FORTY-FOUR
Audra waited for the helicopter to stop rising before she let the pilot know she was awake, and had been for some time.
"I wondered," he said. "I'm not sure if you remember me, but I'm Eric. You're the girl who does the videos."
"You've watched them?"
"Yeah, we all have. It's cool to know what's going on at the bases, and the Antarctic Division's been sharing them on their website." He paused. "When we heard you needed help, the guys and me changed the route a bit so we'd be able to swing by and pick you up. I'm lucky I'm the only pilot this trip, so I got to fly you."
"Why is there only one pilot? I thought there were usually more."
"We're working with a skeleton crew this trip, because the ship's damaged and needs repairs."
"Which ship?" Audra demanded.
"The Aurora Au
