ANTARCTIC FIRE: A Harry Crook Thriller - Conspiracy in the Antarctic

by Chris Geater

  “You killed these kidnappers yourself?” Colin asked anxiously regaining some composure along with alot of anger.

  “Well, not all of them. I may have done some minor damage to one chap but it was self defence really.”

  “Who was your accomplice? Who was responsible for the rest, not Jeffery surely?”

  “No, I can honestly say it wasn’t Jeffery.”

  “What wasn’t Jeffery?” asked Jeffery, cool as a cucumber as he walked into the office with three armed Protective Service officers.

  “I heard you were in trouble Harry, carrying out some extra curricular activity that went in a different direction on you,” he calmly said.

  “Fortunately for me Bert your plan went south. Bad form, setting me up like that. Us ferrets need to trust our controllers, I'm afraid you’re going to be taken down by this.”

  “You're hallucinating Harry, I had no idea where you were or what you were up to. I do know that you’ve been on a bit of a killing spree downtown. Some innocent Chinese good-will soldiers have been murdered and you’re the main suspect.”

  “No Bert, you’re hallucinating, or you will be when they lock you up in a Nairobi jail where once you’ve gone black you literally won't have an alternative. These were not good-will soldiers at all, they were kidnappers, special ops guys carrying out some dirty work for corrupt politicians and now it appears, corrupt Australian diplomats.”

  Bert turned to Colin indicating the Protective Services Officers. “I brought three of these guys with me in case you wanted to do something with Harry. You want them to arrest him, restrain him?”

  I took two rapid steps towards Bert and powered my right foot into his left testicle. He hit the carpeted floor before the boys in black had even moved. They had to step through his vomit to get to me and grab my arms.

  “That's enough!” Colin all full of authority. “We don’t need to arrest anybody until we find out what is going on.”

  He indicated to the Officers to let me go.

  “Jeffery’s your superior Harry, that’s a nasty thing to do. I don’t think your time in the service is going to last much longer.”

  I told Colin my version of the story while Bert lay on the carpet groaning. While I was talking an aid called in a staff member to clean the floor. Eventually Bert crawled to a chair and hoisted himself into a half sitting position.

  “Bullshit Harry,” he said between groans. “He’s dreamed this meeting up himself Colin, I know nothing about it.”

  “That's well and good Jeffery and trust me I want to believe you,” Colin gave me a dark look. “But looking at the time-line, Harry hadn't even arrived at the meeting at the Serena yet you were informing me of his demise. How were you to know that he was about to enter a perilous situation?”

  “One of my sources at the Serena told me that he saw Harry bundled off by some serious blokes dressed in uniform and armed.”

  “As I said, that was well before the event occurred,” Colin pointed out.

  Colin was unable to form a definite conclusion in his mind so unfortunately the whole incident was swept under the carpet. The only reports of the assailant on the VW van was that he was black, undoubtedly a local driven by revenge or some type of warped patriotism. The Chinese lodged no complaint and the Australian High Commission didn't even get a mention. Bert and I were interviewed separately. He was reprimanded for getting too close to dubious political activities and moved on to Bangkok. I was reprimanded for attempting to use sensitive information to influence diplomatically elected local members of government even though it was in Australia’s interest. They sent me to the middle east for my indiscretions. As far as how that worked out, I would have been better off discharged from the service but that is another story.

  So yeh, I remember Jeffery Lancaster.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Len arrived at Progress as per his latest email. An official visit to Davis was arranged to ' ensure our relationship continued in the very best of Antarctic scientific interest’. The Russian delegation consisted of Len and Veodore entailing an initial meeting with Steve and Roger. Later Natalie and I were asked to attend to shed light on some of the details regarding the recent incident. Len introduced himself as Vasily, an ambassador for the continuance of goodwill between the scientific communities.

  We hadn't seen each other since our involvement in a potentially devastating nuclear conspiracy in the Australian outback a couple of years ago. Sophisticated and charming he set the mood and everybody relaxed. Len and I interacted as strangers, our past connection not common knowledge.

  “A specific safety person to guarantee everybody’s safety,” he commented to Steve on my introduction. “Is this working well for you?”

  “Well, everybody’s wellbeing is our highest priority,” Steve answered as he gave me a stern glance, I was still not his favourite person. “There is always room for improvement.”

  “We have no such luxuries at Progress, it is always a challenge to trim bureaucratic fat from government operation. I am surprised you allow such excess.”

  “I think what Steve is pointing out,” I stepped in, “is that having a Russian station close by is so inherently hazardous that a significant increase in safety resources became necessary.”

  Steve physically recoiled, horrified at my faux pas and quickly leapt in. “Harry is just attempting some humour Vasily, he’s still suffering shock from the whole affair.”

  “Ah yes, not for the weak hearted.” Len said to me. “You do look, how do you say, worse for wear?”

  He then turned to Natalie. “Yet the good doctor, she is in much better condition.”

  He gave Natalie one of his best smiles receiving a nice one in return.

  She seemed to be enjoying his company and my discomfort. I thought her and I were good mates?

  “I would have thought most Antarctic stations were not normally subject to foreign assassin activity. We must be just lucky,” I added.

  “Assassin?” Len replied. “Interesting choice of words for a mechanic who foolhardily betrayed his country for some ideal that is better in the rubbish bin of history. Perhaps you would like some instruction on identifying these type of persons? Assist you in recruiting higher quality candidates?”

  “Recruiting seems to be a far east specialty,” I said. “Except we recruit people from our own country, keep things in-house as it were.”

  Steve quickly injected some damage control. “Maybe we could stick to the issues and keep politics and science separate.”

  Yeh, good luck with that.

  “I joke about these things but we are keen to learn from your example, maybe Mr Crook could visit Progress, mentor Russian cowboys, assist in our workplace.”

  Len only had one agenda for our meeting and this appeared to be it. Steve approved the request with enthusiasm. I don’t think it had anything to do with getting rid of me, it was more about our relationship with our neighbours, well that’s what I told myself.

  Len and I met discreetly in my room shortly after our little charade.

  “Ahh Hurry, always a pleasure. How you get yourself in these situations is a mystery to my masters and myself. A greater mystery is how I am here as well.”

  “Ageing bureaucrat like you could do with some exercise, get you out of your cosy office into the action once again, experience what the tireless work of a single field agent can accomplish.”

  “We are having a situation, is less than stable.”

  “Situation? The recent incidents don’t really warrant the presence of a Russian office administrator especially one as senior as yourself.”

  My interactions with Len over the years proved that he was anything but an office administrator. The SVR operatives were not known for administration unless you counted administering ruthless violent operations against an enemy. Len picked up some special talents during his secondment to the Russian special operation forces known as the Alpha Group who often worked with the SVR due to its excellent foreig
n intelligence.

  “What do you know about this thing called an extremophile?” Len asked me.

  “I know that it can go off like a frog in a sock.”

  “Australians have experimented with this?”

  “What? Frogs in socks?”

  He sighed.

  “No Len, not intentionally, we just stumbled on the end result.”

  “Yes, it was very much how we discovered this,” he confessed.

  The potential of extremophiles, particularly the Antarctic chemolithotrophs was common knowledge to the Australian scientific community, well, those who cared about that particular field. Creating a stable environment suitable for these organisms that would allow them to produce harvestable hydrogen while not committing kamikaze had yet to be achieved. According to Len the Russians were there already.

  During a drilling project early last year they observed several samples that went catastrophic once exposed to the summer sun. Realising that temperature was the catalyst the remaining samples were kept colder until they could be examined in a laboratory. Under a controlled thaw the microorganisms revealed a unique talent for separating oxygen and hydrogen, the two components of water. This particular strain of extremozymes called PhaTC25 or PhaT to the familiar scientists, remained more stable than other strains and their focus remained on these over the following months.

  Even though water freezes at 0°C, liquid water with a temperature of -42° has been discovered in clouds. Russian scientists were able to reproduce this phenomena and extract hydrogen from the PhaT. They went even further. Using a mechanical reactor millions of the individual organisms were manufactured or grown and kept in a solid form at an extremely low temperature ensuring they remained inert. Once thawed the coin-sized solid PhaT became unstable and achieved a very high temperature as I recently witnessed. Because it remains inert whilst cold then the energy can be stored and released when needed just by allowing it to thaw. A deeply frozen cup of pure organism in 10 ltrs of seawater and a few cups of sugar would produce the same energy as 4000 ltrs of diesel. As a scientific find it was tremendous, as an economical energy find it was a game changer. The military implications were also not lost on the leaders of Mother Russia or it would appear, Red China. One litre of diesel produces 34,000 Btu’s or British thermal units, the rating used to indicate a fuels ability to produce energy. One litre of petrol, 33,000 Btu’s and one litre of hydrogen 128,000. An added benefit: burnt diesel produces predominantly carbon dioxide, petrol carbon monoxide but hydrogen produces water.

  “Pretty substantial discovery Len, why are you revealing state secrets to this foreigner?”

  “I am aware that you are greedy capitalist but there is another dimension to story. Australians may be interested, maybe not, we are old friends so I tell you. You are aware our Chinese comrades live close to us?”

  “Yes, I’ve flown over the two stations. Why did you establish your bases so close to each other?”

  “Convenience, we have old agreement from time when there were similarities to our end goal. Sadly, no longer similarities,” shaking his head to emphasise just how sad he was. “There is much interaction, our men, Zhongshan men, vodka, baijiu, you know how this ends.”

  I think I did know, loose lips. It started to fall into place, of course the Chinese would be interested.

  “Zhongshan station commander Colonel Lu Wu-Dang who you have already met, he begins to visit us on regular basis, his men, they become very generous with their Chinese vodka, inferior as it is. Our laboratory was found unlocked one night, equipment, samples taken. Our chief scientist swears on his babushkas grave he locked it when he finished.”

  “This chief scientist, suspect?”

  “No, all his life he is only interested in science, old man, not able to do this type of thing, cleared very quickly. Last summer our neighbours become very bold. They walked through our base on many times, no reason. Our men challenged them, they returned later with Type 86 in hands.”

  “Yes, Ive seen these Chinese AK’s in person.”

  “Yes, very troubling, against the Antarctic treaty. Moscow protested.”

  “What did your people do?”

  “Our men, they are not Australian ice flakes.”

  “Snowflakes Len, snowflakes.”

  “Yes, my apologies. Snowflakes. Our men walked around with RPD, yellow men stopped visiting so frequently.”

  “You mentioned the treaty yet here your men are armed with RPD’s?”

  I laughed, if only Roger was here listening to this. A bunch of men wandering around the Antarctic with fully automatic assault weapons.

  "This is a recent addition to our operation, never before, only because of our neighbours activity. Inevitably some man pulled trigger, Chinese, Russian, who can tell?" He shrugged.

  “How did that end?”

  “Not so good, two Russian and one Chinese dead, four more injured, two on each side.”

  Armed conflict finally came to Antarctica, only a matter of time.

  “At one stage they made an approach to one of our men,” Len continued. “Must have talked money, maybe much. Our man steal some PhaT and disappear. We find him in ice some distance from here. Him and PhaT have an altercation, he did not fair well.”

  “What’s going on Len?”

  “Our oriental brothers have the scent, they want some of our PhaT,” he smiled at his own joke. “Much activity, many ships, equipment and other vehicles, very unusual, very suspect. Their failed espionage attempt has left them feeling desperate.”

  “Do you have any accurate intel on the types of equipment, what they may be gearing up for?”

  “Not as much as we need, we photograph some while they unload but much is in crates.”

  “What do you think is the purpose?”

  "Maybe PhaT, maybe something bigger and PhaT just cream on top. We don’t know, we need more information. That is why I talk to old colleague Hurry Crook."

  I didn't like where this was suddenly going.

  “I’m happy to be here for you Len, as in right here on Davis, where I plan to stay.”

  “Babysitting academics is not the calling for you Hurry, unless you are too old, maybe fat and soft, too much gin with that bitter water your English ancestors invented. They have much to answer for.”

  “Tell me what you are thinking?”

  “You and me, we are old hands. You come and see what Progress is up to, have a look from our base, give us some different perspective.” His voice oozed confidence.

  “I have good layout of base,” Len elaborated. “Know where many of crated boxes are kept, you see from hill close by, easy.”

  Len’s aware that I can't resist a good recce but in my few interactions with Chinese opponents I encountered, their methodology resulted in some harrowing times. If they were up to considerable mischief they would stop at nothing to protect the national interest.

  “Yeh, not a bad plan Len, but just from a distance, these blokes don’t muck about as we both know.”

  Conveniently Len’s invitation to Progress played into my hands. If I was to learn as much as possible about Russia's knowledge of PhaT, then as a guest of Progress this was a good opportunity. My relationship with Len stood in the way, something that didn't sit well with me when Smurf increased the scope of my mission. Len trusted me enough already to reveal where they were up to with their research, something I wouldn’t report to Smurf just yet.

  Natalie caught up with me that night in the cafe as I sat alone at a corner table.

  “I need you to do something for me, something while you are at Progress,” she said quietly.

  “I think I could get Len’s phone number for you, might even have it before I leave.”

  “Seriously? You seduce a girl in your little male dorm and then offer to pimp her out to some ageing KGB reprobate? I thought you had more style Harry.”

  So did I.

  “I might have my hands full,” I said.

  “This is important. We
both know that the Russians are well ahead of us in terms of the substance that seems hell bent on melting this ice block. It may be possible to use your time at Progress to gather some information on it along with how far they have progressed.”

  Obviously her department and Smurf's employers were not talking, or they were one and the same and are covering their bases. A walk in the park for me, the info they both requested had already been handed to me on a platter. But I was not completely sure yet how I would see that through.

  My first visit to Progress prepared me for the haphazard layout and mess of the station as we approached the helipad. My first visit hadn't prepared me for the increased size of Zhongshan. Several large structures were in various stages of construction, machines and men were prolific. The station now dwarfed Progress.

  I commented to Len about the growth.

  “You see why we are worried Hurry, the situation is of interest to us all, not just Russian.”

  Veodore and Andrey waited at the pad and escorted us to their cafe for the ubiquitous vodka, coffee and cakes.

  “We are surprised of your request Vasily,” Veodore addressed Len. “Our safety here is very good, above average for any government installation. Input from Mr Crook is welcome but I feel unnecessary.”

  “Please, call me Harry, we are all friends,” I said with my best smile.

  “Your presence here Harry is not of this nature, is it, no?” Andrey was more than a scientist. “I think our safety is not your priority.”

  “Our Zhongshan neighbours are a concern to all of us in this region,” Len said. “Hurry and Australian Antarctic Division share these concerns.”

  “But why you Harry, if you are safety specialist then this is not your interest?” Andrey asked.

  Len stepped in again, “Hurry has background of police work, investigative. His government just want him to assess the situation at Zhongshan first hand, close to the action.”