"I don't know yet. The Chief is reviewing the security footage!" He kept laughing. "This is too funny! You are a joke! Oh man look at you faggot!"
Another security officer entered. "I am sorry we detained you here at the clinic for a little longer than necessary. We reviewed the security footage and it was analyzed by Legal Central and you have not violated any laws and acted in self-defense. Mr. Tyr Olafson however will be facing serious charges and will face a Union Judge on Holstein Planet. You are of course free to go. We will keep you informed in case we need you for the Court procedures." Then he turned asked. "What is so funny Sergeant Offragnarsrock?"
"Chief look at that dressed up Tranny! It's Eric Olafson, the oh so famous Tyranno slayer and world saver!" He slapped his knees. "I can't wait till I tell this to the guys!"
"You will do no such thing! Have you forgotten your oath and training? You know you can't discuss duty related things in private and what you are doing right now is highly unprofessional!"
"Not to mention illegal!" Said the Space port doctor. "What your officer is doing, Chief could be considered cruel and unjustified mental torture and I will testify to that as witness if they sue!"
"I will take care of this!" The security chief promised. "Since he finds this so funny he will like the idea to be transferred to Pit Moss Planet."
To Elena and me he said. "I was informed your grandfather is waiting outside to pick you up!"
I looked at Elena and she shrugged. I had no Grandfather, and she did not know hers. I knew Egill called me Grandson because he was a distant relative, but he was on Pluribus as far as I knew.
In the waiting room of the Clinic sat the Ancient One, the Old man of Muspelheim and he did not smile or looked pleased at all. "I brought a flyer to the entrance. We can leave when you are ready!"
We went out the side door and he rushed us to enter a black Mercedes and I noticed Richard the swords man behind the control.
Elkhart motioned to the back seats. "Go sit down you two. Richard we are in and ready to leave."
Only after the flyer was in the air and he sat across us he explained his serious mood. "Eric did I not tell you to be careful with your desire? I warned you to go in public like that. It makes no difference to me or the true keepers living in Muspelheim, but this world is not ready for this. If this becomes public you will ruin everything you have gained! Our population in general has very little tolerance for what they think is not normal."
He hushed as I tried to say something. "I am not done Eric! The practice to kill deformed or otherwise handicapped children is still done behind closed doors! They will ask if Sif had put you under some spell to gain her position and subdue the most prominent hero of Nilfeheim."
Elkhart sighed and dropped his arms. "You are a celebrity a warrior, the young ones want to emulate and they play Eric Olafson on the streets and fight imaginary Tyrannos and bad space pirates. Can you imagine what Nilfeheim would say if that comes to light? They will ask questions and then find out that you are not really married to Sif. Sif is not ready yet and won't be for many years to come."
Everything he said hit me harder than the whip of my father and I felt very much ashamed.
He sighed. "It happened in public and I do not have the wonderful mental gifts Egill or Tyr have to make them forget." He stabbed his finger in Elena's direction. "And you are not trained to do that."
Elena cried. "We meant no harm. Eric's mind is so much at peace when he can be Freya! No one would have noticed or recognized him!"
He nodded. "I am not blaming you for what you are or what you desire Eric. I do not understand it but you find in me the most open minded person and if I would be younger I might even try it for a change, but this planet is at the brink of a new future and a better one for everyone. Hasvik is suddenly alive again with many applicants and both girls and boys from all walks of life and social standing. The fighting schools are overwhelmed with young women wanting to emulate Sif and the Elders discussing openly how to integrate a few women in the circle of Elders. All this is thanks to Egill and you."
I tried to make my voice sound firm but failed."What can we do?"
He said. "Sigfrida has killed Tyr, your brother so it won't come to a court case that anyone could watch on GalNet, where you would have to go as witness. We will also take care of the Security Guard as he will have an accident. She is very good at those things. No one will expect Tyr's death as anything else as a suicide. For the Union the case is closed and they won't release any security footage or names to the public, that was all I could do, but I don't like having to kill people to protect your secret. In a week school ends for summer break and your basic school will end and Mr. Valthim will make you a citizen, after all your birthday is only a three month off and then you will leave Nilfeheim. Out there you can be Freya to your heart's content, Eric, but not on Nilfeheim at least not for a few decades to come!"
I nodded. "I will do that!"
He leaned back and smiled a weak smile." I know you did not mean any harm and I can tell why you like to be Freya. Your clan could not be in better hands, Elena will make a great Clan chief and break another barrier and you can trust her."
She took my hand and said."Yes you can I promise."
***
The next day I went to the Clinic and asked for an appointment with Dr. Dwyer. After a short wait , I was seen by the old Terran doctor and it was hard to actually tell him what my problem was. To actually put it in words was more embarassing than I realized, but then I told him and he listened to my problem. He leaned back and said. "What you call a disease or a sickness is a psychological disorder that occurs in genetic predestined people, well at least in your case. I checked your DNA and found you have all the triggers necessary for it to occur and this combined with your traumatic childhood most likely caused this.
It is very rare in this form in the Union in general. The DNA triggers are usually recognized early and prenatal and if the parents agree they are removed. About a thousand years ago it became so popular that you could find a Gender Change Studio in every mall across the Union, but some made the changes every other week and that led to wave of suicides and psych problems."
He folded his hands and leaned back." It is still perfectly legal and easy to change ones gender and there is no law or cultural requirement that tells you how to dress or how to feel or to what gender you feel associated or attracted. There are so much more curious things out there; it would not even raise an eyebrow on most other worlds."
"Can I get rid of it?"
His face became serious." Every Psycho Surgeon would jump in and say yes of course, a little psycho surgery will forever cure you of this desire."
I said." Why is it then you do not recommend it?"
He sighed." With all our knowledge and all our advancements in medicine, the human psyche is still not completely understood. Even if the Psycho hacks say otherwise. It will forever change your personality, Eric. You would no longer be you! Whatever you think about your desire it is part of you and you should aim to find an answer, a balance or perhaps a place to live that is less restrictive. I have seen the results of Psycho Surgery and without exception they all turned out to be smiling and happy but totally empty and hollow. They would display whatever personality the Psycho Surgeon thought would be good. This is my professional opinion on Psycho Surgery and I cannot recommend it with a clear consciousness to anyone. All this said I have not even touched the metal physical aspects of soul, higher awareness and spirituality."
"It almost destroyed everything I had gained last year and it might bar me from entering the Academy!"
"I am sure they have your last Medical School Exams on file ever since you signed up and they also saw the triggers, while I can't tell you if this would be a handicap or not, I can tell you that if you opted for Psycho Surgery, it would most certainly bar you from ever becoming a Commanding Officer, that I know for a fact."
Interlude
Every fifth Nutho-Cycle, w
hich was a calculated time fragments of a Galactic Year and maybe three or four times in the life of a Dai Than all the tribes would meet at Thana-Soo the remnants of their once proud and beautiful home world. Destroyed so long ago by the ferocious hordes of the Y'All. Nothing but fragments of the planet remained, one such fragment the continent sized Nak-Thana-Shoo, the heart of Thana-Shoo, was the site of that meeting. No outsider, no one not Dai had ever seen this place. During four cycles this place was abandoned and nothing would be here, but during the end of the fifth cycle the system would fill with the fleets of every Dai Fleet and Millions of ships, many thousand gigantic Dai-Mother ships would fill the skies and ten Thana Shoo days would be dedicated to festivities and tribe business. The Tribal Chiefs and their oldest children would come together in the stone and rock amphitheater on Nak-Thana-Shoo. A force field bubble erected over it and filled with breathable air. The Tribal Chiefs would pit their most formidable warriors in highly regulated and deeply traditional fight events. The warrior who won the most fights would be called Champion of Thana Shoo and it was an honor like no other.
Tar Kar-Hi, the high Tribe lord of the Tar-Kar Dai Than stood in his Tribes stair section of the amphitheater and looked over the many Dai Than tribal Lords, either already in their section or on their way to it, it was an impressive sight, but in truth it was a sad one. There were still many but nowhere the number there once was, many seats remained empty and there were already more empty seats than occupied ones.
Bor Hat-Je an old friend walked over to him and greeted him grabbing both his shoulders and Tar did the same to him. "Good to lie hands on your shoulders again, my old friend, Bor Hat. How did the endless darkness treat you and your tribe over the past Nutho Cycles?"
Bor Hat looked like a brother to Tar Ka, both tall and athletic, despite their age. The arms bulging with sinew and rock hard muscles, the skin bright red and the oil black hair slicked back into a very tight pony tail pulling the already angular arched black eyebrows even further up. Clad in deep red almost maroon colored leather like suits with intricate stitching and carvings, lined beneath with micro mesh armor and fully sealable in seconds to become a functional space suit. Each of them carried a vast arsenal of blades, guns, mini bombs and other weapons openly as well as hidden all around their bodies. Prominent were the double swords across their backs, single edged monofilament swords. Where the leather cross straps met on their chests was the Tribal – glyph, behind it the disc shaped Alti-karr knife, every Dai could throw with deadly accuracy and decapitate an enemy up to 20 meters away. Above and to the left in richly marked knife sheath the Okthi-karr, which should never be drawn, as the knife was only meant for ritual homicide of a family member that brought shame to the Tribe. And on the other strap was Nak-Karr, the one to end shame. The knife meant to commit suicide in case of any dishonor.
Hat-Je kept his hands on Kar-Hi's shoulders. "It was a good time old friend but the hunting is more difficult and more dangerous than it ever was. I must decide after this Meeting if I will relocate into another sector." He then used one hand gesturing over the theatre." Look at this old friend. When it all began 75,000 tribal Chiefs filled these ranks. Today there are less than 8,000 thousand Tribes left!
"Mur- Yuu-Hr the one we always called the truly tall one, you remember him well seeing your smile!"
Kar-Hi also looked over the seats and said. "I was thinking the same thing just a moment ago, and yes I remember Yuu-Hr. I cannot see him yet, he must be late."
"No he won't come. He met the USS Devastator and that cursed Waste land Demon Stahl. Another Dai Mother destroyed with many children, women the old and young gone. The Mur-Hr Tribe is no more and so are two others I know."
Kar-Hi was not to proud to show his sadness as he heard about this and added his own bad news "The Union is getting more powerful every cycle, not only did they add the Klack but you heard the Attican Commonwealth has joined. All 96 member civilizations went along."
A third Tribal leader joined their small conference Tar Bas-Co, his thumbs hooked in his belt. "I heard your words and I am only here because I retreated!" He hung his head." I retreated and still lost two thirds of my fleet. My Mother barely made it into free space. I am broken it is too much for me to rebuilt! "
Kar-Hi put his hands on Bas-Co's shoulders." Then join my tribe. I shall welcome you as foremost Lord among all families in my Tribe."
"It will be then be so!"
Their little group had swollen to about twenty Tribal chiefs and then Kar-Hi said." We cannot fight the Union, not even if we combine all clans in one fleet. It would be a mighty battle and cost them much but they would still prevail and there would be no Dai Than."
Everyone in their round agreed. One of them said. "You are known to be wise and your tribe is without question the biggest. I will listen to your council, but what are we to do? We do not have planets like other races. We do not want to settle down. We are Dai Than. We are warriors, we have lost Thana Shoo so long ago, and we are a space born race ever since."
Another one said." Maybe we must find a world and settle it, it is not our way but it will guarantee the survival of our kind!"
Kar-Hi said." I see our numbers dwindle. What good are our best ships against the Terran Translocator cannons? Our best shields cannot stop these cursed weapons. The Kermac have so much more resources and yet they have not found a way in 1500 years to find a way to defend against it. The Nul, no one here will deny their strength and fighting powers, they will never admit it in the open but they fear the Union and most of all the Terrans."
Bas-Co held up his six fingered hand. "The Xunx, the Freons, the Ferons, the mighty Alakarr, the Piostla all were mighty empires and advanced species before the Terrans ascended. You will not find a single member of any of these species alive today. They dared to stand against the Terrans and paid the price and I do not have enough fingers and toes to count all the species and civilizations perished and wiped out by the Unions mighty onslaught."
Kar-Hi crossed his arms behind his back. "The Shiss once one of the most feared warrior races, a shadow of their former might. But there are the Purple throat Shiss, they thrive. And do you know why?"
One Tribal Chief said." They joined the Union."
"Yes they did. The Shiss expand by sending their lowest cast the Purple throats with virtually no support on the most harsh and barley suitable planets and if they manage to survive and build a successful , thriving colony , the blue and red throats take over, reap in the benefits and make the Purple throats their slaves. 32 Purple throat Colonies however wanted to keep what they had built and rebelled. The Upper caste Shiss reacted, and destroyed one Colony with orbital bombardment. Was this the end of the Purple throats? No! They asked the Union for help and joined! The next time the Upper caste Shiss came to make another example, they were faced by Union Battle ships and I know there is no one here who hasn't seen those sleek wedge shaped behemoths in action."
"Today only seventy years later these colonies are thriving, and would be a great prize for any of us!"
"And there are Shiss Captains commanding Union Battle ships!" said Bas-Co. "I lost half my Tribe to the USS Hyperion under the command of Captain Zezzazzzzz, a purple throat Shiss!"
There was silence, now over sixty Tribal Chiefs stood in a circle and Cam Elf-Na who hated Kar-Hi as he had lost to him 10 Nutho Cycles ago the title of Champion, said loud. "Go stand in the middle so all can hear your words. It seems you have the answers!"
Kar-Hi went down the stairs, past his oldest son Har-Hi who a day before had won the right to call himself Champion looked in his sons eyes and knew that he needed to say what he contemplated for so long. His son and the generations to come had a right to live and assure the survival of the Dai Than.
He reached the center of the Amphitheater and spoke. "Look around you, look beside you and see the empty seats. There are more now as there were at the last meeting and there will be even more during the next. We are a mighty race and few equal us in fi
ghting skills and valor, but it takes us much longer to built ships as we take the resources we need, from others. This is our way! They call us Dai Pirates and equal us with criminals. It mattered little to us what other's called us in the past, but now we are facing an enemy who kills and destroys any Dai on sight, be it a single individual or an entire Tribe. There is not one among us who can deny their ships grow bigger and stronger, their weapons and shields getting better and their territory expands every time you hear. What was Free space yesterday suddenly is Union Space. But not just the Union, the Kermac and their thrall species also make it harder for us to take what we need."
He saw that many who listened nodded.
"Those who know me will attest I am no coward and have fought many hard battles both in the Arena and with my ships, but I too did not manage to attain all the resources I need to feed my Tribe, to built new ships or find the leisure to pause and give scientists the chance to research and improve our technology. "
He came to the hardest part of his speech, and he knew it would change his fate and that of his clan forever and most likely would change Dai Than history forever, but he steeled himself. "One Nutho Cycle ago, an epidemic disease of unknown origin was killing many of my tribe and my Medical Staff did not know what to do to stop it. I decided to cross Union Space to reach Kartanian space. In the hope their scientists had a solution or cure. Going around Union space would have taken too long.
There was dead silence in the ranks of the Chiefs as they listened to Kar-Hi's story.
"I was less than a Light Nutho away from Kartanian space when we were engaged by the USS Devastator and five Union Battle ships, part of their First Fleet, with the rest of it approaching fast!
Our worst enemy as always hailed us first to surrender and I simply told him, that I was not out to attack a colony or planetary system, but needed urgent medical help from the Kartanian. Do you know what our worst enemy did then?"
It was Bas-Co who spoke. "He is our worst enemy but he has honor. He let you pass."
Eric Olafson Series Boxed Set: Books 1 - 6 (The Galactic Chronicles Series) Page 212
