QUES: Rakal, her first officer, was staring pensively at his panel. He was what this was all about. She watched his graceful fingers ending in thick black claws tap out calculations on the panel. His pointed ears swiveled back and forth, catching every sound from the bridge, while his long tail swished to the rhythm of his thoughts. Only those of the Arrallin Insurrection inner team knew he was no common 'beta furry'. His silken fur, which would be tawny golden and striped with jet black bands, was dyed perfectly to a pure black, and his mane trimmed and thinned as to be indistinguishable from the rest of his coat. His eyes had been treated and darkened to a rich purple to disguise the brilliant golden yellow color that would mark him as an Alpha Arrallin, and leader of his hive. Right now, he looked like an overgrown wolf who'd learned touch-typing. The scout ship re-emerged from the hole - a brilliant speck emerging from a sphere of velvety blackness. It's hail crackled across the comm, and Tara spun to retake her seat at the helm. "Launch the second probe. Won't Central be crushed to learn that another gateway has yielded little more than a class F planet and a white dwarf system. Level 1 and 2 staffers should prepare to be briefed and move out. This sounds like it's the one." The distinctive whuffle of pleasure rippled through the betas on the bridge, and Rakal let loose a small growl, as if to caution his charges against false hope. They'd scouted twenty-seven gates so far, and none had turned up anything worth the Insurrection's time. Tara would not let giddy hopes drag them onto a rock that would spell the end for the project, and the Arrallin species.
Do you have any questions?
MY QUESTION: What was the mission all about?

QUES: At 9:48, a representative from the White House shelter asked if there were any indications of another hijacked aircraft. The deputy director for operations mentioned the Delta flight and concluded that "that would be the fourth possible hijack." At 9:49, the commander of NORAD directed all air sovereignty aircraft to battle stations, fully armed. At 9:59, an Air Force lieutenant colonel working in the White House Military Office joined the conference and stated he had just talked to Deputy National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley. The White House requested (1) the implementation of continuity of government measures, (2) fighter escorts for Air Force One, and (3) a fighter combat air patrol over Washington, D.C. By 10:03, when United 93 crashed in Pennsylvania, there had been no mention of its hijacking and the FAA had not yet been added to the teleconference. The President and the Vice President The President was seated in a classroom when, at 9:05, Andrew Card whispered to him: "A second plane hit the second tower. America is under attack." The President told us his instinct was to project calm, not to have the country see an excited reaction at a moment of crisis. The press was standing behind the children; he saw their phones and pagers start to ring. The President felt he should project strength and calm until he could better understand what was happening. The President remained in the classroom for another five to seven minutes, while the children continued reading. He then returned to a holding room shortly before 9:15, where he was briefed by staff and saw television coverage. He next spoke to Vice President Cheney, Dr. Rice, New York Governor George Pataki, and FBI Director Robert Mueller. He decided to make a brief statement from the school before leaving for the airport. The Secret Service told us they were anxious to move the President to a safer location, but did not think it imperative for him to run out the door. Between 9:15 and 9:30, the staff was busy arranging a return to Washington, while the President consulted his senior advisers about his remarks. No one in the traveling party had any information during this time that other aircraft were hijacked or missing. Staff was in contact with the White House Situation Room, but as far as we could determine, no one with the President was in contact with the Pentagon.
Do you have any questions?
MY QUESTION: How long after the commander of NORAD directed all air sovereignty aircraft to battle stations did United 93 crash in Pennsylvania?

QUES: Light rays strike a reflecting surface. They are then reflected back. You can predict the angle of the reflected light. Imagine a ball bouncing off a surface. Light can do the same thing. That is, assuming the surface is shiny. So how do you know where light will go after it strikes a shiny surface? It depends on how the light initially strikes the shiny object. Light does not always go straight toward a surface. Therefore, not all light bounces straight back. Sometimes, light can hit a surface at an angle. The angle at which it strikes the surface tells us how it will bounce off. While light is different to a ball, they react in a similar manner. Many sports rely on knowledge of reflection. Pool players know a lot about reflection. They take great care when they strike the pool ball. They need it to go to a certain place. They know the angle it will hit the side of the pool table.
Do you have any questions?
MY QUESTION: What can bounce off a surface similar to a ball?

QUES: Imagine you are standing in a farm field in central Illinois. The land is so flat you can see for miles and miles. On a clear day, you might see a grain silo 20 miles away. You might think to yourself, it sure is flat around here. If you drive one hundred miles to the south, the landscape changes. In southern Illinois, there are rolling hills. Why do you think this is? What could have caused these features? There are no big rivers that may have eroded and deposited this material. The ground is capable of supporting grass and trees, so wind erosion would not explain it. To answer the question, you need to go back 12,000 years. Around 12,000 years ago, a giant ice sheet covered much of the Midwest United States. Springfield, Illinois, was covered by over a mile of ice. Its hard to imagine a mile thick sheet of ice. The massive ice sheet, called a glacier, caused the features on the land you see today. Where did glaciers go? Where can you see them today? Glaciers are masses of flowing ice.
Do you have any questions?
MY QUESTION:
In what part of Illinois might you be able to see a grain silo that is 20 miles away?