Immune (The Rho Agenda #2)(48)

Heather reached for him. “Mark. Be careful.”

“Why?” He turned to face her. “This ship could have killed us a hundred times by now.”

“You make it sound like it is making a conscious choice not to. For all we know, if we press the wrong button or misuse a device, that could still be the ultimate outcome.”

Mark shook his head. “Maybe, but I’m not getting that feeling about this place.”

Heather concentrated, doing her best to send an intelligible query through the headset to the ship’s computer system. Although her head flooded with imagery, she failed to make sense of it. Mark was right about one thing, though. This new room just felt right.

She glanced back at Jennifer. But if she was expecting her friend to inject a word of caution, she was disappointed. Jennifer had moved into the room with an air of expectation on her face. If Heather hadn’t known better, she would have thought that Jennifer had seen it all before.

Seeing no further objections, Mark slid onto the couch and leaned back. The room’s response was startling. The tentacles swarmed over him, each one sprouting thousands of others, their supple, needle-sharp points each moving to establish its own connection to his skin. If it had not been for the feelings of relaxation she was getting from the alien headband, Heather doubted she could have kept herself from screaming. And even though the look on Mark’s face was one of complete relaxation, Heather had to concentrate to slow her own breathing.

As Heather’s attention focused itself on what was happening to Mark, unnoticed beside her, a slow, satisfied smile lit Jennifer’s delicate features.





47


Senator Conally stared over the microphones that lined the U-shaped table in the committee hearing room. Although the US Select Committee on Intelligence held daily closed meetings here in room 219 of the Hart Senate Office Building, this one held an electric air, the kind he remembered feeling upon the approach of the worst Midwestern storms.

The other members of the intelligence committee stared at the head of the Department of Energy's Office of Intelligence and Counter Intelligence, their faces displaying a wide range of emotions.

"So, Mr. Scott," Senator Conally began. "Let me get this straight. If I understand your opening statement correctly, it is your contention that the security around the Los Alamos Rho Project is adequate."

The blond man sitting across the meeting room pursed his lips, the effect narrowing the already thin line of his mouth, his blue-gray eyes flashing in the reflected light.

"That is correct, Senator."

"And would it also be your contention that the president's announced plan to release the details of the alien nanotechnology to the world constitutes no threat to national security?"

Adam Scott leaned closer to his microphone. "Senator, as you are aware, the president has only called for the release of the beneficial nanite technology, not the underlying details. That means we would be distributing the nanite serum but not the production details. Nothing is entirely without risk. However, in my judgment and in the judgment of the majority of the officials in my office, the benefits to national security outweigh the risks."

Senator Conally snorted derisively. "Really? And are you aware that the consensus within the military leadership disagrees with your assessment?"

Scott's face showed no sign of emotion. "Senator, that is hardly surprising considering the Defense Department's parochial view of the world. I would point out that there is a consensus within the intelligence community that agrees with the president on this. That includes the director of Central Intelligence, the FBI director, the director of the National Security Agency, and the director of National Intelligence."

"I notice you failed to mention that the initiative is vehemently opposed by the Defense Intelligence Agency. You also ignored the opposition of the previous secretary of defense and the previous director of the National Security Agency."

A slight smile creased the corners of Scott's mouth. "With all due respect, Senator, the DIA and the resigned secretary of defense are closely tied to the opinion of the Department of Defense, which I mentioned before. As for the recently deceased NSA director, I hardly think a criminal's opinion deserves our consideration."

Conally felt the heat rise up through his neck and into his face. "Do you think this is funny, Mr. Scott? Because I can assure you that we, here on this committee, take national security matters deadly serious. And while the fifteen members may disagree on many things, I believe you will find our tolerance for flippant answers in response to our questions to be nonexistent. Perhaps you would like to come back for a more extended session next week, along with a recall of your boss, the energy secretary."

This time it was Mr. Scott's turn to flush. He cleared his throat. "Senator, I apologize for any perceived slight. In the future I will ensure that my wording is more carefully considered."

"See that you do. Now, getting back to my original line of questions, are you aware of the subject of this week's special session at the United Nations?"

"Yes, Senator, I am."

"And you don't consider it alarming that more than ninety percent of the world's delegates joined in a resolution demanding that the United States immediately release all information on the alien nanotechnology into the public domain? There is also a call to turn the entire Rho Ship research program over to an international scientific committee in Europe."