Heiser-The-Facade - Sparkling Eyes

child during the NASA Apollo missions. He silently descended onto the main floor via acarpeted set of stairs to his left. True to his unknown informant's word, the room's fourcomputer consoles were unoccupied. Once on the bottom, he gazed, mouth agape, at themassive view screen. All the earth's continents and oceans were displayed on adjacentpanels, arranged in a panoramic display. Wind currents, color-coded according to altitudeand atmospheric layer, were superimposed holographically on each continent, theirpathways and directions being updated at one minute intervals. Ocean currents were alsolikewise indicated. Symbols and data readouts on each panel informed onlookers ofcurrent weather conditions, wind velocity, temperature, barometric pressure, as well asthe time oriented to the southwestern United States.A muffled expletive escaped his lips as he noted he had only six minutes left. Hemoved deliberately from console to console, trying to determine what it was that he wassupposed to glean from this excursion. Suddenly a high-pitched beeping sounded. Kevinstepped away from the computers, fearful that he'd triggered an alarm. The beepingstopped after only a few seconds. He eyed the door nervously, but nothing happened.Four minutes left. He turned back to the view screen and his eye immediately took noteof several blinking icons on the lower left quadrant of the map that displayed the UnitedStates. He stepped closer with the hope of interpreting the activity. What the hell? Hestared at the icons, which he could now see had appeared over the southwestern corner ofthe state of New Mexico. He looked incredulously at the clock, which was accuratelysynchronized with his own watch. No way—this is impossible; its July for God's sake. Assoon as the words formed in his mind the answer came. He understood why he'd beensent here, why he'd been singled out—and how the team was still being deceived. I can'tbelieve they can actually do this.Oh, but we can, a voice suddenly invaded his mind. Kevin whirled around, but hissenses were suddenly overtaken by an invisible force, his mind commandeered by anunseen intruder. His fore-head began to throb violently, and his eyes rolled backward.The sensation of being levitated off his feet never registered in his brain. I don't likebeing deceived ... who sent you here?Kevin's body dangled in midair for a few more seconds, then stiffened tightly forjust a moment before his limbs began to flail wildly and involuntarily. His head jerkedrapidly from side to side. Blood began to trickle from the corner of his mouth. Then, justas abruptly as the assault had begun, his limp body fell to the floor with a dull thud. Theassailant turned silently toward a neighboring wall and passed through it effortlessly.***"It's five past onewhere the hell is Dr. Garvey?" the Colonel demandedimpatiently, surveying the team. "He knows better than this—well?""All I know," Mark replied uneasily, taken back by his friend's uncharacteristictardiness, "is that he skipped lunch to read something in his room."The Colonel scowled and took the phone from its resting place on the table.Malcolm glanced curiously over at Mark while the Colonel barked orders that Kevin'sroom be accessed on the double and that he be escorted immediately to the conferenceroom. The team waited tensely in the awkward silence, anticipating their colleague'sarrival and the ensuing tirade. Several minutes that seemed like eons passed as the138