A New Power is Rising in Antarctica (Part V)

January 1st, 1889, the Continent of Antarctica.

Flag of the South Polar Confederation.

Topographical Map of Antarctica.

Life in the arcologies of the South Polar Confederation is harsh by the standards of civilized society in the wider world. The frigid temperatures, frequent snow fall and ice storms make for a uniquly unpleasant experience for anyone who has to work outside. Consequently Antarcticans wear multiple layers of protective and heated clothing even while inside the arcologies, stations and watch and outposts. Snow blindness is also a feature that must be guarded against by special protective vision devices.

South Polar architecture is heavily influenced by the need to retain heat, maintain breathable levels of oxygen, circulate both warm and cold air often in completely sealed environments (both above and below ground or within or beneath glaciers) and resist the extremely low temperatures and/or being crushed by accumulating ice or snow. Surface buildings take the form of circlular domes, quonset huts or triangular frames designed to shed snow, sleet and freezing rain. All building, both inside an arcology and outside, are made as self-sufficient as possible as physical isolation from even nearby neighbours is not uncommon. Antarctican habitats, installations of all sorts and research stations are often widely scattered over the continent.

All inhabitants of the South Polar Confederation are highly educated in both arctic survival skills and a broad selection of scientific, technocratic or industrial skills, all of which are essential to life and the long term development of Antarctica. Each arcology has training schools to advance such skills the citizens already have or wish to acquire if they don't have them. Emphasis since the scientific colony's earliest days have been on cross-training as an essential part of everyday life, to make sure all tasks or assignments are accomplished and all gaps either the work or research force are filled without fuss or delay.

Ethnical, while a large number of Antarcticans are drawn from the British Empire and in particular the British Isles, a special emphasis has been upon finding people who are already used to challenging climatic conditions especially dealing with extreme cold, ice and snow: peoples from British North America (both British or European immigrants and the native aboriginal populations, typically the more northern based First Nations, Métis and Inuit), the Northwest Frontier of British India, the Scandinavian countries and islands (Denmark, Sweden, Norway) and Russian provinces of Finland and Siberia are the most common.

A New Power is Rising in Antarctica (Part IV)

January 1st, 1889, the Continent of Antarctica.

Flag of the South Polar Confederation.

Topographical Map of Antarctica.

The Directorate had effected the creation of four great arcologies to act as central depots, population housing, archives, primary industrial and scientific installations and act as the regional capitals of the South Polar Confederation five provinces to which all the other medium and lesser sized arcologies, indepedent research and resource processing and watch posts would report to within their respective territorial spheres. Portal in the South Orkneys, was the first established in 1844-45, followed by the founding of Bellingshausen in the Antarctican Penisula in 1856. Ross, followed in West Antartica in 1860, while Lazarev was established in 1865 in East Antarctica.

The final and greatest of the Antarctican arcologies, dubbed Vault, the capital of the whole Antarctican continent itself, was slowly built within the Transantarctican Mountain range in the late-1850s onwards. Though, the Directorate didn't formally remove itself from the South Orkneys to relocate to the new capital until 1888. The arcologies follow a rough ranking of size and importance, of mega-, great-, middle-, lesser- arcologies. Vault is very much the first mega-arcology, that the Antarcticans have or perhaps ever will construct, while Portal, Bellingshausen, Ross and Lazarev, all rank as great-arcologies.

I) Vault, the capital sprawls throughout the whole length and breath of the main Transantarctican mountain range and it's satellite mountain ranges, via a massive series of interconnected arcologies. Vault has sub-glacial access under the Ross Ice Shelf to the Ross Sea and possesses the second most extensive shipbuilding and harbour faculities located in several interconnected caverns and sub-glacial vaults and channels. The mountains provide the Confederation with it's largest supply of ore and other minerals and processed rock for building construction and fueling the various industries within the mountains and other manufacturing arcologies across Antarctica. The Directorate has it's main offices and archives located within their own sub-arcology inside the Vault complex.

The Council of the Founders and Elders is found here, the final directing authority of the Confederation, although none but the highest members of the Directorate have access to them. It is said in the outside world that only handful of the original founders and organizers of the South Polar scientific expedition are still alive after nearly seventy-seven years. This is a delibrate falsehood put out by the Directorate, the truth is rather more mysterious and perhaps omnious, all the founders are still alive within Vault's innermost bastions, they are encased within special technological sarcophagi or body suits that have sustained them in an strange form of half-life for nearly a century, others who's bodies are too far gone to sustain by any other means have their brains placed within special devices that keep them alive and they can still make their thoughts and ideas known to their fellows by a form of gestalt consciousness, which the Antarcticans call the Nth Degree Engine, a vast Babbage Engine computer system, powered by massive steam engines and volta-reactors, that occupies several levels within Vault.

II) Portal, the transport hub of Antarctica, everything that goes in or out of the South Polar Confederation comes here. The islands of the South Orkneys are dominated by the Antarcticans most extensive and visible shipyards, harbours and storage and housing faculities, built into the icy and rocky coasts and mountains. Considerable care is however exercised to ensure that native wildlife and flora in each island is left as undisturbed as possible for both long term studies and potential use. The South Polar/Antarctican Line is headquartered here and it is consider all Antarctican nautical, sky and air ships port of registry. The Directorate's Foreign Affairs and Consular Services are also located here for ease of communication with the outside world and efforts are underway to get a new submerged telegraphic cable is laid between the South Orkneys and the Falklands to ensure better service. The bulk of the South Polar Confederations fisheries are located in Portal as well.

III) Bellingshausen, the capital of the Antarctican Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands, is locked beneath the glaciers and mountains of the Antarctican Peninsula with marine access to both the Bellingshausen and Weddell Seas via underground and sub-glacier channels. The arcology serves as the Solar Polar Navy's primary installation, housing it's main hidden dockyards and slipways, naval stores, barracks and various training or instructional institutions. Like Ross, the great-arcology has a distinct and military feel to it, more so then perhaps any other arcology, like Lazarev or Portal which are dominated by civil projects and concerns.

IV) Ross, the capital of West Antarctica, is often called the Ice Bastion Citadel, as it houses the most important and productive of the South Polar arsenals and weapons and munitions manufacturies that service both the Antarctician militia which acts in both a defensive and a gendarm capacity within the five provinces and their arcologies. Further, most but by no means all of the weapons that are fitted to Antarctican civil and military ships are processed and depoted here within the heavily fortified, multi leveled, great arcology. The great arcology also houses, many of the Confederation's scientific station and research labratories devoted to military studies and their military academy and it's associated specialists training or instructional colleges.

V) Lazarev, capital of East Antarctica, is surrounded by a series of frozen fresh and salt water lakes, Lazarev is sometimes referred to as as the Venice of the South Pole by it's inhabitants. It provides the Antarctican population with both it's largest qualities of distilled freshwater and much of it's vital stock of processed or mined salt. Many of East Antarctica's arcologies are devoted to staple agricultural production typically edible mosses, lichens and fungi as well as other crops via massive under- and above- ground greenhouses and animal husbandry faculities, especially within the Dry Valleys of East Antarctica. Imported Muskoxen, North American Bison, sheep and goats are grazed within the harsh, snowless valleys to provide the inhabitants and industries of the South Polar Confederation, with meat, milk and leather and associated animal products.

A New Power is Rising in Antarctica (Part III)

January 1st, 1889, the Continent of Antarctica.

Flag of the South Polar Confederation.

Topographical Map of Antarctica.

It was known to the Directorate, that Lord Salisbury was an enthusiastic amateur scientist, private inventor and accomplished reader and writer on a great many subjects. He had long had a serious, friendly interest in the varied scientific studies of the Solar Polar colony and a general interest in north and south polar exploration and discovery projects. The Directorate thus had the feeling that the pressure to take a more active role in it's affairs was not his personal desire or even a project he subscribed to. The pressure, likely came from the Foreign Office's own departmental staff and undersecretaries, who were more greatly interested in increasing their own administrative importance and the power of the Foreign Office over potential colonial developements in opposition to the desires of their rivals amoung the Colonial Office and India Office officials.

Consequently, while the Directorate could with some justification write off the Colonial Office's interest in their affairs, and it was unlikely to carry a great deal of weight in British governmental circles at least for the present. The Admiralty and Foreign Office administrative moves were however much more serious and were a great deal more likely to develop into something very real if they preceeded uninterrupted by any moves on either the British government's or the Directorate's respective parts.

The Directorate had three possible options to play in that regard. Number one, being to directly appeal to the British Cabinent of Lord Salisbury to maintain the current status quo, rather then change it in any substantive way. Number two, the Directorate could appeal to Queen-Empress Victoria I, herself directly and ask her to intervene in the dispute. Number Three, was to wage a campaign of persuasion in British and foreign scientific journals and public newspapers to bend popular opinion in the Solar Polar colony's favour, which would make options one and/or two, easier to effect.

Not that either Lord Salisbury or Queen Victoria were likely to be swayed by mere public opinion, both being strong minded and not easily intimidated. They would take note of it but only as a potential guide when making their decision, like consulting a barometer before considering the likely weather. it would not alter their finally decision on the matter in any way, their only consideration being was the matter worthy of attention and what was in the best interests of the British Empire. The British Parliament, particularly the House of Commons, however was much more susceptible to public pressure and lobbying efforts. The House of Lords was generally less prone to acting on public opinion but it's decisions could still be influenced subtly if one knew what levers to throw.

A New Power is Rising in Antarctica (Part II)

January 1st, 1889, the Continent of Antarctica.

Flag of the South Polar Confederation.

Topographical Map of Antarctica.

The Directors of the South Polar Scientific Expedition had steadily reorganized their colony into five distinct territorial divisions or provinces. The South Orkneys Islands, the Antarctica Penisula (which included the South Shetland Islands), West Antarctica, East Antarctica and the Transantarctican Mountains (which was the divider between the West and East Antarctica). They had also formalized the South Polar/Antarctican Line, their initally ad hoc shipping company that exclusively provided for the colony's cargo, logistical and personel carrying needs, possessing a good number of cargo and passenger carrying sea-going, sky and air ships. These ships were now marked by black or dark blue hulls, white upper works, with dark blue funnels with a deep white band beneath a deep black funnel cap.

The South Polar Directorate (the colony's effective government) received the reports from several lookout posts about the British ironclad off their western coast without undue alarm, their intelligence services had already gathered that Great Britain, after nearly forty years was becoming remarkably curious about the colony they had helped established in the frozen southern continent. True, the British governement had largely ignored the South Polar colony's situation, as the colony was self-funded by it's wealthier members and supporters and it's material needs were not generally referenced to the British Colonial Office or indeed any other British office or department. An problems that occurred in the colony, had always been dealt with by the colonists effectively with the resources and personel they already had in hand. Pirate raids were rare so it was even rarer for the Directorate to call upon the Royal Navy or any detachments of the British Army for assistence.

Consequently the British Cabinet had only being only peripherally interested in the colony's regular scientific research reports or even it's routine status reports. These typically arrived in London four times a year since 1846, to be dissseminated to the various Royal Societies that had serious scientific interests in geography, magnetic and wildlife studies. While the colony's administrative records went straight into a special section of the Royal Archives and were promptly forgotten about. The Royal Navy, had shown even less interest in the South Polar colony, after it had all but withdrawn it's naval station in 1865. However, the Directorate had steadily become aware that a three way administrative fight had begun to develop within the British government between the Foreign Office, the Colonial Office and the Admiralty over just who in fact had effective control of the scientific colony's affairs.

The ironclad scouting out the western coast was likely the Royal Navy updating the existing coastal and ice survey maps of the south pole that were already in the Admiralty's archives. What the Directorate was not sure of was whether the Royal Navy intended to re-establish it's naval station in the South Orkneys. It would complicate things for them if that was the case, as the Directorate did not want the British authorities looking too deeply into what they were doing. Though, if they could confine the Royal Navy's interest and activities to Portal Harbour in the South Orkneys, then the situation wasn't irreparable. The Royal Navy had maintained a friendly, hands-off approach when it dealt with the Directorate in the past and it was expected to continue this attitude if it resumed regular relations with the scientific colony it had looked after from 1845-1865.

The Colonial Office's and the Foreign Office's interest was more problematic, as they would insist on taking a more active role in the Directorate's affairs. The Colonial Office, would try to appoint a colonial governor, who would be anwserable to the Secretary of State for the Colonies but not to the inhabitants of Antarctica. While the Foreign Office would try to appoint a resident-commissioner, which amounted to the same thing and would allow the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (who, just also happened to be current prime minister, Lord Salisbury) to dictate the day to day governance of the South Polar Confederation from London via a form of diplomatic remote control. The Directorate had been appraised that the Colonial Office's bid for control was unlikely to carry the day.

The British Cabinet did not feel there was any justification for it, much to the chagrin of the Right Honourable Sir Henry Thurstan Holland, 1st Baron Knutsford and his Colonial departmental staff, as they had never been involved in the Antarctican exterprise at any point in it's development or execution over the last forty-four years. The Royal Navy which had been fairly actively involved in the inital transport of the expedition and it's set up on the South Orkneys and South Shetlands as well as providing escort, logistical and mail services so the colony could develope, had a much stronger hand to play if it came to it.

The same could be said for the Foreign Office, which had had some preliminary involvement in organizing and setting up the south polar expedition, particularly since a large portion of it's original membership had been as much non-british in origins as there were English, Scottish and Welsh members. This had required a great deal of co-ordination by the Foreign Office and various other countries diplomatic services to vet the qualifications and personalities of the people applying to join the scientific mission or later join the colony when it had been more firmly established in the South Orkneys. The Directorate was thus concerned to head off any one of the three possibilities as soon as possible or for as long as possible if there was in fact no way to avoid them.

A New Power is Rising in Antarctica (Part I)

January 1st, 1889, The Continent of Antarctica.

Flag of the South Polar Confederation.

Topographical Map of Antarctica.

A masked figure dressed in heavy winter gear stood upon the rocky, snow covered hill overlooking the ice floes and drift ice covered the Bellingshausen Sea. The person shifted fractionally bringing long tubed ship binoculars to their face to examine the seascape more carefully. Antarctica was the southern most continent upon the planet of Terra, and possessed one of it's most desolate environments, the continent was a mixture of ice, mountains, tundra and polar desert.

Antarctica, had been formally discovered and it's coastline and ice shelves roughly charted by the First Russian Antarctic Expedition joinly lead by Fabian Gottlieb Benjamin von Bellingshausen and Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev aboard the Imperial Russian Naval Sloops K.Y.V. Vostok and K.Y.V. Mirny in 1819-1821.

They had made some preliminary assessments of the continent and local flora: largely Moss, fungi and Lichen and local fauna: they had noted Penguins, petrels, cormarants, gulls and albatross as well as blue whales, orca, colossal squid, fur seals and leopard seals. Though this was only by distant or off shore obervation, as no serious attempts were actually made to land due to the difficult sea and ice conditions the two naval officers encountered during their expedition. The Russian explorers had effected landings on several of the outer islands of the Antarctican Penisula with some success but they had also warned them of the likely dangers of trying it upon the interior of the continent itself.

They had also noted the frigid temperatures, and snow falls that dominated the continent's climate. They found it to be the coldest, windiest, and driest of Terra's continents. Near the coast, the temperature rarely exceeded 10 °C in summer and fell to below −40 °C in winter. Over the elevated inland, it could rise to about −30 °C in summer but fall below −80 °C in winter. The harsh arctic wind, also surprised the Russian explorers, as it was frequently very strong and very presistent. This caused attempts to survey Antarctica from the air by tethered and dirigible balloons, and four light observational aircraft carried by the two sloops to be problematic.

Beyond this initial scientific and navigational expedition, scant further interest had been taken in Antarctica by any of the major naval or imperial powers. The only other major scientific and navigational expedition to Antarctica was mounted by Great Britain in 1839-43, under the command of James Clark Ross in the H.M.S. Erebus and H.M.S. Terror, which confirmed many of Bellingshausen and Lazarev's 1819-21 findings and made several discoveries of their own. The frozen continent, which was regarded as worthless for either valuable resources or basing rights, had largely been left to the occassional attention of seasonal deep sea fishermen, whalers and seal hunters since the 1820s. That, at least had been the official story as far as anyone was concerned, regarding the south polar regions, the truth had in fact been rather more different.

In truth, the interests of a number of individuals had been excited by the observations and reports of Bellingshausen and Lazarev, which had been published in various polar and scientific journals and intensively discussed during 1822-24. Quietly, these interested parties had gotten together and pooled their resources, recruited whatever personel was deemed necessary and charted a small fleet of specially modified or built arctic ships and ice breakers to establish a permanent scientific colony/research station in the Antarctic Penisula, that the Russians had already partially charted.

They had obtained provisional leases from the British Empire to use the South Orkney and South Shetland islands off the peninsula, which the British had claimed largely for distant fishing and whaling rights but had never formally occupied. This whole process had taken some twenty years of intense preparations and lobbying before the first group of explorers and researchers was ready to leave for the Antarctica in 1844.

This arrangement had suited both the organizers of the new antarctican expedition and the British government, as it gave the reseach group "official" British support and nominal "protection". From the British perspective, the enterprise, allowed them to actually have someone occupy the islands, at no cost to the British Treasury. Through 1845, the first waves of people arrived by ship at the South Orkneys to establish what the organizers called their portal camp to the Antarctican continent. It would serve as their main supply and communications hub with the outside world. They were escorted by the Royal Navy armoured cruiser H.M.S. Endurant, which was based in the British Falkland islands and would thereafter visit, the South Orkneys, once every few months to see that all was well and bring news and mail from the outside world to the base, as well as escort incoming and outgoing supply convoys the group had chartered.

The next forty-four years had followed a steady rythme, of development, exploration and entrenchment by the explorer community both in the South Orkneys, the South Shetlands and the Antarctic Penisula. Within the first twenty years of it's founding, the British government had all but forgotten about the scientific colony. By 1865, due to naval committments elsewhere in the world, the Endurant was withdrawn from it's escort and mail duties and the South Polar colony was advised to organize it's own system of dispatch and escort vessels for the supply convoys.

Unknown to the British government in distant London, the Antarcticans, had already done just that; having secretly established a capable and well armed land militia to both police and protect their research stations, store houses and living installations that now dotted the whole of the Penisula and Western Antarctica up to and including the Transantarctican Mountain range. Had the British been aware of this, and the powerful navy the Antarcticans were in the process of secretly assembling in hidden naval dockyards buried in the south polar glaciers and rocky coasts they would have been even more alarmed.

Another twenty-four years had passed quietly enough, without the British Empire showing the slightest signs that it understood just what was going on within the confines of the South Pole. Which, suited it's inhabitants just fine. It had given them the preciously needed time to build their strength, increase their numbers and prefect their arrangements for the day they knew was coming. The South Polar Confederation, as they called themselves, now covered the whole of the Eastern Antarctica.

Today, though, that long quiet might be ending the observer thought. He watched as a British warship made steady progress across the furthest edge of the Bellingshausen Sea for the first time in years to check up on the silent, ice entombed colony. Ordinarily, British ships approached the Antarctican coasts from the direction of the Falklands, making for the harbour at South Orkneys, this ship was not. It was approaching from the west, nosing around to see what it could without the colony being aware they were doing it.

Evidently, the British didn't know that the colony was now spread all over the continent and all the coasts had watch posts to observe and report anyone or anything in the area to the South Polar capital. If, the British Royal Navy, still thought the colony was confined to the South Orkneys, South Shetlands and the Penisula, as their last reports indicated, it didn't explain why they would be curious about the rest of the coastline. He watched the armoured ship, for he could see clearly that it was a major ironclad warship after watching it for nearly an hour. Time to report in, he thought, his superiors would determine the best response to this interloper.