ENTER AUTHORIZED ENTRY CODE
〃It's a way in；〃 she said。
Eight digits were already displayed on the screen。 24157817。 Then there were sixteen blank spaces to be filled in with the entry code。
〃Sixteen gaps to fill；〃 Montana said。 〃But what's the entry code？〃
〃More numbers；〃 Hensleigh said thoughtfully。 〃It's got to be some kind of numerical code； a code that follows on from the eight numbers already on the screen。〃
〃But even if we could figure out the code； how do we insert it into the spaces？〃 Montana said。
Hensleigh leaned forward and pressed the first black button on the keypad。
A number 〃1〃 appeared instantly on the screen…in the first blank space。
Montana frowned。 〃How did you know that？〃
Hensleigh shrugged。 〃If this thing has instructions written in English； then it's man…made。 Which means this keypad is also man…made。 Which means it's probably just a regular keypad； with numbers set out on it like on a calculator or a telephone。 Who knows； maybe the guys who built it just didn't get round to putting numbers on it。〃
She hit the second button。
A 〃2〃 sprang up in the next blank space。 Hensleigh smiled； vindicated。
Then she began to whisper to herself。 〃Sixteen…digit code； ten digits to choose from。 Shit。 We're talking trillions of possible binations。〃
〃Do you think you can crack it？〃 Montana said。
〃I don't know；〃 Hensleigh said。 〃It depends on what the first eight digits are supposed to mean； and whether I can figure that out。〃
At that moment； Montana leaned forward and pressed the first button fourteen times。 On the screen； the blank spaces filled up quickly。
The screen beeped suddenly。 And then a new prompt appeared at the bottom：
24157817 12 11111111111111
INCORRECT CODE ENTERED …
ENTRY DENIED ENTER AUTHORIZED ENTRY CODE
The screen then reverted back to the original screen； with the original eight numbers and the sixteen blank spaces。
Hensleigh looked at Montana； perplexed。 〃How did you know that？〃
Montana smiled。 〃It gives you a second chance if you enter the wrong code。 Like most military entry…code systems。〃
At the other end of the cavern； Gant was crouched down on the ground over by the fissure she had found at the base of the ice wall。 She pointed her flashlight inside the horizontal fissure。
She wanted to know more about this cavern。 There was something about the cavern itself and the man…made 〃spaceship〃 they had found in it that made her wonder。。。。
Gant peered in through the fissure。 In the beam of her flashlight she saw a cave。 A round； ice…walled cave that seemed to stretch away to the right。 The floor of the cave was about five feet beneath her。
Gant lay down on her back and shimmied through the fissure； and began to lower herself down to the floor of this new cave。
And then suddenly； without warning； the ice beneath her gave way and she fell clumsily to the floor of the cave。
Clangggggg…！
The sound of her landing on the floor of the cave reverberated all around her。 It had sounded like someone hitting a piece of steel with a sledgehammer。
Gant froze。
Steel？
And then slowly…very slowly…she gazed down at the floor beneath her。
The floor was covered with a thin layer of frost； but Gant saw it clearly。 Her eyes widened。
She saw the rivets first…small； round domes on a dark gray background。
It was metal。
Thick； reinforced metal。
Gant panned her flashlight around the small cave。 It was cylindrical in shape…like a train tunnel…with a high； round ceiling that rose above the horizontal fissure through which she had e。 The horizontal fissure was about halfway up the wall。 In fact； Gant could almost see back through the thick ice wall above the fissure； as if it were translucent glass。
She swung her flashlight around and pointed it at the tunnel leading away from her。
And then she saw it
It looked like a door of some sort； made of heavy gray steel。 It was set into the ice and was pletely covered in frost and icicles。 It looked like a door on a naval vessel or submarine…solid…looking； hinged on a sturdy metal bulk。
〃Jesus Christ；〃 she breathed。
Pete Cameron called the Post's office in Washington D。C。 for the third time。 He was sitting in Andrew Trent's living room。
At last； Alison picked up。
Cameron said； 〃Where have you been？ I've been calling all afternoon。〃
〃You're not gonna believe what I found；〃 Alison said。
She recounted for him what she had found on the All States Libraries Database： how the references to latitude and longitude that Cameron had picked up at SETI referred to the location of an ice station in Antarctica…Wilkes Ice Station。
Cameron pulled out his original notes from his visit to SETI； looked at them as she spoke。
Then Alison told him about the academics who lived down at the ice station and the papers and books they had written。 She also told him about the Library of Congress and the 〃Preliminary Survey〃 by C。 M。 Waitzkin。
〃It was signed out to an O。 Niemeyer in 1979；〃 she said。
Cameron frowned。 〃Niemeyer？ Otto Niemeyer？ Wasn't he on the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Nixon？〃
〃Under Carter； too；〃 Alison said。
Andrew Trent came into the living room。 〃Did someone say Niemeyer？〃
〃Yeah；〃 Cameron said。 〃Otto Niemeyer。 Know him？〃
〃Know of him；〃 Trent said。 〃He was Air Force。 Full colonel。 Got on a plane in '79 and never came back。〃
〃That's the one；〃 Alison said over the phone。 〃Hey； who is that？〃
〃Andrew Wilcox；〃 Cameron said； looking at Trent。
〃Oh； hey； Andrew； nice to meet you；〃 Alison said。 〃And yes； you're right。 Niemeyer got on a silver Air Force Boeing 727 at Andrews Air Force Base on the night of 30 December 1979； heading for destination unknown。 He never returned。〃
〃Aren't there any records about where he went？〃 Pete asked。
〃That's classified； baby；〃 Alison said。 〃Classified。 I was able to get a history on him； though。 Niemeyer flew Phantoms in Vietnam。 Got shot down over the Mekong Delta in '65。 POW for a year。 Both legs broken。 Rescued in '66。 Drove a desk at the Pentagon after that。 Headed the USAF's Procurement Division for six years from '68 to '74。 Appointed to the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1972 by Nixon； continued there under Carter。
〃Apparently； Niemeyer was a player on the stealth project in '77。 He was on the Air Force selection mittee that chose the B…2 stealth bomber； made by Northrop…Boeing。 The official record； however； shows that Niemeyer voted for the loser in the tender； a consortium made up of General Aeronautics and a small electronics pany from California called Entertech Ltd。〃
Pete Cameron said； 〃So why would he steal a preliminary land survey about some university research station in Antarctica？〃
〃See； that's the thing；〃 Alison said。 〃I don't think it's the same station。〃
〃What？〃
Alison said； 〃Listen； I was looking in this book I bought by one of those Antarctic guys； a guy named Brian Hensleigh。 According to him； Wilkes Ice Station was built in 1991。〃
〃Uh…huh。〃
〃But Niemeyer disappeared in 1979。〃
〃So what are you saying？〃 Pete said。
〃What I'm saying is that Niemeyer was looking up a station at that location twelve years before Wilkes Ice Station was ever even thought of。〃
Alison paused。 〃Pete； I think there were two stations。 Two stations built on the same piece of land。 One in 1978…the one for which a land survey by C。 M。 Waitzkin was drawn up…and another in 1991。〃
Pete Cameron leaned forward； spoke into the phone。 〃What do you mean； you think they built the second station on top of the first one？〃
〃I don't think the people who built the second station… Wilkes Ice Station…even knew about the first one；〃 Alison said。 〃Brian Hensleigh doesn't mention it at all in his book。〃
〃So what was it？〃 Pete said。 〃Niemeyer's station； I mean。〃
〃Who knows；〃 Alison said。
At that moment； Andrew Trent saw the sheet of notepaper in Pete's hand； took it； and began examining it。
Alison said； 〃So； what about you？ Get anything newsworthy on your travels？〃
〃You could say that；〃 Cameron said as he recalled in his mind everything Trent had told him about his unit's slaughter； his official