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Authors: Christopher David Petersen
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far off sounds of rotor blades. Within minutes, the rescue helicopter landed on the flat snowy plain and rushed the four men inside the warm cabin. As they lifted off, the copilot reached up and tapped the spinning compass. Five miles from the crash site, the instrument seemed to be operating properly and the copilot focused his attention elsewhere.
Col. Slatz turned to Jack and smiled knowingly.
“Mystery solved,” he joked.
Minutes later, the helicopter circled over the Nord Station airfield and prepared to land. The passengers stared out their windows at the primitive looking buildings and felt a sense of relief at the sight of civilization after surviving the crash. Twenty feet from touchdown, the aircrafts’ rotor blades brushed away all the snow and bits of ice that lay just below it. Jack followed the particles as they were swept across the runway toward the small parking area. Still sitting idle, he noticed the Cessna Citation business jet still parked in the same location as it had been for the previous two days. At a nearby building, two men in mirrored sunglasses stood next to the plane and appeared to be examining the tail section. As the helicopter landed, the men’s glances seemed long and deliberate.
“Looks like our friends are still here,” Jack remark ed, still staring out his window.
Col. Slatz glanced toward them and smirked.
“Yup, must be something real interesting going on at that tail cone,” he said sarcastically.
Jack shot Slatz a puzzled stare. “What do you mean?” he asked.
Slatz laughed, then pointed. “See that flimsy little piece of plastic attached to the very end of the tail section… the one those two are examining?” he asked.
Jack nodded.
“Looks like they’re really giving it a good look, doesn’t it?” he said, more of a statement than a question.
Jack nodded again.
“They seem awfully concerned about that tail cone,” he said, now chuckling. “Allow me to expose their secret. Th ere’s absolutely nothing in the end of that tail section… just empty space. The purpose of the plastic cone is purely cosmetic. It covers the hole at the end of the tail… and nothing more.”
“So what the hell are they looking at?” Jack asked.
Slatz smiled. “Exactly my point,” he said simply.
Jack stared back, then nodded. “More cloak and dagger crap, I’m guessing,” he responded.
“That would be my first guess… and my next guess would be that they’re watching you,” Col. Slatz added in ominous tone.
Jack’s face lost all expression. He glanced at the two men, then back to Slatz.
“Freakin’ great! You think they’re after the spacecraft?” he responded, now growing angry.
“Well I’m sure they ain’t here for your autograph. While I don’t think you’re in any danger, I do think you might want to guard anything you find in the future,” he warned.
Jack stared out his window at the two men with great suspicion, then nodded in understanding.
----- ----- ----- -----
One week later…
Jack stared down at the ground through the port window of the Sikorsky S-61 helicopter as they neared the crash site. The sight of the mangled fuselage and separated nose section, sent eerie shivers through his body. The previous week, the team had spent time with investigators, examining the details of the crash. Having made a preliminary ruling, the authorities approved the team back into the site to continue their search.
Flying at just a hundred feet above the ground, the pilot followed a course directed by Lt. Jarvis as he monitored his radar platform.
“Turn left five degrees, Sir, to intercept the target,” he announced into his microphone.
“Roger that, five degrees left,” the pilot responded. “What’s our distance to the target?” he asked.
“About a mile, Sir,” the lieutenant answered.
Jack watched the computer monitor as they approached. He could see a small disturbance in the gray and white pixels composing the
Col. Slatz turned to Jack and smiled knowingly.
“Mystery solved,” he joked.
Minutes later, the helicopter circled over the Nord Station airfield and prepared to land. The passengers stared out their windows at the primitive looking buildings and felt a sense of relief at the sight of civilization after surviving the crash. Twenty feet from touchdown, the aircrafts’ rotor blades brushed away all the snow and bits of ice that lay just below it. Jack followed the particles as they were swept across the runway toward the small parking area. Still sitting idle, he noticed the Cessna Citation business jet still parked in the same location as it had been for the previous two days. At a nearby building, two men in mirrored sunglasses stood next to the plane and appeared to be examining the tail section. As the helicopter landed, the men’s glances seemed long and deliberate.
“Looks like our friends are still here,” Jack remark ed, still staring out his window.
Col. Slatz glanced toward them and smirked.
“Yup, must be something real interesting going on at that tail cone,” he said sarcastically.
Jack shot Slatz a puzzled stare. “What do you mean?” he asked.
Slatz laughed, then pointed. “See that flimsy little piece of plastic attached to the very end of the tail section… the one those two are examining?” he asked.
Jack nodded.
“Looks like they’re really giving it a good look, doesn’t it?” he said, more of a statement than a question.
Jack nodded again.
“They seem awfully concerned about that tail cone,” he said, now chuckling. “Allow me to expose their secret. Th ere’s absolutely nothing in the end of that tail section… just empty space. The purpose of the plastic cone is purely cosmetic. It covers the hole at the end of the tail… and nothing more.”
“So what the hell are they looking at?” Jack asked.
Slatz smiled. “Exactly my point,” he said simply.
Jack stared back, then nodded. “More cloak and dagger crap, I’m guessing,” he responded.
“That would be my first guess… and my next guess would be that they’re watching you,” Col. Slatz added in ominous tone.
Jack’s face lost all expression. He glanced at the two men, then back to Slatz.
“Freakin’ great! You think they’re after the spacecraft?” he responded, now growing angry.
“Well I’m sure they ain’t here for your autograph. While I don’t think you’re in any danger, I do think you might want to guard anything you find in the future,” he warned.
Jack stared out his window at the two men with great suspicion, then nodded in understanding.
----- ----- ----- -----
One week later…
Jack stared down at the ground through the port window of the Sikorsky S-61 helicopter as they neared the crash site. The sight of the mangled fuselage and separated nose section, sent eerie shivers through his body. The previous week, the team had spent time with investigators, examining the details of the crash. Having made a preliminary ruling, the authorities approved the team back into the site to continue their search.
Flying at just a hundred feet above the ground, the pilot followed a course directed by Lt. Jarvis as he monitored his radar platform.
“Turn left five degrees, Sir, to intercept the target,” he announced into his microphone.
“Roger that, five degrees left,” the pilot responded. “What’s our distance to the target?” he asked.
“About a mile, Sir,” the lieutenant answered.
Jack watched the computer monitor as they approached. He could see a small disturbance in the gray and white pixels composing the
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