The Journey

  Time: 1999 The last year of the 20th century

  Place: HAARP Scientific Research Base

  Gakona, Alaska. It is positioned in the Chitina district in the center of Copper Valley, Alaska. Snowfall averages 61 inches (1.55 m) per year. It is the location of Darpa's HAARP research project for the U.S. Department of Defense where I, Cynthia Austen, work for as a scientific project manager.

  The reason for the assignment here didn't surprise me much, especially after reading the onboarding files, reports, and newspaper articles during the flight. Just another high-concept, big-budget project causing lots of issues, budget overruns, and other difficulties. But why did the Pentagon send me? My PhD is in neurology.

  I collected my luggage at the Fairbanks International Airport, Alaska. It was after 9 p.m., but still light out. I looked for someone to meet me, but after the small crowd thinned, there was nobody waiting around.

  “Not a good start, Cynthia,” I said to myself.

  I called a cab from the information desk and described where I wanted to go.

  Not fully awake, a driver named Alma Qaunnaaluk, a local, motioned for me to come over and greeted me. Yeah, I'm sure I pronounced that name five different ways as we talked. Oh, he knew the location. His dad had been fired from there months ago after the recent incident at one of the dormitories.

  Yes, he was more than happy to describe the ruckus. Did I listen much? No.

  As we neared the destination, I pulled out my sketchpad and drew what I saw. The area stretched for miles. I've seen some weird projects, but this one tops the list.

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  One of the reports in the packet was a description of HAARP, and Qaunnaaluk asked me to read it to him.

  “The High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) was initiated as an ionospheric research program jointly funded by the Air Force, the US Navy, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and DARPA the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.”

  “Its original purpose was to analyze the ionosphere and investigate the potential for developing ionospheric enhancement technology for radio communications and surveillance. As a university-owned facility, HAARP is a high-power, high-frequency transmitter array.”

  As he kept driving, I told him the press reports claimed something had gone awry. He agreed and said that was probably why I was sent here. He also said I would see him again. It was starting to sound a little ominous, and all I wanted was to get to the base.

  He told me this was his second job and was primarily a reporter.

  He frequently wrote about the base's construction, accidents, and phenomena for the local newspaper. I listened as the road wound around the base in concentric circles as we descended to the facility's entrance.

  It took well over half an hour to go around the base, and each time around I was able to make a sketch.

  Yeah, Qaunnaaluk kept talking, and I was't answering much. Curious, he wanted to see the sketches, so I held them up.

  The cost of the ride was more than I expected, and took longer too. But I paid him with a tip and offered him the portrait sketch. He seemed amused, but did not take it.

  Finally, he unloaded my bags and insisted on carrying them to the entrance.