Appalachian Trail
New Hampshire
November 12, 2017
What a memorable day exclaimed Sandy Matthews to himself. He’d been on the trail for five days and felt an unusual energy growing inside him. Because of the early winter, most of the leaves had fallen, and the wind had swept the bright yellows and reds into piles that filled the hollows along the trail. In another month or so, the trees would stand naked, ready to take on another long New Hampshire winter. A fellow hiker told him earlier in the day that there was a chance of a cold front bringing some rain, maybe some snow and some temperatures below freezing that night. Sandy planned to press on for another hour or so before sunset. As soon as the small electronic puck in his front pocket began its incessant vibration, he knew that he would be leaving the trail soon. He silenced the device and pulled out the trail map to find the quickest way to return to the real world. What would it be this time?
Pushing the button on the small pedometer-sized puck had triggered an electronic signal to a communications satellite operating 42,000 kilometers above the earth’s surface that relayed his acknowledgement straight to Michelle’s desk with a discrete three digit readout that identified him.
“Admiral, Sandy has the message. Do you want me to wait for his call-in?”
“No, thank you, Michelle. He’ll contact me directly. Have a good night and try to get some rest. I have the feeling that things are going to get hectic around here.”
“OK. See you tomorrow!” Michelle walked to the private elevator, passed her badge over the sensor and hit “B”. She would walk two blocks underground and exit the parking garage under her apartment building.