The Rainmakers
Chapter 4, Nocturnal Creatures

The KIVA Labortory was located deep in the New Mexico desert on the edge of the Bannon Wilderness Area, better know to the few locals as 'Hell's other 39½ -acres’. There wasn’t much in the way of scenery or sport for the resident scientists and personnel of the KIVA to enjoy outside of work. The nearest town was over fifty miles away, also called Bannon, and it had only a post office, a grocery store, and a gas station—all in the same building—which closed at 6:30 pm. This being the case, most of the personnel remained on-site at the lab and indulged themselves in the use of the gymnasiums or social rooms that the KIVA built into their facility. Chess tournaments were held with a regularity that approached religious zeal.

Rather than challenge a handful of quasi-geniuses with his mediocre chess skills, Pete elected to work late in his office, taking advantage of privacy to conduct his undercover investigation. It had been proving to be more difficult that he had imagined it would be; KIVA was full of curious, over-the-shoulder-looking people—especially since the incident that had destroyed Steubens' research—and finding the time and opportunity to send in reports to his superiors and receive updates had become near-impossible.

However, tonight was one of those rare nights when Pete had the Operations Office all to himself, and he had managed to make contact at last. He learned some very interesting things. Sources at the Federal level and from deep within the Syndrex Corporation had come through with flying colors, and the mystery of the missing data had turned up a few more pieces.

As he sat and digested the news the DXS had provided, Charlie Burke burst through the door, in as near a state of excitement as the even-tempered man had ever been in Pete’s presence.

“Good news, Colsen!” Burke said, brandishing a sheaf of papers. There was a smile on his face than had chased away all the tiredness that had been building up around the man’s eyes and mouth. “We've got data back from Syndrex Corporation that may help us in reconstructing Steubens' research!”

“What data? From where?” Pete took the papers and began to scan them. “This is good... an experiment package, huh? We’re lucky that it wasn’t destroyed when the plane crashed.” The report was similar to what he had just received from the DXS, except not as detailed. Pete pretended to be taking it all in for the first time.

“That's right!” Burke leaned over Pete’s shoulder as he read. “It was never launched, so there will be no new information, but the calculations from the recovered data should be helpful to our reconstruction. Based on this information, Syndrex wants Steubens to begin a new test series. We should have all the answers in just a couple of days. As soon as Dr. Marlow arrives.”

“That’s… great,” Pete muttered absently. At Burke’s puzzled stare, he added, “I mean really good news! Where did they find this?” Pete asked again, leafing through the pages.

“Ah, they didn’t say… top secret, I suppose. You get used to that at the KIVA, once you’ve been here a while.” Burke gave Pete a condescending pat on the back and added, “If it had been pertinent, I’m sure they would have told us.”

“Yeah. I’m sure you’re right.”

Pete’s Voice-Over:
Andy Colsen would agree with Burke—but I don’t. Someone ‘upstairs’ was playing a dangerous game by leaving out important details… such as the fact that this data had been retrieved because the airplane carrying the experimental launch missile had crash-landed somewhere in Asia. Of course the crash had been detected and a detachment of Mongolian Communist patriots had found the wreck (along with its erstwhile pilot), and were working with plans to remove and transport the missile to where it could be disassembled and studied. The only reason that the data had not been lost completely was because it had been recovered by a crack assault team who had risked life and limb to help the US re-obtain it.

I couldn’t believe my ears when Col. Barnard told me (what he could) about the circumstances surrounding that mission and the impromptu rescue of the pilot. Whichever screwball special–ops agents had been responsible for that wild escape… I certainly wouldn’t have minded the chance to shake their hands. They sounded like real American heroes to me.

Actually, they sounded like one particular American hero to me. I wonder where MacGyver is… it isn’t hard for me to imagine that he was involved in this, somehow.

I certainly can’t imagine what could be so important about this research; all the data accumulated so far has involved nothing but experiments concerning the magnetic fields found in the ozone layer. Cloud seeding—or ‘rain-makers’ as I’ve heard them called—is not a new idea, and is certainly not top-secret! Granted, the drought-burdened states in the western continental states could use some relief, but I just can’t understand how all this is worth the price of a man’s life. And why send an experimental package in a military plane to the other side of the world just to collect data on the upper atmosphere?

There has to be something more to this—something that I haven't found out yet. I need to keep digging.

… besides, what else is there to do?

⌂

“You’re pulling my leg, man!”

“I am not!”

“There’s no way! It’s impossible to see stuff like that during the day… even a street-kid like me knows that!”

“You’ll see for yourself soon enough, Short-stuff.”

MacGyver steered his jeep through the furious cross-town traffic, mindful of his speed and the movements of the other drivers. Night had tried to descend over Los Angeles, but had been fought to a standstill by the streetlamps and headlights, and the smooth tall towers of steel and glass that glittered and pulsated with the life of the city. It hovered like a dark blanket above the hazy brightness, a few stubborn stars demanding the attention of the oblivious citizens below.

Reggie was in the back of the jeep, leaning as far forward as his seatbelt would permit. In the passenger side, Reggie’s sister Jackie sat serenely, looking forward through the windscreen as the traffic streamed along, carrying them forward.

“I really appreciate you coming along, Jackie,” MacGyver said as he guided the jeep through a tangle of exit ramps. “Are you sure you’re not going to miss anything exciting by leaving the big city to hang out with your brother and me?”

“Na,” Jackie drawled around her chewing gum. She worked her jaw and lips around and slowly blew a large pink bubble. She inhaled and drew it back with a quick pop. “Mom said that if I did this, I could go to the Mall next weekend.”

“That’s fair. Are you sure that you’re not going to be bored?”

“You got a phone up in that sky-house of yours?”

“Yeah.”

“Then I’ll be jes’ fine!” Jackie popped her gum again and shrugged. “I gotta read up for my next exam, too.”

“College is demanding,” Mac commented, “do you need any help studying?”

Jackie rolled her eyes toward Mac, “What do you know about geo-economics?”

“Less than I should, apparently,” Mac laughed.

“Don’t worry… I can call my study group.” The wind of their passage whipped over the jeep and teased their hair; Jackie reached up to smooth it down without success. “You know, MacGyver, you really ought to put a top on this thing. You’re destroying my ’do!”

MacGyver laughed, “Just think of it as a four-wheel-drive convertible.”

Jackie rolled her eyes again and chuckled.

~~~Link to Chapter 5