First journey chapter 34

Chapter: 34

Fleet Academy  First Days





After a day of classroom instructions, there was another formal dinner. Instead of a  glass-like plate and silverware, there were rectangular stone slabs and long thin hook-like utensils. The Nogoll Instructor mounted his floating disc and said. "You will learn to use the eating utensils of other cultures. While there are Fleet standard procedures for everything and Fleet regular utensils, we want you to experience as much as possible about different cultures. If we can use the sum of our cultural knowledge to help us understand the ways of another society you may encounter for the first time as an officer and thus represent the Union in a brighter more amicable manner, it might help break down barriers between the two cultures. 
"Today, we are learning how Attikans eat at a formal event. The hooks represent their claws and are used to tear your food into smaller, more manageable bits. The food we serve today is also Attikan style. Those of you who can't eat this will receive a lookalike substitute food tailored to your metabolism."
Two-Three who had found a seat next to me snickered. "I wonder what they will serve me then, as I can't eat anything."
The Nogoll instructor turned on his platform responding to the Non-Corp's question, indicating they did monitor our conversations.  "You will still learn how to use the utensils and pretend to eat. Your uniform has a small compact, sealed storage area for items you ingest.  As items enter this area, the unit disintegrates each swiftly and safely. Many Non-Corps have proceeded you here in the Academy, and we have learned how to accommodate your species."
They served food that resembled and smelled like slightly cooked carrion.
The Nogoll said." It is imperative that you understand that you will be ambassadors of the Union when you meet other civilizations. Eating and the sharing of food is an integral part of many cultures, and active participation can break down barriers.  The consumption of food is universal and almost always associated with social customs and taboos. The Academy wants you to learn to accept what you might find disgusting without showing it. Now we don't want you to eat poison or something harmful, and you can in such cases decline to partake, but never show disgust or any other negative emotion when you first, observe the foreign foods."
The Nogoll suddenly gagged and almost threw up, and more and more cadets started to look sick, those who had noses tried to hold them close. Before I could ask what was going on, I too got a whiff of the most horrible stench I had ever smelled. It was worse than Surstramming. It was so bad that my stomach turned, and it took all my will power to keep the heaves down.
The Nogoll finally managed to say, "Holy Mountains rocks, what is that?"
The cadet who had introduced himself as Elly earlier on said proudly. "Gelatinous Pulse stink maggots. I wanted to celebrate the safety of my family and surprise you all with a wonderful delight!" The Elly had wrinkled gray skin, a long triangular-shaped head, and two large triangular ears. Along with the deep-set yellow eyes, he almost looked like a furless Nubhir Wolf, except he did not have a tooth filled snout, but an underarm long hose trunk and his voice sounded just like mine would have if I talked through a long hose or pipe.
Holding his furry paws before his nostrils, the Nogoll said. "You just demonstrated that to every rule, there is an exception. We scrubbed, scanned, and searched you. Where did you get these?"
" There was a snack machine in the hall, sir and I asked if they had any Elly Snacks. When I told him what I desired, he got me a whole case. I gladly share with everyone!"
"No need cadet, but you helped me to make a point and showed us that we all, me included, need to learn to keep our reactions under better control. To make my point, were you offended by my reaction to your offering?"
"Offended, no of course not, it takes us Elly years to get used to the smell and kids react just like you do, but I do understand what you were trying to make us see, Sir, I also must apologize I forgot for a moment the reaction to our treasured food has on off-worlders"
"Cadet, please quickly eat your Maggots and put the rest away so I may continue."  He stopped, threw his hands up in the surrender mode, "No not tonight, I am an Instructor for a long time and have taught thousands of new cadets to accept apparently revolting foods and tonight you taught me a lesson, so tonight we forget about the eating utensils, and I just instructed the kitchen to serve pizza. The one food I know almost everyone likes."
The cadets greeted the announcement with a cheer, and as it ebbed off a lonely voice somewhere said," But I don't like pizza."  The instructor, being in an apologetic mood, spoke loudly, anyone who has problems with pizza, see me after I take my place at the dinner table.
Right after the wakeup call and a quick shower, the Nogoll inspected us and found a hundred things wrong with the uniforms. He was only satisfied when the last cadet looked exactly like regulations required, then he said. "You are lucky cadets as we are not the Marines. You would have already performed two hundred pushups for every problem I found on your uniforms, but we too put great emphasis on personal fitness. It was quite challenging to find a common denominator and a training regimen that is equally demanding on all of you, but the Academy found an elegant solution to the problem. We train you relentlessly making it your responsibility to keep up. Fall behind, and you are released, no, abstract punishment, no, numbing body exercises, just released from your contract."
Our instructors had us assemble at the inner ledge of the Duro-Crete foundation that was the base of the transparent dome encasing the entire compound. This ledge was about five meters wide and had nothing in terms of railings or safety barriers. That foundation was at least thirty meters above the ground.
This foundation ring, I learned, was exactly 12 kilometers long. The dome's transparent material split the circle in half,  creating a two meters wide ledge on each side of the base. The foundation wall below the ring had doors in equal intervals, through one of these I had entered the Academy a few days earlier. Via a metal ladder, we had to climb up onto that inner ledge, upon reaching the top they divided us into groups of ten cadets. They directed us to start running around the rim on that ledge. We saw other cadet groups lift weights, climb robes attached to scaffolds or carried boxes up and down the stairs leading from the perimeter of the dome to the Applicant roads. I even saw a group in what appeared to be old pressure suits run the same foundation ring on the outside of the dome.
My group included an Elly, the Non-Corp, a Garbini, four humans and two Attikan. I considered myself a decent runner and reasonably fit, from all swimming and diving previously on Nifleheim. 
The Attikan, the trunk nosed Elly, and the humans had no problem with this exercise.  The first two rounds amounted to an actual contest between the two Attikan and me. They reminded me of Terran wolfs, since the wolf was the Olafson herald animal it was one of the Earth animals I knew well. Also, I had made it a point to check them out during a virtual Zoo visit. The Attikan had the same kind of short, coarse fur, except around the shoulders and up their necks where it was much longer. Their snouts were also more concise than a wolf's, and their ears were round not pointed. Both Attikan were as tall as I am and very muscular. They walked like a Wolf would walk upright, and on the tips of their toe, their foot was longer than the average wolf, so it appeared that their heels were much higher up the leg. To support their upright walking style, they wore boots with enormous wedge-heeled soles.  To me, it appeared awkward, but they seemed well adapted to the walk. The closer one leaned into me and whispered his name, "Fectiv is the name, and sly is the game."  He was a fine-looking male with lush gray fur adorned with thousands of small deep black dots. He angled his head and indicated his friend, " Now that be my forever friend, quiet of nature but strong on loyal, He be Pure.  Speak, my friend Pure, to our new compadre.  You noticed that I pronounced his name twice, so now you must remember it."  Pure glanced at me, now that I took the time to seem him, he appeared shy.  Speaking louder, but not by much he repeated he name, " Yes, I am Pure. And I am the shy one, for to be other around him would mean we would talk ourselves out of friends."  Again his fur was lush like Fectiv's but was an intense coffee-colored to light brown fleece with numerous long black stripes.  
Fectiv and I ran shoulder to shoulder, and he laughed with a slight coughing manner. "You're fast human, but you couldn't keep up with an Attikan if I ran for real."
I kept a good pace and regulated my breathing. "Well, my awesome friend then I think we need to run for real."
"How about to that second flight of stairs leading to Applicant road number four?" He suggested. I estimated it to be about 500 meters from where we were right now, and I said. "Go for it!"
He immediately dropped to have all four on the ground, as a real wolf would, and erupted into a burst of speed. I sprinted as fast as I could, at school I ran the 400 meters in 49.56 seconds, and that was considered decent.
Still, the Attikan beat me by a ridiculous distance, although I almost kept up with the other Attikan. We three had left the rest far behind.  While I was struggling to catch my breath, Fectiv put his paw on my shoulder. "For human super fast! I believe you could run with an Attikan pack.  If we survive this place, we need to find out, what say you."
"I am not so sure. You look quite fresh, and I am beyond zapped."
"Well we do use four legs, and Attika has vast plains, bigger than some planets oceans and in our stone-age Attikan had to run away from Zinools when we tried to snatch their kill."
I wiped my mouth and grinned." I bet your plains are not as big as the oceans on Nilfeheim."
"You know Attika?"
"Not really but Nilfeheim is all water, except for a few islands of mainly rock with a few having soil on them."
He laughed. "Then I wonder how you learned to run so fast on a planet without land."
"My world consists of seven-year winters during which the entire ocean freezes over, except for a small volcanic warmed area. Running over the ice is just fine."
Isn't it slippery?
It's far too cold for moisture to form.
An instructor came floating up to us."  Being faster than the others doesn't mean you can stop running. It just means you have to do more rounds!  Get your butts in gear and do not stop running again, until ordered to do so caprice!"  "Oui, mon Capitaine, we rang out together, laughing hard we began to run again."
We continued to run again but at a measured pace. From upon the rim, we could look outside the protective dome and see the planets cracked yellowish-brown surface.  Everywhere groups of Cadets engaged in physical exercises, supervised by black-uniformed Instructors.  Of the two, Pure didn't talk very much, and I asked Fectiv about it. He turned to his friend and then back to me and said. "He is a Striped, and they never say much. Please do not take it personally."  Pure, with eyes suddenly piercingly sharp, curled his chops revealing a row of sharp incisors, "And he is a Dotted, they talk constantly."
Remembering Mix, I said. "What does the showing of teeth mean for an Attikan?"
Pure made a few faster steps to catch up. "There are hundreds of ways and reasons to show your teeth. Right now I was trying to insult Fectiv, not in a real bad way though. You see how he holds his ears and tail, that shows he understood it was not serious. Now if you see an Attikan with the Neck fur all standing up and the chops up as far as possible, beware, that is super serious. Letting of blood is more than probable, be sure you are not responsible."

As we continue our run, Pure glanced over the edge of the rim. "Check my tail, see how it hangs down softly, that indicates I don't feel very comfortable running so high up."
Fectiv said." I am not exactly feeling all that well either, but we have to suck it up an survive, yes Eric. Also, I am glad you want to know about Attikan, and now to return the favor of information, maybe you can tell me what it means when a human raises the line of bushy fur above their eyes. My Union teacher was a human, and he did it all the time."
"It could mean surprise if it is both eyebrows and amazement if it is one."
As we talked, we caught up with the other members of our group. Upon coming abreast with Two-three, he forlornly spoke as he noticed me. "While I don't have muscles that could get tired, it takes a lot of concentration to keep the legs moving fast enough and in the proper direction."
" What do you mean by concentrating?"
"You know, I don't have real legs. I must visualize every movement, be it a finger move or a leg and then put some of my energy in that visualized shape and then change the shape to mimic muscle movement. What you do subconsciously takes an awful lot of computer power on my part. My computer power is drastically less now, especially since the instructors turned off the Computronic module that normally does that for me."  He lost concentration as he talked with me and began to stumble. I moved quickly and caught him. "You see, I get distracted, and I mix up my legs."
"I bet you do just fine floating n a sun and I would not know what to do!"
"I would show you, of course, but I think Potsema our Garbini friend is in much worst shape." 
I looked behind us remembering passing the Methane breather. The Garbini struggled visibly on his six walking tentacles. One of the instructors mocked him. "Come on you lowly, non-vertebrate you got six legs. But you move slower than a Shaill without a Grav Sled."
Turning to me, the instructor yelled. "Don't slow down Olafson. Don't let those slow misfits keep you. You're fast! Show them how a fit human can do it with piazze!"
I continued to slow down and fell in step with the Garbini and asked. "Are you alright?"
He had a distressed sound in his voice. "The instructor said he fails me if I don't make it all the way around at least once. It is hard for me to stay on my tentacles walking and takes much energy I can't run that far, we live in trees. We are not meant to run, like you, I don't have bones, just muscles. Without the Exo-skeleton that we normally use to walk, I am so screwed. I wanted to be an Officer so badly."
"That reminds me of an old friend of mine and many stairs. He had only bones and no muscles. How much do you weigh?"
The Garbini's tentacles shivered." I believe about 95 kilos at one Gee."
To the instructor, I said. "If he gets around the rim one full turn you will not fail him, correct?"
"If he completes at least one round, he will pass."
"Potsema, you got lots of Tentacles to hold on, let me carry you! He didn't specify how you were to get around the circle."
The Garbini stopped." Are you serious?"
"Don't argue I don't have that much breath to spare!"
It was a weird feeling to have his tentacles worm around me, but I ignored it, I thought about the stairs of Hasvik and told myself at least I could see an end here and it was not cold as I when I had to climb those narrow icy stairs. I ran with the Garbini on my back, trying to keep an energy-saving rhythm as much as possible. He did not feel more cumbersome than that sack of Soak stones I had dragged up the mountainside of Muspelheim.   I completed the twelve kilometers, drenched in sweat, with a Garbini on my back.  It was nowhere near the uplifting feeling I thought it would be, and it was just hard work. The physical training instructor who had mocked the Garbini awaited us and said. "Well the Garbini made it, but your Non-Corp Buddy hasn't. I guess that ensures there will be a Non-Corp for the next class."
I bent over, placing both hands on my knees to make it easier to catch my breath. I saw Two-Three about a 1000 meters ahead, struggling to keep moving. Glancing up at the instructor, I asked, "How much longer does he have?"
"I give him one hour also, but he is never going to make it at that pace."
"I wonder why you are doing this. Two-Three has no legs, you know!" Then I ran to get the Non-Corp.
After I reached him and I explained to Two-Three that I wanted to carry him, he said." But why would you do that for me?"
"Odin's beard! " I yelled. "Friend, now get on my back and don't argue! I hate unfair situations!"
The Non-Corp was surprisingly light and not more than perhaps fifty kilos, and halfway round Pure caught up with me.  " Eric, you have slowed down too much. You will not make it. So, I must help our friend also, let me take Two-Three for the rest of the way!"
We made it in good time, and I grinned at the instructor, who was a human and said. "I guess you don't have to wait for the next class. This one still has a Non-Corp!"
"We see if we have a Neo Viking after the next exercise!" He responded and led us to a framework of interlocking metal bars about four meters above the ground and 20 meters long.  It was a playground jungle climbing rig.  Sometimes referred to as a monkey bar, whatever monkeys were. " I think this station is self-explanatory. You see those sandbags. There are ten for each of you, get them over to the other end of this rig, without touching the ground. It doesn't matter how you do it."
The Non-Corp said. "If we had a conveyor system that would be the ticket."
"That's a good idea, Two Three, that is how we are going to do it.  I grinned, and the Garbini waved his tentacles." Of course, we do the same as we did with the water sleeve in the queue!"
The other cadets quickly grasped the idea, and with a cadet sitting in equally spaced intervals on the bars, we formed a chain and passed the bags along.  With four bags remaining and a cadet afraid of heights, the Garbini waved everyone to go to the other side.  The Garbini showed his skill and strength by carrying four bags and the cadet who was afraid of heights across the lattice works.   Someone joking yelled, "big show-off," and then all of the cadets gave a big cheer
They gave us similar tasks all day long without a lunch break. At days end, I was one complete cramp. Even on my head plus sore muscles, I didn't realize I had.
The Nogoll instructor gathered us together and said. "Each of you has strengths and weaknesses, and you all are only as strong as the weakest of you. Today you learned how to master all obstacles by working together.  I am proud of you all, and you showed some great teamwork. You now have exactly 12 minutes to shower and get into a formal-dress uniform and meet me at the Dinner hall."
"No matter how tired or exhausted you are, during the meal, I don't want to see you yawn or nod off." The Nogoll said from his Hover disc. "Imagine you are all at a state dinner and you are guests of honor. Present are the leaders of a potential new member species. There will be an officer or two at each table, and you will make polite small talk. Follow the instructions, and again, if I see someone yawn or sleep, that entity will fail this exercise."
I whispered to Two Three. "Lucky you, you have no eyes to fall shut or yawn. Do you ever get tired?"
"Yes we get tired, not in a physical sense as Corporal beings do, but in a mental one and rest periods are very much necessary to keep a good mental balance. I am as tired as can be today, but I can help you if you want."
"Help me? How?"
"I can boost your neural energies, it won't be like sleeping, and you still need nourishment from biochemical processes, but I can increase the electrochemical energies. Manipulating energies is something we Non-Corps do all the time after all."
He touched my hand, and it was as if I had wakened from twelve hours of rem sleep.  I felt as fresh and alert as jumping naked into a snowdrift. "Thor's thunder!"
"Be careful though it is only a neural stimulus, and won't last long. You will need to sleep very soon."
"Who needs sleep?" I checked out the officer that was sitting on our table. It was a female human,  "Hello, Our lovely Guest of Honor, how is your planet today?"  My mind was running on overdrive, and I could not stop talking or sit still! I said things as they pop up in my mind without conscious thought, I had no desire of stopping or doing things in moderation.
She said with a smile." I am from Simula,  cadet, and I would assume everything is okay with it."
"Oh no, that can't be true! Your planet is poorer and in miserable shape. For you are not gracing it with your lovely presence!" I didn't just say that or did I?  "I wonder how you managed to get into that Uniform Lieutenant, for it appears two sizes too small or is it painted on Odin's mistress?"
The only time I felt similarly was when I accidentally chugged one of Egill's Cola Vodka mixes and was drunk as a Nubhir Herder. "How can I make small talk with someone so well endowed? Each is much more than a mouth-full.  I do detest attempting to talk and lose any of the warm mammal liquid offered. It would be blasphemy to dribble the nectar of the Gods!"
She blinked and said." Are you alright cadet Olafson?"
"Alright? Of course, I could be some much better if we were alone and not under the prying eyes of the entire class.  Otherwise, I feel great and not the least bit tired. I can even calculate and add sums in my mind while we talk. It is profoundly amazing as I could never do that before!"
Two-Three trying to intercede stated, "Oh my, I think I overdosed you a little. "Eric, come here, please try to drink some water and then quietly sit while you eat!"
The Nogoll said. "Cadet Olafson. Small talk means conversing quietly with the person on each side of you, not the table two rows over.  An officer is always courteous and discrete. If I did not know better, I would say you are drunk!"
"Sir! I had some water today.  By the way, what do you call a quick Nogoll beard?    Would it be a go-tee?"
"Mr. Olafson since you are so fresh and still have so much energy, I believe there are lawns in need of a close manicure."
"Thank you so much! I couldn't sit still another minute. How do you man-ee-cure a lawn in need?   We don't have such on Nilfeheim."
An hour later, I knew the  Academy lawns were manicured using hand scissors, while on your hands and knees.
It was late at night, whatever Two-Three had done the effects were long gone and I was alone on the Quad's lawn with a pair of scissors clipping grass. The Sun at the top of the dome was off, and individual lamps lining the applicant roads provided the light. The cone-shaped Academy administration building was mostly dark, with only a few office lights on.  I noticed a pair of cadets in full dark green dress uniform and peaked hat, and carrying shock batons walking at the top of the rim performing perimeter patrol.
The little groomed tree some 50 meters away marked the end of my punishment tour.  It may as well be 50 kilometers for I no longer had the strength even to quit.  All that I could do was to continue to clip the grass with the small manicure scissors the OD gave me after reading me the riot act.  At daybreak, having not completed clipping the edge to the groomed tree, I would be helped in removing myself from the premise, thus ending my academy time and my dreams of spaceships.  Since the strange energy boost had worn off, I could feel the soreness of my muscles, and my eyes were full of grains of sand.  Never in my life have I felt so tired, so alone, Before there was my father to absorb my hatred, now there was only me, at least that is how I felt. I was tempted to lay down and sleep right here. The grass was nice and soft, but I would clip that grass!  I also promised myself never to accept the help of which I knew nothing about, from beings with abilities beyond my knowledge.
Postema emerged from the building, carrying four clipping tools at once. "I thought I help you, Eric. I got lots of arms, and it will go faster."
"I sure hope you don't get into trouble, for being out here after lights out."
"No, I asked if I could volunteer, that's how I got these clippers, and the others are also coming.  Except two of the humans who can not afford to lose sleep.  That is what will be the rumor spread, so we will not be their downfall."
He started clipping, and I got a warm feeling as I saw Two-Three, the Elly, Pure, Fectiv, and two of the humans of our group coming out all carrying clippers.  I felt good knowing what goes around, comes around.
Shortly we found the task completed, and the Nogoll instructor used a metal ruler checked the length of the grass and nodded.  "Well done cadets, now get cleaned up and go to sleep.  Two-Three and Eric, see me before you go to bed."
We departed and hurrying cleaned up so we could check-in with the officer and then got some needed sleep.  Upon reporting to the officer, he stated, "Normally, the action you two engaged in would be permanent derogatory entries into your records.  But the young female officer came to me and requested that I list it as an arranged stress test.  She admitted you in a very unprofessional manner paid her a compliment, something she has lacked in the environment of her official duties.  I thanked her for you, and then after she left, I contacted the base commandant and advised him of her situation.  Several good things came from your horrible experiment. So consider it a hard but forgotten lesson.  Get to bed. No further conversation of that incident will occur, understand." 
"Sir, Yes, sir!"
The next day they issued us Pressure-suits and made us sweep the landing fields. Working in a pressure suit is an exhausting exercise. Then add the night before, and an entire section of cadets were beyond tired.  The powdery fine sulphuric dust resisted sweeping quite stubbornly, of course, the Instructors demanded perfection. They were only satisfied after the landing field was entirely free of any dirt.  I wondered, out loud, what meaning this exercise. The Nogoll answered my question by saying:  "It isn't an exercise. The Commandant likes the landing field clean. Here at the Academy, we don't need to use expensive robots. There always will be a sufficient number of cadets to accomplish the task."
Fectiv fell in next to me as we walked towards the airlock.  I will be so glad when we get out of these ancient pressure suits. There are so much more advanced ones than these oldtimers.
Since he talked to me over the helmet radio, the instructors, naturally, overheard our conversation.  One of them said,  "All you will do inside is stow the brooms and shovels. You will, in suits, return here, you are going to stay out here all night. So you better get to like these oldtimers."
I knew it was one of the humans, but which one I was not certain, as I did not know their voice that well, who asked, "What about dinner and bathroom needs?"
Bladder or bowel movement, let it go, the sealed suits will allow light marinating of you until tomorrow. No dinner tonight.  But the most excellent breakfast at daybreak. Missing a meal will not be the demise for anyone."
They allowed us to sit or lay down, and even to lean against one another to relieve stressed muscles from the extend wearing of the ancient suits.  This wasn't the first rodeo for me, for in my life I went without food on a regular base.  We engaged in talks regarding the Academy and then personal desires, so the time passed much quicker than expected, by all.  Physically, it wasn't all that bad at first. But around midnight, I had to go badly, and I was unable to contain it, I let it go and felt embarrassed and dirty for the rest of the night.
Similar exercises and tests in a different building and outside continued for two days.  Then back to classroom assignment, mainly classes on military courtesy, and protocol.  We practiced greeting enlisted and NCO and then saluting and greeting officer, two very distinct and different concepts.  
Walking and snapping to attention to show respect to officers.  Then marching, marching and more marching, we all began to wonder when the boots would separate, then there was marching, stopping with standing at ease and when at rest.  Then for the aftermath, upon they demand we did it all over again.  After a while, I noticed the demands became requests, with the surliness of the NCO's and officers decreased to almost pleasantries.
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