<div align="center"><strong>Group II's Misadventures in Antarctica - Arrival - Overall Success, Moderate</strong></div><br/><br/>Flying in a C-17 was an adventure all in itself. It was a large, military transport that could fit roughly 158 bodies, plus all of the cargo that accompanied them. The seats were made of cargo netting and at first could be comfortable. After a while though, sitting on a big harness could get pretty uncomfortable. Plus it was extremely difficult to find a moderately temperate place because there were pockets of hot air flow and pockets of stiff coldness. Once the plane had reached altitude, the team would be able to move around and even take their sleeping bags and stretch out if they didn't mind the cold air blowing in from some place. The crew was usually busy and therefore not overtly social, plus they were under orders that the mission this team was on was above their pay grades so they stuck to their own business.<br/><br/>The most excitement occurred during the mid-air refueling when it took the pilots of the C-17 and the fuel plane about 20 minutes to connect the line.<br/><br/>They arrived late in the morning and while their was a sharp wind howling across the white landscape, there was no blowing snow and the scene was rather cruelly beautiful. Alexander Island was actually on a narrow peninsula that jutted northward from the main body of Antarctica. There was a team of individuals there waiting for them on the landing pad and from the look of them, most were U.S. Army, while two were clearly scientists. They all had serious cold weather gear and the nipping cold made it obvious they were standing in single digit temperatures. One of the scientists adjusted their goggles, they were pink rimmed and judging from the subtle bulge beneath the heavy duty parka they wore, it was safe to assume this scientist was a female.<br/><br/>She waved at them enthusiastically as they all got off of the plane, her gloved hand wiggling in the air before she pointed towards the large snow cat and trailer that stood running behind them. Without speaking, the group turned and lead them towards the trailer. The inside would be warm, which was good because they had a fifteen minute drive to the main area of operations. A sergeant stood outside of the trailer and opened up a hatch on the side, he pointed to the cavity and motioned to the group's bags, indicating that they should put their bags in there prior to embarking onto the trailer properly.