BlackStar, page 27
Raymond was used to them and let them roll off his back for the most part. A bunch of puffed up congressmen, believing their own campaign slogans, used them as a place to show their constituents back home that they were on the job.
Because of the Su-12 project, he had asked for clarification about NASA’s Aurora II project. When he studied the report from NASA, it seemed to have the same purpose as the Su program taking place at Groom Lake. Since Lockheed was developing both spacecraft, he wondered why two separate programs were being developed.
It seemed no one could give him an answer. It wasn’t until he was able to trace the funding trail that he discovered that the Su project was a CIA program. They used the same basic Aurora II craft but modified it with stealth technology, additional spying capabilities and many other features that were different from the NASA version.
He had developed a list of questions he wanted to look into when he went to Groom Lake again. It turned out that he didn’t have to wait long for that event to take place.
“A James Whittaker from Lockheed is on line two.”
“Put him through,” Raymond said.
“Mr. Eller. James Whittaker. I’m the program director for the Su project. I have been instructed to notify you when the Su-12 was ready to be released. I am informing you that it will be transported to the designated facility on Thursday of next week. It is scheduled to arrive at 02:15 and will be placed in Hanger 18 for final fitting.”
“Thank you Mr. Whittaker. Just one question if you don’t mind.”
“If I can answer it, go ahead.”
“Does the Su-12 have defense capabilities?”
“In what way do you mean?”
“Does it have missile deployment, or other types of defense capabilities?”
“Our job was to provide the platform. We are not privy to what is done from there.”
“Okay. Then let me be more direct. Does the Su-12 have hard points where missiles can be attached?”
“I think that would be a question that should be answered by the client,” Whittaker replied.
“In other words yes.”
“Your words, not mine Mr. Eller. You would need to talk to the CIA about specifics.”
“Thank you for the notification,” Raymond said.
So the Su-12 was more than just a shuttle vehicle. What was its real purpose, he wondered? He quickly called the President at the special number he had been given but he was meeting with foreign dignitaries and was unavailable. He would have to fill him in later. He spent the rest of the day, briefing Sarah regarding questions that needed to be answered from the last congressional hearings.
“When do they want them?”
“Next Tuesday.”
“And you will be gone?”
“No, but on my way. Welcome to the world of fun and games,” he said.
“Am I ready for this?”
“As ready as I was the first time. Sarah, I have absolutely no reservations about you going in my place.”
“I appreciate your confidence. Any tips?”
“Just one. Try to steer clear of Hillary. She doesn’t like women testifying at these hearings. Actually, she doesn’t like men either. I’m not sure what she does like, other than power. If she gets off on one of her tirades, let her rant. No one really cares what she says,” he warned her.
“Well, I guess it’s time I earned my new title,” she said.
“Not to mention that large pay raise.”
“Oh heavens yes, both dollars of it.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
“Tower, Fox Trot One-Niner, we are over the pyramid.”
“Roger Fox Trot One Niner, we have you at one-one thousand. Altimeter is three zero-zero-one. Decision altitude four-niner-four. You are cleared for Bravo air space direct to 14L. Contact ground control on three-six-niner point five-five.”
The pilot made the callback and prepared for the landing.
“Two minutes,” he said over the phones to Eller in the back of the AE-18G Growler attack aircraft.
A short time later they taxied to the Jane Terminal. General Devin was not there to greet him this time but had sent one of his aides.
“Sorry sir, the general is unavailable right now. He said he would join you just as soon as he could.”
“That’s quite all right. I know my way around fairly well by now.”
“Here is the key to your transportation. It’s right outside. R-124 is the ID.”
“Thank you. I’ll just get my luggage and be on my way.”
“Your luggage is being put in the vehicle. Do you have your identification badge?”
“Right here,” Raymond said, taking if out of his pocket.
“Please remember to keep it with you at all times. Control knows you are on site and has alerted the SP units so we won’t have a repeat of last time.”
“Thank you,” Raymond said wondering if he was referring to the run-in with the Security Patrol the first time, or when he got lost.
He drove over to the officer’s quarters and unpacked. He set several items aside to take to his pod at S-4 as well. Once he had changed out of his flight suit he headed to Hanger 18. After passing security he walked in and saw the Su-12 for the first time.
It was massive and only vaguely resembled the original space shuttles. It was more angular, with upswept wings and a shorter vertical tail. It was totally black except for where the landing gear retracted. It had a deadly look about it that was hard to describe.
Much more so than the F-111 Stealth Nighthawk. He walked around the shuttle and felt its textured skin. It was unlike anything he had felt before on a plane and he wondered what it was.
“Mr. Eller. You are back to visit us. Sorry I couldn’t meet you. As you can see, we are trying to get outfitted for testing,” the general said.
“This is quite some craft. It looks menacing.”
“Yes, it does have some really great aggressive lines doesn’t it?”
“What is the material covering it?”
“Something we borrowed from our friends in J’s world. It is a radar absorbing material and it can withstand the heat of reentry into the earth’s atmosphere. We were just able to develop it a couple of years ago. The Su-11 was the first to test it and it works incredibly well.”
“And these doors under here? What are they for?”
“Those are air brakes I believe,” the general replied.
“They look like they could cover a missile deployment system.”
“No. The Fastmover has no missile capabilities.”
“I see. Strange place for air brakes. So, when is the first scheduled test?”
“Next week if we can stay on schedule. We are shooting for Tuesday or Wednesday,” the general informed him.
“That should be quite some event.”
“Yes. Yes indeed,” the general agreed.
“I just wanted to stop in and see how things were progressing. I’m going to head out to S-4 and check on the projects there.”
“Certainly. Doctor Yurris is definitely worth checking on,” the general said, and walked away to speak with one of the technicians.
What a prick, Raymond thought, but he was right, she was worth checking in on. He drove to the S-4 facility and walked quickly to Bay–one. He was disappointed to find no one in the hanger at all. He checked the control booth and it was empty as well. He considered going to Level-5 to see if she was there but decided that it was just best to wait.
Back in the Hummer he got out the topographical map he had brought with him and located the area referred to as The Hump. It looked to be about ten miles from his present location. It was as good a time as any to try to find where this place was.
He drove north along the edge of Groom Lake and then turned west after several miles. The road was a little wider as he followed the map. He could see a tall rise up ahead and surmised that it must be the Hump.
The Hummer had plenty of power to negotiate the climb and when he came to the top he was disappointed to see nothing really important. He got out and walked around. A concrete pad had been poured and two large generators were sitting under camouflage netting. Why have generators up here in this remote place, he wondered? The huge cables that came out of the generator were not connected to anything.
Maybe the generators were just installed and were waiting to be connected. Other than the film of dust they didn’t look like they had been there very long. He noticed truck tire tracks; they had been hauling something heavy. The generators maybe, or something else?
He walked out on to a pinnacle and looked down in the valley but didn’t see anything of any interest. Whatever the reason, he had discovered The Hump but was no closer to discovering the mystery behind it, or at least it seemed that way. He was just about to go back into his Hummer when something poked him in the back.
“Freeze. Do not even move a muscle,” a deep voice said. “What are you doing poking around up here?”
Eller had not moved; even to raise his hands, “My name is Raymond Eller. You should know who I am by now.”
“I didn’t ask you who you were. I said, what are you doing up here?”
“And I said,” Raymond replied, starting to turn around but he didn’t finish the sentence before he was struck in the middle of the back with a gun barrel.
“I said to freeze. You move again and it will be your last move.”
“Alright. Have it your way. But I am going to make a career saving suggestion. I suggest you get on the radio and call your SP 1 and tell them that you have Raymond Eller under the threat of being shot. I’m sure he will give you proper advice,” Raymond said, staying frozen as he was told.
“I don’t need to check in with control. My orders were very specific. If you or anyone else came up here I was to detain you and have you placed under arrest,” he said.
“What? Are you crazy? You are making a very serious mistake. I oversee the entire area operations. I can go anywhere I damn well please,” Raymond said, starting to get even more frustrated.
“Just put your hands behind your back.”
“You are going to…”
“Now. I don’t want to have to tell you again. First your right hand then your left,” the guard interrupted.
Eller decided that this was not the time or place to argue. He would take care of this, and whoever gave such an order, later. If it was General Devin himself, it would the end of his career, regardless of his importance to the base.
Devin was not going to have him restricted or treated like a trespasser. This certainly wasn’t part of the bombing or gunnery range. The guard placed the handcuffs around his wrists and tightened them.
“Now sit down and cross your legs.”
Eller stooped down and tried to sit down but it was impossible without falling the last foot on his rear. It was just one more nail in the coffin of whoever issued these orders. He waited in the hot sun for what seemed like an hour, but was only twenty minutes in reality.
A white Cherokee came roaring up the hill and skidded to a stop causing a wave of dust to roll over him. He closed his eyes and ducked his head as it encircled him. Hammer, hammer, another nail, he told himself. He looked up and saw someone in a fatigues walking toward him. He walked up to Raymond and squatted down.
“Mr. Eller. What are you doing up here?”
“That is my business and if you and your people know what’s good for you, you will release me immediately and explain just what the hell is going on,” he said with his voice intensifying.
“I’m sorry. Maybe you didn’t hear the question. What are you doing up here?” he asked again.
Raymond could see his own dusty reflection in the mirrored sunglasses he wore.
“Just looking around. What’s the big deal? I saw the road leading up here and thought it would be a good place to look out over the area,” he said.
It was going to be useless to argue with these people. He would take care of this when he got back to the main base.
“This is one of those times when curiosity gets the better of the cat,” the guard said.
“What the hell does that mean?” Eller demanded.
“It means, you should have stayed away from here.”
The two men picked him up by his elbows and sat him in the Cherokee and placed the shoulder harness around him.
“Look. I really don’t get it. Don’t you realize the kind of trouble this is going to cause? I am here as a direct representative of the President of the United States. All of this is going to come down on you like a ton of bricks when I make my report,” Eller said, trying to talk some sense into the driver.
He didn’t bother to reply but just drove. Raymond quickly realized they were not headed back to either the main base or S-4. They were headed south, away from the facilities.
“Where are you taking me?” he asked, but again he got no answer. Fifteen minutes later they approached an enclosure that was surrounded on all sides by rows and rows of razor wire. When the Cherokee approached, a guard inside the booth pressed a button and a gate opened allowing the Jeep to drive in.
Once inside a door in a large sand colored structure opened and the Jeep entered. He was taken out of the Jeep and escorted down two sets of stairs, to the basement level. He entered a room that had six cells and the guard opened one and shoved him inside.
“What the hell do you people think you are doing? Damn it, I demand to see General Devin,” he yelled but the door slammed shut.
He stood facing the door yelling at the guard but all the guard said was, “If you want the handcuffs removed, shut your face and turn around. Back up to the door and put your hands through the slot.”
Eller was almost out of control with anger over the way he was being treated. The career of these people ended here, today, he thought. The guard removed the handcuffs and closed the opening. He watched as the he placed the cuffs back on his belt and walked out of the room.
“Don’t you walk out on me. You come back here and get General Devin,” he screamed.
The only reply was his echo.
“Control, 412 reporting. Package secure. We are 10-15.”
“Roger 412. You are released to 10-15.”
412 was the central security control point where interlopers who breached security were kept until they were turned over to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s department. The 10-15 designation meant that they were returning to their normal station.
“Control, report conditions to Thor.”
“412, conditions relayed. 10-4.”
“412, 10-15, 10-4.”
~~
- GROOM LAKE –
The General sat in his office, going over exactly what he was going to say. Making sure that he had everything possible covered. When he was sure, he picked up the phone and dialed. A few seconds later he was connected with the President.
“General Devin. I was told this was important. I was in a meeting. What’s on your mind?”
“Sir, I am sorry to report that Mr. Eller is missing. We have done a base wide search. We found his vehicle but we have not found any sign of him. All routine operations have been suspended and we are using every available resource to find him.”
“Missing? Good Lord. How can this happen?”
“Well sir, it isn’t the first time. On his last visit he got lost in the desert and had to spend the night sleeping in his vehicle. Just before he left, he wandered very near one of our bombing ranges. We tried to get him to use one of our people as a guide but he refused to allow a driver or guide to accompany him. This is rugged terrain and anything might have happened. You saw how unforgiving it was when you visited the facility” the general said with a worried tone.
“How long has he been missing?”
“Almost forty-eight hours. I didn’t want to alarm you until a reasonable time went by. Also, I didn’t want to potentially embarrass him.”
“Embarrass him? Meaning what?”
“Well, in case he was just lost or…”
“Or what?”
“Well, sir. I don’t want to cause any embarrassment or potential problems for Mr. Eller. I sure he has enough on his plate as it is,” General Devin said, with a hint in his voice that indicated he had more to say.
“I don’t give a rat’s ass about ill will. What are you referring to?”
“He is very friendly with one of the lady scientists here. A Doctor Lynn Yurris. They have spent a considerable amount of time together. I just thought it would be best to use some discretion,” the general said trying to sound sincere.
“Yes, he mentioned Dr. Yurris. She is the one that figured out the propulsion mystery isn’t she?”
“She was one of the ones involved. It was a culmination of the whole team that is actually responsible, not just one person,” the general said.
“I see. Have you talked to her?”
“Yes sir. She says she hasn’t seen him since his arrival.”
“Is that true?”
“I don’t know for sure. I know Mr. Eller went out to S-4 and security has him going to Bay–1 where she works, but I don’t know for sure if he actually saw her,” the general replied.
“I doubt she is a factor. Let’s consider the other possibilities. Tell me your exact plans,” the President said.
“We intend to continue to use everything at our disposal to locate Mr. Eller. We are locked down at all of our ingress and egress points. We have our Blackhawks in the air and the NTS Dragons one and two smaller choppers searching as well. We have initiated adjustment 23 and 23A, which is our security patrols and search patterns. All Sierra one and Sierra two sensors are set for full alert. If he is out in the desert we will locate him, if he is alive. We have full teams on B-1 and P-1 searching as well,” The general told him.
“What’s B-1 and P-1?”
“Sorry sir. Bald Mountain and Papoose Mountain.”
“What do you need from me at this point? More men?”
“No sir. That would only compound the problem. We have all the manpower we need. Unfamiliar troops would only cause us additional problems not to mention the security aspect,” the general replied.
