Literature

Tolland considered it. The Mariana Trench was seven miles down, one of the last truly unexplored regions on the planet. Only a handful of robotic probes had ever ventured that…

“Anything?” Rachel asked. The pilot let the arm make several complete rotations. He adjusted some controls and watched. It was all clear. “Couple of small ships way out on the…

“What did you just say?” Gabrielle demanded. The guard’s fist stopped in midair. “I said the senator was glad I let you in earlier. You were right. It was no…

Rachel’s body went rigid. She wanted to step back from the railing, but she could not move. She was transfixed by the petrifying vista. “Incredible, aren’t they?” Tolland said. His…

“Jesus,” the pilot said. “Eighteen-knot current? Don’t fall overboard!” He laughed. Rachel did not laugh. “Mike, you didn’t mention this megaplume, magma dome, hot-current situation.” He put a reassuring hand…

Tolland turned to her. “You okay? You could have stayed onshore. I told you that.” I should have stayed onshore, Rachel thought, knowing pride would never have let her. “No…

Now they would wait. This would not be a quiet kill. There were some people you simply did not kill quietly. Regardless of the method, there would be repercussions. Investigations….

“As you know,” the CIA director went on, his tone sharpening, “all U.S. government entities who deal with sensitive intelligence information are governed by strict rules of secrecy-military, CIA, NSA,…

“Do you have dogs, Dr. Harper?” He glanced up. “I’m sorry?” “I just thought it was odd. You told me that shortly after this Canadian geologist radioed in the meteorite…

Silent black helicopters. The conspiracy theorists were going nuts over these. Some claimed the invasion of silent black helicopters was proof of “New World Order storm troopers” under the authority…

“Anyhow, Mike,” the message went on, “tonight was incredible. Kind of makes you proud to be a scientist, doesn’t it? Everyone’s talking about how good this looks for NASA. Screw…

“And you agreed.” “No, I refused! But an hour later, the administrator was back in my office-with the White House senior adviser!” “What!” Gabrielle looked astounded by this. “Marjorie Tench?”…

Corky turned. “What’s that supposed to mean?” “Why couldn’t the heating and cooling event have occurred here on earth artificially?” Rachel asked. “The rock could have been blasted by a…

Built by Lockheed, the Aurora looked like a flattened American football. It was 110 feet long, sixty feet wide, smoothly contoured with a crystalline patina of thermal tiles much like…

“Smart people like yourself don’t have the luxury of playing stupid, Dr. Harper. You’re in trouble, and the senator sent me up here to offer you a deal. The senator’s…

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…

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…

Despite the late hour, Gabrielle was not at all surprised to see the building’s foyer filling with people, an apparent convergence of excited media crews and even more excited NASA…

“Correct,” Tolland said. “This species would have collapsed under its own weight if it walked around on earth.” Corky’s brow furrowed with annoyance. “Well, Mike, unless some caveman was running…

“I’ll come to your office.” “No,” she said hurriedly. “It’s late. Your presence here would raise concerns. I’d prefer to keep this matter between us.” Pickering read between the lines….