American Horror Story, Starting from Falls Town

Chapter 434 Kola Deep Hole
Anya answered Roy with a hint of helplessness.

"This guy is still saying you're an American spy, and that your Olympic champion status is a disguise, with the aim of infiltrating our ranks."

Roy was speechless. The Cold War had ended long ago, so why were people still bringing this up?

Besides, this is Antarctica, not Russian territory. What could spies possibly be doing here?
"I really want to beat him up again."

Anya shrugged.

"I think a lot of people here would like to beat him up."

Indeed, Mikhail's arrogant attitude makes it clear that he is not popular in this base.

Fortunately, the base's head, Grigoriev, was a normal person and ignored Mikhail's words.

"Mr. Blake, what evidence do you have?"

"Take a sniff and see if you can smell sulfur on the corpse?"

Upon hearing this, Grigoriev immediately sent someone closer to smell the corpse, and the report confirmed that it indeed smelled of sulfur.

After listening to the translator, Mikhail started talking in gibberish again, which made Anya frown.

What did he say next?

He said that the smell of sulfur doesn't necessarily mean it's a demon; maybe they've just struck sulfur.

This is a forced rebuttal; if there really were sulfur mines, Grigoriev wouldn't have reacted this way.

And under what kind of environment could one get such a strong sulfur smell on their body?
However, Grigoriev did not immediately trust Roy, after all, he was an American and naturally not trusted by Russians.

"Mr. Black, can you explain your reasoning? Why is the smell of sulfur associated with demons?"

“I have handled many cases involving demons, so I know a lot about demons.”

How could I not know? Roy has slept with more than one female demon; he's studied her very thoroughly and deeply.

But Grigoriev still had some doubts.

"Aren't you a boxer? How could you possibly have handled demonic incidents?"

It seems that Grigoriev also knew that some supernatural forces existed in this world, so he did not refute the existence of demons, but he had some questions about Roy's identity.

With no other option, Roy decided to reveal his identity.

"Actually, besides being a boxer, I'm also a person with supernatural abilities. Can I borrow a gun? I can unload the bullets."

Grigoriev had a soldier hand Roy the unloaded pistol, and Roy easily twisted it into a pretzel.

Now everyone believed Roy.

"My God! No wonder you can easily knock out your opponents in boxing matches!"

Anya looked at Roy's eyes and saw the sparkle in them. She finally understood why Roy had been so powerful last night.

Even on another battlefield, Roy can easily knock out his opponents, and he can handle multiple opponents without any problem.

Grigoriev thought for a moment, then began to give orders in Russian.

Mikhail seemed to have objections after hearing Grigoriev's order, but this time Grigoriev was very firm and scolded Mikhail back.

Mikhail was only the second-in-command after all, and he couldn't possibly disobey the orders of the top leader, Grigoriev. In the end, he could only leave with a harsh remark.

According to Anya's translation, Mikhail's harsh words when he left were probably that he would go back and report this matter to his superiors.

Anya even made a comment about it.

"I think his superior must be his father."

This witty remark was so funny that Roy couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Then, Grigoriev spoke to Roy in English.

“Mr. Black, let’s go to the office to talk.”

This time, the office I went to wasn't the empty office Roy had yesterday; it was a relatively normal office.

There is an office desk, a computer, and heating.

Anya followed them into the office, and the three of them sat down in chairs. Grigoriev then spoke.

"Mr. Blake, can I trust you?"

“Mr. Grigoriev, you can certainly trust me. I am definitely not a spy.”

In fact, Grigoriev had basically come to believe Roy, since if Roy were truly America's spy, he certainly wouldn't have shown his power just now.

"Okay, then I hope you can keep what I'm about to say a secret."

Upon hearing this, Anya was stunned for a moment, then looked at Grigoriev with some disbelief.

"Grigoriev, are you going to reveal classified information?"

Grigoriev gave a wry smile.

"It can no longer be considered classified information because the cost is too high, and after six months of mining, nothing has been found. The country is already preparing to close the research station."

Roy probably understood what Grigoriev meant.

Around 2000, the economic situation in Russia was still very dire, and it is estimated that they did not pay much attention to the research stations in Antarctica.

Anya remained silent, perhaps realizing something herself.

Subsequently, Grigoriev revealed the true purpose of the base's existence.

About six months ago, a meteorite was discovered at a nearby research station that had existed since the Soviet era. Russia immediately organized a team to study the meteorite.

However, unexpectedly, the meteorite fell very deep into the ice layer, making it impossible to retrieve it directly.

So Grigoriev, who was in charge of the incident, decided to build a well to dig out the meteorite.

However, after the well was established, the drill bit dug deeper and deeper, but it still could not find the meteorite. It was as if the meteorite had disappeared into thin air.

How deep did you dig?

"We've already dug down to about 6000 meters underground."

(In the original movie, they dug to a depth of 6000 meters, and that was during the Soviet era. In reality, the Soviet Union did dig a 12000-meter-deep borehole in 1970, but that borehole was actually quite small, about the size of an oil well.)
In six months, they dug 6000 meters deep?

Roy had some suspicions that Russia might also have some kind of hacking acumen, but that wasn't the main point.

"Did you dig up something special?"

"Yes, we discovered a red area at a depth of about 6000 meters, which contains a large number of peculiar fungi. The purpose of bringing Anya here is to study this."

As he spoke, Grigoriev looked at Anya.

Sure enough, Grigoriev, as the top leader, knew quite a lot, while that spoiled brat Mikhail probably knew nothing at all.

Anya reacted quickly.

“Grigoriev, were the mycelium on that corpse just now from that peculiar fungus you mentioned?”

Grigoriev looked troubled.

“I’m not an expert in this area, so I can’t be sure. In fact, after we dug to that spot, quite a few workers were terrified. They thought they had struck hell, and some even experienced unusual symptoms. I immediately isolated the area at a depth of 6000 meters and then urgently contacted the Chinese authorities to have you sent here…”

Roy had a general understanding of the situation, but there was still one question.

“Mr. Grigoriev, since you have already isolated the area at a depth of 6000 meters, why did what happened this morning?”

Grigoriev sighed deeply. "I underestimated human nature. Perhaps my quarantine order was too sudden, causing panic in the 3000-meter area. Some people disobeyed my orders and went to 6000 meters to check the situation, ultimately bringing the fungus out."

Human nature is something that can never withstand the test; if you try to gamble on human nature, you're likely to fail.

"In my experience, you've not only dug up fungi, but you've also dug up a tunnel to hell."

Anya and Grigoriev both looked puzzled.

"The Hell Passage?"

Roy nodded.

“Passages connecting to other worlds appear on Earth from time to time. I suspect that you dug out a passage connecting to Hell, and that the demons in Hell discovered this passage.”

Anya's eyes widened, while Grigoriev wore a thoughtful expression.

Once someone reaches Grigoriev's position, they are able to hear some rumors.

"I think I've experienced something similar! During the Soviet era, when I was serving in Siberia, we discovered a passage in a volcano crater where some demon-like creatures would appear. It took many brave soldiers to sacrifice their lives to block the passage!"

No wonder Grigoriev believed Roy's words; it turns out he had personal experience with it.

With Grigoriev's personal testimony, Anya had no choice but to believe it.

"What should we do then? Isn't it very dangerous underground?"

"The Hell Passage can be blocked; it's not a big problem."

Even if he can't block it, Roy can use the magic inside the Key of Solomon to seal the Hell Passage.

The Key of Solomon is a professional at dealing with demons.

Grigoriev pushed up his glasses, a look of self-reproach on his face.

"The bigger problem now is that there are still dozens of people stranded 3000 meters underground. I don't know their current situation, and I can't contact them by phone!"

Because it was Grigoriev who issued the quarantine order, he was very worried that something might happen underground.

“Mr. Grigoriev, if you trust me, I can go down to the underground and take a look.”

Grigoriev looked at Roy with some surprise.

"Mr. Blake, is this true?"

Roy nodded.

"it is true."

Grigoriev excitedly grasped Roy's hand.

"Mr. Blake, you are a fighter with an internationalist spirit!"

To be honest, Roy never expected to receive such an evaluation in his lifetime, but considering that Grigoriev was an old man who had lived through the Soviet era, it didn't seem like there was anything wrong with saying that.

"Roy, I want to go too!"

Anya suddenly suggested that she go with Roy.

Roy frowned and looked at Anya.

"Anya, this is no joke! I might not be able to take care of you down there!"

"I'm a microbiologist, I can figure out what underground fungi are all about!"

That makes some sense, but Roy felt that Anya wouldn't have any further impact if she went down there.

"No need, I'll let you know after I confirm that it's safe down there."

At this moment, Grigoriev spoke up.

“Mr. Blake, you may be strong in combat, but in terms of professional skills, you are definitely not as good as Anya. Besides, Russia is not so weak that you need to risk your life alone. Russian soldiers will go down with you.”

Since Grigoriev had said so, Roy had no choice but to agree.

The three left the office, preparing to go down the well.

Seven fully armed soldiers will go down the well with Roy and Anya, and an administrator who has been down the well before will also accompany them; someone needs to lead the way.

When Roy and Anya saw the person leading the way, they were speechless.

"why you?"

"Why can't it be me?"

Both sentences are in Russian, and this is roughly the meaning.

Mikhail looked at Roy and Anya with a smug expression.

Grigoriev reluctantly explained to Roy and Anya.

“There are many places underground that require authorization to open. There are only three people in the base who have full access, and the third person is currently underground. I can’t contact him.”

Grigoriev also needs to manage the people on the ground, and if Mikhail is left on the ground, who knows what will happen if he goes down.

Roy glanced at Mikhail.

"Is this guy sure he won't cause trouble?"

“I have already told him that if he can complete this task well, I can let him leave here early.”

In such a desolate place as Antarctica, which rich kid would want to stay here?
Mikhail clearly wanted to leave a long time ago, but he was held back by not having enough seniority.

Now that Grigoriev is willing to help Mikhail leave ahead of time, he will definitely be more than willing to do so, even if it means cooperating with Roy.

"Alright then, let's hope he doesn't hold us back."

All ten people changed into bulky, old-fashioned protective suits, looking like astronauts.

Anya was able to adapt to the clothes after wearing them. Her physique is actually much stronger than that of the average woman, but she just doesn't meet the standards of an athlete.

Mikhail, on the other hand, kept muttering to himself. Anya translated it, and the gist of it was that the old-fashioned protective suit was too heavy and not as good as the latest model.

It's good enough to find old-fashioned protective suits here, after all, this is Antarctica, a place where nobody cares about you.

In fact, many of the equipment in this base are old relics from the Soviet era, which Grigoriev brought over using his personal connections.

(It's a bit ridiculous that none of the main characters in the original film wore protective suits when faced with this biological crisis.)
After getting ready, the ten people stepped into the elevator.

The two bodies in front of the elevator had been disposed of, and ten people were sitting in the elevator seats, fastening their seat belts.

Since the elevator needs to go down 3000 meters, the normal elevator speed is definitely not enough, since the standard elevator speed is only 3 meters per second, or 180 meters per minute.

It takes about twenty minutes to go down, and more than half an hour to get to 6000 meters. The speed is just too slow.

Therefore, this elevator is extremely fast, equivalent to a drop tower, and you must wear a seatbelt, otherwise someone will definitely hit the ceiling when it stops.

Mikhail stood on the elevator control panel and began entering his password. However, his first attempt resulted in an error warning, and the panel displayed that there were 2 incorrect attempts remaining.

"That's strange, I remember that was the password?"

Anya, it's really hard to find a picture of her.

　The Kola Deep Hole originally referred to a famous drilling experiment in the former Soviet Union, which is also the subject of the film.

　　I changed the background to the year 2000 and the location to Antarctica.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)