'Deception Point Page 19\r'

'Rachel found herself uncharacteristic exclusivelyy tongue-tied. Sensory oerload was crashting in… the habisp present, the meteorite, the secrets, finding herself un pass judgmently face-to-face with a tv star. â€Å"Im surprised to see you here,” she state, attempting to recover. â€Å"When the President told me hed recruited civilian scientists for earmark of a NASA find, I guess I expected… ” She hesitated.\r\nâ€Å" current scientists?” Tolland grinned.\r\nRachel flushed, mortified. â€Å"Thats not what I meant.”\r\nâ€Å"Dont worry to the highest degree it,” Tolland utter. â€Å"Thats all Ive heard since I got here.”\r\nThe administrator excuse himself, promising to catch up with them later. Tolland turned this instant to Rachel with a curious look. â€Å"The administrator give notice (of)s me your father is Senator sacristan?”\r\nRachel nodded. Unfortunately.\r\nâ€Å"A sexton spy behind confrontation line s?”\r\nâ€Å"Battle lines are not always haggard where you might think.”\r\nAn awkward silence.\r\nâ€Å"So tell me,” Rachel said quickly, â€Å"whats a world- storied oceanographer doing on a glacier with a peck of NASA agitateet scientists?”\r\nTolland chuckled. â€Å"Actually, some(a) guy who looked a plentifulness like the President asked me to do him a favor. I opened my mouth to say ‘Go to hell, alone somehow I blurted, ‘Yes, sir.”\r\nRachel laughed for the first time all morning. â€Å"Join the club.”\r\nAlthough most celebrities seemed smaller in person, Rachel sentiment Michael Tolland appeared taller. His br stimulate eyes were just as prepared and passionate as they were on television, and his voice carried the like modest warmth and enthusiasm. Looking to be a weathered and athletic forty-five, Michael Tolland had coarse black tomentum that fell in a per manent windswept tuft a wipe his forehead. He had a who lesome chin and a carefree mannerism that exuded confidence. When hed shaken Rachels hand, the callused roughness of his palms reminded her he was not a usual â€Å"soft” television personality entirely rather an accomplished seaman and hands-on researcher.\r\nâ€Å"To be honest,” Tolland admitted, sounding sheepish, â€Å"I think I was recruited more for my PR value than for my scientific manageledge. The president asked me to come up and make a objective for him.”\r\nâ€Å"A documentary? About a meteorite? But youre an oceanographer.”\r\nâ€Å"Thats exactly what I told him! But he said he didnt neck of any meteorite documentarians. He told me my involvement would help sum importantstream credibility to this find. Apparently he plans to broadcast my documentary as part of tonights big press multitude when he announces the discovery.”\r\nA celebrity spokesman. Rachel sensed the prod political maneuverings of Zach Herney at track down. N ASA was often accused of lecture over the publics head. Not this time. Theyd pulled in the master scientific communicator, a face Ameri ejects already knew and trusted when it came to science.\r\nTolland pointed catercorner across the dome to a far hem in where a press area was being set up. There was a blue carpet on the ice, television cameras, media lights, a long table with several(prenominal) microphones. Someone was hanging a backdrop of a huge Ameri prat flag.\r\nâ€Å"Thats for tonight,” he explained. â€Å"The NASA administrator and some of his top scientists will be connected harp via air to the White House so they can participate in the Presidents eight oclock broadcast.”\r\nAppropriate, Rachel thought, pleased to know Zach Herney didnt plan to cut NASA out of the announcement entirely.\r\nâ€Å"So,” Rachel said with a suspire, â€Å"is someone finally going to tell me whats so special about this meteorite?”\r\nTolland arched his eyebrows and gave her a mysterious grin. â€Å"Actually, whats so special about this meteorite is high hat seen, not explained.” He motioned for Rachel to follow him toward the neighboring work area. â€Å"The guy stationed over here has plenty of samples he can show you.”\r\nâ€Å"Samples? You actually have samples of the meteorite?”\r\nâ€Å"Absolutely. Weve cut quite a few. In fact, it was the initial nitty-gritty samples that alerted NASA to the importance of the find.”\r\nUnsure of what to expect, Rachel followed Tolland into the work area. It appeared deserted. A transfuse of coffee sat on a desk illogical with rock samples, calipers, and other diagnostic gear. The coffee was steaming.\r\nâ€Å"Marlinson!” Tolland yelled, looking just about. No answer. He gave a frustrated sigh and turned to Rachel. â€Å"He probably got lost assay to find cream for his coffee. Im telling you, I went to Princeton postgrad with this guy, and he used to get los t in his own dorm. Now hes a National Medal of cognizance recipient in astrophysics. Go figure.”\r\nRachel did a prongy take. â€Å"Marlinson? You dont by any chance mean the famous corky Marlinson, do you?”\r\nTolland laughed. â€Å"One and the same.”\r\nRachel was stunned. â€Å" bad Marlinson is here?” Marlinsons ideas on gravitational fields were legendary among NRO satellite engineers. â€Å"Marlinson is one of the Presidents civilian recruits?”\r\nâ€Å"Yeah, one of the real scientists.”\r\nReal is right, Rachel thought. corked Marlinson was as brilliant and respected as they came.\r\nâ€Å"The incredible paradox about Corky,” Tolland said, â€Å"is that he can quote you the distance to Alpha Centauri in millimeters, but he cant tie his own necktie.”\r\nâ€Å"I strike clip-ons!” a nasal, good-natured voice barked nearby. â€Å"Efficiency over style, Mike. You Hollywood types dont understand that!”\r\nRach el and Tolland turned to the man now emerging from behind a large mussiness of electronic gear. He was squat and rotund, resembling a pug dog with bubble eyes and a thinning, comb-over haircut. When the man saw Tolland standing with Rachel, he stopped in his tracks.\r\nâ€Å"Jesus Christ, Mike! Were at the friggin North end and you still manage to meet gorgeous women. I knew I should have gone into television!”\r\nMichael Tolland was visibly embarrassed. â€Å"Ms. Sexton, please excuse Dr. Marlinson. What he lacks in tact, he more than makes up for in random bits of only useless knowledge about our universe.”\r\nCorky approached. â€Å"A true pleasure, maam. I didnt catch your name.”\r\nâ€Å"Rachel,” she said. â€Å"Rachel Sexton.”\r\nâ€Å"Sexton?” Corky let out a playful gasp. â€Å"No relation to that shortsighted, depraved senator, I hope!”\r\nTolland winced. â€Å"Actually, Corky, Senator Sexton is Rachels father.”\r\n Corky stopped laughing and slumped. â€Å"You know, Mike, its really no wonder Ive never had any luck with the ladies.”\r\n22\r\nPrize-winning astrophysicist Corky Marlinson ushered Rachel and Tolland into his work area and began sifting through with(predicate) his tools and rock samples. The man moved like a tightly wound spring about to explode.\r\nâ€Å" on the whole right,” he said, quivering excitedly, â€Å"Ms. Sexton, youre about to get the Corky Marlinson cardinal-second meteorite primer.”\r\nTolland gave Rachel a be-patient wink. â€Å"Bear with him. The man really wanted to be an actor.”\r\nâ€Å"Yeah, and Mike wanted to be a respected scientist.” Corky rooted around in a shoebox and produced three small rock samples and aligned them on his desk. â€Å"These are the three main classes of meteorites in the world.”\r\nRachel looked at the three samples. All appeared as awkward spheroids about the size of golf balls. each(prenomina l) had been sliced in half to reveal its cross section.\r\nâ€Å"All meteorites,” Corky said, â€Å"consist of varying amounts of nickel-iron alloys, silicates, and sulfides. We distinguish them on the basis of their metal-to-silicate ratios.”\r\nRachel already had the feeling Corky Marlinsons meteorite â€Å"primer” was going to be more than thirty seconds.\r\n'