Heiser-The-Facade - Sparkling Eyes

ut the team members had no time to speculate among themselves about the new additionto the team. It had been almost five hours since the Colonel had dismissed them. Now hepaced behind the podium, impatiently waiting for everyone to be seated."Interesting," Brian whispered to Father Benedict, as the pair took their customaryseats beside each other."What is it?" the priest said in a hushed tone."With Dr. Marcus, the new guy makes elevenour completednumber. Makes you wonder why they waited to bring him on board.""That is curious. It seems we've provoked something they had anticipated, but notat this time. You do remember the disagreement between your friend and the Colonel,don't you`?"Brian nodded and motioned to Andrew to be quiet. The Colonel was waiting."Brian," he heard a whisper to his left and felt a tug on his anal as he took his seat.It was Deidre. "I have a bad feeling about this," she said in a low voice. "I think Irecognize the new guy.""From where?""The MIT conference."Brian's eyes widened. "Are you sure?""Pretty sure.""1'll dispense with the small talk," the Colonel began, "and address the questionsraised earlier this morning." The room went completely silent."Dr. Chadwick's work, as always, is above reproach. The virus we are dealingwith is indeed extraterrestrial, and the explanation we offered for its arrival on earth wascontrived on our part. I bear full responsibility for the deception. If it means anything toany of you, Dr. Bandstra was opposed to the ruse, but followed orders. You may notaccept my logic, but I think after what you're going to learn this after-noon, all of you—even you, Dr. Harper—will understand my motive."Deidre offered no interruptive comment, only a smirk."It's very hard for someone in my position to trust anyone, even colleagues," headmitted. "It took months for me to gain confidence in Dr. Bandstra. I wasn't willing toextend the same to any of you after only a few days. I felt we could use your services toaccomplish the goals of this project while disguising the true target of your work. I waswrong.""Dr. Scott's intuition, however, was only partially accurate," he continued."Neither NASA nor our government— nor any other of the world's governments, for thatmatter--are responsible for the virus's presence. The dilemma we now face is the result offate, or, as our theologians might term it, providence. I might add," he said, gazingintently at Brian and Father Benedict, "that after today, I hope that word is still part ofyour vocabularies."Father Benedict and Brian exchanged a mystified glance."I have with me Major Gordon Lindsay. Major Lindsay is a career military man,and is the Air Force's chief archivist and historian in the areas that you will be introducedto this afternoon. He's been brought on board since we anticipate that you will havetrouble believing what I'm about to tell you. We've prepared supplemental notebooks foryou," he said, motioning to a stack of thick folders on the table, "documenting the historyof our involvement with the extraterrestrial basis for our dilemma. Gordon, would you101