Mimicry

Chapter 3 - Figuration

Dawn broke on the lonely island, casting a soft, golden light over the stark landscape of Bouvet Island. The first rays of the sun kissed the icy peaks of the Plateau, setting the glaciers aglow with radiant brilliance. The black basalt rocks, usually harsh and unyielding, seemed to soften under the morning light, their edges smoothed by the sun's gentle touch. The Southern Ocean, a vast expanse of churning waves and frothy whitecaps, shimmered under the dawn light, its surface a tapestry of gold and azure. Wavey reflections of the high-flying albatrosses gliding on the currents gave the ocean a speck of white akin to a solitary cloud in a clear blue sky. As the sun rose higher, it began to illuminate the island's hidden beauty, revealing a world that, despite its isolation and harshness, was teeming with life and resilience. It was a new day on Bouvet Island, a day filled with promise and potential.

The crew, by this point, were milling around Endring, making all the necessary preparations for the excavation ahead. Jake was the first ready, still bursting with the excitement of his discovery. He had his field kit prepared since yesterday, filled with various tools and containers for collecting and preserving samples. His rucksack, packed to the brim with hammers, geological and ice picks, chisels, magnifiers, and other important geology instruments, hung faithfully on his back. Clutching his trusty yellow field notebook in one hand and a compass in the other, he did not look out of place as a surveyor checking if Bob the Builder really can fix it.

Essie was next, her focus on the helicopter. She performed a thorough pre-flight check, inspecting the rotor blades, the engine, and the onboard equipment. The Sorrell-MK1, Essie's copter of choice, was the most reliable the crew had on hand. Built for speed over power, it could cross the island in only half an hour, with the caveat of only holding a maximum of 4 people. Her movements were precise and methodical, a testament to her expert craftmanship, her shiny metallic exterior glistening in the Antarctic sun. After checking all the necessary details and giving a loving look to her tiny picture of Tom Daley stuck in the top left of the windshield, Essie donned her pilot's headphones and warmed up the engine.

Faith was in her lab, packing a portable microscope and other essential equipment. She also packed various sterile containers for sample collection, knowing the importance of preventing contamination. Functionally sterile as the ice may be, she did not like to take risks such as those. Nevertheless, her mind was already racing with the possibilities of what they might find. Above all else, she packed the most important piece of equipment of all - her trusty can of corned beef. 

John was coordinating their efforts. He checked in with the rest of the team staying behind, ensuring they were prepared to handle any emergencies that might arise. He also went over the map of the island one last time, planning their route to the potential crash site. Journeying to the east side of the island was likely to take around 20 minutes, provided they found a decent landing area. This was never a fun process. The spiky layered basalt was not afraid to slash the helicopter's hull, and the snow hardly allowed for a clear H like the one back on base. Yet, Essie's reliability behind the wheel was enough to alleviate fears, despite that one time she tried to fly over one of the Bouvetian peaks for fun and nearly created another crash site.

The air was thick with anticipation as the crew readied themselves. They knew the day ahead would be challenging, but the promise of a groundbreaking discovery made it all worthwhile. As the sun rose higher in the sky, they finished their preparations, ready to embark on their expedition.

"Right. Are we all good to go?" John asked the crew. They all nodded. After saying their goodbyes to Josh, Kate and Ceriann, who promptly began another scintillating darts match, the 4 boarded the Sorrell and set off to the Eastern side of the island. Off to adventure.

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The gawping mountainside, saturated by the ever-maudlin black volcanic basalt, soon greeted the travellers with a grandiose appearance; the distant sounds of rumbling snow on the mountainside were drowned out by the humming of the helicopter blades slicing through the crisp island air.