IC - Chapter Six - A Shock in the Lightest Night

[Ghost_1971]

Callum picks himself up from where he landed, counting his blessings as he does so. Looking around, he quickly notices that John is missing. He scrambles to the edge of the crevasse, and is relieved to see his fellow explorer clinging on.

"Dont worry mate! We'll soon get you out of there!"

[Dave Syrinx]

"Be sure to take failsafe measures, to avoid anyone else slipping in! I´ve got secure hold here!" John tries to find a ledge or uneven spot to rest his feet against. He keeps his arms fully stretched letting the muscels rest.

[Dave Syrinx]

Gripping the rope, John tries the counterweight and securely ascends the icy wall. Well over the ledge he brushes off ice shards from his parka, "Nice save, mates! I´ll keep an extra eye on cracks now on." Getting ready to pursue the treck to aid the unfortunate others, John contemplates the encounter with mother nature.

[Henrik]

"Any bones broken? You're okay?" Olof asks John. He is amazed how lucky John has been. The engineer thinks about the people lost when they were securing the loose cargo and shudders. He does not want to see any other members of the expedition lost in unfortunate accidents.

[Dave Syrinx]

"Yes, I´m OK. Only a slight tension in the shoulder...Had I fallen any deeper- it might have popped." He moves the shoulder to loosen up the tension-

[Raiko]

Starkweather dashes across to join John and Olof, “You had me worried there John. I thought we’d lost you for sure.”

Greene quickly checks with John to make sure that he’s ok to continue, “I check you over properly when we’re next under cover, but you don’t seem to have sustained any serious damage. You’re a lucky man Mr Rhyes.”

[amarriner]

Isugtag gives John a hearty slap on the shoulder and grins. Nothing like getting the heart rate up to keep things interesting ...

[Decrepit]

Hang it! This skiing is too dangerous for a clod like me, Jack says to himself and looks for a ride the rest of the way. He's glad that John's made it through in one piece--he so easily could have come out so much worse, or not at all.

[Dave Syrinx]

To Starkweather and Greene, John says, "I have to agree that had I not been climbing those cliffs back home all those years ago - you´d be one less to return to the main land.""But let´s look forward!"

[Henrik]

Olof smiles for himself. Perhaps there is time for some luck on this cursed expedition instead of all the bad fortune they have had. The Swede's thoughts return to what is ahead of them. What could have happened? There is no dangers in this cold wasteland other than the cold itself...

[Raiko]

Southern Approach to the Lexington Expedition Base Camp.
06:55am – Monday 20th November, 1933

With John luckily unharmed the party set off once again; first they have to follow the line of the deep crevasse for several hundred yards in order to cross safely cross to the other side – finally rejoining Callum.

Then they turn north again towards the Lexington camp, more cautious now after John’s brush with death.

Travelling over the barrier is immensely tiring. There are several long straight stretches of snow where the sleds can move freely, but the land between is abruptly broken and pressed upwards by the forces beneath. Some ridges can be climbed only with ropes; sleds and even dogs must be pulled or carried up or down slopes they could not climb. More than once the party reaches impassable ground and has to double back a short distance. Every muscle in the their bodies aches before the trip is done.

In the end it takes almost four hours to cover the fourteen miles between the camps, but finally the weary rescuers reach a row of red marker flags, set out by Lexington’s people to establish safe trails near to the base camp.

The path marked by the flags heads north over the next low ridge; a dark column of smoke rises into the air from beyond the ridge, and even here the air is tainted by the stench of burnt fuel.

Halting the party for a moment Starkweather eyes the ridgeline suspiciously and readies his Enfield rifle, “This is it lads, get ready.”

[Dave Syrinx]

John makes sure the shotgun is functional, "Let´s see what´s what!", then he is ready to set off again.

[Decrepit]

Jack feels his stomach lurch as he prepares to advance with the others. He's got that same "move-out" feeling that he remembered vividly from his days in the Great War--he'd hoped he'd never had that bitter mix of fear, anticipation, and thrill again.

He looks around to see whether there's a rifle he can pick up. He's rusty, but he thinks he remembers which end of the gun is which.

[Steerpike]

William, reaches into the deep pockets of his suit and draws out his service revolver. At that moment, it just occurs to him that he has never really fired in anger at another man since the war...a cold chill comes over and he shivers slightly.

[Ghost_1971]

Callum gets out his rifle and checks it over.

Once he's satisfied it's ok, he removes his old army surplus Field Glasses from their battered case, and tries to get a better view of the smouldering camp.

[Raiko]

Overlooking the Lexington Base Camp.
07:10am – Monday 20th November, 1933

The rescue party follow the marker flags to the top of the final ridge; at last the other base camp comes into view.

It is apparent at once that something has gone very wrong. The air over the site is full of the choking tang of smoke and the dark pall of burning fuel. Pale wisps of steam curl up from the soot-covered snow.

The Lexington Expedition’s base camp is smaller than the Starkweather-Moore camp. A single long wooden hut centres the site, with a short row of tents spreading out to either side like wings or the sides of a V. The neat cluster of huts and tents it covered by a thin film of ash, and the pristine whiteness of the snow is marred by the gutted remains. One end of the hut is blackened and burned.

In the middle of the V, where a generator shack once stood, now there is only the cooling aftermath of a bonfire, beside crumpled remains of a fallen radio tower.

Acacia Lexington’s two aircraft, a Northrop Delta monoplane and her small Cierva autogyro sit near the middle of the V, both are covered in soot, but appear otherwise undamaged. The scarred line of the landing strip is close by to one side of the camp.

Callum surveys the camp though his field binoculars and Starkweather soon joins him with his own pair. Lexington expedition personnel can be seen moving around the camp amid the smoke and steam, but there is no sign that anyone is particularly panicked – they all appear to be calmly putting things back together, and extinguishing the last of the fires. It’s possible that a fuel dump once existed close by the wrecked generator and fallen radio tower, but that area is now at the centre of the thickest concentration of smoke.

Starkweather is surprised – disappointed even – that there doesn’t appear to be a battle to charge into, “Lets get down there and find out what the hell is going on, they probably still need our help.”

[amarriner]

Isugtag lowers his pistol and nods at Starkweather before starting his walk to this new camp. He notes Starkweather's apparent disappointment, but cannot share the sentiment. Isugtag might be a burly fellow, but fighting isn't what drives him. He can get the job done if necessary, but he'd rather avoid it whenever possible.

[Dave Syrinx]

"Yeah, let´s see what we can do for them, and hope everything is secure back at our camp..." John slings back the shotgun and starts closing the distance to the charred camp.

[Ghost_1971]

Seeing no obvious dangers down in the smouldering camp, Callum puts away his Field Glasses and packs his rifle back in it's case. "Looks like the fun's over for now. Oh well... let's get down there and see if they want any help."

"Keep your eyes open for fissures. I know we're nearly there, but you never know...."

[Raiko]

The excited sled dogs bark and snarl at the stench of scorched canvas and gasoline as the sleds descend the gentle slope toward the camp. Hearing the unexpected sounds Lexington Expedition personnel turn their heads towards the newcomers. One man, walks out to meet the rescue party. Half a dozen others follow him at a distance.

As he closes with the rescue party you see that the man is tall and weathered, he carries a rather hefty looking iron bar. stopping just short of the party he speaks in a booming voice, with a pronounced Danish accent: “We heard you were coming. I’m afraid there’s not so much for you to do. Miss Lexington wants to see you in the cook shack.”

“Ah.” Starkweather replies, a bit taken aback. “Of course, whatever I can do. You knew we were coming?”

“Ja. The ship told us hours ago on the radio. Your camp is worried for you.”

Looking somewhat deflated Starkweather accompanies the Dane back towards the damaged hut, Greene makes to follow the expedition leader, but Starkweather shakes his head. Through gritted teeth he says, “No, I’d like to speak to Miss Lexington alone thank-you.”

Greene nods and stands watching as Starkweather heads for the hut.