Eric Olafson, Neo Viking Vol. 01

Like all Neo Vikings I had a set of gills, and my eyes had a second set of transparent eyelids that allowed me to see under water. The Bureau of Colonist Affairs had done some genetic tailoring on the Colonists bound for Nilfeheim. While Genetic Tailoring was prohibited now, it was a common practice back in the days of the Second Exodus almost 3000 years ago

It was said that we Neo Vikings might eventually loose these traits as diving and hunt swimming was slowly but surely going out of fashion. Very few of my class mates still went hunting or even just swimming anymore; to me there was no greater joy than to go out in the cold clear waters and forget the cares of the surface life.

The Ragnarssons Burg had an extensive cave like Submarine Den underneath the western part of our Rock. Was at level with the sea and an enormous portcullis gate made of real off-world Ultronit could be lowered or raised at its entrance. The gate was so heavy that it had to be operated with hydraulics.

The clan used to own four New Sweden made Hunt and Fish subs and seven surface fishing vessels. Two subs and three surface vessels had gone with Beowulf and two other warriors that left the clan. The rest currently all neatly tied up. The Olafson clan did not have a single boat when father and the Olafsons came to the Ragnarsson rock. That had not stopped my father to repaint them all in Olafson red and place the Wolf seal upon their bows. However no one dared to say anything and my Grandfather the true master of the Rock was far away acting as the planets representative on Pluribus, the Union government planet.

The gate was open, technically there was a standing order to close it every night, but a month ago the hydraulic that opened the gate quit working and it would have taken Off-world Engineers to fix it. Father was never much for maintenance and said that it was a Ragnarsson gate and needed to be fixed by the Ragnarsson clan. He had no problem declaring whatever he wanted as his, but when it needed fixing or maintenance, it was a Ragnarsson problem.

I slipped into the water and forced myself to stop breathing and let the gills take over. When the cold water rushed past my gills and I was underwater I felt as right as rain.

With powerful stroked of my fins I accelerated myself past the gate and into open water. During Short Summer the Sun was coming up very early and the first rays of light penetrated the upper layers of water. I must have been a good mile away from the Rock when I watched a school of Silver Flickers dash by at first thinking nothing of it, but then a swarm of larger Split Fins followed the Silver Flickers and moments later I saw the sharp triangular nose of a large Rock Shark coming up from the deep.

I readied the harpoon. It had three long barrels, each loaded with an explosive tipped rocket propelled steel spears, I was not afraid but Rock Sharks rarely hunted alone.

Only, this Rock Shark did not hunt. It was fleeing. There was only one thing in our oceans that made a Rock Shark act this way...

The dark, fast growing shadowy mass behind the Rock Shark was without question a Tyranno Fin.

To see one this far north at this time of year was quite unusual.

The Tyranno Fin shot past me and about 200 meters. It was a Tri Halfer, a fairly sized male. All my thoughts of caution were swept away by the excitement of the hunt. Down here I did not have to pretend, be ashamed for what I was or take whatever punishment my father deemed necessary, down here, I was Eric Olafson., Neo Viking and Hunter.

Tyranno Fins could get as large as the biggest Terran Whales, our teacher told us but they were not Mammals but true fish and a terribly aggressive animal at that.

Right behind their eyes they had a yellowish patch of skin, it was there where their skulls were attached to the rest of the body and a well placed harpoon could penetrate all the way to their brains. This patch was called the Mark.

The Mark was within range, I calmed my nerves and aimed carefully. The harpoon rushed with a streak of bubbles through the water almost to fast to see and struck true! The mighty beast arched in a violent way and trashed its enormous tail fin back and forth, then in a cloud of dark red blood and bubbles it slowly rose to the not so distant surface.

Before I could think about my next steps a second shadow approached fast, but not 200 meters distant, instead it was right below me. It was fast and big, much bigger than the other. No matter how fast I could swim. It was made for this environment and was much faster. I was afraid of death but not of dying and if that is how the gods would reunite me with my mother then this was a good way to go.

Instead of fleeing swam towards it. A gigantic maw easy able to swallow me and the entire Olafson clan, full of tremendous teeth. I would not give up without a fight, but I did not have enough time to rotate the second barrel into firing position.

I don't know how I survived or where that strange surge came that pulled me away from the maw and let me slide past its side. In all this I noticed an eerie white light deep below, but right now I had no time to turn and look, I rotated the second barrel in place and twisted my own body, just as the Tyranno Fin noticed it had not caught me, and fired, aiming out of reflex and without a heart beat to waste, the Yellow mark was less than 20 meters away. The harpoon missed the yellow mark by at least two meters, while the harpoon still penetrated and exploded. It only wounded the fish. The Tyranno, much bigger than the Tri Halfer, mad with pain circled around, its surge tossing me around unable to orient myself. All I could do is hold on to the harpoon and hope I had another chance, my last one. Again I was certain I saw an eery ghostly light shimmering in the far distant below me, something just a little brighter than the otherwise dark abyss. Somehow I managed to get out of the surge and rotate the third and last barrel in place.

I swam as fast as I could to the side, again forcing the Tyranno to turn and there again the Yellow mark, this time the one on the other side. "Odin, let my aim be true!" I prayed and fired.

The Ultronit shaft plunges deep into the mark, the fish had made its turn, lined up and opened its maw. The harpoon exploded, the fish was still in motion but hitting me with its snout, instead of swallowing me in its death throe, it felt worst than my fathers kicks and I almost opened my mouth. I would drown as surely as an Off-Worlder if I did and stopped myself the last moment. The eerie light I believed I had seen was gone but then the bright lights of a Hunting sub came from the East just as I surfaced next to the floating Tyrannos.

The Sub surfaced as well, on its bow the light blue insignia of a Seagull bird. It was the time honored old clan symbol of the Holmquist clan. Not particular friendly to the Olafsons but not an enemy and friendly towards the Ragnarssons.

Two sturdy looking Vikings climbed to the bow and one of them wore the white robes and furs of an elder. Against the wind and the splashing waves he yelled. "Vestu heil ok sæl- Hail the mighty warrior, come aboard and be celebrated!"More men came on deck and then a second boat surfaced. It carrying the three red crosses of the Adolpson clan. It too a mighty and very old member of the Ancient clans.

I was helped aboard and I immediately knelt before the Elder and lowered my head as it was custom when facing an Elder. He put his hand on my shoulder. "Rise Mighty One, one as you need not kneel. Are my old eyes deceiving me or are you still but a boy?"

The other man wearing a clan chief chain around his neck bellowed. "It is Eric the first born of vile Isegrim, He is Olafson." Someone held a Drykkjarhorn under my nose."Drink, as it thy right!"

Completely confused by the sudden company of men here out in the ocean I took a drought., It was warm fish blood and tasted vile but given by me in an old Horn was a great honor and to drink a sip from a first kill was as an ancient tradition. Something not shunned in the presence of an Elder.

The Holmquist clan Chief grabbed me by the underarm and nodded with a fierce grin under his massive red beard." Aye Erik of the Olafsons, I bid thee my arm in the greeting of warriors and equals. We hunted that Two Eighty for three days, it is a mighty and cunning bull and we witnessed and saw your hunt. Ages have past since a true warrior has hunted the dangerous prey the ancient way."

The Elder said. "We were certain we saw the Holy fish as well, the White Tyranno in a great distance however. The gods themselves have watched your fight and triumph themselves."

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The Holmquists towed my Tyrannos to the Burg, I was certain almost everyone was up now as I saw the crowd waiting, in the center of course the frightening shape of my big father. The Holmquists had used Nilfeheim Radio to call ahead. Instead of elation I feared what my father would do.

He did not even look at me as he clasped hands with the other Chiefs and greeted the Elder. "Honored Goði, my Isle is blessed with thy presence. Has this failure I must call my son, caused any problems? I shall of course punish him and lay open his hide."

"Your hatred of your own son has even reached the Elders, your Son has bestowed great honor upon the name Olafson today by slaying two Tyranno Fins I the ancient way. It was witnessed by us and we came to celebrate his deeds. He has earned the right to wear the helmet of the hunt. You do not object to this ancient tradition, Isegrim of the Olafsons?"

"How I raise my sons is not the concern of anyone, not even that of the Elders. Lothar is my true heir and this cretin has outlived his usefulness when he turns 16 and inherits. He sneaked out of the burg without my permission and will receive his punishment."

The elder stepped back. "The Elders concern themselves with all matters of tradition as they are our laws. Have you indeed declared Lothar your heir in front of me and clan chiefs? We could declare Eric adult today, after slaying the Tyrannos."

It was clear that Father realized what he was about to do and said. "I will forgo any punishment and allow him to wear the Helmet of the Hunt. He is my first born until Lothar will challenge and kill him."

The Elder gave father a long look. "You realize that all this will reach the ear of Erik Gustav Ragnarsson."

Father gasped and his hand dropped to his whip. "What business is it for elders to gossip to those who hide themselves on other worlds? There is no need to involve his Grandfather. He did

well and as expected."

The Adophson clan leader said. "Eric may come to our shores at any time. He will be welcome with highest honors."

The Elder added. "What about the fish? By all Customs and traditions they are his."

I knew I would be beaten to an inch of my life so I said. "I am still Olafson and thus it is my father alone who decides what to do with the fish."

Father seemed appeased and said. "I have business to attend to and tow the Tyrannos to the Xchange. The school floater will be here soon to take him to school."

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Chapter 3: Union school

The best day in my life was when I turned seven and I could go to Union school being away from the Burg and away from my father was like breathing lighter air.

Everyone had to go to Union school. That was Union Law and it superseded local law. Union school was such a long part of our society that it too became an Old Tradition and therefore was good.

At school I learned that Nilfeheim was a Water-World and that we all originally came from a Planet named Earth and settled here long time ago.

Our teachers were Off-Worlders, persons that were not born on Nilfeheim. With Mr. Flensburger it was immediately apparent as he was a grown man and didn't have a beard.

Solken System was only one of many Solar Systems that belonged to the United Stars of the Galaxy, usually only referred to as the Union.

Humans and Nonhuman species belonged to it and space ships traveled between a huge number of worlds and places.

One morning he told us that every Union Citizen had rights and was bound by a higher law. Higher than that of the Elders and the Traditions on Nilfeheim, laws my father broke as he killed another Union Citizen.

But that didn't matter much. No one would call the Rangers and have my father or anyone else arrested for some local problem. I learned that Nilfeheim had local laws called the Nilfeheim exception preventing Union law enforcement to act beyond Union jurisdiction.

It was just my luck that in my class was not only Sigvard of the Elhir clan and he brought family induced hatred towards me from the first day we met, but also the brothers of the

Oseberg clan, who hated me for my Ragnarsson blood, then there were the Peerson twins Annar and Gunnar. Both egged on and perhaps even paid by Lothar to harass me all the time.There were twenty-seven Boys in our class. Girls received their training in separate classes and a seperate school.

Every morning at six thirteen, the school skimmer would arrive and pick me up and after gathering everyone for my class, drop us of at Nilfeheim Federal school 34, which sat on top of a tumble of huge boulders barley above the waves.

Unlike the old Burgs and the traditional houses in the town, the school building was of modern design with lots of large windows. All federal schools and the Med Centers were kept in excellent condition by the Union government.

From the air the school building looked like a huge silvery letter C sitting flat on top of gray boulders surrounded by the deep green churning waves of the Ocean. The inner area of the C was the school yard and also where the floaters would land. The open side was closed off by a mount of rough rocks reaching almost as high as the flat roof of the two story building.

Dietmar, the thin man who flew the school floater greeted me as usual with a toothy grin as I climbed into the floater.

"Good Morning, Eric. Take a seat at your station and arm all weapon systems! It seems the Shiss are up to no good this morning!"

"Yes Sir, arming Translocator cannons and Loki torpedoes!" I said climbing the stairs to the second deck and sitting down on the seat right above him. Of course the school floater was not armed and there were no Shiss anywhere near Nilfeheim. Dietmar just liked to greet me that way and when I was little I pretended to be a star ship captain, just like Captain Iron Hand and fought all kinds of imagined enemies. Sometimes I wished I had a plasma blaster just like that famous character and with it I could shoot father and my brothers.

Dietmar was one of those Neo Vikings who had been off world and beyond our system. He lived on other worlds for many years and had even been to Earth.

I was the third kid he picked up on his morning route and the other two were already in the final grade. Almost sixteen, ready to take the Ancient Challenge and become fully accepted men of our world. Of course they would not speak to someone who just turned twelve and made it to fourth grade and completely ignored me.

Dietmar would pick up fourteen other kids and then fly the final seven-hundred miles to our school usually close to the water surface and at top speed. I loved this part, because if I put my face real close to the front view port it was almost as if I had Freya's feathered cloak and flew like Loki.

Nilfeheim had no birds and none of the local life forms could truly fly. (The Silver-Flicker Fish could glide some distance if it jumped above the waves, using its wide fins.) I had seen real birds however during our last Virtual school trip to Venus Zoo.

My brothers would of course not use the school-skimmer. That was for commoners and poor clans. They were flown to school by Harkun, my father's manservant in our family floater. I had never even seen the inside of our floater. This was just one more of the demeaning things my father did to underline to everyone who he favored. It did not bother me since I much rather flew with Dietmar than with arrogant stuff and old Harkun anyway.

The school floater landed in the inner area of the big C along with other school and private floaters and everyone went inside.

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Mr. Flensburger was a little late as usual. He came into the classroom dressed like a Harpooner in the middle of Long night. He wore a heavy hooded Fangsnapper fur coat, over a padded Iso-Tex Jacket and beneath the hood a heated wind mask. Underneath all that a Union Fleet Issue extreme climate suit with active heating. He was dressed like that despite the fact it was Short Summer now and he had to walk less than 1500 meters in the open. It was only two below zero on the c scale and light wind, bare chest weather my Uncle Hogun would say.

It would take him long moments to get undressed and I was certain the pile of clothing next to his desk grew just a little bigger every day. "It is exceptionally cold this morning, class," he greeted us and twenty two Neo-Vikings responded. "Good morning Mr. Flensburger."

I couldn't help myself and said, "You have been on Nilfeheim now for over thirty years, Mr. Flensburger. Haven't you gotten used to our weather by now?"

He took off his cold mask, revealing his slate ice gray eyes and his long pointed nose and looked at me, then shook his head. "Mr. Olafson, it took me all this time to get used to the barbaric customs of you Neo Vikings. I had no time to get used to the weather yet."

That caused the class to laugh. He walked to the windows and looked over the churning waves of the ocean. "It is a beautiful planet. It has lots of cold water, teaming with an abundance of life, blue oceans and very, very long winters. I come from a planet called New Algiers. There is no open water and dusty red deserts as far as you can see.

You have winds bringing ice crystals, snow and rain. Our storms bring dust, lots of it and can pile dust and sand two meters high over night. However the temperature never drops below 40.

I tried to imagine how it would be, to live in bread oven conditions like that. I glanced at my PDD and checked GalNet about New Algiers.

Our teacher turned to face the class. "In a few years from now you graduate and perhaps some of you might actually leave this world, not that I have big hopes for that. However this is my last month. Thirty years teaching you Neo Vikings about the rest of the Universe was a challenge to say the least."

His eyes became dreamy and he smiled. "First I am going to Para-Para and simply sit on the beach for maybe a year or so. I believe it will take at least that long for my bones to thaw."

Leif Swenkjard sitting across the aisle from me waved his hand."I've been to Para-Para actually. When my Father had to go there for an ocean produce trade show he took me along."

Leif's father was a Freeman living in town and if I understood it correctly he was working for an Off World Seafood Company. Leif was one of the few in class who didn't care if I was an Olafson. The sons of clans never talked to him. Him being off planet was news to me and I listened more closely.

Mr. Flensburger encouraged him to tell us about his trip and Leif said."They don't even have a little snow anywhere and their largest fish is about the size of a Surface Finner. On Para-Para there are no weapons allowed no one carries even a knife. If you use your fist to make an argument stick you get in trouble and arrested. No one wears much clothing and all everyone does is smile all the time."

Peter Langstom next to him drew the outlines of a woman into the air."How about the girls, do they wear little?"

"You could bunch up what they wear in your fist and nothing showing."

Peter now grinned from one ear to the other."I think I go there for a visit too!"