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closing on helicopter range of that area, I don't

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    have time to listen to your superfluous bullshit, as we will be launching a military strike force soon. Give me the facts."
    Kostanov pursed his lips as he considered the diminutive woman who had just spoken so harshly.
    "Ah, the facts," Kostanov repeated, just the slightest edge of mockery in his voice. "There are not many, so I will not waste your time.
    "One. Before the breakup I worked at Tyuratam, a Soviet strategic missile test center. It was also headquarters to Section Four of the minister of interior.
    From what I have read recently in your newspapers, Section Four was the equivalent of your Majestic-12.
    "We, however, were not so fortunate in our discoveries of alien artifacts as you Americans. We had the remains of one alien craft that had been severely damaged and that was all."
    Turcotte leaned forward in his seat. He'd seen the bouncer that had crashed from a very high altitude at terminal velocity into the New Mexico countryside.
    There hadn't been a mark on it. What could have damaged the craft the Russians had?
    "What kind of craft?" Duncan asked, showing that this was news to her also. "A bouncer?"
    "Not a bouncer. Bigger than that but nowhere near mothership size either."
    Kostanov shrugged. "It was very badly damaged. The scientists worked at reverse engineering what we had, but there was not much success."
    "Where was your craft found and when?" Duncan asked.
    "Nineteen fifty-eight in Siberia. Best estimate

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    from the crash site was that it had been there for several thousand years. I believe the disclosure of that craft was used by the Russian government as part of their attempt to maneuver one of their people high on the UNAOC council. I would assume UNAOC is keeping that quiet for their own reasons and because there is little to be gained from the craft."
    "Was it an Airlia craft?" Duncan asked.
    "We didn't specifically know about the Airlia until just recently," Kostanov said, "but from what I have seen of your mothership, it was made of the same black material that the mothership is made of, so I would assume it was Airlia."
    Duncan waved for him to continue.
    "Despite the lack of success the head of Section Four felt that if there was one craft, there most likely would be others. The scientists postulated that this craft could not have crossed interstellar distances, therefore it had to have been ferried here. The unit I was part of was directed to search down other leads."
    The Russian turned to the map and used a handheld laser pointer. "In 1988 we received word from KGB sources that someone had discovered something strange, here in southwest Ethiopia. I accompanied a Spetsnatz—Soviet special forces—unit," Kostanov added, with a glance at Turcotte's green beret and the colonel's sand-colored one, "that was sent in to do a reconnaissance."
    "And you found?" Duncan prompted.

    "We never made it to our target site. We were attacked by a paramilitary force. Since we were going in on the sly and did not have air support 40

    and could not risk an international incident, we were heavily outgunned. Half the team was killed. The rest of us were lucky to make it back to the coast and get picked up by our submarine."
    "A paramilitary force?" Turcotte spoke for the first time.
    "Well armed, well trained, and well led. As good as the Spetsnatz I was with and more numerous."
    "Who were they?" Turcotte asked.
    "I don't know. They weren't wearing uniforms with insignia. Most likely mercenaries."
    "Get to the point," Duncan said. "What was at that location?"
    "The word we received was that there were some sort of evidence of advanced weaponry," Kostanov said. "Alien weaponry."
    Everyone in the room sat up a little straighter. The question of alien weapons had been raised many times in the closed chambers of the UN Oversight Committee.
    Given that the A-bomb had been partially developed from an Airlia weapon left in the Great Pyramid, there was a