[IMG]http://i1175.photobucket.com/albums/r634/HoldingSmoke/aynurslist1_zps81c0ec55.jpg[/IMG]

Aynur’s pencil hovered above the dirty scrap of paper, suspended in a moment of thought. What else did she need to restock? That nasty gash on Lampochki’s cheek had required more butterfly closures than she would have liked to part with in one sitting. She [i]always[/i] needed bandages, but the past few days had really taken a toll on her supply; between the trio of rookies who had bumbled right into a pack of dogs, and the quiet, surly stalker who refused to tell her just how he managed to lodge his own knife in his own ass cheek, she was running dangerously low.

Aynur winced as a spike of pain flared behind her eyes, followed closely by what felt like an elaborate acrobatic routine in her gut. Her narrowed vision came to rest, accusingly, on the nearly empty vodka bottle peeking out of her backpack. God, she hated the stuff, but for the past four nights, she hadn’t been able to sleep without it; and while the deep, dreamless sleep it delivered was just what the doctor ordered, Aynur knew she couldn’t afford to make a habit of it. 

[IMG]http://i1175.photobucket.com/albums/r634/HoldingSmoke/vodkastrike_zpsbf9242a7.jpg[/IMG]

Considering the fitful nights she was resigning herself to, Aynur figured it might be a good idea to snag some energy drinks instead, though she disliked those only slightly less than liquor. Still, lesser of two evils and all that.

As she jotted it down, an urgent chirp sounded from deep within the pocket of her parka. Aynur considered ignoring it -- she had, after all, planned a busy day of nursing her hangover in solitude and isolation -- but after a few seconds, curiosity got the better of her. It might be Topol. She had been bugging him for months for whatever information he could give her on Space Anomalies, but so far he hadn't been able to tell her what she needed. Maybe he had found something new..

[IMG]http://i1175.photobucket.com/albums/r634/HoldingSmoke/msgreceivedkruglov8apr0942_zpsdda28e12.jpg[/IMG]

No. Of course not.

Despite her disappointment, Aynur read on. The message was intriguingly ambiguous, and from another mobile lab no less -- she knew she was probably putting too much faith in coincidence, but she couldn't help thinking Kruglov might be able to help her. For almost a year, Aynur had begged, traded, cajoled and harassed in a quest for intel on Space Anomalies, the rare Compass artifact, and even the fabled Wish Granter; and for all her hard work, she had almost nothing to show for it. If there was even the slightest chance Professor Kruglov, or anyone else at the Yantar lab, could tell her something she hadn't already heard, she was going to take advantage of it.

Still, there was something about the professor's parting words that set Aynur on edge.. She tried to push her unease to the back of her mind, at least for the time being. For whatever reason, he had reached out to her for help, and she couldn't have said no to that even if she wanted to.