Chapter 5: Xuelong 2—Icebreaker of Destiny

Few hours later, our bus reach Warrnambool Port.

We fit smell salt water before we reach; cold breeze dey slap my face, I thank God say I carry sweater wey Mama Nkechi knit for me.

Plenty buses line up, experts and security from different countries come down, enter research ship:

The Xuelong 2, 122.5 meters long, 22.32 meters wide—China first polar research vessel wey dem build by themselves.

One Nigerian woman from Imo state whisper for my ear, "This one na ship for film o, Ifedike. If dem dey shoot Titanic part two, na here dem go use."

After the earthquake, big glaciers for Antarctic Circle don break, so na only Xuelong 2 fit break ice reach the pole.

As I dey climb ship, I dey pray make no iceberg resemble the one for Titanic cross our path.

For meeting room, over hundred experts don gather.

One old Argentine expert waka come front, im Latin American accent strong for ear:

"The 11·11 Antarctic earthquake na surface-wave magnitude 12.0 Ms and moment magnitude 12.4 Mw.

"Many countries’ seismic stations record am. As we calculate the time difference, we confirm say the epicenter dey for Antarctic Pole."

I dey look the man mouth, dey struggle hear. Na so one Hausa expert beside me whisper, "If na pidgin him dey talk, e for sweet pass."

Even though most experts don know before, everybody begin talk loud, surprise.

Everybody sabi say earthquake na vibration wey happen when energy for inside ground release.

As per how dem take happen, earthquake get different types: tectonic, volcanic, collapse, induced, or the one wey humans cause.

The common one na tectonic earthquake—when plates dey press and jam, e go cause fault and crack.

Back for 2020, King George Island for edge of Antarctic Plate get one long volcanic earthquake:

For four months, King George Island shake 85,000 times, the island self shift ten centimeters.

Experts talk say na Orca seamount for Bransfield Strait bottom erupt cause am.

But... the Antarctic Pole dey middle of the plate.

No plate dey jam for there, no volcano, no underground cave, nobody dey dig, nothing like that for there.

The Argentine expert show another data, bring another wahala:

"According to our computer model, wey we run, the focal depth na 700 kilometers."

One Chinese man for corner almost drop im laptop. For back, one British expert begin dey mumble, dey adjust im glasses. Even me, I dey jot down, hand dey shake.