The security guard's name was Sergei “from Moscow”, and he was exceedingly helpful to us. He spoke broken English but didn't seem to mind that he couldn't understand us and that we couldn't really understand him. Visitors must have been rare, out there, especially ones bearing gifts of vodka and cash. Fortunately for us, and probably for Sergei “from Moscow”, our bribes were enough to get us through the gate. I was more than prepared to use the gun I'd been toting with me all day, especially after having been fired upon by the strangers in the car behind us earlier.


Sergei “from Moscow” informed us, to the best of his ability, that we still had a short hike up the access road, and after that, that we had to pass through another two checkpoints, though both were automated gates with card readers, and we probably wouldn't run into any other people until we got to the actual research center.


I think that he liked Janine, since he gave her the necessary access cards to get through the next gates. She smiled at him and winked.

We heard singing in the air