NOVAYA ZEMLYA INCIDENT

St. Thomas Harbour, Novaya Zemlya, Russia.

It was dawn when i arrived. This was probably the first time ever i visited Russia. I had to admit, i was impressed. I came here by a cruise ship, Aphrodite, and it was a long voyage from London to the Arctic Ocean. This little island looked fabulous from afar, but i didn't come here for a vacation.

Our lead researcher from Pandora Corp's branch in Russia, Professor Ivan Aivazowsky personally asked for my assistance. He said they're at the edge of a breakthrough that would change the world forever. I didn't know the details, but he told me this Project's name was, Project BS.

At first i made fun of it. Project Bull Shit, but when i read the paper, i was ashamed of my self. I admired and acknowledged him as a great scientist. The result of this project would no doubt helped a lot of people. That's why i decided to accept his invitation and wilfully assisted him to accomplish his project.

"Lennon! Chop, chop! Let's take a picture here."

"Oh come on, Sweetheart. This is toe curling. How many more pictures you wanna take? We've probably had thousands on your bloody phone."

My lips curved when i heard a heavy british accent lurking into my ears. These two young couple surely was having the day of their life. Just like them, i was outside on the deck for the view. The only difference was, i'm all alone.

After disembarked from the ship, we rode a bus to the hotel.

What a coincidence i was on the same bus with the couple from the deck before. They sat right in front of my seat. I chuckled, i couldn't wait to hear another toe curling chat or whatever silly things these drowning in love couple would do. Unfortunately, no. She got motion sick and her boyfriend or maybe her husband, i didn't know for sure because they looked like teenagers, were busy took care of her.

Hotel California.

It was all dark when we came at this hotel. This young man named Lennon made me super jealous. He's really a caring person. The way he treated his girlfriend was admirable. As woman my self, i could say, that's all we wanted from a man. Unconditional love.

This was quite a tiresome day. I just got a message from my co-scientist in Massachusetts asked how was my day. What could i say? I had a beautiful voyage on a cruise ship and a comfy hotel room, it was great day, right? No. I ended up calling her.

"Ughhh, i'm sad. Look, i saw a couple this afternoon and they're so cute. I was all green eyed on them."

"Aww, listen sweety, i'm here. Have you call Josh? I heard he just broke up."

"Josh who? Linda, there's no way i'll call that weird four eyes nerd. The last time i saw him, he talked to a beaker glass in our lab."

"Hahaha, yea, sounds like our typical Josh. Listen Hope, i'm just curious, why would Doctor Ivan asked for your help even though everyone knows if Josh is the best scientist here?"

She's right. Josh was one of the best at Pandora's branch in Massachusetts. Why did professor asked for my help?

"That's true, Linda. Why me? He even asked to bring Phalleo-4 with me. He didn't tell me the reason why he need these ampules. Why is that?"

"Hope, there is only one possible answer for your question. Brace yourself, this probably will shocking you so bad."

"O, o, okay, what is it?"

"He, he, Ehh, he-"

"He, what?"

"-he fell in love with you and want to make you his third wife," she talked a mile a minute.

"Linda!"

"Hahaha, Hope, as always you are easy to toying with."

"He's an old relic, Linda. How could you. I'd rather die than be his third wife."

"But he has a lot of money, Hun. On top of that, he has the power enough to get you into promotion. All you have to do just sleep with him. He's old, Hope. Just beat his meat as hard as you can, it'll be done in two minutes."

"Ewww, yuck, yuck, yuck. Linda, you're disgusting."

All of a sudden my room went on a complete darkness. The heater turned off as well. The freezing air started to make my teeth chattered like a spooky scary skeleton. Thank God it wasn't long. Couple minutes later the power went on. I couldn't imagine how would they survive on this extreme cold weather if the city experienced a power outage like before.

Speaking of the devil, i was about to sleep when an e-mail notification popped up on my phone screen. The e-mail was sent by Professor Ivan. He said someone would pick me up tomorrow. He just wanted to make sure i brought the package and it's secure. I didn't understand what he need Phalleo-4 for? These ampules should be available on his own lab. There's no way he didn't have any of these. I understood if Phalleo-4 were made from one of the rarest chemical on earth, but what kind of lab experiment he's working on that needed this chemical element so bad?

A kicking ear sound exploded from the outside of the hotel. It woke me from pondering the purpose of this chemical. What happened? When i looked outside from the window, i was in awe. It's magnificent, one of the most spectacular view i've ever seen. The blissful colors of fireworks quenched my eyes with its beauty. I had no idea what's going on, but it seemed the city had some kind of event. I wanted to take part of it, but i realized i'm not here for a vacation. So i went to sleep instead.

Just like the e-mail last night, someone came to pick me up when i checked out the hotel. It's a woman and she brought her own car. She waited for me in the hotel lobby.

"Morning, Mrs. Hope. Let me help you with the luggage."

"Thank you. I like your Russian accent by the way. Do you working for Pandora?"

"Yes. I'm Professor Ivan's assistant. Leonora. I hope you like this city. Alvedatov surely not as big and shiny as Las Vegas or New York."

"No, no, no. It's not true. I like this place. Any chance do you know what's going on last night?"

"Oh, they were celebrating Alvedatov's anniversary."

We got in the car and she took us somewhere far away from the city. For some reason the car was getting faster when we were passing an empty road in the middle of nowhere. Her face seemed unsettling. I looked at the mirror there were two black vans followed us from behind. She stomped the brake really hard because the road in front of us blocked by the trucks. There were armed people in mask aimed their gun at us. I couldn't hold this anymore. I shrieked while holding my ears and eyes closed.

I didn't understand any word they said because it's in Russian. Leonora seemed trying to negotiate with them, but they dragged us both out of the car. I cried. This was beyond scarry. Would they kill us? Never ever in my life someone hold a gun on my head.

"They're asking about Phalleo-4, Mrs. Hope. In this situation, it's wise just give them what they want."

I couldn't open my mouth. I was scared to death.

"Mrs. Hope!"

"It, it, it's inside my luggage."

They took a small safety box from my luggage. I knew what's the next thing they wanted from me. The password. A big man came to me and pulled my hair while pressed the pistol under my chin. He whispered in my right ear, "Password."

I stuttered gibberish out of fear.

"Password!" he snapped.

In a mere second the trucks that blocked the road exploded. The armed masked soldiers fell one after another. Some of them was firing their gun at all directions to counter the ambush. The big man left me and scurried to his van with the Phalleo-4. I couldn't move my feet. My knees trembled. The only thing i could do was laying my back on Leonora's car. It's the first time i witnessed a gun fight this close and trapped between the crossfire. The gun sound and the people who screamed in agony after being shot depicted a true terror on me at least psychologically. Leonora dragged me into the car and we left the bloodbath hurriedly.

"Mrs. Hope, are you okay?"

My mouth just zipped off even though my lips were quivering. I wasn't even a bit expecting this would be happen.

"Thank God the Apex Predator came in time. They saved us, Mrs. Hope."

Leonora called someone from his phone. She talked in Russian, but at the end she smiled at me.

"Don't worry, they'll get your little box back real soon. They've identified the idiot who stole from us. No one can run or hide from Apex Predator. Mrs. Hope, i'll take you to a place that'll maybe reassured you from this little incident."

Leonora seemed trying to consoled me. This was the longest monologue she had so far.

"Thank you, Leonora. I appreciate it. Moreover, we can't meet Professor without the Phalleo-4. Anyway, where do we head to?"

"You're gonna like this place, Mrs. Hope. It's a happy little village, Vilavostok."

I tried to be optimistic, but i couldn't stop on wondering why did those people stole my Phalleo 4? It's not a thing that could be freely exploited by an ordinary person like them What's that for?

More importantly, who were those people? How did they know the exact name of the thing i brought with me? How?

Is there any impostor in Pandora Corp?