[The copter does fly into the shimmering light, and the copter emerges
on the other side in the air over the Antarctic.]

Ok, kitties and offurs, we'z real close! If you will look out da
windows on da left side of the copter youz will see Antarctica. Da ice
dat you see dere is the Ronne Ice Shelf, an da ice ahead of us is da
Antarctic Peninsula. We'z headed towards the northern tip of da
peninsula.

Ok, kitties, we'z just about over da Palmer Station. Da Larsen Ice
Shelf is right below us. Da broken glacier we'z looking for is
somewhere really close. Efurrybody please help me find where it is.

[After the copter has been flying a few minutes, Sammy meows over the intercom]

Sammy: Dere, dere! Look, dere's a great big hyuje glacier dat's real
close to the ice shelf! I'll bet dat's it.

Ranger: I'll set up the GPS controller to fly us up the gap and look
for tunnels or heat sources.

[Francesca loops the capacopter back to the southern end of the gap
between the glacier and the Larsen C ice shelf, drops to an altitude
ust below the surface of the glacier, and starts the chopper cruising
slowly along the gap. The FLIR monitor beeps occasionally, prompting
Ranger to record the coordinates at which the beeps occurred. When the
chopper gets about 3/4 of the way along the gap the FLIR monitor starts
sounding a continuous tone - on both sides of the chopper.

Daisy-chan points out a big tunnel to the chopper's left (the ice shelf
side), while Sundance reports seeing another tunnel on the chopper's
right (on the glacier side).
]

Morgana: Look on the right, up on top of the glacier - is that cats?

[Sure enouth, a group of perhaps a dozen kitties and a few penguins is
standing on the surface of the glacier. They're waving and meowing and
jumping up and down. Francesca increases the choppers altitude and
swings over near where the kitties are. ]

Ranger: Da sonar shows solid ice below us, os it ought to be ok to land.

[Francy sets the chopper down carefully, finally shutting off the
engines when it appears that the glacier surface is indeed strong
enough to support the chopper.

Morgana and Aed immediately open the chopper's door and dash over the kitties.]

Aed: Hi! We were looking for the colony of cats we heard lived around
here. I assume you must be part of that catmunnity. Oh, let me
introduce myself. I'm Aed, this is Morgana, and the other kitties
arriving behind us will introduce themselves.

[A Norwegian Forest Cat cat steps up to Aed and offers a head butt]

Hihi! I'z Lars, an we iz indeed part of da catmunity you'z looking for.
At least we were, until dis happened! We'z was caught off guard - we
didn't expect dis to happen fur a few more years, so dere was a dozen
of usses on dis side of the break when it finally broke free. We'z been
in trouble! We din't haf much food stored on dis side, or much fuel fur
our heaters, so we'z been relying on our penguin buddies here to keep
us alive. Zoot, could you come over here, please? Aed, dis is Zoot.
He's da head of da penguins. Dey's been bringing us fishes efurry day
to keep usses from starving. (whispering) and we'z getting purrty tired
of eating fishies.

Zoot: Hewwo, Aed. Pweased to meet you. Are you hewe to hewp deze kitties?

Aed: Yes, we are! We'z got food and cold weather gear, and we can help
get you back to the main community if you want.

Lars! Yes, pleeze!

[Francesca takes what looks like a really large, clumsy rifle out of
the catacopter cargo bay and walks over to the edge of the glacier.
Lying down on the ice she identifies the opening of the kitty tunnel on
the ice shelf itself, then she takes careful aim for the left side of
the tunnel and squeezes the trigger. A soft "pop" sounds, and a big
dart flies out the barrel of the rifle and sticks in the ice just left
of the tunnel mouth. She sights and fires again, and another dart
sticks on the ice just to the right of the tunnel mouth.]

Francesca: We wazn't able to teleport directly here, since we din't
know the exact coordinates fur da 'porter. An since da ice shelf moves,
da coordinates change wif time. But wif doze 2 beacons I just
installed, we can set da 'porter to go right between dem, and dat will
get us dere. Lars, Zoot, duz you guys want to 'port back to da main
tunnel now?

[Lars and Zoot both shout 'Yes!'

Ranger programs the portable teleporter for the coordinates right
between the 2 beacons, then iondicates that everything is ready.]

Francesca: Ok, guys, we'z set. If you step through dat shimmering
light, you should step out da other side on da main tunnel.

[Lars and Zoot both look kind of uncertain, not being familiar with
teleporters.]

Francesca: Here, watch.

[She steps into the 'porter and disappears. The kitties on the ice
immediately hear a loud whistle from the ice shelf side of the tunnel.
They run to the edge of the iceberg and see Francesca waving to them
from the main tunnel.

As soon as they see it works Lars runs off to gather the rest of the
stranded kitties and Zoot waddles off to gather the rest of the
penguins. They all walk through the 'porter, and a steady procession of
kitties and penguins emerges in the main tunnel through the ice shelf.]