Polar Quest

by Alex Archer

He was sure he was safe.

  But Annja Creed would have to be dealt with. If she wasn’t killed, then sooner or later, they would come face-to-face and there would be no quarter.

  The last thing he wanted was to kill her, but she was leaving him no choice. Her intelligence and capacity for discerning the truth were a danger to him. And he had no doubt that if she wasn’t stopped, she would do everything in her power—including using all of her skills, skills she didn’t even fully comprehend yet—to thwart his mission.

  No, she had to die. And if his people could get it done properly this time, there would be no suspicion surrounding it. Her untimely death would simply be the result of a tragic accident. And the world would no longer have Annja Creed in it.

  He lay back down and closed his eyes. Sleep would be a welcome respite for him tonight.

  ANNJA SLEPT FITFULLY, tossing and turning every few minutes, aware of the rhythmic snores coming from Dave’s side of the room. For a few moments, she’d hear nothing, and then he would spark up again, unleashing a cavalcade of snorts and whistles upon the room.

  So much for sleeping tonight, she thought. And just when she needed every bit of herself rested. Her ribs no longer hurt, but in a lot of ways, her exhaustion was more mental than physical. There were so many loose ends, and seeing Garin hadn’t helped much at all, except to dissuade her that a race of animals had created the relics—which she’d never believed in the first place.

  What had Zach said about the metal? That they’d been sent out to a laboratory for analysis. And that the metal hadn’t registered as being from Earth? How was that possible?

  Annja rolled out of bed and nudged Zach awake. He started and then looked around. “Wha—”

  “Shh, it’s me. Keep your voice down or you’ll wake Dave.”

  Zach rubbed his eyes. “Not likely. That guy can sleep through a herd of charging rhinos. What’s the problem?”

  “Tell me again about the necklace,” Annja said.

  “What about it? I’ve told you everything already. There’s nothing left to tell.”

  “Back in McMurdo you mentioned that you had the necklace sent out for analysis, right?”

  “Sure. Colonel Thomson handled it personally. Said he knew just where to send it.”

  “Do you know where that was?”

  “What—the lab?”

  “Yes.”

  Zach frowned. “No, I don’t. What’s this all about anyway? Why are you so curious about the lab work done on the necklace?”

  Annja frowned. “I want to know about the laboratory and what tests they performed. Is there any way to find out?”

  Zach shrugged. “Well, I don’t know. I mean, they’ve probably got it logged in somewhere. Maybe in the admin tent on the computer. Maybe in Colonel Thomson’s shelter. Hell, it could be anywhere.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I was afraid of,” Annja said.

  “What’s bothering you so much about it?”

  Annja looked at him. “You said the metal didn’t register, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “That the lab determined it wasn’t from Earth?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  Annja leaned closer to Zach. “Who told you the results?”

  Zach frowned again. “Annja, you’re not making any sense.”

  “Did you read a report or did someone tell you what the lab found out?”

  “Well, Thomson called us all in and told us what the lab had reported. We were all cautioned not to tell anyone about it since it could get out and cause mayhem.”

  “So you never actually saw a report.”

  “No.”

  Annja walked back to her bed and sat down on the edge. “Interesting.”

  “What’s interesting? I’m not following your train of thought here, Annja.”

  Annja leaned back on her bed. “If you never saw the report, then who’s to say it’s accurate?”

  Zach sat up. “You think it was faked?”

  “It’s possible.”

  “But why? Who would fake a lab report?” Zach shook his head. “This is reaching, Annja. It really is.”

  “Sometimes we have to reach,” Annja said. “And as for who would fake a lab report, I don’t know yet. But obviously, it’s someone who wanted to draw a lot of attention down here at the dig site.”

  “Yeah, but for what purpose?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Zach sighed. “And why would they tell us the metal isn’t from Earth? You think they’d deliberately mislead us on that?”

  “Very possibly. Especially if the relics are only part of the equation.”

  Zach took a deep breath. “Why do you always come up with this stuff in the middle of the night, anyhow?”

  Annja smiled. “Dave’s not letting me get my beauty sleep.” She rolled over. “Tell me about how you got into this dig.”

  “Sure. If it’ll help put this all to rest. It was just after I filed my final paperwork for the divorce. I was considering filing for bankruptcy because, between the alimony and the child support, I was going to be sunk. There was no way I could keep up with the payments. I was depressed. Lonely. I didn’t even have my kids with me.”

  Annja shook her head. “I’m sorry.”

  “Me, too. I was sending out tons of résumés when I got this e-mail from someone who had seen my résumé on a networking Web site. Anyway, we exchanged a few e-mails. Turns out the guy was a recruiter and he told me they had something down in Antarctica and would I be interested in coming down. The pay was great, so I jumped at it. I think it was just what I needed to get my mind off my situation.”

  Annja nodded. “Nothing like a change of scenery, huh?”

  “This is about as extreme as it gets, but, yeah.”

  “Go on.”

  Zach sighed. “I flew down, came out to the site, which was a lot less elaborate than it is now. We didn’t have the generator for one thing, and that made life hellish.”

  “How’d you stay warm?”

  “Lots of layers, kerosene and limited exposure to the elements. Plus, we didn’t stay out here if we could avoid it.”

  “And what was your initial briefing like?”

  “Just that they believed there was something peculiar about the mountain and that they had detected traces of something metallic inside the base of it. It was supposed to be for oil exploration under the guise of a scientific mission, but when they saw something unusual, they called me in.”

  “Of course they did,” Annja said. “Having a real scientist gives the mission an air of authenticity and legitimacy.”

  “I found the necklace the first day. At that point, they wanted to know if I needed any more help. I thought of you and how much you’d be interested in this stuff, and that’s when they went for you.”

  Annja nodded. “Okay.”

  “That’s it. You know the whole story.”

  “Did it ever strike you as strange that they contacted you right after you filed your divorce paperwork?”

  “No. I just thought it was my good timing. I was a lucky bastard to get this assignment. They’re paying me enough money to take all the stress out of my life.”

  Annja smiled in the darkness. “That’s great. No one should have that much pressure.”

  “There something still bothering you about this, Annja?” Zach asked.

  “Only everything.”

  Zach didn’t say anything for a minute. “Well, tell me what you’re thinking. Bounce your ideas off me.”

  “Not just yet, Zach. I need some more time to think this through. For now, I think we just need to keep on doing what we’re doing.”

  “Digging?”

  Annja nodded then realized Zach probably couldn’t see her. “Yep.”

  “I get the distinct impression you aren’t much into that part of the mission, though,” Zach said.

  “I’m not.”

  “You mind me asking why? It’s really not like you.”

  Annja sighed. “It’s no
thing personal, Zach. And I’m flattered you thought of me when you were asked about help. But there’s something else going on here, something bigger, and it’s occupying most of my thoughts. I can’t put my finger on it yet but I will soon enough. And when I do, I think that will be the time we need each other the most.”

  “Okay, well, whatever you need, Annja. You know that.”

  Annja smiled. “Thanks, Zach.”

  “So. What’s your next step, then?”

  “I think I need to see a copy of that lab report. I need to figure out for myself if those relics really are something special or just a bunch of trinkets thrown into the ground.”

  “Just a bunch of trinkets?” Zach sounded shocked.

  “I know,” Annja said. “It seems crazy, right?”

  “Kinda.”

  “Just wait. If I find what I think I’m going to find, we’ll have a lot more to deal with than just a bunch of crazy extraterrestrials.”

  Zach flopped back down on his pillow. “Great.”

  Annja turned over and it was only then that she realized Dave had stopped snoring. Had he heard everything she’d said to Zach?

  23

  By the time Annja woke the next morning, she knew she had to get a copy of that laboratory analysis report and read it over. Both the metallurgic results and carbon dating seemed simply too bizarre to be fact, and she was surprised that none of the other scientists had requested to look it over.

  This made her wonder exactly who the rest of the team was, and it was only then that she realized she’d been so obsessed with her own happenings that she hadn’t properly met anyone else yet.

  In the mess hall, Annja made a point of walking around and introducing herself to the other men and women. With each person she met, however, Annja found herself wondering exactly how they’d all been recruited for this particular mission.

  “It doesn’t make sense,” she said to Zach and Dave over her eggs. “Who are these people? Have you ever heard of any of them before?”

  Dave sighed. “Annja, are you saying it’s necessary for you to personally know everyone in order for them to be valid researchers?”

  “You know that’s not what I’m saying, Dave.” Annja frowned. “It’s just that in our field, a lot of us know each other.”

  “But not everyone,” he suggested.

  “No. Not everyone,” Annja admitted.

  Dave shrugged. “Well, maybe these people have been hiding under rocks for the past couple of years. Or maybe they’ve been working on classified projects and haven’t had a chance to broadcast their work in the usual journals.”

  “I suppose.”

  Zach sighed. “He’s right, Annja. I think you’re getting paranoid. And I’m honestly wondering if it’s good for you to be here any longer.”

  “What?” Annja was horrified.

  “I’m serious. I don’t know what you were thinking last night, waking me up like that and broaching the questions that you did, but I sure as hell couldn’t get back to sleep afterward.”

  “Well, sorry, but—”

  “The idea that someone has gone through all of this to create some sort of subterfuge, which I believe is what you’ve been driving at, is really just out of the ballpark. I can’t buy into it.”

  Annja ate a forkful of eggs. She was fairly certain Dave had heard the entire conversation so she didn’t see any point in keeping it secret. “And what about the lab report?”

  Zach shook his head. “Listen, go visit the colonel and see if he’ll let you see a copy of it. If he does and you read it over, won’t that allay your fears?”

  “Possibly.”

  “Then do it. He should be at his office now, anyway. I’m sure he won’t mind letting you have a peek at it.”

  “What if he does?”

  Dave shrugged. “Maybe he’s got a good reason. The report could have other details about stuff that we don’t need to know. Once you start working with the government, this kind of thing comes with the territory. And as long as their checks clear in my bank account, I can’t say that I’m all that concerned about it.”

  “That’s certainly taking the easy approach to the situation,” Annja said.

  “Maybe,” Dave replied. “But at least I’m not losing sleep at night thanks to my crazy thoughts. Who says it’s better to take the difficult approach to a situation anyway?”

  Annja put her fork down. “And if it turns out there really is something strange going on here?”

  “I’ll apologize,” Dave said.

  “Me, too,” Zach said. “And I’ll stand up on the table here and publicly tell everyone what a royal prick I’ve been. How’s that sound?”

  “Pretty good,” Annja said. “And I’ll hold you to that.” She picked up her tray. “See you guys down at the dig site later.”

  Annja put her tray back by the entrance and then zipped herself up. Outside, the weather seemed a little warmer today, but it was still brilliantly cold. Maybe she was starting to adjust to the harsh environment. She wondered how penguins endured this kind of weather when they marched deep into the interior to shelter their young.

  Colonel Thomson’s administration center lay ahead of her, and Annja headed straight for it. As she walked through the snow, she rehearsed what she intended to say to Thomson when she saw him.

  She reached for the door and pulled it open.

  “Colonel Thomson.”

  She stopped. The shelter was empty.

  Annja frowned. She could see the bank of computers sitting on the back table. Each one of them had a screen saver blipping across the screen in random order.

  Annja glanced back outside. All it would take was a few quick keystrokes to see if the report was on there. And if she could get access to it and a printout, that might be all the proof she needed that something was going on here.

  It was worth a shot, wasn’t it?

  She moved around the receptionist desk and toward the back of the shelter. She glanced back at the door and then turned toward the screen. As soon as she touched the first key, the screen blossomed into light.

  A single prompt asked for a password.

  Annja frowned. Great. Security even down here.

  She paused and tried a number of entries. Each one produced no results. Worse, the prompt told her she had only two more tries before it locked itself down.

  Annja thought and then typed “Thomson” into the computer and hit Enter.

  The screen flashed and asked for another password. Annja typed the same string in and hit Enter.

  The screen flashed red and then informed Annja that she was being frozen out of the system.

  “Damn.”

  She heard a noise outside the door and hustled back around the table. The door opened and the young soldier she’d spoken with yesterday came in.

  He took a look at Annja, then at the computer in the back, and then back at her. “Can I help you with something, Miss Creed?”

  Annja smiled. “Sorry, I was just trying to access my e-mail.”

  The soldier typed a few keys and rebooted the computer Annja had frozen. He frowned at her. “Computers are off-limits to nonmilitary personnel.”

  “I didn’t know,” she said as innocently as she could manage.

  “Some things we shouldn’t have to tell you guys, for crying out loud. If the colonel gets wind of this, he’s going to be pissed,” the soldier said.

  Annja flashed a smile again. “We don’t have to bother him with that, do we? I’m sure he’s busy and all, and that kind of thing would probably just put him in a bad mood.”

  “You’re damned right it would. He doesn’t like anyone messing around with the system. It’s not like we’ve got a tech unit to come in here and fix things if we get buggy. We need these things running in top condition all the time.”

  “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again. I promise.”

  He looked at her and then grinned. “Yeah, all right. Don’t worry about it. I get lonely for some e-mail myself.
Stinks not being able to talk to my friends back home.”

  “You’ve been with the colonel for a long time?” Annja asked.

  “Only a couple of months, actually. I graduated tech school and got assigned to him once I passed the security background check. That took the longest time.”

  “Must be nice working for him. I’ll bet you know all his behavioral patterns and stuff like that.”

  He grinned. “I can tell when he’s not happy. Like yesterday, he wasn’t too nice to be around.”

  Annja leaned against the desk. “Oh? Why do you think that was?”

  “I don’t know. I thought I heard him saying something about incompetence, but I can’t be sure. He spends a lot of his time in his shelter. He and Major Braden seem to have a lot to talk about.”

  Annja looked around the shelter. “So is this it for you? You just sit here all day and do nothing?”

  “I file reports, take in reports, get stuff signed and send it on out. That kind of thing. It gets boring sometimes, but I like the job.”

  “How’s the communication system? You’re set up for satellite relays, right?” Annja asked.

  “Yep. We’ve got times when we can get a clear stream of communication back to the States and other times we have to bounce stuff around. That’s when things are good. But during the blackout times, it sucks.”

  “Blackout?”

  “When we don’t have any satellite coverage. We’re totally alone then. Hell, someone could come down here and wipe us out. If it’s during that blackout window, no one would know anything about what had happened to us.”

  Annja frowned. “That’s a bit scary.”

  “Tell me about it. I get the shakes just thinking about it.”

  “How often do you have blackout periods?” Annja asked, alarmed.

  The solider shrugged. “Every day. One in the early morning and one toward the end of the day. They’re like clockwork.”

  “And there’s no way to get a message out during those times?”

  “Well, if you’ve got a landline, sure you could. But there ain’t no landlines down here. So you’d need your own sat phone on a different network—something that doesn’t use a defense satellite to send through.”

  “That would take some doing,” Annja said.