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{{short description|2001 novel by Dan Brown}}
[[Image:deception point.jpg|thumb|200px|''Deception Point'' book cover]]
{{Infobox book | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Novels or Wikipedia:WikiProject_Books -->
'''''Deception Point''''' ([[2001]]) is a [[Thriller (genre)|thriller]] [[novel]] by [[Dan Brown]], the author of ''[[The Da Vinci Code]]'', ''[[Angels and Demons]]'', and ''[[Digital Fortress]]''.
| name = Deception Point
| title_orig =
| translator =
| image = File:DeceptionPointDanBrownNovel.jpg
| caption = First edition cover
| author = [[Dan Brown]]
| cover_artist =
| country = United States
| language = English
| series =
| genre = [[Thriller (genre)|Thriller]]
| publisher = [[Pocket Books]]
| release_date = 2001
| isbn = 0671027379
| congress = PS3552.R685434 D4 2001
| media_type = Print (hardback & paperback)
| pages = 372 (hardback)
580 (paperback)
}}


'''''Deception Point''''' is a 2001 [[Mystery (fiction)|mystery]]-[[Thriller (genre)|thriller]] novel by American author [[Dan Brown]].<ref>[http://danbrown.com/deception-point/ The novels page on the official Dan Brown site]</ref> It is Brown's third novel. It was published by [[Simon & Schuster]].<ref>[https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Deception-Point/Dan-Brown/9780743497466 The novels page on the [Simon & Schuster site]</ref>
==Plot summary==
Intelligence Analyst Rachel Sexton is in her mid-thirties, is single, and works for the NRO ([[National Reconnaissance Office]]). Her father, Senator Sedgewick Sexton, is a popular presidential candidate surpassing the incumbent [[President of the United States]] Zachary Herney. The President sends her to the [[Arctic]] as part of a team of experts to confirm and authenticate findings made by [[NASA]] deep within the [[Milne Ice Shelf]]. NASA's new [[Earth Observing System|Earth Observation System]] (EOS,) a collection of satellites constantly monitoring the globe for signs of large-scale change, has found an extremely dense spot in the Milne Ice Shelf. NASA discovers a very dense meteorite. In it are fossils of bugs very similar to--but not the same as--species on earth. NASA claims this as proof of extraterrestrial life. This find is something NASA needs desperately, as the agency’s success rate on other fronts has put it in a bad light. Senator Sexton uses this as an example of government overspending and failure to further his campaign.


The novel follows [[White House]] intelligence analyst Rachel Sexton's involvement in corroborating [[NASA]]'s discovery of a [[meteorite]] that supposedly contains proof of [[extraterrestrial life]], resembling the [[ALH84001]] case. The discovery comes at a time close to the [[United States presidential election]] in which her father is running. The discovery will aid the campaign of her employer, the incumbent [[president of the United States]], Zachary Herney, but put her further at odds with her already estranged father, Senator Sedgwick Sexton, who is running for election. Ms. Sexton, accompanied by a team of experts, must prove the authenticity of the meteorite, which will either make or break the campaign of President Herney.
A group of four civilian scientists has already been studying the find and has confirmed NASA's claims. It is only hours before the President and NASA plan to go public with the discovery.


==Plot==
However, one of the scientists is startled by something he sees in the icy water in the pit from which the meteorite was removed, and before he has a chance to tell the others, he is killed by the [[Delta Force]], a special forces unit of the U.S. Army.
On the eve of a United States presidential election, [[NASA]] discovers a [[meteorite]] in the [[Milne Ice Shelf]] containing fossils of insect-like creatures, seemingly proving the existence of extraterrestrial life. The discovery could potentially be a deciding factor in the presidential election, in which one of the key issues is whether to continue funding NASA. Incumbent US President Zachary Herney favors supporting space research, while his challenger Senator Sedgewick Sexton argues for dissolving NASA.


President Herney sends a team of experts to the Arctic to verify the authenticity of the extraterrestrial insect: oceanographer Michael Tolland, astrophysicist Corky Marlinson, glaciologist Norah Mangor, paleontologist Wailee Ming, and [[National Reconnaissance Office]] employee Rachel Sexton, Senator Sexton's daughter.
What the experts and scientists don’t realize is that their every move is monitored from a listening post just a few miles away by Delta Force members controlling a tiny flying "microbot."


When the scientists find an anomaly that calls the authenticity of NASA's discovery into question, they are attacked by a [[Delta Force]] team that had secretly been spying on them. The Delta Force soldiers kill Ming and Mangor while leaving Rachel, Tolland and Marlinson to perish on an ice floe, but they are rescued by the Navy submarine [[USS Charlotte (SSN-766)|USS ''Charlotte'']]. Rachel alerts presidential advisor Marjorie Tench and [[Director of the National Reconnaissance Office|NRO director]] William Pickering of the attack, and Pickering sends an air transport to bring them back to the United States.
The other three civilian scientists and Rachel make the same discovery as their martyred comrade. They are unaware of his death. They have found evidence of seawater contamination, suggesting that the ice shelf is not pure freshwater as glaciers are supposed to be. They examine further, discovering that there is a shaft of frozen seawater directly below the extraction pit. It appears that the meteorite has been inserted from below.


Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., Tench tries to sabotage Sexton's campaign by blackmailing his aide, Gabrielle Ashe, with photos of an [[extramarital affair]] that she had with Senator Sexton, and reveals that Sexton is secretly backed by a coalition of private aerospace corporations who would profit from NASA's dissolution. Ashe discovers that Tench's claims are true, but also finds out that NASA lied about the origin of the meteorite.
During Rachel's and the scientists' excursion out of NASA's temporary settlement to investigate the contamination, they are attacked by the Delta Force. One of the scientists is killed, and Rachel and the other two narrowly survive, being rescued by the [[USS Charlotte]].


The surviving scientists retreat to Tolland's research ship off the [[New Jersey]] coast, where they fully re-analyze their data and discover that the meteorite is fake. A surprise attack by the Delta Force team prompts Rachel to fax the data to her father, asking for help. In the ensuing skirmish, all Delta Force soldiers are killed, their helicopter is sunk, and Pickering is revealed to be their commander; he masterminded the fake meteorite to aid Herney's campaign and prevent the dissolution of NASA. The ship and Pickering are sucked in by a vortex, while a [[United States Coast Guard|Coast Guard]] [[Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey|Osprey]] picks up Rachel, Tolland and Marlinson.
The three, armed with a strong suspicion of NASA deception, set off to investigate further. Their goal is to either reconfirm or deny NASA's claims before President Herney stuns the world with a possibly false announcement. They fly to the research ship of one of the scientists, investigate the chemical makeup of a meteorite sample, and look up the fossilized organism found in the meteorite. They discover that the organism does in fact exist on earth in the [[Mariana Trench]] and that the chemical makeup of the meteorite could prove it to be a terrestrial rock. The scientists come to the conclusion that the meteorite is false well after Herney has publicized the find.


Sexton attempts to reveal Rachel's fax in a press conference in hopes of implicating NASA and the president in the meteorite hoax, but Rachel and Gabrielle swap Rachel's fax with the photo evidence of Sexton's affair with Gabrielle, humiliating him and ruining his chances of winning the election. By the end of the story, Michael and Rachel have developed a romantic relationship.
Suddenly, the Delta Force tracks down the group and destroys the ship. The three scientists narrowly escape once again, managing to kill the Delta Force team in the meantime. Rachel learns that the NRO head is actually the Delta Force controller for that operation.


==Characters==
They are suspicious of the entire NASA organization and the administration. Rachel faxes the information about the meteorite's makeup and the organism to her father, knowing that he will not be afraid to go public. However, she arrives in time to discover that her father is taking corrupt bribes from private space companies who wish NASA's demise. With help from Sexton's assistant, she replaces envelopes containing NASA's incriminating information meant for the press with ones containing photos of Sexton's lewd sexual encounter with his assistant.
'''Authentication team: '''During the story, NASA invites five external experts to help authenticate the meteorite finding as [[secondary source]]s:
<!--Occurrences:
Rachel Sexton: 92 Rachel: 1292 Sexton: BZZT!
Michael Tolland: 75 Michael: 85 Tolland: 726
Norah Mangor: 32 Norah: 163 Mangor: 47
Wailee Ming: 11 Wailee: 11 Ming: 289
Corky Marlinson: 27 Corky: 380 Marlinson: 44
-->
* '''Rachel Sexton''': A data analyst for the NRO and Senator Sexton's daughter, Rachel's relationship with her father is antagonistic because of his infidelity, which indirectly contributed to her mother's death in an accident. Her involvement in the authentication is eventually proven to be purely political.
* '''Michael Tolland''': An [[Oceanography|oceanographer]] and television celebrity-scientist, Tolland possesses excellent educational and social skills and does not exhibit unchecked anger, as other characters do. Tolland can remain calm under fire<ref>Chapter 51</ref><ref name=ch127>Chapter 127</ref> and [[think out of the box]].<ref name=ch127 /><ref>Chapter 128</ref> Having lost his wife to cancer, Tolland gradually develops a crush on Rachel.
* '''Corky Marlinson''': A world-renowned [[astrophysics|astrophysicist]] and a staunch proponent of the authenticity of the meteorite, Corky has little knowledge of proper social conduct. Corky survives a [[shark attack]].
* '''Norah Mangor''': A prickly [[Glaciology|glaciologist]], Norah has a tough, tomboyish personality; she is suffocated with ice and snow early in the book by Pickering's death squad and was thrown into the Arctic Ocean along with her sled.<ref>Chapter 60</ref>
* '''Wailee Ming''': A [[Paleontology|paleontologist]] with an impeccable dress habit; he is drowned early in the book by Pickering's death squad when he attempted to investigate an irregularity in the extraction hole.


'''Politicians:'''
Soon after, Herney makes the announcement to the world, retracting his statement from the night before. This almost guarantees his second term in the White House.
* '''Zachary Herney''': The President of the United States, criticized for his extravagant expenditure of U.S. money on low-yield areas (including the allegedly futile search for extraterrestrial life) while the important areas of nation (such as education) suffer from the lack of funds. The events of the story lead him into revising government extravagance.
* '''Senator Thomas Sedgewick Sexton''': Rachel's father and an ambitious [[United States presidential election|presidential candidate]] in the book. Senator Sexton is corrupt, promiscuous, and ruthless; he accepts bribes, engages in several extramarital affairs and would even sacrifice his daughter to crush his political opponent harder, but the consequences of his actions eventually destroy his political standing. Because of his ego, he does not take [[computer security]] seriously and chooses weak [[password]]s for his computer.
* '''Marjorie Tench''': Senior Adviser to the president. Described as very astute and ruthless, she anonymously sends information about the president's expenditure on NASA to lure Sexton into attacking the organization. Tench has kept the meteorite discovery a secret, intending to use it as a justification for the expenditure, making Sexton's criticism backfire. When Rachel informs her of the fake nature of the meteorite, Tench attempts to hush it up before being killed by Pickering's death squad.
* '''Gabrielle Ashe''': Senator Sexton's aide and one-time mistress, she relays information about NASA's extravagance to Senator Sexton. When the senator's campaign collapses, she infiltrates NASA to help salvage the campaign by finding potential evidences of falsification. Gabrielle later threatens to expose her one-time illegitimate affair in order to dissuade Sexton from sacrificing her daughter for his political ambitions. Failing to succeed, she and Rachel cooperate to replace the meteorite fiasco evidence with photos of said affair.


'''NASA''':
[[Image:Deception pt paperback.jpg|thumb|right|220px|Alternate book cover]]
* '''Lawrence Ekstrom''': Administrator of NASA; serves no purpose in the book beyond attracting suspicion.
* '''Chris Harper''': NASA section manager; he appears in four dedicated chapters and explains how NASA did not find the meteorite as claimed.


'''NRO''':
==Main Characters==
* '''William Pickering''': The main antagonist, director of the NRO and the handler of the Delta Force team featured in the book, he is the mastermind behind main plot line. Pickering's intention is to help president Herney maintain the office for ulterior motives of his own; his ultimate goal is to make NASA a division of the NRO, thus rendering its operations clandestine. He and the Delta Force team under his command would kill anyone who is a threat to his plan, even Marjorie Tench, the president's adviser, who once had disagreed with him. Pickering is sucked into a vortex.
* '''Rachel Sexton''': An intelligence analyst working for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). Daughter of Sedgewick Sexton.
* '''Delta Force team''': A team of three males, they are the death squad of William Pickering and have access to state-of-the-art technology of the time, such as surveillance [[microrobotics|microbots]], an [[Aurora (aircraft)|Aurora aircraft]], a [[Kiowa Warrior]] helicopter and weapons that manufacture their own munitions. All three are killed; two are eaten by sharks and their leader is drowned inside a Kiowa Warrior.
* '''Michael Tolland''': Oceanographer, producer of [[documentary film]]s, and captain of a [[SWATH]] class research vessel known as the Goya, he was called in to produce a film on the Arctic discovery. He becomes Rachel's love interest. He also ends up seducing Rachel and having sex with her in the Lincoln Bedroom.
* '''Zachary Herney''': President of the United States who is running for a second term and one who believed in playing fair.
* '''Senator Sedgewick Sexton''': Corrupt [[United States Senate|United States Senator]] running against Herney for President. Father of Rachel Sexton. Amazing seductive powers. Had sex with his assistant and his neighbor while married.
* '''Lawrence Ekstrom''': NASA administrator. While he initially appears to be the villain, this possibility is eventually discredited (see [[red herring]]).
* '''William Pickering''': Director of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). He is revealed to be the controller of the Delta Force team, the mastermind behind the Delta Force killings and the manipulator of events throughout the novel.
* '''Marjorie Tench''': Senior advisor to Zach Herney. She is killed by a car bombing organized by William Pickering when she began to become a nuisance to his plans.
* '''Gabrielle Ashe''': Personal aide to Sedgewick Sexton. Seduced by Sexton early on in their partnership, she eventually grows wary of his corrupt nature. Upon hearing his plot to commercialize the space exploration industry, she secretly helps end her boss's political career.
* '''Corky Marlinson''': A brilliant [[astrophysics|astrophysicist]] with a somewhat high opinion of his abilities. He is a friend of Michael Tolland and is one of the outside parties called in to examine the discovery. He, Rachel, and Michael are the only three of the original five still alive by the end of the story.
* '''Delta-One''', '''Delta-Two''', and '''Delta-Three''': Agents of the Delta Force, they are responsible for the majority of the numerous civilian casualties throughout the story. Delta-One drowns to death when the helicopter he pilots sinks into the ocean. Both Delta-Two and Delta-Three are killed by [[hammerhead shark]]s.
* '''Norah Mangor''': [[Glaciologist]] from the [[University of New Hampshire]]. She is knocked unconscious by the Delta Force's ice rifles. They then kill her by stuffing her throat with snow.
*'''Dr. Wailee Ming''': [[Paleontologist]] who is the chairman of paleontology at [[UCLA]]. He is first to discover bioluminescent plankton in the extraction pit. While he is bending over to get a sample, the Delta team flies their remote control robot into Ming's eye causing him to slip and fall into the extraction pit. He drowns minutes later.

==Other Characters==
* '''Charles Brophy''': A Canadian geologist who was 'framed' for the discovery of the meteorite. The Delta Force team makes him read a message about the meteor shortly before he, along with his sled dogs, are killed by the Delta team by throwing him from a helicopter into the chasms and crevasses below. They made his death seem accidental.
* '''Chris Harper''': Section manager of PODS (Polar Orbiting Density Scanner) at NASA. He made an error in the PODS anomaly software and was forced by the NASA administrator to lie about it, saying in a press conference that he had found a fix.
* '''Yolanda Cole''': Content editor with ABC News. She is friends with Gabrielle Ashe, and gives her advice.
* '''Katherine Wentworth Sexton''': Senator Sexton's late wife. She died in a car accident on Thanksgiving night.
* '''Celia Birch''': Michael's late wife. She died of lymphoma, and he has had trouble letting go.
* '''Diana Pickering''': William Pickering's late daughter. She died in the Red Sea while training to become a navigator, stationed on a small navy ship.
* '''Xavia''': The Goya's onboard geologist. One of Michael's crew. She helps Rachel, Michael, and Corky test and confirm a theory about the meteorite.

==Trivia==
*The main plot may have been inspired by [[ALH84001]], a meteorite found in [[Antarctica]] and believed by some experts to contain fossils of extraterrestrial (Martian) life. This claim is still disputed.
*[[William Hayward Pickering]], ONZ KBE (December 24, 1910—March 15, 2004) was a New Zealand born rocket scientist who headed Pasadena, California's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for 22 years, retiring in 1976. He was a senior NASA luminary and pioneered the exploration of space.

==Agencies involved==
* [[National Reconnaissance Office]]
* [[NASA|National Aeronautics and Space Administration]]
* [[Delta Force]]
* [[USS Charlotte (SSN-766)]]

==Code solution==

The code that appears at the end of the book, after the main plot

<tt>1-V-116-44-11-89-44-46-L-51-130-19-118-L-32-118-116-130-28-116-32-44-133-U-130</tt>

is decrypted by looking at the first letter of the first paragraph on the chapter decided by the number. For example, the first letter of the first paragraph of chapter 116 is "C". The resulting text is

<tt>TVCIRHIOLFENDLADCESCAIWUE</tt>

Decryption is performed using a columnar [[transposition cipher]], termed a "Caesar Square" cipher in the book (this is unrelated to the [[Caesar cipher]]). The letters are arranged into a five-by-five square:

<tt>TVCIR

HIOLF

ENDLA

DCESC

AIWUE</tt>

and read each column from the top down.

<tt>THEDAVINCICODEWILLSURFACE</tt>

Add spaces and correct capitalization, and you get the [[plaintext]],

<tt>The Da Vinci Code will surface</tt>

a reference to the book ''[[The Da Vinci Code]]'', also by Dan Brown.

==Artistic license==
As is customary with his novels, Brown opens with a statement asserting the veracity of all information in his work. Specifically for ''Deception Point'', it is claimed that "All technologies described in this novel exist." While the author claims no artistic license in regards to fact and technology, some of the claims in Deception Point are somewhat suspect.

===Marianas Trench===
Brown says that the "meteorite" is actually a rock taken from the bottom of the [[Marianas Trench]], the deepest underwater trench in the world. He says that the trench is so deep that no manned craft has ever explored it, and most probes sent to the bottom have been crushed by the pressure. In fact, the trench was explored by man as early as 1960.<ref>http://www.marianatrench.com/mariana_trench-exploration_001.htm</ref>

===Canadian sovereignty===
Much of the novel takes place on [[Ellesmere Island]] "in the high Arctic", within the base set up by the [[United States of America|US]] military and NASA there. The base includes a habisphere and landing strip. In reality, Ellesmere Island is part of the [[Nunavut]] Territory of [[Canada]]. It is highly unlikely that Canada, which has a military base on the island ([[Alert, Nunavut|Alert]]), would allow the US to build a base on the island, or be unaware of it having done so. The [[Canadian Space Agency]] would also likely be involved in any such operation since it is a close partner of NASA and a member of the [[International Space Station]]. If Canada was not alerted due to the secret nature of the operation, then the president's international address in the book outlining the discovery would likely result in a diplomatic crisis, as the entire exercise would be a violation of international law.

===Disputed technology===
{{not verified}}
{{SectOR}}
The foreword to ''Deception Point'' includes the line "all technologies described in this book exist." However, this is not true, as several technologies in the book are either non-existent or impossible.

The most notable non-existent technology is the remote controlled flying "microbot", which is a [[robot]] as small as a fly that can recharge by locating close to a power outlet, charging power from the induced electric field. It can also take and send digital pictures wirelessly over long distances. No current man-made wireless airborne technologies can come close to this small size described in the book, and with those features.

The following weapon technologies also do not exist, or are impossible:

*an underwater [[rifle]] which can send jets of liquid water with enough force to break bones.
*a [[snow]] rifle which compacts snow into ice projectiles similar to bullets.
*a [[desert]] rifle which can melt sand and mold it into glass projectiles similar to bullets.

:*The underwater rifle is the most feasible of the three weapons mentioned. However, it cannot be as powerful as Dan Brown claims.

:*The snow rifle is not feasible, simply because ice is unsuitable as [[ammunition]]. Firing an ice bullet would, under most circumstances, melt it, either due to friction or the heat of the propellant. And if the bullet does not melt, it will shatter since ice is brittle. The feasibility of an ice bullet propelled by [[gunpowder]] has been disproved by the [[Discovery Channel]] program ''[[MythBusters]]''. Alternatively, as the point of the ice weapon was to concuss and not to kill, a weapon very similar to a [[paintball]] gun (using compressed air) is inside the realm of possibility, with similar uses as [[rubber bullets]].

:*The desert rifle is also not feasible, or even advantageous, because the temperature needed to melt sand into glass (in excess of 1500° Celsius) requires a power source that will take up much more space than regular ammunition. There is also the problem of insulating the heat from the molding unit to prevent burns to the soldier or heat stress to the weapon. In addition, very few deserts on the planet are sandy deserts.

:*Brown's hypothetical weapons may be an [[extrapolate|extrapolation]] of a real military field manual titled [[TM 31-210 Improvised Munition Handbook]] (ISBN 0-9759009-0-0), published by the [[Department of Defense]]. However, this book describes improvisation methods such as field-made gunpowder, makeshift projectiles, etc. No allusion is made to rifles that are capable of manufacturing ammunition of the kind mentioned in the novel.

*The [[hologram]] gun used by the military to project large virtual images into enemy air space (as described in the book) does not actually exist. It is most likely impossible since one would need two light sources on opposite sides of the projection to make a three-dimensional hologram. Otherwise the light will propagate away from the source into infinity, creating no hologram.

*The [[Aurora aircraft]] mentioned in the novel has long been rumored to exist, but its existence is highly speculative and without any concrete proof, although articles have been released about this craft to the public. [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/aurora.htm]

*An [[F-14]] is described in the novel as having a 1,500 mph [[supercruise]] and being capable of a 3,000 mile flight. In reality this speed of travel is reflective of a maximum speed attainable only in short sprints on full [[afterburner]] due to fuel and engine considerations, with [[supersonic]] supercruise capability only seen on modern fighters such as the [[F-22 Raptor]]. On one occasion (September [[1989]]), an F-14A (Plus) (probably "clean" or without external stores or stations) briefly demonstrated a supercruise capability. Presumably this is a capability common to similar configurations of the more advanced F-14B and D models, which share the same powerful [[General Electric|GE]] engine (but not the [[Lockheed 345]] engines cited by Brown, which are pure fantasy; [[Lockheed-Martin]] builds aircraft, not engines). Supercruising, or extended cruising flight at supersonic airspeed, about 760 mph near sea level, decreasing to about 660 mph at 30,000 [[Foot (unit of length)|feet]], is done by fighter aircraft at only slightly greater than the speed of sound (mach 1) and not the mach 2.5 airspeed suggested by Brown. Additionally, the novel does not mention the numerous in-flight refuels required for a journey of such long duration in an aircraft with a somewhat lesser range. The plausibility of landing a fast jet designed for carrier operations on an improvised ice strip is also somewhat suspect.

*Counter to reality, both the [[OH-58 Kiowa|OH-58D Kiowa Warrior]] and [[HH-65 Dolphin]] described in the book have rather capable radar systems. While the [[United States Coast Guard|Coast Guard]]'s HH-65 Dolphin does carry an on-board weather [[radar]], it is doubtful it has the capability to track both air and surface targets. While the Kiowa Warrior does carry some sensing equipment, it is related to threat detection. The [[helicopter]] used to carry a version of [[doppler radar]], but it was only used for navigation. The extreme range and flight duration given to the Kiowa Warrior in the novel is certainly beyond possibility without refueling stops that go unmentioned in the novel. The Kiowa is also described as carrying more than fifteen [[Hellfire missile]]s, which is rather excessive both in terms of weight and physical space. In reality, the Hellfire payload of the aircraft is only four missiles. Also in the book, the Kiowa is said to have transported four people, three Delta Force Agents and the Controller to the Goya. The specifications for the Kiowa only allow 2 crew members.

*Unlike the submarine described in the book, no Los Angeles class submarine has an [[anechoic chamber]]. There is simply not enough space to house such an unnecessary piece of equipment. Additionally, people inside the chamber would cause reflections of sound energy, thus negating the entire purpose of the chamber.

===Misuse of Title "Agent"===

During his first meeting (in the context of the novel) with Rachel Sexton, her boss, NRO Director William Pickering, greets her as "Agent Sexton". The term [[special agent#Federal government|agent]] has a specific legal meaning for U.S. Government employees, such as [[special agents]] or consular agents. Intelligence analysts are never called agents, not even informally.


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}


{{Dan Brown Books etc}}
{{Dan Brown}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:2001 novels]]
[[Category:2001 American novels]]
[[Category:Dan Brown]]
[[Category:Novels by Dan Brown]]
[[Category:Techno-thriller novels]]
[[Category:Techno-thriller novels]]
[[Category:Science fiction novels]]
[[Category:Novels about NASA]]
[[Category:American novels]]
[[Category:Novels set in the Arctic]]
[[Category:National Reconnaissance Office]]
[[Category:2004 science fiction novels]]
[[Category:Military science fiction novels]]

[[Category:American mystery novels]]
[[ar:نقطة الخديعة]]
[[Category:American thriller novels]]
[[de:Meteor (Buch)]]
[[es:La conspiración]]
[[fr:Deception Point]]
[[it:La verità del ghiaccio]]
[[he:נקודת ההונאה]]
[[lt:Meteoritas (romanas)]]
[[mk:Точка на измама]]
[[nl:De Delta Deceptie]]
[[ja:デセプション・ポイント]]
[[pl:Zwodniczy punkt]]
[[pt:Deception Point]]
[[ru:Точка обмана (роман)]]
[[sk:Bod klamu]]
[[fi:Meteoriitti (kirja)]]
[[sv:I cirkelns mitt]]
[[tr:İhanet Noktası (roman)]]

Latest revision as of 01:25, 28 October 2024

Deception Point
First edition cover
AuthorDan Brown
LanguageEnglish
GenreThriller
PublisherPocket Books
Publication date
2001
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback)
Pages372 (hardback) 580 (paperback)
ISBN0671027379
LC ClassPS3552.R685434 D4 2001

Deception Point is a 2001 mystery-thriller novel by American author Dan Brown.[1] It is Brown's third novel. It was published by Simon & Schuster.[2]

The novel follows White House intelligence analyst Rachel Sexton's involvement in corroborating NASA's discovery of a meteorite that supposedly contains proof of extraterrestrial life, resembling the ALH84001 case. The discovery comes at a time close to the United States presidential election in which her father is running. The discovery will aid the campaign of her employer, the incumbent president of the United States, Zachary Herney, but put her further at odds with her already estranged father, Senator Sedgwick Sexton, who is running for election. Ms. Sexton, accompanied by a team of experts, must prove the authenticity of the meteorite, which will either make or break the campaign of President Herney.

Plot

[edit]

On the eve of a United States presidential election, NASA discovers a meteorite in the Milne Ice Shelf containing fossils of insect-like creatures, seemingly proving the existence of extraterrestrial life. The discovery could potentially be a deciding factor in the presidential election, in which one of the key issues is whether to continue funding NASA. Incumbent US President Zachary Herney favors supporting space research, while his challenger Senator Sedgewick Sexton argues for dissolving NASA.

President Herney sends a team of experts to the Arctic to verify the authenticity of the extraterrestrial insect: oceanographer Michael Tolland, astrophysicist Corky Marlinson, glaciologist Norah Mangor, paleontologist Wailee Ming, and National Reconnaissance Office employee Rachel Sexton, Senator Sexton's daughter.

When the scientists find an anomaly that calls the authenticity of NASA's discovery into question, they are attacked by a Delta Force team that had secretly been spying on them. The Delta Force soldiers kill Ming and Mangor while leaving Rachel, Tolland and Marlinson to perish on an ice floe, but they are rescued by the Navy submarine USS Charlotte. Rachel alerts presidential advisor Marjorie Tench and NRO director William Pickering of the attack, and Pickering sends an air transport to bring them back to the United States.

Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., Tench tries to sabotage Sexton's campaign by blackmailing his aide, Gabrielle Ashe, with photos of an extramarital affair that she had with Senator Sexton, and reveals that Sexton is secretly backed by a coalition of private aerospace corporations who would profit from NASA's dissolution. Ashe discovers that Tench's claims are true, but also finds out that NASA lied about the origin of the meteorite.

The surviving scientists retreat to Tolland's research ship off the New Jersey coast, where they fully re-analyze their data and discover that the meteorite is fake. A surprise attack by the Delta Force team prompts Rachel to fax the data to her father, asking for help. In the ensuing skirmish, all Delta Force soldiers are killed, their helicopter is sunk, and Pickering is revealed to be their commander; he masterminded the fake meteorite to aid Herney's campaign and prevent the dissolution of NASA. The ship and Pickering are sucked in by a vortex, while a Coast Guard Osprey picks up Rachel, Tolland and Marlinson.

Sexton attempts to reveal Rachel's fax in a press conference in hopes of implicating NASA and the president in the meteorite hoax, but Rachel and Gabrielle swap Rachel's fax with the photo evidence of Sexton's affair with Gabrielle, humiliating him and ruining his chances of winning the election. By the end of the story, Michael and Rachel have developed a romantic relationship.

Characters

[edit]

Authentication team: During the story, NASA invites five external experts to help authenticate the meteorite finding as secondary sources:

  • Rachel Sexton: A data analyst for the NRO and Senator Sexton's daughter, Rachel's relationship with her father is antagonistic because of his infidelity, which indirectly contributed to her mother's death in an accident. Her involvement in the authentication is eventually proven to be purely political.
  • Michael Tolland: An oceanographer and television celebrity-scientist, Tolland possesses excellent educational and social skills and does not exhibit unchecked anger, as other characters do. Tolland can remain calm under fire[3][4] and think out of the box.[4][5] Having lost his wife to cancer, Tolland gradually develops a crush on Rachel.
  • Corky Marlinson: A world-renowned astrophysicist and a staunch proponent of the authenticity of the meteorite, Corky has little knowledge of proper social conduct. Corky survives a shark attack.
  • Norah Mangor: A prickly glaciologist, Norah has a tough, tomboyish personality; she is suffocated with ice and snow early in the book by Pickering's death squad and was thrown into the Arctic Ocean along with her sled.[6]
  • Wailee Ming: A paleontologist with an impeccable dress habit; he is drowned early in the book by Pickering's death squad when he attempted to investigate an irregularity in the extraction hole.

Politicians:

  • Zachary Herney: The President of the United States, criticized for his extravagant expenditure of U.S. money on low-yield areas (including the allegedly futile search for extraterrestrial life) while the important areas of nation (such as education) suffer from the lack of funds. The events of the story lead him into revising government extravagance.
  • Senator Thomas Sedgewick Sexton: Rachel's father and an ambitious presidential candidate in the book. Senator Sexton is corrupt, promiscuous, and ruthless; he accepts bribes, engages in several extramarital affairs and would even sacrifice his daughter to crush his political opponent harder, but the consequences of his actions eventually destroy his political standing. Because of his ego, he does not take computer security seriously and chooses weak passwords for his computer.
  • Marjorie Tench: Senior Adviser to the president. Described as very astute and ruthless, she anonymously sends information about the president's expenditure on NASA to lure Sexton into attacking the organization. Tench has kept the meteorite discovery a secret, intending to use it as a justification for the expenditure, making Sexton's criticism backfire. When Rachel informs her of the fake nature of the meteorite, Tench attempts to hush it up before being killed by Pickering's death squad.
  • Gabrielle Ashe: Senator Sexton's aide and one-time mistress, she relays information about NASA's extravagance to Senator Sexton. When the senator's campaign collapses, she infiltrates NASA to help salvage the campaign by finding potential evidences of falsification. Gabrielle later threatens to expose her one-time illegitimate affair in order to dissuade Sexton from sacrificing her daughter for his political ambitions. Failing to succeed, she and Rachel cooperate to replace the meteorite fiasco evidence with photos of said affair.

NASA:

  • Lawrence Ekstrom: Administrator of NASA; serves no purpose in the book beyond attracting suspicion.
  • Chris Harper: NASA section manager; he appears in four dedicated chapters and explains how NASA did not find the meteorite as claimed.

NRO:

  • William Pickering: The main antagonist, director of the NRO and the handler of the Delta Force team featured in the book, he is the mastermind behind main plot line. Pickering's intention is to help president Herney maintain the office for ulterior motives of his own; his ultimate goal is to make NASA a division of the NRO, thus rendering its operations clandestine. He and the Delta Force team under his command would kill anyone who is a threat to his plan, even Marjorie Tench, the president's adviser, who once had disagreed with him. Pickering is sucked into a vortex.
  • Delta Force team: A team of three males, they are the death squad of William Pickering and have access to state-of-the-art technology of the time, such as surveillance microbots, an Aurora aircraft, a Kiowa Warrior helicopter and weapons that manufacture their own munitions. All three are killed; two are eaten by sharks and their leader is drowned inside a Kiowa Warrior.

References

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  1. ^ The novels page on the official Dan Brown site
  2. ^ The novels page on the [Simon & Schuster site
  3. ^ Chapter 51
  4. ^ a b Chapter 127
  5. ^ Chapter 128
  6. ^ Chapter 60
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