“Well,” said Manuel, “I was vice president of engineering at TV station KTTV in L.A. We were having transmitter problems because of the heat, and since I’m really a hands-on guy, I went up to Mount Wilson, where we had our transmitters, to see what I could do. On the way, I heard the news about the meteor. I called my wife and told her to get in the car, pick up the boys at school, and come on up im mediately.”

“Manuel, you may not believe it,” Charley said with a smile, “but a good friend of mine told me just this morning that he needs to hire a good television engineer. Sergeant O’Reilly has some great tents you can sleep in at the airport; or, if you’re interested you can come up to my place and sleep in a real bed and take a hot shower. Which will it be?”

Manuel turned to Tony O’Reilly. “What do you say, Sergeant?”

Tony snorted. “What kind of choice is that? Charley here is loaded. You can stay in an air force tent with a pit privy located in another tent, or you can sleep in that palace he calls home. I have his number. Just sign this receipt for the money, and be sure you contact me if you decide to move somewhere else. Go on, now. You folks take it easy. You deserve some rest.

“And, Charley,” he continued as they walked out together, “I’ll call you in the morning about the gear you want.”

Manuel and Cathy climbed into the cab of Charley’s truck. The three star-struck boys climbed into the cab with Dave Busby.

To Manuel, it was as if his life was rolling down a set of tracks. What he didn’t know, as the vehicles left the Albuquerque airport, was where those tracks were eventually heading.

Chapter Fourteen

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

ITO WATANABE FLIPPED OFF his television set. He had work to do. He was general manager of the Tokai nuclear power plants belonging to the Japan Atomic Power Company, Ltd. The reactors were co-located in Tokai Mura in the Ibaraki Prefecture, a short distance to the north of Tokyo. Both had been built in low-lying areas facing the Pacific Ocean.

Ito had begun work with Japan Atomic when the initial construction of Tokai Number One was completed in July of 1966. He was promoted to apprentice engineer in March of 1978 as soon as the American company, Ebasco, had finished installing the 1056-megawatt General Electric reactors for Tokai Number Two.

Ito soon established himself as a loyal company man. He went to work early. He came home late. Promotions came slowly but regularly. His wife and three children always took second place to Japan Atomic. As a consolation, Ito’s salary was enough to provide the family with a modest, but comfortable, house and a university education for the children when they grew older.