"Yeah. We like to cheer people up," Brian replied.
"I don't think I can take much more of your mirth," James replied.
"Then our work here is done," Lewis said.
"Indeed it is. On to help other less fortunate,” Andy added.
"If you really want to help, bring a pizza next time," James yelled at their retreating backs.
It was hard for Abigail to imagine a flight worse than the last one but the one from La Serena to Antofgasta was more frightening. She literally felt like kissing the ground when she stepped off the plane.
The terminal was little more than a quonset hut. A cute, very tan, young woman approached her as soon as she stepped inside.
"Doctor Montgomery, I'm Lia Brisco. I have a car out front."
"Lia, it's nice to meet you, but please, call me Abagail or Abby."
"Okay then. Let's throw your bag in the back and get going. I'm glad to see that you were smart enough to dress warm. You won't believe the number of people who come to visit dressed like they were expecting it to be warm," she said.
"Really? How silly," Abby said, trying not to smile.
On the way up the mountain they talked about how Lia had come to work there and about her background. She was an interesting young lady and Abby liked her immediately. Once again she was glad she wasn't driving. Some of the drop-offs were even more severe. Like at Cerro La Silla, the temperature dropped rapidly the higher they went.
As spectacular as the view at Cerro La Silla had been this was even more astonishing. Located on a rise at 2600 meters, the air was crystal clear. Cold and isolated for sure but staggering nonetheless.
"Jaw dropping isn't it," Lia asked.
"Absolutely unbelievable," Abby replied.
"Doctor Montgomery?" a guttural voice said behind her.
Abby turned to find a very large gentleman standing there. Her first guess was that he was from one of the former Soviet Union States. He had a rather large nose, a weather worn face and some of the wildest eyebrows she had ever seen.
"Yes I am."
“Welcome to Paranal Observatory, I'm Doctor Yorga. As you know Doctor Mendosa is no longer with us. I am not sure I understand your presence here."
"Well doctor, I came to pay my respects for Louis. He was like a father to me in many ways. It is a very long trip and since the police haven't released the body yet, The General Director offered me the opportunity to look around. I'm not sure what it is you don't understand," Abby said looking him in the eye.
"I see. Please stay with your escort at all times and try not to interrupt any of our projects."
"I'll try to keep that in mind, and who is my escort?"
"I see no reason that Miss Briscoe can't fulfill that duty. Now if you will excuse me have much to do," he said, turning abruptly and walking off.
"I don't feel the love," Abby said as he walked away.
"It's not personal. He doesn't like anyone, least of all, Louis. He assumed that he was next in line to run the place but Louis was chosen over him. He has been a real killjoy ever since.”
“He should be happy. With Louis gone, he should be top dog,” Abby replied.
“I’m not so sure. They haven’t even named him interim-director as of today. I think they are going to bring on someone else. At least that is my perception,” Lia told her.
“Well, that doesn’t concern me. I am anxious to get started.”
They stood and talked about the general area for several minutes. Lia pointed out where each of the telescopes were located, the danger areas and the function of the buildings at the base camp. The actual telescopes were further up the mountain but the road was blacktopped and in excellent condition.
“We need to check in with safety and get you a pass, and then we can go up to the telescopes,” Lia told Abby.
“I’m anxious to see them.”
Forty-five minutes later they were heading further up the mountain to the VLT (Very Large Telescope) observatory.
“How do they determine who gets to use them?” Abby asked as they rode along.
“Twice a year they call for proposals for use of the various telescopes. A committee reviews the requests and a selection is made. After that time allocation is established. No one is ever totally happy but many more want to use the facility than possible so the committee does what they can to please,” Lia told her.
The next four hours was another bullet in time. It seemed like Abby had no more than started than it was time for lunch. There is no food facility other than vending machines but Lia came prepared. She had brought along bread, cheese, and soft beverages. Alcohol was strictly forbidden.
They ate while Abby asked non-stop questions. Lia laughed at one point.
“What?” Abby asked.
“I’m not sure how you are getting your food down while talking at sixty miles an hour.”
“That bad?”
“I was being nice.”
“Oh dear. I’m sorry Lia. It is just such a great opportunity.”
“Believe me, I totally understand. Listen, would you like to visit where Louis was working his last night here?”
“I don’t know. I don’t want to be inappropriate,” Abby replied.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s just you and me and I’m not about to say anything,” Lia assured her.
Finished with lunch, they walked over to the UT-4 site.
“This is YEPUN. It means Venus.”
“In what language? I’ve never heard of that word in my life,” Abby told her.
“In Mapuche. A Chilean dialect.”
They entered the observatory and Lia pointed out the various instrumentation. Abby was familiar with most of it, but not everything.
“This is his work area?”
“Yeah, that photo is his ex-wife. She died a couple of years ago.”
“Geez, we had lost touch. I didn’t even realize he had gotten married.”
“It gets pretty lonely up here. Nothing but the Antofagasta Desert for miles and miles,” Lia replied.
“This is what he was working on?” Abby asked, looking at the notes on his desk.
“I guess so. That’s where everything was left the night he was… had his accident.”
“I wonder what he was trying to locate.” Abby said, looking at the notations on the pad of paper.
“I guess we will never know now,” Lia said.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Doctor Kwame had been the director of the Isla de La Palma Observatory for the past five years. The La Palma Observatory is located high up at 2400 meters above sea level in the Canary Islands. The area is known as Roque de Los Muchachos. It is a consortium of various types of telescopes operated by the nations that own them. Many have a sole purpose like the Dutch Open Telescope (DOT) that is used to study the sun.
Santa Cruz is the principle city and is located on the gulf coast. The mountains rise only a few miles from the edge of the town. Because of the high altitude, the observations are carried on at the observatory but most of the theoretical thinking is done in the lower elevations where the lack of oxygen is not a problem.
Doctor Kwame had just finished discussing a joint project between Italy’s Galileo National Telescope and the NOT (Nordic Optic Telescope). He had been quite pleased with himself for brokering a joint project that seemed to satisfy both parties.
When he received word of Louis Mendoza’s death he was truly saddened. Louis had been the first person to take him as a serious candidate for the astronomy program. He was sorry that it would be impossible for him to attend the funeral but the construction of a new French telescope was nearing completion. While not the largest telescope, it did have the latest in micro processing ability. There was no traditional eyepiece. Everything was sent to computers where it could be studied and dissected a myriad of ways.