McCoy's Arrival

Posted on Sun Aug 22nd, 2021 @ 11:06am by 1st Lieutenant James McCoy

Mission: Jumping Right In
526 words - 1.1 OF Standard Post Measure

The C-130 take off from the USS Gerald Ford was as most takes from carriers, short sharp and rough. The turbulence was possibly the worse that James had ever experienced. The turboprop had been stripped to the bones to even make this trip. This was the extreme limits of a C-130's capabilities and James was well aware of that, with his parachute strapped tightly to his body.

The Antarctic was far from his last posting in North Carolina. Though that posting had lasted all of a week simply so he could pack rest and then be ready to redeploy. The Carolinas in summer though were hot, humid, and green, and had some lovely cities. Antarctica was cold, no cold wasn’t right freezing even when wearing the correct cold weather gear. He had to admit that this was not what he was expecting when his boss approached him and told him about a new assignment that would allow James to actual progress up the ranks. He had expected a job in an embassy somewhere, or another tour in another far-off land. He hadn’t thought of Antarctica when it came to that far-off land though.

Now as the C-130 jumped and juked about as they approached the coast he wondered who he had pissed off to get sent to this white wasteland to freeze his proverbial ass off. If the flight was bad that was only half the issue, the rest was the secrecy of this assignment. All he was able to get from his superior was that it was an assignment that any of his team would jump at. He leaned back as the plane turned before getting jostled again. He sighed, and leaned forward, as the plane started its final decent. He checked his pack and ensured that everything was in order. He was prepared for the cold and the hike that awaited him, as apparently his plane had been diverted to the secondary landing area, which was several miles away from his destination.

James thought back to his brief time in North Carolina, again wondering just what he had gotten himself into. So once the plane touched down and came to a stop the next travel began. A 2 and a half hour 20 mile dogsled trip. It was going to be hard even though it was going to be relatively short. So after some paperwork, a quick briefing on the travel, and a reminder about the top secret nature of this project. It was a good hour before they finally set off.

The trip was rather quiet with neither James or his escort talking. It would have been good to get some info on why he was now in Antarctica heading for a secret installation, that housed god knew what. That was not to be however, and after the nearly three hour trip, they approached a facility which reminded James vaguely of a cross between the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, and the Goodyear Airdock. At least at this point he would be able to get out of the wind, though he had the feeling that the biggest dangers weren’t outside at this point.