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em back to the surface。 Stone read the summaries of each previous flight。
Scoop I was a gold…plated satellite； cone…shaped； weighing thirty…seven pounds fully equipped。 It was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in Purisima； California； on March 12； 1966。 Vandenberg is used for polar （north to south） orbits； as opposed to Cape Kennedy； which launches west to east； Vandenberg had the additional advantage of maintaining better secrecy than Kennedy。
Scoop I orbited for six days before being brought down。 It landed successfully in a swamp near Athens； Georgia。 Unfortunately； it was found to contain only standard earth organisms。
Scoop II burned up in reentry； as a result of instrumentation failure。 Scoop III also burned up； though it had a new type of plastic…and…tungsten…laminate heat shield。
Scoops IV and V were recovered intact from the Indian Ocean and the Appalachian foothills； but neither contained radically new organisms； those collected were harmless variants of S。 albus； a mon contaminant of normal human skin。 These failures led to a further increase in sterilization procedures prior to launch。
Scoop VI was launched on New Year's Day； 1967。 It incorporated all the latest refinements from earlier attempts。 High hopes rode with the revised satellite； which returned eleven days later； landing near Bombay； India。 Unknown to anyone； the 34th Airborne； then stationed in Evreux； France； just outside Paris； was dispatched to recover the capsule。 The 34th was on alert whenever a spaceflight went up； according to the procedures of Operation Scrub； a plan first devised to protect Mercury and Gemini capsules should one be forced to land in Soviet Russia or Eastern Bloc countries。 Scrub was the primary reason for keeping a single paratroop division in Western Europe in the first half of the 1960's。
Scoop VI was recovered uneventfully。 It was found to contain a previously unknown form of unicellular organism； coccobacillary in shape； gram…negative； coagulase； and triokinase…positive。 However； it proved generally benevolent to all living things with the exception of domestic female chickens； which it made moderately ill for a four…day period。
Among the Detrick staff； hope dimmed for the successful recovery of a pathogen from the Scoop program。 Nonetheless； Scoop VII was launched soon after Scoop VI。 The exact date is classified but it is believed to be February 5； 1967。 Scoop VII immediately went into stable orbit with an apogee of 317 miles and a perigee of 224 miles。 It remained in orbit for two and a half days。 At that time； the satellite abruptly left stable orbit for unknown reasons； and it was decided to bring it down by radio mand。
The anticipated landing site was a desolate area in northeastern Arizona。
***
Midway through the flight； his reading was interrupted by an officer who brought him a telephone and then stepped a respectful distance away while Stone talked。
〃Yes？〃 Stone said； feeling odd。 He was not accustomed to talking on the telephone in the middle of an airplane trip。
〃General Marcus here；〃 a tired voice said。 Stone did not know General Marcus。 〃I just wanted to inform you that all members of the team have been called in； with the exception of Professor Kirke。〃
〃What happened？〃
〃Professor Kirke is in the hospital；〃 General Marcus said。 〃You'll get further details when you touch down。〃
The conversation ended； Stone gave the telephone back to the officer。 He thought for a minute about the other men on the team； and wondered at their reactions as they were called out of bed。
There was Leavitt； of course。 He would respond quickly。 Leavitt was a clinical microbiologist； a man experienced in the treatment of infectious disease。 Leavitt had seen enough plagues and epidemics in his day to know the importance of quick action。 Besides； there was his ingrained pessimism； which never deserted him。 （Leavitt had once said； 〃At my wedding； all I could think of was how much alimony she'd cost me。〃） He was an irritable； grumbling； heavyset man with a morose face and sad eyes； which seemed to peer ahead into a bleak and miserable future； but he was also thoughtful； imaginative； and not afraid to think daringly。
Then there was the pathologist； Burton； in Houston。 Stone had never liked Burton very well； though he acknowledged his scientific talent。 Burton and Stone were different： where Stone was organized； Burton was sloppy； where Stone was controlled； Burton was impulsive； where Stone was confident； Burton was nervous； jumpy； petulant。 Colleagues referred to Burton as 〃the Stumbler；〃 partly because of his tendency to trip over his untied shoelaces and baggy trouser cuffs and partly because of his talent for tumbling by error into one important discovery after another。
And then Kirke； the anthropologist from Yale； who apparently was not going to be able to e。 If the report was true； Stone knew he was going to miss him。 Kirke was an ill…informed and rather foppish man who possessed； as if by accident； a superbly logical brain。 He was capable of grasping the essentials of a problem and manipulating them to get the necessary result； though he could not balance his own checkbook； mathematicians often came to him for help in resolving highly abstract problems。
Stone was going to miss that kind of brain。 Certainly the fifth man would be no help。 Stone frowned as he thought about Mark Hall。 Hall had been a promise candidate for the team； Stone would have preferred a physician with experience in metabolic disease； and the choice of a surgeon instead had been made with the greatest reluctance。 There had been great pressure from Defense and the AEC to accept Hall； since those groups believed in the Odd Man Hypothesis； in the end； Stone and the others had given in。
Stone did not know Hall well； he wondered what he would say when he was informed of the alert。 Stone could not have known of the great delay in notifying members of the team。 He did not know； for instance； that Burton； the pathologist； was not called until five a。m。； or that Peter Leavitt； the microbiologist； was not called until six thirty； the time he arrived at the hospital。
And Hall was not called until five minutes past seven。
***
It was； Mark Hall said later； 〃a horrifying experience。 In an instant； I was taken from the most familiar of worlds and plunged into the most unfamiliar。 〃 At six forty…five； Hall was in the washroom adjacent to OR 7； scrubbing for his first case of the day。 He was in the midst of a routine he had carried out daily for several years； he was relaxed and joking with the resident； scrubbing with him。
When he finished； he went into the operating room； holding his arms before him； and the instrument nurse handed him a towel； to wipe his hands dry。 Also in the room was another resident； who was prepping the body for surgery applying iodine and alcohol solutions and a circulating nurse。 They all exchanged greetings。
At the hospital； Hall was known as a swift； quick…tempered； and unpredictable surgeon。 He operated with speed； working nearly twice as fast as other surgeons。 When things went smoothly； he laughed and joked as he worked； kidding his assistants； the nurses； the anesthetist。 But if things did not go well； if they became slow and difficult； Hall could turn blackly irritable。
Like most surgeons； he was insistent upon routine。 Everything had to be done in a certain order； in a certain way。 If not； he became upset。
Because the others in the operating room knew this； they looked up toward the overhead viewing gallery with apprehension when Leavitt appeared。 Leavitt clicked on the inter that connected the upstairs room to the operating room below and said； 〃Hello； Mark。〃
Hall had been draping the patient； placing green sterile cloths over every part of the body except for the abdomen。 He looked up with surprise。 〃Hello； Peter；〃 he said。
〃Sorry to disturb you；〃 Leavitt said。 〃But this is an emergency。〃
〃Have to wait；〃 Hall said。 〃I'm starting a procedure。〃
He finished draping and called for the skin knife。 He palpated the abdomen； feeling for the landmarks to begin his incision。
〃It can't wait；〃 Leavitt said。
Hall paused。 He set down the scalpel and looked up。 There was a long silence。
〃What the hell do you mean； it can't wait？〃
Leavitt remained calm。 〃You'll have to break scrub。 This is an emergency。〃
〃Look； Peter； I've got a patient here。 Anesthetized。 Ready to go。 I can't just walk〃
〃Kelly will take over for you。〃
Kelly was one of the staff surgeons。
〃Kelly？〃
〃He's scrubbing now；〃 Leavitt said。 〃It's all arranged。 I'll expect to meet you in the surgeon's change room。 In about thirty seconds。〃
And then he was gone。
Hall glared at everyone in the room。 No one moved； or spoke。 After a moment； he stripped off his gloves and stomped out of the room； swearing once； very loudly。
***
Hall viewed his own association with Wildfire as tenuous at best。 In 1966 he had been approached by Leavitt； the chief of