The Terror

Where's Minorca?

Where's the Battle of the Chesapeake?

If there was a waiting room for Sophia Cracroft,

would you hang your defeats for everyone to see?

You know, it may surprise you to hear me say this, but...

it gives me great comfort to know that your uncle is with Francis.

This afternoon we'll make our list.

We must see everyone who's written to us out of concern.

We need to prepare the ground. We could organize many things.

And we must make a special visit to Chester Place and see the Dickenses.

Charles has written to me twice.

He could be our very best ally in times to come.

My dear...

My dear, what is it?

It's nothing.

It's very wet on your cheeks to be nothing.

Oh, don't they know we can hear them?

I have made a horrible mistake, Auntie.

It's only that I have been counting the days since you sent your message

to the whalers in Baffin Bay.

I was sure that you would have heard word by now.

Oh, yes. Two replies, in fact. But, as yet, no one has seen either ship.

How far north did your letters reach

Pond Inlet, if that means anything to you.

Lady Jane had supposed Bylot Island, in fact.

I had guessed she was being optimistic.

Not by much, it turns out.

My dears, everything you can conceive of is being considered,

but I must remind you,

we've not determined any official cause for alarm.

We have confidence absolute in your husband's command of...

Are you sure that that's merited?

All of us in this room know that John was not your first choice

to lead this expedition.

- Nor was he your second. - I don't see how...

Not even your third.

We all know John.

He's... as wonderful as he is fallible.

I'd rather that we helped him now and praised him later,

if he has indeed got himself frozen in somewhere.

We feel that you, gentlemen,

must do more than consider.

You must enact a plan... now.

She could not be more correct.

There's no basis for a determination of anything here.

It's a bold decision, is it not?

Do we risk unnecessary expenditure of pounds now,

or of men later?

Thank you, Sir John.

Gentlemen...

no doubt most of you were in London

for that light snow that we had last month.

One evening after dinner I stepped out into our courtyard.

I was without a coat and even a muffler...

and I stood in that snow to see how long I could bear it.

Lady Jane, there are two years of provisions.

One hour and a quarter before I was desperate to get back indoors again.

But I made myself stay.

And what's more, I took off my shoes and I stood in that wet snow.

Two minutes more.

Two minutes, and then I was done.

Our men have been out there in unimaginable temperatures

for more than a million minutes!

No one can convince me that optimism

or confidence is warm enough.

One's sense of cold is relative to one's experience.

- I would remind you, madam... - I suspect therein lies the problem.

Most of you gentlemen have written your memoirs. I've read them.

The past tense is a very sturdy thing.

It's earned, but it does take for granted that one has survived.

The present is a different case entirely.

And so I've come here to ask you,

what is your plan, and when will it begin?

Lady Jane.

I have many friends on those ships, as you know.

Most of us here do, and I promise you it occupies our thoughts

as much as it does yours.

And I also promise you that if we have not heard word from them

by 1850...

I shall go and search myself.

Then we will do it.

Imagine! What our nation will not.

Fund a ship

Compared to what your uncle and Francis

and the rest of the men must be managing this very hour,

asking our set to put down its sherries to write checks is nothing.

He needs us, Sophia. I can feel it.

As if he were with us here, right now, asking.

And so say all of us

And so say all of us

And so say all of us

For he's a jolly good fellow

For he's a jolly good fellow

For he's a jolly good fellow

And so say all of us

And so say all of us

And so say all of us

For he's a jolly good fellow

For he's a jolly good

Sorry to interrupt, sir.

Lieutenant Little is asking

if you would like to postpone the officers' meeting.

What time is it?

It's a minute before four, sir.

We'll proceed at five.

Let them enjoy the birthday.

The party's finished, sir.

First dog watch has already gone up.

Do you know the headlines...

of the meeting?

Me, sir?

Jopson, you hear everything.

Well, Mr. Reid reports that Erebus is steady.

But Terror's bow is up another nine inches.

And Lieutenant Little is wondering

at what point we should begin moving Terrors over to berth on Erebus.

He says we can take volunteers first

so as not to overtax the flagship, sir.

And Lieutenant Irving has what sounds like

a rather pressing report on stores.

What about them?

He's concerned the tinned food is turning up spoilt, sir.

There's a problem with the solder on some of the cans.

A new kind of process, apparently.

You see?

Have you ever thought of...

becoming a newsman?

- Sir! - Oh, damn it!

Check the stern! Be quick!

Mr. Armitage, what do you report?

He's still breathing.

- Came over the gunwale, sir. - Oh, my God.

We didn't see it until it went back over the side.

That will freeze. Move him down below immediately.

Private Hammond, take the watch.

Up!

It's come onto the ship, Edward.

It's got Strong!

William Strong, sir.

It took him. We heard someone yelling for help out on the ice.

Then we realized Strong was missing.

Go below. Get 30 men into slops as quick as you can.

Have Mr. Armitage open up the armory. Shotguns to half.

- Edgar! - Sir.

Maybe it wants us to follow it, sir.

Captain, may I come?

- No ship's boys, Evans. - Sir, please.

You'll be with me.

Is Strong a mate of yours?

He's a brick to us boys, sir.

Your muffler, Evans, pull it up.

You won't even feel your nose go.

Evans! Come on up!

Evans!

Evans!

The last of the year.

It feels like an omen.

As I climbed the ridge...

I was thinking it. I could see the pattern.

But I couldn't credit an animal with having that...

You're saying a bear staged a misdirection?

I'm saying I ordered that we split up into pairs to cover more ground.

I did.

And then I left him.

I only took him with me because he was scared.

With all you're shouldering, perhaps you should...

you should curb that for now.

Does one not bring one's habits to Terror?

Pardon?

Forget it.

Don't let it bother you.

It's not as if we're going anywhere, is it?

You're in command.

Of what?

You realize that the discovery of the Passage is beyond us now?

- That's for someone after. - You don't know.

If the ships are still afloat come spring,

we will have to retreat to open water and rescue,

even with Lieutenant Fairholme's help, should he return in time.

We are not provisioned to speculate even a day...

Why are you here, Francis?

You've never believed in this cause.

No one was ordered to this. We volunteered. You volunteered.

I was, in fact, ordered.

By whom? Not by the Admiralty. You were never Barrow's choice.

Keep Sir John safe...

and ensure his judgement.

Those were my orders.

It's what she asked me to do.

Lady Jane?

No.

I don't owe her a bloody thing.

Sophia.

Miss Cracroft?

Miss Cracroft who rejected you?

Twice, as I heard it.

You discussed this?

Yes.

Sir John discussed it with me.

Well, he...