***
Nilfeheim was in shock! Another Elder had been killed, Snøfrid Bredenberg was found dead behind the controls of the crashed flyer. The woman with the axe in her shoulder survived, it was Hedda Alquist. The two other women were not found so far, but Hedda had revealed their names. Sif Arnske and Astrid Mossberg.
Father and the Leif Elhir had been released from the Clinic and so was Gunnar Peerson. I had to get aid as well as a Shrapnel had buried itself in my leg, I wasn't even aware of it until the doctor asked me if that was my blood staining my pants. Litfas Arnske however was still in the Re-gen tank getting a new lung and spinal reconstructive surgery. An emergency session of the Elders was called.
Having nothing else to do and wondering what this meant for the future of the planet, I needed to talk to the Old man badly. They would listen to him before they made any hasty decisions they would regret later. The men of the Greifswald Werft had set up shop and worked on my boat so I headed downtown and in the Union Post Office I found a GalNet terminal. I turned on the privacy screen, inserted my Cred Strip and activated the unit."System, I would like to find Egill Skallagrímsson."
"Good afternoon Mr. Olafson. You are a not registered as Premium Customer. This request will cost 16 percent of a Credit, do you accept? "
"Yes."
There are 750,000 individuals, 342 businesses, 76 Communities, 45 Streets, 17 Associations, and 1 planet so named. Please narrow search parameters."
And that's with a strange name like that. I wondered what the system would find under Eric Olafson but then I did not want to waste time. "Egill Skallagrímsson, of Nilfeheim."
"One such person found. Do you want to be connected?"
"Yes."
The logo of GalNet Com was replaced by a rotating pulsating dot and a voice said: Connecting, please wait."
The Old man's face appeared and I never thought I would be so glad to see him and I started to tell him all that happened. His voice interrupted me." Thank you for calling Egill Skallagrímsson. I am currently on Sares Prime and I am undergoing treatment at the Sares Psi clinic. I am currently unable to take calls but I will get back to you as soon as possible. This Avatar is a representation of myself and so I was told is able to answer simple questions, however your flow of information exceeds its limitations. Do you want to record a message?"
"Yes."
"Please do so now."
"This Avatar of yours Old man is a poor representation. It is way too friendly and not grumpy at all! Please try to call me as soon as you can. I think there is a Clan war starting on Nilfeheim with off world weapons and then the Girls made another Terror attack and killed another Elder. Everyone is shocked and I am afraid they are going to come to decisions that could be very bad for the Planet and our society as whole. You are the only one they would listen to!"
I added." I never thought I would say that, but I sort of miss you Old man. I hope you will be better soon as I really could use your advice. End recording."
"Message recorded. "
"System, end Call."
"Call Ended. One credit and seven percent of one Credit have been deducted from your Account for this call. Do you wish to place another call? Would you like to become a Premium, Professional or Ultimate GalNet user?"
"Not at the moment."
"There are three messages for you in the system. Do you want to accept them?"
"Messages for me?" I asked surprised.
"You are Eric Olafson of Nilfeheim, Pre Citizen. Your Cred Strip and your bionetics match." The System managed to sound a little surprised.
"Yes, Yes I am Eric Olafson. Deliver the messages please."
"Message one is from Elkhart the Keeper, do you accept?"
"Of course!"
I had almost forgotten about the Ancient and now I felt a little guilty as I saw his friendly old face smiling at me. He looked the same and yet very different. He still had his thin shaggy beard but it was combed out and so was his hair. He no longer had this whitish pasty looking skin tone but a darker sun tan and he did not wear his white keeper robe but a colorful shirt and some strange contraption with two dark lenses on his forehead." Hello Eric, I have a PDD you can call me. It is important,"
"System can you connect me to the Sender of this message?"
"One moment, please. Searching connection data. Yes Connection is possible."
"Please connect me then."
The Old keeper appeared but this time he wore the strange thing before his eyes and he seemed to be a cave of some kind. He took the contraption off his eyes and said." Eric, I am so glad you call!"
"I am sorry! I should have tried to contact you earlier, but so much has happened."
"I know much of it. I am trying to keep up a little to what is happening at home. I am a registered Citizen now and I tell you this Union of ours is a grand place! I see new and fantastic things every day! Right now I am on place called Tomb World. An entire species of unknown origin has transferred an entire planet into a huge tomb and grave maze. Millions of miles of underground tunnels, caves with many billion graves and artifacts. And everything millions of years old!"
I smiled." I am glad you are enjoying yourself. Did you have a chance to catch up with Egill Skallagrímsson?"
His face became serious."Yes I we met and that is the reason I wanted you to call me. Our grumpy old friend was sicker than he realized. He is in good care and as I understood out of immediate danger. His plans to become the Representative are still on, but it will take a little longer than anticipated."
"I just heard his recording. I really could use his advice and counsel, as there are serious developments on Nilfeheim."
"Tell me about them!"
I did and he listened and when I was finished he was sitting down on a boulder and rubbed his chin."You are right, these are bad news and if they start shooting with off World tech, knowing Norse tempers, they will do much damage. I will go to Sares as fast as I can, in the mean time it is up to you if you care enough about Nilfeheim to try to do something about it or of you simply stand back and let the events unfold as they may!"
"What can I do? I am just a teenager! Not that I even know where to start or what to do!"
"Those are questions I cannot answer, but you must. I know Egill for a long time and he speaks fondly of you and he has confidence in you as do I, Eric."
"Great now I have two old men with more experience than god on my back, expecting me to save Nilfeheim."
He smiled." No one can expect more from you than that you give your best shot, but you have shown enough sense and insight to see the danger, I am sure you will see the solution as well if there is one. I better go now and make travel arrangements. I will send word to the Halls of Hasvik and Muspelheim as well. You are not alone in this, I promise"
He waved and cut the transmission.
I hoped he would be able to get to Egill in time to make him talk to the Assembly. They of course would listen to him.
"Connection has been terminated by receiver. One Credit and fourteen percent of a credit have been deducted. Do you want to accept the next message?" The System interrupted my thoughts.
"Yes."
The Union Fleet Hymn was playing and the union Fleet Logo appeared. Then a voice said." Pre pool applicant Eric Olafson this is a message of the Union Fleet academy. Our records indicate that you are still on the Pre Entry program and we want to talk to you. If you wish to talk to us, simply respond to this call. The call will be free of charges."
"System, please respond to the message."
"Responding, you are now connected to Arsenal Two, Union Fleet Academy Headquarters, Recruiting specialist Olivia Green."
The screen changed and a dark haired, exotic beauty with dark brown skin and almond shaped eyes looked at me. "Good Afternoon, Mr. Olafson. Thank you for responding. Our records show that you signed up for the Pre Entry program of the Academy one year ago."
I nodded."Yes that is true, what is this call about?"
&n
bsp; "You are invited to attend a Fleet Career event on Holstein Planet on the fifteenth May 5013. Space bus tickets and accommodations will be provided. Should you decide to attend please contact us no later than 4 weeks in advance."
I realized she was an Avatar as well and closed the connection. "I sure wish I could go. I said to myself and dialed up the next message. A dark shadowy figure spoke with an altered voice" If you care at all about Sif, Elena and the others come to the place where you have seen them last."
The message terminated and the system chirped. "This was a special delivery message, no sender or contact information provided."
I turned the system off and left the booth. The last place I had seen them was the Bredenberg Burg in the Western Sea. Snøfrid Bredenberg was dead and Hedda was imprisoned at the round house awaiting her trial.
Maybe it was best to start there and sort things out with the girls. I went back to the wharf to see how far the technicians were working on my boat.
Chapter 38 - Astrid
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 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 through such times!'
I offered him my underarm" Your honor is intact, noble Sire of the Arnske clan! Until undisputable proof is brought before the High Assembly that this was the deed of Sif, judgment on her guilt could not have been made! And what are hard times if not to test the truth about allegiance and pledges made in times of merry. It lifts my heart to see you well and the day you die Sire shall be with honor in battle with a worthy enemy called Old Age and not by the scheming hand of a masked vigilante. I pledge to you my arm and sword no matter the outcome of these matters! I am the only person in this who could question your honor and Sire be assured I do not and shall not."
His eyes glittered and he took my arm." Eric of the Olafson Clan, you speak with the authority of a man far beyond your years. It is the immortal spirit of thy great Grandfather that guides you, that is clear!"
I recognized the two Elders, they were the same who sat in when grandfather's will was opened and the taller one spoke." I am Olaf Roslund, Elder of the Inner Circle, we know each other Son of Isegrim and indeed Litfas speaks true. The very fact that the Eldest, the Holy one has made you his successor as the Guardian of the Pillar is proof to us, that you are speaking with the same authority as he did, but the fact remains that one of us has been murdered and it was done by the hand of woman identified by one of her co conspirators as Sif the daughter of this noble lord."
"Identified and accused by a woman in pain and fear of her own hide, trying to better her position by naming others. Indeed those are strong accusations, but accusations and not proof. These events have clearly shown that the elders were right asking for a police force, back when the first murder occurred and it became evident that our world has grown and but still lacks the basic necessities of an emergency response establishment."
Now the other Elder, I think was of the grandfather of Torkel Cederstorm, spoke." So young you are and yet you highlight what we have spoken in council only an hour ago. Speak Son of Isegrim, I like to hear more of what you have to say. One day you will be the Clan chief of perhaps most powerful clan with mighty friends and alliances and while you are not yet of age, your word has weight!"
Maybe that was easier than I thought. Maybe I was able to calm this dark storm just long enough for the Old man to recuperate and speak. I had to be very careful now and hope I had enough sense to say the right things. I was not even sure where I got this confidence but they had conjured my Grandfather's legacy and perhaps there was something like his spirit now present. I could almost hear his voice. I said:" Most honorable Elders. Your age and wisdom is so far beyond my abilities as a silver flicker is to a Tyranno fin. The Events have shown beyond the doubt of the lowest Lowman that your warnings against the poisons of the Worlds beyond Nilfeheim are more than valid!"
Both of them nodded gravely and Roslund put his hand on my shoulder." You are a mighty warrior already and it shows you learned humility during your time in Hasvik as well, yet the Clan Chiefs even in the face of these tragedies do not see what you just pointed out so clear."
"Yuletide is not far. All the clan chiefs and the elders will meet thereafter. These events call for all the Wise men and all the Elders and the Eldest and the Holy One will certainly be able to ad his wisdom. In the meantime it might be prudent to gather all the facts and present them at that meeting so the elders do not stand against the Chiefs, but Nilfeheim stands as one against the forces of evil united, and with all the facts and the true culprits revealed decisions can be made that will shape the very future of our world in decades to come. I cannot even begin to fathom the wisdom and experience of the Circle of Elders so I am certain they too must know that these events could not be the work of a group of young women. Someone or something much more sinister must be behind it all and it must be uncovered and destroyed with heavy hand!"
I was as surprised as the men present seemed impressed by what I just had said. Both elders and the Clan chiefs kept nodding and now Roslund said." Your words I shall repeat tonight at the meeting, you have put in words what I expected all along."
I bid them farewell and left the clinic. I wondered myself where I came up with all that, but then maybe the old man was able to make me think at least a little bit. I also was quite certain that this was far from over. Who could know what the Elders were really thinking and as I thought about my own words, I realized I touched a hidden truth. This was far more than the work of a firebrand teacher, someone was behind all this. Someone with a motive far deeper than the proclaimed cause of women's equality, not that the conditions of the women was not worth fighting about, but this un-proportional escalation of violence and the willingness to kill on such a scale seemed too strong a reaction."
I wished I could talk to the Old Man. He would know or he could use his mental abilities to probe behind all this. The other sobering fact was that without me really wanting to be in that position, I was one of the few that could do something. I did not believe in predestination and at least hoped that the future was something that hasn't happened yet, but whatever Gods or Fate there was they did hand me out a heavy load.
I slowly walked through the cold night back to the wharf. I needed to get to the Bredenberg Island and talk to the girls. I did not have the ability to read minds but the Gods managed to put me in the middle of things. The elder was right as he pointed out that the Olafson clan was very influential, especially now after incorporating the Ragnarsson and the Steiner clan. My Grandfather, now dead over a year still was a very influential factor and because of him I met the Ancient Keeper and the Old man of the Pillar, why I ended up being at this pivotal point I was not sure, but I was. I did not want to be back where I was, being the unwanted son and beaten and tortured every day, but my life seemed less complicated only a year ago,
The events of the day had kept Halstaad Fjord and most of Nilfeheim awake and the wharf bathed in flood lights. It was very cold and the moisture had coated everything with a fine coating of white frost. It was now less than twelve month away from Longnight. The pack ice of the poles was already expanding. I was sure Ragnarsson rock would be already surrounded by ice floes.
This was the time of day the surface fishers loaded their boats with tackle and gear to head out. Uncle Hogun and his helpers were busy already clearing the tables, the rubble and everything else. I stopped by the Inn to see if I could lend a hand, but Hogun said, there wasn't all that much left to do. So I stopped by Thunberg's Café five housed down, got me a cup of coffee, as I loved that stuff and went to my boat.
Just as I reached the tie spot, Pio
tr came out my boat wiping his hands on a rag. His robotic tool box walked past him collecting the rag as Piotr threw it away and he smiled at me." Well as Sid told you, there wasn't all that much to do, we refurbished your reactor and it's now good for another 500 years. I upgraded your shield generators with new field coils and your Computronic with a bunch of upgrade programs. That was pretty much it."
Winslow now appeared as well, shooing his tool box out of the way as he came down the gangway." Well we did repair the robotic Torpedo loader and your Forced Energy projectors are no longer jammed and come out smoothly. She got some teeth I tell you, but I suggest you do get them registered if you ever plan to take her off planet."
"I am not planning to do that."
"We are all done and you can take her out anytime now."
"Did you guys actually sleep or work all night?"
"With all the craziness around, we decided to get an early start. Besides we got over eighty boats to fix and the earlier we are done, the earlier we can go home." Piotr said.
Winslow grinned."Nothing against your world, but it is getting nippy and I like to be home before your world really turns into a freezer locker."
"How much do I owe you?"
"The labor is on the house, it was a pleasure to work on such a well kept antique. For part we need to charge or our boss gets grumpy." He looked at his PDD." We didn't replace the missing ISAH Pods since we don't have any with us, so all in all 5000 credits and we're even."
"Are you sure I can't pay you for the labor or give you a tip or something?"
"No worries our company made good business here and we will be busy for the next six to eight weeks boats and subs."
I paid the guys, thanked them and went inside.
The Command console before the Operators chair however looked bigger as the previously gray weapons screen and the controls below were lit up.
I raised anchors and retracted the gangway. I decided to take her out of sight before I tried the flying mode. Seeing a Sub fly might get others to have bad ideas. Then I saw the cloaked figures on the small boat waving, I would have almost plowed into the tiny inflatable boat. Who would even consider putting something like this into the water at night and get so close to a turning sub, but then I had an idea who that was. I turned the boat sideways so no one from shore would see what was going on and stopped then opened the side lock on the conning tower. The two cloaked figures climbed aboard and by the way they moved it was clear under those long hooded cloaks were girls. It was Sif's voice under the hood." Eric please take us away from here, I beg of you! It isn't as it looks!"
Eric Olafson Series Boxed Set: Books 1 - 6 (The Galactic Chronicles Series) Page 202
