The Mountain

Chapter 1

The spring leaves brush against my rain soaked jacket
and the twisting dirt path that ran down along the side of
the mountain has turned to mud.
Its been many years since the last time I walked this path
and I feel like a long lost friend finally coming home.
Even the mountain was showing its age,its thick uncut trees,
like an old mans beard.
Its long winding muddy path to the river was like looking into,
some hollowed ancient eyes, But I managed to smile and not let it see me holding back a tear. Finally when I came to the end of our journey. I turned and faced my old friend and steered off into the distance of the a mist shrouded Evergreens and mixed hardwood of orange, yellow and red leaves. What seemed like an eternity I paused and steered into the distance. Flashbacks of memories, of long ago crossed my gray eyes.As long as the mountain remains untouched then no one will ever know what was left there on that mountain. What secret my old friend holds. No matter where I am in the world I know that our secret will be kept within the moss soaked earth of the Mountain...My old friend. As I turned away and walked the weather beaten path back down the mountain side I turned once more before the spot faded into my memory. A last goodbye was all I could muster. A last goodbye to an old faithful friend.

Driving back home towards the city I was uncomfortable, trying to keep my mind on the positive things but it kept going back to my childhood and that day on the mountain. What we found there and experienced will ever be etched in my mind and now the unsuspecting world will never know what hit them and whats on its way. I only hope I am dead and gone before then.

I park the car and reach for a cigeratte as I observe the guards at the front gate of the American Exploration Systems Mission Directorate or AESMD as they call it. This place was so locked up with security protocol even the president couldnt get in unless I approved it. I butt my cigerette out into an overfilled ashtray and walk through the outer gate and into another gate guarded by four Marines saluting me and two Secret Service agents. "Morning Dr. MacNessa"...one of the Agents says. "Morning Agent Collins" "how was your trip Sir...did you find what you were looking for?" "The fresh air was good...and yes I did find what I was looking for Collins!" "Good to Hear Sir have a good day Dr. MacNessa.

I walk through the gate and up the sidewalk into the lobby of the AESMD. I'm impatient and sometimes forget that I can appear to others to be quite ignorant and assertive at times. These characteristics are probably what got me this position in the first place. Two more guards and the front desk receptionist all say hello to me but I pretend that Im deep in thought and didnt hear them. Fact is I just really cant be bothered making small talk when I have so much to do in so little time. I make my way to the elevator doors and look into the Retina Identification Scanner then I place my hand on an angled bar called a Secretion Identification Modulater. From the machine a voice says " Identification Verified...Good Morning Dr.MacNessa." then I enter the first elevator door that opens. I press 14 down. It only goes down...what seems like a small building outside is a vast complex 14 stories underground. The elevator stops and I exit into a corridor with large glass windows overlooking a massive work area. I head down the corridor until I reach a door with a sign that reads " Dr. William MacNessa" " Executive Officer... Planetary and Lunar Explorations Project.
I enter my office and relax in my easy chair as I look out the window towards the far off White Mountains Of New Hampshire that will soon be covered in snow. I slowly drift off into a daydream...its always the same and not really a dream but images of an experience that have been etched within my memory. Actually the events in this childhood dream are what caused me to follow a carreer in space exploration and have spurned my interest in amateur acheology especially cryptoarcheology and cryptography.The book shelf here in my office gives a hint of my interest in these subjects.The dream is always the same, I'm twelve years old almost fifty years ago walking along the old dirt road at the foothills of the White Mountains with my four best friends.These friends all of whom where descended from early settlers of this area of Coos County but especially the village of Jefferson where we lived.
Out of the four boys, James Whipple who's ancester is the founder of Jefferson is the closest to me. The Others; Ian Lowe who's ancester was an inventor for the Civil War and worked with President Lincoln, Kevin Stalbird (Birdy),who's great great great grandmother was the very first woman in Jefferson. She came here to work as a servant to Colonel Whipple and last there is Calum Stanley who's ancesters where part of Rogers Rangers of the French and Indian wars. These boys were all close friends but James whom we all call Junior is my best friend. Junior and I grew up on the same street and our moms were in the Hospital together. Junior is actually twelve minutes older than me and never ceases to remind me of that fact. I on the other hand am smarter than he and every now and then have to remind him of the fact as well. I usually do this by reciting useless facts about anything that has tweaked my interest that week.