ICE

ICE Chapter Two: Sub Zero

ICE

Chapter Two

Sub-zero

"Commander, incoming transmission from Flight Lieutenant Rodgers."

"Patch it through, James," Daniels requested. "Lieutenant, receiving you."

"Commander, I've got a heavy storm heading our way. ETA four hours, the Dorchester is on standby to relay all communications. Might go dark on you when it hits, just giving you the heads up."

"Copy that, Lieutenant... Keep me updated, and stay alert."

"So, as if we don't have enough problems already, deep cold beyond that door, unwanted eyes watching us, possible loss of comms... Not to mention our limited air supply!" Martin said as he looked at the control panel. "I'm damned if I'm going to be a frozen corpse in this forsaken place."

"Keep working on the doors, Martin."

"He's right, Commander. If we do not get within the main structure, your team will die within seventeen hours."

"I know, James. Any progress with that Binary message?"

"I've relayed it to the Dorchester, they are passing it through all known dialects in an attempt to decipher it. Nothing as of yet, but there are still many disused languages which may be of help."

"And Nilsen?" asked Daniels.

"Again... Nothing, sir."

There was a deep groaning within the structure, it faded and fell silent. "Just the coefficient movement, due to temperature change." James stated. "Expansion and contraction... Nothing more. Though we may hear it often, it's nothing to worry about."

Kitch sat upon a coil of cable, turning his knife in his hand. Watching the light glance off the blade as it slowly turned, watching the motion of the security camera as it followed their movement, reflected upon the blade. He stopped and reached for his comms control upon his left arm. "Commander, switch to local comms, channel nine. Whispers only." Daniels did likewise, nodded, and waited. "Commander, that camera has a zoom function. Someone's watching Martin, watching his actions and countering them. Pull the plug on it." Kitch whispered.

"Someone's alive down here, and not a V.I." he quietly replied. "We need to know if whoever it is has audio feed."

"Watch the camera." Kitch said as he slowly rose and walked towards the vast doors to the hangar. Reaching down, he grabbed a large wrench from a toolbox and swung it against the door with a resounding bang. It stayed focused upon Martin and the control panel. Surprised the team spun round and looked at Kitch. Kitch just pointed at Daniels, and they returned to their previous engagements.

"No audio feed. Good! Return to local comms channel four, Kitch." Daniels walked towards the camera and climbed upon a metal supply crate, he reached up and grabbed the cable attached to the rear. With a pause he looked at the door which would lead them further into the facility, and ripped the cable free. "I apologise for the sudden noise, but we now know the camera had no audio feed... And now it has no visuals. How are we doing with the door, Martin?"

"Not sure, sir... It seems to be using a quad encryption of some sort, however..."

"This is not Human designed, Commander." James added. "I am fluent in all encrypted protocol coding that the Global Security Council uses. Even Black Ops coding... This is not one of them."

"Can we break it?"

"I can, but I need an up-link to the Dorchester." replied James.

"Just steal another Car, James!" Cortez called out and laughed.