“We are all just taken aback by this doctor. The Admiral didn’t mean anything that was directed at you,” the President said.
The next hour and a half was taken up with people tossing out various ideas but the end result was that little had been accomplished.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Dan drove Abby back to the hotel and walked her to the elevator.
“I’m sorry I can’t at least have a drink with you. The President will be waiting along with the other military people. I don’t know what he thinks we can really accomplish but he is my boss,” Dan told her.
“I understand. I’m sorry you have to rush off as well but an important guy like you is in high demand,” she said, trying to keep it light.
“Look, I’ll call you and maybe we can figure out a way to spend a little time together if you are interested,” Dan said.
“I would really like that. Tell the President if I have any additional news I will pass it along immediately. Good or bad.”
“I’ll let him know.’
He leaned in and kissed her on the lips and she put her arm around his neck, pulling him closer. She knew they had to break, they were in a very public place. She finally let him go.
“That was a lot better,” she said.
“Yeah. I could stand some more of that,” Dan replied.
“Go, before you get into trouble. You can’t hold up the man,” Abby told him, wishing she was wrong.
He finally turned and walked away. He stopped at the door and waved just as she was stepping into the elevator.
CNN –
CNN has learned that a special briefing took place at the White House yesterday about the asteroid KA5. The President was in attendance with Doctor Abigail Montgomery leading the briefing. One source close to the White House said that the President appeared rather grim at the end of the two hour session.
No details have been released about the meeting but it is believed that Doctor Montgomery painted a rather bleak picture. There is widespread speculation that KA5 could possibly be on a course to intersect with Earth.
Doctor Milton Crain told CNN that it was more than just a possibility; it was almost inevitable that KA5 would indeed hit the Earth a glancing blow and spin off toward the sun.
We also learned a special late night briefing was held by Doctor Montgomery for select military and civilian leaders along with the President.
All of the kids were talking a mile a minute about what they had done last night and how cool it was to flash their White House passes. Abby was pensive. She had read the paper that the hotel had delivered to her door and was both amused and appalled at the way the story was reported.
What disturbed her most was where these experts were coming from. Was anyone even checking to see if they had any credibility? Did it even matter she finally decided? There was nothing she could do about it.
The flight home seemed to take longer than the one to Washington and she was more than ready to say goodbye to everyone and go home and unwind. She thought about the President. Does he ever get the chance to say, I think I’ll just take the day off and stay in bed. Probably not.
And then there was Dan. What to do about that. She wasn’t a spring chicken any longer but she wasn’t over the hill yet either. At forty-three, she still had a lot of good years in her. She really liked being with him but did she really want to have a serious relationship? And how would that work out with her in Arizona and Dan in Washington? A long distance relationship hardly ever worked out. It was too much of a strain on both parties. She would have to think about that seriously before she got really involved.
When Abby came in to her office the next morning her secretary looked like the Cheshire cat with a huge smile plastered on.
“Good morning boss,” she said.
“Uh..okay, what’s up?”
“Nothing.”
“Give me.”
“Really, nothing. I’ll just pop down and get you a Diet Coke,” she said rushing down the hall.
Abby shook her head and opened her office door. Two huge bouquets of flowers sat on her desk. One on either side. Abby’s mouth dropped open. She hurried over and opened the card from one. The envelope had the seal of the President of the United States on it. She carefully opened and read the handwritten note.
Abigail,
It was such a pleasure to have you here at the White House.
I wanted to personally thank you for the way you conducted the briefing. It was a privilege and delight to meet you in person,
Thomas Stone
“Wow, you must have really impressed him,” her secretary said, setting the coke on her desk and reading the note over her shoulder.
“He was just being nice. I’m sure he does this all the time,” Abby said.
“I doubt it. Who is the other one from?” she wanted to know.
Abby was pretty sure she knew but she wasn’t anxious to share the information with her secretary. She reached over and took the card off the plastic trident.
Abby,
It was so good seeing you again. I’m sorry I had to rush off at the hotel but duty called. I look forward to seeing you again. We hardly got to talk and I look forward to spending more time together.
Affectionately,
Dan
“Affectionately Dan,” her secretary said.
“Oh give me a break. It’s just an expression,” Abby said, becoming flushed.
“Sincerely is just an expression. Affectionately has a personal meaning,” her secretary replied.
“Don’t you have work to do? Fill the staplers; bend some paperclips or something useful. Go. I have things to do without you trying to reading something into my card.”
“Sure boss. Would you like me to get ‘Dan’ on the line so you can thank him?”
“That’s it. Out you twit,” Abby said, pointing to the door.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
As more and more pundits weighed in on the arrival of KA5, the public became more restless and agitated. Runs on survival equipment had reached epidemic proportions. Everything from batteries, MREs (Meals, Ready to Eat), and bottled water were becoming impossible to obtain.
Grocery stores couldn’t keep canned meats, peanut butter and nutrition bars on their shelves. Online stores had to tell customers they were out of stock and it would be at least a month or longer before they could ship.
It wasn’t a full scale panic yet but it was approaching one with each passing day. The news carried a non-stop array of so called experts who predicted everything from KA5 hitting the Earth to it crashing into the Sun as it got closer.
Theories had become big business for many by selling excess junk at unheard of prices. Of course scam artists cropped up selling everything from special space debris damage insurance to special medical treatment kits that showed an incredible array of emergency goods but were nothing more than a bag full of everyday goods you could pick up at any pharmacy.
Army/Navy Surplus stores were overwhelmed with business and many had lines from opening until closing. Other businesses that traditionally were doing well, suddenly saw a loss in revenue due to the shift in purchasing. For the first time in recent history, boots outsold tennis shoes.
Universities and Colleges saw a marked drop in enrollment. Abby was shocked when she received her class roster. Her ASTR 300A course was down almost twenty-five percent. Worse was her ASTR 400A class that was almost always overloaded. Only eighteen students were enrolled in a class that often bulged to fifty or more.