Baffin and the Nordic City
“Captain's Log, Day 155, we have arrived at the third alternate Earth. According to the astronomical measurements, it is in the early 1840s.”
Emerson looked out of the ready room window at Earth. It looked rather peaceful. He knew that belied the reality. He knew that European colonial powers were subjugating indigenous peoples all over the planet. He was thankful for the Prime Directive, otherwise he was sure he would give into the temptation to interfere.
“Hernandez to Emerson.”
“Emerson here.”
“Preliminary scans have come back.”
“And you've found some differences?”
“Yes. Mainly centred in Scandinavia, on either side of the Baltic Straits.”
“Interesting. I'll come to the bridge.”
He looked at the map. It wasn't that different. “So, this area, around southern Norway and Sweden?”
“And the Danish Islands, yes,” Hernandez added.
“It's certainly something to investigate,” Emerson said. He turned to Lu.
“Prepare an Away Team to scout out an alternate Nordic settlement.”
“Aye, sir.”
“Why me, sir,” Andersen asked Lu as they entered the shuttle bay.
“You do have a Nordic background.”
“That's true. I grew up in southern Norway.”
“Good. It is in your file.”
Fifteen minutes later, the Saskatoon approached the Baltic Straights. “Sensors are picking up a sizeable town in a fjord on the northern side of the straight,” Andersen reported. “We could land near there.”
Lu looked at the sensors. “We can land near there.”
The Saskatoon landed in a secluded area. “We're less than twenty kilometers from the town,” Andersen reported..
“It will be a long walk,” Lu said.
“The geography wasn't conducive to landing the shuttlecraft either safely or secretly,” Andersen said.
“I understand. But it will take almost a day to walk there.”
“Still not sure why we couldn't have beamed down,” Albert complained.
“Simple. It wouldn't do to beam down in a populated area,” Lu said.
Albert sighed. The Prime Directive was quite inconvenient most of the time.
Despite those complaints, they managed the journey on foot well, with Andersen telling them stories of her youth as the landscape reminded her of places near her home. She certainly recognised the various types of vegetation they saw.
They broke camp as the sun rose the next day and approached the town while it was still early morning.
“It reminds me of Bergen, one of Norway's major cities,” Andersen said as she looked at the sizeable town. There is a palace too. It's more like Oslo in that.”
“We need to know it's name,” Lu said.
“We'll know as we get closer.”
“Arendelle,” Andersen read. “The City of Arendelle.”
“And there is a coronation today,” Albert said.
“We have to find out more,” Lu said.
“And see if we can attend,” Andersen added.
“Of course,” Lu said. “It may not be, but we can check. But first we'll check in.”
“Lu to Baffin. We have arrived at the city. It is the centre of a kingdom named Arendelle.”
“Arendelle?” Emerson considered. “That's interesting. What else can you tell us?”
“There is a coronation today.”
“Investigate it, keep us informed, Baffin out.”
They approached the palace. “Here we are!” Andersen said as she picked up a newspaper. “Queen Elsa. It seems her parents died in a shipwreck some years ago and she's just come of age.”
“That sounds sad,” Albert said.
“It certainly is.”
“Where is the coronation at?” Lu asked.
“Where, else?” Andersen answered. “The Cathedral. It's right next to the palace.”
“Hopefully we will be able to join in,” Lu said.
Meanwhile, Princess Anna of Arendelle was down at the dock when she ran into someone. Literally.
“I'm so sorry. Are you hurt?” the man asked.
Anna tried to reassure him that she was OK.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I...I just wasn't looking where I was going. But I'm great, actually.”
The man jumped off his horse. “Oh, thank goodness. Oh. Uh...Prince Hans of the Southern Isles.”
“Princess Anna of Arendelle.”
“Princess? My Lady,” he then bowed, causing his horse to stumble. She then ended up in his arms as a result of the following commotion.
“This is awkward,” Anna said.
“Uh...”
“Not that you're awkward, but because I'm awkward,” Anna said. She then got up.
“You're gorgeous. Wait, what?”
“I'd like to formally apologize for hitting the Princess of Arendelle with my horse...and for every moment after.”
“No. No, no. It's fine. I'm not that Princess. I mean, if you'd hit my sister Elsa, it would be... yeash! Cause, you know... But, lucky you, it's...it's just me. ”
“Just you?”
The bells started ringing and Anna ran off with a quick apology.
In the mean time, the Away Team had asked around and found that they could attend the coronation.
Elsa took off her gloves at the Bishop's prompting and took the sceptre and orb. She hands shook and the objects iced up. But it seemed that no one noticed.
The Bishop recited his blessing. “I present to you, Queen Elsa!”
As the crowd repeated, she put the objects aside and put her gloves on.
“Andersen to Baffin.”
“Report,” Emerson ordered.
“The Coronation is over, but there is a celebration of it tonight,” Anderson reported.
“You're planning to attend?”
“Yes.”
“That's good.”
Later, that evening the celebration was in swing...
Anna and Hans came up to Elsa.
“Me again. Um, may I present Prince Hans of the Southern Isles,” Anna said to Elsa.
“Your Majesty,” Hans said as he bowed.
“We would like...” Anna and Hans began.
“Uh, your blessing,” Hans continued.
“Of our marriage!” they concluded.
“Marriage?” Elsa asked, confused.
“Yes!” Anna said.
“I'm sorry, I'm confused,” Elsa stated. As far as she knew her sister had only met Hans that day.
“Well, We haven't worked out all the details ourselves. We'll need a few days to plan the ceremony. Of course, we'll have soup, roast, and ice cream. And then...“ Anna said quickly. She turned to Hans. “Wait. Would we live here?”
“Here?” Elsa asked.
“Absolutely!” Hans answered.
“Anna...” Elsa said, knowing that she had to pop her sister's 'bubble', as it were.
“Oh, we can invite all twelve of your brothers to stay with us.”
“What? No. No, no, no, no,” Elsa said. Things were moving too fast.
“Of course we have the room. I don't know, some of them must...” Anna began.
“Just wait. Slow down. No one's brothers are staying here. No one is getting married,” Elsa got out.
“Wait, what?” Anna asked.
“May I talk to you, please?” Elsa asked. “Alone.”
“No. Whatever you have to say, you...you can say to both of us.”
“Fine. You can't marry a man you just met.”
“You can if it's true love!” Anna said.
She was deluded! “Anna, what do you know about true love?”
“More than you. All you know is how to shut people out,” Anna shot back.
“You asked for my blessing, but my answer is no. Now...excuse me,” Elsa said as she walked away from the two of them. (Not a couple!)
“Your Majesty, if I may ease your...” Hans said.
“No, you may not. And I...I think you should go. The party is over.” She turned to a gurad. “Close the gates.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“What?” Anna asked. She went to her sister. “Elsa, no. No wait!” She grabbed her sister's hand and pulled off her glove.
“Give me my glove!”
“Elsa, please! Please! I can't live like this anymore,” Anna pleaded.
“...Then leave,” Elsa said.
Anna was shocked. “What did I ever do to you?”
“Enough, Anna.”
“No! Why? Why do you shut me out? Why do you shut the world out? What are you so afraid of?! “
“I said Enough!” Elsa said. Spikes of Ice appeared in front of her, shocking everyone there.
“Something's happening,” Hernandez reported.
“I need a better description than that!” Emerson said.
“I'll put it on screen. Temperatures in Arendelle are dropping and the fjord is freezing over,” Hernandez said.
She put it on screen. Emerson took it in. “Baffin to Away Team. Report!”
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