The Last Outpost by Hannah Ross

Environmental scientist Scott “Buck” Buckley accepts a position at Antarctica’s McMurdo Research Station, only to uncover a profound secret: Geyser Valley, a hidden enclave with a warm microclimate, shelters the indigenous Anai people. Governments conspire to conceal this society to exploit the continent’s resources without restriction.

As Scott immerses himself in the Anai’s harmonious culture, global tensions escalate, culminating in a devastating world war that severs McMurdo from all communication and supplies during the relentless Antarctic winter. Isolated in the perpetual darkness, Scott tries to help the station navigate the dark season while grappling with tough questions: who are the Anai? Is there any truth in their legends about ancient creatures entombed in ice? And what are the ethical boundaries one must uphold, even when survival hangs by a thread?