It was utterly silent. I was fully aware what I had just done but unaware to process it yet. The first thing really took notice off other than Ardalf's silent form was my father rising in the bleachers. "My son bested the champion of the Steiner Clan."
This broke the silence and all around me was a din of voices. Taking excited and while I could not make out any individual voice or word. Whenever someone said Eric heard that.
The speaker of the elders rose and once more it became quiet." The Challenge has been made and accepted and was concluded before the witness of all. Eric Olafson Son of Isegrim Olafson has and is by our laws and customs now the rightful owner of all that was Steiner. A clan now ceases to exist. So let it be recorded and so let it be done."
Uncle Hogun appeared next to me." By Odin's blind eye, where did you learn to fight like that? I take it back you were no fool."
"Yes Uncle Hogun I was. I killed Ardalf his life is on my consciousness, had I kept my mouth shut at the beach he would still be alive."
"True that, but I would be dead Eric."
I stared at him.
"Without your challenge I would had to face Steiner and I could not have hoped to defeat him with swords. I am saying that not lightly Eric but you basically saved my life."
Now father came and his face was as brooding and dark as ever." What do you want to do with the Steiner clan?"
Hogun smirked."We are still in before the Elders, Eric and they decreed all the belongings and families to you. The Steiners weren't exactly the poorest clan."
"Whatever is between us father is family business. It is not to be discussed in public. You don't like it and I hate you but the fact remains I am your son and what I gained tonight is Olafson."
His steel eyes rested on me then he turned to the Elders."It has been declared what was Steiner is now Olafson. I herby call the Elders to witness the transfer and merging."
He stomped away and as my eyes followed him I saw Frederick Steiner kneeling by his dead son, no one paid attention to him or the dead boy and I felt rotten, despite my uncle's declaration. I had to find a secluded place fast. I was about to throw up.
Interlude: Harkun
Harkun felt like a fish out of water. This planet was insane! He longed to be back on Nilfeheim and luckily that is where he would be headed in a few days. But before he could board the Space Bus for the long journey back he had to complete his Lords instructions.
He stood at the window of his Portel room and stared outside. The height alone made him dizzy. He could barely make out the ground and yet the Holliday Inn at Spaceport 14 of Pluribus Unum was not a very tall building by the standards of this world. The entire population of Nilfeheim would have had no problem booking rooms at this Port Hotel or Portel as it was called, and there would still be room for plenty of other guests. A Hotel that could cater to one and a half million guests at once was something he could not grasp and process in his mind. The staff of beings, and robots was certainly a sizeable army by itself. Yet one of the porters laughed and told him that this was by far not the biggest hotel and that they had a quiet week with only 950,000 bookings! He found it amazing that every staff member greeted him by name. He had trouble finding his room even after they explained to him how easy it is to follow a direction bot; one could be summoned simply by speaking into the air.
It all started after Erik Gustav Ragnarsson, curse that name showed up at the Burg and made a fool out of Isegrim. His master pondered for many days how to get rid of that meddling tiresome Old man. Then as if Loki himself had its hands on the wheel of fate. The representative of a Mega Corporation arrived on Nilfeheim, seeking exclusive contracts to market the seafood products of Nilfeheim. He wined and dined the leading patriarchs and invited them all to a Seafood Exhibition and Conference on their Corporate World. At first Isegrim was of course against leaving Nilfeheim. It was not traditional to fly in space ships, even though the Elders themselves guaranteed him that there was nothing in the Ancient Book of Traditions that specifically prohibited travel and that the restrictions in it had only meaning on the planet not away from it.
It was Gretel his wife however who secretly watched GalNet Shows in her chambers with Isegrim's knowledge who came up with this plan, he was now executing.
Isegrim forced to whip his own wife before witnesses after she was caught spying on men's business would have loved to do the dirty deed herself. Not that Isegrim even broke her skin with his whip. Harkun had seen him flail men to death with it and almost cut them in half.
The man servant was very proud of his Lord and master. He served him without question and all the devotion a good servant was to show in return Harkun was the undisputed king over all staff, both Olafson and Ragnarsson, at least while the Old man was away on Pluribus.
On Harkun's word alone Isegrim would dismiss, hire, whip and kill any servant, workman or Low man and Harkun admitted to himself he liked that kind of power. He took any woman in the staff and the Low families he liked and did whatever he wanted with her. If she would tell who would believe a woman and besides they all knew about his power over life and death. He always got excited when he tied them up, and told them they would die by the hand of the Lord if they did not do as he told. That they often called him the Gray Demon behind his back actually pleased him. Lately he discovered he had a graving for younger girls! He was convinced that Isegrim knew about, but as he was the unquestioning loyal servant he had little to fear.
Gretel had seen in one of her GalNet programs that everything was purchasable on Pluribus, including professionals who would for money kill anyone. She even knew how to get in contact with assassins, by securing the services of a so called Connector.
Harkun did not understand how this exactly worked, but Isegrim was suddenly very eager to leave Nilfeheim, attend the Show but only for a day then travel to Pluribus and talk to a Connector, Gretel found on GalNet.
Harkun did not even know exactly how to operate a GalNet terminal and since it was forbidden technology he didn't want to. Isegrim had to return to Tyson world and then to Nilfeheim but no one would really miss him. So he had to remain on this horrible confusing world. In his pocket detailed written instructions and a loaded Credit strip. Harkun snickered when he thought that they would use the Old Mans own money to kill him. Money he had set aside for Eric's education and allowance, money that this undesired and unwanted child would never see of course.
Harkun hated Eric almost as much as he hated Erik Gustav mostly because his master hated them.
He glanced at his pocket watch; he drew the line when Gretel offered him a PDD. He would not use such things. The Elders said it would destroy a man's brain to use computronics too much and they had to be right!
It was almost time. He carefully checked everything once more, memorized the instructions again and ate the piece of paper to destroy it, as Gretel had instructed him. Then he left the room stepped somewhat awkwardly on the central beige carpet strip in the Corridor and was carried away by the carpet covered slide belt. Not even using their feet was convenient for these weak non Vikings. There were slide belts everywhere.
That he had to use the Inter Hotel Transport Lift was another matter. Even he did not want to use the stairs to descent hundreds of floors to the lobby. That the IHT had transparent cars rushing up and down at the outside of the building was however most disturbing.
"Do you want to remain in the Lift and choose another destination?" A voice asked him. He realized he had arrived at the Lobby level and he still held his eyes closed. Transparent walls were bad enough at these heights, transparent floors were truly disturbing!
"No I do not want to remain in this cursed contraption!" He muttered and stepped into the lobby. He did not hear the Lift system's response as the doors closed.
The lobby was far from the actual ground level he had learned. Past the revolving doors on the far side of these faery tale surroundings of white marble, golden brass and transparent materials was the Taxi and floater landing pla
tform, where he first arrived. He dreaded the fact he had to get out there again.
For a moment he just stood there, trying once more to adjust to the rustle ad rushing of beings and humans all around him. Even though Harkun went like everyone else to Union School, it was long time ago and he deliberately tried to forget as much as he could about this off world garbage. Three insect like beings scurried by. Age old cerebral uploads still provided him with the information. Those were Klack, members of the largest member civilization. Four human women giggled, chattering floated by in flimsy veil like things and nothing else; like a school of colorful but useless Regnbyn Fish. Women dressed like this! Harkun was outraged and thought a man was needed to beat some moral and decency back in those whores! A Robot floated behind the women loaded with shopping bags and boxes. He finally made it to the revolving door, outside was seemingly nothing! The scantily clad women however simply walked out there as if walking right through the air and boarded a black limousine.
The Doorman in his impressive livery also seemingly defied gravity. Harkun knew it was actually a floor of an unbreakable refraction free material and an invisible force field fence acted as barrier to prevent anyone from walking to far, at least that what the door man told him as he arrived here.
Harkun never went up the towers of the Burg because he hated their height and those were made of rock and honest solid Duro-Crete. This platform was only 600 meters above ground according to the doorman and he was assured that not even a herd of raging Nul wearing Ultronit stiletto High heeled pumps could even scratch this material.
Not that he could visualize this colorful analogy. He did not know what Nul looked like and he had no idea what high heeled pumps supposed to be.
The doorman was not the same as the one that greeted him here; this one was quite obviously not human, even though the general shape was right. He had chrome metal like skin and was perhaps a robot addressed him after he finally got enough courage together to step outside. He had his head angled up so he would not even get a glimpse of the chasm below his feet." Do you want me to call you a cab Sir?"
"How do I get to the Matter tunnels to Ripley's Canyon?"
"You can take a cab of course or you simply go to your right take sky bridge eight to Halifax Tower and board the next shooter to MT Main Station."
"Call me a cab!"
"Your sphere is ready, Sir" as the almost instant response.
He had to lower his head somewhat to actually see the bubble like contraption with the open side and immediately felt dizzy as fear constricted his throat. It took willpower to make the four little steps into the Tax and he felt better sitting down. He didn't mind flying in a floater that gave him the illusion of a solid floor.
"Thank you for choosing Pluri-Cab as your transportation provider. To what destination would you like to go?"
"Home!" He sighed.
"There are 177 Million destinations with the term home in the Address on this continent and 536 Trillion entries Union Wide would you be so kind and give additional information or do you want me to choose a random one?"
"Of course I do not want you to get me home! You could not possibly get me to Nilfeheim If I could go home now. You Loki cursed contraption!"
The voice remained very friendly and said:" There are 98 locations with the designation Nilfeheim on this planet and 453 locations Union wide. Please add additional address information, or do you want me to make a random selection?"
Harkun got angry. How could they get anything done on this insane world if they had to argue with mindless machines all day long? He took a deep breath and despite all his devotion to Isegrim and the wonderful outcome his mission would cause he wished the Olafson Clan Leader had chosen someone else for this errand. Of course there was no one else, and sending a woman was out of the question, even though Gretel had offered." I want to send you and your creator to the deepest pits of Hel."
The machine chirped happily. "Your invitation of the manufacturing staff of Sky-Floaters Inc to the nightclub Pits of Hel has been forwarded. Destination recognized. Estimated travel time 89 minutes. On board entertainment and refreshments are included in the fare for trans -continental destinations." The cap was already well on its way before Harkun even had a chance to think and realize what the machine was doing." I want you to get me to the Trans Matter Tunnel terminal of Pluribus and nowhere else!"
"There are 40 Trans Matter Tunnel Stations on this planet. To what station do you want to go?"
Harkun was screaming now." I want you to get me to the nearest Trans Matter Tunnel Station."
"Destination accepted. Do you feel well? Do you want me to contact Emergency Psycho Medical services for you, or do you wish to talk to a counselor?"
"I want nothing from you. Nothing! Do you understand! I want no mindless machines babbling to me everywhere I go. I do not want to argue with a taxi cab to get me to the Cursed Trans Matter Station. I simply want you to get me there!"
Again the machine chirped." New Destination accepted."
The cab swooped down from its lofty altitude and went down these duro-crete and metal canyons dove under sky walks and reached an area sunlight could no longer reach. Light now came from an endless barrage of lit signs, three dimensional projections through which the cab simply passed. More than once he thought a collision was imminent and it turned out it was nothing but a projection. At any time it seemed to him half the planets population was going somewhere. Not that he could even comprehend what 40 Billion inhabitants really meant.
He became a little suspicious, according to the doorman it almost sounded like you could reach the next Tunnel on foot. The very reason Gretel had booked him a room at that Portel because it was supposedly close to a Trans Matter Tunnel. But then he had learned that denizens of this world considered dinner on one of the outer planets of this system a short trip. He hated to ask the machine again but he had an appointment to keep. There was still plenty of time but he had to ask." How much further?"
"At this point the distance to your last selected destination is 7 kilometers and our ETA is 3 minutes."
That was more like it. He noticed that there were much less flyers in the air now and the floating signs had all but disappeared and the advertisement now was fixed to buildings, illuminated by simple elements. The cab sat down on a dark wet Duro Crete surface and it was dark down here like Halstaad Fjord during Longnight, the light came from artificial sources. There was actually little in terms of advertisement, but one Red Glow sign read:" Cursed Trans Matter Station"
He wondered why they would give such a name to a public transportation facility but since he had no clear idea what a TMS was or how one looked like he shrugged and wanted to leave the Cab, the door would not open. "Please deposit 34 Union Credits. A receipt will be issued to your PDD."
"The prices here on Pluribus are outrageous as this planet is a stinking cesspool." He complained and said." And I refuse to be the slave to one of these PDD things! I don't have one!" He paid anyway.
"A printed receipt has been issued. Please collect it below the Pay Sensor. With a flimsy paper strip in his hand he left the cab and it hummed away. Only in the back of his mind he wondered why there were almost no floaters and virtually no one on the street. It even smelled differently here, there was a scent like brackish water and the green moss smelled when the harbor washed against the slimy rocks. Maybe there was water close by and a TMS was some sort of harbor. What looked like a woman at first from the distance standing close to the entrance of the TMS was an almost four meter tall male humanoid dressed like a female. He knew it was male because the genitalia was not only exposed but had a pink glowing aura enhancing it with glittering small lights. He greeted him throaty." Hello Stranger. You look lost or are you looking to get lost?"
Harkun barked."Silence you abomination! Filth like you should be raked over glowing tips of Iron for even daring to look at me! No be gone!"
"Either you are very brave bearded one or you are very stupid! I might
be a little down on my luck but I am still and Andorian and I can take you apart not breaking a sweat!" The being then laughed." Oh I get it you look for some rough time! I gladly accommodate for fifty credit the hour!"
Harkun decided not to argue anymore and he passed in an even darker place lid by blinking red and blue lights. Beings only identifiable as dark shadows hunkered at a bar and on tables. There was a stage in the middle and a technical contraption with blinking lights and a large black center. Over it a Holo read:" The Cursed Trans Matter Station. Destination Pleasure and dark fantasies guaranteed!"
A bulky being with four arms covered in black leather, much bigger than even Hogun came real close and rumbled with a rock crusher voice." Cover is 15 Credits; a ride with the Machine will be 25 credits. The first drink is on the house."
"What manner of place is this?" He was outraged as someone rubbed his behind with something that felt like a broom stick! He was not a famous warrior or very well known for his fighting abilities, but he was still a Neo Viking and had his fair share of fights and brawls. More instinctive than not he drew the Skinner knife he carried like everyone on Nilfeheim and wanted to turn but the four armed being grabbed him. Harkun stabbed the giant with force but the blade simply careened of the tough skin leaving a small scratch. The knife was snatched from him and someone pulled his pants! The big giant being holding him now on both arms grumbled." We do not like trouble makers or Psych Cases here! We will teach you a little lesson now and let you leave alive. Come back and we won't be so kind again!"
***
Harkun stumbled upon the dark wet road after they shoved him through the door. His pants ripped around his ankles. He was bleeding from a few small scratched and he had a burning pain in his behind. Some little Physical pain was something he could live with, but the anguish he felt for what they did to him, the shame and the realization he would feel violated like this for the rest of his life and suddenly for a moment he wondered if the Girls at the Burg felt that way. His time piece was gone and so was everything else he had on him. The credit strip he wanted to pay the assassin with was gone, and so was his private one. Luckily they could not use them without his biometrics. He kept close to the wall and did not know how to get back to the Portel from where he could contact Gretel. He heard steps following him and whenever he turned he saw nothing. The burning shame of his violation was so strong he wished someone would actually kill him. Then he saw a massive looking deep blue vehicle hovering slowly over the pavement. A bright search light caught him unexpected and a voice said." Hold it right there Citizen! A human policeman in an armored battle suite and a similar threatening robot approached." Is it not a little early advertising like this?" The Cop asked.
Eric Olafson Series Boxed Set: Books 1 - 6 (The Galactic Chronicles Series) Page 181
