Sandeep huddled in the cramped radio cabin of the escort vessel HMS Resolute, headphones pressed tightly to his ears. The Morse key clicked beneath his gloved fingers as he relayed coded messages, the drone of engines and the howling wind his constant companions. His breath frosted the glass, obscuring the faint green shimmer outside, which seemed to pulse gently in the darkness.
Sandeep glanced up, mesmerized by the aurora’s dance. He felt a sudden, inexplicable warmth—like a friendly hand on his shoulder. The aurora’s light seemed to beckon, shifting in time with the rhythm of the Morse code he tapped out. "You’re a strange comfort, aren’t you? Out here, at the edge of the world," he whispered, half to himself, half to the night.
Sandeep froze, unsure if he was dreaming or losing his mind. The aurora outside seemed to pulse in response to his thoughts, painting symbols in the sky that only he could decipher. "If you can hear me, can you help us?" he murmured, fingers trembling on the key. The aurora’s light flashed, as if in affirmation, and the static resolved into a pattern—a beacon pointing north.
Sandeep relayed the aurora’s guidance to the bridge, his voice steady despite his racing heart. "Follow the lights, sir. It’s showing us the way. Trust it," he insisted to the skeptical captain. The ship adjusted course, and, one by one, the others followed, guided by the celestial trail blazing overhead.
Sandeep stood apart, gazing up at the last flickers of light. He felt an ineffable gratitude and a sense of kinship with the aurora—a silent promise exchanged across worlds. "Thank you, old friend. I’ll never forget what you did for us," he whispered, knowing somehow that the aurora heard him.
Sandeep returned to his post, headphones ready, eyes bright with a new sense of wonder. He knew the Arctic held its secrets, but he also knew that sometimes, in the loneliest reaches of the world, even the sky could become a friend.
