❄️ Norðvik High Arctic Research Base: Day 7

The call came through on Rebecca’s phone early, the caller’s name flashing on the screen.

Sanna Korhonen.

Rebecca stepped aside from the main room and into the hall, the door easing shut behind her as she answered. It was the call she had been dreading.

Sanna’s voice was steady.

❄️ Norðvik Hospital — Day 6

Inside Norðvik Hospital, the usual hum of its early morning routine carried through the corridors.

Staff arrived for their morning shifts, stopping by the coffee shop, hot drinks in hand to start their day. Institutional fluorescent lighting ran the length of the corridors as the cleaners mopped the floors, deploying a trail of wet floor signs as they went. Night shift handovers were well underway.

Eugene paused at the doorway, one hand resting briefly on the frame as he adjusted his mask. He pressed quickly at the bridge of his nose.

He took a breath and stepped inside.