Executive Intent

“The sensor on the weapon garages would be the best way to collect the intrusion signal, especially if it’s a narrow focused beam aimed directly at the satellite,” the young CIA administrator went on. “But we might be able to collect the signal from the ground with a sensor placed on the transmitting dish. Murmansk and Kamchatka would be hard to penetrate; Socotra Island and Venezuela would be easier.” He smiled and added, “Of course, if you could get a couple of those Cybernetic Infantry Devices or the other armored infantry guys General McLanahan was using-”

“The Tin Men.”

“That’s it, sir. One of those guys could probably do the job. Bring one Tin Man and one CID robot and you could probably set up a spy sensor on the top onion dome of the Kremlin.”

The vice president fell silent again; he then nodded, and his eyes had a new fire in them. “I have a new project for you, Mr. Dobson,” he said, a mischievous smile growing on his face.

Tim smiled in return. “Yes, Mr. Vice President,” he said. “I’m in.”

“Good.” Phoenix picked up the phone, and a few moments later Patrick McLanahan’s image reappeared on the videoconference monitor. “Where are you, Patrick?” he asked.

“ Sunnyvale, California, sir.”

“More importantly: Do you have any CIDs and Tin Men available?” He noticed Patrick glancing at Dobson, then said, “This is Tim Dobson, CIA, on my space-policy-review panel; I just enlisted him to plan a few other projects for me.”

“As you know, sir, all but one of the CIDs were destroyed in Iraq, and the survivor was badly damaged,” Patrick said after a slight hesitation. “It was confiscated by the Army, including all remaining weapon packs and the electromagnetic rail guns. They also took possession of all of the remaining Tin Man suits, including battery packs.”

The vice president smiled. “Mr. Dobson is okay, Patrick.”

Patrick still didn’t look convinced, but after a few additional moments of consideration, he said, “Jon Masters has a number of operational Tin Man outfits and a few more in various stages of completion. He’s made a few design changes, incorporating what he learned working with the CID units.”

“What about the CID units, Patrick?” the vice president asked. “Is anyone building them anymore?”

“I don’t believe Dr. Masters has any CIDs-that wasn’t a Sky Masters creation,” Patrick explained. “The Air Battle Force bought the last remaining units, the ones used in Iraq.”

“If the Air Force bought them, General McLanahan, how did Scion Aviation International, the contracting group you headed, get them?” Dobson asked.

Patrick glanced at Dobson, hesitated again, then decided to ignore the question. “I know Colonel Jason Richter and Lieutenant Colonel Charlie Turlock at the Army Transformational Battlelab were in charge of what remained of the CID project now at Aberdeen Proving Ground,” he said, “but I haven’t been in contact for some time.”

“You had some other pretty interesting devices, if I recall,” Phoenix went on. “In particular, a way to insert commandos into enemy territory from long distances and fly them out again?”

“What exactly do you have in mind, sir?” Patrick asked.

“Just brainstorming here.”

Patrick’s expression slowly changed from distrust, confusion, and caution to one of curiosity and finally to pleasure. “I believe you’re referring to the MQ-35 Condor, sir,” he said with a slight smile. “We could load up four commandos and their gear and drop them from a stealth bomber, and it could glide up to two hundred miles. If it survived the landing without much damage, it could take off again and fly out again.”

“That’s the one.”

“That was a Lake project,” Patrick said. Even on a secure link, most veterans of the High Technology Aerospace Weapons Center hesitated to use the term “HAWC” or the other common names, “Dreamland” or “ Groom Lake,” because of the intense security surrounding America ’s most secure military aerospace testing facility. “I haven’t had top-level security clearance for some time, so I don’t know if the Condor is still active.”

“Jon Masters would know, wouldn’t he?”

“I don’t know, sir. Everything is pretty compartmentalized out there.”

“We’ll check.”

“I don’t know if I have the security clearance for that place,” Dobson said, “if it’s the place I think you’re referring to.”

“You will,” Phoenix said, “and you will, too, Patrick, if it’s necessary.”

“They don’t do much on air-combat systems these days out there, sir,” Patrick said. “They concentrate on more support services, intelligence, unmanned aerial vehicles, and tactical transport. I believe Brigadier General Martin Tehama is still commanding.”

“Not a friend of yours, if I remember correctly.”

“We have different leadership styles and unit philosophies, yes, sir.”

“What about that other group you know, the ones that helped us out over Turkey?”

Patrick’s smile disappeared, and his mouth dropped open ever so slightly as he looked at Dobson again. “Sir, are you certain you want to bring that up?” he asked.