The general looked at the scientist as if unaware whether to acknowledge him and Neal looked a little disconcerted. Why had he suddenly felt the need to speak, exactly? He glanced back at the colonel only to be greeted by a foreboding expression not dissimilar to the one he had seen just outside the conference room not an hour beforehand.

“What my colleague from the Array’s civilian team is trying to say, sir,” interposed the colonel, returning his focus to the general, “is that we have a potential alternate set of estimates based on a theoretical new interpretation of the information.”

“Do you and your team concur with this analysis, Colonel?” asked the general.

Neal, the general, and all of the briefing team at the Pentagon looked expectantly at the colonel, all except Dr. West, whose calm gaze remained passively on Neal.

“I have reviewed the data and the theory and believe it has foundation, sir.” said the colonel diplomatically. “General Pickler, sir, I believe my aide forwarded a revised version to you before this meeting, if you would like to call it up on the screen.”

“Well why wasn’t it included in the original report put before this board?” inquired the general, and the colonel paused, making a mental note to black list one Neal Danielson, stopping him from ever being allowed in this meeting, or this facility for that matter, ever again.

“May I offer up a point, Michael?” Dr. West interjected to the general, the use of the senior officer’s first name momentarily stunning everyone.

But Laurie smiled serenely, took the silence as tacit approval to carry on and said, “I have reviewed the numbers and the revised analysis that Mr. Danielson proposes. At this point I am in agreement with the colonel’s insightful opinion that they require consideration. Unfortunately, my late arrival this morning from Washington meant we were unable to get these revised estimates into the copy of the report you are holding.”

Neal and the colonel stared at her, as did the general, while everyone else joined the serene doctor in looking at the general for his reaction.

After a moment, the general duly said, “Well, then, we should certainly review the new data, Colonel.” The room breathed an imperceptible sigh of relief, and the colonel made a note to upgrade his respect for the good doctor from high to downright inestimable, “Tell me, does this new analysis imply a danger of planetary impact?”

“Not on land, no sir, that appears unlikely, but if it holds true then it does imply that a potentially significant amount of debris could enter equatorial orbit in the same plane as our satellites, as well as entering the atmosphere.”