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Join Wundery Plus in the W of his cabin aboard the U.S.S. Jeanette. Then he picks up a framed

photograph of his wife and young daughter. Carefully he hangs it from the

nail, then steps back to check his work. The photo hangs a bit crooked, so he adjusts it.

Then he smiles.

It's the most precious item he brought with him

on his two-year journey to the North Pole. In the photo his wife Emma sits in their garden,

her curls spilling down her shoulders. Their seven-year-old daughter Sylvie

stands beside her mother, looking as adorable as a ladybug. The long

gazes wistfully at the family he left behind but reminds himself how lucky he

is to return to them and how proud he'll feel telling them all about his adventure.

It's August 1st, 1879, three weeks since theunette departed San Francisco.

Delong and his crew are sailing north toward Alaska.

They'll make one last stop there for supplies, then veer west toward Rangeland, north of Siberia.

That's where they'll spend the winter, waiting until the ice thaws.

Finally, next summer, they'll sail straight to the North Pole,

becoming the first human beings in history to reach it.

The Long's chest swells with pride at the thought.

Suddenly the ship lurches. His port hole window shatters and a torrent of icy sea water surges into his

cabin. De Long slips and ends up sprawled on the floor, soaking wet. He scrambles to his feet and rushes toward the deck. Have they struck an iceberg?

All the counter form? It came out of nowhere.

I almost lost my name.

...