OK, this is just getting ridiculous. I know we’re in the Soviet Union and everything, but I have a PhD in chemical engineering from Lomonosov Moscow State University and an extremely prestigious curriculum vitae, which means I’ve earned the right to be treated with some semblance of professional courtesy regardless of our current political climate. If you’re going to kidnap me from my family and force me to toil in your mysterious chemical warfare facility in Arkangelsk, you’re going to have to improve the working conditions.

See that? That’s exactly what I’m talking about. How many trigger happy British special agents storm through this place on a daily basis, anyway? I don’t care that one of their objectives is to minimize scientist casualties, because that is certainly small consolation when they don’t get punished for murdering us with their silenced PP7s. That’s the fourth man I’ve lost this week. One of them was even killed with a remote mine. The memory of his inert body flying through the air still haunts me. I’m not even bothering to learn their names anymore, because I know their days are numbered the second they start under my watch. At the very least, you’re going to have to give us more leniency with the firearms you provided us, because standing with our hands up and only being permitted to defend ourselves after we’ve been repeatedly shot is not working, and they don’t appear to be moved by our panicked, directionless jogging when we get frightened. It’s not like you guards have done anything to protect us. I even saw one standing with his gun in a bathroom stall the other day. Could someone please explain to me the thought process of whoever gave him that assignment?

Speaking of the bathroom, it seems like these agents are coming in through the vent above it. Like, every time. Isn’t there anything we can do to prevent their passage into this location going forward? They’re even using the same stall over and over. I get that security isn’t my bailiwick, but reinforcing the vent openings would be a strident leap in keeping your scientists safe. Don’t you have any interest in protecting your human capital?

What exactly are we doing here, anyway? I was just placed in a large room with a tank in the middle and told to stand in front of one of several nondescript control panels. I’ve been given no scopes of work, no standard operating procedures, no information on regulatory requirements, no safety equipment, and no deadlines. Every request I’ve made for more information on the duties expected of me have been relayed to Dr. Doak, and that guy doesn’t appear to give a shit about what we’re doing here. To be completely honest, he’s more sketchy than that weird bathroom soldier. Someone should keep an eye on him.

Oh well, I’ve said my peace. It’s not like I can just up and leave, so I suppose I’ll just go back to my post which, for the record, is just standing idly in front of that control panel. Before I go, though, just let me reiterate how strong my credentials are, so if you want me to perform any actual scientific work with those tanks in the bottling room before they’re destroyed again, just let me know.