Doherty, Robert. Area 51
Prologue
It came alive into darkness, wondering what had caused it
to wake and aware at the same time that it was much
weaker than ever before. The first priority was time. How
long had it been asleep? The weakness gave the answer.
Dividing half-lives of its power source, it calculated that
almost fifty revolutions of this planet around the system
star had passed since last it had been conscious.
The data from sensors was examined and found to be
indeterminate. Whatever signal had tripped the alarms and
kicked in the emergency power had to have been strong
and vital but was now gone. Its sleep level had been so
deep that all the recorded data showed was that there had
been a signal. The nature of the signal, the source of the
signal, both had been lost.
The Makers had not anticipated such a long time before
resupply of the power source. It knew there was not much
time left to its already very long life before the power sup-
ply slipped below the absolute minimum to keep it func-
tioning even in hibernation.
A decision needed to be made. Should it divert power to
sensors in case the signal were repeated, or should it go
back to deep sleep, conserving power for time? But if the
signal had been vital, and the sensor log said it was indeed
so, then there might not be much time left.
The decision was made as quickly as the question had
P R O L O C U E
been posed. Power was allocated. The sensors were given 1
more power to stay at a higher alert status in order to catch
a repeat of the signal. A time limit of one planetary orbit
about the system star was put on the sensors, at which time
they would automatically awaken it and the decision could
be reconsidered.
It went back to a lighter sleep, knowing that the decision
to divert power to sensors for an orbit would cost it almost
ten orbits of sleep when the power got lower, but it ac-
cepted that. That was its job.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
T-147 HOURS
The grocery bag Kelly Reynolds was holding ripped open
as she unlocked her mailbox and a twelve-pack of Diet
Coke burst open on impact with the ground, sending cans
everywhere. It had been that kind of day, she reflected as
she gathered in the errant cans. She'd spent it interviewing
local bar owners on Second Avenue for an article she was
writing, and two of her five appointments had failed to
show.
She stuffed the mail into the remnants of the bag and
made her way to her apartment, dropping the entire mess
on the table in her tiny kitchen. She filled a mug with water
and pushed it into the microwave, setting the timer, then
leaned back against the counter, giving herself the two
minutes before the beeper sounded to relax. She studied
her reflection in the kitchen window, which looked out
onto a back alley in Nashville's West End. Kelly was short,
just over five feet, but big boned. She carried her weight
well thanks to her morning routine of sit-ups and push-ups,
but the combination of bulk and lack of height made her
look like a compressed version of a person who should be
four inches taller. Her hair was thick and brown, streaked
with gray for the last ten years. Kelly had made the effort
ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51
2 3
to keep the original color for a year or so, then had given audiocassette fall out along with several pages. She picked
up, accepting what time had dealt her after forty-two years up the cover letter and read.
on the planet.
The microwave dinged and she removed the mug and Hey Kelly, 3 Nov 96
placed a tea bag into it, allowing the water to soak through.
While she was waiting for that, she pulled out the mail, I was trying to think of who to send a copy of this
interested most in the thick brown envelope that she'd no- tape to, and you were the first name that popped into
ticed as the cans had fallen. The return address made her my head--especially after what happened to you eight
smile: Phoenix, Arizona. It had to be from Johnny Sim- years ago with that joker from Nellis Air Force Base in
mons, an old friend from her graduate days at Vanderbilt. Nevada.
Actually, more than an old friend, Kelly reminded herself I got a package in the mail last week that included a
as her mind focused on those years a decade and a half letter and an audiotape--no return address and post-
ago. marked Las Vegas. I think I know who sent it, though.
Johnny had caught her on the rebound after her first He wouldn't be hard to find. I want you to listen to it.
husband had dumped her. She'd anchored her psyche in So go find a Walkman or go over to your stereo now.
his emotional harbor for several months. When she'd fi- Don't pass go, don't collect two hundred dollars, and
nally felt like something of a whole human being again, take this letter with you. I mean NOW! I knew you
she'd discovered that while she truly cared for Johnny, she were still standing there. Put the tape in, but don't
didn't have that special spark for him that she felt was start it yet.
necessary for an intimate relationship. Johnny had been
very nice about it and they'd backed off, not speaking to Kelly smiled as she walked over to her stereo system
each other for a while, then slowly reentered each other's precariously perched on a bookcase made up of cinder
lives, testing the waters of friendship. blocks and planks of wood. Johnny knew her and he had a
Kelly felt they had cemented that friendship after three good sense of humor, but even the humor couldn't erase
years when Johnny had returned from a photojournalist the instant bad feeling the Nellis Air Force Base reference
assignment into El Salvador, where he had been docu- had evoked. That Air Force intelligence officer had de-
menting right-wing death squads. He'd holed up in her stroyed her career in filmmaking.
apartment for two months, decompressing from that Pushing away the negative thoughts, Kelly put the tape
ordeal. One or the other would call every month or so and in, then continued reading.
they would catch up on their lives and know there was
someone out there who cared. Last she'd heard, he was Okay. I'll give you the same information that was in
also working freelance, doing articles for whichever maga- the letter I received with the tape. In fact, I'll give you
zine was willing to cough up some money. a copy of the letter that came with it. Next page, if you
She slit the envelope open and was surprised to see an please.
4 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51 5
Kelly turned the page to find a Xerox copy of a typewrit- wasn't someone holding a tape recorder up to a radio
ten letter. speaker. There was a clear hiss of static at the end of each
transmission and three distinct voices, as the letter had
indicated.
Mister Simmons,
In this package you will find a tape recording I made "Victor Two Three, this is Dreamland Control. You
on the evening of 23 October of this year. I was scan- are violating restricted airspace. You will immediately
ning the UHF wavelength. I often listen in to the turn on a heading of one-eight-zero.
pilots out of Nellis Air Force Base conducting opera- "Victor Two Three, this is Dreamland Control. Re-
tions. It was while doing just that, that I picked up the peat, you are violating restricted airspace. Turn imme-
exchange you will listen to. diately on a heading of one-eight-zero. Over."
As near as I can tell, it is between the pilot of an
F-15 (Victor Two Three), the control tower at Nellis, A new voice cut in, this one with the muted roar of jet
which uses the call sign Dreamland, and the flight engines in the background.
commander of the F-15 pilot (Victor Six).
The pilot was taking part in the Red Flag, force on "Victor Two Three, this is Victor Six. Comply immedi-
force, exercises at Nellis. These exercises are where ately with Dreamland Control. Over."
the Air Force trains its fighter pilots in simulated com-
bat. They have a whole squadron of Soviet-style air- "Six, this is Two Three. I'll be out of here in a flash.
craft at the Groom Lake complex on the Nellis Over."
Reservation to use in this training.
I'll let you draw your own conclusions from the "Negative, Two Three. This is Dreamland Control.
tape. You will comply with our instructions ASAP. Over."
You want to talk to me, come to Vegas. Go to the
"mailbox." You don't know what that is, ask around The commander came back on.
and you'll find it. I'll come to you.
The Captain "They got you, Slick. Comply. You know we can't mess
with restricted airspace. Over."
Kelly turned the page. She smiled as she read.
"This is Two Three, I will-- What the fuck! I've got--
Listen to the tape now. Christ, I don't know what the hell it is. A bogey at
three o'clock and climbing. I've never--"
Using her remote, she turned the stereo on and pushed
play. The voices were surprisingly clear, which made Kelly The quiet, implacable voice of Dreamland Control cut
wonder at the machinery used to make the tape. This in.
6 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51 7
"Two Three, you will immediately cease transmitting, The tape ended. Kelly sat still for a few seconds, consid-
turn on a heading of one-eight-zero and descend for a ering what she had heard. She knew the name Dreamland
landing at Groom Lake. That is a direct order. Over." well. She picked up Simmons's letter.
The pilot of the F-15 was growing more agitated. Yeah, I know exactly what you're thinking, Kelly. It
could be a hoax or a setup like they did on you. But I
"This thing has no wings! And, man, it's moving. It's talked to a friend of mine over at the local Air Force
closing on me. We got a live one! I'm--" base. He said that some of that sky out there near
Nellis is the most restricted airspace in the country,
There was a hiss of static. even more so than that over the White House in D.C.
He also said that pilots in the Red Flag exercises
"--was close!" Static. "On top of--" Static. "--my sometimes try to skate the edges of their aerial playing
God! It's turning--" Static. "Jesus! It's--" The voice field on the regular Nellis Range and gain a tactical
was suddenly cut off. advantage by cutting across the restricted airspace. If
that pilot did wander over the Groom Lake/Area 51
"Two Three! This is Six. What's your status, Slick? complex or try to cut a corner, he might have seen
Over." something he wasn't supposed to. Obviously he ran
into something.
Silence. You know me. I'm heading out there to take a look.
There's enough interest in all of this that even if I get
"Break, Dreamland Control, this is Victor Six. Do you nothing about the pilot, I ought to at least be able to
have Two Three on scope? Over." write a couple of articles about the Groom Lake com-
plex. Maybe Technical or some other science-type
"Victor Six, this is Dreamland Control. You will return magazine will buy.
to Nellis Airfield immediately. The exercise is can- So I'll be out there on the night of the ninth. Now, I
celed. All aircraft are ordered grounded immediately. plan on being back home the tenth. I don't want to
You will remain in your plane until cleared by security hang around there any longer than I have to. I'll give
personnel. Over." you a call, regardless, on the tenth by nine in the
morning. At the absolute least if I can't quite make it
"I want to know the status of Two Three. Over." home by then I'll change the message on my answer-
ing machine by remote before 9:00 A.M. on the tenth.
"We've lost Two Three from our scope. We are initiat- I know all this sounds melodramatic,.but when I
ing search and rescue. Comply with orders. There are went down to El Salvador--a place no one remembers
to be no more transmissions. Out." nowadays--it stood me in good stead to have some-
8 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51 9
one waiting on a call. Held the assholes off from beat- NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE RANGE,
ing me too bad or keeping me forever when I got VICINITY GROOM LAKE
caught in places I wasn't supposed to be. So if you T-144 HOURS
don't hear from me by 9:00 A.M. on the tenth, it means "Wait here," Franklin ordered as he braked the battered
I got caught. Then I trust you to figure out what to do. Bronco II to a halt. There was no flash of brake lights. He
You owe me, bud!
Wish me luck. By the way, if by chance--da-da-de- had pulled the fuse for them prior to turning onto this dirt
dum--drumroll, please, I get scarfed up by the author- road. Johnny Simmons leaned forward in the passenger
ities, you have a copy of the tape and the letter, and seat and squinted into the darkness. He had to assume that
also I've enclosed a key to my apartment. Franklin was so familiar with the road that he was able to
Thanks. drive it without headlights. Although the road did stand
All of my love, all of my kisses! out as a lighter straight line on the otherwise dark ground,
the trip through the dark was unnerving.
Johnny
Simmons rubbed his forehead. They were up several
Kelly didn't need to check the calendar. The ninth was thousand feet in altitude and he felt a bit of a headache
this evening. She gathered the tape out of her stereo and from the thinner air. He was a tall, thin man, his pale skin
took it, along with the letters, to her desk. Then she used liberally sprinkled with freckles. Simmons appeared to be
the key around her neck to open the file drawer. She with- much younger than his thirty-eight years and his disheveled
drew a file labeled "Nellis" and laid it on the desktop. mane of bright red hair only added to the youthful image.
Flipping it open, she saw that the first document inside Franklin walked to one side of the road and disappeared
was a typed letter on official Air Force stationery. The sig- into the darker countryside for a few minutes, then his
nature block at the bottom indicated it was from the Public shadow crossed the road and was gone for a few more
Affairs Officer at the base: Major Prague. minutes. When he returned, he was holding four short
"Asshole," Kelly muttered as she remembered the man. green plastic rods in his hands.
She place Johnny Simmons's letter and the tape inside, "Antennas for the sensors," he explained. "I found the
then replaced the folder in the drawer and locked it. The sensors last month. I wondered why the camo dudes were
surface of the desk was clear, except for a silver-framed always onto me so quick. They'd show up within twenty
black-and-white photo of a young man dressed in khaki. minutes of me hitting this road. Then they'd call in the
He wore a black beret, and a Sten gun was slung over his sheriff and it was just a plain hassle."
shoulder. "How'd you find the detectors?" Simmons asked, co-
She was thoughtful as she kicked back in her chair and vertly making sure the voice-activated microcassette re-
considered the photo. "Sounds like Johnny has nibbled at corder in his jacket pocket was turned on.
the hook, Dad." She tapped a pencil against her lip, then "I used a receiver that scanned the band lengths. I drove
sighed. "Damn you, Johnny. You're always causing trouble, around and stopped when I picked up something transmit-
but this time I think you may have gone too far." ting," Franklin said. "Right at 495.45 megahertz."
1 ROBERT DOHERTY
AREA 51 11
"Why four antennas?" Simmons asked. "Wouldn't two him. They'd passed the "mailbox" farther back on the dirt
do?" road about twenty minutes ago and there had been two
Franklin shook his head. "They're deployed in pairs on cars and a van parked there. UFO watchers had waved at
either side of the road. That way they can tell which way the Bronco as they drove by. The mailbox, which was an
you're going by the order they're tripped in." Franklin actual small battered metal mailbox on the side of the
talked quickly, eager to impress Simmons with his knowl- road, was the last safe place to observe the sky over the
edge. Groom Lake/Area 51 complex. To Johnny it was obvious
The simple logic quieted Simmons for a few moments. that the watchers there weren't surprised to see Franklin's
For the first time he wondered if he was biting off more truck drive by.
than he could chew here. Since Area 51 wasn't listed on Franklin threw the truck in gear and rolled forward
any topographic maps, and all roads leading onto the Nellis about a hundred feet. "The sensors pick up ground vibes
Reservation were posted with no trespassing signs with om- from passing vehicles, but they don't trip on people walk-
inous threats printed in red, Simmons had sought help. ing or animals. Then they transmit that information back
He'd met Franklin in Rachel, a small town on Route 375 to whoever is in charge of security for this place. Without
that ran along the northeast side of the Nellis Reservation. the antennas they can't transmit. We're out of range now.
Franklin was the person he'd been pointed to by "experts" Back in a second." He stepped out and was gone for sev-
in the UFO field as the man to see about getting a look at eral more minutes as he screwed the antennas back into
Area 51, the place the Air Force pilot had been overflying the sensors.
when he'd been accosted by Dreamland Control and what- They went another two miles down the road, then Frank-
ever unknown object the pilot had seen. lin pulled off into the lee of a large ridge that rose up to
Simmons hadn't been too surprised to find Franklin a the west like a solid, sloping black wall: White Sides Moun-
young bearded man who looked more like he ought to be tain. Simmons stepped out, following Franklin's lead.
doing poetry reading at a college than leading people to "It's going to get colder," Franklin said in a low voice as
look at a classified government facility. Franklin worked he pulled a small backpack out of the rear of his truck.
out of a small, dilapidated house where he self-published a Simmons was glad he had packed the extra sweater. He
monthly newsletter for UFO enthusiasts. He'd been pulled it over his head, then put his jacket back on over it.
thrilled when he'd seen Simmons's credentials and publish- It had been reasonably warm in Rachel, but with the de-
ing history. At last someone with a little bit of credibility parture of the sun, the temperature had plummeted.
and pull, had been the way Franklin had put it, and he'd They both turned as they heard a low roar coming in
promised to put Simmons as close to Area 51, the code from the eastern horizon. The sound grew louder, then
name for the Groom Lake complex, as he possibly could. Franklin pointed. "There. See the running lights?" He
Simmons wondered if Franklin might not be the "Cap- snorted. "Some of the people who camp out at the mailbox
tain" who had sent him the tape and letter, but he didn't mistake aircraft running lights for UFOs. When a plane's
think so. There didn't seem to be any need for the subter- in its final flight path the lights seem to just hover, espe-
fuge, and Franklin had seemed genuinely surprised to see cially since it comes in almost straight over the mailbox."
12 ROBERT DOHERTY
AREA 51 13
"Is that the 737 you told me about?" Simmons asked. "Ready," Simmons acknowledged.
Franklin giggled nervously. "No, that's not her." The air- "Let's do it." Franklin took a few deep breaths, then
plane banked over their heads and disappeared over White headed for a cut in the steep mountainside and began
Sides Mountain, descending for a landing on the other striding up. Simmons followed, his boots making a surpris-
side. A second one, just like the first, came by less than ingly loud clatter in the darkness as he scrambled up the
thirty seconds later. "Those are Air Force transports. Me- loose rock.
dium-sized ones, probably C-130 Hercules. You can hear "Think we were spotted?" Simmons asked.
the turboprop engines. Must be bringing in something. Franklin shrugged, the gesture lost in the dark. "Well, we
They haul in pretty much all their equipment and supplies know the sensors didn't pick us up. If there was a camo
to Area 51 by plane." dude out there in the dark and he saw my truck going down
They heard the abrupt increase in the whine of engines the road, then the sheriff will be here in about a half hour.
and the sound lasted for a few minutes, then silence We'll see the lights from above. The camo dudes, who are
reigned again. the outer perimeter security people for the complex, will
He held out his hand. "Camera." drive by on this side of the ridge, maybe even come up
Simmons hesitated. The Minolta with long-range lens prior to showtime if they saw we had cameras, another
hanging around his neck was as much a part of his clothing good reason not to bring them. The fact we haven't seen
as the sweater. anyone yet means there's a good chance we weren't spot-
"We agreed," Franklin said. "A whole lot less hassle all ted. If we weren't spotted, then we can spend the whole
around if the sheriff shows. You saw the negatives and night up top without getting hassled."
prints back at the office that I've already taken of the com- "Doesn't the Air Force get pissed at you for messing
plex. They were taken in daylight, too, with a better camera with their equipment?" Simmons asked as Franklin led the
than you have. Much better than you could get at night way.
even with special film and long exposure." "Don't know." Franklin giggled again, the sound irritat-
Simmons removed the camera, the loss of the weight ing Simmons. "I imagine they would if they knew it was
around his neck an irritant. He also didn't like the idea of me. But they don't, so screw 'em. We're still on public land
having to pay Franklin for photos he could take himself. and will be the whole way," Franklin explained, slowing a
Plus what if they spotted something happening? He had bit when he recognized his paying guest's more modest
noted Franklin stuffing a camera into his backpack when pace. "But if the sheriff comes here, he'll confiscate the
they were leaving earlier in the day. Simmons understood film anyway, so it's easier to simply not haul the weight up.
Franklin's scam: he wanted exclusive footage if anything Plus, we got us sort of a gentleman's agreement. This is the
happened and he wanted to make extra money selling his only spot left in the public domain that you can see the
own photos. Simmons handed his camera to the younger runway from since the Air Force purchased most of
man, who locked it in the back of the truck. Franklin the northeast section last year. Most people stay back at
grinned, his teeth reflecting the bright moon hanging over- the mailbox because they don't want to get hassled, but we
head. "Ready?" aren't doing anything illegal by climbing this mountain.
14 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51 15
"But soon it won't be legal to come here," Franklin con- the men watching a bank of computer screens announced.
tinued. "The Air Force is trying to get this land too. Once There were three rows of consoles with computers lining
they get it you won't be able to see into the lake bed from the floor of the room, facing forward. On the front wall a
anywhere in the public domain. And you sure as hell can't twenty-foot-wide by ten-high screen dominated the room.
overfly this place. It was capable of displaying virtually any information that
"Earlier this year they seized a bunch of the land over was desired, from maps of the world to satellite imagery.
that way Franklin pointed to the north from the Bu- The Cube operations chief, Major Quinn, looked over
reau of Land Management, which had control of it. I used his man's shoulder. Quinn was of medium height and build.
to watch from there occasionally." He had thinning blond hair and wore large tortoiseshell
Franklin gave Simmons a hand as they made it over the glasses to accommodate the split lenses for both distance
lip of the cut onto the side of the ridge proper. "They and close up. He ran his tongue nervously over his lips,
wanted it all, but the law says that over a certain acreage, then glanced at the back of the room at a figure sitting at
there have to be hearings, so the Air Force seized up to the main control console.
their limit the last couple of years and they'll probably do it Quinn was perturbed to have intruders nosing around
again this year, until they get all they want, piece by piece." tonight. There was too much planned, and most impor-
Simmons would have liked to ask a few more questions tantly, General Gullick, the project commander, was here,
but he was too winded to do anything but grunt. and the general made everyone nervous. The general's seat
"We have another eight hundred feet of altitude to was on a raised dais that could oversee all that went on
make," Franklin said. below. Directly behind it a door led to a corridor, off of
which branched a conference room, Gullick's office and
sleeping quarters, rest rooms, and a small galley. The
THE CUBE, AREA 51 freight elevator opened on the right side of the main gal-
T-143 HOURS, 37 MINUTES lery. There was the quiet hum of machinery in the room
along with the slight hiss of filtered air being pushed into
The underground room measured eighty by a hundred fee the room by large fans in the hangar above.
and could only be reached from the massive hangars cu "What happened to the sensors?" Quinn asked as he
into the side of Groom Mountain above via a large freigh checked his own laptop computer terminal. "I've got a
elevator. It was called the Cube by those who worked it blank on the road."
it-the only ones who actually knew of its existence other "I don't know about the road," the operator reported.
than the members of Majic-12, the oversight committee for But there they are," he added, pointing at his screen.
the whole project at Dreamland. Cube was easier on the They might have walked in, skirting the sensors."
tongue than the room's formal designation, Command anc The glowing outlines of two men could clearly be seen.
Control Central, or even the official shortened form: C3, or The thermal scope mounted on top of a mountain six miles
C cubed. to the east of White Sides Mountain was feeding a perfect
"We've got two hot ones in sector alpha four," one of image to this room, two hundred feet underneath Groom
16 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51 17
Mountain, twelve miles to the west of where the two men Force Academy thirty years ago. His broad shoulders filled
were. Thermal was extremely efficient in this terrain at out his blue uniform and his stomach was as flat as when he
spotting people at night. The sudden drop from daylight had played linebacker for the Academy team. The only
temperature made the heat difference between living crea- obvious differences the years had made were the lines in
tures and the surrounding terrain a large one. his black face and the totally smooth-shaven skull--a final
Quinn took a deep breath. This was not good. It meant assault on the hair that had started to turn gray a decade
the men were past the outer security, known to locals as ago.
the "camo dudes," but known in here as Air Force security It was as if he could sniff trouble, Quinn thought. "We
police, with low-level clearances, who could turn them have two intruders, sir," he reported, pointing at the
away or could bring in the sheriff to run them off. Since the screen. Then he added the bad news. "They're already in
Air Force security police didn't know what was really going sector alpha four."
on at Area 51, their use was restricted to the outer perime- The general didn't ask about the road sensors. That ex-
ter. Quinn did not want to alert the inner security person- planation would have to come later and wouldn't change
nel yet because that would require informing the general of the present situation in the slightest. The general had
the penetration. Also, he was getting more and more con- earned a reputation as a hard-nosed squadron leader in the
cerned about some of the methods the inner security peo- Vietnam war, flying F-6 Phantoms in close support of
ple used. ground troops. Quinn had heard rumors about Gullick, the
Quinn decided to handle it as quietly as he could. "Get usual scuttlebutt that went around in even the most secret
in the security police." military unit, that the general, as a young captain, had been
"The intruders are inside the outer perimeter," the op- known for dropping his ordnance "danger close"--inside
erator protested. the safety distances to friendly ground units--in his zeal to
"I know that," Quinn said in a low voice. "But let's try to kill the enemy. If some friendlies got injured in the process,
keep this low key. We can pull a couple of the security Gullick figured they would have been hurt in the ground
police in as long as the intruders stay on that side of the fight anyway.
mountain." "Alert Landscape," Gullick snapped.
The operator turned and spoke into his mike, giving or- "I've got the air police moving in--" Quinn began.
ders. "Negative," Gullick said. "There's too much going on
Quinn straightened as General Gullick turned from the tonight. I want those people gone before Nightscape
massive screen. It was currently displaying the world's sur- launches." Gullick turned away and walked over to another
face in the form of an electronic Mercator conformal map. officer.
"Status?" the general snapped, his voice a deep bass that Quinn reluctantly gave the orders for Landscape to
reminded Quinn of James Earl Jones. Gullick walked move. He glanced up at the main screen. Just above it a
down the metal steps from his area toward Quinn. The small digital display read T-143 HOURS, 34 MINUTES. Quinn bit
general was over six and a half feet tall and still carried the inside of his lower lip. He didn't understand why they
himself as erect as he had when he was a cadet at the Air were launching a Nightscape mission this evening with the
18 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51 19
mothership test flight only a little under six nights away. It "The C-130's in?" Gullick asked, this time focusing on
was just one of several things that had been occurring over Quinn.
the past year that didn't make sense to Quinn. But the "Landed thirty minutes ago, sir," Quinn replied.
general brooked no discussion and had gotten even mood- "The Osprey?"
ier than usual as the countdown got closer. "Ready to go."
Quinn had worked in the Cube for four years now. He "Start the recall."
was the senior ranking man not on the panel--Majic-12-- Quinn hastened to do as he was ordered.
that ran the Cube and all its assorted activities. As such he
was the link between all the military and contract person-
nel and Majic-12. When Majic staff was gone, as they often
were, it was Quinn who was responsible for the day-to-day
operation of the Cube and the entire Area 51 complex.
Those below Quinn knew only what they needed in order
to do their specific jobs. Those on Majic-12 knew every-
thing. Quinn was somewhere in the middle. He was privy
to much information, but he was also aware there was
quite a bit that he wasn't given access to. But even he had
been able to tell that things were changing now. The rush
on the mothership, the Nightscape missions, and various,
other events were all out of the norm that had been estab-
lished his first three years assigned here. The Cube and all
it controlled was abnormal enough; Quinn didn't appreci-
tate Gullick and Majic-12 adding to the stress.
General Gullick crooked a finger and Quinn hastened
over to stand with him behind another operator whose
screen showed a live satellite downlink, also with thermal
imaging. "Anything at the mission support site?" Gullick
asked.
"MSS is clear, sir."
Gullick glanced over at a third officer whose screens
showed multiple video feeds of large hangars with rock
walls--the view of what was right above them. "Bouncer
Three's status?"
"Ready, sir."
AREA 51 21
sity of Maine at Orono. That dream had been crunched
2 during a game his sophomore year by a pair of defensive
backs from the University of New Hampshire. His knee
had been reconstructed, then his scholarship terminated.
Faced with the prospect of going back to the logging
camps, Turcotte had enlisted the aid of the lieutenant colo-
nel in charge of the small army ROTC program at the
university. They'd found a friendly doctor to fudge on the
physical and the army had picked up where the football
team had fallen off.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA Turcotte had graduated with a degree in forestry and
T-143 HOURS received a commission in the army. His first assignment
had been with the infantry in the Tenth Mountain Division.
"Sprechen Sie Deutsch?" The pace at Fort Drum had proved too slow and first
Mike Turcotte turned with a blank expression to the man chance he had, Turcotte had volunteered for Special
who had spoken. "Excuse me?" Forces training. The warrant officer giving him his Special
The other man chuckled. "I heard you came here from Forces physical had looked at the scars on his knee and
those high-speed counterterrorist boys in Germany, but I signed off on the paperwork with a wink, figuring anyone
like that response. Don't know nothing, didn't come from crazy enough to try Special Forces wasn't going to let a
nowhere. That's good. You'll fit in well here." little thing like a reconstructed knee stop him.
The man's name was Prague, at least that was how he But it almost had. During the intense selection and as-
had introduced himself to Turcotte earlier in the evening sessment training the knee had stayed swollen, causing
when they'd met at McCarren Airport. Upon meeting him Turcotte intense pain. He'd walked on it nonetheless, fin-
Turcotte had immediately sized up the other man physi- ishing the long overland movements with heavy rucksack as
cally. Prague was a tall, lean man, with black eyes and a quickly as he could, as his classmates fell by the wayside.
smooth, expressionless face. His build contrasted with After starting with two hundred and forty men, at the end
Turcotte's, which was average height, just shy of five feet of training there were slightly over a hundred left and
ten inches. Turcotte's physique was not one of bulging mus- Turcotte was one of them.
cles but rather the solid, thick muscular physique some Turcotte had loved the Special Forces and served in vari-
people are born with, not that he hadn't maintained it over ous assignments up until his last one, which had not turned
the years with a constant physical regime. His skin was out well in his view. Now he had been handpicked to be
dark, natural for his half-Canuck, half-Indian background assigned to this unit, of which he knew nothing except it
He'd grown up in the forests of northern Maine, where the was highly classified and went by the designation of Delta
major industries were lumber and hard drinking. His shot Operations, which made Turcotte wonder if the name had
out of town had been a football scholarship to the Univer- been deliberately chosen to be confused with Delta Force,
22 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51 23
the elite counterterrorist force at Fort Bragg with whom he of work in Special Operations had cultivated, wondered if
had worked occasionally when stationed with Detachment Lisa Duncan was who she said she was, regardless of her
A in Berlin--a classified Special Forces unit responsible fancy ID card. This might be some sort of test of his loyalty
for terrorism control in Europe. set up by Delta Operations itself.
There wasn't even any scuttlebutt about Delta Opera- Duncan had told him he was not to inform anyone of his
tions, which was rather amazing among the close-knit Spe- meeting with her, but that had immediately put him in a
cial Operations community. It meant one of two things: bind the minute he had met Prague at the Las Vegas air-
Either no one was ever reassigned out of Delta Operations port. Withholding that information meant he was already
and therefore no stories could be told, or those reassigned in subtle conflict with his new organization, not a good way
out of it kept their mouths completely sealed, which was to start an assignment. What was real and what wasn't,
more likely. Turcotte knew civilians found it difficult to Turcotte didn't know. He'd decided on the plane from
credit, but most military men he had worked with believed Washington to Las Vegas to do what Duncan had said,
in the oaths of secrecy they swore. keep his eyes and ears open, his mouth shut, and ride what-
But the thing that concerned Turcotte was that there ever roller coaster he had been put onto until he could
were two levels to this assignment. As far as Prague and make up his own mind.
Delta Operations knew he was just another new man with Turcotte had expected to be driven straight out to Nellis
a security clearance and a background in Special Opera- Air Force Base from the airfield. That was the destination
Prologue
It came alive into darkness, wondering what had caused it
to wake and aware at the same time that it was much
weaker than ever before. The first priority was time. How
long had it been asleep? The weakness gave the answer.
Dividing half-lives of its power source, it calculated that
almost fifty revolutions of this planet around the system
star had passed since last it had been conscious.
The data from sensors was examined and found to be
indeterminate. Whatever signal had tripped the alarms and
kicked in the emergency power had to have been strong
and vital but was now gone. Its sleep level had been so
deep that all the recorded data showed was that there had
been a signal. The nature of the signal, the source of the
signal, both had been lost.
The Makers had not anticipated such a long time before
resupply of the power source. It knew there was not much
time left to its already very long life before the power sup-
ply slipped below the absolute minimum to keep it func-
tioning even in hibernation.
A decision needed to be made. Should it divert power to
sensors in case the signal were repeated, or should it go
back to deep sleep, conserving power for time? But if the
signal had been vital, and the sensor log said it was indeed
so, then there might not be much time left.
The decision was made as quickly as the question had
P R O L O C U E
been posed. Power was allocated. The sensors were given 1
more power to stay at a higher alert status in order to catch
a repeat of the signal. A time limit of one planetary orbit
about the system star was put on the sensors, at which time
they would automatically awaken it and the decision could
be reconsidered.
It went back to a lighter sleep, knowing that the decision
to divert power to sensors for an orbit would cost it almost
ten orbits of sleep when the power got lower, but it ac-
cepted that. That was its job.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
T-147 HOURS
The grocery bag Kelly Reynolds was holding ripped open
as she unlocked her mailbox and a twelve-pack of Diet
Coke burst open on impact with the ground, sending cans
everywhere. It had been that kind of day, she reflected as
she gathered in the errant cans. She'd spent it interviewing
local bar owners on Second Avenue for an article she was
writing, and two of her five appointments had failed to
show.
She stuffed the mail into the remnants of the bag and
made her way to her apartment, dropping the entire mess
on the table in her tiny kitchen. She filled a mug with water
and pushed it into the microwave, setting the timer, then
leaned back against the counter, giving herself the two
minutes before the beeper sounded to relax. She studied
her reflection in the kitchen window, which looked out
onto a back alley in Nashville's West End. Kelly was short,
just over five feet, but big boned. She carried her weight
well thanks to her morning routine of sit-ups and push-ups,
but the combination of bulk and lack of height made her
look like a compressed version of a person who should be
four inches taller. Her hair was thick and brown, streaked
with gray for the last ten years. Kelly had made the effort
ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51
2 3
to keep the original color for a year or so, then had given audiocassette fall out along with several pages. She picked
up, accepting what time had dealt her after forty-two years up the cover letter and read.
on the planet.
The microwave dinged and she removed the mug and Hey Kelly, 3 Nov 96
placed a tea bag into it, allowing the water to soak through.
While she was waiting for that, she pulled out the mail, I was trying to think of who to send a copy of this
interested most in the thick brown envelope that she'd no- tape to, and you were the first name that popped into
ticed as the cans had fallen. The return address made her my head--especially after what happened to you eight
smile: Phoenix, Arizona. It had to be from Johnny Sim- years ago with that joker from Nellis Air Force Base in
mons, an old friend from her graduate days at Vanderbilt. Nevada.
Actually, more than an old friend, Kelly reminded herself I got a package in the mail last week that included a
as her mind focused on those years a decade and a half letter and an audiotape--no return address and post-
ago. marked Las Vegas. I think I know who sent it, though.
Johnny had caught her on the rebound after her first He wouldn't be hard to find. I want you to listen to it.
husband had dumped her. She'd anchored her psyche in So go find a Walkman or go over to your stereo now.
his emotional harbor for several months. When she'd fi- Don't pass go, don't collect two hundred dollars, and
nally felt like something of a whole human being again, take this letter with you. I mean NOW! I knew you
she'd discovered that while she truly cared for Johnny, she were still standing there. Put the tape in, but don't
didn't have that special spark for him that she felt was start it yet.
necessary for an intimate relationship. Johnny had been
very nice about it and they'd backed off, not speaking to Kelly smiled as she walked over to her stereo system
each other for a while, then slowly reentered each other's precariously perched on a bookcase made up of cinder
lives, testing the waters of friendship. blocks and planks of wood. Johnny knew her and he had a
Kelly felt they had cemented that friendship after three good sense of humor, but even the humor couldn't erase
years when Johnny had returned from a photojournalist the instant bad feeling the Nellis Air Force Base reference
assignment into El Salvador, where he had been docu- had evoked. That Air Force intelligence officer had de-
menting right-wing death squads. He'd holed up in her stroyed her career in filmmaking.
apartment for two months, decompressing from that Pushing away the negative thoughts, Kelly put the tape
ordeal. One or the other would call every month or so and in, then continued reading.
they would catch up on their lives and know there was
someone out there who cared. Last she'd heard, he was Okay. I'll give you the same information that was in
also working freelance, doing articles for whichever maga- the letter I received with the tape. In fact, I'll give you
zine was willing to cough up some money. a copy of the letter that came with it. Next page, if you
She slit the envelope open and was surprised to see an please.
4 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51 5
Kelly turned the page to find a Xerox copy of a typewrit- wasn't someone holding a tape recorder up to a radio
ten letter. speaker. There was a clear hiss of static at the end of each
transmission and three distinct voices, as the letter had
indicated.
Mister Simmons,
In this package you will find a tape recording I made "Victor Two Three, this is Dreamland Control. You
on the evening of 23 October of this year. I was scan- are violating restricted airspace. You will immediately
ning the UHF wavelength. I often listen in to the turn on a heading of one-eight-zero.
pilots out of Nellis Air Force Base conducting opera- "Victor Two Three, this is Dreamland Control. Re-
tions. It was while doing just that, that I picked up the peat, you are violating restricted airspace. Turn imme-
exchange you will listen to. diately on a heading of one-eight-zero. Over."
As near as I can tell, it is between the pilot of an
F-15 (Victor Two Three), the control tower at Nellis, A new voice cut in, this one with the muted roar of jet
which uses the call sign Dreamland, and the flight engines in the background.
commander of the F-15 pilot (Victor Six).
The pilot was taking part in the Red Flag, force on "Victor Two Three, this is Victor Six. Comply immedi-
force, exercises at Nellis. These exercises are where ately with Dreamland Control. Over."
the Air Force trains its fighter pilots in simulated com-
bat. They have a whole squadron of Soviet-style air- "Six, this is Two Three. I'll be out of here in a flash.
craft at the Groom Lake complex on the Nellis Over."
Reservation to use in this training.
I'll let you draw your own conclusions from the "Negative, Two Three. This is Dreamland Control.
tape. You will comply with our instructions ASAP. Over."
You want to talk to me, come to Vegas. Go to the
"mailbox." You don't know what that is, ask around The commander came back on.
and you'll find it. I'll come to you.
The Captain "They got you, Slick. Comply. You know we can't mess
with restricted airspace. Over."
Kelly turned the page. She smiled as she read.
"This is Two Three, I will-- What the fuck! I've got--
Listen to the tape now. Christ, I don't know what the hell it is. A bogey at
three o'clock and climbing. I've never--"
Using her remote, she turned the stereo on and pushed
play. The voices were surprisingly clear, which made Kelly The quiet, implacable voice of Dreamland Control cut
wonder at the machinery used to make the tape. This in.
6 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51 7
"Two Three, you will immediately cease transmitting, The tape ended. Kelly sat still for a few seconds, consid-
turn on a heading of one-eight-zero and descend for a ering what she had heard. She knew the name Dreamland
landing at Groom Lake. That is a direct order. Over." well. She picked up Simmons's letter.
The pilot of the F-15 was growing more agitated. Yeah, I know exactly what you're thinking, Kelly. It
could be a hoax or a setup like they did on you. But I
"This thing has no wings! And, man, it's moving. It's talked to a friend of mine over at the local Air Force
closing on me. We got a live one! I'm--" base. He said that some of that sky out there near
Nellis is the most restricted airspace in the country,
There was a hiss of static. even more so than that over the White House in D.C.
He also said that pilots in the Red Flag exercises
"--was close!" Static. "On top of--" Static. "--my sometimes try to skate the edges of their aerial playing
God! It's turning--" Static. "Jesus! It's--" The voice field on the regular Nellis Range and gain a tactical
was suddenly cut off. advantage by cutting across the restricted airspace. If
that pilot did wander over the Groom Lake/Area 51
"Two Three! This is Six. What's your status, Slick? complex or try to cut a corner, he might have seen
Over." something he wasn't supposed to. Obviously he ran
into something.
Silence. You know me. I'm heading out there to take a look.
There's enough interest in all of this that even if I get
"Break, Dreamland Control, this is Victor Six. Do you nothing about the pilot, I ought to at least be able to
have Two Three on scope? Over." write a couple of articles about the Groom Lake com-
plex. Maybe Technical or some other science-type
"Victor Six, this is Dreamland Control. You will return magazine will buy.
to Nellis Airfield immediately. The exercise is can- So I'll be out there on the night of the ninth. Now, I
celed. All aircraft are ordered grounded immediately. plan on being back home the tenth. I don't want to
You will remain in your plane until cleared by security hang around there any longer than I have to. I'll give
personnel. Over." you a call, regardless, on the tenth by nine in the
morning. At the absolute least if I can't quite make it
"I want to know the status of Two Three. Over." home by then I'll change the message on my answer-
ing machine by remote before 9:00 A.M. on the tenth.
"We've lost Two Three from our scope. We are initiat- I know all this sounds melodramatic,.but when I
ing search and rescue. Comply with orders. There are went down to El Salvador--a place no one remembers
to be no more transmissions. Out." nowadays--it stood me in good stead to have some-
8 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51 9
one waiting on a call. Held the assholes off from beat- NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE RANGE,
ing me too bad or keeping me forever when I got VICINITY GROOM LAKE
caught in places I wasn't supposed to be. So if you T-144 HOURS
don't hear from me by 9:00 A.M. on the tenth, it means "Wait here," Franklin ordered as he braked the battered
I got caught. Then I trust you to figure out what to do. Bronco II to a halt. There was no flash of brake lights. He
You owe me, bud!
Wish me luck. By the way, if by chance--da-da-de- had pulled the fuse for them prior to turning onto this dirt
dum--drumroll, please, I get scarfed up by the author- road. Johnny Simmons leaned forward in the passenger
ities, you have a copy of the tape and the letter, and seat and squinted into the darkness. He had to assume that
also I've enclosed a key to my apartment. Franklin was so familiar with the road that he was able to
Thanks. drive it without headlights. Although the road did stand
All of my love, all of my kisses! out as a lighter straight line on the otherwise dark ground,
the trip through the dark was unnerving.
Johnny
Simmons rubbed his forehead. They were up several
Kelly didn't need to check the calendar. The ninth was thousand feet in altitude and he felt a bit of a headache
this evening. She gathered the tape out of her stereo and from the thinner air. He was a tall, thin man, his pale skin
took it, along with the letters, to her desk. Then she used liberally sprinkled with freckles. Simmons appeared to be
the key around her neck to open the file drawer. She with- much younger than his thirty-eight years and his disheveled
drew a file labeled "Nellis" and laid it on the desktop. mane of bright red hair only added to the youthful image.
Flipping it open, she saw that the first document inside Franklin walked to one side of the road and disappeared
was a typed letter on official Air Force stationery. The sig- into the darker countryside for a few minutes, then his
nature block at the bottom indicated it was from the Public shadow crossed the road and was gone for a few more
Affairs Officer at the base: Major Prague. minutes. When he returned, he was holding four short
"Asshole," Kelly muttered as she remembered the man. green plastic rods in his hands.
She place Johnny Simmons's letter and the tape inside, "Antennas for the sensors," he explained. "I found the
then replaced the folder in the drawer and locked it. The sensors last month. I wondered why the camo dudes were
surface of the desk was clear, except for a silver-framed always onto me so quick. They'd show up within twenty
black-and-white photo of a young man dressed in khaki. minutes of me hitting this road. Then they'd call in the
He wore a black beret, and a Sten gun was slung over his sheriff and it was just a plain hassle."
shoulder. "How'd you find the detectors?" Simmons asked, co-
She was thoughtful as she kicked back in her chair and vertly making sure the voice-activated microcassette re-
considered the photo. "Sounds like Johnny has nibbled at corder in his jacket pocket was turned on.
the hook, Dad." She tapped a pencil against her lip, then "I used a receiver that scanned the band lengths. I drove
sighed. "Damn you, Johnny. You're always causing trouble, around and stopped when I picked up something transmit-
but this time I think you may have gone too far." ting," Franklin said. "Right at 495.45 megahertz."
1 ROBERT DOHERTY
AREA 51 11
"Why four antennas?" Simmons asked. "Wouldn't two him. They'd passed the "mailbox" farther back on the dirt
do?" road about twenty minutes ago and there had been two
Franklin shook his head. "They're deployed in pairs on cars and a van parked there. UFO watchers had waved at
either side of the road. That way they can tell which way the Bronco as they drove by. The mailbox, which was an
you're going by the order they're tripped in." Franklin actual small battered metal mailbox on the side of the
talked quickly, eager to impress Simmons with his knowl- road, was the last safe place to observe the sky over the
edge. Groom Lake/Area 51 complex. To Johnny it was obvious
The simple logic quieted Simmons for a few moments. that the watchers there weren't surprised to see Franklin's
For the first time he wondered if he was biting off more truck drive by.
than he could chew here. Since Area 51 wasn't listed on Franklin threw the truck in gear and rolled forward
any topographic maps, and all roads leading onto the Nellis about a hundred feet. "The sensors pick up ground vibes
Reservation were posted with no trespassing signs with om- from passing vehicles, but they don't trip on people walk-
inous threats printed in red, Simmons had sought help. ing or animals. Then they transmit that information back
He'd met Franklin in Rachel, a small town on Route 375 to whoever is in charge of security for this place. Without
that ran along the northeast side of the Nellis Reservation. the antennas they can't transmit. We're out of range now.
Franklin was the person he'd been pointed to by "experts" Back in a second." He stepped out and was gone for sev-
in the UFO field as the man to see about getting a look at eral more minutes as he screwed the antennas back into
Area 51, the place the Air Force pilot had been overflying the sensors.
when he'd been accosted by Dreamland Control and what- They went another two miles down the road, then Frank-
ever unknown object the pilot had seen. lin pulled off into the lee of a large ridge that rose up to
Simmons hadn't been too surprised to find Franklin a the west like a solid, sloping black wall: White Sides Moun-
young bearded man who looked more like he ought to be tain. Simmons stepped out, following Franklin's lead.
doing poetry reading at a college than leading people to "It's going to get colder," Franklin said in a low voice as
look at a classified government facility. Franklin worked he pulled a small backpack out of the rear of his truck.
out of a small, dilapidated house where he self-published a Simmons was glad he had packed the extra sweater. He
monthly newsletter for UFO enthusiasts. He'd been pulled it over his head, then put his jacket back on over it.
thrilled when he'd seen Simmons's credentials and publish- It had been reasonably warm in Rachel, but with the de-
ing history. At last someone with a little bit of credibility parture of the sun, the temperature had plummeted.
and pull, had been the way Franklin had put it, and he'd They both turned as they heard a low roar coming in
promised to put Simmons as close to Area 51, the code from the eastern horizon. The sound grew louder, then
name for the Groom Lake complex, as he possibly could. Franklin pointed. "There. See the running lights?" He
Simmons wondered if Franklin might not be the "Cap- snorted. "Some of the people who camp out at the mailbox
tain" who had sent him the tape and letter, but he didn't mistake aircraft running lights for UFOs. When a plane's
think so. There didn't seem to be any need for the subter- in its final flight path the lights seem to just hover, espe-
fuge, and Franklin had seemed genuinely surprised to see cially since it comes in almost straight over the mailbox."
12 ROBERT DOHERTY
AREA 51 13
"Is that the 737 you told me about?" Simmons asked. "Ready," Simmons acknowledged.
Franklin giggled nervously. "No, that's not her." The air- "Let's do it." Franklin took a few deep breaths, then
plane banked over their heads and disappeared over White headed for a cut in the steep mountainside and began
Sides Mountain, descending for a landing on the other striding up. Simmons followed, his boots making a surpris-
side. A second one, just like the first, came by less than ingly loud clatter in the darkness as he scrambled up the
thirty seconds later. "Those are Air Force transports. Me- loose rock.
dium-sized ones, probably C-130 Hercules. You can hear "Think we were spotted?" Simmons asked.
the turboprop engines. Must be bringing in something. Franklin shrugged, the gesture lost in the dark. "Well, we
They haul in pretty much all their equipment and supplies know the sensors didn't pick us up. If there was a camo
to Area 51 by plane." dude out there in the dark and he saw my truck going down
They heard the abrupt increase in the whine of engines the road, then the sheriff will be here in about a half hour.
and the sound lasted for a few minutes, then silence We'll see the lights from above. The camo dudes, who are
reigned again. the outer perimeter security people for the complex, will
He held out his hand. "Camera." drive by on this side of the ridge, maybe even come up
Simmons hesitated. The Minolta with long-range lens prior to showtime if they saw we had cameras, another
hanging around his neck was as much a part of his clothing good reason not to bring them. The fact we haven't seen
as the sweater. anyone yet means there's a good chance we weren't spot-
"We agreed," Franklin said. "A whole lot less hassle all ted. If we weren't spotted, then we can spend the whole
around if the sheriff shows. You saw the negatives and night up top without getting hassled."
prints back at the office that I've already taken of the com- "Doesn't the Air Force get pissed at you for messing
plex. They were taken in daylight, too, with a better camera with their equipment?" Simmons asked as Franklin led the
than you have. Much better than you could get at night way.
even with special film and long exposure." "Don't know." Franklin giggled again, the sound irritat-
Simmons removed the camera, the loss of the weight ing Simmons. "I imagine they would if they knew it was
around his neck an irritant. He also didn't like the idea of me. But they don't, so screw 'em. We're still on public land
having to pay Franklin for photos he could take himself. and will be the whole way," Franklin explained, slowing a
Plus what if they spotted something happening? He had bit when he recognized his paying guest's more modest
noted Franklin stuffing a camera into his backpack when pace. "But if the sheriff comes here, he'll confiscate the
they were leaving earlier in the day. Simmons understood film anyway, so it's easier to simply not haul the weight up.
Franklin's scam: he wanted exclusive footage if anything Plus, we got us sort of a gentleman's agreement. This is the
happened and he wanted to make extra money selling his only spot left in the public domain that you can see the
own photos. Simmons handed his camera to the younger runway from since the Air Force purchased most of
man, who locked it in the back of the truck. Franklin the northeast section last year. Most people stay back at
grinned, his teeth reflecting the bright moon hanging over- the mailbox because they don't want to get hassled, but we
head. "Ready?" aren't doing anything illegal by climbing this mountain.
14 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51 15
"But soon it won't be legal to come here," Franklin con- the men watching a bank of computer screens announced.
tinued. "The Air Force is trying to get this land too. Once There were three rows of consoles with computers lining
they get it you won't be able to see into the lake bed from the floor of the room, facing forward. On the front wall a
anywhere in the public domain. And you sure as hell can't twenty-foot-wide by ten-high screen dominated the room.
overfly this place. It was capable of displaying virtually any information that
"Earlier this year they seized a bunch of the land over was desired, from maps of the world to satellite imagery.
that way Franklin pointed to the north from the Bu- The Cube operations chief, Major Quinn, looked over
reau of Land Management, which had control of it. I used his man's shoulder. Quinn was of medium height and build.
to watch from there occasionally." He had thinning blond hair and wore large tortoiseshell
Franklin gave Simmons a hand as they made it over the glasses to accommodate the split lenses for both distance
lip of the cut onto the side of the ridge proper. "They and close up. He ran his tongue nervously over his lips,
wanted it all, but the law says that over a certain acreage, then glanced at the back of the room at a figure sitting at
there have to be hearings, so the Air Force seized up to the main control console.
their limit the last couple of years and they'll probably do it Quinn was perturbed to have intruders nosing around
again this year, until they get all they want, piece by piece." tonight. There was too much planned, and most impor-
Simmons would have liked to ask a few more questions tantly, General Gullick, the project commander, was here,
but he was too winded to do anything but grunt. and the general made everyone nervous. The general's seat
"We have another eight hundred feet of altitude to was on a raised dais that could oversee all that went on
make," Franklin said. below. Directly behind it a door led to a corridor, off of
which branched a conference room, Gullick's office and
sleeping quarters, rest rooms, and a small galley. The
THE CUBE, AREA 51 freight elevator opened on the right side of the main gal-
T-143 HOURS, 37 MINUTES lery. There was the quiet hum of machinery in the room
along with the slight hiss of filtered air being pushed into
The underground room measured eighty by a hundred fee the room by large fans in the hangar above.
and could only be reached from the massive hangars cu "What happened to the sensors?" Quinn asked as he
into the side of Groom Mountain above via a large freigh checked his own laptop computer terminal. "I've got a
elevator. It was called the Cube by those who worked it blank on the road."
it-the only ones who actually knew of its existence other "I don't know about the road," the operator reported.
than the members of Majic-12, the oversight committee for But there they are," he added, pointing at his screen.
the whole project at Dreamland. Cube was easier on the They might have walked in, skirting the sensors."
tongue than the room's formal designation, Command anc The glowing outlines of two men could clearly be seen.
Control Central, or even the official shortened form: C3, or The thermal scope mounted on top of a mountain six miles
C cubed. to the east of White Sides Mountain was feeding a perfect
"We've got two hot ones in sector alpha four," one of image to this room, two hundred feet underneath Groom
16 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51 17
Mountain, twelve miles to the west of where the two men Force Academy thirty years ago. His broad shoulders filled
were. Thermal was extremely efficient in this terrain at out his blue uniform and his stomach was as flat as when he
spotting people at night. The sudden drop from daylight had played linebacker for the Academy team. The only
temperature made the heat difference between living crea- obvious differences the years had made were the lines in
tures and the surrounding terrain a large one. his black face and the totally smooth-shaven skull--a final
Quinn took a deep breath. This was not good. It meant assault on the hair that had started to turn gray a decade
the men were past the outer security, known to locals as ago.
the "camo dudes," but known in here as Air Force security It was as if he could sniff trouble, Quinn thought. "We
police, with low-level clearances, who could turn them have two intruders, sir," he reported, pointing at the
away or could bring in the sheriff to run them off. Since the screen. Then he added the bad news. "They're already in
Air Force security police didn't know what was really going sector alpha four."
on at Area 51, their use was restricted to the outer perime- The general didn't ask about the road sensors. That ex-
ter. Quinn did not want to alert the inner security person- planation would have to come later and wouldn't change
nel yet because that would require informing the general of the present situation in the slightest. The general had
the penetration. Also, he was getting more and more con- earned a reputation as a hard-nosed squadron leader in the
cerned about some of the methods the inner security peo- Vietnam war, flying F-6 Phantoms in close support of
ple used. ground troops. Quinn had heard rumors about Gullick, the
Quinn decided to handle it as quietly as he could. "Get usual scuttlebutt that went around in even the most secret
in the security police." military unit, that the general, as a young captain, had been
"The intruders are inside the outer perimeter," the op- known for dropping his ordnance "danger close"--inside
erator protested. the safety distances to friendly ground units--in his zeal to
"I know that," Quinn said in a low voice. "But let's try to kill the enemy. If some friendlies got injured in the process,
keep this low key. We can pull a couple of the security Gullick figured they would have been hurt in the ground
police in as long as the intruders stay on that side of the fight anyway.
mountain." "Alert Landscape," Gullick snapped.
The operator turned and spoke into his mike, giving or- "I've got the air police moving in--" Quinn began.
ders. "Negative," Gullick said. "There's too much going on
Quinn straightened as General Gullick turned from the tonight. I want those people gone before Nightscape
massive screen. It was currently displaying the world's sur- launches." Gullick turned away and walked over to another
face in the form of an electronic Mercator conformal map. officer.
"Status?" the general snapped, his voice a deep bass that Quinn reluctantly gave the orders for Landscape to
reminded Quinn of James Earl Jones. Gullick walked move. He glanced up at the main screen. Just above it a
down the metal steps from his area toward Quinn. The small digital display read T-143 HOURS, 34 MINUTES. Quinn bit
general was over six and a half feet tall and still carried the inside of his lower lip. He didn't understand why they
himself as erect as he had when he was a cadet at the Air were launching a Nightscape mission this evening with the
18 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51 19
mothership test flight only a little under six nights away. It "The C-130's in?" Gullick asked, this time focusing on
was just one of several things that had been occurring over Quinn.
the past year that didn't make sense to Quinn. But the "Landed thirty minutes ago, sir," Quinn replied.
general brooked no discussion and had gotten even mood- "The Osprey?"
ier than usual as the countdown got closer. "Ready to go."
Quinn had worked in the Cube for four years now. He "Start the recall."
was the senior ranking man not on the panel--Majic-12-- Quinn hastened to do as he was ordered.
that ran the Cube and all its assorted activities. As such he
was the link between all the military and contract person-
nel and Majic-12. When Majic staff was gone, as they often
were, it was Quinn who was responsible for the day-to-day
operation of the Cube and the entire Area 51 complex.
Those below Quinn knew only what they needed in order
to do their specific jobs. Those on Majic-12 knew every-
thing. Quinn was somewhere in the middle. He was privy
to much information, but he was also aware there was
quite a bit that he wasn't given access to. But even he had
been able to tell that things were changing now. The rush
on the mothership, the Nightscape missions, and various,
other events were all out of the norm that had been estab-
lished his first three years assigned here. The Cube and all
it controlled was abnormal enough; Quinn didn't appreci-
tate Gullick and Majic-12 adding to the stress.
General Gullick crooked a finger and Quinn hastened
over to stand with him behind another operator whose
screen showed a live satellite downlink, also with thermal
imaging. "Anything at the mission support site?" Gullick
asked.
"MSS is clear, sir."
Gullick glanced over at a third officer whose screens
showed multiple video feeds of large hangars with rock
walls--the view of what was right above them. "Bouncer
Three's status?"
"Ready, sir."
AREA 51 21
sity of Maine at Orono. That dream had been crunched
2 during a game his sophomore year by a pair of defensive
backs from the University of New Hampshire. His knee
had been reconstructed, then his scholarship terminated.
Faced with the prospect of going back to the logging
camps, Turcotte had enlisted the aid of the lieutenant colo-
nel in charge of the small army ROTC program at the
university. They'd found a friendly doctor to fudge on the
physical and the army had picked up where the football
team had fallen off.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA Turcotte had graduated with a degree in forestry and
T-143 HOURS received a commission in the army. His first assignment
had been with the infantry in the Tenth Mountain Division.
"Sprechen Sie Deutsch?" The pace at Fort Drum had proved too slow and first
Mike Turcotte turned with a blank expression to the man chance he had, Turcotte had volunteered for Special
who had spoken. "Excuse me?" Forces training. The warrant officer giving him his Special
The other man chuckled. "I heard you came here from Forces physical had looked at the scars on his knee and
those high-speed counterterrorist boys in Germany, but I signed off on the paperwork with a wink, figuring anyone
like that response. Don't know nothing, didn't come from crazy enough to try Special Forces wasn't going to let a
nowhere. That's good. You'll fit in well here." little thing like a reconstructed knee stop him.
The man's name was Prague, at least that was how he But it almost had. During the intense selection and as-
had introduced himself to Turcotte earlier in the evening sessment training the knee had stayed swollen, causing
when they'd met at McCarren Airport. Upon meeting him Turcotte intense pain. He'd walked on it nonetheless, fin-
Turcotte had immediately sized up the other man physi- ishing the long overland movements with heavy rucksack as
cally. Prague was a tall, lean man, with black eyes and a quickly as he could, as his classmates fell by the wayside.
smooth, expressionless face. His build contrasted with After starting with two hundred and forty men, at the end
Turcotte's, which was average height, just shy of five feet of training there were slightly over a hundred left and
ten inches. Turcotte's physique was not one of bulging mus- Turcotte was one of them.
cles but rather the solid, thick muscular physique some Turcotte had loved the Special Forces and served in vari-
people are born with, not that he hadn't maintained it over ous assignments up until his last one, which had not turned
the years with a constant physical regime. His skin was out well in his view. Now he had been handpicked to be
dark, natural for his half-Canuck, half-Indian background assigned to this unit, of which he knew nothing except it
He'd grown up in the forests of northern Maine, where the was highly classified and went by the designation of Delta
major industries were lumber and hard drinking. His shot Operations, which made Turcotte wonder if the name had
out of town had been a football scholarship to the Univer- been deliberately chosen to be confused with Delta Force,
22 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51 23
the elite counterterrorist force at Fort Bragg with whom he of work in Special Operations had cultivated, wondered if
had worked occasionally when stationed with Detachment Lisa Duncan was who she said she was, regardless of her
A in Berlin--a classified Special Forces unit responsible fancy ID card. This might be some sort of test of his loyalty
for terrorism control in Europe. set up by Delta Operations itself.
There wasn't even any scuttlebutt about Delta Opera- Duncan had told him he was not to inform anyone of his
tions, which was rather amazing among the close-knit Spe- meeting with her, but that had immediately put him in a
cial Operations community. It meant one of two things: bind the minute he had met Prague at the Las Vegas air-
Either no one was ever reassigned out of Delta Operations port. Withholding that information meant he was already
and therefore no stories could be told, or those reassigned in subtle conflict with his new organization, not a good way
out of it kept their mouths completely sealed, which was to start an assignment. What was real and what wasn't,
more likely. Turcotte knew civilians found it difficult to Turcotte didn't know. He'd decided on the plane from
credit, but most military men he had worked with believed Washington to Las Vegas to do what Duncan had said,
in the oaths of secrecy they swore. keep his eyes and ears open, his mouth shut, and ride what-
But the thing that concerned Turcotte was that there ever roller coaster he had been put onto until he could
were two levels to this assignment. As far as Prague and make up his own mind.
Delta Operations knew he was just another new man with Turcotte had expected to be driven straight out to Nellis
a security clearance and a background in Special Opera- Air Force Base from the airfield. That was the destination