One Night in Longyearbyen

Summary

• The chapter takes place in Longyearbyen, the world's most northern town with a population of around two thousand people.
• The main character, Nora, has just returned from a boat trip where she and her colleagues collected rock, ice, and plant samples.
• Despite not understanding the specifics of the scientific work they've been doing, Nora understands they've been studying the speed of ice melting in the region to understand the acceleration rate of climate change.
• Nora is also dealing with a shock— she feels she is finally beginning to want to be alive again and desires to do something good with her life. The desire comes from working with her fellow scientists, who are doing their bit to save the planet.
• She becomes a hero to her colleagues after sharing an encounter she had with a polar bear. They celebrate their day’s work and her bravery at a restaurant in Longyearbyen where she surprises everyone by choosing a vegan meal.
• While walking back to their accommodation, Hugo, one of Nora's colleagues, confronts her suspecting that she's not the same person she was the day before. He implies that like him, she has the ability to shift between different lives. Nora is initially defensive but intrigued by what he has to say.
• Hugo asks Nora to meet him in the communal kitchen in five minutes to discuss it more. Despite not particularly liking Hugo, Nora agrees, curious about his assertions and wanting to know if he can be trusted.