by Steven Bird
���We���re out of options, Nathan,��� Dr. Perkins replied. ���I mean… Well, hell, man. You���ve got eyes. Every option we had before us has just been taken away from us. We can���t survive in this place on our own. We need shelter, supplies, resources, and most importantly, a source of resupply. It���s only a matter of time, and I fear our timeline just got shorter.���
Seeing Brett comforting Tasha, who was now crying in disbelief, Dr. Hunter said, ���Okay, we���re all a little shocked at what we just witnessed, but that doesn���t mean we���re out of options.��� Looking over to the PistenBully that still sat there with its engine idling, he said, ���Come on. Let���s get back in the PistenBully and warm up while we work this out.���
���I certainly hope the bombardment is truly over,��� said Dr. Bentley. ���It would be a pure shame to have survived such a thing only to be killed in some sort of second wave.���
���I���ll stay out here and keep an eye out,��� Mason replied. ���I���ll signal you if you need to bail out in a hurry.���
Nodding to Mason, Dr. Hunter said, ���There you have it. Let���s warm up. I���ll swap out with Mason soon, and we can keep rotating the watch while we work things out.���
���I just don���t see what there is to work out,��� Dr. Perkins said with frustration in his voice.
���It���s never over,��� Dr. Hunter said, looking to Vasily in hopes of seeing an answer, hidden somewhere in his resourceful mind.
���There is place,��� Vasily said while stroking his bearded chin, deep in thought. ���May be still there.��� Shrugging, he said, ���Depends on bomb.���
���Where?��� Dr. Hunter asked. ���What do you mean, depends on bomb?���
���Type of bomb. Is at Black Island,��� Vasily replied.
���But��� Black Island is that way, toward the smoke. It looks like they hit it just like everywhere else.���
���There is one place that, perhaps, they did not hit,��� Vasily replied.
���How do you know that?��� Dr. Hunter asked.
���Is chance it not destroyed. We go, and I show you,��� Vasily replied confidently.
Turning to the others, Dr. Hunter said, ���Okay, folks. Everyone pile in. Let���s get going to Black Island.���
Suppressing a flurry of protests and questions, Dr. Hunter assured everyone that Black Island was still their best chance, and to have faith.
~~~~
Arriving at Black Island several hours later, the PistenBully came to a stop at a scene of what, just hours before, had been a world-class telecommunications center. Reduced to rubble, with pieces of the structure blowing across the rocky, ice-covered landscape with every gust of wind, the group began to grumble at what they saw.
Looking at the sky, Dr. Bentley said, ���Well, we sure burned a good portion of the daylight taking on this futile journey. We���re likely to freeze to death on our way back when we run out of fuel or whatever the next disaster to unfold is.���
Looking at Dr. Bentley with a cold, icy stare, Vasily turned and walked toward the site of the Intelsat system, finding the bodies of Black Island���s caretakers. Kneeling down, Vasily looked them over and said, ���This one die from wound. This one freeze. Leg looks broken. Could not get to shelter.���
���Do they look infected?��� Dr. Graves asked.
���No,��� he replied. ���Never leave. Stay here during outbreak.���
Looking down at Lou, Dr. Hunter said, ���This must be the colorful fellow I spoke with on the radio. Damn, I wish we could have gotten here just a little bit sooner. We may have been able to save him.���
Seeing Vasily walk toward the rubble, Dr. Hunter asked, ���What are you looking for?���
Holding his hand up as if to stop the questioning, Vasily sifted through the debris. Seeing something of interest, he began pulling on a large piece of metal tubing that was once used to help support the eleven-meter Intelsat ground station.
Looking to the others, he motioned and said, ���We pull. Pull out of way.���
���Pull out of the way of what?��� Mason asked as he walked over to comply with Vasily���s request.
Heaving the fragment of the ground station���s structure to the side, Vasily pointed to a metal, vented piece of tubing beneath more of the debris. ���Is under here.���
���What is under here?��� Mason asked.
���Shelter,��� he replied.
With their interest peaking, the group all lent a hand, clearing debris from Vasily���s area of interest. ���Here,��� he said while pointing.
���Get tow chain and hook to PistenBully,��� he said to Brett. ���Back PistenBully to there, then bring chain.���
Doing as instructed while the rest of the group continued to clear debris, Brett moved the PistenBully into position, attached the chain to a tow cleat, then dragged the chain to Vasily.
Running the chain through what appeared to be a steel handle of some sort, Vasily slid the tow hook on the end of the chain around one of the links, and said, ���Now, you pull. Slowly. Watch for signals.���
Once Brett was in place in the PistenBully, Vasily motioned for him to begin moving the PistenBully forward. As slack in the chain was taken up, the heavy, tracked vehicle began applying significant force on the handle, bending it slightly. Motioning for Brett to continue, Vasily watched nervously as the handle began to creak under the stress.
Just when he thought the handle would break, the door swung open, having broken the hinges. ���Stop!��� he shouted, holding his hand up in a fist to signal Brett to cease all forward movement with the PistenBully.
���Holy shit, what is this?��� Mason asked.
���Is bunker,��� Vasily said calmly as he began descending a steep set of metal steps that seemed to be a heavily-made ladder, such as that aboard a ship. Poking his head back up out of the opening, he motioned for the others to follow. ���Come.���
Waiting for them on the first level below the surface, Vasily waited patiently for Dr. Perkins, the last of the group to make it down, and said, ���We get hatch back into position to keep in heat, then spend night here.���
���Where exactly is ���here���?��� asked Dr. Hunter. ���What is this place?���
���Is bunker,��� Vasily explained.
���That part is obvious,��� Dr. Hunter replied. ���The stairs seemed to descend through at least five feet of concrete.���
���This is why I told you it depended on bomb. They did not bring big enough bomb.���
���But… How did you know about this place?��� Dr. Hunter asked, still bewildered by the find.
���I once tell you I was in Soviet military. I tell you I was involved with unconventional operations. I serve here once.���
���Here?��� Dr. Hunter said, pointing at the floor.
���No. At Vostok and Mirny,��� Vasily replied.
���The research stations?��� Dr. Graves asked, having been listening intently to Vasily, a man who seemed to grow more mysterious with every turn.
���Everything in Soviet Union had multiple roles,��� he replied. ���During height of Cold War, both U.S. and Soviet Union felt need to have contingency operations outside primary kill-zone of nuclear weapons. They needed sites to survive attack, that could act as critical communications relay for surviving troops. What better place than peaceful research station working only in name of science and world peace?��� he said with a grin.
���Why���that���s ap
palling,��� Dr. Bentley said, offended by the idea of using scientific research as a cover for military activities.
���What? You think governments around world spend money on you to expand their textbook knowledge?��� Vasily replied sarcastically. ���No, they fund research to increase government power. Nothing more. They do that to obtain science and technology to use as weapon, or to use as excuse for political action. They not care about causes or good deeds for planet.
���In some cases, they use science as cover for… what is word? Ah, yes. Clandestine activities. Yes, Black Island served as important communications station for McMurdo, supporting research, but government willingness to spend come from own interest.���
Seeing the look of disgust on the group���s faces, he added, ���If makes you feel better, Black Island never used by military. Only in waiting. Very few knew of existence.���
���How the hell do you know all of this?��� asked Dr. Hunter.
���I tell you repeatedly, I served doing unconventional things. When part of special unit that functioned as civilian organization with authority of Kremlin, I served at both Vostok and Mirny. We work as support staff, but really act as security force in event war break out. Vostok location contains underground, fortified communication facilities with antenna arrays that could be brought to surface in few hours.
���Later, when my service was complete, I felt disgust in my heart for things government does in name of people. Things you never see. People are sheltered from true nature of government. Is like puppet show. They pull strings, you dance. You not know who really pulls strings.���
Looking off for a moment to gather his thoughts, appearing to become choked on his own emotions, Vasily said, ���After I leave service, friends began to die.���
���Friends you served with?��� Mason asked.
���Yes. I fear they were killed because of what they knew. What they knew about places like this. Huge problems if world knew about military activities on Antarctica, especially as signatory of Antarctic Treaty.
���USA and USSR both signed Antarctic Treaty in 1959, for sake of international scientific cooperation, of course,��� he said with a wink.
���But how did you know about Black Island?��� asked Brett. ���If you were Soviet, that is. I mean… wasn���t it all top secret?���
���Not all men can be bought, but many can,��� Vasily replied. ���We purchase information from man who, if memory serves correctly, is now in grand position in one of your political parties. I do not remember name, but he is dastardly man. He has done you great harm, yet those around him keep his position safe. Politics are work of devil.���
Shaking his head, he continued, ���As I say, government sickens me. Now, back to question. We paid informant to supply operational and structural plans of this station. We learn much from information obtained. Helped improve facilities at Vostok.���
���This facility looks mothballed to me,��� said Dr. Hunter as he looked around.
���It is,��� Vasily replied. ���However, one man remains to begin activation if need be. Or, one man did remain.���
With a nod of understanding, Dr. Hunter said, ���I presume that was the station manager? Hence his long tenure here?���
Seeing Vasily nod in reply, Dr. Hunter then asked, ���What about Vostok and Mirny? Are they still staffed, or are they mothballed as well?���
���I not involved in long time,��� replied Vasily. ���If I had to guess, I would say yes. Soviet Union, I mean, Russian Federation, does not abandon plans easily. Doctrine of staying course leads me to believe they are still here. I also believe they not bombed like rest. Russia would not allow that. The person who authorized Black Island on target list probably not know about its secrets, or too stupid to understand benefits in future. Russia not give up one inch.
���Perhaps,��� Vasily said, shrugging his shoulders, ���they allow symbolic attack, only hitting non-military interests at locations, giving advanced warning to certain personnel, but they not allow facilities to be destroyed.���
���Why didn���t you want to go there, then?���
With a smile, Vasily said, ���First of all, they would kill us on sight. Is very serious business. Second, Vostok too remote and Mirny too far. Too far and too rugged to travel in PistenBully. Why do you think they put Vostok facility in such isolated place, far from coast? Was not for scientific advantage, but for strategic advantage.
���Mirny station is on coast for logistical reasons, to supply and access Vostok.���
Dr. Bentley spoke up and said, ���The irony of it all is Mirny in Russian, or ������������, means ���peaceful.��� They named a station of war, ���Peaceful Station���.���
���You know Russian?��� asked Vasily with a raised eyebrow.
���Just a bit,��� Dr. Bentley replied. ���Life can���t be all about volcanos. Besides, I dated a young beauty from Russia in my younger years. I felt obligated to pick up some of the language. It turns out, what I gained from those language classes was the only thing that would stick around over time.���
���I don���t understand,��� Dr. Hunter said while stroking his beard in a moment of confusion. ���You served on Antarctica in some program so secretive that it was getting your friends killed after retirement��� and you came back to Antarctica? Isn���t that getting a little too close?���
���One thing I learned during tour in Vostok and Mirny, is it good place to hide. On McMurdo, PhD���s working as cooks in your galley, and philosophers working as heavy equipment operators. Why? Why did they come here? It was not to work in their craft, but because there was something about being free from outside world that they felt was value to them inside. This was one of few places one could escape world and simply be. That���s what I wanted, to simply be. I put my hands to work, fabricating what scientist like all of you needed for research, and tried best to forget past.���
���Is Vasily your real name?��� Mason asked. ���I mean, if you had to hide, wouldn���t you have changed that?���
Looking down at his feet, Vasily said, ���The person I was is dead. That name will stay dead with him. I am Vasily now, and for rest of life I will not utter different name.���
���Well, Vasily, we���re sure glad to have you here with us right now.��� Dr. Hunter said, placing his hand on Vasily���s shoulder and looking him in the eye. ���Your experiences, although troublesome to your heart, are what has kept us alive all this time. We���re very thankful to have you.���
Responding with only a smile, Vasily said, ���We rest now. In morning, we work on plan for future. Our options are becoming limited. We need everyone thinking of possibilities. Come, I show you bunk room.���
Chapter Twenty-Six
Black Island Strategic Bunker
Early the next morning, unable to sleep, Dr. Hunter crept out of the bunk room and began to explore the underground bunker. Standing outside a room with warning placards for the threat of electrical shock and radiating equipment, Dr. Hunter moved the large, steel lever that operated mechanisms that surrounded the door, holding it equally tight all the way around, and pushed it open.
The weight of the door was obvious as it took a substantial shove to get it open far enough to step inside. Inspecting the door, he thought, Was this supposed to be waterproof? Or radiation proof? Either way, it looks like it seals up tight.
Hearing a cough behind him, he turned to see Mason standing there. With a smile, he said, ���You couldn���t sleep, either, huh?���
���I slept fine, but I guess I woke as curious as you did,��� Mason explained.
���What���s this?���
���It looks like the transmitter room,��� he said, stepping inside.
Mason and Dr. Hunter were impressed by the racks of transmitters and electronics cabinets, each fitted with large cooling fins and seemed to be made for extreme ruggedness.
���It all looks pretty old school, but sturdy as hell,��� Mason remarked as he ran his hands over several large glass insulators supporting massive power cables that ran between cabinets.
���Everything in this place was built for World War Three,��� Dr. Hunter said. ���Even the light bulbs are encased in metal screens to prevent breakage. It���s like a scene from an old sci-fi movie or something.���
���Or the scene from a Cold War-era nuclear-war movie,��� Mason quipped.
Sharing a laugh, the two men continued working their way through the facility. ���It���s a shame we can���t use all this equipment to call for help,��� Mason said.
���Yeah, the only help you would get would be in the form of bunker-buster bombs. We���re on our own in this mess, that���s for sure. Like we were saying before, if the governments of the world have resorted to the eradication of the offending microbes by the total, unfettered destruction of the source, regardless of the presence of potential survivors, things must be pretty bad. I can���t even imagine that order being given, or that consensus being reached, if things didn���t look so dire that public opinion either no longer mattered, or didn���t exist.���
���Do you have any ideas?��� Mason asked.
���None that doesn���t require long, dangerous scouting trips in search of resources,��� Dr. Hunter replied.
���That���s what I���ve been thinking. We can survive here, but not forever. We���ve got to find some sort of mode of transportation to get away from this place���off his frozen continent. But the question is, was it all destroyed?���
���Gentlemen,��� Dr. Bentley said, entering the room and looking around, admiring the equipment in amazement. ���Everyone is gathering in the little mess hall by the bunk room. I guess no one felt up to sleeping in today.���