The others watched her climb.
“There’s coffee and sandwiches if you want them, Theo.”
Theo turned to Jack and shook his head. “I just want to get out of here.” He lit a cigarette and took a long drag.
A low rumble forewarned the start of another ice tremor.
The ice began to vibrate and quickly grew in intensity.
Jane halted her climb and prepared to slide down if any chunks of ice fell through the hole. When the ice settled just as suddenly a few moments later, she restarted her climb. When she was only a few feet from the top a loud crack echoed through the cavern. Her worried glance above revealed the cause. Fracture lines spread out from the opening. At the same time as the ice above her collapsed, she released the descender’s grip on the rope to send her speeding down its length.
The others looked in horror at the large chunks of ice plummeting toward Jane.
When the sides of the hole fell into the cavern, the rope had nothing to rest against. It dropped and swung. Jane fell a few feet before the slack in the rope was taken up. The spike the rope was tethered jerked when the rope’s travel was halted by the edge of the enlarged hole, but held firm. Jane gripped the descender to stop her fall and swung when the rope found its new center of gravity. It saved her life, taking her clear of the falling ice that whizzed past behind her and smashed on the ground. Jane speedily rappelled to the ground and looked at the large pile of shattered ice. She glanced over at her friends. “That was close.”
With a worried frown creasing his brow, Theo stared up at the roof of the ice cavern. “We need to get out of here. The increased tremors are evidence the rift could break away from the ice shelf at any moment. If that happens, we’ll really be in trouble.”
Jack looked at their only lifeline. “Is the rope still secure?”
Jane gave it a tug. “As far as I can tell, but we can’t leave yet. Lucy’s still on the ship.”
“Its okay, I’ll go and get her,” said Jack.
“No without me you won’t,” Jane said adamantly.
All hell broke loose.
It began with pieces of ice, large and small plummeting through the enlarged hole, bringing with it a fluttering of snow and ice crystals. A screech of tortured metal drifted into the cavern. Something large and red appeared and jammed itself in the opening. It was the Sno-Cat that had fallen into the rift. The ice groaned from the weight. The vehicle juddered. The ice supporting the Sno-Cat collapsed. It nose-dived to the ground. Ice and snow followed in its wake. Jane dived to the side, but tethered to the rope, she was tugged back. She slipped on the strewn chunks of ice and fell to the ground. She rolled onto her back. The front of the Sno-Cat filled her vision. She needed to move. Her gloved fingers fumbled to release the rope from the harness. Just when she thought she would never do it in time, she was free. She crab-walked out of the path of the falling vehicle. The violent sound of crushing metal invaded the cavern when the Sno-Cat crashed to the ground inches from her feet. Jane shook with the adrenalin rush and her close escape from death. She let out a sigh of relief. Groaning metal indicated the Sno-Cat was still on the move. It toppled straight for her. She rolled to the side. The Sno-Cat struck the ground behind her. Worried she still wasn’t out of danger, Jane climbed to her feet and moved away.
When the Sno-Cat toppled it had snagged the climbing rope, pulling it taut. The strain was too much for the spike driven into the ice to resist. It was yanked free and shot through the hole.
Jack saw the spike. His eyes followed its trajectory. He sprinted across the cavern. “Look out, Jane!”
Unaware of the latest threat, Jane turned. Jack ran toward her. Jack leapt and collided with her. Both tumbled to the ground. The tip of the spike buried itself into the ground in the exact spot where Jane had stood moments before.
Jane looked at the spike that had nearly killed her. “Thanks, Jack.”
Jack climbed to his feet and smiled. “I think you escaped death at least three times just then.” He held out a hand and helped her stand.
Jane smiled at Jack, grabbed his offered hand and stood. “Guess I’m just a lucky girl.”
“It’s customary in these damsel-saving situations for the saviour to receive a reward. A kiss would suffice.” Jack grinned, expectantly.
“I’m sure it would.” Jane gave him a peck on the cheek.
Disappointment spread across Jack’s face. “Oh, I was expecting more.”
Jane smiled. “Yes, I’m sure you were.” She glanced up at the enlarged hole high above. “We’re not out of danger yet. We’re stuck down here now.”
All heads swiveled to look back along the ice tunnel.
“Something wicked this way comes,” said Jane, fearfully.
Jack glanced up at the hole in the ice. “And we have nowhere to run.”
Three Hunters had followed the scent of the humans to the engine room and had spread out to search for them. One had arrived at the hole in the hull and followed the scent to the sloping ice tunnel. It had dug its claws into the smooth ice and climbed up. When it heard the sounds of the strange creatures drift from a passage in the ice, it had howled its hunting cry and rushed through the ice tunnel.
Jack glanced around the cavern for a weapon and picked up the ice pick he’d laid aside. The others copied him.
Theo smelt gasoline. He looked at the battered Sno-Cat. Fuel dripped from its ruptured tank. He remembered the crew of the Nostromo fought the Alien with flame throwers; they didn’t have them, but they did have something. “What about fire?”
The others looked at him. “If we soaked something in gasoline and tie it to a stick or something, we could light it. Most creatures are afraid of fire so maybe the monsters are too.”
Jack agreed it was worth a try. “It could work.”
“We don’t have a stick,” said Jane.
Jack glanced at the Sno-Cat “Yes we do―the wooden seats.” He rushed over to the crashed vehicle and crawled inside. He tore away the foam seat and used the ice axe to pry a slat free.
Jane handed him a wool jumper when he climbed out.
She nodded at Richard’s blue bag and smiled. “I’m sure he won’t mind.”
Jack wound the jumper around one end of the wooden slat and tied it in place with the arms.
“Hurry up, Jack, its coming,” warned Richard, who kept his gaze directed along the ice tunnel.
Jack spotted the Hunter making its way cautiously toward them. He knelt, bathed the cloth in the puddle of gasoline until it was saturated with fuel and crossed over to the others. He held the makeshift torch out to Theo. “Light me.”
Theo struck his lighter and touched flame to the fuel soaked cloth. It whooshed ablaze. Dark smoke rose when the cloth took hold. The smell of singed wool filled the air. Jack held it out in front and waited.
The Hunter halted and stared at the flames. It gazed around the cavern and, for a few moments, focused on the hole in the roof. It looked back at the humans, shrieked and rushed at them.
Though all eyes were concentrated on the creature’s every movement, Richard nevertheless couldn’t prevent himself from stating the obvious. “Here it comes.” He backed away.
Jack waved the burning stick from side to side. The creature was almost upon them and seemed unafraid of the fire. When it was barely two yards away it leapt to the side. Its claws dug into the ice and propelled it along the wall. Shards of ice sprayed from each claw to leave a gouged trail in its wake. Their eyes followed its climb up the wall toward the roof.
Jack’s eyes shot to the opening and guessed the creature’s intention. It was trying to escape. He dropped the torch, ran over to the metal spike, tugged it free and followed the creature’s path through the cavern. He drew the spike back javelin style and put all his strength behind the throw. The spike sailed through the air.