Billions of dollars and counting--the projected cost of assuring computer systems are Y2K compliant. Where is this money being spent? Is it worth the cost? Travis Thompson and Barbara Wardley get involved when they embark on a trail of payoffs, financial cover-ups and murder concerning a major project called Space Communications 3rd Millennium (SPC3M). They find strange events are taking place along the shores of Lake Champlain. Events that have Y2K backup implications. Events revealed for the first time in The Y2K Dossier.
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About the Author
Born in a small Oregon town on the western foothills of Mt. Hood, Al Halvorson grew up in the Upper Great Plains near the Devils Lake Region of ND. He returned to the Pacific Northwest, and in the 1960's graduated from the University of Washington. Later, he received a Master's Degree from Central Michigan University. Transportation and Traffic Management has been his profession. An avid supporter of the Minnesota Vikings Football and Twins Baseball, Al currently lives in Virginia.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER ONE
SUMMER, 1998-LAKE CHELAN NATIONAL PARK
With a powerful thrust of his hand the mountaineer brings his hammer down against the head of the piton. The piton, a wedge shaped peg, disappears up to it's head in the crack of the rock. In one smooth motion the climber attaches a snap ring to the piton and effortlessly slips his rope into the ring. Bracing himself, he raises his right leg and firmly plants his foot in a small indentation on the granite wall.
Standing on a narrow ledge below him, the climber's partner watches, as he moves upward. The only sound is the wind as it whistles through the canyon, and the steady clang of the hammer as it drives the pitons into the granite. A fifty mile per hour gale of wind tears into him. Grasping hold of a granite outcropping, he steadies himself and looks up to see if his partner is all right. Satisfied the man above him is okay, he glances down into the deep gorge over two thousand feet below. A smile crosses his lips as his eyes rove over the breathtaking beauty of the mountain peaks, lake and canyon that surrounds him. "It's scenery such as this, to see nature untouched by man, that is the mountaineers final reward," he thinks.
He is pleased with the progress they have made during the past two and half days. It is only noon. Once they ascend this granite wall it will be easy going up to the snow line. From there on its just a matter of moving up the divide and down to their goal. He anticipates they should be on the other side by nightfall and there should be no trouble reaching their objective by tomorrow afternoon.
Patiently he peers through his sunglasses at his partner using the visor of his climber's helmet to shade his eyes from the sun's scarp rays. As he watches, his partner slides over the edge of the wall and disappears from view.
"Okay Bret---you can come up," crackles into his ears from the radio receiver built into his helmet.
"I read you and am on the way up," he barks into his mike.
"Roger out."
With a sharp jerk he releases the anchor rope, that is securely tied to the ledge. This anchor point is no longer needed as a safety tie down because Bret is assured his partner has secured the safety line above him. Reaching the ledge, he scrambles on to it and moves beside his partner who is closely watching him. Bret is blinded by the glaring sunlight as it ricochets off the frozen snow into his face. Moving his goggles into position over his eyes he smiles as he realizes how protected he was from the sun on the ledge below him. He walks over to his partner, who now has made himself as comfortable as possible by sitting on a chunk of ice. "Christ," Bret thinks, "Ralph doesn't waste any time," as he observes the man removing his boots.
"Looks like clear going now," Bret shouts, electing not to use his radio.
"Right'" Ralph replies reaching into rucksack and removing a pair of crampons.
"See the cornice?" He nods towards the ridge above them that is covered with snow.
Bret replies with a silent motion of his head. He is well aware of this large accumulation of snow and he knows why Ralph is concerned. They are directly below it and if it should break loose they wouldn't stand one chance in hell to survive the avalanche it would start. Quickly he removes his climbing boots and grasps for his crampons. Meticulously he slides off the protective covers from the sharp spikes of these special mountaineer snowshoes. It is their specialty fitted spikes that make these climbing boots, called crampons, ideal for snow climbing.
With their crampons on and the rest of their gear secured in their rucksacks, the men head up the finger of frozen snow. For over one-half hour they move upward, pacing themselves in the thin air. Ralph is leading, using his ice ax as a cane to feel for covered crevasses. Suddenly both men stop. They hear a low whining noise. Instinctively both men look at the cornice. No movement of the snow mass can be seen. The whine gets louder and louder. They are able to detect it as coming from their left. They glare into the sun. Within seconds a wing shaped fighter breaks through the blinding light. They can hardly follow it as it roars over them.
"What the hell is he trying to do!!" Ralph yells as he scrambles forward looking at the cornice. The sound of his voice rings into Bret's ears.
"How the hell do I know!!" he shouts back at the same time scampering to keep up.
As the fighter disappears from view they continue their rapid climb. Again, the whining noise pierces their ears as it dives down towards them. They stop, unable to understand exactly what the pilot is up too, and quietly stand watching the fighter position itself in direct alignment with the cornice. From it's belly two bullet shaped projectiles zoom toward the snow mass.
"The bastard!! He's trying to start an avalanche!!!" Ralph screams.
With Ralph's voice ringing in his ears, Bret stands still, shocked from what is happening. He is unable to answer. The projectiles slam into and explode inside the snow mass.
"I'll be damned," Ralph's voice penetrates him. "The only chance we have is to get back down the ridge. If we can make it over the wall and down the ledge--there is a small cave there!!"
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