Whiteout

Anderson, P-170. I have Stetko returning.

We'll be approaching in about five. Am I clear?

It's all you. Come on in, the party's already started.

Isn't it a little early for that?

First big winter storm coming in later in the week.

We're swapping personnel a couple days early.

Roger that. See you in a few.

Attention, flight teams:

Will the following pilots please report to station chief ASAP...

Stetko, where have you been?

This is a 72-hour warning, people.

That's three days until the last flight for those of you mathematically challenged.

I'm supposed to let you know that we have one of those season-and-safety meetings...

...with Dr. Cochran before tonight's station-closing party.

Everyone must attend. 1900 in the galley.

Hold on a second, I was just handed a piece of paper.

Sam says that bag drag will start at 0700 on Friday.

So all your gear must be in the hallway by 0300.

Make sure all your personal belongings...

For those in the winter crew who are staying on base...

...there will be a mandatory...

Carrie?

I'm in the shower, Doc.

I'll be right out.

Chicken.

Shrimp? You've been holding out on me, woman.

You wanna hear about my trip?

I flew three hours to talk to a Ph.D. reporting the theft of a botany sample.

A botany sample?

Cannabis sativa.

Ah. Of course, cannabis. Weed.

Always a dull moment.

By the way, big storm's coming in, departure's been bumped up.

Bathing suit and sunscreen are packed and ready to go.

Well, all you need.

- Stetko? You there? - Hold on, hold on.

- Go. - The station manager wants to see you.

Copy. See you at dinner.

No, you won't. This is dinner.

Better than that mess-hall crap.

- See you on the plane. - What? You're kidding.

- No, you heard me. - Doc?

We'll talk about it later, okay?

Popsicle was spotted out here at Haworth Mesa.

Pilot I borrowed from McMurdo called it in.

Really? What was somebody doing out there? That's no man's land.

It's probably a weather balloon or an old tent. It's the guy's first year here.

I know you just got back, but he reports it, you gotta follow it up.

Okay. Don't worry, I'll go grab Doc.

Hey, Carrie.

Sam, please don't waste my time. Just tell me how many carats.

Well, don't gush until you see it. Then you just let it flow.

You made as much on backgammon as you did from the Marshal Services.

You should go pro.

Maybe that's what I'll do when I get back to the States.

You're still handing in your badge, huh?

Yeah. They even have professional backgammon players?

The same rules apply to all winter-over students.

You'll have 90 days to turn in your analysis.

I want proxies for the earth's temperature changes from 1600...

...to present day.

Let's see how long before they're surfing in Kansas.

Attention, South Pole: This is a flight notification for Papa 282.

That aircraft has been delayed and is now due at 1530.

- Doc? - All teams, adjust your schedules.

- Good day, marshal. - Haden, have you seen Doc?

Yeah, he's outside with the newbies.

Hey, marshal, don't you owe me a strip search?

You were the second guy out the door, right?

Yeah.

Yeah, not interested.

In less than three days, we begin the winter-over.

The sky turns black and it stays that way for half a year.

Now, nature did not intend for you to survive out here.

But here you are...

...and here I am to teach you how not to die.

Come on.

Nothing to it.

Time.

Core body temperatures have fallen to approximately 97 degrees.

Thinking is impaired.

Motor skills failing.

You are, in short, gentlemen, well on your way to dying...

...and it's only been three minutes.

One great hazard out here: the whiteout.

An unholy set of weather conditions converge...

...and the world falls away.

Winds over 100 miles an hour skip off the ice out here...

...and kick up snow so thick you can't see six inches in front of your face.

You can lose yourself completely out there.

And be gone.

All right.

Never underestimate the ice. Put your coats on now.

Now, class, give a nice, warm South Pole hello to Marshal Stetko.

Hello, Marshal Stetko.

Hi, guys.

- What's up? - I need you to take a ride with me.

A pilot named Delfy thinks he may have found a body on the ice.

This engine is ice cold.

You can't put the goddamn blower on for five minutes and expect to start the plane.

What changed your mind? I thought you were wintering over again.

I got a card from my granddaughter inviting me to her 5th birthday party.

You have a granddaughter?

I have a granddaughter, Carrie, and I've never met her.

I've been down here way too long.

- You Delfy? - Last I remember.

I'm Stetko. This is John Fury.

- Are you old enough to fly this thing? - Certainly hope so.

Just try not to have a heart attack on my plane, junior.

Smartass.

Well, I think I'm gonna like him.

ASB, ASB, come in.

This is November 178. I'm five minutes out from Haworth Mesa.

How's the weather? Over.

Weather is clear.

Roger, ASB. I'll inform you on turnaround.

You asleep?

Yep.

I could fly down here the rest of my life and never get used to how beautiful it is.

How did he get here?

Maybe he was climbing, fell from up there.

Then where's his gear?

It doesn't make any sense.

How could he be all the way out here without any gear?

He's a sticker. Give me a hand.

Okay.

Go.

Carrie?

Are you all right?

Yeah.

Let's see who he is.

Weiss.

Weiss. Yeah, I knew him.

Yeah, we wintered with him last year, played cards a couple times.

- He's the one that cheated. - The geologist.

Yeah.

Damn. Damn, damn.

What were you doing all the way out here?

- Watch this. - Yes.

Whoo-hoo-hoo!

Got it.

- Million-year-old ice, right? - Yes.

- Ten-year-old whiskey. Yeah? - Ten-year-old whiskey.

This is cool.

Out of the way.

Ugh!

Move it!

Out of the way.

It bothers me that nobody's reported him missing yet.

Maybe no one thinks he is.

What's this?

Well, let's find out.

It's a fresh wound.

- Somebody treated him in the field. - Yeah.

And they were in a hurry.

What's happened up here?

Oh, my God.

What could have caused that?

Rough edges around the wound.

Ice ax, something like that.

So we got a geologist out at Haworth Mesa.

He injures his leg, has it stitched...

...then manages to climb a 100-foot ice wall...

...falls onto his own ax, which isn't found anywhere near the body?

Doc, this wasn't an accident.

This means a federal investigation.

We're witnesses.

I know you wanna get out of here, Carrie, and the last plane leaves in two days.

We could be stuck here for the winter.

Can you handle that?

No.

I mean, God, I don't know.

Say the word, I'll bag the body, put it on the plane for McMurdo.

Let them sort it out. No big deal.

I won't take no for an answer, Jack.

I have plans Saturday.

Microwave popcorn and a six-pack is not plans. We're clear.

Go.

How we doing? Good.

Why don't you get some sleep? You earned it.

That was all you today.

Carrie.

So it was a popsicle.

But please, next time you find a dead body, don't parade him down the corridor.

Sam, he was murdered.

- You sure? - Yeah, I'm sure.

His name was Weiss. He was one of ours. We gotta call it in.

Yeah.

See how the FBI wants to handle it.

- What camp's he with? - I don't know. I gotta talk to McGuire.

131, confirming to instruct Departure 133.0, Squad 4233.

Anton Weiss.

Michael Rubin. John Mooney.

- What do they do at that camp? - One One is an ablation zone.

- English? - It's a good place to find meteorites.

It's right there.

Well, Weiss was nowhere near that camp when we found him.

Wait a minute. Weiss?

A few days ago, someone from Delta-One One called, looking for him.

I asked around, but nobody had seen him.