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successful in preventing his announcement. Subsequently, through the use of the Internet, traditional news outlets, and the personal participation of some of the most distinguished and reputable journalists, Fitchett released his information to instant international exposure. Since then, we have beenmonitoring world reaction to determine if our best option is to ignore, deflect, or provide disinformation that would discredit both the message and the messenger.”
    Sheppard knew that the organization had always reacted with lightning speed when some scientist or researcher threatened to make the world aware of the truth. The person’s professional or personal life was brutally attacked, or he or she was simply “killed” and brought to work within the organization.
    Both Sheppard and Markell had fully expected to see Fitchett sitting at the table the morning after his “death”; the fire and the report of human remains would have been nothing but a cover story to disguise the abduction.
    “Fitchett’s dual reputation as the richest man in the world and one of the greatest minds of his generation allowed him not only the credibility but the means, and the platform, to launch his announcement successfully,” Hay explained.
    “Not to mention that he had enough security in place to stop you from kidnapping him to begin with,” Markell said under his breath, but loudly enough for all to hear. He never stopped. His annoyance with all forms of authority was too strongly embedded, even when he was a vital part of the authority he was bucking.
    “His announcement also included specifics, some of them verifiable. He divulged the names of the people involved in the project, including all of those sitting at this table, our location, and most important, the specific nature of the problem, including the projected date of impact,” Donahue added.
    “In fact, the amount of detail he was able to provide leads us to believe that he had access to our organization, and an investigation is under way to determine if there is a spy in our midst.”
    Sheppard looked around the table. Nobody there looked anything like James Bond, as far as he was concerned.
    “Up to this point, world reaction has been mixed,” Donahue said.
    The far wall came to life and revealed itself to be a viewing screen. It showed a large crowd and police in full riot gear dispersing tear gas and charging the protesters.
    “Demonstrations and riots have been reported in over twenty countries, with the worst taking place in France, Germany, and Pakistan. The protests in the Middle East have taken a decidedly anti-American flavour, with demonstrators blaming the U.S. for the asteroid and believing that somehow it will be used against them to promote American interests.”
    Sheppard could hardly believe his ears. The world was on the brink of destruction by cosmic catastrophe, but somehow the U.S. was behind it.
    The screen changed. It now showed a heated discussion in what looked like the British Parliament, and then the more familiar scene of the U.S. Congress and its representatives discussing the report.
    Sheppard suspected that the institute’s operations were known at the highest level of the government, but he doubted that hundreds of congressmen were part of that equation.
    “World money and stock markets have reacted to the announcement,” Hay noted. “The Dow Jones IndustrialAverage reported its largest three-day decline in history, by far dwarfing both the Great Depression and the economic upheaval in 2008–09 that shook the world.”
    “The exception has been around high-tech, those firms dealing with bio-tech, weapons, and aerospace-related industries. The world might be ending, but in the meantime some people believe there is money to be made from investing in those industries that might offer solutions,” Donahue said.
    “It appears that there is little to no probability that we will be able to fully counter the announcement. The genie is out