Chapter 18: Egill Skallagrímsson

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 were used or altered to attack other subs and that this one was a purpose build craft from that time.

The boat was perhaps seventy meters long, and generated power from a small Hydrogen Fusion Plant. It had a small galley and originally had room for a crew of six but the old man had re purposed these rooms as he did not have a crew, but he had prepared me a bunk in what he called the torpedo room.

The boat was armed with six torpedo tubes and had still twenty of these fast underwater missiles ready to be loaded. These torpedoes carried war head and could rip a boat or sub in pieces.

I asked him what was so traditional about that and it was using distance weapons and Off World Tech. He explained that the use of fishing boats and hunting subs came into use because the traditional way of hunting them was so dangerous, that many men were killed each year and the acceptance of subs and boats became accepted with traditions. I snorted at that and told him what I felt about traditions that could be altered when it fit the men and first born but was as rigid and unchangeable when it came to the rights of others. He simply ignored me and told me that during the height of the clan wars, boats were armed and blowing up another clan’s boat was a “Thing” and therefore the use of torpedoes and such was perfectly alright. Those men inside these boats were a secondary effect as the boat and not the men were attacked.

Again the Elders and Vikings went out of their way to justify something with twisted logic. Egill said that this was the reason however, clan wars were out lawed as the use of Off-World tech was getting out of hand.

The boat smelled of wet wool, grease, Tyranno oil and other rather unpleasant organic odors and the hermit was not a pleasant conversationalist as the Ancient Keeper, he grunted most of the time. But he gave me the Old stories to read and the old poems and made me recite them. It was part of the ancient challenge to recite from memory one of the ancient poems, and the Elders testing could pick an easy one or a hard one.

He insisted I would learn them all. The second part of the Ancient challenge was a test of skill with three selected weapons. He was not satisfied with my skill level and pointed out that there was room for much improvement. He let the boat on auto helm every day and I had to exercise on the slippery hull before the conning tower of the sub and more than once fell, slipped and slid into the water. It took him a while to get the boat stopped and made me catch up instead of turning around. He was not friendly and never had a word of praise but he knew my mother and she wanted him to train me and I would not fail her last wish!

I would keep the Holo open and let it repeat the message. No music could have been sweeter to me as my mother’s voice.

Finally we reached Skalil Rock. It was a tall thin pillar of rock sticking out of the ocean at least 50 meters, but for sure no more than 20 meters across.His burg melted with the shape of the stone column into one dark gray shape against the sky.

There was a very narrow quay on one side of that rock with metal bollards were he instructed me to secure the sub with thick Artifib-Ropes. I thought with disgust about the two faced no good for nothing elders, that damned modern technology and improvement but used it wherever they found it practical. I would have respected them if they lived what they preached but this hypocritical approach made me think of them less every time I was thinking about these fools.

An open basket came down from the burg hanging on a chain and he motioned me to step in. He did as well and the thing lifted us past the almost vertical rock walls of the pillar up and into a small outhouse like building sticking like a Kissing fish to the side of a Triple-Finner. An electric winch stopped humming and he said. “That is a wonderful thing to keep unwanted guests away.”

I wondered how many unwanted guests would ever find this place anyway. If you didn’t know its exact coordinates you’d never find it in the vastness of Nilfeheim oceans.

As if he heard my thoughts he said.”If you are long enough at the same place they find you. Those who think I have answers or would use my influence to change a decision of the Elders.”

I wondered how he knew what I was thinking about, but then he probably just kept explaining to me why he had this lift.

His burg consisted of only one house that was built into the base of his tower and it was like the boat a horrible mess. Books, rotting leather, wool, and dirty dishes piled up everywhere. And the air was even fouler than aboard the boat.

He barked.”If you don’t like how it smells and looks you are welcome to do something about it.”

He must have guessed what I was thinking seeing my face. “Well I don’t mind cleaning the place a little. Do you have cleaning supplies?”

He shrugged.” If I do I don’t remember. On top of the tower is a small flier. You can use it to go to fly to Isen and get what you need.”

I looked around and found the narrow stairs. Its rails covered with incredibly dirty rags and laundry. As I climbed it he jelled”While you there pick up some to eat, some tea and a bottle of Vodka or two.”

After leaving the ground floor and climbing the spiral stair case the trash became less and the air better, but judging by the finger thick dust, no one had been up here in ages. The flier was indeed there, a small two-seater with a tinny cargo area. It too was covered thick with gray dust. Only because the Olafson clan didn’t believe in updating tech. I knew that thing in the back was pre Zero Point power cube technology. That Nuco-Bat was ancient when my 400 hundred year old Instructor was in his crib. Surprisingly according to the indicator, it held twenty percent power and that was plenty to take that thing twenty times around the planet. A rusty winch opened a side of the Tower, no electric motor there, and after checking the Arti grav and the on Board Computronic I took the think out. The Arti Grav worked fine but its propulsion unit, two ducted turbines sputtered until a lodged dirty sock or something similar came loose and the flier went south in a trail of dust.

I never had been to Isen Landsby. I simply knew it existed and was Nilfeheim’s second largest town (there was a third one so I heard, on the Five clan Island Cluster to the Eest) Using the directional data transmitted by Nilfeheim Radio I was confident I would find it. The flier was open and the temperature was dropping. I wished I had some sort of coat, but I found the heater and ducked behind the wind shield.

I had left open water behind me and was now flying over the permanent ice of our south pole. Unlike on the North Pole where the sun did not really leave the sky during short summer, here it never came up past the horizon and it was dark and bitter cold. Isen appeared. It was like an island of light in the otherwise dark featureless ice plane. Buildings were sitting on long stilts buried in the ice and connected with bridges and stair cases leading to the ice. Most buildings were surrounded by metal platforms and hand railings. And masts with light elements everywhere. The town looked like a festive lit Yule log from the air. I did see fliers and power sleds but what surprised me most to see men riding Fangsnappers!

I landed the flier next to the lid sign of a flier service station and a man in blue coverall and no beard at all came out of the lit entrance, crunched over the thin layer of snow that covered the metal grading of this platform and spit a wad of gum over the railing.” Dang me a Lip! It’s a real genuine Vanderstream Open Top in good condition and original paint” He pulled a rag form his pocket and wiped across the fliers manufacture plate.” Never thought in a thousand Longnights to see one on this Ice cube of a Planet. Do you want to sell it?

“Sorry Sir, It isn’t mine, I am just using it, but I wondered if you can check the propulsion turbines. Something seems stuck in it and the left one is sparking and wheezing.”

“Sure thing I take a look at it.”

“Is there a place I can buy supplies?”

“Yes sure. We got a few stores. You walk across that suspension bridge over there, pass the Swine and Dine and you are at Silver Hawk’s Emporium. They got most of the things you need.”

He didn’t ask me where I came from or who I was. I followed his instructions and wondered if Annar was already working here, as I passed the Swine and Dine. Except for the fact this restaurant was suspended on stilts over frozen ice, it looked exactly like the one in Halstaad Fjord, complete with mechanical pig. This one wore a covering of snow in addition to his costume. The place was well heated and I realized I was colder than I thought I was. The costumed employee behind the otherwise nearly empty restaurant greeted me the usual way and I placed an order and then said.” Would you know if a guy named Gunnar works here?

“We are not allowed to give out names of our employees. We all go by the name Arthur Swine.”

I shrugged and took my order.”It was a long shot anyway.”

I took a seat and stared out the window, but I saw one of the costumed employees come over.” Gunnar saw you on the Visual security and will be right out.

Sure enough Gunnar came a few moments later, wearing black pants, and a red and white striped Shirt. He did not wear a swine mask or coveralls. I barley recognized him because as he had his hair cut very short and was clean shaven.” Wow didn’t think I would see you out here. How are things?”

He sat down tugged at his pants as he did so and if it wasn’t for the fact that I recognized his face and eyes, I would have never guessed him to be Gunnar.” Things could be better but I am not at the Burg and that is good.”

“I am Restaurant manager here now and as you see I got my new uniform.”

“Aren’t you going to be ridiculed or harassed after cutting your hair and wear that?”

“No one down here cares much about who you are or where you came from. They say you have to have a reason for being here and freeze your ass off. There aren’t many high clans here. This place was founded by freeman as none of the clans wanted to settle on the permanent ice. They are very rugged down here but no one really cares who you are or what you are. As long as you don’t ask questions they don’t.”

“Doesn’t sound too bad.”

“No sure doesn’t. Our little Supermarket carries more off world stuff than the stores at Halstaad and no one raises an eyebrow if you buy it.”

“That’s where I need to go next.”

“Get yourself a snapper coat or something. It gets real cold here, Longnight or not.”

Loaded to with Cleaners, mops brooms buckets and gallons of Cleaners as well as a portable Nanite recycler and an inflatable Washing machine, I made my way back to the pillar burg.

The flier now was clean, fully charged and the turbines whispered like new. My credit strip had paid for it all and there was plenty of credits left.

I almost missed the tall rock in the darkness, but turned around as it passed to the left and landed.

The old man was sitting in a shabby chair. At first I thought he was dead, but he raised his head as I appeared and handed him a big bag of Rib meals and a soft drink. “He grunted and unwrapped a burger.”Did you get the Vodka?”

“It was not as easy. They would not sell it to me as I needed to be of age to get Alcohol but the guy who fixed the flier got it for me.”

I placed the bag with the two jugs before his feet.

He glared at it.”You sure like to talk and explain things that do not need explanation. All I asked if you got it. A simple yes would have been enough.”

I nodded.

“Well open one and pour some in that sweet throat glue you brought along with that Off World Garbage food.”

After he had me dump half of the coke and replace it with the strong smelling clear liquid he sighed happily munching on his third Rib Burger.

He was no different than the other elders. Condemning Off-World on one hand and stuffing his belly with burgers.”