The room continued to be void of sound. A number of people had seemingly found something interesting on the floor that required their immediate attention.
Barinov was the first to speak. “What about Pechkin and Kuvayev? How can we sleep or feel safe as long as they are out there?”
Sokolov nodded slowly. “I tend to agree. We need to find out how to stop them and put them out of their misery. They may be up and about, but I would argue that they really aren’t alive in a traditional sense.”
Lena cleared her throat. “What if they could be? What if the fever breaks after several days and they revert back to themselves again?”
Sokolov was grim. “Then they will freeze to death before they can get back to shelter. This extreme fever is all that stands between them and being frozen solid. In this temperature, they would last maybe five or ten minutes before succumbing.”
“You said Kuvayev knocked that door off its frame?” Barinov asked. “Then what would stop him from doing the same with our door? If anything, it is lighter than the one that was on the shed.”
That thought had already flickered through all of their minds.
“I will volunteer to go out after them,” Yedemsky said.
“What about Konstantine?” Kravchuk said, speaking for the first time.
Sokolov was clearly hesitant. “What do you all think? I must tell you that I am not entirely certain what to do about him and the outer lab. What are your thoughts?”
“Surely we can’t just leave him there!” Zhabin exclaimed.
Hamlin knew they had no idea how bad that scene was nor the condition Konstantine’s body was in. He decided to speak.
“There isn’t much of him left. Any volunteers for that job better have a very strong constitution. Also, I suspect you need to be prepared to have nightmares for the rest of your life.”
That diminished the enthusiasm considerably.
“I could do it,” Lena said quietly. “I spent time as a battlefield nurse before getting my doctoral degree. I have seen terrible injuries before.”
Sokolov held up his good hand as if to stop her thoughts. “I turned the thermostat way down before I left. He should stay well preserved for a few days. We have time to think about this before deciding what to do. Myself, I think in the name of our health and well-being that we should stay away from the outer lab. I cannot guarantee that the atmosphere is safe, even if you factor out the grisly nature of the scene.”
Hamlin had a thought but hesitated from verbalizing it. He saw the lab in his mind being burnt to the ground—a giant funeral pyre that cleansed the scene within it from the face of the earth. That sounded good to him. But that was partially because he had actually seen the horror within and he was having an emotional response.
“I have a suggestion which is also a request,” Sokolov said. “The first group to go out; if you would be so kind as to swing past the outer storage shed, I must confess that I dropped my rifle in the skirmish with Kuvayev. It is lying somewhere in the snow, perhaps fifty feet straight out from the entrance. I would love to have it back, if it is not hopelessly buried.”
“We have an excellent metal detector in the mining shelter,” Barinov replied. “We’ll swing past the shed and make a quick attempt to find the gun. If we’re not successful, we’ll pick up the detector and try again on our way back.”
The others were nodding. As the plan came together and actions were plotted, life and hope began to renew within them.
Sokolov held up his hands and looked emotional for the first time since Hamlin had arrived.
“Friends, I must tell you, I have never appreciated you all as much as I do now. Many times I felt like you all relied on me to keep this operation safe and viable. Now I realize that I count on you every bit as much, and in these circumstances, way more, than you count on me. Thank you for your assistance regardless of what form it takes. Let us pull together to find some semblance of hope for ourselves. Surely we deserve that much.
“Now, as far as our immediate plans are concerned—Barinov, I have a rifle for you to take on your expedition. I know you are trained in its use. Be extremely careful out there. Pechkin is very dangerous, but Kuvayev is even more so. He is extremely powerful now that he is under the influence of whatever this is. Do not take any risks. Stay clear of him at all costs. If you want to take a shot, do it from a safe distance if you can. Don’t count on a building or the Cat to keep you safe. As comforting as it would be to know that our sick friends have been neutralized, it is paramount that we all stay safe going forward. Our original fourteen is now down to eleven. And let us hope and pray that I will not be taken off that number anytime soon. Each person represents a skill set that we need. So I will say it again—please be careful at all times.”
Sokolov went to get the rifle while three of the miners got dressed to go out. There was a quiet hum of talk and activity while this played out. Francis was concerned about how silent the room was going to be once they left. For now, a new era was being ushered in. No longer would research be the focus that gave them structure and purpose from day to day, and even moment to moment. Now simple survival became the nucleus of their existence here. Or much worse than that—waiting for the terror that was out there to find them. They needed a more comprehensive plan that included tasks for all of them. The plan could make them safer, and would keep them occupied. Both consequences were vital.
Once the men had left, Sokolov again addressed the dwindling crew. Besides him, there were now seven around the table.
“Friends, I wouldn’t normally even consider this as an option, but we find ourselves in unusual circumstances. I propose that we arm one person, a volunteer who has the responsibility of defending us should one of the two sick members arrive and try to force their way inside. I have an MP-446 Viking in the very effective 9mm caliber, which I will hand over to the defense of our barracks. Perhaps we could set up a rotation, especially for the night-time hours, so that one person does not have to bear the entire load. I would not expect anyone without some firearms training or experience to volunteer; neither anyone who is uncomfortable handling the weapon in close proximity to your fellow members. I’ll get the gun and prepare it while you folks decide who’s willing to participate.”
Out of all of them, only Lena expressed a desire not to be involved. She had a fear of firearms, she explained. It came from seeing the damage that could be done by a small, high velocity projectile on the battlefield. Nobody ridiculed or criticized her for taking this stance.
Hamlin was glad to volunteer. He was a fan of handguns and missed his old Berretta terribly under these circumstances. It would feel good to hold one in his hands again. No matter what else happened, he would not go quietly into the night while properly armed. Sadistic virus be damned! He was cognizant of ballistics to the point where he knew what a 9mm slug would do. It leveled the playing field quite nicely against a stronger, faster opponent.
Sokolov returned and they set up a rotation between all the volunteers.
The search crew was gone nearly two hours before the sound of the Cat heralded their return. Hamlin wasn’t the only one out of the crew that was praying for good news.
They barely got in before being besieged by questions.
“Just a minute!” Barinov yelled.
Hamlin noticed that Kravchuk looked ill. What exactly did that mean?
Barinov held out Sokolov’s rifle. “We do have some good news. We found this.”
Sokolov retrieved it gratefully. “Excellent work. Thank you, men. Another component of our self-defense plan comes into place.”