Against the Ice

GREENLAND AS PER LATEST SOURCES 1905

Something's out there!

Iver, follow them.

Go see what it is, quickly. Hand me the lantern.

It's the captain! It's the captain!

Whoa.

Whoa!

Sir, did you find anything?

-Help Jørgensen. His feet are frozen. - Right, come on.

- Holm's on his way. - Quick, Unger. Get the water.

Jørgensen, lift your head up.

-Unger, hurry up with the water. -It's coming!

- Raise it. Easy. - It's all right. We got you.

-We got you. - Take it easy, Jørgensen.

Unger, the water.

-Come on! - It's coming.

Hold these. Take it easy, Jørgensen.

-Do you have some whiskey? - Yes. Get the man a drink.

Here.

Wait, wait.

I'll take that.

- Ejnar, hold him down. -

Jørgensen, breathe. Keep breathing.

Let's do this.

Okay.

- Hold him. - One, two, three.

- -

- -

All right.

-Thank you. -Got it?

- -Good. Smells like Christmas.

One, two, three.

-Oh! -

- Who's hungry? -Everybody.

Starving.

Here we go, boys.

-Looks great. -Finally.

You've done yourself proud, sunshine.

-It's about time we found a use for you. -

Gentlemen, can I have your attention?

-Party's over. - Quiet, Poulsen.

-I want you all to raise your glasses… - Of course.

…to…

to loved ones back home,

to the men who gave their lives

exploring the last unknown parts of our kingdom.

To the Denmark Expedition.

And to you,

for joining me in fulfilling their mission.

Skål.

Skål.

Halfway there.

Ah!

Our long search didn't go quite as planned.

-Jørgensen can testify to that. -

As expected,

it was hard to trace any signs of the vanished expedition.

However,

we found this.

A diary from one of the men.

And a map

that apparently shows the location

of the cairn

where Mylius-Erichsen left his final records of the unknown land.

What's a cairn?

A cairn's a stack of stones you can see from far away.

So, therefore, I'll attempt another journey.

What?

Another?

Well, this time further, across the ice cap,

to retrieve the findings they left behind.

We're not going home then?

This is why we're here, boys.

Without these findings, the North of Greenland could be lost,

claimed by the Americans.

Now, Jørgensen is incapacitated,

and I can't do it alone,

which provides one of you lucky boys with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

I'll need a volunteer to accompany me.

Has anyone volunteered yet?

You're kidding, right?

Jørgensen's feet were wrecked.

Aren't you next in line, Laub?

Shut up, Poulsen. Some of us have family.

Why don't any of you want to go with him?

You saw the map.

It's like walking from Moscow to Rome looking for a stack of stones.

Not to mention doing it with the captain.

Iver knows him all right.

He knew all about him before he came aboard, right?

I mean, I've read about him,

but everybody has, haven't they?

Not everyone's a fan,

Iver Iversen.

-Not everyone can read. Right, Unger? -Try reading this!

Come on!

Captain.

Mm.

I was…

just wondering…

I don't know how many volunteers you've had already--

Well, that would be none.

What I'm trying to say is

technically, I'm out of a job.

Mm-hm.

As long as we're parked up here, the motor won't be needed.

I'd like to come with you, if you'd allow me.

I'm good with a rifle, and I'm learning how to drive the dogs.

I'd really like to come, Captain.

I'll keep that in mind. Thank you, Iversen.

Thank you, Captain.

Poulsen, hand me those harnesses.

-What's Iversen up to? - Come on.

-Looks like he needs a hand. - Stay there.

Hey! Hey!

All of you stay here, okay?

Okay.

Hey! Hey!

Hey, stop!

Stay there!

-You talk to him. - Hey!

Here, let me give you a hand.

Iversen, the dogs work for you.

Remember that.

Out on the ice,

each dog can pull a hundred pounds of weight from the start.

Once that hundred pounds has been eaten,

well, that dog becomes surplus to requirement.

So we shoot the worst dog,

feed it to the others.

So, Iversen, don't become best friends.

You've heard Iversen volunteered.

- I have, sir. -What are your thoughts on him?

-Iversen? -Yeah.

Uh…

He's a good lad.

-Very brave. -Mm.

Strong character.

Have you seen him with the dogs?

Clearly he needs to work a bit harder to improve.

But you think he can do it?

I believe so, yes.

That's all.

Don't be ridiculous. Surely that's too heavy.

I'm telling you, it's unsinkable.

They've spent $1 million already.

It's got combination turbines and reciprocating engines

guaranteed to maintain a speed of 21 knots.

-Translation, anyone, please? - What are you talking about?

Is the Alabama not up to your standard?

Go on about this with the captain, he'll put a bullet in your head.

Yeah, usually I'd say Poulsen's talking shit,

but I've gotta agree, I daren't say two words to him.

The captain's not that bad.

I have to say, Iver, I think you've lost your mind.

What do you know about sledging, surviving on the ice when it's 40 below?

Yeah, and polar bears and all that other scary shit out there.

I think Iver has got quite the handle on those dogs now.

It's not too late to change your mind.

This is my third trip up here and I still hate those fucking dogs.

If they were any more inbred, they'd be sandwiches.

- -No, come on. They're amazing.

Once you learn to trust your lead dog, it kind of falls into place.

Mine's Bjørn. He keeps the others in check.

He does all the work.

Ooh!

Check out Iver and his new favorite dog, Bjørn!

I feel like I've let you down.

Ah.

You need to get yourself right.

Besides, Iversen's stepped up.

What?

He's a mechanic.

He wouldn't even be on this trip if our engine hadn't failed in Reykjavik.

Just look after Alabama for me.

I've got to say this.

You're not a young man anymore.

You're risking your life, Iversen's life.

You want us to give up without trying?

We did try.

We did our best.

Nonsense.

What about Naja?

Do you expect her to wait for you?

-You've got nothing to prove. -This is not about me.

The committee's instructions were clear.

The sea opens up by July.

If we're not back by August before the sea freezes, then you go.

-You'll basically be on your own. -That's an order.

Iversen is the best, if not the only, man willing to make the trip.

I respect your concern, but we are leaving tomorrow.

Yes, Captain.

Iver, stand closer to the captain.

Yep, that's it.

Three, two, one.

Excellent.