Arctic Inferno

Hanne Kristensen, a Danish geologist named Minister of Environment and Natural Resources in Greenland’s newly independent government, has just engineered the signing of a treaty to create a nature reserve in the Arctic, with the help of Pavel Laptov, the key member of the troika now governing Russia after a coup that ousted the fascist rule of Andrei Gusanov, and Hanne’s lover, Richard Simpson, the Canadian Deputy Minister for the Arctic. At Hanne’s urging, Laptov stops in Nuuk on his way home from the signing as there have been reports of a countercoup by the Gusanov gang. Hanne connives with Malik Rorsen, the Prime Minister of Greenland, to hide Laptov from Gusanov’s agents in a remote fishing village near the Thule Airbase in northern Greenland. Rorsen and Hanne learn that a new microbe released from the thawing permafrost is causing infections at Thule; Laptov, a former polar explorer and scientist has had experience with outbreaks from permafrost released microbes in Russia. The three fly to Thule.

Hanne’s best friend and lover since puberty, Kristi Olafson, arrives for a visit, and Hanne takes her to a dinner with a Chinese delegation, come to discuss the twenty-five billion dollar financing they are providing for resource extraction. Hanne sees through their plan as essentially a takeover, so China can benefit maximally from Greenland’s rich resource base, especially the coveted rare earths. Hanne takes Kristi along on a trip to Citronen Fjord, where a joint Australian-Chinese team is working on a zinc / lead mine. She is shocked to see six Russian submarines surface in the fjord and more than hundred Russian soldiers come on shore. She is even more stunned when confronted by Erik Larsen, a fellow Dane, turned into a Russian agent when imprisoned there after a failed maritime protest by the Green Liberation Front, and by Captain Zaitsov, a closet Laptov-supporting submarine commander whom she got to know earlier. Larsen announces that he has been named acting Governor of Greenland by Gusanov and questions Hanne about Laptov’s whereabouts. 

Hanne convinces Zaitsov to take them around the north of Greenland to pick Laptov up in Qaanaaq and then to safety in Canada. Meanwhile, in Nuuk, Jens Andersen, Hanne’s former boyfriend (also turned by the Russians), lands with officers from the Russian ships sitting offshore the capital. They force Rorsen to fly with them to Thule to demand the return of the base to Greenland and the departure of all American troops. Larsen joins his friend and the Russians in Thule, and as a submarine force threatens the base, the commander orders planes in the air and arrests the Russian officers and the two Danish renegades. Laptov, convinced that he still has support in Russia, asks Zaitsov to take him there rather than safety in Canada, and Hanne, too, decides that her place as minister is in Greenland. She and Kristi join Rorsen, as he decides to fly to New York to make a statement in front of the United Nations protesting the aggressive actions of Russia and China. In New York, they meet with Ron Hall, advisor to US President Barlow on Arctic affairs and he agrees to supply Greenland with a new vaccine to inoculate all 57,000 Greenlanders. The plan is to let the virus rampage among the invaders, while protecting the natives.

Back in Nuuk, Hanne is concerned for her safety, even as Ron Hall and Richard Simpson plot her extraction. The Russians disrupt a cabinet meeting and take all ministers prisoner in the historic Hans Egede House, holding them as hostages for release of the Russians and Danes imprisoned in Thule. Once this is agreed, they allow the captives to go, except Hanne. Arriving in Nuuk, Larsen goes to Hans Egede House, where, alone with Hanne, he tries to rape her, but she lacerates his face with a broken bottle. She seeks refuge with her assistant, whose partner takes her in a fishing boat to the offshore rendezvous with Richard who is flying in from Canada in a seaplane to extract her. But the Russians arrive first and take her prisoner. Hanne is taken to a Russian destroyer, where Captain Kolnikov—also a supporter of Laptov—treats her well. With news of an imminent countercoup in Russia led by Laptov, Kolnikov decides to take his ship there. Laptov’s friend, Admiral Maslenkov, back in charge of the Northern Fleet, orders Kolnikov to St. Petersburg for a show of force as Laptov attempts to convince the Western Military District to join with them.

Hanne deboards in Copenhagen much to the joy of Kristi, and the lovers are reunited. Meanwhile, with Laptov taking over in Russia, and climate change ravaging the Arctic, Hanne is convinced that there is a need to sign a strengthened treaty to protect the region. She tries an amended version on Lise Frondholm, her former boss and Danish Minister of Climate and Environment, and on Richard, as well as Ron Hall. Richard tells Hanne that he wants to marry her. Kristi, too, has a suitor she loves, and Hanne and she agree that they will accept the proposals of the two men with one condition: that they allow them to continue their relationship for as long as they want and whenever they want. The two men hesitate at first, but agree, seeing how close and determined the two women are. With Laptov back in control in Russia, a signing of the amended treaty is held in Moscow. The joint wedding of the four lovers takes place in Copenhagen several weeks later.

This discussion guide was created and shared by the author, Geza Tatrallyay.