Chapter 5 "I can't believe this," said the national security advisor. "First Fathom turncoats, and now the U.N. is going to steal a march on us. You want to explain this particular mess, General?" Ken Hathaway kept his expression respectfully neutral. Despite his dislike for the current administration, he had no intention of torpedoing his own career as the first and, currently, only military commander of a major space vessel. "I wouldn't describe this as a mess, sir. There are actually some advantages for us in this situation." Jensen looked at him incredulously. "You-along with my other analysts-assured me that there really wasn't a chance that the IRI would be able to build a ship around that engine. You all told me they'd probably just use it as a portable power source, or maybe a Mars-to-Phobos transport. And now Walter tells me that they're about six months from launching their own version ofNike!" Ken issued a chuckle, which he hoped looked spontaneous. He'd planned this sort of reaction, and Jensen had obliged him with precisely the kind of line he'd been hoping for. The national security advisor's face darkened. "Would you like to tell me what you find amusing, General?" "Sorry, no disrespect meant, it was just… You haven't seen the thing. Saying they were ready to launch their own version ofNike… Sir, that's like saying Huck Finn was launching his own version ofOld Ironsides when he pushed his raft into the river." Jensen slowly leaned back, the anger shifting toward a hard speculation. "Go on. Are you saying they're not really making an interplanetary vessel?" "Well… No, sir. They are, in one sense. I mean, their shipdoes have a real nuclear engine on it, and that can sure push it around the solar system. But… Here, look at it." Ken sent a command to the White House network, which acknowledged he had authorization to trigger image presentations, and the far wall lit up with a picture ofNobel, the interplanetary vessel Glendale was having constructed.