The trail went cold faster than one of Frostleaf's signature attacks. He had disabled the hidden locator transponder that every vehicle belonging to the company had. The fact that it was also one of the nondescript jeeps, for good or ill meant no one would recognise it as the company's car.

  I ran out of leads once I had reached the nearby smaller landship that acted as a local nexus for all trade routes. All vehicles coming in and out of the landship would of course be screened by the security apparatus. However, it didn't help that a lot of trading, shuffling and living was happening outside the landship as well. I was out of options regarding the path I should take, yet I didn't remain idle all this time.

  I had used the hands-free device on my phone while driving to immediately contact the leader of the Lungmen Guard Department, Beatrix Schwire. Alerting them to a high valued target to be apprehended if located within their jurisdiction. That, as well as calling my now long time colleague and friend Texas. Penguin Logistics would keep an eye out for the person and his car's description. With both these two branches from Lungmen handing their accord of cooperation to me, I could have theoretically saved myself a lot of trouble by having someone else finish this troublesome job. Yet it wouldn't be so easy, it never was.

  He probably foresaw that such a rich and influential regional landship as Lungmen would present more threats than opportunities. The security system of Lungmen was at that point even more well funded and experienced after dealing with its Reunion infiltration.

  That... and I knew that he would be heading back to Ursus. The one time I caught him speaking of his native lands were of fondness and of belonging. It seemed likely that it would be his target destination.

  Besides that it was a known quantity for him after all. Not only that but the immense landmass of Ursus, and it's scattered settlements presented a vast mass of unguarded terrain through which he could slip pretty much anywhere in that country. The loss of Chernobog only widened this borderless gap, presenting in its place a near inexistent presence of the Ursian law.

  The first-hand taste I got of the Ursus military and security apparatus was underwhelming in its functionality. And overwhelming in their present firepower at the closest Ursus border point, or rather base.

  There were no walls delimiting each nation. Not even one as border hungry as Ursus. Their frontier consisted of painted concrete pillars every dozen of leagues from each other, and the occasional regional military base at it's border to impose some kind of supervision and show of force.

  I expected a show of intimidation, and I wasn't let down as four rifles and one tank cannon aimed squarely at me as I stopped at the border crossing. One rowdy looking officer in a heavy winter coat approached me.

  -Доброе утро. Назовите свою личность и род деятельности!

  (Good morning. State your identity and business!)

  How courteous of him to have said good morning amid all this heavy firepower aimed at my dingy jeep in comparison!

  -Майор Тацет. Специальный следователь организации уголовного розыска "Объединенные корабли".

  -Я нахожусь здесь для связи с правительственными органами по одному очень важному и деликатному вопросу.

  (-Major Tacet. Special Investigator of the United Landships Criminal Investigation Organization.)

  (-I am here to liaison with the governmental authorities for a certain matter of most importance as it is sensitive.)

  Gotta hand it having had the foresight to learn Ursian for a year now was coming up very much useful. It was out of nowhere that I decided on a winter day last year to pick up learning a new language. I had chosen Ursian for no particular reason except that it seemed the easiest out of all for me. I had asked Istina if she was inclined to personally tutor me, for a price of course, and she accepted even without payment. Though I had insisted until she accepted compensation as well. It was her time and patience I would take, and I wasn't the one to not give where it was due.

  When I showed him my credentials the border officer instantly seemed to have changed his demeanour. Inviting me most eagerly inside while signalling the forces behind him to stand down. I was escorted inside what was the base's main meeting room where I was introduced to three figureheads who seemed eager to now give me a warmer welcome.

  They consisted of the commander of the base, a man too round for his unfortunate tight uniform that it was almost comical. A senior officer who I gathered was his aid with no distinguishable or remarkable qualities except for his lack of any real concern for anything, with a most phlegmatic way of being. And a lady who seemed the only one to actually belong in the proper uniform she wore. Though what she wore seemed to be an anomaly by the military dress code, before I realised she was the representative of the civilian authority that was attached to the mobile base military command.

  -Oh please, before we start we can all help ourselves to the warm pastries and drinks brought by my kitchen staff.

  -I know it must have been a long and rough ride to our outpost. The weather is particularly harsh this season around.

  Indeed it was. I never met such a deplorable state of a road by the one I reached here. And the weather was appalling. Raining in the first minutes, then flash freezing the next ones. Followed by a most harsh northern wind. Before turning into a gentle snow fall as if to placate the poor traveller.

  -''I will take you up on it without shame. All of us in this room I'm sure know the meaning of doing one's duty even if it beckons the danger of death through the roughest of nature's caprice.'' I said to the point but in a relatable manner that higher ups would connect with.

  Normally I wouldn't have been given this kind of warm reception. Indeed, I would have probably been held up for a few days if not outright weeks for ''questioning'' if it wasn't for the credentials Rhodes Island provided for me.

  The impression of confidence that such a rank bestowed was as good as the real thing. Nevertheless, I had to be careful. Anyone who dealt with Ursus had to be. Even if they had the backup of the entirety of the rest of Terra behind them. Ursians were usually very direct with their intentions. And they wanted the world to be theirs, and everyone else dead if they couldn't fit a role in a mine, a factory or in other ''subservient roles''. As such even the high rank of a multinational investigator as I was falsely representing wouldn't particularly be a safe occupation in a cruel and desolate country as this one.

  I had to be tenacious, lucky, and good at lying for their clothes off in the middle of winter. Which was pretty much eternal here.

  The fact that I had the fictitious rank of major offered me first and foremost the status of an officer. Which was in itself a whole other level up in standing, especially in a state so heavily militarised as Ursus. The officer's corp were held in high regard for they represented the control point between the government and the actual military filled by the grunts.

  The badge I wore was authentic, in which I was offered custodial powers as a then secretly temporary member of the United Landships Criminal Investigation organization. What was the cherry on top was the authentic backing seals that this badge contained. No less than seven seals.

  That of Rhodes Island itself. Of the Kjerag Council, given by Silverash. Of Lungmen, through our connections in the L.G.D. department. Of both the Iberian government and a separate one from the Iberian Inquisition, acquired by doctor Kal'tsit through her own secretive means. The seal of Laterano awarded by the Laterano Notarial Hall through operator Executor. And the seal of Kazimierz, awarded through the Grand Knight of the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi, Ioleta Russell.

  All these seals were genuine and authentic. And thinking back it proved the connections that Rhodes Island had acquired throughout the world. It more than gave a heavier weight in authority for me, and as such a better position to mingle and play the Ursus authorities to my own benefit.

  I had served myself to some traditional meat filled pies, and dared to try their tea which had an interesting fragrance wafting somehow out of the samovar. However, to my surprise I could only describe it at best as having a taste that could only be acquired.

  -While I do not wish to diminish the appreciation of my hosts I must commence forward the reason for my presence in your bastion of civilization here.

  -''B-b-but of course major! Please do tell us of your mission and intent in our glorious country.'' Said the fat colonel.

  -I am here on the trail of a highly sought after criminal from which crimes have unfortunately spread outside the border of Ursus.

  -Internal Ursian documents have been released to the wider Criminal Investigation Organisation and I have been tasked with researching and apprehending the culprit of a string of murders that trailed in the wider Terra.

  -I have reason to suspect the man to which this case belongs to has recently returned to Ursus.

  -Which brought me here, to liaison with the local Ursus authority to aid my investigation for the betterment of all the affected landships.

  -''Ah. The Baskamov case. A great shame smeared upon the good name of Ursus.'' Said the colonel's aid with an air of not being able to give less of a damn, or maybe that was just his accent.

  -Indeed. And I am here to wipe that stain away once and for all.

  -In the goodwill of all the allied nations against the criminal elements of this world I humbly request you grant the sanction of this investigation within your borders. So I may conclude it once and for all on behalf of the Ursus government.

  -It stands by no doubt that you are granted this request, a-a-along with all our support as well major! After all none know better the plight for order and strength of law than the higher Ursian military echelon!

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  ''That's why you stood guard outside Chernobog while it was being taken over by the terrorists you helped create?'' I thought mockingly.

  -''Ehem. The civilian authority will of course go behind the decision of the military hierarchy, even though criminal cases usually get filtered through the civilian administration.'' Said the civilian liaison a bit off put at the seeming one-sidedness and the apparent impotence of her post.

  I took another sip of the hot bitter drink to wash down the delicious ursian meat pie. Which deserved to be partaken with a better refreshment I thought. And I wished I had put more sugar in the bitter drink than the single teaspoon I stirred it with.

  -I gather the situation is not exactly up to anyone's liking still after the tragedy that befell Chernobog by the vile terrorists which assailed it?

  -''It is true unfortunately. Chernobog was an economic powerhouse of the Ursus nation, that cannot be denied.

  -It's loss will be seen more obviously to you once you continue deeper into the local region.'' Said the colonel's aid.

  -''What can you impart from your intelligentsia?'' I ask aiming for all three of them in order to gauge out the most willing.

  -The local area is secure under the watchful eye of the might of the Ursian military.

  -''My men are doing a superior effort to keep this area lawful and under control for both the safety of the locals and the traffic that naturally flows here.'' Said the colonel proudly, puffing his chest out which failed to match his stuffed belly.

  -However the nation of Ursus is immense, and this region in particular is vast to the amount of forces I have allocated to pacify it.

  ''Pacify it as in killing any rowdy protesters, or razing any disgruntled villages?'' I asked in the silence of my mind.

  -Indeed, the jurisdiction we have under military command extends in the area encompassing the nearby trading settlement behind the border and a few villages.

  -''That and the road connecting to the wider landships further away. Beyond this everything falls under the purview of the civilian administration.'' Said the aid impassively but engaged in the conversation.

  -''What can the liaison of the civilian administration tell me of the state of affairs in the region?'' I beckoned.

  -As my colleagues in the military command have already told you, only a small portion is under true law in this part of our nation.

  -''Small portion you say, yet the civilian administration should also administer law and order to the extent that civilization is spread within it's borders.'' I said, treading carefully while trying to gauge out more useful information.

  -Indeed it would be so. And we're lacking the manpower and the mobility to administer such order as law would intend.

  -You have to understand major. This relatively... medium army checkpoint (she said with a pause looking at the colonel, as if wondering if the size up of his base offended him or not) and base, along with the small trading settlement nearby, and it's three meagre adjacent villages are but a drop in a dry cup compared to the security that the Chernobog landship and its garrison once provided.

  -The forces that the local administration has are stretched thin trying to keep the wildlife at bay and keep contact with the nearest villages outside this circle of safety.

  -''I'm beginning to have an ugly expectation confirmed.'' I said displeasingly, to which the civilian administrator seemed eager to indulge me in. Just what I wanted.

  -I am afraid I will have to confirm it. If this criminal wanted to pass back into our nation he would have ample ways to slip in.

  -This part of the border is at the moment the weakest. Of course, in terms of control of the civilian flow only.

  -''Of-of-of course the military command assists as much as it can spare in its operational capability!'' The fat colonel tried to save face.

  -But nevertheless our borders are indeed great, and a determined scoundrel could find the chance to evade our patrols and our spread out hidden security cameras.

  Somehow I doubted any of them would have noticed the scoundrel if he walked right in and served himself to the bitter tea and pies while we were talking.

  -Of course I can well understand the circumstances. The burden of such a great nation are as expansive as its horizons.

  -''Yet for its citizens to see that horizon, people like me will see that justice will be served. No matter what desolate and weather blighted patch of Terra the scourges of society might try to find refuge.'' I said. Trying to keep them on my good side with an aura of an international hero that I didn't deserve.

  -You would do us a great service if so major.

  -I will ask that you provide me with your most accurate map of the region along with an all clear endowment of authority to conduct my investigation into this delicate matter.

  -But of course major! Rest assured that I will personally stamp out a military grade credential for you to conduct your inquiry unimpeded for the duration of your stay!

  -I would also ask for the approval of a civilian credential as well if so.

  -It is a policy in the Criminal Investigation Organization to get matters approved by any two governmental bodies closely working together, since criminal prosecutions often don't distinguish such intergovernmental borders. And of course I would not wish to offend neither jurisdiction for their importance.

  -''It won't be a problem major Tacet, the credentials will be provided by the civilian administration. Along with our best wishes that you apprehend this vile scum. Believe me, we have more than enough matters to attend to.'' She responded with a small air of relief that one of her burdens was taken off her long list of problems to solve.

  -''Indeed, it is always as such.'' I said with a voice of understanding, wishing to woo her more into her approval of my mission. Though it is possible she just wanted to get over with it and return to her own bureau.

  -Colonel, with all due respect I will require some amount of resources from the Ursian nation to spare if that's possible. Its territory is vast, and my investigation may take me into long voyages within its territory.

  -But of course major! I will see to it that you are well supplied for your investigation! Lieutenant, make sure to give access to our liaison into our supply stores. Assign two personnel to escort and carry all he deems necessary for his foray into our inhospitable lands!

  -''Of course, sir.'' His aid replied with an air of indifference.

  I had to give credit where it was due. Both credentials were stamped on my special ID in no time, and they spared no amount of local secrets in offering me detailed maps, charts on traffic flow, the names and vehicles of all who passed here as far as half a year back. Along with military reports on patrol sightings, police communications on the state of being of the locals and the far out settlements. And true to his word the imbecile of a colonel actually let me roam and peruse all their stock of food and matériel.

  Needless to say I well took this opportunity to stockpile on the best non-perishable foods they had, along with extra military grade equipment. Such as car fuel, spare winter clothes, blankets, survival kits, portable gas stove fuel, some first aid boxes along with more than a few boxes of painkillers and antibiotics. All not necessarily for my use but for trading them to the reluctant villager in exchange for information that might lead me to my query. And closer to finishing this cat and mouse assignment.

  I was through the checkpoint of what constituted a small but well armed and supplied Ursian military base in just a few hours after my arrival. Further, spending one more day to conduct some investigation and sleep it over at the main outpost which was basically a ''small but proud town'' for the residents. And but a refuel and rest point for caravans and travellers. It had what every pit stopper needed. A pub, a gas station, a restaurant, a motel, and a trading post

  He had certainly not passed through there, that was for certain from what I could, or rather, couldn't find with my questioning. The paths to further decide upon which to dare were few, but it might have been only one all along in hindsight. He would return back home, as shunned from the world as he might have been.

  As days passed I could certainly affirm the desolation would have been eerie if I wasn't used to it since my childhood. There were literal vast swathes of nothingness in this land. Be it barren, with spread forests or shrubs, it was all covered in a white unwelcoming blanket. And with an even deadlier weather. The wind was merciless. There were no hills or mountains here to halt its fast pace, and it blew with enough force to take you down and suck the life out of a person in mere minutes if left exposed outside of a vehicle. Truly only the hardiest or stubbornest people could ever live in this dreary land.

  I would soon reach my destination, more or less. A great, widespread region which used to have a well travelled route along flourishing villages. Thanks in part from what was the army training barracks and the originum extraction effort in the region, along the connection with the former landship of Chernobog.

  Once that promising landship expired though so did everyone's hope in this region. The need for the barracks in this part of Ursus was deemed unnecessary and was disbanded. The originum mining extraction effort ended once a catastrophic collapse occurred under dubious circumstances. Making the already near depleted mine lose its worth compared to its costs. The villages who depended on the constant traffic along with the job opportunities related to the presence of a large body of people from the base and the mine, dried suddenly. And were left with a life of subsistence, at best.

  ''Death had come for this entire land.'' I thought.

  I was somewhat surprised to even still find survivors, but indeed they were still toughing out a rough existence out here. Their living was truly deplorable. Out of a dozen villages that once were only three remained populated. The rest of which had either died out in hunger and cold, or migrated to the last three or outright left the region entirely. This trio of settlements, while far apart from each other had a close interconnection based on mutual survival.

  The first settlement I decided to arrive at was in the north-western part of this region. This village primarily focused on logging the vast nearby forest. With a secondary focus on salvaging and repurposing whatever they could scavenge from the nearby collapsed mine. And as a direct result this village had the largest originum contaminated population out of all, though they desperately tried to keep it secret from me. They knew too well how infected were treated in their lands. Yet when I came with the offer of medicine, especially the painkillers I had brought from the military instalation to the right people, they opened up both their doors and their lips with valuable information.

  My search led me to another village which was cut in two by what constituted the main river flowing through the centre of the region from north to south. They were subsisting solely on fishing, and had little else remarkable about themselves. They valued trading in information and lodging in exchange for the various things I had to offer. Out of all the villages they seemed for the lack of a better word the most normal. They were pretty much content, satisfied even with what they had. And as I found out it was because their second method of survival was trading.

  This village was the only one out of the three which had any contact with the rest of civilization. Learning that a supply caravan would come here twice a year to trade vital supplies and necessities for fish, fish products, logs, and various furs and frozen meats. The three villages had an understanding that the centre one would gather all their combined resources for the designated time for trade, after which they would all share the spoils of their labour. And of course the centre village would get the better end of the deal between the three since they managed the trade. The caravans refusing to go further into the wasteland to reach any of the other settlements, no matter their plights. One could say this was the privileged settlement to be in if you were unfortunate enough to be born in this soul dreary realm.

  The third village was the easternmost of them all. This one revolved solely around animal husbandry. While not lacking in fur and insulation one could also have believed they were not lacking in food either. For the knowing eye it was a grim sight. The furs hid the anaemic constitution of the villagers. Their eyes reflected their ilness in their sickly yellow tint. The large herds of animals, as plentiful as they seemed were not enough to feed the whole population of this sorrowful settlement. Not if they wanted to maintain the number of beasts they herded.

  The military base some leagues away was hastily abandoned I could tell. And while there was a lot of clutter I could also deduce that it was ransacked for anything of worth by the people living nearby. But at that point it hadn't, or rather, shouldn't have been visited for some time. There was nothing of real worth left for the anaemic villagers who could barely be able to do any hard labour. Let alone travel back and forth carrying stuff, even with the help of their beasts of burden. Yet someone was here. And they left a most gruesome present. The body of a murdered woman. She was carved up and open, hanging by one metal chain on a ceiling rope. It was a most disgusting view. And someone with lighter sensibilities might have thrown up at the sight of it.

  He was here, somewhere.

  Along in my journey I had visited many other sites besides the still resided villages. I had seen the mine for myself, and many other points of interest such as other abandoned villages, hidden places, nooks and crannies. I established a pattern with the clues I found and from the words that I coaxed out of the residents of this accursed land. My hunt had brought me to a seemingly abandoned shed some ways west of the furthermost eastern village full of the starving people.

  The shed was unremarkable, and it was one of many scattered throughout the region. Relics of a better time when the local industry was afloat. When even agriculture was viable to be practised at a large scale in the few short summer months that the soil was arable. Now it was just another point of orientation in this frozen wasteland. Yet this was different I was certain. It would be, all my clues lead me here.

  And like a fool I fell stupidly into the consequences of acting as a lone wolf.