Download from Amazon
Download from Barnes & Noble
SAMPLE CHAPTER
Prologue
“Mankind’s journey into space, like every great voyage of discovery, will become part of our unending journey of liberation. In the limitless reaches of space, we will find liberation from tyranny, from scarcity, from ignorance and from war. We will find the means to protect this Earth and to nurture every human life, and to explore the universe…. This is our mission, this is our destiny.”
Ronald Reagan, speech at Houston, 1988
One-day humanity will leave the confines of this cradle we call Earth, to venture out into the vast unknown that lies beyond the edge of the solar system, and will travel to the far reaches of the cosmos; but when will that day come, and how will we get there?
Author
The day the universe flung open its doors to humanity began very much like any other day. People woke early to go to their jobs, worked hard all day, and then went home.
Toward the end of this seemingly uneventful day, Kate Reynolds climbed the stairs, opened the bedroom door, and flipped on the light switch, all while carrying her two-year old son into his bedroom. He was growing rapidly, as most children that age do, and Kate felt a slight twinge of regret that one day soon the time would come when such precious moments would be behind her.
She had just finished pulling the covers over her sleeping toddler’s chest when she was joined in the room by her husband, who placed his hand on her back and began stroking it as she quietly tucked the boy into bed.
“He looks really tuckered out,” Nick Reynolds said to his wife, placing his arms around her waist as they watched their son’s chest rise and fall with each breath.
“He is; he had a busy day at pre-school today from what I hear,” she answered before turning around.
The two wrapped their arms around one another, tenderly kissing for some time, and Kate once more felt as if she would melt in Nick’s arms. When their lips finally parted, she smiled at him.
“What?”
“Oh,” she began playfully, “I was just thinking that my man still has it…that we still have it.”
“We still have what?” Nick asked, feigning ignorance. She gently pushed him away before pulling him close again, into an even more passionate kiss. “Oh, that,” he said quietly, looking into the fiery, sapphire pools that were the eyes of the woman he adored above any other. Kate turned off the lights and the couple walked out of the room holding hands.
“Honey…do you think we could work it out somehow so we could live here in Vegas during the week as well? I’m sick of staying on the base night after night, and I think it would do Henry a lot of good. You know how lonely he’ll soon be on the base, and we both know that he needs to be around more children his age.”
The pleading in her eyes touched her husband, who furrowed his brow as he sat down with her on the sofa and pulled her close.
“Well, I agree…it would probably do all of us a lot of good to get away from the base more often, Kate; but at the same time, you know how hard and how dangerous it would be. We’d both have to commute to the base once you go back to work, and we’d have to find someone to watch little Henry, including picking him up from school; or we’d have to take him with us to the base.”
A cough from outside the door suddenly reminded them of the constant surveillance they were under. “And you see how tight security is when we’re off the base, Kate…how tight security has to be. The Frontier project is so incredibly important, not just to America but to everyone; we can’t risk anything happening to any of us, especially Henry.”
His wife nodded in response. She started to tear up, knowing how unlikely it was that her son would ever experience a normal childhood.
“Poor Henry. What kind of life is this for a little boy, Nick?”
“C’mon, Kate; try to remember that what we’re doing now is, in large part, for Henry. I know it’s hard Kate, believe me I do.”
“I’m just beginning to question whether it’s all worth it,” she stated, as much to herself as to Nick.
“It will be, Kate, I promise,” he said, gently stroking her dark hair.
She looked up at Nick a few minutes later, a slight twinkle in her eye. “I’m suddenly feeling a little tired,” she said with a smile. “Are you ready to go to bed yet, mister?”
“You bet I am,” he replied with a grin, jumping off the sofa to follow his wife up the stairs.
***
Five hours later, inside the home the Reynolds family was fast asleep. Outside, under the darkness of a moonless sky, all was peaceful and still except for an orchestra of cicadas, which had been playing its evening symphony before abruptly stopping. Nick and Kate would have been grateful had they known that the agent who had been continually coughing outside their front door had grown unexpectedly silent as well. They would have been terrified, however, had they known the reason for the agent’s unexpected silence, for both he and his comrade now lay unconscious on the porch outside the front door.
Bright, multi-colored lights suddenly exploded out of the darkness above the house, resembling the effect caused by shining light through a prism, intruding upon the tranquil darkness surrounding the home before finally settling on the window outside of little Henry Reynolds’s bedroom. Beams of red, orange, yellow, green, and blue light flashed around inside the child’s room in a rotating, repeating pattern for several minutes. Shadowy figures soon appeared next to the bed of the sleeping boy, and by the time the lights disappeared a minute later, the child’s bed was empty.
***
When NSA agent Michael Pierce awoke the following morning to a fierce yawn and blinding sunlight on his face, it took him several moments to remember where he was, and to his dismay, he realized that he’d fallen asleep while on duty. Relegating concern over the consequences of his actions to a later time, he shook his partner, who lay next to him still sleeping. Panic set in when the agent realized that,
with both agents asleep outside, the family had been exposed, vulnerable to yet another kidnapping attempt.
“Check out the back door and make sure it’s still secure,” he told his younger, junior partner after helping him to his feet. Pierce then turned and banged loudly on the front door several times, and after a moment of hesitation, was preparing to break in. The door suddenly flung open on its own accord, however, and he found himself staring up at Nick Reynolds, standing there calmly with a steaming cup of coffee in his hand, looking a bit perplexed.
“Can I help you Agent Pierce? Is something wrong?”
Pierce looked over the shoulder of his charge, and saw Kate at the kitchen table, busily pouring cereal into a bowl, which sat next to a glass of juice on the table in front of their young son, Pierce let out a heavy sigh.
“No, sir…I mean, everything’s fine, I think. Is everything…okay inside, Dr. Reynolds?”
“Yes, of course, Agent Pierce,” he answered, smiling back at his stunning wife, who just smiled at the two men. “We should be ready to head back to the base in an hour or so…is that okay?”
“That sounds fine, Dr. Reynolds, whenever you’re ready; take your time sir, no rush.” A perplexed Agent Pierce turned as the door closed behind him, and walked around to the back of the house, where he found his partner, Guy Peterson, still looking around groggily, as if trying to shake off the numbing effects of a hangover. He seemed surprised to see Pierce approaching, and struggled to clear the cobwebs.
“Everything okay back here, Guy?”
“Sure, Mike, err…no problems at all. Everything’s secure,” he answered, nodding his head as if slightly doubting what he’d just said. “I don’t know––I don’t understand what happened last night, Mike; why didn’t you wake me up?”
Pierce held a finger to his lips to quiet his partner, and walked up to the other agent until he was only a foot away.
“I have no idea whatsoever, Guy,” he answered, staring at the other man for a moment.
“You mean that you…?”
Pierce quickly nodded.
“So…I suggest we keep this to ourselves, what do you think?”
“Yeah, I think we’d better do that,” Peterson agreed.
“Good…well, okay then. I was just told that the family will be ready to go in an hour or so. Are you good?”
“Yeah, I’m fine, Mike, thanks.”
The two NSA agents pulled out of the driveway of the isolated house an hour later in the black SUV, with the husband, wife, and child in tow.
***
No one ever noticed the slight indentions in the dirt of the back yard, or the strange footprints all around it.
Chapter 1
I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use.
Galileo Galilei
Nick and Kate looked nervously at each other on the way to their appointment at the base school, wondering what could possibly have warranted the principal’s Friday night call and the subsequent, unexpected Monday morning meeting.
As they neared their destination, Nick’s thoughts jumped back to Henry’s initial enrollment at the base school a month earlier. Following an initial phone conversation with the school administrator, Nick and Kate had taken Henry to the school for a brief interview, after which the boy was also asked to undergo a specialized screening to help determine his academic placement.
A few days later the test results came back and they were informed about the remarkable findings, which included the shocking conclusion that, despite being only three years old, Henry belonged in the middle school class, not the pre-school or even the elementary class. The school administrator had carefully walked them through the atypical test results, and the justification for such an extraordinary recommendation. She had also shared with them that, while she understood how uncomfortable it might be for a boy of Henry’s age to attend the same class as the much older children, she was also certain that he would only find the challenge he needed with the middle-schoolers. As strange and unusual as it might seem to them, she had convinced them that despite still being very young, Henry belonged in middle school, and that he was intellectually, if not physically, already at or even beyond the level of the other middle-schoolers. When Nick had asked her whether she’d ever seen another child like Henry, she just laughed before replying that, to the best of her knowledge, she’d never even heard of anyone like Henry.
Following some lengthy discussions Kate and Nick had finally relented, and with the school principal’s approval, they had enrolled Henry in the middle school class, despite the awkwardness of such an arrangement. Early reports from the principal had indicated that Henry was adjusting as well as could be expected and that he was doing exceptionally well in his studies. Nick and Kate had been so busy with the work on the Frontier Project that with no further news from his teacher or the principal, they had assumed all was well. If Henry ever experienced any problems at the school or if he’d been unhappy, he never said anything to them about it.
Nick’s attention snapped back to the present upon arriving at the main entrance to the school. The administrative assistant smiled warmly at them before escorting the couple to a small conference room. Nick’s eyes widened when, upon entering the room, he found not only Principal Jenkins but also General George Caprella, along with a stern-looking man with a crisp military haircut and thick, bushy gray hair. The stranger also sported a thick, silver, handlebar mustache, and was dressed in Air Force dress blues. He was a three star lieutenant general, senior even to two-star Major General George Caprella. Nick had never seen the man before, which was
something of a surprise since he’d heard his name mentioned by Caprella from time to time in regards to the Frontier project.
Principal Jenkins rose and greeted the two parents before extending his hand to Nick and then to Kate.
“Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds, good morning, how are you? I believe you already know General Caprella?”
Caprella extended his hand to Nick.
“Hello Nick,” he said with a smile. “It’s so good to see you again, my boy!”
“Hello, General; it’s good to see you too. So how are things at Cyber Command?”
“Ever since the conclusion of that nasty business a few years back, it’s been pretty much business as usual. The Chinese, Russians, and the Iranians continue probing our defenses looking for weaknesses, nuclear secrets to steal, destroy, etc. Like I said, business as usual.”
Wearing a gregarious smile, Caprella then turned to Kate. “Kate, I can see that you look as exquisite as ever!” Kate smiled. “So how are you, my dear?” he asked, gently taking Kate’s hand and instead of shaking it, kissing it.
“I’m doing very well, General, thank you for asking,” she answered, blushing.
The three-star general then cleared his throat. Caprella turned to look at him briefly before turning back to smile once more at Nick and Kate. “Please forgive me, both of you…where are my manners? Allow me to introduce Lieutenant General James Montana.”
Montana walked over to the couple, eyeing each of them carefully before extending his hand. “Good morning,” said the general, first shaking Kate’s hand, followed by Nick’s.
“Good morning,” the couple answered in unison.
“I suppose you both must be wondering why we’re all here.”
“Um, yes, you could say that,” Kate replied, looking at Nick for a moment before turning back to Montana. “If there’s something wrong, General Montana, please tell us.”
“Just relax now, Kate,” Caprella said calmly. “You don’t need to worry about Henry, he’s doing just fine.”
“Then why are we here, George?” Nick asked the general, nearly as frustrated as his wife. “If this concerns Henry we need to know what this is all about; besides, you know that we’re both buried up to our necks in trying to get Frontier operational!”
Caprella looked sharply at Nick and made it a point to catch Kate’s attention as well. They both got the message; not everyone in the room was cleared to discuss the still highly classified project.
“Kate, Henry is only three years old and yet he’s in a middle school class,” Caprella continued, “where he’s been for only a month. What you may not know, however, is that he’s already far beyond what he can learn in that class. In all likelihood, the high school classes wouldn’t even last a month. What I’m trying to say is that even this base’s school is unable to accommodate Henry’s unique needs.”
“What are you suggesting we do, General Caprella?” Nick asked.
“Your son has an I.Q. that’s so high that we can’t even measure it,” interjected Montana. “That’s why I’m here, Mr. Reynolds. I head a special Air Force program,
designed to recognize and train tremendous talent like what we’ve found in your son.”
“Really?” asked Kate, her voice full of misgiving. “So tell me why the Air Force would want to get involved in recognizing and training gifted children.”
“Well, normally we don’t, Mrs. Reynolds; most of the time we work with identifying and developing extraordinary Air Force men and women; we ensure they are placed in positions where they can do the most good for their country, and for themselves. Every now and then, however, we come across someone like Henry, a prodigy so phenomenal, it changes everything.”
“So what are you suggesting, General Montana?” Nick asked.
“Like George just told you, Henry’s already beyond what they can teach him at this school. He excels in most area of academics, and easily exceeds even the brightest high school children,” said Jenkins. “He demonstrates fluency in English, Latin, and to varying degrees Spanish, German, Chinese, Japanese, and Russian. He also has a remarkable proficiency in calculus and algebra. In a word, your son’s simply unbelievable.”
“So what are we supposed to do then? Are you saying we should take Henry to one of those schools off base for special, gifted children? Okay fine, no problem, we should be able to find something in or around Las Vegas.”
Caprella walked over and sat down on the end of the table on the side where Nick and Kate sat.
“Listen you two, can we all agree that your son’s ability—his gift—is unique? Even at three years old, isn’t he already far beyond anything any of us has ever seen?” They both nodded. “Good. Without question he’s a prodigy among prodigies on this planet.” He paused for several moments, allowing them a chance to digest his last sentence. Caprella’s emphasis on the word “gift” struck Nick first, then his wife, who moments later also recognized the subtle meaning.
“What? So you think that Ig—” Kate stopped in mid-sentence, motioned to silence by Caprella, who also cast a slight nod toward the school principal. “So what do you think makes Henry so special?”
“Who knows? Great genes, I guess,” he answered with a smile, before glancing briefly at the confused expression on Jenkins’s face. “Now then, the three of us were talking about your son last week, and after a lot of discussion we’d like to offer you a proposition. Look, you two are obviously invaluable to the work we do here at Groom Lake, perhaps more valuable than anyone else on this base, including me. Therefore, we’ve decided to move forward with a project that we’ve considered trying here for some time. We’re thinking about building another, much more exclusive school here on the base, a school for truly exceptional children, an educational opportunity unlike anything else on Earth, with students from grade school to university level, and we’d like for Henry to be among its first students. He’d have the opportunity to learn and do some really amazing things, as well as educational material and activities that it’s unlikely you’d be able to find anywhere else. Perhaps one day he will even join the project you two have been working on. So, what do you say?”
Kate and Nick sat bewildered and dumbfounded by what they’d just heard.
“How soon could this new school be operational?” Nick asked.
“Well, like George said,” Montana began, “we’ve been talking about doing something like this here for a while; Henry’s arrival here was just the icing on the cake. Since many of the men and women who work here are among the best and brightest, there are, of course, quite a few gifted children already here among us, though none quite like him. If successful, programs like this one could give our country the edge it needs in science and technology.
“We’ll begin by offering some one-on-one instruction for Henry and perhaps a few others the first year, at least until we get the new school set up and operational. We’ll fly in some of the best educators in the world, both civilian and military, to educate your son, and to ensure that he is ‘properly challenged’. If you agree to it, I will oversee his education personally, ensuring the proper instructors rotate in and out as needed. So, Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds, what do you think?”
“I’ll tell you what I think about your proposal, General Montana. I have a big problem with what you’re suggesting here,” Kate announced with some agitation.
“What exactly is your concern, Mrs. Reynolds?” Montana asked coolly.
“I want to know what kind of strings you’re attaching to this generous offer of yours, General. Forgive me if I have a hard time believing that you’re offering to do this for Henry out of the kindness of your heart,” she answered, before turning to Caprella. “I’m sorry, George. I know how you feel about Henry, about all of us.” Caprella offered a slight smile in response.
“I’d heard there was little love lost between you and the military, Mrs. Reynolds, and that your relationship with us has always been a bit…fragile,” Montana replied, wearing a sardonic grin. “You have no need to worry about this arrangement, however, I promise you; there are no strings attached to this offer for you or your son, you have my word. The truth is we need you and your husband spending as much time working on that project of yours as possible—both of you, my dear—and we can’t afford to have either of you leave the program. Besides, we’re very curious about your son, and we hope that one day the boy will choose—of his own volition, of course—to come work with us on your project. Unless I miss my guess, that day will come for him much sooner than it does for you.”
The three men gave them time to digest everything they’d heard. Nick and Kate looked at one another for several moments before starting to whisper among themselves. Some of their comments were audible enough for the others to hear, others were not. After a few minutes, Caprella spoke up.
“How about it you two, what do you think?” he asked hopefully. The whispering ended and the two nodded in agreement. Kate turned to face them.
“We want full access and control over him and his education. If we hear something we don’t like and we decide for any reason to send him to an off-base school, we must have the freedom to make that happen with no repercussions whatsoever,” Kate said firmly. Caprella looked over at Montana, who nodded his approval.
“Done. I promise you, Kate, we have Henry’s best interests in mind. In my view, the three of you are irreplaceable, and frankly, we feel extremely fortunate—blessed, if you will—to have you working with us. Together we’re going to change the world for the better, I just know it,” Caprella told them, before shaking their hands.
“General Montana, mind if I have a word alone with General Caprella for a few moments?” Nick asked. A look of surprise passed on the faces throughout the room, including Kate’s.
“Um, sure…George?” Caprella nodded and pointed toward the door. He and Nick stepped outside and began walking toward another vacant conference room. They walked in and the lights switched on automatically. Caprella closed the door.
“What’s on your mind, Nick?” he asked, wearing a puzzled expression.
“I don’t know anything about General Montana; how well do you know him?” asked Nick, his eyes fixed on his friend and former mentor.
“We’ve known each other for a number of years now, Nick; I know him well enough, and while he can be a bit gruff and abrasive at times, I trust him.”
Nick’s eyes suddenly began to water. “He’s our son, George, our child. What have I done to him?” Caprella rose from his chair and walked over to sit next to Nick. He placed his arm around his shoulders. “Do you think Ignis did something to me…and to Henry?”
“I don’t know, Nick, I wish I did. If he didn’t, it certainly is quite a coincidence, but if he did, I’m sure Henry will be okay. He’s a great kid, Nick.” Caprella paused for a moment, considering something. “Nick, we’re trying to talk you into this, I admit it. We all feel it’s the best thing for Henry, the best thing for the two of you, the best thing for our country. But it’s your decision, yours and Kate’s. If you feel it’s best to take Henry and leave, I certainly understand it and so will Jim, though I’m quite sure we’d all be quite disappointed.” Caprella then drew close to Nick and stared intently into his eyes. “Think about it though, Nick…your son might one day be the very one who leads us to the stars!”
Nick’s eyes widened and he began nodding his head. “Thanks, George, really. Okay, as long as we have full access to Henry and can pull him out of the program at any time, I’m onboard, and I think Kate is too.”
“Great, Nick, great! Let’s get back and tell the others.”
The two men walked back into the room. Kate instantly looked up at Nick with an unspoken question in her eyes. Nick briefly closed his eyes and nodded, causing Kate to relax a bit and sit back in her chair. Montana was the first to speak.
“Okay you two, what do you say? Will you accept our proposal?”
Kate turned to Nick one last time and after each nodded slightly, they turned to Montana.
“We’re in, General, and thank you…thank you for helping our son,” Kate answered with sincere gratitude.
***
After shaking hands Nick and Kate left to return to the lab. Once they’d left the room, the two general’s turned to one another, smiled, and shook one another’s hands.
Download from Amazon
Download from Barnes & Noble