December 14, 2094, Antarctica

I woke up today, panting like a dog, with excruciating pain pervading throughout my body. I was trying to remember how I got here. I stood up, and looked around. There was snow everywhere, and it looked like it was just past midnight. My backpack was just  a few meters away from me. I worked up the energy to stand up, and walked over to the backpack that was clad in snow, and opened it up. I found a flashlight, a half empty bottle of water, 2 heat-pads, and a notebook & pen.
I immediately opened up one of the heat-pads, and rubbed it on every part of my body that I was able to access while wearing a spacesuit.
Moving away from the backpack and heat pad, my main focus was to think about how the heck I was going to get myself out of this hellish place. Of course, there is no cell service in Antarctica, so there was no hope in busting out my cell phone. I had to come up with some genius idea that would take me right out of here.  And I still don’t even know where I am.

***

As I was pacing around my backpack thinking about my exodus, I remembered some things.
My name is Victor “Vic” Greenberg, and I volunteered my life to be the first man on the planet Pluto.
As my thoughts started to flow back into my mind like water through a hose, I remember that part of NASA’s training for space travel is to survive ten days in Antarctica, with little food and resources. I start to remember the rest of my training team: Kristen Johansen, David Romano, and Genevieve Clark. But, I don’t remember what happened to them.
Before the team and I endeavored on our Arctic expedition, NASA warned us that during December, Antarctica is always dark. This happens because of the way the continent is facing the sun, and during December, the sun is on the other side of the earth. Therefore, Antarctica gets no natural light. So right now, I’m pretty much on the other side of the sun.
The team must have lost me during the turbulent expedition, and I must have been knocked unconscious by something. They probably thought I was dead, and left me here for my body to deteriorate in the snow.
While I was thinking about what happened to the team and I, my emotions began to  enhance, so I zipped open the backpack again, and I opened up the notebook. I thought about starting a journal, but then again, I thought that might take up too much time and energy.
But hey, why not right? So, I uncapped the pen and start writing.

December 15, 2094, Antarctica
Today I think is the second day alone in Antarctica. I haven’t eaten anything, or done anything important since I lost the team. I’ve mostly been marching around, doodling in this notebook, and I even made a little snowman. It’s pretty hard to get around and do complex movements while wearing a spacesuit, but I know if I take it off, I’m gonna freeze to death.

December 16, 2094, Antarctica
I just woke up from one of the most horrific sleeps of my life. There was some sort of “Animal” roaming around my so-called camp, and it was making some sort of noise that sounded like a cross between a hyena and an owl.
Although the “Animal” is not in in my sight, I have that feeling that it is still out there; watching me.
But then I see this thing. This thing is as bright as the sun, gleaming right at my eyes, and I have no idea what it is. At first I thought it was a ship, or a boat. But it’s light is far too bright to be mounted to a boat.
This is something industrial, something huge, something extraordinary.
And I think it knows I’m here.

December 18th, 2094, Antarctica
It’s been two days since my last entry. And nothing crazy has happened. I found some frozen animal carcass, and used my last heat pad to cook it. It had been 4 days since I had last eaten, and my latest meal, was my greatest meal.
And now, every other hour, this huge light shines right to my eyes, and I have no idea where it comes from. This is good and bad. It’s good because It’s my only light source other than the flashlight in my backpack, but it’s bad because I feel like somebody's watching me. And sometimes, I get the chills.
But, it is human nature to be curious, and that is why, I will begin my trek to the light, tomorrow night.

***

My plan is to attempt to wake myself up earlier than usual, pack up my bags, wait for the light to turn on, and start walking. I’m going to walk in 2 hour intervals, taking 15 minute rests in between.
I do not plan to write in my journal if all goes well. I feel that it might take up my energy. But, if something fails, I might write a quick entry.
Well, here it goes. I’ll be closing the book for now. Wish me luck.

December 20th, 2094, Antarctica
It turns out that this light, is much farther than I thought it was. I’ve been walking for 4 days, with no food, little warmth, a body full of fear, and I feel like I’ve made no progress.
But, I will keep going. I am going to walk until I get to the light, no matter how far away it is.

December 25th, 2094, Antarctica
I have been walking now, for what feels like forever. But everytime I look up at the light, I can almost hear is call my name.

January 2nd, 2095, Antarctica.
Wow, it’s been a while. I am so close to the light, and I can almost make out what is around it. It looks like a science lab, but I’m not 100% sure. Nevertheless, I’m going to make my last few paces, and I’ll write after I explore the “Lab”.

January 3rd, 2095, Antarctica
I made it to the light! And this definitely a science lab. Maybe genetics, because there are broken test tubes everywhere. But, no one is here. It’s just me, the cinderblock walls, and thankfully, a few cans of soup that I polished off in a minute.
I found two old computers, I tried turning them on, but only one of them works. Well, it partially works. I turned it on, and the screen turned on and had “D.H.A.R.M.A Initiative” on it. No matter what keys I slammed on, buttons I pressed, or wires I unplugged, the screen would not change. So that was hopeless.
I kept looking around, and I found a vintage Samsung camera. It turned it on, and looked at the pictures inside it. They where pictures of hyenas, and owls. Lots of them. 

I couldn’t tell if these were plans for a science experiment, or someone’s fantasy pet.
But anywho, I really need some sleep, because I’ve done a lot of walking lately.

January 4th, 2095, Antarctica
I know exactly what is going on, and this is really serious. A while ago, I woke up to that animal sound, which I thought was a mix of an owl and a hyena. Well, I think I know exactly where it came from. This lab. This has to be genetics lab, where scientists try to mix two animal embryos together and make a new animal. Sort of like that movie my great-grandpa Zach watched when he was young, something like “Jurassic Park”. They must be trying to breed a hyena and an owl here, and that would explain so many things. So many, that I made a list.
The smell of dead animal in this lab
The Hyena Owl sound from December
The creepy hyena pictures on the camera
All of the animal carcass I have been eating lately
So yeah, problem solved. 
Well, not really. I still don’t have the foggiest idea on how to get out of here. NASA probably thinks i’m dead, and they probably told the rest of the world the news as well. So, that means that my whole family is probably crying, and my name is being carved into a stone as I write. Ultimately, I’m screwed.

January 6th, 2095, Antarctica
It’s 9:30 at night and I have just finished what might have been the most important day of my arctic expedition. I found a phone.
I was simply strolling around the lab looking for more canned soup, but then I found a phone sitting on a wall. I picked it up, and immediately dialed my wife, Judy. And she picked up!
But, I said “Hello? Its Vic.” and she replied “Victor! You’re alive!” But then she was silent. The phone was still on, and I could hear the wind blowing in the background. I waited for a good 5 minutes, and there was still no response. I decided to call the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Hotline, and I quickly dialed 0 and was directed to the leader of the Pluto missions himself, Doctor David Giovani.
“Doctor Giovani, It’s Vic Greenberg. I’m alive.” I tell him. “Victor! You’re alive! Everyone thinks that you died, but a few of us here at NASA thought that you might have survived. We are going to send a helicopter to pick you up within the coming days.” “Great! Antarctica sucks!” I replied with exuberance. “But wait, I am not calling from the Pluto base prototype. It was blown down in a blizzard. I trekked all the way to an abandoned genetics lab. It’s called D.H.A.R.M.A. You’re going to have to find it and come pick me up here. I’m too worn out to walk back to the Pluto base wreckage.” I could tell that Doctor Giovani was in shock. “Thats terrible. We are going to have to use a satellite to track you down. But if you see or hear a chopper, it’s us. Hop aboard.” “Ok” I respond happily. “I will.”.  I gracefully end the call.

January 8th, 2095, Antarctica
It’s been 2 days since my call with Dr. Giovani, and obviously, I’m still here at the lab, sitting at an old desk. I got pretty bored waiting for the chopper, so I started to make plans on what I do what I get home.
Of course I’ll go out for dinner at my favorite restaurant, Umami Burger in New York City, but that was a pretty easy decision. What was hard for me was deciding what to do with this journal. It’s been pretty much the only thing I can “Talk to” for the past 27 days.
After countless hours of pondering, I decide what I am going to do. This is going to be my last entry, and I am going to bury the book, under the lab for the next person to use.
So that means. That this is goodbye. I had so much fun writing this, and I am very sad to finish.
But, maybe, just maybe, someone will find this book. And they will write their story in it. Maybe, just maybe.
But for now, goodbye and thank you. Thank you for helping me throughout my journey. Anyway, I hope I’ll see you soon. I’ll see you on the other side of the sun.