Eric Olafson, Neo Viking (Vol 1)
Copyright© 2000 by Vanessa Ravencroft
Chapter 6: Secrets
The next day was different, however. Even the older kids in the school flier came up to me and wanted to know every detail. Dietmar looked especially pleased. “You know they interviewed me for Nilfeheim Radio? They wanted to know things about you and all that! I think it is time you graduate to assistant pilot!”
Dietmar pointed at the always empty control seat next to him and explained to me the controls. There weren’t that many, and most of the flying was done by the onboard Computronic, but since Nilfeheim did not have a central controlled traffic net, operators were still required. I learned that the school flier was a Leyland CF 65 (Commuter flier) and already 200 years old. He told me full of pride that he also was the maintenance technician and actually worked at the Leyland Main Factory on Sumner Planet for over fifteen years after he left Nilfeheim as a stowaway on a Fish product freighter.
After we landed at the schoolyard, there was much nodding and signs of respect by other boys. Yngve waiting next to the entrance was not alone this time. Both Annar and Gunnar stood behind him with their arms crossed before their chests. Yngve actually smiled and thumbed across his shoulders. “Meet my personal bodyguard.”
Annar nodded towards me, and Gunnar said, “Your father declared a clan feud against our clan, and by tradition, we cannot be friends, and we are not supposed to talk to you, but you saved my life, and I won’t forget that. My father said it will be okay if we treat you with respect. Even an enemy can be respected according to tradition!”
I shrugged. “That’s a definite improvement from the past, and I take that gladly!”
Yngve reached into my shirt pocket without asking and swiped his PDD against mine. “I bet you forgot the assignment Mr. Walters gave us yesterday. I wrote yours as well and tried as hard as I could to emulate your limited knowledge.”
I frowned at him. “You are the only one who can insult me, and I know you had no intention of doing so and actually mean it well!”
As we found our seats, he thought for a second and then blushed. “I am sorry. I analyzed my statement and now realize how it sounded!”
Sigvard also came in and took his seat. His face was badly swollen, and I saw the clear signs of a broken jaw. He glared at me only for an instant and then looked away. I knew there and then without a doubt he was looking to kill me.
Mr. Walters was on time as usual and looked us over. “Mr. Olafson and Mr. Elhir, you report to the school nurse and are back here as soon as possible. I will contact the nurse to see when you are done. Should either of you even so much as raise a fist against the other, be prepared to face trouble you could not even dream about in your worst nightmares.”
I was not sure why he wanted me at the nurse’s office, but there was no sense arguing with Mr. Walters.
We walked side by side down the corridor, and I had the distinct feeling of being watched. Sigvard kept staring straight ahead but hissed from between clenched teeth. “You better hide in your burg for the rest of your life! Leave that burg, and I am there to kill you!”
I hissed back. “Just have the guts and challenge me, and I will be there, not that Gunnar will leave much behind after he is done with you!”
“Gunnar dies, and so will you!”
We reached the nurse’s office. She scanned Sigvard first. “Broken jaw, broken ribs, scratched lungs, Testicular torsion, torn ligaments, and a severe head trauma. Why did you not come in yesterday to be treated?”
Sigvard hissed his answer. “Because my father worked me over after this Nubhir snatcher attacked me!”
“I will keep you here for a while, till the doctor has time for you.” She took him to the adjoining room and had him lie down. One of the doctors of the hospital in town formed as a Holo almost right away. The nurse closed the door and scanned me. “Uh, that is a nasty cut, Mr. Olafson. It’s already getting infected! We better Re-gen that part of your skin. It seems the Derma-Patcher has your name written on it as much as I use it on you!”
As I saw myself in the mirror, I noticed my shirt was blood-soaked. The bandage I had applied to my chest had come loose. “I am sorry, Nurse Olga. My father beat me a little, and I ran out of adhesive bandaging last night as I was not permitted to the kitchen to get more.”
She sighed as she applied the Derma Patch, thousands of medical nanites repairing the cut by weaving new tissue, replicating mine exactly down to the molecule. The entire process took less than ten minutes, and the only sensation was if hundreds of fingers were circling around my chest.
The nurse said, “I want you to stay so the doctor can look you over, just to make sure I didn’t miss anything.”
The doctor’s projection declared me fit, but I had missed most of the morning class. Mr. Walter collected the reports and told me he had added the missed class to my download.
Yngve and I went topside to enjoy the wind and the clear, sunny weather as we did every day since Shortsummer started. Climbing on top of it was our favorite spot; it was not far from where I had fought Sigvard just yesterday.
Here we were away from the others and their teasing, not that they were teasing us today. The wind was blowing hard, but the air was not cold, and I spread my arms into the gale and felt it take at my sleeves. “Don’t you want to fly sometimes like Loki did when he had Freya’s feathered cloak?”
I had to yell my question, and Yngve shrugged. “Not really. Those Norse god myths never held my attention much. Besides, if you want to fly, all you have to do is order a flight belt from Techno Shack. They come complete with Arti grav and propulsion units.”
“Do you remember who you are talking to? It’s me, Eric. No GalNet at home, no allowance, and no tech, Eric!”
“I bet a bunch of Union marines in heavy destroyer suits and armed with TKU’s would take all Asgard apart, stuff Thor’s hammer deep in his behind, and shave Odin’s beard before chow time.”
I stared at him. “You better never let anyone hear what you just said.”
“Did you see Pluribus? Did you see how insignificant Nilfeheim is? I am going to leave this planet as soon as I can. I piss on the opinion of the Elders.”
“Wow, you sound quite angry today. It isn’t like you at all!”
Yngve shoved his hands into his pockets, and his face relaxed, and he said, “I am still angry at Annar and Gunnar. I was scared to death yesterday. Then I was scared for you, and as I saw you fight those fish, I was scared and knew I could never do that! I am a Neo Viking by birth, Eric, but nothing in me seems to be in tune with it all. I feel like a stranger every day I am on my own world, and every time I take a Virtu and I am away, I feel I belong!”
I knew all too well what he meant. “I am scared every time to go home. I too am going to leave Nilfeheim, and I am going to be a Star ship Commander just like Captain Iron Hand.”
“And then you return and you land the Starblazer right next to the Burg and kill your father by blasting the Burg to bits.” Yngve said, rolling his eyes. “I hate to break it to you, but Captain Ironhand is a fictional character, and there is no Starblazer Spaceship either.”
“I know that, but there is a real Union Fleet. Remember the action we saw when the USS Pentagon engaged the Roxomani, and there is a real Academy.”
He nodded.“Yes, and that war is still going on.”
“Speaking of, did you ever get another episode?” I asked, hoping he would have gotten another Virtu Upload of my favorite Virtu Experience.
To read this story you need a
Registration + Premier Membership
If you have an account, then please Log In
or Register (Why register?)
(4.4 / 7 reviews)
$4.00