The Forever Spy

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It was an ideal time to work on the ice — no wind, clear skies, and just minus fifteen degrees Fahrenheit. The two researchers from the University of Alaska stood on the frozen sea. Alaska’s Icy Cape was about a hundred nautical miles to the southeast. The international boundary with the Russian Federation lay forty-eight miles to the west.

The sheer white slab supporting the men appeared to extend to infinity in all directions. To the north, the Arctic Ocean stretched to its polar cap. To the south, the Chukchi Sea connected to the Bering Sea, which abutted the immense North Pacific Ocean.

The staff physical oceanographer and the moorings technician from the School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences had just over two hours to install the equipment before returning to Barrow. Their ride sat on the ice twenty yards to the east. The helo pilot dozed inside the cockpit. Although it was 1:20 P.M., the early February sun barely rose above the southern horizon. In a few hours, it would disappear entirely. The charter pilot refused to fly during Arctic dark.

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