Chapter 19: Sisters of Nilfeheim

I did clean the boat and the basement. The Old man made me recite the poems while I was doing it and made sure I read them before I went to sleep. I became a steady visitor of Isen Landsby. Not only to get Cleaning supplies but also the clear liquor, he liked so much and mixed with everything. Today I used a shovel to fill a garbage bag with things so rotten and decomposed I did not want to know what it was before. The basement as he called it was underneath his burg, accessed through a trap door in his high hall. A short flight of stone stairs led down in a vaulted ceiling hall. It was clear he had used that trapdoor as a garbage chute and it had taken me three days to even reach the bottom of the stairs. By now however the industrial recycler I had ordered in Landsby arrived and was delivered. At first he complained about the washing machines but now he actually used them himself and mentioned that he liked his cloaks and fur jackets much better now. It turned out he too had the white clothing of an Elder, only before it was so stained it did not show. He eyed the Industrial Recycler even with more dislike and gave the usual twisted and stupid Elder Logic why it was no good. But I was at a point where I didn’t care about the traditions and less about the Elders. I remembered the Ancient words and I recalled what Grandfather said, but I was sure there had to be another way to preserve the planet and its culture without oppressing half the population with stupid laws.

The Enroe Systems Industrial Recycler was a marvel of modern technology and the old guy, who cursed it out at first, now had a chair set up in front of it and watched it operate. The Recycler had a wide range of settings and programs what to do with the garbage feed to it. It could incinerate it to molecular ashes. Break down the raw materials and produce cubes of basic materials. The brochure that came with the machine promised that Enroe Industries would pick them up free of charge at any Union Planet if there was enough to fill a freighter. I was certain there was enough Garbage in this room to fill the freighters to the brim but I hoped I would be out of here before I found out if that was actually true. A third option of the machine was to produce items out of the broken down materials. It could produce almost anything if it had a pre-programmed molecular pattern and the raw materials needed. He would sit staring at the small screen and giggle and cackle when the machine spat out a spoon or a pair of pants he had selected it to make.

I dragged another bag to the intake conveyor and as it disappeared the machine blinked and stopped. A voice snarled:” Human remains detected. Unit is capable of producing adequate containers in a wide variety of cultural requirements. Or do you want to continue the recycling process?”

I shuddered but the old man croaked.” Continue recycling process!”

He then padded the machine. “This thing is a marvel. How much do you think the flier will bring?”

“The flier?”

“Didn’t that Mechanic friend of yours offer to buy the flier? I am not the richest person you know and after seeing this wonder machine I am intrigued to see what else is out there and after I am done with you I decided to catch up with that Ancient Friend of yours. I think the last message card I got was from a place called Gore. It is a living planet he tells!”

Still shocked that I shoveled human remains into the machine I wondered who it was and what happened I swallowed and said. “So the Ancient Keeper really did go off planet and he keeps you informed?”

“What is so strange about that? I know that Old Keeper much longer than you do. And he is not keeping me informed, he is bragging about the things he sees! I want to see it too! But travel is expensive, so how much will I get for that flier?”

“I don’t know but I can check how much it is worth on GalNet.”

“Don’t just stand there. Check it out and let me know!”

“Well I would need a GalNet terminal. I can’t pick up the Network with my PDD from here.”

“We need more Donuts anyway! I like those with the red goo inside! And you can get a few bottles of Vodka too.”

I shrugged. “I don’t mind but you could simply order a few cases and have them delivered. It doesn’t seem you are too traditional minded anyway.”

“I never said I was. There are reasons why I choose to be a Hermit and do not occupy that seat in the Circle.”

“If you disagree with that foolishness, you be the one to change it.”

“No I am not. Status Quo is a comfortable state if anyone does what they are expected to do and not stir up trouble.”

“So how come you are as old as you are anyway? Genetic altering? Bionetics?”

“None of those Off-world things. I met a God. A being with enormous powers and it opened my mind and told me that I have a special gift. I think the Off World scientists call it Psionics. That being showed me how to reach into myself and renew my cell dividing process, how to reach inside and remove clogs, stimulate and repair things. I simply think myself healthy if you will. However I am aging as I forget more and more about just how to do it, I am sure my Psionic gifts are fading, slowly but they are fading.”

I was stunned by his answer. Psionics! Of course I knew about them but I actually did not really believe in it. Every Kid was tested as it was the law. My Heidelberg Psi Index was thirty four and that was perfectly normal for Nilfeheim and no one I knew ever tested past fifty and even the weakest emphatic powers needed an HPI of at least 100. Mr. Walters explained that part of the thought process in a human brain, or that of any other sentient being, could not run on electro-chemical impulses alone and that some thought process actually happened faster than light. Since nothing could exist that was faster than light in the standard universe, some of the thought process happened in hyperspace so to speak.

Mr. Walters said that neurological research of the 21st century first stumbled upon this as a theory to explain the capabilities and speed of thought. Now a psionic talented person was able to use more of this “trans dimensional” part of the thought process and some could tap into the Trans spatial energies and use them to manipulate objects or even transport themselves. Or listen into the thoughts of others on that higher plane. It all seemed very far from any normal understanding and I always dismissed it like I dismissed Trans spatial math or hyperspace physics. Knowledge needed for the very advanced tech of our society and understood and used by a small fraction of the population, namely super geeks, University Professors and Ultra Computroncis.

He turned his attention back to the recycler.” It is quite real. I assure you!”

A few of the garbage bags floated all by themselves across the room and into the recycler. He held his head and then said.” At one time I could have lifted the entire burg with the power of my mind and now it strains me to make a few bags float.”

It took me a moment to process it all but then I said.” I take your word for it; you do not have to proof it to me. I truly don’t know much about that subject, but there is a Union Member species called the Saresii and they are supposed to be all talented in this area and I am sure you could travel there and they might know how to help.”

He raised his head,” This is actually not a bad idea. I need to find out more about this; do you have enough money to buy a GalNet Terminal? I don’t!”

“I think I do. I am in control of my allowance account and there is plenty money. I could give you some for that trip too. I don’t mind! You gave me the best gift ever! That Holo of my mother is worth more than I have!”

“I sure didn’t like you Eric, but then I don’t like anyone! But I think that has changed somewhat. If nothing else you are useful and you do have the heart on the right spot.”

He got up from his chair and scratched his head.” Thinking of it, I actually did like that blonde girl, your Mom and you sure have the same critical mind as she had.”

“You are not as poor as you think Old Man. You could hook this Recycler to a pump and filter the Ocean water and let it run. In a few years you will have lots of gold and minerals. Stuff they gladly buy at the XChange.”

“Hmm gold you say has value out there? Well that I got plenty!”

The Old man cursed and complained at every step he took as he climbed over mountains of garbage, busted furniture, bales of rotting furs and other stuff as he made his way to the other side of the basement. I was glad Nilfeheim did not have insects, like many other planets. Our equivalent of insects did live under water. “Why are you keeping bales of rotting fur? I asked. This stuff smells worse than death.”

“They weren’t rotting when I put them here. Most of these things were gifts or bribes of clan Leaders to train their sons. I did train a few girls too by the way!”

“You trained girls in passing the Ancient Challenge?”

“Yes and it might surprise you but anyone can take that challenge. Man woman, Low man, Off-Worlder; the Book of Traditions does not stipulate in any way who can or cannot take the test. It only describes the condition the person gains when completing it successful. “You are accepted as a Warrior and Man and have a voice before the Elders.”

“So a woman that completes the Challenge would be considered a man and a warrior?”

“Indeed!”

“So why has this never happened?”

“Because this flaw was realized and the Elders forbade girls to train or touch weapons.”

I threw my hands in the air. “You Elders are a bunch of lunatic old men making things up on the go! The more I hear about the reason about the Ancient traditions the more ridiculous they become.”

He sighed.” You are quite right and I hoped your mother would break the mold and become the first female warrior and I have to tell you she had the talent, but her father your Grandfather prohibited it. She was here while I trained her bother. He was a firebrand and headstrong, and that was his doom. He was too impatient. A hunter must not just be strong and skilled but know his limitations and know when to back out of a fight. A hunter must be patient and when he met the god he was not ready and not patient and paid with his life.”

“You keep mentioning a God. Who is he? Odin?”

“No Eric. It is a God that existed on this world long before men on Earth came up with the tales of the Norse Gods and you too will meet that God before you leave this island and learn the real secret of this world.”

After he had uttered all this we reached a half buried door and I had to help him force it open, a gain to reveal a flight of stairs leading down a narrow shaft. After a few winding turns down the spiral stair case, the sparse light coming through the open door above did not reflect all the way down here and it was almost completely dark. He grunted somewhere before me.” It is silly to come down here without light! There should be a torch in a holder somewhere to your right. Do you have means to light it?”

“Yes I do.” Ever since I struggled making light before the gates of Hasvik, I carried a small pocket butane torch in my pocket. I fished my PDD out of my pocket. “But we don’t need a torch; I carry the means of lighting this place.”

“As I said, you talk way too much. We are still standing in the dark turn on whatever light you got!”

I took my PDD and activated the Holo emitter. The PDD created an invisible and insubstantial spherical force field before me in which simulated, energy laser painted three dimensional images against the inside of the invisible sphere. One of the base images was that of a sun and the three dimensional image of a star floating above my PDD, illuminated the surroundings with bright light, as I dialed the intensity up.

“A flash light would have done you know!” He said. “Conjuring up a sun! Show off!”

I wasn’t sure what he meant by that, so I didn’t say anything and followed him. The chamber we reached was filled with weapons, shields, statues, clan leader chains, vases and plates and it all had the distinctive luster of Gold.

He made a gesture including it all.” In the old days, it was custom to give expensive gifts to the gods and to bribe Elders to vote for your issues. The fate to the gods is slowly fading, but Elders are still bribed. Not as much as during the days of the clan wars but it still happens. Union Credits and Nilfeheim silver are used nowadays however.”

“It seems you got quite a load of gold down here. It is still valuable you know. I say they wanted to buy your opinion a lot!”

He scowled at me. “I never accepted a bribe in my long life! Why do you think I want to sell my flier? I have no Credits. The practice is considered traditional and acceptable because it is done for such a long time. Why do you think old men want to be Elders? It’s because of the riches they can amass for themselves and their clans. Do you think your Grandfather came to all that he owns just by working hard? He was the most revered and most influential Elder and so they came often to him!”