“How does this equipment work?” Uri asked, watching James unroll a coil of heavy-gauge copper wire along the ground.
“As you know,” James replied. “Antenna can both send and receive. What you may not know, is that when an antenna receives a signal, some of that, very weak in fact, bounces back to the transmitter. The strength of that echo is what determines its distance.”
Uri didn’t know that.
“I should be able to calculate how far we’re away from where the encoded transmission was broadcast to within fifty feet.”
Uri was impressed. “That accurate?”
“From our existing location, I’ve positioned the antenna in what I hope is the appropriate direction,” James explained, as he continued setting up. “It may need some minor adjustments. We should detect an electronic echo if the original transmission is no further than three miles from where we are now. Any further, and we continue driving south, trying again at various points along the way.”
“That makes sense,” Uri said.
“There’s only one proviso crucial for this work,” James said.
“And that is?” Uri asked.
“The original transmitter still needs to be active.”
James dug further into the crate and pulled out something Uri hadn’t seen in a long time, a regular magnetic compass.
“Sometimes, the simplest devices work best,” James said. “I’m using the compass as a simple verification that my antenna is facing as close as possible due south.” Grinning, he looked at Uri. “Long-wave radio signals get a little touchy if things aren’t set up precisely.”
After a few moments, Uri noticed that James seemed to be mesmerised by the compass.
Looking up, then down again, walking a few steps, turning this way and that, James frowned.
“Problem?” Uri asked.
“I don’t know,” James said. “Look at this.” He passed the compass to Uri. Obadiah leaned over to also have a look. The needle was spinning all over the place, locking into a random direction, vibrating, then spinning again, sometimes the same way, sometimes the opposite. It repeated this process over and over. “I’ve never seen a compass needle behave like that.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
“I think I’ll get into something a little cooler before we go,” Emily said. Clothes already unpacked and folded neatly into the drawers, she changed into a loose white top, short skirt, but not too short, and sandals.
Nathan had also changed from his denims into shorts.
“All ready to go, Mr. Wonder-Calves?” Emily teased. Nathan’s thin lanky legs were a continuous source of amusement to both.
Ensuring their security tags were firmly clipped in place and visible, they picked up their laptops, grabbed a couple of bottles of water out of the refrigerator and made their way downstairs.
“Still early and it’s already hot outside,” Emily said.
“At least we don’t have too far to walk,” Nathan replied, gesturing towards their destination with his head.
Along the way, they noticed that one of the closed hangars from the previous day was now wide open. Inside, they saw the strangest sight.
“I wonder if we can get a closer look,” Nathan said.
“Let’s go see,” Emily said, excitedly. “If they kick us out, we’ll know we’re not invited.”
They walked to the door but didn’t step inside. They looked in awe at a silver aircraft, no higher than a small minivan but shaped like a sharp rounded wedge. The sides flared out into tiny delta-shaped wings, if you could call them wings, and it had four angled rudders mounted two on each side. The wheels of the retractable undercarriage were no bigger than that fitted to a child’s tricycle. The size of the cockpit suggested that it could seat a single pilot in very cramped conditions. It didn’t have a visible intake conduit and Nathan wondered how its jet, if it actually had one, worked. On the side, stenciled in black◦– X-24B U.S. AIR FORCE.
“What a strange looking plane,” Emily said. “I wonder if it’s one of their experimental types?”
“I wonder if it can actually fly,” Nathan said, amused.
“Come on,” Emily said. “It’s getting uncomfortably hot out here.”
Hurst and McIntosh inside Building-3A
The Controller acknowledged, and then cleared the message.
Technician, Eugene Johnson, called Gene by everyone, greeted Nathan and Emily in basement Level-2 of Building-3A and directed them to a functional workstation where he helped set up their laptops. Emily thought that it made a pleasant change seeing someone dressed in normal clothes, and not camouflage.
“I’ve been told that you already have the data that needs to be analysed,” Gene said. “If you do need to communicate outside of this complex using your personal computers, you’ll need to plug in to the Ethernet. We have no Wi-Fi in this level.”
“That’s no problem,” Emily said. “Thanks.”
“I have to advise you though,” Gene said. “Anything sent or received is monitored.”
“I’d be surprised if it wasn’t,” Nathan commented.
“I report directly to Dr. Lovinescu and under strict orders not to divulge anything you say to each other or anything you’re working on,” Gene informed them. Reaching into his pocket, he took out two plastic cards and handed one each to Nathan and Emily. They were roughly the same size as a credit card.
“Here are your access codes for the network and any of the printers,” he said. “The code changes daily, so you’ll be provided with new cards tomorrow. Help yourself to anything you need from the kitchen over there.” He pointed towards a small self-service booth on the right.
“Great,” Nathan said. “I could do with another coffee.”
“Also,” Gene said. “There are gender-neutral washrooms on Level-1.”
Emily figured that she’d give those a miss. “Does everything here happen underground?” she asked.
“Almost everything,” Gene replied.
“I guess it saves a lot on air conditioning bills.”
“Actually,” Gene said. “It’s to keep everything we do hidden from surveillance. You do know that we’re an extension of Edwards?”
“Yes,” she said.
Gene turned to an active computer behind them. “Let me show you something that caused an absolute panic a few years ago.” He opened Microsoft’s Flight Simulator and loaded the Area 51 module.
“It’s perfect in every detail,” Gene said, looking over his shoulder at Emily and Nathan. “Quite a few game vendors have this simulator available for download.”
“How did they get it so accurate?” Nathan asked.
“Satellite images and data acquired from the Russian Aviation and Space Agency,” Gene replied. “It has a resolution of three feet.”
Emily almost burst out laughing. “Everything about this entire complex, the surface at least, is available on a game?”
“Yeah. Kind of scary, isn’t it,” Gene said.
“No wonder our government is so paranoid,” Nathan said. He too thought it was funny.
“Well, let me leave the two of you to get on with it. I’m just behind that partition over there,” Gene said, pointing in the other direction. “Shout if you need anything. You’re also free to come and go as you please. Someone is usually stationed here twenty-four-seven.”
Level-2 was roughly the same size as SkyTech’s Cube, and in Nathan’s opinion, with its silent surrounds and soft lighting, just as peaceful. He felt quite relaxed here. Largely open-plan, there were a few private workstations behind low partitions and scattered here and there, an occasional easy-chair with side table. As far as Nathan could tell, the three of them were the only ones here.