Anomaly by Peter Cawdron Page B

Thank you for your time this afternoon. That is all.”
    And with that short statement the discussion was over.
    The assembly broke in uproar, but the President turned and walked off stage followed by the Vice-President. Dr Mason, Teller and the others followed suit as the delegates erupted in protest. Teller felt sorry for the State Department. They had their work cut out for them with both the Russians and the Germans.

Chapter 08: Big Brother
     
    Although it was only a couple of hundred yards from the General Assembly building, it took Mason, Teller and the others almost three hours to make their way back to the NASA research trailer beside the anomaly. The sight of the anomaly, with several stories from the US State Department and several other buildings moving freely through the air made for a spectacular backdrop to the diplomatic discussions, and everyone wanted to talk to those involved in the discovery of an alien intelligence. Security was tight, but no one seemed to notice. The allure of the anomaly was overwhelming.
    The dozen or so amputated flags and their severed flagpoles, along with the fractured corner of the UN building were at their zenith as the sun began to set, floating high above the crater that was once a busy intersection. By rights, the flags should have been hanging down, but they fell sideways toward the concrete slab, over toward the river in the distance, as they fluttered in the gentle breeze. Their draped fabrics betrayed the peculiar gravity within the anomaly.
    Insisting that the assembly meet on the UN grounds, well inside the security zone, in full sight of the anomaly, was a stroke of genius on the part of the President. It refuted the notion that the US was somehow deliberately restricting access to the phenomenon, undermining the position of their detractors. Following the meeting, no one had been in a rush to leave. Mason joked with Teller saying the most remarkable thing about the anomaly was that hundreds of UN delegates all felt the pull of its gravity without actually going inside it.
    The military presence hadn't lasted long. The State Department had got wind of what Mason was doing and had demanded the troops withdraw, replacing them with police on the inner perimeter and the National Guard out beyond them. Appearances were more important than paranoia. Mason had gone up against the Vice President on that one and had lost. He had managed to keep a contingent of Marines stationed in the park on hot standby and had a team of Navy SEALs working with the engineers inside the security perimeter, but the State Department had insisted the SEALs remain unarmed while working with civilians.
    Mason walked up to the main NASA research trailer and saw a familiar face beaming back at him.
    “What are you still doing here?” asked Mason, seeing Susan sitting in one of the deck chairs eating a hot dog and drinking a coke. “Why haven't they taken you home yet?”
    Susan looked up with a smile, saying, “I asked them if I could stay.”
    Cathy spoke up. “Her mother called, saying she'd been called in to work an extra hospital shift, so I said we'd look after her. I thought Susan could have dinner with us.”
    Finch was recording the conversation of a couple of scientists setting up some equipment over next to the slow moving slab. His camera was mounted on a tripod, allowing him to swivel around and catch shots of the remaining few diplomats leaving the United Nations.
    “Well,” replied Mason, with a smile, “as much as I'd love to have you stick around I think you need to go home. I'm surprised your Mom didn't send your Father in to pick you up.”
    “I talked to her on the phone,” replied Susan. “She said it's OK.”
    “I'm sure she did,” replied Mason with a wink.
    “Can I just watch the show first?” asked Susan.
    “The show?”
    “Yeah, it's on in a few minutes,” said Cathy, sitting down next to Susan. “Oh, you haven't heard, have you?”
    “Heard what?” asked