“Chiasa Katou-Zimmer here, consultant. That was unexpected. Whoever they are, they don’t waste time on formalities.” The woman who spoke was of Asian heritage, but her accent was all California. Japanese American, Dev guessed. Short and slightly plump, she wore contacts that turned her eyes an unexpected violet. Though he could not see beneath the businesslike blouse and pants, a hint of bright color at both her wrists suggested the presence of unseen full sleeve tattoos. “Contact by organics, or by the artifact itself?”

Looking across at her, the officer didn’t hesitate. “Organics. Aliens.”

For a second time, Dev’s considered response was preempted, this time by the man seated next to the forthright woman.

“Jakob Zimmer. Consultant. How do we know that?” Like the woman who had spoken, the man seated beside her hailed from somewhere south of sixty. He was the very image of a tenured university professor: laid-back demeanor, solid color bow tie, hand-knit sweater, high forehead, graying hair, and a slight supercilious curl of the lip suggesting that he was certain he was the smartest person in the room. Only the earring hanging from his left earlobe implied there might be more to him than the purely conventional.

“They’ve sent pictures,” the colonel told him.

As with her predecessors in intercession, Dev didn’t recognize Diana Pavesi when she spoke up. She was short, stout, and very blonde, with multiple ear piercings that were currently filled with an assortment of tiny silver animal icons. Black skirt and the chromatic flush of floral designs that enlivened her blouse completed his impression of someone good enough at their job to be able to ignore office convention. “Can we see them? When can we see them? What do they look like?”

“Humanoid?” Katou-Zimmer’s query was openly hopeful. For such a stocky woman, Dev thought, the dynamic consultant had a voice so unexpectedly sweet it would have done a nightingale proud. It fell slightly. “Cephalopodan? Amorphous?”

“I have no idea.” The colonel pocketed his phone. “NASA is not releasing any images yet. Not to anybody.” He glanced at the CIA representative, who nodded in concurrence. “You’ll have a chance to see for yourself tomorrow. The four of you and Gavin Reed other have been designated the official contact team. You’re going to Houston. Tonight.”

Katou-Zimmer frowned. “Doesn’t give us much time to pack.”

“You don’t need to pack anything. Anything you want or need, just ask for it when you get to Houston and it’ll be provided. Clothes, hygienic items, anything. As long as it doesn’t violate protocol or security.”

The gravity of the moment notwithstanding, the increasing solemnity in the room was beginning to weigh on Dev. “Money?” he ventured.

If the colonel recognized the humor, he still replied without smiling. “If you want. Anything. Although that’s not likely to be of much use to you until—after.”

“After what?” Jakob Zimmer demanded to know.