Around the World with the Octonauts
Chapter Two: Arctic Emergency Station
"We're almost at the North Pole, Captain," announced Dashi, moving her fingers over her control keyboard. "We should be right underneath it in about thirty more minutes."
The Octopod, with its four arms locked for travel, was making its way slowly toward the North Pole for the latest mission of the Octonauts.
"We're maintain a depth of ten FATHOMS," Dashi reported.
"Fatha fatha?" burbled Tunip.
Half of the Vegimals, including Tunip, were seated in specially-sized chairs at one side of the HQ. Captain Barnacles stood in the center, as was his custom. Professor Inkling was seated in his special hoverchair, as was Kwazii, watching the viewing screen in front of them that showed the cold, dark water of the Arctic Ocean. Searchlights from the Octopod picked out the occasional creature swimming past.
"A FATHOM," explained Shellington to Tunip, "is six feet, or 1.8 meters. If we are ten FATHOMS below the surface of the water, that means we are sixty feet, or 18 meters down."
Then Professor Inkling chimed in. "The word FATHOM comes to us from the Vikings. If you outstretch your arms," and he outstretched two of his tentacles, "that used to be the length of one FATHOM in olden times, when the Vikings sailed the seven seas."
"The Vikings," exclaimed Kwazii. "They were great seafarers and no mistake!"
Captain Barnacles nodded agreement.
"Good work, Dashi." He touched his communicator. "How is the engine holding out, Tweak?"
"The engine is doing fine, Cap," came Tweak's voice.
In the engine room, Tweak was keeping an eye on the dials and gauges that told her how well the bubble engine was operating in the cold water. The remaining Vegimals, each one wearing a hard hat, were also in the engine room, standing on a VegiRover that raised them to the height needed to also keep an eye on the gauges. It was on treads so they could circle the Engine room easily.
Captain Barnacles touched his communicator again. "Come in, Peso."
"Peso here, Captain," reported the penguin medic.
"How is everyone doing?"
"We're all enjoying hot chocolate and watching the view screen, Captain. The OctoScouts are very excited! And so are Polar Scouts Orson and Ursa."
Captain Barnacles smiled.
The Octopod was carrying several passengers as it started out on its new mission.
Barnacles' nephew and niece, Orson and Ursa, were a couple of years older now, and had been selected for a six-month mission to the Arctic Polar Scout Emergency Post, where Tracker was going to teach them everything he knew about the Emergency Service, the computers and radio systems.
In addition to Orson and Ursa, the Octopod was bringing a year's supply of food and drink to the Emergency Post.
Also on board were brand-new OctoScouts Squirt (nephew of Professor Inkling), Koshi (sister of Dashi), Pinto (younger brother of Peso) and Chilly, an Arctic Fox who was the granddaughter of one of Captain Barnacles' mentors, Professor Natquik. Usually Arctic Foxes with a thirst for adventure became members of the Polar Scouts, but Chilly had wanted to become an OctoScout.
Dashi touched a button on her keyboard, and the Octopod slowed to a halt, ten fathoms below the surface. An overhead map of the North Pole and the surrounding region was displayed on the computer screen, with a small flag exactly in the center.
"We are here, Captain," said Dashi. "The Arctic Polar Scout Emergency station is currently right at the North Pole, and we are right below it."
The OctoScouts and the two Polar Scouts heard Dashi's voice.
"Are we at the magnetic north pole, or the geographic north pole?" asked Squirt.
His voice could be heard in the HQ as well.
"The what?" asked Kwazii, in the HQ. "What do you mean, magnetic north pole?"
"We are at the magnetic north pole, Kwazii, Squirt," said Professor Inkling.
"Take a look at this globe," said Shellington, punching a few buttons so that the picture of a globe in a stand came up on the screen.
"See how it is tilted 23 degrees to one side?"
"I can see it's tilted," said Kwazii, who wasn't much into exactitude.
Shellington smiled. "No one knows why it's tilted," he said, "but it's lucky for us it is. Have you ever wondered how we get our seasons? Winter, spring, summer and fall?"
"Isn't it because the earth goes around the sun?" said Kwazii. "When we're far away from the sun, we have winter, and when we're closer, it's summer."
Shellington smiled again. "Lots of people think that Kwazii, but remember that when it's winter in North America, it's summer somewhere else. So, it's got nothing to do with how far we are away from the sun."
"Oh," said Kwazii. "I guess I never really thought about it before."
"It's a common mistake, Kwazii," said Professor Inkling. "But the real reason we have seasons is because of that 23-degree tilt. For several months out of the year the tilt of the earth, with the Northern Hemisphere, is facing the sun, and that gives us our summer. Then, for several months out of the year, the Southern Hemisphere receives more sunlight, so it's their summer and winter for the Northern Hemisphere."
"But it's always winter in the Arctic and Antarctic," said Kwazii with a shiver.
"Well, it's always cold," agreed Professor Inkling.
Captain Barnacles said, "Dashi, please send a message to Tracker that we've arrived. The supplies for the Emergency Post have already been loaded into the Gup-S. Polar Scouts Orson and Ursa, it's time for you to head to the Launch Bay. You too, Peso."
"We're on our way, Uncl…Captain," said Orson and Ursa together.
Kwazii had been to the Arctic Emergency Station before, and wasn't interested in going again. He merely waved his cup of hot chocolate at Captain Barnacles and Dashi as they left the HQ to go to the launch bay.
A few minutes later, Captain Barnacles, Peso, Dashi, and Orson and Ursa were in the Gup S and on their way upward to the Arctic Polar Scout Emergency Station.