MAU: The Thule Incident Part 2 free porn video

MAU: The Thule Incident Part 2 By Danielle J Author's note- This is the second installment of my latest MAU saga. I suggest you read MAU - The Thule Incident before starting on Part 2. You will find Part 1 at Fictionmania listed both under stories by Danielle J and by a category search for MAU stories. I must thank Steve Zink for his editing and hard work in preparing this story for publication. ***** As ordered, Major Koval returned to the interview room for the afternoon session. C and D were already set to go. During their lunch break, the two agents had grabbed a quick lunch before returning to their quarters. There they prepared another report for P and transmitted it back to D.C. Still not certain their communications were safe from being tapped, C and D encrypted the message with a one-time pad before sending. All this consumed the entire two hours in between interviews of Major Koval. Both C and D were glad to know help would be arriving that very afternoon. The plane carrying agents A, K, and X had an ETA of 1445. "We'll re-start the interview where we left off," said D, looking down at his notes. "On the evening of November 3rd, or two days after finding the box, Colonel Shaw called a staff meeting." "Yes, he did," Major Koval replied. "Who was present at the meeting?" "All the officers who weren't on duty at the time that could be spared. At night that is almost everyone. I think Captain Russell was on night shift in Ops. So he would be the only exception." "The officers who were changed into women also attended this meeting?" "Yes, they did. Shaw was almost as tough on them as he was on Frosty. Really chewed their asses out, saying they were too dumb to be officers, etcetera, etcetera." "What else went on at the meeting?" D asked. ***** "Lieutenant, I want you to tell me again. Whatever came over you to do this stunt? You violated a direct order," demanded Colonel Raymond Shaw. Lt. Frost was squirming in his chair. He would have paid any price to be somewhere else but that room. "I don't know, sir. It was just meant to be a harmless prank." "Officers don't do harmless pranks." "I know that, sir. I'm sorry." Colonel Shaw shook his head. "I still can't believe none of the rest of you knew what was going on last night? Where were all of you?" Now it was an uncomfortable time for the officers. Some meekly answered. Not Captain Vinson. "I was off-duty. Spent the night in my quarters." "Yes, we were playing chess," added Captain Clayton. Colonel Shaw grunted his displeasure with the answers he was getting. "This is unacceptable. None of you knew, particularly you, Major Koval, who was in command in my absence and saw to most minimal of your duties. The continued proper operation of this base. Your job does not end when you go off duty!" The room became awfully quiet. Almost every officer in the room got a stripping from Colonel Shaw. Most didn't say a word in defense of themselves. It wouldn't have done them any good. The CO then spoke to the transformed officers. He didn't show any sign of feeling sorry for these new women. They were responsible for what had happened to themselves. "What were you thinking of when you allowed this to be done?" One officer hung her head. "We thought it was a harmless joke." "With a machine none of you knew anything about?" Colonel Shaw raged on. "I thought I had officers in my command with plain common sense. It appears I don't." None of the officers spoke as Colonel Shaw vented at the conduct of almost every person in the room. Few escaped unscathed from his verbal lashings. "Lieutenant Frost, do you have anything else to add?" "No, sir, except I am sorry and I apologize for what I have done. To you and all the personnel here at Thule." "That's not going to be good enough, Lieutenant," Colonel Shaw answered, pulling out one of his cigars. Till now he hadn't smoked at any time during the meeting. "If I could, I'd throw you in a jail cell and start court-martial proceedings this very week. But we need to get that machine working again. Till that happens or I say otherwise, that is your one and only assignment twenty-four seven. Is that understood, Lieutenant?" "Yes, sir," Lieutenant Frost replied. A snicker could be heard from the officers in the room. "There is nothing at all funny about this. All of you, do you understand me?" "Yes, sir." "And you, Major Koval," Colonel Shaw said puffing away on his cigar. "You were in command of this base while I was gone. That included the machine and Lt. Frost and everyone on this base. You failed, horrendously, to command this base. If I have my way you'll never command even a boy scout pack again till the day you die." Major Koval took his lumps without replying. In his heart, he knew Colonel Shaw was right. "Now, what are we going to do about this machine? Any suggestions?" A long list of methods were mentioned, almost all of them tried already. "How about some plastic explosives?" Major Lawson suggested. "And blow up the whole fucking machine? No, that is out of the question," Major Koval replied. Colonel Shaw said nothing but did nod his head in agreement. "How about maybe running it over with one of the roadrunners?" Major Lawson asked, speaking up again. "Wouldn't that destroy the thing?" an officer asked. "Maybe. But look at the dish it had to have destroyed. The thing doesn't even have a scratch on it, and had to have come from outside of this planet," Major Lawson pointed out. "Are there any other theories as to where it came from?" Colonel Shaw asked. It was obvious he wasn't too big on the Star Trek theory. "No, it was technology I've never seen before," Lt. Frost said, courageously speaking up. He was the only person in the room who had actually operated the machine. "Nothing the Soviets could have conjured up in the Cold War?" Colonel Shaw asked. "No, sir. I don't think so." "Maybe some tech wahoo down at the Pentagon knows something about it. Would be no harm in asking," Captain Clayton said. "I prefer we do that only as a last resort," Colonel Shaw replied, putting down his cigar. Even if on leave, Thule was his responsibility. This incident would do none of the officers' careers any good. "Let's keep trying to open the box till we run out of alternatives. We may try what Major Lawson suggested with a roadrunner." "And the men. What do we do with them?" Captain Clayton asked. "What do we even tell them?" "We tell them nothing for now except that the machine has temporarily broken down," Major Koval said. Colonel Shaw had already agreed with this assessment earlier. "That will buy us two or three days at most," Captain Vinson said. Even though he wasn't Thule's Chief Medical officer he was doing most of the talking on medical issues. His colleague Captain Anthony Cellucci had been one of the few officers who used the machine. "I think Rick is right," said Captain Cellucci, now an African-American woman. It was only the second time during the entire meeting that she had spoken up. "The men are going to panic if we don't get things fixed soon." "We will worry about that if and when we have to. Lt. Frost, you have to get that box open again and working. No exceptions, no failures." Colonel Shaw stared icily down the table to the junior officer. "Yes, sir." Lt. Frost was concealing his own feelings. He now believed there was no way to get the machine working again. "Uniforms. What will the men do in regards to these? There is also their jobs..." another junior officer asked. "They will just have to do with what they have. We have a base to run, men or women, everyone has to continue doing their duties." The room got quiet again. There was another serious potential problem. Keeping a lid on what happened at Thule. "Colonel, sir," spoke Major Lawson, who decided to speak up. "We have another problem, or will soon. The men being changed, or I mean the news of what happened here is going to get out sooner or later. We may get the box working but..." Colonel Shaw interrupted then, and in a command style voice said, "Till further notice, Thule is in total lockdown mode." ***** "Lockdown? Can you please explain that?" C asked Major Koval. The agent already knew the answer, but wanted the officer to explain it for the record. Major Koval had slumped in his seat some during the long retelling of the staff meeting of November. He sat bolt upright before answering C's question. "Lockdown means no one in or out of the base. That also means all outside communications, incoming and outgoing with the exception of official Air Force ones were cut off." "Phones, mail, email?" D asked. "Yes, all of it. Incoming mail was still allowed, but no outgoing." "How about cell phones? I would imagine many of the men owned them." "They were confiscated. Shaw ordered all the men to turn them in. Then all barracks were searched thoroughly, also." 'Yeah, you and Shaw are very efficient. You kept a lid on this for over a week till one airman got a mail out somehow,' C thought as he looked across the table at the major. 'But you're still a fucking liar.' ***** At the same time, a C-141B Starlifter was taxiing into Thule's Hangar E, the only hangar at Thule capable of accommodating what CMSgt. Ed Sharp sometimes called 'the biggest flying garbage truck in the world.' On board the plane were three more agents who had sent by P to assist C and D. They were A, K and X, A being the only woman. Once the plane came to a full stop, a door was quickly opened and the three agents disembarked. A small welcoming committee consisting of Captain Clayton, Ed Sharp and another airmen were waiting as the three agents slowly walked down the steps and into the cold arctic air. "Welcome to Thule. I think you'll need these," Ed Sharp said as she and the airman gave each agent a parka. "Thank you." All three agents were grateful for the warm weather gear. Their jackets were not anywhere near sufficient. Captain Clayton gave an order to Ed Sharp, who then went on his way. He then waved to the agents. "Come and follow me. We'll be taking just a short ride to Thule's main administrative complex." ***** After parting from Captain Clayton, Ed Sharp went to check with the C-141B's pilot to see if he had any needs. The pilot said no, he just wanted to be refueled quickly so the plane could be sent on its way. He did however ask Ed to show him where there was some warm coffee to be gotten. Ed also collected the plane's manifest, which listed what supplies and supplies were being delivered that day. A cursory glance showed necessary food and operating supplies for the base in addition to clothing and female necessities for the base's former men. Getting off the plane, Ed gave the orders for the plane's refueling. A refueling team was standing by, and upon hearing the orders went quickly to work on the old Starlifter. Ed had other duties to do before the plane would be readied for departure. In the absence of Lt. Frost, he saw himself doing more and more of the officer's old work. One thing in the plane's manifest caught Ed's eye, and so she set off to the hanger's very tiny office where she could use a computer. However, something else caught Ed's eye. After pointing out to the Starlifter's pilot the location of Hanger E's office, Ed turned sharply to her left and set off to where a group of airmen were milling or loitering around. "What's going on here?" Ed asked. The women were the cargo handlers at Thule. The Starlifter took a great many men to unload. Even if they weren't filled to capacity. When none of them answered Ed, she got angry. "Get moving, we've got to unload that plane ASAP. Move it, and that's an order!" But none of the cargo handlers moved an inch. Rather, they seemed to huddle around one airman in particular. She was their leader. "Claude," Ed said, addressing TSgt. Claude "The Princess" Bennet. "I just gave a direct order. Get your butt moving." "I don't take orders from any Spic," Claude replied. "Especially you, Ed." Ed was in no mood for insubordination. He got right up into Claude's face. "Move it. Now!" After giving his order, Ed began to turn around. What happened next caught her totally by surprise. Claude Bennet threw a right hook at her superior. If Claude was trying to hurt Ed, she failed badly. The punch missed Ed wildly. As The Princess's body swung toward her, Ed grabbed Claude by her other arm and swung the Blackey to the floor. "You shouldn't have done that, Claude," Ed said with The Princess lying on the floor with her left arm twisted behind the Blackey's back. She was violently cursing at Ed. "I don't care if you are a Princess in barracks B. Here you take orders from me. Consider yourself on report." Right then the hairs on the nape of Ed's neck began to rise. This told her she was in a dangerous situation. Looking around her, Ed could see the other Blackeys slowly creeping toward her. They totaled nine in all, not counting Claude who still lay on the floor. She knew the numbers were not in her favor, and Ed realized she was in a very serious predicament. Then a savior arrived on the scene. In the name of Major David Lawson. He was halfway across the hanger and walking toward the women. "What's going on here? Why aren't you unloading the plane?" Thinking quickly and before Major Lawson caught view, Ed let go of Claude Bennet's arm and then helped lift her to her feet. "What happened here?" Ed spoke up. "Claude here slipped and fell, sir." "Uh huh," Major Lawson said, surveying the women. "Bennet, everything okay?" Claude was no longer cursing, and instead was brushing herself off. "Yes, I'm fine." "Good, all of you get back to work. I want this Starlifter unloaded and ready for departure in two hours," Major Lawson said, stating a nearly impossible goal. But that's what officers almost always did. Then he pointed to Ed. "Not you, Ed. We've got to go to the office to discuss something." ***** "Princess, what are we to do?" asked one of the Blackeys. Claude Bennet was still gathering her wits after her humiliation at the hands of Ed Sharp. "All of you get to work." All the Blackeys did as their Princess ordered. But Claude just stood there watching Ed Sharp and Major Lawson walking toward Hanger E's small office. "Ed Sharp, you are going to die." ***** Colonel Nickerson was twiddling his thumbs in Washington, D.C. This made him a very unhappy man. Sam had finished reading the reports on Thule just a half hour earlier. He still shook his head at what he had learned about some alien technology and how it was used at the remote arctic air base. Now, with this task finished, all Sam could do was wait for P to return so the two could coordinate the investigation phase up at Thule. However, according to P's secretary KC, the director wasn't expected in her office till nearly evening. The congressional oversight committee was still in session. Colonel Nickerson was very accustomed to waiting. It was part of serving in the military. Today it was different, and the more he twiddled his thumbs, the worse his mood became. Plus, Sam wondered about his suitability for the investigation. From the looks of things, what was really needed were therapists for most of the women and men in white coats for the rest and the officers. "What a clusterfuck!" Sam said, shaking his head in the empty office. "This whole episode is one big fuck up. Can these clowns figure it all out? Does it really matter what happened?" Sam yawned, and then got up from his chair. He'd go grab a snack in the break room. God only knew if he would get dinner that night. The Colonel still hadn't forgotten the night before. ***** C and D's interview of Major Koval now turned to the circumstances in the disappearance of Lt. Michael Frost. "When was Lt. Frost last seen?" D asked. "The evening of November 5th." "What was the approximate time Lt. Frost was last seen, and where was he?" "2100-2130 hours. Frosty was in the base library. One of the men saw him there. He said Frosty was acting very weird." "What do you mean by weird?" "SSgt. Stu Hendricks tried to talk to him, but Frosty ignored him." "Anything else odd?" "Captain Clayton, Ed Sharp and a few other men who all worked with Lt. Frost claimed or thought he was severely depressed." "Was he being seen by or treated by Captain Vinson for this?" "No, not to my knowledge." "Was Stu Hendricks the last person to see Lt. Frost?" "We think so. Yes." D jotted down Stu Hendricks name on a list of people the agent still wanted interviewed. The list seemed to double with every interview C and D conducted. As D wrote down Stu Hendricks' name, a knock was heard at the door. "Enter," said Major Koval. A blonde female SSgt. entered the room and placed a note in front of C and D. It just said that agents A, K and X had arrived at Thule. "How, when and by whom was Lt. Frost discovered to be missing?" D continued after she left. "The morning of November 6th. Ed Sharp notified Ops around 0900 that Lt. Frost hadn't reported in that morning." "So what steps were taken?" "We announced over the base PA for Lt. Frost to report to operations. We also rang Frosty's quarters. There was no answer." "After this, what was done?" D asked. "Colonel Shaw ordered me to go down to Frost's quarters personally. He wasn't there, and his bed was made. He probably never slept in his room the night of the fifth." D was checking his notes. "Now, I want to ask-" "Do you mind if we take a short break? I've got to piss." "Certainly," D replied. As Major Koval was getting out of his seat, the agent asked C to get coffee for all three men. Major Koval was back in the room in about two minutes. A minute later C was back with the coffee. All in all, the break lasted five minutes. "You inspected Lt. Frost's quarters?" D asked. "Yes, myself and one other man." "Anything out of place or unusual?" "When I first inspected the room, I was basically just looking for Frosty. I did notice the bed being made and there being no dirty laundry. I thought that to be odd at the time." "Do I understand you right, you inspected Lt. Frost's room more than once?" "Yes, that is correct. After we had determined Frosty was no longer at Thule, Colonel Shaw ordered me to do a thorough exam of the lieutenant's quarters." "When was this done?" "The afternoon of the 6th. I am not certain of the exact time. It was sometime after 1500. If you want, I can check the logs for the day." "No, that's not necessary," D replied. What he really felt like saying was, 'Why check a fictional log to tell us a lie?' "What did you learn when inspecting Frost's quarters?" "Some of his belongings were missing." "Like what?" "His toothbrush and shaving things. There were empty hangers in his closet. His underwear appeared to have taken, also." "Were the clothes taken military or civilian?" "Civilian, we think. We aren't sure." "We would like to inspect Lt. Frost's quarters. Probably tonight." "That can be arranged." "No one saw Lt. Frost leave Thule at all?" "No, sir." "Any other signs of Lt. Frost's departure?" "The missing roadrunner." "Roadrunner?" C asked. Major Koval then described the all terrain vehicle used at Thule. "You rode over in one when you arrived here the other day." "We remember that," said D. "When was the roadrunner discovered missing?" "Late in the morning of the sixth. Ed Sharp was the one who discovered it." "Who would have access to these machines? They aren't allowed to be used by just anyone?" "No, they aren't," Major Koval said, thinking. "Colonel Shaw, myself, Major Lawson, Captain Clayton, Lt. Helms, Lt. Frost, Ed Sharp and some of the men who maintain the vehicles would have access." "How about keys to run the machine?" "Same people could do it. Besides, the roadrunners are like a car. If you get inside one you can hot-wire it, if worst comes to worst." "Where was the roadrunner abandoned?" C asked. "We never found it." "Never?" C asked in disbelief. D remembered the reports the two agents received upon arrival at Thule. The senior agent had noted the roadrunner's continued disappearance. "We never found it. Or any trace of Lt. Frost since the night of the fifth." C and D exchanged glances. "No sign at all of the roadrunner? No tracks or wreckage? "No, none. There wouldn't be tracks. The same night Frost disappeared a storm blew through." "There is a nearby Eskimo village up here?" "Yes, on the coast. It's less than three miles from here." "Did Lt. Frost go there?" "Not that we were able to discover." "But you searched the village?" "Yes, we did. It's only six hundred people, and they were co-operative. No sign of Lt. Frost ever going there. There was also no sign of the roadrunner." "It's a fishing village, isn't it?" Major Koval nodded. "Yes, an Eskimo fishing village. I could suppose Lt. Frost may have hopped a ride with one of the fisherman. Canada is only a two hour trip. We checked it out, and it looks very unlikely." "Why is it unlikely?" "Couple of things. The fishermen do a great deal of business with us. We buy fresh fish from them. It wouldn't be in their best interest to help an officer desert." D nodded. The explanation given by Major Koval did make logical sense. "The other thing is there is no sign of the roadrunner ever being in the village, and not one witness to anyone seeing it on the 5th or the 6th." "Aren't there other places Lt. Frost could have set off to?" Major Koval leaned back in his chair, placing his hands behind his head. His facial expressions or demeanor till now had been professional in bearing and pose. Not now. A smirk or grin had formed. One usually denoting arrogance or cockiness. "You guys don't really know much about Greenland." D hid his annoyance well. If the agent wasn't more self-controlled, he would have gotten up and slugged Major Koval. They were talking about a missing and presumably dead man, and this guy finds humor in it. "No, we don't." "This place is like the Sahara Desert, except it is ice and snow instead of sand. There is nothing for miles. No human life, zilch, nada." "You did search, however." "Yes, we did," Major Koval replied as he got out of his chair and poured himself a cup of water. "But the night of the 5th was a no moon. Plus it was snowing, therefore there were no stars. It was pitch dark that night. In theory, Lt. Frost could drive in any direction but to the west of course. The thing is, he'd be blind as a bat. Yes, the roadrunner had GPS, but there are crevasses and cliffs out there. He could have driven right off one." "So there is nowhere Lt. Frost could have gone?" "Not quite," Major Koval said, sitting back down. "But we checked them all out, also." "Give us a rundown," D asked. "There's another Eskimo fishing village about ninety to one hundred miles down the coast. It's barely within the one-way range of a roadrunner. Those machines guzzle gas like a mother fucker." "You checked it out, I assume." "Definitely did. Lt. Frost didn't go there. No one in the village saw anyone matching Frosty's description or saw a roadrunner. Besides, the trip down there would have been suicidal. That's just my opinion." D decided to ask away. "How about to the north or east?" "North we have a mountain range. A roadrunner could never traverse it. Yes, we did check in that direction." "And east?" "Nothing but snow and ice, that is it. Pure, simple, and endless Greenland for hundreds of miles. A few of our teepees are out that way and to the north. Old satellite dishes, early warning system way back in the early days of the Cold War. All of them were self-sufficient. Men would work and live there. They aren't used anymore but we have orders to maintain the facilities. We checked them all, nada, zilch. No sign of either Frost or the roadrunner." D checked his watch. It was 1645. The agent felt he had mined Major Koval for as much information as he and C would get. The agents also knew they had to confer with their newly arrived colleagues, grab some dinner and prepare a report for P all before doing another interview that evening. Probably Thule's acting chief medical officer, Captain Richard Vinson. "Are we done?" Major Koval asked. "Probably." D got up out of his chair. C did the same. "Me and my colleague need to talk for a minute, excuse us." C and D went out into the hallway. "He's lying. Including the search part." "We have no proof yet." "If we keep questioning him, nitpick him about little details, I think he'll crack." D shook his head. "I'm not so sure about that. Koval is afraid for some reason. We need to find out why. Right now we have plenty of people to interview. We can always come back to Koval later." C voiced his disagreement, but D was the lead investigator and it was his call. The two agents went back into the room. "Are we done?" "For now. We may want to talk to you again," D replied. Major Koval nearly jumped out of his chair. Happy that the grilling was over with. "Tomorrow we want Stu Hendricks and Ed Sharp available for interview." "I'll see to it." Major Koval then left the room. Two minutes later C and D were headed back to their quarters. ***** Chris Lang walked into barracks room D5 just after 1700. She found her friend Mark lying in her bunk reading a book. "Hi, Mark, how was your day?" Chris asked as she dialed the combination to her locker. "Okay, I guess. How about you?" "Just a little tired. It was a long day today." Mark continued reading her book while Chris changed out of her Air Force uniform. While doing this The Danny tried to make small talk with her friend about each other's day, but Mark rarely said a word. After finishing getting redressed, Chris closed and locked her locker. "I was thinking of going down to eat around 6 p.m. Want to join me?" "I'm not hungry right now." "Okay, I'll be around if you change your mind. Later after dinner I may go take a swim," Chris said. Thule had a large indoor swimming pool. The former or transformed men were still using the facility, despite a lack of female bathing suits. Almost all swimming was now 'au natural'. Mark barely seemed to listen to Chris again. The Danny was beginning to get concerned for her friend. Maybe Mark had gone too fast the night before. "I've got to stand shift tonight. First assignment 2130-2400." "Yes, I saw that," Mark replied. She actually had made out the schedule. "See you around, Mark." Chris gave Mark a friendly pat on the shoulder and then left the room. After Chris left the room, Mark tried to go back to reading her book. But she couldn't concentrate. Too many things were laying heavy on her mind. She felt angry, sad, guilty and ashamed. Would she ever be well again? Mark put her book down and rolled over till she was lying flat on her back. As she stared at the upper bunk bed, tears began to trickle down her cheeks. ***** It was one of those rare days, but P was grateful to be back at her office. Walking straight past her secretary and an impatient Colonel Nickerson, the agency director went straight into her office. The congressional hearing went as was expected. Other than the Oklahoma Congressman, P and the agency had pretty much been handled with kid gloves by the committee. It was just tedious and time consuming with all the work P had on her plate presently. Most especially the ongoing events at Thule. P was in the process of getting settled into her office, when KC walked in. "Good afternoon, Ma'am." "Hello, KC, what do you have for me?" KC handed over about ten slips of paper. "Phone messages, but nothing urgent. There is another progress report from D in your email box." "Good, good," P muttered as she checked her phone messages. Her secretary was right, none of them were urgent. "Colonel Nickerson is waiting to see you. Ma'am, are you going to Thule?" "Yes, probably tomorrow morning." "There is a weather advisory on Thule in your inbox tray behind your desk." "Thanks, KC," P replied, putting down the phone messages. "Give me two minutes before showing Colonel Nickerson in." It was five minutes before P saw Colonel Nickerson. "No need to sit down, Colonel, this won't be long." Sam looked at P. The agency director was doing the same toward the Air Force Colonel. Like each was trying to size up the other. "Colonel, I am really in a hurry and don't have much time now. We will be leaving for Thule tomorrow morning. Be prepared to leave your hotel room at 0500." "I will, but Ma'am, can I ask you a few questions?" "You read the reports and background information I had given to you?" P was shuffling through the paperwork that had been in her inbox. She still had not read the report from meteorology. "Yes, Ma'am. Your work appears...well, if you don't mind me saying, uniquely interesting. What happened at the air base ties in apparently. I just wanted to clarify a few things." "We'll have time for that on the trip tomorrow to Thule. Right now I am a busy woman, Colonel," P said, getting up from her chair. She didn't have any more time to discuss Thule with Colonel Nickerson at the moment. "Beg your pardon, Ma'am, but tomorrow we won't-" Colonel Nickerson began saying, but P walked right past him as if she wasn't even listening. P left her office and went to KC's desk. Having no other option, Colonel Nickerson followed. "KC, see that Colonel Nickerson gets transport back to his hotel. He'll also need a pickup at 0500 tomorrow morning." "Yes, Ma'am, I'll see right to it," the secretary replied. KC then picked up her desk phone to place the necessary phone call. Colonel Nickerson tried speaking up, but P didn't give him the chance. "Till tomorrow, Colonel," P said as she passed him and went straight into her office, closing the door behind her. Back in the office, the first thing P did was open her top right desk drawer. Taking out a small Midol bottle, the director poured out two tablets and then took them with the help of an Evian water bottle she had on her desk. Then P went back to work on what seemed the endless mountain of paperwork that went with her job. P didn't know it, and wouldn't come to realize what she had done till the next morning. The urgent report from meteorology had gotten shuffled to the bottom of her in tray. ***** Captain Clayton was working at his desk, when Major Koval came out of his office. He had only returned to Ops ten minutes earlier. "I need this done tomorrow morning," Major Koval said, passing Captain Clayton a piece of paper. Clayton read the written order carefully. "Sir, you want someone to go out to the downed teepee again?" "Yes, tomorrow. As soon as possible." Captain Clayton took a breath. He normally didn't question his superior's orders. "Beg my pardon sir, the thing is nearly destroyed and we're closing up shop here. Why..." "Just do it, Lucas," Koval said angrily. "Put Tanner on it. He was one of the two who went there last time." "Yes, sir," Captain Clayton replied, and then watched as Major Koval left. 'It's not for me to question why. But this is one big fucking waste of time.' ***** "Here's dinner. Enjoy," Calvin Waters said to Tony Franklin. She had just brought the inmate dinner. Tony was starved, the lunch she had received that day had been stone cold by the time she had gotten it. This time the food was steaming, and even if it was Air Force meat loaf, it looked delicious. Getting up from her chair, Tony washed her hands thoroughly in preparation for dinner. When this was finished she sat herself back down. Calvin Waters was still in the cell. "Here to make sure I don't kill myself with a plastic knife, Cal?" "No, I'm just following orders, Tony." "Even if the officers have lost their minds?" Tony asked as he began eating the mashed potatoes that had come with dinner. "Orders are orders." "Calvin, I don't belong in here. Even you know that. I was set up." Calvin didn't reply, but Tony Franklin took her silence to mean that she agreed with the inmate. Despite her incarceration, Tony actually liked Calvin. The two had been friends since their first meeting at Thule. "So what is going on in the outside world? I mean here on base." "We have visitors. They have come to check out that machine." "That's good," Tony said, eating the meat loaf. "Any news about us getting changed back?" "Nothing official." "Unofficial, then?" Calvin sighed. "We won't get changed back." Tony stared at her food for a few moments, but went back to eating. "A free sex change. All thanks to Colonel frigging Raymond Shaw." "My mother always wanted a daughter. Now she has one," Calvin Waters nervously laughed. "I'm an only child. Dad died five years ago, and me and Mom aren't real close. She never thought I lived up to her standards. How did you hear this was permanent? Is the source reliable?" "I overheard Captain Clayton talking with another officer." Tony nodded. "Sounds reliable to me." "Me, too. I don't know if I can go or live like this." "Cal, it won't be easy for any of us." "I know." "What's going on with the rest of the base?" "Nothing much, just the usual," Calvin answered as she studied her nails. "Do you still like girls, or I mean women?" Tony Franklin didn't answer till she was finished with swallowing the meat loaf in her mouth. "I haven't really thought about it much. How about you?" "I still like women." "After we're done here at Thule, you can be a lesbian." "I suppose so." "Are the guys still coupling?" Tony appreciated Cal sticking around to talk. Being alone in the cell was beginning to get on her nerves. "Yes. More are doing it every day." "How about yourself? Got anyone special?" "No. I'm in barracks B, and its just other guys, or I mean women like me." "You mean African-American?" Tony asked. "Yes, that's what I meant. We're all like this but a few. The Princess or Claude doesn't let anyone in not like us." "You mean you wouldn't mind coupling with somebody?" "I'd like to, but I don't want it to be..." Calvin tried saying, having difficulty putting it into words. "Someone like me, too. It's weird enough as is, it would be like making love to yourself." "I understand your point. Why not just leave barracks B, then?" "The Princess wouldn't like that." Tony was almost finished with her dinner. She thought Claude Bennet was a real nut case, but kept that opinion to herself. "The officers still don't give a fuck, do they?" Calvin didn't answer immediately. "No, they don't." Tony finished eating her dinner before speaking again. "I think changes will be happening soon here. Colonel Shaw and the other officers can't hide us or cover up what they did forever." "I think you're right. Done eating?" "Yeah, Cal. You can take it away." Cal placed the empty plastic food containers back in the bag she had brought them into the cell with. She also made sure that all plastic utensils were accounted for. "If you want a snack or dessert later, tell Ed. He's on duty tonight." "Understood, Cal, thanks for stopping by and chatting with me." "No problem," Calvin Waters replied as she relocked the jail cell. "Talk to you later." Tony Franklin yawned. The boredom of being cooped up was far worse to her than the sex change she suffered. At least for now. She knew that her innocence would be proven and the truth known. As to her gender, there appeared to be no repairing that. ***** After C and D completed their interview of Major Koval, they returned to their quarters. There they found a note waiting for them saying their fellow agents A, K, and X had joined them at Thule. D called their rooms and arranged for them to all join he and C in his room. Being the most senior agent, D briefed A, K and X on what had happened so far at Thule, what had been discovered so far in the investigation and where they expected to go next with it. "Colonel Shaw hasn't consented to an interview. If P is coming up, I'll leave that to her," D remarked. "When we left, she hadn't made up her mind yet," replied X. "We can certainly use her," D added. D and P were partners for the first three years after the agency was founded. C, who was working on his laptop, butted in right at that moment. "We just got an email from P. She is wondering when we'll be sending the next interim report." "We'll be sending her one tonight," D replied, then he turned to A. "I want you to prepare the report. C will give you the record and all his notes." A was disappointed, but didn't show it. She was the only female on the team, and very new to the agency. She was hoping to do some investigatory work, not a clerical job. But the agent also knew why she had been selected for this. A was the computer or tech expert among the five agents. This and her being inexperienced made at least some logical sense that she do the task D was asking her to do. "No problem." "You bring that gear I requested?" D asked. "Yes, D, I got the scrambler setup in here right now," A explained. The scrambler was a counter-surveilance tool the agents sometimes used. It prevented eavesdropping by outside parties. "I set it to optimum mode. We also brought two portable scramblers." "Good," D answered. He approved of the steps taken by A. Optimum mode for the scramblers was the safest mode. Maximum mode would make conversations difficult, plus cause temporary deafness in those who tried to eavesdrop electronically. "You really think this is necessary?" K asked. "Fuck yes," replied C. "You read the message we got yesterday. Plus we're being lied to. I don't trust any of these officers." "C is probably right. Anyway, we're erring on the side of caution by using them. No harm done," D commented. D then began to discuss the next steps for the agents in the Thule investigation, when C spoke up. He was still using the laptop. "D, you've got to see this." D just nodded. "P told me she was going to do that yesterday when we talked." "Do what?" X asked. "Seems like our boss decided to bring in some Air Force help." "What?" X and K asked almost at once. A was too junior to notice the novelty of this event. "P has brought in an Air Force JAG officer/investigator to assist on the case. A Colonel Samuel Nickerson." "Fuck, that's great," X answered. "He's never worked for the agency before?" A asked, speaking up. "No, never. Not as long as I've been here, and I've been here since 91," C answered back. "Lot of good this guy will be. He doesn't know shit about these machines." D listened to the whole ongoing debate with a combination of amusement and disgust. C did have a point. Co-opting someone onto these investigations more often than not would prove to be a time-consuming waste of time as you got the outsider up to speed on the work the agency did. D had been with the agency since its founding in 1988, and he knew this was a rare event. In his own experience the agent could count only three cases that it had happened. On the other hand, D was bothered by this fellow agent's lack of respect for the military. The agent had once been an Army Major and was actually still an inactive reserve, he felt honored to have served his country. D even had friends who had paid the ultimate sacrifice. These young pups just never would get what it meant to serve and the dangers that went with it. "Let's drop the conversation. P thinks this JAG officer can be helpful, and I've known her to rarely be wrong in the past. Let's move on, folks." "What's the plan for tonight?" X asked. "Myself and C are going to interview Thule's medical officer, Captain Richard Vinson," D explained, then turned to K. "While we're doing that, I want you and X to thoroughly inspect Lt. Michael Frost's quarters." "That's the officer who has gone missing?" X asked. "The one and the same," C said, piping in. "According to Thule's deputy CO, Major Koval, a thorough search was done for Lt. Frost, both on base and in Greenland. I want you, K, and you, X, to thoroughly go over his apartment. See if you find clues either to what happened to Lt. Frost or to his state of mind before his disappearance." "Understood, sir," X replied formally. "Other than that, get yourselves acclimated up here and help A with getting the interim report ready for P," D said. Both agents X and K acknowledged D's orders. At the same time, C was closing down his laptop. "Let's get some dinner," D replied or ordered. A minute later all five agents were on the way to Thule's cafeteria. ***** It was ten minutes before seven p.m. when it clicked in P's mind. Later on, the agency director would kick herself for not seeing it earlier. If P had been easier on herself, she would have dismissed this temporary case of absentmindedness. She had been through a long and trying day, more so than usual. It was just part of the agency director's nature to be so dismissive of her own mistakes. After Colonel Nickerson had left her office that afternoon, P spent over two hours getting caught up with the administrative details of running her agency. All while doing this P rattled her mind trying to come up with some explanation for what happened at Thule. The director was still totally clueless on the subject. No more interim reports had come in from P's field agents, either. She assumed C and D either were being cautious or had nothing to report. Still, P couldn't totally dismiss the possibility her agents were in danger. She would have to suppress these worries if the director was to get anything meaningful done. Then there was her meeting with Senator Dodd that afternoon. In her years working with the agency, Congressional oversight or interference with P's work had been rare or nonexistent. Now she had a Senator taking a healthy interest in what happened at Thule, to the point that the Senior Senator was insisting on accompanying her to Thule. P could have really done without this. A trip to Thule was no easy matter, either. P had an agency to run, one that just couldn't be left in the hands of anyone. Senator Dodd was insisting however, and P was too much of a Beltway insider to upset or anger one of the agency's key supporters. P was on her way out the door with her hand on the office light switch and her mind turned to the personal problem of what to do with Penny, when the fog in her mind cleared suddenly. "Oh my God," she uttered to the empty room, and then hurried back to her desk. She immediately pulled Colonel Nickerson's personnel file from a secure safe behind her desk. Sitting down, P immediately turned to the personnel background info on the Air Force Colonel. A detail P had overlooked was right there, and she immediately kicked herself for not seeing it earlier. "What do I do now?" P said, asking no one in particular. Then the director picked up her desk phone and began placing a series of phone calls. ***** C and D showed up at Thule's infirmary a few minutes before 1900. The agents had a hearty meal while they discussed the goings on at Thule with their newly arrived colleagues. A medic was in the infirmary's main office, but there was no sign of Captain Vinson. D decided to approach her. "We're here to see Captain Vinson. He was expecting us at 1900." "The doctor is with a patient right now. He should be with you shortly," the medic, Sgt. Frank Dupree replied, looking up from some medical charts she was working on. D was about to ask another question, when his fellow agent C caught his attention. The agent was using his head to motion to the outside hallway. The two agents found Captain Vinson in the hallway. The doctor was studying some X-rays. He was about to return to an exam room, when the Doc saw the C and D approaching him. "You must be the two agents who are here to see me." "Yes, Doc," D said, introducing himself and C. "You're busy with a patient now?" "Yeah, a staff sergeant fell off a ladder," Captain Vinson explained, putting the X-rays back in the envelope. "Broke her right arm, but she's lucky. She could have broken her neck." Both agents nodded, though they did find it odd that Captain Vinson appeared to be the only doctor for the entire base. D then asked, "How much longer do you think you'll be?" "Half hour, forty-five minutes maybe. You can wait for me in my office. We can do the interview there if you want." "That will be perfectly acceptable," D replied. The agents and doctor then parted company. ***** "If you need anything, just dial extension 100," Lieutenant Roger Helms told agents K and X. He had just let the agents into Lt. Frost's living quarters. "When you're done, just return the room key to Ops." "Thank you," replied K. The two agents waited till Lt. Helms was out of the room and the door was locked before proceeding with the inspection. Lt. Frost's BOQ or Bachelor Officer's Quarters were basically like a stateside efficiency, just a little smaller. This could be attributed to there being no need for a kitchen. It consisted of a bedroom with a small sitting area plus a private bathroom. The first thing the two agents noticed was the abnormal cleanliness of the room. Not just Air Force inspection standards, but almost as if the person who stayed in the room was a neat freak. Nor could it be dismissed that the room was deliberately staged that way. K and X inspected Lt. Frost's closet and dresser drawers. There were six empty hangers, three of them for pants hanging without clothes. A search of underwear showed a like amount missing. A theory that Lt. Frost fled taking three days worth of clothing could be drawn from this. Also missing was any sign of a jacket, sweater or gloves in the room. The officer would have certainly needed these in the harsh arctic conditions of Greenland. A quick check of the bathroom showed both neither a toothbrush or any shaving gear. There was also no sign of any pain medicine or deodorant in the room, either. K and X then turned to the other personal effects. Both agents agreed with what C said earlier. Much can be learned about a person from the way they lived. There wasn't anything particularly unique about Lt. Frost other than his apparent cleanliness. The room had nothing hanging on the walls but one calendar. As to other personal effects, the Lt. had a small book collection totaling eighteen in all. Either suspense novels or books written by baseball author Bill James. A small thirteen-inch color TV, connected to Thule's satellite TV system, was in one corner of the room. On top of the clothes dresser was a portable CD player and a storage box for compact discs. All the CDs featured country and western music. There were also two picture frames in the room. One of a couple in their early sixties, probably Lt. Frost's parents. The other was a family photo of the same couple, Lt. Frost and two other women whom K and X guessed were the officer's sisters. No other personal effects of Lt. Frost were on display. Sitting on the edge of the bed, K opened the top drawer of the adjacent night stand. Inside it were pens, stamps, a letter opener and stationery. There were also about twenty carefully slit open envelopes in the drawer. A quick search of the envelopes showed they were all addressed to Lt. Frost. All either from his mother who lived in Colorado or from one of his two sisters. A sister named Colleen lived in Colorado, another named Beatrice or Bea was married and living in Texas. K didn't open or read any of the letters, there was no need to in addition to the agent feeling it would be an invasion of Lt. Frost's privacy. K, however, dug a little deeper into the drawer. Taking the stationery out all together, the agent found one of those photo holders you often get when having film developed. Inside the holder were seven photos, again probably of Lt. Frost's family. One showed two small smiling girls age five or younger. K guessed these were his nieces. "Find anything interesting?" X asked. "Not really," K replied as he started putting everything back in the drawer. "I think we're just about done." Just before he was finished doing this, K noticed something. It was an unfinished letter dated November 2nd. That was the day after the box was found. It was written in Lt. Frost's hand and addressed to the man's mother. K quickly scanned the letter. Then gave it to X. "This is certainly interesting," X said as he scanned the letter. There was no mention directly of the alien machine. Just an offhand reference to something odd going on at Thule. Then the letter ended abruptly. "The letter is unfinished. Plus, look at the date, it's November 2nd," K said. "Major Koval said Frost didn't disappear till the 5th. So why didn't the Lt. finish the letter?" "Good question," K said, finished with putting everything back in the drawer. He then closed it and got up off the bed. "Take the letter, we'll show it to D later." K and X then left Lt. Frost's quarters, locking the door behind them. ***** "I'm coming," Sam Nickerson called to the person who was incessantly knocking on his hotel room door. The Air Force Colonel had only been out of the shower for about two minutes and at the moment only had a bath towel wrapped around his waist. He calculated that the person at the door had to be one of the two spooks or minders that had been with him since the prior evening. There was no sense in getting dressed, at least for the moment. Unlike the previous night, Sam had managed to get something to eat in the hotel restaurant. A New York Strip steak cooked to perfection, if somewhat pricey by the Colonel's standards. Never mind, he decided, he was on the public dole for the time being and they could at least feed him properly. After that Sam had retired to his hotel room to take a shower, read a book he recently purchased and then retire for the evening. Before opening the door, Sam looked out the peephole to see who was in the hallway. 'What is she doing here now?' "Ma'am...P, I will be right with you," Sam said, embarrassed to admit he was half naked to this woman he barely knew. "Sorry, I wasn't expecting anyone right now." "No problem," P replied from the other side of the door. She patiently waited another three minutes till the door was opened. By now Sam was dressed in a pullover shirt and casual pants. "Good evening, Colonel Nickerson, do you mind if I come in?" "No, not at all," Sam Nickerson said, opening the door for P to come in. The director walked into the one-room suite and just stood in the center of the room as the Air Force Colonel closed the door. Once this was accomplished, Sam faced his unexpected guest. "So, what brings you here tonight?" P paused for a minute almost before speaking up. She could feel her cellphone vibrating in her pocket but ignored it. She was fairly certain who it was calling her, anyway. "I came here to apologize." Sam Nickerson waved to P to sit down at the one table in the room. He took a seat across from her, feeling intrigued at what had brought about this turnaround. "Apologize for what?" P took a deep breath before she spoke. "I am sorry about your wife Ofelia and the children. I only realized tonight that it was a year ago today." The previous year Ofelia Nickerson was driving home from a day spent shopping in Richmond, Virginia. She was driving a Ford Explorer on I-64 with her three children in back, David, Michael and Samuel Jr., ages ten, six, and three respectively, all either strapped or buckled in. At the time Mrs. Nickerson was also five months pregnant with a baby girl. At the time Sam was on assignment in Europe conducting a JAG investigation. Ofelia and Sam had met almost twelve years previously at Clark Air Base in the Philippines. Introduced to one another by a mutual friend, they quickly fell in love and were married a little over a year after first meeting. Their marriage, while having some minor trials and tribulations, was a very happy one. Both claimed and honestly felt they were as much in love thirteen years later as they were when they first met. Then disaster struck. A tractor trailer driver exhausted from his cross country haul was falling asleep in the lane directly to the left of the Nickerson vehicle. With its driver dozing, the tractor trailer veered into the left hand lane. There it struck a Toyota Corolla. The crunching sound of contact with another vehicle awoke the driver, one Dennis Kingston of Louisville, Kentucky. His instincts kicking in, without thinking or checking to see if there was a car in the lane on the right, Dennis swung the truck sharply to the right. Straight into the path of and striking the Nickerson's Explorer that was almost directly alongside the truck's cab. With the truck directly in front of her, Ofelia Nickerson and her family were forced off the road right into a highway overpass. What Virginia's Highway Patrol found on arrival ten minutes later was a sight that would cause two troopers to vomit. A broken, smashed vehicle with equally smashed broken and dead bodies of three children inside it. By some miracle, Ofelia Nickerson was still alive and was immediately rushed by trauma helicopter to a nearby hospital. Ofelia Nickerson died three days later, with Sam by her side. She never woke after the accident, and the grieving Lt. Colonel thought it may have been all for the best. The mother was probably going to be a quadriplegic for life in addition to losing her four children, including the couple's unborn daughter. Ofelia would have never emotionally recovered from this loss in Sam's opinion, even if his wife overcame her physical injuries. Both Sam and P sat there in silence. Neither knowing what to say next. It was P who broke the ice. "I'm genuinely sorry for your loss. I did some checking and-" "Checking?" Sam interrupted. "And found out you had a Mass scheduled for them today." One of the phone calls P had made before leaving her office had been to Langley AFB. A quick check with the base chapel had confirmed that Colonel Nickerson had a Mass scheduled to be said that day at 0730 for his wife and three children. Now P understood why she and the Colonel had gotten off to such a bad start. She even felt slightly guilty at taking the man away from what had to be a very solemn and important occasion. "If I had known, I would have allowed you to stay at Langley till afterwards. I am so sorry." 'A lot of good that does me now,' Sam thought to himself. "Apology accepted." "Colonel, or can I call you Sam," P asked. She knew by the look on the Colonel's face that he probably was still angry with her. The director knew she would be needing Sam's help if P was to unravel what truly happened at Thule. But first the two would have to mend some bridges or try for a fresh start. P wasn't going to grovel in front of this Air Force officer, but she would try to salve the man's hurt feelings. "Either is fine by me." "We have gotten off to a bad start. I'd like us to-" P was interrupted by the sound of someone knocking at the hotel room door. "Were you expecting someone?" Sam asked. "Maybe," P said, standing up from her chair. "Excuse me for a minute." P walked to the hotel room door and stepped out into the hallway. Outside were two of her agents, RT and BBB. Also there was a tall man in his mid to late fifties that P had never met before but suspected who or what he was. "We did as you ordered, boss," said RT in a serious voice. A round, jolly looking man, he had once been a stunt double for John Candy. "Yes, we got the priest. From Sacred Heart-" BBB added, till the Priest named Eamon O'Dowd finally spoke up. The man of the cloth was having great difficulty concealing his anger. "Ma'am, I don't know who you are," Father O'Dowd said, speaking rather quickly, neither his voice or his red face masking his emotions in any way. "But I object to being taken. That isn't the right word, kidnapped out of my own home. Right in the middle of my eating dinner." P listened for about thirty seconds as Fr. O'Dowd vented his totally reasonable complaint at how he was treated. At the same time, RT and BBB stood silent while they hung their heads as if they were in shame. "Forgive me, Father, for my agent's overzealousness. I-" "Overzealousness???" the outraged priest replied. "They kidnapped me! The last time I checked, that was against the law even if you work for the government!" P was sorry for what happened, was apologetic, and would promise her agent's behavior would never happen again. But P was too tired, and had too much on her plate to have an irate priest threatening criminal charges added to her present troubles. "Father, I again sincerely apologize. As do my men." "Yes, we do, Father. We're very sorry," BBB and RT said almost simultaneously while still hanging their heads in shame. P wondered if they were more afraid of her or a bolt of lightning coming downward to strike them. "We're sorry, Father. Forgive us, please, and accept our sincerest apology," P said. Fr. O'Dowd replied almost immediately. "Apology accepted. Please don't do this again." "No, we won't," RT said, speaking up. The look on the priest's face by now had changed from anger to puzzlement. "Can you now tell me why I was brought here?" "Yes, Father, I need a favor from you." P then went on to explain about Colonel Nickerson and what had happened a year ago that day. "He had a Mass scheduled today for his family. I didn't know that till tonight and I made it impossible for the Colonel to attend. I'd really like to make it up for him. Can you help me out?" ***** Senator Dodd was dressed in a tuxedo and on his way to a Democratic Party fundraiser, when he stopped by his Senate office. Withdrawing his keys from his pocket, the Senator let himself into his office, closing the door behind. The office was both dark and almost entirely quiet except for one room in back. The door was cracked open, and the Senator knew he'd find the person he was looking for inside. "Andrew, you're working late tonight." "Yes, Senator," Andrew replied, looking up from his desk. He had been mildly surprised by his boss's visit that night. "I was working on your NEA speech for next week. Thought I'd get a head start on it." Senator Dodd appreciated his chief of staff's dedication, but often wondered about Andrew Pemberton, also. Why was the young man in the office working on something there was no hurry for? Why wasn't Andrew Pemberton out on the town instead? Nasty rumors were starting to be whispered in some circles. The young man was ill. Or worse, Andrew Pemberton was gay. For all the talk of support of gay rights within Washington or Democratic circles, it was still predominantly a man's town and all the prejudices that came with it. "Andrew, I need you to drop what you're doing and go home. You need to pack a bag, we'll be flying out of Andrews at 5:30 tomorrow morning." "Thule?" Andrew asked. "Yes, I want to find out exactly what happened up there," Senator Dodd said as he watched Andrew Pemberton begin cleaning up his desk for the evening and turn off his office computer. "And I wanted you to come with me. P has given her okay." Five minutes later, Andrew Pemberton was on his way back to his Georgetown apartment. He would be packed and in bed by 10 p.m. ***** "Thank you, Father," Colonel Nickerson said, shaking the hand of Fr. O'Dowd. "I truly appreciate you doing this for me." "It was the least I could do," Fr. O'Dowd replied, patting Colonel Nickerson on the back. "I'm so sorry for your loss." The Mass had taken only twenty minutes. If P's agents had done one thing that evening right, it was that when they 'collected' Fr. O'Dowd they also made sure the priest had all the things he needed to do a Mass outside a church or a chapel. After RT retrieved these, and after Fr. O'Dowd prepared a makeshift altar in the hotel room, the Mass began. Only the priest, Colonel Nickerson, RT and P were in attendance. When it came time for communion, only Sam received. P was not Catholic, but attended out of sympathy for the JAG officer. After the two men said goodbye, Fr. O'Dowd began to leave the room. Excusing herself for a minute, P followed the priest into the hallway. "Thank you, Father, for coming," P said, trying to soothe the priest. "I'd like to give you something for the Mass and your inconvenience." Father O'Dowd looked at P for a few seconds. "No need. If you wish to make a donation to the St. Vincent De Paul Society of my parish, feel free to. I'm glad I could be of service to you and Colonel Nickerson." "Thank you, Father, I'll make out the check to the society and mail it to the church care of you." "That will be fine," Father O'Dowd replied. He believed P to be sincere. "Just one more thing." "Yes, Father?" P asked. "Ma'am, next time you need me, I'll be happy to come. Just ask first," Father O'Dowd replied, showing a brief smile. P and the priest then shook hands before the agency director returned to Colonel Nickerson's hotel room. Inside, Sam was leafing through a book he held, but the Colonel wasn't really reading it. "Thank you, Ma'am." "You're welcome, Colonel." Sam waved to a seat at the table in front of him. P sat down, but wasn't planning to stay long. "I know we got off to a bad start. I'd like us to start over again." Colonel Nickerson decided to show some levity. He rose from his chair, stood at attention and spoke. "Colonel Samuel Nickerson reporting as ordered, Sir." "At ease, Colonel," P said with a smile. "You can call me P, rather than sir." The colonel returned to his seat. "P? Interesting name, but what does it stand for?" "It's a long story, and maybe I will tell you sometime," P replied. She was getting good vibes about the Colonel. P had all along, even through their rough start. "Let's get down to business. We'll be getting an early start tomorrow. Five-thirty, or 0530 out of Andrews. We'll be flying Andrews to Dover, where we'll get onboard a transport for Thule." Colonel Nickerson chuckled to himself, noting that 0530 was hardly early for him. "I figured I was heading to Thule right away. Does that mean you're coming, too?" "Yes, Colonel." "Call me Sam." "Yes, Sam. The two of us, and two more of my agents. Also, Senator Dodd and one of his aides," P confided. 'Shit, just what we need, a know it all from the hill,' Sam said to himself, not knowing P had similar thoughts. "So, anything else? Again, thank you for the Mass." "You're welcome, Sam," P said, looking at her wristwatch. Then she began to get up to prepare to head home. "I see that it is already late. I'll let you