“What are you trying to say, Morrow?”
“I’m trying to say that the sound we picked up in Geneva was a signal. And whoever or whatever issued that signal in the troposphere over Geneva received a response from the troposphere of the Amazon River basin. First one and then the other. No different than one bird making a call that is answered by another.”
Clark continued to stare at the report as if he still couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Finally, he looked at Alex again. “That will be all for now, Morrow.” He gestured toward the door as a way of saying the meeting was over. “Good work.”
“Do you want me to—”
“That will be all for now.”
“Yes, sir,” Alex said, a look of confusion written on his face. He found it hard to understand why Clark didn’t share his excitement about what had happened. There was no doubt that a signal had been sent and there was also no doubt that someone or something had responded to that signal from somewhere in the Amazon basin. If there ever was an event that the DRA would look into, that was it. But Alex also knew from the look on Clark’s face that it wasn’t the time to push him. For all intents and purposes, the discussion was over.
As soon as Alex left the room and shut the door, Clark reached over and picked up the phone. He then used a wrinkled finger to punch out a series of digits that he knew by heart. After two rings, a professional-sounding female voice said, “Central Intelligence. Secure line operator. How may I direct your call?”
Clark leaned back in his chair. “This is Dr. Stetson Clark with NASA, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. I’d like to speak to the Director, please.”
There was a pause on the other end, as if the woman wasn’t used to hearing such a request through that particular line. Finally, she asked, “The Director?”
“Yes, the Director.”
“May I have your security clearance code please?”
Clark gave her nine digits. He heard the woman's keyboard clicking. After a long pause, she finally spoke again in a surprised voice. “Your code has been accepted. Please hold while I connect your call.”
Acknowledgments
It didn’t take me long to understand that I couldn’t write The Signal on my own. While the characters and the story arose from my own imagination, it soon became evident that the totality of producing a full-length novel was going to be a group effort.
In that regard, I was blessed with a wonderful group of friends and family, and I wouldn’t trade them for the world. They gave me information when I lacked it, and when I grew weary in the process they were always there to encourage me and to lift me up.
Let me start by thanking my family. My mother Ernestine gave me my love of reading, and if it weren’t for her then I never would’ve even considered a career in writing. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of reading at home with her. She would be in her chair with an Agatha Christie novel, and I would be in mine with a book by Edgar Rice Burroughs.
My siblings — Sara Sneeden, Susan Williford, Lynn Hardison, and Jimmy Sneeden — have also been extremely supportive. Just when I needed encouragement they would always seem to email me or bring up my book in conversation. There were times where they seemed more excited about the book than I was! I would also be remiss if I didn’t thank Susan’s husband Phil Williford, who coached me on the use of firearms.
Speaking of family, I am very blessed to have some wonderful nieces and nephews. All of them — Edith Sneeden, Jenna Hardison, Matt Williford, Michael Sneeden, Ross Williford, Scott Hardison and Zach Williford — have either supported me on social media, or like their parents they have encouraged me with all of their questions and interest. Michael and Edith have even offered to help market my book.
I would also like to thank my many friends. I’m not going to be able to name all of you here, so I won’t even try, but let me just say that I was absolutely overwhelmed by your response when I announced that I was writing a book. You stormed to Facebook in huge numbers, liked and commented on my posts, and were there from start to finish. I will never be able to thank you enough. You were the ones who have been there for me through thick and thin, and it did not go unnoticed. I often tell people I have the best friends in the world and I do.
Whatever you think of my writing, I think we can all agree that Damonza created a beautiful cover. I still remember the night I opened the proposed images for the first time. It was one of those rare moments in life where your mouth literally opens in amazement. Thanks specifically to the following people at Damonza: Damon, who oversaw the process; Alisha, who created the beautiful cover; and Benjamin, who is formatting the manuscript, an important and often overlooked job.
Editing is absolutely essential in producing a competent manuscript, and I was fortunate to have one of the best in the business, Red Adept Editing. I would first like to thank Lynn, the owner of Red Adept. I was amazed at how willing she was to talk on the phone whenever we needed to discuss something. You definitely don’t feel like a number when working with her. I would also like to thank Sarah, who spent hours upon hours finding my many mistakes and making my book a professional product. And lastly, thanks to Kristina for proofreading the story and providing a final polish.
I’d like to take the time now to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I am thankful for You above all else! You are the one who died for my sins and gave me life. You have been so patient and gracious with me over the years, and I will never be able to thank You enough. I hope that all will come to know You in a personal way.
Before leaving, let me say this: I have received help from a lot of sources, but any mistakes or errors in The Signal are my responsibility and mine alone. My career as an author is a work-in-progress, and as time goes on I hope to become more competent in my craft.
Lastly, thanks to you, my readers, for purchasing The Signal. I know there are a lot of ways you can spend your entertainment dollars, and I’m grateful you decided to give my novel a chance.
I hope you will join me in the next adventure.
About the Author
Thank you for reading my debut novel, The Signal. It is the first book in the Delphi Group series. The story has been a labor of love and, as previously noted, could not have been completed without the help of many people. When you write you tend to immerse yourself in the characters and in the story, and hopefully you were able to enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Speaking of my book, are you looking forward to finding out what happens next? Do you want answers to your lingering questions? If so, you’ll be pleased to know that I’m currently writing the sequel to The Signal, as well as an exciting new novel in another genre. You can be among the first to learn about future releases by signing up for my newsletter at:
www.johnsneeden.com
It’s a very easy process. I promise not to sell your address to anyone else, and I promise to only use the newsletter to inform my readers of new releases or special discounts.
You can also like my author page on Facebook (www.facebook.com/JohnSneedenAuthor), follow me on Twitter (@JohnSneeden), or email me at johnsneedenauthor@gmail.com. There are also links to my social media pages on the website.
Thank you again and I hope you will join me in the adventures to come!