The Frozen Horror Chronicles

Chapter II-Introductions

Take me outside myself, do it nice and slow

Somewhere beyond the great unknown

KMFDM~

Introductions

One week later Gwenna was up early, preparing for her 6AM departure from McMurdo to Outpost 31. It was Monday morning and she'd hastily finished packing all her belongings into an oversized suitcase that weighed at least half as much as she did (if not more).

After Dr. Pannell had made all the arrangements and relayed the details with Blair, it had been decided that the best course of action would be to get one of McMurdo's pilots to transport Gwenna to her destination. Apparently, Outpost 31's helicopter pilot had a notorious habit of frequenting nasty hangovers following most weekends so he had opted out of an early morning expedition for a courtesy pickup.

Gwenna wasn't sure why but she felt ecstatic about this new adventure. Granted, it was still a job and in a more densely rural area even more far removed from civilization, but she was excited to be moving out of the overcrowded McMurdo cabins and meeting a fresh batch of new faces.

With only twelve crew members she would have to get past her unease of being the new girl amongst an established group of acquaintances. She figured most, if not all of them, would probably be scientists, doctors, or otherwise regular station personnel in their middle ages doing some type of assignment for whatever company or institution sponsored them to be there.

After farewelling her roommates, who wished her luck but otherwise didn't seem all that affected by her departure, Gwenna made her way through the cabin quarters and into the main lobby. Outside, a vehicle would be waiting to drive her around to the heliport. She huffed through the hallway, cursing herself for packing so much shit. Why the hell she had felt she needed so many outfits for such an obviously uneventful six month stint, she had no idea.

When she entered the lobby she noticed a man standing by the door, gazing through the glass intently. Upon hearing the clatter of her luggage, he turned around and she immediately recognized him as Dr. Pannell.

Odd for him to be here and at this hour, She thought.

He smiled and extended a hand to her. "Excited for this transition, Gwenna?" She grabbed his hand and nodded optimistically. So that was it. He had come to personally see her off.

"Thank you for this opportunity, Dr. Pannell. I know there were plenty of others who were overlooked just like I was." She said, smiling at him and hoping that it conveyed enough of her gratitude.

He placed his other hand on top of hers and held it there tightly. "Well, as I said, Blair has been complaining about the lack of laboratory personnel for quite some time. I think you'd be a good fit. You seemed so determined to be a part of the research assignment that it only seems a fair trial to see how you work out with his crew. Blair and I have collaborated on several different occasions. He's actually helping me with this research, so even though you'll essentially be working with him, you'll also be working for me."

He escorted her out the door and together they rounded the corner to a towing tractor. It was certainly nothing fancy but there was no reason for it to be. She was only going to the heliport.

The driver grabbed her bag and hauled it onto a luggage cart. After he had taken his seat he offered Gwenna his hand. She climbed into vehicle next to him and turned back to Pannell. He looked her over her thoughtfully.

"Gwenna, I gave you this position because I want to see all the possibilities of what you can accomplish. I think that no matter what happens...you will gain a perspective that will consequently change you irrevocably. You'll be a different person after this experience."