IC: Chapter One - September At Last

[Raiko]

“Ah yes Olof, you’ve expressed a lot of interest in seeing the drill, as I recollect. Perhaps you could help to look after this list instead then.”

The professor hands Olof list#2, “As you can see, all the components of the drilling apparatus should be located in the number 1 tween deck hold.”

Seeing Callum approach Isugtag, Moore shouts, “Yes, yes a bit of teamwork, that’s what we need, come on everyone I have lots of lists and there is little time to inspect all the equipment!”

Moore takes List#7 over to Graves, “Perhaps some of you medical and scientific chaps could look after this? Most of it concerns you.”

“A keen mind is no excuse for an idle nature I always say!”

The portly professor Pierce Albemarle walks across to Graves, “Perhaps I could take a look at that list as well professor?” He places a monocle over his right eye as he studies the list, his fashionable mustache twitches as he whispers with a grin, “Before Moore lumbers me one of the with more physically demanding lists.”

The looming, scarred form of Gilmore appears at Olof’s shoulder, “I would also like to finally see the famous Pabodie drill Olof, perhaps we could share a taxi?”


Prof. Pierce Albemarle, and Albert Gilmore

[Decrepit]

"I wouldn't mind List #1," Jack says. "Nothing too technical about food, though--" he adds with a smile, "it's damn important."

[BlackGoat]

Sean glances over the lists for anything of interest. He finally comes across the photography equipment and thinks to himself.

Not much here really, but I should be sure it's all there

Hearing Moore present that particular list to Graves he approaches him.

"Mr. Graves, if it wouldn't be too much trouble I'd appreciate tagging along aswell"[/i]

[Charles Graves]

The slightly pompous Professor Graves balks slightly at being addressed as Mr Graves but is far too excited by the upcoming adventure to concern himself with such a trifle "Excellent!" he beams "The more people checking the equipment on the list, the less the chance of human error."

[OrionUK]

"I'm not scared of a bit of hard work. I'll take whichever list is left." smiles James.

[Mister Juan]

Still holding the list, Isugatg's deep brown eyes went up to meet Callum's.

"Your help would be very much...." he stopped, apprently looking for a word "appreciated, Mister MacDonald."

[Henrik]

"Certainly Mr. Gilmore. Albert was it?" Olof shook his hand. "I have been reading about the drill for weeks and I'm very eager to see it. Perhaps there even is time to test it? Well, let's go and get that taxi. I guess we can continue this discussion in the taxi."

OOC: Olof leaves and I guess Albert Gilmore does that as well.

[Raiko]

The Rose Room - Amherst Hotel, New York
09:30am – Saturday 2nd September 1933

“Ok everyone, anything that isn’t already onboard should be in the pier 74 warehouse.”

Moore looks back up from his clipboard and says, “Excellent James, you can give Mr Sykes a hand with list number 5 then. Be careful with the dynamite though!”

The other three professors quickly join Graves, Sean and Albemarle tackling list#7, whilst directing their graduate assistants to look after list#6. As they are about to depart Moore calls out, “Remember none of the scientific gear has been loaded yet.”

“We decided that you’d be better looking after loading it yourselves than trusting the stevedores not to damage anything. It should all be in the warehouse.”

Louis is keen to check out the expedition’s radio equipment so he joins Olof and Gilmore, they are also joined by Samuel Winslow the graduate student.

Isugtag and Callum are joined by the Sorensen Brothers who are keen to check that all the mountaineering and survival gear is in order. Gregor Pulaski and Erik Frodesen also tag along, they will take care of the sledges and the dogs respectively.

Erik’s compatriot Olav Sørensen elects to join Jack looking at List#1, the pemmican will be eaten by the dogs throughout the voyage, and eaten by everybody else once the ice is reached.

Sykes directs the three camp workers Tamás Lopez, Hidalgo Cruz and Maurice Cole to take care of List#3


On the train, New York to Trenton, New Jersey
02:30pm – Saturday 2nd September 1933

McRaven is accompanied on the journey to Skillman Airport by Kitt and the other two pilots Douglas Halperin and Ralph DeWitt. They are also joined by the aircraft mechanics, Patrick Miles and Alan “Colt” Huston.

Huston arrived on the 1st as a replacement for Lawrence.

The train departed at 14:05 and is due to reach Trenton, New Jersey at 15:55. From there it's a short journey by taxi out to Skillman Airport. Moore has provided the team with $100 to cover their accomodation whilst in Trenton.

[Raiko]

Pier 74, New York
Afternoon – Saturday 3rd September 1933

It quickly becomes apparent that Professor Moore was quite right to insist on having all the Gabrielle’s cargo double checked before departure. Many items on the lists have not yet been loaded onto the ship and finding the right items in the large warehouse is easier said than done, at least three quarters of the boxes and crates stored within are nothing to do with the Starkweather-Moore Expedition, and distinguishing one wooden box from twenty others is a pain, to say the least.

Locating those items already loaded onto the Gabrielle is also tricky, the heavy timber and tarpaulin cargo hatches are open, both the main deck hatches over the tween deck holds, and the tween deck hatches above the lower holds, but these cannot be use by personnel. The only way for a person to get down into each cargo hold is via a heavy metal hatch and a twelve foot vertical ladder leading down to each tween deck hold. The lower-deck holds are reached by a further hatch and a caged ladder.

The holds themselves are unlit. Although enough light is available though the open cargo hatches during the day, as evening begins to set in it becomes necessary to rig up electrical lighting assemblies. Fitted with 200watt bulbs these are hooked on the ceilings, their cables passing back through the open hatches to the main deck, there are sixteen lighting assemblies available in all. Arrays of reflectors on the lighting assemblies help to spread their light a little, but they still only illuminate small areas of the holds.

During the voyage the main cargo hatches will be closed tight, so it is to be hoped that similar searches of the holds will not be necessary at sea, as the jury rigged lighting assemblies will be woefully inadequate.

By time the explorers return to the Amherst hotel late in the evening, it is apparent that many mistakes have been made in the provisioning if the expedition’s vital equipment, either the wrong item has been ordered or delivered, or the listed item is not present at all. It is clear that each individual box and crate will need to opened, checked and resealed, in order to ensure that all the required equipment is present when the expedition finally reaches Antarctica.

This seems to be exactly why Moore decided to be so careful double checking the manifest, but with so many items to check, and so many provisioning mistakes made already, it is lucky that there are still almost two full weeks to prepare.

The worst mistake to be uncovered during the afternoon were the kennels for the expedition’s thirty six dogs. A frame has been assembled in the number 5 tween deck hold, into which the wooden kennels were to be fitted. But the kennels have been provided disassembled, and they are all too big for the gaps in the frame.

Nils and Gunnar Sorensen offer to help Pulaskiand Frodesen assemble the kennels and rebuild their mounting frame, but even together it will take them at least two days work, and in the meantime Callum and Isugtag must work alone on the rest of the list.

Another disaster is the dynamite, blasting caps and fuses, which are all missing. After an exhausting search of the warehouse by James and Sykes, which failed to reveal any sign of the missing explosives, a few telephone calls by James revealed that the missing dynamite and blasting caps are all still at the supplier’s warehouse in New Jersey; according to State-Law the purchaser must present their credentials and purchase a permit before the explosives can be shipped. After consulting with Moore, James arranged an appointment at the warehouse for the following afternoon, where he will handle the necessary paperwork.

Of the missing fuses there is no sign, they were all dispatched from the suppliers on time, and have been signed into the warehouse, but now they’ve vanished. Sykes had no choice, but to order a second set.

Olof has had more luck though, the Pabodie Drilling Apparatus was still in the warehouse, inspecting it the young engineer found that the high tech drill was exactly as he had imagined. Together with Louis and Gilmore he supervised the stevedores as they loaded the three heavy crates by crane into the #1 tween deck hold.

[Raiko]

Skillman Airport – Near Trenton, New Jersey
Late Afternoon, Saturday 2nd September, 1933

Although it calls itself an airport, Skillman Field would be a more correct description for the place that McRaven, Kitt and the others find themselves dropped off by their two taxis. The facility has a single grass strip, and doesn’t even have a single hanger.

There is however ample parking area for the aircraft operating from here, of which there are half a dozen in addition to the four parked aircraft of the Starkweather-Moore Expedition, including a couple of Junkers Tri-Motors, so perhaps the small airport has a bright future

The four pilots and their two engineers are greeted upon their arrival by two business suited representatives of the Boeing Corporation, and an engineer from Fairchild. Boeing have erected a small marquee next to their three shiny new aeroplanes, “I’m Doug and this is Paul, our friend here from Fairchild is Dave Wright, we’ve got catering facilities and a full set of tools and spares in the tent.”

“I’m sure you gentlemen would like to look around your aircraft. Oh and you too Miss Knight, I’ve read all about you – it really is a pleasure to meet you.”

“We thought that you could all take good look at the aircraft this afternoon, and then get down to some serious testing early tomorrow. Our engineers will brief your guys of course, and we’ve brought you two full sets of technician and performance documentation.”

[Raiko]

COMMANDER DOUGLAS TO JOIN EXPEDITION
Sunday 3rd September, 1933
Famed Sea-Captain Returns to Antarctic Waters

New York (AP) - Commander J. B. Douglas, famed sea captain and former master of the brig Arkham, will return to Antarctic waters later this year. James Starkweather, world explorer and leader of the forthcoming Starkweather-Moore Expedition to Antarctica, announced today that Douglas has agreed to come out of retirement and captain the expedition's ship on their voyage of discovery.

“Commander Douglas will be an invaluable addition to our expedition,” Starkweather said. “Not only does he have a personal knowledge of the many of the dangers and hazards of the South Pole, but he is an accomplished explorer and adventurer. The expedition will benefit greatly from his experience of the harsher climes and his keen inquiring mind. I look forward to providing this country's most noteworthy scientists with a means to enrich our understanding of the natural world.”

Douglas, a twenty-five year veteran of the Merchant Marines, was sailing master of the Arkham on its 1930 voyage to the Antarctic with the now-famous Miskatonic Expedition. He retired from the sea in 1932. Commander Douglas could not be reached for comments. Starkweather has promised interviews with the Commander beginning on September 7, by appointment.

The Rose Room - Amherst Hotel, New York
08:30am - Sunday 3rd September, 1933

The breakfast room is abuzz with talk of the mysterious Captain Douglas, little has been heard of him since the Miskatonic Expedition returned, so this is a most unexpected development.

Jack arrives down for breakfast later then the others having finally got off the phone with his editor. Although the News ran the same Associated Press article as the Times, he’d expected an exclusive and it seems that he thinks Jack is to blame.

“You make sure Starkweather comes to you first next time, I expect to news out from this thing well ahead of the damn Times. Don’t let me down again Jack!”

When a very angry Jack finally makes it down to breakfast Starkweather is nowhere to be seen. Moore waves to him as he enters the room, “Ah good to see you Jack, Mr Starkweather asked me to send you though to the Washington Room as soon as you’ve eaten, he’s holding a press conference at 10am and of course he’d prefer you get the first questions in.”

When asked about the earlier article Moore merely shrugs and replies, “I’m afraid that it’s not really in James Starkweather’s nature to quietly leak a story, the more publicity the better has always been his policy, at least you’ll get your exclusives once we depart – if that’s any compensation.”

[Raiko]

Pier 74, New York
Sunday 3rd September, 1933

If anybody expected a “day of rest” they were to be very disappointed; clipboard in hand Moore continued to ensure that everybody remained busy at the docks, ticking off each checked item, and cursing at each mistake discovered:

“Well sort it out then. No need to ask me, just do whatever it takes. We really don’t have much time.”

After yesterdays problems Moore insists that every crate is opened, whether already on the Gabrielle, or still in the warehouse, so it is very slow going. The following additional problems are uncovered by the investigators:

The two crated windmill generators & tripods that Olof searches for on List#2 are nowhere to be seen. Eventually after spending much of day scouring the warehouse with Albert Gilmore, Olof calls the suppliers Willard and Ball Agricultural Supply Company of Chicago, Illinois only to discover that the generators have not been shipped. Apparently payment of $370 was never received. He arranges with Moore for anyother cheque to be sent, and the suppliers promise that the generators will be dispatched immediately once the payment has been received.

The team looking after List#7 finish carefully loading the crates of scientific equipment into the expedition office located on the Boat Deck, but the case containing the astronomy instruments and Geiger counter is missing, when Sean thinks to ask Moore, the professor remembers that that box is has been stored in the luggage room at The Amherst.

Callum and Isugtag are trying to check all of the mountaineering gear, while their companions continue to labour over the kennels, but the twelve bags of climbing gear and pitons are not present either on the ship or in the warehouse. Callum calls the supplier (Dalrymple’s of Boston) and discovers that the carton has been mistakenly dispatched to the hotel rather than the docks. A search at The Amherst reveals that these too are hidden in the luggage room, stored with all of Starkweather’s personal mountaineering equipment.

Still at least as evening falls, all of the teams feel that they are finally making some progress with the laborious task of checking and double checking the supplies.

[BlackGoat]

Sean tiredly stretches, when he was eager to get into this expedition for his photography and a chance at some fame he did not believe he'd be doing hard labor or as he was beginning to think of it as slave work.

He smiled as he thought to himself it'll be good for ya anyway. Good thing we're doing it anyhow, seems like they did a pretty sloppy job organizing this whole spiel.

Sean figures he may as well continue with the work. He decides to see if Moore wants him to retrieve the List 7 equipment from the luggage room.

"Professor Moore, Would it be a problem to retrieve these last items from the luggage room?"

[Steerpike]

McRaven shakes hands with the three men and heads over with the other pilots, keen to check out the Boeings. He is instantly struck by how graceful the bird looks. Like a kid anxiously waiting to open his presents on xmas, he can't wait to open this one.

[Ghost_1971]

"I think we are doing a pretty good job here Isugtag."
"We can bring the other equipment from the hotel when we come back tomorrow." smiles Callum. "Then with a bit of luck, we will see that light at the end of the tunnel. Figuratively speaking of course."

[Charles Graves]

"If it's ok with you Mr McPhearson I'll go back to help you with the equipment. We can give it a quick look over before we bring it back to the ship."

[Raiko]

Skillman Airport – Near Trenton, New Jersey
Sunday 3rd September, 1933

The three Boeings are every bit as good as they look; with their all-metal, twin-engine fuselages, with retractable undercarriages the 247s are the first of a new breed of airliner. It’s a testimony to Starkweather’s considerable fame and charisma that he has managed to procure three of these new aircraft, despite Boeing’s exclusive contact with United Airlines.

The four pilots put each of the 247s through their paces throughout the day and well into the evening. They find that each plane behaves well with only a few minor faults to report after each flight. McRaven is extremely impressed with the ease that he can instrument fly the 247, a task helped greatly by the gyroscopic attitude display mounted in the cockpit’s centre console. Low level night flying is also aided by the tritium illumination of the cockpit instruments, these allow all cockpit lights to be extinguished, boosting night vision, and eliminating reflections from the windows.

The twin 550 horse power Pratt & Whitney Wasp radial engines on Starkweather’s planes have been specially fitted with full NACA cowlings and controllable variable pitch propellers, replacing the two position propellers of the standard 247s. This means that Starkweather’s 247s have a single engine ceiling of over 11,000 feet, much more comfortable in an emergency than the 4,000 feet of the standard model. This will be particularly important when operating over the Antarctic Plateau which averages 10,000 feet in height.

Although it’s less spectacular than the three Boeing’s, the Fairchild FC-2 monoplane is also a good choice for the expedition. With its single Wright J-5 "whirlwind" radial engine, and a range of 700 miles, the Fairchild will be used to scout out suitable landing strips for the three larger Boeings, and for aerial photography and cartography. The excellent Wright J-5 is the same engine as Charles Lindbergh used for his record breaking flight, and has been the engine of choice for explorers and aviation pioneer ever since. Each of the pilot’s gets a couple of hours in on the Fairchild, between flights on the 247s.

By the time they return again to their hotel in Trenton, all six of the party are in good spirits, they have accomplished a great deal, and



Boeing 247 Cockpit

[Raiko]

The Fourth Floor – Amherst Hotel, New York
04:03am – Monday 4th September 1933

The sleeping explorers on the fourth floor are awoken long before dawn on the 4th by a loud disturbance, somebody is banging furiously on one of the other doors in the corridor. Though groggy, all of the investigators recognize Starkweather's voice, although it has a frenzied edge that none of them have heard before.

"Moore!" he shouts. "Blast you, man, I want you awake! Moore!"

Investigators looking out into the hall see Starkweather, in robe and pyjamas, standing before the door to Moore's room. His hair is dishevelled and he is unshaven. One fist beats furiously on Moore's door, while a morning newspaper is crushed in the other. Uncharacteristically, Starkweather is in an utter rage. None of the investigators have ever seen James Starkweather behave like this; even after the incident with Lawrence he was composed, although quieter than usual.

Starkweather pays no attention to anyone around him. After a moment he gives up his pounding and slams against Moore's door, bursting it open with a loud crash, and storms inside. Callum's room is directly across from Moore's and looking in through the open doorway he can see Moore, in bed, scrambling around for his glasses and robe while Starkweather bellows, beet red, and thrusts the newspaper furiously in Moore's face.

"It's her, Moore! All the time it was her! I should have known! Who else could it have been? The conniving witch! I should have suspected her hand in things from the beginning! Blast it, Moore, listen to me! How else could she stop me? Who else would have switched those cans of fish with oil? Who else has the money to spy on us? To throw things in our way? Ruin our goods! Sabotage the dog cages! Delay our trains! Poison the minds of trusted employees! To bribe, to steal, to throw barricades before us, for her own spiteful little reasons."

"I won't allow it, Moore! Not this time! She won't get the upper hand this time! I'll prove to everyone that she's nothing more than a-"

Starkweather stops in mid-sentence. He looks around, still breathing heavily, suddenly aware of the watchers in the hall, and visibly makes a decision. Throwing the newspaper down with a snap in front of the dishevelled professor, he says, in a terrible steely voice, "Advance the schedule, Moore! We're leaving on the 9th. The 9th, Moore! See to it!"

With that, Starkweather storms out through the door, brushes roughly past the onlookers and, ignoring everyone, stomps up the stairs and disappears into his room.

Moore sits quietly in his room. At first he seems as confused as the investigators are; after he picks up the newspapers left behind by Starkweather and glances at the open page, he goes quite still for a moment, and then sighs.

Looking up at the others in the doorway, he straightens his glasses and says, with deadpan composure, "Gentlemen, you heard Mr Starkweather. The schedule is advanced; we now leave on the 9th.”

“I shall see you at breakfast. We'll have to work a bit harder, I'm afraid. Now, if you will excuse me, I must dress."

He hands the nearest investigator the newspaper. Moore says nothing more until the room is cleared and his door, now unlockable, is nonetheless closed.

LEXINGTON SETS SIGHTS SOUTH
Monday 4th September, 1933
Blonde Beauty to Fly to Pole

New York (ISP) - In a startling announcement from her home in Queens today, millionaire industrialist Acacia Lexington told reporters that she intends to set aside her ledger books in favor of seal furs and snow goggles, in an attempt to be the first woman to stand at the bottom of the world, beating Miss Kitt Knight of the Starkweather-Moore Expedition by days.

Lexington, only child of the late P. W. Lexington of this city, has for years impressed friends and adversaries alike with her skilled maneuverings in troubled financial waters. Now she intends to venture into a new realm. Accompanied by a hand-picked team of journalists, photographers, and wilderness experts, the lovely Acacia will cross the Antarctic wastelands in a specially modified Northrop Delta aeroplane and a Pitcairn PCA-2 autogiro.

"It's about time a woman did this," she told our reporters. "Today's women are capable of anything that men can do. If I am the first, it only means that others will find it easier to follow." When asked if her planned expedition was in any way affected by the presence of no less than four other parties on the Antarctic ice this summer, Miss Lexington declined to comment.

Miss Lexington tests her Pitcairn autogiro over Manhattan

[Decrepit]

"Bloody hell," Jack mutters to himself after watching Starkweather's tirade. "Seems like I've been scooped again." Now I'm going to have to track down both Starkweather and Lexington, try to do a catch-up story ...

Jack knew of Acacia Lexington, of course. Everyone in the city had at least heard of her, and Jack had more cause than most to know, as his rag was prone to sensational stories about the rich and powerful. Starkweather's reaction, though, was, well, damned peculiar, Jack thought. There must be some back story here, something more than just garden-variety paranoia. Better call up the paper and have one of the cub reporters do a morgue search, and fast.

[BlackGoat]

Sean feels the urgency as well as he realizes that this expedition will not get as much fame if they are not the first. He knows he can't afford to lose another check.

Atleast we're leaving sooner, all this waiting is driving me insane Sean thought.