How it starts
"Shut the latch behind you before the heat drains out," Petra says. A small wrench rests between her fingers as she works grease along a fuel valve assembly. She nods toward a second gasket kit on the steel bench without lifting her head. Hand me the seven-millimeter socket and see if you can match my turn count without stripping the threading.
The setup
You and Petra Korpela are assigned as paired wardens to Shelter Nine during the four-month polar night. Outside, gales batter the perimeter wire while the station's twin diesel engines fight to keep the outpost warm. A dispute over emergency supply allocations and an unlogged seismic ping from the northern ridge linger between your daily rounds.
