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John Carpenter's
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The Early Winter - Chapter 2
The entire camp was digging itself in and bracing itself,
physically and mentally, for the coming change in weather, and with a
late start, hurriedly (with a little encouragement from Bergstrom)
trying to prepare for their expedition to the source of that secondary
magnetic pull. Within a few days, the radio room, labs, and quarters
were all squared away and operational, they'd checked in with Sanae,
and the equipment was all cleared for duty. Camp life was getting
underway. Lundestad enjoyed keeping things lively with candid footage
of the team at work and play using the camp's portable video unit.
Bergstrom didn't approve, but didn't interfere. There was a growing
sense of urgency and excitement among the scientists, but most
noticeably with Erling and Krieger. Spending a lot of time outside
with his instrumentation, Krieger had managed to get an approximate
fix on the location of the pull. It appeared to be somewhere in the
southwest, about 8 kilometers off. After studiously cross-referencing
a number of maps and taking copious notes, he put in for a flight out
to the site.
It didn't take much to get Bergstrom to agree… It was one of the goals
of the expedition, after all, and things were already behind. The
sooner they got out there, the sooner he could report in with
something meaningful to say. The weather wasn't awful, but neither was
it wholly cooperative, so Enger's excellent piloting skills would be
most appreciated this day. Krieger and Erling would both be going on
this flight. There was room enough for more, even with their
equipment, but Bergstrom didn't think it was a necessity, and hauling
unneeded bodies would just use more fuel.
As they put layers and layers of thick clothing on in preparation for
spending an extended amount of time outside, Bolen, swaddled in his
own garb, was already outside using a torch to defrost the chopper. He
conscientiously kept his back to the mild wind and much as he could…
He liked getting some of the radiating heat, but didn't want to eat
it. The wind lapped the flame around the sides of the engine housing,
saving him from having to risk facing into the wind. He hoped Enger
and the others would get out here quickly and get the chopper going
while it was still warm… He was cold and tired of this task, and
wanted to get back inside. Staalset would be waiting in the rec room
with a deck of cards when he was done. Through the wind, his parka and
the "whoosh" of the torch, he didn't hear Enger, Erling and Krieger
coming until they were practically beside him. Nodding towards Enger,
Bolen switched off the torch, and helped the scientists load in their
gear with his free hand. Enger was already in the pilot's seat,
getting adjusted. Bolen backed away from the chopper as the scientists
closed the door and got comfortable. Once Bolen was clear, Enger hit
the ignition and the helicopter whined into action. Many pairs of eyes
watched from inside the buildings as the chopper whipped the snow
around, eventually lifting gracefully, artfully into the overcast sky.
Bolen waved as the chopper flew off, then headed quickly to the garage
to dump off the torch (and refuel it), thaw himself out, and get to
that game of cards.
The skies were being kind to Enger, Erling, and Krieger today. The
flight was going smoothly and quickly. The expanse below was flat and
white… distant mountains broke it up, but otherwise, ice for miles
around. It seemed they'd only been in the air a few minutes when
Krieger started in his seat, patting Enger on the shoulder excitedly
and pointing towards a grayish splotch on the ice to their left about
½ kilometer off. A very big grayish splotch. Enger stared for a
moment, then turned his head and nodded to Krieger. He brought the
chopper in low, passing over it as Erling and Krieger pressed their
faces against the window and bantered excitedly behind him. The
chopper circled wide over the area. Enger had never seen it's like
before… It looked like a huge, round gray stain on the ice, and he
wasn't too keen on setting down on it-- or anywhere near it, for that
matter.
"Take us down!" Krieger cried, impatient to get a closer look.
Enger reluctantly sought out a place to land the chopper, about 100
meters from where the stain started. Barely able to contain themselves
until the chopper blades slowed to a safe speed, Erling and Krieger
piled out onto the ice, yanking equipment from the chopper in record
time.
"You have the videocamera?" asked Krieger hopefully, getting the last
of his boxes from the chopper.
"Got it right here," replied Erling, without looking up as he
hurriedly unpacked it.
Enger cast them both a skeptical glance, and then offered his
assistance in getting their gear unpacked.
In a few minutes, there seemed to be a mini-lab on the ice, scattered
about the helicopter. The three men began trudging along the ice
towards the massive gray area, toting as much of gear as they could
handle. Krieger thought to complain to the pilot about the distance
he'd landed them from the work, but thought better of it.
It was slow going with the gear they were hauling and the
less-than-reliable footing, but in a couple of minutes, the three men
arrived, puffing hot steam from their mouths, at the edge of the gray
stain. There was no clear delineating line where the ice stopped and
the stain started, but rather a fuzzy gradation from white to gray.
The surrounding powder was entirely undisturbed, unblemished by any
presence other than their own footprints.
Erling and Krieger stared with wide eyes and gaping mouths. Enger
broke the silence.
"What is it?" he inquired, not sharing their apparent awe.
A pause. Without looking at him, Erling quietly replied, "I don't
know,"
"I-I don't know either," Krieger stuttered thickly.
Enger cast them both a sideways glance. "Well, this is you guys'
field, not mine. I'll help if I can, but otherwise I'm staying out of
your way," he said, eyeing the stain and backing slowly away from its
edge.
This seemed to snap the two bedazzled scientists from their mute
reverie.
"Yeah," Erling said absently, his eyes never leaving the stain as he
fumbled with the videocamera.
Krieger turned reluctantly from the stain and started fiddling with a
large portable ice core auger, periodically glancing back as if to
make sure the stain wasn't going away. He looked up towards Enger and
gestured for him to come over and help. Enger was in no hurry to
oblige, but did so.
Erling heard Krieger and Enger murmuring about the ice drill, but his
mind was somewhere else entirely. He panned the videocamera from one
side of the stain to the other… at least 50 meters across. His heart
was pounding with excitement, and despite the lethal cold, was in an
adrenaline sweat. "God in heaven, what is it?" he whispered to
himself in a shaky voice. He took a cautious step forward, and
another, stepping out onto the stain.
Chapter 3
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