Free Colder Than Ice by Helen MacPherson

the
week.” He resumed his seat.
    Michela
inwardly sighed. Very sure of ourselves, aren’t we? There has to be at least
one Alpha male in every group. As for the way he patted Allison’s butt, you’d
think she was his property or something. Michela schooled her features and
smiled as the woman on the other side of Rick stood.
    “I’m
Dianne Peterson and like Rick and Alli, I also work at the Flinders Museum. As
well as having a degree in archaeology, I also have one in geology.”
Dianne gracefully flicked her blonde locks and smiled. “I guess I couldn’t
make up my mind which discipline I liked the best.”
    Michela
silently laughed as Dianne wove her spell. And at least one Alpha female as
well.
    Sarah
literally bounced out of her chair. “G’day. I’m Sarah Knight and I’m a
glaciologist and a physician, with a side-interest in forensics. So I suppose
if any of you get ill down there, I’ll be the person you’ll be seeing.”
She started to sit down and then stood again. “Oh yeah. It was me and that
big buffoon in the corner who made the discovery of the site.”
    Michela
sipped her coffee. What you see is what you get. She may well be the glue
that binds this group. Despite her qualifications, she still seems to have a
good rapport with those she works with. I wonder if she can give lessons to the
first three?
    The
man Sarah had alluded to now stood and poked his tongue out at Sarah. “Big
buffoon is it? We’ll see who’s the big buffoon next time you want to get
something off the top shelf, shortie.” The man looked well over six feet
and Michela doubted he’d ever get lost in a crowd. The group laughed. “I’m
Rob Shearing and like Sarah, I’ve finished my second stint down south. I’m an
engineer by trade, but I’m also a driller, specializing in ice drilling. Oh,
I’m also a carpenter—a jack of all trades you might say.” Rob folded his
lanky form back into his seat and the man beside him stood.
    “I’m
Michael Gribbin and the cook, so when we get there if you’ve any complaints
about the cooking then come and see me. I won’t change the way I cook, but if
it makes you feel better to complain, then fill your boots. I’m also a jack of
all trades, having worked as a jackaroo for a few years.”
    “What’s
a jackaroo?” Michela asked.
    “I
think you know them as farm hands or cowboys. It’s about the same thing.”
Michael sat down.
    “G’day.
I’m Ewan McMillan and I’m a mechanic and electrician. Like Rob and Mike, I’m
also a bit of a jack of all trades, so when we get there, I’m willing to help
in any way I can.”
    “Thanks,
Ewan, that’s great,” Allison said as Ewan sat down.
    Michela
stood. “I’m Michela DeGrasse and I’m a psychologist, working with the
International Space Research Institute in Houston, Texas. I’m involved with the
current Mars program and am studying how teams operate in extreme and isolated
environments.”
    “Great,
a shrink!” Rob called out. He suggestively wiggled his eyebrows.
“Just show me your couch and I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
    Sarah
snorted. “You’re a pig, Shearing. You know that, don’t you?”
    Rob
grabbed at his chest in mock embarrassment. “Stop it, you’re making me
blush.”
    Michela
chuckled. “Rob, I’ll remember your offer, but I don’t think they make
couches that big.”
    John
Bryson stood and briskly rubbed his hands together. “Right then, let’s get
underway. I’ll start by telling you a bit about Antarctica. Some of you may
believe you’ve been cold before, but you haven’t been cold until you’ve been
down south. Antarctica is the coldest continent on the earth. While it’s gotten
down to as low as minus one hundred and twenty eight point six degrees
Fahrenheit, where you’ll be working, the daily temperatures, wind chill
included, will be between nineteen degrees and minus two degrees Fahrenheit.
So, you’ll need to ensure you’re wearing the appropriate clothing at all