Dark Energy: The Mortal Fracture

CHAPTER TWELVE: THE TAKEOVER

Nanoq’s Residence – Barrow, Alaska - 2011

The home was dark and still. Fish and Game agent Carl Nanoq, the assumed nemesis of Sade, approached his front door exhausted from a long day of navigating the frozen northern territory. He had been on duty since early the day before and he anticipated a joyful reunion with his warm bed. As he took each step towards his door, he became more suspicious because his dogs were not barking to herald him home. This unusual silence brought Nanoq to stillness with one last crunch of snow beneath the heavy soles of his boots. He held his breath waiting to pick up a sound that would explain the mystery that resided in his home, or that would somehow justify the silence, but no sounds fell on his ears.

A rush of dread overcame his body as he looked around for visual cues. Still, there was nothing. With no other options available to him, Nanoq made his way to the front door and unlocked it. He entered the home, closing the door behind him. Silently and fluidly he drew his gun from the holster and prepared it for engagement. Snapping on the lights, he scanned the room.

“Hello, Nanoq,” said a familiar voice from the kitchen.

The blood drained from his head and weighed down his limbs. He returned his weapon to its holster and entered the kitchen. There was Martin, investigating the contents of the refrigerator.

“What are you doing here, Martin?” Nanoq asked.

“I’ve come to cash in a favor,” Martin responded as he removed a piece of fried chicken from the fridge and sniffed it. “Can I have this?” he asked.

Nanoq nodded and Martin took a bite as he walked to the table and sat down.

“What do you want?” Nanoq added as his heart rate increased.

Martin consumed the chicken, delighting in its texture and aroma. “I need you to close down the area for the next 72 hours.”

“Close it down?” Nanoq asked, trying to gauge the scale of the favor he was about to repay.

“I need you to evacuate anyone that is within a 25-mile radius of the research center.”

“At this time of year most people are still south, so that shouldn’t be too much of a problem,” Nanoq replied.

“There’s more. I need to maintain the integrity of this security radius. This means that you’ll need to keep everyone not on my list out of the area, and everyone on the list at the research center. If anyone tries to cross the line they’ll need to be ‘taken care of.’ Can you handle that?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“There’s always a choice,” Martin retorted as he finished off the last of the meat on the chicken breast.

“If I do this…we will be even. I won’t owe you anything else,” Nanoq stated.

“If you don’t do this…” Martin grabbed a napkin and wiped his hands, “it’s not going to matter, because we’ll all be dead.”

Nanoq saw the intensity in Martin’s eyes. Martin wasn’t lying to make a point or to convince him to do something. The truth was that everyone would be dead if the area was not secured for the next three days, this was a fact and it was one that was out of Martin’s control.

Nanoq wanted to ask what was going on. He wanted to know what Martin was doing and what role the research center played, but he knew Martin and his ways. If he asked too many questions then he would become a liability that would need to be erased at the end of the day, the week, or the year. So in the grand scheme of things Nanoq allowed Martin to maintain his position of silent power and authority, and agreed to his request without the compensation of the forgiveness of the debt he had accumulated at the hand of Martin’s earlier assistance.

#

Anaktuvuk Pass, Alaska – 2007

A plane landed on the gravel airstrip at Anaktuvuk Pass, Alaska. The winds howled and made crossing the airstrip to the small air terminal difficult. Nanoq leaned into the wind and pushed hard to get to the door that offered his only hope for protection from the Arctic storm that had hit the pass suddenly and violently. Grappling for the door he finally found the latch and entered the building. Inside the small building, he shoved the door aggressively to the closed position fighting against the force of the wind.

“You made it,” an Inuit man from a local settlement said as he greeted Nanoq.

Nanoq removed his fur-lined hood and uncovered his face. He then reached out and shook the man’s hand.

“Just barely,” he replied. “How is the family, Taq?”

“As good as can be expected, my friend. Naqi is struggling with the cold like always. Our house is just not built for this climate. Most days it seems windier inside than out.”

Taq, an Inuit man of about 55 years old and stocky in build, motioned for Nanoq to take a seat in the corner of the building. The selected location was set back away from the handful of other people that were there seeking out shelter from the storm. Nanoq sat down and unzipped his heavy winter coat.

“Do you want a coffee or something warm to drink?” Taq asked.

“No,” Nanoq said. “My ride will be here in a few minutes, so say what you have to say.”

Taq looked around to ensure that they had sufficient privacy before revealing his secrets. “Nanoq, we’ve been friends for what…uh…forty years now…Since we were kids.” Taq moved closer to Nanoq before he continued. “The last couple of years have been really hard on us up here. The oil companies cut our payouts in half because they had to replace all of the oil lines from Barrow to the North Slope fields, and with Naqi’s medical treatments and medications we’re wiped out. We won’t make it another year up here if something doesn’t come through. You know this place is my life. I can’t live in a city.”

“So what are you going to do?” Nanoq asked.

Taq handed Nanoq a folder.

“I have a way to make a lot of money in a very short period of time, but I need your help.”

Nanoq opened the folder and revealed the profiles of a dozen American millionaires who were known thrill-seekers. Nanoq recognized one of the men right away as an individual who had a thirst for big game hunting and dangerous situations. He realized that what Taq wanted was for him to permit some sort of hunt.

“What did they ask for?” Nanoq asked with concern.

“They are willing to pay top dollar for a unique hunting experience,” Taq said.

“What do they want to hunt?” Nanoq asked again, this time more intensely.

Taq lowered his gaze to the table, “Whale.”

“Whale?”

“That’s why I need your help. I need you to look the other way, in your official capacity.” Taq said as his request for assistance was delivered.

Nanoq struggled with the proposition, he knew that Taq was in a difficult position, one that would ultimately steal his entire history, but he needed more information. “When are they coming?” Nanoq asked.

“In a couple of days,” Taq replied.

“Shit, Taq. It’s the middle of winter how on earth do you expect to carry this off?”

“I told them the risks and they are willing to take them. I think it is the danger that turns them on. They offered me $10 million for a single whale. They are willing to take the risk, and so am I.”

“Have you really thought this out?”

“Yes, I even talked it over with Naqi.”

Taq searched Nanoq’s face for some sign that he was bending towards allowing this to happen, but Nanoq was a man of integrity and he had been well integrated into the Western culture of the lower territories. This made breaking the rules difficult for him. He knew he had to sweeten the deal if he wanted to get the answer he wanted.

“I’m willing to split the proceeds with you 50-50, if that would help you to make up your mind.”

Nanoq knew that Taq was grasping at straws.

“I’ll take 25% as long as you let me come along and monitor the hunt.”

A wave of relief washed over Taq as he realized that a solution to all of his problems was only a few days away.

“I’ll contact them and let them know that everything is set for Friday,” Taq said gratefully.

Nanoq grabbed Taq’s arm and gave him the rules for his participation, “If we do this, they have to use traditional methods of hunting and be willing to call off the hunt if I say so, regardless of my reason.”

“Okay, Nanoq, okay.”

“Have them fly into Atqasuk,” Nanoq instructed.

“But the pass has a better airport,” Taq corrected.

“Yes, but Atqasuk’s airstrip is uncontrolled. It will be easier to get them in and out without being noticed.”

The door to the building opened and Martin walked in bundled up in a dark snowsuit. Nanoq waved at him signaling that he was ready to go. “I’ll be right there,” Nanoq called out before leaning over to deliver his final message to Taq, “I’ll come over to your house later today to finalize our plans.”

“Okay, Naqi will be glad to see you,” he promised.

Nanoq patted Taq on the back as he stood up and then walked over to join Martin. The men entered into a conversation, secured their winter wear, and exited the building.

#

Arctic Research Center – 2011

Wasi, Datz, and Sade all buzzed around the laboratory completing individual projects. Sade stayed near the small meteorite that they collected in the field only hours before. As she examined it under a dissecting microscope, she documented its characteristics. While this meteorite had many of the same characteristics as the ones that were collected in Antarctica it was very different. To begin with, its composition was atomically more stable. The release of energy was slow and controlled, like it was melting out of the matrix, whereas the Antarctica meteorite exploded from the matrix. It also seemed to have a calming effect on the team, something that was not the norm with the Southern variety. The similarity, however, was that it produced an extraordinary amount of energy that could be monitored and measured.

From the corner of the room, Wasi watched Sade as she studied the object. Her body seemed to be reacting to the stimulation of the object’s energy. She no longer looked grey and worn; instead, her skin had regained its peachy-hue of youth and health. While he was relieved that her health seemed to be on the mend, a knot in his stomach grew as his desires towards her were shifting to a new direction, one that would have dire consequences.

#

Atqasuk Airport – Polar Winter 2007

A small plane drifted onto the dark airstrip in Atqasuk, Alaska in the dead of night. Nanoq and Taq both were there to meet the plane and to welcome the covert guests. As each of the twelve men exited the plane, they carried with them gear and personal belongings. What was unusual about this group was that they were without the trappings of the average hunting party that came to this area for big game. They were quiet, they didn’t carry cameras and they all seemed as if they were going to a board meeting as opposed to venturing out into one of the most dangerous habitats in the world.

Taq welcomed Conrad, the leader and organizer of the hunting party. He was a tall man with dark features and broad shoulders. He was cordial, but only capable of dealing with others in terms of business interactions. Being a typical Type A personality, he was eager to get down to the activity that they had traveled thousands of miles to do. Taq and Nanoq loaded the men and their gear into two snowcats and transported them back to a makeshift camp that the pair had set up a few hours earlier.

The men gathered in a corrugated metal shed that had a little heater poised in the center which was giving off just enough heat to keep the moisture in their skin from freezing solid, but not enough to keep them comfortable. Taq gave each man a cup of coffee and a bowl of hot fish stew, and then he prepped them for what was about to happen.

“The Inuit people have a strong connection with the whale. The whale and the Inuit share a common spirit. This is why we do not take for granted the sacrifice of this animal or their drive for survival. This is the mentality that we all need to take onto the ice. If we break from it then the spirit of the whale will be vengeful and lives will be lost.”

The men ate and drank quickly, trying to capture some warmth, as they disregarded the warnings given to them by Taq as foolish native superstition. Nanoq recognized the men’s behavior as a warning sign for what was to come, but he remained silent allowing Taq to continue with his lecture.

“When we head out onto the ice we need to be aware of how it is drifting. At this time of year, the ice is thick and most likely will not give way under your feet, but the weight of one ice sheet forcing against another can cause subductions which can suck a mile of ice under the water in a matter of seconds.”

“Won’t we be in a boat?” one of the hunters asked.

“Only when we’re in the water,” Taq replied.

Conrad took control of the group. “This is not a game. This is a very dangerous undertaking and we need to be aware of the hazards that we will face, so pay attention to what this man is saying.”

“As I told Mr. Conrad on the phone, it is important that we use traditional methods for hunting the whale, that we select only one whale and that we make the kill as quick and painless as possible. Before we head out I need you to agree to these terms.” Taq said.

Conrad answered for the group, “Like we agreed to on the phone, we will only use traditional methods. That puts a little sport into the hunt, right men?”

The men clamored and grunted in compliance.

“So are we ready to go?” Conrad asked.

“Get your gear loaded onto the snowmobiles and we’ll head out in 15 minutes,” Taq said.

The men placed their dishes on the ground and left the shed. They quickly packed their gear onto the snowmobiles, tying it down securely. Nanoq kept his eyes on what was being packed. Conrad noticed his interest in what the men were doing and approached him.

“I don’t believe we’ve met, I’m Adam Conrad,” he said as he extended his hand to Nanoq.

“I know who you are,” Nanoq replied without shaking his hand, “and I know your reputation.”

“So I take it you are not one of my fans?”

“No.”

“Why are you here then?”

“To make sure this doesn’t end badly,” Nanoq said as he gathered his own gear and prepared to leave.

#

“Okay, follow my trail as closely as possible and keep within sight of the man in front of you. If you lose line of sight…” Taq paused as he had no solution to this problem.

“What do we do if we lose lie of sight?” Conrad asked.

“Don’t lose line of sight,” Nanoq corrected. “We cannot use radios to communicate with each other, so we need to stay close. Do not lose the line of sight of the group.”

“Ready?” Taq asked.

“Let’s head out!” Conrad yelled calling his hunting party to hit the ice.

#

Airplane Over North Slope, Alaska – 2011

Martin gazed out the plane’s window and watched as the density of the clouds below thickened and darkened. Even with the emergence of the sun above the horizon the day was going to be dark and foreboding. It was fitting, he thought, for that was exactly how the day was to be.

#

Ice Pack Arctic Ocean – Midnight 2007

The hunting party had already abandoned their snowmobiles about a mile from the edge of the ice pack and had made their way dragging the seal skin boats that had been loaded down with equipment and supplies behind them. Taq’s heart raced as he approached the edge of the ice with the others. This was supposed to be a sacred and honored tradition used only for sustenance; however, he was selling the experience and the tradition for personal gain. This sickened him. Not because he thought that his wife would use it against him or that his people would use it to judge him, but because there was something within his gut that told him that it was a trespass that would be punished by the spirits and punished severely.

Taq held up his arm summoning the others to stop. Nanoq joined his friend and they conducted last-minute checks of the boat and the equipment that was essential for a whale harvest.

“Everything look okay?” Nanoq asked.

Taq nodded.

“What do we do now?” Conrad asked.

“We wait,” Taq said.

The men sat in the two boats that they had brought with them trying to keep their feet removed from the ice so that they would not be robbed of their internal warmth. However, the ice was so dry and frigid that it seemed to suckle at the boats’ underskin, drawing through it the body heat the men were so desperately trying to preserve.

The night was clear, cold and dark, but a cloud developed above the team as a result of their collective breaths rising into the air and condensing. They were quiet and tense, waiting anxiously for a once in a lifetime experience. After two hours of crouching in the darkness the sign that Taq had been waiting for came. The ice creaked as bubbles lifted to the surface. Taq strained his eyes as he scanned the surface of the open water ahead of them.

“Do you see anything?” Nanoq asked as his own heartbeat out of rhythm with anxiety and anticipation.

“Over there.”

“Into the water then?” Conrad asked as he scooted up behind Nanoq and Taq.

“Yes, into the water,” Taq said.

Conrad signaled the men to push the boats into the water and they began to paddle silently towards the location of the bubbles. Once at the target location they stopped paddling and waited for the next sign to guide their attack. From under the boat, the sound of laughter bubbled up from the depth of the Arctic Ocean. As the bubbles broke the surface, the men caught the smell of rotting fish which defused into the air indicating that a bowhead whale was making its way to the surface.

Taq looked around to monitor the location of the ice sheets. There were several large sheets of ice that were floating around them, but they seemed to be in a good position for making an attack. They had a solid sheet of ice to their south and to their east, and floating ice a mile to their west and about two miles to their north. Taq motioned for Conrad to get the spears ready.

The sonic underwater laughter bubbled and churned the sea as a small female bowhead whale swam towards the surface. Her dark color made her invisible to the predators waiting for her on the surface. She was alone and swimming slowly. Her back arched and flexed rhythmically, propelling her through the water. Her mouth remained open as she strained the near-freezing water for nutrients.

Breaking the surface, she expelled in one mammoth breath, forty minutes of stale air. The burst of moist gases rocketed into the air and was immediately consumed by the cold, freezing the particles into ice crystals. These snowed down on the men, coating them in a salty flocking.

“Now!” cried Taq as he instructed the hunting party to launch their spears.

The men threw their spears, cutting the hide of the massive beast. While they hit their target with force, their initial attempts at spearing her failed to penetrate her two-foot thick layer of protective blubber. She simply took a deep breath and submerged under the water.

The men retracted their tethered spears and prepared for the next attack. The whale dove shallowly and swam a few meters from the boats and then surfaced out of her own anxiety. The men paddled fiercely towards the whale’s new position and launched another attack. This time several of the spears stuck in her thick hide causing blood to boil from her hot body into the frothy saline fluid that surrounded her. She squelched and gurgled in discomfort and angst and then dove into the water again.

The men peered over the edge of the boat and flashed lights at the water searching for her shape so that they could determine where she would next surface. They could see her resting about 20 feet below the surface. Taq watched her and was confused by her actions.

“How long will she stay down there?” Conrad asked.

“Bowhead whales can stay underwater about 40 minutes…tops. So we need to wait.”

“Why is she just staying there?” Nanoq asked.

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen one do this before in 55 years,” Taq replied.

Then an eerie sound broke through the silence of the polar night. It sounded like a pack of wolves howling under the surface of the water.

“What is that?” one of the men asked.

“I don’t know. Can you tell where it’s coming from?” Taq asked.

The men flashed their lights over the ice and water searching for the source of the haunting melody. A deep moan bubbled up from beneath their boats encircling them. The underwater howling called and echoed, called and echoed; then a violent burst of ice and water exploded from the ice sheet to their east. A pod of six bowhead whales broke effortlessly through 24 inches of solid ice. Then another pod of four bowhead whales broke through the ice to their south. The howls from the pods surrounded them as they circled the boats cutting off all of their escape routes. The men scrambled for their bags and removed high powered rifles and explosives. They began shooting at the whales as they charged the two small traditional boats. Blood, flesh, and blubber shrapnel sprayed across the surface of the water as the boats were rocked and pummeled by the bodies of the whales.

Then a large female, twice the size of the one originally targeted for harvest by the hunting team, came up from underneath the boats and launched the men into the air. As their bodies hit the water, the coldness sent them into convulsions, even though they were each wearing advanced dry suits. The men’s bodies contorted and twisted as they fought to stay alive. The whales pushed the boats away from the men’s position carrying Taq and Nanoq, who were clinging to the sides of these boats, with them.

Taq and Nanoq pulled themselves back into the boats and scanned the horizon for survivors. They knew that if the men were not brought out of the water shortly, they would all be dead in a matter of minutes.

“Do you see anyone?” Nanoq panted.

Taq scanned the horizon. “No.”

Nanoq rescued a paddle that was stuck in one of the lashings and began to move the boat over to where the men had entered the water, but the whales created a barrier that was inpassible. They were not going to allow the men to be rescued by those that had betrayed the ancient pack between their species.

Under the water, Conrad struggled to gain control of his body. Fighting against his pain, he searched the water for his comrades. Peering deep into the abyss below him he could faintly make out the shape of their motionless bodies as they sank towards the ocean’s floor.

Abandoning hopes for rescuing the others, his own body began to twitch and stiffen as it was taken over by the cold. Then in one agonizing spasm, his muscles were detached from his control. He no longer could thrash his arms and legs to propel his body, but he had retained enough control of his arms to catch the strap of one of the bags floating near him.

Using all of his strength and energy he unzipped the bag and fumbled out a collection of explosives. Striking the self-igniting, waterproof fuse, he lit up the water revealing the source of his death. Coming towards him was a charging whale with its baleen teeth poised to impale him, as they penetrated his body, slicing him like a boiled egg, an explosion liquefied everything within a one mile radius.

Taq and Nanoq rocked in the wake of the explosion, nearly frozen stiff from their exposure to the events of the night. The sound of falling flesh plopped into the water around them, splashing oily red water into the boat. The men knew there was nothing left to do but return home. They pulled their boats onto the shortened ice shelf and laboriously scrambled to the supplies that had been left behind.

They stiffly pulled off the half-frozen clothing from their bodies peeling off sheets of their skin with it. Fighting off their tremors, they pulled on dry clothing of wool and fur, oblivious to the rawness of their exposed flesh and nerves that oozed gore which ran down their bodies and created a slushy pool at their feet.

“Hello,” Martin said breaking through the silence of the scene. Nanoq and Taq looked up at him, frozen in terror.

#

Arctic Research Center – 2011

Sade secured the meteorite sample in a metal container and placed it into a safe. As she locked the door, Datz appeared beside her. She jumped, startled from his sudden presence.

“My God, you scared me,” she said.

“Shh,” Datz quieted her.

“What’s wrong,” Sade whispered.

Datz looked around to make sure that they were alone. “Do you trust Wasi?” he asked as he pulled her away from the window that looked into the laboratory.

“Why do you ask?”

“He’s been acting weird ever since you got back. I just don’t have a good feeling about this.”

Sade placed her hands on Datz’s shoulders and said, “We can trust him…at least for now.”

The intercom system buzzed alive. “Dr. Sade, please come to the control tower.”

“He’s okay, Datz…Everything is going to be okay,” she said as she left the building.

#

The Control Tower

Sade ran across the field to the control tower and entered the building. “What did you need?” she asked.

The control tower operator’s face was pale and she was shaking.

“What’s wrong?” Sade asked.

The control tower operator pointed out the window directing Sade’s glance to a cargo plane that was approaching the airstrip. Wasi rushed into the building and saw the plane approaching the airstrip.

“Shit,” Wasi said falling back against the control console.

“I guess it’s time,” Sade replied.

“Time for what?” the control tower operator asked.

“You don’t want to know,” Sade replied as she watched the plane land and Martin and his team exit the aircraft. “You don’t want to know.”

#

To be continued...