Polar Quest

by Alex Archer

  “Really?”

  “You bet.”

  Dave nodded. “Well, I’m fine right now and we only just started out. I’d like to get us a good hundred miles out before I give much thought to releasing the controls. I’m well used to long hauls like this anyway, so it’s no real big deal.”

  Annja sighed. “Fine.”

  Zach’s voice came back through the speaker. “Dave?”

  Dave took the handset. “Go ahead.”

  “You tell anyone else that we were coming out here today?”

  “Me? Nope. No need.”

  “Annja? How about you?”

  Annja frowned. “Just that guy Trevor at my dorm. He seemed to know already, though. He mentioned something about being careful out here and that he’s heard it was a big old environmental disaster area. He told me I should be really careful. He seemed genuine enough.”

  Dave keyed the microphone. “Why do you ask? Something wrong back there?”

  Zach paused. Then Annja heard his voice again. “I don’t know.”

  “Zach?”

  “It’s probably nothing,” he said. “I just thought I saw something behind us, that’s all.”

  “Behind us? As in what? Another vehicle?” Dave asked.

  “Yeah.”

  Dave shook his head. “Not very likely. It’s tough going out here, and unless whoever’s driving is experienced, they can easily get lost, even with the GPS system.”

  “How so?”

  “They have to be able to navigate with it. And the GPS isn’t quite as easy as what you’d find on a car. It’s a bit trickier.”

  Annja frowned. “But what if there is someone back there? What would they be doing?”

  “I don’t know. Tracking us?” Zach said.

  “But why?” Annja turned in her seat and felt a slight twinge in her side. “Ouch.”

  “Take it easy,” Dave said. “Don’t damage yourself any more than you already have.”

  “Okay.” But Annja turned anyway and peered through the back windshield. She could see the lights from Zach’s Sno-Cat. But nothing behind that.

  If there was someone else out there, the snow and ice seemed to have swallowed him completely.

  10

  By midday, they’d traveled a little more than half the distance to the dig site. True to his word, Dave had stayed at the wheel, only taking small breaks to use the jerrican situated in the back of the Sno-Cat. During those times, Annja had kept the tracked snow vehicle trudging over the ice sheets and on course with the GPS system, which was actually very easy to follow.

  “I don’t know why you said this was tricky,” she said as Dave zipped back up. “Any idiot could use this thing.”

  “Yeah, I know. I tend to exaggerate a little bit.”

  “I can take the wheel a while longer if you want to sleep.”

  Dave slid into the passenger seat. “Let’s see how Zach’s doing. He might be looking for a break.”

  He keyed the microphone. “How you doing back there, pal?”

  “Tired. You guys?”

  Annja yawned. Dave laughed. “I think Annja could use a break.”

  Zach’s voice came back. “Let’s take a break, then. We haven’t eaten since before we left and I could use some grub. Not to mention a fresh cup of coffee.”

  “All right.” Dave replaced the handset and studied the GPS screen. “There ought to be a place we can rest about a mile farther on.” He jabbed at the screen. “There. Steer for that and once we get there, we’ll get some food going.”

  Annja followed the course he’d plotted on the screen. As the snow vehicle traveled on, the line on the screen showed her position exactly. After another two minutes, she could see the flashing icon indicating they were just about at the rest point.

  Dave peered through the window. “Pull it in over there behind that hill.”

  “Is that safe?”

  He nodded. “Yep, and we should be on the leeward side, so we’ll be out of the wind. We can actually get out and stretch our legs. You know, keep the blood flowing so we avoid having a stroke.”

  “Funny.” Annja turned the Sno-Cat in and then turned it around.

  “Keep the engine on. Otherwise she’ll freeze up and we’ll never get it started again,” Dave said.

  “Okay.”

  Zach maneuvered his Sno-Cat into position right next to their vehicle. A moment later, Dave opened the door and hopped out, sinking up to his knees in snow.

  Annja followed and was amazed at how good she’d been feeling throughout the trip thus far. Her ribs had ceased aching and now, only a dull throb every once in a while remained. She still wasn’t sure if the sword had helped her heal.

  The fresh air felt marvelous on her face, despite being drastically cold. Zach waved at her. “How you doing?”

  Dave spoke up. “Did you know she was attacked last night after she left us at the bar?”

  Zach’s face showed concern. “Are you all right?”

  Annja nodded. “I had a bruised rib, but frankly, it’s feeling fine right now.”

  “When we stop for the night, you’ll have to tell me all about it. For right now, let’s get the cats tanked up with gas and then get some food on. I’m starving.”

  Dave was already getting five-gallon gas cans out of the back of Zach’s Sno-Cat. They took turns tipping them into the gas tanks, eventually topping them off.

  “I can’t believe how much gear these things can haul,” Annja said.

  Dave nodded. “They’re built for this kind of thing. And luckily, they can tolerate the conditions, provided we treat them right.”

  “I’d hate to get stranded out here,” Annja said.

  Zach walked over. “We’ve got beef stew for lunch. And it’s piping hot.”

  Annja looked at him. “How’d you manage that?”

  “Space-age technology,” Zach said. “You’d be amazed at what you can fire up even down here.”

  Dave threw the empty gas cans back into the Sno-Cat and they all got back into Dave and Annja’s Sno-Cat for lunch. The cab was filled with the sweet smell of the bubbling beef stew.

  Annja leaned over her bowl and sniffed. It smelled incredibly good. “Wow, that smells great. Almost fresh.”

  “It almost is,” Zach said. “One of the cooks I know back at McMurdo makes a great recipe of this stuff and she gets the freshest vegetables she can when the supplies come in. She owed me a favor and here’s the result.”

  Annja spooned up some of the beef stew and tasted it. Her mouth swam in the juices and broth and she moaned. “Even the beef is pretty good.”

  “As fresh as we can get it,” Zach said. “Which, honestly, isn’t all that fresh. But it’s still good.”

  Annja smiled. “I’ve only had wings since I got here, so this is a feast by comparison.”

  Dave handed her some coffee. “Here you go.”

  “Actually, is there any water? I’m feeling a little dehydrated.”

  Dave nodded. “Good point.” He rummaged around in the back of the cat and came back with three large bottles of water. “With the almost zero percent humidity down here, it’s good to keep drinking water. People don’t even realize they can dehydrate so quickly.”

  “Well, I’ve been dehydrated before, so I’m familiar with the warning signs.” She drank deep of the water bottle and then replaced the cap. “That’s good stuff, too.”

  They ate in relative silence, with everyone going back for seconds. Annja’s stomach seemed to appreciate the sudden infusion of food and energy. And the water was a godsend. She wondered why she hadn’t thought of asking for some before and then remembered what Dave had just said. People wouldn’t even recognize they were thirsty simply because the humidity was so low.

  “You sure you’re okay?” Zach asked. “I mean, after being attacked and all last night.”

  “It was a weird run-in,” Annja said. “They clearly hoped I’d be dead by now. The first guy tackled me and left me squirming on my back, una
ble to flip over so I could get out of the way of the oncoming Sno-Cat.”

  “How’d you get out?” Zach asked.

  “I unzipped my parka and wriggled out that way. Hurt like hell, though, after having my ribs cracked.”

  Zach shook his head. “Had to be those guys from last night at the bar. You weren’t in town long enough for anyone else to be pissed off at you.”

  “Yeah, but why would they just opt to kill me?” Annja asked. “Doesn’t make any sense. We were just having words. Are things so serious down here that you can’t get into a disagreement without folks resorting to lethal force right away?”

  Zach shrugged. “So what did the marshal say?”

  Annja spooned more stew into her mouth. “Not much he could say. He promised to keep an eye out for the two guys. Said he’d head down to Gallagher’s and have a word with folks, that kind of thing. But honestly, I’m not all that hopeful about getting any results.”

  “I wouldn’t be, either,” Zach said. “Even though it’s the dead of winter here and the places are by and large isolated with lots less people, there are still ways to vanish around here if you know where to go.”

  Dave nodded. “He’s right. Some of the buildings in the settlements are virtually abandoned. Someone who knows what they’re doing could make themselves scarce, hide out and emerge only a few times. It would be like they were ghosts.”

  “Speaking of which,” Annja said. “You said earlier that you thought you saw something behind us. What was that all about? You think we’ve been followed?”

  Zach shrugged. “Damned if I know. I caught a glimpse of some red flash in my rearview mirror. I looked back but the snow had obscured my view. I couldn’t be sure, but I thought a few times during the trip I spotted something.”

  Annja frowned. “I’m not that crazy about the idea that we’re being followed.”

  “Nor am I,” Dave said. “You think it’s trouble?”

  “Annja’s friends from last night, you mean?” Zach asked.

  Dave nodded.

  Zach sighed. “I don’t know. Truth is, the dig is probably what’s causing the problem. It’s almost impossible to keep anything a secret down here. People talk all the time. And the settlements are in constant communication with each other. Hell, if need be, the folks back at MacTown can punch a couple of keys and see exactly where this Sno-Cat is right now.”

  Dave eyed Annja. “Privacy is almost nonexistent down here. Everyone knows each other’s business.”

  “Which is why this dig site has remained so covert,” Zach said. “And amazingly so given the scope of the project.”

  “What do you mean?” Annja asked.

  He grinned. “What I mean is we aren’t going to some base camp with just a few pitched tents. The government folks have come in and set up a pretty elaborate camp. They don’t do things half-assed. Well, at least not anything like this.”

  “Will we get there by nightfall?” Annja asked.

  Zach looked at Dave. “We’re doing pretty well so far. What’s your take on that?”

  Dave nodded. “Theoretically, if the weather doesn’t get any worse, I think we can continue and make it in time for dinner.”

  “Excellent. I’d rather get a bunk than have to sleep in the cat.”

  Annja nodded. “My ribs could use a flat surface to rest upon. I’m feeling okay, but I think as the day wears on, I might be in more pain again.”

  “Did the docs give you anything to take for it?” Zach asked.

  Annja nodded. “Yeah, but I’m one of those people who doesn’t like to keep tipping pills into my system every few hours if I can possibly avoid it. I’d rather let nature handle things and just try to coax the healing process along where I can.”

  Dave smiled. “I like good strong pills myself.”

  Annja patted his arm. “If I don’t need mine, you can have the unused portion of my prescription, okay?”

  “Great.”

  Zach smirked. “You’d think you just offered him the chance to lick the icing off the bowl.”

  “Hey, I sell them to the penguins. Guy’s gotta make an extra buck where he can, you know?” Dave said.

  Annja shook her head. “Hopped-up penguins. Excellent.”

  Dave checked his watch. “We should get going. Idling too long puts too much pressure on the cats. And the last thing we want is to break down out here.”

  “Has that ever happened to anyone?” Annja asked.

  “More often than you’d think,” Zach said. “In the short time I’ve been here, there were already two fatalities.”

  Dave shook his head. “That’s only because they were damned fools and didn’t stay with the cats.” He glanced at Annja. “Survival protocol is to stay with the vehicles. Since they can track them with GPS, the rescue teams know exactly where to go. But the two who died insisted on leaving the shelter of the cats.”

  “Their last transmission claimed that the engines had died entirely,” Zach said.

  Dave frowned. “They were still out of the wind, and that’s the killer down here. A blasting gale will strip body heat even faster than temperature alone. They should have stayed put.”

  “Maybe something else was bothering them about their predicament,” Annja said.

  Dave shook his head. “Nope, they were just a bunch of damned fools. They’d only been here a week and then that happened. Just another reminder that you can’t fool around with Mother Nature. If you don’t respect her, she’ll kill you.”

  A blast of wind rocked the cat and snow pelted the windows. Dave put his spoon into his bowl. “I’ll clean up the dishes.” He collected Annja’s and Zach’s and then hopped out of the cat.

  Annja watched him washing the dishes in the snow. “He seemed a bit upset by that story.”

  Zach leaned closer to the windshield. “Yeah. The two people who died were friends of his.”

  “They were?”

  “Yeah. They were close. And they came down because he recommended they come down. But he was sick that day and I think he blames himself for their deaths. He hides it by being angry with them, but deep down, I know he blames himself.”

  Annja shook her head. “Couldn’t be helped, though. How long is he going to carry that guilt with him?”

  “Dave’s a complex guy despite seeming simple. I haven’t known him all that long, but I’d trust him with my life.”

  “That’s good, considering my little run-in last night.”

  Zach nodded. “Yeah, well, if there is trouble at the dig site, Dave is the one guy you’ll want at your back.”

  Annja looked at Zach. “You expect trouble?”

  “I don’t know what I expect. But given how things are going, anything is possible.”

  “And the necklace? What about that?”

  Zach sighed. “Probably the catalyst for anything bad that’s going to happen.”

  11

  As the afternoon dragged into the evening hours, Annja could clearly make out the peaks of the Transantarctic Range stretching in front of her. What surprised her the most was how small they seemed. She mentioned this to Dave, who only smiled.

  “That’s because the majority of their mass is buried under the snow and ice. What you’re seeing are the very tops of them.”

  “How tall are they?”

  “In total? I think about forty-four hundred meters is the tallest we have down here. Certainly not the size of the Himalayas, but sizable nonetheless. They can be impressive in their own right.”

  Annja nodded. “So when we say we’re actually going on a dig, we really are digging down, huh?”

  “Yep. No real need to climb up. All of the history of this continent is buried down deep. Makes things a little easier in that regard, rather than having to trek lots of equipment up a steep slope.”

  “Incredible.” Even through the windshield, the peaks of the mountains looked as if they could easily be on the set of a science fiction movie. The bleak sky, barely light, looming over the jagged
teeth of the mountaintops. And the ever-present horizontal snow gave the environment a true sense of foreboding.

  Inside the cab, the heat continued to pump out of the vents, making a marked contrast to the exterior conditions. Annja sucked down some more water and then replaced the cap. Since she’d started drinking the water, she’d had to use the jerrican a bit more frequently, but she knew that was a good sign that she was ingesting enough water.

  She turned in her seat and her ribs felt almost back to normal.

  Dave eyed her. “You seem to be handling that broken rib easily enough. And you haven’t touched your meds.”

  Annja nodded. “Yep, I guess I’m a pretty fast healer.”

  “Never seen someone bounce back from busted ribs quite like you.”

  “I imagine there are plenty of things I could probably do that you haven’t seen before.”

  Dave laughed. “I’d bet on that.”

  Through the back windshield, Annja could make out Zach’s vehicle following in their wake. His caterpillar tracks chewed up the snow being churned out by Annja’s Sno-Cat and seemed to spit it sideways into a nice blazed trail.

  Anyone following them would have no problems doing so. The trail would be easy to follow, even from a distance. It would take at least a day of heavy snows to erase their presence from the landscape.

  If anyone was following them.

  Annja glanced at Dave. “What do you think about the possibility of someone being on our tail?”

  He shrugged. “Honestly, maybe there is someone back there. I don’t know. With this dig, the folks upstairs could have easily called a few more into the fray and if we don’t have a need-to-know, then we wouldn’t know, would we?”

  “Guess not.”

  “On the other hand, if it turned out that our guests weren’t the friendly type, then, yeah—I might be a bit concerned about that.”

  “This is a mighty isolated stretch of journey we’re undertaking,” Annja said.

  “At this point, if we get into trouble, we’re screwed. The station at the very South Pole might just be a hair closer than McMurdo. But either way, without a flyover, any rescue would take the better part of a full day to get to us. And it looks like the weather’s getting worse.”