IC: Prologue

[GaryTheNerd]

Sensing that the commotion had come to an end, Clark lept into action. Emerging from underneath his table, "Well, there appear to be no more crazed gunmen hiding under the tables waiting to ambush us."

[Decrepit]

That could've been ugly, Jack thinks. He's momentarily occupied by thoughts of the team members, how they rushed into action so quickly and so effectively, as he scribbles more notes onto his pad. Though he hadn't met the young woman on the team yet, his opinion of her had increased many-fold thanks to her quick thinking and lightning reflexes. And the Indian fellow will be handy to have around, for certain.

But what does all this mean for the trip?

Rousing from his thoughts, Jack notices a knot of people gathering around Starkweather, Moore, and this Lawrence fellow. My editor'll kill me if I don't get the story, Jack realizes, quickly rising and heading toward the cluster of people.

[Charles Graves]

Graves stands and makes his way to the prone Lawrance. Kneeling next to the semi-conscious man he opens his medical bag and examines him, while keeping an ear on what Starkweather has to say about the incident.

[Shadow]

Kitt, frozen in her throwing poze watched as Lawrence was quickly taken down. Once the excitment was pass she sat herself back down and looked at the mess her food was on the table.

"I don't suppose I could get a new plate of food?"

[Raiko]

Prof. William Moore

It is Moore rather than Starkweather that replies, shaking his head as he speaks, "Lawrence Longfellow is one of the expedition team, a mechanic. He's worked with James before, and I have no idea what caused this behaviour."

Starkweather meanwhile continues to kneel by Lawrence looking quite shocked, as four New York policemen burst into the room, their guns drawn.

Their commisioner, who has come out from under his table by now says, "It's ok boys, everything seems to be under control, thanks to this gentleman."

He points to Isugtag, and Starkweather finally comes to his senses, standing and saying, "Yes, yes, excellent work Isutag, I can see we picked the right person for our sergeant-at-arms, though we never expected any real need for the post."

[Decrepit]

"Any theory as to why this happened, Mr. Starkweather? Any hints of prior mental instability in this fellow Lawrence?" Jack asks, pen and notepad in hand.

[Mister Juan]

Hunched over Lawrence, Isugtag's deep brown eyes were locked into the man’s almost dead gaze. The madman’s whispers were almost hypnotic… but it didn't affect the Inuit’s death grip around his wrist.

When the gun finally thudded against the floor, Isugtag picked it up with his now free hand, cocking the hammer and holding the barrel pressed on Lawrence’s right eye socket. He could feel his breathing slowing down. The revolver felt strange and alien in his hand, the rough texture of the handle itching his palm.

Isugtag didn’t lift his knee from Lawrence’s chest until Graves was next to him. Seeing as the situation was now under controlled, the polar guide stood back up, releasing all the pressure he had put on Lawrence’s lungs and chest.

The Smith & Wesson Model 10 held along his leg, Grey Wolf uncocked the hammer, but kept the weapon in his hand. Somehow… he half expected the madman to jump at Graves’ throat.

As Moore and Starkweather thanked him, the tall Inuit simply nodded at them.

Now that the situation was under control, he walked calmly to the approaching policemen, handing them over Lawrence’s weapon, before going back next to McRaven. He looked the man in the eye, giving him a discreet smile and a nod from the head. Even though he hadn’t said a word to the engineer, it was obvious the Inuit was quite thankful for his help… and for the fact he now knew there would be someone to watch his back if things ever got out of hand again.

Somehow… Grey Wolf had the gut feeling that it wasn’t the last incident of the voyage.

[Steerpike]

McRaven nods towards Isugtag, as the tall inuit returns to his table. Their eyes locked briefly, and despite the lack of verbal thanks, McRaven knew he had made a friend.

"And a damn good one to have in a tight spot" He thought, as he turned his attention back to the man called Lawrence. They were not even at their destination yet, but this man looked like someone in the grip of cabin fever, the poor s.o.b was totally gone.

The one thing a good pilot never likes, is to fly blind. It felt like that now and McRaven couldn't shake it.

[GaryTheNerd]

"We're all going to die?" Clark moved towards the group surrounding Lawrence. "That's what he said, right?" Turning to face Starkweather, "Did this man know something about the last expedition?"

[Ghost_1971]

"Lets hope this guy Lawrence isn't some kind of fortune teller. I dont fancy dying just yet."

"Whats going on here Starkweather?" demands Callum.

[OrionUK]

James, pleased that no-one was seriously hurt, makes his way back to his table to await an explanation or to see what will happen next.

[Charles Graves]

As he completes his physical examination of Lawrence, Graves whispers soothingly to the disturbed man. "What did you see? why are we in danger?"

[Raiko]

“Gentlemen! One at a time please”

James Starkweather raises a hand as if to ward off the questions, “I’m afraid I really do not have any answers about Lawrence’s actions, this is quite extraordinary – he’s normally a very shy chap, when I noticed that he wasn’t at the dinner I just assumed that he preferred to keep his own company.”

“As far as I know he hasn’t anything to do with the 1930 expedition, and in any case I don’t see why he’d believe that we would all die. What happened to Lake’s party was a terrible, terrible tragedy, but this expedition will be bigger and better equipped. There is no reason to fear that our part will be wiped out by any storm.”

Meanwhile Professor Graves’ attempts to communicate with the catatonic Lawrence come to naught. The gunman continues to stare at the ceiling, his dilated eyes do not respond to the flashlight from Graves’ medical kit, and the only reaction to the professor’s words is a thin trail of saliva that runs from his open mouth.

Two police officers approach Graves, one is a sergeant who says, “We’d better take him now sir, before he turns violent again. And I’m afraid I’ll need a statement from everybody before the night’s over”

Nils approaches Isugtag and McRaven, “You handled that well, it is good to have you aboard.”

[GaryTheNerd]

Clark motioned to Moore to have a word before the police took his statement. "Where was Lawrence staying at? Something drove this man beyond the breaking point and I think it would be in our best interest to find out what it was." Turning to Lawrence as he was carried away, "If an incident like this happens again, it may not be as easily averted, especially in the middle of nowhere."

[Mister Juan]

Looking over at the two police officers dragging away the now catatonic Lawrence, Isugtag barely heard Nils comment. He simply nodded in an absent-minded fashion, saying only "Yes...." . Isugtag wasn’t particularly shocked by what had happened. He had seen many soldiers completely loose it in the trenches of the blood-soaked battlefields of France.

What did trouble him was that the event would now linger in the mind of most of the expedition’s members. Worried souls never carried out their duties as efficiently as those who had a clear mind.

As he looked back at his half finished meal, the ranger wondered how the rest of the evening would carry itself.

[Decrepit]

Jack figures that Starkweather knows more than he's saying, but now may not be the time to nudge it out of him. Jack also figures that there's no point in tagging along with the police as they get the same kind of non-answer from Starkweather and Moore as the expedition members had already gotten. Some work was going to need to be done after tonight with all of that, and he was going to need to make some calls, follow up on some leads he already had. But there was that early-edition deadline to make tonight.

First priority was to learn a little bit more about his quick-thinking and -acting companions, Isugtag and McRaven, get a quick statement from them for the paper--Kitt, too, if he had the time.

Turning to Isugtag and McRaven, Jack says, "That was quite some feat tonight, gentlemen. What made you spring into action like that? Were you afraid?"

[Mister Juan]

The tall Inuit gave Jack a detailed look, from head to toe, a dead serious expression on his face. In his mind, Isugtag had done what any man in his position would have done. Amongst his people, a man was always expect to show courage and determination in the face of every situation.

But now, people were taking too much interest in him... Attention was not something the polar guide wanted.

As Jack stood infront of him, pen and notepad in hand, the Inuit in military uniform made a sound that resembled a grunt. He then simply walked passed him toward his original seat, slightly bumping into the reporter to "gently shove him out of the way".

[Henrik]

Olof sat down again, visibly shaken by the event. What had really happened here? Why had this Lawrence guy been so upset? The engineer was impressed by the performance of that woman and that eskimå. Olof absently wondered what the word for eskimå was in English. It was something similar wasn't it?

[Steerpike]

McRaven raises an eyebrow as the inuit pushes gently past the reporter without uttering a single word. He then turned his attention to Jack.
"You'll have to forgive Isugtag, he clearly doesn't like the attention. As for your question, well...all I can say was that it was instinctive on our part and Miss kitt too, damn nice throw with that plate...kept the poor guy distracted"

McRaven pauses for a second as they prepare to take lawrence away.

"It does bother me that someone could flip out like that. Was I scared of him? No, but I was afraid of what he could do with the gun. Like I said, instinct and I guess training helps you overcome the fear, lets you act while others bug out or take cover"

William then shrugs his shoulders slightly

"Thats all I can say. Curious about what drove him over the edge though. Starkweather looked really shocked at the mans condition. Makes you think don't it?"

With that he wanders away from the reporter and returns to his table.

[Ghost_1971]

Callum makes his way over to James "Can I just have a moment of your time please James? If you dont mind."

"Lets go and see if this Lawrence was staying here. There may be some more clues as to what sent him over the edge amongst his possessions."