The Terror

In October 1847, Captain Francis Crozier is aboard HMS Terror, which is locked in the thick ice of the Arctic near its sister ship, Erebus. He’s still frustrated by the rejection of Sophia Cracroft and his alienation among his English peers. Though an experienced and capable leader, he feels undervalued and resents being assigned to the expedition under Sir John Franklin, whom he considers an inferior seaman.

As Crozier inspects the watch, he speaks with Cornelius Hickey, a caulker’s mate, who reports hearing what might have been a scream from Erebus. Crozier then meets with Lieutenant Irving, who stayed after his watch to remain with the non-verbal Indigenous woman the men call “Lady Silence.” The crew fears her, and many of them believe she has supernatural powers. Crozier sternly orders Irving below, then warns Silence to seek shelter from the cold.

Crozier’s inspection is interrupted when Private Wilkes brings news that a sailor, Seaman Manson, refuses to carry coal past the Dead Room, claiming he hears ghosts inside. Crozier knows the noises likely come from rats feeding on corpses in the hold, but he also suspects that something else is trying to break into the ship from beneath the ice.