Polar Quest

Zach smiled. “I’ve always loved the way you’re able to break everything down to the simplest terms possible.”

“Well, look at it from their perspective. Acknowledging the existence of space invaders would have sent the general public into absolute hysteria. As if it wasn’t bad enough we had to deal with the Soviets, we’ve got flying saucers prowling the skies? And we didn’t have anything technology-wise that could compete with them. The government had to make sure that the public felt we could protect ourselves,” Annja said.

Zach finished the last drops of his beer. “I suppose that makes sense, but I still don’t like the way they’ve continuously lied to us all these years.”

“Agreed, but you can at least appreciate their need to do so,” Annja said.

“I can appreciate it during the 1950s. I can’t understand it now when the Cold War is a thing of the past,” Zach said.

“Old habits die hard,” Dave said. “And some of those guys in the power circles of Washington look older than dinosaurs. Maybe we’ve been infiltrated.”

Annja laughed. “Next time say it without that smile and you might be more convincing.”

Zach patted his chest. “So with all that said, we’ve got ourselves a real interesting conundrum here.”

Annja leaned back. “So you found the necklace and told the government about it?”

“Not quite. I was on a small team at the dig site, and one of the people on the team was a government plant.”

“A plant? Why would they have a plant on a dig site in Antarctica? Last I heard, there were no weapons of mass destruction here,” Annja said.

Zach grinned. “Yeah, well, that was my fault for trusting people I thought were scientists when in fact they were scummy agents with the intelligence community. No sooner had I unearthed the necklace than I had a visit from some people who called themselves concerned representatives.”

“These the same folks who drafted me?” she asked.

“Probably.”

Annja glanced at Dave. “Lovely folks. Truly. Real warm-hearted souls.”

Dave smirked. “I’ll bet.”

“So they told you what?” Annja asked.

“That I had to figure it out. That I had to go back on the dig and see if I could unearth anything else. They sent me down some gear for the job and told me I could have a crew of whoever I wanted.”

“Guess that’s where I come in.”

“Yeah.” Zach sighed. “In the meantime, the dig site has been declared an environmental emergency.”

“What?”

“It’s how they’re containing it. They’ve claimed we spilled some sort of chemical compound there that they’re cleaning up. No one buys it, of course, but it gives the U.S. the right to put security people in place so they can control access.”

“Good grief, this is starting to sound like something out of a science fiction movie.” Annja craned her neck, trying to relieve some of the tension she felt starting to creep in.

“It’s getting out of hand,” Zach said. “I figured the least I could do was bring in some people I actually trust, so I don’t have to work exclusively with professional liars.”

Annja nudged Dave. “I take it you’re on the team?”

“Yep. Just the rocks, ma’am.”

Zach looked at Annja. “So what do you say? Are you in?”

“Could I ever get out?” Annja smiled. “I’m basically stranded here now, anyway. I guess my choices are pretty limited. Besides, I’m more than a little intrigued by what you’ve told me so far. I’d like to check it out.”

Zach clapped his hands. “Awesome. Thanks, Annja. I really owe you for this.”

“Oh, I’ll collect. And I’m sure you’ll regret it later, but what the hell. When do we leave for the dig site?”

“Tomorrow morning. First thing,” Zach said.

“Dawn?”

Zach shrugged. “You can call it dawn, but it won’t be very light out when we leave. We’re entering the dark times around these parts. Sunlight won’t be a frequent visitor for a number of months.”

“Okay, so I’ll see you at what time?”

Zach checked his watch. “We leave at four o’clock.”

“Ouch.” Annja finished her drink and stood up. “That barely leaves enough time for a decent sleep.” She smirked. “But that’s cool. I’m going back to my luxurious digs now and taking a nice hot shower.”

“You mean a lukewarm bath,” Dave said. “Uses less hot water, which, as you might have guessed, is a bit of a premium in these parts.”

“Bath, then.” Annja smiled. “I’ll see you gents in the morning.”

“Wait,” Dave said. “Don’t you want a lift?”

Annja shrugged. “Back that way two blocks and up one on Main Street, right?”

“Yeah, but it’s probably twenty below out there,” he said.

“I can use the fresh air,” Annja said. “But thanks anyway.”

“Annja, your skin can freeze inside of two minutes if it’s exposed to the frigid air,” Zach said.

“Well, I guess I’ll have to make sure I don’t expose myself on the way back to my room. Good night.” She walked back to the front door of the bar, slid into her parka and zipped up. In another moment, she eased out into the dark cold.

6

Dave was right. It was absolutely frigid outside, and the cold slammed into Annja like a five-ton truck zooming along at eighty miles per hour. She took a breath and felt her throat freeze. Her sinuses instantly shriveled, and she tucked herself down into the wind and started walking back up the road.

The gale-force winds howled around her, screeching through the nooks and crannies of the buildings that clustered in this part of McMurdo. The fallen snow was deep, as well, making her footing unstable. Twice she slipped and had to right herself before continuing. Every once in a while, she would look up to make sure she was still headed in the direction she needed to travel.

But it was slow going.

Maybe I should have opted for that ride, she thought.

But the truth was, she needed some time to think as she walked. Zach’s proposition that the necklace was alien in origin didn’t sit well with her. Sure, she’d seen plenty of things that regularly defied logical explanation. Her own situation as the inheritor of Joan of Arc’s mystical sword was just one of the many instances that had caused her to reevaluate her philosophies.