S10: Uncovering the Cots and Plots
Jeff/Dr. Robert Cope was absent
28 Nov: Oskar tried to shake the image of Lake’s specimen, but it was forever seared into his retina and brain. “I remember Lake’s radio broadcasts during his 1931 expedition, but his words don’t do justice to that…that…thing! I was expecting more of a prehistoric penguin. I still think spores, or a biohazard was released when Lake dissected the thing. Maybe that’s why Danforth and Gedney went crazy. We best take precautions; setup a 2nd containment tent for its examination.” Wilbur on the other hand was puzzled, “That was an elaborate 5-pointed star cairn and shaft to intern the thing. It must have required a tripod rig to lower those heavy bodies. And why would Dyer affix that 5-pointed star soapstone cap? As if paying homage.”
Moore was even more
determined as he assigned tasks, “Wilbur, you and Sykes scout the area for the
cemetery where Dyer buried Lake’s party. Their drill-site is supposedly a
quarter-mile southwest; so, start about a hundred yards in that direction then
work your way north to do a full perimeter check around the camps.” Wilbur
questioned, “Why wouldn’t Dyer just bury them here at their camp? There are
plenty more hummocks to unearth right here. Do you have more Dyer records not
displayed at the MU museum?” Moore ignored the question, “And take Priestly
with you to document.”
Oskar oversaw the transport of the specimen by sled back to camp where he enlisted David Packard to setup the special biohazard tent. “Precautions. I want anyone entering this tent to wear protective breathing masks. Get me bags of salt to preserve this thing. I remember the MU museum records say the things were preserved by mineral salts yet remained flexible. And let me know as soon as either Paleontologist (Moorehouse Bryce or his assistant Timothy Cartier) arrives. I need to pre-brief them of my concerns before they start dissecting.”
Sykes led his tethered trio along on snowshoes occasionally stopping to check each other for signs of frostbite. “Damn it Wilbur, your parka is too tight. Needs to breath to ventilate else you’ll sweat.” They trudged southwest toward the base of a mountain range, peering thru their snow-goggles for any signs of mounds. [Spot-hard] Wilbur pointed in the distance, “See that reflection?! As if manmade.” Dark in color, almost spidery with legs next to a large hummock. Realization as they drew close, “The drill site. An ice-blasted metal tripod erected over a frozen hole. The hummock of excavated rock. This must be the cave entrance they dug out. Let’s mark it with our trail flags to aid finding it again.”Wilbur saw a higher rise
to the east and climbed it for bearing. [Spot-hard] “Sykes, come quick!”
Another mound in the distance. Something fluttering atop it. Sykes took out his
reference map to mark the bearing relative to the drill-site and camps. Single
file once more as they trudged on, soon recognizing the tattered remains of an
American Flag waving over the mound. And a Miskatonic University flag fluttering
at its base. “Look, a placard memorializing Lake’s team members. We need to get
back to camp to announce our finds. Oskar will be ecstatic to visit his dad.
And Professor Moore to pay homage to his dear MU friends.”
Meanwhile, Oskar and
Professor Moore, appropriately suited with masks, entered the tent to examine
the specimen. Moore exclaimed with fascination, “Look at the detail. I imagine
Dr. Lake opened its starfish shaped head. Tentacles, dorsal fin, eyes on stalks
that probably allow 360-degree vision. Why would Dyer document the find as some
form of kelp? This thing is obviously a sea creature and a strong swimmer too. Something
is wrong. Who was Dyer trying to protect with his nonsensical report? We NEED
to find Dr. Lake’s journal. Get to the truth.” Oskar added, “Not before we test
our blood first. Verify no infection or contamination.” Their bloodwork proved
to be clean.
All returned to the base
camp just as the Weddell and Enderby were landing. Moore
assigned tasks, “Don’t just stand there. Help unload the drill equipment and
supplies.” Multiple shifts loading onto the sleds to be manhandled to the drill
site since the dogs had not been flown in yet. The planes relaunched as soon as
they were emptied. Hours to finally move everything just as the Bell
arrived with Acacia’s team and more supplies. More labor but at least more
backs to join in the work. Near exhaustion that made supper of pemican stew
palatable as the men mindlessly emptied their bowls.
Moore was the first to
make the nightly broadcast, “News at the South Pole from the Starkweather/Moore
Expedition. Another full day of excitement not only at the find of Dr. Lake’s creature
discovery but also discovery of the bodies of Lake’s team properly laid to
rest. Hopefully we will have a newsreel delivered to the closest broadcast
station for your own opportunity to pay your respects to these great men.”
Acacia was the next up to the microphone, “This is Acacia Lexington here at the
South Pole enduring the same hardships alongside the men. The mundane life at
camp, the threatening weather, and dwindling supplies. AND opportunity to lend
my hand uncovering the fascinating creature of Lake’s discovery. I will leave
it to the scientists to make the full reports, but I can assure you listeners
that I have, we have, stepped unto a world of unknowns.” And finally, from a
distant radio, Starkweather’s own announcement over the airwaves, “Good evening
ladies and gentlemen. James here to enthrall you with another ‘Man versus Wild’
adventure story.” That’s when most of the camp tuned out the radio.
As Oskar made another
trek to the Lake cairn (to silently talk with dad), Wilbur approached Tony
Hopewell (the Lexington radioman) with the radio contraption, “Say, if you’ve
finished with the radio chatter, I’ve got something for you to look at.” He too
scratched his head, “So, why did they pull a perfectly good radio out of the
plane and screw with it like this? From the pitted holes in the plastic, I’d
guess battery acid leak. What’s with this spring and gear and crystal?” Wilbur
offered his best guess, “Let’s say Gedney ran away from camp during the storm.
He returned to find everyone dead; so, he attempted to make radio contact with
the world. Him no radioman nor electrician.”
Tony asked, “So, does it
work?” Not really a question as Tony already connected it to the trail radio
generator. As Tony played with the dials, he offered a rumor, “I heard tell
Gedney went nuts and axed everyone at the camp. So why would he want to tell
the world…” and that’s when the radio came to life…“Ping, Ping, warble, buzz,
zzz, zzzzz.” Tony full of excitement, “I’m receiving something! Can you hear
that constant pulse?! Let me see if I can get a bearing to the source.”
29 Nov: During breakfast Moore made more
assignments, “I’m supervising work at the drill site. I need you guys to excavate
more of the Lake camp tents. Take some men with you. We NEED to find Lake’s
journal.” With Lopez, Hopewell, Acacia and Priestly in tow, along with a
chainsaw and blowtorch, they headed to Lake’s camp. It still took hours per
tent but with 2 teams of 3, they uncovered 2 tents at a time:
1st Tent: after shoveling off almost 5 feet of snow, the tent slowly began to rise. Revealing 2 cots. [Spot 02] And 3 bullet holes! Two in the front flap. Oskar focused on the dark red stained ice, “Definitely blood! Over ten pints: someone bleed to death!” Wilbur pondered, “Did someone shoot in or did they shoot out at their attacker?”
As they chiseled more ice, Oskar
found a wallet frozen on the blood-splattered floor. Quick blasts from the
blowtorch thawed the wallet enough, “An expedition coin and the ID of Augustus Carroll.” They also found a
cardboard box of 30-06 ammo with 4 cartridges missing. And no rifle nor used casings.
As Oskar examined a blood-soaked cot he realized, “No bullet hole so not
thru-and-thru. But a bullet is not consistent with the splatter. No, whoever
died here was violently ripped open. Arterial bleeding consistent with the splatter.”
And that’s when Oskar found another ID fallen behind the cot, “Nigel Brennan,
their survivalist. HE’s the victim.”
3rd
Tent: after removing snow, this tent did not
spring to life like the others. They had to shovel more only to learn the
canvas tent was shredded and peeled open like an orange. “Hard to tell, but I’d
guess by the exposed threading that the slashes came from the outside. Kinda
goes with Tony’s story of Gedney rumored to gone crazy and hacked everyone to
death.” Another single cot. Bloodied bedding and clothing suggested a critical
wound but not the complete blood-letting of tent#1. Most perplexing: pieces of
a large brass sextant. Not broken; rather, disassembled. The eyepiece etched
with ‘DA’ (Donald Atwood the surveyor).
4th
Tent: another wreck, the tent pole snapped, and
the door flaps torn off. Two cots but all the bedding missing. No blankets,
sleeping bags, or coats. Wilbur offered, “Maybe Gedney collected survival gear
and moved inside a cave or something.” [Spot-regular] Oskar discovered the
broken spine of a book; its pages ripped out. But on the inside cover he found
written, “Ex Libras George Gedney. His own journal? Maybe he salvaged it as
toilet paper or fire starter.” Oskar was lucky enough to identify the 2nd
cot owner: Thomas Fowler. “At least there’s no blood in here. Wonder where
Thomas was killed?”
Another break to warm
up. Oskar offered his flask to Acacia, “Scotch to warm the soul.” As they
entered the base camp, people were already unloading the Weddell of
the last of the drilling equipment. Luck that the aircraft shelters had been
finished, so no additional work required. Well, except for Professor Moorehead
Bryce (who arrived on the latest flight) asking, “Care to help me unearth
another specimen?” The 2nd hummock east of the 1st aligned
to True South. “Fascinating. Extraordinary!” Overused adverbs. But how else do
you describe something so… bizarre? And this specimen was missing its head and
feet. Bryce so caught off-guard he was heard to say, “This find will make my
career.” Only to realize that was his outer voice, “I meant, make Lake’s
career.”
5th
Tent: dig all they wanted but the tent was
missing. The canvas gone leaving the inside bedding and cots open to the sky. Labeling
on the clothing helped to identify this as Ashton Mills and Gregory Moulton’s abode.
Wilbur suggested, “Maybe Dyer used the canvas to transport the bodies to the memorial
site.” Acacia pondered, “Missing tent, rifles, clothing, and maybe food. Do you
actually think Gedney could have survived?”
Dinner was another
repeat of Pemican stew. Not that anyone expected different. And another nightly
broadcast starting with Moore who toned down the horrific tent discoveries and
simply announced the list of exploration names etched on the placard.
Surprisingly, Acacia’s message was also a bland repeat of life around camp and
the harsh reality of Antarctica. No mention at all of the Lake camp scene. At
least Starkweather’s broadcast was livelier with his tale of the sled dog
antics.
It was near 11pm when
Wilbur and Oskar finally headed toward their own tent. When lights at the radio
tent caught their eyes. Curiosity. Priestly stood outside the flap smoking a cigarette
as he shifted from one foot to the next trying to stay warm. Albert perked up
when they approached, “Boss lady is on the radio.” Suspicious; so, Oskar
distracted Albert offering his flask of scotch to warm his insides while Wilbur
slipped around the tent closer to the radio set. Where he could barely hear
Acacia speaking German! [Stealth with a bonus per Oskar’s distraction: 90 or
000] “Whose out there?! Priestly? PRIESTLY? Whose out there?” Wilbur came back
to the front of the tent shaking his penis before zipping up, “Woo! I think I pissed
an iceberg!”
It wasn’t till they
entered their own tent when Wilbur told Oskar. Who advised, “We need to tell
Moore now. No telling what she is up to. And remember that Russian artist
Roerich who warned us about her fascist leanings?” Yet Moore didn’t seem too
concerned, “Keep an eye on her but she’s free to do her own exploration per our
agreement of joining teams.”
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