Ice Rift (3 page)

NO MOUNTAINS OR HILLS blemished the horizon and no buildings broke the monotony of the ice. It was as if a giant bulldozer had swept everything away to leave a desolate ledge of ice. Blue patches of sky among the broad stretches of grey-tinted clouds, were the only colour to invade the white pallet used by nature to paint the vista that stretched so far and wide that the curvature of the earth was distinguishable. The snow and ice pellets the ever-present Antarctic wind skittered over the surface of the ice sounded like the tiny feet of thousands of insects. But for all of its desolate appearance, it was also a beautiful and deceptively peaceful vista.

The revving of an approaching Ski-Doo shattered the relative tranquility that had prevailed over the scene. Its bright orange and black chassis and the blue cold weather gear that cloaked the driver, stood out starkly against the surrounding pallor.

The driver steering the snow vehicle over uneven and hazardous terrain was Grant Tilbury, a member of the advance party sent to scout out a suitable location for the planned base camp on the Pine Ice Glacier. It was his first trip to Antarctica.

Propelled along by twin rear tracks covered in thick-knobbed treads to grip the ice, the Ski-Doo sped up a small ice ridge and down the other side. Front skis bounced and shuddered on the rippled ice, giving the driver an uncomfortable ride.

Grant's eyes, hidden behind dark-tinted goggles, glanced at the handheld GPS vibrating erratically where it was taped to the center of the handlebars, adjusted course and gazed ahead at the mile still to go. He had travelled a fraction of the distance when he noticed an anomaly ahead. The snow and ice carried by the wind appeared to be diving down and disappearing into the ice. He strained his vision to make sense of the snow's abnormal behaviour. Only when he'd drawn nearer did he recognize the danger, a crevasse that could swallow vehicle and driver in an instant with little chance of survival for man or machine.

He pressed hard on the brake and turned the vehicle.

The Ski-Doo slewed to the side and skidded across the ice.

Forced to move sideways, the tracks scraped up a wave of ice until the machine juddered to a hesitant halt.

Grant twisted his head. Half of the treads hung over the edge of the deep drop. The ice beneath the vehicle cracked from the weight. The skidoo tilted. Grant gunned the engine. It climbed up the sloping slab of ice and bounced onto solid ground.  He stopped a safe distance from the edge, climbed off and walked over to the crevasse. He stared in awe at the deep, wide rift that stretched for miles in both directions.

BARRY GLEG WAS LATE for work again. He turned the old car into the British Glaciological Research Society (BGRS) car park, and scanned the rows of parked vehicles for a free space. He spotted one and headed for it. He stopped a little way past the empty parking place, crunched the car into reverse and turned to back into the space. A car horn beeped loudly. Barry slammed on the brakes. Coffee sloshed from the half-full paper cup in the cup-holder onto his clothes. Barry cursed and glanced at the rear-view mirror. A red sports car drove into his space.

Barry knew the driver of the car only too well― Richard Whorley. The man was a constant thorn in his side and it seemed today was to be no different. His nemesis emerged from the car and glanced over with his usual expression, a smug confident smile, before walking toward the entrance of the BGRS building. Barry glared at his well-groomed co-worker, dressed in his expensive hand-tailored suit, walking away with a self-assured stride. Everything about the man annoyed him, and he was well aware of part of the reason. Richard was the exact opposite of Barry, handsome, successful and well tailored. It was a package that appealed to many of the women the lecherous man came into contact with, which included the boss's daughter to whom the man had recently become engaged.

Barry sighed. Though he would like to confront the annoying prick, he knew it would be a waste of time and drove off to look for another empty parking space.

When Barry entered the building five minutes later, his nemesis was flirting with the young receptionist. Richard's gaze was unashamedly directed at the girl's ample cleavage less than a foot away from his perfectly formed nose. From the smile on the girl's face it was evident she enjoyed the attention.

Richard had been flirting with Samantha for the past two weeks and tonight, after he'd furnished her with a few drinks at the hotel where they had planned to meet, he intended to bed her. At the sound of cheap shoes tapping on the marble floor, he tore his eyes away from the wonderful sight and saw Barry approaching. Richard noticed the man's cheap, off-the-peg suit seemed even more crinkled today than usual, if that was possible. The stern look his balding colleague directed at him was evidence of the man’s pissed off attitude. Though this in itself caused Richard no concern, a confrontation witnessed by the pretty receptionist could cause him some embarrassment. Unwilling to risk anything that might cause her to look at him in a less than favourable light, Richard stood up straight and flashed a smile at the girl. “Okay, Doll, I have to go.” He then added in a conspiratorial whisper, “I'll pick you up about eight tonight, and remember, this is our secret and no underwear.”

The girl smiled mischievously. “You're a wicked, wicked man, Richard.”

Richard flashed a roguish grin and crossed to the elevator. Tonight she would find out just how wicked he could be. His approach toward the elevator was greeted by the timely opening of its doors. He nipped around its three emerging passengers and quickly stabbed a finger at the fifth-floor button. A glance through the rapidly narrowing gap of the closing doors revealed Barry running for the elevator.

Richard smiled and waved. “Too slow, old man,” he called out just before the doors met.

Barry halted his rush and glared at the floor numbers lighting one by one as the elevator passed each floor.

“That man is a complete dickhead.”

Barry turned to see another of his co-workers approach. This one he liked. “Morning, Jane. Yes, he is, a prize-winning dick head.”

They both smiled.

Barry pressed the call button.

Jane glanced over at the large wall clock. “I thought you had a meeting with Jerrod at nine?”

Barry let out a sigh. “I do. I'm late, as usual.”

“Betsy playing up again?”

Barry nodded. “I hate to get rid of her, but I really need a new car.”

“Just promise me you won't buy a sports car.”

“A sports car! With my funds I'd be lucky if I could afford a bike.”

Jane laughed. “I can't imagine you on a bike.”

Barry smiled sadly. “Neither can I, though I might have no choice, I was relying on the promotion and the extra money it would bring.”

“The position Richard swiped away from you.”

Barry nodded. “I'm sure his relationship with Jerrod's daughter is just a front so he can worm his way up the ladder.”

“If that's his plan, it seems to be working.”

The elevator arrived and they entered.

“Enough about my troubles, you'll be off to Antarctica soon.”

Jane nodded. “Next week.”

Barry noticed her apprehensive expression. “You don't seem very enthusiastic.”

“Oh, I am though, I can't wait to be back on the ice, but…”

Barry realized the reason for her sad demeanour. “Oh, of course, it must be almost five years since…”

“It is,” Jane replied. “I suppose it's about time I got over him and moved on. It's what Kyle would have wanted.”

Barry rested a hand gently on her arm. “You will, when the time is right.”

They stepped out of the elevator onto the fifth floor. Their boss, Jerrod, stood in his office doorway; his eyes searching the rows of desks set out in the room like a vulture seeking a carcass to feed upon. He noticed Barry, scowled, tapped his wristwatch and abruptly turned and entered his office.

“I suppose I had better go and see what the old man wants.”

“Okay, I'll catch up with you later.” Jane watched Barry walk reluctantly toward their boss's office.

“You're looking gorgeous as usual, Jane.”

Jane turned to see Richard standing beside her. The man had the uncanny ability to sneak up on you without making a sound; he would've made an excellent burglar. It was all too obvious the man was undressing her with his eyes. She mentally cringed. “Congratulations on your engagement, Richard.”

Richard smiled. “Thanks. Jerrod was very receptive to the idea when I asked for his permission.”

“Was that before or after you stole Barry's promotion?”

Richard's smile refused to fade at the snide comment. “I stole nothing. The job went to the person most qualified for the position― me. For the reason he failed to secure the promotion you only have to look at the slob. Have you seen Barry's suit today? It's got more wrinkles than a hundred-year-old man and it's stained with coffee. He needs to sort himself out if he wants to rise through the ranks like me.”

“Or just marry the boss's daughter. I hope the poor woman knows what she's letting herself in for.” Jane shook her head and walked away.

Jane had been sitting at her desk for twenty minutes when Barry came over.

“Jane, the boss wants to see you.”

Jane stopped typing and turned to face Barry. “Do you know why?”

Barry nodded. “It's about your trip to the Antarctic next week. I think you might get your chance to explore that ice rift after all. NASA has discovered an anomaly on their latest scan.”
wind, craft11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

Jane's brow creased. “What sort of anomaly?”

“That's what the old man wanted to see me about. He showed me the scan. The rift is perfectly sharp except in one spot, where it's blurred. At first the NASA technicians thought it was a fault in the equipment, but when the exact same result was reproduced on a second scan, they knew that wasn't the cause.”

“Strange,” said Jane.

“That's what I said. I've no idea what would cause it, but probably the reason lies buried beneath the ice at that particular spot in the side of the rift.”

“And NASA wants the team to check it out while we're there next week.”

“I believe so. I'm sure Jerrod will fill you in on all the details, so you'd better not keep him waiting like I did.”

“Okay, thanks.” Jane stood.

“A word of warning, I think Richard's angling to go on the trip, so watch out.”

“What gives you that idea? He has no reason to go, and he's the last person I want to be stuck in Antarctica with.”

“Jerrod asked me if I thought it would be beneficial to the team if Richard went on the trip to help determine the cause of the anomaly. Naturally I sung your virtues and told him whatever the cause of the glitch turns out to be, your expertise will be invaluable to the team.”

Jane jumped up and gave Barry a hug. “Thanks. I owe you one.”

“You're welcome. Like I told Jerrod, you're far more qualified than Richard, whatever's found.”

Jane smiled. “My mother is more qualified than Richard.” She headed to Jerrod Sandberg's office.

She knocked on the door and entered. Though warned about the man, Jane was still surprised to see Richard sitting there.

Jerrod smiled warmly at her. “Hello, Jane. Please come in.”

She closed the door and sat in the chair placed beside Richard.

“As you may have heard from Barry, NASA has discovered something beside the rift they want the expedition heading out there next week to check out. As a courtesy, because we're sending a team member and they're partly funding the mission, they sent us details of this anomaly to examine beforehand.” He slid an image across the desk.

Jane picked it up and stared at a section of the ice rift taken from an airplane flying over the ice. Her eyes zoomed in on the fuzzy area that so perplexed NASA. She looked up at her boss. “As I've previously mentioned in my reports to you, sir, while our main objective is to carry out tests on the Pine Valley Glacier, I'm positive there's a lot we can learn from the rift. It'll be ideal opportunity to take core samples from deep in the ice easily and without the aid of expensive drilling rigs, and a myriad of other tests. Now this anomaly's been detected, it's even more exciting. Perhaps it's a cavern in the ice sealed off for hundreds or thousands of years, though that alone wouldn't cause NASA's anomaly.”

“A meteorite might?” said Richard.

Jane glanced at Richard. As usual the smug look was plastered across his face.
So this is how he was trying to worm his way onto the team.
“I very much doubt a meteor is responsible for the anomaly,” she said firmly.

“But you accept it is possible?” pushed Richard.

Jane felt herself backed into a corner. “I suppose anything's possible, however unlikely that is in reality.”

“That's as may be,” said Jerrod, firmly, “but I've made my decision. Richard is going.”

Jane inwardly sighed. Cooped up with Richard for two months would be torture. She avoided looking at Richard because she knew he would be grinning. “Has someone dropped out as I thought the expedition was at full capacity?”

“It is. I believe you've misunderstood me, Jane. Richard will take your place on the team.”

Jane's mouth dropped open in shock. It had been a difficult task to organize everything for the expedition, and it had taken months of planning with the other team members to finalize everything. The Pine Island Glacier was four hundred miles from the nearest ice station, Byrd Station, where a small airstrip had to be first constructed to allow for C130 planes to bring scientists and equipment from the McMurdo ice station one thousand miles away. This equipment then had to be driven four hundred miles over rough terrain pitted with crevasses to the glacier. All of this work could only be carried out during the short Antarctic summer, late October though late January. It had taken two years for the team to plan and establish a small base camp near the rift and now she would never get to see it.

“Are you okay, Jane?” asked Jerrod, when she'd remained silent for a few moments.

“What!” she snapped. “I can't believe you're sending Richard instead of me.”

“It makes perfect sense,” said Richard.

“Not to me it damn well doesn't!”

“I know you were looking forward to the trip, Jane,” said Jerrod, with a slight hint of guilt. “But now this anomaly's been thrust into the equation, we have to cover every eventuality. There's already another glaciologist on the team, but there's no meteorologist. You know how remote the Pine Island Glacier is and how difficult it is to get there, so if it turns out to be a meteorite, Richard will be on hand to examine it.”