At the Outpost of Fate by Sean Ellis

Author:Sean Ellis [Ellis, Sean]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Adrenaline Press
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

It didn't take long to determine that the wind was pushing the Float Car like so much flotsam caught in the current of a swift river. The force was likely greater than the attraction that would draw them to the Outpost, so Dodge was forced to fly higher above the storm in order to make headway. Up there in the clear air, with a sliver of a moon drifting above the northern horizon, they got their first glimpse of the southern polar region.

There dark and light were in stark contrast, like yin and yang in an endless swirl of conflict. The ice below was a silvery blue, while to the north, the inky black of the ocean absorbed the scant illumination from the moon. After a while, a hazy white ball of light rose into view and hovered just above the horizon. Daylight, such as it was, had come to Antarctica. Dodge turned the Float Car away from the sun and depressed the accelerator pedal.

The distant orb yielded no warmth and while the force field offered some protection from the bitter cold, it was only enough to keep them alive, not comfortable. Soon the occupants of the Float Car lapsed into a shivering lethargy. The daylight lasted only a few hours, but time seemed to stretch out into infinity. No one had the energy for idle conversation that might have made the minutes go by a little faster.

Newcombe remarked that they were now traveling parallel to the course of the sun, almost due east "if my calculations are correct." Dodge had no doubt of the scientist’s ability to navigate by dead reckoning, but was not entirely pleased to see Burton studying his air chart of the continent. Like it or not, it seemed the secret location of the Outpost would not be a secret much longer.

As the sun finally dipped back below the edge of the world, Burton volunteered to take over the controls. "You're going to sleep soon. If you'll show me where we're headed, I'll keep us on course while you catch forty winks."

Dodge glanced at the map, noting the grease pencil marks that charted an almost perfectly straight line from where the plane had gone down. He might not be able to prevent the pilot from officially recording the location of the Outpost, but he might be able to keep secret his means of finding it again.

"Just keep us on this heading," he said, as he surrendered his chair. But even though he was completely exhausted, sleep eluded him for a long time.

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