Chemistry

* * *

85 miles - 28 degrees below zero, second pump station

Jungwoo opened his eyes early in the morning.

A moderately uncomfortable sleep in a tent in the middle of the snow. Sounds like a beast roaring as the ice freezes. Everything here was like nothing I had ever experienced before.

But this strange experience was not the reason why I woke up.

‘I can't believe I ever dreamed of going to an interview. ’

This reality, which lay camped for a long time or above the tree line, could not have been imagined if it were last year's self.

If you work, none of the many things you wanted to do would have been more unrealistic than this experience.

I have a vague sense of anxiety about where this journey is headed these days, doing a lot of things that I didn't expect to do.

‘It's been 36 hours in the snow, so I guess I'm more susceptible. ’

I was staring at the ceiling of the wobbling tent for about 10 minutes, and the profound emotions of the dawn disappeared and reason came to me.

‘I'm here to make money. Let's get to work.'

I crawled out of my sleeping bag and put on my protective clothing. I was used to taking three layers of medium, thick, and fur leather socks as if I was preparing for work.

Carefully unzips the other three who share the tent and comes out.

I tapped the belt, pulled out the digital thermometer, and pressed the button.

[-28 ℃]

Still, I felt a little better about it than I did yesterday.

Jung took a slow breath of fresh air without worrying about the particulate dust, and cast his gaze far and wide onto the sunrise ground.

The morning of the snow, with the orange border of the sun glistening subtly above the horizon, was magnificent.

“Whoa! What a beautiful day to fly a drone. ”

97 Miles - 26 Degrees Zero, Continuing Tundra

Kaya was not accompanied by a short excursion to ground today. Jungwoo and the Holy Killer were waiting for the video analysis to finish their goal early.

Pibbybicks.

The satellite phone rang and the Holy Father picked up the receiver.

“Yes, Team Leader… What? Who are you? ”

Since there was only one person to contact, the Holy Killer's eyes widened as I heard another voice. Said the saint who turned his head to Jungwoo.

“I'm looking for Jungwoo in Rustguard. ”

“Me?”

In Jungwoo's ear, who was handed a heavy satellite phone, the other party's voice is heard.

- Mr. Han. My name is Leilan.

"Hello."

- Since you have declined our offer, we will contact you personally.

Rust Guard wants to buy compounds that melt frozen land. Jung refused to use the compound at the mobile lab because it was a competitor and because of the hassle.

My thoughts remain the same.

- There seems to be a misunderstanding before you propose a new condition. Our Rustguard didn't jump into this to stop Eugene Chemical.

Leilan's voice was quite serious.

- 4,800 in 2006. 1,100 barrels of oil spills in 2009 caused a serious problem that devastated North America's economy. And there was an accident last month. I know Eugene Chemical's diagnostic system is great. But as long as our experience with the linewalkers for 30 years has the potential to uncover one flaw, we won't give up.

In order to do our best to diagnose the pipeline, we will need the development of Mr. Han's product.

After talking like this, Jung Woo had to shake his heart. Their voices emphasized that they were only trying to protect the pipeline.

Even if I allow it, the ingredient must be approved by the Lord and the Team Leader.

- The week or team leader revealed new conditions and agreed to follow Mr. Han's doctor. That's why I made this satellite call.

New conditions?

- If you look at the pipeline map, you'll know. There's a section in the Brooks Mountains where the vehicles can't enter at all. There must be some limitations to detecting drones from the outside. We are preparing a light plane to transport our linewalkers to the area. I promise to arrange a seat there.

It was pretty reasonable. Jungwoo suddenly asked me what I thought.

You're in the middle of a mountain range and you get on a plane?

- A natural airfield on the glacier is enough. We had flight opportunists with good pilots.

Alaska is so large that it was said to be the main mode of transportation for light airplanes. Jungwoo nods as if he has nothing to think about.

Like

I'll send someone to base camp over there.

A win-win deal has been struck between us.

Of course, a special commission that Russguard pays to Eugene Chemicals and is settled at the end of the year through KG Chemistry is a bonus. Jungwoo, who finished the call, smiled as he earned an unexpected income.

105 miles - 27 degrees below zero, third pump station

A truck running along an unpaved road enters a base on the snow where a circular pump facility is located.

Jung gets out of the truck.

“Ugh, I'm hungry. Let's start with dinner. ”

“I'll just return the charging generator and follow right behind you. ”

The base camp, like yesterday, was the site that turned the pump facility into a windshield. I noticed a blonde girl who was setting the camcorder on a tripod in Jungwoo's field of view, thinking it was similar to the snowy Nanji camp.

What are you doing?

Kaya turns her head.

I'm waiting to see Aurora clearly today.

"Aurora?"

The brightness between counts 3 and 4 is about once every few years. The channel editor had to get a satellite phone to take pictures.

The mysterious phenomenon of nature seen in Alaska.

Jungwoo felt a palpitation like a boy on his adventure in this news. I thought if I came near the North Pole, I'd have to put a picture under Aurora.

Where did you put my phone? No, I'm going to have to stick a picture with a good Kaya camera and ask her to send it later. ’

In front of the four tents, the first returning team sits around with a small fire lit.

“Jungwoo. You want some cocoa? ”

“Very well.”

A carpenter's representative from the data collection group handed Jungwoo a cup. As I sat down, handing over a sip of the hot, sweet liquid, I continued the conversation after giving the gaze.

“Snowmobiling was good, but it was too cold. Long rides will give you frostbite. ”

“Two teams didn't get in much. Cowboy in the middle. You know, after we're done, you might as well stick a probe in there, right? No matter how much I see it. ”

“They're having a hard time. You said you didn't sell it. ”

“No, I'm going to make it. On separate terms. ”

“One bounce? Yay, I'm so smart. ”

“I didn't mean it like that, but as a result, the conditions are better. ”

After talking about what happened during the day, the year came to an end.

10: 30 p.m.

A good man sleeps, and the rest remains to watch what happens in the sky.

Jungwoo was one of them.

I tore out one of the hot packs I had to save and put it in my body and waited for about 2 hours.

Are you even coming out? ’

He turns his head toward Kaya and shares a conversation with Wolf, looking up at the stars in the sky. She wasn't as anxious to see Aurora as she was.

“Oh, it's cold. I think I should give up. ”

The Divine Killer trembled and crawled into the tent. The only remaining Korean team member was the first team transfer agent.

Jungwoo walked to Kaya, wanting to decide whether to wait longer or sleep.

Hey, Kaya. How did you know Aurora was coming?

Wolf smiles and answers this question.

I know a guy at NASA.

Screw you?

Space Weather Expert. I'm in charge of solar activity satellites.

Jung decided to wait for more because his reliability suddenly increased.

I wondered what this would look like in terms of molecular view since it was related to the black spot explosion of the sun or the plasma flowing from the Corona Hall.

At midnight, I gave up Lee Jae Sang and went inside.

‘Maybe not today. ’

When the day got colder and I thought my toes were numb, I noticed a change in the sky.

Here we go.

Since Kaya started recording with a camcorder, Jungwoo's gaze was also towards the sky.

At first, it was almost indistinguishable whether it was a cloudy cloud or a distorted moonlight. However, as time passed and the eyes adjusted to the darkness in the night sky, it finally appeared.

“Wow……. ”

Jungwoo came out by himself in awe.

The curtain of light with a strange green light was formed in the sky like a twist in the wind.

The original purpose of photography was to forget, and to watch the magnificent dance of electric particles unfolding at 100 kilometers above, opening their mouths like Jung.

… Mr. Han? I asked you to take a picture.

It wasn't until Kaya came to her side with a high quality cam that I realized.

"Oh, I'm sorry.

I got into a fix position.

A typical tourist pose with a V cut. A human frustration pose overwhelmed by majestic nature. Four hours of hard waiting came rewarding after filming the longevity pose with a wide mouth as well as Wolf.

‘That was awesome. I would have regretted it if I hadn't. ’

Jungwoo looks at Aurora with molecular vision.

Natural light emitted by oxygen molecules and neutral nitrogen molecules spanned the entire area of the electromagnetic wave without having to mask the infrared ultraviolet rays.

It was similar to the flash of everything in the world I witnessed when I took ‘AF-5’ in Venice. But that was never a total natural mess like back then.

Heavy, beautiful and full of finesse.

Aurora, a phenomenon that creates misconceptions that seem to transcend even without seeing it through molecular field of view.

So this is the cosmic chemical reaction that followed the solar wind? ’

Jung held the battery in his hand and shot the lightning bolt into the sky as hard as he could. The thunderstorms that rose with the sound of the crack, were soon swept away by the icy winds above and covered their tracks.

Compared to Aurora, one grain of sand on the beach was sparkling. Only this much chemistry can be induced by humans during the day.

After that, I kept Aurora in my sights.

1: 30 a.m. into the tent to Wolf. Kaya smiles at Jungwoo.

I think I was impressed.

I didn't know 557.7 nanometer wavelengths were so great.

What?

That's... that's Aurora I was talking about.

For two hours, Jungwoo's eyes, which had not been looking away from the sky, were as strange as Aurora's light.

Kaya looks at it curiously and quickly shoots an action cam on her wrist. At the sound of the machine spinning, Jungwoo's gaze turns towards Kaya.

Are you shooting again?

"My father says the Inuit call it a torch that shines beneath the feet of dead friends going to the Great Beyond." Now I can see the torch in Mr. Han's eyes.

No way.

I'll send you a video later, so check it out. It's like the Inuits live here.

Kaya's eyes were not a joke at all.

‘A torch for the dead...' ’

The existence of the soul is not proven. However, when a person died and became a soul, Jung thought that it would be less embarrassing to face something like that that that is not the light of this world.

* * *

137 miles - 41 degrees below zero, is this hell?

Wake up everyone.

The fifth day in Alaska began with Wolf's stiff voice.

Teammates coming out of the tent dressed in protective clothing face the air that looks like it might cut their flesh.

Bad weather. If you feel a large chill, stop immediately and return to base camp. Those wearing metal glasses wrap around the skin and never touch anything with their bare hands.

145 miles - 39 degrees below zero, entering the Brooks Mountains

There was no movement everywhere.

The air blowing over the frozen snow mountains made Jungwoo tremble just by watching the footage transmitted to the drone.

“Hi, Mr. Han."

A cowboy hat waves past you near Jungwoo, operating a drone in the cold. Two days ago, after handing over the coalition gunpowder, the Russguard staff approaches with a friendly greeting.

Jungwoo told me to watch out for the slopes in front of him after making peace with his eyes. The saint inspected the pipeline and watched the cowboy hat pass by.

“The head of the main team said that he is waiting for our testimony now that Neogi is at his side. Game over. ”

“That's great.”

Although Jung said this, he was not very impressed.

A day's work with a simple task of flying, reviewing and reporting drones over an invisible pipeline. It's not uncommon to see such a terrifying, overwhelming landscape.

No matter how much money you have here, it's useless. Then the notion that I was fighting a competitor disappeared from time to time.

‘Is this a life with nature? ’

Even so, the pilots in your hands and the drones skieing the mountains were so secular.

While thinking about it, the footage of the drone almost back shakes. Jungwoo was startled.

“Why are you doing this? ”

The Divine Killer was surprised to see the monitor and opened the status window.

“Video transmission and reception are normal, but I don't think we can get through to the pilots. Horizontal sensors alternate between autopilot and manual flight command. ”

“Radio?”

I closed my eyes when Jung turned his gaze into the air 500 meters away.

Exciting electrons that spilled through the entire area of the electromagnetic wave that Aurora witnessed. In that clean wavelength, the colors of the microwaves were etched into my head several times.

When I open my eyes again, the gray microwavelength between the pilot and the drone is clearly visible.

No, thank you.

I looked closely and distinguished between autopilot and manual flight. The drone flutters whenever the wavelength of the manual command reaches, as if it had caught a thread on a kite.

Jungwoo raises a razor-like dust star. As some wavelengths from the pilots dissipate, the drone's AI staggers and stabilizes.

“Phew.”

Jungwoo, who had lived for ten years, turned to the saint.

“I think the fine powder from that mountain range is flying up and down the air flow. A specific radio wave is scattering. ”

“Is that so?"

In Jungwoo's explanation, the saint who looked at the sky and opened his eyes wide shaken his head as if he didn't know.

“I'll be gentle today. It's cold, and the battery's down. ”

I had taken 41 degrees below zero since morning, so I was setting up a 2.5 mile range instead of the usual 5 miles.

The drone returns safely, and the Divine Killer looks right at it.

Jungwoo who was watching it asked.

“What if this thing breaks? ”

“There's a spare drone in storage at Anchorage Airport. But it's hard to use it until we cross these mountains, not in the polar settings. ”

When Jungwoo heard this story, his heart sank.

If that drone disappears, the speed of inspection will decrease. Even now, Eugene Chemicals has not widened his distance much due to Rustguard's increased inspection coverage by two miles per person. Baker Hughes uses smart pigs, but they're slower than this.

In the face of the reality that a drone could fail, Jung was surprised to see the X901.

"Don't be sick, my five thousand. ’

* * *

167 miles - 23 degrees below zero, fourth pump station

The eighth day of the ground tests began differently than usual.

“I can't blame you for having to put Jungwoo through this. Have the plane ready in advance. ”

After placing the black case on the lightplane, Jungwoo turned his eyes to the saint who was standing apologizing.

A stretch of course that examines the upper part of the Brooks Mountains, where the glaciers are located. One of the spots on the lightplane prepared by the Rustguard side had to be filled with 'X901 Drones’ and replacement batteries. There was a limit to the number of people who could go.

“Don't worry too much. It's warm today.”

“Take this. I put in my favorite chocolate pie and stuff. ”

The Holy Killer handed out a pouch full of love. Jungwoo picked it up with a smile and sat on the plane.

Kayado boarded a lightplane carrying a bag full of safety equipment.

Glacier Trekking! Thanks to Mr. Han, I have some special travel memories.

He cautiously spoke in her bright voice.

In Korea, we usually classify memorable and special trips into two categories.

Two things? What are you talking about?

Something so hard to remember and so good to remember.... This must be the latter, right?

Yes, it costs a lot of money for a layman to do this fascinating tracking. Free of charge. I don't have enough time to be happy.

It was a bit of an anticipated Kaya response.

When the three Russguard employees boarded the lightplane, the pilot started it.

Hairy ― Buang!

The propeller rotates with the light engine sound unique to the light aircraft and begins to move forward gradually. The saint who looks through the side window still looks sorry, so he tapped Kaya's shoulder and pointed at him.

Kaya waves her hand, and the Holy Killer's mouth flutters with reflexes. However, Wolf approaches the side and pauses and turns his gaze away.

After a while.

With a sudden feeling of awkwardness, the appearance of the pump base outside the window shrinks to the size of an ant.

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