said。
　Administrator　Ekstrom　was　too　preoccupied　with　this　new　information　to　notice　that　the　storm　outside　the　habisphere　was　raging　harder　now。　The　howling　cables　had　increased　in　pitch；　and　the　NASA　staff　was　nervously　milling　and　chatting　rather　than　going　to　sleep。　Ekstrom's　thoughts　were　lost　in　a　different　storm…an　explosive　tempest　brewing　back　in　Washington。　The　last　few　hours　had　brought　many　problems；　all　of　which　Ekstrom　was　trying　to　deal　with。　And　yet　one　problem　now　loomed　larger　than　all　the　others　bined。
　Pickering　could　be　a　problem。
　Ekstrom　could　think　of　no　one　on　earth　against　whom　he'd　less　rather　match　wits　than　William　Pickering。　Pickering　had　ridden　Ekstrom　and　NASA　for　years　now；　trying　to　control　privacy　policy；　lobbying　for　different　mission　priorities；　and　railing　against　NASA's　escalating　failure　ratio。
　Pickering's　disgust　with　NASA；　Ekstrom　knew；　went　far　deeper　than　the　recent　loss　of　his　billion…dollar　NRO　SIGINT　satellite　in　a　NASA　launchpad　explosion；　or　the　NASA　security　leaks；　or　the　battle　over　recruiting　key　aerospace　personnel。　Pickering's　grievances　against　NASA　were　an　ongoing　drama　of　disillusionment　and　resentment。
　NASA's　X…33　space　plane；　which　was　supposed　to　be　the　shuttle　replacement；　had　run　five　years　overdue；　meaning　dozens　of　NRO　satellite　maintenance　and　launch　programs　were　scrapped　or　put　on　hold。　Recently；　Pickering's　rage　over　the　X…33　reached　a　fever　pitch　when　he　discovered　NASA　had　canceled　the　project　entirely；　swallowing　an　estimated　900　million　loss。
　Ekstrom　arrived　at　his　office；　pulled　the　curtain　aside；　and　entered。　Sitting　down　at　his　desk　he　put　his　head　in　his　hands。　He　had　some　decisions　to　make。　What　had　started　as　a　wonderful　day　was　being　a　nightmare　unraveling　around　him。　He　tried　to　put　himself　in　the　mindset　of　William　Pickering。　What　would　the　man　do　next？　Someone　as　intelligent　as　Pickering　had　to　see　the　importance　of　this　NASA　discovery。　He　had　to　forgive　certain　choices　made　in　desperation。　He　had　to　see　the　irreversible　damage　that　would　be　done　by　polluting　this　moment　of　triumph。
　What　would　Pickering　do　with　the　information　he　had？　Would　he　let　it　ride；　or　would　he　make　NASA　pay　for　their　shortings？
　Ekstrom　scowled；　having　little　doubt　which　it　would　be。
　After　all；　William　Pickering　had　deeper　issues　with　NASA。。。　an　ancient　personal　bitterness　that　went　far　deeper　than　politics。
　
　　
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　Rachel　was　quiet　now；　staring　blankly　at　the　cabin　of　the　G4　as　the　plane　headed　south　along　the　Canadian　coastline　of　the　Gulf　of　St。　Lawrence。　Tolland　sat　nearby；　talking　to　Corky。　Despite　the　majority　of　evidence　suggesting　the　meteorite　was　authentic；　Corky's　admission　that　the　nickel　content　was　〃outside　the　preestablished　midrange　values〃　had　served　to　rekindle　Rachel's　initial　suspicion。　Secretly　planting　a　meteorite　beneath　the　ice　only　made　sense　as　part　of　a　brilliantly　conceived　fraud。
　Nonetheless；　the　remaining　scientific　evidence　pointed　toward　the　meteorite's　validity。
　Rachel　turned　from　the　window；　glancing　down　at　the　disk…shaped　meteorite　sample　in　her　hand。　The　tiny　chondrules　shimmered。　Tolland　and　Corky　had　been　discussing　these　metallic　chondrules　for　some　time　now；　talking　in　scientific　terms　well　over　Rachel's　head…equilibrated　olivine　levels；　metastable　glass　matrices；　and　metamorphic　rehomogenation。　Nonetheless；　the　upshot　was　clear：　Corky　and　Tolland　were　in　agreement　that　the　chondrules　were　decidedly　meteoric。　No　fudging　of　that　data。
　Rachel　rotated　the　disk…shaped　specimen　in　her　hand；　running　a　finger　over　the　rim　where　part　of　the　fusion　crust　was　visible。　The　charring　looked　relatively　fresh…certainly　not　three　hundred　years　old…although　Corky　had　explained　that　the　meteorite　had　been　hermetically　sealed　in　ice　and　avoided　atmospheric　erosion。　This　seemed　logical。　Rachel　had　seen　programs　on　television　where　human　remains　were　dug　from　the　ice　after　four　thousand　years　and　the　person's　skin　looked　almost　perfect。
　As　she　studied　the　fusion　crust；　an　odd　thought　occurred　to　her…an　obvious　piece　of　data　had　been　omitted。　Rachel　wondered　if　it　had　simply　been　an　oversight　in　all　the　data　that　was　thrown　at　her　or　did　someone　simply　forget　to　mention　it。
　She　turned　suddenly　to　Corky。　〃Did　anyone　date　the　fusion　crust？〃
　Corky　glanced　over；　looking　confused。　〃What？〃
　〃Did　anyone　date　the　burn。　That　is；　do　we　know　for　a　fact　that　the　burn　on　the　rock　occurred　at　exactly　the　time　of　the　Jungersol　Fall？〃
　〃Sorry；〃　Corky　said；　〃that's　impossible　to　date。　Oxidation　resets　all　the　necessary　isotopic　markers。　Besides；　radioisotope　decay　rates　are　too　slow　to　measure　anything　under　five　hundred　years。〃
　Rachel　considered　that　a　moment；　understanding　now　why　the　burn　date　was　not　part　of　the　data。　〃So；　as　far　as　we　know；　this　rock　could　have　been　burned　in　the　Middle　Ages　or　last　weekend；　right？〃
　Tolland　chuckled。　〃Nobody　said　science　had　all　the　answers。〃
　Rachel　let　her　mind　wander　aloud。　〃A　fusion　crust　is　essentially　just　a　severe　burn。　Technically　speaking；　the　burn　on　this　rock　could　have　happened　at　any　time　in　the　past　half　century；　in　any　number　of　different　ways。〃
　〃Wrong；〃　Corky　said。　〃Burned　in　any　number　of　different　ways？　No。　Burned　in　one　way。　Falling　through　the　atmosphere。〃
　〃There's　no　other　possibility？　How　about　in　a　furnace？〃
　〃A　furnace？〃　Corky　said。　〃These　samples　were　examined　under　an　electron　microscope。　Even　the　cleanest　furnace　on　earth　would　have　left　fuel　residue　all　over　the　stone…nuclear；　chemical；　fossil　fuel。　Forget　it。　And　how　about　the　striations　from　streaking　through　the　atmosphere？　You　wouldn't　get　those　in　a　furnace。〃
　Rachel　had　forgotten　about　the　orientation　striations　on　the　meteorite。　It　did　indeed　appear　to　have　fallen　through　the　air。　〃How　about　a　volcano？〃　she　ventured。　〃Ejecta　thrown　violently　from　an　eruption？〃
　Corky　shook　his　head。　〃The　burn　is　far　too　clean。〃
　Rachel　glanced　at　Tolland。
　The　oceanographer　nodded。　〃Sorry；　I've　had　some　experience　with　volcanoes；　both　above　and　below　water。　Corky's　right。　Volcanic　ejecta　is　penetrated　by　dozens　of　toxins…carbon　dioxide；　sulfur　dioxide；　hydrogen　sulfide；　hydrochloric　acid…all　of　which　would　have　been　detected　in　our　electronic　scans。　That　fusion　crust；　whether　we　like　it　or　not；　is　the　result　of　a　clean　atmospheric　friction　burn。〃
　Rachel　sighed；　looking　back　out　the　window。　A　clean　burn。　The　phrase　stuck　with　her。　She　turned　back　to　Tolland。　〃What　do　you　mean　by　a　clean　burn？〃
　He　shrugged。　〃Simply　that　under　an　electron　microscope；　we　see　no　remnants　of　fuel　elements；　so　we　know　heating　was　caused　by　kinetic　energy　and　friction；　rather　than　chemical　or　nuclear　ingredients。〃
　〃If　you　didn't　find　any　foreign　fuel　elements；　what　did　you　find？　Specifically；　what　was　the　position　of　the　fusion　crust？〃
　〃We　found；〃　Corky　said；　〃exactly　what　we　expected　to　find。　Pure　atmospheric　elements。　Nitrogen；　oxygen；　hydrogen。　No　petroleums。　No　sulfurs。　No　volcanic　acids。　Nothing　peculiar。　All　the　stuff　we　see　when　meteorites　fall　through　the　atmosphere。〃
　Rachel　leaned　back　in　her　seat；　her　thoughts　focusing　now。
　Corky　leaned　forward　to　look　at　her。　〃Please　don't　tell　me　your　new　theory　is　that　NASA　took　a　fossilized　rock　up　in　the　space　shuttle　and　sent　it　hurtling　toward　earth　hoping　nobody　would　notice　the　fireball；　the　massive　crater；　or　the　explosion？〃
　Rachel　had　not　thought　of　that；　although　it　was　an　interesting　premise。　Not　feasible；　but　interesting　all　the　same。　Her　thoughts　were　actually　closer　to　home。　All　natural　atmospheric　elements。　Clean　burn。　Striations　from　racing　through　the　air。　A　faint　light　had　gone　off　in　a　distant　corner　of　her　mind。　〃The　ratios　of　the　atmospheric　elements　you　saw；〃　she　said。　〃Were　they　exactly　the　same　ratios　you　see　on　every　other　meteorite　with　a　fusion　crust？〃
　Corky　seemed　to　hedge　slightly　at　the　question。　〃Why　do　you　ask？〃
　Rachel　saw　him　hesitate　and　felt　her　pulse　quicken。　〃The　ratios　were　off；　weren't　they？〃
　〃There　is　a　scientific　explanation。〃
　Rachel's　heart　was　suddenly　pounding。　〃Did　you　by　any　chance　see　an　unusually　high　content　of　one　element　in　particular？〃
　Tolland　and　Corky　exchanged　startled　looks。　〃Yes；〃　Corky　said；　〃but…〃
　〃Was　it　ionized　hydrogen？〃
　The　astrophysicist's　eyes　turned　to　saucers。　〃How　could　you　possibly　know　that！〃
　Tolland　also　looked　utterly　amazed。
　Rachel　stared　at　them　both。　〃Why　didn't　anyone　mention　this　to　me？〃
　〃Because　there's　a　perfectly　sound　scientific　explanation！〃　Corky　declared。
　〃I'm　all　ears；〃　Rachel　said。
　〃There　was　surplus　ionized　hydrogen；〃　Corky　said；　〃because　the　meteorite　passed　through　the　atmo