Meeting the Strange Lake Team

Ranell took a deep breath before being ushered through the narrow metal door that led into a windowless, grey conference room. There were scratches and coffee stains on the cheap pressboard plank that passed for a conference table, and stuffing showed through the cracks of the vinyl that failed to cushion the wobbly steel chair he perched upon. He reflected on the inane practice of obligatory introductions people make when meeting for the first time face to face, even though he’d been researching this corporation for months and communicating with them nearly every day, either by email, telephone, or teleconference.

“It's so nice to finally meet you, Dr. Ranell!" John Laferrière was not a large man, but he delivered his handshake with a powerful, calloused grip that one might expect from a geologist who’d spent more than thirty years exploring the harsh wilderness of this arctic hellscape searching for precious metals and industrial mineral deposits.

“It’s lovely to meet you too, John.” Ranell grimaced and offered a pained expression, "But I really just came up for a chance to enjoy your balmy weather.”

Laferrière’s white teeth shone through a grizzled beard as his face cracked into a wolfish grin. “You’ll get used to the cold.”

“No, you won’t.” This came from Emily Belair. Ranell knew her as the Senior Marketing and Communications Director. “No matter how many times I come up here, or how hot they keep these rooms, you never really get used to the cold.”

Her comment made Ranell aware that he was beginning to sweat, and he moved to take off his jacket.

“And this curmudgeon is Gunter Ackerman,” Laferrière continued, “he is our Metallurgy Engineer and European consultant.”

Ranell dutifully shook hands with a silver-haired man dressed simply in a blue blazer with no tie. Despite the austere environment, Ackerman radiated a distinguished gravitas that made Ranell think he was very serious, and very knowledgeable, about his particular field of expertise.

"Why don't we all get started?" suggested Belair brightly. "Would anyone like some coffee?"

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As meetings go, this one hadn’t dragged on too long. Still, it felt interminable. I’m just tired, Ranell thought. But something else about the impromptu presentation was troubling him, and he couldn’t put his finger on it.

The Strange Lake team was excited about being one of North America's largest and strategically most important rare earth projects.

“We’re investing in the latest innovations to become one of the lowest-cost suppliers in the rare earth space globally,” Laferrière beamed. “Strange Lake utilizes an open pit mine design with year-round processing.”

“Don’t let the term ‘open pit’ concern you.” Belair seemed to pick up on Ranell’s discomfort and rushed to reassure him, “Our priority is to supply global markets with the sustainable rare earths needed to supply manufacturers of the permanent magnets used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, and all the other emerging technologies that are key to a civilizational shift to a low-carbon future."

“That’s why your airships are so important to us, Josef.” Laferrière added, “Our problem is that we have no good solution to move our ore from Strange Lake to the rail hub at Schefferville.”

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Choose Option 1: Ask Question about Ice Roads

Choose Option 2: Express Concern about Environment