The frozen tundra of northern Russia stretched endlessly under a pale winter sun. At first glance, the landscape seemed silent and empty. But beneath the snow and ice, the remnants of a colossal battle lay scattered. A titanic Atherial, known only by its designation Titan of the North, had fallen months earlier during a violent conflict between military units attempting to neutralize its threat and rival forces seeking its capture.
Unlike controlled laboratory research, the site was a field of chaos. Snow had begun to partially conceal the body, but its sheer scale — over 55 meters in length, weighing roughly 8,000 tons — made it impossible to ignore. The creature had not survived the engagement intact. Shrapnel from artillery shells, high-caliber rounds, and experimental containment devices had torn its limbs, leaving gaping wounds, crushed sections of its torso, and scattered skeletal fragments.
The Russian research team, led by Dr. Ivan Petrov, approached cautiously. Military engineers had already erected a perimeter of reinforced barriers, while drones circled overhead, mapping the debris and ensuring no unexploded ordinance remained.
"We must assume any remaining fluids or gases from its internal systems are volatile," Petrov reminded his team. "Even months later, decomposition at this scale generates methane, hydrogen sulfide, and other compounds that could react violently with our containment procedures."
The team's mission was unprecedented: study the remains in situ and extract samples for genetic, biochemical, and structural analysis. The Atherial's death in combat meant that its body was partially fragmented, but paradoxically, this offered unique access to areas previously inaccessible in living specimens: the ventral circulatory system, deep skeletal cavities, and internal organ networks.
1. Stabilization and Initial Survey
The first task was to stabilize the fragments. The team employed portable industrial freezers and cryogenic blankets to prevent accelerated decomposition in exposed tissue. Robotic drones equipped with cutting lasers and reinforced grapples began carefully relocating severed segments to pre-positioned containment zones.
Petrov observed the operation from a command module:
Fragments weighing hundreds of tons were hoisted by multiple synchronized cranes, a process requiring minute calibration to avoid further crushing the tissue.
Deformed skeletal structures revealed the immense mechanical stresses experienced during the conflict; certain limb bones had fractured in ways previously unseen in any terrestrial megafauna.
Surface tissue sampling was prioritized for DNA, protein, and microbiome analysis. Despite partial decomposition, cryo-preservation ensured genetic material remained viable.
2. Scientific Opportunities
While tragic, the event presented scientific insights unavailable under normal circumstances:
Combat trauma analysis: Understanding how Atherials withstand or succumb to concentrated firepower. Bone density and tensile strength measurements were cross-referenced with prior Titan and Big Foot specimens.
Organ resilience: High-pressure experimental shells had partially penetrated the thoracic cavity, allowing researchers to observe cardiovascular and respiratory structures at the microscopic level.
Tissue pathology: Histological examination revealed how massive Atherial tissues react to blunt trauma, shrapnel penetration, and rapid decompression. This data was critical for developing future containment and neutralization protocols.
3. Logistical Challenges
Transporting fragments for further analysis proved nearly as complex as the field stabilization:
Massive weight and volume: No single crane could lift the largest torso segments; engineers relied on distributed strand jacking systems, reinforced sledges, and specialized heavy-lift vehicles.
Extreme climate: Subzero temperatures affected hydraulic systems and metal flexibility; drones and machinery required heated enclosures to operate reliably.
Contamination risk: Any spill of internal fluids could compromise the environment and pose biological hazards to personnel. HAZMAT suits and mobile containment chambers were mandatory.
4. Political and Military Dimensions
The situation was far from purely scientific. Reports of the operation quickly reached IARCA and neighboring countries. Petrov had to navigate:
Requests from other nations for shared access to samples.
Security concerns over potential theft or sabotage.
Ethical debates over post-mortem handling: some groups advocated leaving the remains untouched to honor the Atherial as a sentient species, while others saw any delay as a lost opportunity to extract critical data.
These tensions influenced how much of the body could be removed, how quickly samples could be analyzed, and the visibility of the operation to the public.
5. Key Observations
Over weeks of careful excavation, the Russian team discovered:
The internal skeletal framework exhibited structural redundancies far exceeding those in any terrestrial vertebrate; even after artillery impact, many load-bearing elements retained partial integrity.
Muscular and connective tissue displayed unusual regenerative properties; small surviving fibers continued to show cellular activity days after death, a phenomenon not yet understood.
Residual Aetherial energy signatures remained detectable via specialized sensors, suggesting that even post-mortem, large Atherials retain low-level bioenergetic processes.
These findings would become central to later international debates over Atherial containment, study, and the ethics of lethal engagement.
Petrov stood atop a frozen ridge, observing the scattered fragments of the fallen Titan. The sun glinted off broken bone and frozen tissue, reflecting the scale of both tragedy and opportunity. Below, drones hummed and cranes groaned, lifting sections into awaiting containment modules. He could not help but wonder: even in death, this Atherial might teach humanity more than it ever could in life.