a warm welcome there, dear Anna… But now we are late for the plane. And you’ll have to keep me company.
Taking the girl by the elbow, the man led her into the building. There was no point in resisting…
Chapter 2 Secret Expedition
On May 14, 2050, the Moscow Institute of Geology sent an expedition to the quarry of the taiga river Vilyuy under the command of the famous scientist Professor Alexander Karpatov. This place has long attracted scientists from all over the world, but natural conditions did not allow the planned enterprise to be carried out. However, a group of enthusiasts, led by a professor, decided to defy the difficulties and, taking with them the necessary equipment, kindly provided by the sponsoring company JSC Zaslon, set off. The cars that they planned to get to their destination had to be abandoned halfway, the helicopters also had to be abandoned due to strange interference that prevented them from contacting the base, and the unusual behavior of all navigation instruments. Therefore, the expedition members had to rely only on the strength of their legs. terrain, how, unfortunately, it turned out to be completely overgrown with forests, in places almost impassable, as well as covered with unsteady quagmire of swamps and marshy marshes. But on one of the cloudy days, the tired and exhausted detachment stumbled upon the parking lot of local residents – Evenks, who allowed them to spend the night with them. The professor, wasting no time, went in search of a guide. All the nomads knew these places and especially the river, but they refused to show the way. The fault was, as always, legends. Others argued that the terrain is very difficult and there are only swamps around. All the nomads knew these places and especially the river, but they refused to show the way. The fault was, as always, legends. Others argued that the terrain is very difficult and there are only swamps around. All the nomads knew these places and especially the river, but they refused to show the way. The fault was, as always, legends. Others argued that the terrain is very difficult and there are only swamps around.
Of course, it was a pity for the wasted efforts, and the management would not have liked it, but there was nothing to do. It was necessary to turn back… But in the evening an elderly man unexpectedly approached their fire. It was an old Evenk, an old-timer. He listened to the stories of the expedition members and requests for help in finding a place where, judging by the geophysical map, there was a huge pool of minerals. Without thinking twice, he agreed, adding that in his youth he wandered a lot through these forests. And when the professor asked about the strange behavior of the nomads, the Evenk only grinned and shook his head.
The next morning the detachment set out. The road was difficult, and besides, everyone had to be very attentive and careful, while the guide was looking for a safe path through the marshy swamps, or to wade through the thicket, where the fir trees strove to stab the travelers more painfully with their needles. Finally, a small clearing opened before them, where it was unanimously decided to make a halt and kindle a fire. It turned out that the Evenk, whose name, by the way, was Loko, was not only a first-class guide, but also an interesting storyteller. Here is the story, word for word.
“I was young then. The year was calm, the winter was mild. I remember they sent me somehow to fish in the river. You call her ‘Vilyuy’. I mean, I’m walking through the forest and suddenly I see a clearing. But not the usual one, but this one, quite even. And then I look, and in the clearing there is a large round stone. Did Satan put it there? Don’t know. I hung the fish that I caught in the river on a tree, so that he, therefore, would not be angry with me. And when I approached the ball, I see that it has lichen and moss on it. So it’s been here for a long time. Well, I touched it, and the ball is warm. Believe it or not, it’s winter all around, there’s snow on the trees, but there’s no snow in the clearing and it’s even warm. Well, of course, I decided to get out of there as soon as possible. But I still remember the way to this place and I will show you.”
His story made an impression. Many, including Professor Karpatov himself, were eager to see this clearing. The next morning, having collected things and thrown a fire, the detachment set off. However, they had to make a small detour, because of the trees felled by the storm, as a result of which a lot of time was lost and they managed to approach the clearing only late in the evening. But even then, no one regretted that he had come all this way. An absolutely flat area opened up before the travelers, surrounded by a ring of trees, and in the very center of it a huge ball overgrown with moss was installed. It had such an ideal shape that there was an assumption that it was deliberately made and left in the thicket of the forest by unknown craftsmen. But by whom and when? Nobody had an answer to this question.
All this seemed so unexpected and strange that people froze, not daring to step into the clearing. Loko actually moved away and muttered something under his breath. Probably asked for the protection of the spirits. The most daring, to everyone’s amazement, was Professor Karpatov. He, without hesitation, approached the stone and began to study it carefully.
Suddenly, a loud scream came from behind. Turning around, Karpatov saw that Stas, a geologist, in some unknown way soared above the ground and hung, helplessly looking around. The scientist, of course, wanted to rush to his aid, but he felt that he himself was tearing himself off the ground. He did a somersault and, flying up to his comrade, grabbed his hand. At that moment, an unknown force loosened its grip, and they fell to the ground. The professor most likely lost consciousness from the blow, because when he opened his eyes, he saw that he was lying in a blanket by the fire, surrounded by the team, and Dr. Savchenko was watching him carefully. Noticing that he was awake, she breathed a sigh of relief and urged him to refrain from asking questions and try to sleep.
Karpatov woke up very early. The entire detachment was still fast asleep, the fire went out and twilight reigned around. But then he noticed a barely noticeable glow from the side of the clearing. This surprised him very much, and at first he even thought that everything that was happening was just a game of his imagination, but he decided to find out what was the matter. Carefully, so as not to wake his comrades, he got up and, trying not to lean on his sprained leg, took his lantern and moved into the light. It turned out that a soft bluish glow emanated from the ball. Most likely, it could be brighter, but a thick layer of lichen prevented this, which made it seem as if the ball was glowing from the inside. Without taking his eyes off him, Karpatov left the path and stepped into the clearing. Immediately, the ball exploded with a blinding radiance, and an unknown force threw the scientist many steps back. Rising to his feet with difficulty, the professor noticed that the light
Returning to the camp, Karpatov saw that they had all woken up long ago and had been looking for him for half an hour. It was unbelievable that he couldn’t stay in the clearing for that long. When the professor told them about what he had seen, everyone was struck by the behavior of the Evenk. So wary of anything out of the ordinary, he looked quite unperturbed, but complained that the professor had probably angered the forest spirit and that he had warned them about the secret forces guarding this clearing. And then he said that such phenomena are not uncommon in these places. Sometimes, for example, the sky lights up with an unusually bright radiance, or such a heavy fog rises that nothing can be seen even at arm’s length. Once, having fallen into such a fog, the Evenk got lost there for a minute, but it turned out that he had not been in the village for half a day. Furthermore, he reported rumors and legends among the tribes about mysterious iron circles and caves in which it is warm even in the most severe frosts. When asked why he did not report his observations to his fellow tribesmen, Loko replied that it was impossible, since they would simply leave these places.
Words cannot describe how impressed everyone was by his story. Several people from the team even wanted to go in search of these amazing and anomalous places, but there was no time, as the council was waiting for a detailed report on the expedition. Therefore, it was decided to postpone the campaign and go to the quarry. Safely arriving at the place and taking
