CHAPTER ONE

THE MISSION
 

"Ah, Jean, come in. Have a seat," said a man in his mid-forties.

Warren Styles a propulsion engineer at NASA sat at his desk. His tailor-made suit did justice to his well-conditioned 6 foot 2 inch tanned body. At fifty-two he was showing a little gray in his short dark brown hair.

Jean, a tall slender redhead in her late thirties sat in the leather chair in front of the desk. "What is this all about, Warren? I was in the middle of some tests."

"It couldn't wait." Warren pulled an envelope from the top drawer of his oak desk and handed it to her.
Jean took the envelope and looked at the return address.

"What does the Pentagon want from me now?"

She opened the envelope and took out a single piece of paper. Across the top of the page in bold lettering were the words, “FOR YOUR EYES ONLY”

The main body of the letter was a short message. “Security upgrade from level 5 to level 3.”

Jean looked up from the paper and stared at Warren. "Why?"

Warren reached into the lower right-hand desk drawer and pulled out a black plastic box. He pushed a button on its side, a red and a green light started to alternately flash on and off for about thirty seconds, then the green light stayed on continuously.

"This is an ionizing pulse wave that will scramble any electronic eaves dropping equipment in this room or from outside the room. What I am about to tell you is top secret and will not leave this room. Do you understand?"

"Yes!" said Jean crossing her long legs and leaning back into the armed chair.

Jean had many questions, but learned from her five years of work as an aeronautical and propulsion engineer with the government, not to ask them. If she was to know she would be told. Besides she now had the highest security clearance possible. She would be filled in with all the answers to her unasked questions.