The Twelve Stones by Rj Johnson

Author:Rj Johnson [Johnson, Rj]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Amazon: B0070CSKE4
Publisher: Smashwords
Published: 2012-01-14T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Two

Scott was, in fact, very much alive, and sprinting down the hallways back to his laboratory. At NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, scientists were encouraged to create and begin original projects on their own time using university resources. Some of the projects developed out of this program had become some of the most far-reaching and scientifically-advanced experiments mankind had ever attempted.

Scott’s proudest achievement had been a direct result of the free-thinking administrators’ offer of support to independent projects. Scott’s first idea had started as an option to attach on the Mars Phoenix Lander. Needing a device that could dig through the solid concrete-like ice on Mars, NASA had turned to Scott, who had managed to develop a small handheld digging tool he proudly called the Microwave Sound Amplifier (MISAMP). The MISAMP had been Scott’s crowning achievement, a feat of engineering that hadn’t been seen in quite a while. With a range of several hundred feet, it combined concentrated microwaves and a high-intensity sound wave that shook and separated materials on a molecular level, leaving a nice-sized hole behind.

Though lauded by his peers (and secretly envied), Scott’s model was unfortunately still far too heavy and, despite its compact size, demanded too much power for the revamped Phoenix Lander.

Unwilling to give the secret of his breakthrough to the Air Force, out of fear that it might be used for less-than-productive purposes, Scott’s MISAMP plans had gone into Cold Storage, and the prototype stayed in a safe in his office. Scott had decided if NASA ever did send a manned mission to Mars, only then would he allow the MISAMP out of his hands.

Pressing his palm onto the electronic door lock, he waited impatiently for the telltale click of the magnetic bolts releasing. The light on the panel flashed red, and Scott growled in frustration. Placing his hand over the electronic lock again, he was rewarded this time with the release of the locks. Wrenching the doors open frantically, he dashed towards the corner of his office where some of his former experiments lay.

He grabbed one that resembled a heavy-duty flashlight, with a thick outer shell encased in a black gunmetal frame. He turned to his computer, calling up the security cameras aimed outside where Alex was. The screen flipped through several images of the campus until he finally found Alex among them, getting too close to the henchmen. Scott watched in horror.

“What are you, stupid!?” Scott screamed at his display. But Alex couldn’t hear him, and so the question was moot. One mercenary fell from Geoffrey’s shot, and another man, only a second later, dived onto Alex’s body, struggling to bring him down. Scott sighed.

“Of all the idiotic things to do,” Scott said, shaking his head. “Now it’s up to me. It’s his own damn fault now if he gets us killed.” He checked the tool in his hand, flipping a switch to check the power level. Five out of five green bars indicated a full charge. Grimacing, he closed the display panel and opened the door of his office to go back and help his friend.

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