The Journey Into the Frozen Wilds

[Cearlan]

In the prevailing blizzard, visibility soon drops alarmingly, often to less than 100 metres. Even quite large features are difficult to spot. Visibility inside the MT-LBVs is even worse, with the driver’s periscope and windows icing up. This means that the vehicles have to stop while someone has to open the hatches to get a decent look to avoid risking the vehicle tumbling into a ravine or getting it hung up on boulders. The sky is not visible through the storm, even the sun barely registering as a smudge of illumination while it is above the horizon.

The winds are increasing as you progress and currently are blowing at approximately 65 kph, the outside temperature is showing as varying between 4 degrees Celsius to -12 depending if you are sheltered from the wind or not.

You have been travelling for about 45 minutes when suddenly Babenko's voice comes acrosss the radio. "Comrade Kapitan, I think you should stop and come and see this ... to say it is a little disturbing is an understatement."

[kabukiman]

Korovin is happy hearing some distraction after what happened.

[Priest]

Melnikov unconcernedly chews on some gum, a habit he gained from watching some American films. He has already dismissed the explosion he heard behind them a while back deeming that whatever it was it iwould have necessary for the completion of the mission.
He turns to look towards the drivers ice crusted window when he hears the radio message, although he can see little outside.

[Kadael]

Kriptoshenko has been silent and stone-faced ever since he heard the explosion. He hasn't thought too hard about the whys or hows. All he's sure of is the result.

[Mr. Handy]

Viktor tries to peer out through the icy windows, though he can see little of their surroundings. He is sure that the hydraulic fluid ignited and destroyed the plane - and all of the troops they had left behind - possibly as a result of the explosives used to blow open the exit. There's nothing that can be done for them at this point, he thinks. They're in God's hands now.

[Cearlan]

The journey gets harder as you go further forward. Snow and ice form and it needs to be cleared from the windshields / periscopes every 20 minutes now and the outside temperature has dropped to about -15. Two hours after leaving the plane, about 07:15 hrs, the radio bursts into life once more as transmissions from the Mi-26 Helicopter carrying the other half of your company starts to cut through though the heavy static.

At first the radio, once it has been correctly tuned in, indicate the pilots arguing with some officers who are clearly safe and snug at the Norilsk Air Defense Base.

Pilot 1 (Highly agitated);- "Norlisk Base, This is Mayór Limbersky We cannot penetrate any further into this blizzard - conditions are simply <static> ... gerous to continue further"

Pilot 2 (in background);- "Mayór, the rotors <static> icing up - we need to turn back now sir"

Norlisk Base (calm and collected, after a slight pause);- "Negative Mayór. You are to continue as ordered you MUST try <static> you understand?"

Mayór Limbersky (voice rising);- "I respectfully ask you <static> re-appraise the situation Sir ... I have never seen anything this severe at this time of year <static> I grew up around here."

Norlisk base (after a longer pause);- "Negative Mayór, we demand that you continue. The safety of the Soviet Union may be at stake here I order you to <static>"

Pilot 2 (in background);- "Sir even the fuel <static> to freeze"

Mayór Limbersky (shouting);- "Negative Norlisk base - I refuse to endanger the lives of these men and this helicopter <static> errand. When the storm passes we can go in without <static>, but to try now would be suicide, and murder on your behalf if you continue to force us."

A new voice comes on the radio shrieking wildly at the helicopter crew.

New voice;- "This is Lt. General Konstantin Pavelovish Suslin of the Strategic Rocket Forces, you may remember me as the same man who ran the mission briefing back at Norlisk airbase. If you continue with you trecherous talk about abandoning your mission you will be treated as deserters and your helicopter will be intercepted and shot <static>. Furthermore, the wives, parents, siblings and children of the deserters will undoubtedly meet with the gravest consequences for your cowardly actions."

Mayór Limbersky (shouting);- "Lt. General <static> greatest respect, these orders are totally insane and I believe the man issuing them equally mad."

Lt. General Suslin (still screaming, now even louder);- "Limbersky get your f*%!ing helicopter to site 6 as ordered or I'll personally flay you, your wife and three children, (his voice lowers back to a dull roar), especially your new born boy Кирилл (Kirill) who I will take a special interest in if you <static> Limbersky, you have a simple choice to make!"

Mayór Limbersky (shouting);- "Lt. General Suslin Sir, May you burn in the deepest pits of your own personal Hell. I just hope I will <static> your tormentors. You have left us no choice but to follow your orders. I wish to state that I ...

The radio goes dead.

OOC:   Psychology rolls from everyone please

[Mr. Handy]

Viktor can't really assess the state of mind of the men on the radio.

[kabukiman]

Korovin is too disturbed to pay attention to the details.
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4422038/

[DrPeterson]

Psychology,[dice]0[/dice]

After hearing the radio dialogue, Kozlov , his face cold, switches to their internal channel.

"Babenko, I'm coming over."


He double-checks his gear, secures all flaps and belts and nods at Kriptoshenko and Muradov.

"You two are with me, the rest should get these windows cleared. We're going nowhere fast if we can't see."


With that, he leaves the MT and tries to make his way to the lead vehicle.

[Priest]

Melkinov avidly chewing his gum seems to pay little attention to the radio conversation.

Psychology,1d100 → [85] = (85) http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4422252/

[Cearlan]

Kozlov Kriptoshenko and Muradov,Babenko responds [color=#FF0000]"Da comrade Kapitan - halt the vehicle and get the screens and scope cleared whilst I am away"[/color] The latter obviously directed towards the MT-LBV drivers

.

Kozlov,Your experience in the Spetsnaz upper-mid echelons gives you an inner warning that the screaming Lt. General Suslin, and Norlisk air force base are not even giving half the story ... there is much more to this than has been revealed. To have rattled Lt. General Suslin this much the actual situation must be dire indeed, in fact whatever it is has the command hysterical with fear.

When Kozlov, Kriptoshenko and Muradov board Babenlko's MT-LBV the radio sputters into life once more.

Mayór Limbersky (shouting);- "Norlisk base, Norlisk base this is White 36 team one - Mi-26 Mayday Mayday Our rotors have iced u <static> tail and lift rotors Mayday Mayday. Position 68 degrees 34 minutes 47 seconds North b <static> y minutes 18 seconds East We are going down repeat we are going down. Mayday Mayday Position 68 degrees 34 minutes 47 seconds North by 90 degrees forty minutes 18 seconds East You f*&@ing bunch of murdering imbeciles. Your mothers are now the devil's own whores <static> fate for forcing us into this suicidal <static>." The helicopter's communications cease.

Norlisk Base;- White 36 team one - Mi-26 Come in this is Norlisk base. Come in White 36 team one please respond" The base tries again and again and again to raise the now silent helicopter, without success.

[Mr. Handy]

Viktor finds the major's dsplay of mat oddly reassuring, and he hopes that the his fellow Siberian has survived. "How far away is their position from ours?" he wonders aloud.

[kabukiman]

Nicolay is happy that he belongs to the group that is still alive. But for how long?

[DrPeterson]

Kozlov didn't like how this mission was going so far. Too many casualties at the start was bad for morale, even for his men. They'd start doubting and that mustn't be allowed to happen. He couldn't show signs of weakness or the mission would falter.


He looks at Viktor, a look of concern for his colleagues in the chopper on his face.

"We will see when we get there, no doubt, but the mission must take precedence, Viktor.""


He then turns to Babenko.

"What's wrong?"

[Mr. Handy]

"Yes, Comrade Kapitan," says Viktor, nodding.

[Kadael]

Kriptoshenko can't tell much beyond the obvious as he boards with Kozlov and Muradov.

[Cearlan]

Kozlov Kriptoshenko and Viktor,Babenko rises as Kozlov Kriptoshenko and Viktor enter the lead MT-LBV. He points that they should return out the door. I have to see this up close myself - it's just not ... well you'll see. Once the four of you are outside, he points over to the left of the trail. When the group have walked about fifteen metres you can see a shape looming in the swirling snow. "I just got a glimpse of it when the wind dropped for a second." As you approach you can see that it is a small herd of gigantic reindeer. The calves were surrounded by what appears to be females whilst three large males are frozen solid, raised upon their rear legs like you see on coats of arms, rampant you think it's called. It seems as though they were frozen defending the herd against something. However they seem to have been frozen instantly, in place, something like freeze dried coffee. What could have done this so quickly? [ooc]San roll please for the realisation that this is much more than could be natural - 0/1d2[/ooc] [url=http://s255.photobucket.com/user/Cearlan/media/Cold%20Dead%20Hand/ColdDeadHand04_zps39f95ad4.png.html][img]http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh150/Cearlan/Cold%20Dead%20Hand/ColdDeadHand04_zps39f95ad4.png[/img][/url]

The three MT-LBV spare crew members are clearing the windscreens and periscopes as everyone waits for the four crew members to return to their respective vehicles

[Mr. Handy]

"Bozhemoi!" yelps Viktor, startled, but not too badly. "What could have done this?"

[DrPeterson]

Kozlov's face is grim.

Sanity,[dice]0[/dice]

"Must be a special weapon's research station...It doesn't change our mission."

He turns away from the horrible display and starts heading back to the vehicles.

"Maintain the approach vector and proceed with caution. Radio communication is to be restricted to a minimum."

[Cearlan]

"Da comrade Kapitan" snaps Babenko in reply to Kozlov's order "Proceeding on course to site 6, our objective." He quickly boards the lead vehicle while you retrace your steps back to the rear vehicle.

OOC:   Listen rolls for you three please

You enter as quickly as possible in order to prevent heat loss from within the MT-LBV.

After about an hours further travel the radio once more suddenly bursts into life.

http://theunspeakableoath.com/home/2013 ... ler-alert/
Not sure if I am allowed to put this link up as it's to an external site or not - if not feel free to remove it


Transcript of the above sound file.