The Frozen Horror Chronicles

Chapter 1 Fateful Decisions

I

Six weeks in and already Gwenna was at her limit with these people. That's right...six weeks in, and exactly four and a half months to go. This wasn't going to work. She had applied for this contract with the initial hope of learning to adapt her skills in an abnormal environment.

The thought was that maybe she could do some good for her fellow man and maybe, just maybe, do some good for herself as well.

Antarctica was supposed to be an escape. A place that granted asylum from the emotional torment, the heartache, and the self defeat of her insecurities and failures.

Her time at McMurdo should have been rewarding. This was a fresh start that would eventually lead to new career opportunities and allow her ample time to retreat within herself and heal from the wounds of six wasted years. Long years that had culminated into a big steaming heap of irrevocable emotional bullshit.

It had instead been a six week venture of childish competition between herself and the lead nurse practitioner, Molly Cutcliffe.

Gwenna initially hadn't minded the over exuberance of her female coworker. She could hardly blame the tall red haired doctor-in-training for vying for the undivided attention of Dr. William D Pannell. She herself had wanted to become one of his protégées. After all, there was a very limited space available during the coming winter months research term.

There were a total of 40 positions available for that assignment and only four remained. Three openings had already been filled. One, by an MD from Columbia University, another by a DO from UNC Chapel Hill, and one other by a phlebotomist, who hailed from Texas, and finally, Molly fucking Cutcliffe, who had assumed the final place.

Gwenna could not wrap her head around why she had been selected and Gwenna had not. She had four years experience on the job at Louisiana State hospital in Baton Rouge, not to mention the additional four years that followed as lead technologist at the Pennington biomedical research center prior to her embark to McMurdo.

That resume alone should have provided proof enough that she was well qualified to be accepted as part of Pannell's McMurdo research team. Being a part of a study that examined both the acute and sub-acute effects of isolation and extreme temperatures on the human body would be a great addition to her already impressive resume at 28 years old.

Naturally, Gwenna had been mortified to discover that her "self appointed" rival, Molly, had been selected to fill the last vacancy.

She'd been patient throughout every single day of 14 hour shifts and reduced breaks. She'd also done her due diligence tolerating the other woman's condescending remarks regarding Gwenna and how "she wasn't even a nurse."

Despite whatever personal ilk Molly had developed for her, she had simply interpreted it as a childish attempt at intimidation which failed to land its mark.

Every time Molly had usurped the group meetings or barked orders at everyone else for the daily assignments, Gwenna had not objected.

It wasn't Molly's good looks, her annual earnings, or her boasting of nationwide accreditations that had triggered her over Pannell's preference of Molly. No, it was her sheer lack of work ethic and talent.

That had been unacceptable. She hadn't come all the way to the God forsaken ends of the earth to be lambasted by some pretty faced hack from southern California who couldn't be bothered to read a basic general wellness panel to save her life.