Going Back Cold

by Kelley Rose Waller

  “Ok.”

  Lucas had expected more of a reply, but Rich apparently had his answer. He tipped his chin and walked back out, leaving Lucas to analyze his own opinions.

  “Good night,” he finally said aloud to no one. “MILO, secure the lab and log me out for the night.”

  The comm panel chirped, confirming his command.

  Down the hallway, Lucas hesitated outside his own bedroom door. When he opened it, Jane was sitting in the bed with pillows propped everywhere around her.

  “Babe, does anyone else on this base have a pillow anymore?” he said with a smile. “Is there even space for me in there?”

  “The pillows are only here until you arrive,” Jane said, setting her tablet down to reach her hands out to him.

  “You’re looking good, babe.”

  “Really?” she said. “I feel flubby and bloated, but thanks.”

  Lucas settled on the bed and lowered his head into Jane's lap, loving the swell of her belly against his cheek.

  “Hello, little baby,” he mumbled.

  Jane ran her fingers through his hair. “Sebbie fell right to sleep, he was— oh! There we go with the crazy evening dance.”

  Lucas wrapped his hands around Jane's belly. “Kick Daddy, too, lil' dude.”

  “Anything?” she asked.

  “There,” he said, and she nodded with a smile.

  “Let's see, I'm at... 26 weeks now?” she calculated. If it weren’t for the huge sweatshirts and lab coat she’d started wearing daily, she’d never have been able to conceal her bump at this stage. Bonnie had actually made one veiled comment about her increased appetite, so Jane assumed the others just figured she was gaining weight.

  “I can't believe how fast this is going,” Lucas said, pushing a pillow under his elbow. “It's so weird when we're not assembling a crib or registering for a baby shower or something. And no one down here even knows.”

  “He or she is our little secret,” Jane said. “Well, getting bigger secret...”

  Lucas leaned back. “Rich said he might not be coming back next year.”

  “Really?” Jane said, furrowing her brow. “Hmm... not sure what to think of that.”

  “Who knows how that would affect everyone else,” Lucas said. After a pause, he added, “We need to talk about next year, too.”

  “I know,” Jane replied with a sigh, resting her hands on her belly. “Can we wait until we're home to decide how to 'have it all'? How to be the first people to perfectly balance a family and two careers?”

  Lucas felt similarly conflicted, so he nodded.

  “So, when are we doing to tell Sebbie?” Jane asked.

  “At the same time as everyone else,” Lucas said with a laugh. “Or the secret won’t last very long.”

  Chapter 19

  MILO Personal Dictation: Jane Whyse

  Last day at Semotus for a while. My pants aren't buttoned. They're loading up the choppers as I speak. Now that everyone knows I have a bun on my oven, they aren't letting me lift anything. Score one for preggie benefits!

  The southern lights were out last night, which never ceases to take my breath away. Kind of like a good-bye gift from the continent. MILO, can you email my mom the photos I took? Thanks.

  That kind of artistry just can't get old... Some scientists think that because they can use words like magnetosphere and solar wind that it lessens the mystery. But if she would just shut her mouth and look at its majesty, she’d see, too.

  Split Horizon's gonna change the world. Expand our world, and shrink it, too. Maybe this new baby will grow up in a world where Mars is colonized and you can go from New York to China for an afternoon lunch. Do I sound crazy? I just have so many dreams for her. Him? Her. Who knows, but I think it's a girl.

  Mom is trying to act like she isn't planning a huge welcome home party/baby shower. It'll be nice to have bras that fit and some actual maternity pants! They won't believe how much Sebbie has grown, or how much attitude he's beginning to acquire... man, that kid. He's not a baby anymore.

  Oye, Lucas keeps saying he's attached and wants to bring the robot home.

  All right.

  Well, I guess shut out the lights and lock the doors, MILO. Off we go, Semotus. Goodbye for now, Split Horizon. God bless.

  YEAR TWO

  Semotus Base, Victoria Land, Antarctica

  Personnel Roster

  December 8, 2023

  SCIENCE TEAM

  Dr. Bonnie Chapman . . . . . . . . . project leader, physicist

  Dr. Jane Whyse . . . . . . . . . physicist

  Dr. Lucas Whyse . . . . . . . . . chemist, crystallographer

  Ana McDell . . . . . . . . . physics doctoral candidate

  Trevor Fox . . . . . . . . . engineering lead

  Dr. Riddhi Bidell . . . . . . . . . experimental metallurgist

  Julie Reidenbaugh

  and James Gregg . . . . . . . . . engineering assistants

  Three lab technicians

  SUPPORT STAFF

  Pilots Hal Turner,

  Simeon Sokolov,

  and Peter Young . . . . . . . . . transportation and maintenance

  Cheyenne Marx . . . . . . . . . base administrator

  Candace Hartwell . . . . . . . . . nurse and tutor

  Dale Adams . . . . . . . . . security

  OTHER

  Sebastian Whyse, age 4

  Dámaris McDell, age 11

  19 Total Base Occupants // Four-month season

  Respectfully Submitted,

  Colonel Keith Edwards, Supervisor, Project Split Horizon

  Department of Defense Liaison

  NASA Science Mission Directorate

  Chapter 20

  The whir of the helicopter blades died down as Hal cut power to the engine.

  “Smooth landing, Hal,” Riddhi said. “Good to be back.”

  “Happy to oblige,” he smiled in reply.

  “Looks like she weathered the winter ok,” Riddhi continued, climbing out and surveying Semotus Base. “And grew a bit.”

  The group in the chopper had already seen the new wing, the two recently attached lab modules, and additional outbuilding as Hal looped The Dome from above, but experiencing it in person was exciting. The advance team had clearly made good use of their brief time at Semotus; the last 10 days of 'Antarctic winter' saw the base spring to life and grow in square footage by more than forty percent.

  After disembarking Sim’s helicopter, Bonnie wasted no time in beginning to give orders. “Let’s get unloaded, gang. I’m going in to confirm our safe arrival.”

  As she opened the door to The Dome, Trevor heard her call, “In case you didn’t hear the choppers, we’ve arrived.” He shook his head and wondered what they were in for this season with Bonnie as project leader.

  “Mr. Fox?”

  “Yeah?” Trevor replied to one of his new assistants.

  “What should we unload first?”

  “Whatever’s on top, James,” he said. “It all comes in.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Trevor knew he should be letting his new assistants call him by first name, but he was going to give it a few days. He’d never personally been awarded a grant before, let alone awarded one that secured him funding for two research assistants on a private base. Julie and James’ mere presence was like a four-footed trophy following him around.

  Cheyenne emerged from The Dome to help the new arrivals unload. “Who brought me real coffee from your layover at MacTown?” she called out.

  “Me!” Ana replied, handing her a mug.

  Cheyenne sipped it. “Useless! Cold already,” she teased Ana.

  Sebastian skipped by, greeting Trevor.

  Poor kid, he thought as he waved back with a forced smile.

  Due to the expanded team, a third helicopter was used to transport them to Semotus. Piloted by another new team member named Peter Young, the new bird had carried the McDells, Candace, and the Whyse family.

  Riddhi quietly came to stan
d beside Trevor.

  “What do you make of it?” she asked.

  “Which part?” Trevor replied.

  “Bonnie, no Rich. Jane and Lucas, no baby.”

  “I think Bonnie will be Bonnie whether Rich is here or not,” Trevor said. “And good luck to him. I have two more brains and four more hands along this season to make up for him. As for Jane… I don’t know.”

  “I guess we’ll see when we get to work.”

  “Well, at least she has fewer distractions now,” Trevor added. Riddhi squinted a bit at him but did not reply.

  Cheyenne hefted a crate out of the wide helicopter door. Overhearing Trevor and Riddhi’s conversation about Jane made her cheeks warm. Pausing, she tried to determine what made her flush. Am I angry? Embarrassed? she wondered, confused at her own emotions.

  “Hey Riddhi, wanna grab the other end of this?” she said to break in.

  “Sure,” the older woman replied, reaching out to pat Trevor’s arm as she departed. As they walked the crate to the console room, Cheyenne sighed. Life returning to The Dome began to calm her edginess.

  “Do you think she'll make it, Cheyenne?” Riddhi asked quietly before they went back for another load.

  “Oh, you know, Bonnie’s not all bad. It’ll be fine.”

  “You know that isn’t what I mean.”

  Silence filled the small storage room.

  “I’m not sure what you want me to say,” Cheyenne finally said. “NASA's shrinks cleared her to come back to Semotus.”

  “Right, but they let Trevor come, and he has a criminal record for assault.”

  “Riddhi, it was a couple of fights in college.”

  “College which was all of two years ago,” Riddhi said. “I’m just saying they might have let Ted Bundy come if he was a brilliant engineer or a physicist who’d successfully hit half a million Mach.”

  “Geez, Riddhi, that’s a nice analogy,” Cheyenne said.

  “Sorry,” the metallurgist continued, “I’m just saying, they aren’t looking out for Jane’s best interests, really, or ours. I bet they secretly did a dance when, well, you know.”

  “Why are you bringing this up now that we’re here? You had your chance to say something for months.”

  “Sorry, I’m not trying to complain,” Riddhi said. “I just feel worried. Sorry. It's weird seeing them here again. This place, I mean. Do they know, you know, what—what happened? What went wrong?”

  “They don't always have answers for this kind of thing,” Cheyenne said, shaking her head and patting her co-worker's back gently. “We’ll all just have to be really supportive. Let’s focus on science.”

  “And right now, on unloading.”

  “Check.”

  Chapter 21

  A few hours later, everything was inside The Dome and mostly unpacked. Bonnie had called them all together for an introductory conference with Colonel Edwards.

  Split Horizon’s team had gathered once in New York before the advance team left, so none of the members were complete strangers. Trevor’s assistants, Julie and James; the new pilot, Peter; and one additional staffer named Dale Adams for security and IT were the newest faces, plus three new lab techs: Kenji, Brady, and Maureen. As it turned out, Rich was the only non-returner.

  “It’s going to take me some time to get used to being a lab rat again,” Lucas said to Ana as they found places, gesturing at all the room’s cameras.

  “Hey, that’s Dr. Scientist Lab Rat, a much better category than your typical rattus norvegicus,” she replied.

  “How much of it do you think they actually watch?”

  “No one’s watching it live, but it’s all saved if they need it for something,” she said.

  Before Colonel Edwards connected from home, Bonnie explained the new scheduling system, including chores, and did a quick safety briefing. Projecting a map, she reminded them that the expansion to Semotus included quarters for the new crew plus two additional labs, an expanded cafeteria, and a common area with a fitness room.

  Bonnie shook each team member’s hand as she introduced them, mentioning their area of specialty and a 'fun fact' for each person. Candace’s fun fact was, “Even though she wears many nametags including teacher, nanny, and medical officer, we all know she has the only name that matters.”

  The group chuckled uncomfortably as Candace stared blankly, looking unamused. If you only understood my relationship with my dad, she thought behind her lifeless eyes.

  After informing them all that the extra pilot Peter was only 6 and a half years old because his birthday was February 29, Bonnie arrived at the Whyse family.

  “This is Sebastian, our youngest team member at 4 years old. Dr. Lucas Whyse is a chemist specializing in crystallography and our resident quartz farmer. He likes to play with robots. He and his wife Jane originally theorized this use of piezoelectric power, eventually leading to the creation of Project Split Horizon's piezoelectric jet.”

  Lucas had his arm around his wife and nodded warmly as he was introduced. Jane looked restless. She had a length of HDMI cable and a medium-sized green laptop tucked under her arm, the early-learning kind children use with slots for special game cartridges in the back. She looked less than thrilled at the social interaction the room was currently experiencing.

  “Finally, this Dr. Jane Whyse,” Bonnie continued. “Last year’s project leader and a physicist that I’ve personally known for almost eight years. Now, I’d like to request that we—”

  She was interrupted as Colonel Edwards’ scheduled call connected.

  “Hello, Split Horizon!” his voice said, filling the room. “How’s the new habitat?”

  “Hello, Colonel,” Bonnie replied. “You're early.”

  “What?” he asked.

  “Yes, the Dome looks good, sir,” she said, not stifling her sigh. “Thanks for the expansion. It’s impressive.”

  “Glad to hear it,” he said. “Jane, are you there? I can’t see you.”

  “Yes, sir,” Jane replied in a scratchy voice, stepping forward so the camera could see more than her feet. Bonnie’s face betrayed her annoyance, but she continued with her update: a few sentences about their journey south, their quick transition at McMurdo, and their arrival at Semotus.

  “Cheyenne and the advance team had everything ready, so we’re actually going to start with our science magic tomorrow,” Bonnie concluded.

  No one smiled.

  “Ok,” Edwards said. “We’ll see what gossip MacTown has now that you all made another appearance. Mr. Adams, we’ll keep you appraised.”

  The new security officer nodded in assent.

  “Confirmed,” Bonnie replied.

  “Well, glad you all had a safe trip. Welcome to the bottom of the world, and call me if you need anything.”

  The team chorused a “goodbye,” as he signed off.

  Lucas walked over and introduced himself to 'Adams,' as the security officer said he preferred to be called. They shook hands, but the man didn't seem to be much for conversation. Looking over, he was pleased to see Jane smiling with Ana and Candace. As Sim and Hal got up to leave, Bonnie jumped to her feet.

  “Wait!” she said over the noise of the room. “I didn’t get to finish earlier. Before anyone goes, I thought we should observe a moment of silence for the Whyse’s baby who didn't make it.”

  Chapter 22

  MILO Personal Dictation: Cheyenne Marx

  Wish I could say that the first day with the full team here was rewarding. You know, “Good to hear footsteps in the halls again,” or something. But not so much. The unpacking was fine but the evening ended on a sour note.

  I know Bonnie meant well, she really did. Still, in front of Sebbie, in front of everyone, what’s Jane supposed to say? Frankly, I might have walked out in her position. Better than crying in front of everyone or just plain screaming. But she took it. That woman is either unflappable or frozen inside.

  Lucas told me a few months ago that there wasn't any conclusive reason
from the doctors for what went wrong with the pregnancy. They just didn't find a heartbeat at her last routine check-up. I can't imagine...

  I guess today answers the question about whether or not Jane’s still touchy about talking about their loss, at least to the group. No one likes to be startled or taken off guard. I think Bonnie should have let her bring it up, or chosen a more intimate moment to share condolences.

  This team seems to have a lot of human drama, doesn't it, MILO? Hmm, like you'd know.

  Seven months is a long time to dream about something only to have it evaporate.

  Stillborn is such an ugly word.

  Chapter 23

  “You ready, kiddo?” Lucas asked Sebbie two weeks later, affectionately tugging his son’s helmet tighter onto his head.

  “Yeah, let’s do it!” the four-year-old replied.

  As they walked outside applying Chapstick to combat the dry air, they met two of the pilots, Hal and Peter, on Split Horizon’s new snowmobiles. There were three machines, one each in blue, yellow, and green, with tracked wheels in the back behind ski front supports. The necessity of the toys was debatable, but Cheyenne had put them on the list, and Edwards delivered. A little recreation never hurt anyone, and it did make the outdoor work for both the pilots and security team much faster.

  “Can I ride with you, Daddy?” Sebbie asked, gripping his father’s gloves through his own. He’d been begging for a ride every moment since they arrived, but now looked worried.

  Lucas looked to Hal for an answer, who agreed. “Is anyone else coming?” he asked.

  “I spread the word, but no takers. Dám said maybe next time.”

  “Well, we’re suited up,” Peter said, shrugging. “Climb up, dudes.”

  “You got your beacons on?” Hal asked.

  “Absolutely,” Lucas said, touching his upper arm and pointing out Sebbie’s left foot and both forearms.