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Fibreway

"Antarctic Rescue"

Jack cursed as the small single engined Cessna was buffeted by the near gale force Antarctic winds. His mission to drop emergency aid to an expedition party was looking less plausible by the minute. The mission had been a long shot from the start but his boss had been put under huge pressure from the authorities because the expedition party contained a number of film celebrities who were trekking to the South Pole. Apparently they were trying to raise the profile of some ecological crisis or other. "Raising the profile of their careers more like it," was his boss's response, "Why the hell they have to come here I don't know. Anyway I can't order you to do it." "Wouldn't hurt to try," Jack had responded and had regretted it ever since taking off.

The strong winds were making flying very tiring and just as Jack was beginning to worry about fuel consumption the "fuel low" warning started to bleep. Shit, thought Jack as he switched to the back up tanks, another ten minutes then I'm heading home. However five minutes later the fuel warning went again. What now, he cursed and started to fiddle with the fuel changeover controls. It took him another five minutes to work out that either the changeover switch was faulty, unlikely, or that the reserve tank hadn't been filled, again unlikely, or that there was a leak somewhere. The take off had been pretty bumpy but surely there would have been some warning of a leak. Either way he had about ten more minutes and then he was out of fuel. Desperately he tried to raise the base on the radio but the high winds were just a prelude to a storm front moving in and that was playing havoc with the radio transmission. He spent eight of the last ten minutes in the air trying to raise the base and thought that he just managed to get through and report his position before it was time to try to land.

After finding a relatively flat spot he very nearly pulled it off. There was just one bump too many which pitched the Cessna onto its nose and, despite his seat belt, pitched him into the windscreen surround.

When he came to the wind was howling through the broken windscreen and he was freezing cold. A quick check revealed a bloody gash on his forehead but the cold has stopped the bleeding pretty quickly. He quickly unfastened his seat belt and pulled up the hood of his down survival suit and fastened it tightly across his face. With this wind he had to get shelter pretty quickly so he grabbed the survival kit from the rear of the plane and got out. The wind cut into him like a knife, despite his down suit and so he quickly got to work putting up the tent. After he crawled inside he felt really dizzy, probably concussion from the impact, so still wearing his down suit he quickly got into his hooded sleeping bag and pulled up the zip. He was pretty sure that he was going to pass out so got all the chemical heater packs from the survival kit and put them inside the sleeping bag. He pulled up the hood of the bag and tied it as close as possible around his face and then passed out.

...

Stacey struggled to close the door of the Jamesway hut against the howling wind and brushed the snow from her down parka. "It's picking up again," she said, pulling down the fur trimmed parka hood. "Don't get undressed," said Heidi, the other occupant of the hut, getting up from the radio, "I've just had a message from base. Jack's been forced down, fuel problems, and we're the nearest". "Where?" asked Stacy worriedly. She liked Jack, he was a really great pilot and treated her and Heidi as equals whenever he ferried them about. Too many of the other pilots were "he-men" who thought mainly with their dicks rather than their brains. Jack would also overlook any of the petty weight or baggage restrictions on their flights. "As long as the plane's not overweight, bring what you like," was his approach and he saved Stacey and Heidi several extra flights and let them take equipment not normally allowed in the field camps. Heidi pulled out a map and pointed, "Base say his last radio position is here. Communication was tricky and they couldn't get a reply from him." "That's six hours in the Sno-Cat," said Stacey, "We'd better wrap up in all the down we can find, and bring as much spare as we can. We don't know what state he'll be in. Bring those new down sleeping bags as well, we'll need those to warm him up." Fifteen minutes later they were both enveloped in several layers of thermal underwear, a down base layer suit, a down vest and topped off with a thick one-piece down suit with a huge fur ruff around the hood and set off.

The journey took a frigid six hours, the heater in the Sno-Cat was marginal at best and sitting still at 20 below was not pleasant. Neither woman spoke much, it was difficult to communicate with faces covered in balaclavas and neck-warmers. Driving was difficult while wearing huge down mittens but removing them would invite frostbite. Navigation was also achieved with much gesticulating of mittened hands.

Eventually they found the plane and the tent and quickly got out and scrambled inside the tent. "He's still with us but very cold", said Heidi, having pulled off her down mitten and felt inside Jack's bag. "We've got to get him to the Sno-Cat," said Stacey as she unzipped the bag and tried to get Jack conscious. He woke up enough to be able to stumble over to the Sno-Cat just as the wind stepped up a notch and conditions deteriorated to a white out.

"Forget the heater, it's far too slow," said Heidi, "We've got to warm him the old fashioned way. Get him stripped off and into the sleeping bags." They fastened two of the huge down sleeping bags together, stripped Jack down to his thermal underwear and got him into the bags. "He's been good to us, I guess it's payback time," said Heidi as she also stripped down to her underwear and got in with him. "Two's better than one," said Stacey and did the same. It was a tight fit for three but they managed with Jack sandwiched in the middle. "Right get his thermals off," said Heidi once they were zipped in tightly with the rest of their down clothing spread of the top as extra insulation. Jack had lapsed back to unconsciousness and it was with difficulty that they got his thermal underwear off. The two women wriggled out of theirs and held his cold body to their warm ones. "How long to we stay like this?" asked Stacey uncertainly "Until he warms up," replied Heidi. She took Stacy's hand in the semi-darkness and squeezed it. "He's a tough cookie, he'll make it."

...

Jack woke to find a familiar woman's face close to his. "Stacey?" he asked uncertainly. "Sure is," she replied, her heart lifting, "and behind you is Heidi". "Cool," he said, "a threesome with my two favourite customers. I must crash more often." Heidi chuckled, "Don't get any smart ideas. You've probably got concussion and we're only in here to warm you up. If you hadn't thought of those chemical heaters you'd be dead by now. You were nearly gone when we found you" "How long have I been out?" "Probably about seven hours when we found you and then another hour after we got you in here." "My head hurts like hell" "I'm not surprised," said Heidi, "do you want something for it?" "Yes please" Heidi unzipped the bags and quickly reached for the first aid kit, got some pain killers and zipped the bag again. It only took seconds but the blast of cold air immediately started Jack shivering again. "Jesus," said as the two women held him close, "I'd like you to know that I'm not doing this just to be hugged by you two." "Don't worry," said Stacey, "just hang on there while you warm up." It took another hour before Heidi was happy to get out of the sleeping bag and get dressed. By this time the storm had abated a lot and the wind had stopped howling. "OK you stay in there with Stacey while I get dressed and try and raise the base on the radio." She wriggled back into her thermal underwear inside the sleeping bag and got out, zipping the two of them back up tightly. It was freezing in the Sno-Cat so, as fast as possible she pulled on another layer of down underwear followed by a down vest and then her down suit, boots and mittens. She then scrambled into the front of the Sno-Cat and switched on the radio.

Jack was quiet after Heidi got out. He'd been attracted to Stacey ever since he first met her but, even though they seemed to get on well, had been reluctant to make any move. Now, lying naked inside a sleeping bag he felt a little uneasy even though he'd dreamed of this. "It was really good of you to come out and get me. It couldn't have been as easy journey," he said after a while. "Hey, it was no problem," she replied, "If we didn't get you who would fly us and our overweight equipment everywhere?" "I knew it wasn't because of me" She became serious, "Don't worry, we would have come for you whatever the weather." After a moment's silence Jack said hesitantly, "You know, I've thought for ages about asking you out but ...", he trailed off. "Well why the hell didn't you ask me then?" Jack shrugged, " I don't know, too scared I guess." "What, you fly that plane in an Antarctic blizzard without a thought but you won't ask me out. What are you man or mouse?" she asked in mock anger. "I suppose when you out it like that it is a bit daft." "Well next time we're both back at the base ask me then. I guarantee that you won't be disappointed."

Just then Heidi returned, "OK those idiots at base have sent both spare planes to look for our precious film stars. We'll have to get you back to our camp and they can pick you up there. Good job we brought some spare cold weather gear. Stacey, you get up next and get Jack sorted while I get the engine going. Check his feet and hands for frostbite " Stacey nodded and started to get into her thermals inside the sleeping bags. She then slipped out and put on her down layers in record time before giving Jack's feet and hands a thorough check then passed him a set of thermals. "They're mine I'm afraid but they're clean and they're the warmest set I've got." Jack took the underwear and pulled them on. Despite being freshly laundered they smelt faintly of Stacey's perfumed soap but they felt soft and warm so he didn't hesitate. He got out of the bags and was quickly given a down base layer. "Hey these feel good, what are they," he commented as he pulled on the jacket, pants and boots. "Our special weapon against the cold," replied Stacey, "here put on this hood as well." Jack pulled it on thankfully because it was freezing cold inside the Sno-Cat. "And finally this," said Stacey handing him a down suit. "Wow this is so thick, much better than my survival suit." "Winter issue, we don't go anywhere without them. Pull the hood up and put on these booties and mittens"

Heidi returned with some high calorie field rations for them having started the engine. "Here grab some of these and make sure you drink enough fluid." Jack ate with enthusiasm. He didn't really enjoy field rations but these tasted like the finest steak.

When he'd finished Heidi said, "The journey back is no picnic and this Sno-Cat is like a mobile fridge. There's only room for two up front and I need Stacy to navigate." "No problem," said Jack, "I'll sit back here." Heidi considered for a moment, "You'd better get into a sleeping bag. We don't want you cooling off again. Don't take your suit off get in as you are. No, wait a minute I've got a better idea." She grabbed both bags and stuffed one inside the other, "Now get into both with your suit on. That should keep you warm." Jack thought about protesting but the look on Heidi's face even though it was obscured by her base layer and down suit hoods was enough and he wriggled in. Stacey zipped up both bags around him, "Keep your mittens on inside the bag," she ordered, "your hands look OK but we can't be sure." By the time she'd zipped up both bags, pulled up his suit hood and the bags' hoods he was wrapped snugly in a down filled cocoon. Heidi had got into the front seat so Stacey pulled the fur hood of Jack's suit tightly around his face and fastened the sleeping bag hoods. Finally she parted the fur ruff and kissed him gently on the lips. "Hang on in there hot shot. We'll be back at camp soon."

The Sno-Cat moved off and within 10 minutes the gentle rumbling of the tracks and the insulating warmth of the many layers of down sent him off to sleep.

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