Operation 1: Front Porch

[Steve Trustrum]

After nearly two months of briefings on Section 51, global operations relevant to your tasking, and getting to know each other, the Colonel (who you've since learned is named Colonel Michael Edwards) summons you back to the third floor of the admin building, conference room 5 for a briefing at 04:00.

[Alright, guys and gals, this is your last chance to ask anything in the other threads about the base, etc. before we move on]

[Jack Grey]

After nearly two months of briefings on Section 51, global operations relevant to your tasking, and getting to know each other, the Colonel (who you've since learned is named Colonel Michael Edwards) summons you back to the third floor of the admin building, conference room 5 for a briefing at 04:00.

Jack arrives promptly at 03:58, takes a seat in the front row, awaits the arrival of the Colonel. He appears calm and relaxed.

[Fred]

Sergio arrives a minute later. His face shows all the signs of someone who didn't want to wake up at this ungodly hour. He crashes into his chair, crosses his arm and seriously considers taking one last nap in the remaining minute.

[Jack Grey]

Sergio arrives a minute later. His face shows all the signs of someone who didn't want to wake up at this ungodly hour. He crashes into his chair, crosses his arm and seriously considers taking one last nap in the remaining minute.

Jack chuckles at the bleary-eyed Sergio, and looks around to see if coffee has been provided.

[ktshelley]

Sparks sitting in the back row.....looking like he only got a few hours sleep, gives a head nod to Jack and Sergio. "Morning"

[Ulzgoroth]

Alexander has been sitting in the third row for a good 15 minutes. His more than usually rumpled appearance and slightly bloodshot eyes testify to an unrestful night, but he looks alert, verging on hyperactive.

[vidar]

Chandra wanders in at 0400 precisely, looks around and chuckles at all the people that look tired. He sits next to Jack, elbows him lightly and asks. "Mind if I copy your notes?"

[Jack Grey]

Chandra wanders in at 0400 precisely, looks around and chuckles at all the people that look tired. He sits next to Jack, elbows him lightly and asks. "Mind if I copy your notes?"

Jack, who looks as well-rested as usual, chuckles back and says, "Feel free. I assume you'll be writing a note to the cute girl in the back?"

[vidar]

Jack, who looks as well-rested as usual, chuckles back and says, "Feel free. I assume you'll be writing a note to the cute girl in the back?"

"I would but I think that'd be illegible through all the drool! I mean you'd have thought at least one of them would have had the sense to go to bed early." He grins evilly. "Next time maybe I should stop off a get some coffee before coming here. The evil stares from the bleary-eyed people should keep them awake don't you think?"

He glances at his watch. "I do hope the Colonel isn't delayed. I have a rather serious question", he pauses momentarily, "or perhaps I should say request to ask. Hope he's in a better mood than last time."

[Jack Grey]

He glances at his watch. "I do hope the Colonel isn't delayed. I have a rather serious question", he pauses momentarily, "or perhaps I should say request to ask. Hope he's in a better mood than last time."

Jack smiles briefly, and says, "The Colonel is a serious man - he knows the nature of that which we face. And I think he'd prefer that we all survive our first mission.

But I am curious - with the evidence before you of Angels and Heaven, what do you believe? Ordinarily, I would never ask such a question before coffee, but you seem to be feeling no ill effects... "

[Steve Trustrum]

The colonel arrives right on time and immediately heads to the podium. He appears to be crisply awake and aware despite the early hour.

"Good morning, gentlemen. I trust you're all fully rested, because today you start earning your pay. Yesterday, Roof of the World aerial recon into the southmost tip of South America spotted something unusual in the Antarctic along their way."

At this point the colonel retrieves a remote from atop the podium and presses several buttons. The lights dim, a screen lowers behind him as he steps to the side, and a projection comes down from the ceiling, passing through where the colonel had just been standing to shine on the screen. The projection is clearly a thermal image, most of which appears to be extreme cold with several closely-spaced dots of mid- to high-temperatures.

"The recon craft thought it saw some odd movements on the ice on their way over the top, so on the way back they took some quick images of the area on a hunch. Their instincts paid off. What you're seeing are heat blooms from ... something."

Another button is pushed and the image changes to one that appears almost entirely white until you stare harder, allowing your eyes to adjust. You then notice slight variations in the color--lines denoting shapes that seem somewhat familiar to the temperature patterns of the previous image. Some of the more notable, regular lines are where the heat blooms were located on the previous photos.

"In this digital shot you can see some irregularities in the topography, irregularities that match where the heat blooms were photographed. Clearly, someone is up to something on the ice and it's not us and none of our allies are admitting to anything. That means the most likely answer is the Churchies are up to something."

"The location is very near the Belgrano II research station, once belonging to Argentina, so we can only assume the Churchies finally got around to checking that nation's scientific records and found something that interested them, something interesting enough to go check out in the middle of a global war, and anything that interests them interests us. And that brings us to you, gentlemen."

"You'll be equipped with the necessary cold weather gear and flown to Pearl Harbor where you'll board one of our nuclear submarines. The sub will break through the ice in the Weddell Sea and deposit you there with several snow mobiles. You will use these to get you close to the target area, but will proceed on foot the last few miles to reduce the chance of being detected."

"Any questions so far?"

http://en.wikivisual.com/images/7/7e/Antarctica.jpg

[Jack Grey]

"The location is very near the Belgrano II research station, once belonging to Argentina, so we can only assume the Churchies finally got around to checking that nation's scientific records and found something that interested them, something interesting enough to go check out in the middle of a global war, and anything that interests them interests us.

"Any questions so far?"

Jack raises his hand. "Sir, what do we know about the research being conducted at the Belgrano II station? And, do we have any research facilities on the ice currently?"

[Steve Trustrum]

Jack raises his hand. "Sir, what do we know about the research being conducted at the Belgrano II station? And, do we have any research facilities on the ice currently?"

"All our off-continent science expeditions were recalled at the beginning of the war. As to what Belgrano II was doing before Argentina went over to the Churchies, it was what you'd expect: oceanography and the like. Much like our own site, it's been abandoned since the war but it now seems like they may have snuck in a team as much as a year ago and whatever they found has led to this current activity nearby."

[Fred]

"A sub, sir? Wouldn't it be faster to hop into a plane and then board the sub closer to Antarctica, maybe off the coast of Brazil? I mean, whatever the Churchies are doing there, it's probably best to know about it sooner than later," Sergio says.

[Steve Trustrum]

"A sub, sir? Wouldn't it be faster to hop into a plane and then board the sub closer to Antarctica, maybe off the coast of Brazil? I mean, whatever the Churchies are doing there, it's probably best to know about it sooner than later," Sergio says.

"The Churchies' blockading of Brazil would make getting there difficult, let alone flying you out all the way to Antarctica. Mid-air refueling would also prove difficult seeing as how we don't have any air bases down there any more, nor can we re-task a carrier group to the area. They wouldn't get there in time to help with refueling anyway. Churchy boats or air patrols along the way would almost certainly also make short work of any aircraft we'd need to stick you in for such a long haul. No, under the water and up through the ice is the fastest, safest way to get you there unseen."

[Ulzgoroth]

"Have we got anything from the occult side on this, or is it only the conventional surveillance?"

[Steve Trustrum]

"Have we got anything from the occult side on this, or is it only the conventional surveillance?"

"You'll be the first boots on the ground, so we've not otherwise had an opportunity to deploy any of our other ... special ... resources. We've had our own suspicions about the entire Antarctic, and the very fact that they're diverting forces there without any ice penetration to indicate something like a sub recovery operation leads me to believe there's more going on than just taking core ice samples."

[vidar]

"Any questions so far?"

"What's our method of egress? And is our mission one of recon only? Will we have radio communications with the sub at least? And will they be able to back us up in a worst case scenario?" Chandra pauses a moment. "That's all I can think of at the moment."

[vidar]

Jack smiles briefly, and says, "The Colonel is a serious man - he knows the nature of that which we face. And I think he'd prefer that we all survive our first mission.

"The kind of work we do we can't expect that", he glances at some of the others, "especially when we have some green troops with us."

But I am curious - with the evidence before you of Angels and Heaven, what do you believe? Ordinarily, I would never ask such a question before coffee, but you seem to be feeling no ill effects... "

Chandra smiles opens his mouth to speak, sees the Colonel. "Later. I'm hoping there's a movie today."

[vidar]

"All our off-continent science expeditions were recalled at the beginning of the war. As to what Belgrano II was doing before Argentina went over to the Churchies, it was what you'd expect: oceanography and the like. Much like our own site, it's been abandoned since the war but it now seems like they may have snuck in a team as much as a year ago and whatever they found has led to this current activity nearby."

"Would any other research stations in the area still be viable if say we had to hole up in one for a while?"

[Steve Trustrum]

"What's our method of egress?

"You'll be extracted by the same sub, roughly two miles north of your drop-off point. The sub will surface through the ice two days later, giving you a window of opportunity for improvisation, if necessary."

And is our mission one of recon only?

The mission's priority is to find out what the Churchies are up to and who, exactly, they are. If the opportunity presents itself, you are to terminate their operation, bury the site, and bring back any data they may have collected."

Will we have radio communications with the sub at least?

"After dropping you off, the sub will surface every 6 hours. You are to check in at these times with status reports."

And will they be able to back us up in a worst case scenario?

"No. The sub's crew is not prepared for an armed assault. At best, the few small arms they have on-hand will be able to offer you minimal covering support if you are retreating to their immediate location. They're function is insertion and extraction. The boat simply isn't equipped to function in any other capacity relevant to your mission."

[Steve Trustrum]

"Would any other research stations in the area still be viable if say we had to hole up in one for a while?"

"Sure ... if you're willing to trek across roughly 400 clicks of frozen wastes to just the nearest one. I think you'll be better off keeping your snow shelter in good condition and do your best not to get run to ground. There's not much in the way of hiding places around there."

[vidar]

"Sure ... if you're willing to trek across roughly 400 clicks of frozen wastes to just the nearest one. I think you'll be better off keeping your snow shelter in good condition and do your best not to get run to ground. There's not much in the way of hiding places around there."

Chandra nods. "Does any of our team have and experience in artic survival? I mean I grew up in the shadow of mountains but that's not quite the same. Or failing that will we recieve atleast a basic do's and don't's type list for artic survival?" He looks at the medic. "You do know the signs to look for that indicate a potentially serious medical condition and how to treat it, right? In fact I'd read up on it just in case if I were you." Looks back at the Colonel. "Just trying to keep everybody alive. Going anyplace that cold will kill you if you don't take precautions. We're lucky it's summer down there. Which means it'll be as warm as -3 degrees C."

Sorry don't know Farenheit (not even sure I spelled it right). It was summer wasn't it BTW.

[Steve Trustrum]

Chandra nods. "Does any of our team have and experience in artic survival? I mean I grew up in the shadow of mountains but that's not quite the same. Or failing that will we recieve atleast a basic do's and don't's type list for artic survival?" He looks at the medic. "You do know the signs to look for that indicate a potentially serious medical condition and how to treat it, right? In fact I'd read up on it just in case if I were you." Looks back at the Colonel. "Just trying to keep everybody alive. Going anyplace that cold will kill you if you don't take precautions. We're lucky it's summer down there. Which means it'll be as warm as -3 degrees C."

"None of you have arctic survival training specifically, but enough have had general survival training to know what to do to retain your body heat. You'll also be equipped with the best gear and extra MREs for an emergency. If the shit hits the fan, most likely it won't be a lack of arctic training that does you in. You will indeed go through a survival briefing aboard the sub, however."

[Jack Grey]

Chandra nods. "Does any of our team have and experience in artic survival? I mean I grew up in the shadow of mountains but that's not quite the same. Or failing that will we recieve atleast a basic do's and don't's type list for artic survival?" He looks at the medic. "You do know the signs to look for that indicate a potentially serious medical condition and how to treat it, right? In fact I'd read up on it just in case if I were you." Looks back at the Colonel. "Just trying to keep everybody alive. Going anyplace that cold will kill you if you don't take precautions. We're lucky it's summer down there. Which means it'll be as warm as -3 degrees C."

"None of you have arctic survival training specifically, but enough have had general survival training to know what to do to retain your body heat. You'll also be equipped with the best gear and extra MREs for an emergency. If the shit hits the fan, most likely it won't be a lack of arctic training that does you in. You will indeed go through a survival briefing aboard the sub, however."

Jack says, "Actually, I believe it is the dead of their winter - their seasons are reversed. If I recall correctly, the average temperature at the South Pole is around 50 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. I think it gets up to about zero Fahrenheit at the ocean, but inland it is terribly cold. And dark. They may get a few hours of daylight a day, but they may have also crossed into total darkness. And there will be constant storms, bitter winds, and blinding snow. I suggest we all watch "March of the Penguins" en route." Jack sighs, and looks at Chandra. "And you're right - I need to read up on arctic survival. Although I can fix frostbite."

[vidar]

"None of you have arctic survival training specifically, but enough have had general survival training to know what to do to retain your body heat. You'll also be equipped with the best gear and extra MREs for an emergency. If the shit hits the fan, most likely it won't be a lack of arctic training that does you in. You will indeed go through a survival briefing aboard the sub, however."

Chandra nods. "Too true. Just didn't want our first mission to fail because people were careless about protecting themselves. Now on a more important note how long is this sub trip going to take to get us there?"

I somehow thought it was the beginning of the year, but I see it's actually May.

[Jack Grey]

"None of you have arctic survival training specifically, but enough have had general survival training to know what to do to retain your body heat.

Chandra nods. "Too true. Just didn't want our first mission to fail because people were careless about protecting themselves. "

Jack smiles, "The only way to survive Antarctica at this time of year is to be in a complete containment suit of some sort, like what the astronauts wear in outer space. With a wind chill below -100 degrees Fahrenheit, if your skin is exposed, even for a second, you will get frostbite. So we'll need radio communication with each other since we'll have full protective headgear. And lights or some other vision gear, since we're going in complete darkness, and we should probably consider roping ourselves together, since the frequent storms have winds that can reach 200 miles per hour."

Then Jack pauses, and his brow furrows, and he says, "I gotta tell ya, I'm a little scared at what the Cult thinks they have down there to brave Antarctica at this time of year."

[vidar]

Then Jack pauses, and his brow furrows, and he says, "I gotta tell ya, I'm a little scared at what the Cult thinks they have down there to brave Antarctica at this time of year."

"Cheer up. They may have found nothing there. Sure, they may have thought they had something. Right up until it was too late to get out before the winter snows came in. So they have to wait until the spring thaw, because it would be suicide to try and get out now..." He pauses then. "On second thoughts forget I said anything, my mouth sometimes runs away from me." He looks back at the Colonel. "Do please continue with the briefing."

[Steve Trustrum]

Waiting for the chatter to die down, the colonel then goes on.

"Okay, if there are no more questions, let's get to the specifics. You'll each be given a heavy arctic suit and the rest to keep your delicate asses from getting chilly. Unfortunately, they won't be the easiest things to fight in should you run into trouble. The rest--an arctic tent and the like--will be set up for you as a group. Beyond that, it's up to you to take what you want. It's not going to be easy, though, so I'd suggest you leave the fooze ball table at home."

[vidar]

"Okay, if there are no more questions, let's get to the specifics."

Chandra pipes up and says. "Actually I have something, not a question more or a -", he pauses and it seems to psych himself up before continues, "problem really. I don't like being in cramped places. I'm fine with an elevator, well unless it gets stuck between floors. And I'm not sure I'll be able to handle being in a submarine for Gods know how long. Not without going mad," pause "er." He then slumps back in his chair.

"It's not going to be easy, though, so I'd suggest you leave the fooze ball table at home."

"But then how would we find out who the fooze ball champion is? It was between me and the sniper."