Prelude to Book XI

Prelude: Nilfeheim October 5347

I put the little PDD down and looked up. The yellow sun named Solken had disappeared behind the horizon and painted the sky in a thousand shades of orange. My gaze wandered to my old bed, it had not been used in over 300 years and it would remain that way at least by me. I would find rest once I had left this realm, entities like me did not really belong here. Yet I had not completely separated myself from this existence, a few things remained to be done.

I was still on Nilfeheim and sat in the small tower chamber that once had been my room, well it had been the room of Eric Olafson to be precise. It was that part of myself that made me return to this place and to fulfill my promise and write the story of my life, the story of my life in this universe.

It was then when I heard steps coming up the narrow winding stairs that led from the court yard of the Olafson Burg up the old Western tower to the equally old watchman chamber that had been my childhood bedroom.

I smiled as the sound took me back to a time when I was afraid hearing steps on those stairs as the sound would herald the approach of my human father, Isegrim. In those days he would only make this journey to punish me for something he thought I did wrong. Partially fueled by the hatred Gretel Helmstaad his second wife instilled in him against his first born son.

Of course Gretel was long dead and so was Isegrim. It would have been easy to expand my consciousness to see who was coming, being a godlike entity also meant Omnipresence, but I was able to restrict my own powers and enjoy the benefits of being surprised.

It knocked and I willed the door open, Richard Stahl the old Admiral also know the Galaxy over as the Eternal Warrior, jumped back and almost fell. I did not let this happen of course and prevented his fall.

He pointed at the door. "Opening a door with Telekinesis is something I am used to, being married to Alycia, but your way of altering the state of things is still frightening to me."

My smile deepened seeing this man; my human self always equated him to be much more of a father than Isegrim ever was. "I am sorry Old Warrior. I shall revert using simple telekinesis then."

He came in and said. "Even Dark Ones could simply say come in or use the handle you know. You still have a voice and you still have hands."

I looked at my gloved hands and said. "What an interesting idea. Of course I could do that!"

The Old Admiral pointed at the old Tigershark log book that was next to the little PDD on my old table. "I too read that one occasionally, it is still among my favorite things to read."

With a gesture, making sure I used my hands I made him a comfortable chair and said. "Please sit down and while I get you some beer. Tell me what it is that brings you here?" He plopped into the chair and didn't blink an eye as he suddenly held a bottle of his favorite beer. The sight of the brown bottle with moisture pearling of the glass, I decided to indulge myself as well. I was luckily not beyond enjoying something the human way and got myself a bottle as well.

He popped the top and took a long drink then he said. "If that God gig of yours doesn't work out, you will always have a future as a barkeep, you know."

I too took a drink and enjoyed the cold crisp taste and said. "I am not God, just something in that direction."

"You are the only entity I know who could stop the Galaxy from spinning."

"What would such a feat accomplish? Doing that would be easy, foreseeing the consequences of such an act however are quite another thing."

He almost dropped his bottle. "You could actually do that? I was making a joke."

"The Galaxy spins because of an inherent momentum it obtained when this Universe came to be. It is a simple matter of changing the gravitational conditions to make it stop spinning, but it would change the conditions of billions of stars and planets change the orbits of suns and all black holes would become true killers and that is only the tip of the iceberg of consequences."

He put the bottle down. "Well I am glad then, you don't do such things." He made a general gesture and said. "I didn't have a particular reason to drop by. I know you will soon make whatever journey you are talking about, after you went to Narth Prime and since I was in the neighborhood and I heard you were here, I stopped by to say hello."

I took another sip and I still felt deep friendship and genuine human emotions towards this man and this gave me a good feeling that I had not lost all connection to my human side. "So how is civilian life treating you? Don't you itch being back out there?"

He looked out the window. "I do miss the old days once in a while, but I am content that I am no longer immortal. Of course still age very slowly but I am aging now alongside my wife and this is how it supposed to be. The Union no longer needs us Immortals; our purpose has been fulfilled after you arrived. I enjoyed the years aboard the USS Terminator, but I find myself thinking back to the days when the good old Devi was the only one of her size. When the Big Four still existed, of course there are new threats and new horizons, but they are for another generation to worry about."

"It is you who asked me to adjust your aging to the aging process of your wife. I as easily make you both true immortals. For what it is worth old friend. This Union of ours might still need an Eternal Warrior again, someone who is integrity incarnate."

"Thank you for the offer, but I made up my mind. Besides they still have McElligott, this old warhorse is still at it and he still loves his job like he did from the first day on."

"You can always tell me if you ever change your mind."

He laughed a dry laugh and said. "How am I going to get in contact with you? For what I understand you will go to Narth Prime and then sort of leave this Universe right? Do I pray to the Dark One or something like that?"

"No Richard, I don't require worship. I made that quite clear, and neither do I want anyone praying to me, but I am omnipresent and all you have to do is concentrate and tell me and I will hear you."

He wiped his eyes. "I better stop thinking about what you have become. It makes my head spin worse than a case of beer. To change the subject, how far did you get with your account you promised us?"

I took the PDD and said. "I still have a way to go. I just started telling what happened on Itheamh."

He leaned forward. "Oh yes, I remember. You don't mind me staying a little and listen?"

"No not at all, old friend, not at all. I will start this part of my story with what happened to Har- Hi."