4

(main protagonist:(Name: Dr. Namen Oberhelm Spillane)

Stevo shifts his weight on the back of his yak, lets out an enormous fart, and sighs with satisfaction.

"That one's been brewing for a while! Now come on, Doc, help me out. Teach me how to make this hairy-arsed cow go faster."

How the hell did this happen?

It wasn't part of the deal, whatever Stevo says. The deal was that he'd fly you to the airfield, you'd go on your expedition, and he'd wait with the plane until you got back. But just as you were getting ready to leave, there he was, backpack on, idiot grin on his face, asking which yak was his.

Him coming was a terrible idea. Stevo is physically unfit, for one thing; trekking in the high Himalayas is putting him at huge risk and also serving as an unanticipated drain on the group's resources. But he simply blanked any attempt to deter or forbid him from coming along. And now, by sheer force of personality, here he is, the unexpected addition to your adventure, the world's newest and crappiest mountaineer.

You only left the airfield ninety minutes ago, and Stevo's already lagging behind the rest of the group as you meander your way up the increasingly snow-carpeted mountain pass. He's not even capable of controlling his yak properly. You've gone back from the main group to give him a hand.