Reed reduced speed while I reached for the radio. “Nate, this is Dr. Park. We have a visual on the iceberg. Single Adélie confirmed on the surface. We are beginning our assessment.”
Nate’s voice came back immediately, clear and strong. “Copy that, Doctor. That bird has been acting agitated. I don’t understand why it won’t jump off.”
“Let me talk to our penguinologist,” I replied.
I keyed the second line. “Viktor.”
His voice came back immediately. He had been waiting. “Yes. Yes, I’m here.”
“Single Adélie. Top of the iceberg. No idea why it won’t leave.”
A beat of silence.
“Can you tell me if the bird’s right flipper has a deep gouge about one third of the way up?”
I leaned forward in my seat and studied the bird through the cockpit glass. She had turned slightly, tracking the sound of the rotors, her head up.
“Reed, can you bring us around the left side? I need a closer look at the right flipper.”
I picked up the binoculars from the side pocket by the instrument panel. The bird filled the lenses. Small. Alert.
“Copy.” He banked us in a wide, slow arc, keeping distance, the iceberg rotating in the windscreen until we were coming in from the north side. The bird tracked us the whole way around.
There. A pale, irregular line on the right flipper, a third of the way up. I keyed the line. “Viktor. There is a mark on the right flipper. Deep. Healed over.”
The silence on the line stretched on and on.
“Viktor?”
“Hey,” Sam’s deep voice came through my headset. “Give him a second. He is, uh… he is crying, man.” His voice came out unsteady. “He says that is Blue 48. Daniel. That is Blue 47’s mate. She is alive.”
Reed’s head turned toward me sharply. I had brought him upto date on Blue 47 and 48’s story.
“Confirmed, Sam. Tell Viktor that she is in good condition visually.”
“Copy that.”
My head was spinning with the highs and lows of this day. But this one tiny bird certainly had us in her choke hold.
“Okay, he is ready to talk. Over and out.” Sam transferred to Viktor.
“Hey.” He sniffled and laughed.
“Hey.” My heart softened for my roommate. “Your mama lives.”
“I’m fucking gutted, man. I’m so fucking happy right now.”
“I know.”
“Okay, so what’s the situation?”
“We are going to fly above the iceberg. We hear a roar. Several animals calling together.”
“Damn. Okay, keep the line open.”
Reed flew us in, holding us high above the iceberg’s surface. As soon as we had the full iceberg in view, we saw the problem.
“Do you see that?” Reed asked.
