Eric Olafson, Neoviking 23

Chapter 23: Thunderstorm Eric Olafson, Neo Viking

I went down the narrow stair case to find out if there was a God living in the Old Man’s basement. Now I had reached the bottom of the narrow stair case and it expanded into a large natural grotto. The old man had a very large, and from the looks of it a natural Sub Pen under his rock. It was cold and moist and without my light it would have been pitch dark. There was no god and no mystery down here. At least there wasn’t any more garbage either. I did for a moment see a movement in the water but it was most likely just a play of shadow caused by my own light beam. Since I was here I thought to myself I might as well take a swim and bring the boat in here. No need to leave the Sub tied up outside when the old man was gone for who knew how long.

The water was very cold but as I suspected there was an underwater tunnel connecting this grotto with the ocean. The tunnel was certainly big enough for the boat and I wondered why he didn’t use the grotto for his boat, but then there was no handy elevator basket and he would have to climb all these narrow stairs. Convenience was the simple answer.

It took me an hour to reach the boat swimming. The grotto was way deeper under the surface than I expected and while the Nilfeheim pillar looked narrow and tall above the surface it grew wider and more cones shaped below.

He was right; there was an actual little mountain of presents. Golden figurines, At least twenty slayer harpoons of the finest quality, swords, axes, shields, crates with dried fish, barrels with pickled fish, several big boxes of smoked Snapper ham, and at least twenty barrels of Ale , Seaweed Berry Wine and Mead , In between boxes and packages decorated with the seals of a hundred clans.

“Looks like I need to get myself a freight skimmer again.” Said to myself and actually enjoyed the solitude and the cold wind. Well coming out of the water I actually didn’t enjoy the cold wind all that much and untied the submarine and went inside. He had given me the access codes when I cleaned it. I activated the main power feed and steered the Old man’s war sub into the Cave.

I was about to power the boat down and set anchors when I noticed something on the Boat commanders chair. Since I had spent two weeks to scrub the boat, I thought I missed some trash, but it turned out to be a Virtu Holo Print.

My fingers were trembling as I rolled it open. Was this another one of mother?

It turned out to be a very recent one of the Old man and the Holo looked at me just like he did when he was here.” I figured you would try to secure the boat before you left. One of your few redeeming features is your sense of duty and you are reliable and trustworthy. “He made a disgusted face. “Listen to me, praising you!” The Holo pointed at me.” I still don’t like you much! Remember that!”

More or less out of reflex, even though the recording could not hear me I said. “Yes Old man I will remember that. I don’t like you either. Especially after that dirty rotten mind trick.!”

He grinned and nodded, as if had known what I was saying and the recording continued: “Since we have this out of the way. Let me come to the reason for this recording. The Burg and this boat are now yours!”

Egill made this statement the same way as if he wanted me to get some more Vodka, but I stopped the recording reversed it and played it again. “The Burg and the boat are now yours. The Circle of Elders knows about it and has approved it. You are now the appointed Guardian of the Pillar of Nilfeheim. That is a new title we came up with, but I sure sounds very old and very important and your father can not take it from you. Officially the Boat stays in my name till you are old enough to own one, but it is yours to use. Don’t let the plunder and the Burg tie you down. If you are ready to leave, leave! Burg and boat will be there when and if you return.”

The recording of the old man suddenly looked tired and much older than usual. “I do need to go to the Saresii as my condition is deteriorating faster than thought, I had planned to stay till you are sixteen, but my time is running out faster than I had planned. I hope I was able to fulfill my promise to your mother and teach you to think it through and evaluate the consequences before you do something.”

I nodded slowly. “Yes old Man I think you have, but I can’t let Father get away with all he did and I don’t want these horrible conditions as they exist in the Tannery keep going on if I can do something about I and I can only do that after I completed the challenge and kill him!”I didn’t realize I was asking a recorded Holo for advice and suddenly I missed that horrible always in a grumpy mood old man. I rolled the recording back up put it to the one with my mother and secured the boat.

I decided to complete the Old Man’s last command and load up all the stuff he called plunder and fly it to the XChange. I was sure he could use the extra Credits since he was traveling and setting himself up as Representative on Pluribus no less.

If my PDD was correct I still had about ten days of Summer break and the realization that I would compete in the ancient challenge by this time next year, the event I was so eager to reach, made me quite nervous and I suddenly wished I had more time to think what I was supposed to do if I was indeed declared a man. The declaration to be an Adult was only valid for Nilfeheim. I still would have to wait till I was at least 17, the earliest age I would be allowed to go to the Academy.

The large Cargo floaters box was loaded to the end as I placed the last barrel inside, turned off the Cargo handler and went on my way.

It was only the second time I went to the XChange but it almost felt like routine this time.

The XChange was busier this time and I saw a big crowd gathered outside at the wharf. There was one of my family’s subs tied up next to a Lindberg Boat, both easily recognizable by their colors. As I came lower to the ground I noticed five stretchers with bodies on it being the focus of the crowd and I was sure the big shape right next to them was father, I contemplated to turn the flier around and do my business later. The XChange was open 24/7 after all, but I decided against it.

I would not hide or run away from my father or anyone anymore, besides it seemed they were busy with whatever they were doing. There were several white dressed Elders and dozens of clan chiefs as well. I guided the big Cargo flier through the open front of the large building and landed it at a freight dock.

It was not Borg Amundsen who came out of the nearby cubicle, but a bearded man wearing a work coverall with the XChange logo and his hands buried deep in his pockets. I judged him to be about twenty years old and he pointed with his chin at my flier. “Mighty big flier you got there. Looks like the Isen transporter, didn’t know you pick something up today.”

“No I rented the thing from the Isen Market. I am here to sell stuff. I did that before, Mr. Amundsen helped me then,”

“Big Boss helping eh?” He finally got his hands out of his pockets and held a PDD to his ear, talked a few words and said. “Dock master will be right with you. I just started working here.”

“No problem.”

“The Dock master is with all the others looking at the dead men of the Lindberg boat.”

“What happened?

He snapped his fingers. “Oh right you came from Isen, maybe you haven’t heard it yet, but there was a strange Sub accident and five men suffocated or something.”

It was Amundsen himself coming and this time he was walking and he smiled as he saw me.”Ah Mr. Olafson most of my staff is still rubbernecking, but we got robots”

After he had inspected my load and his robots began to unload he said.” Lots of variety this time, looks like a selection of Nilfeheim’s finest products, that should bring a nice profit, but it will take a little longer as there are so many different wares.”

“I am not in a particular hurry!”

I turned as someone said my name out loud. “If that isn’t Eric Olafson, the Tyranno slayer who saved my son. Doing business like the man you are at the XChange !”

It was the clan Leader of the Peerson clan ; he too was standing next to a freight skimmer and robots unloaded barrels out of his cargo box.

He walked over glanced at the crates and barrels the robots unloaded out of my floater, crossed his arms and said. “What do you think happened? I mean why did they die?”

It struck me odd that he talked to me like a peer and an equal. He was a clan leader after all.”

I shrugged. “I haven’t been in touch with the latest events. I spend my summer break down south.”

“Oh I know. Everyone knows. The Ancient making you his successor and confirming you have completed all challenges and declared a man, it was even on Nilfeheim Radio.

His casual way of saying that, floored me and shocked me at the same time.

He didn’t pay attention to me but looked back to the crowd and going back to his original thread. “It is a tragedy for Adolph to lose his son like this, not even knowing why he and his mates suffocated in a perfectly working boat. It makes you wonder if there is such a thing as curses.”

I still digested his statement and my mind raced with all the consequences with what I would have to do. Father was not even 200 meters away, not aware of my presence.

Yet I wondered what he would say and do when he saw me. Would I have to challenge him and if that happened I knew I would kill him or he killed me.

The closer I got to that time when I could leave Nilfeheim and go the academy, the more I knew it was the right decision, it wasn’t just the fantasy of a teenager I would grow out of. But would the Academy accept me after I killed my father?

Thinking all this I knew I had to give the Peerson Chief some kind of answer and said. “I really don’t know enough details about what happened, but if it was my boat. I call the manufacturer and have them send a technician and check the boat and all my boats to make sure there aren’t any leaks, gases generated by some faulty equipment and all that.”

He took a step back and then nodded. “The Holy One picked you well! That is the first sensible thing I heard anyone say in this matter. I will have my boats checked that way for sure!”

He stomped away and I was glad he did. I needed time to think and hoped the robots would hurry up, not that the machines were working slowly but I felt the urgent need to disappear and go somewhere to think!

It was not going to happen. I would not get the time I needed to think it over as the crowd at the front of the building split down the middle creating an opening right down to where father and Adolph Lindgren stood, next to the stretchers with the dead men.

Faces turned and eyes focusing on me. The Peerson chief standing by three Elders and several clan chiefs waving at me. So I tightened the sword belt, sighed and tried to put as much force and purpose in my steps as I could. The hulking shape of my father by the wharf wall was like a promise of doom. In all my life I was never more afraid than now and I was not afraid of him,. I would have preferred if I walked there to get another beating; I was afraid of myself and what I might do. I hoped the Old Man was able to give me enough sense to do the right things now.

Peerson said.” This man gave good advice and his word has weight.”

Someone in the crowd loud enough for everyone to hear: “This will be an epic fight! Eric will challenge his father! They hate each other! Eric is a killer and a master with the sword and Isegrim strong as two men with his wicked whip”

Before Father could say anything Adolph Lindberg gestured with his open hand to the five stretchers I could now see clearly. “I lost my firstborn today, Isegrim. Do not darken this day further by fighting your Firstborn!”

Isegrim grunted something but then glared at the dead men and nodded. “The Lindberg’s have been old friends. You have not wavered standing by my side, so I will honor thy request.”

To me Father said. “You will not be able to challenge me until you have been officially declared adult before all Elders and clan chiefs the Day after Yuletide during the great meeting. I however honor the judgment of the Eldest as all do and accept you as an adult.”

I wished I could simply scream to vent the pressure and anxiety that had built up in me at this moment. I felt so sick to the stomach and was so glad I was spared to make the decision now. I was not afraid to fight him; the old man had opened my eyes. I was terrified of the possible consequences. Given the grave situation not only because of the dead men right next to us, but about the threshold I just had stepped over in the development of my life, I was a man now in the eyes of my world. I turned halfway to speak into the direction of the speaker who predicted the fight and just like Grandfather laid my hand on Mjordaren. “Whatever disagreements might exist between my father and me is clan business alone and not subject to public spectacles. Until these clan decisions are made I am Eric of the Olafson clan and I stand against anyone besmirching this name and our clans honor. Do not take my youth for a lack of resolve and do not think that the chasm that exists between my father and me is a way to divide the Olafson clan. My side and allegiance is with the Wolfshead by blood and no words or schemes can render this bond. Stand if you dare, speak as man if you have grievances against my clan and name, Challenge my father, our allies or me and I shall answer it”

There was silence and I saw open mouths and dropped chins, but that glitter I my father’s eyes was from the now starting rain and nothing else of course. Learning the old Poems was more than reciting rhymes. It helped to phrase and talk the way men and Norse were expected to talk at official business.

Father who stood across me had obviously seen whoever had spoken and he said staring at someone in the crowd. “It is as it was said. Stand before thy peer and speak thy mind openly and face the answer we Olafsons will give! Odin alone knows who will be clan chief of the Olafsons in years to come but it will be an Olafson of that there is no doubt! Now let us hear my son’s council as the clan chief of the Peerson requested and then let us honor the dead.”

I blinked not only because of the rain dripping of my lashes but did he just call me son?

I repeated what I had said to the Peerson Chief and there was nodding and agreement and Adolph put his hand on my shoulder.” I will send for a technician and have the boats examined. The Eldest has taken you as apprentice and infused you with wisdom indeed!”

“I am far from claiming wisdom as a trait of my own and the Eldest had me clean his burg for the most part.”

Like everyone else I looked at the dead men and then they were loaded on a floater and Arthur took them home. The Crowd dissipated and some went inside the XChange Café to talk some more to dry on the outside and wet their throats.

The sky was now solid gray as molten lead and it did not look as if the rain would let up. In less than 15 month Longnight was to descend on Nilfeheim once more and plunge Nilfeheim into seven years of winter.

Suddenly I realized only father and I were still standing there. He had his hand on the whip and I had my hand on Mördaren. The rain was pouring heavy and as if to underline the situation, lighting flashed and seconds later deafening thunder. A robot with a field screen floated between us, oblivious of the tense moment and said with an inappropriate happily chirping voice.” Mr. Olafson here are the companies bidding on your wares do you accept these offers?”

Father turned to the robot the same time I did. “What wares?”

I said.” Yes I accept.”

Transaction complete. Packing and transport fees deducted. Proceeds transferred.”

The robot thanked me and floated away.

“The day has come father. Kill me now and Lothar will be your heir, rest assured no evil trickery, no falsehood will prevent me from taking my revenge now!”

I drew the sword and he uncoiled his whip. He lashed out and it was over before it really begun, I parried the slash with the sword and the razorsharp Ultronit blade cut his steel whip like a rope made of natural fibers. I stepped forward cut another length off his weapon of terror. Fear lit his face as I was about to strike and take off his head, but I stopped, and lowered the sword. As much as I wanted to kill him, Now I noticed three men in Olafson red that came closer through the pouring rain.

I screamed against the elements.”Where is your warrior honor? Do you need the help of others to defeat a sick abomination? Where is your fabled strength and braveness? I laugh and spit on you father. I defeat you all.”

One of the figures was Bjorgolf, the yard masters. Who had found great delight to beat me whenever he had a chance. The others were much smaller and turned out to be my half brothers, Lothar and Tyr.

Bjorgolf had stopped moving, raising a Slayer harpoon. I threw my skinner knife fast and without hesitation in a single move drawing it from the sheath on my back, it smacked in hos left shoulder. The slayer rattled to the cobblestone was stone of the wharf,. I followed my knife with the sword raised. “You sadistic bastard. You are not Olafson. You are a hired hand, you have no rights in this clan. Using a distance weapon. You have no honor. Now die!”

He sank to his knees ans whimpered.”Have mercy!”

I kicked him under chin, then I spun around facing Tyr, was the youngest and still a boy. His eyes welled up with tears and his face was full of fear as he stared at my blade. He was no threat. I took the slayer from the floor and pointed it at Lothar.

The boy I hated screamed and cried for his mother for help, and peed in his pants right there and cried and bawled. Tyr also loudly crying. Father saw the slayer, drew his knife but attacked anyway.

“These are your favorite sons, weaklings hiding behind your bulk and whip?”

I turned the slayer around using it like a club and beat it against his knife hand. The knife and a spray of blood flew through the air. Father yelped in pain. I was not done and smashed the slayer over his head, toppling him like a tree. Then took the rest of his whip. “This is for killing mother!” I screamed as I lashed at him with white hot fury.” The cable cutting his clothing to shreds “This is for you trying to kill me!” I raised the cable to hit my father again. His face was bloody and he held up his wounded hands. I saw the fear of death in his eyes, all the terror he presented to me left in an instant. I spat at him.” Look at the great Isegrim, Son of Volund Olafson, and keeper of the Wolf seal. Look at the tyrant father! The man who holds Viking traditions above all as long as it suits him. Tomorrow all of Nilfeheim will know who defeated you; your shame will be greater than mine ever was. It is my clan rightfully by our laws! I defeated you in combat and all is mine. You will have no home and no honor. The Valkyries will spit on you and not guide you to Valhalla ! No Father, the deepest pits of Hel won’t be fit enough for you.” Each of my words wounded him deeper than the whip could have. Seeing him there sunken, beaten and bleeding I almost felt sorry for him. Lothar came to his feet still wobbly.” You cannot do this he is your father!” “I despise you even more, brother! Every chance to hurt me. You took everything that was mine, hiding behind him because you weren’t man enough to face me alone! You claimed what is rightfully mine; you are born second to a second wife. Now you shall be the one that begs for scraps of my table! If I let you life!” Father spat blood and wiped his mouth.” It is all yours you have won! The Gods have forsaken me. Kill me now!”

“No I will not kill you. You are still Clan chief .”

He said to Bjorgolf. “Go to the clinic and take these, these boys home afterwards.”

The yard master nodded and left.

Father stood bleeding next to me staring over the ocean. “What now, Eric Olfson?”

“Have the boats checked, I somehow do not believe this was an accident.”

“I do not believe that either, Having the boats checked by a real engineer who knows the tech is a good idea but it will be expensive.”

“The Burg is yours father. You may not think of me as your first born, call me a failure and the scum that dribbled down your legs. You may want to kill me just because I live, but I am your firstborn son! The blood in my arms is as much Ragnarsson as it is Olafson and for what it is worth I am not ashamed of that name, I am proud of my mother’s father but I am Olafson and I am equally proud of our families history!”

Lighting light chiseled his face for the fraction of a second into a bright mask of stark features and after the thunder had ebbed and dark twilight surrounded us once more he said:” Yes you are.”

“I will declare the burg and all that grandfather willed to me on this world to be Olafson. I am declared adult and thus all that is Steiner is now mine but it shall be Olafson as well. You are the clan chief and I will not challenge you for that right now or in the future.”

I drew Mördaren half way out of the scabbard. “However the day you will be clan chief no more, it is not Lothar or Tyr who will wear the clan leader chain. It is not Lothar on who’s hand the Wolf ring will be! That, Father I swear and I will fight anyone denying me!”

“You are my firstborn. You are of my blood and I see much of me in you. You do all that after all...” A growling thunder clap cut his words.

I screamed against the wind and with fury and anger in my voice: “There is nothing you can do or say to make me forgive you what you have done to mother. I can see her blood and you beating her to death every night in my dreams. My wish to reach this very night, this moment were I would be strong enough to challenge and to kill you was the only thing that kept me alive while you broke my bones, cut me in pieces with your whip, poured boiling water over me and laughed in delight when I suffered. That day is here and you felt on your own body, I am not a weak boy anymore; your whip in pieces and I am no longer afraid of you.”

He wanted to say something but whatever it was it was drowned out by thunder again and I raised my hand. “I never talked to you and might never do so again, but I will pay for the repair of the boats and give you a considerable amount of money but with conditions. It will be used for improvements, for clan business and not for dresses and sweet meats’ I want you to remodel our tanneries and bring them up to modern standards. I want you to pay our Low men salary as it was done before Nilfeheim had an XChange and Off World Credits. Clan chiefs paid the Low men in goods and silver for work done! Free and Low man must be allowed to go to school!”

He did not say anything but was listening to my words so I continued. “And you need to know that Harkun is playing Lord under your nose and doing the vilest things! He is claiming to be Lord of the House right after you! A servant not even of Olafson blood! Give me your word, more I do not need, you will do these things and I shall call and I will transfer funds of my off planet inheritance so you can do all this.”

He nodded. “My word you have then!”

I looked away no longer able to stare at him and I was sure I was making a mistake, he would not keep his word, but somehow I wished it would be that easy and I simply could wait a year and then leave and open a new page in my life free from all the demons that followed me so far.

Oh I wanted to take the sword and cut him to pieces! So many memories of his cruelness came to the surface of my mind, while rain water ran down my back. As my eyes wandered over the foamed topped waves churned up by the storm winds, there was another flash of lightning. Far out in the water big as an island and only visible for the duration of the lightning strike my eyes played tricks on me as I thought I had seen a huge white Tyranno Fin. Another bolt of lightning followed a heartbeat later and there was nothing. It was just some trick of light and the heavy sea. No one has ever seen a white Tyranno. It was just a fairy tale of a world rich with superstition but for some strange reason I could not shake the feeling being watched and not by an enemy or something malicious but by someone, something meaning well.

I shrugged more or less to myself; I had been on a wild ride of emotions just the last hours. I was starting seeing things. I needed to get to the Pillar, away from this to rest and think.

Interlude 6: FLOWERCHILD

Flowerchild liked this planet. It was so wonderfully primitive and rigid; it reminded her of her own home world, Hé máng.

He Mang the planet of a thousand rivers and ten thousand mountains actually not that far from Nilfeheim, only about 96 light years if her Databrain was correct, which it of course always was. Chinese traditionalists had settled He Mang and many of the people there lived in similar primitive and simple conditions. Traditions, superstitions and strong family bonds ruled her society just as it did here.

She was the child of an old Chinese Settler Family and her mother fell in love with an Off-Worlder and a Saresii no less. The family felt ashamed for her as she was the product of a union not approved by her family. Flowerchild cared little about this anymore. She would have killed anyone in her own family but only if it was part of a contract, they didn’t deserve a free kill. She had forgotten much of it including her real name Jing Wei Leong. Her father a real Saresii was the reason for her own psionic abilities. Of course she was not a full Saresii and her powers were weak compared to full Saresii, her Heidelberg Psi Index was just a little above 150 and she was mediocre telepath. Like all Union Citizens she was tested and registered.

That it was strictly against the law to pry into other minds did not matter on a planet where no one really believed in Psionics in the first place. She was very careful when she used them in more sophisticated environments. She respected the Union police but she was truly weary of the Union Psi Corps. There was no danger of either institution on this world and she used her ability freely and traced the murderer of the senior Bendixen in short time to a group of girls. One of the girls had been brutally raped by the Elder and had no chance of any legal recourse as the Elders were virtually untouchable in this society. However she would not tell her employer. He and his clan firmly believed in a conspiracy and he would be much more generous with his payment bonuses if she delivered him someone he thought was behind the assassination. Ulfred Lindbergh was dead so she decided to kill someone of the Olafson clan. The Olafson clan was a declared enemy of her Employer’s family and Brunar told her about the warning uttered by the Olafson clan chief. Her Employer went out of his way to make her feel comfortable and she had a nice suite of rooms at the Bendixen Burg. Of course that was not how she operated; she rented a room in the local Portel under a male disguise and name. Brunar could contact her via Nilfeheim Radio placing a small classified ad. The plan was agreed upon and she operated independent until it was done. She was a professional and that was her craft.

Now behind closed doors she took of the Bio flex mask, relaxed the field binders across her chest, took off the padded suit and relaxed on the couch. Before her a dossier about the Olafsons, Brunar had prepared for her. She was impressed. The clan was rich and influential. The Silver Hawk Corporation was even by Galactic standards, not a small business operating profitable Mines, and a Chain of General goods stores here and on 40 other planets. Most of the company was sold recently for a staggering amount of Money to Enroe Corp but a tidy stock package remained under the name Eric Olafson. The Family structure itself was not as easy to understand. It seemed there were three sons and the father and clan leader hated his first born and favored his second son, but she understood the traditions of First born children only too well. There was this first born named Eric and judging by this file he was already an important person, celebrated for slaying two of these ridiculous big fish, while diving in the water with little else but a harpoon gun and being the grandson of the founder of Silver Hawk Corp.

His now deceased grandfather was the world’s representative on Pluribus and had been the chairman of the very influential Trade and finance Council of the union. She watched the included footage of the young man fighting with an archaic sword against another kid. She considered herself a martial arts expert and due to her trade kept up with weapons and their use. He was good she could tell. The next footage showed him fighting like a demon let loose against 5 armed men twice his size, granted the men had no swords but still the boy killed them with an unstoppable purpose to his moves. She decided to kill him next and do in the guise of the local girl underground organization. Girls were underestimated here anyway and she could get close. She smiled as she programmed the Saresii Mask Maker with the features of a girl named Sif. The machine would weave a lifelike mask out of semi-living tissue and it would have a muscle layer below that would not only retain the false faces shape but allow all facial movements. Once a Bio Flex mask was worn it could not be distinguished form a real face.