“If there’s one thing you can rely upon in life, it’s that the US Navy knows how to make a good, strong cup of joe,” he said to no-one in particular. The astrophysicist carefully measured three teaspoons of powdered milk into his steaming java.
“I overheard something while we were out there on deck awaiting your arrival. You’ll like this. Time magazine is going to declare the three of you the Men of the Year for 1968. Very well deserved, may I add.”
“They’ll be expecting us back out there soon,” said Anders.
“The NASA boffins will want to debrief and we’ll need to take a look at the capsule,” Borman added.
“Oh you don’t need to worry about any of that just yet. We’ve got plenty of time. Hours, in fact.”
“I have to say I’m disappointed by the Condon committee’s decision,” said Lovell.
“I wish I could say I was surprised, but it is a let down. I did hold out some hope that men of science might want to approach this topic with a genuinely open mind.”
“Sounds to me like the fix was in from day one,” said Anders.
Menzel was unmoved. “I understand you are all men of God. Men of science too, although many might argue those two viewpoints will never be reconciled.”
“A little bit like relativity and quantum mechanics?” Anders returned.
“I will admit the committee did not come to this task with an open mind.”
“There you go,” said Lovell.
“But that’s only because the men involved had already seen enough to know there is nothing to be gained from a scientific point of view in chasing these shadows. The Air Force knows it too. The Government never agrees to these sorts of inquiries unless the outcome is known to everyone from the start. The Condon report is a means to a political end. It is designed to draw a clear line in the sand. The Government needed the weight of science to back up its position.”
“That sounds a little bit like the Spanish inquisition to me,” said Lovell.
“The Air Force is keen to discredit all efforts at serious inquiry in this area,” said Menzel. “It is worried about aligning itself with crazies and pot-smoking weirdos. When these findings go public, I can assure you nobody in their right minds will be speaking out against the Air Force’s position on the matter.
“The Condon committee is unequivocal in its finding. Denial and ridicule are the order of the day. From here on in, it will be career suicide to speak out in favour of little green men. You’ll find it will catch on quickly in the popular media and every level of officialdom you care to name.”
Menzel put the coffee to his lips and sipped at it like it was 10-year-old whiskey. “Scientists know where their bread is buttered,” he told them with quiet certainty. “Inside two months there won’t be a credible research institution in the country willing to touch this topic.”
Anders stared him down. “I remember you now. You’ve been debunking this stuff for years.”
“With a passionate fervour,” Menzel told him. “I abhor ignorance and superstition. And that’s all this is — a modern version of ghosts, hobgoblins and the devil.”
Borman bristled at mention of the devil, but once more restrained himself.
“If we truly have visitors from outer space buzzing through our skies,” Menzel continued, “why haven’t they presented themselves to the President? To Congress? Or to anyone from the National Academy of Sciences?”
Anders scoffed. “They haven’t come seeking you out personally — is that your problem?”
“I know what’s going through your minds,” said Menzel. “That the ‘bogeys’ you’ve seen were not flying randomly or haphazardly, they were under intelligent control. But this too is easy to explain. Intelligent control comes from within. It is nothing more than your mind conquering your perception of matter. Aviators flying through clouds often see a peculiar reflection that appears to be metallic. And sometimes if they elect to chase it, the object will seem to take evasive action. But this is nothing more than the reflection of light from ice crystals in those clouds. There is a long list of mundane objects that are often reported as UFOs. Things like birds, kites, seed pods. Or weather balloons.”
“There are no seed pods and weather balloons in space,” said Borman.
“Ah Colonel, you join us at last,” Menzel goaded. “No, you’re right, there aren’t. I merely cite some of the more common examples of objects mistaken as unidentified flying objects.”
“We are all men of science here, Dr Menzel,” said Anders. “As such, I’d very much like to hear how you feel about the fundamental principles of independent inquiry being cast adrift here.”
Menzel shrugged. “I don’t accept your premise. Nothing has been undermined. The Condon committee has carried out an exhaustive and comprehensive analysis of the data and intelligence presented to them.”
“But they didn’t examine the photos Gordon Cooper’s film crew took of the craft that landed in front of them at Edwards,” countered Lovell.
Cooper was one of the original Mercury seven astronauts. About two years before he was selected for the space program, he was one of an elite band of test pilots based at Edwards Air Force Base in California. They were in charge of several advanced projects. He was working with a professional film crew when an unidentified saucer-shaped craft landed almost on top of them. Cooper said the camera crew had time to film the saucer as it flew overhead, then hovered, extended three legs and slowly landed on the dry lake bed. His cameramen ran toward the saucer and got to less than 30 yards away.
Amongst friends and after a few drinks, Gordo talked about it incessantly. In his words it was a classic saucer — shiny silver and smooth, about 30 feet across. He was adamant it was an alien spacecraft. He sent the film to Washington before it was even developed. It vanished, like the saucer itself, and Cooper never heard another word about it.
“There was no point in presenting Cooper’s evidence to the committee,” said Menzel. “because we already knew what that was.”
Lovell smiled knowingly. “Care to enlighten us?”
“I can’t say too much, Captain, because the matter is highly classified. But I think you’ve earned the right to know that the ship Cooper saw was one of ours.”
Lovell couldn’t believe his ears. “One of… I… you mean it was American?”
“Why do you think it landed at Edward Air Force Base?”
“Good God,” Borman exclaimed. “You mean we have aircraft like that and the Air Force test pilots program doesn’t even know about it?”
“Experimental aircraft, yes,” said Menzel. “Conceptual design, and a rather intemperate propulsion system if I’m to be brutally honest. I am a consultant to Lockheed Martin and there are many things going on out there in the desert that no more than a handful of men in the Department of Defence are aware of. The intelligence is highly compartmentalised.”
“Are these experimental flying saucers of yours capable of space flight?” Lovell inquired.
“No, Captain, of course not. I can assure you that the Apollo program is operating at the cutting edge of our space flight capability.”
“I’m really not sure what to say about all this,” said Anders.
“Say nothing,” said Borman. “Dr Menzel, I’m afraid I must insist we draw a line under this for now. We’re dead on our feet.”
“Of course. I understand. But I think you’ll agree that our conversation’s not quite over.”
Borman’s head tilted slightly. “Right now, Doctor Menzel, I’m struggling to keep my eyes open. But do me a favour, will you?”
“Name it, Colonel.”
“Leave me your copy of that report. I’d very much like to take a look at it when I wake up.”