Eric Olafson, Fleet Cadet 18

Chapter 18: USS Madrid

I kept my own promise and went to Hasvik and lit a torch for Astrid, Elena did the same and we didn’t talk much on our flight back. I didn’t know Astrid as well as she did, but she was a friend and she saved our lives, paying with hers.

I still feel stuffed from breakfast even though it was close to five as we returned to the Burg. Midril had prepared what must have been the most calories laden and without question the biggest breakfast of Nilfeheim history. Rodney turned out to be the very definition of a Neo Viking. Tall, strong handsome and perhaps a little more open to things from the outside than others. He barely took his eyes of Elena and he tried his best to impress me and I was as social and friendly as I could.

As we landed little Exa and Uncle Hogun were there waiting for us. She had grown quite a bit and was no longer as thin, and I knew it would not be long when she was going to turn heads.

She ran over with flying braids and gave me a long hug.” Thank you, Eric. Meeting you was the luckiest day in my life. I am even getting used to the cold and Papa Hogun says I am becoming a real Nilfeheim girl.”

“How they are treating you in school?”

“Oh at first it was a little odd, me being from Off World and all that, but I told them I am an Olafson and if they want trouble I get my dad.” She grinned widely.” No one wants to mess with Papa Hogun, no one. Now I don’t think they really remember I am from off world and I got good friends too.”

Hogun’s eyes were full of love and pride as he said.”She’s also quite a good student and hasn’t stolen a thing in over six month.”

She giggled.”I gave up on that, besides if Papa Hogun isn’t getting it for me all I have to do is ask Uncle Isegrim.”

Hogun threw his big hands in the air.”That is the greatest miracle of all; my evil brother adores that little girl and spoils her rotten, every time she is out here.”

We talked a little longer and then Uncle Hogun had to go as he didn’t want to leave the Inn just tended by Jan and his helpers. In another hour the Inn would be filled with drinking and eating guests.

Elena gave me a little tour around the Burg to show me what had been done. The Tanneries far below were completely transformed and the revolting process was now done by machines and robots. The stinking vats and the slick gray Duro-cretewere gone, replaced by stainless steel tanks, and tiles. Elena explained that the fine leather produced on Nilfeheim and especially by the Olafson clan was in high demand and fetched good prices. She told me that Isegrim hung by tradition on the Tyranno Fin hunting, but it was no longer the main source of income for the clan.

Elena smiled proudly and said.” The Leather you wear I have selected of the finest grade.”

I told her how much I like it and then added.” It looks especially great on you, Sister.”

There was something about tight leather and female curves I found especially alluring.

After the little tour we ended back in her chambers. She served us Midril’s famous crumble cake and coffee.

“So are we still on for tonight?” She asked me glancing over her cup.

“I would like to, but I made a promise to the Ancient not to do it here no more. Last time it caused a whole lot of trouble as you remember.”

“Ah what could happen? Anyone wanting you ill is gone or dead.”

“And yet I killed Sigvard last night in our own burg. When I come back we will have time to go off planet. Twilight is not far away and there is a big city and we can do whatever we want. Freya wants to get out so bad, but I made a promise. I hope you understand.”

She sighed.”You are right, I was there and no I don’t want you to break the promise you made. You have grown in more ways than one.”

“I still get in plenty of trouble and even if I am careful trying to avoid it, but yes I think the Academy has changed me somewhat.”

I was contacted by the Comm Officer and the Madrid, a full size Battle ship came down homing on my signal.

The huge ship landed right next to the burg smashing the ice and sinking into the water below. The ocean was only 500 meters deep and that meant little to a 3500 meter battleship.

Everyone at the burg however had assembled to see the spectacle even though it was very early in the morning. The gleaming almost white giant dwarfed the burg and the island to insignificance. Father tried to hide his feelings but I knew he was in awe just like the rest.

I once more wore my uniform wished them all farewell and boarded the Landing tank that was sent to get me to the ship.

While I would have liked to stay a little longer, the ship next to the burg was like an omen, a sign to show me were my real home would be in the future. Nilfeheim was the place I had grown up, and as much as I was a Neo Viking I was no longer really home there. My home was now the Navy.

The Klack Captain greeted me himself as I debarked and I saluted as crisp as I could.”Midshipman Olafson, Sir, requesting permission to come aboard, Sir.”

“Permission granted.” The Klack was insectoid and about as alien to a human as can be. I never had any close contact with a member of that species, even though there were quite a few at the Academy with me.

I assumed he was a he as most Klack were male and only the queen and her princesses were female. He eyed me up and down with his almond shaped all black eyes.” I always follow my orders and usually they make sense, but why the Madrid is playing taxi for a first year cadet, by direct orders of the Old man himself is a mystery to me.”

I was still standing in attention and therefore was unable to respond. He glanced at my ribbon display and wiggled his antennae.” Another mystery is why a First Year Cadet has a bigger collection of citations than some twenty year fleet officer. At ease Cadet, we will get you situated and we have you at Lorman’s Starbase in four days.”

“Thank you Sir.”

I was not sure if he wanted an answer to his questions before as he turned and a human Commander who had been standing silently behind the Klack motioned me to follow him.” I am Commander Vasco and I am going to show you to your quarters.”

“Thank you Sir.” I repeated and followed him.

“Is it classified or can you help us shed light on the mysteries the Captain spoke off?”

“I do not think it is classified. I was home on my first leave after first year Academy and was summoned to appear as witness in a court martial procedure that will take place at Lorman’s Starbase, if I understood my orders correctly.”

“That makes sense. Lorman’s is the JAG Center for this sector and has several military courts, usually only really high profile cases are handled there. You must have witnessed something quite extraordinary.”

I was about to say why when the Commander said.” I am not sure you should tell me about the details of the case. Such information is for the court and could very well be classified.”

“Speak for yourself.” Snarled the Klack captain several steps ahead of us,” I want to know. Have the Cadet attend Captain’s table at 2000 hrs sharp.”

“Aye Sir.”

The Captain disappeared into an IST shaft and was gone. The Commander grinned at me.” Our old Ant is a very good captain. It is usually completely impossible to predict what is on his mind, and not only because he is a Klack and he is a stickler for Fleet formalities. So it is Dress Uniform for dinner, Midshipman.”

“Yes Sir.”

He was a Commander but he did not seem to be stuck up or anything like that and he smiled.” There is something on your mind, Midshipman. Go ahead and ask it.”

“I was wondering why the Madrid landed on Nilfeheim instead of just sending a shuttle down.”

He kept grinning.” There is an ancient standing order for Nilfeheim, that whenever a Union Battleship has business near this planet we are supposed to land, just to remind you Neo Vikings the Union has not forgotten about the time you decided to be pirates.”

“But that was so long ago and we are Union Members for a very long time.”

“The Navy is just as old and the order is on the books and no one ever bothered to take it off I guess.”

I grinned back at him.” Maybe it is a good order after all. I know of Old clan lords who still dream occasionally about the old days, my father is no exception.”

I had received spacious and quite luxurious quarters, most likely reserved for traveling dignitaries and not how a Midshipman would usually be situated. It had a Navy issue Auto dresser. Since it was still very early, I had an entire day ahead of me before it was time for dinner. This was not a civilian craft where I could simply go for a stroll. I was sure the Madrid had extensive recreational facilities but I was not part of the crew, besides I could easily end up in some restricted area and get into trouble.

So I opted to stay. I could feel the ships power and the faint vibrations and the quarters had a big transparent view port. By the time I was shown the quarters we had already lifted off and Nilfeheim became smaller by the moment. Then Solken our sun broke from behind the planet and it too became smaller. Then it turned into a streak and was gone, moments later the brilliance of deep space around us. The Madrid had gone Trans light and was now traveling in Quasi Space. What the view port presented now was a representation of real space below.

Staring into deep space was completely different from seeing something on a planet. Whatever photons reached your eye traveled uninterrupted for many light years and there simply was no horizon. It was this vastness that the mind simply could not really comprehend and neither planets or suns, or anything man made had the same effect on me.

“Is this your first time aboard a Battleship?” asked someone behind me. I turned, it was the human Commander.

“No Sir.”

“What ship?”

“The USS Shetland, Sir.”

He gestured towards the door. “The Captain wants to see you on the bridge. I guess he can’t wait till dinner.”

“Yes Sir.” I closed my Uniform snaps and tugged on the white belt.

He nodded approvingly. “You pass muster.”

On our way to the bridge he said. “Be quiet and wait until the Captain asks you anything. Do not wander around or touch anything. Our bridge is an experimental dome bridge so it might be a little overwhelming, just so you are warned.”

Moments later we left the IST and stepped onto the bridge. He was not kidding, it was overwhelming. Instead of the traditional horse shoe station arrangement with consoles and battle seats, this bridge was under a clear dome The duty stations were recesses in the floor right at the edge of the dome. If you sat in one of those duty station chairs it must feel as if you sat right in deep space. The data was projected onto the transparent material of the dome. The Captains Chair was in the center and raised field screens hovered to each side of it.

I simply stood there listening to the subdued whisper of computronics; some very nice but unfamiliar music was playing in the back ground. The Klack captain got out of his chair and came over.” I am sure this is the first time you are on the bridge of a battle ship.”

“I never was on a bubble bridge before, Sir. It is amazing.”

“Just on what battle ship have you been?”

“The Shetland, Sir. Captain McKenzie granted me a visit on her bridge, sir.”

“So you been on the flagship no less and Cadet hating McKenzie let you on her bridge?”

“Yes Sir.”

“I would dismiss that as a far out lie, if I didn’t get my orders to pick you up from Admiral McElligott’s office.”

I tried to tell him a condensed version of the events on Archilerb, but he kept on asking details until I had told him the entire events in great detail.

He did not ask about the reason we were on our way to Lorman’s Starbase and when I wanted to tell him he said.

“I changed my mind, Midshipman. I do not want to know about that one. The details of that are classified and that is what I wanted to tell you. Do not divulge any details to any third party until we are there. I am hoping there are no elements of the Worm aboard my ship, but one does never know for certain.”

“The Worm, Sir?”

“Never mind that, it is better you forget what I just said.”

“Aye Sir.” While I responded as I was supposed to, I still wondered what he meant. What was the Worm?

The Klack quizzed me about the academy in general. He in turn told me about his ship and the bubble bridge design. I learned that the bubble was well protected in the inside of the ship and all was projected, to make it look like it was sitting on top of the hull. Then I was allowed to sit next to the XO in the chair of the life- sciences officer, a position usually reserved for the CMO of the ship and rarely if ever used, just as the engineering station, the Chief engineers position was unoccupied for the most times as these department heads usually ran things from their departments directly. Captain K’Tngnk somehow ceased to be a Klack, his high voice box enhanced voice, had a steady quality. He did not have much to do, his crew knew what to do and we were deep in Union space, but he didn’t take things for granted even here, as he wanted to be updated on scanner reports and contacts in the vicinity.

I was simply sitting there and taking it all in. There was no place in the Universe I rather would have been.

He suddenly addressed me.” Midshipman, you are very quiet, you have not said a word or stirred in four hours.”

“Sir I was instructed to remain quiet, but I am very grateful for this opportunity to sit here and watch.”

“You are not bored or angry that they cut your vacation short?”

“Sir, how can I be bored? I am on the bridge of a Star Ship I would spend my entire vacation sitting here and be the happiest Viking in the Galaxy.”

“I don’t like idle people on my bridge. Go take the Helm station and let me see what you learned so far at the academy.”

“Yes Sir.” I was unable to wipe that proud smile of my face. The Helm Officer got up and said.” No worry, Midshipman, I am going to take the back up and assist you if something unusual comes up. The controls are basically the same as those of a D 100.”

I thanked him sat down and the seat lowered itself into the half moon shaped cut out in the floor right before the transparent bubble. It really was as if sitting on top of the ship in deep space. The controls slid under my hands and the current course was displayed on the transparent surface, as if the numbers and the data were floating in space.

“Helm steady as she goes until we hit map marker waypoint ten, then drop out of trans light.” The Captains voice sounded as he was standing right behind me. I resisted the impulse to turn around and kept my eyes on the projected way point markers. I ran a short diagnostic cycle on the Helm controls and logged the result in the tech log. One of the back-up direct input controls showed orange and a possible mal function.

The tech log would automatically generate a work order for the Engineering department and file a report with the XO.

The voice of the XO came on.”Good call Mr. Olafson. You found the little glitch we simulated, very good.”

The captain had me drop out of Trans light come to a relative stop. There was nothing really out there, no planetary system close and from the flight path sensor screen projected to my right I did not see any contact or mass detection.

“I don’t want you to tell your friend Captain McKenzie I haven’t provided you with some entertainment, Mr. Olafson.”

Red lights flashed and between the wailing of a siren a voice said.” Battle stations. All hands battle station.”

My seat reconfigured to full battle mode and strapped me in, a dome like helmet lowered around me, giving me a full 360 view of space and the controls would now react to my direct nerve impulses even before my intentions were relayed to my hands.

“Helm we are pursued by overwhelming forces. Go to course 0.0.12 evasive action and get us out of here, Trans red line speed.”

This was a rush like no other. I could feel the immense energies of the engines, as if they were part of me. I programmed the course markers and slaved the controls to my eyes. The ship would now follow the directions my eyes looked at and currently I stared at the projected course markers. Trans red line meant all engines full ahead, past the manufacturers set limits called red lines. The Madrid jumped from a virtual dead stop to the Trans light threshold speed of 98 percent light accelerating at 800 kilometers per second to the square. The stars became beams of light and we slipped into quasi space.

“Only two seconds below the time I expect from my helmsman. Not bad for a Midshipman, but still two seconds, quite a few Nul Grav Bombs can hit you in two seconds.” The Captain said.” Stand down from the exercise and take us back on course, standard cruising speed.””I am sorry Sir about the two seconds.”

“No worries about that. You have a talent for helm. Is that what you want to be, a helms man?”

“Any duty station on the bridge would be fine with me Sir, as long as it is a ship.”

“Good call. Now release controls, to Mr. Gar and get cleaned up for dinner. I expect you to be at my table at 2000 hours sharp.”