New Edit: Chapter 50: First Command

Chapter 50: First Command
The banquet was about to start. Sif and I were the guests of honor of course. Egill came out of the round house and smiled. "Well it isn't perfect but it turned out better than expected."

Sif turned to look at him. "It is a bit frightening to be at the center of such a historic event that will most likely change our planets history."

"That is a very astute observation, young lady."

She made a gesture towards the banquet preparations. "At least they celebrate and don't prepare for our execution. I wonder who is going to pay for all this. It's going to be the biggest party our world has seen by the looks of it."

Egill pointed his thumb at me. "He does. He is the hero, but no worry he can afford it, he added another clan to the Olafson holdings and thanks to his real Grandfather you will pretend to marry a very rich man."

I wanted to say something but I suddenly had Tyr's voice in my head. "Eric, someone is approaching our world with the intent to destroy it. I can do nothing out there. I can not affect what I have never seen."

By the faces of Sif and Egill I knew they heard it too. I cursed. "I wish I had asked them to put the ISAH pods on the Poseidon after all, maybe we could do something then." I was running towards the next Flier and Egill's voice said. "It is still space worthy, it just can't go superluminal!"

Sif and I reached the Poseidon, Astrid was already there and so was Elena. As we run up they said. "Tyr brought us here, he thought we might be able to help!"

"Sif can you fly as well as you can steer?"

"Better than most boys."

"Well none of us was ever in space or operated a space ship but I guess space is just another ocean. Not that we stand much of a chance. Whatever is coming must be huge to destroy a planet!"

Astrid sat beside Sif and Elena took the seat of the Sonar and Sensor operator.

There was no time to lose and this time I did not care if someone saw us fly or not. "Sif get her into orbit as fast as you can!"

I was terrified, not so much about my own life but now being responsible for the lives of the girls and being the only one able to do something. I sat down in the Boat Commander’s seat, and as I leaned back, I could not explain how but my doubts vanished. I realized I would be a Starship Captain much sooner than I thought. Sif activated Arti-Grav and switched from propeller drive to thrusters. Two port-doors at the end of the ship opened that had not been used in over 500 years. It was the same with the Nuc-Gas fuel tanks that supplied the thrusters, but we were pushed deep in our seats, they worked just as they should and accelerated us much faster than I strained, but managed to press the words: "Computronic activate Inertia Absorbers. Switch to space operation."

The pressure that had us almost blackout was gone and the system's voice said. "Craft configured to space travel. Please be advised that life support functions are limited to seven hours."

"Now I think we should be done by then, whatever it is we are going to do." I said. "Tyr was not exactly specific as to what is approaching, from where it comes or how close it is."

Sif turned. "He was never in space and does not know!"

The Poseidon broke through the last layers of the atmosphere and I was in space for the first time. When I saw the endless darkness, the brilliance of the stars, I was sure I had chosen the right career path. I felt really home for the first time in my life.

Elena said. "The scanners work fine, well except the sonar of course, and the range seems very limited but I am detecting only one artificial object on a straight course towards Nilfeheim and if I am right this is only a space bus. Those are not armed."

"Nothing else?"

"Not in range at east."

"I wish we could hail the Bus and see if they had seen anything, but we do not have GalNet."

I mused aloud. "Could it be that maybe someone aboard was simply thinking about destroying Nilfeheim?"

Sif shrugged. "I don't know but Tyr sounded very concerned. It is odd though, why would the space bus come on a Wednesday? Maybe we can call the space port and have them hail the Bus. The boat's radio should be able to reach the Nilfeheim radio net, we are not that far out."

"Good idea!"

I activated the Radio and switched to Emergency channel. "Poseidon calling Nilfeheim Radio Central, this is an emergency call; please connect us to the Space Port authority."

A voice came on. "One moment I am putting my PDD on the mike. I have them on now."

"Space Port, this is the Poseidon. We are detecting a Space Bus approaching Nilfeheim and wonder if you can contact the bus and ask if they had seen or detected any other craft approaching Nilfeheim."

"There is no space bus scheduled until next week." I could hear the man speaking to someone else and then he said. "We got the bus on our scanners and something that looks like a Submarine!" His voice rose a notch as if he couldn't believe what he as saying.

"The Submarine, that is us! We were warned that there is someone approaching the planet with hostile intentions. Can you contact the bus please?"

Before an answer came, Elena said. "The bus has changed direction; it is heading towards us!"

"Spaceport here, the bus does not carry the correct transponder mark. It is not responding to our hails. It is not one of ours. I am informing Headquarters right now.

"Astrid activate shields and charge weapons. I think Tyr was right. They are up to no good!"

I looked at the magnified image of the space bus and tried to remember everything I could about these Leyland ships: 350 meters long, five decks, regular crew compliment of 4, Basic shields, Acceleration of 250 kilometers per second, Duranium skin and frame and no weapons. I had no idea how fast the Poseidon could accelerate but she was made of reinforced Ultronit, designed to reach the deepest regions of the oceans and punch through surface ice to surface. We had two faster than light energy Cannons and four Sub-Roc / torpedo tubes. I was not sure if they would work in space and we had old but good Duo Dim Shields. At least I hoped they were good.

The Cargo Hold of the Space Bus opened and a cylindrical object appeared.

A bright beam from the Poseidon hit the device and it blew in an enormous explosion.

"What the..."

Sif turned."Sorry I should have waited for your command, but that looked like a Planet Buster or something like that!"

"How do you know all these things?"

"You are not the only one who likes tech and space ships. I always wanted to know what boys know!"

"Let's hope he doesn't have any more of these! Our FTE's are charging."

It all seemed easier than I expected.

But then the nose-cone of the space bus retracted and the stubby muzzles of two FTE's appeared, we were hit with such force it threw me out of the seat and the lights flickered. I could smell the stinging smell of metal burning, I did not fall to the floor, I hit the ceiling and many things, were floating with me. We had lost Arti-Grav! The Computronic voice said with the same friendly voice: "Structural damage to Hull, Shields are no longer operational, weapons inoperable!"

I pushed myself of the Ceiling, flailed back to the seat and pushed myself into it, and put on the safety straps. Sif and Astrid were still sitting in their seats, they had strapped themselves in before and I realized how important that was. Elena however floated in the small command center and she was not moving. I hoped she was just knocked out and said. "We are toast if he fires again! Let's hope he needs to recharge as well. You don't know if our Sub-Rocs work in space, Sif?"

"I think they use rocket motors and should work, but they are way too slow to hit anything at these distances. We would need to be real close."

Astrid unbuckled and said. "I am going to the Engine room. We have a fire and I better extinguish it!"

"Be careful and hold on to something real good when I tell you to!"

She nodded and pushed herself down the ladder chute. "I will be Eric!"

"Sif get us all the speed you can get. And aim straight for that bastard. Let's see if our Ultronit is stronger than his Duranium!"

"Engines work fine but the helm controls are sluggish."

"Girls, we don't have space suits aboard and it might be the last thing we do on this side of reality, but if they have more of these bombs then we are the only thing standing between Nilfeheim and them."

Sif turned. "That is what it means to be a warrior of Nilfeheim, I took the words of the Eldest very serious. To do what's right. If we have to die, I die saving our world and with my best friends. One could not ask to go out any better than this!"

I unbuckled, fished for Elena's leg and while I held myself with my feet to my seat pushed her into hers and buckled her up. She had a pulse and was breathing but she did not show any other signs of life.

She then said without opening her eyes. "I may not be a warrior but that goes for me too!"

The Poseidon was accelerating quite quickly and the Space bus grew bigger by the heartbeat. "Everyone, this is it! Hold tight!"

Whoever steered the Space bus had now realized what we were attempting and they fired again, probably luck for us, they weren't charged fully, still the Poseidon shuddered, the lights went out. With a red flicker red lights came on, and the Computronic warned. "Reactor breach, all life support off line, emergency power limited. Collision warning!"

Our field screens were off, but I could see the space bus well from the front view-port, they had fired their reaction thrusters to change course. The Ultronit nose of the Poseidon still glowed white hot from the last hit. The air was filled with putrid smoke and felt hot to the skin but we held true course and plowed into the space bus. Even the red lights went out and I was thrown hard into the straps of the safety harness. It was as if Thor's mighty hammer had struck us head on, the hull rang like a mistuned bell and there was the screeching and tearing sound of metal.

Then it was over. The front view-port was cracked but held, and I could see Nilfeheim in its entire blue and white splendor. I heard Sif cough. "I think we plowed right through him!"

Elena groaned. "Astrid, she is gone!"

"She went to the engine room to extinguish a fire." I said

"Tyr has gifted me with Psionic abilities. I am still new at this but I can feel you all. I just lost Astrid!"

"Can you feel the enemy?"

"I am not good at this yet. I don't know their minds."

I unbuckled just as the Radio crackled. "This is Space Port Control. Poseidon we have seen you destroy the Bomb and cut that Space bus in half, can you receive us?"

I coughed and my voice wheezed. "Yes we can hear you but we are heavily damaged and have no energy left, multiple casualties. We won't make it back down. Please convey this message to the Elders: Sif Arnske, Astrid Mossberg and Elena..." I cursed and said."Elena I don't know your last name."

She whispered. "I am of the Olafson clan, a servant and daughter of a low men woman; we do not have last names."

"Space port I repeat, let Nilfeheim know that Sif of the Arnske clan, Astrid Mossberg and my sister Elena Olafson have given their best to defend the planet."

"Hold out, Poseidon. The USS Bremerton is on her way. She is only four hours out!"

"I don't know if we have four hours, but we will try!"

A few of the red emergency lights came back on and I floated myself to the First Aid locker and took four Coma Injectors. They were as everything else very old and I hoped the drugs would still work. I said to them. "I will put us all in Coma Sleep, that brings our needs for oxygen down to a minimum and I hope it will last."

I injected Elena and Sif before they could object and then made my way down to the Engine room. My way was blocked by a round airlock door and through the little round view port I could see a gaping hole in the hull and Astrid stuck in it. I knew she was dead!

I returned to the Command chair and strapped myself in. I did not take the Coma drug, one had to be awake at the Helm, that was the ancient tradition and I would honor it, till I was gone!

The USS Bremerton had made it in time to save Sif, Elena and me. Two days had passed since we had been rescued. We all stood at Oslo Plaza right at the Wharf. Again most of Nilfeheim was there. The Elders, Clan Chiefs and everyone of Halstaad Fjord. A grieving woman had turned her head to the chest of a tall Freeman, Astrid's parents.

Before us on the water was a wooden dragon boat and on its deck garbed in the finest warrior outfit, holding a sword was Astrid. She wore the yellow on maroon colors of the original flag the settlers of the Clan of Erikson the first warrior and the sigil of Thor's hammer.

Egill spoke with the most somber expression. "We are all humbled by the heroic deeds of these young warriors who have saved our very planet. You all have seen the report sent to us by Schwartz Intergalactic why a pirate ship disguised as a Space Bus wanted to drop a Planetary Incendiary Bomb on our world. Eric Olafson, Sif Arnske, Elena Olafson and Astrid Mossberg have risked their lives and saved everyone on this world. We all owe them our thanks. One of them paid the ultimate price and Astrid Mossberg has paid with her life so we may see another sunrise!

Only recently a young woman became a Warrior completing the Ancient Challenge. Now we are here to pay our highest respect to another woman who has proven beyond any doubt that our women can be as brave and full of honor as any male warrior. Astrid Mossberg was declared a Warrior and today we send her on her last journey and there is no doubt she will sit with Odin and Thor and all the heroes of the past as an equal on the tables in Valhalla!"

Egill took a torch and handed it to her father who threw it in the wooden boat.

Her mother had sorrow and pride in her face as she threw her torch. The boat gained slowly speed and moved towards the harbor's entrance. It was beyond the harbor walls now and then as the flames reached the sail and it burned bright, a sound of collective awe and shock went through the crowd as an incredibly huge white Tyranno fin breached and splashed with a tremendous thunderclap back into the water, taking the burning boat down with it.

Father came up and put his hand on Elena's shoulder. "My son has declared you his Sister and such you shall be. I swear on Odin's spear and all eyes and ears, you will be the first Daughter I never had and all Honors of our clans will be bestowed on you! You shall be second to no one and share Eric's rights as a First Born, so speak I Isegrim Olafson!"

Sif, who held my hand the entire time, wiped her eyes. "Eric, I will leave with Egill as soon as possible. What happened can never happen again and I must learn all there is so I can do my part!"

"I understand."

I still looked out past the harbor walls over the churning deep green waves and the lead colored sky as Snow started to fall. The events of the past few years flashed past my inner eyes and I could not help but wonder what the future was holding in store for me.

'Here ends this part of the Story of Eric Olafson. Join me as it continues in Eric Olafson, First Journeys'

=The End=