Ben Hammott: Ice Rift

Jane jumped up and gave Barry a hug. “Thanks. I owe you one.”

“You’re welcome. Like I told Jerrod, you’re far more qualified than Richard, whatever’s found.”

Jane smiled. “My mother is more qualified than Richard.” She headed to Jerrod Sandberg’s office.

She knocked on the door and entered. Though warned about the man, Jane was still surprised to see Richard sitting there.

Jerrod smiled warmly at her. “Hello, Jane. Please come in.”

She closed the door and sat in the chair placed beside Richard.

“As you may have heard from Barry, NASA has discovered something beside the rift they want the expedition heading out there next week to check out. As a courtesy, because we’re sending a team member and they’re partly funding the mission, they sent us details of this anomaly to examine beforehand.” He slid an image across the desk.

Jane picked it up and stared at a section of the ice rift taken from an airplane flying over the ice. Her eyes zoomed in on the fuzzy area that so perplexed NASA. She looked up at her boss. “As I’ve previously mentioned in my reports to you, sir, while our main objective is to carry out tests on the Pine Valley Glacier, I’m positive there’s a lot we can learn from the rift. It’ll be ideal opportunity to take core samples from deep in the ice easily and without the aid of expensive drilling rigs, and a myriad of other tests. Now this anomaly’s been detected, it’s even more exciting. Perhaps it’s a cavern in the ice sealed off for hundreds or thousands of years, though that alone wouldn’t cause NASA’s anomaly.”

“A meteorite might?” said Richard.

Jane glanced at Richard. As usual the smug look was plastered across his face. So this is how he was trying to worm his way onto the team. “I very much doubt a meteor is responsible for the anomaly,” she said firmly.

“But you accept it is possible?” pushed Richard.

Jane felt herself backed into a corner. “I suppose anything’s possible, however unlikely that is in reality.”

“That’s as may be,” said Jerrod, firmly, “but I’ve made my decision. Richard is going.”

Jane inwardly sighed. Cooped up with Richard for two months would be torture. She avoided looking at Richard because she knew he would be grinning. “Has someone dropped out as I thought the expedition was at full capacity?”

“It is. I believe you’ve misunderstood me, Jane. Richard will take your place on the team.”

Jane’s mouth dropped open in shock. It had been a difficult task to organize everything for the expedition, and it had taken months of planning with the other team members to finalize everything. The Pine Island Glacier was four hundred miles from the nearest ice station, Byrd Station, where a small airstrip had to be first constructed to allow for C130 planes to bring scientists and equipment from the McMurdo ice station one thousand miles away. This equipment then had to be driven four hundred miles over rough terrain pitted with crevasses to the glacier. All of this work could only be carried out during the short Antarctic summer, late October though late January. It had taken two years for the team to plan and establish a small base camp near the rift and now she would never get to see it.

“Are you okay, Jane?” asked Jerrod, when she’d remained silent for a few moments.

“What!” she snapped. “I can’t believe you’re sending Richard instead of me.”

“It makes perfect sense,” said Richard.

“Not to me it damn well doesn’t!”

“I know you were looking forward to the trip, Jane,” said Jerrod, with a slight hint of guilt. “But now this anomaly’s been thrust into the equation, we have to cover every eventuality. There’s already another glaciologist on the team, but there’s no meteorologist. You know how remote the Pine Island Glacier is and how difficult it is to get there, so if it turns out to be a meteorite, Richard will be on hand to examine it.”

Jane felt like someone had just kicked her in the stomach. “There’s more chance it will be Santa Claus and his elves responsible for the anomaly than a meteorite.”

“Anyway, the Antarctic is no place for a woman.”

Jane couldn’t believe what the pompous prick had just said. She glared at Richard and imagined her hands ripping his stupid tongue from his stupid mouth. “No place for a woman! The Antarctic is no longer a boy’s only club. Women have been going there for years.” Jane seethed with anger.

Sensing the volatile atmosphere, Jerrod abruptly dismissed her. “That’s all, Jane.”

In a daze, she stood and exited the office, softly closing the door she wanted to slam shut behind her. She heard Richard laugh. She had no doubts the joke was at her expense. She headed back to her desk.

Barry intercepted her. “How did it go?” He then noticed her despondent expression. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m not going to Antarctica. Richard is.”

“What! I don’t understand. I told Jerrod you were by far the best candidate.”

“But I’m not marrying the boss’s daughter, am I?”

“I’m so sorry, Jane. Richard doesn’t deserve to go—you do.”

“It’s not your fault, Barry. Richard’s convinced Jerrod it’s a meteorite causing the anomaly, and as a meteorologist, he should be the one to go.”

“But that’s absurd!”

“Of course it’s absurd, but Jerrod believes it’s feasible, so Richard will be going. I have to go. I’ll see you later.”

Barry watched her walk away and turned when Richard exited Jerrod’s office. He wore a satisfied smile. Barry’s glare followed the man’s walk to his office at the end of the room, the office that by rights should have Barry’s name on the door. A smile followed the wicked look that appeared on his face. Don’t worry, Jane, I’ll make sure Richard gets exactly what he deserves.

THREE DAYS LATER, Jane was at her desk when her email alert pinged to inform her she had received a new message. The email was from Barry. She opened it and read the message.

Don’t worry, Jane. Cinderella will go to the ball.

Hang up your bikini and pack a bag ready for a very cold climate.

Jane stood up and peered over the cubicles. Barry looked back at her with a big smile on his face. He winked before sitting down, disappearing from her view.

What are you up to, Barry?

Barry needed perfect timing if his plan was going to work. He glanced at his watch. Luckily, Richard was a creature of habit in some regards. His intake of caffeine at 3PM was one of them. Barry counted down, “five, four, three, two, one.” He stared at Richard’s door. A few seconds later he appeared. After Barry’s eyes had followed the man over to the coffee machine, he hurried across the room. “Hi, Richard.”

Richard placed a cup in the tray of the coffee dispenser, pressed a button to start the process and glanced at his colleague. “You look happy today.”

“Why wouldn’t I be? Tomorrow you leave for Antarctica and for two months I’ll be free of you. It’s going to be like an extra holiday.”

Richard huffed. “I’ll be free of you as well.”

Barry glanced at Richard’s cup slowly filling with coffee. “With a bit of luck you’ll be eaten by a polar bear.” He flashed Richard a hopeful grin.

“You are such a dumbass, Barry. There aren’t any polar bears in the Antarctic.”

The cup was almost full.

Barry made a show of craning his head past Richard and let out a soft whistle. “Wow! Look at the tits on her.”