Antarctica, the coldest place on Earth, is also the continent with the highest average elevation.
Despite its desolate, uninhabited landscape, it teems with wildlife and harbors vast mineral resources. However, these minerals are buried deep beneath thick layers of ice, making them nearly impossible to extract with current technology.
After Roy, Heather, and Penny joined Charles's expedition team, they first flew to Australia and then spent a day on a ship before catching sight of Antarctica's edge.
At this point, the temperature was already brutally low, with the sea breeze cutting across their faces like a blade.
Everyone bundled up in thick down jackets. Even Heather and Penny, despite their tough constitutions, preferred to stay inside the ship's cabin. Only Roy stood alone on the deck, gazing into the distance.
After a while, Charles's voice came from behind.
"Roy, in about half an hour, we'll reach McMurdo Station in Antarctica. From there, we'll head to my friend's research station to get the exact coordinates."
Roy turned to look at Charles. The old man seemed thrilled, as if he'd shed years off his age.
But Roy wasn't as excited. He'd spotted a familiar face in Charles's expedition team.
No, not a "familiar" face like Hannibal's kind of acquaintance. This was someone Roy recognized from a horror movie he'd seen in his past life.
Lex Woods, the Black female protagonist from Alien vs. Predator. Roy remembered her vividly—she was so reckless that she got her entire team killed.
At that moment, Roy realized Charles was the wealthy tycoon who funded the expedition in that movie. The whole situation was almost absurd.
(Lex Woods, played by Sanaa Lathan)
"Mr. Weyland, you'd better brace yourself. This expedition might not go as smoothly as you hope," Roy said.
Charles gave Roy a curious look.
"Roy, just call me Charles. No expedition is ever smooth sailing. Or do you mean something specific?"
Roy nodded.
"I've got a bad feeling about this. Something tells me this Antarctic expedition could go south—pun intended."
Charles frowned deeply. He trusted Roy's words.
Just as he was about to ask what kind of trouble Roy was expecting, a crew member rushed out to inform him.
"Mr. Weyland, the weather station's picked up a massive blizzard heading for the Antarctic continent. We need to make preparations."
"Looks like we might have to tweak our plans," Charles said. "Roy, come to the meeting room. I'll introduce you to the rest of the expedition team."
Roy didn't object and followed Charles to the ship's meeting room.
Everyone else was already there, including Heather and Penny. Roy and Charles were the last to arrive.
To pull off this expedition, Charles had spared no expense, assembling a top-tier team of experts: archaeologists, geologists, meteorologists, biologists, chemists, and physicists—all leaders in their fields.
Many of these scientists were here for fame. If they made a groundbreaking discovery, Charles would take the lion's share of the credit, but the team members would still gain significant recognition.
For scientists, that kind of prestige was irresistible.
Beyond that, the team included two professional doctors, three well-known explorers, and a squad of elite mercenaries from Blackwater Security.
Lex Woods was one of those three explorers.
There was even a professional drilling team, as the mysterious energy source they were after was underground, likely requiring them to bore through the ice to reach it.
On paper, Roy, Heather, and Penny were the odd ones out, with no official credentials. Roy at least had his world champion title, though it had nothing to do with exploration. Heather and Penny, on the other hand, had no formal education beyond high school and had been working since graduation.
Still, Charles's team was undeniably impressive.
Too bad it didn't matter. Once they reached their destination, this team was doomed to become fodder.
Fodder in the literal sense—breeding grounds for facehuggers.
After introducing everyone, Charles outlined the expedition's goal: to explore a mysterious underground energy source at the heart of Antarctica.
He hadn't shared the objective earlier to prevent leaks. After all, Charles wasn't the only billionaire looking to etch his name in history.
Now, on the ship near Antarctica with no satellite phones except for Roy, Charles, and the captain—who was loyal to Charles—there was no risk of information getting out.
"Next, we'll disembark at McMurdo Station and head to the American research station to get the precise coordinates. I've prepared several large expedition vehicles, along with ample food and fuel supplies. The ship's logistics team will support this mission. Ladies and gentlemen, we're on the verge of a discovery that will shock the world!"
Charles was a skilled orator. You didn't become a top-tier billionaire without knowing how to rally a crowd.
How else do you convince investors?
His speech fired up most of the team. People chase two things in life: fame and fortune.
If this expedition uncovered something new, both would be within reach. How could the team not be thrilled?
The mercenaries, however, remained unfazed. They were here for the paycheck, and their names wouldn't make it onto any expedition credits.
After boosting the team's morale, Charles turned to Roy.
"Now, let's hear a few words from Mr. Roy Black."
Roy was undeniably the second-in-command of this expedition. Even Charles, the financier, deferred to him, so establishing Roy's authority was crucial before the mission began.
Roy hadn't expected Charles to call on him, but since he had the floor, he decided to lay things out bluntly.
"Thanks, Mr. Weyland, for giving me the chance to speak. I'll keep it short. I'm in charge of safety for this expedition—and no, you guys don't need to stare at me. That's Mr. Weyland's call."
Roy was addressing the dozen or so Blackwater mercenaries. They'd already recognized him. Roy was on Blackwater's blacklist, a major thorn in their side, having taken out plenty of their men.
But Blackwater's main business was security, and they couldn't afford to offend a billionaire like Charles. So, they had to grit their teeth and deal with Roy's presence.
Roy, for his part, didn't care much about the mercenaries' glares. He'd already outgrown worrying about Blackwater. Even Amalgamated couldn't touch him anymore.
"Let me introduce myself again. Besides being a boxer, I'm an agent with the Federal Emergency Agency. Some of you might not have heard of it, but it's a federal department that handles supernatural incidents."
At this, a few people in the room nodded in recognition.
As the FEA's role expanded, granted more authority by the White House and Congress, more people were becoming aware of it.
Of course, those in the know were mostly elites—billionaires, influential figures, and top researchers. The FEA was ramping up its study of supernatural phenomena, which required experts from various fields.
The scientific community was small. In the U.S., maybe a few hundred thousand people worked in research, often from the same handful of universities. They were either classmates, alumni, or mentors, so information spread quickly in those circles.
"Mr. Weyland brought me on to handle any supernatural incidents we might encounter. If anything unusual happens, you need to notify me immediately—any anomaly. And if I give an order, everyone follows it, including Mr. Weyland. Understood?"
Roy's gaze swept across the room.
This was usually when someone would challenge him, trying to assert their individuality. Sure enough, Lex Woods, the woman in the red jacket, raised her hand.
"Mr. Black, what if your orders are wrong?"
Roy knew someone would push back. In a firm, no-nonsense tone, he told Lex, "You follow them anyway."
Lex looked unhappy. "But a wrong order could get us killed!"
Roy stepped closer, looking down at her. In the movie, this woman was incredibly stubborn, surviving only because of plot armor.
"Trust me, if my orders can't save you, no one can."
Lex opened her mouth to argue, but Roy cut her off.
"This isn't a debate club. If anyone has an issue, you're free to stay on the ship and skip the expedition. But if you choose to come, you follow my orders. Clear?"
Roy's gaze swept the room again, his presence commanding. Everyone felt the weight of his words, like a stone pressing on their chests.
Quitting wasn't an option. These people were either here for money or fame. No one was backing out now.
"Looks like no one's leaving? Then let me be clear: if anyone disobeys my orders during the expedition, I'll take extreme measures. Honestly, I'd rather Mr. Weyland cut half the team. Dragging along so many liabilities is pointless."
With that, Roy was done. Charles stepped up to wrap things up.
"Everyone, Mr. Black's words are my words. I want this expedition to go smoothly, without any trouble. I hope you all understand."
Charles's statement made most of the team drop their petty schemes, though a few stubborn ones held out.
The meeting ended, and everyone dispersed to prepare.
Soon, Charles's ship reached McMurdo Station, near Antarctica's largest scientific research center, McMurdo Station.
The base had over 200 buildings and could house up to 2,000 people at its peak—practically a small town.
By now, the wind was picking up fiercely.
For safety, the crew hurriedly unloaded Charles's three snow expedition vehicles, then raised anchor and moved the ship away from the coast to avoid the blizzard.
In a storm like this, large ships couldn't stay docked. Near the shore, waves grew dangerously high, easily capable of capsizing a vessel.
In extreme weather, ships were safer in deeper waters.
Charles's three snow expedition vehicles were custom-built for this Antarctic mission.
One of them, called Conqueror, was particularly unique—almost as big as a massive dump truck. Most people weren't even as tall as its tracks.
Conqueror was 20 meters long, 10 meters wide, and 8 meters tall, with over 20 seats and a living area, essentially a mobile base.
The other two vehicles were smaller, used mainly for scouting and navigation.
Conqueror's size meant it had specific terrain requirements, even with its tracks, so the smaller vehicles were needed to guide it.
Plus, Conqueror was towing expensive drilling equipment.
Before the blizzard fully hit, the three vehicles, carrying the expedition team, reached McMurdo Station to take shelter.
The team consisted of 30 people: Charles (the financier), Roy, Heather, Penny, seven Blackwater mercenaries, two doctors, two cooks, three explorers, three drilling workers, three drivers, and the rest were researchers.
That's why they needed a beast like Conqueror—there was no way to fit everyone otherwise.
Shortly after the team settled in at McMurdo Station, the blizzard arrived in full force.
The sky was a white void, and the howling wind made everyone in the buildings uneasy.
"It's like this the first time you come to Antarctica," one of the explorers, Steven, said to calm the team. "Blizzards hit every few days. You get used to it."
Just then, Charles received news: a few hours before they arrived, another expedition team, funded by a rival billionaire, had left McMurdo Station.
Their target was likely the same mysterious underground energy source.
And the financier? None other than Charles's archrival, Lucas Barnes, another top-tier Texan billionaire.
Barnes wasn't as wealthy as Charles but loved adventure and stealing the spotlight.
"Damn it! Someone must've leaked the info!" Charles cursed.
"Steven, can we head out now?"