Free The Black Ships by A.G. Claymore Page B

“We’ve had to
re-organize our military command structure, create a new Special Projects
division with extraordinary powers and then there’s the small matter of
diplomacy…” She let the last hang like a moldy fruit and smiled at the small
group. “I was thinking of coming to see you when Dr. Colbert walked onto the
elevator and joined me.”
    Thank God I wasn’t rude to her! Jan thought. “If you knew who I was, why didn’t you say anything?”
    “Hah! You didn’t see your face when
you walked on the elevator.” She took a sip while Jan’s cheeks reddened. “You
don’t survive as long as I have in politics unless you know when to speak and
when to, as Americans like to say, keep your piehole shut. ” She relaxed
in her chair. “So tell me, Doctor, what has you upset?”
    Does she really want the truth or is
this the standard ‘pat on the head’ visit? Jan
decided she had nothing to lose by telling the truth, so she jumped in with
both feet. “We’re wasting our time here.” She stated, exasperation in her
voice. “We’ve been over the same data a million times and we can’t see how we
can do anything more than we have already.”
    She could see her two colleagues nodding
and so she drove on. “We’re like an afterthought. Every few days a short video
or some images show up and we look them over but we’re really just some useless
appendage. For all we know, our reports are simply redundant because there are
obviously other teams out there looking at this data first.”
    Jess had been looking at Jan as she spoke
and nodding at each point. Jan had thought she was merely being humored but the
Secretary General’s response came as a surprise. “Perhaps it’s time for you to
leave New York,” she mused quietly.
    Jan was shocked. Sure, she wanted to go
home but this was ludicrous. All she did was tell this woman the truth and now
she was going to be packed off to Oxford as a malcontent? She was just about to
tear into her when Jess continued.
    “You’re right, of course, Dr. Colbert. We
have a team at the Mauna Kea observatory and their reports hit my desk before yours
do.” She swung her mug in a small circle to keep the artificial creamer mixed
in. “I think it would be much better if your team was there, where you could
each add your perspective to the analysis.”
    She was looking down into her coffee now
watching the last vestige of white powder blend into the brown liquid. She
nodded to herself before looking up at the three scientists. “How soon can you
be ready to go?”
    I am so glad my mum taught me to count
to five before yelling at anyone. Jan couldn’t
believe how close she had come to making a complete arse of herself.
    Hal was looking out the window at the
chunks of ice in the Hudson River. “Mauna Kea - that’s in Hawaii, right?” He
turned his head to the Secretary General with a grin. “I can go as soon as we’re
done with this conversation!”
    Jess laughed. “It might not be quite so
warm as you think…”
     

Moffett Field
    Mountain View, California
    February 10 th , 2026
    C huck watched out the boardroom window as the small group walked
towards the building from the Gulfstream on the corner of the tarmac. From what
he had learned so far, the big guy leading the pack had been building cruise
ships until a month ago. Cruise ships! Chuck thought angrily. I’ve
been putting people and equipment into space my whole working life and now he’s
going to sort me out? The group had stopped to talk to one of the
contractors working on a frenzied extension to the facilities. The man pointed
towards Chuck, indicating the building that they sought. He turned back to the
room. Ed McAdam from Red Flag and Tim Harrison from Chimera were both sitting
at the table, working at their laptops. Both men had been quiet since their
arrival a half hour earlier.
    The NASA administrator remained standing as
the group filed in. Somehow, it felt like a less subservient position. He
walked