Ninth Cycle Antarctica: A Thriller (A Rossler Foundation Mystery Book 2)

by JC Ryan

  "Knock, knock," she said.

  "Becca! What a nice surprise," Sarah said, using the shortened form of her name that Rebecca preferred from her friends and family.

  "I'm not so sure you'll think so when you've heard what I have to say," Rebecca said, though her smile indicated it was good news.

  "Oh, I'm not sure I like the sound of that."

  "Sarah, I know we talked about me delivering your baby, but just hear me out." Sarah crossed her arms, but she thought she knew what was coming. Her eyes twinkled as she listened without responding.

  "Okay, I'll just say it. Dr. Summers just asked me to join the expedition. I won't be back before your due date."

  "You didn't tell him…"

  "No, no. I told him I had to get one patient's approval. He asked me who, but I told him it was confidential. I did say I would ask her to tell him herself."

  "Daniel and I agreed that we would wait until the beginning of my second trimester before we announced it to the staff," Sarah said. "But, I'll admit I'm having trouble keeping my mouth shut, and it’s almost July. I'm so happy!"

  Rebecca smiled fondly at her friend. "You deserve to be," she said. "How's Daniel at keeping secrets?"

  "The man is a crypt, you wouldn't believe it. But, I could tell you stories! So, I guess you really want to go on this expedition?"

  "I've never wanted anything more in my life," Rebecca said. "This will be the adventure of a lifetime."

  "You be sure to come back from it, Becca. Even if I have to have someone else deliver my baby, you're still one of my best friends. I can't do without you."

  "I intend to not only come back myself, but bring everybody else back with me," Rebecca laughed.

  ~~~

  When all the planning was done that could be done without the required experts, Summers had a list that included an expedition coordinator, who would be responsible for all of the logistics for the expedition, since Summers himself would be busy with research projects. In addition a medical doctor was essential, and Rebecca Mendenhall had expressed her interest in that position, pending psychological testing. Summers had no doubt that Rebecca would pass that test with flying colors, as easily as she could pass the physical test.

  For the research part of the expedition, Summers included a biologist, an anthropologist, a geologist and the cartographer he had added at the last minute. Two Rossler Foundation research assistants would continue their roles on the expedition. Support staff in the persons of an electronics engineer, a civil engineer, a couple of mining experts, an explosives technician, a communications and IT expert and a cook would be required.

  Although Summers had researched the volume of food required for such a group throughout an arduous expedition, his coordinator and the cook would be tasked with determining exactly what supplies to bring, including the food. Their selection would need to be made almost immediately, so that they could get started on their preparations. Summers asked JR to read over the applications of the applicants who had passed the preliminary testing, to find someone whose CV matched the characteristics they'd identified as essential for the expedition coordinator. It would need to be someone who had a strong grasp of logistical considerations, a track record in teambuilding and leadership qualities.

  As for the cook, the main characteristic would be experience in plying his or her craft in sometimes primitive and often trying circumstances. JR joked that his grandfather had often complained that all cooks were antisocial, and couldn't be trusted not to poison the expedition members, unless someone watched them closely. Summers hoped to find someone whose personality was not too unpleasant, simply for the sake of peace in camp. If he were also a decent cook, it would be a bonus. Summers had been thinking in terms of all expedition members being male until he invited Dr. Mendenhall. Now he wondered if there would be more female members when all was said and done. Without the slightest intention of being sexist, he felt some doubt about it. Dr. Mendenhall notwithstanding, the physical conditions might prevent most females from qualifying.

  It turned out that among all the applicants, only three had the required experience for expedition coordinator. Those three were invited to Boulder to complete the remaining psychological interviews and physical tests beyond those they had already passed. Among them were wall climbing, bouldering, free solo-climbing and cross-country skiing evaluations. Summers anticipated that even non-researchers would be required to keep up in physically challenging conditions. The candidate who tested the strongest turned out to be a Frenchman, Paul LeClerc, who accepted the job offer with alacrity. Summers immediately gave him the task of selecting the cook. Who better than a Frenchman to select a skilled cook?

  Next on the agenda was filling the researcher roles. Summers tasked JR with interviewing the Rossler Foundation research assistants to determine their interest in joining the expedition and to coordinate testing of any who expressed the desire to do so. Meanwhile, Summers himself combed through the CVs remaining to locate his research scientists. He found his biologist, Antonio Santiago, among the Chilean applicants, the anthropologist, Cecil Stone, in Great Britain and, to his delight, Robert Cartwright, the geologist, in Australia.

  That had been a bonus, he thought. In addition to being from one of the funding countries, perhaps the man would be more familiar with geology in the southern hemisphere than a North American or European. For balance, he eliminated all cartographers except those hailing from the United States, at least for a preliminary pass. Once again, a round of testing as guests of the Rossler Foundation in Boulder ensued. Summers counted it auspicious that his first selections passed the testing with flying colors. His research team assembled, Summers set them to describing research objectives and listing supplies or equipment that those objectives would require. All were housed temporarily in a small apartment building that the Foundation had acquired for the purpose. All were also given guest offices in the Foundation headquarters building.

  Now, all that remained was to recruit support staff, and it was imperative that this happen as quickly as practical. The six months between approval of the expedition and the planned departure date were now half gone, and there was still so much to do. Summers, Nicholas Rossler and the cartographer, Angela Brown, were spending hours poring over both ancient and recent maps of the southernmost continent, discussing routes and potential locations for a city to be hidden under the ice. While JR, assisted at times by Daniel, located suitable support specialists, Summers and his helpers labored to determine how the expedition would proceed. That would be important to know once the specialists were on board, so that they could requisition the supplies and equipment they would need.

  Once all of the scientists and support staff had determined their needs, it still remained to acquire everything on the list. Summers often thought that the undertaking was as massive as if he had been leading an expedition to a hostile planet. In fact, though their destination was on old, familiar Earth, it was indeed a very hostile environment into which he would lead them. Temperatures would average about 36°F during the peak of their summer expedition, though extremes at night could drop to only 14°F or rise during the day to a balmy mid-50s. Wind, altitude and latitude as they explored would cause these temperatures to be highly variable. In addition to determining their supplies and equipment requirements, it would soon become necessary to begin training all of the expedition members in polar safety measures as well as how to handle strenuous activity under harsh conditions.

  It was almost at the last possible moment that Summers realized he needed to transport his entire team to the Andes for the most strenuous training. In Colorado, it was summer and even the 14ers, that is, the peaks that topped 14,000 feet, had little snow or ice. And yet, traversing the Transantarctic Mountains would require the same skills as hiking or skiing 14ers. The logical answer was Chile or Argentina, whose ski season extended from mid-June to mid-October. A hasty consultation with Daniel and a few other advisers drawn from Foundation staff or the Board achie
ved consensus. Within a month, the expedition members would be dispatched to a ski resort in Chile to continue their training, while Foundation staff members took over the remaining tasks in outfitting the expedition.

  One thing Summers had not anticipated, though, was the surprise that Daniel sprung on him when he let Summers know he expected JR to be included in the expedition. Summers arranged a meeting to discuss the possibility privately with Daniel as soon as he heard.

  "You understand, Daniel that we have created a team specifically recruited for their psychological fitness within the team environment, as well as their expertise and physical fitness, yes? JR has not gone through any of that testing, and he’s shown no interest in going."

  "Yes, Charles. Of course I understand that. But you must understand my position. When you agreed to use JR as your assistant and then involved him in every aspect of the planning, I understood that to mean that he would be joining the expedition. He maintains his physical training, and in fact was already more fit than many of your team, due to his Marine training. I get that he is sometimes difficult, but again, because of his Marine training, he’s not unsuited to a team environment. Not only do I think he will be an asset to your expedition, but I must insist that you take him. I’d hate for us to have a big difference of opinion on this.

  "Does my funding depends on my cooperation?" Summers was maintaining a cool exterior, while starting a slow burn of indignation inside.

  "I wouldn't want to put it that way, and I hope that our friendship would mean you wouldn't make me." Daniel said. “But, assuming we’re now in agreement, I would ask you to keep it to yourself until I have a chance to put it to JR. We haven’t discussed it yet.

  It was plain to Summers that, though he wouldn't say so, Daniel was taking a stand from which he wouldn't lightly back down. It was rather surprising and puzzling. Rather than argue the point with Daniel, Summers tried an end run, appealing to Sarah to intervene. While she disapproved of including JR, which she only privately confessed to Summers, she declined to get involved in the controversy.

  “Charles, you can’t ask me to do that; I’m Daniel’s wife. And he has a point. JR is lost, and he needs some guidance to find himself. Maybe he wouldn’t pass your psychological tests right now, but if you’d known him before, you’d know that it would have been a slam-dunk for him then. He needs a chance to renew his self-esteem, get back to the JR he used to be. He has a strong sense of self-preservation. He won’t slow you down, and if you’ll just maintain authoritative control, he’ll be fine. Besides, he’s done good work in helping you get ready hasn’t he? Being allowed to go would be a reward for him.”

  Summers had his doubts, but he had more important things on his mind, such as the health and safety of all seventeen of his team, including himself and JR. He could spend no more time worrying about it. In only two weeks, they’d be transferring to Chile, and he had to be ready.

  ~~~

  In the time remaining before transferring the team to Chile, Summers insisted that they start doing things as a team. He wanted to observe their interaction and have Rebecca do the same. All in all, he was pleased with the results. With both his cartographer and the doctor being female, the other scientists were on their best behavior, while having females in both the electronics engineer and the communications/IT specialist roles had excited only a little sexist grumbling from the others before the team met each other. That both of the latter women were young and attractive quieted the grumbling once and for all then.

  As they got to know each other, their quirks and habits, likes and dislikes, set them apart as individuals. Santiago, the paleobiologist, loved to play poker, but was no good at it. He cheerfully lost to JR on a regular basis. JR, on the other hand, blithely unaware that he was slated to go with them, took part in the social activities because they were fun, and fun was his middle name.

  JR constantly practiced his billiards game, as his sister-in-law famously slaughtered him every time they played. That Sarah also slaughtered Daniel and their brother Aaron mattered not at all. He was determined to gain the skill to beat her. The Brit anthropologist, Cecil Stone, read ancient Greek erotic poetry, translating aloud any time he could attract the undivided attention of anyone at all, especially one of the women. As far as Summers could tell, they would be a compatible and interesting group with which to spend five relatively isolated months.

  One more female was included on the team, a research assistant that Charles was unsure of, though she seemed competent at her job and had passed the required tests. He didn’t know why he had an aversion to the woman, unless it was her ridiculous name—Misty Rivers—or perhaps her unidentifiable accent or her slutty clothing and swaying hips. She just made him uneasy, never more so when he saw her leave the building arm in arm with JR half an hour before quitting time one afternoon. After that, he took a look at JR’s notes to identify a replacement if necessary. However, other than the taking off without authorization, he couldn’t fault her. She had even clocked out properly, so she couldn’t be accused of time fraud.

  The cook was among his favorites. LeClerc had found a brawny, hairy, foul-mouthed Cajun who could put a meal on the table that was fit for a king with nothing more than a few vegetables, some butter, flour and any kind of meat or seafood, including some disgusting little creatures that he called crawdads. They looked like large roaches, but tasted like lobster, and Charles had become reluctantly addicted to the little bastards. He hoped that Deveau, whose first name, Bartolome, was quickly shortened to a more appropriate and descriptive ‘Bart’, had laid in a supply of them to take to Antarctica with them. Somehow, he doubted if they were native to the region.

  Aside from his inappropriate attention to the questionable Misty, JR was giving him no trouble so far, though he privately thought that would change if JR knew he would be going with them. Despite Sarah’s belief that it would be a reward, there must be a reason Daniel was treating it as a delicate subject. JR did as he was asked, did a good job for the most part, and was pleasant to the other team members. Discreet inquiries by Dr. Mendenhall revealed that everyone liked him, even she did, although as a friend of the family she knew all too well how volatile he could be. Summers wondered belatedly if she was in on the secret, or if he’d just let the cat out of the bag with his questions.

  Before they left for Chile, the team was trained in first aid and polar survival techniques, the use of their protective gear and rescue equipment, and some were cross-trained on essential but non-specialist skills in case the designated specialist was unable to perform his or her duties. Nothing was left to chance, no eventuality unexplored. Even stress-reduction techniques such as yoga and meditation were in the training regimen. JR avoided the stress-reduction courses, claiming that he didn’t get stress, he caused it. He saw no reason to participate when he wouldn’t be going on the expedition, and he didn’t believe the techniques were effective anyway. They hadn’t helped his PTSD at all.

  Meanwhile, since the archaeologists and Angela Brown had identified a few likely areas to explore, Summers called in the civil engineer, Dan Littleton, to get an idea of how they might expect the traverse of the icepack to go when there were no roads available. Robert Cartwright, the Aussie geologist, was the only one of the team ever to have set foot on Antarctica before, so he was included in the planning. He warned that the ice flowed in sometimes surprising ways, and that they would have to look out for crevasses as on any glacier.

  Tunneling would be a risky proposition, and blasting would be even more so, though the expert they’d recruited had a reputation as the best at his specialty and had worked in a variety of conditions, including pipeline work in the Arctic, for ten years. Still, with the ice pack up to three miles thick, if they hoped to find a ruined city on bedrock, they’d probably have to dig somehow, just to get to it. Finding it in the first place was another story.

  To aid in that task, the group did their best to compare the ancient maps, especially the Piri Reis map that ha
d started Summers’ fascination with the idea of a populated Antarctica, with modern satellite maps. The resemblance of the shoreline to today’s shoreline, visible under the ice only through a technique that pulled information from satellite imagery, radio echoes to determine ice thickness, seismic techniques and cartographic data, was astounding. It could only have been drawn either during a time when the ice was not present, or by using similar techniques, which certainly weren’t available during the time of the Piri Reis map.

  Everyone on the team was acutely aware that, based on the map of the 10th Cycle world that Summers had commissioned, considerable tectonic shift had occurred, possibly in a catastrophic way at the end of the 10th Cycle. What that had done to the interior structure of Antarctica was up for debate, and much of it centered on the Transantarctic Mountains.

  According to the 10th Cycle map, Australia either had not existed or had not been explored, though they all thought the latter was unlikely given the long history of the 10th Cycle. According to modern geographic theory, the western portion of Antarctica had broken away from Australia and moved toward the eastern portion of Antarctica via tectonic drift and seafloor spreading, until the two portions collided, pushing up the continent-dividing mountain range in the process. Summers, backed up by Cartwright, suspected that the most likely place to find a buried city was within the disturbed area, though it may mean that the ruins were shattered beyond recognition.

  The next most likely scenario was that the ruins were instead under the Admiral Byrd glacier, the lowest point in Antarctica at 1.7 miles below sea level. This, however, presented the difficulty of ice so thick that discovery of any ruins was doubtful, and reaching them almost impossible if indeed they still existed.

  No, with luck, they’d find what they were looking for within the mountain range, though doing so might prove difficult. In any case, locating and reaching the target sites would require bivouac on the ice at times, and would test the stamina and resolve of the team as much as any exploration had ever tested pioneering explorers in history.