Eric Olafson Space Pirate Vol 5 Chapter 10 Reunion
- 3 years ago
- 40
- 0
This was our third day in this star system called Auriga Xi. Somehow I pictured the start of our pirate career a little different. Right after our call to the Admiral, we landed on the first planet of the system. A hot, unfriendly world with temperatures hovering around 800 degrees, with puddles of liquid lead and molten sulfur, between cracked rocks and fine dust. Circuit, his engineers and Narth were outside fixing the Janus System. Shea and a team were also outside happy as can be surveying the surface of this small planet.Krabbel had baptized it Little Hell and since the planet was unnamed in the catalogs, Ship entered it as the official name in the Union Celestial registry. Circuit was confident they could repair the device but since it was perhaps one of the most complicated and unique systems it was not easy and could not be done fast.
Krabbel manned the Sensors as Three – Four was also outside helping.
I maintained Yellow Alert, in case we would have to leave fast, but so far there wasn’t much traffic and only occasionally a ship would speed at the outmost sensor horizon towards Brhama Port. No wonder the Kermac had risked operating in this system. It was outside all traffic routes and this area of space had a sparse star population. Towards Galactic south east approximately 78 light years was the previously uncharted Ballard Nebula Expanse. Of course it soon would become Union Territory as the Mini Terrans claimed that Nebula as their home and small ships or not, they had the means to defend it.
Nearby in the same direction and only a few light years more was the bazaar still in unclaimed space and I wondered if Wurgus engineers of the Army corps of engineers would stabilize its position and how much of that space would be Union due to the Membership of the Golden.
Many thousand years ago some Terran astronomers divided the Galaxy into the same celestial directions as they had on Earth, namely North, South, East and West. They used an imaginary axis towards Andromeda as North and added a Z axis calling it Galactic Up and Galactic Down.
While it was more common to use the terms Upward, Spinward, Coreward and Downward to divide the Galaxy in four equal segments, the old way of describing directions in an environment that had no directions was easy to understand to most human minds and thus still used.
Almost straight ahead or in the direction of Galactic North and 75 light years further begun the territory of the Fruidan; according to Sobody a species of intelligent Dragonfly like beings with a very primitive civilization, that joined the Kermac led Galactic Council and became a Thrall species to the white skinned psionic bastards after being independent Freespacers. 120 light years from our current position to the Galactic West was a region of Union Space that was often called the Fringes. Only a few thinly populated Colonies and a few Outposts basically only there to claim this area for the Union.
Everything east was Freespace and Togar space beyond that.
While I was musing about all this staring at a tactical map of the region, I wondered if the Fruidan actually had a choice, considering the efforts of the Kermac and their plan to accelerate a Moon to trans light speed in order to move it into their territory would require to accelerate it very slowly, using vast force fields to protect the moon and to keep it together. Such an endeavour required tremendous amounts of fuel and energies that would be detectable for many light years. So they could not move it very far.
The Narth moved their entire solar system and the Saresii had re arranged the planets in their own solar system. The Wurgus Planetary and Solar engineers offered to move planets as part of their services The Klack had Battle moons of similar size, so it was possible. Still it was a tremendous undertaking and required a level of engineering I simply didn’t think the Kermac were capable off. It would not surprise me if it was done by one of their Thrall species, but so far everything indicated that it was the Kermac themselves.
The petite Yeoman with the flaming red hair moved gracefully next to my seat and handed me my coffee and a plate with tuna sandwiches. I took it and thanked her. “Ms. O’Connell’s how thoughtful. I was just about to get up and get me some.”
“Captain, it is the hallmark of a good Yeoman to anticipate when her Captain wants coffee even before she does.”
“I say you achieved that hallmark.”
“I am not as good as Gwenn or the Oldest when it comes to change my appearance but if you need me in my true form. I will of course serve you as well.”
“Let’s hope I don’t. I would have a hard time to explain the existence of Demons to the others.”
“Will you remember us when you come into your own?”
“I have already come into my own, Yeoman. I am a Starship Captain, acting or otherwise. I am where I want to be and of course I remember the Coven and all the Sisters of the Circle. Why would I forget such a memorable meeting?”
She blinked with her big eyes and said.”Of course Captain. I just wanted you to know you can count on me as much as you count on all the others. I will take your orders and obey your will even in my true form. So you have that option.”
“Who knows what this journey brings and what we have to face, and yes it might be a good thing to have a flaming denizen of the Nether region to scare the living daylight out of someone.”
I took a long sip of the strong special Navy blend coffee I liked so much and added. “Speaking of scary folks, I better check on my spooky friend.”
His voice was immediately in my mind and Narth said. “I have patience my friend, and one day you be the scariest and spookiest of us all and then it is my turn, until then I think I refer to you as Upper chest enhanced...”
I interrupted his mental message saying.”It wasn’t my fault, tell that to Cherubim. She programmed the body changer. How are you guys getting along out there? I am eager to check out that moon and then get going. There are a lot of pirates out there.”
“I estimate we will complete the repairs in six hours and twelve minutes.”
“That is the most precise estimate I ever heard.”
“I omitted the second increment of my estimate, how can it be precise?”
I laughed inside and then had Elfi get me Shea. The angelic face of the girl I loved appeared on the main viewer and was partially obscured by the faceplate of her suit.” Hallo Captain, I was just about to call you. Three-Four is out of his suit and was scouting ahead and we just discovered another one of those blue egg shaped things. It is in a cave not far from here and we believe it is feeding on the minerals.”
“Shea come back to the ship right away, don’t get to close.”
“Captain, there is Kermac machinery and I think it is containing whatever it is. If the Kermac can contain it, we too must learn how it is done.”
I had to agree with her. While it was nothing but speculation of mine, I was certain whatever the Kermac’s plan was, it was aimed at the Union.
It was some sort of weapon, some sort of doomsday device. The Kermac built their entire civilization on the expertise to subdue other life forms and make them their slaves.
I saw them use a device that controlled the Y’All and they found a way to control the Psionic inert X101s. Controlling others was their expertise and they did it for a very long time. If those rocks could manipulate Trans dimensional energies and gravitons they could travel. Travel anywhere and perhaps faster than the speed of light. The Nul managed to break the most advanced Union shields with their graviton weaponry. Not even the Narth Supreme knew about these rocks. I became more and more convinced that we stumbled upon something that was a big threat to the Union.
I said.”Stand by Shea, do not approach for now. We need to do this subtle and methodically.”
To SHIP I said.”Keep an eye on your gravionics sensors and tell me when you experience even the slightest variation.”
“Aye Captain.”
I called Shea again and said. “Come back to the ship. I like to have a meeting and discuss how we proceed.”
I had to keep myself convinced that waiting was the best thing to do and I did wait until Narth and Circuit had completed their repairs. We were all assembled in our Pirate’s den, former Hangar bay B. I had called the entire crew. Most of them were of course standing as there wasn’t enough room but I wanted all to hear and have a chance to say something if they had an idea.
I repeated the details of our situation and included my opinion that this was a threat to the Union and that we had to do find out what we were dealing with and if at any way possible neutralize the threat if it turned out to be one.
Circuit spoke first. “If there is Kermac machinery then I think we need to analyze it first and see what it actually does. I can do that by sending Nanites to examine the thing on a molecular level and then simulate this machine here and see what it does.”
Three-Four raised his arm and added. “I doubt they can harm me in my true form and I can take a closer look.”
I shook my head. “Three-Four, if they can manipulate energies, we can’t say to what extend and that s what you are, energy.”
Har-Hi played with a dagger of his. “I think we should simply destroy them fast and swift and then see if there are others like this in this system. I don’t think they can dodge and deflect an Exo load.”
Fective, who was standing behind Krabbel said. “I am a Weapons engineer and I worked on an idea ever since we encountered them. I modified one of our fire suppressors; you know the energy siphon beams that we use to fight fire, even plasma fires and mounted it on a Rifle frame. Instead of shooting them we suck whatever energy they got and deny them their ability to manipulate anything.”
Shea smiled at him. “That is quite brilliant.”
A Takkian specialist said. “Captain, I am science specialist Joglur. I am related to your friend Miglar, the Lieutenant of the Hyperion.
I don’t know if it is relevant, but we Takkians are rock and silicone based as you know and we have a very old legend about a species of floating Rocks that are the children of a Living Mountain.”
I said. “I have a gut feeling that your legend is what we are facing here. What do you know about it?”
“Sadly not very much, it is told by the Takkian priests and part of our chant slates. I am not a very religious Takkian and haven’t been to the temples since I was just a silicone nodule, but I will contact the temple and ask for a transcript of the Chant Slates, if you permit that.”
I got up and said. “Yes do that please and in the mean time we will go to that moon. I don’t think the answers are to be found here. However I will not risk the Tigershark again to be damaged by whatever it is. So here is my plan...”
--””--
Har-Hi said. “You know there isn’t a single person on our ship who likes your plan?” while he piloted the Gazelle.
I was sitting behind him in the small cockpit. “I am the Captain and I think this is the best way.”
“A Captain is the last to die not the first. That’s a rule you know. You are supposed to remain behind and make plans and let us carry them out. We can’t be an efficient crew if you can’t send us in dangerous situations. Maybe it is a handicap that your first command is a ship filled with your friends.”
“I would do the same thing if I commanded a ship full of Thauran nobles.”
Har-Hi sighed. “I am going there and check things out and you stay safe behind isn’t much of a plan either.”
“That is not what I said. I gave everyone strict orders and I did send Hans and his team back aboard that cursed Kermac wreck to examine everything. Narth is standing by to teleport us out. He can do so best with my mind. Three-Four is with us, and he too can manipulate energies. We got modified good old Quasimodos, with additional Artigrav modifiers and the strongest Suit integrity fields Circuit could come up with.”
Har-Hi tried to turn his head but he too wore a Quasimodo and was not able to make that move. He said. “Still there is no I in Crew and you know exactly what I mean.”
I grinned knowing he didn’t see it and said.” But there is a C for Captain and yes I do understand you, but I am not an experienced Captain of many years command experience. I am doing this strictly by guts. I commanded the Devi by guts; I told you what to do when we faced the Seenian ship not by any books or experience but by something else. Besides I have an ace in my sleeve for this one.”
“I don’t think carrying some antique steel ax is much of an ace, against floating rocks, when you got a mounted Mini TL launcher on your shoulders.”
“I am not even sure why I brought that thing along, but I remember the boarding ax was much more effective than your blaster, besides my ace is a little red headed Yeoman.”
“Uhu, good idea. If we can’t win or destroy them, we let our onboard lawyer sue them for the use of non permitted Blue light in a Green light zone or something like that.”
“Watch where you are flying, I don’t want to find out if the Gazelle or the ice and rock junks around that Gas Giant are better suited to survive an impact.”
“That thing was miles away.”
“We are doing 500 kilometers a second.”
“Well we are here. Deep voice moon straight ahead, what do you want me to do?”
“Take us straight down.”
Har-Hi did, he guided the modified lightly armed, recon modified Gazelle inside the moons atmosphere. A Gazelle was based on the same hull as the Wolfcraft fighters and therefore designed to work in an atmosphere as well, Har-Hi was most likely the best small craft pilot in the Galaxy and yet the Gazelle bopped like a Silver-Flicker fish caught in the wake of a Tyranno Fin. Har-Hi managed to stabilize and said.” Wind speeds exceed 240 klicks. That’s some serious wind for a little moon like that.”
I noticed gigantic construction sites, monolithic pads of Duro-Crete, bigger than mountains and shaped like cradles. The magnitude of the Kermac project was mind boggling especially building all this in such adverse conditions.
We approached the area where the Giga load obliterated the Kermac craft and rearranged much of the moon’s landscape. A huge crater had been blasted out of the surface and Har-Hi said. “I think we are here.”
On the far side of the big crater was a mountain that did not match the looks of the rest. It was a massive mountain of about 12,000 meters height and it glowed with a faint blue light.
Har-Hi put the Gazelle down just before that blue mountain and said.” If the little rocks could create thousands of tons gravionic pressure, then I don’t want to know what that thing is capable off.”
I padded his shoulder. “We are here to find out exactly that.”
With a determined move I pushed the contact and lowered the seat to the ground. This was not the first time now that I set foot on an alien world, but the landscape of this moon appeared more alien than anything I seen before. The light did not come from the distant sun of this system but from the giant gas planet casting a strange unhealthy pinkish hue over everything.
Unlike on Twilight where the gas giant was only partially visible, here the planet filled the entire sky and it felt overwhelmingly depressing somehow. We had landed at the edge of the twenty kilometer wide and deep crater our Giga load had ripped into the surface. There were rugged and grayish pink mountains everywhere. Yellowish sulfuric snowflakes whipped by a hellish gale force wind splattered our suits with a vengeance. The wind was so strong I had to activate the Gravo Anchors on my boots and make slow steps towards that odd bluish glowing mountain that looked as alien and out of place as we did. It was an odd sensation to feel the force of storm in a six ton battle suit.
Har-Hi lowered the Visual enhancer visor over his face plate and pointed towards the bluish mountain.
“I can see more Kermac machinery, there are standard power plants but they are feeding equipment of unknown purpose attached to the base of that Blue Mountain, some of it had been destroyed by our Giga load but some seems still operational.”
The images we saw were instantly relayed to the Tigershark and Shea cut in and said. “I would need to see them close up and make more detailed scans, but I think these are Kermac Psionic Will amplifiers.”
I acknowledged and asked them to stand by as I activated my Suits Comm. system on the same frequency as the voice has spoken before. I had clear instructions to identify myself not as pirate or Freelancer but as Union Captain. “This is Captain Olafson of the United Stars of the Galaxies. I am here to establish Contact.”
At first there was silence and I already decided to get closer when Har-Hi’s shoulder mounted weapon fired, a micro second before two long line blasts impacted into my shields. My suit Computronic went to battle mode and automatically switched my helmet to tactical view. There at the base of the blue mountain was a round cave entrance. I saw two Kermac in Battle suits using large Line blasters on all terrain wheels, a fraction before Har-Hi’s micro AM loads filled the entrance of the cave with blinding light.”He went into flight mode and said. “Out sensors don’t penetrate that blue mountain ... I had to fire to prevent them to ready their Anti Matter Bazooka. Those things could ruin our day.”
There was still silence on the channel and I went into flight mode as well. I didn’t blame Har-Hi for firing without asking. Kermac Line blasters could not make a dent into a Quasimodo much less our shields, but a few hits of their AM Bazookas could wear down our shields fast.
The possibility that the Crew of the escape pod had not been killed but found shelter inside that mountain thing was now quite likely and with that also the knowledge of the Translocator manual. We flew fast and with pre programmed evasive patterns close to the still smoking cave entrance.
In Shea’s estimate the Blue Mountain before us was about 8 kilometers high and had a base width of 16 kilometers. That gave us a potential volume of 2,300 Cubic kilometers and if that thing was hollow, lots of room for millions of Kermac.
Now close to the mountain I scanned the material and dependable as an Ult Chronometer, Shea came back saying. “The material is similar to the blue rocks on the Kermac Cruiser and those on Little Hell. It is mostly crystalline Silicone, dense layers of heavy metals such as lead and gold. The bluish color is most likely due to a high concentration of the element Cobalt. Noteworthy is the presence of large amounts of the biological coenzyme Cobalamine, or more commonly known as Vitamin B12. Many bacterial and animal life forms use this for nutrition.”
While I listened to Shea’s analysis I slowly approached the cave entrance, while Har-Hi did the same from the other side. I said to Shea.” Why can’t we scan through that and we should be able to detect life forms including silicone based life.”
“I think it is the way the crystalline lattice is structured, but because of that I am convinced this is a life form.”
“You mean there are life forms inside?”
“No I am running the data once more through SHIP and the Xeno data bank on Venus and I am certain the mountain thing is one single life form.”
While I digested her info, Har-Hi tossed a mini spy drone into the Cave entrance, the drone could cloak and was virtually invisible to most scanning equipment.
I dedicated the upper left side of my Faceplate to the telemetry of the drone.
Our little spy machine floated through a long straight corridor made of the same bluish material for nearly two kilometers. We noticed the shattered suits and bodies of three more Kermac who could not escape the confined space fast enough and thus where even more exposed to the devastating AM blasts.
Our little spy drone entered a large cavern.
The Image beamed back to us was overwhelming and frightening. There stood an army of bluish giants. Statue like beings with arms, legs and heads. I estimated there were at least 20,000 of them, looking identical to each other just like robots. Each of them held one of those bluish football sized rocks before them in crude looking hands. Each of them had to be at least four meters tall and at least two meters wide.
On the sides of the cavern were more of those round rocks stacked in large piles, but they did not glow and looked broken.
Two Kermac sat on the floor before them with closed eyes and technical device between them.
Har-Hi said.”What do you say? I take the ten thousand on the left and you the ten thousand on the right. There are certainly enough for both of us.”
I smirked at that and was pondering what to do. These rough looking stone golems did not move. Did the Kermac perhaps keep them I that state and contained? Would we unleash that army if we killed the Kermac?
Har-Hi said.”I think we are fucked and you might agree with me if you turn.”
I turned and saw at least a hundred of those floating rocks behind us and before I could do anything, both I and Harry were suddenly and very fast pushed inside the cave entrance by an irresistible force. The floating rocks had generated a gravionic focus point inside that pulled us and much debris through that cave corridor. My suit was holding but could not generate enough Artigrav to counter this force.
Shea who was still connected said with an alarmed tone in her voice.”I am sending the Marines and robots; we get you out of there.”
Har-Hi and I tumbled before the two Kermac who were no longer sitting.
One of them clapped his hands and the Stone warriors came alive and then he said.
“Splendid, two Union fools have stumbled across our special project. It looks like they have Translocator cannons with them.”
I managed to get to my feet and said. “That’s right White face, and you are the first to find out how it is to be shot point blank by one.”
“Ah but you won’t you see we can crush you and your friend inside your suits to liquid. Our friends here have truly mastered the mental control of Gravionics. So I suggest you hand over your shoulder cannons and tell us all you know about it. I can start with you and your friend will be very cooperative after seeing you squashed like a rotten fruit.”
“I am going to overload the entire magazine of Translocator bombs.”
The Kermac waved his hand to the Stone giants. “Strip them of their suits, Children of the Conck, these are the ones that have abducted your Queen and broken many rocks.”
The Shoulder Cannons and our Main TKU twisted and became useless. The Kermac lamented.”You imbecile Olours, that was what we wanted to preserve.”
Our reinforced Suits held much better than the Gilgamesh, but our Systems were strained to the limit, but now the immobilizing pressure subsided, enough to take the Ax I had fixed to my belt, and Har-Hi managed to pull his Chain sword.
It was more a gesture of defiance than anything else as we had no hope to defeat them all, but something strange happened. The Stone giants stepped back; the floating rocks retreated from us. The Kermac, who had spoken before, now hissed.”Enough of this crush them.”
But no pressure came, the giants tried to step back further until they run into each other and had no room to further back away from us.
Har-Hi waved his Chain sword. “Looks like those boulder things respect Axes and swords, more than energy weapons.” A rocket launcher popped up from Har-Hi’s wrist.” You Kermac have no idea what a Quasimodo can do.” A pair of mini rockets hissed from the launcher and hit the Kermac device and blew it to twisted bits of metal.
The Kermac that had not spoken before said to his partner. “Wizard of the project, wise Sweisweinule. We must negotiate for our lives. We lost control.”
Both their natural arrogance was gone. The first one displayed anger and disbelieve and the second one was clearly afraid.
The deep voice spoke and it came from everywhere at the same time creating a strange echo.”The ONE is awake and has come. Must the Conck now perish?”
The angry Kermac yelled. “You must obey. We are the Gentle Ones from your past, we are the Allies you are honor bound to serve, for we are the Oxis. Those are the servants of the Craah-th Darkness. Enemies of the First League. Destroy them.”
I had about enough of the Kermac and now that I was free and able to move and I stomped towards him raised my axe and said.
“I have about all I can take of you scheming, arrogant bastards. A short while ago I wondered if there was something redeeming even about your kind. He stepped back pulled his Line Blaster, but then his face changed into a twisted grimace of horror and the Blaster fell out of his hand, he dropped to his knees and whimpered. “Don’t take me, please don’t take me there.”
I felt no remorse no guilt as I swung the half moon shaped antique axe down in a wide swing. Why I was certain I could kill him with such a simple steel weapon, I could not say. He was wearing a Kermac armored suit after all; it was as if I sliced through air and didn’t feel the slightest resistance as the axe blade slid through his armor, body and bones.
I whirled around and raised the archaic weapon to end the life of the second, but he had surrendered to Har-Hi. My Dai friend gave me a strange look for a long second and then said.
“First Shea pulls a sword that slices through Ultronit like a hot wire through Ulgan Jelly and now you got an ax that goes through Kermac cerami-weave as if it wasn’t there. I really need to find out where you guys buy your hardware.”
Before I could say something and wonder about that myself. The Floating rocks gathered by the Cave entrance and Shea, Circuit and all my marines accompanied by Fenris robots marched in. Despite the withering gravitation attack, Shea and the others moved unhindered. The Marines just as precise and fast as the robots raised their wrist cannons and Shea said, “Give the word Captain and we turn this place into a gravel pit.”
Circuit said. “Shea, Narth and I figured a way to neutralize their Grav-manipulating powers.”
The voice of the mountain thundered with its echo voice. “The day of doom has come to the Conck.”
From between the ranks of the Marines my Takkian specialist appeared, he too wore a Battle suit but his helmet was open. To him this environment was obviously not harmful at all. He said. “Captain may I ask for permission to talk to the Conck?”
“Yes by all means if you can shed some light on all this I will be grateful. I am as much in the dark as we have been before and that Conck isn’t very responsive to questions it seems.”
“Captain, the voice we hear comes from a Kermac device and it is very limited to translate the Conck.”
“Go ahead Specialist Joglur.”
The Takkian resolutely stepped forward into the center of the cavern and begun to sing, it was a strange song that sounded like someone chewing sand while gargling. Despite the strange sound, I found the songs melody actually quite acceptable.
Narth silently floated in and moved next to me and his voice said in my mind. “Shea came to the conclusion that we control and manipulate Gravity for a long time and have both the technology and the knowledge. Instead of absorbing the pressure they generate it is now deflected around us, takes much less energy and as you see works fine.”
“I was actually thinking about the same lines, not that I claim to have Shea’s genius but we deflect and absorb much higher Gravs when we go to threshold speed and the Arti Gravs of our Battle ships move millions of tons.”
“She is right; you aren’t as stupid as you always say you are.”
“I am not always...”
Our silent banter was interrupted as the song was answered by the mountain and then the Takkian said.” These stone warriors are called the Olours they are noble warriors of ancient heritage. They forgot the details of their origin or how they became sentient, as it is so long ago and come from the region we call Downward. They did have brief contact to a sentient space faring species who took seeds of them to create the Takkians and the Takian races, if I understood it all correctly. So in a wider sense our religious chant slates were quite correct.
The Olours move and speak in a stately, glacial pace. Meaning it usually takes them between hundred and two hundred of our years to even finish a sentence, and conversations can last millennia. They are the epitome of patience and are usually extremely slow to anger. They have no technology whatsoever. The Olours actually seek just and honorable contact with other races, but since they speak so slow, this was not very successful. They generally have little patience for brutality and the kinds of atrocities other species are so ready to commit.”
He extended his arms and gestured to the ceiling.” This is the Conck, the Mother or the Queen so to speak and it is it I am talking to by the way and not the Olours. This mountain is the mother of this species and if it can absorb enough energy and if the Olours collect enough base materials, the mountain creates one of those big blue eggs you have seen aboard the T cruiser and on Little Hell. It happens only about every 500,000 years and these Blue rocks are called Conck-Stone.”
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....
The Holdian Commander sat across from me and watched Rock Hound working the controls of a Tabtil Tosser trying to win a game against the Takkian. Goal of the game was to maneuver a Tabtil that was a tetrahedron shaped object with different colored sides, inside the opponent’s colored holes, while tossing blockers with remote controlled catapults, to prevent the opponent doing the same to you. Almost every recreation room outfitted by the Navy had at least one of these boxy contraptions,...
There was about ten more minutes before the meeting was due to start. I had left the bridge and found my new quarters on the same deck and not far from the bridge. Everything was still sterile and new. My quarters were spacious and equipped with the latest technology, including an Auto Dresser, but to my astonishment it was not the standard Navy issue but an advanced Saresii model. I still had time to correct my shave, get a haircut and alter my uniform according to my new rank. As I stepped...
Cherubim had left the ship a few moments ago and I was on the bridge and together with the others went over the technical specs of our ship. Circuit had to explain to me again why we had no ISAH pods. “The reason we do not have ISAH Pods is that this ship uses TransDim Gravitonics as propulsion. Energy is tapped directly from Quasi Space and we have no need for fuel.The ISAH field too keep us in real time is generated by the same system. This ship could fly to the end of the known universe...
The other disguised Freespace operations unit turned out to be a Togar Claw ship. A truly ancient tech level six Togar warship that had the stylized form of a lion’s paw, at least that is how Shaka described it and it was 600 meters long. At first we actually went to battle stations but the Togar female identified herself as Captain Roranak of the NAVINT X Fleet and on the same special communications equipment we had and was exclusive to NAVINT. We met aboard her ship, officially named...
The rest of the flight to Alvor’s Cove was uneventful and we descended onto a brownish planet that somehow did not just look dry but dusty even from space. TheSaresii woman who was also the leader of the secretiveSojonit Order dressed herself in a sand colored voluminous cloak and handed me a similar colored garment. Then she said.” If you touch the side of your mask, about here next to the eyebrows and tap the spot twice, a shield of thin transparent Duranium seals your masks openings. The...
The poison had not killed me, but the pain that radiated from my swollen leg made me almost wish it had. I was terribly thirsty and wondered if I had ever felt that miserable. I was able to answer my own question, yes I had. I had it much worse back on the Burg of my father, and back then I did not see any chance of escaping but here I was not out of options. I was still alive and I had weapons. I used the little light of the first aid kit to check out the room I was in. It was not as empty...
We managed to reach Netlor without incident or pirate attack, which would not have been unlikely in this region of space. As we debarked the Velorian ship seven days later, we were greeted by a warm yellow sun and the surrounding area beyond the landing field was green. Netlor so I learned had its own life and had oceans. The temperatures hovered around 28 degrees on the c scale and that felt nice compared to the baking oven conditions of Alvor’s Cove or the freezing winds of...
The Janus Device was active and the Tigersharklooked once more like the Kartanian Battle Merchant. Krabbel said:”its official now, Captain. We are in Freespace.” We had left the Golden Bazaar behind us and were on a course straight to Brhama Port. The journey would take four more days, as we could only as fast as a Kartanian Battle Merchant with two added ISAH pods. Narth and Shea worked for the last two days at something and I noticed them now for the third straight shift. Now Three-Two...
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...
The woman in the red dress led me through a labyrinth of hallways, corridors and after an elevator ride, into the secret basement facilities of the Temple far below the surface accessible only through a complicated process of ID verification that made the Blue-Blue-Red Code process look like child’s play. We ended up in a small conference room of sorts with several chairs and a kidney shaped table in the middle. A Sojonit entered and handed the Mother Superior a PDD and said. “Arrangements...
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...
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...
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...
The Devastator was an enormous ship and the outer corridor of Deck 54 circled the ship at the horizontal equator of the main hull. It was almost seventy clicks long. There were IST (Inter ship transport) stations in regular intervals, every 20 meters was a security door, open during normal operations that could be closed in an eye blink and reinforced with force field curtains. Dividing the entire ship in millions of individual sealed compartements.All Union military ships had the same...
I cursed the former owners of the ship; nothing was labeled or arranged in any way that made sense to me. Where were the controls for the viewers? Where did they put the weapon console? This would not been easy if I had time to figure things out. The Comm. system came on and a rough voice said.” I repeat, land your craft or we will destroy you.” I didn’t know who turned on the Communications or if the channels were open, but I had no time to spend time or concentration on talking. My mind...
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...
Har-Hi and I returned to our dorm and Mao greeted us.” Have you two decided to kill each other at a later time?” “Yes we decided to postpone that.” Har-Hi answered. “That is good. Because we are complete now and I am tired to be behind in everything.” I said.” We are complete in what and where are you behind?” “First things first.” Mao replied.” You got to meet the rest, just in case so you don’t bust furniture across someone else’s back.” Mao stepped into the middle of the dorm room.”...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
As old as the Poodle was, it was surprisingly well maintained and the small crew kept it reasonably clean. I was not very comfortable, which was of course partially due to the disguise I wore. The fine and soft pelt of my costume proved to be quite warm and for some reason they kept the cabin temperature well above the thirties on the C scale. It felt just like sitting in a Nilfeheim sauna wearing a Fangsnapper fur coat. Well maybe not that extreme, but certainly close. “Cats like it warm.”...
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...
“Five Minutes to Quasi Drop.” Har-Hi said “Sound Battle Stations. Load all Cannons. Stand by on Sharp Shooters.” This was the very first time I called Battle Stations on my own ship for real. My Command seat moved back, the integrated Auto Dresser put me into a Battle Suit and the Direct Command Dome lowered giving me an unobstructed View of space, all around the ship. Sensor Data was linked to the visual read out. The same happened to every duty station. The range of our weapons was shown...
We approached the Asteroid base of the Golden. Wrecks and heavily damaged ships of various sizes and types floated all around us. To Elfi the chatter on the various channels was overwhelming and only with SHIP’s help was she able to filter through them. Narth and Shea were busy taking scans and making image recordings, as there were ships no one of us had seen before. Well almost, Har Hi proved that the Dai indeed had a deep knowledge of areas and species unknown to the Union. As big as the...
Trying to keep a cool head and made sure I didn’t raise my voice even a notch. I didn’t like those commanding officers who barked or yelled orders. I preferred the style of Captain Zezzh and Captain Harris and said. “Mao, full shields, extend Exo-load turret and load both bomb shafts with P Bombs. Har-Hi give me a full damage and casualties report.” Mao said. “Full real shields activated all weapons active, Bomb shafts loaded and ready for P Bomb deployment.” Har-Hi looked over his...
Prelude Part 4: Volund 4999, OTT The crumbling walls of Olafson Burg were no longer on his mind. Volund was now the steward of Ragnarsson Rock. Erik Gustav had kept his word and had given him the stewardship and rule of all that was Ragnarsson on this world. There were tanneries in the extensive basements, several Nubhir farms on the permanent ice of the southern polar region, and large Fangsnapper herds. Best of all, there were five modern and well-kept fishing boats and three hunting...
The Hyperion approached Arsenal IV just as Captain Zezz said with only eight hours to spare before I had to report for my third year posting. The extended time of my stay aboard the battle ship appeared to have gone by even faster. The Klack XO touched my face with his antennae. “You have been outstanding at the OPS station. I have seen many others struggle with that position.” “Thank you Sir. Your guidance and the tutor ship of the other bridge officers was the real reason I managed.” To...
The Attack came totally unexpected. The scanner operator of the American Dream was watching GalNews about the space battle between Dai, Nogoll and Union forces like everyone else on the bridge and thus missed the fast approaching contact. I was still sitting in the Command chair, while the main viewer showed high definition recordings of the space battle of Union Fleet against the Dai and the Nogoll. Titanic fists shock the yacht so violently that Calia Lethra, Alex and everyone else...
The Space bus came out of FTL and approached the blue and white sapphire sphere that was Nilfeheim. I had 6 month before I had to return to the Academy. This was my home world and I was longing to take a long deep dive and feel the fresh cold water all around me, it was of course still Longnight. That I had left Nilfeheim just a little over a year ago was something I could hardly believe. So much has happened since then; it felt I had been gone for much longer. “I wonder how Nilfeheim is...
“No need to be afraid First Daughter!” the Old man said and the gun spun out of Freydis hand and floated in mid air. “I am Egill Skallagrímsson, the Eldest. I am sure some of you have heard of me. My friend here is Elkhart the First Keeper of Hasvik. We are not here to harm you, arrest you, kill you or stop you from what you are doing! We came because this world of ours is in grave danger, because we too believe it is high time all citizens of this world are heard and because together we are...
I tried to get up and managed but I was stiff as a frozen snapper fur in Longnight, I was more sore than I realized and colder than I ever was. This time he let me get in. The door led into a short tunnel shaped corridor passing through the tall massive rock wall. Judging by the length of the tunnel, the walls must have been at least 10 meters thick. The steel door swung close behind us, making absolutely no sound as it did. Two boys perhaps my age, wearing dark long fur coats were behind the...
The commander stood at the window of his spacious office overlooking the lake and jungle with his hands clasped behind his back watching a group of cadets struggling with a heavy wooden log. They had to carry it over an obstacle course and only by working together could this task be achieved. This ancient time tested exercise promoted team work, group coordination and leadership. This exercise had been used by Navy trainers even before the Galactic Ascent on good old Earth. Of course it...
“Have we been hailed?” Harris shook his head.”No not yet, but the sphere is transmitting genuine Union Transponder Codes.” The screen changed and a hooded Narth became visible. The Comm. Officer looked at his console and shrugged. The Narth spoke. “This is the USS Narth. “There was a pause and the Narth moved his shrouded head as if he was looking at someone then he nodded and said.” One hopes to be forgiven, by the one who has command. One was uncertain of the correct address. It is the...
I had slept a few hours at Uncle Hogun’s and went to the clinic to check on Litfas Arnske and I found him, in a low gee bed. Two elders, Adolph Lindbergh and a young man perhaps two three years older than me was with him, most likely Sif’s brother I had not yet met. As he saw me, he first smiled and then his face dropped. “You have saved my life, and it looks like my very own daughter has tried to end it. The daughter I promised, my honor is in shambles and I am not sure I want to live...
The lights flickered and Astrid said.” Looks like his Tech stop has trouble to get through our armor and hardened systems. She then pried open an access panel and said.” I am sure I can fix this!” Her hands pulled chip connectors and reset them and then she turned. Eric flip open your left armrest. Beneath is the Code sequencer. They could not have altered your Command Codes, without your permission! All they did is bypass it and tying in their own!” I did and pressed my hand on the now...
We arrived in Halstaad Fjord and were greeted by a group of elders accompanied by twenty beefy looking men, all were dressed in the traditional Neo Viking way with leather vests and trousers and shirts. They all wore identical helmets and swords and all were dressed in the same dark brown color. Egill was also with them. As we stepped ashore he said to me, I know what happened, Eric and I will take it from here. You may have noticed the men; these are the first members of the Nilfeheim...
Swybar lounged in the comfortable chair behind the conference table aboard the Red Dragon. Soon the requested supplies would arrive and make him a very dangerous man. The table was laid out with a light dinner. Both of his associates had joined him and both of them had been very respectful and lauded his genius. Swybar loved it when others realized just how smart and resourceful he was. Even the disguised Kermac treated him like an equal, as it was proper. He was no fool however and knew...
The orange haired woman took the mirror thing from her face as I left the Admirals office and she leaned forward over her desk. “There is a washroom right over there.” I gave her a thankful smile. After I had freshened up I asked her.” How did you know I needed to go?” She smiled.” I am Cheeka and I come from Phantas. “She said that as if it would explain everything. Her purple eyes sparkled amused and she added. “Phantas is an old Terran Colony, much like Nilfeheim and we all have Psionic...
Green Eden appeared to be a beautiful green, white and blue sphere. From space it looked as inviting as any garden world. The transport descended through moderate clouds and approached a heavy forested land mass. We landed on a simple dirt field that had been cleared in the jungle. At the edge of the dirt field I saw a collection of primitive looking buildings made of wood. There were no machines, no robots, no ships or vehicles and no one waiting for us. Someone from the flight deck...
According to the time displayed on my PDD it was aready 10 am. The large view ports displayed a sunny serene mountain scene with a large lake dark gree forests and snow covered peakes. Dawn was sitting at the dresser and brushing her hair. I watched her doing it. I had made love to a woman for the first time in my life and it was a wonderful, glorious feeling and she was gentle and without many words had showed me what I had to do. For the first time in my life I did no longer feel like a...
I woke from a dreamless sleep and I was glad of that, the most recent events were not the stuff that made pleasant dreams. I rubbed my eyes, the sleep inducer of my seat had been turned off and that meant we were close to the next destination. After arriving on Palomino, a pleasant garden world. I stayed in a hotel for a week, and did some thankfully uneventful sight seeing to pass the time. Seven days ago, I had boarded a space bus and after a short layover at Corri-Door (This time I...
Wulf activated his cloak and put the suit in flight mode. Like a human missile he flew towards the ware house. Another energy beam emitted from the alien craft and slammed into the ground, where he had been a second ago. “Rusty, activate weapons and open remote control. He slaved the ships weapon control to his suit and a pair of green crosshairs appeared before his eyes. As soon as he lined up the cross hairs he pressed with his thumb on a small contact on the side of his index finger and a...
Longnight had once again descended upon Nilfeheim, the second planet in the Solken system. Nilfeheim was a water planet with with very little dry land. During Longnight, the winter period that could last up to seven standard years, the oceans froze over, except for a region called the Uhim grounds. Hot vents and underwater volcanoes kept the water temperature above freezing. Nilfeheim had been settled by colonists from Earth almost 3000 years ago. The settlers, belonging to the Viking...
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...
The doctor smiled as he removed the Derma-patcher from my face.” The thing was missing you, Eric. You haven’t been here for a while!” “It was sort of quiet; at least in the being hurt part of my life!” He padded me on the shoulder. “I was joking Eric. I am glad you don’t show as regularly as you used to. No worries the rest of this crazy world keeps me and my staff quite busy.” “So you haven’t gone to that Kentucky place of yours?” “Not yet, but I am still planning to do so. My contract...
The Commander still stared at the torn off rank insignia of the former Midshipman as his Desk, Then hisCom flashed with the top urgent icon. He touched the screen and a Holo transmission from Fleet headquarters solidified. It was the Old man himself, Admiral of the Fleet McElligott. “Where is Midshipman Olafson?” “Sir, the Ex Midshipman is just transferred to the brig. That subject has been dealt with swift and harsh. I doubt he is conscious. Thirty five lashes and off to Brisbane...
October 4999, OTT Erik Gustav had arrived once more on the planet of his birth. This time he had not taken the Space Bus but arrived with his own brand new Clarion 7 luxury yacht, the Silver Falcon. A terrible snowstorm obscured everything behind a whirling flurry of white. The two massive snow removers fought a losing battle. His seventy-meter craft had just landed and already wore a thick cover of snow and so did the Volvo Flier that waited not far from the landing ramp. He girded...