Eric Olafson Neo Viking Vol 1 Chapter 3 Union school
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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 subs in the cave-like, voluminous submarine pen.
Volund was once more doing what he loved best. He commanded the hunting subs, harassed the boats of the clans of the East, and returned to the XChange at Halstaad Fjord with Three-Fins and Tyrannos in tow. Life was good and the name Olafson was once again spoken with respect at the XChange Cafe and in the Taverns.
He had just returned from another long trip to the Uhim grounds and decided to have a few tankards at Hogun’s Inn.
His second-born had also married, in a small and far less spectacular ceremony, to a daughter of an Eastern clan no one of the Western clans knew much about. Hogun’s wife, a Bredeberg, was given an Inn as part of her dowry. Her father had won it in a gambling venture.
So, it came that Hogun was an innkeeper now. It was clear to everyone that this was his true calling. Hogun’s Inn became one of the most popular Inns of Halstaad Fjord, not in the least due to the cooking and grilling skills of Hogun and the collection of local and Off World beers and ales he offered.
It was the very Inn where he had met the Ragnarsson chief and where his fortune and the fate of the Olafson clan changed forever. Fights and brawls were a thing of the past, at least in Hogun’s Inn. No one in his right mind wanted to make Hogun angry. It had not taken very long before Hogun’s almost inhuman body strength became the source of many tales and stories.
Volund greeted his second born and grabbed his underarm in the traditional greeting. “The hunt was good, my son. Let me celebrate with my men under thy roof and bring good ale and hearty food. The boats are fine indeed, but the cooking skills of my men are much to be desired.”
While Hogun went into the kitchen to personally fry a few Tyranno steaks for his father and the boat crew, Pit, one of the Freemen working for Hogun, served tankards of mead and ale.
The mood was merry, and the food was good. The hours went on and Oddløg, celebrated for his expert harpooning that killed a Tri Halfer, was comfortably drunk as he staggered into the back to relieve himself.
While Hogun had spent considerable money to install modern Union grade recycler bathroom stalls and urinals, he had a hard time making the long-time patrons use it. The old Vikings much rather went out in the back as they had done for so many years before.
During Shortsummer it stank horribly despite the Gong Farmers, Lowmen paid by the Innkeepers to remove the disgusting mess left behind. Until recently the Lowmen had to use pickaxes to break the frozen mess from the old Sea Wall that began right behind the row of Inns and Taverns, of which Hogun’s Inn was one.
Hogun however, paid one of his employees to clean a good section every day with a high-pressure washer to keep the mess managed and placed big signs everywhere inviting them to use his modern toilets.
All this was of no concern to Oddløg, he had pissed against that Sea Wall behind the inn for as long as he could remember, and he would do so tonight.
He was just about to relieve himself as a movement just out of his field of view made him turn his head. He laughed roughly, “Aye the spears and harpoons of Olafson warriors are legendary in size and length, are you ashamed of yours, or why do you hide in the shadows?”
A woman, of all things, stepped into the yellowish light of the age-old Lumi-plate glued to the back of the building. “Oh, I remember the spears of the Olafsons, yours is rather pathetic.”
The back of the Inns were frequented by the harlots and prostitutes of the lowest kind; seeking to earn a coin or two to support their usually fatherless families living on the outskirts of town. The Circle of Elders tried to prohibit it, but it was an open secret among the Freemen and the clan-born alike. However, she didn’t talk like one.
Oddløg growled out, “After I am done you better be gone or I tan your hide, harlot.”
“Of course, you one-eyed bastard don’t even remember who I am.” She raised a small pen-like device and something sharp pierced Oddløg’s skin right underneath his chin.
She came closer. Now he recognized the woman, it was Gretel.
She wore a red dress underneath her cloak and said, “What a fitting place for you to die. I had to hide in a barrel of piss to survive your master’s rage, now you going to drown in it.”
Oddløg tried to reach for what stung him but he could not.
Gretel laughed and waved to someone behind her, “Go get him, boys, he is all yours.”
A gang of ragged looking Lowmen peeled from the shadows, armed with clubs and pickaxes.
They would have never dared attack a clan warrior in command of his strength. Yet Oddløg could not even lift a hand, his muscles felt like blubber, as the four Lowmen started to hit him.
He could not even yell for help or raise an alarm before he fell face-first into the yellow snow and ice and soon saw his blood flow and freeze. The last thing he heard was Gretel’s cold laugh, “You are only the first.”
No one could tell Volund where Oddløg was, even after almost a week, no one had seen his right-hand man. Now crime and murder were rare but not entirely uncommon. The Olafson’s had a fair share of enemies among the clans of the West and then of course there were the clans of the East, the pirates of the Black clan and of course, there was Oddløg’s temper. He never could stay out of a fight, pass a brawl, or not get mixed up in a duel. Volund was sure his friend had met his fate, or he would have shown up by now.
There were no police or anything like that on Nilfeheim except at the spaceport, but the spaceport security could not and would not enforce the law beyond Union ground. Volund only noticed Oddløg missing after almost three days, as he had a serious hangover and suspected Oddløg to sleep his off in the bed of a Lowmen wench.
He did call the Union Clinic, but Oddløg had not been there and had not been treated recently.
Volund felt the loss deeply and was sad that he could not give his friend a decent burial.
But then the new burg had many warriors and Volund hoped that wherever Oddløg found his fate, he did it fighting and would be welcomed at the table of the Aesir.
What distraught him more were the reports that his son was no longer spending much time with Ilva but was seen almost daily flying to town and returning late.
That a man of his strength had a few concubines on the side was understandable, even though it was neither traditional nor proper. Volund himself had cheated a few times on his beloved wife while she was alive, a fact he regretted now.
But the good news was that Ilva was now pregnant. Hogun’s wife, who was also a midwife, told him the good news after nature took its course and in about eight months there would be twins and if the midwife were right, one of the twins would be a boy.
While he was sure the Union Clinic could determine that for sure, there was no need to involve the Off-Worlders.
Volund had just left the Inn after talking to Hogun. He was hoping that his sone had news of Oddløg simply being sick or still drunk or perhaps nursing the bruises of a fight he lost.
Hogun, never known to be drunk, recalled the night and remembered Oddløg going for a piss, but could not recall seeing the old warrior coming back.
Hogun watched his father leave.
He remembered Oddløg well, from the time before he had left. Oddløg had a mean streak as wide as the behind of a pregnant Fangsnapper, but Hogun remembered him as being smarter than most, with a keen sense for trouble and very quick reflexes. True, Oddløg was drunk, but not more than at any other time. If he would have died in a fight, there would be others wounded or injured as well.
He put his fur cape around his shoulders and said to Pit, one of his employees, “Take care of the place. I will be back in a few hours.”
Pit simply nodded, but Pit never spoke unless absolutely necessary.
He went out the back, past the modern bathroom facilities, and proceeded to the so-called sea wall.
This was a tall dike kind of structure, erected by the first colonists that arrived on this, the largest open landmass on Nilfeheim. They did that bone-breaking labor to protect the then small and only settlement on Bifrost, as they called this about Ireland-sized island, from flooding.
Hogun, who had visited Earth and knew what the Ireland reference meant, smiled at the simple minds of his ancestors. Nilfeheim had no moons and no tides. The ice that came in the long winter came from the existing water, the water level did not raise a single centimeter in Shortsummer.
There was no need for a seawall, millions of tons of rock and concrete were used to build this great defense against, well, against nothing.
Halstaad Fjord and the entire region from the most northern tip of the island called Ice Jättens Näsa where the small village of Honningsvåg was, all the way to Mount Asgard and the Mehir field was the land that Lars Erikson had claimed for himself and his family. No clan, no family of Nilfeheim had ever dared to claim this region, not even during the many clan wars.
An old burg-like structure North of the city, now mostly a big pile of rubble, had been erected not long after Lars Erikson had died. Deep underneath that crumbled structure they had placed the stone coffin of the first and still the only leader of all Nilfeheim. Above, in the sealed hall, sat the legendary throne of Lars Erikson.
Hogun knew the history of Nilfeheim well, perhaps even better than the Elders themselves who suppressed and ignored much of it.
As strange as it might sound, he had learned more about Nilfeheim while he was away than he ever could on Nilfeheim itself. The Central Archive of the Union held every piece of information ever written or recorded about Nilfeheim – and every other Union world. While here on their world, there was no one except perhaps the elusive and almost forgotten Keepers of Hasvik who kept an unbiased record of history.
Hogun loved this world but he no longer saw it as only a Neo Viking, but also as Union Citizen.
The seawall section here on the western side of the island separated the actual town of Halstaad Fjord from the sea harbor and the ocean port facilities.
Halstaad Fjord had grown much, even in the almost fifteen years he had spent in his self-chosen exile. Over a million Freemen and an uncounted number of Lowmen lived here. Hogun was certain at least another million were living in the small villages and towns dotting the planet’s surface.
While Halstaad Fjord and Isen Lansby, the two largest settlements had something akin to a town council, there was no actual government for the entire planet other than the Circle of Elders. There were no social services, no police, and no one ever asking for a census to find out how many people lived on the planet.
Hogun was convinced that none of the Elders or clan Lords ever wanted a count to be done.
Such a result could technically make it to the Assembly or a Union Court, carried there by a member of the Lowmen, and maybe show that there were far more Lowmen than there were clan Families. Something that might put the so-called Nilfeheim Exception in jeopardy.
Of course, Nilfeheim was not the only Union member society with certain exceptions, almost every society had some local conditions that did not entirely fit Union law. He understood concessions had to be made to make this magnificent multi-cultural society work.
Hogun sighed as he watched four men dressed in rags working with pickaxes, hammers, and shovels to remove the disgusting mess the patrons of the many Inns left behind.
Here on the sea-facing side of the big wall were many fishing and hunting-related businesses. This part of town was called Harbor’s Row, offering shops and stores that offered tackle, nets, harpoons, ropes, and all the many things seafaring Vikings needed. Nearby were many of the traditional inns, taverns, guesthouses, and pubs that catered to the tastes and needs of this rough clientele.
As far as Hogun knew, he was the only business on Harbor’s Row featuring indoor plumbing and bathrooms.
He walked up to the men. He recognized two of them and they knew him. They were called Gong Farmers but also much worse.
One of them removed the filthy piece of fur he had before his nose and mouth against the cold, now that Longnight was here. The temperatures thankfully reduced the usual stench to a minimum. The thin man bowed, “Lord Olafson!!
“Dietmar, did I not tell you to simply call me Hogun? Why are you cleaning this by hand? Have I not purchased a modern pulse washer?”
“Yes, Hogun you have, but we are cleaning this section for Arnhilf’s Tavern, he doesn’t have one.”
Hogun put his hand on the man’s shoulder. “Go get the pressure cleaner anytime you need it. Didn’t I give you money to buy real boots, an apron, and a good filter mask?”
“Yes, you did, but I used the money to feed my family. It lasted almost an entire month and we ate well.”
“Loki curse that stubborn council of Elders, these conditions are as bad as in the slums of N’Ger.”
Hogun dug a handful of Iridium coins out of his pocket, while the man asked, “The slums of what?”
“A place beyond Union Space with conditions that should not exist here on my homeworld.”
Hogun handed the man a sizable sum of money. He knew that he made no sense to the man, as he would have made no sense to anyone local. “Here, you and your friends go to Friesenheim’s or Silverhawk’s and buy the things I asked you to get before. Then you get my power cleaner and clean the whole stinking wall from up there, all the way down to Messmer’s restaurant. You will work for me and I will pay you each the usual hourly wages. That should keep you guys busy for the foreseeable future and your families fed. The deal is off if I see you without the gear I want you to have, understood?”
Dietmar grinned broadly. “You are the only Lord who cares about us for sure.”
“What I came out here for is to ask if you have seen a fight or someone asked you to take away a dead body?”
“Not a fight Sir, and we haven’t removed any dead bodies since Eklund the Barber asked us to dispose of one, but that was still during Shortsummer.”
One of his still partially masked companions spoke, his voice muffled behind the piece of fur, “There was a lot of frozen blood right behind your Inn just a few days ago.” He leaned forward. “The Nubhir gang gave us half a bit to clean it up. I found this.”
The man held up a brass clap, it featured the Olafson wolf’s head engraved into it.
Hogun was not entirely surprised by that. He somehow expected to hear Oddløg had been killed right behind his tavern. The question was, why was it done in an ambush and not in an open fight. He thanked the men and urged them to do what he asked them to do.
He was just contemplating what to do when a big-bellied Neo Viking stepped before him. The man was Arnhilf, the proprietor of the tavern with the same name and technically competition to Hogun.
Arnhilf gestured to the Lowmen walking off the job and said with an angry tone, “I hired that vermin to clean that stinky mess.”
“And I hired them to clean the whole damn wall with proper tools and gear. These are Nilfeheimers just as you and me and not vermin!”
“You must have lost your mind while you were gone, those are Lowmen.”
“Do you know where Freemen and Lowmen come from? Do you know none of your ancestors came to this world aboard the colonist arks? No my friend, your roots, and theirs are from the slaves and hostages our pirating ancestors brought back from all the colonies they raided.”
Arnhilf shrugged. “Makes no difference to me. They are Lowmen, I am not. However, since you pay them to clean the entire wall, let me get in on some of the cost. I am thinking of getting toilets as you do, have you figured out yet how to make them use them?”
Hogun sighed, “No, not yet. Did you know the Nubhir Gang are back doing shady business back here?”
Arnhilf shook his head. “Didn’t the Elders send warriors last year to stomp out that gang?”
“Apparently it didn’t work. This is the problem with our society. No police.”
“This is what is good about our society. We don’t need Off World law, but we should simply put a torch to the entire South Side of Halstaad.”
Hogun knew how difficult it was to eliminate groups like the Nubhir Gang. Jobs like that were the bread and butter of Rathuur’s Brigands, eliminating such elements from fringe world colonies.
Here on Nilfeheim, it would be almost impossible, as the Nubhir gang usually preyed only on the Lowmen and only occasionally bothered the Freemen. Why they attacked and killed an armed warrior was disturbing, but Oddløg was drunk and maybe he was clubbed before he could defend himself or raise alarm. His gear was most likely already sold, and the body dumped somewhere.
It wasn’t a big or very influential gang but, as much as the Elders tried to cover it up and deny it existed, there was prostitution, and with it came the usual element of pimps and shady characters.
Since there were no police or anything like that, he decided to go to the South End himself. It was a long shot of course but if Oddløg got murdered behind his Inn, he wanted to make sure nothing like it happened again.
Until recently, going to town used to be a long trip with an ice skimmer boat, but the Ragnarsson Burg had three expensive Arti-Grav Skimmers and Volund loved using the expensive and luxurious Volvo. All the rich clan Chiefs had fliers and usually the expensive kind.
As he landed in the burg’s spacious courtyard, he noticed the big GM flier Isegrim his son more or less had made his own.
Near the big General Motors flier lingered a man, all dressed in gray. There were many faces he didn’t know but Volund remembered seeing the man several times in the company of Isegrim.
“Servant speak quick, have you seen my son?”
“Aye Sire, he is down at the submarine pen, most likely using the bunk of the lead boat with his guest.”
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5004, Year Isegrim stood at the bar in the Xchange cafe, watching through the large windows into the large warehouse, as his men unloaded the last crates of Flicker fish and Fangsnapper meat. The door opened and along with a flurry of snow flakes and a gush of cold wind Leif Elhir stomped in, cleaning his heavy boots over the snow grate. He looked around to see who was there and then he noticed Isegrim. “I see the winds also dragged in the steward of the Ragnarsson riches, running errands...
The masked woman in the red Cloak said.” Welcome Eric, or should I say welcome Freya?” I blushed despite the fact that my secret was no secret here and they probably all laughed as they used me back then, but I tried to concentrate and said. “I don’t care if you make fun of my secret and I told Astrid I am tired of being played and taken for a fool. It was you or one of you who wanted me here to discuss the very serious problems you have. I can leave right now.” She got up from her Chair....
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The banquet was about to start. Sif and I were the guests of honor of course. Egill came out of the round house and smiled. “Well it isn’t perfect but it turned out better than expected.” Sif turned to look at him. “It is a bit frightening to be at the center of such a historic event that will most likely change our planets history.” “That is a very astute observation, young lady.” She made a gesture towards the banquet preparations. “At least they celebrate and don’t prepare for our...
I brushed the last crumbs of dirt onto the dust pan and got up to look around. The basement area was clean! The stone floor patched with Duro-crete were the rot was so bad it actually had crumbled stone. The walls scrubbed with disinfectant and the few small windows now glazed and clean. The big Recycler was turned off and pushed to one wall. The small Nanite Unit was more than adequate to take care of the Old man’s trash every day. By now I was well equipped. I had shovels and brooms and...
It took Egill and me almost 4 weeks to reach his rock. His sub was quite fast, but no submarine could match the speed of a flier. He showed me how to guide the sub and I let me steer it from the helm. Despite its age, it was equipped with a Computronic and a sensor array that would put modern Hunt subs to shame. He told me stories about Earth, when submarines were used in warfare against other nations and never for hunting fish. He said that during the last great clan wars, many hunting subs...
I had one spear left. Two of the Rock sharks floated belly up to the surface, the Slayer harpoon meant for Tyrannos was good enough to kill these triangle snouts. Even now fighting for my life I wondered why I called them that way. My last spear missed! Not that it mattered much, four sharks were now busy with the carcass of the ones I killed, fighting each other for the meat, there were three more now aiming for me, also that immense presence beneath me came closer. This was the largest...
I did clean the boat and the basement. The Old man made me recite the poems while I was doing it and made sure I read them before I went to sleep. I became a steady visitor of Isen Landsby. Not only to get Cleaning supplies but also the clear liquor, he liked so much and mixed with everything. Today I used a shovel to fill a garbage bag with things so rotten and decomposed I did not want to know what it was before. The basement as he called it was underneath his burg, accessed through a trap...
5004, OTT Outside the bitter cold winds of Longnight howled around the thick Duro-Crete walls of the Burg; but here in my mother’s drawing room it was warm and cozy. The soak-stones glowed warm with Tyranno Oil fire in the oven. I always thought her room was just a bit warmer than all the other rooms and halls. Here in her chambers the gray and drab Duro-Crete walls were mostly covered with velvet curtains and antique tapestries depicting the first settlers, the gods, scenes of great clan...
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...
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.”...
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...
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...
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 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....
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...
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 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...
(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...
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...
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...
When I came around, I was still lying under that purple thing. The armed and fully armor suited men were close now holding their weapons ready pointing them at my friends. The bearded dark skinned man wearing a battle suit of unknown origin argued with Cardwell. “I want you to open those Translocator storages now. We do not have much time.” Cardwell barked back and pointed at me. “I told you that two command codes are needed to open them, the only one able doing that was killed by your...
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...
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 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...