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Back Point of Contact Save as PDF
Chapters (83)
  1. Cover
  2. ALSO BY TOM CLANCY
  3. PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS
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  83. What’s next onyour reading list?

“So the idea is that these drones fly over the city for twenty-four hours a day and provide video monitoring.”

“Exactly.”

“How do you manage that during monsoon season?”

“It’s a challenge for sure. We launch the planes with their batteries precharged, but even on cloudy days there can be a good deal of radiation.”

Jack frowned. “Why is your system of aerial observation particularly useful or unique, especially in civilian applications?”

Singh cleared his throat and shifted his attention to Lian.

“Aerial observation has many advantages,” Lian said. “But we provide a highly efficient, low-cost aircraft to perform it.”

“Do you have any idea how many hundreds of low-cost, high-capacity drones have been or are being developed?”

“We’re aware,” Lian said.

“Then you know you can’t make money in that business.”

“We’re not idiots.” Lian smiled.

Jack pointed at the video monitor. “Then what is it that your system does that would make me believe this is a revenue generator?”

Lian crossed her arms, thinking and clearly conflicted. Finally, she nodded toward Singh. “Go ahead.”

Relieved, Singh smiled. “Do you believe in time travel, Mr. Ryan?”

26

Time travel?” Ryan shook his head. “I like sci-fi as much as the next guy, but no. It’s not logically possible.”

“Actually, it is possible. Let me show you.”

Singh led Ryan to the back wall, then picked up a tablet from the nearby empty control station. The screen at the control station was a mirrored image of the wall screen.

“What you’re seeing on the screen is a live video feed of Singapore from five thousand meters—approximately sixteen thousand feet.” Singh tapped a virtual key and performance data appeared for altitude, speed, latitude, longitude, and the like.

“Can you fly your bird from this control station?” Jack asked, pointing to the one he was standing next to. There was a joystick, a keyboard, dual monitors, and a wireless mouse on the desk.

“In theory, we can fly our UAV from any of the stations you see in this room. In the future, we plan to fly multiple UAVs from each station. For now, the Steady Stare vehicle that’s aloft is being run from a control station at Seletar Airport—”

“At the Dalfan hangar?”

“Yes.”

Jack turned to Lian. “I’d like to see that facility when we’re done.”

“I’ll see what can be arranged.”

Singh tapped more virtual keys on his tablet. “Now let’s focus in more closely.” The camera zoomed in like a dive-bombing hawk. The image finally resolved on the Dalfan building in the center of the giant screen.

“There, do you see that delivery van that just pulled up at the security gate?” Singh asked.

“Yeah, but I can’t make out anything except that its roof is blue,” Jack said.