Eric Olafson Midshipman Vol 4 Part 31 DECK 54
- 2 years ago
- 41
- 0
We entered the outmost orbit of the Dover System ten hours before the deadline.
Har-Hi who stood next to me sighed. “I wished it would have taken longer. This is what I am born for, to be aboard a ship and roam the stars’”.
I felt the same way and agreed with him, saying. “Me too.”
The doors opened and Wetmouth stepped through, taking her seat behind the small science station at the rear of the bridge.
I observed Har Hi who acted as the OPS officer of our little crew dedicating sensors from tactical to her console. Mao gave her a short sensor report and she acknowledged. Her bank of screens lit up, one showed an image of the local sun while another listed the current artificial sensor contacts within range. A third screen correlated the contacts with known Union transponder data.
Elfi was running a logarithm on all communication chatter, scanning it for relevant key phrases.
Krabbel plotted a waypoint course through the local system, while keeping a prepared escape course at ready in case of any trouble.
Shaka slowed us down responding to a hand sign of mine.
My friends worked like a well tuned machine as if they had done this sort of thing for all their lives and the pride I felt to have friends and a crew like that could not be expressed in words.
Entering a system this way was not really necessary. We could have dropped out of Quasi-space much closer to the third orbit of this system and approach Dover planet directly, but I intended to follow Captain K’Tngnk example and heed his advice, he had given me when he allowed me to pilot the Madrid.
Dover System was deep in Union space, had a large Navy base on the sixth planet and Thebes, the throne world of the Saran Empire and thus one of the most important worlds of the Union was only 70 light years away, Elfi was basically home, the Saran Empire stretched over many thousands of solar systems from here on out.
I said.”Elfi do you want to call home?”
“Already did this morning from my GalNet terminal. Mother sends her greetings to all of you.”
I really dreaded it, that our time aboard the Barracuda was about to end and said. “No sense of delaying it; Elfi hail Newport and give me a channel.”
She made the necessary moves over her terminal, added the necessary codes and identified the correct channels, and then she said. “You’re on Eric.”
“This is Devastator Auxiliary destroyer USS Porter under command of Midshipman Eric Olafson calling Newport Control and request landing instructions. We are here for the Contest.”
“This is Newport Control. Get of the channel Midshipman and let me talk to your Commanding officer. We like to do things proper around here.”
“Sir I am the Commanding officer of this ship and I followed the proper procedures.I am recording your response to our log and will file an official complaint.”
“Transmit your authorization codes and verification data. I never heard of a Midshipman commanding a Destroyer.”
I nodded to Elfi and she pushed our new Order chip in the transmit reader and I keyed my Command codes.
The channel was still open and we heard the voice on the other end say. “Only that crazy Captain Harris could have thought of that. There is a Midshipman out there in command of a Destroyer. The codes and orders have been authenticated.”
Port control switched to visuals, the Newport logo was replaced by a life feed and we could see a human cadet sitting behind a Communications console, another also human officer stood behind him and looked at us with his disapproval still coloring his voice. “This is Commander Becker, Midshipman Olafson you are to land your ship near the Academy. Newport lacks a full spaceport as all big ship traffic is usually handled by Dover Six. Our only landing field is already filled to capacity, with the transports of other contestants. We were not expecting to accommodate a full sized Destroyer. However since you are here, landing permission is granted and you may touch down next to the landing field. May we ask you put your destroyer down gently and don’t bruise the grass to much?”
I responded.”Aye Sir, we will try to land this eleven thousand ton Destroyer as gentle as possible.”
He cut the transmission and Elfi said. “We received their landing instructions, manual coordinates; there is no external Port control coming on as it seems. I am transferring the coordinates to you, Shaka.”
I made a waving hand gesture. “You heard the man, Shaka. Take her down and don’t bruise the grass too much if you can.”
Shaka nodded without turning. He steered our ship down without going into orbit and through the layers of the atmosphere. The battle shields took on the most aerodynamic shape possible and we slid through the atmospheric layers like a razor blade, still the shields glowed white hot. Shaka kept us in a steep dive aiming at the largest continent surrounded by a deep blue ocean that made me hope I would find time for an extended dive.
I checked my own readouts displayed on a bank of screens above my seat, Shaka kept us only a minute fraction under the speed limit of fleet regulations for planetary landings on an occupied world and a ship of this size, but he maintained this speed all the way down, neutralized our fast descent virtually at the last possible moment.
The landing field was just a large Duro-crete field in the middle of park-like surroundings.
I counted eleven D12 shuttles, three D30ties as well as a larger Leyland Transport. Indeed there was little room.
Shaka set us down at the outer edge, all our landing gear still on the Duro-Crete and with less than maybe twenty centimeters to spare between the Destroyer and the hull of the Leyland transport.
He made an elegant move with his hand, pushing engine controls to zero and said “Landing maneuver complete. I found us a spot and there is no bruised grass.”
I smirked at him. “I think you caused a few hearts to miss a beat. Whoever watched our descent expected to see a fireball next.”
Shaka shrugged. “It was a perfectly legal maneuver. Besides you didn’t say a word so I assumed you were okay with it.” He had a hard time to keep a stern face.
Technically he was right, it was my responsibility and I let him do it. I tried to give him a similar stern look. “I hope you remember me if they demote me and send me Visi-Cards once in a while.”
Har-Hi pointed at the main screen. “Looks like we will find out soon enough, we got company.”
There was an open ground skimmer floating across the grass and speeding towards us.
I got up closed the clasps of my uniform jacket and said. “Everyone grab your gear and let’s meet them on the ground outside. Circuit shut her down and lock her up.”
We stomped down the boarding ramp, carrying our gear bags. Circuit was last and said to me. “All systems in rest mode. Lock down level three commencing on your word.”
I said. “USS Porter, recognize Olafson, Eric. Complete lock down.”
A contour hugging, purple film like force field engulfed the hull right after the ramp retracted and the access port had closed. The ship was now inside a Paradim force field and secure from any unauthorized access.
The Ground Effect Skimmer stopped a few feet away from us and the human Commander who had spoken to us before we landed, a Saran Lieutenant Commander and a Cadet, all of them wearing deep green uniforms debarked. A fourth man remained behind the controls of the skimmer.
I instantly recognized the Cadet. It was Wintsun and he also recognized me. For a brief moment it looked like as if he could not believe his eyes and I could have sworn I saw an expression of hatred flashing over his face, but I was certain I had misinterpreted whatever I thought I had seen. Wintsun was my friend after all.
I made my friends stand at attention and snapped myself into the required pose and saluted the approaching Commander. “Midshipman Olafson and team reporting to Newport Academy, Sir.”
Commander Becker inspected us silently, starting with Krabbel and looking at each of my friends and then he stopped before me, his hand behind his back. His face was without a trace of emotion, but his eyes managed to convey his displeasure. Then he looked at my ribbon panel and his expression changed to surprise and he took the rigid position of parade stance and saluted me.” Medal of Honor recipient, present.”
The Lt. Commander I suspected to be Saran due to the traditional helmet like styled, black hair followed suit and so did Wintsun and the operator of the skimmer.
After the appropriate moment of silence, Becker relaxed his stance and said. “At ease.”
He pointed at my ribbon display, after we had changed our postures and said. “I do not approve of the theatrics you have just displayed. Landing your ship this way made me put half the planets emergency responders on alert.”
“Sir we never exceeded the speed limitations and were at no point endangering us or anywhere else.”
“There is a difference between recommended speed limits and keeping your descent at only zero point five percent under the maximum legal speed, Mr. Olafson, However it is always an honor to meet a man so highly decorated.” He kept looking at my ribbon display. “I have not seen many officers even after a lifetime of service so highly decorated. It appears to me you managed to collect almost every medal and commendation we have on the books before even becoming a commissioned officer.”
Wintsun stepped behind him and handed him a PDD in clipboard mode. “Sir, here is the personal file on Cadet Olafson.”
Becker took the device and glanced over it. “It appears most of it is classified.”
Wintsun responded by saying:”Commander Becker Sir, I know this man, I am sure he earned each of them.”
Becker turned.”I have no reason to doubt the Assembly, the Speaker of the Assembly or any fellow officer who recommended these rewards for valor and excellence; I was merely surprised to see a cadet in his third year so decorated. You have met Mr. Olafson before, Cadet Wintsun?”
“Yes Sir, Cadet Olafson and I went through basic together and he is a friend of mine.”
Becker nodded and turned back to us. “We do not use the term Midshipman here. You are called Cadets. I know you are used to be Midshipmen while serving on a ship, but this is not a ship. Mr. Wintsun is one of the finest Cadets that ever came to Newport and I value his opinion. Maybe Captain Harris sent us a group this time that manages to get second place.”
In my ears he sounded just like Lt. Clusen, despite the fact that he was not a Thauran. He said to Wintsun. “See to it, that they accommodated and situated.”
“Yes Sir!”
The Commander was returning to the skimmer.
The Saran Officer bowed before Elfi. “Your Majesty. What an honor. Is this an incognito visit?”
Elfi said. “I am just a Cadet like anyone else, Sir.”
Becker stopped in his tracks turned and barked annoyed. “Lt Commanders do not bow before Cadets.”
The Saran said.” Sir they do, if in presence of our Majesty’s daughter Princess Elfiatra. I must not remind you sir, we are not just in union space we are also inside the Saran Empire, and her Mother is the Queen herself.”
Midshipman Suppor or actually Namamir of the Suppor Clan was not at all pleased with the development so far. All the things he had done and all the preparation to be her at this event, had not lead to the result he had hoped for. The famous Diamond Ball was nearly over and many of the VIP’s had already left. Emperor Soron, the Fifth was still here and so were other important members of the ruling noble houses of the Thauran Empire, but he had no idea how much longer they would remain. He...
“I think it is safe to say, the Nul took the bait and there is a security leak as NAVINT expected.” Captain Harris said looking at the massive Nul fleet of no less than eighty carriers and sixty Nul Battle ships entering the Algeri System, already releasing their fighters. Stahl standing next to him, grunted.” Yes information about the convoy was sent to the Nul and the culprits have been identified, but the Nul responding with the largest strike force I have seen them dispatch since the...
Midshipman duty was not just intensified learning but we also rotated to different duty stations on the ship. Security, Navigation, Science, Medical, Engineering and so forth and worked alongside experienced officers who instructed us often by example. This was almost like my time on the Hyperion and what we called the real Officers, Chiefs and Crew members of the Devi were professionals through and through, proud to be good enough to be on the Devi. They were patient and if you did your job...
Stahl got up and Alycia said. “Are you leaving?” He smiled at her. “Not just yet, I thought now that most of the big wigs are gone and the band plays nice old Earth tunes I know, I decided to get up and ask you for a dance.” She got up just a little too fast to appear dignified and with a deep smile. “You truly are a master tactician, old man. A simple offer and all my defenses are obliterated.” They joined a few other couples already dancing, almost all of them humans knowing the old...
Harris watched the young man disappear in his quarters and then went back to Stahl who was still there. “You know this was an exceptionally cruel test. I felt like an idiot acting that way.” “And he had the guts to tell you.” Stahl responded. “That is a first one.” “He is the first one I know off who went to the end, all the way to that triple rotten Light gag. I would have pissed myself without those Saresii Sonics, looking in a TKU and suddenly seeing a light.” Stahl raised an eyebrow....
The landing platform was above the clouds, but some of Pluribus architecture was much taller than the cloud ceiling and from the edge of the platform I had a magnificent view. The local sun was setting and produced a deep golden shine across the wispy clouds and the tall buildings. The cloud cover was light and I could see much of the breath taking city below. It stretched as far as I could see and there was flier traffic everywhere. The man in the white uniform said.” Sir, I know how...
The Devastator had excellent recreational facilities and offered something for almost any taste, but the most liked recreation area was called The Village. It was a small down town area complete with shops, cafés, micro breweries, night-clubs, restaurants, Virtu-show halls and theatres. The sky appeared real with moving clouds and a warm yellow sun. It would even rain or snow once in a while. The Village centered on a park with grass, trees, flower patches and narrow duro-crete walking paths....
I woke in sick bay and an officer with the med department logo on his chest grinned at me.” Welcome back Mr. Olafson. How do you feel?” “I feel fine. Why is it always me that wakes up in med, while others are fine?” “You had a ruptured liver and internal bleeding, we also repaired a ruptured brain blood vessel, but you are fit for duty.” “Thanks Doc.” “Besides you are not the only one that came to Sickbay, we patched up seventy five casualties and two of your squadron comrades did not...
Cotton slammed his fist on my chest and put his other arm around Har-Hi’s shoulder. “The Twelfth is really going to miss you two, but this was your last sortie with us.” The commandant of the 12th Devastator fighter wing invited us to a fare well party, but Centron paged me. I had to report to the Captain himself. I wondered if I did something that required the Captain’s attention but could not think of anything. To my surprise Elfi was there in his office as well. The Captain glared at...
Elfi had not been dismissed and waited for the Captain to do so as she watched Eric leave. She too wondered about the Captain. A man she had only seen on visuals stepped into the light. He must have been there the entire time sitting on a visitor’s sofa outside the light cone of the Captain’s desk lamp. Harris first looked at the princess and then at the Admiral. “Even if he doesn’t do anything he ends up in the middle of things. Tell me. In all my years in this Navy I have never, I mean...
Three days had passed since the Admiral had made me Acting Captain. I had spent the entire time so far, sitting in the Captain’s office pouring over technical specs of the Devastator and past log entries. The Devastator became a nightmare. She was so big. The elongated elliptical disc shaped main hull had a huge box shaped segment at the aft. It was there were the conventional engines, the reactors and engineering was. But there were also alien engines and an energy source called...
Hans and Mao had received UWASPS. That stood for ‘urban warfare protective security suits’. Not the Quasimodo super bulky frontal assault battle armor but a sleek body shaped suit with a vast array of sensors, very smart weapon systems and advanced stealth and camouflage capabilities, normally only used by NAVINT Counter Intelligence and Elite Special forces. Much of the suits capabilities were highly classified and a source of professional pride to those considered good enough to wear...
I had followed a direction light to an Auto Dresser. Centron the ships AI said. “It is all set as per special instructions. Please step inside.” I did and the system went through the whole hygiene cycle and as I stepped out I checked myself in a mirror field. The machine had dressed me in the Class A Formal dress, reserved usually for flag officers, with shiny black boots, black pants and high collared uniform jacket. The left side of my chest was filled with ribbons and actual medals, not...
I wished I could have stayed with Egill and the others but my mood could not be dampened not with Narth being back and in full health. I was telling him everything that has happened and he told me that he was fully restored and well, but not able to join us on the Devastator just yet. He had to complete his third year at another posting but he was confident we would see each other after we graduated. Elfi elbowed me into the side and made me pay attention to the events around me. “The...
The Elevator overwrite program was active and the doors opened. Steven commanded his group inside and then the dumbest thing ever happened, he dropped the Spore bomb and the baseball sized doom device rolled away! He yelled at his followers. “Go! I will be right behind you in the next one!” The program could not be stopped. The timing was crucial. He ran after his bomb, hoping the device was not damaged, while the Elevator doors hissed close and his team went up. Sharpton sighed. “What a...
The Slide way carried me over the landing field and while I stood on the slide segment I was staring up at the metal sky above me, trying to make out details. I had to remind myself that this was the underside of a star ship. Something that could travel and move through space at incredible speeds. Those tower like extensions, each the size of immense sky scrapers were actually landing gear and not a modern city There were countless stories, rumors and myths about this ship and everyone in the...
I went back on the bridge and while I was walking up the ramp I said. “Tactical put a situation map of our deployment area on the screen. Display all pirate and insurgence activity for the last five years. “Aye Sir, I anticipated your order and prepared Intel reports as well and correlated them into the map.” “Very good Mr. Deberaux, I appreciate that.” I leaned back in my seat and studied the map that popped up on the main-screen when Comm. reported. “Sir two new reports came just in. A...
Har-Hi sat there motionless with and with expression as hard as stone. Wetmouth’s mask looked the same as ever. But her shaking shoulders told everyone she was crying. Elfi held her close; her thick black Saran style eye make-up she was always wearing had partially dissolved and ran in smears down her cheeks. Mao had his head buried between his fists and he too was crying. Hans held a wadded towel in his fists and his chin kept trembling whenever he looked at the Reagan trophy that stood...
The next day he did as he promised and took me with is rugged freight bed flier to the southmost tip of Bifrost island a deserted dark pebble beach. Most of the rocks where about fist sized but there many much bigger and a few almost house sized. “These are carried by the glaciers from the mountains and after every Longnight they go a little further till they end in the sea.” He explained, “Eventually carrying our small mountain range away to the sea.” He took the metal box with him, handed...
My life had completley changed. Almost a year had passed and I had not been in any sort of trouble. I had almost forgotten that I was in my second year and this was an Academy field class. We just returned from a diplomatic mission, ferrying a delegation of Union Diplomats to the fringes of Free Space. The Daoine a cautious species of human sized rat like beings considered Union membership, but were afraid of retaliations from other Freespace civilizations who hated nothing more than losing...
Elfi did not fall, Krabbel caught her. “Wetmouth check her out! Hans raise alarm.” I yelled and Har-Hi and I were almost at the same time next to the door leading into our small hygiene facility. Lacking any other weapon I pulled my 45 and Har Hi produced a long knife. Wetmouth said. “She was stung by something. Circuit I need your nanites.” Hans was speaking to the Computronic reporting medical emergency and potential intruder alert. Har-Hi saw it first and pointed it out to me with a...
As they passed through the entrance, she forgot the Narth or Elena and just stared, the interior was breathtaking, a symphony of sparkling lights and surfaces, a silvery bowl shaped hall with intricate swirly columns along the concave walls uniting in a dome shaped roof that showed a view of the local group with the Milky way in its center. A full orchestra floated on a platform of rainbow colored energy fields all across the other side and played strangely beautiful music. There must have...
5009, OTT The days after her death were like a haze. I woke in the Union Clinic. It was the first time I could remember being away from the Burg. When I first regained consciousness I was floating in some kind of gooey liquid, whatever I tried I could not move and through the liquid I could see people moving. I was certain one of the shapes was father. When I woke again, I was no longer in the liquid but in the same room. All was gleaming white and clean. A man with a broad smile greeted...
The weeks to summer break went by faster than I liked. Mr. Walters came into class this morning and said after we greeted him. “Tomorrow will be your last day of school and you have three month to prepare for the next year. Everyone in class will advance. While your grades and results have much room for improvement, they are satisfactory. Today I want to ask if you know why we keep time the way we do?” He pointed his finger at Yngve.” You will not speak.” Since Mr. Walters gave positive...
They had the Wolfcraft repaired and it was no longer fleet standard gray but was black with Olafson red trim and the Olafson Seal of the two wolfs painted on each side below the cockpit. Two weeks had passed since our fight against the Nul. There was not much information about the whole incident in the official channels. GalNet News showed bits and pieces of the fight and called it a minor border incident. A force that gave the Devi pause caused 14 casualties sounded more than a minor...
Shea excused herself from the table to find the ladies room. Her highly intelligent mind analyzed her own behavior and the situation. Elfi was her best friend and so was Eric. She knew he had not asked to guard or accompany the princess, so why was she upset when she saw them like that? Because she realized she cared for Eric much more than she wanted to admit. Mostly her thoughts were influenced from her educatin at the temple. Because she was a Sojonit and trained to think of men as...
Two days later, the Elders placed Ragnarsson flags and a shield with the Falcon symbol in a ritualistic ceremony into the Caves of Extinct clans and had the alcove bricked shut. An Elder smashed my Grandfathers signet ring with a hammer on an anvil and tossed it into the ocean. The Ragnarsson clan was no more. After the Ceremony Hogun took me downtown again, he explained that a lawyer had come to open my grandfather’s will. The building where Hogun landed the floater had three floors and...
Elfi was gone and in her place was a goddess. She wore a shimmering gown of golden pleads hugging her body. Her helmet like black hair was now under a hood shaped head piece of stylized like golden wings. Over her shoulders a cape like mantle also golden and shaped in the pattern of feathered wings as well. Her face was hidden behind a translucent veil. It was like that I saw her standing surrounded by handmaidens in a court yard that with trimmed trees, fountains and flowerbeds. The Queen...
Much to everyone’s disappointment Eric and the princess had to return to the table of the Queen as the official part of the evening begun. Sif was still brooding and tried to get certain about her own feelings. Eric had changed much and at the same time he was still the Eric she knew. Did he still think about the girlish things or had he grown out of it. Did she really hate him? The last days they had spend on Nilfeheim seemed so far away and so much had changed. Perhaps she had given him too...
We had launched the emergency beacon with a pre recorded message two days ago. To make sure my friends would not lose hope I kept them busy, collecting specimen. We had the robots built us a basic freight flier. With it we surveyed a greater area around the base. We had the P4 mounted on the flyer just in case. Har-Hi was piloting the craft and Mao manned the Paralysator. Elfi was sitting in one of the passenger seats, her eyes closed trying to use her limited Psionics to scan for more of...
Prelude Part 6: Naming Day A new egg-shaped stone cut from a single two-ton boulder marked the grave of the little girl. The stone had been dug out from underneath the snow; a stonemason had chiseled the name Freya Olafson and the date into the stone and then it was carried to the cemetery behind the community roundhouse. There, also under a thick layer of snow, were the rock mounds and rock markers of the graves of the most revered. On a planet with so little land, the dead usually...
I found the Halls of Hasvik easily enough as they could not be missed. Next to the huge doors ;which were as I could see now, were made of dark wood with large Ultronit bands holding large timbers together; was a smaller metal door and I knocked there. It did not take long and another man opened, he too was dressed like the other one but he was the stark opposite of the Old man I met the day before. He was fat, Midril would have appeared like a weightless Elf compared to this man. His woven...
Wetmouth ran towards the tall man standing next to the Ultra Lux Flyer and he scooped her up. “Missed you, girl!” “I missed you too, Dad.” She climbed into the Flyer on the pilot’s side and Rex Schwartz took the passenger seat. Wetmouth gunned the 25 million credit Lumina Lamborghini RS exclusive edition through the energy curtain accelerating faster than a Loki torpedo. “Where are we going, Dad?” “Linda waits for us at our Pluribus Penthouse.” She let go of the controls and said to the...
The platform was perhaps fifty meters in diameter with two prefab buildings made of the same material at its center. Despite the nearly indestructible Duro-Plast the structure was made off, everything looked old and abandoned and in dire need of repair. “Now what,” asked Mao? The buildings were rectangular shaped and about ten meters long and wide in and six meters tall. Like the surrounding platform they were covered with a fine greenish substance, most likely some kind of moss or algae....
Non Union ships wanting to do business in Union space have to stop at one of these Checkpoints that dot the imaginary border between Union and Free space to get Customs clearance and a transponder code. While civilian ships could freely enter Union space, they could only land on Union Worlds with the proper Customs documents. Detected warships of other civilizations would result in a border alert and cause an immediate response from the fleet. Checkpoint 96 was a small ice planet with a...
Lothar’s beam burned through my chest. It felt as if my entire torso was on fire, but I was alive. I did not faint or pass out instead fulled by burning rage I ran towards him, his face was pure horror he still held the small weapon he did not fire a third time. I reached him in mere seconds, buried my knee in his groin and smashed the palm of my hand against his nose with the hope I would shove his nose bone up his brain. Something completely impossible f course, but I was furious and kept...
The image of Ardalf’s face as the sword slipped into his body would not leave me and I dreaded going to sleep even more than before. When I finally was so tiered I had to sleep I would dream and see the scene all over. One particular dream was especially disturbing as I saw my mother standing by the dead boy and shaking her head. Father was busy integrating the Steiner clan and he left me completely alone, even when I was at the burg and he was there. I spend most of my time at Uncle Hogun’s...
Sif was again a prisoner, this time not in a dungeon, but a well-lit, holding cell at the local police station. She had found out that she was on Perryton, a Union world and the place she had escaped was called the Church of Darkness. She had been charged with multiple homicides and Califerm dealing. Her Nilfeheim leathers and the sword had been confiscated and she wore a plastic coverall like the other prisoners to her left and right. She was told her parents were notified what made her cry...
The last thing I remembered was the stinging prick into my neck and then a nauseating spinning sensation that dragged me into nothingness. I was supposed to perform an Orbital assault jump as part of the final challenge and to win the Reagan trophy for the Devastator. My friends and I equipped with heavy battle suits had boarded a Drop ship. Strapped into the drop rack, my suit malfunctioned and nothing worked. At first I believed I was dead, but I felt still nauseas and I opened my eyes....
Even though I had little medical knowledge, my time serving in the Devi’s sick bay and getting basic med training at the Academy I was helping with the triage of wounded and somehow remembered Dr. Dwyer my old Nilfeheim doctor as I derma-patched an eleven year old’s scrape wounds he had suffered falling while running and hiding inside an service crawl. The Casualty numbers were depressing. “943 dead among them many civilians and 1532 wounded of which more than 500 were very critical. Over...
The Vanderstraat nebulae was even more spectacular than I thought it would be. Every shade of red from deepest violet to the brightest orange glowed from the recent Super Nova in the ring shaped nebula and transforming the eternal night of space in something so beautiful that no one looking at it could be completely atheistic, at least in my opinion. OPS was a very demanding post and I had to keep my all my concentration at the tasks at hand and there were many. OPS was short for ship...
Harris sat on a couch not far from Stahl who was behind his old desk. Captain Zezz was there and the Admiral of the Fleet. Not in person, but via Holo-Presence. Harris was sipping on a bottle of beer. “He is doing a fine job and he did put the pieces together about you putting Carrows on the bridge for a reason.” “He did? What was his decision?” “If in doubt, go by the book and the book says court martial. Those were his words.” The old Admiral of the fleet was sitting on a chair that...
He remembered the last moments of his life quite vividly. They had led him up to the scaffold, after they had removed all his rank insignia. Commander Stone before him actually collapsed and the marines had to drag him to his spot on the scaffold. It took all his will power not to do the same and set one foot before the other. The solemn beat of the drums stopped and the Executioner asked him if he had any last words. He had none, the night before he had written a letter to his son Swybin and...
We reached Tabernacle 12 with next to empty tanks. We were expected and landing controls took over. The small planet looked very much like a dirty snow ball. Its own sun was nothing more than a bright star and its next planetary neighbor was almost eight light minutes removed. The landing beam guided us towards a crater and at its center was a set of large iris doors that opened for us. As soon as we had landed, Marines in heavy Destroyer Suits surrounded our ship. At least twenty Cerberus...
Here I was treated like a part of the crew. Aboard the Hyperion the only difference between enlisted personnel and officers was more or less only the rank pin on your collar. Captain Zezz treaded and acted the same around the lowest First Class Starman as he did around his bridge officers. He told jokes with them, participated in games and on board sporting events and most unusual. The ship used only one mess hall. Officers and enlisted ate in the same place. There wasn’t even a specific...
Pluribus was even more crowded and busier during Union week than usual. Egill had returned from Nilfeheim only a few days ago. He stood nor far from the Northern door and entrance into the Sphere of the Assembly, it was entrance he always used. From there it was only a short elevator ride to the Alcove of Planet Nilfeheim. The assembly sphere was a complete ball on the insie and only from the outside it appeared like a huge dome, meeting the ground at its equator. The outside area all around...
The commandant of the Newport Academy stood on the open balcony of his office, his hands wrapped around the railing. As it was his habit at this time of day he watched his Cadets run in cadence at the exercise yard. It was an exceptional well trained bunch this time and they would only need a little of his special brand of help to win the trophy this year. He was a short man, especially to Venusian standards, since natives of this Sol system planet tended to grow taller than the average...
The ‘American Spirit’ was nothing I expected a space ship to look from the inside. It was more like a luxurious villa, complete with garden, swimming pool and green lawn. We stepped through a glass sliding door under a blue sky with a single yellow sun and on the green plant surface he called grass, was a table with umbrella and a few garden chairs. Rolling hills with forests in the distance. “All simulated of course,” Alex explained. “The walls are actually only 30 meters from us, but I...
Sif woke, despite the sleep inducer that had been placed over her head. More out of instinct she rolled of the bed she was on and removed herself from the dazing and sleep causing Neuro-feed rays. Her mind instantly cleared up and she remembered.In her dreams she thought she felt a probing mind searching for her. In her dreams, Egill had not forgotten about her. But what would the old man say if he saw her like that? It was better he would never see her and besides those were only dreams of a...
Riding the Ammutherathi through the air made me feel, certain that I had ridden something big before, maybe in a dream. There was nothing to ride on Nilfeheim except Fangsnappers. While I was standing in the stirrups I received instructions through an ear peace. Where to go and what to do. The beast was at least thirty meters long and had two enormous set of leathery wings underneath tough looking skin were rock hard muscles worked these huge wings in a fantastic display of raw natural...
A week had passed since the big event on Pluribus and Union Week was over. I did spend a very strange and special night at the Saran compound, emerging myself in a dark and not openly discussed aspect of Saran society and culture, but I did learn a lot and I had been my female self. But I was glad we were back on the ship. While I enjoyed meeting my family and thrilled to see Narth again, the big party was not really my cup of tea.And what happened at the Orgie were memories for a different...
The Bowels It could have been any Maltyrian but I was certain it was Galmy. At the same as I said her name I realized she would not recognize me. She still had these inhuman big eyes and that translucent complexion. Her hair was the same midnight black as I remembered. She said. “You know me, Captain... ?” Her eyes scanned over my uniform blouse looking for my name tag. “Captain Olafson?” She was out of uniform so I could not see what rank she had attained since I seen her last. “Yes I...
The best day in my life was when I turned seven and I could go to Union school being away from the Burg and away from my father was like breathing lighter air. Everyone had to go to Union school. That was Union Law and it superseded local law. Union school was such a long part of our society that it too became an Old Tradition and therefore was good. At school I learned that Nilfeheim was a Water-World and that we all originally came from a Planet named Earth and settled here long time...
It was the last hour of our last school day. Mr. Walters handed out the final grades and said.” This is the last time I am doing this for you. When you return next year, a new teacher will try to pound some knowledge into your thick skulls. I am going to be transferred to another school, still on Nilfeheim but they thought I be best suited to try my hand on the even wilder Neo Vikings of the South Pole.” He then shook everyone’s hand and said a few words to everyone. When he reached me he...
I went down the narrow stair case to find out if there was a God living in the Old Man’s basement. Now I had reached the bottom of the narrow stair case and it expanded into a large natural grotto. The old man had a very large, and from the looks of it a natural Sub Pen under his rock. It was cold and moist and without my light it would have been pitch dark. There was no god and no mystery down here. At least there wasn’t any more garbage either. I did for a moment see a movement in the water...
Mr.Flensburger was now gone for a week and we had a new teacher. Mr. Walters was his name and he was much different to the jovial and gentle Mr. Flensburger. He was stern and had a no nonsense approach. This Monday morning, right by the main doors I saw Yngve Lofdahl waiting for me. He had a busted; bleeding lip and his left eye was swelling. Like me he was wearing a fur vest over a linen tunic that reached halfway to the knees, linen breeches and boots. Usually he always looked like he wore...
(List of Characters) Eric Olafson – A teenage Neo Viking leaves his home world for the first time. To travel and eventually to join the Union Navy Elena Olafson – technically a cousin to Eric, but since she was adopted by Eric’s father, she is now known as his sister. Isegrim Olafson – The current clan chief of the Olafson clan, and Eric’s father Lothar Olafson – Eric’s half brother The Ancient – aka Elkhart the Keeper. An old man claiming to have forgotten to die. Officially he is the...
I was still as tired as a Tyranno during Longnight when the lights came on and a voice barked via the PA system: “0400 hours Cadets rise and shine. 0430 is Breakfast. At 0500 you will receive your first class in the Elbhard Auditorium.” And we found ourselves in said Auditorium at that time an hour later. Clean, fed and still tired. Again I tried to find a place in the back, so I could perhaps close my eyes for few moments. The Pan Saran Officer was already there. “Good Morning Class.” We...