The polar bear came in a box of Red
Rose Tea, a small ceramic creature holding one front paw forward that fit in
the palm of Lara’s hand. A bear with many ancient names, Ursus maritimus,
Sea Bear, Nanuq, White bear, Beliy medved, Lord of the Arctic, Old man in the
fur cloak, White Sea deer, Lara liked Isbjorn meaning Ice Bear best. She
wrapped it in a large cotton handkerchief and stowed it in a zipper pocket in
her red polar anorak, company issue. A Contract Employee making frequent
seasonal trips to the Antarctic under the Division of Polar Programs United
States Antarctic Program (USAP) she decided not to make the trek alone this
time.
The choice of a polar bear as companion
paralleled her own circumstances. Polar bears do not exist on the South Pole.
They live on the Arctic up north. Lara, degreed with a BS in chemical
engineering and an MS in Oceanography never intended to work in the Antarctic.
She had planned to teach and conduct research in a northern university with occasional
voyages on research vessels. The War Against Fanatical Malsy declared in the US
just before her graduation changed all that.
Continued attacks on public
gathering places – edifices of learning, religious meetings, entertainment
venues, mass transit altered the fabric of society. The urging by government to
‘conduct one’s life as usual’ had become far too dangerous a luxury. No one was
willing to defy the fear-mongering of terrorists by putting themselves or those
they loved in harm’s way any longer. Safety and no soft targets had become the
new rule. Universities were one of the first things to go. Brick and stone were
replaced by telecommutation. On-line advanced education, with fewer places for
professors, threw newly minted educators out in the cold. Lara faced the truth,
and headed for the snow.
Desperate for a job, Lara responded
to an ad sent to her by a sympathetic Glaciology prof. The Division of Polar
Programs promised “innovative scientific research, engineering and education in
and about polar regions, catalyzing fundamental discovery and understanding of
polar systems and their global interactions to inform the nation and advance
the welfare of people everywhere.”
Permanent stations on the ice and
temporary field camps manned by 30 countries, signatories of the Anarctic
Treaty worked in harmony to further progress in sustainable energies, sensitive
ecosystem management, and weather prediction. The lands were not owned; merely
shared. The Mars rover was tested on the Antarctic tundra. The Icecube Neutrino
Observatory hoped to provide insight into the Universe. Unusual bacterial life
was found in liquid lakes and rivers buried under the Antarctic Ice Sheet. Lara
was lured by the myriad possibilities. Unfortunately, there were no openings
amongst the 500 coveted scientist positions. A waiting list, and a show of good
intent were what was left to her job opportunities. Lara jumped.
She landed in Logistics. She became
a Field Coordinator involved in fixed-wing helicopter support, over-ice
traverse tractor trains, ships in polar oceans, unmanned aerial vehicles and
submersibles, learning to operate many of the land transport machines. She
scheduled exploration parties and drove the scientists to sites, working most
often from Palmer or McMurdo Station. Secretly, her heart ached.
Isbjorn provided the solace
necessary to soften the feelings of ‘outsider’ and ‘no land where she
belonged’, as well as an opportunity to challenge her lot with a sweet spark of
rebellion. In answer to her broken dreams, she would break a rule. No
contaminant was allowed on the frozen continent. All waste materials were
recycled or removed from the frozen landmass. No unauthorized remnant,
suggestion, or influence of human habitation was to affect the pristine
Antarctic world. Forbidden. Lara decided to leave her Ice Bear as an act of
solidarity for all who were dislocated from where they were meant to be.
An easy revolt really. How easy it
would be to push Isbjorn into the ice when going about a detailed vehicle check
necessary before every trek. Undetectable.
Comradery grew readily in the crew.
Most teammates welcomed the comfort of companionship and respected the urge to
study regardless of paid occupation. Each time Lara spent four months on the
South Pole she marveled at her own need for community. A new close friendship
was formed on every deployment, a delightful surprise to one who had been
bookish and too busy for socializing up north.
When alone, Lara would lose herself
in contemplation about the dire conflict ongoing on the rest of the planet.
“Lara!” called John, a diver and
Marine Scientist who plunged into deep watery chasms to collect samples. “What
deep thoughts have you so distracted? I’ve been trying to catch up with you.”
“John, you’re a prescientist! I was
agonizing over the worries of the world when I had a realization: Antarctica is
the only land where there is no terrorism. They are not here whether by design
or Godly intervention. It is the last safe place!”
The next day, with the opportunity
to deliver Isbjorn into a new home of ice and snow, Lara chose to keep him.
Polar bears, like those who commit terrorist acts, did not belong here. It is
the natural order.
(869 words)
No comments:
Post a Comment