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an alien civilization would mirror a work of fiction?”
    “It was written by Carl Sagan,” said the scientist, coming to Teller's defense.
    Teller felt very much out of place. He reached out and took the gyroscope from Mason.
    “Find me a radio telescope and point it in the same direction,” commanded Mason. “I want to see exactly what this thing is facing.”
    “I'm on to it,” replied one of the NASA scientists, disappearing inside the research trailer.
    “It's just an idea,” said Teller, regretting saying anything at all, wondering what he'd unleashed. “Ah, we should really be going. The rest of the class is waiting.”
    “Oh, don't worry about them,” said Mason warmly. He took Teller by the arm and led him to one side so Cathy and Susan couldn't hear what he was saying.
    “I'm afraid I can't let you go, not just yet. You see, it seems you're slightly ahead of the curve on this one. You've figured out what we suspect. That this is some kind of alien craft and we're not ready to go public with that yet. We need to get in a position where we can properly manage releasing this information into the public domain. We need to confirm your thinking before anyone else picks up on this as the last thing we need is more wild conspiracy theories. Give us a few hours to run the numbers on this, and let's see if you're right.”
    “You're detaining me?” asked Teller.
    “I'm asking for your help,” said Mason. Teller sensed he was being diplomatic but had no doubt he could be draconian if need be.
    “Perhaps you and your lady friend could help us out for a little while,” Mason continued. “Hang out with young Susan and me for a bit.”
    Teller got the distinct impression that, if it came to it, Mason would have used force.
    “But the kids?”
    “We'll make sure they get back to school.”
    Mason spoke to a couple of the officials.
    Cathy was excited. Teller watched as she fiddled with her lapel microphone, trying to hide it from sight. Had she recorded all this? He looked over at Finch behind the barricade. He looked bored, disinterested. Teller went to say something to Cathy when a couple of the NASA team introduced themselves to him, talking warmly with him. Within a few minutes, he'd forgotten about Cathy, losing himself in discussions about the various observations that had been made of the anomaly. Teller was out of his depth, but he could appreciate their expertise. They seemed as interested in bouncing ideas off him as he was in learning more about the anomaly.

Chapter 04: News
     
    The news conference was held at 6pm in response to the massive public outcry in the wake of the Vega exclusive first broadcast by Community Channel Four in New York.
    Mason had exploded with anger when he realized he'd been recorded off-the-record and the Vega theory had been made public. Teller got the impression that he'd have loved to reopen the prison at Guantanamo Bay just for Cathy, but he seemed to have something else in mind, something far more torturous for a reporter.
    “Before we start,” he began, sitting behind a long table at the Millennium hotel just down the road from the anomaly. “I'd like to introduce you to the discussion panel.”
    Camera flashes went off in rapid succession. A mob of reporters, cameramen and sound techs all vied for the best shot. Although the ballroom was almost empty, being able to hold over a thousand people, the hundred or so news representatives were packed at the front of the room like they were being pushed forward from behind. The glare of the lights stunned Teller. Even Cathy was taken back by their brightness. Apparently, she'd never been on this side of the media gaggle.
    At the far end of the table, an aging NASA scientist introduced himself.
    “Dr Bill Anderson, Director of NASA's Ames Advanced Research Center and Chair of the Science Review Board for Harvard.”
    Anderson had the demeanor of everyone's grandfather. He was slightly overweight, but with a jovial smile