In his spotless, white government research facility gray-haired Geophysicist Geoffrey Blume stood in front of a bank of computer screens scanning the streaming data. His lined, geriatric face was a mask of concentration as he observed the gigs of data that unmanned eyes were downloading into the computer system. Unlike traditional scientists he eschewed a white lab coat and wore and dark sweater under an FBI windbreaker. He was a legend in the agency for his work in the field as well as the lab. None of the agents knew his age, but most assumed he was in his seventies. He carried himself with the stance of a man in his fifties.

Two FBI special agents in black suits in their late twenties stood next to the scientist looking out of place in the spotless, high-tech research center. The federal agents were a well know pair in the intelligence industry and they were used for delicate undercover assignments. The nondescript male had short brown hair, while the blond female agent was stunning. She could easily have been a model. Her blonde hair touched her shoulders and looked silver and ethereal in the florescent lighting.  "What are we looking for?" Keeping his upper body still, agent Paul Heller shifted his feet.

Agent Cheryl Bronson, a few inches taller than him, leaned over his shoulder. Her ice blue eyes picked up the numerical pattern he hadn't seen. She had one of the highest IQ's in the industry, one of the reasons she was single and didn't date. Her shoulder length blond hair brushed his shoulder and he inwardly shuddered. Despite her super model appearance, he found she had a frosty analytical demeanor. The other agents referred to them as The Ice Princess and the Hellion.

"Right there," Geoffrey Blum said. He pointed to an innocuous looking stream of numbers.

There was nothing there that looked abnormal to Heller. "I don't see it." He grimaced.

The streaming data reflected in Blume's glasses as he explained the phenomenon. "Let me explain." He had a calm lecturing demeanor which Heller appreciated. The esteemed scientist could easily have made a fool out of him. "For a self-sustaining magnetic field to materialize on a planet, rotation is necessary." The geophysicist's pale blue eyes remained fixed on the computer screen. "The liquid iron swirls in a corkscrew pattern, just like you see storm systems on weather satellites. This data shows a break in the helic pattern. Something's slowing the earth's inner core enough to disrupt the magnetic field."

Bronson nodded. "Yes, the government knows there's an anomaly affecting the earth's magnetic field. We've been assigned to investigate the area surrounding the disturbance in New England. Thank you for bringing us up to speed."

"I hope your superiors understand time is of the essence." Blume answered. "The primary geomagnetic field has lessened by nearly ten percent since December. That's twenty times faster than the field would decline naturally were it to lose its power source. We have to determine if this is just a fluctuation in the Earth's magnetic field, or if it's another reversal." He looked at Blum with a critical eye. "I'm glad they chose you for this assignment. You were one of my best students. You should have finished your degree in geophysics, Cheryl."

"Not all scientists are open to women in their field as you are, Geoffrey. That's why I opted to swirl in the Bureau's paranormal unit.

"But this, anamoly," Blume continued as he tilted his head a fraction," is abnormal. We believe that it's alien in origin, or it might have been recovered from and alien ship and brought back to earth. We're not sure how long it's been embedded in the ground or where it came from. All we know is that it's now active."

Uneasy, Heller frowned and tilted his head to one side. "What will happen if the liquid core stops swirling?"

Blume frowned. "The magnetic field protects our planet from solar wind. Without it, charged particles would strip away the ozone layer that protects the Earth from cosmic  radiation. The planet would be defenseless from untraviolet radiation." He was detached from his analysis as if none if this concerned him.

"Shit." Heller said. "What else could happen?"

"We're not sure," Blume said.

"Where exactly is this disturbance?" A curtain of hair fell over her shoulder as Bronson tapped the keyboard and pulled up the correlating satellite feed. The information was sent in realtime as their instruments made their observations. Heller could practically hear the synapses firing in her brain as she assessed the situation.

Blume read off the coordinates, then gave the name of the state and town. "This is data streaming from Huntsville, Vermont."

She worried her lower lip. "Is this another location near water?"

He nodded. "Yes, but it's The Huntington river, not Lake Champlain. You shouldn't have much trouble reaching it." He tilted his head to the side. "Recovery might be more difficult.

"Why is that," Bronson asked.

He pulled up the specifics on the sixty-six square mile watershed area. "The main stem of the river is twenty-three miles long. The surrounding land is mostly second-growth forest with some agricultural land."

"The area's remote and hard to access, but it's more accessible than an underwater crater," Bronson said. This is the break we've been waiting for— a second anomaly."

"Yes, but the field is emanating from the deepest part of the river inside a narrow gorge."

Bronson sucked in her breath. "Damn, what are the odds? This could be worse than being under the ocean."

Heller was perplexed. "Why? It's a small river. We'll use a dive team."

Bronson shook her head. "No, it's not just a river, it's a gorge." When Heller kept looking at her at a loss, she explained. The current in a narrow gulch is deadly. One mistake and a diver attempting to recover the technology would be sucked under and stay wedged between the rocks."

"Can we find out who owns this land? We might have to excavate a section of the rock to make the area less narrow."

"It's privately owned," Blume whirled as Director Harvey Henderson entered the room. 

"Isn't that going to be problematic?" She asked.

"We have more than one problem. One of our researchers went rogue on us. It's a shame, he was one of our most brilliant scientists."

"What do you mean he went rogue?" Blume asked.

"Walter Sayers refused to share his latest research with the team."

"Why is that a problem? The Bureau owns all his research and stores it in the system."

"He started doing his most sensitive research off site a while back. A lab tech reported his illegal activity to Henderson. I believe he went off to study this anomaly on his own. He was fired but never debriefed. That will be one of your tasks if you find him."

"And afterwards?" Bronson looked at Henderson.

"No loose ends. You'll have to retire him."

"You said he's one of the government's most brilliant scientists."

"He was, all the more reason we can't let him fall into another country's hands. Just ensure you have all his research and anything new he's found regarding the Huntington anomaly."

Bronson nodded.

"And another thing," both agents waited. "There's chatter over the internet about the phenomenon. If anyone else besides Sayers knows about this force, they need to be silenced also."

Both agents nodded, their faces devoid of emotion.

Henderson looked at Geoffrey Blume. "If you're done here, I have some more data I'd like you to review.

The geophysicist's eye lit up. "Is this more data from the New England area?"

Henderson shook his head. "No, this analysis is from the Mexican Basin anomaly. The Mexican government is worried the anomaly might trigger disturb her earth's crust and trigger a tsunami."

Blume nodded. "A definite possibility."

"What's the percentage their modeling is calculating?"

"They don't have a system capable of capturing the data. They've sent what their equipment was able to record.

"Let's hope it's enough to work with." Blume said.

When Henderson and Blume had gone, Heller looked relieved he could contribute to the conversation without feeling foolish. "That's some heavy shit." He pulled out his phone. "I'll coordinate a team."

Bronson shook her head. "Let's wait. I don't like the shitstorm that ensued the last time we couldn't produce anything tangible. We're going to do some reconnaissance before we notify Henderson about anything. He's too quick to sanction the deaths of innocent people. It makes me wonder if he has anything to hide. Let him think he's in charge. I don't wan't any restrictions. If this anamoly is what I think it is, we'll not only get a pay rise, we might get his job."

Heller had learned to let Bronson take the lead early in their partnership. She was lethal in the field and had saved his life twice with her firearm skills and fearless determination. What he found even more invaluable about her was her uncanny ability to navigate the hierarchical maze of career politics in the bureau. She didn't have to know where all the bodies were buried. She put them there with fastidious ease.