[Monday, October 11, 1421 hours]

The cold bit through the layers, chilling Leon to the bone.  He tried to ignore the sensation, gripping the railing harder to steady himself against the swells.  Weeks of research had prepared him for the steady low pressure system that surrounded the Aleutians, but experiencing the constant storms firsthand was beginning to take its toll.  The railing flaked under his fingers, leaving traces of the ship’s ugly blue paint on his gloves.  Wiping the chips into the sea, he cursed under his breath.  What a goddamn disgrace, he thought.  Despite the owner’s assurances, Leon remained unconvinced that the RDS Olympia Explorer was suited for an extended trip through the turbulent waters of southern Alaska.  The ship was nearly 40 years old and hadn’t been refitted in 20, leaving her cabins woefully outdated and vulnerable to the constant chill.  A bare-bones crew had long since given up on fighting the persistent rust and mold, abandoning the vessel to an encroaching decay that would leave her fit only for scrap in perhaps another 2 years.  Still, Leon knew he had little right to complain.  Olympia’s shabby appearance and lack of comfort ranked far below the fact that she was capable of accomplishing the task that was integral to his plan.  All in all, the rusted railing that Leon gripped belonged to a very unique vessel.  At least, that’s what he told himself.  He attempted to ignore the suspicious creaking sounds coming from the drill tower.

If coordinating the mission had been a difficult task, it paled in comparison to what Leon would be asking of the crew.  In fact, he noted with grim satisfaction that they had not encountered a single other vessel since departing Anchorage 3 days ago- theirs was the only ship permitted within 50 miles of the mountain, the result of a special arrangement with the governor.  Soon, he knew the object of their hesitation would appear on the horizon, and he scanned the dim waters searching for a first glimpse.  Unique as the Olympia was, she was not the most interesting thing on this side of the Aleutians- that would be the volcano.

“There she is…” be breathed.

In another circumstance, the stratovolcano that comprised the entire western half of Chuginadak Island would seem picturesque: a near-perfect cone, soaring over 5,600 feet.  Today, however, only the base of Mt. Cleveland was visible.  The rest was obscured by a grim layer of persistent fog and, increasingly, ash.  It had first begun to drift from the skies a month ago, a foreboding reminder of what any volcanologist in the country would tell him: the volcano was going to erupt, and soon.

After a few minutes, one of those volcanologists found Leon on deck.  A forlorn creek emanated from behind Leon as Alexandria fought to push open a rusted door and join her employer at the railing.  She was surprised to find that it was just about as cold inside as it was outside.  Fumbling in her pocket against the size of her gloves, Alexandria pulled out a surgical mask that matched the one she also wore to cover her mouth.  She offered him the garment.  Leon rolled his eyes.

“Dammit Alex, I’m not wearing a mask,” he responded, pushing away the offered face-wear.  “It’s unnecessary.  We’re only gonna be out here for another 4 days, for Christ’s sake!”

“You won’t be rolling your eyes when you’ve got lung cancer, Leon,” mumbled Alexandria from beneath the mask.  “Do you have any idea what kinds of particulates you’re inhaling right now?”

Leon grunted.  “I’ve worked in the oil industry for 35 years.  I think it’s a little late to suddenly start caring about poisonous chemicals.”  Alex gave up, tucking it back into her pocket.  

For a moment, they both stared at the mountain.  Flashes of lightning briefly illuminated the southern face, followed by ominous rumbling that echoed across the grimy sky.  It was a volcanologist’s dream come true, and Alex had to break herself out of her trance.

“I’ve been on the radio with our pilot,” she began.  “The dome on the north face hasn’t grown significantly since Friday.  Sulfur emissions are about the same, too.  We think the pyroclastic flows are alleviating some of the pressure.”

“How much time does that give us?”

“At least another week before I would expect dramatic activity, barring any unexpected seismic events.  St. Helens was triggered by an earthquake, but that was a lateral blast.  For Mt. Cleveland, most of the pressure is near the caldera at the peak, and that’s considerably more stable.”

Leon nodded.  This was all the time he would need.  Their operation was planned down to the smallest detail, and the ship would be in a position to start drilling by tomorrow morning.  Meanwhile, Alex fidgeted, picking at the paint.

“What else?” sighed Leon.

“I’ve… talked with the captain,” she admitted.  “I want to take us further towards the mountain, and he’d be willing to bring the ship within 8 miles.”

Leon raised his eyebrows beneath his woolen cap.  “I thought you wanted to get out quick?”

“Yes, but this won’t take long!  It represents a unique opportunity- no other researchers can get this close.  I need this documentation.”

“...Let’s finish the borehole.  Then we’ll see about it.”

“Mr. Hermann, do you really think you’re going to find oil out here, when every oil company has already combed this entire area?”

“They haven’t!” he barked, scowling.  “The South Chuginadak field was under-exploited.  There’s more out here- our data is solid.  I’ve had a team working on this find for over a year!”  Alex winced as more thunder boomed overhead.

“But why now?  Surely you could have come out in the summer-”

“The summer is too late. Exxon knows they missed this find, but I’m gonna beat ‘em to it, even if it means dealing with this God-damned volcano.”  He looked at her and chuckled.  “Believe me, Alex.  I wouldn’t cart you and everyone else out here unless I was sure.”

As Alex contemplated her boss, she realized just how little she knew about the man.  He was definitely a manic, but you would never be able to tell just by looking at him.  At the moment, he looked more like one of those extreme fishermen from an Alaskan reality TV show.  Actually, she thought, this trip would make for a great TV show.  Leon Herman, mastermind, striking out into the wilderness with a ragtag crew and determined to laugh in the face of both danger and his former employer!  It simply oozed with tension.  Besides the dramatic framing, however, Alex couldn’t care less about the oil.  All that mattered to her was the fact that Leon was the only person she’d ever met willing to charter a trip to an active volcano.  Maybe we’re both maniacs together, she thought ruefully.