"Leonard Speaking"
'Leonard Thinking'
ARK Facility, Norway
The Arctic sun barely skimmed the horizon, painting the endless snowfields in shades of pale gold. Karen stood for a moment outside the dormitory block, watching the mountains awaken beneath the soft light. Jagged peaks stretched endlessly in every direction, their snow-covered ridges glowing beneath the low morning sun. Karen still found it difficult to believe that barely a year ago this valley had been nothing more than untouched wilderness.
The ARK Facility appeared as a colossal circular structure carved directly into the mountainside. Its smooth silver walls reflected the pale sunlight like polished ice, while thick reinforced foundations disappeared beneath layers of snow and granite.
Only a handful of support buildings surrounded the main structure—vehicle garages, maintenance sheds, communications arrays and a small private airstrip. Everything else lay hidden beneath the mountain.
When the team had reached the facility yesterday, they were dumbstruck by the sheer scale of the facility. While it was not opulent, it was impressive in its own right. They were received by Harald, with hot meals and warm beds waiting for them. They had discussed going out to retrieve the Chronon containers early in the morning. Karen still found the containers creepy. The tear in reality haunted her nightmares, though she was better able to mask her nervousness.
Soon, the entire team was gathered in the lot. A service member was explaining about the terrain to Burton, who looked like a bear in his thick winter jacket and trousers. Gustin, on the other hand, had opted for a sleeker, fur-lined, brown coat, with grey trousers. While Burton was shivering, Gustin was slightly better off. The most comfortable was Natasha, in her sleek, white winter clothes and white, furry cossack.
Burton looked at Natasha, whose red hair splayed on her shoulders like freshly spilt blood, and asked, "How are you so comfortable here? It's like five degrees here."
Natasha looked smug, "I lived in Siberia when I was young. Since I was smart enough to pack thermals, cold has become my friend."
Burton looked at Gustin with wide eyes, "Is that why you aren't shivering?"
Gustin looked down, "She made me buy it."
Burton looked at Karen, who was still, "You too?"
Karen shrugged, "I packed for Norway."
Harald laughed and said, "If you need some thermals, there are some fresh pairs you can use."
Burton knelt in front, his face a dramatic look of relief, "You are a lifesaver Harald. I'll name my first child after you."
Harald suppressed his laughter, "That won't be necessary."
It took thirty minutes for the team to be ready. Karen tightened the helmet strap beneath her chin, before climbing onto the snowmobile. A cold wind swept through the valley, carrying loose powder across the frozen snow beside the base.
Around her, the rest of the team prepared their own vehicles.
Burton examined the GPS receiver for the tenth time, "So... we're trying to find invisible cubes?"
"They aren't invisible," Karen replied while adjusting her gloves, "They're just hiding."
Natasha yawned, "They're hiding from us too. They don't know we're authorized."
Karen sighed, "They're not too smart. The program I installed is bare-bones. No matter how they hide, they won't be able to hide from us. Once we are close, the receiver will send the authorization key to the chip. We just have to find them quickly."
Gustin laughed, "I love this job. If Shawn were to see how much fun I am having, he would beg to join me."
Natasha walked toward the group, carrying her own receiver, "The locator chips began transmitting fifteen minutes ago."
She pointed at four blinking dots scattered across the mountain range, "The winds carried them farther than expected."
Burton whistled, "So everyone gets one?"
Gustin nodded, "Exactly."
He circled each signal, "Let's keep it simple and quick, we drive, we retrieve, and we come back. No adventures and no heroics."
Everyone looked at Burton. Burton raised both hands, "Hey, do I look so reckless to you. I wasn't going to do anything."
Natasha sighed, "Well, if you get lost, it will be a long walk. And don't forget, Norway is the home of bears, wolverines and grey wolves. So be careful."
Burton shuddered as he zipped his jacket, "Right, no getting eaten then."
Within minutes the engines roared to life. Four snowmobiles tore across the frozen landscape, snow exploding beneath their tracks.
The mountains rose like giants around them.
Karen followed the blinking signal displayed on the graphene card inside her handheld reader.
Distance… Seven kilometers.
Norwegian Wilderness
The terrain gradually became rougher. The smooth ice disappeared beneath uneven rocks hidden under fresh snowfall. Karen carefully drove her snowmobile, ignoring the soft, falling snow that hid the roots and stones under it. She quickly glanced at the locator in her hand, taking a sip of water from a canteen.
As the snowmobile passed on a rocky area, Karen heard a sound. A loud, metallic crack echoed beneath her. In about a hundred meters, Karen had to slow down slightly as the snowmobile lurched forward. The engine sputtered for a moment before dying. She noticed an acrid scent of gasoline wafting from the snowmobile. She tried the ignition again, but it was futile.
Karen got off the vehicle, looking towards the tracks. Soon, she found a large gash in the fuel chamber, from which fuel was leaking, like a heavy wound. Karen cursed, "Damn it, why did this happen now?"
Karen looked at the locator again. The Chronon container was still three kilometers away.
Burton's voice crackled through the radio, "Karen, what's your status?"
Karen was annoyed, "What are you, a military commander? My fuel tank has a gash, and the vehicle won't run any further. I can only approach the device on foot."
Then Burton replied, "Tell me where you are, I am coming to get you."
Karen rolled her eyes, "How far are you from your container?"
Burton answered, "A kilometer."
Karen nodded, "Then get that container first. I'll walk towards mine. Once I have it, come and get me."
Burton was hesitant, "You sure?"
Karen looked toward the blinking point.
'Two kilometers.'
She smiled, "I've walked farther."
She slung her backpack over one shoulder before beginning the hike. The hills were quiet save for the sound of snow crunching under her feet. She tried to use a binocular to find threats. The Norwegian wilderness felt impossibly old. No roads, no cities. Only pine forests and mountains stretching beyond the horizon.
Twenty Minutes Later
Karen was exhausted. The thick snow and inclined hike had sapped her of her energy. Her face was red as she climbed through a small forested patch. Luckily, her handheld locator beeped faster.
Only three hundred meters.
She smiled, "Finally, almost there."
A low growl interrupted her thoughts. Karen froze as she took a crouched position.
Another growl.
Much closer.
Between two snow-covered rocks stood a wolverine. Its black eyes locked onto hers as its mouth stretched into a snarl.
Neither moved.
Karen slowly raised both hands, "I'll just go back. Easy..."
The wolverine crouched, ready to pounce should she make sudden movement.
Karen swallowed, "I really preferred debugging software."
Suddenly, a gunshot sounded in the forest, causing the wolverine to flinch.
A second shot rang, as the frightened animal immediately turned and vanished between the trees.
Karen blinked. A moment later two men emerged from the forest wearing white camouflage jackets. The taller was a large, bear of a man, with a shaggy, brown beard and thick clothes. The younger one was a boy, about thirteen or fourteen years old, green eyes and a slim face. The older man carried a hunting rifle, while the boy carried a crossbow.
The man lowered his weapon and hurried towards her, "You alright?"
Karen exhaled, "I think so."
The taller hunter smiled.
"Luckily, it was a wolverine. They usually avoid people."
The older one extended his hand, "I am Stryk, and this is my boy Floke."
The younger boy nodded in greeting.
Stryk quickly shouldered his rifle, and turned to Floke, "Now remember boy, only smaller prey can be found in outcroppings like this. Usually, larger prey like deer or moose would be in forested regions. Smaller prey like to stay near such areas, as they can stop larger predators for a while."
Floke nodded seriously, committing the things taught to his memory. Stryk nodded with satisfaction before turning to Karen, "Now, young lady, what are you doing in the wilderness all alone? These mountains are dangerous."
Karen sighed, "I was looking for something. It was supposed to be a simple seven kilometer ride, but my snowmobile broke down about two kilometers away. Then there was that attack."
Floke chuckled, "Don't worry, wolverines don't usually attack humans. It might have felt threatened by your presence. Usually, they adopt a defensive bluff to discourage predators. If it wanted to attack you, it would have ambushed you."
Stryk looked at him with displeasure as Karen felt disturbed, "Well, that doesn't fill me with joy."
Stryk looked at Karen, "If it isn't too far, we can escort you there."
Karen was given a blanket as she followed the two towards the site. Soon, they followed the locator through a small valley. The handheld device emitted a continuous tone. Suddenly, the frequency sharpened as they reached the spot.
Karen looked around the snow. She frowned, "It should be right here."
Floke pointed toward a nearby boulder, "The snow looks disturbed there. There aren't any tracks, so not an animal."
Karen walked closer. The moment she approached—The snow shifted. A black cube slowly emerged from beneath the rock, moving slightly as if it were alive.
Stryk smiled, "So that's your magic box."
Karen knelt beside it, "Not magic, science."
She placed her locator on the cube, allowing the authorization key to be recognized.
Tiny silver lines spread across the surface as Karen smiled, "Zhǎo dào nǐ le!"
ARK Facility
The team returned to the ARK, four black cubes containing Chronon containers rested inside a reinforced transport sled.
Burton looked relieved, "I honestly thought we'd encounter wolves or bears."
Natasha leaned against the wall, "I honestly hoped we'd lose Burton."
Burton looked offended, "I can hear you."
Natasha grinned, "Maybe this will help prevent you from acting like a child. Seriously, why didn't you secure the containers more securely? You almost lost it."
Burton defended, "The key word is 'almost'. I didn't truly lose it. And I secured it well after that."
Karen looked at Burton's container, a shiny black cube, tied in bundled rope and cloth straps.She commented, "That doesn't fill me with confidence."
Hilton Pasadena, Pasadena
Leonard walked out of the shower, wiping his hair, dressed in a robe. Today was the last day of his vacation. When the group learned that Leonard was leaving, they insisted on a night of fun. And it had been a blast, with the group talking and having fun late into the night. Staying at his old room in the apartment brought many memories, both good and bad. In the morning, Leonard and Paige decided to stay at a hotel for the last night.
The two scientists spent the day roaming around LA, enjoying a calm day to themselves. Soon, it was evening and the two came back to their hotel room, with a chartered flight ready to take them to Norway in the morning.
As Leonard dried his hair, Paige came out of the bathroom, wiping her own hair. Leonard frowned, "Didn't you just go in?"
Paige chuckled, "Not everyone takes hours to take a shower."
Leonard smiled, before saying, "Our vacation will soon be over, the Chronon containers have reached the ARK."
Paige removed her robe and got under the covers. Soon, the two dimmed the lights as they lay in each other's arms. After a while, Paige dozed off, but not a wink of sleep came to Leonard. Unconsciously, he got off from the bed, walking forward in a daze. He reached his desk and started to draw a blueprint. His eyes moved rapidly as his hand kept working. The night quickly went as the dawn broke through the horizon. Leonard unconsciously stood up from the desk, walking in his boxers towards the balcony. Slowly, he approached the edge, when someone called him.
"Leonard, what are you doing?", asked Paige.
Leonard's body shuddered as his eyes cleared up. He looked at Paige with uncertainty, his eyes bloodshot, his eyelids were red, and a single line of blood stretched from his eye to his chin. Paige panicked, "Oh my God! What happened? Why is your eye bleeding?"
At first, Leonard wanted to joke about her reaction, but then he registered her words. He touched his eye, only to find some blood had dripped out. There was a faint, metallic taste at the back of his throat, making him feel uncomfortable. He reached for a bottle of water before going to the bathroom. As he gargled, the water had flecks of blood, staining the water a faint pink.
Leonard turned to Paige, "Didn't we just go to sleep? What time is it?"
Paige looked at him with concern. She whispered, "It's six in the morning. Now, why were you bleeding?"
Leonard tried to recall, but his mind drew a blank. He tried to remember going to sleep, but nothing came to his mind. He tried to recall going to the balcony, and only a vague sense of movement was the answer. For some reason, he had lost seven hours, and that terrified him to his core.
Leonard's eyes narrowed and he thought about something. He asked, "Yesterday, how long were you in the shower?"
Paige looked at him oddly, " For thirty minutes."
Leonard looked disturbed, "How long was I in?"
Paige looked worried, but answered, "Almost an hour."
Leonard's eyes widened. He remembered last night well, but for some reason, he remembered taking a ten minute shower, and Paige came out as soon as she went in. He had been losing time, not hours at a time, but minutes, quietly vanishing, minutes he couldn't account for. His stomach tightened as he felt a wave of nausea wash over him.
Leonard turned to Paige and said, "You may have to go to Norway alone. I'll join you in about a week or two."
Paige wanted to stay. Her hand reached towards him, words forming on her lips, yet one look in his eyes dispelled her willingness. There was helplessness, confusion and horror, but those hazel eyes held an iron will and determination. She turned and started to pack her bags, before turning to him, "Two weeks. If you are late, I'll drag you with me."
As Paige left, that faint metallic taste felt sweet. Soon, the smile disappeared from Leonard's face, as he booked a ticket to New York. He needed to figure out what was happening to him.
AN: And done. While Chaldea is progressing well, Leonard will face an important problem soon. Stay tuned for more.
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