〃This is the original sonar scan from the ship。 If you cant read sonar scans thisll be hard to interpret; but you see here the thin; knife…edge obstruction。 Consistent with a sunken ship or aircraft; which cut the cable。
〃The charter pany; Transpac munications; notified the Navy; requesting any information we had about the obstruction。 This is routine: whenever there is a cable break; the Navy is notified; on the chance that the obstruction is known to us。 If its a sunken vessel containing explosives; the ''32'' cable pany wants to know about it before they start repair。 But in this case the obstruction was not in Navy files。 And the Navy was interested。
〃We immediately dispatched our nearest search ship; the Ocean Explorer; from Melbourne。 The Ocean Explorer reached the site on June 21 of this year。 The reason for the Navy interest was the possibility that the obstruction might represent a sunken Chinese Wuhan…class nuclear submarine fitted with SY…2 missiles。 We knew the Chinese lost such a sub in this approximate area in May 1984。 The Ocean Explorer scanned the bottom; using a most sophisticated sidelooking sonar; which produced this picture of the bottom。〃
In color; the image was almost three…dimensional in its clarity。
〃As you see; the bottom appears flat except for a single triangular fin which sticks up some two hundred and eighty feet above the ocean floor。 You see it here;〃 he said; pointing。 〃Now; this wing dimension is larger than any known aircraft manufactured in either the United States or the Soviet Union。 This was very puzzling at first。 Next。〃
A submersible robot; being lowered on a crane over the side of a ship。 The robot looked like a series of horizontal tubes with cameras and lights nestled in the center。
〃By June 24; the Navy had the ROV carrier Neptune IV on site; and the Remote Operated Vehicle Scorpion; which you see here; was sent down to photograph the wing。 It returned an image that clearly showed a control surface of some sort。 Here it is。〃
There were murmurs from the group。 In a harshly lit color image; a gray fin stuck up from a flat coral floor。 The fin was sharp…edged and aeronautical…looking; tapered; definitely artificial。
〃Youll notice;〃 Barnes said; 〃that the sea bottom in this region consists of scrubby dead coral。 The wing or fin disappears into the coral; suggesting the rest of the aircraft might be buried beneath。 An ultra…high…resolution SLS bottom scan was carried out; to detect the shape underneath the coral。 Next。〃
''33'' Another color sonar image; posed of fine dots instead of lines。
〃As you see; the fin seems to be attached to a cylindrical object buried under the coral。 The object has a diameter of a hundred and ninety feet; and extends west for a distance of 2;754 feet before tapering to a point。〃
More murmurings from the audience。
〃Thats correct;〃 Barnes said。 〃The cylindrical object is half a mile long。 The shape is consistent with a rocket or spacecraft…it certainly looks like that…but from the beginning we were careful to refer to this object as the anomaly。 〃
Norman glanced over at Ted; who was smiling up at the screen。 But alongside Ted in the darkness; Harry Adams frowned and pushed his glasses up on his nose。
Then the projector light went out。 The room was plunged into darkness。 There were groans。 Norman heard Barnes say; 〃God damn it; not again!〃 Someone scrambled for the door; there was a rectangle of light。
Beth leaned over to Norman and said; 〃They lose power here all the time。 Reassuring; huh?〃
Moments later; the electricity came back on; Barnes continued。 〃On June 25 a SCARAB remote vehicle cut a piece from the tail fin and brought it to the surface。 The fin segment was analyzed and found to be a titanium alloy in an epoxy…resin honeyb。 The necessary bonding technology for such metalplastic materials was currently unknown on Earth。
〃Experts confirmed that the fin could not have originated on this planet…although in ten or twenty years wed probably know how to make it。〃
Harry Adams grunted; leaned forward; made a note on his pad。
Meanwhile; Barnes explained; other robot vessels were used to plant seismic charges on the bottom。 Seismic analysis showed that the buried anomaly was of metal; that it was hollow; and that it had a plex internal structure。
〃After two weeks of intensive study;〃 Barnes said; 〃we concluded the anomaly was some sort of spacecraft。〃
The final verification came on June 27 from the geologists。 ''34'' Their core samples from the bottom indicated that the present seabed had formerly been much shallower; perhaps only eighty or ninety feet deep。 This would explain the coral; which covered the craft to an average thickness of thirty feet。 Therefore; the geologists said; the craft had been on the planet at least three hundred years; and perhaps much longer: five hundred; or even five thousand years。
〃However reluctantly;〃 Barnes said; 〃the Navy concluded that we had; in fact; found a spacecraft from another civilization。 The decision of the President; before a special meeting of the National Security Council; was to open the spacecraft。 So; starting June 29; the ULF team members were called in。〃
On July 1; the subsea habitat DH…7 was lowered into position near the spacecraft site。 DH…7 housed nine Navy divers working in a saturated exotic…gas environment。 They proceeded to do primary drilling work。 〃And I think that brings you up to date;〃 Barnes said。 〃Any questions?〃
Ted said; 〃The internal structure of the spacecraft。 Has it been clarified?〃
〃Not at this point。 The spacecraft seems to be built in such a way that shock waves are transmitted around the outer shell; which is tremendously strong and well engineered。 That prevents a clear picture of the interior from the seismics。〃
〃How about passive techniques to see whats inside?〃
〃Weve tried;〃 Barnes said。 〃Gravitometric analysis; negative。 Thermography; negative。 Resistivity mapping; negative。 Proton precision magnetometers; negative。〃