| 1 |
Hello, captain. So you are to join my next expedition? It’s a pleasure to meet you. Just a moment, I will give you a list of the equipment you will need. It won’t be cheap but necessary. |
| 2 |
I was just overseeing the reinforcing of my ship Fram when I learned Mr. Scott from England is going for the South Pole. I was planning to go to the Arctic but should we leave the South to the British? |
| 3 |
So do you have any experience sailing the ice-filled waters? You may be a good captain, but the cold can get even the best explorers. How did you prepare for the frozen polar regions? |
| 4 |
Firewood will be useful but a nourishing food is essential too. Pemmican is an energy packed mix of fat and protein, I learned about it from the Inuits. It’s not so bad once you get used to it. |
| 5 |
Do you know some cold-resistant men available to join our expedition? If they are experienced sailors and explorers, they will be welcome on our journey. |
| 6 |
The travel on land will be covered by sleds pulled by dogs. I have brought sled dogs from Greenland. This one is Obersten, isn’t he just cute? Sit! Who is a good boy? |
| 7 |
I don’t think fish are his favorite. But if you have sausage, the dogs will fall in love with you instantly. Let’s go inspect the sleds now. We will have to pile all our supplies on them. |
| 8 |
I had made special clothes inspired by the furs worn by the North American Inuits. I will show them to you. You just need to get some hats. I kind of forgot about them. |
| 9 |
I am going to get some books and musical instruments. This will help the mood in such unpleasant conditions. You can check if our quartermaster needs anything. |
| 10 |
There, all packed! I just need you to go to the pet shop and get some dog food. We can’t let our furry companions get hungry. If you give the shop owner some cages, he will give you the food for free. |
| 11 |
We have some serious financial issues. The government refused me another donation so I had to mortgage my house. Let’s hope this mission will be a success or I will go bankrupt. |
| 12 |
Good, now we are ready to set sail. Our next stop will be at the island, Madeira. There we will decide what will be our final destination. And we can also get some more food. |
| 13 |
We are going south. We will be the first people to conquer the South Pole. Maybe we should warn Mr. Scott he has competition. Let’s send him a message by our sailors. |
| 14 |
We still have access to some fresh food, but you should start getting used to the pemmican. It will be easier to keep it in if you start slowly. So let’s make it our lunch today. |
| 15 |
A message came from Norway. It seems we have little support at home. Nobody likes this sudden change of plans. You see, I told everyone we are going to the North Pole. I am sure we can make it anyway. |
| 16 |
We should arrive at the Bay of Whales soon. It’s the perfect starting point for the trek to the pole. It’s a rocky bay where we can anchor safely. And our geologist can do his job too. |
| 17 |
We will make our main camp here. We need to build a sturdy hut that will withstand the strong eastern wind. Can you get the materials with ships? Then we will transfer them across the land with dog sleds. |
| 18 |
The hut looks good. It should keep us all safe from the cold. Let’s go inside to get warmed up. We can eat something and go over the plan. |
| 19 |
It’s getting dark outside. Someone should check on the dogs and give them some food. Wait! Don’t go out there without a hat! Do you want your ears to freeze off? |
| 20 |
How are Obersten and the other dogs? They are taking the cold well, that’s good. I selected the Greenland breed as they are the sturdiest animals. But they weren’t cheap. I am still in debt because of them. |
| 21 |
There is still a lot to do before we go for the pole. We are going to set up supply depots on the planned route. The depots must be secure so that no animal fills its belly with our food. |
| 22 |
Now, that we have set up the depots we can prepare the supplies and bring them there on the sleds. This way we won’t have to carry so much stuff once we go to the pole. |
| 23 |
I and two of my men are going to bring the supplies to the depots. In the meantime, I need you to take the ship and go buy more supplies in Buenos Aires. We will need them to wait out the polar night. |
| 24 |
We will have to wait out the polar night at our camp, Framheim. There will be no sunlight for four months and we couldn’t survive the cold. Let’s collect more food before the night sets in. |
| 25 |
The dark and cold is very bad for the morale of the men. Let’s stay all together to keep warm. We can read the books I brought and play some music on the gramophone. |
| 26 |
It’s still pretty cold out there, but I am not waiting any longer. I won’t let that Englishman beat us to the Pole. So put on your coat and hat and let’s go! |
| 27 |
This was a mistake. The cold is unbearable. Some dogs have frostbitten paws and the men are not feeling much better. We have to turn back. But let’s keep most of the supplies at the nearest depot. |
| 28 |
We need to wait until spring before we set off again. Meanwhile, we can send a ship for supplies to Buenos Aires. I hate this waiting, but there is no point going out there only to freeze to death. |
| 29 |
It’s October and the spring has arrived at the Southern Hemisphere. It’s still hellishly cold, but we should be able to survive it. Get those skis and let’s get going. |
| 30 |
Let’s make a camp here. We can build an igloo out of ice, but find a place with solid rocks to build it on. I don’t fancy waking up in freezing water. |
| 31 |
There is a mountain range before us. Those will be the Transantarctic Mountains. We will have to find a way to cross them. Send out some men to scout the terrain ahead of us. |
| 32 |
We are near the third supply depot. Let’s go for the food we stored there. I am so hungry I will enjoy even some pemmican. The dogs must be starving too. |
| 33 |
We will need to build a contraption to carry the sleds across the mountains. There won’t be a clear path all the way across. But the dogs should be able to get through on their own. |
| 34 |
I am so glad we chose to take the dogs instead of motorized sleds. I wonder how Scott is doing. He won't have it easy if he runs out of fuel. |
| 35 |
I just realized I forgot the skis under the reef. We must go back for them. It should not take long now that everything else is up here. |
| 36 |
Let me just check my compass. We should be nearing the pole. We can make a camp over there by the rocks. We can make a wall from them so they will shield us from the wind. |
| 37 |
What is that? Is that Scott and his crew? Hmm, it does not move. It might be a mirage. Ah! Those will be droppings from our dogs. That reminds me, we should feed them. |
| 38 |
According to my compass, the South Pole is somewhere here. Let’s plant here the Norwegian flag and leave a letter for Scott. We are the first! |
| 39 |
We have already won this race and I am not cold-hearted even though it’s freezing here. Let’s leave some supplies for Scott here. We have enough for the return journey. |
| 40 |
Let’s hurry back. I can’t wait to get on the ship and sail home with the news of our achievement. So put those skis on your feet and let get going! |
| Final |
We made it, captain! The way back seemed much faster and easier than the journey to the pole. Thank you for your help and enjoy your reward. |