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Marjorie tench fell silent, as if reeling from that last punch.The CNN host prompted, Ms. tench? A reaction?The woman finally cle ard her throat and spoke. I guess Im precisely surprised to hear that Mr. sexton is willing to turn out himself as so staunchly anti-NASA. sextons eyes narrowed. Nice try, lady. I am non anti-NASA, and I resent the accusation. I am simply aphorism that NASAs budget is indicative of the kind of runaway spending that your President endorses. NASA produce tongue to they could build the shuttle for five billion it cost twelve billion. They say they could build the station station for eight billion now its nonpareil hundred billion.Americans are leaders, tench countered, because we set lofty goals and stick to them through and through the tough times.That topic pride speech doesnt work on me, Marge. NASA has overspent its leeway three times in the past two years and crawled post to the President with its tail between its legs and asked for more mon ey to fix its mistakes. Is that content pride? If you want to talk al around national pride, talk intimately strong indoctrinates. Talk about universal health care. Talk about smart kids growing up in a country of opportunity. Thats national prideTench glared. May I ask you a organise inquire, senator? sexton did not respond. He simply waited.The womans words came out deliberately, with a sudden infusion of grit. Senator, if I told you that we could not research space for less(prenominal) than NASA is currently spending, would you act to abolish the space performance altogether?The question felt equivalent a boulder landing in Sextons lap. possibly Tench wasnt so stupid after all. She had just blindsided Sexton with a fence-buster-a carefully crafted yes/no question designed to force a fence-straddling enemy to choose clear sides and clarify his position once and for all.Instinctively Sexton tried sidestepping. I have no doubt that with proper counseling NASA can explor e space for a lot less than we are currently-Senator Sexton, answer the question. Exploring space is a dangerous and costly business. Its much like building a passenger jet. We should either do it right-or not at all. The risks are too great. My question remains If you become president, and you are view with the decision to continue NASA stemmaing at its current level or entirely scrap the U.S. space program, which would you choose?Shit. Sexton glanced up at Gabrielle through the glass. Her expression echoed what Sexton already knew. Youre committed. Be direct. No waffling. Sexton held his chin high. Yes. I would transfer NASAs current budget directly into our school systems if brassd with that decision. I would vote for our children over space.The look on Marjorie Tenchs face was one of absolute shock. Im stunned. Did I hear you correctly? As president, you would act to abolish this nations space program?Sexton felt an anger simmering. right off Tench was effectuateting words in his mouth. He tried to counter, nevertheless Tench was already talking.So youre saying, senator, for the record, that you would do away with the agency that put men on the moon?I am saying that the space race is over Times have changed. NASA no longer plays a critical role in the lives of everyday Americans and yet we continue to fund them as though they do.So you dont think space is the future? manifestly space is the future, but NASA is a dinosaur Let the private sector explore space. American taxpayers shouldnt have to open their wallets every time some capital of the United States engineer wants to take a billion-dollar photograph of Jupiter. Americans are tired of interchange out their childrens future to fund an outdated agency that provides so detailed in return for its gargantuan costsTench sighed dramatically. So littler in return? With the exception perhaps of the SETI program, NASA has had enormous returns.Sexton was shock that the mention of SETI had even escaped Tenchs lips. Major blunder. Thanks for reminding me. The Search for alien Intelligence was NASAs most abysmal money pit ever. Although NASA had tried to give the project a facelift by renaming it Origins and shuffling some of its objectives, it was static the resembling losing gamble.Marjorie, Sexton said, taking his opening, Ill address SETI solely because you mention it.Oddly, Tench looked almost eager to hear this.Sexton cleared his throat. Most mickle are not aware that NASA has been looking for ET for thirty-five years now. And its a pricey treasure hunt-satellite dish arrays, huge transceivers, millions in salaries to scientists who sit in the dark and listen to blank tape. Its an embarrassing waste of resources.Youre saying theres nada up there?Im saying that if any another(prenominal) government agency had spent forty-five million over thirty-five years and had not produced one single result, they would have been axed a long time ago. Sexton paused to let the gravity of the statement settle in. After thirty-five years, I think its pretty obvious were not going to find extraterrestrial life.And if youre wrong?Sexton rolled his eyes. Oh, for heavens sake, Ms. Tench, if Im wrong Ill eat my hat.Marjorie Tench locked her jaundiced eyes on Senator Sexton. Ill remember you said that, senator. She smiled for the first time. I think we all will.Six miles away, inside the Oval Office, President Zach Herney cancelled off the television and poured himself a drink. As Marjorie Tench had promised, Senator Sexton had taken the bait-hook, line, and sinker.24Michael Tolland felt himself beaming empathetically as Rachel Sexton gaped in silence at the fossilized meteorite in her hand. The refined beauty of the womans face now seemed to dissolve into the expression of innocent wonder-a young girl who had just seen Santa Claus for the first time.I know just how you feel, he thought.Tolland had been struck the same way only forty-eight hours ago. He too had been s tunned into silence. until now now, the scientific and philosophical implications of the meteorite astounded him, forcing him to rethink everything he had ever believed about nature.Tollands oceanographic discoveries included several previously un cognize deepwater species, and yet this space solicit was another level of breakthrough altogether. Despite Hollywoods propensity for casting extraterrestrials as little green men, astrobiologists and science buffs all agreed that given the turn off numbers and adaptability of earths insects, extraterrestrial life would in all probability be buglike if it were ever discovered.Insects were members of the phylum arthropoda-creatures having hard outer skeletons and jointed legs. With over 1.25 million known species and an estimated five hundred thousand still to be classified, earths bugs outnumbered all of the other animals combined. They made up 95 percent of all the planets species and an astounding 40 percent of the planets biomass.It was not so much the bugs abundance that impressed as it was their resilience. From the Antarctic ice beetle to Death Valleys sun scorpion, bugs happily be deadly ranges in temperature, dryness, and even pressure. They also had mastered exposure to the most deadly force known in the universe-radiation. Following a nuclear test in 1945, air force officers had donned radiation suits and examined ground zero, only to discover cockroaches and ants happily carrying on as if nothing had happened. Astronomers realized that an arthropods protective exoskeleton made it a perfectly viable candidate to inhabit the unnumbered radiation-saturated planets where nothing else could live.