Olkov research station

In the far nothern reach of Qevrun, lie the great wastelands. At the foot of the glacier is the research station Olkov.
Established in 1885, the station is cut off for half the year - longer, if the winter is particularly bad - and crew hunker down for months of absolute isolation. Life in Olkov is tough, with an average annual temperature of -29.5 Celcius, but the inhabitants are fuelled by the conviction that such isolation is necessary to enhance the world's understanding of the most uninhabitable zones.

Population

The station has a summer population of 23, and a winter population of 18: fifteen researchers, two doctors, and a project leader. After the vernal equinox, the five summer crewmembers relocate to the town of Kosherk - the nearest habitation, and Olkov's staging point. Since 1906, the population has been limited to humans only, due to the species' natural hardiness.

by Ivan Mackenzie Lamb, British Antarctic Survey

Incident

At some point during the winter of 1901-1902, the 18-person research team disappeared. Their absence went unnoticed until they failed to make a scheduled check-in after the spring thaw. An expedition sent to Olkov found it partially destroyed, with the residential quarters and two of the three laboratory sections gutted by fire. Members of the expedition were unable to find any clue as to what had happened at Olkov, nor any trace of the previous crew. The cause of the disappearance was attributed to an accidental fire in the laboratory, causing the evacuation of the station in order to fight the fire from outside. It is hypthesised that the crew exceeded the maximum safe exposure, developed hypothermia and became disorientated, getting lost on the glacier. A restoration crew who were able to completely renovate the station to use over the next five years, tearing downthe old structure and building Olkov-2, a larger, more secure outpost with additional thermal insulation and physical shielding, more advanced equipment, and a small armoury.

Aftermath

Olkov station's next inhabitants took up residence in 1909, but three of the over-winter crew left days before the winter set in, citing undisclosed personal reasons. The remaining crew completed the winter assignment but all have refused to go back, and both oceanographers changed their research focus to tropical fields and relocated.

Present condition

Olkov-2 is still in use. Since 1914, it has maintained a skeleton crew and increased its already stringent psychological assessment.

Founding Date

1885

Type

Outpost / Base

Population

18-25