Stranded at the Bottom of the Net

Hello from Amundsen-Scott Station, South Pole, Antarctica!

I am Tom Jacobs, a researcher at the bottom of the world. For the last year I have been observing the ozone layer at the South Pole. I have seen many net-surfing firsts during my stay here, including the first Pole-to-Pole email, the first live videoconference between the South Pole and the Real World, and the southernmost access to HotWired and other World Wide Web sites.

I'm done with my job here and should be with my wife, who waits for me in New Zealand. Unfortunately, a broken-down plane and bad weather have delayed our departure. Right now, a propellerless LC-130 cargo plane sits outside our front door, waiting for a tool to arrive.

Last week (October 26) our crew of 27 scientists and support personnel stood around outside waiting for the first sight of an airplane in eight months. The LC-130 finally landed, bringing strangers, fresh vegetables, and mail. In seconds, our tight "winterover" group, bonded by our dependence on each other for survival during these months, became a clique within the larger station population. Having to deal with strangers, however, seemed a small price to pay for the joy of tasting a strawberry, my first fresh fruit in months.

I am scheduled to leave the South Pole on a flight this afternoon, but it could be canceled, as have all passenger flights for the past four days. I hope to get to New Zealand by 6 November, my second wedding anniversary. I missed my first anniversary because of my trip to the South Pole. If I miss my second anniversary...

Yikes! I was just informed that the flight has been canceled. Let me out of here!

Tom Jacobs

---

Good News! Word from the South Pole is that Tom Jacobs finally got out of there. On 6 November he caught a three-hour flight to McMurdo (the Antarctic station on the coast). After a seven-hour layover he was scheduled to board another plane for an eight-hour flight to New Zealand where he finally would get to see his wife. He unfortunately missed his wedding anniversary by one day.