For what seems eternity, the group of five descend lower and lower. The only sounds accompanying them are the scraping of their boots against the frozen wall of ice.<br/><br/>Occassionally, Maria radios in to check with topside. Everyone has a microphone attached to their goggles, allowing them to speak and hear each other clearly.<br/><br/>At one point Deter flicks on a lamp dangling at his waist. The encroaching gloom had risen so gradually, Rachel had not even realized just how dark it had become. Looking up, the sky was a distant and clear blue surrounded by the dark walls. Gazing up felt like she was looking down, a disorienting feeling. Glancing at her watch, Rachel saw that more than two hours had passed.<br/><br/>"I see ground," Maria announced.<br/><br/>Deter shone his light, and sure enough, the chasm had a bottom.<br/><br/>Touching down was a relief, the strain of the chest harness no longer tugging. Everyone released a happy sigh, taking a moment to look around.<br/><br/>"The fissure continues. It seems to go on for ever," Dr. Parker said, gazing off into the distance. To Rachel, they seem to be standing in an enormous cavern than runs off into the darkness, an underground cave of ice.<br/><br/>The ground was covered with snow and jagged blocks of ice. Rachel realized that one of the blocks had writing on it, and then noticed it wasn't ice at all. Pieces of debris littered the bottom of the chasm. It was all so covered in snow it looked like a part of the ice itself.<br/><br/>"Better begin the body search," Lewis said, glancing around.