Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan, a Canadian province, was chosen by Eva Stratt as the landing site for the ArcLight probe's sample return capsule, a decision that bypassed all standard international protocols and demonstrated the extraordinary authority she wielded over the world's space agencies. The selection was driven by a combination of orbital mechanics, geography, and Stratt's need for speed and control, turning a remote prairie region into the focal point of humanity's first encounter with extraterrestrial material.

Selection and Strategic Rationale

When Ryland Grace asked where the ArcLight probe would land, Stratt explained that she had ordered Roscosmos to land their Soyuz capsule in Saskatchewan. The choice was dictated by the launch site: Soyuz capsules are launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome, which sits at a high latitude, and the safest landing locations are at that same latitude. Saskatchewan was the closest large, flat area to San Francisco that met all the requirements. This decision was made unilaterally by Stratt, who told Grace that the Royal Canadian Air Force would recover the sample and bring it directly to his lab in San Francisco via fighter jet, and that the United States would allow the Canadians use of the airspace. When Grace asked if the Russians, Canadians, and Americans all just did whatever she told them, Stratt confirmed, "Yes. Without question."

Role in the Astrophage Research

The Saskatchewan landing was the critical first step in Grace's research into the Astrophage samples. The ArcLight probe had collected material from the Petrova line near Venus, and the samples—some of which might still be alive—were to be delivered directly to Grace's lab in San Francisco. Stratt had told Grace to be at his lab on the twenty-third at seven p.m., and she had arranged for the entire international logistics chain to ensure the sample arrived without delay. The landing in Saskatchewan was the linchpin of this operation, demonstrating Stratt's ability to commandeer military assets from multiple nations to serve the Hail Mary Project's objectives.

Contrast with Other Locations

Saskatchewan's selection stood in stark contrast to other locations mentioned in the narrative. The Sahara Desert, for instance, was the site of Bob Redell's blackpanel Astrophage-breeding farm, a massive industrial project that required paving a quarter of the entire desert. While the Sahara was chosen for its intense sunlight and vast, useless land, Saskatchewan was chosen for its practical logistical advantages. Similarly, Antarctica was the site of Leclerc's nuclear strike to release methane, a desperate measure to buy time for Earth's climate. Saskatchewan, by contrast, was a precise, calculated choice for a single, critical delivery, highlighting the range of environments Stratt was willing to exploit.

Narrative Significance

Saskatchewan's role in the story underscores the theme of global cooperation under extreme duress. Stratt's ability to command the militaries and space agencies of multiple nations to execute a single, precise operation in a remote Canadian province illustrates the unprecedented concentration of power she wielded. It also serves as a concrete example of the logistical challenges of the Astrophage crisis, where every decision had to be made quickly and without the usual bureaucratic delays. The province's flat, open landscape, ideal for a Soyuz landing, became a symbol of the practical, no-nonsense approach Stratt brought to the project, contrasting with the more dramatic and destructive measures taken elsewhere.