Telstar was something for the public to be wowed by and for governments and intelligence agencies to pay close attention to. It was also a cover. Kennedy’s comments about international security and seeing Valera at Cape Canaveral had given it away. Even with an unlimited budget there was no way the US would have invested millions in breaching the atmospheric barrier for a relay satellite that worked for less than three hours a day.

Knox was willing to bet that the next generation of Corona satellites was already in orbit, sending everything they spotted straight to the watchful eyes of the CIA. Some people in Holland’s office would probably think that was a good thing. Knox wasn’t so sure.

At the end of the broadcast the collected department heads started to chat again, alternating between how impressed or underwhelmed they were seeing America’s greatest living orator speak live for the first time. Knox, White, and Holland, who had all paid closer attention to what the president had actually said, remained silent.

After a few minutes, Holland sat down at his expansive and fastidiously clear desk, signalling that it was time for everyone to get out.

‘Did you notice?’ Knox asked Holland after everyone except he and White had left.

‘We shouldn’t be too surprised,’ Holland responded. ‘And now at least we know for certain.’

‘What can we do?’

‘We can do nothing.’ Holland turned to White. ‘Though it might perhaps be time to bring Six in on Pipistrelle and see what they come up with.’

White didn’t look thrilled at the prospect, but he had also caught sight of Valera and could read between Kennedy’s lines.

‘Are you sure that’s wise?’ he asked.

‘Total secrecy appears to be a luxury we can no longer afford,’ Holland replied. ‘And neither is paranoia. We have to trust someone, and it may as well be our own.’

‘I’m sure the Americans would never dream of pointing one of their satellites at us,’ Knox said. ‘But it would be nice to get a little warning if they did.’

‘Quite,’ Holland responded.

‘I’ll arrange a meeting,’ White said. Then he took his leave, followed almost immediately by Knox.

The conversations continued out in the hallway, but Knox didn’t join in with them. Instead, he headed straight to his office.

He shut the door behind him, sat down, and briefly cast his eyes over the reports that had been left on his desk for him to review. He thought again about Bennett, about discovering her in his kitchen, and the vision of a whole planet living under total surveillance that had scared her so much. He’d humoured her to begin with, then he started to share her concerns. Now he had the uncomfortable feeling that he’d just witnessed them take a very large Step towards becoming reality.