The Inner Circle (23 page)

Neil stood up quickly, sending his chair flying backwards and crashing to the ground.

"What the hell are you doing with a picture of my daughter?" Neil said angrily, seeing the fear in the president's eyes when he was not under the direct protection of his Secret Service.

"I know all about the difficulties you've had with your ex-wife and your daughter over the past few years," Marshall said. "It's pretty obvious that your ex won't allow you to play a major role in Emily's life."

"That's not true," Neil said, still towering over the president. "I'll bring her to court for custody if I have to."

Neil did not really believe that bringing his wife to court would work to his advantage, but he refused to believe that nothing could be done. As he loomed threateningly over the president, he realized that unless he wanted to make enemies with the most powerful man in the world, he'd better sit back down.

"I see that this is a touchy subject, so we'll come back to it in a minute," the president said, relieved that Neil was sitting back down. "But tell me, what do you think will happen if the comet hits Earth?"

"I'm sure there will be tons of damage worldwide," Neil said. "And a lot of people will probably die."

"More than just a lot," the president said. "We are talking about the near extinction of humankind. Sure, a few million might get lucky and survive the initial impact, but aftershocks will probably cut that number in half within a few days. We don't really know how the weather will change, but we’ll probably be looking at a nuclear winter that could last for years. What I'm trying to say is that it would take a miracle for even a few hundred people to survive more than a year after impact and they probably wouldn’t last much longer than that. There could very well be no survivors on Earth and that includes you and your daughter."

Neil looked from the grim face of the president to the smiling face of his daughter and knew there had to be a catch to what he was being told.
There's no way they brought me all the way here just to scare the hell out of me. They need something from me and they are using Emily to try and get it.

"Unless?"

"Again, perceptive, I like that."

Another click of the button and Emily's picture was replaced with another drawing of the space probe, except this one had a different view. From this angle, Neil could clearly see the outline of a circular door.

"The probe has been designed to carry one person, and that one person may very well be the savior of Earth and all of humankind. We need someone to go on this mission because, quite frankly, we’re not confident enough with the technology to leave the fate of the world in the hands of a computer. NASA has had too many problems in losing communication with their probes, and if we lost contact with this one, the signal to detonate the bomb could not lost. If we sent an astronaut up with the probe though, then at least the bomb's timer could be set manually, if the need arose.

"Also, we don't think the computers are dependable enough to fly the probe into the correct position once it intercepts the comet. If the probe doesn't reach the exact position, then it can not release the bomb in the right spot and the whole mission would be ruined. This probe is not only our best chance of survival, it's our last and only chance, and we need the most experienced space pilot around to ensure that the world is given a chance."

"Why me?" Neil asked, without even having to be told that he was the experienced space pilot to which President Marshall was referring. "I have never even flown in space before. There must be plenty of other astronauts who would volunteer for such a mission."

"This isn't like any other mission NASA's astronauts have ever flown before," the president said. "This isn't some little day-trip to an outdated space station like all of our other astronauts have grown used to. This is a mission that will take nearly four and a half years just to reach its destination. This is a mission for a man who was once ready and willing to fly to Mars. Besides, you’re the best test-pilot NASA has to offer and there will never be a truer test than flying into the wake of a comet, getting into the right position and releasing a nuclear bomb to save the Earth from destruction."

"But won't the nuke’s blastwave pound the little probe to smithereens? And with only one booster, there would only be enough fuel to reach the comet and get into position to drop the nuke. How would I get home from there?" Neil asked, afraid to hear the answer he knew was coming.

"You wouldn't," Marshall said, unable to look Neil in the face. "Unfortunately, this will be a one-way trip."

Hearing that his fate would be sealed – if he decided to accept – hit Neil like a ton of bricks. He grabbed the clicker from the table and hit the 'Previous' button, as the picture of his smiling daughter came back on screen.

I can't believe I've missed out on the past two years of her life... Look at how happy she is... She must have a chance... The only thing I can do for her is give her a chance...

"Will I at least have something nice named after me? Like a school or a street or something?" Neil asked, unsuccessfully trying to suppress the emotions that were welling up inside him.

"I think that could be arranged, but if I were you, I'd go after something bigger, like maybe a bridge."

"In all seriousness though, what kind of deal will there be for Emily if I decide to go? After being such a bad father to her for so long, I want to make sure she somehow benefits from this."

"Your little girl will be taken care of financially for the rest of her life," President Marshall promised. "She’ll be given free reign of the best colleges money can buy, but she won't ever have to work a day in her life if she doesn’t want, I can promise you that. But even better, she’ll be able to tell people that her father was the world's greatest hero."

"I like the sound of that," Neil said, forcing a smile even though he felt his heart breaking. "But what if the mission doesn't succeed? What happens to her then?"

"It hasn't been decided yet, but there will be some sort of attempt to prolong human existence, though it will obviously be limited to a very small part of the population. Whatever we decide upon, your daughter will be a part of those plans."

"Then I guess that’s all I can ask for," Neil said, extending his hand and sealing the deal.

PART THREE

AUGUST 2, 2011

NINE YEARS, EIGHTEEN DAYS BEFORE  IMPACT…

"Daddy, Mommy is here," Emily called to Neil, who was in the basement lifting weights. He breathed deep and strained to finish his last set of bench presses.

He sat up quickly on the bench, sweat dripping down his face, and felt dizzy from the exertion. Over the last few years, Neil had pushed himself as hard as he could to get into the best shape possible. Working out had been his only job, besides trying to be the best father he could.

After accepting the offer two years earlier to pilot the probe that would deflect Comet Clement, Neil automatically became part of the 'Inner Circle.' The group was now six strong, although for the most part, Neil's role in the everyday operations was very limited. His attendance had only been required four times in the past two years, each occasion to run test simulations to make sure he knew how to handle the probe. He did not know how often the rest of the group met or what kind of work they had been doing to get the probe ready, but he did know that he’d become the most important member.

The important status he held in the group was more than compensated by the rewards he was given. Within days of accepting the job, a large house was purchased in the same town where his ex-wife and daughter lived – and paid for in full – under the name of Neil Peterson. A brand new car had been parked in the garage when Neil arrived and a bank statement showed that the amount of money in his savings account had been multiplied by a hundred. All of the material items Neil could have ever wanted in life had been granted to him in the blink of an eye.

But only thing that Neil wanted more than this material wealth was to be a father to Emily. The finest lawyer money could buy showed up at Neil's front door the day he moved in and within a few weeks, Neil had gained partial custody of his daughter. His ex-wife was outraged that Neil showed up and gained custody so quickly, but when she saw everything he now owned, her anger faded.

"Does this mean you'll be able to start paying more alimony?" she asked, the first words she spoke to Neil in over two years.

His daughter, on the other hand, had been very happy to see him. For the two weeks leading up to their reunion, Neil was in a constant state of worry about how Emily would receive him upon his arrival.

Is she going to hate me? Did her mother already fill her with so much hate for me that regaining her love will be impossible? Will she even recognize who I am?

Although Emily had been a little shy at first – hiding behind and clutching tightly to her mother's leg – Neil had still seen the look of recognition in her eyes when she looked at him. She had a shy smile on her face, but with a little prodding from her mother – for which Neil was eternally grateful – the little girl had walked towards him with her arms open. She giggled when Neil picked her up and hugged her tightly and she later asked why 'daddy had tears in his eyes.'

Over the next two years, Neil and his daughter became very close, as Neil was more than anxious to make up for lost time. He learned that the true meaning of being a good father was more in the small aspects of life, like knowing that Emily liked her peanut butter and jelly sandwiches cut in triangles and helping her with math homework.

Neil tried to stop himself from lamenting about what the future held, but he spent plenty of restless nights praying that his daughter might one day forgive him for having to leave her again. Two years just did not seem enough time and Neil found himself cursing his reckless past, cursing the fact that he’d let happiness slip through his fingers by allowing his job and alcohol to control his life.

But that was the past and with so little future left ahead of him, Neil had refused to allow his second-guessing to ruin the present.

When Neil reached the top of the steps, he saw his daughter running to the front door, throwing it open before her mother even had the chance to knock. Neil’s ex-wife – Susan – was still as beautiful as the day they were married, but Neil would never admit that out loud. She’d always been a handful – high-strung and easily annoyed – but after early feelings of bitterness upon his return, she had gradually softened as well. If his situation in life had been different, Neil might have even considered attempting a reconciliation with her...

"Wow," Susan said. "You look great. I haven't seen you in this kind of shape since we were in college."

Neil blushed.

"Yeah, Daddy looks like one of those wrestler guys on TV," Emily agreed.

"Well you better come here and give me a hug before I body-slam you," he growled, doing his bad impression of a wrestler.

"No," Emily said, sticking her tongue out at him while smiling at the same time.

Neil growled again and chased her. Emily tried to escape, but he grabbed her and hoisted her up in the air, holding her upside down as she giggled and yelled to be let down. Susan laughed along with them and for a brief instant, Neil had a vision of how his life could have been.

Neil flipped Emily back over and got her in a bear hug, letting go only when she agreed to give him a kiss on the cheek. She picked up her pink school bag and began to walk to the door when Neil remembered something.

"Hold on a second, Em," he said, going into a nearby closet and getting out a gift-wrapped package. "You didn't think I'd let you go without your present, did you?"

Emily's smile – which Neil worked so hard to keep on her face – did not disappoint when she tore the paper off.

"You spoil her, you know," Susan said. "You don't have to give her a present
every time
she leaves."

"Shhhhh, Mom. Don't ruin it," Emily said.

"Yeah, Mom," Neil mimicked. "Don't ruin it."

"I just don't want you to exhaust all of this mystery money you seem to suddenly have," Susan said, as Emily ripped open the toy-store bag and saw her present.

"Cool, Dad. Astronaut Barbie. She's way better than that Ballerina Barbie you got me last time," Emily said, giving her father another hug.

"You know your Daddy used to be an astronaut," her mother said.

"I know, I know. He doesn't stop talking about it," Emily said, mocking her father. Neil growled and began to chase her again, her screams of delight music to his ears.

Just as Neil thought he would never hear a sound as amazing as his daughter's laughter, he heard a sound he did not think could be any worse. Emily stopped running around when she saw the dreaded look in her father's eyes.

"That's strange," she said. "That's the first time I ever heard your phone ringing, Daddy."

"Yeah, pumpkin. I guess it doesn't ring much. Hold on a second, I'll be right back."

When Neil answered the phone, all of his fears were suddenly realized.

"Phase One is nearing completion," the voice on the other end said. "A car will come pick you up a week from today."