She could see Manly coming back toward them in his giant red plow, bumping up and down inside his cab. He had one of the toughest jobs. After this job, he was headed forward to the end of the line where he would have to plow yet another strip next to where they would camp for the night. Between gas, food, the explosives, and additional people and equipment, they would be getting a drop off nearly every morning for the next two weeks. Fortunately next week would bring another plow and one of Manly’s partners which would make it easier and provide some backup.
Kathryn looked back when she heard the sound of the plane. It took her some time to find it in the bright sky even though she had now seen more of these C130’s then she ever wanted to. As the plane grew closer and lowered its landing gear, she and the two others began walking toward the strip.
The two men were talking about where they planned to put the supplies, when Kathryn stopped to tie her right boot which had come loose. She bent down and pulled the lace taught again and began to tie the knot but stopped when she saw something appear next to her boot. It was a tiny crack. She looked at it curiously without moving. A few seconds later another crack appeared, this one slightly bigger. Was she standing on a week spot?
Kathryn slowly stood up and looked around. Small cracks were appearing everywhere. She turned back to Steve and Andrew who were still walking toward the plane that was now less than fifty feet above the ground.
“Hey.” she said, but neither of the men heard her. “HEY!” she called out.
Steven and Andrew turned and looked back at Kathryn. She was standing still looking at the ground. “Yeah?”
“Look!” she yelled to them.
“Look at what?” Steve answered.
“Look at the ICE!” her voice was trembling.
Both men looked around them and saw the tiny cracks forming all around. They looked back at Kathryn and their eyes opened wide when they saw what was behind her. Kathryn turned to see a giant crack forming and pieces of ice shooting up from the ground. Farther in over the ice shelf, she could see many more pieces exploding into the air.
She looked at the two men in front of her. “Run!” she shouted. “RUN!” The people working behind her, including Manly who was just getting out of the giant truck turned and looked at her curiously. “RUN!” she yelled again waving them toward her. Kathryn looked further on to the group of inflated structures serving as sleeping quarters. There were at least several more people inside, but she felt sick as she realized they were too far way to hear her over the noise.
She turned back and saw the large plane rolling past them a few hundred yards away. She pointed to the aircraft and starting running. Steve and Andrew were already ahead of her. They were all running and yelling to anyone else they could see. They all stopped and called to the others again. “RUN!”
When she turned around, she saw her four man team, who had just been measuring the ice, were now running as fast as they could toward her. Far off in the background, she could see the familiar white fog rising into the air, but this time it was much, much bigger. In the far distance, she could see mud slides beginning against the base of the giant glacier. It was happening! The glacier was collapsing!
Now Manly was running toward her with his arm behind one of the drillers. Kathryn turned to Steve and Andrew and shouted, pointing at the plane. “Don’t let the plane stop!” They both nodded and ran after it.
The shaking began under her feet. She kept waving the others in to her and looked for anyone else. Tadri was one of the team members running toward her. She stopped to pick up someone who had fallen and helped her to her feet. Kathryn kept looking at the living quarter huts, praying that they would come out. She looked back at the plane and watched Steven and Andrew jump up through the rear door as it slowed to a stop. A moment later the engines which were winding down suddenly roared back to life. The plane quickly began to turn around to face the other direction.
The others finally caught up to Kathryn, and they all ran for the plane together. She looked over her shoulder and finally saw the others coming out of the living quarters. They looked around and then at Kathryn and the rest running toward the plane. At that moment, a wide crack appeared and spread in a long jagged line between Kathryn and the camp. It was too late.
The shaking was growing stronger and everyone tried to keep from stumbling sideways. They covered the distance to the strip as the plane was slowly passing them. Stumbling back and forth, they rounded the back of the plane and chased after the side door. Both men were waiting and holding onto each side of the door. They grabbed Tadri’s hand and pulled her off her feet and inside. They reached out for the driller and then for Manly and the rest until finally they grabbed Kathryn and hauled her in.