It is said that time is just one of the forms of perception, and its true nature remains unknown. It is said to be relative, with its speed and direction depending on some circumstances. It is said that time might not exist at all, being merely a convenient illusion or a primitive concept hiding something deeper in the foundations of reality.

However, from the point of view of a polar explorer, all of this is nonsense. For him, time is the only foundation of reality. An unyielding, meaning-giving, and deadly, non-negotiable fact. Everything else is relative. The rest might as well be an illusion; a slowly fading, worthless memory.

Someone imprudent might attempt to theorize about the nature of time in front of Captain Mikkelsen. They might ask him about it and, God forbid, offer their own opinion. Captain Mikkelsen might kill them like a sick sled dog. Shoo them in the head, with some regret, but not too much. And quite rightly so.