At 67 degrees north latitude, 300 kilometers west of the New Siberian Islands, the mercury column of the thermometer has shrunk to the bottom - 47 degrees below zero. This is November of 2147 AD, three full years have passed since the sudden extinction of the sun that changed everything.
Lu Chenzhou pushed up his cold mask, revealing his chin that was purple from the cold, and took a sip of vodka that was almost frozen. The strong liquor slid down his throat, like a fiery snake swimming in his chest, bringing a brief warmth. He leaned against the concrete wall of the abandoned weather station and looked at the gray-white ice fields in the distance through his half-broken goggles.
