A/N: This is my first novel style story on and as it is science heavy (with no shortage of action, I promise!) I have done my research. A lot of the information should be accurate, if it isn't; it is purely due to poetic licence. I wanted this to be authentic, but still entertain readers at the same time. Please enjoy!
*Note: Just a note on the day/night cycle of Iceland in winter, it is dark until about lunchtime, grows light again for several hours then is dark again around 3-4pm
Disclaimer: Much to my despair, I do not own Primeval...
Prologue
University of Iceland – Nordic Volcanological Institute, Reykjavik
For the third time in several hours, the earth beneath trembled. Thus far, nothing disastrous had occurred – there had been reports of minor injuries here and there, but it was nothing noteworthy.
Dr. Eirńy Leifsdöttir slammed her hand down atop her coffee mug as it vibrated, perilously close to the edge of her desk. Her eyes were still closed as she moved it back to its spot next to her keyboard.
Eirńy yawned expansively, rubbed the grit from her burning eyes and stretched languidly, her seized muscles protesting.
The Doctor had no idea at which point she had dozed off, or how long she had been out, but her computer had long since gone into hibernation mode, and the coffee – of which she took a cautious sip, and promptly returned to the cup with a sputter – was stone cold.
With a resigned sigh, she stood, eyeing the clock on the wall. It had just gone 2 a.m.
Eirńy cursed under her breath and grabbed her mug. There was no point in going back home now, and it was time for another caffiene jolt.
She had been at home, when the first tremor hit, just about ready to settle in for the night, but less than a minute after the tremor died away, she received a call from her mentor at the University, insisting she return immediately.
That was six hours ago now, and she felt that, although the tremors were mild at this point, there was some certainty they were leading up to something much bigger.
The lights in the corridor flickered intermittently as she strolled towards the closest staff commons. A few people milled about their doors, muttering quietly to neighbours and friends, offering their support to those who were sporting a few nasty cuts and bruises. Eirńy gave them what she hoped was a reassuring smile as she walked by, praying it would ease the tension and fear.
It didn't.
It seemed that they all had the same niggling feeling in their stomachs as she, the feeling that these small scale quakes were only the beginning.
She entered the staff common room quietly, checking to see who was about. Three professors of whom she only knew by name stood by the water cooler, talking hurriedly in Icelandic. Not overly interested in what they were arguing about, she made her way over to the coffee machine by the battered old couch, on which her mentor, Professor Johannesson lay dozing, an arm slung over his eyes. The poor man had been awake for at least three times longer than herself. Sensing her presence, he stirred, blinking blearily as the harsh fluorescent lighting invaded his vision and gave her a tired smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
"Still here young lady?" he chortled, sitting up as Eirńy tipped the cold coffee into the sink and turned to refill her mug from the percolator. "Yeah, I was monitoring the radar map to see if any of our girls had woken up, but it's so difficult to tell through all that," replied, gesturing towards the window. Snow flurried fiercely in the blackness outside, promising them a very interesting excursion.
Àrmann Johannesson scoffed as she sat beside him.
"You know me Eirǹy, I don't like computers doing my job for me. I am an old fashioned man, I like to be out on the field. On that note, have you gathered our equipment for the survey? I would like to head out as soon as possible."
Eirǹy shook her head. "I dozed off. When you're tired, radar maps can be pretty dull,"
"In my experience, radar maps are always dull. But despite my distaste of modern technology, we have had some pretty interesting seismic data relayed from the survey outpost at Herðubreið,"
The young volcanologist frowned. "Herðubreið? " she inquired incredulously. "She's been dormant for quite sometime...I would have placed my money on Askja or Eyjafjallajökull..."
Àrmann smiled, climbing to his feet. "Yes dear, I would have thought that too, and the data is inconclusive, but it is intriguing enough to make Herðubreið our first stop. Now come, we'll gather what we need and load up the truck. There is no point in waiting until its light. We'll be eating lunch by then."
Eirǹy shrugged the heavy, insulated coat over her shoulders and wriggled her slender fingers into a pair of thermal gloves. The professor was loading the last of their gear into the back of the pick-up, but they were almost ready. Climbing up into the passenger seat, barely able to contain her excitement at the new discovery, Eirǹy smiled. This volcano had not erupted since the last Ice Age, so its glorious fury had never been witnessed by human eyes. There was some trepidation mingled with the happiness – after all, this volcano had been lying dormant for so long, that any eruption had the potential to be highly catastrophic.
Eirǹy was pulled from her reverie when Professor Johannesson climbed into the drivers seat, his pale blue eyes mirroring her excitement.
"Shall we?" he asked with a grin, turning the key into the ignition.
The pick-up roared to life, sounding monstrous in the enclosed car-park.
Eirǹy nodded and leaned back in the seat as they pulled out into the cold, dark morning.
The drive from the city was slow, despite the light traffic. The morning rush had not yet begun, but the thick snow swirling down made the journey treacherous, even with the specially designed tyres on the truck. It took almost an hour to reach the outskirts, but even after that it was slow going. The snow was deep and the vehicle slipped occasionally, forcing the Professor to ride the brakes. Eirǹy held on tight, as they bounced over the snow, the fog-lights slicing into the gloom.
All was silent save for the roar of the engines and the sound of the wipers working overtime to clear the snow settling on the windscreen. The visibility was poor, But Àrmann knew the route like the back of his hand. He would get them there.
Despite the bouncing of the vehicle over the ice and snow, Eirǹy found herself drifting off, succumbing to an overwhelming tiredness, her lids growing heavier until finally, she was blanketed within the soft darkness of sleep.
When she awoke, the first thing she realised was that the car was no longer moving. Secondly, she noticed that the sky was bright, and the sun was already high in the sky. The blizzard had cleared, and the short day was just about half over.
Eirǹy stretched and yawned, slowly extricating herself from the large vehicle, and jumping into the deep snow. They were parked outside the small survey shack, just a few kilometres walk from the foot of Herðubreið, its massive form dark and almost formidable in its proximity.
She entered the cabin, and found Àrmann sitting on a stool, studying a long piece of graph paper with a furrowed brow.
"Anything interesting?" Eirǹy asked, closing the door and settling on a chair opposite her professor. He looked up and smiled. "Good Morning, again," he chuckled, placing the paper down on the small table between them. "You were sleeping so peacefully, I couldn't bear to wake you,"
Eirǹy returned the smile, and picked up the paper he had just been examining. As she read the data, Àrmann spoke again.
"I have taken the temperature readings from the past 24 hours and I have to say, I am quite baffled. Not only has the seismic activity of this volcano increased, but the temperature at the summit crater has decreased exponentially,"
The young volcanologist raised an eyebrow. "Its the middle of winter...just how exponentially are we talking?"
"Lowest temperature recorded was -32 C,"
Her eyes widened. "That's impossible...usually the coldest we get here is negative 10! Even at the crater, maybe a touch colder...but that's..." Eirǹy trailed off.
"There is the possibility that the equipment may be faulty, but there is only one way to be sure,"
She sighed. "We're going for a walk aren't we?"
Àrmann chuckled and shook his head. "No, of course not. We do not have to correct equipment with us for that kind of climb, and besides, it will be dark again soon. I am growing too weary in the bones to be racing up hills – I am not as young as I once was. No, I have already called back to the institute and begged the loan of a more specialised tool."
Eirńy stood by the truck, her eyes searching the skies. In the distance, she could see a black speck, growing larger as the Eurocopter AS365 N3 Dauphin approached at speeds exceeding 300 kph. She could hear the bass of its impressive rotors vibrating in her ears as it slowly began its descent into the hard packed snow nearby. She was astounded to hear that the University had agreed to the loan of their new toy, generously gifted by the Icelandic Government for scientific purposes.
She could hardly contain her excitement as Àrmann appeared from the shack, pulling his gloves on to ward away the bitter cold.
"How in gods name did you manage this?" She shouted over the sound of whirring blades. The man grinned.
"A little charm and a lot of science can go a long way my dear, however, we only have the use of this fine vehicle for s short time, so I suggest we make a move!" he responded, heading towards the chopper.
Eirńy didn't need to be told twice, and she set off at a run, easily overtaking her mentor and reaching the Dauphin before him.
She had already settled herself inside and was securing herself when the Professor climbed in and sat beside her.
"A little bit keen there young lady?" he asked with good humor, closing the door and latching it securely.
Àrmann gave the pilot the thumbs up, indicating they were both strapped in and ready to go.
The pilot nodded, ran through his pre-flight checks and they began their ascent.
The young doctor stared out the window as the ground shrunk away, its pristine whiteness expanding as they gained altitude. It was truly breathtaking.
She was saddened to see that the trip would not be a long one, as the crater-lake appeared below them, calm and untouched.
"I'm going to put us down now Prof.," the pilot shouted. "There is some interference and my instruments are going haywire. You will have to make it a quick trip,"
Àrmann nodded, and the look on his face was of utter bewilderment.
The helo rocked in the wind as it touched down once more into the snow.
"Temperature reads negative 28," Àrmann offered as they stepped out of the chopper. Eirńy shivered, pulled her compass from her pocket and frowned. The needle was spinning furiously as she tapped it.
She turned to follow the Professor and bumped straight into him, as he stood staring off into the snow.
"Prof., what is it?"
The older man pointed a gloved finger into the direction he could not tear his eyes from.
Eirńy's eyes widened as her sight fell upon the most amazing phenomenon she had ever seen.
Not to far away, an orb of golden light like a shattered diamond, shimmered and pulsated intermittently, suspended above the powdery snow.
"What the..."
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