Chapter 1336 - 1335: Saving and Scaring
Lu Zheng didn’t say it well, of course, referring to just the convoy on the road.
Those three snow vehicles, although they are heavy-duty snow vehicles, might withstand the blizzard, but the sled behind them absolutely won’t.
If the sled and the equipment boxes on it tip over and get damaged, it might even affect the snow vehicles.
Even the nearest Zhongshan Station is over two hundred kilometers away, rescue would take a long time, let alone if Zhongshan Station even has heavy-duty snow vehicles to go out in a blizzard, it’s uncertain.
...
"Zhongshan Station calling Ice Tiger Formation! Calling Ice Tiger Formation! Ice Tiger Formation, please respond!"
Driving on the snowy glacier, the convoy’s cabin was warm like spring, with music playing, the intercom on, chatting to kill time, cheerful and lively.
The snow vehicle in the front row received the call from Zhongshan Station, and the middle-aged man in the passenger seat replied, "This is Ice Tiger 001! Received call from Zhongshan Station, please speak!"
"There is a sudden blizzard ahead, satellite radar shows the wind is very strong!"
Through the earphones, a voice from the other side, urgent yet steady, sounded.
"It is advised you stop immediately and wait for the blizzard to pass!"
"Ice Tiger 001, received!"
The middle-aged man in the first vehicle hung up the call with the rear, speaking to the vehicle’s intercom, "Sudden blizzard ahead, all stop!"
"Roger!"
"Roger!"
Two clear and concise voices came through the intercom, and then the entire convoy didn’t stop immediately but circled in place, with the two sleds surrounded in the middle, and the three heaviest snow vehicles stopped on the periphery.
"Didn’t the weather forecast say it would be sunny recently? Even if there was a blizzard, it would be a small-scale one." Someone asked.
"You’ve only been here six months, so you don’t know, Antarctic weather forecasts aren’t accurate at all. Moreover, near the poles, the weather is bizarre, sudden blizzards are very common." Another person replied, "But don’t worry, these snow vehicles are our latest models, like mini tanks. We’ve encountered two pretty strong blizzards before, and there was no problem."
"Indeed, unless it’s a once-in-a-hundred-years gigantic blizzard, it’s just a matter of waiting a few hours before continuing on."
"Our vehicles are designed to withstand blizzards, usually they crash around in blizzards, today we’re just stopping to wait because we’re carrying sleds and supplies."
"Just right, you haven’t experienced an Antarctic super blizzard yet? Today you’ll see what it means to be at the mercy of the elements."
While they were talking, a vast expanse of wind and snow swept over from a distance.
"Here it comes!"
"Holy cow, it’s huge!"
"Hey, what’s so big, Ice Tiger 003, what are you doing?"
"Shut up! I meant the blizzard is so big, you can’t see the edge?"
"Oh, that’s why Zhongshan Station told us to stop and wait, just in case."
"I was even thinking if we could bypass it from the side."
"Wow, you didn’t listen to the training, did you? This route between the two stations is already established as safe, how dare you bypass it at will?"
If you encounter traps or ice sinkholes and get the vehicle stuck, that’s it, rescue would take days, and the transport mission would be delayed by half a month, what about the people at Kunlun Station?"
"Sorry! Usually I roam near the research station and forgot about this."
"Wow! What a strong wind!"
"Even through such thick tempered glass, I can hear the wind outside!"
"There’re also ice blocks and snow accumulation."
"Whoosh—whoosh—"
"Splat—splat—"
The cold wind howled, hail and snow whipped by the blizzard pressed down on the convoy.
As the blizzard moved, the convoy was passively moved into the blizzard, with strong and fierce wind force making the snow vehicles sway.
"Holy cow! What a strong wind!"
At this point, even the veteran members were starting to be shocked, they hadn’t encountered such a terrifying blizzard on the road before.
After all, transport missions weren’t daily, once they encountered such strong blizzards, they’d usually stay huddled at the research station.
"Oh no! Captain! My snow vehicle is being blown and moving!"
Ice Tiger 002’s position was facing directly into the blizzard, the strong wind force actually moved Ice Tiger 002’s snow vehicle, exposing the sled and supply compartment they surrounded in the center.
"Looks like colleagues at Kunlun Station will have to wait a few more days." The middle-aged man said helplessly, "According to my estimate, we’re not at the center of the blizzard yet."
"What? Could it be..."
"Holy cow, number 3 and 4 sled compartments have been blown over!"
"Number 7 compartment side is overturned, it’s about to break away from the sled!"
"The wind force is getting stronger!"
"Number 9 and 10 are at the outermost, I feel they’re about to be blown away!"
Just as the words fell...
"Whoosh—"
In the next moment, the wind force abruptly decreased, the swaying of the snow vehicles lessened, and the ice blocks of snowflakes hitting the tempered glass also reduced.
"Blizzard passed?"
"No, look beyond five meters!"
Everyone looked through the tempered glass window to the side five or six meters away, the wind and snow was even more intense than what they had just encountered.
"What’s going on? Eye of the storm?"
"This isn’t a tornado, where would there be an eye of the storm!"
"Then what’s happening?"
"How would I know? Holy cow!"
"What now?" The middle-aged man, shocked by the bizarre situation before him, couldn’t help turning his head.
"Sled! Compartment!"
"Sled and compartment, holy crap?"
Everyone’s words were cut short by involuntary curse words.
They weren’t doing it on purpose, just too shocked.
Because 3, 4, 7, 9, and 10 supply compartments, which had tilted, overturned, detached from the sled, and almost blown apart, were all stably secured on the sled.
"What’s going on?"
"What’s the situation?"
"I don’t know!"
Just now everyone was shocked by the sudden reduction of external wind and snow, so they really hadn’t noticed the state of the sled. Unexpectedly, when they turned around, they saw the sled compartments suddenly restored to their original state.
"Did I see wrong before?"
"Rubbish, unless we collectively ate hallucinogenic mushrooms for breakfast!"
"Did you eat them?"
"Were they in the side dishes?"
"Nope!"
"Then why are you saying crazy things!"
Though joking, inside everyone’s heart was apprehensive.
The unknown phenomena are what instill fear!
The swirling blizzard, the restored supplies, phenomena that defy science, happening right beside them.
As they spoke, they cast their eyes out the window, cautiously and fearfully observing.
"Captain..."
"Hmm?"
"Under the Antarctic Ice Sheet, could there really be aliens?"