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Air Force One / (Resolute Bay)

7:57 a.m., CDT

The President settled down in his favourite spot, the captain’s seat in the Boeing 747, Air Force One. He had just taken off from Resolute Bay for Washington.

Things were moving on schedule. This early morning start should get him back into the White House before three o’clock in the afternoon. It was not to be a direct trip, however. He had one more visit in mind.

They were climbing sharply, headed south over the Northwest Passage. Suddenly the President pulled back the power and levelled off at 2,000 feet. And then, smiling to himself at the startled glance Colonel Mike Wypich threw his way, he turned the big bird in a slow arc to proceed east down the Passage.

Answering the captain’s unspoken question he said, “Don’t panic, Mike. We’re going to inspect the newest, toughest ice-breaker in the world. You don’t know it, the Canadians don’t know it — yet — but the Polar Star is in the Northwest Passage, and she should steam by Resolute Bay in about an hour and a half! This is her first shakedown voyage, and we’re going to drop by.”

Wypich asked, “How did she get up here so fast, Mr. President?”

“Very simple, Mike. She was in Baffin Bay last week, pretty close to Lancaster Sound, the eastern entrance of the Northwest Passage. I thought it might be useful to show the flag this morning, so I instructed the captain to take her past Resolute Bay as close to shore as he could safely go, and then head east toward McClure Strait. That’s where the Manhattan got stuck in 1972. I’d like the captain to go right through McClure Strait. The underwater ice formations they call pingoes may make it difficult, but the Polar Star has two pretty sophisticated sets of sonar sounding gear which should make it possible for her to get through all right. The United States claims that the Northwest Passage is high seas, Mike, and I want to show Canada we mean what we say.”

“There she is, sir,” Mike exclaimed. “Twelve o’clock and about five miles coming straight at us.”

“Beautiful!” said the President. “Beautiful! Let’s have a good look.”

As Air Force One approached the Polar Star from the west, the President let down to 1,000 feet and turned slightly to the south so he could pass by the ship and have a good view of her.

“Beautiful” he said once again. “Mike, see if you can crank up the captain on the blower. His name is Anderson. You can probably get him on the emergency frequency.”

Within forty-five seconds Mike had the captain on the radio. The President said, “Captain Anderson, this is the President. I want to congratulate you on a first-class job in getting that beautiful big ship into the Northwest Passage and over here as quickly as you have. Try to get in as close to Resolute Bay as you can when you go by. I don’t want anybody to miss the fact you’re here carrying the flag. I know you should probably keep twelve miles offshore to stay clear of Canadian waters, but I think you ought to bend it a little this morning. Do you think you can get the Polar Star through McClure Strait?”

Anderson came back, “Yes, sir, no question about it. The pingoes have been charted and I have a channel through them, so that shouldn’t be any problem. And with my 75,000 horsepower, I’m sure I can get through that ice whether it’s ten feet or fourteen feet thick.”

“Fine,” the President said. “Mighty fine. Now remember, Captain, it’s important to the United States that the Polar Star get through McClure Strait. It’s also important that she doesn’t sink, of course.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I’ll be keeping an eye on you once you get into the McClure, Captain. Good luck.”

“Thank you, sir,” said Anderson.

The President did one more circle around his prize polar ice-breaker — 14,000 tons of super-hard, ice-fortified steel.

As the President watched, the gray-painted hull of the Polar Star sliced neatly through a three-foot pan of ice as if it wasn’t there. The President guessed she was steaming about 20 knots. He could see the two helicopters which she carried on board to the rear of the great funnel. The high bridge, located just slightly ahead of midships, was strewn with electronic gear and wires. Otherwise the great ship was completely uncluttered. Despite her vast bulk and weight, the Polar Star was as trim and sleek as a racer. She had an appearance of grace, lightness, and speed which belied her function as a floating battering-ram.

As he finished his last circling turn over the bow, the President said, “She’s the best in the world, Mike. For the United States, that’s the way it should be.”

With that, he put Air Force One on its course for Washington, and poured climbing power into the engines. “You have control, Mike. Head her for the barn; I’ve got work to do.”