Chapter 2- Warm Reception

It had been hours since the snow cab had run out of the precious fuel that propelled it along through the snow. Every step she took was quickly becoming a battle with her body. It seemed to want nothing more than to lay down and die, but she could not allow that. Kate needed to get word to others about Thule station; whether they would believe her or not.

The sun was just cresting the horizon when the Russian outpost came into sight. Kate held her hands around her eyes like binoculars to keep the sun that reflected off of the smooth snow from blinding her. The good news was that the outpost was in sight, the bad news; it was over a mile and a half away and she could not even hypothesis as to how she would be greeted.

As she continued on her journey, Kate was unaware of the small spider-like Carter-Thing tailing her, using the indentations in the snow made by her feet for cover from the stinging breeze. The Carter-Thing was also slightly revealed to have shelter in sight. It was also experiencing difficulty staying awake and like Kate it was also suffering from hypothermia and frost bite. However, all would be right when they arrived and it could take a new host with a great amount of bio-matter to regenerate the damaged tissue that it was currently sporting.

The sun had fully burst from the horizon by the time Kate had finally reached the outpost. She broke into a clumsy stumbling jog to clear the last forty-five feet to the base. As she passed into the base perimeter, she slowed to a stop and dropped to her knees. Mission accomplished. But now she only needed to find a way in. Surely she couldn't just knock on the door and introduce herself... could she?

Well, whatever she was going to do, she needed to do it quickly. As she sat in the snow, her eyes began to drift closed. She new that if she were to lose consciousness a good possibility was that she may never regain it. So exhausted, hungry, and nearly frozen through to the bone, Kate stood and went stumbling toward the entrance to the main facility. As she stumbled, she looked up at the Soviet flag glittering in the mid-morning sun. As difficult as explaining the dire nature of the situation is, it was preferable to freezing to death in the snow. Especially after surviving what she did, it would not be a satisfying way to go.

As she carefully made her way up the four stairs that lead to a platform that lead to the entrance to the base, Kate managed to slip on the ice and tumble onto the concrete porch. Her face made contact first with the cement, leaving her with a lovely broken nose. Kate found the situation almost comical for a moment as she strained out a few breath laughs. But in truth, she was seconds away from giving into her misfortunes and dying on the ground. But Kate had never been one to give up in face of adversity. While fortune was certainly no friend of Kate, she was definitely a worthy opponent and Kate had not lost a match yet.

So, taking hold of the iced over metal railing and releasing an unattractive grunt, Kate pulled her self unsteadily to her feet and went careening into the steel door to announce her arrival. Her body slammed into the door with a loud thud; she was even able to make out the sound over the whistling winds of the Antarctic. Surely the occupants of the outpost also heard the noise, but no one came. The door remained closed and Kate's heart sank. Immediately, she began making conclusions about why no has yet rushed to her aid. Perhaps they have also been attacked, she thought. But that was unlikely, there was no way one of those creatures could have beaten her to the outpost on foot... or tentacle. There had to be another explanation.

Kate once again heaved herself to her feet and stumbled down the stairs. She looked around the camp and decided to look for alternate means of entry. As she rounded the building, Kate noticed that the door on the far back wall of the base was slightly ajar. Her heart seemed to simultaneously sink and jump into her throat.

Why in the hell would that door be open? Where are the Russians? She thought to herself.

Kate stood in indecision. If she went through that door, she knew that there was a chance that she would never walk back through it again. So deciding it was best to try and arm herself before venturing into the unknown, Kate scanned the outpost until she spotted something that resembled a tool shed.

Taking a moment to warm slightly now that she was out of the constant frigid breeze of the elements, Kate glanced around the shed. In the shed Kate located a wall of varying tools and blunt instruments. Of course, none of the tools in the shed would provide her with ample protection should a shape shifting alien decide to lunge down from the ceiling and tear her limbs form her torso, but wielding something made her feel that much better and perhaps gave her the courage to enter the outpost.

Thus Kate left the relative safety of the tool shed behind and ventured back out into the snow. She gradually inched her way toward the slightly open door and ascended the stairs. Using the metal rod that she selected as her first line of defense, she extended her arm and nudged the door open. The door swung until it made contact with wall, producing a muffled thud. Standing in the doorway, Kate examined the interior of the outpost. It was dark and there was odd snow patterns on the floor leading inward from the doorway.

Kate didn't hear or see anything that made her not want to enter so she stepped through the threshold into the outpost. She turned her back to the room in order to swing the door shut, that was when she heard fast approaching footsteps from behind. Abandoning closing the door, Kate firmly gripped the metal rod and swung blindly. A muffled crack meant that she had made contact with something and the very human wail of pain indicated that she had made a good swing. As she tried to make out the figure that she sent to the floor, another figure grabbed her by the waist and lifted her off the ground. Kate struggled for a moment before swinging the rod back over her head and making contact with the top of the figure's head. The man roared in pain and flung Kate into a table, which the tumbled over and crashed to the floor. In her fall, she lost her grip on the rod and it rolled off into the darkness.

Apparently, one of the figures regained their composure and tried once again to restrain her. She began grappling with the two injured men. Kate knew that she couldn't hold off for long. She also realized during their confrontation that neither of the men were aliens, they were very human. As she attempted to flee around the table, the lights came on and a loud bang sounded through the room. All heads turned toward a slim clean shaven man wearing a red flannel shirt holding a smoking pistol aimed out the still open door, obviously a warning shot. The man's blue eyes glared at he three; Kate and the two men she fought.

The man with the gun yelled something at her in Russian, which she didn't understand.

"I don't speak Russian," Kate spoke, praying that someone spoke English.

To her luck, the man with the pistol raised and eyebrow and lowered the gun. "I said: why are you here American?" he explained in near perfect English.

"I'm afraid that would take quite a bit time to explain," Kate spoke cautiously. She knew that the ice on which she walked was already cracked from her entrance.

"I don't know about you, but I don't have anywhere to be," the man spoke calmly, urging her to explain.

"I think that we discovered something that poses a threat to both of our countries," Kate chose her words carefully. Any talk of aliens right then would be laughed off.

"Well, it looks like you had better..." The man was cut off when another man burst in. This one looked like he was in charge. He screamed at the three men in Russian, probably asking what the hell as going on. He gestured to Kate a few times and gave orders to the two lackeys that attacked her. She only was able to catch the one smile before her clocked her in her already broken nose and her vision went completely black. It must have been hours before Kate awoke but when she did, she seemed to have been tied to a chair in a small storage room. Apparently it was to be used as her cell while the Russians figured out what to do with her. At least it was warm.