The Last Winter Page #2

Can you hand me that Allen

wrench, will you, Boss?

How long?

It won't last,

I'll tell you that much.

I guess he just got lucky.

Here's his thing.

You wanna check it out?

EARTH NOW!

NUCLEAR WASTE!

THE REAL COST OF OIL

BY JAMES HOFFMAN

This guy's seen it all, hasn't he?

That's him.

Thanks for the Allen wrench,

by the way.

North thinks they can win

a P.R. campaign hiring greenies...

to do the impact statements.

It's a waste of money, you know?

The public is with us on this.

They can see the potential, they

don't need to get bogged down with...

a lot of hand-wringing.

He thinks there's something

off-kilter going on out here.

Is that what he's telling everybody?

Yeah. The permafrost is melting.

That's what he says.

Haven't you smelt it?

F***ing dick!

Saturday, week nine...

Radical temperature rises

continue from last week.

Since lizard of February

temperature on consistent rise with

high of 36 on February 12th.

Then the going weather

fluctuations continue...

but consistent subsurface warming.

Ground readings 3 to 7 degrees

increase over same week...

same quadrant average

of last 5 years.

Oh, it's you again.

You messed up all my stuff, hum?

Was that you?

Beggar.

Something up here is off.

It's in the numbers, but,

also l can feel it.

Maxwell?

Maxwell. Over.

I don't know why they don't lay tarmac

down at the start of these projects...

instead of f***ing around

with these ice roads.

That would be a violation

of the terms...

that got North industries

onto this land.

Well, my onIy concern

is getting my equipment in.

My onIy recommendation is that we

wait for a sustained temperature drop.

I'll tell you what.

Change of plans.

We're gonna bring the rigs

in on Rollagons.

Rollagons?

Has that been approved?

Everybody's behind it back

at the office.

Nobody wants to miss the season.

That's gonna be very expensive.

Rollagons would cause serious

damage to the tundra...

with the temperatures this high.

Well, luckily I don't have to have

this discussion with you.

I need Hoffman.

Where the f*** is he?

I don't know.

He was coming right back.

I need for him to sign off on this.

This is what I came back here for.

We should be careful

how we handle that.

Motor, what's up?

We're a little busy here.

Maxwell's not back yet, I'm worried.

The skidoo was acting up,

maybe it conked out on him.

- Abby, what's going on?

- Where the hell have you been?

Maxwell's not back.

He's not answering the walkie.

He's not answering?

You need any help?

I wouldn't worry about Maxwell.

He could walk from here

to Vegas on his hands.

- Maxwell, do you read?

- Where you been?

You guys didn't get any kind

of a sudden wind down here?

Anything strange like that happened?

Yeah, we had a meeting

and you never showed up.

That was strange.

Lee, let's go.

Look, I am sorry

about being late.

We need to talk, you and me.

We don't need the others.

I don't know you...

and I'm not gonna try to handle this

with some diplomatic mumbo-jumbo.

I'm just gonna tell you what I need,

and I'm gonna expect you to deliver.

Go ahead.

I got environmental impact

statements I need you to sign...

saying we can bring the rigs

in on Rollagons.

What?

The ice roads aren't working...

it's what we gotta do.

Okay.

What, is that a "yes"?

I'll look at your proposal.

It's not a proposal.

It's an okay.

I need you to sign.

I'm not gonna sign something

just 'cause you need me to.

I think we should make

sure Maxwell's back...

safe before we get into this.

Foster? Yeah.

He's... he's not biting.

We should go through with that.

That's it.

- You should call her.

- I just tried. Nothing.

These things ever work?

Maxwell was bound to get

lost eventually.

Is that right?

He seems overwhelmed.

This whole damn operation needs

an attitude adjustment.

It's unacceptable.

Go ahead.

Hello?

Pollack here.

Hoffman? No, he's here.

Yeah. Hang on.

Hoffman?

Hoffman!

Foster's on the line.

Make it quick, will you?

Hello?

I'm good.

Really?

Just like that?

Tuesday? Fine.

I'll be out of here.

Visibility's turning to sh*t

out there.

We checked his route.

He abandoned his skidoo.

It started up fine.

He's out there on foot.

- Where's his skidoo?

- Didn't want to leave him stranded.

We gotta call a plane

for a real search.

No way! No way!

That would mean we'd have

to wait until morning.

No, we do this ourselves

and we do it now.

I'm not losing a man!

- I'm going out there now.

- I'll go with you.

Jesus!

House!

You had everybody's panties

in a knot, man!

Are you alright?

I'm okay.

I don't think this works.

According to this thing,

you walked 300 miles.

- We looked for you.

- You got lost? What happened?

- Hot tea.

- Welcome back, man.

You gotta stay in contact, alright?

Let somebody know where you're going.

It's standard procedure.

And never ever turn your walkie off.

It wasn't working. I mean, it was,

it was just screeching at me.

Sorry. I'm gonna go lie down.

That boy's got Big Eye.

He hasn't been out

here long enough.

He'll be fine.

They're calling it a promotion.

Can they even do this?

Of course they can.

They don't like the message...

they get a new messenger.

- I'm gonna quit.

- You should stay on.

Take some notes on this new guy.

You're giving up pretty easy.

Look, man I've been reporting

on this stuff a long time.

People just don't want

to deal with it. It's tiring.

That was intense.

What's up with you?

I'm leaving.

They're pulling me off the project.

I didn't know if you knew.

Why weren't you

at that meeting today?

Why weren't you

at that meeting today?

I don't think they can get

those rigs in.

Jim, it's too late for that.

How's Maxwell?

Try to get some food

in him, will you?

Work some of your magic.

I figure we take him out here first.

We tell him we're gonna get

the rigs in here in 9 days...

they're gonna stay through March,

I don't know, 19th...

then we're gonna get them over

to the North Eastern site.

I mean, you know, we just tell

'em that like it's a done deal.

Well, you tell them that, Ed! God!

I'll handle 'em.

Is Maxwell flagging these sights?

- Is he sniffing glue out here or what?

- I don't know what this is.

Jesus! We're gonna have

to check all these sights now.

Lee! This is gonna be you, all of 'em.

Will do.

Excuse me.

You're gonna have your work

cut out for you.

I think this is gonna take

more than one of us.

Better you than me.

Oh, nature calls!

So, Hoffman, what do you figure?

We bring the rigs in here

on Rollagons? Is that gonna work?

The tundra's barely frozen.

It won't support the weight

of those vehicles.

Well now...

how do you propose we get

the equipment in here then?

Maybe you won't get it in.

Maybe you're gonna have

to reconsider your plans.

That's the wrong answer.

It's the CO2 feeding back up.

As the ground warms the permafrost...

all this organic material that's

been frozen for thousands of years...

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