Impact (Wyman Ford Series)
Douglas Preston
Language: English
Pages: 432
ISBN: 076535697X
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
In Douglas Preston's Impact, Wyman Ford is tapped for a secret expedition to Cambodia... to locate the source of strangely beautiful gemstones that do not appear to be of this world.
A brilliant meteor lights up the Maine coast... and two young women borrow a boat and set out for a distant island to find the impact crater.
A scientist at the National Propulsion Facility discovers an inexplicable source of gamma rays in the outer Solar System. He is found decapitated, the data missing.
High resolution NASA images reveal an unnatural feature hidden in the depths of a crater on Mars... and it appears to have been activated.
Sixty hours and counting.
Tranquility Base. In this sense, it appears to be a weapon. “A rough analysis of surface erosion from micrometeoroids and the accumulation of regolith around it indicates an age of between one hundred and two hundred million years old. All the satellites we have in orbit around Mars which can be redirected to Deimos are being redirected. “Deimos is like a misshapen potato—it doesn’t rotate like a normal planet. It sort of tumbles. Obviously the Deimos Machine can’t fire unless Voltaire crater
understand the meaning of the word ‘classified.’ ” He emphasized it with a tug on the knot of his tie. The duty officers took Ford, one by each arm. “Come with us, sir.” “You’re falling into the old game,” said Ford quietly. “Listen, people: the Earth is under attack. That weapon can destroy us in the blink of an eye. In three more days Deimos will be oriented to fire at us again—and this time it may be for keeps. Everyone dies. Extinction. Gone.” “Spare us the lecture and take him out!” the
wine. Maybe she should go back to college and become a doctor after all. The thought immediately soured her mood. “So what are we going to do with this meteorite if we find it?” “Sell it on eBay. Don’t overcook that meat.” Jackie took the steaks off, put them on paper plates, passed one to Abbey. They ate for a few minutes in silence. “Come on, Abbey. Stop kidding yourself. You really think we’re going to find it? It’s a wild-goose chase, like when we went looking for Dixie Bull’s treasure.”
once the kill was over and he was heading back alone. The storm would give him a good excuse to explain the missing lobsterman. “As soon as we round the tip of that island,” said Straw, “we’ll have a view across the northern reach of Muscongus Bay. Get out the binocs and be ready to look.” “We’re passing a lot of islands here. How do you know they’re not in a cove somewhere?” “We don’t. We search open water first, then come back looking into coves.” “Makes sense.” Straw was motivated, that
‘start me off’ at all, Mr. Boonmee. This is a one-shot deal. Ten thousand carats or I walk down the street.” “What is your price, Mr. Mandrake?” “Twenty percent higher than the going rate: six hundred American dollars an uncut carat. That’s six million dollars, in case math isn’t your strong suit.” Ford gave an appropriately stupid grin. “I will make a call. Do you have a card, Mr. Mandrake?” Ford produced an impressive, Asian-style card on heavy card stock with stamped gold embossing,