Rome, Villa Borghese
10 March 2022, 9:47 a.m.
A white Fiat Ducato van turned onto Viale Fiorello La Guardia, leaving behind the 19th-century Aesculapian Fountain, and went up the Pincio Hill passing, on the left, the picturesque lake of Villa Borghese and the Silvano Toti Globe Theatre, a faithful reproduction of the Shakespearean open-air theatre with the same name. The van reached Piazzale delle Canestre, then continued along Viale San Paolo del Brasile, leaving the Galoppatoio on the right, and finally entered Via Vittorio Veneto passing through one of the arches of Porta Pinciana.
Symbol of the Roman Dolce Vita between the 1950s and 1960s, and made famous by Federico Fellini's movie La Dolce Vita, Via Veneto was renamed as Via Vittorio Veneto in 1919 to celebrate the Italian victory against the Austro-Hungarian troops in the Battle of Vittorio Veneto in 1918.
The Ducato passed on its right Harry's Bar, one of the many trendy cafes dating back to the Dolce Vita period. It reached the Hotel Westin Excelsior, then turned left and went down the road for a couple of hundred meters. The van, now on Via Boncompagni and only a few meters before the Via Lucullo intersection, stopped in front of a grey wrought iron gate.
The man behind the wheel electronically opened his window and gave to the marine stationed at the gate his ID as well as that of the man sitting beside him.
Moments later the marine with a nod returned the documents to the driver and gave brief instructions as to where to park, unload and deliver his cargo.
With crew-cut hair so blond to almost look white, short goatee highlighting his masculine jaw line, and blue eyes behind a pair of Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses, Max Watney sat in the passenger seat. Pulling out his iPhone 11 from the inner pocket of his dark-blue blazer, he selected one of the numbers in the phone book. A man answered before the second ring.
«We're in», Watney said, and without waiting for a reply terminated the call.
The van parked next to a black Buick. The two men stepped out, opened the two rear doors of the vehicle, and pulled out a grey metal crate about 80 by 60 centimeters. With the help of a two-wheel cart, they carried the crate to the entrance of the two-story building in front of them.
***
«The NASA engineer is here», said Ambassador Harlan, tucking his smartphone into the back pocket of the cotton slim-fit trousers of his charcoal-grey Armani suit.
A middle-aged man sitting in the blue velvet armchair to his left nodded.
«Right on time, very well», he said. «Make sure the Rover is assembled as soon as possible and ready for use when the Professor finds the correct sequence.»
«Will do, Mr. Morlock. Leave it to me», concluded Harlan, leaving the room and closing the door behind him.
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