Emil drog upp sin halsduk lite högre och blickade ut över den isiga tundran.

Emil pulled his scarf a bit higher and gazed out over the icy tundra.

Bortom den lilla stationen fanns det ett fåtal bebyggelser, och mitt ibland dem, en liten butik.

Beyond the small station, there were a few settlements, and among them, a little store.

Butiken var gammal och slitn men en färggrann fyr i det bleka landskapet, fylld med saker som skulle kunna bli livsviktiga för vintern som kom.

The store was old and worn but a colorful beacon in the pale landscape, filled with things that could be vital for the coming winter.

Det var höst, och vinden rev i kinderna.

It was autumn, and the wind bit at cheeks.

Emil hade bott här i flera månader, men sakta började han känna av den ökande isoleringen.

Emil had lived here for several months, but slowly he began to feel the increasing isolation.

Snart skulle de vara helt beroende av det lager de kunde bygga upp nu.

Soon they would be entirely dependent on the stock they could build up now.

Sofia och Johan, de enda andra forskarna vid utposten, stod redan vid butikens ingång.

Sofia and Johan, the only other researchers at the outpost, were already standing at the store's entrance.

De hälsade varmt när Emil kom fram, deras andetag virvlade runt dem som ett resultat av den kallfrusna luften.

They greeted warmly as Emil approached, their breaths swirling around them as a result of the frigid air.

Inne i butiken värmde små kaminer upp det lilla rummet.

Inside the store, small stoves warmed up the little room.

Hyllorna var inte fyllda, utbudet sinade på grund av en försening i leveranserna.

The shelves were not filled; the supply was dwindling due to a delay in deliveries.

Sofia studerade listan hon hade i handen.

Sofia studied the list she had in her hand.

"Vi har inte mycket tid innan allting är borta," sa hon och kastade en blick upp mot hyllorna där varorna snabbt försvann.

"We don't have much time before everything is gone," she said, casting a glance up at the shelves where the goods were quickly disappearing.

Johan nickade instämmande.

Johan nodded in agreement.

"Vi måste vara smarta med vad vi väljer."

"We have to be smart about what we choose."

Emil började gå runt i butiken.

Emil started walking around the store.

Varorna var få, och behovet stort.

The goods were few, and the need was great.

Han plockade upp en av de sista värmepåsarna och kände tyngden i sin hand.

He picked up one of the last heat packs and felt the weight in his hand.

Den skulle komma bra till pass under kalla nätter när temperaturen sjönk till botten av termometern.

It would come in handy during cold nights when temperatures dropped to the bottom of the thermometer.

"Vi kanske borde köpa tillsammans," föreslog Johan.

"Maybe we should buy together," suggested Johan.

"Om vi delar på saker och ting kan vi klara oss bättre."

"If we share things, we can get by better."

Efter lite diskussioner kom de överens.

After some discussions, they agreed.

De bestämde vad som var viktigast, och köpte noggrant det som räckte till alla.

They determined what was most important and carefully purchased what was enough for everyone.

Men precis när de plockade åt sig det sista, erinrade sig Johan att han hade glömt att ta med några värmepåsar.

But just as they were picking up the last items, Johan remembered that he had forgotten to bring some heat packs.

Emil tittade på värmepåsen i sin hand.

Emil looked at the heat pack in his hand.

Ensam skulle han ha behövt fler.

Alone, he would have needed more.

Men han såg på Johan och Sofia och insåg att detta var ett tillfälle.

But he looked at Johan and Sofia and realized this was an opportunity.

Det fanns inget mer hemma.

There was nothing more at home.

Med ett litet leende räckte han över påsen till Johan.

With a small smile, he handed the pack over to Johan.

"Vi kommer att behöva ta hand om varandra," sa Emil och kände värmen av deras sällskap i det lilla rummet.

"We'll need to take care of each other," said Emil, feeling the warmth of their company in the small room.

Kylan utanför var oförändrad, men inombords kände Emil en förändring.

The cold outside was unchanged, but inside, Emil felt a transformation.

Vindarna må ha blåst starkt mot utposten, men bland sina kollegor, sina vänner, hade Emil funnit något mycket mer värmande än en enkel värmepåse.

The winds might have been blowing strongly against the outpost, but among his colleagues, his friends, Emil had found something much more warming than a simple heat pack.

När de tillsammans lämnade butiken med sina förnödenheter, visste Emil att han inte längre var ensam.

As they left the store together with their supplies, Emil knew he was no longer alone.

Han var en del av en gemenskap, där varje handling av framåtanda och delad värme skulle se dem genom den långa, kyliga vintern.

He was part of a community, where every act of foresight and shared warmth would see them through the long, chilly winter.