by Steven Bird
���Let���s get to it, then,��� replied Dr. Hunter.
Entering the tiny mess hall with Dr. Bentley, Dr. Hunter and Mason squeezed inside, taking a place against the wall behind the two dinette-style eating tables.
���Well, then, what have your brilliant minds come up with?��� Dr. Perkins asked.
���Well, Walt, you go first. I insist,��� Dr. Hunter replied smugly.
���Since you asked,��� he said confidently. ���I think we should hunker down in here for the winter. It���s coming upon us fast. We have food, water, shelter, and heat. What more could we ask for?���
���We can ask for a future, that���s what,��� Mason replied.
���And just what do you mean by that? Dr. Perkins quipped.
���I mean, when we crawl out of here like bears waking from their hibernation in spring, will the PistenBully start after having sat in such extreme weather for the entire season? If not, we���re dead. If it does start and we use our fuel resources to travel in hopes of finding transportation resources left undamaged by the attacks, will they still be viable after having gone through the harsh winter without shelter and winterizing? Again, if not, we���re dead. I don���t think taking any unnecessary delays in getting off this iceberg is in our best interest.���
���First of all, young Mason, this is not an iceberg…��� Dr. Perkins replied in a condescending manner, before being cut off in turn by Mason���s quick retort.
���No shit, doc! It���s a fucking continent! I know that! Are you unable to think like a regular human being using common sense, or does that doctoral-level degree you have, hanging on a wall somewhere in your cushy university office, override your ability to think? Or, at the very least, does it override your ability to see those of us without it as being capable of intelligent thought, just as you are?���
���Hey, now,��� Dr. Hunter said, holding up his hands and urging calm. Looking at Dr. Perkins, he said, ���You, drop the attitude.��� Turning to Mason beside him, he said, ���And you, relax and stop letting your testosterone get the best of you. We all need to remain civil and use our brains, not our emotions, to figure out the best course of action to take.���
���Mason is correct,��� Vasily said calmly. ���Waiting will not yield any new benefits that do not exist today. It may erase them.���
���Well, then,��� Dr. Bentley said in an upbeat manner. ���My money is on Mason and Vasily. Based on Vasily���s experience alone, the man knows how to keep on living in the most adverse situations, and that���s precisely what I want to do. My physical comfort today does not outweigh my desire to still be breathing in the future.���
���We can���t wait!��� Dr. Graves said, nearly bursting with emotion. ���We just can���t. There���s too much at stake.���
���What do you mean?��� asked Dr. Hunter.
���I… I���ve been quiet about this because I didn���t want to speak up before I could see something in it, something of value that might be worth risking the lives of anyone else.���
Walking over to Dr. Graves, Dr. Hunter knelt down, and softly asked, ���What is it, Linda?��� He had seen a change in her lately. She had been more closed off than normal. He wasn���t sure if the stress and despair of the situation was getting to her, or if it was something more. Placing his hand on her shoulder, he waited patiently for her answer.
���As you all know, while I was at Crary Lab, alone, before you made it off Erebus and left MEVO for McMurdo, I had Jared locked away. I confined him with his blessing. He had witnessed the changes that others who were infected were going through. He didn���t want to contribute to the spread of the outbreak, so he agreed to a confined quarantine.���
Clearing her throat and wiping a tear from her eye, fighting back the memories of her dear friend Jared and the suffering he had gone through, Dr. Graves continued. ���Anyway, while he was still���well, himself���he allowed me to take samples of his blood and other fluids, as well as of the organic material that began forming around the corners of his nose and mouth.���
Turning to Dr. Hunter, she said, ���You remember the slides? The slides I showed you in the microscope room?���
���Yes, of course,��� he replied.
���That���s when I discovered the connection between my samples from deep within Erebus, and the outbreak. That���s when I was able to put two and two together to pin down the source as being the accident in the Ship Off Load Command Center and the injured worker who came in contact with the disturbed sample. Ever since then, ever since I knew I was to blame.���
���Now, Linda,��� Dr. Hunter said, getting immediately cut off.
���Don���t ���now, Linda��� me!��� she snapped. ���I know the truth. Whether or not I played any knowingly negligent or careless role in the events that began to unfold after I left the mountain or not, I am the root source. I know that. I accept that.
���Carrying that burden with me has given me a never-ending desire to figure out a way to stop this. When we left Crary Lab, I took my notes and data with me. I���ve been studying them relentlessly. Brett���s bracelet gave my thought process a turning point that has led me to what I now believe is a possible answer.���
���My bracelet?��� Brett asked, looking down at the copper bracelet on his arm.
���Yes,��� she replied. ���Whether or not Jenny���s blood had been infected in the attack that took her life, the thought of the antimicrobial effects of your bracelet gave my mind a turning point that it so desperately needed. It may be too early to tell without a real lab environment to test my theories, but I feel strongly in my heart that if I can get to a place where I can obtain living specimens and run a battery of trials based on my current theories and real-world observations and analysis, we just might be able to beat this thing before the entire world is lost.���
Looking to Vasily, she said, ���We have to get out of here. We must get out of here now. We can���t wait. You���ve seen how fast this thing spreads. We have all seen the reactions of governments who have a strong reason to fear the spread of these microbes. It���s getting awfully damn bad out there, and we know it. If we wait���well, there may not be a world to escape to, if we wait out the winter.���
Turning to the others, she said, ���We can beat this thing. I know it deep down in my heart. But now that all of the scientific facilities here have been destroyed, we can���t do it without getting to a suitable laboratory environment. We need to get to a proper research facility where I can put my theories into practice.���
���I���m in,��� said Dr. Hunter, nodding to the others. ���If you need a reason to dig down deep inside to press on, there it is.���
���Me, too,��� said Brett.
���I���m going where he���s going,��� Tasha said, pointing to Brett. ���His job as a guide and survival expert is to help people survive in harsh conditions, and if he agrees with them, so do I.���
���You���re welcome to come with us, Walt,��� Dr. Hunter said to Dr. Perkins. ���But no one is forcing you.���
���Of course, I���m coming,��� he replied. ���It���s die here or die out there, and I���d rather not die here, alone. Besides, Linda makes a very convincing argument. And based on her work in the past, I have every reason to have faith in her.���
���I will not let you drag us down,��� Vasily said in a flat, serious tone.
Looking into Vasily���s eyes, Dr. Perkins could see a man who had gone to hell and back, and had no plans of returning an
ytime soon.
Summoning the strength to reply, he said, ���Yes, sir. You shouldn���t tolerate such a thing, either. You���ll get these people to safety. You���ll get Dr. Graves to a place where she can try to end this madness. I can see that in your eyes. I will go with you, and I promise you, I will give it everything I have as well.���
Following a moment of awkward silence, Dr. Hunter said, ���So, we need to determine what resources could be helpful to us, and where those resources may be. Many of the research stations are spread far and wide, making it a one-shot deal either in fuel range or in the possibilities of getting stranded in the weather, or both.���
Looking around the room, he said, ���Does anyone have any suggestions?���
Vasily replied, ���The Italians keep trawler-type boat on large trailer. It would take equipment to move, if not destroyed, but such journey may be for naught, given the accumulating sea ice as winter approaches. It may already be too late for such things. Would not know for sure unless travel to Zucchelli.���
Shaking his head, and then thinking of another idea, he said, ���The Brits kept Twin Otters on peninsula, but is too far,��� he added, as if he were merely brainstorming aloud.
���Otters?��� Tasha enquired.
���Otters are airplanes,��� Brett replied. ���Twin Otters are good passenger bush planes. They can get in and out of rough, mountainous strips with ease. A Twin Otter would be a godsend, but like Vasily said, that is way too far to travel over land, especially this time of year.���
���What then?��� Dr. Graves asked. ���Do we even have any real options? If we found a plane, could anyone here even fly it?���
���I could handle an Otter,��� Brett said. ���When I was working at Mount McKinley, or Denali, whatever you want to call it these days, I flew the old single-engine DHC-2 Beavers and DHC-3 Otters on skis, hauling our clients to and from the base of the mountain. Bush flying is what got me into mountaineering in the first place. I was envious of those guys I was hauling around.���
���Why is it that you guys with doctoral-level degrees and professorships never have such interesting resum��s?��� Dr. Graves asked jokingly, cracking a smile for the first time in days.
Blushing, Dr. Hunter replied, ���I guess we were too busy studying to actually get out and live a little. Maybe that���s why we���re drawn to crazy places like MEVO once we get the opportunity. That is, to catch up on the life unlived, I suppose.���
Patting him on the arm, she smiled and said, ���I guess my life was put on hold in pursuit of university goals, as well. I can���t give you too hard of a time.���
���What about Concordia?��� Dr. Perkins asked. ���That���s a relatively new facility, only open for a decade or so. What do they have there?���
���That���s the deep ice-core drilling project,��� Dr. Hunter replied. ���I don���t think there is much there but isolation.���
���Concordia is over eleven-hundred kilometers from here,��� Vasily replied. ���Is seven to twelve-day traverse from Dumont du���Urville Station.��� Shaking his head, he said, ���Too far.���
���Damn it! Every possibility we present has some sort of disqualifier,��� Mason replied. ���I don���t want to give up on things because they might not work out. Everything might not work out, but something might. I say we go to Zucchelli. If we know for a fact they had a boat there, we might be able to get it to the water and slip out before the ice is solid. What else are we going to do? We have to give something a try.���
���We could arrive to find that the boat was destroyed in the airstrikes,��� Brett said. ���Don���t get me wrong. I���m not saying we shouldn���t go. I just think we need to consider the reality of the situation. Whatever we decide to do, it may be a one-shot deal. If we arrive to find nothing is left, we may run out of fuel in the PistenBully and be killed by the elements. What about Scott Base?���
���Wouldn���t Scott Base have been hit, too?��� asked Mason.
���I���m sure everything was, but the strikes were most likely anti-personnel, not anti-material,��� Brett explained.
���Then why did they hit Black Island so hard? There were only two guys here and the place was all but erased. Well, above ground, anyway.���
Shrugging, Brett said, ���Dunno. It could have been ordered because Black Island had been in communication with them, and because Black Island had the ability to transmit globally. Perhaps they didn���t want what they were doing down here relayed to the rest of the world? Their ���eradication at the source��� plan may not have been well received by countries who had personnel in the line of fire.���
���What would Scott Base have to offer?��� Dr. Perkins asked.
���Arrival Heights,��� Vasily replied.
���What? What���s Arrival Heights?��� Dr. Perkins asked, confused by Vasily���s vague, short statement.
���Arrival Heights is satellite ground station for Spark New Zealand. Is three kilometers away from base. Perhaps it was not targeted in strikes. If so, communication could be possible.���
���With whom?��� Dr. Hunter asked.
���Not at that bridge yet,��� Vasily replied. ���Worry about crossing later.��� Raising an eyebrow, he added, ���There may be resources outside government control that could give assistance. Especially with potential of Dr. Graves��� work.��� Turning to Mason, he said, ���Zucchelli risky. Is past Ross Ice Shelf. Travel overland dangerous due to coastal terrain. Must travel inland and around. Take too long. Too many risks. Scott Base is logical choice between two. If Scott Base no work, continue on toward Zucchelli and accept risks. Nothing left to do at that point.���
Looking around the room, reading everyone���s faces, Dr. Hunter said, ���Well, I guess it���s unanimous, then, since no one will speak up with an objection. We���re setting out for Scott Base.���
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Black Island Strategic Bunker
Once the PistenBully���s engine was adequately warmed by its electric block heaters and urged to life, the group loaded it with food, blankets, and other items they would need, taken from the long-term storage deep within the bunker. With everyone prepared to begin their journey toward Scott Base in hope of finding a way out of their once-beloved, seasonal home, Mason closed the passenger door as he took his seat, gave Vasily the thumbs up, and said, ���Let���s roll.���
With a nod and a glance in the rear-view mirror, Vasily urged the PistenBully forward toward their new destination.
After a few miles of having only the drone of the diesel engine and the mechanical clanking of the vehicle���s tracks to listen to, Dr. Perkins spoke up and asked, ���So, if Scott Base ends up being a wash and we end up pressing on to Zucchelli, who is the skipper of the boat? If we find it intact and can get it in the water, that is?���
���I vote Linda for Captain,��� Dr. Hunter said. ���Argh, Captain Graves, what be ye orders?���
���Oh, now,��� Dr. Graves replied. ���The only boats I���ve been on are Washington State Ferries. Most of the time when on them, I just stayed in my Subaru. I���m not the nautical type at all. I definitely shouldn���t be the captain.���
���It���s your mission, Doc,��� Mason said, giving her a wink. ���The rest of us are just along for the ride. It���s only fitting that you call the shots.���
���I did some time on a fishing boat in Alaska,��� Brett said from the other side of the passenger cab.
���What haven���t you don
e, Brett?��� Tasha asked.
���Acquire a penny to my name,��� Brett said. ���I���ve worked my whole life, but always seemed to have just enough to feed myself, clothe myself, and recreate.���
���Well, Mr. Thompson,��� Dr. Bentley replied. ���You seem to be the winner in the game here. You���ve been out living. You���ve had a quite fabulous life. You���ve seen and done things others have only dreamt of. If you had pursued other, loftier goals in life, what would that have gotten you? What good would your bank account do you in a world that is reeling and in turmoil as we speak? You���ve managed to have a life while making a living. That���s an accomplishment most people will never be able to lay claim to.���
With a crooked smile, Brett said, ���Well, for one, I would have been thousands of miles from ground zero, instead of fighting off zombie hordes with an ice axe at the bottom of the world and at the epicenter of the outbreak.���
Chuckling, Dr. Bentley said, ���And what fun would that have been? You, sir, are a part of history. Whether it goes down as an historic failure, or a triumph of humanity, you are a part of it all. That is a grand life, in my most humble opinion.���
���Where did your upbeat and positive attitude magically materialize from?��� asked Dr. Perkins.
With a sly look, Dr. Bentley said, ���I looked at you and asked myself, is that how I���m behaving? Heavens, I���ve got to snap out of it.���
Watching to see the full expression of bewilderment and confusion on Dr. Perkins��� face, Dr. Bentley said, ���I���m only joking. No, I���ve finally come to realize anything that in this world I thought was important, isn���t important at all. All my life I have been in pursuit of the esteem of my colleagues. I managed to climb my way to the top of my field. I���ve published many papers. I���ve received numerous accolades from my peers. But all of that is really quite useless, if you think about it.���