Chapter 11: Rewards

When I came around, I was still lying under that purple thing. The armed and fully armor suited men were close now holding their weapons ready pointing them at my friends.

The bearded dark skinned man wearing a battle suit of unknown origin argued with Cardwell. “I want you to open those Translocator storages now. We do not have much time.”

Cardwell barked back and pointed at me. “I told you that two command codes are needed to open them, the only one able doing that was killed by your idiotic pet.”

“Be very careful, Cardwell. Your usefulness has ended.”

The Base Commander’s Quasimodo hand snapped around the throat of the bearded Pirate and he hissed. “I am still in the commandant of this base and I am wearing a Quasimodo. Unlike your goons, I know how to use it.”

The Pirate struggled and coughed.” You are nothing, now unhand me. Do you think I trusted you while you put on that suit? I put a Eugeletrian Sneegal in it while it was still open and it might just crawl to the base of your neck. Not even your Auto Doc can prevent the effects of those little suckers, poison.”

Caldwell dropped the man and opened his helmet, which was my chance. No one paid any attention to me and I fired, my last round, the bullet hit Caldwell right under the chin and the effect of the heavy lead projectile was quite gruesome. My friends didn’t need more distraction to react.

Wetmouth’s strange sword sliced one of the men from shoulder to hip battle suit and all. Hans hammered both of his fists and all his might on the helmeted head of the third.

The rest tried to use their weapons but they did not work. Circuit said. “Nanites are so useful.”

The Armor of the next simply fell in pieces all around him and he stood there as naked as on the day of his birth. Narth’s eyes glowed no longer yellow but deep red and his voice was no longer recognizable. “You have harmed my friend. Now you shall learn that Narth has learned the meaning of rage.”

Twenty pirates slowly rose from the floor and with sudden popping sounds the inside of their helmets where splashed with dark red matter and they all dropped lifeless to the ground.

Several strands of Spider silk hit the bearded man, he was pulled with force close to Krabbel who turned him with dizzing speed between his hind legs and the pirate was turned into a cocoon, battle suit and all and in less than a few seconds.

Wetmouth came over and sliced his helmet off.

I raised my hand and said as loud as I could. “Circuit, go activate the Cerberus, do not let anything distract you.”

Circuit was a certified Translocator technician. A fact that was not mentioned in the non classified section of his personnel file and had Blue-Blue-Blue clearance, I held out my code key and said.”Day code is Strawberry.”

Circuit ran with machine speed and out of my sight.

Hans lifted the purple thing of me and Wetmouth dropped to her knees examining me. She looked up to the others and said. “The Wurlag has stunned him.”

I wanted to get up but I could not feel my legs at all. “Weird, I can’t get up. Is something still pinning me down?” I saw tears in Wetmouth’s eyes.”No Eric, that’s the poison of the Wurlag.”

With the weight of the animal gone I could still prop myself up and there I saw a beautiful sight. The massive warehouse doors exploded into atomic dust glittering in the air and Cerberus IX marched out in perfect robotic movements It was a display of Union Military might, like few other. Each of them exactly three hundred and fifty centimeters tall with four Myomylar-Syntho muscled arms, nearly indestructible, with the fire power equivalent to an entire platoon of fully equipped Marines, the very pinnacle of Terran Military engineering.

The lead robot scanned the room and approached me. With its deep modulated voice the robot said. “ID Verification Scan complete. Highest Command Authority recognized. Your Orders Sir?”

I said with a relieved grin. “The base is infiltrated by criminals and foreign intruders. There is an alien ship with stolen Mil Tech. Secure the base by all means necessary and prevent the ship from leaving.”

The robot responded. “Instructions received and understood.”

The robot battalion activated their flying capability and swarmed like gigantic angry hornets in every direction.

The bearded pirate laughed. “You still lost, the Wurlag poison will destroy every neural path in your body and there is nothing anyone can do in time. I do have the anti dote on my ship all you have to do is let me go and it is yours.”

I still was able to shake my head. “Sorry Scum, I cannot be bought.”

He cursed and said. “You fool. I have an even bigger ship in orbit and it will turn this place to slag.”

Har-Hi said. “You have no idea what Cerberus robots can do.”

Through a view port we saw Cerberus robots by the dozen shoot like rockets upward into the grey sky.

From behind I heard running boots, but by now I could not even turn my head. Marines and finally Admiral Stahl came into my view. Wetmouth cried.”He was stung by a Wurlag, Sir.”

To hear real concern in the voice of the eternal soldier was not something I wanted to hear in my situation but he said. “Oh shit. Get that man into Stasis at once.”

--””--

I woke and found myself in a med station diagnostic bed and said more to myself than anyone else.”Say is it always me, who loses consciousness around here?”

Wetmouth immediately came into view and she said with excitement in her voice. “He is awake. Eric is awake.”

She simply hugged me and I could feel her tender lips from behind her mask kissing me on the nose on the cheeks and then on my lips.

Then a warm deep voice said. “It pleases me greatly to see you are well.” Narth came into view.

Circuit stood by the foot end and said. “No you’re not the only one. I was the one hit by Tech Stop, remember?”

Now a Med Tech with an MD Snake on her collar scanned me and she was obviously pleased with the results and said. “Welcome to the land of the living, Ensign Olafson, you now officially the first living being ever to survive a Wurlag sting, congratulations.”

I sat up and said. “Can someone please tell me what a Wurlag is in the first place?”

Narth motioned to Wetmouth and it seemed they came to a working agreement. She said. “It is a genetically altered life form that originally had been stolen from Green Hell about 200 years ago. It has been bred and changed so it can be held as an attack and guard animal. It’s stingers are laced with one of the most complex Bio toxins known to science.”

The Med Tech said. “You have amazing friends, Mr. Olafson. The Sojonit worked tirelessly for five days to develop an antidote and this morning she succeeded, but then another Narth shows up and all the neural damage caused by the poison is reverted in an eye blink.”

As I turned I noticed another Narth and he came closer to the bed. I immediately knew who he was, even though he looked exactly the same as all the Narth I had met before. He put his hand on my shoulder and I could feel something like electricity pass through me, but it was not painful or unpleasant. On the contrary it felt uplifting and energizing and he said. “One could not let the one who shared the Hugavh pass into the beyond. One had to obtain the knowledge of your neural system before we could travel here and aid you in your recuperation. I am the one known as the Narth Supreme and you Eric are a child of Narth. Your well being is important to Narth. I came as soon as I was able, but your friend Wetmouth was indeed able to synthesize the antidote. Her Intellect and its practical application is most noteworthy.”

I could not help but feel deeply in awe, my skin crawled with goose bumps. Only once had I felt this way, only once but I could not remember when or where. Something white and huge floated at the edge of my consciousness and I simply could not concentrate enough to focus and assumed it was an after effect of my poisoning.

I said. “I am deeply honored by your presence, Narth Supreme. Can you make me hear Narth again?”

He kept his hand on my shoulder and slowly nodded. “Your will is the key, Child of Narth and your will has done as you wished. One is pleased that Narth has such a friend as you. The concept of friendship has been understood and its deep value has been revealed through you two and in doing so opened the door to other concepts such as honor, love and affection.

All that is Narth is deeply thankful. Now one must go on and return to Narth Prime. Narth Prime that is now your home as well and one day you will come home and Narth will no longer be alien and strange to you.”

From one heart beat to the next the Narth Supreme was gone, but I could feel his touch a little longer.

I realized that no one around had noticed or heard what just happened, except of course for my friend and once more could I feel his thoughts and heard his words in my mind and as far as it concerned me, the world was alright again.

His voice and presence in me filled a void I knew was there the entire time since that time in the Crawler cat.

He said. “Time as you and I perceive it on this plane has little meaning for the one who is the Narth Supreme.”

I answered him in the same way. “I am sure glad he fixed that Psi shield of mine, I missed your presence.”

“He did not fix it Eric; it was you who made your shield transparent to me.”

Wetmouth not knowing I was talking to Narth said. “A week, I slaved a week in the lab and your Narth friend comes and fixes you in an eye-blink.”

She took my hand in a shy gesture and added. “Not that I mind, I am so glad you are alive.”

I blinked and said. “A week, I was out an entire week?”

The Eternal Warrior approached my bed and he said. “Nine days to be exact, Son. That amazing Sojonit friend of yours has not slept the entire time.”

With him was the Admiral of the Fleet, McElligott and a tall blonde with a truly angelic face, I had not seen or met before.

I suddenly realized, I was still an Ensign and there were two Admirals in the room, my Academy training kicked in and I jumped out of the bed and wanted to salute, realizing half out I wasn’t wearing anything and went right back.

“Sorry Sir, it appears I misplaced my uniform somewhere.”

I blushed as I noticed the snickering of my friends and the smiles of the Admirals.

Stahl looked over to McElligott and said. “I think we do not need to insist on formal greetings, not in a medical ward anyway.” Actually glancing at my medical chart read out he said.

“Even though you are technically fine and fit for duty, stay in bed a little while longer so we can fill you in.”

While I tugged the cover higher to make sure I was completely covered I said. “Sir that would be greatly appreciated. I had no time to check on the Order chip, Captain Harris has given me.”

Stahl simply acknowledged with a nod, and said. “We were pretty sure Cardwell was one of Dent’s planted agents but we wanted to catch whoever was in contact with him as well. If we had arrived with a big team or the Devi, we might have gotten Cardwell but none of his contacts. So my esteemed colleague Admiral McElligott decided to send you, as the proverbial monkey wrench so to speak to Richter Station. Where you would hopefully discover whatever went on and report to us so we can move in. That was pretty much what was on the Order chip by the way and the Devi was never far away.”

I could not help being sarcastic even in the presence of these two immortals.

“Great idea sending a bunch of expendable Midshipmen, in a situation that cost ten officers their lives before, there are plenty more where they came from.”

Stahl eyed his old colleague from the side.

“I told you he was going to say something cynical.”

McElligott said to me. “You are Officers and if you want to be one then you must realize that you will get orders that put you in dangerous situations, which is the path you have chosen. Now I have not found it necessary to explain my reasons for an order in a very long time, but I will make an exception.”

He pulled up a chair sat down and arranged the folds of his kilt over his stubby looking knees and fished for his pipe. His old grumpy looking face changed into a grin.

“You know this is the second time I find myself sitting in a hospital room before your bed to try to explain something to you.”

He looked for something and Har-Hi handed him his cigar lighter.

“Sir would you like to use mine?”

McElligott looked up to Har-Hi, took the lighter and said. “Ah you are the Dai. Never thought you lads smoked or carried a real old Dunhill lighter.”

Har-Hi raised one of his eyebrows and said. “Yes Sir, I am the Dai. It was an Ult that brought me to smoking cigars and the lighter was a gift I received from Admiral Stahl, Sir.”

McElligott started puffing his pipe and handed the lighter back. “You are the Dai I heard so much about. There is a certain Commander Cotton who sent me about 2000 requests for your transfer, recommending you to Fighter School, seeing your name pass that often across my desk makes you in my eyes ‘that Dai’.” To Stahl he complained.

“Where did you get this bunch? Now I am explaining myself to another Ensign and he made me do it by just raising an eyebrow.”

Stahl actually wiped on his feet while he had his arms crossed behind his back.”If I knew the answer to that, I’d get me a bunch more.”

McElligott puffed once more and then said to me. “You and your friends are not the average cadets and midshipmen and I can’t say if it is a particularly good or bad thing, but you are on my radar so to speak for quite a whyile now.

Since you were instrumental in exposing a Thauran connection to the Worm and later helped to shut down Newport I thought about you when the Richter 4 thing came over my desk again. Now there is another reason you are here, but I will come to that later. For now you have a day of R&R and then you will graduate and be assigned to your new postings.”

--””--

It turned out I was still on Richter base and not aboard the Devastator, but the giant ship had landed and occupied an entire landing field. On one of the other fields was the USS Shetland and especially on the ground where the eye had clear reference points the difference in size was mind boggling. Seeing a 3500 meter Arsenal ship, the pinnacle of Union technology against that gigantic ship of alien origin reduced to a toy, brought home once again how incredibly big the Devastator was. The Shetland look small and insignificant.

The base was now busy with personnel off the Devi. There were engineers and technicians still repairing the damage from our battle.

Har-Hi said.”We thought we’d celebrate your return to the land of the living with a dinner. Mao found Tyranno Fin in the stasis freezer of the Hilton hotel.”

Wetmouth said. “But until then I am going to sleep. I am dead on my feet.”

I held her back and while it was not really regulations. I hugged her and said. “Thank you.”

She returned the hug and once again I could not help thinking how nice it felt to hold her.

Krabbel of course could not hold himself back and hugged us both. “It’s the second time I thought we lost you. If it happens a third time, I am going to get white leg hairs like an old spider. There is only so much a poor Arachnoid can take, you know.”

--””--

Krabbel managed to convince Narth and Mao to go back to the amusement park for a few more rides. This time I felt Narth and how much he enjoyed the company of my other friends and his growing affection for them.

Elfi, Shaka and Hans insisted on preparing the dinner this time. I saw Har-Hi in a deep conversation with the Admiral of the Fleet and from the gestures I knew he was talking about fighter craft.

The medical department of the base had the size of a major hospital. Exiting the Intensive care unit I came out on a fourth tier walk way. Leaning against the railing I had a great view of the main concourse below. Almost exactly across was the Fleet Housing building and I saw robots and technicians working on the damaged Ultronit security door.

To the left was the space port passenger facilities and right below me on ground level the entrance to the Space port mall and Arthur’s Swine and Dine.

A group of Officers and technicians stood by the Tunnel entrance towards the Technical area and the warehouses and even from here I could tell they were puzzled about the fact the massive doors could have been cut open like this.

I planned to ask Wetmouth about her sword as soon as I had a chance. The only thing tougher than molecule compacted Ultronit was Neutronium as far as I knew and there were rumors that R&D experimented with Neutronium based materials. But a sword made of Neutronium would weigh thousands of tons and no being could possibly wield it.

While I was leaning there and looking over the now busy concourse, I noticed men and women dispersed among the workers and fleet personnel trying hard to look inconspicuous and natural. I was almost certain those were NAVINT spooks.

The tall blond with the angelic face, I had seen with McElligott and Stahl leaned next to me on the railing and like me gazed over the lively scenery below.

She then turned her head and looked at me, her face halfway obscured by her hair.

“I have heard quite a bit about you and I think it is time I introduce myself, I am Cherubim.”

She wore a black dress that ended a hand width over her knees. It was belted at her hip with a broad shiny leather belt. It was a nice outfit but not a uniform. At least none I recognized if it was one after all.

I said to her. “Nice to meet you Ma’am and since you heard lots about me and you have been present with the Admirals you must be someone important.”

A fine smile curled her lips. “Do I detect an edge in your voice? You know who I am then?”

I shrugged. “Since you were with the Immortals I am sure you are a very important person, but I have not the slightest idea. There is no edge in my voice Ma’am, just whenever someone tells me they know all about me I end up in some kind of situation.”

She said. “I can understand that and I think given your past track record you will sooner or later be in another situation.

I am one of them, you know one of those Immortals, selected to protect and guide Earth.”

I turned to look at her not just from the side and said.

“Please don’t get this wrong Ms. Cherubim, but somehow it seems I am attracting the attention of you Immortals more than anyone I know, this can’t be coincidence.”

“Eric, there are trillions of beings in our Union and more in the galaxies around us. Some have life spans of a few years, others live to see centuries but they all have a limited time, but there are those who do not age and have the potential to see the end of time. It is a very small society if you will and while we are not all friends, we tend to know each other.” She paused looked away and said. “Eric, you are most likely one of us.”

I felt dizzy as she said that and protested. “Ma’am, I am going to turn 21 I am not an Immortal. My parents are Neo Vikings and we age and die, you must have the wrong guy.”

Even as I said that, I wasn’t so sure myself. Could she be right? Even in our small society on Nilfeheim I met two and was distantly related to one of them.

She left me time before she answered. “Narth Supreme calls you his Child and the Narth have made you one of them. It might take centuries or millennia before you become a Narth, but you are on your way, if you manage to stay alive of course, none of the Immortals I know, not even the Narth are truly invulnerable and can be killed, but time and age I am certain will have little meaning to you as it has to the rest of us.” She pointed towards the hospital.

“You know why the Pirates and even your friends paid no attention to you after you were jumped by the Wurlag?”

I shook my head.

She said. “Because they all thought you were dead, not even a Petharian would have lasted as long as you have. You are changing, slowly perhaps but eventually you will be one of us.”

I tried to ignore what she said, tell myself that it was all wrong but I knew she was right and then I said. “Immortals always have some sort of task or destiny right? What is mine?”

Cherubim now smiled again. “Only the ones who were chosen by the Guardian of Earth received tasks and special gifts to perform them. Neither you, the Narth or your friends of the Coven have been chosen that way. Now we all have destinies, mortal or immortal but I guess we all have a say in how we shape it.”

I returned to lean on the railing and said.

“So if McElligott is the Administrator and Admiral Stahl is the Warrior, who are you?”

“I am the Hunter.”

“What does that mean? I see where McElligott is called the Administrator because that is what he does and everyone knows why Stahl is the Warrior.”

“I find the trails of those who want to harm our Union track them and hunt them down. I don’t do it with fleets and soldiers as the enemies I seek are often unreachable or to small and too slick to be fought with battle ships and marines. You should know more than a little about that part already.”

“More than I ever wanted to be honest. And you should hunt that Purple Worm and while you are at it that crook calling himself the Red Dragon.”

“That is exactly why I am here on Richter Base.”

She turned from the hand railing and slowly walked away. She waved her hand and said. “We will run into each other again, Eric.”

I watched her enter an IBT and disappear.

How long I remained standing there I could not say as so much was going through my head. The worst part was that I knew there was something I should remember but I could not.”

I was pulled out of all this by a warm presence that came into my mind and Narth said to me telepathically.

“One should not dwell on such matters, even the Admiral lives day by day and doesn’t think all too much about how many years or millennia he has lived or is still going to experience.”

Narth’s words of wisdom chased the gloomy thoughts away. I was just a Neo Viking and all this talk about Immortality, destinies and tasks was for Semi-gods and eternal Admirals and not for an Ensign at the beginning of his career.

I decided to find Narth, Krabbel and Mao after all and join them.

--””--

We had our formal dinner at the same top floor restaurant as before and this time there was no moving dishes but instead real, genuine Tyranno Fin steaks and I had roasted them myself on a portable table grill.

Tasting the first fork was pure bliss. I closed my eyes and let the taste of home melt on my tongue.

After I was finally done I actually had to loosen the snaps on my Uniform blouse, I doubted I had ever eaten so much.

Har-Hi also had a second portion and said. “I never been much of a fish eater, but this is really good.

Circuit sighed. “What would I give for a stomach and taste butts, It looks I am missing so much.”

Narth said. “All that is Narth missed out for millennia, as eating and tasting can be such an experience. I wish I could share my experience with you, Circuit as I do share it with all that is Narth.”

The X101 sighed again. “I am so going for that upgrade.”

Wetmouth said. “I think I should be able to install it. I have studied much about X101 technology and physiology thanks to the first aid and emergency procedures Mother Machine has sent me.”

Circuit took her hand and said. “Maybe I can’t taste the food yet but if there is a better way to spend an evening than with your best friends then I sure did not know it. I am a blessed machine.”

It warmed my heart to hear him say that as I felt the same way and it pleased me to see that Narth fit right in and the others accepted him like he was there from the start.

As the dinner was near the end it was Narth who against his usual reserved ways stood and spoke a toast.

“In human terms, Eric is something like a brother to me, only much closer.

Through his eyes I knew of you before we met but in recent weeks I was fortunate to get to know you all in person.

We Narth are unlike any other species and we have lost and forgotten so much what corporal beings know and do, but through Eric and now through you our minds are opened to values we had lost and were so much poorer without them.

Here in this circle, the value and meaning of true friendship becomes apparent and I am now able to say the meaning of pride is no longer alien to me, pride knowing you all.”

There was silence then Elfi got up and simply hugged Narth. “That was so beautiful.”

Hans put his hand on Narth shoulder.”You’re alright, Narth and not just because you saved my life.”

Only Wetmouth appeared sad, despite her mask I could tell.

I asked her. “Is something wrong?”

She nodded. “I just realized this might be our last evening together.”

Everyone became quiet and looked at her.

It was Shaka who said. “Now that she mentions it, the Admiral said we graduate today and after that happens we all be sent to various postings.”

Mao sighed. “I wish it wasn’t so but I know from Lt. Merkus that there are at least 60 posting requests for Shaka, as he is not only a Virtu Helmsman but one of the best.”

Krabbel who just had hugged Narth balled himself together on his chair instead of hanging from the ceiling as usual said. “I don’t want to go somewhere else and they call me the monster and the Arachnid again and when they say it always sounds like they fear me or find me disgusting. Here I am Krabbel and I can be myself and no one finds me repulsive.”

Har-Hi played with his wine glass “It is a Commission you know. We could reject the commission and go private. I’d rather haul iron ore in an old Scow from Planet A to B and be with you than being the Commandant of a Battle Cruiser.”

Elfi looked up. “I am sure my Mom would let us have a nice ship. We simply could go exploring or something.”

I too recalled the words of the Admiral and I wondered what would be more important to me, becoming a Starship captain or go private with my friends and I knew the answer. I would not go private. I made a commitment and I wanted to do my part so little Holdians, Commander or not could be safe and hunt scum like the Red Dragon to the gates of hell. I wanted to help to clean this Navy from the curse that was the Worm. I wanted to be a Starship captain; even serving apart we could be friends. I knew I was arguing with myself, these friends were more than family to me.

The Elevator hummed and the three Immortals appeared and all three were dressed for the occasion, the Admirals in their dress uniforms and the woman in a daring black dress.

Before anyone could jump up, Stahl said.”As you were.”

McElligott said. “I was told about your fine little tradition and we wanted to join your festivities, but all I see are sad and long faces and it is deadly quiet.”

Stahl also looked surprised. “I would say it is us, but somehow I think there is another reason for the gloom.”

I stood and my friends did the same. I said. “Please join us and forgive our manners.”

We offered chairs for the high ranking guests and after everyone sat and the wait bot took their drink orders, Elfi simply said it. “It is not you, Sirs and Ma’am. We just realized that we are going to graduate.”

McElligott thanked Krabbel as he served the guests a plate of fish each and then said

“I was always under the impression graduation was an occasion to celebrate and all the Midshipmen and Cadets I knew always looked forward to this day.”

Wetmouth said. “We realized we will be separated as you said. We will receive our new postings and that could be all across three galaxies and a few star clusters. So this might be our last night all being together. This is a big Navy and the possibility for us all to have time and the opportunity to meet again is zero point eight percent taking into account the number of beings, the possible number of postings, the various times for leave of absence and the possible dangerous nature of our business.”

Narth put his head sideways, and then nodded. “I concur with this estimate.”

McElligott said. “That is how the Navy usually works I agree. Now I think it makes no sense to postpone things much further so we can start right away. With all these gloomy faces, I wouldn’t like the food even if it was a Burns supper complete with Haggis and Scotch.”

He glanced to Stahl and said. “I am still theoretically the boss of this outfit, even if I lately feel myself compelled to explain myself to Cadets. So don’t give me that look of yours.”

Stahl shrugged, had the same stoic face as always, but his eyes could not hide his amusement.

The Admiral of the Fleet got up from his place after taking a good swallow of the wine and made a waving gesture with his hand and said.