Dr. Elizabeth Carter stood at the edge of the helicopter landing pad, her hands fisted in the pockets of her heavy parka, watching as the last crates of equipment were loaded onto the waiting transport plane. She felt a shiver run through her body, but whether it was from the biting cold or anticipation for what lay ahead, she couldn't say.

For years she had dreamed of leading an expedition to Antarctica, and now that dream was finally becoming a reality. It had taken months of planning and negotiations with funding agencies, but she had assembled a team of experts in fields ranging from geology to microbiology. They would be spending six months at a remote research facility established by a previous research team.

Finally, everything was ready. The transport plane was packed with supplies and personnel, ready to fly from Punta Arenas on the southern tip of Chile to their base camp in Antarctica. Dr. Carter glanced around at her team members, all bundled up in their parkas and helmets despite being inside the heated shelter.

"Is everyone ready?" she asked. The team members nodded or gave affirmative grunts. It was clear that each one of them was excited about this adventure. The helicopter roared into life on their right side, flinging snow around it as they made sure packs were securely stowed beneath its skids before scrambling after it on foot. Safely ensconced on single seats inside the cabin of the helicopter, with headphones in place on their heads to keep off noise deafness, some chit-chatting ensued among them intermittently over noises produced by the whirring rotors above them.

Elizabeth's voice interrupted theirs blatantly with excitement glittering behind her shades. "Are you all excited?"

"Of course! We have always longed for this opportunity, right?" Maria beamed back at Elizabeth, affirmatively toeing off layers of clothing needed for warmth since getting there would be sweltering. She finally felt decent with her dark jacketed leather bag strapped upright on a blue wool sweater slung casually across her shoulders.

Dr. Sergei Ivanov was perhaps the most silent of all, but even he seemed to be looking forward to what lay ahead. The helicopter took off, rising into the cold and clear blue sky. Soon, the base camp came into view: a cluster of squat, beige buildings surrounded by a vast expanse of white. Dr. Carter could see the landing pad, cleared of snow, which they'd bundled out perfectly for landing helicopters and transport planes. She spoke into their headsets.

"This is it, folks. We've arrived at our base camp for the next six months." The team cheered as they disembarked from the chopper, helmets on and goggles firmly in place against any glare aside from the wind chill too. Dr. Carter led them across the frozen tundra to a large metal structure that would serve as their base of operations, towering above them like a sentinel guarding them against that great blinding white beyond it.