The Agents settle in for a rest, with Jack's concerns about what was down in that cavern preoccupying his thoughts, and Spider taking a climb up the Massif to have a good look through Matilda's top of the line scope.  Fritz rigged up a windbreak and a heater kit that had to come from another century.  The sleds were set to keep the windbreak firm and the dogs circled up around the Agents, body heat making it fairly comfortable.   Thorne fell asleep using Bruno as a back rest, while Fritz tended to the dogs and made sure the agents had some food as well.

----Down Below----Jack, Fritz, Thorne, the dogs and the sleds-----

"The Navy," Ben said, with a narrowing of his eyes that indicated he had a few choice unprintable words to add, "Resents that they were unable to acquire the Grey Building, and that the Commander in Chief signed off on this expedition, which was quite expensive.  And it will probably become more expensive once I receive Agent Thorne's comprehensive expense reports.  At this point, the Navy may have decided that whatever we have got, they want, and the easiest way to get it is to get rid of us.  But they have not the slightest idea that if we don't get our finds back to Washington intact, we will have no chance to save the world in a little more than a decade.   My son was quite clear on that, as was Luke Macey.  And if we don't succeed, then the Temporal Agency will not exist, so they are, or will be, highly motivated to go against protocol to assist us."  Having Ben there, calmly speaking in his Maine twang, was oddly soothing.  "That plane could have just gone back to their carrier and reported our location.  But they dropped a grenade and caused an avalanche, then came back to see if it worked."
"Radios don't work well here, we may have got lucky," Fritz said, patiently repairing a piece of harness as he sat near Thorne and the hellhound.  "We also made about forty miles North."
"Your shot was impressive, Agent Trachenburg."
"Impeccable aim," said Fritz, calmly wrapping the leather harness to strengthen it.
"Did you ever speak to Macey, Agent Trachenburg ?"  Ben asked.
Fritz offered up an ice-rimed feral grin. "-I- spoke to me." he said. "And you will stop asking."
"Noted." Ben said amiably.  "Jack, you'll be all right. We will all be all right. For a while, at least."  A quiet peace fell over the impromptu campsite, with only the wind whispering along the landscape, the dogs' shifting and settling, and the steady rustle of leather harness that Fritz was repairing.  Jack rested, settling his thoughts and thinking about what Pallas Athena might advise.


---Up above----Spider and the Albatross----

Above, on the rock, it was cold, a bitter cold Spider had become resigned to, and once again he was grateful for the precise way the new ice picks easily took purchase on the Massif.   He climbed carefully, taking his time; the daylight would last for hours more.  Up on the peak, the Albatross stood on a bare patch of rock, looking Northward - it glanced at him as he reached the top, the most calculating look he'd ever seen on a bird, then went back to watching the North.

Spider could see the rest of the ice plateau, the Massif dwindling down on his left, and a dark blue strip of sea.  And, along that strip of sea, some kind of large ship, the blue of the lower hull grey, the upper hull light grey, with a smokestack painted red and blue.  It looked like a cargo freighter.  A flag was flying on the mast; red, with a quarter-sized Union Jack on the upper left, and some kind of rondel shape in red, yellow and green on the right side of the flag, with details he couldn't see at this distance.  Small dark shapes were moving on the ice plateau near the water, and he saw smoke puff again from the ship's smokestack.  He could not make out a name or any lettering on the ship, there was scaffolding obscuring that area; the ship was apparently undergoing emergency repairs.   There was motion on the deck, looking like humans walking around, and a boat is being lowered from the ship into the sea.

-------
-------
GM:  Actions, please, for the next few hours of game time, any plans, resting, not resting, respond by Saturday 14 October, next post Sunday
---------------------------------------------------------

Jack nods at Ben’s answer to his question about the Navy. He will continue to rest and gather his composure until it’s time to move again. He will check on the albatross from time to time.

Before he left, Spider scanned in the direction the albatross was looking.  Then Spider committed the details about the ship and flag, as well as a count of individuals he could make out, then took his time climbing down.  Once there he relayed all the information to the group, adding, "I get to ride the first stretch, after all that climbing, eh?":

Expedition Stage 9: Who Goes There ? pt 2

Spider climbed back down and reported his findings, observing the albatross to be watching the ship. To his surprise, Fritz immediately kicked Thorne's left boot, prompting the startled Southerner to awaken with a curse.  "Flag, red background, Union Jack upper left, rondel with yellow and green, cargo ship," Fritz said once Thorne was coherent.
"Oh....wait....we were there in '22, I think," Thorne said.  "South Africa."
"Should I ask -" Ben started to say.
"Nothing nice at all," Thorne said, holding up a mittened hand to stay the questions.  "Mercenary contract."
"Okay then," Ben said.  "If everyone agrees, we approach cautiously and see if we can reach an agreement for transportation away from here.  We will go with Jack's story of being researchers who need emergency transport.  It's the truth."

Fritz agreed to take the lead with the dog sleds, with Thorne taking the last sled with Bruno.   Spider would rest in the first sled, and Jack would be in the second sled with Ben mushing.

"I can try to put an illusion on him of a St. Bernard dog, hopefully it will work," Ben said, looking at Bruno, who was happily crunching on some charcoal.  "So long as he doesn't breathe fire."
"Yeah, I can't promise that, but if he doesn't get charcoal, he gets cranky," Thorne replied.  "You remember what St. Bernards look like, I trust."
"Yes, one of my brothers had one," Ben said.  "Cream body, brown saddle, black ears, brown face with white blaze, black nose, black stripe over the eyes.  Steady, Bruno, this won't hurt."
As the other Agents readied the sleds and the dogs, Ben quietly chanted, concentrating hard as Bruno slobbered charcoal bits all over Ben's boots.  The Hellhound's form shimmered slightly, spikes and scaley hide becoming soft fur, horrible fangs shrinking behind heavy jowls.  An immense dog now stood in the harness, waiting for Thorne to toss him another chunk of charcoal.
"Well, ain't that a thing," Thorne said, surveying the illusion critically.  "That could be damn useful to know how to do."
"I hope it lasts long enough," Ben said.
"Just you let me do the talking. Unless they shoot first, then let Fritz shoot them.  Just saying."  Thorne tossed the ersatz St. Bernard more charcoal, then checked the harness rigging.   They prepared to head out, in hope of a peaceful meeting with the owner of that ship.

"Ready and all right !"  Fritz called. "MUSH !"  The rested huskies pulled, taking the lead sled out into the front.   Ben's team needed no encouragement and followed, and Thorne and Bruno followed suit.  The gentle slope of the plateau towards the sea made the going easy, and as they cleared the edge of the Vinson Massif, they could see the cargo ship, and that four men from the ship were now on the ice.  Pops and cracks of firearms were heard, the shots being directed at the dark things Spider had seen - seals.   Above them, the albatross glided effortlessly on the antarctic wind, keeping pace.   Very soon, the men on the ice would be able to see them.

Ben raised his voice enough to be heard over dogs and sleds.  "Thorne wants to talk - but just in case, what's Plan B or C ?"
------
------
GM:  Actions, etc, for the next few minutes of game time, please respond by Saturday 21 October, next post Sunday.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jack says, “We can offer to barter for passage with some of our excess supplies. Dynamite, flare guns, whatever. If that’s not enough, we can promise them some money when we get to a Western Union office. I don’t really want to kill a bunch of normal humans, unless they’re pirates or slavers or something. Speaking of which, does anyone have an idea what they might be doing in this area, apart from hunting seals?”

Spider says as he unslings the rifle, "If they get cranky, we'll fire a few warning shots.  If that doesn't dissuade them, we drop them."
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:09, Sun 22 Oct 2023.

Spider unslings Matilda, settling the massive rifle for easy access; Fritz does the same with his own rifle, slung at the shoulder.

As the dogs ran onwards, the albatross dipped and rose, as if trying to catch the attention of the men out by the seals.  It worked - one of them pointed and shouted something to the others, who stopped what they were doing and looked at the three oncoming dog sleds, carrying five people and their cargo.

"Let me talk first," Thorne yelled, and told Bruno to "Hike !  On by !"  The camouflaged Hellhound responded by galumphing faster, sending wads of snow and ice everywhere, but the small sled with Bruno quickly passed Ben's sled.
The men out from the ship were talking, but they were too far away to be heard; one hurried off towards the edge of the ice, near the small boat, and was waving at the ship's deck to get the attention of people on board.

Now they were close enough to see that the three men facing them were armed, all three with rifles.  There were at least five seals laying still on the snow, while the rest of the seals were taking this as a welcome intervention and fleeing into the water.   The men were wearing layers of clothes, mostly wool sweaters, with only one of them in a black pea coat, all civilian attire.  On the ship's deck, two more men appeared, watching.  Thorne held up an arm in greeting, waving, and told the rest of the Agents to slow down.  "Bruno, easy !"

The three men standing by the seals didn't seem concerned, holding their rifles with the barrels pointed down, watching the dog sleds move towards them.   All three looked like weatherbeaten Caucasians, none of them older than forty.  Thorne slowed Bruno down further, shouting, "Hallo ! Ons is vriendelik !"
The albatross wheeled again, with a flare of the huge wings, with a loud call, attracting the notice of the two other men, one of whom slung his rifle onto his shoulder, standing easy and watching the bird, then looking curiously at the dogs.  The other man shrugged, knelt on the ice, and pulled out a long knife to start dressing the dead seal next to him.

"Waar kom jy vandaan ?!" the man in the pea coat shouts back. "Wie is jy?"

"Ons is navorsers van 'n universiteit wat die Suidpool bestudeer.  Ons het verdwaal en ons het hulp nodig.  Miskien kan ons handel dryf ?"  Thorne's charisma carried over; the sleds were stopping about sixty feet, or twenty meters from the men.  The man in the pea coat looked at the Agents, taking their measure, then asked, "Het jy 'n dokter by jou ?"
"He wants a doctor," Thorne reported. "Ons het mediese opleiding en medisyne, kan ons jou help ?"
"I speak English," the man in the pea coat said, though his accent was thick. "You are American ?  American shot us."
"We are from all over; Germany, Australia, and America, we are not with the Americans who shot you."  Thorne said, the very epitome of sincerity.  "I was in South Africa a while back.  Are you from Cape Town ?"
"That is our port.  You have doctor ?  We have wounded."  The man in the pea coat walked forward, slinging his rifle onto his shoulder. "You can help this ?  I am First Mate Willem van der Koen of the Natalia."
"Thomas Thorne, guide of the Miskatonic University Expedition," Thorne replied.  "That's our leader, Doctor Ben White."  He nodded towards Ben.   The albatross did another stately sweep past them.  "We're happy to help you."

------
------
GM: Actions, etc, for the next few minutes, please, by Saturday, 28 October, next post Sunday.  If you want to try persuasion or fast talk, please roll percentile dice.
--------------------------------------------------

Spider offers up his experience as a medic to assist the injured man.

Expedition Stage 9: Who Goes There ? pt 4

So far relations with the strangers seem to be civil.
Van der Koen walked forward, again giving them a long look.  The Agents had looked better.  They were unshaven, dirty, travel-worn.  But their dog teams and sleds were in good order.

"You will help then," the First Mate said, looking at Spider.  "You and the Doctor White."
"I'm not a medical doctor," Ben said.
"You are the leader," Van der Koen said.   He seemed to have as good a poker face as Ben.  "You will come and we will speak to the Captain.  This Australian, he will see to the wounded."
"If you don't mind, we'd appreciate some seal meat," Thorne said.  Van der Koen observed him, then gave a curt nod.
"Karl - laat hulle vleis hê !"  the First Mate directed one of the men on the ice.  The one who was ably butchering the seal looked up and nodded.  The other one was still looking at them, a bemused expression on his face.
"We'll get the medical kit,"  Ben said, and directed a query to Fritz in perfect German, asking for the medical supplies.   Fritz went to the sleds, taking out the medical kits - the one they'd brought from DC, and the one that was left by the offspring of Thomas Thorne.  He put them both in a canvas duffle bag and held it out for Spider to take.
"As their guide, I'm responsible for their safety," Thorne began, with his best charming drawl, but he was interrupted.
"They come, you do not.  Then we decide what to do.  You want something, American, and I am not much liking Americans right now."  Van der Koen said brusquely.  "You, Australian, you will leave that rifle here.  You will not need it."   He turned towards the ship, as the Albatross swung past him and went to land on the flagstaff.

Thorne stepped forward towards Spider, holding out his gloved hands to take Matilda for safekeeping.  "Something ain't right," the Southerner said in a whisper. "He's a sharper."

---Spider and Ben---going aboard----
The small boat was well-maintained and stable in the water; the sailor who'd gone to shout towards the ship took charge of the oars, while van der Koen sat in the bow, watching Ben and Spider seated in the back.  Three more heads popped over the railing, as the boat got closer, and a rig was lowered to raise the boat up to the deck of the cargo ship.

Upon getting closer, there was significant damage to the hull of the ship, and the scaffolding was there to hold two men who were applying tar and patches to the hull.  Both men looked tired.   A lot of the hull was already patched, the holes closest to the waterline.  A grizzled sailor with a white beard and greasy overalls secured the boat to the ship and offered them a hand aboard, as Karl van der Koen easily stood and jumped onto the deck.  There were bullet holes in the walls of the bridge and in the decking - probably 38 calibre.  Van der Koen strode towards the bridge and knocked twice on the door.  It opened, showing a youngster of about twelve years in an oversized woolen sweater, a knit cap on his head, a bandage on his jaw stained with dried blood.  He stepped back for Koen to enter, and when Koen looked over at him, shook his head slightly.

---Jack, Thorne, Fritz and the dogs---on the ice-----

Back on the ice, Karl finally said something to the young sailor who was idly looking about at the animals - the dogs, the albatross.  "Haai, dommy, bring vir my daardie dier," he pointed at the next dead seal with the bloody knife.  The young sailor looked at the dead seals with disappointment, and went to drag the next seal over to be butchered.
"Die groot hond lyk snaaks," the young one told Karl.
"Dit is 'n Sint Bernard-hond," Karl responded, gutting the seals.
"The kid's looking at Bruno too much," Thorne whispered to Jack and Fritz.  "I can distract him."   He went to let Princess out of her harness, the husky immediately romping over towards the smell of fresh meat, with imperious yowls and a wagging tail, and went to block the view of Bruno, incidently feeding the Hellhound another block of charcoal.  The rest of the huskies added their voices to the mix.

----------
----------
Actions, etc, for the next fifteen minutes of game time, please respond by Saturday, 4 November, next post Sunday.  Hope you are all doing well
----------------------------------------

"South Africa isn't at war with anyone, is it?" Jack asks Thorne just loud enough for him to hear. "Who shot them up -- pirates? What type of cargo do you reckon they're carrying? This is all very strange."
  Jack continues watching the ship, looking and listening for any more clues. He also keeps an eye on the wise albatross. The wand, a .45 pistol, and two loaded flare guns are close at hand inside his coat.

Spider intends to be as straightforward as possible with any wounded, starting with the youngster with the bandaged jaw.  He does try to keep his senses peeled for any sign of danger from their hosts.

---Jack, out on the ice with Thorne, Fritz, and the teams----

"That's kind of a grey area, South Africa," Thorne muttered quietly back to Jack, "There's always someone looking to start a fight there.  I think the US Navy shot them up."  He handed off Matilda to Fritz, who settled the rifle onto the nearest sled, in easy reach.
"Explains why the First Mate said Americans shot them," Fritz said quietly, facing away from the ship.
"Exactly my thinking." Thorne agreed, idly scratching Bruno's ears, to the Hellhound's joy.  "But very stupid of the Navy to let their insignia be seen.  Stupid, that we can deal with.  I'll see if I can get anything out of the two crewmen over there.  Just stand in front of Bruno."  He smiled then, teeth glittering in his mostly grey beard, and sauntered over to 'fetch back the dog'.

Over by the South Africans on shore, the bossy husky was getting attention from the younger sailor, who knelt down on the ice to pet her.  The other sailor kept gutting the seals, patiently working.  Every so often a knit-capped head would peek over the railing, and there was a thumping of a hammer on the side of the vessel, behind the scaffolding.  A steaming bucket was lowered down into the scaffolding, probably tar.   The albatross was perched on the mast, keeping a watchful eye.  Out in the water, seal heads came up and went back down, clearly not willing to be next on the dinner menu.   Jack also kept vigil, watching Thorne stroll across the ice, wondering what might be going on, if this situation could turn wrong all in an instant, or not.  Bruno snuffled at Jack's side, sounding very doglike.

Jack was also wondering why a South African cargo ship was so far off the shipping lanes, so close to Antarctica.  There had been the terrible storm, but - something DID seem off.  Fritz had the same sort of look of cautious suspicion, but made the rounds of the dogs and the sleds, checking harnesses, boots, the sled runners, their gear, and the German always kept one hand close to his rifle.


-----Aboard the ship--Spider and Ben------

Ben stepped out of the way as Spider set out the medical gear.  Van der Koen kept a sharp watch on both of them, telling the boy, "Hy het medisyne vir ons," in a softer tone.   "The boy can wait," Van der Koen said to Spider, "There is more."   The First Mate fetched an oil lamp and held it for Spider to better see into the next room, where another patient lay on a small cot.   This man was about thirty years of age, and blood-soaked bandages covered most of his torso.  He was barely breathing and unconscious.  Hanging on a brass hook on the wall was a black wool coat similar to Van der Koen's, but with gold braiding on the shoulders and cuffs, and there was a fold-down table hooked up on the wall.  The tiny cabin was most likely the Captain's.

The man in the cot looked as if he had been in very good health prior to being shot four times in the shoulder and chest.  There was a gold chain around his neck and his beard and hair were neatly trimmed.  "This man, he is the most important," Van der Koen told Ben and Spider.  "Save his life if you can."
Bullet wounds were nothing new for Spider - and now he had a medical kit with medicines not available to this time.   "There are two more men injured, but they are working," Van der Koen said dismissively.
Ben quietly cleared his throat, earning the attention of the First Mate.  "So that's your Captain, then," he said quietly.  "Mr. Mallory has some skill; we can let him work.   If he needs a hand, he'll let us know.  I'll take a bottle of laudanum for the boy."   He took the bottle from the old medicine kit and stepped outside towards the boy.  "Mr. Van der Koen, please ask him to take a few drops of this and swallow them if he can, to ease the pain."
Van der Koen reluctantly left Spider alone, and spoke to the boy, "Die vloeistof sal die pyn stop."

A bullet had shattered the young lad's jaw, passing through his right cheek and breaking the jawbone, exiting the bottom of the chin.  So long as it didn't become infected, the wound would heal with some stitches, immobilization and time.   Ben carefully dripped four drops of the laudanum into the boy's mouth.

Spider had the time now to open the better medical kit and read the directions. There was painkiller; there was some kind of antibacterial agent, all pre-measured in the strange syringes.  There were sterilized bandages and very thin soft gloves for him to wear, narrow probes designed to hook out bullets.  (GM:  Roll First Aid please, with an extra 25% for success).  The two shoulder shots had passed through, one probably cracking the collar bone, the other a flesh wound.  The two in the chest were more serious, and it was fortunate that the man's lung had not deflated; the bullet must have skipped a little off a rib.  Still, he had lost a lot of blood and stood a very good chance of dying of infection without treatment.
-----
-----
GM:  Actions, etc, for the next fifteen minutes of game time, please respond by Saturday, 11 November, next post Sunday
----------------------------------------------

Jack continues to watch everything around them, while trying to look more relaxed than he feels. He also speaks in low tones to Bruno, trying to keep him calm even with the other dogs making noise.

OOC:  As usual, please roll for me.

IC:

Spider is glad of Ben's diversion so he can proceed to use the futuristic medical equipment.  He prioritizes removing the bullets and any other items that have made their way inside the body, then clean the wounds, and finish off with the antibiotics.  He took a moment to look to see if the gold chain held any kind of amulet or clue to the captain's background, but was more focused on his medical work.

Expedition Stage 9: Who Goes There ?  pt 6

---Jack, Fritz, Thorne, on the ice-----

Jack worried, watching the activity on the cargo ship.  A bucket of steaming hot tar was lowered by rope to inside the scaffolding, which had blankets rigged over the exterior to keep the unfortunate sailors patching the sides from freezing to death.  There were some shouts back and forth, and the rope came back up without the bucket.  Most importantly, there were no gunshots, shrieks, or other signs of things amiss.    Thorne was happily chatting with the younger sailor, who was clearly enchanted by the husky.  Karl the seal butcher was less than pleased that he was doing all the work.

Bruno was apparently content to have Jack to fuss over him, while the other dogs were smelling the fresh meat and beginning to yowl about it.  Thorne collected a seal liver and brought it back, leaving Princess with the young sailor.
"Well, so far so good, no one has shot anyone," Thorne reported.  "They're patching up the hull, and they had to, judging by the work I'm seeing. I have some gold in my coat we can use to purchase passage, if they'll deal with us.  I took it from my furs - it's an old habit."
"But useful," Fritz said, in German.
"Got you to Switzerland and then New York, so maybe it can get us out of this frozen Hell," Thorne replied in English.  The fresh meat was shared out to the huskies, who were very happy to have it.  "But I wonder, what the hell are they doing this far South, away from the shipping lanes, out of sight ?  It's mighty suspicious.  How do we get on that ship ?"

On the mast, the Albatross flapped its wings and uttered its hoarse call, gaining the attention of the sailors, who paused in their work to look at it.  Bruno barked, a harsher sound, and wagged his tail.  So far, it was working.  Jack looked back and forth, from the sleds, the agents, the seals being parcelled up, and at the cargo ship Natalia.  Something was up with these South Africans.


--On board, Spider and Ben------

Spider's first aid skills, honed during Gallipoli's aftermath as well as incidents with the Raiders, were in fine shape (rolled 18%).  The pre-loaded syringes were easy to use and the effect of the painkiller was nearly immediate; his patient didn't move a bit when he fished out three bullets.  One of the holes was a through-and-through.  One was a bleeder, but the futuristic first aid kit had some kind of filling agent that plugged the hole efficiently.  If all went well, the patient would survive.  The instructions were very clear on how to administer the drugs, and oddly, at the end of them was a handwritten note in block printing, "Based on what was written in my grandfather's journal.  Destroy this note."  Spider finished up his bandaging, gave the man another needle of some kind of drug that would fight off any infections, and called it good.

The young lad was sleepily sitting on a chair in the next room, supported by Ben.  The First Mate was listening to a Ben story about the dig in Egypt, when James Buchanon had been causing trouble in a bar fight in Cairo.  It took Spider some time to clean the wound, during which the patient fell asleep, and then some time to stitch and re-bandage, again applying a syringe of anti-infection agent while Ben distracted van der Koen.

"How is he ?" Van der Koen asked Spider, as direct as ever.  Without waiting for a response, the First Mate stepped into the Captain's cabin, to see for himself, and returned a short time later.  "You have good training," Van der Koen told Spider.
"Anything we can do to help," Ben said mildly, "In this most inhospitable part of the world.  Perhaps we can talk more after we settle this young man somewhere to sleep ?  And you mentioned some more men who were injured ?"

The First Mate paused a moment, clearly weighing up his options, and gave a short nod.  "He will stay in my cot for now, I will not be sleeping any time soon."  He scooped up the youngster and carried him to the other side of the bridge, to a small room with two cots in it, and laid the lad down on the nearest one, pulling over thick woolen blankets to cover him.
"It seems we are in your debt, I think that is the term," Van der Koen said. "I think that you want something, but I also know that American on the ice, he is - very good with the words.  Tell me plainly what you want.  And what you can offer."
"We think our transportation is gone," Ben said, after a thoughtful pause.  "That leaves us with no way off the ice.   You have a cargo ship that needs repairs, injured crew that need medical care.  Can you get us to Cape Town ?"
He looked over at Spider, in case the Australian wanted to add anything.

------
------
GM: Actions, etc, for the next fifteen minutes of game time ?  Please respond by Saturday, 18 November, next post Sunday
-------------------------------------------------------

Jack keeps watching, and keeps occupying Bruno. He asks Thorne:
     “Did they say what happened to the… the people who shot them? Where they went, or why they didn’t finish the job? Maybe ask about that.”

Spider says, "You lot can discuss particulars.  Can someone show me to the other injured men, please?"

Expedition Stage 9:  Who Goes There ?

-----Jack, on the ice----
Jack sent Thorne back to ask questions; this time the Southerner took along a harness he had 'forgotten' before, to collect the husky, though at the moment the young sailor was kneeling on the ice, hugging the dog happily.  Karl the seal butcher was rigging up the seals for transport back to the ship.

There was a long chat, this time with Karl snapping back a few comments, all in the South African, which only had an English-sounding word in it every so often.  Karl seemed very unhappy about being shot at, and it took a while for Thorne's charm to take effect.

Eventually Thorne came back, taking Princess with him.
"I asked," he said, "The Navy ship shot at them even though they were hailing it for assistance; they took damage from an iceberg and were taking on water.  Two men have been in the bilges with pumps for days now.  Once the Navy shot at the Natalia with a deck gun, then they took off after another vessel, an icebreaker that sounds very much like the Carstairs Two, heading North.  Five men were injured, including the Captain, the Captain's son, the Engineer and two crewmen.  The Captain is very important to them.  It was the First Mate's decision to come into the ice shelf, get meat and try to repair the ship to make it back to home port.  Van der Koen is not well liked by the crew, but he's efficient.  I may have to give up Princess as a gift to the kid there."
"Acceptable," Fritz muttered.  "If we get off the ice."
"So maybe we pull the two big sleds out first." Thorne said.  "We can't crate the dogs, but we can pull them up in baskets or something.  Bruno, we'll hide with a blanket."  Bruno, now leaning on Jack, was contentedly accepting all the attention.

Karl and the young sailor, whom Thorne said was named Dael, dragged the seals towards the waiting boat; Karl then directed Dael to go over towards the Agents.  Dael seemed happy to do so, and strode over towards them, slipping once or twice on the ice, as his boots did not have the cleats the Agents had.  "Hallo," the young man said, waving a mittened hand, his rifle slung over his shoulder and a grin on his face, visible above his worn wool scarf. "Mag ek die groot hond troeteldier ?"
"Hy is nie vriendelik teenoor vreemdelinge nie," Thorne said, then translated. "He wanted to pet Bruno.  Told him Bruno's not that friendly.  Dael, dit is Fritz, en dit is Jack.  Gentlemen, this is Dael Bartel, from the Natalia."
"Hallo," the young man said.  The boat took Karl and the seal meat back to the cargo ship, and a rope was lowered to take the seals on deck. "Het jy al hierdie pad op die ys gekom ?"
"Did we come all this way on the ice," Thorne translated, then replied, "Yes. Ja ons het."   Young Dael seemed very impressed with this.   This was a good opportunity - Dael Bartel didn't seem to be the kind of person to be able to tell a lie.

-------Spider---on the Natalia----
Spider earned a sharp look from Van der Koen, but the man leaned out of the bridge doorway to shout some orders; the grizzled old sailor that had helped them aboard stopped repairing some rope and went down into the ship, yelling what sounded like names; "Van Rooyen !  Steyn !  Barnard !  Van der Koen, se na die brug !"  He disappeared from view.

A minute or two later, two disheveled, exhausted-looking men in filthy clothes came up, followed a moment later by a somewhat better-looking man in a boiler suit.  One had a through-and-through forearm wound (the boiler-suited man), another a scrape along the side of his scalp, which had bled a lot but seemed not to have concussed him, and the third, one of the filthy sailors, had a bullet lodged in the meat of his thigh.  This was the most serious, and might become infected if untreated.  Van der Koen issued them orders, though he seemed deferential to the boiler-suited man; then he went back into the bridge to discuss matters with Ben.  Spider was left to minister to the sailors.
"So, okay, doctor," the boiler-suited man said with an accent worse than Van der Koen's.  "You take care of Barnard first, okay ?  You get this ?"  He indicated the sailor with the thigh wound.  "We already bury one man. Not more, can we help it.  I am Van Rooyen, Engineer.  We have repairs to make, but no more can we lose men."  This man was about forty years old, well-worn, but something about him told Spider that this guy was very smart.  Once again, Spider's first aid came in handy.  When he went to treat the Engineer's arm wound, the Engineer spoke again, in a low whisper. "Bird is yours ?"  he nodded at the Albatross, which was looking down at them with beady black eyes.

On the bridge, Spider could just hear Van der Koen's replies to Ben's comments, though Ben's voice was softer.  The First Mate seemed amenable to some kind of agreement (rolled 11%).

-------
-------
GM: Actions, etc, ask any questions you have for the NPCs while the dice are definitely going your way, please respond by 25 November, Saturday, next post is Sunday
--------------------------------------------

Spider shrugs at the albatross.  "It seems to like us.  Keeps following us around, but I wouldn't call it 'ours,' as such."  He focuses on fixing all the men.

Jack shakes the young crewman’s hand and smiles. “Hello, Dael.”
    Then, still smiling, he adds to Thorne, “Tell him he has a fine ship, and it’s a shame she was damaged by the iceberg. Then ask what they were doing in such dangerous waters in the first place. Tease him a bit.” [Keeper, please make any rolls if necessary.]

---Jack, on the ice---

Jack shakes the young man's hand and notes the inadequacy of his clothing for this level of cold - Dael Bartel is shivering.
Thorne quickly rises to the challenge and begins chatting in Africaans.  "Hy het 'n goeie skip. Dit is jammer dat sy deur 'n ysberg beskadig is.  Wat het jy in hierdie koue waters gedoen?"
"Kaptein het gesê ons moet wegbly van moeilikheid," Dael replied readily.  When Thorne pressed him, after relaying, "The captain said we have to steer clear of trouble", Dael's answers were more interesting.
"Kaptein hes, ons moet versigtig wees en veilig by die hawe uitkom, en ons moet nie aandag trek nie," said Dael.
"He said, the captain said we have be careful and not attract attention," Thorne said.  He glanced over at Fritz, who gave a slight nod, and at Jack.  Fritz whispered to Jack, "Smugglers."

"Niemand hier behalwe ons nie, en 'n paar seëls," Thorne went on.  "Weet jy wat die vrag aan boord is ?"
"Kaptein het gesê dit is beter dat ek nie weet nie," Dael Bartel responded, with a slight shrug.  "Die bokse is almal toegesluit, hy het my elke dag laat kyk."
"Jy is 'n goeie man om so hard te werk."  Thorne responded.  "OK, here we go; there's locked up boxes in the cargo, he wasn't told what they are and he's very good about checking if they're still locked every day.  I'll ask him what ports he has been to lately."
He addressed Dael again.  "By watter hawens was jy die afgelope tyd ?"
"Argentinië, China, tuis Port Kaapstad,"  Dael replied readily.  "Ek werk al ses maande."
"Jy sal die hele wêreld kan reis, dit is 'n goeie ding om te doen, en nou was jy in Antarktika."  Thorne told him, charisma going full force.  Dael grinned.
"He's only been on the boat six months and he's been to China, Argentina and Cape Town.  I said he's been to Antarctica now."  Thorne reported.  Dael was looking at the first sled with admiration, clearly taken with the idea of the dogs pulling it.
"Let me offer him a dog," and Thorne said to Dael, "Ons sal goeie huise vir ons honde moet vind.  Hulle is lojaal en sterk."
"Ek sal graag 'n hond van my eie wil hê !"  Dael responded, grinning.
"He's good for that," Thorne said.

-----Spider, On the ship---

The chief engineer, Van Rooyen, gave a slight nod at Spider's admission.  He noticed Spider's careful attention the men's wounds, too.  "You do good work," Van Rooyen told him.  "I will tell Van der Koen.  You need to get out of ice.  So do we."  He left Spider, went to the tiny bridge, opened the door on Ben and Van der Koen's conversation, and piled right into it.  There was shouting in Africaans, back and forth, for a long two minutes.  Then Ben leaned out of the doorway, waving to Spider to come close.
"Here it is," Ben said, to Spider's ear. "The Captain, Hans De Vink, is running some kind of smuggling operation.  He has the contact information they need to deliver their cargo.  They need help getting this ship back to port, and they can probably use us as workers.  We'll bargain for our passage with whatever Thorne can come up with.  Then we make a call to the US from Cape Town.  We will leave the sleds on the ice, take our cargo and the dogs.  And no, I don't entirely trust them."

---A while later---

Spider and Ben watched from the deck; the Natalie's rowboat was being readied to go and get Jack, Thorne and Fritz.  On the ice, they could see that Fritz was offloading equipment on the sleds, deciding what would go with them and what would be left behind.

It seemed to take a long time, but the boat was again despatched to the shore, this time with only one man rowing.  Ben and Spider were standing on deck, and gave the 'it's ok' wave.  Fritz began to offload the sleds, taking care to keep the alien technology well-concealed.  "The sleds can stay behind," Thorne said to Jack.   "We take what we need - food, clothes, treasure, the dogs, some tools and all the weapons.  Especially the weapons.  Jack, if this goes wrong, you know we will kill as many of them as we can."

Dael, meanwhile, was again petting Princess, who had slipped her harness again.
----------
----------
GM:  Actions, etc, please respond by Saturday, 2 December, next post Sunday.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spider will make sure that any future equipment is at least brought aboard to be thrown overboard into deep water.  He will also keep a check on the patients, and a weather eye for trouble.

Jack nods and smiles as Thorne translates Dael’s information. “Tell him we’re lucky to have come across such adventurous fellows, and we will gladly continue to help them however we can. Do we have an extra sweater or something we can give him?”
     Other than that, Jack keeps a casual eye on the ship and on Fritz as he sorts the gear. He knows Fritz does not need any supervision, he’s just keeping track of what they’re taking and leaving for his own information.
     When it comes time to leave, he will help with moving the dogs, especially Bruno, as well as moving the packed gear they’re taking. When Thorne mentions the contingency plan if things go south, Jack says, “I don’t think it will come to that. But it’s good to be ready for anything.”
     Jack will be very careful as the last of his party and their belongings are taken on board, to make sure there is no subterfuge or effort to leave anyone on the ice. The wand is always ready just inside his coat.

Expedition Stage 9: Who Goes There ?  pt 9

---Getting off the Ice-----

Thorne proved to be good at translating, as well as charming.  "Ons is gelukkig dat ons sulke avontuurlustige genote teëgekom het. Ons sal graag voortgaan om hulle te help soos ons kan."  He then asked Fritz in German to unpack a blanket for the young man, who readily accepted the gift.   Dael Bartel was grinning and hugging Princess, who was happily snuggling up to the sailor.
"Floozie," Thorne muttered, and went to help Fritz.  The fancy future gear was well-hidden under a wrapped blanket, and Thorne blinked innocently when Jack noticed this.  "You never know," the Southerner said, in a low murmur.

On deck, the sailors were starting to ratchet up the scaffolding, the two who'd been painting tar over the mends in the hull coming up looking frozen and miserable.  Van der Koen came out on deck with Ben and Spider, who ducked back to check on the two most important patients, while also noting that Van der Koen had lied to him twice already.  One of the sailors who'd been painting tar had a blood-stained bandage on his upper left arm, clearly a bullet wound, through and through in the biceps.  The wound needed treating.  The Captain seemed stable, and the young boy was sleeping peacefully.

There was a long discussion in Africaans about the terms, but Thorne was equal to the task.  Finally, Van der Koen nodded his head in agreement.   First the dogs were brought up - using slings and pulleys.  The crew seemed uncertain about this until the huskies decided that this was going to be great fun with new friends.  Dael carried Princess up in his arms, already going on about how wonderful she was.  Bruno was wrapped in a blanket and hauled up slowly, looking very much like a dismayed Saint Bernard; Jack could see Ben's lips moving in a quiet chant.  Then Jack was sent up, with Matilda in her well-wrapped case; he handed the heavy buffalo rifle off to Spider, who was well aware that he would not have time to draw and fire the weapon, but it would be an efficient club in melee.  The boat went back again for Thorne and equipment, then the last time, for Fritz and the last of the gear.  The wind was already drifting snow onto the abandoned sleds, and covering the bloody ice where the seals had been slaughtered.  It was when Fritz came up that Van der Koen made a motion towards his sidearm while glancing at Thorne, only to find Ben's M1911a .45 already at the back of his head.  Spider had caught a sneaky move to the back, and used Matilda to whack the baling hook out of a sailor's hand.  "Legte idee, dink nie eers daaraan nie," Thorne told Van der Koen, holding his Le Mat on the crewman who'd picked up a gaff hook when it was definitely not needed.  "We will help each other and we will all benefit. Ons sal almal mekaar help en ons sal almal baat vind."  Fritz jumped over the edge of the deck onto the ship, holding his Luger on the nearest sailor who had the cargo rope.  Jack had the wand in his hand, unbidden, pointing at two deckhands who were coming a little too close for comfort; they looked at the wand uncertainly with wide eyes, halting their advance, and lowered their fists.

For an instant, the scene was very tense, and then the Albatross called again, breaking the tension.

"We don't want any trouble," Thorne said coolly, again translating it into Africaans, "We want to go home, and we will help you get to your home.  We will work together and there will be no trouble."
"Ja, ja, we get it," came Van Rooyen's voice from the back.  "You know engines, any people ?"
"Jah, ich kenne motoren, engines," Fritz said, his aim not wavering from his target.  The sailor gave him a glare and resumed hauling up the cargo.
"I will stay in the cabin with the Captain, for now," Ben said, once the guns had been put away.  Fritz stepped in front of Thorne, passing the Luger to Thorne in a slick move, then suddenly jumped forward and gave Van der Koen a swift uppercut punch that took the First Mate off his feet, falling backwards onto the deck.
"I had it !"  Thorne hissed at him.
"Nein, das hast du nicht getan," Fritz said, watching Van der Koen sprawled on the deck, the derringer on a sleeve-spring exposed.
The crew looked back and forth, clearly surprised, and opted for the peaceful coexistence strategy, at least for now.  The five strangers from the ice seemed to be very good at taking care of themselves.  The Albatross took up a spot on the top mast, feathers glimmering with light in the setting sun, as the Expedition to Antarctica departed the southernmost continent, bound North, to South Africa.  Even with favorable currents and good weather, the trip would take more than a month.  And so much could happen in that time....

------
------
GM:  Well it has been a great deal of fun in Antarctica, but you're not home yet !  Please respond with actions, etc, any precautions, watches, or other considerations given your hosts have proved to be less than trustworthy, by Saturday, 9 December, next post Sunday.
--------------------------------------------

Jack keeps his cool during the confrontation, giving a simple head shake and tsk-tsk to the two crewmen near him. When it cools down, he will nonchalantly put the wand back inside his coat.
   "Well," he says to his friends, "it seems as if this is going to be a long voyage. We should alternate sleep cycles, say Spider and I on watch half the day, and Thorne and Fritz the other half. Ben can sleep and wake as he wants, to keep them guessing. We'll need a room for us and our gear that we can secure from the inside, but that they can't lock us in. Will Bruno need anything special? Any other issues to arrange? I do hope they can manage a hot bath."

Spider will attend to any and all sailors' injuries, including those incurred during the voyage, to help ingratiate themselves with the lower-ranking sailors, as well as the officers.  The rifle is never far from him, usually on his shoulder.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:44, Sun 10 Dec 2023.

Expedition Stage 9: Who Goes There ? pt 10

Jack noticed that his display of the wand had garnered a lot of attention from the crew of the Natalia.  So had Fritz' punch and the subsequent laying out of Van der Koen.  The fact that Spider was still willing to see to their injuries without regard to rank also made an impression, though he had to rely on Van Rooyen to translate some of his requests.  Thorne was busy taking over Van der Koen's cabin.  The huskies and Bruno were collected in an impromptu pen made of spare lumber and rope, covered well with tarpaulins, apart from Princess, who was with Dael below decks; the husky had already learned how to climb the ladders.

With the strength of all of that, and their situation, the weary but determined Agents had a meeting in the small cabin.  The Captain's son was relocated to the Captain's cabin.  Both of them seemed to be improving, though the Captain had not yet awakened.  Van der Koen had disappeared below decks.  Van Rooyen had also gone back to the engine room, and the Natalia was underway, chugging slowly North.  The helmsman was the grizzled old sailor who had helped them aboard.

"That's a good plan," Ben said to Jack.  "If we're unpredictable, we're harder to deal with."
"I was thinking Bruno can stay in the cabin with us," Thorne said.
"I'm not keeping an illusion in place that long, I'm tired too," Ben objected.
"Let the illusion drop.  Let them see we have a genuine Hound of Hell. Just make sure we have a bucket of water handy in case Bruno decides to flame up."  Thorne said.
"He's not really from Hell, you know," Ben said.  "He's probably from Leng.  He was very at home in Antarctica, and there's a gateway there to Leng."
"I think we should throw Van der Koen overboard," Fritz muttered.
"Here I am thinking you know something we all would like to know," Thorne said to him.
"You know the terms. Release the Djinni." Fritz responded.
"Dammit," Thorne said, with a heavy sigh, "He won't budge on that. You win, schatzi."
The Southerner untied his coat, then his vest, finally taking out the small flask that had once held bourbon. "She's in here.  She likes bourbon."
"Say, I give you this and all it contains, it is now yours, and only yours, Friedrich Trachenberg, for now and always," Fritz said, holding out his hand.
"I liked having a real genie," Thorne said, softly, regarding the flask, then handed it to Fritz, repeating the words.  Fritz took it, flipped the cap open and pulled out a vial of reddish liquid that had a metallic swirl to it, and poured it into the opening.  He then fished a bit of chalk out of his pocket and began drawing a pentagram on the cabin floor.  "I know she was helping you," Fritz said, as he drew; Ben was watching closely.  "But she will die if she is not released."
"I didn't teach you that yet," Ben murmured.
"You will have taught it to me," Fritz said.  "I am not your Fritz.  I'm seven years older.  And, like others, I have been placed here by my boss, to ensure the timeline remains intact."  He nodded to Spider. Once he was done drawing, he studied the pentagram for a while, checking it intently, as did Ben.
"It's a very good unbinding." Ben said.
Fritz gently set the flask into the center of the pentagram.  "Shadow of Hijaz, Mishal the Dark, Djinni of the Golden Eyes, I unbind thee; I release thee from servitude, I free thee from thy bonds.  Thou art free to go as thou pleases.  I thank thee for thy munificence and patience."

Nothing happened; then the flask trembled slightly.  A wisp of dark smoke shot with gold drifted from the opening; then the flask split along the seams, falling into pieces.  Seething darkness oozed along the chalked lines, then dissipated, fading into the air like a drift of smoke.  There was the faintest sound, a mere whisper, "Lin ansi...." and it was gone.
Fritz nodded, then used a handkerchief to wipe up the chalk from the floor.
"So you're the keeper of this timeline, and you're not going to tell me what happens with - anything ?"  Thorne asked.
"I'm going to follow my orders," Fritz said.  "I warned you about Van der Koen.  If too much is altered, I'll keylock out of the mission.  A forced removal of a Time Agent when the continuity is threatened; returning to a locked point in time to which I am the key.  I am assigned to keep you on track so that you can deal with everything that will come your way, for a while."

He then held up a hand, indicating silence.  In a few seconds, there were footsteps, and a rap on the door; Van Rooyen's voice, the shaky English, "Hey, I want talk.  Vodka ?"

------
------
GM:  Please respond with actions, etc, for the next five minutes, whether or not you want to interact with Van Rooyen or any other crew, by Saturday, 16 December, next post Sunday, then we will have our traditional holidays break after that.
----------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------

Spider grimaces when it turns out his future self had sent an older Fritz back.  He mutters, "Bloody hell.  I can't wait for all this lunacy to come to an end for me."

When the door knock comes, he looks at the others.  "Talking's usually good."

Jack agrees with Spider. “Sure, let’s talk with him. We also need to find out if there are more guns aboard, and if Van Der Koen will try asserting his authority again.”

Expedition Stage 9: Who Goes There ? pt 11

The consensus was that a conversation with the chief engineer of the Natalia might be a good thing.  Van Rooyen was alone, and did indeed have a bottle of vodka, three mismatched mugs and a chipped shot glass.
"I bring gift," he said.  "We need talk.  Trouble, and to not have trouble."

Thorne and Ben sat on the one cot, Spider and Jack on the other, and Van Rooyen took the small camp seat, making the room very cramped.  Fritz leaned against the wall.

"Okay, you, talker," Van Rooyen indicated Thorne, passing over the bottle.  It was Russian vodka, so far as they could tell.  "You help me speak this.  My English not good."

"Then tell us what you want.  Vertel ons wat u wil hê."  Thorne said.
"Die eerste maat gaan moeilikheid maak, probeer om die skip oor te neem," Van Rooyen said, holding out the chipped shot glass for a dollop of vodka. "Ek wil veilig terug by die huis kom, die kaptein is 'n goeie vriend van my."
"The first mate is trying to bring along a mutiny.  The captain is van Rooyen's friend and all he wants to do is get safe home." Thorne said.
"Hans de Vink, hy kan die bemanning beheer," Van Rooyen said, knocking back the shot of vodka and wincing slightly.
"The Captain can control the crew." Thorne reported, pouring out more vodka into the assorted vessels.
"Die eerste maat is egter 'n regte bastard en hy kan veg," Van Rooyen added.
"Van der Koen is a right bastard who can fight," Thorne said.  Ben looked at the mug's contents and passed it over to Jack.  Fritz refused to drink, standing with his arms folded.
"Daarom wil ek u hulp hê.  Ek wil hê jy moet daardie man doodmaak."
"He wants our help to keep the Natalia, he wants us to kill Van der Koen,"  Thorne reported. "What are you smuggling ?  Wat smokkel jy Engels ?"
"Gewere," Van Rooyen said.  "Albatros, beste wense - dit is 'n teken.  Ek was regoor die wêreld, n' jy is moordenaars."
"Damnation," Thorne said. "He says they're smuggling guns.  He thinks the albatross is a sign of good luck.
He's been around the world and he knows we're killers."
"Jy is my beste kans om by die huis te kom," Van Rooyen said.
"We're his best chance to get home." Thorne said, then sipped some vodka, and coughed. "Good God, what the hell."
Van Rooyen lifted his glass to toast them.  "Juig ! Die goeie dinge !"  The vodka was extremely strong - probably 150 proof.
"Good stuff, my Aunt Fanny," Thorne replied.  "But Bruno will love it."  He cast a look over at Fritz, silently standing against the wall.  "Anything to add ?"
"I follow orders," Fritz said, quietly.

There was a quiet knock on the door, just a few soft taps.  Outside was the boy that Spider had treated for a jaw injury.  He looked in at them, then pointed towards the other cabin - the captain's cabin, then waved to try to get Spider to follow him.  "Jannes, jou pa is wakker ?" Van Rooyen asked.  More waving, and the boy hurried back towards the captain's cabin.

From below decks, there was the sound of a gunshot, and some shouting in Africaans, muffled by the distance.  "My engin !"  Van Rooyen yelped, standing up.  Another gunshot from below, and a loud thud.

-----
-----
GM:  Actions, etc, please, for the next ten minutes of game time, we will have our customary winter holiday break as I know you all have things to do this time of year.   Wishing you all the best with extra shares of happiness.  Please respond by Saturday, 6 January 2024, next post the following Sunday.  If you have anything you'd like to send in before the New Year, I'll be checking back.  Cheers !

Spider grabs the medical gear and says, "Go!  I'll check the captain, then find you all."  He also slings Matilda over his shoulder, then follows the boy.

Spider rushed to the next cabin, grabbing his medical gear and Matilda in her case, the boy leading the way.  On the cot, Captain de Vink was awake and attempting to get up, which could lead to trouble given the amount of stitches involved.  Van Rooyen was at the doorway, talking rapidly in Africaans; the Captain stopped trying to get out of bed and eyed Spider with curiousity and not a little suspicion.

As it turned out, the Captain spoke pretty good English.  "You have done this ?" he said, indicating the professional-looking bandages.  "But - I heard gunshots.  Why ?  And will Jannes - my son - be healed ?"
Van Rooyen spoke some more, sounding insistent.  Hans de Vink replied in Africaans, and Van Rooyen went to a wall cupboard, wedging himself next to the young lad, and took out a handgun - it looked like a Browning .38 semiautomatic - and left the room.
"Valentijn is going below decks," Hans de Vink said.  "You are some kind of explorers, and Van der Koen picked you up in Antarctica ?"

Meanwhile, the boy was scribbling furiously on a notepad, and held it up for his father to read.  It was a commendable attempt at a poker face for the Captain, but Spider had been around Ben and Thorne for too long not to notice a flash of surprise.
"You have given treatment to the crew ?  We were fired on by the American Navy - and they were looking for you, I am thinking."

Spider keeps his hands out at his sides and listens to the captain.  He finally says, "Yes sir, we've given medical attention to all your wounded.  Your son included, as well as you.  Now that it turns out the Navy, which probably was, and still IS looking for us, it's the least we can do.  All we want is passage to somewhere neutral, like South Africa or Argentina, so we can contact our people.  Then we will get out of your hair.  But I'm worried some of the men in your ward room are thinking of taking over the ship."

Expedition Stage 9: Who Goes There ? pt 11b

Spider coolly spread out the news to the Captain, making no threatening moves.  Hans de Vink didn't seem alarmed; he nodded once.  "Van der Koen," he said, with a wry look.  "You are hunted men.  We are bound for port in Cape Town.  Work with me.  I will get you to land."

The boy was rapidly writing again.  He ripped one page off, handing it to the Captain, then resumed writing.
Spider could hear the sounds of the next room being emptied out of people; Thorne's voice, the thud of footsteps, the ratchet sound of someone checking the slide on their weapon.

"Get me up, to the bridge," Hans de Vink said, making as if to test his stitches again, swinging his legs out over the edge of the cot with a wince.  "There is a Thompson hidden in the panelling.  I will defend the bridge myself.  Jannes, help my." He gestured to the boy, who hurriedly handed off another page and went to his side.  "Beter om saam met die duiwel te staan as in sy pad."

There was an ominous silence, as the engine stopped, the steady chugging of the prop fading away.  Only the sea, the cold wind, and mens' voices raised below deck could be heard; then another shot was fired.  More shouts.

-------
-------
GM: Actions, etc, for the next minute of game time, please respond by 9 January, 2024, and Happy New Year !

Spider grinned at the captain.  "A Tommie gun will be easier to use in these tight passages than the rifle.  But until we have it," he unslung Matilda and double-checked there was a round in the chamber.  "Stay behind me, and if something or someone comes at us from the rear, be ready to hit the deck."

Expedition Stage 9: Who Goes There ? pt 11c

Spider pulled Matilda from her case and lifted her easily.  Jannes got under his father's good arm and helped lever him upright; de Vink staggered slightly but stayed on his feet.  As Spider moved from the deck, he saw a slight shadow to his right; Ben was huddled by the doorway to the bridge, holding his pistol close to his body, waiting.  The twilight 'night' held shadows that made the surroundings seem more unnatural, almost surreal.  Fritz, Jack and Thorne were already out of sight, probably headed below.  No one threatened Spider as he guarded the de Vinks into the bridge.  There was a sudden yelp and an ugly gurgling sound from the open hatchway into the lower decks, then another couple of shots - sounding like a handgun, much deeper in the ship, and some cursing in Africaans.  A chill wind rippled the flag and lashed icy water on the seas; the ship's engine was still silent.

On the bridge, the grizzled old sailor was still at the helm, and exclaimed in Africaans upon seeing de Vink and company.  He quickly stood, giving up the only seat in the small bridge, so that de Vink could sit down.  Jannes went to an unassuming panel with a map on it, pulled it loose, then lifted out the Thompson that was inside.  De Vink was checking the charts and their heading, making small adjustments, then waved to Jannes to give him the Thompson, sliding down onto the floor.  The old sailor reluctantly returned to the helm.  Jannes went back to the panel after delivering the Thompson to his father; he took out another Browning handgun and scrunched down next to the helmsman.

"Okay, Doctor, we have the bridge," Hans de Vink said, propping the Thompson up, the drum magazine full.  Anyone trying to storm the bridge would be short of legs very quickly.

-------
-------
GM: Actions, etc, for the next minute of game time, please respond by 9 January, 2024, and Happy New Year !

Spider nods and heads back to where Ben was, and waits for Ben to indicate a direction he should take.  But if there were the sounds of trouble, he'd head that way, hoping to figure a way to come at it from a different direction, like above deck, or something opposite of where Fritz, Jack and Thorne were.

Jack moves toward the conflict with Fritz and Thorne, his .45 in his right hand and the wand in his left, held close to his body. He prepares by visualizing himself using the wand to protect his friends and disarm foes; he wants to win these men over, not slaughter them.
     He tells Thorne, “If we’re confronted or get in earshot, tell them firmly that their captain is back in command on the bridge thanks to our medic, and has agreed to transport us to Capetown. They can ask him themselves.”
     He adds to both of them, “If we have to fight, take out the first mate first.”

Expedition Stage 9: Who Goes There ? pt 12

-----Spider----
Ben spoke quietly to Spider.  "They're headed down into the hold; I'll stay above and get Bruno for back up."  He edged towards the bridge door and spoke loudly, "Captain, I'm going to fetch our big dog.  Don't shoot him, it will only annoy him."

---Jack---

Jack moved out with Fritz and Spider, with Fritz rapidly sketching out the tactical plan. "I've studied the layout of this ship," the German said quickly. "I have with me See-in-the-Dark; a potion of werewolf blood, brewed by Bitsie Black - it will give the ability to see in darkness for about ten minutes.  I will lead.  Jack, you will stay back with Trip, because Van der Koen will try to get out from below by either this exit or by the back hatch near the fantail.  He's armed, so are at least four crew members.  Trip, you know where the lights are, flip the switch as soon as I go in.  Bullets will ricochet."  He dripped a drop from a small glass vial into each of his eyes, and offered it to Thorne next.

Spider caught up with them, catching most of Fritz' attack plan, and gave Thorne his recommendation.  "Got it," Thorne said, dripping eye drops into his eyes.  There was a slight green shimmer to them.  Thorne held out the eye drops to Jack and Spider, leaving them the choice to use them or not.  Fritz was already disappearing below decks, pulling out his Luger and a long, black-painted knife.  "Let Fritzi go ahead," Thorne cautioned Spider and Jack, "He's lethal and stealthy."  With that, the Southerner flipped the light switch, sending the gloom of the below decks into darkness.  There was a bloom of orange light; someone had lit a gas lantern.  "Hey, die Kaptein is weer in bevel op die brug !"  Thorne yelled.

Jack's suspicion of trouble was right on target.  He flicked the wand up and cast Deflect Harm just in time to stop a bullet from reaching them; it impacted on the shielding spell and bounced off, pinging harmlessly onto the floor decking.

"Hoe weet ons jy praat die waarheid ?"  a hostile voice called back.

"Gaan vra hom self, hy is op pad Kaap toe !"  Thorne responded. "So put down your weapons ! Sit jou wapens neer !"
"Julle idiote het beter geluister, hulle is moordenaars."  It sounded like Van Rooyen, and he didn't sound too happy.
There was a shifting of shadows, and a pained yelp, with a heavy thud.  Something metallic clattered to the flooring.
"Die Kaptein is terug op die brug en jou muitery sal misluk," Thorne called again. "Captain's on the bridge, mutiny is over !"
"Hulle is warlocks," another voice said. "Hulle is in 'n bondgenootskap met die Duiwel !"
"You wish we were that nice," Thorne responded, "Jy wens ons was so lekker !"
A sudden twisting of shadows, in the vaguely lit gloom; two men wrestling.  A gun went off, small-arms, the bullet ricocheting back and forth, also to bounce off Jack's spell.  There were a couple of thumps, then a horrible ripping sound, a groan and another loud thud.
"We don't want to kill you, but we will if we have to !"  Thorne shouted, "Ons wil jou nie doodmaak nie, maar ons sal as ons moet !"
There was a very ugly silence, made worse by the stink of blood and the whimpering of someone badly wounded; then the thudding of boots, heading away from the main entryway in the below decks.
"Van der Koen's heading to the fantail !"  Fritz said, from somewhere deep below.  "I have Van Rooyen - he's hurt."

-----
-----
GM:   Welcome Back !  Happy New Year !  Please respond with actions, etc, for the next minute of game time, by Saturday, 13 January, next post Sunday.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Jack is happy to try out a new magical aid, and puts the drops in his eyes. Then he waits and listens with Thorne as Fritz descends into the ship. When Fritz says that Van der Koen is exiting at the fantail, Jack runs in that direction, prepared to knock the man out with a Magic Fist spell through the wand.

Spider thought about using the drops, but was worried if they would become a problem if he were in a well-lit situation.  In the end he did not use them.  After Fritz's stealth mission was basically completed, he heard Fritz yell that Van Royen was hurt, but that Ven der Koen was trying to get away, no doubt in hopes of still prevailing.  He said to Thorne, "Take the medkit for Van Rooyen!" and headed for the upper decks, in hopes of getting a clear shot at Van der Koen.

Expedition Stage 9: Who Goes There ? pt 13

Jack tried the eye drops, blinked a few times and noticed an immediate difference in the appearance of dark and light.  He could see as clearly as if it were merely a gloomy day, even inside the lower decks.  Thorne accepted the medical kit from Spider, then cautiously went into the lower decks, his fearsome pepperpot Le Mat at the ready, and soon disappeared around a corner.  There was a clattering sound, but no gun shots or outcries.  Jack could see the passageways in the lower deck; one man was already sitting down in a heap, hands held up in surrender.

Both Jack and Spider went for the fantail.  The interior of the decks was a maze of cargo boxes, holds for storage, and the engine room was near the back of the ship, where Fritz was holding a compress on a wound in Van Rooyen's chest.  Nearby, the still body of Dael Bartel was sprawled in a pool of blood, with the husky Princess also collapsed, teeth still bared, next to him. Both were dead - clearly the dog had tried to protect Dael.  Thorne was hauling the medical kit up onto a tool chest.  Off in a far corner of the hold, five men were huddled in fear.

The topside seemed clear of men, though Spider could not be entirely sure of that - there were plenty of places cast in shadow by the twilight of the Antarctic night.  He hurried along the decking towards the fantail, holding Matilda tight.  Likewise, Jack was running, also toward the back of the ship.

Thanks to Jack's superior vision, he was ready when Van der Koen sprang from a hiding spot and fired at him; he dodged easily (rolled 08%).  The First Mate had apparently gotten into the cargo, as the purloined machine pistol smashed wooden splinters out of the nearest boxes by Jack but missed him.  As Jack readied the spell, Van der Koen cleared the ladder upwards, leaping onto the top deck, in time for Spider to line up a shot.  The machine pistol fire had told the Australian exactly where Van der Koen was, and he brought the heavy rifle to bear.

The combined action of the spell Jack cast and the percussive impact of Matilda's ammunition was a horrible spectacle.  As Jack's spell closed on Van der Koen's body, the 50 calibre bullet of Matilda ripped through the First Mate's belly, sending blood splattering out and then stopping as it encountered the spell's effects.  The machine pistol Van der Koen held tumbled to the deck and the lifeless body hung in the air, suspended by strong magic.

There was one witness to this, besides Jack and Spider; Jannes de Vink, staring at the scene in shock, the Browning automatic falling from his shaking hands.  The mutiny was indeed over, and order had been restored to the Natalia.  Jack noted, as did some of the crew, that the Albatross took off from its perch, looped the Natalia once, and disappeared over the horizon to the North.

The next hours were tense, as the crew considered their options and made up their minds to try to steer very clear of the Agents.  Back by the bridge, Ben and Bruno waited, with the Captain still in the bridge with a Thompson submachine gun.  Bruno was no longer camoflaged by Ben's illusion spell, and was happily shaking out his spiky hackles.  Hans de Vink was persuaded to go back and rest, but Spider had to medicate Jannes de Vink to get his anxiety under control. Van Rooyen was wounded, but the bullet had skipped off a rib and while it was an ugly wound, the engineer would survive.  Another sailor who had decided to side with Van der Koen had met up with Fritz's blade and required eighty stitches to close the wound in his arm.  One sailor besides Dael Bartel had perished in the darkness below, shot in the liver, but it was impossible to tell why.

The smuggler's cargo, a mix of semiautomatic weapons and machine guns, was resecured and Bruno stationed as a guard.  The engine was restarted after much effort and cursing from both Van Rooyen and Fritz, and the ship was again chugging North.  Captain de Vink addressed the crew about the matter and Thorne translated it, after the bodies had been consigned to the Deep.  Dael was shrouded in old sailcloth with Princess.  Van der Koen was chucked over the railing to the sharks.

Thorne translated quietly, as the silent crew listened to the Captain speak.  "We will reach our home port and we will live another day thanks to these men who came off the ice.  No one will give them cause to fight, no one will give them any trouble, and we will all go home and be grateful.  Now get back to your stations and do your work."

The Agents maintained their rotating schedule of sleeping and watching, and Bruno did quite well as guard beast, though Van Rooyen figured out the Hellhound quickly enough, sharing some of his high-test hootch with Bruno.  Weeks passed.  The ship headed North unmolested, and once land was sighted, there were cheers.  Spider's medical care had served well; Captain de Vink was practically recovered, Jannes de Vink was healing, but remained very cautious around the Agents, Van Rooyen was apparently tougher than old leather and clearly disappointed he could not keep Fritz around to work on the engines forever.  The cliffs above Cape Town were visible, then the buildings, the fishing boats and other water craft.  There was a warm wind coming off the land.  The huskies, used to roaming the decks and entertaining the crew, were keenly sniffing the scents.

"Gentlemen," Captain de Vink addressed them, "I have kept my part of the bargain as you have kept yours.  We will dock in a couple of hours.  I have had some requests from my crew about the dogs - they would like to buy or barter for a few."
"Bruno is ours," Thorne said immediately.
"Agreed.  But consider it, if you will.  Please make ready to depart."  De Vink strode back to the bridge.

----
----
GM:: Thus ends the Mountains of Madness; land is within your sight and the perils of Antarctica are a memory.  Actions, etc, for the next couple of hours of game time, please respond by Saturday, 20 January, next post Sunday.
-----------------------------------------------------------

Spider is okay with letting the dogs stay with crew of good repute.  He would ask the captain to help find berths on some other ship heading to at least Europe if not the USA.

Jack is sad to see that Dael and Princess were killed. He says a silent prayer for them to Athena during their sea-burial.
     For the rest of the voyage, Jack periodically checks their cargo of alien technology for any signs of tampering.
    He cheers with the others at the sight of land. He is also happy to let the dogs go to good homes with the sailors.
    He is worried about long-term trauma to the captain’s son Jannes from what he has seen, but doesn’t want to upset him by trying to talk to him. Finally he decides to write him a letter on a sheet of Miskatonic letterhead from his supplies:

Master de Vink,
I want to thank you for helping my friends and me. You are brave like your father and I’m sure you will make a fine captain one day, if that is your wish.
    On this difficult voyage, you saw things most people live their whole lives without knowing. When I first learned about these things I was quite shocked and amazed, as you may be too.
    It is not an exaggeration to say there are powerful, mostly invisible forces at work in our world. Many of these forces are evil and want to destroy mankind. But some do not; some can be made allies and used to fight the evil. It is these latter forces that my friends and I work with in order to protect us all.
    I hope this information will help you feel a bit better about what you have seen. If at any time (even years from now) you wish to discuss these matters further, you may contact Dr. Weintraub, Mr. Mallory, and me through the university.
In friendship,
Jonathan P. Sterling
[signed “Jack”]
He seals it in an envelope and writes “Jannes de Vink” on it, and leaves it on the captain’s desk.
     When they disembark, he especially thanks the captain and the engineer. And of course never lets their cargo out of his sight!

OOC: Keeper, thank you so much for another thrilling chapter in our story!