Sam told me she was preparing to hibernate, since winter had only just begun. Before we left, she showed me a few of her artworks. She was the one who had taught Icecream how to paint using soil and minerals.
While we continued through the ice tunnels, Icecream explained the naming conventions of Sector 2. Because so many objects here are named “frozen something” or “ice something,” residents usually refer to one another by their secondary or more unique names while inside the sector.
For example, Sam would technically be called Icecream Sandwich, or simply Icecream, which would cause obvious confusion, since the Icecream I’m traveling with is also Icecream. How funny would that be!
After a full day of walking, we reached the end of the ice tunnels. They were much more illuminated by the outside light and looked beautiful, so I took a picture. After a few more hours of travel, we finally arrived at the edge of Sector 4, where we’ve taken shelter in a rocky cave.
Icecream arranged a sleeping area for himself with the supplies he had brought. It feels redundant to ask if he is ever too cold, but the thought still crosses my mind.
My nerves are on edge again as I think about what we might find tomorrow. Just in case, I sealed this journal inside a plastic casing. If I do not make it back, I do not want my findings to be lost to water damage, or scattered with my belongings– gone with my life.