Fiction
Buried beneath thirty feet of snow and ice is a unique structure immersed in total darkness. The structure is empty of any movement of any kind or any other indication of anything unique, but one can almost sense that there is something more to this forgotten place. One can almost imagine the cold and forgotten ghosts of former tenants.
The continent of Antarctica is one of the most misunderstood places on earth, and those that live and study there are just beginning to see how true that is. The wildlife is amazing; with seventeen species of penguins, the eleven foot Wandering Albatross, the aggressive Kelp Gull, and various other species of arctic birds. Six species of seals and eight species of whales, all make their home in this frigid area. The people that brave the hideous conditions are unique, and the environment is like nothing else - anywhere. Unfortunately, the average summer temperature of nearly thirty degrees below keeps the usual population at two thousand people - or less - on a continent that is larger than that of the USA.
The structure which now sits empty is the Old South Pole Station, constructed in the 1950’s by the US Navy. The base was meant to monitor the Ground Control Approach Tower for the LC-130 Hercules aircraft that supplied various groups and missions on Antarctica. For some time the station hummed with the noise of activity as scientists, soldiers, and other inhabitants went through the actions of studying the different secrets that the coldest place on earth could hold.
For twenty years the dome and surrounding buildings bustled with activity until it was determined that there was no need for a military presence at the South Pole - and the US Navy abandoned the base. The decision was made, and within a very short period the base lay dark and lifeless.
The tiny mites that are the only living inhabitants in the immediate vicinity have little interest in the piercing lamps mounted on the helmets of a group of unexpected explorers who illuminate the darkness. The lights cast the shadows of dancing phantoms as the invaders make their way down the vacant corridors. These are not ghosts, but they are searching for ancient ghosts that may be lingering in the sixty degree below zero cold. The explorers seem to wonder if ghosts can even survive in such an environment!
The group from the New South Pole Station has entered the structure for several reasons. When the Navy left the base in 1975 they simply left everything as it was. Food left in the kitchen, parts in the shops, and fuel abandoned in bladders placed in various locations around the site. Since then most of the buildings had been completely covered in ice and snow, and now the old supply sheds were being slowly crushed beneath that massive weight. The movement that was taking place as the ice slowly worked its way across the buried continent deep below included forces that were dynamic enough to destroy the station.
The decision is made to enter the station once again and remove as much of the old garbage and other items as possible before everything is completely destroyed or buried. No one knows, for sure, what would happen if the many different types of garbage and supplies were just left, but there is a worry that the ten thousand gallons of fuel left in the fuel arches could cause drastic problems when the bladders burst. There are also batteries, sulphuric acid, and other things that could cause big problems. When the Navy left no one thought about the effects these items could have on the environment, but that is no longer the case. The modern inhabitants of the South Pole worry that the pristine conditions could be compromised by such blatant disregard.
So the small group descends the access shaft, walks along the old wooden corridor, enters the buried building, and begins their work. Each individual has a different job to do, so they move in different directions. Plumbing parts, lumber, electrical supplies, and other items of value are found; but the group is primarily looking for the fuel. In the first arch the bladder is empty. But in other arches there are various amounts of fuel left in the bottom of the huge rubber sacks that seem to be randomly scattered throughout the station. The work of removing this fuel is left to a select part of the team, while a couple are free to wonder the dark halls, looking into dark corners and forgotten rooms.
One of the men in the group, given the chance to search the old science center, is excited by the unique situation. He had always wanted to view the various projects that had taken place at the place thirty to forty years before, so he is very disappointed to find that most of the records have been removed. Glancing around the room he sees evidence that papers were burned, others were hurriedly stuffed into boxes, and still others were shredded. A waste basket in one corner of the room contains pounds of long thin strips. The man, discouraged, turns to leave when a dark door catches his attention.
The door leads to an inner office once occupied by the science manager. The ice and weight have done their work here as well, and the door appears to be hopelessly jammed. Someone would hardly need look to see that the door is seriously twisted and deformed. The man is ready to turn away, when he glances into a dark corner and spies a heavy metal bar. Grasping the bar, and using it to pry at the door, he is able to force his way into the room.
The floor is buckled and uneven in this room as well. Part of it is even pushed up to within a few feet of the ceiling. A large desk has tipped over because of the force, and a drawer has spilled out onto the slanting floor. A large pile of papers, several books, and a small, locked box lays in the tumbled mess. Other than that, the desk appears to be completely empty. The question of how these particular items managed to be overlooked is only explained by the fact that the scientist was preparing to leave as quickly as possible.
The man places the various items into his backpack for transport back to the new station even as his eyes catch the writing stenciled across the lid --- “Oil Experiments”.
“What an interesting title,” the man mutters to himself. “I’ll enjoy having a closer look at these particular papers. There was something unique taking place in this room - or at least at this place.”
Several hours later the team leaves the underground cocoon. Each member wonders if they will ever have the opportunity of returning to this enticing slice of history. Will the station survive the dynamic forces at work here much longer? Will the unrelenting force of the ice and snow finally complete the work of making the station impossible to enter? How much of a chance might there be to gain more information about this wonderful piece of antiquity?
“I hope we get a chance to return to this place some day,” the leader of the semi-official team muses as he enters the truck equipped with tracks rather than wheels, “there are a number of unanswered questions here.”
With this new truck the type of project that the South Pole scientists are now able to accomplish, is no longer impossible as it would have been in the not too distant past, or at the station they are now abandoning.
“I’m afraid the structure won’t be able to withstand the force much longer,” a short, long-haired woman responds.
“We need another trip,” this is spoken by the man who, even now, has the interesting box in his backpack. “We simply cannot allow the tons of information that could be found there to be lost.”
“Tons of information? What did you find?”
The man suddenly realizes that he has jeopardized his best chance to look over the information he has before anyone else. In response, he tries to cover his blunder. “There must be much more information than the little bit of stuff we found scattered around the base. I found indications that there is more paper and written products than we’ve seen.”
“Maybe it was all computerized!” the young lady speaks again.
“But there MUST be some type of written, or printed, information.” The man decides that it is time to shut up and let the others address his comments. “I hope you don’t mind, I’ve got to get some work done.” With that he turns his attention to his lap-top computer in the hopes that they will leave his comments alone. The ploy works and the comment is forgotten.
Upon their return to the new station the man places the items in a little used drawer of his desk, very similar to that in which he found the pieces to begin with. He thinks that he will take the time to study the items when things are not so busy, but things remain hectic for several months following the excursion into the Old South Pole Station, so he doesn’t get a chance to do any studying. Then, one day, when the man has little to do; he opens the drawer, forces the lock and lays the various pieces out on his desk.
Three hours later, the man leans back in his chair with a look of dismay and disbelief on his face. There is little doubt, he thinks to himself, that there is a vast ocean of oil lying underneath my feet at this very moment. There may be more oil here at the South Pole than there is in the Middle East.
He struggles to know how to respond to this new information because the implications are so extreme. The repercussions of the information staring up at him are beyond his comprehension. The facts laid out before him was the type of thing that had the potential to make people wealthy beyond all reason. The things that he now knows could make nations superpowers - or bring them to their knees.
Finally, he simply turns to his computer and decides to make a report of the whole thing. As the words make their way across the screen he wonders to himself, What will be the outcome of all this?
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