Erebus: An Apocalyptic Thriller

by Steven Bird

  What else was down there? Could there be vast colonies of subsurface dwelling life-forms far beneath our feet? Could they be living in the total absence of light, thriving on the heat deep within the Earth, and by converting minerals and other resources into energy in ways we have yet to discover? This and many other questions begged to be answered by the researchers and scientists of MEVO.

  ~~~~

  ���Snap out of it, man,��� Dr. Gerald Bentley said sharply. ���It���s not as if she���s going off to war. You���ll see her again soon enough.���

  ���What?��� Dr. Hunter said, momentarily confused as he was still somewhere between his thoughts and reality. ���I���ve got a lot going on is all, and our clock is ticking. While the rest of you are busy packing up and taking pictures to commemorate your trip, Mason and I have more trips to make up to the mountain.���

  ���What is it you Americans sometimes say?��� Dr. Bentley said as he scratched his chin, pretending to be occupied by deep thought. ���Prior proper planning prevents piss-poor performance���or something like that?���

  With his face taking on a perturbed look, Dr. Hunter replied, ���You may be here to check a box in your scientific career or to simply be interesting enough to get one of your articles published, but I am here for different reasons. Discovery doesn���t start and stop with a University���s research schedule, or even with McMurdo���s logistical schedule; it is all around us, all the time.���

  ���Come, now; don���t get your knickers in a twist. I was merely teasing you,��� Dr. Bentley said, in an attempt to quell the hostility growing in Dr. Hunter���s voice. ���Neville needs only to get the remainder of our equipment packed up, and we���ll be ready to jet back to Cambridge. If you good chaps from NMT need any assistance, we would be delighted to lend a hand and assist in any manner possible.���

  Smiling, Dr. Hunter replied, ���Thanks, Gerald. I appreciate that.���

  Hearing several snowmobiles approaching, Dr. Hunter and Dr. Bentley turned to see Dr. Jared Davis, volcanologist and junior member of the research team from NMT, along with Derrick Mason and Brett Thompson returning to the Lower Erebus Hut from a trip to Fang Ridge to check on some of the team���s sensory equipment.

  ���I thought you���d lost it for sure,��� Mason said to Dr. Davis in a jovial manner, as he climbed off his machine and removed his facemask.

  ���I can���t believe I did that,��� Dr. Davis replied in a humble tone.

  ���Did what?��� Dr. Hunter enquired as he noticed the downward angle of the snowmobile���s handlebars and the crack in its fiberglass hood.

  Confessing his folly, Dr. Davis sheepishly explained, ���We were side-hilling it just below the rock outcrop before you get to Fang Ridge. I had a few too many thoughts swirling around in my head about going home, and failed to heed Brett���s constant warnings to keep both feet on the uphill side of the snow machine when in such a situation. I hit an icy patch and began to slide downhill with the machine still horizontal to the mountain. When the skis on the front caught a rock, the back of the machine swung around and the next thing I knew, I was sliding down the mountain backward. I barely got off and out of the way before the machine took a few hard tumbles, coming to rest on its top. It was a close one. My heart is still racing.���

  Shaking his head, Dr. Hunter said, ���You���re almost out of here. Don���t screw it up now. Keep your head focused on the mountain until you’re off the mountain.���

  ���I know. I know,��� Dr. Davis replied.

  Looking to Mason and Brett Thompson, Dr. Hunter said, ���I know you guys just got back, but do you think you could make it a quick turn and head back up with Lester and Ronald? They have some gear to retrieve from the crater, as well as some small wind-turbine charging systems to install to keep our wintering-over equipment powered while we���re away.���

  Sharing a glance, Brett and Mason both nodded as Brett said, ���Sure thing, Doc.���

  ���I really hate to ask, guys, but the sand is getting low in our hourglass, and we���ve got a lot of stuff to do before we head off the mountain for the last time.���

  ���That���s why you pay us the big bucks,��� Brett replied.

  ���Pay YOU the big bucks,��� Mason quipped. ���I���m just here because my grades would have reflected it if I had refused his offer to come along.��� Looking to Dr. Hunter to gauge the reaction to his joke, Mason added, ���Nah, but seriously, Doc, we���d be glad to head back up. I���m gonna miss this place. The mountains in New Mexico don���t actively try to kill you every step of the way. That���ll be boring. I���ve got to keep my heart rate up with near-death experiences while I can.���

  ~~~~

  For the rest of the day and well into the evening, everyone at MEVO worked feverishly to mothball the Lower Erebus Hut, their seasonal home away from home and research station, for the coming cruelty of the rapidly approaching austral winter.

  As the group gathered around the folding table that doubled as their dining room furniture, Dr. Bentley presented the group with a bottle of Mo��t & Chandon champagne. Standing before everyone, he said, ���I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for making this year���s expedition to Mount Erebus both memorable and full of great scientific accomplishments. I fear this will be my last trip to Erebus as the University is rumored to have new plans for me, but I���m sure Neville here will be back next year with whatever hack they send in my stead. I wish you all the best of luck in your future endeavors, and may we all cross paths again in whatever journeys our lives take in the future.���

  After a round of applause, Neville began handing out plastic champagne glasses while Dr. Bentley filled them all with the bubbling goodness.

  Once everyone had been served, Dr. Bentley held his glass high and said, ���To science, and our mutual pursuit of knowledge.���

  Lifting their glasses above their heads, the group shouted, ���Hear, hear!���

  The rest of the evening was spent joking and discussing their discoveries and setbacks during their time on Erebus.

  As the mood began to turn from celebration to fatigue, Mason stood, and with a yawn, said, ���Well, folks. We���ve got to get up early to have our gear staged outside and ready for the helicopters when they arrive. With that in mind, I���m gonna hit the sack.���

  ���Me, too,��� seconded Dr. Jenny Duval. ���That champagne has suddenly gone to my head in this thin air. I���m going to bed while I have at least a modest amount of good judgment left.���

  ���Oh, C’mon, Jenny,��� pleaded Ronald Weber. ���It���s our last night on the mountain. Besides, what happens at MEVO stays at MEVO.���

  ���Very funny,��� she replied. ���And just so you know, you���re even creepier when you drink. I didn���t think that was even possible.���

  As laughter swept the room, Ronald���s face turned red with embarrassment as he attempted to retract his statement by saying, ���I was only kidding, Jenny.���

  ���I wasn���t,��� she scoffed as she left the room, heading for her cot.

  Chapter Four

  Mount Erebus Volcano Observatory

  Early the next morning, the remaining members of the MEVO team were informed by radio that due to inclement weather moving in, their pack-out and transportation back to McMurdo station by helicopter would be delayed to the following day. This didn���t seem to bother anyone too greatly, with the exception of the fact that their food supplies had gotten very low.

  ���It looks like we may have to eat Lester and Ronald after all,��� Mason said
jokingly as he perused the cabinets in search of food.

  Laughing at Mason���s comment, Dr. Bentley replied, ���Good Lord, can you imagine the preservatives and toxins you would be ingesting if you did such a thing? Why, I would rather eat shoe leather instead of one of those rancid old chaps.���

  Quickly chiming in, Neville added, ���And I���m all out of Worcestershire sauce. I���m afraid you���d have to taste them as they are, which is dreadful to imagine.���

  Reaching into one of the cabinets, Mason said, ���It���ll be okay. We���ve got salt and pepper.���

  ���I know you guys are joking around, but all this talk of cannibalism still makes my skin crawl,��� remarked Dr. Jenny Duval.

  ���Just imagine if they were joking about eating you,��� replied Ronald as he stood and stretched. ���The saving grace for me is that I would have the last laugh. This meat is tainted, but you won���t know from what until you receive your diagnosis.���

  Walking into the room with his hands in the air, Dr. Perkins said, ���Okay, okay, that���s enough. This group sounds more like a pack of college kids than a group of distinguished researchers.���

  ���Hey, now,��� Mason disputed. ���I���m still a college kid.���

  ���You���re far from a kid, Derrick. Besides, you know what I mean.���

  ���Dr. Perkins is right,��� said Dr. Hunter, speaking up for the first time. ���We���ve only got to make it through one more day cooped up in here together without going mad. Who���s got kitchen duty today?���

  ���I do,��� replied Brett.

  ���Good. See what you can whip up to get us through the day. We���ve got to ration out what we have left in the event the helicopters can���t fly tomorrow either.���

  As the day dragged on, the residents of MEVO passed the time by reading, watching old movies, and catching up on some much-needed rest.

  ~~~~

  Early the next morning, Dr. Hunter approached Ronald Weber, who was manning the radio, and asked, ���Any word from Mac-Town?���

  ���Nothing,��� Ronald replied with frustration in his voice. ���I���ve literally got nothing. Those bastards won���t reply. I���ve been calling them for an hour now.���

  ���Hmmm,��� Dr. Hunter murmured as he scratched his chin through his short, brown beard. ���That���s odd. The weather isn���t bad enough to interfere with our comms. It���s cleared up quite a bit since yesterday.���

  ���Well, I sure as hell hope they didn���t forget about us. We���re out of food and I���m ready to get the hell out of here.���

  ���What���s going on?��� Dr. Jenny Duval asked.

  ���Ronald is having a hard time reaching Mac-Town,��� Dr. Hunter replied.

  ���What do you mean?��� she queried.

  ���They just aren���t answering the radio,��� Ronald answered.

  ���This is no time to be messing around, Ronald,��� she said in a serious tone. ���What did they say? When will they be here?���

  ���I���m not joking, Dr. Duval,��� he insisted. ���I���ve been trying to reach them for an hour now.���

  ���Well, keep trying,��� she said.

  ���Of course, I will, but getting mad at me won���t make them answer.���

  ���I���m not mad, I���m just concerned,��� she said, placing her hands on her hips and walking over to the frost-covered window. ���What could be going on to cause them not to answer?���

  Trying to ease her concerns, Dr. Hunter replied, ���It���s probably just a technical glitch. Radio or not, they will send helicopters to get us. Don���t worry about that. The folks at Mac-Town are always on their game.���

  ~~~~

  Over the course of the day, tensions began to rise throughout MEVO, as neither radio communications nor signs of their scheduled transportation by helicopter materialized. Their usual jovial moods had turned to near silence as thoughts of their situation raced through their minds.

  Taking charge, Dr. Hunter gathered the group in the main living area and said, ���Many of us have been coming out to MEVO for years. For myself, this is my tenth season. I don���t have to tell you I���ve never seen anything like this. There have been occasional technical difficulties regarding communications equipment, but McMurdo has several layers of redundancies built into everything they do. It simply shouldn���t have taken this long to respond to us, or to make contact via alternate means.���

  ���Surely, they���d have sent the helicopters regardless of our comms status,��� Brett said.

  ���Exactly,��� replied Dr. Hunter. ���Which is why we���ve got to start putting our own contingency plan together. We can���t wait them out forever as our food supplies are already running dangerously low.���

  Speaking up, Mason said, ���We���ve got enough food for two more days max, and that���s eating small portions and staying hungry. We don���t have much time at all to sit around hoping for something to happen.���

  ���What do you suggest?��� asked Dr. Perkins.

  ���I think we need to be ready to make the trek to Mac-Town by snowmobile first thing in the morning.���

  ���What?��� asked Dr. Duval. ���That���s a long way to go over a lot of rough terrain. We���ll freeze to death. Besides, there are only six snowmobiles and eight of us.���

  ���Some of us will have to double-up, and those who are lucky to be able to ride solo will have to carry extra fuel and emergency supplies. We���ll have to leave all our research gear behind. We just won���t be able to carry it.���

  ���Good Lord, Dr. Hunter!��� Dr. Bentley said with excitement in his voice. ���Not only does leaving our work behind sound like scientific heresy, but if I might be so bold to suggest, it also sounds like suicide!���

  Seeing looks of fear and confusion sweep through the faces of the group, Dr. Hunter explained, ���I���m open to suggestions, Gerald. But with our current food stores being what they are, I just don���t see how we can sit here and do nothing. If our communications are restored or if the helicopters arrive between now and in the morning, then all is well. But what if they don���t?���

  Standing up to address the group, mountaineer Brett Thompson said, ���Dr. Hunter is right. We can���t just sit here without adequate food supplies and hope someone comes to the rescue.���

  Camp Assistant Dr. Jenny Duval asked, ���But what if they do come, but we���re already out there freezing to death, or lying at the bottom of a one-hundred-meter-deep crevasse? They���ll have no idea where to find us.���

  ���Good point, Dr. Duval,��� Brett replied. ���But here���s the facts of the matter. We���re running out of food, and it���s the end of the season. McMurdo Station is going through what is essentially an annual planned evacuation as we speak, while the weather is still good enough to allow it. The deteriorating weather won���t merely make it difficult for aircraft. It will make it more difficult for all modes of transportation, including snowmobiles with exposed riders.

  ���It���s an arduous and dangerous trek to McMurdo from here by snowmobile, I���ll give you that, but would you rather do it three or four days from now in a weakened state when you���re feeling the full effects of hunger and starvation? If we���re gonna be able to handle whatever struggles are ahead of us, we need to get moving while we still have our strength and a few reserve calories.

  ���Besides, I know in our modern day
and age virtually everything physical seems daunting. We���ve become accustomed to traversing the ice in heated helicopters, but remember, Shackleton���s party reached the summit of Mount Erebus in 1908. They were traveling by dogsled and foot and made it in five days. We���ve got better clothing, better transportation, and a better understanding of the terrain ahead of us. Not to mention we���ll be going down the mountain instead of up. If we head out first thing in the morning as Dr. Hunter suggested, we should be able to make it to McMurdo by nightfall.���

  Showing his firm support for the plan, Mason spoke up. ���I agree. There���s no reason to think we can���t make it back on our own, and there���s definitely no reason to just sit and wait for the situation to potentially deteriorate before we set out.���

  ���So, Nathan,��� Dr. Perkins said, addressing Dr. Hunter casually. ���Do you really intend on leaving behind some of your work after stressing over it as you have?���

  ���My work is important, Walt,��� Dr. Hunter replied. ���But if I don���t survive, how will I finish it? Your priorities can���t be so rigidly fixed into place that they cause you to lead yourself down a foolish path.���

  ���Well, I believe it���s settled then,��� Dr. Bentley said, confidently addressing the room. ���If our seasoned mountaineers here say we should set out by snowmobile, then I���ll gladly put my reservations aside and join them. I don��� t want anyone questioning my expertise, so I won���t question theirs.���

  Chapter Five

  Mount Erebus Volcano Observatory

  After a long and sleepless night, the researchers began crawling out of their bunks and preparing themselves for the challenging day ahead. As Mason handed a cup of coffee to Brett, he said, ���You know this is on your head, right? Wise decision or not, if anything happens to anyone, their University will have your ass.���