Chapter 3: Orphan

School, at least basic Union school had ended for me six days ago.

Almost everyone of my class had graduated and received their CITI (Citizen Identification Tag Implant) in a festive ceremony in the school’s cafeteria. It was a strange experience for me. Father was present in full clan chief regalia, standing with other fathers and this time he wasn’t there to ridicule or hurt me, but to witness the event just like the others. I always believed I’d be the only one who would leave Nilfeheim after school, but Yngve had been gone for almost two years now.

He had messaged me once or twice telling me how much better everything was, and that he was no longer bullied or afraid. Gunnar, who had lost his fight against Sigvard and was officially no longer a member of the Peerson clan, had left right after graduation to serve his twenty-two month Union service as a food service provider for a Union Fire Department station and then was invited by Arthur’s to their company college. It wasn’t a big surprise that Peter, the son of a Freeman and seafood merchant left for college. But that Sigvard decided to serve his twenty-two months with the spaceport Authority, serving it on another planet, was as unexpected as a Tyranno sighting in the middle of Longnight.

Two days later, Elena and I visited our fangsnapper herds at our South Pole. All the larger clans maintained a herd or two there. The fangsnapper herders were regarded as the wildest and most rugged Neo Vikings. Living at the edge of the ice, tending fangsnapper herds for the clans that owned them, protecting these often angry and dangerous animals from wild fangsnappers, rock sharks and Tyrannos while the animals dove for fish, was about as harsh as life could be.

These men lived in tents and under primitive conditions for most of the time and had their families in small ice-top villages where conditions were only slightly better than in the moving herder camps.

A big round-up took place once a year. Then, the herds were driven to Isen Lansby, and the herders received their pay from the clans they herded the animals for. The clans then sold the market-ready fangsnappers and bought and traded animals for breeding.

The animals were either slaughtered on the spot or flown live to the Xchange in Halstaad. It was also a festive carnival-like occasion with performers, rodeos and all kinds of competitions. It was then when Elena was attacked by a wild fangsnapper that somehow got loose, tore through the fair ground and bolted straight towards my beautiful sister. While I tried to get to her, I wasn’t close enough to prevent the attack. Yet my sister stood her ground and Elena slew the beast with her sword.

This warrior feat wasn’t only seen by dozens of men but it was also witnessed by two Elders who happened to attend the round-up. The Elders declared that she had completed a feat worthy of the Ancient Challenge and declared her to be a Nilfeheim Warrior.

The oldest son of the Thingstal clan, Armin Thingstal challenged her, saying, “If the elders declare weak and useless women to be Warriors, then real Warriors must stomp out this foolishness.”

He also demanded to gain whatever riches Elena had in her name. My offer to fight as her champion was denied by the Elders and Elena herself. During the fight, she cut off both of his hands.

The fight that was transmitted from the roundhouse where the challenge took place to every Nilfeheim home.

During the same event I was forced to discuss my disapproval of Beowulf Thingstal’s interference in the fight. Beowulf, the brother of Armin jumped in the ring after he witnessed the defeat of his sibling, brandishing a sword and attacking Elena.

Unfortunately, my argument with that coward wasn’t as elegant as Elena’s. This time, however, I didn’t feel the same guilt as I did when I killed the Steiner boy in the very same ring. Beowulf attacked without challenge and from behind. I never liked cowards.

One surprising development of that day was the fact, that Isegrim, my father, jumped from his seat into the fighting ring and actually challenged the Old Thingstal to a duel if he didn’t recognize Elena as a Warrior and accept her. Otmar Thingstal threw his sword into the ring and recognized Elena as a Warrior and accepted her victory.

Father then revealed openly that Harkun had been his half-brother, thus making Elena a real cousin of mine. Now I had a sister who was also my cousin.

Father told everyone that her feats could be easily explained due to the fact she had Olafson blood in her veins. He also announced before the Elders that, as clan chief, he had the right to elevate Elana to be the First Daughter with rights of command and to be a foremost honored member of the Olafson clan.

None of the Elders could find a single line in the Book of Traditions, that forbade a daughter to be in such a position. Nilfeheim had a new hero and a female one at that.

Then, about a week ago, I was visited by two officers of the Union Police. As surprising their visit was, I had a bad feeling about it and suspected it had to do with the incident at the spaceport.

They informed me that the investigation into Lothar’s attack at the spaceport was officially closed. Lothar, so they told me, had committed suicide, apparently after he learned what penalty he would have faced for an attempted double homicide on Union ground. They did ask me a few questions about Lothar and took a statement on the events that led to him attacking Elena and me.

One of them also questioned Elena. Both men said that crime on Union ground required a closing report and, since there was an ongoing federal investigation into the planet bomb affair they had to make sure it wasn’t connected.

I learned that Lothar had survived the beating he received from the hands of lowmen and had stayed at the burg the entire time, still being an Olafson. I simply hadn’t wasted a thought on him since I left him behind on the floor of the High Halls.

I was still unsettled by the Union Police visit and realized how close it was for Elkhart’s predictions to come true when I was told another Union official wanted to see me. This time however it was a Union Post Office courier delivering me the official documents that confirmed my appointment date at the Union Fleet Academy on Arsenal.

He recommended that we should keep our GalNet terminal turned on, so he wouldn’t have to make delivery runs.

My last days on Nilfeheim were over faster than I realized. For the longest time I dreamt of the day I could finally leave. Now that it was at hand I was no longer sure if it really was the right thing to do.

Elena and I stood by the large view ports looking over the snow-covered landing field. The space bus was sitting on its single landing foot and a flexible covered gangway attached it to the terminal.

To me it was as if Elena became more beautiful every day. She wore black knee-high boots and red leather pants and shirt under a sweeping fur-rimmed cape with the Olafson wolf heads on the back. The leather moulded her curvaceous body in an appealing way. Her rich, thick black hair contrasted in a lovely way with her blue eyes and rosy complexion. I was proud of my sister. On her hip hung Hevnen, the great broadsword of the Olafson clan and almost as famous as Mördaren. Father decreed that she had earned the right to wear it.

With us also were Uncle Hogun, Aunt Freydis. the Ancient One and Sigfrida, the nearly two-meter-tall woman who was a constant companion to the Ancient. She was a close friend yet I knew next to nothing about her. In her black leather outfit and fur cloak and the long blond braids reaching to her hips, she looked like a Valkyrie of ancient lore. She turned every head in the spaceport. Sigfrida was now a constant guest at the burg and had started to train Elena, just as she had trained me. Elena and Sigfrida had become close friends.

Uncle Hogun gave me one of his trademark bear hugs. “Take care of yourself out there,” he said, then stomped away.

Aunt Freydis whispered, “Don’t think badly of him. He’s a big tough fangsnapper on the outside, but soft as a kitten on the inside. He didn’t want anyone to see him cry. He hates to say good-bye.”

“I know Aunt Freydis. There isn’t a gentler soul on all Nilfeheim.”

She shook my hand. “Keep your honor as you always have and do what your heart tells you to do. Sometimes the heart is a better councillor than the mind.” She then followed her huge husband.

The Old Keeper took my underarm and said, “Be careful out there, Eric. I traveled a bit last year and will do so again as soon as I can. I tell you, this galaxy of ours is a marvelous place and you’ll see amazing sights, but it can be much more dangerous than a rock shark-infested stretch of ocean.”

I nodded and said, “I’ll try to be careful.”

Sigfrida pointed at Mördaren, which I was wearing. “Even though there isn’t anyone your equal with this on Nilfeheim, out there a simple steel sword isn’t even considered a weapon anymore. Don’t try to pick any fights with someone carrying a gun.”

I replied, “I’m only wearing it for the benefit of Lars Igvarhein standing over there. Father asked me to wear clan colors and the sword. I’m not planning to stand out like a sore thumb and advertise to everyone that I’m a Neo Viking primitive from Nilfeheim.” She kissed me on the forehead.

Father didn’t come. He disapproved of me going off-world and seeking to become a Fleet officer. A few days ago he handed Elena the clan ring in a symbolic gesture. Perhaps trying to change my mind. But Elena wearing the ring and thus becoming the declared heir was perfectly fine with me.

Elena embraced me with a tight hug. She felt wonderful and smelled of shampoo, fine soap, a hint of perfume and warm leather. “Don’t you worry, you’re the first born and I won’t take anything that’s rightfully yours,” she assured me.

I replied, “Sister, I’m so proud of you. I never really wanted to be a clan leader. Whatever destiny the Norns have decided to be mine, I know beyond any doubt it’s not on Nilfeheim.

“You’re everything the Olafson clan needs and so much more. You look regal and stunning at the same time, you’re smarter than me, have a knack for business and father melts every time you’re there.”

“I love you my brother; always have. Be safe and call as often as you can.”

I promised.

A voice blared, “Last boarding call for Greylines Coach 554. All passengers please come to boarding gate two in the Greylines lobby. Last...”

She kissed me warmly on the lips and closed her eyes as a tear pearled down her cheek. “You’d better go now, I might change my mind and not let go.”

I brushed a strand of shiny black hair from her forehead, took a last lingering look at her gorgeous face, then I turned and went to the lobby.

Lars, our local news man, had a partner now, instead of the cheap hover-cam he’d used before. He directed his cam-man with a sweeping gesture behind me and then stepped into my way.

“Eric Olafson, foremost hero of Nilfeheim, is leaving our world today to further his education off planet. Eric you still have a few minutes, would you mind answering a few questions?”

“Lars, I don’t particularly like interviews or interviewers and I do have a bus to catch.”

ut he just kept on talking. “Who’s that stunning blonde with your magnificent Warrior sister? I’m getting calls from all over Nilfeheim asking about her.”

“She’s a close friend. It’s not manly or honorable to call in. Whoever is interested in Sigfrida should come forward and make proper advances.”

I was halfway through the lobby and close to the boarding gate, but Lars kept following me. “There are rumors your sister might be the next clan chief of the mighty Olafson clan, is that true?”

“There’s only one clan chief and that’s Isegrim, my father. He’s healthy and full of strength and if you make news out of rumors, I will challenge you.”

Lars stepped back. “It’s my duty to follow up on rumors.”

“It’s your duty to report facts.”

“Why are you leaving Nilfeheim? Why is the heir to the mightiest clan leaving and leaving it to a female of uncertain heritage?”

I lost it. “What did you just say?” I slammed my fist as hard as I possibly could into his stomach and then hit his chin with an uppercut that sent him to the floor.

“I hope your camera man got that too. If you ever dishonor my sister, spread rumors or question her honor. If you ever say something like that about the Olafson clan again, I’ll come back faster than you can say Olafson and kill you without mercy, do you understand?”

He spat blood, wiped his mouth and nodded.

I made it as the last passenger to the boarding gate and the security officer at the gate asked me to present my brand new CITI under the skin of my right arm.

After I was cleared, I stepped on a slide belt, the only one I knew of on Nilfeheim and it carried me through the flexible connector tunnel to the space bus.

A robot greeted me at the airlock. “Good afternoon, citizen. Welcome aboard Greylines Coach 554. Your seat is upper deck, starboard row, seat 44A; please follow the blue pulse light to your seat.”

A blue blinking light appeared on the floor and guided me up a flight of stairs and to a window seat. I took off my fur coat and the sword belt, stowed it all in my seat locker and sat down. From the view port next to my seat I could see the spaceport building and I hoped I’d see Elena and the others, but all I saw was the reflection of the space bus terminal and the gray sky of Nilfeheim in the smooth surface of the terminal complex.

After a few moments the air pressure changed noticeably and the air started to smell different.

A legless robot floated down the middle isle. “Captain Ruthneck and his crew would like to welcome you aboard Coach 554 Afghan ... Please familiarize yourself with the safety features aboard this SII-Quadstar 400.

“In the event of a catastrophic hull breach your seat will activate its life capsule mode, please make sure you have all limbs and other body parts inside the yellow outline around your seat when the emergency lights come on.

“You’ll find emergency space suits under your seats. Union species with special body features or environmental needs should ask one of the robots for an appropriate model.

“The consuming of tox drinks and legal drugs are permitted only while the bus is in space. Due to various local laws in regard to these matters, Greylines generally prohibits these activities while landed.

“Our next destination will be system Lichthaus and the planet Holstein. Estimated time of arrival will be fifth hour on Blue Day or in about 6 hours and 12 minutes. The on-board restaurant welcomes you to try our various menu offerings. Have a pleasant flight.”

We lifted off moments later and the spaceport and Halstaad Fjord quickly retreated beneath us, then disappeared below the heavy cloud cover.

Then we were through the atmosphere and the SII-Quadstar accelerated to gain the necessary speed to reach the trans-light threshold. After about 15 minutes, the stars suddenly disappeared, and the background hum of the engines changed to a faint whistling sound, then the stars reappeared.

This all meant the bus had slipped into quasi-space, the thin layer between real space and the next continuum, where faster than light travel was possible and time didn’t exist. Inside the ISAH field we brought our own time with us. While it was only a space bus, this was my first time on a real spaceship traveling faster than light.

The viewports showed a simulated view of real space as seen by the so-called Trans-layer sensors. They were necessary, as Humans had no sensory organs or means to perceive quasi-space.

From the brochure displayed in the field screen before me I learned that the space bus service was heavily subsidized by the government. While there were other, faster ways to travel, and space buses offered little comfort or luxuries, no other travel service existed that reached all occupied worlds and places in the Union and for little money at that.

It was intended to facilitate an easy interaction between all Union worlds. A grandmother could easily visit her grandchildren clear across Union Space for less than two hundred credits. Students were able to travel to visit other places and tourists could visit every point of interest.

The space bus service and the instantaneous cheap communication available to all Union citizens were considered among the main reasons why the Union had existed for over 2800 years and kept on growing. Not even the most distant fringe world colony felt cut off and colonist revolts that were a common occurrence in many other known trans-galactic cultures had never happened in the Union. Not that anyone was forced to stay a member anyway.

I looked around and didn’t see many passengers. Even thought the bus could accommodate over 1000 travelers.

The multi-entertainment unit mounted in the backrest of the seat before me flashed with the GalNet logo and a sexless voice said, “Mr. Olafson, you have a call from a user identified as Mr. Silverzweig. Do you accept the call?”

I replied, “Yes, I accept.”

My grandfather’s old friend and legal adviser appeared and said, “Shalom, Eric. You left faster than I expected. I wanted to see you on Nilfeheim regarding your inheritance. Your grandfather wanted me to give you a recording. I also wanted to inform you that you now have complete access to and control over the funds he left you.”

“I forgot all about that, Mr. Silverzweig. Can I see the recording from here?”

“Yes I’ll upload it to your PDD if you have one.”

“Yes, I do.” I held my PDD net to the GalNet terminal, the connection was made and the file transferred.

The lawyer nodded, pleased, and then said, “I took the liberty to invest your inheritance and retained a portion of the stock in your late grandfather’s company for you and it keeps earning you a little money on the side. You are quite a wealthy individual now and, if you’d like, I offer you my continuing services as financial and legal adviser.”

I said, “Yes, Mr. Silverzweig, I’d like that a lot. I’d have asked you to do that if you hadn’t offered.”

“In that case, I suggest transferring only one billion in your private use account and letting the other four billion work for you.”

“Mr. Silverzweig, to me a hundred credits is a lot of money. I can’t grasp the idea of having that much money. There’s nothing I really need, other than maybe some less conspicuous clothing, and a GalNet enabled PDD. Please deduct whatever fees you charge and do what you feel is right. My grandfather trusted you and called you friend and that’s all the reason I need to do the same, sir.”

He smiled and bowed slightly. “You are no longer on Nilfeheim and you’ll soon realize the universe runs on money. I’ve already deducted my fees, Eric, and I consider it a personal pleasure to serve you. Good luck with your Union Fleet application.”

I thanked him again and he disconnected. My credit strip made a pinging sound and as I looked at the read out, I noticed a long number with lots of zeros. I really had no idea what a billion credits meant.

I started Grandfather’s recording. “Hello, Eric, my grandson. If you’re watching this recording I didn’t make it to see you off on your quest to become a Star Ship captain. I heard it’s a hard journey but I know you’ll succeed. Also be assured I’ll be be proud of you no matter if you succeed or not. I know you’ll try your best as you always have and no one can ask for more. I left you a little bit of money in case this career choice turns out not to be to your liking. With it you have the means to try something else.

“I wish I could have been there for you, but I assure you I’m with you in spirit. Farewell my grandson. For the short time I was allowed to know you you made me a very proud grandfather. I know I failed you and your mother in so many ways. I’ll rest easier in whatever place I am now, knowing you have forgiven me.”

I replied, “I have Grandfather.” I hoped no one had seen the tears I hastily wiped away.

Holstein planet was the closest settled system to Nilfeheim and also the seat of the sector council. It had been settled mostly by German immigrants from Earth at about the same time as Nilfeheim.

According to the brochure that listed trivia of all the stops along the way, it was called the Planet of Meadows and was famous for its rolling hills covered with deep green grass. Grass appeared to be some sort of sea weed that grew on land.

Holstein had a population of nearly one billion and exported mainly dairy products. The cheese and milk sold on Nilfeheim came from here. Its main city, Lunebeck, had a Union Police station and a sector court.

I decided to skip Holstein planet as a sightseeing destination and stay aboard. Lay over time was only three hours anyway.

The list of tourist attractions was short and none really piqued my interest. Tour of a dairy farm, tour of a brewery, hiking in the moors and visiting genuine replicas of German medieval castles were on the top of that list. We had burgs at home and the rest wasn’t what I considered interesting.

Our next destination would be Twilight. I activated the privacy bubble, set the sleep inducer for arrival at Twilight and went to sleep.

Twilight, as I learned from the same multimedia brochure displayed on the entertainment unit, was a moon in orbit around the fourth planet of the Yutoo system.

Twilight was tidally locked around that fourth planet, named Gigaball, an enormous gas planet with nine planet-sized and hundreds of smaller moons. Twilight was unique among them as it had a nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere, acceptable to most NiOx breathers in the Union. A strip of about 6 kilometers width and 12,200 km long follows the permanent terminator line between the planet and the space side.

The information displayed told me that the day side was the one facing the planet and the night side opposite, and whenever the moon swung around the big planet, the night side faced the distant sun of the system and technically became the day side. However, the distant sun wasn’t providing all that much light. I sighed. This sounded more complicated than the winter seasons of Nilfeheim.

A strong, permanent wind circulation between the two sides had smoothed much of the moon’s rocky surface and created valleys with lakes of kilometers-deep micro-dust. Fresh and liquid water existed at the terminator and there was indigenous plant life. No mobile plant or fauna life had been discovered so far.

Twilight was settled by colonists from many different regions about 1500 years ago and there was no particular dominant culture. According to the brochure, most cities and settlements were located on or under the terminator strip but there was a Sun Side city and a Planet Side city.

It seemed noteworthy for whoever wrote this, to mention that the Sun Siders didn’t like the Planet Siders and vice versa. Both sides consider the Termis (those living in the middle) to be snobs and weaklings. There had been a short but violent local war about 300 years ago between the two sides until the Termis in the middle called for Union intervention.

Its main export items were mushrooms that grew in caves as well as minerals and metals. Twilight was also considered a Union traffic hub for this region.

Some of the tourist attractions listed were: dust skimming, white water boating and a traditional amusement park. I yawned and stretched a bit, maybe the Ancient was wrong, the Universe so far sounded quite boring.

There wasn’t all that much to do on a space bus. There was a restaurant on the main deck, with basic food offerings, and there were GalNet terminals, part of the seat entertainment system. Most passengers kept their privacy bubbles and sleep inducers activated. Since this was my first space flight, I explored the bus, but found nothing that really piqued my interest.

So I read the GalNet entry about Twilight again and I was still not interested in the local attractions, but the bus would be there for eight hours, time enough to stretch my legs and maybe have a bite to eat.

Besides, I’d left Nilfeheim much sooner than originally planned and now I had four months to kill before I was to report at the Academy for my entry exam. So I wasn’t exactly in a big hurry

The spaceport was much bigger and busier than the one on Nilfeheim. Two other space buses had arrived simultaneously with us and I was told they all were waiting for a fourth one to arrive.

The reason for our eight-hour layover was to allow the passengers of all these buses to board connecting flights to their destinations. My first change of bus routes would be in two more stops, at the OXR Hub, which stood for Old Xunx Region.

The space bus to the right of us had just arrived from Brennan’s World, forty-four light years from here. The other one was from New Sweden. The fourth one would arrive from Ne Plejades. Across the terminal were a bunch of smaller bus bays connecting hourly to destinations within the Yutoo system.

I learned from a friendly info bot that both rock core planets and all nine moons in the system were colonized. The bus from New Sweden would leave for He Mang. The one from New Plejades would continue to Cascade system and my space bus’s next destination was a place called Halifax system.

An even bigger bus than ours, all the way over in the last docking bay serviced an Outward Fringe region almost a thousand light years distant and thus had cabin accommodations.

It would soon leave for Galia in the Halifax system then proceed to Nightlive. From there I could either catch a fast clipper to Alconyne or Neo Nebula. Both destinations had space train connections to Blue Moon.

Behind the space bus bays was the vast open area of the spaceport’s landing field. The patient info bot explained that the fish-shaped space ship just then taking off was a luxury liner named Blue Dolphin with over sixteen ports of call on its trip, with its final destination Sol Hub. Seeing that elegant ship climb into the yellowish sky I was actually considering booking a voyage. Once on Sol Hub it would be only a short intra-system trip to Terra and the home of the original Vikings. All this information gave me a first glimpse of how big the Union really was.

Many passengers and locals weren’t Human but I could identify only a few members of non-humanoid species. Four insectoid Klack, loaded with shopping bags, had a lively conversation with a four-meter tall Andorian and a frightening Kilonian who used eight legs to walk and its upper pairs as arms. It looked like a segmented sausage with legs.

A Wurgus, wearing a rainbow-colored neck-to-floor shimmering robe, bumped into me. His head reminded me of a freshly butchered and plucked chicken with two onions stuck to it for eyes. Mr. Flensburger one of my teachers told us in Xeno class that the term “Chicken head” was used in many jokes but should never be said in front of a Wurgus. He mumbled an apology and rushed on.

In among all these creatures were robot vendors, message bots, info bots and security drones. Everyone seemed to be in a rush and had urgent business.

I smiled as I saw an Arthur’s Swine and Dine, complete with waving pig. A thin, dirty boy wearing a shoulder bag grabbed the shopping bag of a woman who had set it down to talk to an info bot and then bolted. He was stealing that ladies bag, and he ran my way, not seeing me as he glanced back.

I grabbed him by the shirt. “I don’t think that bag belongs to you,” I said.

He turned, tried to worm himself out of my grip and screamed, “Let me go.”

Now I noticed it wasn’t a boy but a girl. Her hair was cropped short and she was maybe twelve or thirteen years old. Wearing a one-piece stained and smudged coverall that might have been white a century ago.

I twisted the collar, making it tighter. “Not before you gave back what you’ve stolen.” She kicked me on my shin bone and I felt her kicks even through my padded fangsnapper leather boots.

Two similar looking but much older teens and male for sure, approached us trying to blend into the crowd. “Now you’re in trouble Mister. My brothers are coming and they’ll shank you You better let me go now.”

“I don’t think they will.” They had spotted the security officer just as I had.

The girl changed her tune. “Please Mister, don’t turn me in. I don’t want to go back to Mother Moore’s Happy Orphanage. Please.”

Tears glistened in her eyes and I said, “We’ll give the lady back her belongings and then I’ll let you go.”

“You don’t understand. If I don’t bring in my share I’ll get beaten and kicked out of the nest,” she pleaded.

“I’ll tell you what. We’ll give the lady back her stuff and I’ll buy you dinner at Arthur’s. After that I’ll buy you something you can use for loot. Stealing isn’t the answer and it’s unfair to that woman who paid for whatever you stole.”

“You aren’t for real, are you?” she asked.

“I always keep my word,” I said.

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Eric Olafson, First Journeys (Vol 2)

Vanessa Ravencroft

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