When Mark saw the dark silhouette staring back at him, trapped inside the ice for centuries, he knew that he had stumbled upon a scientific discovery of a lifetime. The young man knew he had to rush back and get help.
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He was on the cusp of proving a theory which had polarized the scientific community for decades, and now Mark, at 36 years, was finally going to be able to give a definitive answer to this age-old question.
A Global Call To Action
Compelling Mark on this challenging discovery mission was his noticing the alarming rate at which the polar ice caps were melting. If he didn’t act now, the scientists might never be able to record crucial data.
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Another reason for his discovery trip was that the ice melting uncovered more new elements of the past than ever before. So, Mark decided to risk it all and embarked on a lifetime journey.
Travel and Funding
Mark chose Northern Greenland as his destination; he hoped that since the country was off the beaten track, the scientist might not have to compete with others over research, space and funding.
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But his plan backfired. His higher-ups weren’t as convinced that Greenland had any potential to provide new information that scientists didn’t already know. Of course, only after Mark had persevered alone for months and found what everyone was looking for did they realize how wrong they were. But we digress.
Making The Decision
Mark was at a crossroads after being refused proper funding and equipment for such an extensive discovery mission. He could choose to use his savings to finance the mission or give up on his dream altogether.
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And while the logical part of his brain told him to let go of his hunch and focus his attention on the work at hand, his instincts were telling him to take a leap of faith. Having thoroughly researched the area, Mark felt that going to Greenland was the right choice.
A Tough Start
It wasn’t Mark’s first research mission. He had gone on several of them, but this was the first time he independently financed the whole project. This meant that he had the bare minimum equipment and limited time.
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The first couple of weeks in the country were spent setting up his research lab and ensuring that his setup could handle the plethora of information Mark meant to collect. Still, with the challenging weather conditions and lack of support, this process which should have taken days, took weeks.
No Support
While Mark was prepared for adversity, this was something else altogether. And when he started scouting areas to conduct his research, the weather again made it near impossible. With no support, it was even life-threatening at times.
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But the scientist was committed now. He knew he had to show something for all the trouble he went to. So, he started hiking miles and miles every day, hoping that he would stumble upon something.
Weeks Go By
While not the most scientific approach, it felt right to Mark. And with his research base set up a two-day hike from the closest town, Mark had all the privacy to fully explore his surrounding areas fully.
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But again, Mark had been somewhat optimistic. He had assumed that he would have found something worthwhile in a few days, but weeks went by, and all he ever saw was moss, old rocks and animal faeces.
No Supplies
With supplies running low and no more spare time, Mark was desperate. Failure was feeling like a genuine possibility now. The scientist was questioning his every move. In an attempt to prove himself, had Mark done the exact opposite?
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He was second-guessing himself and the mission, but he had to hike to one last location before he could give up. And if that too didn’t lead to any new research, he was prepared to end this blind goose chase and go back home.
New Location
Far from his base camp, the hike started much like the rest, but Mark noticed a relatively strange rock formation. It felt more like a doorway than anything else. And his interest was immediately piqued.
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And a closer look revealed just that. The formation was the opening of a tunnel. This was a first for Mark, and he knew that whatever he was looking for was hidden inside this tunnel, but before he could explore adequately, he needed help.
Back In Town
Despite his curiosity, Mark decided to pack up and return to town. He needed proper supplies and a team to help him uncover what he thought he had found. And after weeks of careful planning, he was ready to go back.
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At that point, Mark was running on fumes, both financially and emotionally. He needed to find a significant win to prove himself. The scientist knew that his colleagues were busy making fun of him and his wild goose chase, and he needed to prove them wrong.
Going Back
Now, back at the rock formation and with a knowledgable team behind his back, they all agreed that this was indeed a doorway to something. And everyone was eager to find out what it was.
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And after doing extensive tests to make sure that the tunnel was safe for entry, the team decided to rappel down it in hopes of making a significant scientific discovery. And, of course, they were right.
The Cave
It turned out that the tunnel opened up to an extensive cave system that, by the looks of it, hadn’t ever been explored. Mark’s theory was that the entrance had probably been buried under ice for years.
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And it was only with the earth’s temperature rising and the ice melting that he could spot the formation and access the tunnel. Just the fact that Mark had found this cave system was impressive, but no one was expecting this to be hidden inside.
A Silhouette
Most of the cave walls looked alike, but one seemed to have a darker colour. It was as if something was buried inside the ice. And as Mark shined his light on the odd wall, he noticed something alarming.
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There was some form of dark silhouette behind it. It was clear that something or someone had intentionally buried something inside this ice. It wasn’t like any other wall of the cave; whatever it was, it looked like it was shifting!
Basic Analysis
The team urged Mark to run the fundamental analysis on the wall to learn more about what was hidden inside, and while the scientist followed the standard protocol, his instincts told him that he needed to make a bold move.
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But that had to wait; first, he needed to make sure that his initial analysis supported his theory, and after the results came back inconclusive, Mark had his answer on how to move forward. A step which horrified his new team.
Pickaxe
We are used to seeing scientists take dramatic measures in the name of science in films, but in reality, the practice is heavily frowned upon. And despite all the side eyes and gasps, Mark decided to take a small pickaxe and began chipping at the wall.
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This was controversial because, in an attempt to uncover whatever was behind the wall, Mark could have easily damaged crucial scientific evidence, but the 36-year-old was at his wit’s end. He needed to find out more.
Place in history
With each blow of the pickaxe, Mark felt his name being cemented in history forever. He always wanted to be famous for something he would discover; deep down, he knew this was his moment of fame.
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And as he removed more and more ice, he could see that the dark silhouette was rather expansive and far more detailed than he could have imagined. It looked even artificial, but Mark had to see more of it to be sure.
So Close
While the young man was excited to uncover his discovery quickly, he knew the heavy risks involved if he made one wrong move. So, after hours and hours of careful pickaxing, Mark finally started to see what was hidden inside the ice.
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Mark’s heart skipped a beat. This is it. This is all that he had been able to think about even since he landed in Greenland months ago. His life’s most significant discovery was staring right at him, and despite his hand cramping and in pain, Mark’s heart was whole.
Joining In
There it was, the massive wall with the silhouette inside of it. No one would stop him now from claiming his fame! Now the helpers themselves started getting excited. Were they going to be part of something historical here?
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And seeing the image of the silhouette emerge from behind the ice, they too let go of their fears and started helping Mark with the excavation process. Now with the whole team working together, a clearer picture began to emerge.
The Full Picture
Finally, after centuries covered in ice, Mark and his team were the first people to lay their eyes on an essential piece of human history. The couple had uncovered a stone wall with ancient drawings of a human-like creature.
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The dark and thick lines were unlike anything anyone had seen before. While cave drawings were easy to find, they were often affected by natural elements and excessively deteriorated. But Mark’s discovery had utterly intact and looked like it had been created yesterday.
New Research
With the mystery solved and Mark’s passionate search for scientific data fulfilled, he finally got the recognition he deserved. His research shed light on a relatively undiscovered part of human history.
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And while it came at a tremendous personal cost, Mark doesn’t regret any decisions he made. On the contrary, his discovery was probably one of the greatest discoveries in the area that a single man has ever made.