"We've got to get EOD here," gasped Tim as he gazed down at the bomb. His hand went to the pocket where his cell lived. "Damn! Our cells won't work! How far is it to the nearest pay phone? What do we do? Take the box out and drive down to the phone? How long have we got till this thing goes off?"
"Three hours by the clock," said Tony in a fairly impressive calm voice.
"That's OK, then," said Tim in relief, "we've got plenty of time."
"Know what an EOD technician said to me once?" asked Tony.
"No," said Tim hoping that Tony wasn't going to go on a Ducky-like tangent, "What?"
"Don't trust the ticking clock on a bomb."
"Why not?"
"Because bomb makers aren't usually full of the milk of human kindness and may be using the timer to confuse you."
"Oh," said Tim, "so we might not have three hours?"
"Well, speaking personally, I wouldn't want to bet my life on the reliability of someone who plants bombs but don't let me stop you."
"OK," agreed Tim, "so we need to get to a pay phone. Or do we wait and flag someone down?"
"Let's risk taking the crate out of the jeep," decided Tony, "it can't be too sensitive, the road wasn't exactly smooth."
"Right," said Tim. They carefully removed the crate and gently set it down on the grass by the side of the road. Tim couldn't help but contrast how nervous they now felt handling the box compared to when they first discovered it. They backed away a few feet and thought.
"Now what?" said Tim.
"Drive down to Green Bank or the first pay phone you come to and get help," said Tony and as Tim opened his mouth to protest added, "That's an order, Probie."
"Why don't you come as well?" suggested Tim.
"And leave an unexploded bomb by the roadside?"
"Perhaps not," said Tim, "maybe I'll pass that detector van. He must have some way of contacting civilisation."
"Say that again," said Tony suddenly.
"I said that may be I'll go past the detector van …"
"I heard you," said Tony and he went back to the crate.
"Then why ask me to say it again?" muttered Tim as he followed Tony.
"This looks like a transmitter to me," said Tony as he pointed into the box.
Tim looked gingerly where he was pointing, "yes, and that's a receiver. Oh, and another transmitter."
"Do they need to be plugged in?" asked Tony.
"What?"
"Do they need to be plugged in or do they run off their own power?"
Tim looked again, "No. They should have some battery capacity. They wouldn't run for long off battery but it's there as a failsafe."
"Great," said Tony reaching for the on switch. Tim reached out a hand and stopped him,
"Who are you going to try and contact, Tony? We don't know what wavelengths to transmit on and there's nothing to speak into."
"Doesn't matter, Tim. We just need to set them off."
"Why?"
"They're powerful, aren't they?" asked Tony.
"Yeah, sure."
"Marcie told me she had an old electric blanket that went wrong," said Tony.
"So?" said McGee itching to get in the jeep and go for help.
"The tracker van picked it up, it was setting off some sort of interference that was confusing the Observatory."
"Yeah?"
Tony stared rather than giving Tim an answer.
"So …" said Tim, and his expression changed.
"There you go," said Tony.
"So, if we switch these machines on they'll be picked up by the tracker van and at the watching facilities. Tony, that's brilliant."
"You made me think of it when you said about the tracker van," said Tony, "this way we'll just make sure it gets here quickly."
"Just one thing," said McGee.
"What?"
"It's possible that creating this signal might set the bomb off."
"Oh," said Tony, "OK, I'll wait till you've gone before I switch them on."
"Perhaps I should stay," said Tim.
"Why?"
"I'm the one with the scientific background."
"McGee," said Tony with a smile, "it's throwing a switch. I think I can manage that without a degree from M.I.T. Go!"
Tim walked to the jeep and paused, "Tony," he said seriously.
"I'll be careful, Tim. Go on."
"But …," said Tim.
"I know you care, Tim, you don't need to say anything."
"Er, no," said Tim, "that's not it. I mean, I do care. Obviously I care but that isn't what I was going to say."
"Oh," said Tony in a disappointed voice, "Oh. What were you going to say?"
"If Green Bank misses out on picking up on the first alien transmission from a distant galaxy because of your interference … well, the scientists aren't going to be pleased."
"McGullible," said Tony, "what makes you think it would be the first message from little green men?"
"You mean …" said McGee in a shocked voice, "that they might be keeping life on other planets secret?"
"Tim," said Tony patiently, "could we have this discussion some other time?"
"Uh, oh, yes, I see what you mean," said McGee. He got into the jeep and then poked his head out once more, "Tony?"
"What?!"
"Do you think we're turning into Ducky?"
"Eh?"
"Going off on tangents?"
Tony didn't reply and Tim drove off leaving Tony walking up to the crate again. Tim had driven a few hundred yards when he heard a loud bang; he slammed on the brakes and heard another bang. He looked through the rear window mirror but couldn't see any smoke and then realised that the noise was the remaining crate crashing round in the back. He took a deep breath and started driving again.
NCISNCIS
"Wow, you have to admit that's impressive," said Tony, as he surveyed the scene around the bomb. The tracking van had arrived within ten minutes of him switching the transmitters and receiver on followed a few minutes later by crews from the Observatory and NIOC. By the time McGee got back to report he had called in the situation by phone, the normally peaceful countryside was buzzing with officials.
"How long before EOD get here?" asked McGee.
"About an hour," said Tony, "flying a team in from Camp Dawson."
"What was he up to? Sullivan, I mean."
"Who knows?" said Tony. "I guess if the crate hadn't been found, he'd have blown up the sports stadium."
"A place he hated," said McGee.
"Or it could have blown up while it was being moved. So he'd have taken out someone from the police or the military or us."
"But he didn't know us," said McGee.
"You think he wouldn't have done it if he'd known what nice people we are?" joked Tony.
"Hey, to know us is to love us," said Tim, "well, me anyway."
"I reckon he thought that any explosion would be good but the best would be if it had gone off inside NIOC. Remember Marcie saying he didn't approve of it?"
"Do you think he deliberately allowed himself to get caught selling that equipment?" asked McGee.
"Might have done," shrugged Tony, "timing was right. Suddenly remembering about the last box just as the countdown was running out. We'll find out anyway."
"How?"
"Attack on NIOC? Can't see Gibbs letting Army CID keep hold of the case now. One stare from Leroy Jethro Gibbs and Sullivan will spill," said Tony confidently.
"Look, someone's coming over," observed McGee, "Do you think he's coming to say thank you?"
"Don't know," said Tony, "not unless he's as good as Gibbs at disguising being happy."
Indeed, the youngish man approaching them did not look pleased.
"Was it you who set those signals off?" he demanded.
"Yes," said Tony, "and you're welcome."
"Welcome," almost screamed the young man, "d'you know how long it will take to recalibrate our equipment? We might lose days of observations."
"Well," said Tony, "there was a bomb. You know what that is? We thought it was a bit urgent to let people know."
"There must have been other ways," said the irate man.
"Tony, he's right," said Tim. Tony gave him a wounded look. "We should have tried smoke signals. They wouldn't have interfered with the telescope, would it?"
"I don't know, Tim," said Tony seriously, "I'd have used a friction stick to get the fire going. Who knows what that would have done?"
"I guess we should have just left the truck where it was," mused Tim, "or drive it to NIOC and let it blow up."
"Do you think all that NIOC equipment blowing up would have caused much interference?" asked Tony. "I guess not."
"Good point, Tony," said Tim apparently giving it serious consideration, "tell you what, I'll go and tell EOD not to bother dismantling the bomb."
"Good work, Tim," said Tony cheerfully slapping Tim on the shoulder. "And you, what's your name?" he said to the young man,
"Travis. Nicholas Travis," came the reply.
"Tim, tell EOD that Mr Travis here will drive the jeep."
Travis went pale and began to bluster in panic. Tim and Tony smiled at each other but were interrupted in their contemplation of the scientist's worry by the arrival of a tall, lean man.
"I'm Dr Stephen Oaks," he said, "I'm one of the deputy managers at the Observatory."
Tony and Tim sighed and braced themselves for more criticism and were surprised when Oaks shook their hands.
"I just wanted to come over and say thank you," he said, "an explosion would have caused us a great deal of disruption and it would have interrupted our researches."
"Your colleague," said Tim nodding towards Travis, "seemed to have a different view."
"Ah," said Oaks looking a bit uneasy, "I prefer to look on the positive side. You setting off those signals and the interference were a splendid test of our warning systems."
Travis almost stamped his feet in frustration at his boss's opinion. Dr Oaks turned and patted him on the shoulder,
"Nick," he said, "why don't you go back to your laboratory and start your re-calibration. Your machines need you."
Travis nodded unhappily, delivered another scowl in Tony and Tim's direction and then stalked back to his car. Dr Oaks watched him go and sighed,
"I'm afraid Nick gets a bit excited," he said, "he's very attached to his computers …"
"It's all right," said Tim, "we know someone who loves her computers."
"Yes," chimed in Tony, "when Major Mass Spec blows a fuse, she's twitchy for days."
"Then you know what it's like. I mean, don't get me wrong, he's brilliant but … well, he's temperamental. And he's embarrassed."
"Why?" asked Tony.
"Can you keep a secret?" asked the doctor.
"We have a high security clearance," said Tim solemnly.
"Well," said Dr Oaks in a confidential tone as the others leaned in to hear, "when he first heard the signals … he got excited. They weren't like anything he'd heard before and he thought that … that … he might be hearing a message from outside our solar system. He started his computers analysing the signals in case he could discern a message. Let's just say that he was disappointed when he realised the message was coming from just down the road!"
Tony and Tim nodded wisely and managed to keep a straight face.
"Nice to meet you, gentlemen," said the doctor, "If you have time before you leave, come and visit us at Green Bank. I'll be happy to give you a special guided tour of our facility."
He shook hands again and left the two agents in differing attitudes of gratitude at his offer.
"You know," said Tony as he watched him go, "for an assignment in a low tech area, this has turned out to involve a lot of sciencey stuff."
"What do you mean, Tony?" asked Tim.
"Retrieving all these techy gizmos; watching all your computery DVDs and now an invitation for a VIP tour of an Observatory …"
McGee sighed happily, "I know. Great, isn't it?"
A sergeant from NIOC drew near.
"Sir, I've got a Special Agent Gibbs on the phone for you," and he held out a satellite phone.
"Look at that, Tim," said Tony, "it's a miracle. It's a phone which you can carry round with you!"
"Yes, Sir," said the sergeant, "as it's an emergency we're using the satellite technology."
Tony took the phone, "Hey, Boss. How you doing?"
"Sitrep," said Gibbs.
"Right. EOD are on their way and they're going to defuse the bomb. And then the mantle of techlessness will once more spread itself it over this peaceful place and the geeks can get back to listening to space."
"Good," said Gibbs, "I spoke to Lieutenant Maye from NIOC. They're going to take the last crate back themselves so you don't have to. Once EOD give you the all clear you're finished up there.
"Thanks, Boss. Uh, Boss," said Tony.
"What?"
"This place won't be as quiet as normal for a couple of hours."
"Surprised it's been quiet at all with you and McGee around," said Gibbs a bit unkindly.
"Boss?"
"Last few days have made me realise how much noise you two make," answered Gibbs.
Tony and Tim digested that for a moment, wondering if that was Gibbs' way of saying he had missed them.
"Anyway, Boss," said Tony, "like I was saying it's not as quiet as usual. Might be a good idea to make sure NIOC are still listening as much as possible."
"Why?"
"Just in case Sullivan had a plan to take NIOC off line for a while. You know, there might have been something about to go down that he wanted to keep hidden. I think he's just a lone wolf but wouldn't hurt to make sure."
"Good thought," said Gibbs, "I'll get on it. Sullivan's being brought here tomorrow and I'll interrogate him myself."
"You need us back, Boss?"
"Nope, Bishop's coming back tomorrow. Clear things up where you are and take the weekend off."
"Thanks, Boss."
"Good job. Both of you."
NCISNCIS
It was late by the time EOD finished up and the road was clear so Tony and Tim decided to spend another night at the campsite. As they sat round the fire, Tony said,
"I'm almost going to miss this. Sleeping on that self-inflating pad has been good for my back."
"And there's no traffic noise," said McGee, "I've slept really well."
"Marcie said we could stay on …"
"We could go on that tour of the Observatory," said McGee excitedly.
"Well …" said Tony, beginning to regret expressing doubts about not going home.
"And the sky's going to be really clear tomorrow night, we could do our star gazing."
"Hmm …"
"Marcie said she's got a hay box I can use to make my special stew."
"I don't know, McGee …"
"And I looked in the campsite DVD library … they've got a box set of Magnum."
"Well," said Tony beginning to weaken.
"And I thought that perhaps …"
"What, Tim?"
"Well, you said you were good at trapping bull-frogs. I've never caught one. You could teach me?"
Tony looked across at McGee's hopeful face and gave in.
"OK. But just two nights. We go back on Sunday."
"Yes," said McGee, "and just think …" he added darkly.
"What?" said Tony indulgently.
"I'll have loads of time to think how to get back at Gibbs about Vance's concussion!"
Tony sighed as he realised that, like elephants, McGees don't forget.
AN: I have returned the characters to their boxes in better condition than I found them (which is unusual for me!) and I'll let silence descend once more on the Quiet Zone. Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, favourited this story.