The explorer stood on the deck of the Endurance as the ice closed in around the ship. The men gathered close, their breath puffing white in the frozen air. He put a hand on the railing — cold enough to sting — and looked out at the endless white.
The ice cracked and groaned, swallowing the Endurance whole. The explorer walked to the lifeboats and began loading supplies, one crate at a time. The men followed him in silence, pulling their coats tighter against the biting wind.
Days passed on the ice. The explorer walked to the front of the camp and planted a flag on a ridge. Below, a group of penguins waddle past, one stopping to peck at his boot. He smiled despite the cold gnawing at his fingers.
The sea was violent and grey, the boat tossed like a toy. The explorer rowed until his hands blistered, calling out directions over the roar of the waves. One man slipped and nearly fell — the explorer grabbed his arm and pulled him back.
The explorer leaned over the side, his hand closing around the man's arm. 'Hold on!' he shouted over the wind. The second explorer dangled above the waves, water streaming from his coat. The first pulled hard, shoulder muscle tight, and hauled him back into the boat.
On the fifth day, a shape appeared on the horizon — a fishing boat, small and improbable against the whitecaps. The explorer raised his arms and shouted, his voice raw and cracked. The fishermen turned, then steered straight toward them.
A fishing boat — small and yellow — cut through the whitecaps, heading straight for them. The explorer watched it grow larger, his arms still raised. Every man aboard the Endurance had made it this far. None of them wanted to lose anyone now.
The explorer gripped the side of the fishing boat as they came alongside. A fisherman in oilskins reached down and hauled him up. Behind them, the broken white shape of the Endurance was just a memory on the horizon. The explorer smiled — they were going home.