True released him. “Now be a good boy and show us to our rooms. I’m in need of a shyte, shower, and sleep.”

Kyle Trunk backed away. “Davis rations its water supply. Showers are limited to one per person every three days for a maximum duration of three minutes.”

“Three minutes? Tha’s barely enuff water tae clean my pecker. The bloody place is surrounded by ice. Why don’ ye jis melt it?”

“We have to conserve fuel. There’s a bar in the Rec Room across from the mess hall. Why don’t you let me buy you gents a drink when I’m through checking in guests?”

“We’re only staying the night,” I said, stepping between Kyle Trunk and True. “Our destination’s Vostok.”

“Change of plans. We have you scheduled to stay at Davis for two weeks. Captain Hintzmann’s orders.”

I found Ben Hintzmann in the mess hall eating lunch, the chin hairs of his beard specked with cream drippings from the bowl of New England clam chowder he was gulping down.

“Hey, Doc! Welcome to the ice. You look ‘episched.’”

“Episched?”

“Sorry, I’ve been out here way too long. ‘Exhausted, finished, dead and done for.’ It’s Antarctic slang. Hope that transport you rode in on was carrying fresh fruit and veggies. We had none of it this winter, and yours was the first plane of spring. I’d kill for boiled potatoes and carrots.”

“The dude with the clipboard and attitude said we’re not flying out to Vostok for two weeks. Why not?”

“Consider it a blessing. The weather out there makes Davis look like a fall day in Manhattan. There were delays in erecting the dome, plus the crates with the Valkyrie units only arrived two days ago. While Ming organizes her team, I’ll teach you how to pilot the Barracuda here in Prydz Bay.”

“The Barracuda? Is that the name of our submersible?”

“That’d be her, a narrow three-man acrylic vehicle featuring two Valkyrie lasers, one mounted on each flank. The generators necessary to power those puppies will remain on the surface, attached by fiber-optic cable, but the Barracuda will house miniature fuel cells capable of powering one four-hour laser burn—enough to get us topside in case of an emergency. Feel better now?”

I smiled. In fact, I did feel better… a lot better. The possibility of having our sub detach from the Valkyries’ power supply unit had been among my worst fears. Apparently, Hintzmann’s too. He had addressed it, and now I could rest more easily.

“I’m feeling episched, so I’m going to bed. Wake me in a day.” Stealing Ben’s soup, I raised the bowl to my lips and drained it, then headed off to my living quarters, a private room negotiated by my Highland “lackey.”