At the Top of the World

January 4, 2035

Only the noise of the C-17’s engine cut through the silence of the vast Arctic nothingness. Seen from the ground, the plane must have looked like little more than a faint, moving light among the countless stars of the northern night sky.

Inside, Franklin Peary was engrossed in the Pentagon's preliminary report. But even aside from that, he probably wouldn't have had an eye for the beauty of the northern polar expanse. This operation shaped up to be the middle-aged commander’s strangest mission, in the strangest strip of land he would ever set foot in.

-

A howling wind blew across the airfield that awaited the Globemaster III’s arrival. Nothing loomed beyond the perimeter of the Unitet States’ space base, but blinding white snow and the all-consuming darkness of a four-month-long night.

Above the freezing cold, in a spacious meeting room sat confused Dr. Erik Rink. The Danish military scientist and anthropologist had no idea why he was chosen to accompany the commanding officer of the Joint Arctic Command to this meeting. And by now he was of the opinion that Counter admiral Rasmussen himself didn't even know either.

-

The twelve men of the polar-capable Special Operations Force strode across the brightly lit military base. A small light in the darkness at the top of the world, overshadowed by the cyclopean radar that warded the United States’ hegemony from any threat out of the endless space beyond Earth.

A door was thrown open roughly, two flights of stairs were climbed, and the soldiers entered the briefing room.

“Welcome, commander, please take a seat. We are just waiting for the deputy director and and the leader of the research team.” Said the man at the lectern.

Peary nodded.

-

The deputy director arrived a few minutes later, arguing with an Asian woman.

“For the last time, Dr. Kitanaka. That's irrelevant! This is primarily a matter of national security, and your scientific curiosity comes second.”

Dr. Kitanaka was obviously indignant, but gave up and took a seat next to Dr. Rink and the other scientists. The deputy director gave the group an apologetic smile.

“Well, let's not waste any more time and get down to business. You're clear, Captain.”

-

The man at the lectern nodded to the deputy director.

“Ladies, gentleman, as most of you may already know, we have recorded the crash of an unidentified flying object in the northern inland region. Attempts to identify the object before its impact have been unsuccessful. It’s probably neither a satellite, a rocket, nor any other man-made object. The shape also did not match that of an asteroid. At the moment, we are completely in the dark. And this is where POLAR SOF comes in.”

The captain paused for a moment and looked at Peary. The commander nodded to those who were not part of his team.

“Commander Peary’s team will escort our scientists to the impact site and secure the area while Dr. Kitanaka and the others will try to identify the object and if possible, secure it or take a sample. The representatives of the Joint Arctic Command are free to stay at base and will be briefed alongside the deputy director and I. Any questions?”

Counter admiral Rasmussen rose to his feet.

“We are talking about Danish… I mean Greenlandic territory here. For security our Sirius Patrol would be the most logical choice. And we also have our own scientists. This information should’ve been shared with our government in advance. I will not agree to such a violation of our sovereignty!”

The deputy director also stood up and turned to the Danish commanding officer, a serious and dismissive look on his face.

“With all due respect, now is not the time for squabbling over jurisdiction. We already have the approval of your prime minister and chief of defense. Your presence is purely informal.”

The counter admiral looked around, completely taken aback. The contemptuous and irritated looks of the Americans shattered his confidence. The deputy director cleared his throat.

“A proposal for the sake of goodwill. One of your scientists can accompany our team. But only if you have someone with Arctic experience. We can't waste any time out there.”

“Um, of course. That is a very good proposal. I think…”

The counter admiral looked around until his gaze lingered on Dr. Rink.

“Dr. Rink, yes, he is the perfect choice. A military scientist and he has been on some polar expeditions. Right, Dr. Rink?”

“Yes, sir. But only in the context of my anthropological research. That was before my time with the Arctic Command. I don’t think…”

“Dr. Rink, you will represent our nation on this special mission out there. No discussion.”

The captain shook his head in disbelief and the deputy director cleared his throat again.

“Then that's settled. Are you ready, Commander Peary?”

“ETD is three zero.”

“All right. You heard the commander. Dr. Kitanaka, you are responsible for ensuring that Dr. Rink is also ready to deploy. You have half an hour.”

The doctor placed her left hand on the Danish scientist’s right shoulder and gave him an understanding smile.

“Come on, Dr. Rink. I'll show you everything you need to know.”

The last few minutes had completely thrown Rink off balance. But it was probably already too late for him to protest. He didn’t know yet that the darkness of the polar night would change the course of his life forever. And the same would become true for Commander Peary's and Dr. Kitanaka's teams as well.