Lila turned to Ian. “What the hell have we gotten ourselves into?”

“A hole?” he replied impudently.

The short people – or were they normal height? It was hard for Lila to tell — moved around them forming a loose circle.

“We asked Sergey to send you here. We know you are very good at dealing with problems such as these.”

Ian said to Lila out of the corner of his mouth, “Problems like going down the hole in an Alice in Wonderland? Yep, pretty accurate.”

Lila snorted a bit in laughter. “Pay attention. This could be important,” she reprimanded him. “These aliens obviously have a height problem.”

“Who says they’re aliens?” Ian whispered back to her.

“We can hear what you are saying.”

“Oh, great.” Lila rolled her eyes at him. “Now we’re in trouble.” She said accusingly, “This is your fault.”

“How is it my fault,” Ian argued.

“Humans!” The sound seemed to come from all over as it had in the research lab.

“Nice acoustics you’ve got here.” Ian added, “Must make for cool movie watching.”

“You are so irreverent.” Lila pointed out. “Have a little respect.”

“Like you?” Ian guffawed.

Suddenly there was a loud cracking noise that came from the floor and a large viewing screen rose from it.

“Sweet.” Ian mouthed.

They were watching people moving around a pool in the ground with rods in it in a large building that appeared to be a nuclear reactor. Lila could make out the words Билибинская АЭСon a wall plaque. “Bilibino,” she read aloud to Ian. “It’s Russian.”

His face twisted in concentration. Ian leaned slightly forward watching the action on the screen. One of the men pulled an alarm lever set on the wall and a light began flashing. Ian tilted his head as he considered what was going on in the picture. “Hell, it’s a nuclear meltdown.” He looked expectantly at the small people across from them. “Is this now? What’s the timeframe?”

“You have fifteen days before this becomes reality. I’m sure you know that this is the most northerly nuclear power plant in operation.”

“Actually I didn’t know that,” Ian motioned toward the screen. “How are we supposed to stop it?”

“No one will take our warning seriously,” the voice continued, “Particularly not in Russia. Sergey should not have been involved, but he knows us. He worked on another task last year for us. Things have, however, changed for him. He is dead.”

Lila gulped. Chills ran down her arms. In a slightly quavering voice, she asked, “Then whom were we talking to?”

Normal
0

Lila turned to Ian. “What the hell have we gotten ourselves into?”

“A hole?” he replied impudently.

The short people – or were they normal height? It was hard for Lila to tell — moved around them forming a loose circle.

“We asked Sergey to send you here. We know you are very good at dealing with problems such as these.”

Ian said to Lila out of the corner of his mouth, “Problems like going down the hole in an Alice in Wonderland? Yep, pretty accurate.”

Lila snorted a bit in laughter. “Pay attention. This could be important,” she reprimanded him. “These aliens obviously have a height problem.”

“Who says they’re aliens?” Ian whispered back to her.

“We can hear what you are saying.”

“Oh, great.” Lila rolled her eyes at him. “Now we’re in trouble.” She said accusingly, “This is your fault.”

“How is it my fault,” Ian argued.

“Humans!” The sound seemed to come from all over as it had in the research lab.

“Nice acoustics you’ve got here.” Ian added, “Must make for cool movie watching.”

“You are so irreverent.” Lila pointed out. “Have a little respect.”

“Like you?” Ian guffawed.

Suddenly there was a loud cracking noise that came from the floor and a large viewing screen rose from it.

“Sweet.” Ian mouthed.

They were watching people moving around a pool in the ground with rods in it in a large building that appeared to be a nuclear reactor. Lila could make out the words Билибинская АЭСon a wall plaque. “Bilibino,” she read aloud to Ian. “It’s Russian.”

His face twisted in concentration. Ian leaned slightly forward watching the action on the screen. One of the men pulled an alarm lever set on the wall and a light began flashing. Ian tilted his head as he considered what was going on in the picture. “Hell, it’s a nuclear meltdown.” He looked expectantly at the small people across from them. “Is this now? What’s the timeframe?”

“You have fifteen days before this becomes reality. I’m sure you know that this is the most northerly nuclear power plant in operation.”

“Actually I didn’t know that,” Ian motioned toward the screen. “How are we supposed to stop it?”

“No one will take our warning seriously,” the voice continued, “Particularly not in Russia. Sergey should not have been involved, but he knows us. He worked on another task last year for us. Things have, however, changed for him. He is dead.”

Lila gulped. Chills ran down her arms. In a slightly quavering voice, she asked, “Then whom were we talking to?”