EMPEROR PENGUINS FLIPPER 1
Stage I
END OF SUMMER––
THE AQUATIC BIRDS EMERGE FROM THE WATER
Flipper 1
AURORA AUSTRALIS, THE PENGUIN
(Not The Southern Lights)
Stopping to rest and get his bearings, Aurora takes note of how some waterways coursing through the ice sheet are blocked. It also follows how he, like a dozen or so other penguins in his company, are forced to come out of the water, then walks on the ice until another route is found. At one particular locale, he finds no convenient openings and walks (actually, sashays) a considerable distance to find what he and the other penguins are looking for—another passageway. Even then, the route may eventually be blocked given wherever it leads. And so, once again, the small troop of pod pals will exit the water and search for another reliable route. Confronted by this closing season’s uncommon roadblocks, Aurora thinks the timing of the clan’s return to the mainland is indeed pivotal, for had the penguins delayed leaving the territorial waters by a day or two, doing so might have put them in more jeopardy.
Discerning as he is exceptionally intuitive, a replay of what happened before the summer feeding began is equally unsettling. Accordingly, what Aurora thinks is happening at this time of the year may directly relate to the questionable status of the pack ice’s accelerated freezing, thereby sealing a higher percentage of waterways. Whereas before there was always a myriad of routes leading to the staging sector, a distinctive weather pattern change could be the correlation why there are now fewer openings in this vicinity. Assessing the worrisome situation, he emits a prolonged wheeze, that, in human terms, mimics the response, Hmmmmmmmm. Naturally, Aurora’s acute awareness concerns him more than most other clanners because navigating through this icy frontier will be problematic for all the penguins that left after he departed.
Presently, he and the others in their pod group swimming through the ambiguous route are temporarily forestalled for the fourth time since they started. In the past, however, the clan had the luxury and ease of swimming and ingesting krill (crustaceans of the order “Euphausiacea”) along the way. Thus, a leisurely swim with ample places to stop and rest, then continue their three-day journey. Neither were they compelled to trudge on top of the ice sheet to get a new bearing such as Aurora and the others are presently doing. Of course, if need be, penguins can walk to the staging sector if they had to but that would mean another two and maybe three days getting there. Since everything the Emperors do is based on timing, delaying the imminent long march ahead would be similar to a domino effect. Moreover, once arriving at First Place (the name of their colony’s regional rookery), there would also be another delay given what is meant to happen here in this sector of the Ross Sea, and in a timely fashion.
Averaging some 300 miles wide (482 km)r, the sharp-edged sea ice in this sector consists of older sea ice. In other words, frozen seawater. The pack ice can be also thought of as an expanding or contracting platform called stationary ice (“fast ice” given its scientific term). This extensive topping extends out from the coastline and is classified according to its thickness and shape. By contrast,“Grease ice,” which is thinnest, appears as such (greasy). Gradually, this form of ice thickens in the shape of pancakes, changing from smaller to larger. Hence the apt name, “pancake ice.” Ultimately, these fragments impact, thereby creating a buckling effect of sizable obstacles called “blue ice.” The stunning color is created by light filtering through the buckled areas.
Because Emperor Penguins rightfully earn their reputation as acrobatic and fast seabirds, without a doubt getting anywhere comes down to the fact they prefer swimming compared to walking. Moreover, their physique is better suited to aquatic activities. It follows how, at the end of summer, they want to get as close to the continent’s ice sheet as possible. On the other flipper, if the pack ice freezes solid before arriving at the staging sector (and what appears to be happening this season), the urgency of finding entry and egress points throughout the torturous ice is Aurora’s main concern. This sector for the penguin’s inbound sortie also marks a designated and traditional rendezvous point all clanners home in on and much like a beacon in their heads that helps maintain their course. The only problem is the beacon also directly points to the continent but does not take into account this season’s numerous detours that must be surmounted.
Turning around and facing the ice sheet beyond the pack ice, Aurora calculates the final destination for this phase of the clan’s end of summer diaspora is less than a few miles (4.8 km) away. Although all the penguins are nearsighted on land, they possess exceptional vision in the water. Still, he observes a fairly sizable assembly of penguins that have reached the staging sector. They also have nothing better to do but wait for more clanners to show up and to the growing census.
Surprisingly, Aurora’s not too tired after the demanding exercise getting to this point. Because he acts as both a scout and decoy for his pod pals, his brisk pace is also exceptional given the extra mileage it took for him to find passageways, as well as dodging hostile predators that pursued him. Then again, none was as fast or as shrewd and he maintained a good lead all the way. At times, he thought the zigzagging routine meant to confuse the orcas and leopard seals was more tiresome than it was for him. On the other flipper, Aurora purposely led some of the more determined predators astray, which meant less danger for other clanners who followed his lead. Now he must wait until the others show up, they continue their efforts on this last leg.
Apart from waiting, Aurora also waits for one special penguin to make her appearance––Corvus. Because she wanted to swim with her pod pals, as Aurora did with his, her departure was delayed. Accordingly, he thinks she might not arrive until later in the day, if not later. Before the clan left their territorial waters, she also mentioned how she prefers a leisurely pace swimming to the staging sector. As always, Corvus based her declaration on a sensible opinion. Namely, she had no intention of trying to catch up with the clan’s renowned and fastest penguin––Aurora Australis. Even now, he chortles to himself given what she said after they ceremoniously touched flippers before he departed. He thinks one of Corvus’ best attributes is never holding back anything she has to say to any penguin, including him.
Although he’s still suspicious by recent and strange occurrences that began at First Place before the start of the summer’s feeding season, as well as other oddities he has noticed since then, Aurora thinks what lies ahead for the colony might finish what began some few months ago. Thus, a potential misfortune that could displace the colony’s homeland. However, he doesn’t surmise something perilous might harm or destroy some colony members. Rather, it might be the case First Place that served as the clan’s homeland and nesting ground for thousands of years could be in danger. Although an Emperor Penguin’s hereditary memories only last a penguin’s lifetime, Aurora’s far-reaching insight are not restricted to their species space-time continuum. Moreover, the foundation of the rookery, if rendered useless by anomalous events he acted was aware of, will indeed force the colony to find another homeland. Presented with such a momentous and disquieting outcome, very few clanners expressed their thoughts and feelings about those repetitive and intermittent peculiar sounds and ensuing tremors. He also takes note of the fact nothing out of the ordinary has happened since last summer, except, the accelerated freezing of the pack ice that concerns him. From this premise, this latest concern he keeps to himself; at least, for the time being. He will also continue to assess the situation and see what, if anything, develops.
Until then, he’s reminded of what Corvus had mentioned to him about First Place and why she didn’t seem too concerned. Namely, their homeland has been stable for longer than any colony member recalls, and perhaps what’s happening is what Musca, the clan’s High Council leader, also said––The unusual events that began toward the end of last season’s mating cycle were likely associated with mere adjustments to the foundation. Naturally, Musca was only guessing because he didn’t want to make it appear to other clanners that he was completely oblivious about those unknown occurrences. Besides, no penguin ever realizes their species has existed for millions of years, and, therefore, the established rookeries in parts of Antarctica are utterly primal (i.e., perhaps thirty-five or forty million years). That said, Aurora is still not convinced such optimism altogether holds because his peculiar sixth sense tells him something threatening may happen after the colony reunites at the rookery. Consequently, unforeseeable events may indeed begin a new, and, this time, damaging the foundation and making the flooring unsafe for habitation. With this grim thought in mind, he is back to the original notion of how the colony may be forced to establish a new homeland in another sector.
Because a portentous outcome is wholly foreboding, Aurora plans to keep this dire information to himself; at least for the present. Not even his best pod pal, Corvus, is cognizant of such imminent danger; that is should Aurora’s predictive awareness become a reality and reinforced by his intuitive grasp of a developing situation.
As previously mentioned, Antarctica hasn’t always been in its present location. Neither has this shuttled continent far below the 60th Parallel been a virtual icebox. Before the Scott expedition departed, and after he and a few of his men perished during their return journey from the South Pole (1912), others who served under Scott’s command collected important fossils near the Beardmore Glacier in the Transantarctic Mountains. Fossils, to geologists and archeologists, provide vital clues based on what the earth was like in the distant past, including fossilized remains of lifeforms that existed in a studied geologic benchmark. Part of this collection of fossils the expedition found correlated to primal seed-fern trees (Glossopteris) that proved the continent must have once been warmer in the past, and, therefore, supported such vegetation. This insight later correlated with the so-called “Continental Drift Theory” championed by Alfred Wegener in the 1920s. Hence, what later became known as a supercontinent named Pangea whose lyrical name is derived from the Greek pangaia, meaning “all the Earth.” Sometime around 200 million years ago, the compacted and much larger estate split in two, forming the supercontinents Gondwanaland and Laurentia.
Eventually, these twin plates of amalgamated continental plates also separated. The former consisted of what would one day be called Antarctica, Africa, Australia, and South America. Consequently, those landmass segments also separated, then were set adrift (i.e., by gravity and plate tectonics moving across the Earth’s lithosphere). However, the continent that was later named “Antarctica” (meaning opposite to the Arctic) migrated far southward and eventually was grounded at the bottom of the world. Although this subject matter is explained in-depth in a later Addendum, suffice it to say Antarctica, as we know it today, was very likely formed about twenty-five million years ago. Consequently, its former Temperate Zone climate (dry and warm) was transformed by a faux mantle of thick ice. Hence, this fifth-largest continent has become a literal frozen desert beneath an ice sheet whose thickness is about 10,000 feet (3,048 m). The name of the continent is also fitting, in that Antarctica is the counterpart to the Arctic. Therefore, two polar ice caps and a distance of some 11,700 miles (18,839 km).
By mid-morning, Aurora and his pod pals finally got through the pack ice’s obstacle course and were joined by another pod group, making the count twenty penguins joining the others. Like sleek projectiles, one by one the penguins leap out of the water and are happy to see the other clanners. Both groups also constitute the clan’s first wave of penguins to reach the staging sector. Now it’s time for a welcomed rest and wait until other clanners show up.
Depending on the person and the experience, time, in Antarctica, either pass slowly or quickly. For the Emperor Penguin society, time passes quickly when they’re enjoying their leisure, yet slowly when facing a daunting trek across the ice sheet. Presently, however, time seems to be paradoxical for Aurora’s clan, in that the passage of minutes, hours, or days doesn’t seem to be fast or slow. This peculiar sensation may have something to do with their internal clocks that places the penguins between two diametrical schedules and routine: replete feeding followed by extreme fasting.
Surveying the pack ice, and looking southward, Aurora takes note of the fact the foundation he’s standing on has indeed thickened and lengthened. Given this astute observation, it follows how the distance from the ice sheet to the outer edge where he and the others began their journey a few days ago has increased. Out there in that vast distance penguins still en route to the staging sector porpoise and navigate through the remaining slender and sinuous lanes of open water. At times, it will be necessary for those clanners, as it was for Aurora and the others he navigated with, to dive and swim beneath the pack ice until another open patch of water appears. Those inbound penguins are also forced to hike on top of the ice and search for an opening, then plunge back into the water. What these penguins don’t know, however, is this close to the ice sheet, where Aurora and the others wait, there are only a relative few openings remaining. Even some of those egress locales are starting to freeze with a thin glaze of ice. Nevertheless, the ice is still thin enough for penguins to break through with their heads; that is, for now. The trick, of course, is finding minimal openings. Because these slushy openings provide the only means of escape from the water, every second count for the penguins based on the fact they can hold their breath for only so long, say, seventeen minutes on average, and anything past this limit will push the proverbial envelope to the limits.
As for the clan’s migrating exercise now underway on this final day of their return to the continental ice sheet, with this region’s teeming census, timing is of great importance. In this sense, there can be no guessing when it comes to gauging the weather or where the ice is thinnest and openings are relatively common. At all times, penguins headed in this direction (north-northeast) must also be aware of their geographical fix. It’s as though every clanner reads from a map inside its head. Naturally, the reason for having such awareness at all times is the fact the constantly shifting pack ice might suddenly close gaps, especially when the end of summer season temperatures are relatively warmer as they are today. That’s also what Aurora and his pod pals discovered toward the end of today’s swim and hike sojourn––fewer openings. For this reason, when swimming beneath the pack ice, and being this close to the pack ice, the timing of the next opening must be calculated and not a guess or a gamble.
Pacing back and forth, Aurora realizes these, among other, difficulties the inbound penguins will have or are having, yet there is nothing he or any other penguin can do to help. He can only wait and watch. In the meantime, the transit of penguins headed in this direction is traditionally a leisurely affair as it is unquestionably timely––leisurely because the penguins are all stuffed with food, which tends to slow their pace, and timely because the clan will soon depart as a strung-out congregation when the word is given by the clan’s leader, Musca. Likely, that unanimous decision will be made tomorrow. Besides, when the command is given, no penguin ever protests. In this sense, these Emperors of Antarctica always follow the leader of their respective clans. Even if the leader is too slow to march close to the front of the line, which is a fitting description of his nature. He merely tells the clan to depart and there’s an end to it as the saying goes.
Presented with the cattlemen’s move ‘em out saying, dawdlers and plodding penguins must be wary, for to linger behind, even for the sake of snagging one more meal from the bounty of the water, is not only to risk missing the departing parade but also risk getting left further behind as hours pass. The greater risk, of course, entails how lone penguins or even a few stragglers traveling together are likely to get lost or confused along the way. That said, First Place, for Aurora’s clan, is a seven-day march from the staging sector. Because the icy landscape is constantly changing (in this case, honing features), finding their way back to the rookery can be tricky; at least in some sectors. Sometimes so difficult detours are necessary.
Finding a safe and reliable route across the ranging and convoluted topography is, therefore, beset with obstacles (such as mammoth-sized blocks of ice). Naturally, roadblocks add to the potential peril all penguins face, especially stragglers trying to keep up with the main entourage. It follows how the longer a penguin delays leaving the staging sector, the more likely its life span is reciprocally shorter. Indeed, timing in the land down under is everything crucial to the Emperor Penguin’s way of life.
All that to one side, with the risks also come the rewards. Specifically, what incites Emperor Penguins to reassemble as a collective body at this time of the year relates to an instinct enhanced by a steadfast tradition: the mating season once all the clans and their respective clanners assemble at First Place. Besides, no penguin ever misses this crucial engagement unless tardy or injured. Knowing there are four distinct seasons in an Austral year, in actuality, Antarctica favors only two seasons––the short summer and the longer autumn through spring months. Thus, marking a prolonged period at the rookery that heralds a return of darkness for six months and the weather turns life-threatening temperatures and unforgiving, and, yes, even for these stalwart creatures.
Diving into the water to help penguins that are stymied and where to find a convenient opening, Aurora swims toward a relatively few leaping out of a nearby opening glazed over by a thin coating of ice. Thrusting hard forward in a belly flop stance, Aurora, who is the largest penguin in the clan, glides to a finish on the rough surface. Getting back on his feet, he steps back from the opening as a precautionary measure, then breathes in a large volume of air. Aware of the looming danger of opportunistic predators, his reason for moving quickly from the opening is to prevent what happened moments earlier to another penguin in this vicinity: she was about to leap out of the water when a Leopard seal also leaped and grasped her lower body. By the time Aurora got there, the greenish water had turned red. Often, the arch enemies of all penguins––orcas and leopard seals––patiently wait for a potential meal to spring from the water, only to be yanked backward in a split second. A fatal outcome soon follows.
Beckoning the foursome with his flippers, Aurora waits for their arrival and he’ll lead them closer to the shore. Commencing a 360-degree lookout, he also notices there are no other lifeforms anywhere to be seen––terns, seagulls, other penguin species, or seals that are harmless to his species. Not even humans are seen in the backdrop. Instead, there are now about one hundred fifty penguins, all of whom relish the fresh air, as well as relief and end of a tiring swim to this sector of the pack ice. When the four penguins approach, he plunges back into the water and they follow Aurora to the opening that is closer to the shore. Once the foursome emerges, they flop on the ice, then rest and are motionless for a few minutes. Aurora notices these younger members of the clan are nearly exhausted and commends them for having made the swim in a timely fashion. One of the penguins has also just completed her so-called sea trial years. Consequently, this will be her first return to the rookery since she was born some five years earlier.
Regarded as one of the most perceptive and talented penguins in the clan, for his large size Aurora is also one of the fastest penguins and certainly the fastest in his pod. As previously touched upon, his exceptional speed is meant to serve fellow clanners as a voluntary decoy. For instance, the past few days no predator matched Aurora’s skills and exceptional moves meant to attract attention to himself, and, therefore, purposely maneuvering away from other penguins in the vicinity. Given this strategy, Aurora managed to accelerate and get between the predator and its potential victim with the seeming attempt to sacrifice his larger and more tempting physique as a primary target. Even a few seconds was enough time for the other penguin to escape. Then again, Aurora is exceedingly agile in the water and has all the right moves. In other words, he knows when to zig or zag in a split second. With these two skills (speed and agility), Aurora easily outpaces an aggressor in pursuit. Once he’s in the clear, he eventually circles back and rejoins the pod and is soon back in the lead.
The decisive role Aurora plays in such close encounter tactics not only speaks volumes for his courage, talent, and tenacity when confronting a rival species but also poses a high risk. Namely how he might end up as prey instead of bait. Some of the time he even taunts a predator, which likely is what keeps the aggressor fixated on snagging the biggest catch of the day––Aurora. For those, like Aurora, who serve in this capacity, it’s not just speed and agility that counts, but also instinct and timing. Acquiring such requisite experience also takes years to acquire.
Habitually discerning by nature that also coincides with Aurora’s noteworthy reasoning powers, he is one of the oldest penguins in the clan, as well as in the colony. He’s also considered more discerning than most penguins; however, humility prevents him from making this declaration either to others or to himself. His perspicuity on penguin social matters is equally distinctive, which, as a trait, is not considered a faux pas of penguin etiquette. Rather, Aurora’s circumspection coincides with a higher skill of decorum suitable to his temperament. For instance, squabbles among clanners sometimes break out and another penguin serving in the role of a referee is usually needed to quell these occasional outbursts. Aurora has acted in said capacity many times over many years. He is also considered an outstanding and selfless member of the clan and is more than willing to help any penguin needing assistance. Moreover, he’s been known to have rescued quite a few penguins from imminent death by predators.
All that said, none of these admirable traits have Aurora ever considered as noteworthy, particularly, the rare and exceptional achievement of one Emperor Penguin saving another. Given the propriety of their species, what one penguin does for the other is merely and modestly labeled “reciprocal.” Therefore, based on the fact anything that maintains the colony’s census is considered an essential and fitting sacrifice that has to be made. When it comes to protecting another clanner, an Emperor Penguin’s temperament is most assuredly never considered vainglorious. Instead, they are selfless for the greater good of the community. In short, they do not have the human equivalence of self-esteem.
Now that Aurora’s back on solid ground again, in this case, ice, he continues his watch for incoming fellow clanners who may need his help, he also paces and gets used to feeling the full weight of his body. Then again, his heavier physique suggests he, like all the other penguins marking time, seems to listen to a rhythmic sequence playing in his head. Hence, bobbing to an inaudible beat. The effect is as though he struts like an impresario and occasionally rotates one or both flippers. Of course, Emperor Penguins are naturally expressive and animated given their usual physical display and energy. Some even talk to themselves for something extra to do.
Stopping to pan the near and far view, Aurora regards his fellow clanners. Thus far, there are some two hundred fifty penguins de-stressing. All are carefree and idle but remain in a holding pattern. Thus, not altogether relaxed. Most conversations he monitors center on how good the hunting was over the summer. One penguin also remarks how Musca, for his obesity and size, even managed to feed to the excess. Two other nearby penguins boast about their respective near misses with wily predators. For them, as well as most others in the clan, hindsight, Aurora thinks, sometimes turns dramatic situations illustrative, even amusing. Given all of the lively conversations, Aurora also enjoys the reminisces. From his perspective, the summation of the non-stop dialogue he hears amounts to an All’s well that ends well scenario.
For Aurora, however, this assessment is not always the case. Notably, there is another curious matter that’s still on his thinker (what Emperor Penguins refer to as their “mind”). Hence, those odd and bothersome events that happened a few months ago that he still thinks might be connected given what’s presently happening to the pack ice. He’s not sure any of the penguins he watches and hears in the background are aware of the unusual circumstances that made this season’s return to the staging sector more challenging but the fact is he’s aware. All’s well that ends well, indeed! Now that a new season and way of life is underway once again, will the mystery he’s contemplating turn more alarming once the colony reunites at First Place? Naturally, Aurora has no way of knowing what will happen, except his hunch tells him he and all the colony clanners have not heard the last of those freakish sounds and ensuing delayed tremors likely caused by whatever made the grating noises that preceded the tremors; at least, in most cases, the tremors followed.
Intended to change the direction of his thoughts, Aurora observes numerous bulbous profiles and swollen stomachs of a new hoard of penguins shuffling around nearby, which also describes his protruding chest and stomach. Stuffed with food, he knows this is a good sensation and inflated anatomy for all penguins at this time of year. However, from here on, their body shapes will gradually turn svelte and malnourished. Moreover, pity the penguins in the clan who did not fill out so nicely and add to their body fat reserves. Most likely, these relatively few will be among the first to suffer or succumb to the elements, starting with the extreme cold. Besides, without adequate energy reserves and the absence of stored nourishment, there is no stamina and where they’re headed from the staging sector most assuredly requires both factors for a penguin’s well-being. But that’s tomorrow or the day after if need be. Today, they’re all enjoying the sunshine and a balmy temperature in the low 30s; that is as long as the relatively warmer temperature holds. Their composure and attitude are also fortified by thick, dark, and waterproof plumage of the dorsal surface that absorbs heat from the sun. Thermoregulation, as the process is known, also occurs without altering metabolism while enhancing the comfort and endurance aspects of all penguin species. As long as the Emperors are healthy, they are impervious to climate, regardless of the conditions and temperature of the weather.
To help limit heat loss, Emperor Penguin’s extremities are effectively reduced in size. Thus, with a relatively small head and bill based on body size; also, their flippers are proportionately twenty-five percent smaller than those of other penguins. Given this aspect of their body build and physiology, their genetic design favors ways of maintaining precious body heat. Penguins also have a highly developed counter-current circulatory system that provides an efficient mechanism for retaining heat within the body. Indeed, their feathers are so densely packed in multiple layers that even the fiercest wind seldom ruffles the plumage. In other words, all penguin species are prepared for the worst given their advantageous body design.
Stepping away from his comrades in flippers, Aurora is, once again, thoroughly contemplative and preoccupied with his thoughts relegated to other matters that override a fleeting state of complacency. One, of course, is the pack ice’s accelerated freezing and the other is Corvus. He’s not exactly anxious that she hasn’t shown up so much as the fact he’s eager to share with her some of his latest theories (hunches) and see what she thinks about such notions. Still, he bides his time, as do all the other penguins waiting for their pod pals to make an appearance.
As though venting a sizable buildup of mental energy, Aurora’s intermittent wheezes signal the others around him that the big penguin towering over their smaller stature is heedful about something that has his thinker working overtime. Adding to his private suspense, Aurora notices the opening he and the other penguins leaped from earlier has already glazed over. Before long, that thin layer of ice will thicken and make this exit useless for penguins searching for a way out of the water.
Apart from Aurora’s concerns, the somewhat climate today and windless conditions suggest a promising start of a new season for the clanners. The early autumn’s fading light also heralds a fast-approaching winter, marking the second, and longest, austral season extending into late spring. As mentioned, where the clan gathers today is also both the end of a journey and the start of a new journey. In other words, the aquatic to the terrestrial. From here on, everything is going to challenge every regional colony member vectoring toward First Place. This fact of an Emperor Penguin’s life and tradition also concerns Aurora, for something new has just occurred to him: What if First Place has already been destroyed?
Turning his back on his peers, Aurora’s focus changes from a casual concern and assessment to consternation. Consequently, his thoughts are arresting. Turning around again, he looks over the shoulders of fellow clanners. Despite their large eyes, which are the largest of any penguin species, Aurora’s vision has its drawbacks. Namely, lacking acuity and depth of field is minimal. Nevertheless, he discerns something in the backdrop that may confirm or quell his disquiet. Scanning a nebulous void of sky hanging over the ice sheet, Aurora tilts his head, scans a distant ice shelf, then the closer higher ground sector defining the McMurdo Station locale. To the northeast, he scans the even loftier ramparts of Victoria Land’s dark-faced rock outcroppings and conical mountain summits rising from the continent’s beveled floor. Noticing nothing out of the ordinary, other than the fact he and the others will eventually head in that direction that leads to the rookery, he emits what sounds like a sigh. Shuffling and changing position, Aurora tuns and focuses on the pack ice. This time, he surveys the corrugated contour of ice stretching toward a nondescript screen of blue sky melding with a continuing platform of ice farther out. The light in this sector and at this time of day is saturated with iridescent scribblings around the outer edges. Even farther out, indistinct and silhouetted shapes drift across a darker gray outline denoting the Southern Ocean, which, of course, cannot be seen from this vantage. Nevertheless, he recalls the prodigious-sized chunks of ice (icebergs) passing through the clan’s territorial waters these past few months. The foundation of the pack ice edging toward their territorial waters was indeed farther out more than usual.
At the time, Aurora was digesting his food and was fascinated by the visual display. Presently, however, he thinks there is something unusual going on in his world. When he and the others arrive at First Place, he’s almost convinced other oddities likely will occur. The novelty of the pack ice’s configuration is, therefore, more and more intriguing to Aurora. Naturally, he has no way of knowing the floating ice platform extended from the continent’s thicker ice sheet is associated with a warmer climate. The warming effect is also coupled with the wind blowing from the interior of the continent and is directly connected with the expansion, as well as the earlier than usual freezing of the pack ice. Nevertheless, that’s what’s happening, and that’s why surface openings are few and far between. Sensing something along those lines is happening, his concerned assessment is based on the principal nothing in Nature ever happens without a reason.
After emitting a reflective and protracted wheeze that helps settle his thinker, Aurora struts back and forth while pondering what his perceptions are revealing, though without a complete explanation. Sifting through the essential information that intensifies his introspection, he is indeed stymied. Whatever strangeness titillates his senses is also worrisome. In short, the overall veneer of Above Place is simply not what it used to be. (Above Place is the Emperor Penguin designation for Antarctica’s pack ice and ice sheet, which is opposed to Below Place where the penguins hunt and feed in the water.) Something most unusual is happening to the homeland and Aurora wants to know why because his nature is naturally curious. He is, once again, curious to know if what’s happening here in the staging sector is connected with what happened to First Place a few months ago. Moreover, he now has additional evidence that may confirm his earlier suspicions something is amiss with its foundation.
By now, there are some three hundred penguins mustered throughout the staging sector and more clanners showing up by the minute. These new arrivals shake off excess water from their plumage, then join the assembly of their peers and wait, then wait some more for the others to show up and do the same. Three penguins among them are also part of Aurora’s pod who notice he’s off by himself. They approach and report nothing threatening has occurred in their group, meaning, penguins who were injured or killed by predation. Gesturing with their flippers, it’s a sign of relaxation and content for having returned to the staging sector unscathed. The three attending penguins also quizzed other penguins about sightings of predators. Apart from the penguin that was dragged into the water earlier, they were told there were no sightings of predators this close to the staging sector. This is good news to hear, of course, yet one predator had snagged one of their own, which Aurora keeps this news to himself.
So far, all the assembled penguins reveal protuberant belly bulges. As a collected group, an image of stuffed, overweight munchkins dressed in what appears to look like tuxedo attire with broad chests bared is an apt description of the Emperor Penguin physique. Then again, the more body fat––blubber––the better are the chances a penguin has for a protracted fast given the lean months ahead, of which there are many.
When the three penguins wander off and join the others, Aurora did not hear any penguin names mentioned who were close to the staging sector, especially Corvus’s. Neither did he inquire if any of the three saw her, for that would be too presumptuous to have asked because Emperor Penguins do not favor their preferences. Still, it would have been a comfort to Aurora knowing his best pod pal is closer to the ice sheet. Presently, he not only misses her company but looks forward to sharing what he knows––or thinks he knows––what might be happening to Above Place.
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