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.

It was lunchtime when Wilbur’s team returned with their exciting news. Moore wolfed down his pemican stew as he assigned tasks, “Wilbur, continue your perimeter check while Dr. Orendorf and I pay our respects to the buried.” Tomas Lopez spoke up, “And me. Dr. Lake was my mentor at the university.” Indeed, as they all stood at the base of the cairn making the sign-of-the-cross, Tomas said a prayer in Spanish.

Meanwhile, as Sykes led the scouting party around to the east of the Lake camp plane hangars, Wilbur spotted a squarish glint about the size of a breadbox. Upon examining, “A radio! All twisted. Looks like it was ripped out of one of Lake’s planes. See how the molded bakelight plastic is all pitted with small holes. Screws stripped as if someone didn’t have the tools or knowledge how to remove the plate. And what’s with these attached gears and crystal? Let’s take it back to camp and out of the cold.”

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.”

And that’s when Oskar returned, “What are you guys doing?” Soon Oskar tagged along as Tony lugged his trail radio while Wilbur carried the ‘contraption’ as the power cord dangled between them. “So, the first bearing is pointing WSW toward the drill-site and base of that mountain range. Let’s carry this NW to get more bearings to try to triangulate the source.” They stopped after about a half-mile and took a bearing. Then another half-mile and another bearing. “Well beyond the drilling site. Definitely the base of that mountain.” Wilbur suggested, “Would an iron-ore vein cause such interference?”

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.”

2nd Tent: only one cot. Ransacked, spare clothing thrown around as if someone was searching for something. Unused rifle and shotgun shells mixed in among the clothing. Oskar focused on the ‘S’ curved item on the floor, “That’s Dr. Lake’s meerschaum pipe!" Beside the cot Oskar also found a tiny brass plate engraved with ‘PC Lake’. But Wilbur found something more disturbing, “Look at these rubber survival boots. Torn in half. Not cut, TORN! That requires superhuman strength.” Acacia peered in, “What happened in this camp?! The blood-splattered 1st tent, now this. Could a crazed man do all this?”

Wilbur realized they’d been working overtime, “Time for a break. Check each other for frostbite.” Priestly was shaking so hard he couldn’t light his own cigarette. But Oskar knew his shakes weren’t from the cold; rather, from what he’d just filmed. They returned to the base camp to report to Professor Moore, “We found Lake’s tent but no journal or notes. We’ve time to uncover a few more tents. We’ll keep you updated.”

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.”

Oskar and Wilbur were dumbfounded by Moore's lack of real concern. Troubling thoughts hindered their attempts to sleep. Tough enough trying to sleep in the harsh environment. Fascinating how the human body can synchronize itself with its own circadian rhythm clock. The polar sun never really setting; always JUST hanging above the horizon on its slow march across the sky. Nighttime defined by man’s own clock. As for sleep: one must fool himself into darkness by wearing blinders.

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