Chapter 1242 Fossils And Dogs
“The Greenland ice sheet is the largest ice sheet in the northern hemisphere. It is 2,530 kilometers deep in the north and 2,530 kilometers deep in the south. The widest part is 1,094 kilometers. Moreover, the thickness of the ice sheet is astonishing. The deepest part is more than 3,000 meters and covers a basin. This means that the thickness of the ice sheet gets thicker and thicker as it goes further into the center. There are two large ice caps on it. The place we are going to this time is near one of the ice caps. “In the past few days, the expedition team continued the good luck of the first day. The weather and the journey were very smooth. Because the expedition time was in summer, the edge of the ice sheet had begun to melt. The thickness of the ice sheet in many places had become very thin. There were ice cubes that fell into the sea from time to time near the seaside. One had to be extra careful when walking on the ice sheet, but the deeper one went, the more stable the ice sheet became.
“We also dug up some slate and fossils. The geologists and biologists in the team seemed very happy. If they didn’t want to continue moving forward, they would probably be unable to resist studying on the spot. I was a little worried at first because I felt that the configuration of this expedition team was a little strange, but as time passed, those retired soldiers really did as Mr. Tam said and just did what they were supposed to do. Therefore, I gradually relaxed and began to enjoy the expedition.
“After all, the reward is part of the reason, but what really attracted me to this operation was the love of the ice field, especially the exploration of its hidden secrets, as if unveiling its mystery bit by bit. The most wonderful thing is that every time I feel that I know enough about it, but in the blink of an eye it will reveal a new side to me, as if it is a lover who will never tire of you.
“Therefore, I thought that this expedition was really suitable for me. Of course, just in case, I still found Dr. Baker. After all, he was the only one who knew the details of the expedition team. Although the Chinese couple was also good and gave me a good impression, as well as a few other scientists, their people were actually good. But after all, I had only known them for a short time, so of course, I was more willing to trust Dr. Baker.
“We agreed that we would advance and retreat together, and at the same time, we would pay attention to the people around us, mainly the ex-soldiers. We would exchange information on a regular basis. Beck felt that I was overthinking things, but he still agreed. After all, there was nothing wrong with being careful. Our team continued to advance, but our good luck seemed to have run out.
“The dogs were the first to show signs of abnormality. They suddenly started barking wildly for some reason, and then moved forward with some resistance. Before this, I had never encountered such a strange thing. The Greenlandic sled dogs were domesticated by the ancestors of the Inuit people. They completely lost their wolf nature and became very docile. They were also hard-working and could stay overnight in the wild even when it was more than minus ten degrees Celsius.
“Although the temperature began to drop as we went deeper, it was far from unbearable for the Greenland dogs. So I didn’t expect the situation of the dogs at that time. I had to ask the expedition team to stop first. Then I spent half a day pacifying the dogs and preparing more food for them. Only then did they want to continue moving forward. However, I could see that they didn’t want to do that in their hearts. It was only because it was my order, and they were used to obeying human orders.
“I was a bit surprised about the dogs, but to be honest I didn’t think much of it, because this is an adventure, and no matter how well prepared you are, there will always be problems of one sort or another, and that’s what guides and leaders do, we solve problems and make sure the adventure goes
on.
“After the problem with the dogs, the geologists and biologists had nothing better to do. While they were wandering around, they actually found a new fossil specimen on a rock that was exposed. Then, they quarreled about the age of the fossil. From the perspective of rock formation, the geologists deduced that this thing came from the primordial era, but the biologists held a different view. Because from the perspective of biology, the thing in the fossil had obviously evolved very well. Although it was a little ugly, all kinds of organs looked quite mature.
“The biologist felt that this thing should at least be a creature from the Triassic era. Moreover, he did not want to let go of the fossil after holding it. He looked extremely obsessed, as if someone who was learning painting had obtained an authentic painting by Da Vinci. The others watched them arguing, but they could not interrupt. Mr. Tam was still smiling. He only spoke up to mediate for them when the two were about to get angry.
“The final agreement is that this fossil belongs to the biologist, and the geologist has the priority to choose the next fossil or rock sample. Moreover, the biologist will lend this thing to the geologist for a period of time after he finishes his research.
“Coincidentally, I also solved the issue of the dog group, so we continued on our way. “However, it’s strange. When the biologist came back with the fossil, the dog group that I managed to pacify with much difficulty felt uneasy again, so I asked the biologist to find a bag to seal the fossil properly. Only then did the dog group’s mood calm down again.
“But then, we only walked a few kilometers when the weather suddenly changed. This was the precursor of a snowstorm. After discussing it, we didn’t continue on our way. We decided to set up camp here and wait for the snowstorm to pass before we went on our way. I took a few ex-soldiers and checked the tents that we had set up. We even reinforced them with ice bricks. We also built a fence for the dogs. I originally wanted to build another ice wall for them, but the snowstorm had already arrived, so we had to let the dogs enter the tent with us.
“They’re getting restless again, and this time I can feel it very clearly. They seem to be afraid of something, but I don’t have time to think about it before the storm arrives. All we can hear is the howling wind and the sound of ice and snow slapping on the tents. I’m glad they were reinforced before, or I don’t know if these tents will survive this storm.
“Because we couldn’t go out to light a fire, we just ate some biscuits at night. The dogs kept barking, and it was hard for me to fall asleep. I Lay there in a daze for about an hour when I suddenly heard gunshots coming from outside. When I opened my eyes, I realized that the two ex-soldiers who were in the same tent as me had disappeared. Only Dr. Baker and I were left in the tent, staring at each other.