“Good morning, Doctor Sokolov. Or, at least I’m assuming it’s morning.” He grunted as he tried to shift positions. “Sorry about the no-show. Vodka isn’t my usual drink of choice when I have to work the next day.”
“That’s quite all right. If anything, it is to be expected. Drinking vodka with a group of Russians is, at best, a dangerous endeavor. I had them leave you some fruit and tea before they dispersed. If you would be so good as to rise now, I’ll direct you to the washroom. Perhaps you can regain some stature with the group by getting on your feet before lunch.”
Francis slowly and carefully swung his feet out from under the covers and came into contact with the cold floor. His thoughts were still rather incoherent. How did they get fruit down here? Frozen? Of course. And why not? Everything else apparently was. “Let’s not talk about lunch. A glass of ice water might be nice, though.”
“Ice and water we can manage in any quantity. There is a fine robe on the wall hook to your right. You will need it. Our idea of room temperature is more like seventeen degrees; it may take you a week or two to adjust.”
Francis put on the heavy robe. It felt good compared to the cold inside air. “You’re not talking Fahrenheit, I hope?”
“Centigrade, my dear doctor. The conversion is simplicity itself. You’ll be addicted to the metric system by the time you leave. If you would be so good as to enter through the door on your right, you will find the men’s washroom facility.”
“Great. Give me a few minutes, would you?”
He bowed slightly. “As you wish. I have a little debriefing prepared which I can present while you sip your tea.”
Francis felt only slightly better than when he first woke up, but any improvement was welcome. “Sounds great.”
He made it through the rudimentary washroom routine without throwing up, considered it a victory, and then proceeded to the kitchen.
“Excellent, Doctor. I took the liberty of pouring both orange juice and tea. There is milk and sugar on the table as well, should you desire.”
Francis sat at the old wooden table which looked like it belonged under a bridge with some hobo’s life possessions piled on it. He released a long sigh. “How is it you have milk?”
Sokolov smiled. “It is powdered but still quite serviceable.”
“I’m going to move slowly. I may start by sipping some juice.”
“Very good. While we are waiting for your constitution to stabilize, let’s get you up to speed on our little operation here. Tell me, Doctor, what do you know about Antarctica?”
Francis took a delicate sip. “It’s cold. You don’t get sunlight in the winter months. And it’s the only continent that doesn’t have a Wal-Mart. That’s about it. This opportunity only recently presented itself and I really didn’t have much time to do research.”
Sokolov nodded. “I see. As such, Doctor, if you would be so good as to lend me your ear, I shall attempt to improve your knowledge of your new, temporary home. There are many extraordinary features about this part of the world that you will find interesting. For example, you say that it is cold. Did you know that the average summer temperature is about −30 °C?”
Francis looked up painfully. “Did you say summer?”
“Yes. Winter temperatures average about −65 °C. The lowest reliably measured temperature on Earth was −89.2 °C. It was recorded here in Vostok on July of 1983. That translated to —129°F.”
“My God! Can people survive in that?”
“No. At that temperature, a deep breath can freeze your teeth and the lining of your lungs. Frostbite would be virtually instantaneous. Even with our best outdoor gear, you could only survive for extremely brief periods of time.”
“Wow. Can any kind of animal or plant life survive in that?”
“Very few things can, but as you will discover, this makes Vostok a very healthy place. The only germs surviving here would be the ones you brought in with you. Also, you asked if it was morning. Antarctica is the only continent that has no time zone. Everything is subjective. We use Moscow time for the sake of structure. Therefore, it is currently late morning. There are other features that I’m confident will surprise you.”
Sokolov seemed to be enjoying himself. “There is an almost total lack of moisture in the air. This is, in fact, the driest place on Earth. All the snow and ice you see are deceiving; it took thousands upon thousands of years to accumulate. Also, you can’t immediately tell, but we are nearly 3,500 meters above sea level. That means that there is a noticeable lack of oxygen. Any physical activity will drain your lungs quickly. But you will adapt to that as well as to the cold, at least to some degree.
“And finally, perhaps most impressive of all, the polar night lasts for approximately 130 days, including 80 continuous days of complete darkness.”
Francis finished a sip. “I didn’t see any of that on the travel brochure. You make it sound great, though.”
Sokolov smiled. “You have a tendency to make fun of stressful things. Let me be perfectly and entirely frank while giving you a somber warning that I hope will help you to walk through the acclimatization period. It is perfectly normal and completely expected to experience a variety of symptoms when first arriving in Antarctica. They should pass within a week or two. They could include such pleasantries as headaches, ear pains, nose bleeds, eye twitches, a sudden rise in blood pressure, loss of sleep, vomiting, reduced appetite, joint and muscle pain, arthritic pain, and weight loss averaging around 3 to 12 kilograms.”
“Kind of like a health spa. Here’s a pointer from me to you. Vodka doesn’t seem to help. It may, in fact, hasten some of those symptoms, at least based on my current experience.”
“You are learning already. To be completely truthful, the amount of alcohol consumed here is higher than what would be considered average in most places, but over indulge at your own peril. We are a working station and will expect you to perform your duties on a daily basis. There isn’t much point to taking time off—after all, there is nowhere to go and few things to do. Experience has taught us that leisure time can actually bring on bouts of depression. It is preferable to keep busy while here at Vostok. That is our official credo, as you will learn.”
Francis continued his judicious consumption of liquid. He unintentionally made a show out of rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “If the station ever decides to hire a publicity director, you may want to polish up some of the main points. Having said that, what exactly is the appeal of this place? There must be something that attracts people. I understand there is a waiting list to come here.”
“Yes, Doctor, that is absolutely true. To be solicited as you were is quite rare. The appeal of Vostok is the research, you see. It is the chance to be part of a discovery that could, in some way, change the world. And we may be on the verge of that right now. Do you know what kind of work we primarily do here, Doctor?”
Francis tried not to speak too loudly. The inside of his head was echoing like an empty warehouse. “Yeah. You are doing core samples of the ice. It’s very thick and was laid down many years ago. It gives you an eye to the past. Right?”
“Correct, my good doctor. We have measured a variety of environmental factors, arguably from as far as back as four hundred-thousand years ago. The results are truly fascinating. But we are predominately involved in something a little different right now.”
Francis grunted as his stomach turned over. “Really? Should I be excited or filled with dread?”