Page 11 of Escaping my Dragon

“No.” Said without any humor.

“Don’t schedule the first one too early. I’ll need Joslyn present for it.”

“Noted.”

Since he didn’t immediately run off, I took advantage to question. “I noticed when we drove in yesterday, a volcano in the distance. Mount Erebus, I believe it’s called.”

“That’s correct.”

“Is it normal for it to be steaming so much?”

“It’s been active for a while. You might also spot lava, depending on its mood.”

“Are we in any danger? What if it fully erupts?”

“The volcano is constantly monitored. At any sign of increased activity, the station will be evacuated, but I wouldn’t worry too much. It’s twenty-five miles away. Plenty of time to escape if it blows.”

“And you’re sure it wasn’t the cause of the tremor I felt yesterday?”

“That one was most definitely an icequake, caused by the melting and shifting of the ice. Extremely common, but, that said, we do get some seismic quivers because of Mount Erebus. Nothing dangerous though, so no need to panic.”

“I don’t panic easily. If I did, I wouldn’t be good at my job.”

“Since we didn’t have a chance last night, and given your crew isn’t yet available, would you like a more comprehensive tour of the station?”

“After I’m done eating, yes. Please.”

Once I’d sucked back a few calories and more caffeine, the captain led me around, pointing out the various buildings, offering nods to those who greeted him, even introducing me to some whose names I recognized as being on my list. More than a few had heard of me and showed excitement at possibly being part of my segment, all except for one.

“This is Dr. Greenfield.” The captain introduced me to the man who emerged from a nearby building. He perused me behind thick-rimmed glasses, and I couldn’t help but notice one half of his face had puckered skin, as if he’d suffered a grievous burn. “Dr. Greenfield is new to the station and is studying those tremors you felt.”

“Hello,” I held out my hand to shake, but the man eschewed my politeness, keeping his tucked in his pockets.

“I’m very busy,” he muttered.

“This will only take a moment. Miss Jenkins will be paying your department a visit as part of her documentary.”

A sneer tugged the man’s lips. “Is that what we’re calling her version of sensationalized reporting these days?”

“I present the facts, nothing more.” I couldn’t help the terseness of my reply as I hated those who turned their noses up at me.

“The fact is, there’s nothing out of the ordinary here,” the doctor exclaimed.

“You sure about that, Doc?” drawled the captain. “Seems to me we’ve been getting a lot more quakes since your arrival. Is Erebus finally getting ready to blow?”

My eyes widened. Earlier he’d told me not to worry.

“Perhaps it will. Volcanoes don’t always provide warning.”

“Not reassuring,” I muttered, drawing his gaze.

“Nature holds many mysteries, and we’ve yet to uncover even a fraction of them. Imagine what might be discovered if Erebus or one of the other three dormant volcanoes did erupt and melted centuries, even eons, of ice and snow?”

“I saw that movie. It didn’t end well for the humans,” I replied dryly. The Thing, a classic, showed the dangers of meddling with organisms from our distant past.

“Humanity has long believed itself to be the superior species. But there was a time when greater beings stalked the Earth.”

“And were thankfully wiped out by an asteroid, or we’d still be living in caves and hunting with spears,” I sharply retorted.