“I got an email yesterday from an Army recruiter. I thought maybe it was just something they send out around your thirteenth birthday, but I did some checking. Turns out military recruiters target sociopaths. Turns out a lack of conscience is a good trait to have when your government asks you to murder thousands of enemy soldiers and innocent civilians.”
“Your points are well taken.”
“But you still won’t let me participate in CE-5?”
“It’s not up to me. I’m sorry.”
Michael stared at the ant farm, his pulse a steady 63 beats per minute. “I was wrong, Dr. M. There is one sociopath among the colony — it’s the queen. She’s the reason they stay in line.”
Lifting the ant farm in both hands, the teen smashed it upon the table, his right fist emerging from the blizzard of blue goop with a shard of glass which sliced through the air, opening Dr. Mohammad Mallouh’s throat.
There was no spurt of blood, no aftermath. The lights in the Global Village Pod simply flashed on, atomizing the hologram so that only the teen remained, his sensory suit popping loose as he rose from the bucket seat.
Climbing out of the pod, Michael Sutterfield left the basement to join his parents at the dinner table.
His mother smiled. “You’re just in time. How was school?”
“Good. Dr. Mallouh said to say hello.”
30
Adam gazed around the wood-paneled chamber as the eight Democrats and twelve Republican senators made their way to their high-backed leather chairs positioned around the half-moon-shaped dais. The chamber was filled to capacity, the audience squeezed into tightly-packed rows, Dr. Steven Greer among them. More important was the presence of the two C-SPAN cameras, one aimed at the members of the committee; the other at the witness table where the Under Secretary now sat with the individuals scheduled to give testimony during the morning session.
Senator Randy Hall took his place at the center of the dais. It had taken a lot of persuasion and the calling in of several terms worth of favors for the chairman to put together a quorum of committee members in what many in the Beltway were publicly touting as a “Department of Defense witch hunt.” It was one thing to talk about “plugging the Treasury’s leaky dam,” but no elected official wanted to be placed in a position to have to punish a defense contractor… not if they had any hope of being reelected.
Senator Hall turned on his microphone. “Good morning. “As it appears we have the minimum number of senators present to declare a quorum, I will ask everyone to take their seats so that we can begin. For the record let me state that this Hearing of the Appropriations Committee was requested by Adam Shariak, the Under Secretary of Defense — Comptroller as part of an internal investigation regarding the potential existence and funding of unaccounted for programs, collectively defined as Unacknowledged Special Access Projects. These USAPs are considered illegal if they lack approval by either the President of the United States or Congress.
“Because of existing family ties between the Under Secretary and myself, I am now going to recuse myself and turn the chair over to my esteemed colleague from Michigan, Senator Karen Sampson.”
The six-term Republican accepted Randy Hall’s handshake and gavel before situating herself in his chair. “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Under Secretary Shariak, before we call on your first witness to testify, perhaps you would explain to the committee what relevance Mr. Sheehan brings to this investigation.”
“Yes, Madam Chair. Because the witnesses we’ll be calling on to testify today and throughout the week were issued top security clearances and have taken a national security oath, it’s imperative that both they and the members of this committee understand that their testimony regarding illegal activities conducted by individuals or entities operating both within and outside the United States government in no way conflicts with that sworn oath. Mr. Sheehan’s experience in these matters qualifies him to address this issue and provide a necessary comfort level so that we may proceed.”
“Very well. If the witness will state his name and occupation for the record.”
The hulking man in his early seventies, with the mop of curly white hair, adjusted his microphone as he leaned in to address the members of the committee. “My name is Daniel Sheehan. I am an attorney, admitted to the bar of New York and Washington D.C. I have practiced civil law for almost forty years since graduating from Harvard Law School in 1970. Some of my more high profile cases as a constitutional trial lawyer include serving as one of the five defense attorneys assigned by the Cahill Gordon firm representing The New York Times in the Pentagon Papers case. I was one of the three trial lawyers in F. Lee Bailey’s firm assigned to represent James McCord in the Watergate burglary defense, and it was our office that persuaded Mr. McCord to write the letter to Judge John Sirrica which helped trace the chain of command of the Watergate burglars back to the White House. I was also chief counsel in the Karen Silkwood case against the Kerr McGee nuclear facility in Oklahoma, as well as the civil case against the illegal enterprises of Richard Secord and Albert Hakim, the gentlemen who were working with Lt. Colonel Oliver North.
“Prior to today’s hearing, I met with the Under Secretary and spoke with each eyewitness in regard to their involvement with these USAPs. Madame Chair, having done a great deal of analysis of the constitution, I am completely confident that the funding of these black ops projects is a violation of the Neutrality Act. The Neutrality Act is a federal statute under Title 18 of the United States code that prohibits private citizens from engaging in any type of war-like activities against any other non-United States entity without authorization from Congress. The Oath these eyewitnesses took, known as the Oath Upon Inadvertent Exposure To Classified Security Data Or Information, does not pertain to illegal activities which violate the Constitution and, therefore, the oath cannot be enforced.”
“Does the Committee have any questions for Mr. Sheehan? No? Then Mr. Sheehan you are excused. Under Secretary Shariak, you may call your next witness.”
A green-eyed, slightly balding Caucasian man in his early sixties took the microphone.
“Please state your name and occupation for the record.”
“My name is Jonathan Graham Wade and I make a living designing furniture. Prior to that, I spent thirty-seven years with the United States Air Force as a counter-intelligence officer in the Office of Special Investigations. My first assignment to what the Under Secretary refers to as a USAP occurred in the summer of 1979 when I was transferred to the Nevada Test site, which is now the Nevada Security Site. There are actually two different locations out there. There’s the test site — known as the DET-3 Test Center — and then there’s Groom Lake, better known as Area 51. I was with a detachment of test personnel from Edwards Air Force base assigned to the Groom Lake Complex. Because my primary responsibility was to conduct counter-intelligence operations at the base, I was briefed or read in on an Unacknowledged Special Access Project.”
“Can you tell us what that project involved, Mr. Wade.”
“Yes, ma’am. The project involved the United States government’s investigation of UFOs and the Air Force’s involvement with extraterrestrials.”
The chamber erupted with the buzz generated from a hundred side conversations.
Adam looked over his shoulder to steal a quick glance at Steven Greer. Instead of appearing pleased, the UFO expert had a grim look on his face.
The repetitive rapping of Senator Sampson’s gavel eventually quieted the crowd. “Another outburst like that and I’ll be forced to clear the chamber.” She stared down at the witness from her perch. “Really, Mr. Wade? This committee is investigating the potential existence of illicit defense funding and you want to turn this into a circus?”