When the engineering convoy arrived, the personnel were divided into two groups. One group was responsible for mountain excavation, mainly handled by the engineering department. The others weren't idle either; part of them took charge of life support, meaning setting up the kitchen and toilets, while another part was responsible for restoring communications.
They needed to establish a radio communication network, with the base as the departure station, intermediate relay stations, and the ship as the final station of the South Pole. However, since they would dispatch supply ships every half month, they could communicate news from here back to America through these ships. This scientific research action attracted considerable media attention, and they eagerly anticipated new discoveries. If good news arrived, it would undoubtedly inspire more researchers to join the action.
The cats joined the life department. They didn't intend to reveal their special abilities for now, so they just did errands, delivering stuff here and calling for people there. The work wasn't tiring, but no matter who they ran to, they would be rubbed all over. They could only say that wearing clothes was the right choice, otherwise, their fur would be petted off.
The scientific expedition team members also sighed that bringing cats was the right decision. The initial work was bound to be heavy and boring, with no opportunities to explore the unknown or find new things; it was just day after day of moving bricks. Maintaining the survival of so many people wasn't easy; there was plenty of dirty and hard work, and they had to face harsh natural environments, putting everyone's stress levels high.
However, having cats meant they could endure more. As long as they hugged the little furry creatures and took a deep breath, a lot of troubles would dissipate. Also, these cats solved the most difficult problem between humans and cats: when a cat doesn't feel like paying attention to people and people want to pet it, they always get attacked. It seems these cats understood not to attack humans randomly, so they could be petted whenever and however people wanted.
Of course, they also found that the cats had different personalities. Little Superman had the worst temper; he disliked being picked up and after a few seconds would struggle frantically, jumping to the ground to run away, sometimes even hissing.
Peter also didn't like being held and petted, but he enjoyed head pats and chin scratches. When he didn't want to be petted, he would walk away, disappearing into some nook or cranny, elusive to both sharp eyes and agile hands.
The hardest to find was Bat Cat, who came and went without a trace. More importantly, he was a black cat, and all black cats knew how to hide. Lurking in a dark place, only his eyes visible, an Abyss staring at you with two blue eyes.
Constantine and Shiller probably had the best tempers; they allowed petting and holding without getting annoyed. But Constantine was less people-oriented; no matter how he was petted, he didn't react and he loved sleeping in high places, usually out of reach for most people.
Shiller was recognized as the cat with the best temper. Not only could you hug him to sleep, but he never got annoyed no matter how much you petted him. He would even proactively approach unhappy humans, endlessly rubbing against them and meowing for half a day. Many speculated Shiller was saying something but unfortunately, they couldn't understand cat language.
Even if they didn't understand him, it still had a great soothing effect on the spirit. Who could refuse a white cat crouching by your side meowing? Most people would pick him up for a round of petting, but regrettably, the cat was clothed and they couldn't feel the fluffy fur as before.
There were no mice in the camp, so the cats didn't have to do their main job. However, they soon welcomed their first business trip. The biology department's professor and students were going to the ice cap near the Weddell Sea to track Emperor Penguins, and biological sampling was also an important goal of this scientific expedition. For safety reasons, they decided to bring one dog and two cats.
Peter volunteered, and Little Superman also wanted to go, but he didn't want to be separated from Shiller, so eventually, Peter and Constantine went. The remaining three cats started researching how to avoid human sight and began their investigation of the mountain range.
Turns out, the black peak probably wasn't Vinson Peak; Vinson Peak's elevation is over four thousand meters, but the black peak seemed to be over six thousand meters, rising straight up, and wasn't connected to the range. Flying there might take a few hundred kilometers round trip, at least a few days of travel.
Generally, if a cat got lost, the scientific research team might not bother looking for it. However, these cats were different; with several important professors in the team aware of their uniqueness, if they disappeared, there would definitely be a major search operation, something neither Bat Cat nor Shiller wanted. Living here was hard enough as it was; there was no need to create extra work.
Yet, if they didn't go, they couldn't know the situation inside in advance. When humans explored inside, it might also be very dangerous, putting the cats in a dilemma. Shiller wanted to try communicating with Professor Dale, to see if he could convince him, but Bat Cat wasn't optimistic. Choosing a conservative leader might prevent accidents, but some groundbreaking ideas could also be rejected.
A few cats bravely venturing into the Antarctic Mountains was too far beyond the professor's common sense. Even showing Bat Cat's equipment might not work; surely, he wouldn't want to show his tentacles, right?
The construction work slowly progressed. Frank's super drill was indeed impressive; it only took three days to create a large hole, which they called the living room. Now, people and life items had already moved in, leaving only some machinery outside.
A week after arrival, they also added bedrooms in the living room, a work area specifically for work, and a garage for parking machinery. Some temporary board houses and a food storage freezer were also set up outside.
The expedition team prepared for their first geological survey, targeting the mountain layer about 70 kilometers from the base, which meant they had to climb snowy mountains. Although they were professionals and Professor Dale had worked in the Himalaya Mountains for a long time, the cats were still uneasy, and eventually, Little Superman and Bat Cat followed the team.
The survey team had just left when the biological sampling team returned. However, the Black professor leading the team didn't look well, appearing tired but also worried. He didn't even marvel much at the established base, just plunged into bed asleep.
Shiller hurriedly found Peter and Constantine to ask what happened. Peter shook his head and said, "The situation with the Emperor Penguins is not optimistic. For some reason, there are very few chicks, way below the expected number of the population, with a 70% reduction. The cause is unknown, but if it continues, the population near the Weddell Sea might face extinction."
"Could it be due to global warming?" Shiller asked. He had long heard about severe climate warming issues in parts of the Antarctic Mountains, arguably the most severe in the world, affecting the ecosystem.
"Warming isn't that severe nowadays, and the Weddell Sea is a marginal area, theoretically not heavily affected. Even if there's impact, the decline shouldn't be this drastic." Peter said.
"What do you think is happening?" Shiller asked.
"Regarding Emperor Penguins' nature, when the chicks hatch, the Dads stay onshore taking care of them while the Moms go hunting at sea, for a long time, possibly one or two months. During this time, the Dads secrete a nutrient substance to feed the chicks, generally enough to last until the Moms return."
"Few chicks potentially mean unsuccessful hatching, but typically the failure rate is about 20-30%, never reaching 70%. It could also be that the hatched chicks' inherent nutrients were insufficient, so even with the penguin Dads' feeding, they couldn't hold on until the Moms' return. Or, the Dads' feeding nutrients lacked the necessary nutrition. The last possibility is if the Moms didn't return in time, the chicks might be abandoned and starve."
"We saw a lot of female penguins in the group, proving their hunting should be relatively successful. So the problem occurs during or after hatching. Generally, male penguins have robust body types, seemingly doing well, so it's probably an issue with the eggs during laying."
"Since newly hatched chicks don't eat proper food for one to two months, their innate nutrients are crucial. If insufficient from the start, they can't survive until feeding. These eggs seemed problematic, but what caused this might be complex. Factors could include group migration, climate change, or untimely storms, potentially affecting the eggs' quality."
"But could it be this severe?" Shiller asked. "If this group were so fragile, they wouldn't be the only penguin species breeding in the Antarctic, right?"
"Indeed, ordinary penguins leave the Antarctic for breeding because of extreme natural conditions here. But Emperor Penguins staying implies they've adapted to this environment. Such a sudden reproductive disaster likely indicates external influence." Peter said.
"What situation would cause eggs to lack nutrients?"
"A massive reduction in food, or a change in the nutritional content of the food." Peter continued explaining, "We need to bring equipment to catch krill in nearby seas. Only by knowing the krill's condition can we understand if nutritional issues exist among the local species."
Shiller nodded. The entire South Pole food chain relies on krill. If there are issues with krill, all living creatures here might face extinction risks. However, in the Cthulhu Mythos Universe, the sea rarely comes without issues.
"Are you going by boat?" Shiller asked knowingly, and before Peter could answer, he added, "If you're going out to sea, be very careful... I'll go with you."
Hearing Shiller's unprecedentedly serious tone, Peter also realized the threats they might face weren't just harsh natural environments. While the Weddell Sea isn't calm, the surface is as peaceful as it gets. Yet true horrors lurk beneath the waves, stirring hungrily. Such vibrant life stepping foot here, the monsters likely impatiently await their feast.