Stella Olemaun

30 Days of Night

Stella Olemaun was the Sheriff’s Deputy in Barrow, Alaska. Barrow is the northernmost settlement of North America, and is a place where the average temperatures are below zero. The unique thing about Barrow is that they have continuous sunshine between May 10th and August 2nd. They also have 30 days of continuous knight in the winter when the sun sets on November 18 and doesn’t rise again until December 17th, an aspect of the town that would peak the interest of the un-dead. Stella worked with her husband, Sheriff Eben Olemaun, managing the law and order of their small town.

It was November of 2001 when strange occurrences began happening in Barrow. A string of robberies and vandalism had struck the small town town. Almost everyone in town reported their cell phones stolen. Stella discovered the smoldering pit that the phones were torched in just outside of town and had called Eben to take a look. They remained outside of town to watch the last sunset for the month together. This would be the last sunset that Eben would see alive.

After the sun went down Eben received a call on his radio concerning a disturbance at Ikos restaurant. There was a strange man causing commotion because the restaurant wouldn’t serve him raw meat. Eben and Stella took him in. In jail the man attempted to rile up Eben by threatening Stella, and by telling them that they were all going to die soon. He bent the bars of the jail cell and staggered toward them. Eben took him down with a shot to the head, and Stella made sure he was down with a few more. Shook up they decided to pay Gus Lambert a visit to see why communications were still down. When they arrived they found the communications building burned down, all the equipment destroyed, and Gus’s severed head impaled on a stake in front of the rubble.

Eben and Stella made their way back to town, but stopped on their way when they saw a light in the distance. Though his binoculars Gus was able to see the approach of the un-dead in the distance as they made their way across the tundra towards the town. Gus and Stella rushed back to town. They were unable to alert or save everyone in town, but the pair as well as a few other survivors were able to hide in a basement as the massacre of the people of Barrow began. They had only a small window with which they were forced to bear witness to the carnage as Marlow Roderick and the other vampires slaughtered and ate everyone they encountered in town. They had little warmth, food, or hope, and Eben decided to go out to search for food, medical, and other supplies.

By the time Eben came back, Stella was nursing one of the survivors. He had ventured out of the safety of the basement they held up in, and went out to look for his girlfriend. While he was out he was injured by one of the vampires. As man lay dying he turned into a vampire, and turned on the other survivors. Eben split his head with an axe, then pulled a syringe of the vampires blood. Stella removed his head, killing him.

Eben and Stella watched through the narrow window as Vicente came into the town. One of the few remaining elder vampires, Vicente came to Barrow to punish the young vampires who would risk their secrecy, their way of life, and would slaughter humans with so little care. Vicente killed Marlow and told the other vampires to set the town ablaze to make the destruction look like an accident.

Not long after Marlow’s death, Taylor Ali arrives in Barrow. Taylor was sent by his mother, Judith Ali, to record video evidence of the existence of vampires. Flying over the town, his camera captures footage of the vampires below. Vicente leaps into the air and brings down the helicopter, giving the vampires a convenient scapegoat for the destruction of Barrow.

Knowing that there was no other way to save his wife’s life, Eben injected himself with the dead vampire’s blood. Stella objected, but Eben wouldn’t listen. Eben died and as he awoke as a vampire Eben told Stella that he could smell her blood, startling her. Eben rushed away, afraid of hurting Stella.

Stella could do nothing but watch helplessly as Eben challenged Vicente to a fight. Despite Vicente’s experience, Eben won, punching through Vicente’s mouth and straight out the back of his skull. After the battle Stella realized that the sun would be up again in only a couple of days. Eben and Stella sat and watched the sun come up again. Within moments there was only a pile of ash and clothing where Eben once sat, and Stella was left alone.

Dark Days

After the event in Barrow, Stella became a changed woman. No longer was she the afraid woman from Barrow, Alaska. Strengthened with a new resolve after Eben’s death, Stella sought to correct things by smoking out and killing as many vampires as possible. Stella published a book titled 30 Days of Night which explained, in detail, exactly what had occurred in Barrow. Stella had learned a lot about vampires during the incident. By injecting himself with the vampire’s blood and turning himself Eben had proved that vampirism was a disease, and was transmitted through the blood. Stella also knew that for all their enhanced functions and longevity that given the correct circumstances vampires were as vulnerable as anyone else.

Stella hired an entourage for protection, and armed herself heavily in preparation. Right before her book tour began she flew back to Barrow to visit Eben’s grave one more time to pay her respects, and then flew to California.

After arriving back in California, Stella met with her weapon’s guy. He had designed small explosive projectiles that would attach itself to a target with small spikes. She needed to get on her way to a college to speak, but wanted to test out her new bombs. After testing one on a dummy, a vampire entered the warehouse they were in. Stella had prepared herself mentally for the attack. Without saying anything, she fought off the attacker, and blew him up. They proceeded to the college where she would address the crowd.

Stella first remarked about the existence of vampires, to which their response was laughter. She knew that vampires were in the audience, and wanted to expose them directly in front of the large crowd. She brought out ultra-violet floodlights and told the audience that any vampires among them should stand, or they would turn on the lights. The vampires among the group stood up in their seats, and prepared for attack.

During the riot the vampire Dane received a call from Yuki that she had touched down in Barrow. She was prepared to steal the remains of Eben Olemaun to get revenge on Stella. After the call Dane lunged for the stage to attack Stella. She fought him hard, and when the police arrived Dane ran off. The police brought Stella in for questioning, but with little damage done during the riot she was let go.

While being under continued surveillance by the vampires, Stella was met by Judith Ali. Judith’s son Taylor Ali was in Barrow during the first attack and had died retrieving video evidence of the existence of vampires. Judith believed that her video along with Stella’s first-hand experience would be enough to prove that vampires existed. Judith took a room near Stella’s and remained by her side in California.

Later while Stella and Judith were out, Stella realized that they were being followed by a vampire, and sent her bodyguards off. She called him out of hiding, and challenged him. He fought her, but was caught off guard by Stella’s preparedness, and Stella blew off his hand. This vampire was Dane again. At gunpoint, Dane explained that he was there to get back at Stella for Marlow Roderick‘s death. When Stella explained to him that she and Eben did not kill Marlow, and that it was Vicente who had killed Marlow. Angered at being lied to by the vampire elders, Dane offered information to Stella. He told Stella that there may be a way that she could bring her husband back to life, and that he could help her retrieve her husband’s remains to do so. Despite Judith’s protest, Stella let Dane go without further harm.

Not long after Judith was killed by Agent Norris, a vampire who was a former FBI agent, and was charged by Lilith to watch Stella. Stella met up with Dane again, and at this point most of her bodyguards either realized they were in over their heads, or wanted to leave her for dealing with a vampire. Dane and  

 Stella sought refuge at a safe-house. There they began to talk about themselves, and the two made love.     
Afterward  Stella began to question her quest. Meeting Dane meant the realization that not all vampires were evil. Dane assured her that while not all were, the majority of them were not good and that perhaps it was time for a culling of the herd. Outside, they found Stella’s last bodyguard mutilated with a message for Stella  to meet at the graveyard, and for the traitor (Dane) to stay behind. Ignoring this warning, they went to the graveyard together. In the graveyard Lilith re-animated the corpses around them, angered that Dane came with her. After they destroyed the corpses they were surrounded by vampires in the shadows that silently directed them to an abandoned mansion deep in the woods. In the mansion Lilith stood with a other vampires. A group pulled Dane out of the house from behind so Lilith could speak to Stella alone. Lilith and Stella came to a bargain and Lilith would trade Eben’s remains for the evidence of living vampires.

Stella left the house and met up with Dane again. She was surprised that they had not killed him. Dane said that they were a bunch of amateurs, and that he snapped their necks. Stella had left her jacket covered with the explosives in the house and as they walked away the house exploded, presumably killing Lilith and all the other vampires that were inside.

Dane wanted Stella to stay with him, but even with the chance that she could revive Eben she could not. Dane explained that if Stella was able to bring Eben back (this was never tried before so was uncertain) she would need to use her own blood. As he walked away he said that he believed he was falling in love with her. As he leaves, he says to Stella “Can you believe that?”.  To which she replied, with a surprised look “Yes”.

Later back in her room she opened the urn containing Eben’s remains and dumped them on the floor. She pulled out a knife and slit her wrist, dumping the blood on the form. Out of the ash and blood Eben arose once again, naked, confused, and disoriented. Stella reached out to hold Eben. As they embraced, Eben bit Stella’s neck, turning her.

Movie Adaptation

Stella was portrayed by Melissa George in the 2007 film adaptation of 30 Days of Night. Her name was changed to Stella Oleson. In the movie Stella was going through a divorce with her husband, Eben Oleson. She was planning on leaving Barrow on the evening of November 17th, but was caught in a traffic accident with a local truck driver, and missed her plane. There would be no more traffic coming in or out of Barrow until the stormy weather passed and the night was over in 30 days.