Before 24 Billion and Counting

Chapter 21 Part 1 The forces of the State

I followed him into another temporary building with a label on the door Conference and Interview rooms.

I was led to interview room 2.

We sat at a table upon which were my cabin and hold baggage.

Lopez switched on a recorder, and introduced himself and me as his interviewee.

"Right Berisford. Could you confirm first that this is your cabin baggage, and these," he held up a plastic bag with my personal effects confiscated when I was first confined, "are your possessions you were carrying, and this," he patted the rucksack," is your luggage from the hold."

"Yes."

"I'm opening the hold baggage, and there is a plastic bag with a woollen pullover inside, and in the rear pocket is a CDR. Are these both yours?"

"Yes."

"What's on the CDR?"

"On the assumption that a substitution has not been made, a recording of a hologram movie of a mathematical visualization of the orbit of a comet."

"Who made it?"

"Do you mean who operated the camera? I did."

"No," he consulted, a notebook, "Who did the mathematical model."

"Staff at the observatory."  

"So you stole the information."

"No it was made co-operatively."

"It's classified information."

"It wasn't when I recorded it."

"That's as maybe. It's classified."

"So arrest me, which brings me to a question of my own. What's my status?"

"You are being held by by the United States Army until such time as we're satisfied you can be released or transferred to other authorities."

"So am I for instance a prisoner of war? If so I have rights under the Geneva convention."

His face flushed, and there was exasperation in his now raised voice. "That's lawyers talk. We're far from that. You're held by us until we decide what to do with you. When we have we'll tell you. Until that time you keep quiet and answer the questions. Understand?"

I said nothing. I had the confirmation I needed. This was a military operation.

"Do you understand?," bellowed Lopez.

"Sure. Ask your questions."

"That's it. Follow me."

He snapped the recorder off, and led me into the Conference room, as the door notice indicated.

On two chairs in the middle of the room, were Jacob and Will, a third empty chair was with them. There were tables and chairs arranged around the room surrounding the three central chairs.

Lopez walked out tossing a 'wait here' to me.

I nearly ran to Jacob as he and Will rose to greet me.

Jacob uninhibitedly hugged me, saying, "Man, am I glad to see you. How are you?"

Will, more formally grasped my hand, saying, "I thought, hoped - I don't know what I hoped."

"Looks like an inquisition for us," I said as I sat with them.

"Don't know," growled Jacob, "Where's Ellen?"

"She didn't make it. Killed by a rockfall."

"Oh shit. I'm sorry - so sorry. I thought you and she were -,"