Dark Star Rising Second Edition (Pebbles in The Sky) by Jeffery Bagley Read Free Book Online Page A

it is.”
    Mike stopped pacing and turned to David.  “No David, I am not here trying to be a job reference for the young man.  This Brown Dwarf he has found is close by, and we need some assets to study it in a more detail.”
    David frowned at him. “So I was right, you are here asking for budget money.  That is what I suspected and the answer is no.”
    Mike shook his head.  “David, you do not understand . This dwarf is close by; probably well within a light year of us. And the kicker is that it is getting closer.”
    David went from shaking his head negatively to giving Mike his full attention.  “How much closer are you talking about?” David asked.
    Mike answered slowly. “The data that we have leads us to believe that it is likely going to pass very close to our solar system.  That is why I am here.  I think some people need to start looking at this thing more closely.  We really need some more data to determine just how close it is and determine its trajectory. All we know now is that it is coming in from about twenty degrees above the ecliptic and that there is almost no bearing change since initial observations. Those initial observations are over eight years old.”
      David shook his head in disbelief. “Mike, I find it hard to believe that a Brown Dwarf Star, even a very small one, could get that close to our solar system and no one has noticed it.  That is just incredulous.” 
    “Not really,” said Mike.  “It is giving off very little heat and almost no light.  If our theories on Brown Dwarfs are correct, it is probably covered in dense clouds that would reflect what little heat and light there is back inward toward itself.  Nobody has been looking for a Brown Dwarf in our stellar neighborhood.  They are all searching for planets orbiting other stars light years away.  That is where the glory and accolades can be found now days.  All of our present Earth based telescopes are limited to near infrared bands, and most of them are wide aperture and could miss something this small, comparatively speaking.  We need some fresh observations and we need them now.  I only know of one asset that could possibly do that in the near future and I do not have control over it.”
    “What might that be?” asked David.
    “A RLARIRS satellite might be able to do it.” Mike said.
    “That would probably take a presidential order to get the NSA to release one to us,” David replied.  “And, that is assuming that they even admit they have it.  That capability is considered a national security secret, and we would probably both be castrated and have our security clearances removed for discussing it here in my backyard. “I think we need another beer, I’ll be right back.”
    David came back out on the patio with two more cold beers. “I may have an idea,” he said as he handed a beer to Mike.  “President Montgomery has her monthly science briefing next Thursday.  I will try to get hold of Donald Masterfield, her science advisor, and see if he will add us onto her briefing agenda.  If so, we can try and make her see that this is serious enough that we need to devote more national assets to check this out.  Someone else will eventually discover this thing, and when they do, all hell could break lose.  If you think the end of the world nuts were crazy when they predicted the world was going to end in 2012 then you just wait.  They will all say this is the mythical planet Nibiru come to destroy the world.  We have got to study this thing and get the facts out before a lunatic announces it and the world goes nuts.  I want you to stay in Washington until the briefing on Thursday.  See what information you can get from any other observatories that have a view of that area, but do it discreetly.  I do not want this getting out of hand and the information being prematurely disseminated.”
    “David,” interrupted Mike. “I am not sure I can stay until Thursday.  I have several things