Eddie Brock
Golden Domer
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2006
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S.H.I.E.L.D. Outpost
Northern Greenland
0700 Hours
Roz Solomon blinked herself awake, taking in the surroundings of the cramped living space that had become her temporary home. The ceiling felt half a foot shorter than it should have been, which only amplified the sense of claustrophobia that the room often gave her. Not to mention that the walls and ceiling were all the same dull gray color, bleeding into one another and making it difficult to tell where one ended and the other began. The rest of the room was just as sterile and lifeless. The cot which had become Roz's bed wasn't terribly comfortable, nor was the mattress all that thick. The sheets were warm, at least, though they would have to be... what with the subzero temperatures at night. It wasn't as though Roz could really complain, though. She hadn't joined S.H.I.E.L.D. for the amenities.
Roz slipped out from beneath her sheets, swinging her sock-covered feet over the edge of the mattress. As she sat up, she pinched her shoulder blades together, stretching out her chest. She gave a long yawn and rubbed the crust from the corner of her eyes. Hopping to her feet, Roz trudged over to the closet to find something warm to put on. Prior to being assigned out here, Roz had never experienced this level of cold. No matter what she wore, she could feel it seeping into her skin and cutting down to the bone. Layers had become her best friend, though even they could only do so much. It was enough to make Roz wonder how people could live out here. Settling on a set of thick thermals to wear, Roz also slipped on sweatpants and a sweater.
Wandering out into the hallway, which was no more than two and a half feet wide, Roz lumbered down towards the common area. The sound of silverware clinking confirmed that her fellow task force members were already awake. Sure enough, as she passed through the doorway into the comparatively cavernous room, Roz spotted Agents Aaron and Ribic seated at the square dining table they all shared. Aaron was huddled over a bowl of steaming oatmeal, while Ribic cradled a cup of hot coffee. They both saw her enter and gave a silent nod of acknowledgment. Roz managed to mutter, "Morning," before shuffling over to the half-full coffee pot.
Once she had filled a cup for herself, Roz turned around to lean against the kitchen counter. Like the bedrooms, the kitchen was economically spaced, with just the barest of appliances that the three agents might need. A tiny oven with two stove burners, a coffee maker, a toaster. In truth, the agents lived on little more than oatmeal and soup... anything hot to fill their chests and stomachs with a little warmth. Roz sipped her coffee in silence, thinking about the day ahead.
Roz, Aaron, and Ribic together made up the burgeoning S.H.I.E.L.D. environmental task force. She was by far the youngest of the three, the other two veteran S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who volunteered to transfer to this new branch. Their grand mission was to investigate and prevent environmental disasters, especially those caused by the negligence - or, in rare cases, malevolence - of multinational corporations, like the kind that poisoned the drinking water of Broxton, Oklahoma, Roz's hometown. They had been sent to northern Greenland to investigate reports of a disturbance in the local oceanic ecosystem - possibly caused by offshore testing of an experimental hydroelectric generator created by Stagg Industries. A spokesperson for Stagg had initially challenged those claims, while assuring that Stagg would surely take the results of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s investigation to heart. Roz wasn't convinced.
Once she had finished her coffee, Roz set the cup down by the sink and made her way towards the door where the snowsuits were hanging. Agent Aaron spoke up, "You're heading out there already?"
Roz slipped one leg into her snow pants while looking up at Aaron. Nodding, she said, "We don't have much daylight out here. I want to scope out the site, get the lay of the land so that we can use that time efficiently." She slipped her other leg into the pants, pulling them up to her waist and tugging on the drawstring. She leaned against the wall for support as she put on her snow boots.
"At least have something to eat first," Agent Ribic offered.
Roz shook her head. "I'm alright. I won't be long." She was eager to make a good impression on the environmental task force's first major assignment. Besides, the sooner they finished, the sooner they could be reassigned somewhere else. Somewhere warm, perhaps. Roz pulled her jacket down from the hanger, slipping it over each arm and zipping it up tight. She produced her knit cap from one of the pockets and pulled it down over her messy, brown hair. "Save some coffee for me," Roz announced as she opened the door and braced herself against the blast of cold air.
Northern Greenland
0700 Hours
Roz Solomon blinked herself awake, taking in the surroundings of the cramped living space that had become her temporary home. The ceiling felt half a foot shorter than it should have been, which only amplified the sense of claustrophobia that the room often gave her. Not to mention that the walls and ceiling were all the same dull gray color, bleeding into one another and making it difficult to tell where one ended and the other began. The rest of the room was just as sterile and lifeless. The cot which had become Roz's bed wasn't terribly comfortable, nor was the mattress all that thick. The sheets were warm, at least, though they would have to be... what with the subzero temperatures at night. It wasn't as though Roz could really complain, though. She hadn't joined S.H.I.E.L.D. for the amenities.
Roz slipped out from beneath her sheets, swinging her sock-covered feet over the edge of the mattress. As she sat up, she pinched her shoulder blades together, stretching out her chest. She gave a long yawn and rubbed the crust from the corner of her eyes. Hopping to her feet, Roz trudged over to the closet to find something warm to put on. Prior to being assigned out here, Roz had never experienced this level of cold. No matter what she wore, she could feel it seeping into her skin and cutting down to the bone. Layers had become her best friend, though even they could only do so much. It was enough to make Roz wonder how people could live out here. Settling on a set of thick thermals to wear, Roz also slipped on sweatpants and a sweater.
Wandering out into the hallway, which was no more than two and a half feet wide, Roz lumbered down towards the common area. The sound of silverware clinking confirmed that her fellow task force members were already awake. Sure enough, as she passed through the doorway into the comparatively cavernous room, Roz spotted Agents Aaron and Ribic seated at the square dining table they all shared. Aaron was huddled over a bowl of steaming oatmeal, while Ribic cradled a cup of hot coffee. They both saw her enter and gave a silent nod of acknowledgment. Roz managed to mutter, "Morning," before shuffling over to the half-full coffee pot.
Once she had filled a cup for herself, Roz turned around to lean against the kitchen counter. Like the bedrooms, the kitchen was economically spaced, with just the barest of appliances that the three agents might need. A tiny oven with two stove burners, a coffee maker, a toaster. In truth, the agents lived on little more than oatmeal and soup... anything hot to fill their chests and stomachs with a little warmth. Roz sipped her coffee in silence, thinking about the day ahead.
Roz, Aaron, and Ribic together made up the burgeoning S.H.I.E.L.D. environmental task force. She was by far the youngest of the three, the other two veteran S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who volunteered to transfer to this new branch. Their grand mission was to investigate and prevent environmental disasters, especially those caused by the negligence - or, in rare cases, malevolence - of multinational corporations, like the kind that poisoned the drinking water of Broxton, Oklahoma, Roz's hometown. They had been sent to northern Greenland to investigate reports of a disturbance in the local oceanic ecosystem - possibly caused by offshore testing of an experimental hydroelectric generator created by Stagg Industries. A spokesperson for Stagg had initially challenged those claims, while assuring that Stagg would surely take the results of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s investigation to heart. Roz wasn't convinced.
Once she had finished her coffee, Roz set the cup down by the sink and made her way towards the door where the snowsuits were hanging. Agent Aaron spoke up, "You're heading out there already?"
Roz slipped one leg into her snow pants while looking up at Aaron. Nodding, she said, "We don't have much daylight out here. I want to scope out the site, get the lay of the land so that we can use that time efficiently." She slipped her other leg into the pants, pulling them up to her waist and tugging on the drawstring. She leaned against the wall for support as she put on her snow boots.
"At least have something to eat first," Agent Ribic offered.
Roz shook her head. "I'm alright. I won't be long." She was eager to make a good impression on the environmental task force's first major assignment. Besides, the sooner they finished, the sooner they could be reassigned somewhere else. Somewhere warm, perhaps. Roz pulled her jacket down from the hanger, slipping it over each arm and zipping it up tight. She produced her knit cap from one of the pockets and pulled it down over her messy, brown hair. "Save some coffee for me," Roz announced as she opened the door and braced herself against the blast of cold air.
Grabbing a walking stick from beside the door to the outpost, Roz began marching through the thickly packed snow towards the site. From the outside, the outpost didn't look any roomier. It was just a small gray rectangle sticking out of the snow. It had been set up at the base of a small hill which overlooked the site. Roz began climbing the hill, all the while pulling her jacket tighter around herself and cursing the cold, gusty winds that followed her. When she reached the top of the hill, however, her thoughts trailed off. She held her breath for a moment as she looked out over the site.
A whale graveyard. It made Roz's heart catch in her throat. Something had been causing these whales to beach themselves on the ice. There, they slowly died. Once they had decayed, their bones had joined with the rest, creating a grim sight. It made Roz sick to her stomach to think that a company could do something like this to living creatures, all in the name of profit. Still, her anger and disgust only served as fuel to fight harder to bring Stagg Industries to justice.
Roz took a step forward, and her foot slipped out from underneath her. She stabbed futilely with her walking stick for balance, but it was already too late. Roz found herself falling forward down the hill. As she began to roll, Roz lost all sense of up or down. She just grabbed her arms tight around her body, bracing herself against any impact, and waited for her rolling to stop. Finally, mercifully, she reached the bottom of the hill, only a few feet from a giant whale rib bone. She was dizzy, but otherwise unharmed. Roz pulled herself to her feet, shaking the snow from her hair. As she looked around, she noticed large cracks in the ice. Following them carefully, Roz found a small recessed area within the ice.
Dropping to her knees, Roz brushed away the powdery snow covering the ice surface. When she realized what she was seeing, her eyes went wide. Scrambling for the radio on her waist, Roz pressed the call button without taking her eyes off the ice. "Aaron? Ribic?" she said into the radio urgently. "Can you guys hear me? Pick up!"
After a crackle, Agent Aaron's voice came through the radio. "Solomon? Are you alright?" The worry in his tone was evident.
"I'm fine," Roz assured him breathlessly. "But you need to get in touch with Washington."
This time, it was Ribic's voice that Roz heard. "Washington?" he repeated, confused. "Why? What's going on?"
Roz's mouth hung agape for a moment as she thought of what to say. As the corners of her mouth curled into a disbelieving smile, Roz said, "I found something."
A whale graveyard. It made Roz's heart catch in her throat. Something had been causing these whales to beach themselves on the ice. There, they slowly died. Once they had decayed, their bones had joined with the rest, creating a grim sight. It made Roz sick to her stomach to think that a company could do something like this to living creatures, all in the name of profit. Still, her anger and disgust only served as fuel to fight harder to bring Stagg Industries to justice.
Roz took a step forward, and her foot slipped out from underneath her. She stabbed futilely with her walking stick for balance, but it was already too late. Roz found herself falling forward down the hill. As she began to roll, Roz lost all sense of up or down. She just grabbed her arms tight around her body, bracing herself against any impact, and waited for her rolling to stop. Finally, mercifully, she reached the bottom of the hill, only a few feet from a giant whale rib bone. She was dizzy, but otherwise unharmed. Roz pulled herself to her feet, shaking the snow from her hair. As she looked around, she noticed large cracks in the ice. Following them carefully, Roz found a small recessed area within the ice.
Dropping to her knees, Roz brushed away the powdery snow covering the ice surface. When she realized what she was seeing, her eyes went wide. Scrambling for the radio on her waist, Roz pressed the call button without taking her eyes off the ice. "Aaron? Ribic?" she said into the radio urgently. "Can you guys hear me? Pick up!"
After a crackle, Agent Aaron's voice came through the radio. "Solomon? Are you alright?" The worry in his tone was evident.
"I'm fine," Roz assured him breathlessly. "But you need to get in touch with Washington."
This time, it was Ribic's voice that Roz heard. "Washington?" he repeated, confused. "Why? What's going on?"
Roz's mouth hung agape for a moment as she thought of what to say. As the corners of her mouth curled into a disbelieving smile, Roz said, "I found something."