Antarctica, 1982. You are an American spy living under a false name at a Soviet polar station. But right now, your survival depends on how well you learn to do a polar researcher's job.
Keep the station running, master scientific instruments and venture onto the ice to collect samples. Everything is connected: weather changes your plans, a faulty diesel power plant distorts measurements, and hunger and fatigue keep you from finishing the job. Learn how this system works — and plan one step ahead.
The diesel power plant, heating and electrical network — learn how they work and how they depend on one another. Flip switches, check readings and fix faults. Unfamiliar machinery gradually becomes a system you understand and know how to maintain. The lights in the windows and the warmth inside are the result of your work.
When the diesel power plant stops, more than the equipment freezes — your home stops being a refuge. Stock up on fuel, prepare for blizzards and make repairs before a fault becomes an emergency.
Look after yourself, too. Without food, you will lack the strength to work, while a monotonous diet and too little rest can lead to depression. You cannot keep the station on its feet if you can barely stand on your own.
The click of a switch, the tremble of a needle, the rustle of a chart recorder. Turn the knobs, compare readings and work out what your sample is telling you. Every detail could hold the key to a discovery — or lead you down the wrong path.
But can you trust your measurements when the power plant is faltering? Before sending results to an institute, make sure your equipment has not let you down.
Take on orders from research institutes, drill cores and study the samples you bring back. Send in reports, earn money for fuel and supplies, and build your cooperation with each institute to unlock new instruments. Your work keeps the station alive and growing.
Head out for samples today, or get the generator in order first? Study the forecast, prepare the snowmobile and plan your route. Unexplored regions of Antarctica lie beyond the station, but every trip takes careful planning: reaching your destination is only half the job. You still have to make it back to the warmth.
To the outside world, you are an employee of a Soviet station. Do your job and keep your cover: the KGB must never find out who you really are.