Ark by K.B. Kofoed Read Free Book Online Page A

it disturbed Mr. Megabyte, too, but I suspect he’s dismissing it as a disk problem.”
    Lou shook his head. “Mr. Megabyte. Yeah, I’ve heard of that guy. He’s the best. Shit, Penn’s got the best equipment. If HE can’t figure it out, why are you wasting your time second guessing him?”
    “I’m not,” said Gene. “I even tossed the disk.”
    Jim frowned. “I don’t think the disk was the problem.”
    “I agree,” answered Gene. “It could be the program, but, you know, it’s strange. When I talked to Earl today he seemed different — subdued.”
    “Of course,” said Kas. “Probably hurt his pride, not being able to help.”
    “Perhaps,” said Gene. “However, I have a feeling that there’s more to it than that. He copied the disk file.”
    “He did? I didn’t see him do that,” said Jim.
    “He didn’t say so,” replied Gene, “but before he finally ejected the disk, I saw him do something. I’m pretty sure he was making a copy.”
    Dan had been listening quietly. Finally he spoke up. “I’ve been thinking about your ark story for a while. I want to stay on top of it. That is, if I’m invited.”
    “Of course you are,” said Jim. “That’s why you’re here.”
    “Can I get copies of these sketches?” answered Dan.
    Gene looked at Dan. “You’re with the military, right?”
    “Used to be,” Dan replied. “Civvie now. Been living overseas, but now I’m looking to resettle in Philly. My interest in this is strictly personal, not professional. Since I looked at Jim’s drawings I’m hooked, I guess you could say.”
    “It’s compelling,” said Gene, nodding adamantly, “but after last night I have some misgivings.”
    “Care to elaborate?” asked Dan.
    “Not right now. I still have to talk to my friend at Columbia University.”
    Jim picked up the Xeroxed drawings. “Okay, let’s regroup,” he said. “What do we know?”
    For the next hour they ran over every detail while Jim made notes. Finally he put down his pen. “Well, we have a lot of info, but we know nothing. That’s a good place to start.”
    Lou got up and walked to the window. “If you ask me, this is a goddamned waste of time.” He stared out at the pines in the front yard. “If what you’re saying is true about this ark, I can’t believe that we’re the first ones to try to figure this out.”
    “Perhaps,” responded Gene, “but Jim might have discovered something, and I’m compelled to see this through.”
    “Why?” asked Lou, turning to face Gene.
    “Because now there’s money at stake. That lawyer I told you about is serious. He wants to build the ark and he is paying me a lot to get some answers.”
    “Trouble is,” said Lou, “there are no answers.”
    “I don’t know, Lou,” Jim said, “we now have two verifications of the resonator theory.”
    “That’s true,” said Dan, nodding. “The configuration that Jim came up with, the parabolic shape of the cherubim, is new information. No one’s ever described them as parabola.”
    “New to us,” said Gene. “Perhaps. But I recall reading Erik Von Daniken's Chariot’s of the God s at least twenty years ago and he said it was a radio for talking to God.”
    “So did Indiana Jones,” said Lou and Kas almost simultaneously.
    Gene smiled and nodded. “You know, before I came down here to visit I surfed the web under the words ‘ark of the covenant’ and ended printing out over a hundred pages of related material.”
    “Did any of it indicate a parabolic shape to the cherubim?” asked Jim.
    “Not a one.”
    Jim shrugged. “Then it follows that we’ve discovered something important.”
    Gene frowned. “We may never really know the answer to this riddle. I’d venture to guess that we’d have to live a lot longer than a mere seventy years to find out how important our contributions will be. But like I told you before, I’m in this for the long haul. I’m hooked on it.”
    “Try drugs,” said Lou. “More