Chapter 1: Discoveries

Who am I? Mister almost average, A very fit 1.73 metres tall. Nothing out standing in the looks department, just average. Brown hair, light blue eyes, average. If anything my nose might be a little on the large size, but not to large at least that's what I think, you can never tell. The bloody thing sticks out between my eyes, can't focus on it. The only outstanding feature are my face and hands, they are brown. I'm not talking about a little sun bathing brown, I'm talking about sun baked brown from years of baking above the snow line. I have a lot of lines on my face, not crows feet around my eyes, I'm talking about ravines etched into my face. My Mum says I look like a 80 year old dried up prune. The rest of my body is white, so white that when the sun shines off it, it will blind everyone around me. Well that's about me except my age, believe or not I'm not a young man of 20 I'm 36. Yes that's right, average.

I'm a single man. Could never find some one to share my life with. Don't know what it is about me or my life that they find so wrong. Maybe its sleeping up a 100 metre cliff with nothing more than a harness and a couple of carabiners stopping you from plunging to your death, or maybe it's spending three day's stuck in a snow cave at 8,000 metres while a blizzard howls out side. Maybe they just like their beds to much, don't get me wrong I like my bed as well. It's just I'm born to this, to hike, to climb, to ski, it's adventure. I'm just a big kid with a very large backyard to play in.

Oh I'm sorry I still haven't answered my opening question. Who am I? Well that depends, most call me Tony Blair. But there is one that calls me by my true name. I get a shiver ever time I hear it. I break out in a cold sweat ever time I hear it. My mind holds nothing but fear every time I hear it. "ANTHONY THOMAS BLAIR GET YOUR ARSE IN HERE." Yep it's my Mum. I have learnt long ago when she uses my true name there is no hiding place she can't find, no fortification strong enough to withstand her blows. Even my dad runs to the hills when my true name echo's off the mountains. The best I can do is to look at her with the best innocent eye's I can manage and say " It wasn't me mum it was Blackie. " Has it ever worked? Nope! Mothers have a sixth sense, I call it the lieometer.

So that brings me to the where and now.

Where am I? Well I'm on a hill that is part of the Transantarctica Mountain Range. A hill not big enough to warrant a name, the best they could do is give it a number. Hill 1764. It's significance, it is a hill that sits on the edge of the great Polar Plateau, next to one of the many glaciers that flows to the sea.

Which brings me to the when. I know it is January 2006, but to what day I think it might be the 19^th can't be sure, it could just as easy be the 18^th or 20^th. Does it matter, not to me.

Now the why. First of all to set up a weather station on a ridge about 2/3 up this hill. I was dropped off by chopper with the station. The hardest part was bolting the stays to the bedrock. That only took a few hours to do. Next I set up the station and tightened the stays checked that the gauges are working. It is a simple station it has a cup anemometer, cup generator, wind direction gauge, thermometer and a barometer. It is all controlled by a small computer and the data is transmitted by a satellite transceiver. All powered by a small battery charged by the generator. The other part to the mission is to collect rock and mineral samples and then head to base camp on the plateau. Simple.

It is here that this story begins. It is up to you to believe or not to believe, but please remember it is your fate that I am trying to save.

Here I am about 100 metres past the first sample site torch in hand, peering into a ice cave I've just found on the side of the hill. It seemed odd that there is such a cave only 200k's from the South Pole, how did it form, why isn't it filled with snow or ice. I decide to investigate, but first better contact Base Camp. Turning the torch off and fumbling for the radio in the side pocket on my back pack.

" Ted you awake yet " I said into the mic.

After a few seconds " Bloody hell Blair don't you ever sleep it's 4:30 for Christ sake " Ted said with annoyance.

" Sorry to wake you Ted, found something interesting. A ice cave "

" A cave " Ted said " Ice caves can't form this side of the mountains "

" That's what I thought as well, but here I am standing outside of one " I said

" What is it a thermal vent or something "

" No can't be, these mountains are tectonic in nature not volcanic. Thought I might have a look see what's formed it "

"O.K. Be careful, your two hours from any help from McMurdo and I'm sure as hell not going to climb up there to pull your sorry arse off that mountain "

" Yep will be, the cave seams to go into the hill for some distance, can't see the face, thought I might grab some breakfast first then head in " I said " Ted are they getting good telemetry from the station"

" Yes they called last night and said they where getting good readings "

"O.K. Ted I'll give you a call when I come out of the cave"

" O.K. Tony be careful, base out"

With a heave I sit the back pack down on ice. I open the top flap and extract a cooker and a billy( small Pot ) and then scrap snow into the billy. Lighting the cooker I places the billy on it and sit down to wait for the snow to melt then boil.

I look out to the Polar Plateau stretching out before me, What a fantastic sight, ice as far as the eye can see. The Sun sitting at about 20degs above the horizon allowing long shadows to form on the irregular surface of the Plateau. It is hard to believe that at one time many Moons ago parts of Antarctica was north of the Equator.

My thoughts move to the beginning of this adventure, it all started 4 weeks ago when we flew out of Christchuch on a RNZAF Hercules Aircraft, heading for Scott Base, Antarctica. Five hours later I was standing on the ice shelf. The first thing you notice is the ice laden winds blowing up the Ross Ice Shelf.

The first few days we organize all of the supplies we have brought down with us, Food, Diesel fuel and various other bits and pieces.

The first trip away from Scott Base was to Mount Erebus to check on the seismic recorders and to collect samples of ores and minerals.

Which then brings to second mission witch is a joint mission with the Americans.

This is the primary reason I'm up here is to set up a weather station to monitor the Katabatic Winds, that done, I am also here to collect samples of minerals and Ore. There are Two places that is free from ice and snow that I plan on getting my samples, one not far from were I had set up the weather station. The other being a few hundred meters down the mountain. I was heading for that face when I came across this cave.

"It's impossible, it's facing South, it should be all ice"

Looking at my Billy I see the snow has melted and the water is nearly boiling. Opening the back pack I remove my cup, Coffee, Powdered Milk and a Beef Stew MRE.

Turning off the cooker I poor the Coffee, Powdered Milk and boiling water into the cup.

Mixing the chemicals in the MRE to heat it I then put it down pick up the cup and take a couple of sips.

Tearing open the MRE I start to eat the stew. Not the best but adequate.

My thoughts go back to the time my Father would take me on hikes up in the mountains behind our farm. Love those mountains love the feel, taste and smell.

The farm is situated in the Matokitoki Valley bordering the Mt Aspiring National Park in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. It is here that I grew to love Mineralogy and Geology. My Father was a amateur Mineralogist and Fossil hunter, it is he that taught me about Mineralogy until I went to the Otago University to get my Doctorit in Mineralogy and a Degree in Geology. We have a large room in the back of our farm house that is dedicated to our samples, all cut and polished to show the ore and crystals. Our collection has come from all over the World either by getting them ourselves or by swapping with colleagues.

With the MRE finished I place the empty package into the side pocket of my pack. Take the last two gulps of my coffee and pack everything back in its place.

Lifting the pack on my back I enter the cave. After a few Metres I smell something sweet. I remove my Parka hood then the goggles and then the Balaclava. Not only is there a smell, there is also a breeze, a warm breeze. This cannot be! There is no sulphur smell that you would expect from thermal or volcanic activity. So where is this warm air coming from. The light starts to fade the further I move from the entrance. I decide to use the gas lantern rather than the torch. Lighting the lantern I notice that I am now into the strata, oddly smooth as if it has been machined.

" What has formed this. This has to be man made, it's to smooth. Weathering can't produce this, Lava tubes are not this smooth so it has to be man made " I said to my self.

Looking down the cave he sees that it is oval in shape, at a uniform height heading down at about 10 deg's and rotating to the left. There is no more ice in the cave and seems to be getting warmer.

I again remove the pack. Then I remove my Gloves, Arctic Parka, Crampon's from my boots and pack them away, lifting the pack back up I head down the cave. After walking for 15 minutes I stop and I take a couple swigs of water from my water flask. While pondering the situation the cave is still smooth still going down at about 10 deg's still spiralling to the left. The temperature has got to be about 15 deg C still has that sweet smell which reminds me of a Pine forest after a summer rain. Thinking aloud I say " This has to be man... " His thoughts are interrupted buy a loud mechanical THUD! Then a few seconds later another Thud! This one sounded further away. " What is this place? "