NEW ITS SEASON: FROZEN ROADS

There is a popular saying that goes: “Idle hands are the Devil’s workshop,” referring to the dangers of boredom. Listlessness was one of the worst enemies of those stationed at the scientific outposts and mining facilities scattered throughout Helheim, the Antarctic continent of Concilium Prima. After their long workdays, there was little for them to do out there in the middle of nowhere.

Going online on Maya seemed like the straightforward option, but many preferred to experience some real open-air action after endless hours in the lab or down in the mine. Hence, when some prospectors posted at Kutka Station and some scientists from the neighboring Zonget Base realized they shared a passion for motorcycles, they soon organized a race between the two bases, across the icy plains of Helheim and through narrow passes between the cliffs of the nunataks—native rock formations—jutting out of the ice. It was a challenging relay race involving speed and endurance that became known as the Trans-Siberian because the names of both bases were borrowed from deities of different cultures native to Siberia.

Although initially, the racers used the snowmobiles available at their bases, many of them soon had their own bikes brought in so that they could train freely, without relying on the limited availability of the base’s vehicles. Since the all-terrain systems of modern bikes worked perfectly on the hard, frozen surface of the Helheim plains and were faster, snowmobiles were soon obsolete in these races, used only by rookies. Before long, other bases and mining compounds in the region joined this craze for racing through the plains and nunataks of southwestern Helheim, although the Trans-Siberian remained the longest and toughest of all events. Over time, the Trans-Siberian competition became very popular on Concilium Prima, to the point that professional teams from all over the planet, and even from other systems of the Human Sphere, came to participate in it.

All of this would be nothing more than an irrelevant fun fact from a travel or adventure show on Maya, but the Cerberus Crisis broke out. After the arrival of the Combined Army on Helheim and its unstoppable deployment all across Náströnd, it seemed that not a single location on that continent was safe from falling into enemy hands. However, the staunch defense by the forces of humanity led by the impromptu Concilium Coordinated Command succeeded in stopping enemy advances on the eastern and western fronts, although at a great cost.

The Combined Army’s desire to capture the city of Breidavlik caused its forces to charge against it, pushing far beyond the front line, which in the northwest was stuck in the vicinity of Hammerens Feld, and in the southwest was left even further behind, due to the concentration of forces in Breidavlik.

The obstinate defense at both Hammerens Feld and the city of Breidavlik, which the alien forces have failed to take except for its suburbs, has brought the conflict to a stalemate at these two locations. As a result, the Combined Army leadership shifted its attention to the neglected southwestern front, planning a pincer move to finally encircle Breidavlik, and thus isolate its defenders and cut them off from getting help or support from our forces. This maneuver also threatens the Bay-Ulgan Air and Transorbital Control Station, which is part of Concilium Prima’s planetary defense system.

These developments have put Kutka Station and Zonget Base in the crosshairs of the Combined Army, and consequently, teams of armed prospectors have begun patrolling the surrounding areas fearing an imminent attack. However, the forces of the Concilium Coordinated Command alerted to the movements of the alien troops, have been able to deploy units to reinforce that section of the front.

The distinctive features of the terrain, its plains sprinkled with nunataks, make it ideal for motorized warfare, which is not common in other parts of Helheim. This provides a tactical advantage over the Combined Army forces, which—for now—don’t have such units in the Concilium theater of operations, although some Speculo Agents disguised as mercenary troops and riding bikes have been spotted reconnoitering the area. This is why the Coordinated Command has dispatched motorized units to the region, in order to take full advantage of this asset and to hunt down those Speculo Agents. However, given how difficult it is to deploy in Helheim, it has requested the assistance of volunteer personnel from Kutka Station and Zonget Base who have already competed in the Trans-Siberian, for support as guides and for advanced scouting, as well as to ensure that the motorized Speculo Agents cannot escape. So, it seems that this year the war is not going to put a stop to the Trans-Siberian race; it will only make it a little more dangerous than usual.

Report by Carlos Hornoy, analyst-technician for Midnight Sun, Black Hand’s specialized intelligence-analysis team.