Cold. Arid. Lifeless. The Alaskan tundra was truly unforgiving. Agent Harris shivered despite the heavy parka he wore. There was no civilization for hundreds of miles, only bare, icy earth.

The tiny way-station Harris was currently settled in was not nearly insulated enough to stop the piercing wind. It had no heating, no electricity, not even a fireplace, and the weathered wooden walls let scre...

“Teddy, no!” Mom cried, lunging after our little golden doodle as he snuck past us and into the storage room.

Teddy, as usual too blissfully stupid to realize what he was doing wrong, skidded and slipped on the concrete floor, his nails scrabbling for purchase. He failed and slammed into one of the towers of cardboard boxes that dominated the storage room. It wobbled ominously.

“Teddy, get ove...