Archive of Our Own ^beta

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Andrew Chapman <[email protected]>

8:15 AM

To: Jacob Whateley

I'm assuming you already know what this is about—I still think Dyer’s cracked, but I guess going through all the evidence is necessary before someone makes a decision, etc. The evidence is for the most part written, but there’s a couple audio files and a couple pictures in there (no video, it couldn’t be salvaged from the remains), and some raw data that they took that’s in a spreadsheet, but I’ve been talking with Jim and he thinks it would be fine if we just took the processed version of the data one of the men was using for a paper he was writing and counted that as the evidence we looked at. It’s not complete by any means, since a fair amount of the electronics were utterly fried after they abandoned the station, but you can mostly piece together what happened through the various items from various people. There’s Dyer’s testimony, also, but he hasn’t officially given that yet, so it’s not here. Guy likes to talk, though, so if you want to try just getting his version out of him directly feel free, but it all sounded like the kind of bullshit someone who nearly died of exposure would hallucinate happening to me. His number is [REDACTED] if you want to text him, and his email is [email protected]. He’s been known to agree to meetings in person, too, though that might be bad for PR.

If you don’t know what this is about, well, first of all, I’m going to have the head of whoever it was who didn’t tell you, but I’ll also just say that it’s the evidence for the Danforth V Pabodie case—dead man’s widow thinks this grad student who was involved in the 2019 expedition killed her husband. Sounds like she’s just looking to blame someone for the whole catastrophe to me, but I’m not supposed to give you my opinion on it. Everything’s linked in the attached Word document, and I’d go ahead and do some general googling as well to familiarize yourself with the media reaction at the time of the whole thing.

Best,

Andy

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William Dyer <[email protected]>

11:15 AM

To: Frank Pabodie, Henry Danforth, Robert Atwood, and 34 more

Hello all,

As you all know, we depart at 05:30 tomorrow morning for the airport in Boston, and from there to the US base in Antarctica, from which we'll continue to the melting Clark Glacier, where we'll do a geological survey of the surrounding area, and conduct our various tests on the ice. Our real destination these next few days is the Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station, but we’ll pass through McMurdo first, and from Amundsen-Scott our final destination is an undeveloped area between multiple stations, where we'll find our glacier.

For the airport, everyone needs to make absolutely sure that they have everything required by the briefing packet, as well as their ID, and, I cannot stress this enough, passport. I have had people forget their passport before when going on international research trips, and given how strict of a schedule we are on, if you forget your passport, we will be leaving you behind. Make sure that you have it.

Also remember that anything you bring to do on the plane must also be something allowed into Antarctica—or something you’re willing to throw out in South America. Books are fine, laptops are fine, but anything else I would advise asking specifically if it’s allowed before you try to bring it.

Lastly, if you are not outside of the door on the western side of the geology building on campus tomorrow by 05:00 at the latest, we will most likely have to leave you behind. This is the opportunity of a lifetime—please don’t make me do that!

Regards,

William

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<Dyer>

<Pabodie>

Everything ready for tomorrow?

Of course

Shouldn’t be worried about me tbh. It’s the students you should be worried about

Yeah I know. Just checking

Nervous habit

Have you checked the students?

Yes, they all seem fine. I haven’t been to see them but they claim to have everything packed and ready

I guess we’ll only know for sure tomorrow

Yeah

How about yourself?

I’ve had everything ready since the start of the week

Hate to be leaving on a Wednesday. Would have been better to leave on a Monday just for scheduling

Yeah

Have you been talking to the people  bringing in our equipment?

Yes

Douglas is bringing the stuff in, I’ve spoken to him and all was well. Thorfinnssen’s the one helping us when we actually get there to get underway with our solo expedition to the iceberg, I haven’t talked to him yet but he hasn’t even seen any of the equipment at this point so

That’s all accounted for

How about supplies?

That’s all good too. They’ll help with that down there too, but I think we have a few special shipments of canned goods and such coming in for us

It’s all good so far. Not a hitch

Thank god

Oh yeah

Not much room for error here

I’m going to bed now

Early morning

Shit I just saw the time, I’d better too

Goodnight

Goodnight

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<William Dyer>

<[REDACTED] Dyer>

We’re on the plane now

Wonderful!

I hope you have a good flight

Thanks

I’ll miss you in Antarctica. So much

Me too!

Say goodbye to the kids one last time for me, could you? They weren’t awake when I got up

Of course

Plane’s taking off now so I’m going to lose wifi

I love you

I love you too

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Nov. 7th 2019

Landed in Antarctica. Very interesting landscape—almost sounds like music coming off of the mountains and cliffs—like piping from one of the old Lovecraft books

Cliffs are very high—200 feet or so

Mts Erebus and Terror are abt 12,700 and 10,900 feet respectively. Terror extinct, Erebus still smoking. Why are they named that in the Antarctic when the ships were lost in the Arctic?

“—the lavas that restlessly roll
Their sulphurous currents down Yaanek
In the ultimate climes of the pole—
That groan as they roll down Mount Yaanek
In the realms of the boreal pole.”

Poe’s imagery was no doubt inspired by the mountains and the lava formations rolling down them

Will be interesting to see if it’s as he described in Gordon Pym.

Presumably we won’t end up having to eat someone but if we do, I'll go for Lake first.