Northern Kujalleq Mountains

• The protagonist, Paul, is chosen for a rescue mission in Greenland by the Martian
Underground.
• Paul carries a heavy medikit bag as he climbs a snowy slope to nd the missing Professor
Hall.
• Paul descends the mountain using skis and a drone to navigate dangerous terrain.
• Paul nds Professor Hall injured in a tent and administers painkillers.
• Professor Hall reveals an insecure communication link and suspicions of foul play.

Wormhole Base, Northern Greenland

• Dylan and Kubota explore the remains of an American base called Project Iceworm.
• They discover mechanical debris and remnants of furniture trapped in the ice sheet.
• A secretive meeting takes place in the Consortium's private facilities.
• Brian McGuire discusses Greenland's potential as an industrial frontier due to global
warming.
• McGuire suggests controlling water out ow for pro t and mentions breaking a dam
intentionally.
• Attendees raise concerns and McGuire reveals explosives were set under the glaciers.

Niviarsiat Lake, Southern Greenland

• Paul and Hall review drone footage revealing a suspicious sequence of events.
• Paul investigates a crevasse and retrieves a package believed to be a bomb.
• The bomb goes o .
• They witness a snowfall that helps conceal their tracks.
• Paul reveals a signi cant scienti c discovery to Professor Hall.
• They leave in a helicopter.

The rst part of the excerpt is set in the Northern Kujjaleq Mountains and follows the protagonist,
Paul, as he embarks on a challenging mission in Greenland. Paul, a bacteriologist, is chosen by
the Martian Underground for his winter experience and skiing skills. He agrees to the job, which
involves a rescue mission to nd Professor Emeritus Donald B. Hall, who has gone missing.

Paul carriers a heavy medikit bag as he climbs a snowy slope as Hall is wounded. He re ects on
his own aging and lack of recent eld experience. He also ponders the stories told by Professor
Hall, doubting their veracity and questioning the professor's motives.

During his climb, Paul encounters a sign indicating private property, suggesting that the valley has
been claimed by outside interests. However, he believes he can avoid detection and continues his
journey. Paul sets up a communication device to establish contact with his team and receives
instructions to nd out why Professor Hall ended up in his current location.

Paul descends the mountain using skis and a drone to navigate dangerous terrain. The cold
temperatures surprise him for mid-September, and he recalls his fondness for snow and its role in
providing solace in his past. He spots the intermittent signal from Professor Hall's camp and
heads toward it.

Arriving at the camp in darkness, Paul nds the professor in a tent, injured with a fractured leg.
With instructions from the base camp's doctor, Paul administers painkillers and takes a break.
Professor Hall reveals that he exaggerated the urgency of his condition due to an insecure
communication link but acknowledges Paul's e orts in establishing a secure line.

Paul questions the professor's motives for not allowing Francine to y in with a helicopter to
rescue him. Professor Hall shows Paul a video of a small plane ying towards the ice dam and
abruptly disappearing, leading him to suspect foul play.
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 The next part is set in Wormhole Base, Northern Greenland, where Dylan and Kubota are
exploring the remains of an American base called Project Iceworm. They discover mechanical
debris and remnants of furniture and equipment trapped inside the ice sheet. Dylan assures
Kubota that the tunnel they are in is not part of the original diggings and that they haven't found
any missiles or nuclear reactors.

The scene then shifts to a meeting room within the Consortium's private facilities, where a
meeting is about to take place. The attendees are a mix of owners, executives, and trusted
assistants, and their identities are represented by yellow cardboard squares rather than names.
The meeting is highly secretive, and the furniture and objects in the room are minimal to prevent
any hidden bugs or surveillance devices.

Brian McGuire, head manager of the local Consortium o ce, chairs the meeting. He discusses
the potential of Greenland as a new industrial frontier due to global warming. McGuire explains
that if glacial outlets in Greenland are plugged up, the melting ice will be contained and not
contribute to sea level rise. He suggests using the meltwater to generate hydroelectric power and
presents the idea of controlling water out ow for pro t.

The attendees raise concerns about the political aspects and the motivation of governments to
take action. McGuire mentions the threat of catastrophic oods caused by glacial lake outburst
oods. He gives an example of Niviarsiat Lake and suggests that the dam holding back the
meltwater could be intentionally broken to create casualties and convince the government of the
severity of the situation.

The Canadian attendee questions the practicality of the discussion, and McGuire reveals that
explosives were already set o under the glaciers feeding the lake to weaken the dam. He
predicts that the dam will break in two weeks' time.

The part ends with the attendees preparing to delve into technical details, possibly to distract
themselves from the dangerous and controversial nature of the conversation. Dylan suspects that
they want the meeting room destroyed to eliminate any evidence of their discussion.

The plot of the last part continues where the rst part leaved o . It revolves around Paul who
accompanies Old Man Hall to Niviarsiat Lake in Southern Greenland. While launching a drone, Old
Man Hall had injured his leg but had managed tomcrawl back into his tent and wait for the dragon
es arrived. Later, Paul and Hall review the drone's video footage, which reveals a suspicious
sequence of events. A man lands a plane near an ice dam, retrieves four boxlike objects linked by
cables from a crevasse, and leaves quickly. The professor speculates that it could be a bomb, and
they discuss possible motives, including terrorism and the interests of various groups.

Paul prepares to head out into the darkness to investigate the crevasse and potentially defuse the
situation. Despite pleas from Old Man Hall and Francine, who is communicating through an
earbud, he insists on going alone. He nds the package tied to a rope inside the crevasse but
struggles to retrieve it due to the weight. Using a snowshoe and some creative maneuvering, he
manages to pull himself back up from the crevasse and is able to return to the tent with the bomb.

As he has already instructed Hall to leave, the tent is empty and after placing the bomb, he
follows the footprints of Hall. When reaching Hall the bomb goes o . Knowing that they are
exposed and vulnerable, Paul and Professor Hall head back, but not before witnessing a snowfall
that helps conceal their tracks. Paul discloses a signi cant scienti c discovery to Professor Hall.
He reveals that he has isolated a new strain of ice-forming bacteria from the Pliocene era. This
strain shows potential in adapting to the warming world and may aid in controlling climate
change. Their helicopter arrives and they leave.
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