The Portal (A Delphi Group Thriller Book 2) by John Sneeden Read Free Book Online Page A

take over.”
    Hathaway stood and took the laser pointer from Ross. “As you can imagine, the US government takes any and all intergalactic communications seriously—”
    “Wait,” Zane interrupted. “We’re already classifying this as an intergalactic communication? Isn’t that a little premature?”
    Hathaway glared at the operative. “If you’d wait and listen to what I have to say, then you might change your mind.”
    The Oracle turned toward Zane. “Let him finish, Watson.”
    “As I was saying, the US government takes all intergalactic communications seriously, as it also does any reports of UFOs, strange craft, alien beings, and abductions. And it’s probably no surprise that we view these things through the lens of national security. That means that all cases are handled by the CIA and its affiliates.”
    “Which would include Delphi,” the Oracle said.
    “Correct,” Hathaway said. “In any event, while certainly compelling, the sound that registered that night did not set off any alarms in DC. It was what came in its wake. Something we believe could be one of the most important discoveries in decades.”
    Zane frowned deeply.
    Hathaway then nodded at Brett, who brought up the next slide. Zane leaned forward when the image appeared. It was a detailed map of South America, with a black dot blinking over northern Brazil.
    Hathaway looked at Zane. He seemed pleased that he now had the operative’s attention. “The director asked Dr. Clark to look into the matter further. We needed to know if this was a simple anomaly or something that warranted further attention.
    “A few days later, the director received a call from Clark. They had found something significant in one of the reports generated by their monitoring equipment.” Hathaway used the laser pointer to indicate the blinking black dot. “Just minutes after the sound was picked up in France, there was another corresponding sound picked up here, in Brazil.”
    Zane nodded and whispered, “The Amazon basin.”
    “The sound in Brazil had all of the same intrinsic properties as the one from France,” Hathaway continued. “In fact, we believe it was a response… a signal… a communication of some sort.”
    “Is that near a town or village?” Brett asked.
    “Not that we know of,” the Oracle said. “You’re talking the heart of the rainforest.”
    “I’m no expert on audio transmissions,” Zane said, “but I just find it hard to believe they can’t identify either sound.”
    “We have to rely on what they’ve told us, Watson,” the Oracle said. “They’re the—”
    Hathaway cut him off. “There is one thing I neglected to tell you. I got a call from Dr. Clark this morning, and he was able to pass along something that has, quite frankly, deepened the mystery.” He looked at Zane. “Alexander told you that the signature of the sounds was unique. Actually, that’s not entirely true. The DRA team was finally able to make a partial match, a slight overlap with a sound they cataloged several years ago.”
    The Oracle’s brow furrowed. “From where?”
    Hathaway nodded at Brett. “I sent Mr. Foster an additional slide late this afternoon.”
    As Zane watched, the image of a galaxy appeared. He recognized it immediately.
    “The sound they found in their database originated in our closest neighbor, the Andromeda Galaxy. It was hard to pinpoint the precise location, but they believe it came from an area of dark matter.”
    “Good grief,” the Oracle muttered.
    “Yes, and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but as I said, I just received the information this morning.”
    Zane leaned back in his seat. “So what does this mean?”
    Hathaway looked at the Oracle, who got up and took the laser pointer back from him. Brett advanced to the next slide. The image that appeared wasn’t what Zane expected. It appeared to be an official photo of an Asian woman, much like one on a driver’s license or company identification. Zane studied her