The radar dish atop the van continues to rotate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Inside the van, the radar oscilloscope shows a blinking target. A pen plotter draws an arrow on a United States Department of the Interior Geological Survey map labeled “Vandenberg AFB, Project: Scoop Satellite Recovery Chart (Classified)”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Piedmont, New Mexico,” says Sgt. Crane, smiling. “Population, sixty-eight.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lt. Shawn turns up the volume on the oscilloscope, then grabs the night vision telescope. “Come on,” he says, headed out the door of the van. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Outside, buzzards circle in the night sky. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I didn’t notice them before,” says Lt. Shawn, walking over to his rocky perch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“That’s crazy,” says Sgt. Crane. “I didn’t know buzzards fly at night.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“That’s what they look like,” says Shawn, scanning the night sky with his scope. “Here,” he says, handing the night scope to Crane. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Crane looks through the scope at the village below. “Boy, that’s some dead burg,” remarks Crane. Shawn lights up a cigarette with a Zippo lighter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Buzzards only come when something’s dead,” says Shawn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Off to Piedmont.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":280,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"episode_type":"audio","audio_file":"http:\/\/www.andromedaminute.com\/cm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/as005.mp3","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"16:34","filesize":"15.69M","date_recorded":"15-04-2020","explicit":"","block":"","filesize_raw":"16456587"},"tags":[],"series":[4,11],"episode_featured_image":"http:\/\/www.andromedaminute.com\/cm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/as005.jpg","episode_player_image":"http:\/\/www.andromedaminute.com\/cm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/AndromedaCover1400.jpg","download_link":"http:\/\/www.andromedaminute.com\/cm\/podcast-download\/369\/minute-005-population-68.mp3","player_link":"http:\/\/www.andromedaminute.com\/cm\/podcast-player\/369\/minute-005-population-68.mp3","audio_player":"\n