Metafire

"How can a nuclear explosion be safe, if you are in space with it?" Ferguson did not understand.

Frank's background with Los Alamos now came in handy, "Blow the bomb downward into the Earth's atmosphere. It will behave like the old atmospheric bomb tests."

Then Jane remembered Metafire's reason for existence and spoke. "You know, if it blows up in the upper atmosphere, above a populated area and at night, a lot of people will see its power. That might not be all bad if it doesn't actually hurt anybody."

Ferguson was not happy about this statement, coming from someone he was supposed to save. "Jane, I hope you don't mean that."

Then Erisa, seeing that Ferguson had turned icy, spoke up, "John, somebody is going to get hurt. Jim is still on board with the bomb."

"That's right. But when do you propose that we neutralize the bomb, Angela?" Ferguson wanted to talk to the one who seemed to have the details in mind.

"Tomorrow. We have to trust you, John. We have to trust that you will rescue my daughter and leave us alone even if we let you neutralize our bomb first."