Eric Olafson, Neo Viking Vol. 01

"No you do not have Psionic abilities as far as I know, but you call yourself Freya and feel quite comfortable giggling and chattering with them on the same level."

He looked up to the ceiling."A Butterfly is an insect, but what I meant is the perceived behavior of ... well there are no animals similar on Nilfeheim."

Of course he would have known about my secret, since he was able to read thoughts. It didn't help me still felt ashamed and exposed and hoped he would stop poking in my mind.

"I would not want to encourage you one way or the other, but I think your condition is quite interesting. Especially from a mind readers point of view."

"There should be laws about that!"

"There are, Eric but I am not exactly the most law abiding citizen."

I changed the subject. "Is there anything you want me to do about this situation?"

"I am working on a solution. In the mean time you need to return to that basement. You are not even halfway through."

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Nilfeheim was in uproar and Nilfeheim Radio transmitted the post hum execution of the teacher with close ups as the silver flicker fish went into a feeding frenzy on her body after she had been lathered with fish blood and thrown into the water tank. The investigation stalled since the teacher had committed suicide and they could not question her. The Post Hum execution was nothing more than a macabre but actually pointless spectacle. The Elders shivered in rage every time they had a chance to talk and promised the most draconian punishments for the actual killer, however they were no detectives or trained policemen and in all Nilfeheim's history there never was an investigated homicide, at least none that ever came to trial. Murder was usually done openly and if the victim was a man, the killer was actually proud and let everyone know who and why the other guy had to die (in a fair fight) and since the other wasn't around to dispute the fair part it was accepted. If the victim was a woman no one really cared. A murder or crime committed by a woman was unheard off, till now!

Some of the Elders argued for a standing armed force to be recruited out of the 2nd and third born sons of clans. But the clan leaders were against it. They did not want the Elders get more power and an army to enforce it. Others wanted to call Union Police and argued that they would find the killer in no time. This was strongly opposed by those who feared all Union Law to be enforced then. There were many more that feared Union law not just just my father so it seemed.

Egill had found something new he liked, Popcorn! It was a strange food originally from Earth but produced on many worlds. It had no equal in Nilfeheim foods. Some sort of wheat or cereal kernel was exposed to heat and it expanded into a whitish bloom. It tasted like ... well nothing really but if you added salt and butter it was good. The checkout girl at the store had given me a promotional package and after Egill pulled the seal and the thing expanded and popped and crackled he acted like a little child and pulled the seals of all five envelopes in the promotional package. Now there was a big box sitting by the stairs and he would tipple over every so often, laugh and cackle with delight as the corn popped in the transparent expanding balloon thing and then curse as he burned his fingers and laugh as he ate the corn. I heard him just doing that as he walked over to the GalNet Set. "You know the girls put a big dent in your plans as well!"

"They did?

"Popcorn is hot fluffy and has no substance really, just as your mind!" He tossed a handful of Popcorn at me." How many Elders are there?"

"Twelve in the Inner Circle and Twenty four in the Outer Circle."

"Wrong Answer! That is what is supposed to be there!"

"How many Elders are there?"

"Without my Grandfather and without Bendixen 34"

"And without me 33."

"What does that have to do with my Plans?"

"Do you want more popcorn in your face? Think! I am telling you since you here I want you to use your head and think! You know how to fight and you can recite the Poems alright but you are not thinking! I would not mind if you were stupid you know."

I felt offended."I am thinking. It's all I do most of the time."

"Feeling sorry for yourself and thinking how you can kill your father. Feeling so much smarter than the elders and comparing me with a one finned Fangsnapper that can't keep his nest clean. That's what you use your mind for! That's not thinking!

I was tired of arguing with the old geezer and said."Fine there are 33 Elders."

"Good start! Now every Year after Yule tide there is the big thingstead meeting and young men step before the Circle of Elders and the Council of the clan Chiefs and do what?"

"Ask for the ancient Challenge!"

"Smart kid!" He stuffed popcorn in his mouth and munched while he spoke. "After over a year of arguing they finally elected Elder Heinstin the grandfather of your cold hearted Sif to replace your grandfather, meaning there are suddenly two new elder Seats open and the frenzy has already started. You haven't been down by the boat landing. There is a mountain of gifts and bribes of all the potential candidates to get me to endorse someone."

I suddenly had a revelation. "If they are that busy with this they won't take any challenges?"

"You did it! You made a connection between two events. The girls killing Bendixen threw this planet in a political chaos so to speak and the worst thing there is still no one representing us at Pluribus."

"I thought Elder Heinstin..."

"Only your Grandfather's old seat here..."

"You are not expecting me to replace my Grandfather?"

"While it would not be a bad thing, I don't think we need you to mess up things there. I will go myself to do that until the person that is perfect for that job is ready to take over."

"Who?"

"Sif of course!"

My chin dropped. "Sif? You mean a girl to be the representative of Nilfeheim?"

"For a guy who likes to be a girl you should not be such a chauvinist!"

"I don't know what that is, but I think I understood you anyway. I meant a female would never be appointed to such a post or be able to speak for us!"

"No not now, but in time she will! I will teach her and I will endorse her! You said I could change things. I had this in mind with your mother before you were born and now I think got another candidate. However that is my plan. Let us go back to your plans."

"I am pretty much screwed, without Uncle Hogun I must return to the Burg."

"I still don't like you much but you can stay here till the basement is clean and I don't care how long it is going to take you."

"Did you not want to travel and all that?"

"As a matter of fact I do and I am going to Pluribus after I went to Saresii Prime. I used your advice and would you believe it they do want to see me and think they might be able to help."

"And when are you leaving?"

"Again you are not thinking! I said you can stay here.I did not say I was going to be here, but there is still lots of time in your summer break and lots to clean, not to mention your training!"

Interlude 4 : Brunar Bendixen

Brunar Bendixen was even less satisfied with the lack of results in the investigation as the rest of the planet. His father had just been elected into the Inner circle of the Elders and now he was murdered. He did not for one second believe it was a woman or several women or even girls. Of course it was one of the Bendixen clan rivals. Brunar was of course as traditional as any of the other clan Chiefs, at least when it came to all things that gave chiefs unlimited power in their own clans. But Brunar had seen the subtle changes, the businesses clans started to get into, other than fishing and hunting that is. Who would have thought only a hundred years ago, that kelp and sea weed farming could be as profitable as fishing. Back then Kelp and weed was collected by the poorest Freemen families and sold to the clans. Now a young new clan, with a pitiful little rock made huge profits and the Lofdahl clan now expanded its rock with floating hollow durocrete prefab pieces, delivered by Space Freighter. No one could really interfere, not the Elders, as Lofdahl however new its clan might be, was clan leader and what he was doing in and round his rock was his business alone. That it wasn't traditional could be argued but there was simply nothing written in the book of Traditions that prevented or forbade Kelp farming or expanding your rock with Off-World things.

Ever since Nilfeheim was settled, the ocean was considered free territory and only the rock islands could be claimed by a clan or a family. Now for about ten years now, the Bendixen clan was no longer fishing or hunting at all. They did not operate Fish farms or harvested Kelps and other underwater plants.

It happened by accident as his uncle sold a net load of fish at the XChange and a few tiny round things fell out of his pocket, fell to the XChange floor and the trading assistant robot offered almost as much money for these two pearls as for the load of fish. His grandfather knew for years that a certain species of immobile crabs produced these spheres. Most had a whitish hue, but there where yellow, blue, green and red spheres as well and occasionally black ones could be found. Since his family always fished at the same area, not far from their rocks, (since they could not afford hunting subs or bigger long range surface ships back then) it was called the Bendixen grounds.

Brunar had challenged his own father and won the fight. Then he took over the family business and was on the helm now for ten years. He read books about business and even attended a GalNet class on how to run a successful business. He now had an exclusive and very lucrative contract with a Gem Dealer on Para-Para and the fact that the crab pearls were valuable was a tightly guarded secret of the clan, officially they were in the Crab fishing business and by now it was making a tidy profit as well.

Brunar was very progressive in these things. Instead of selling raw or life crab at the XChange he invested in a little factory that produced traditional Nilfeheim Viking Crab soup, Crab cakes and Crab meat and Seaweed Noodles. All packed in blue and red packages (the Bendixen Colors) with Brunar dressed in a ridiculous horned Helmet and holding a trident smiling right on the label. Until recently he sold it at the XChange, but Wuerg und Kotz Delicatessen a inter galactic chain of fine food retail outlets and GalNet presence was buying it all directly and demand was steadily increasing and he was the first on all Nilfeheim who had hired and employed an Off World Marine Biologist and even more controversial, a woman. He listened to her advice however and put her in charge of the seeding and quality control and with her knowledge, he was able to triple the Crab harvest last season.

Brunar wanted the Elders to declare the Bendixen Grounds exclusive real estate of the Bendixen clan. The sudden rise in wealth and influence of the Bendixen clan had not gone unnoticed by other clans of course and the boats of his rivals snooped around the Bendixen grounds to find out what it actually was that made the Red and Blues so successful in only ten years time.

Especially the White on Red boats of the Lindberg's fished closer and closer.

Brunar complained to the Lindberg clan chief and expected them to respect the Bendixen Grounds, but he was laughed at and the Lindberg Chief pointed out that the oceans were free for all.

Then Lindberg had the nerve and pointed out that he had a very tight relationship with the Olafson clan and their allies and that it would be unhealthy for the Bendixen and their allies to do something else about that.

Brunar depended on his Father who was an Elder now to do something about that and the very day after his father was elevated into the inner ring he was assassinated on the open street, just before the Net and tackle store the Lindbergs operated and only a few doors down from Hogun's Inn, Hogun being an Olafson making this much less of a coincidence and the work of some fictitious girl killers, but more likely the work of arrogant Adolph Lindberg or his vile companion Isegrim Olafson. Isegrim was known for his schemes and hidden attacks, especially if you listened to the Elhir chief.

He wondered what he could do to affect his revenge and protect his business. Then he opened the richly carved traditional clan chest, once used to hold the clan Chief Insignia and activated the GalNet terminal hidden inside. Traditions were a good thing! They prevented his simple minded brother to have any say in the clan Business and kept the strange appetites his father had secret while he was alive, but there was a limit. Union Credits certainly improved things on Bendixen rock. He dialed the Climate Control just a little higher, it was short summer and he did like it nice and cool. He then leaned back in his finest English leather upholstered, Bentley Executive series CEO Hover chair, that had replaced the high backed unwieldy stone carved clan chief throne behind his desk and lit himself a real Terran cigar while he waited till the connection to his business partner at Para-Para was established and Simon Simonson appeared on the field screen."Hello Brunar what a pleasant surprise. I was actually just inspecting your latest shipment and I must say the large black pear you added as a gift is perhaps the nicest gift I ever got and quite generous. A very good customer of mine saw it and she wants it set in a collier. So I am glad you called, since I wanted to express my gratitude."

Brunar took the cigar between his fingers and carefully rolled the ash cone off into a marble ashtray "Well you may be able to advice me how you Off Worlders would handle my situation?"

"GalNet is very secure, old friend but lets take steps and make it more so, before you continue and establish High Sec Mode."

Brunar explained his situation to his friend after they had switched to a highly encrypted and scrambled Virtual private Network connection.

Aaron said."Why don't you equip your boats and subs that tend your crab farms with tech stop cannons? They are perfectly legal and considered a purely defensive weapon. The effects of the weapon are invisible and on your primitive planet completely explainable. I bet a few subs that suddenly loose power and cause a nasty accident or two might deter future visits."

"I like that a lot! How do I get them?"

"I send you two units and a man to install them. As for your other problem. I suggest you could hire a Private Detective, Head Hunter, Single Force Merc Unit or a Subtil Neutralisator. I give you the contact info of a good Connector I know and he can get you in contact with any of these specialists and they can take care of your problems, guaranteed."

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Chapter 21: HEL

I brushed the last crumbs of dirt onto the dust pan and got up to look around. The basement area was clean! The stone floor patched with Duro-crete were the rot was so bad it actually had crumbled stone. The walls scrubbed with disinfectant and the few small windows now glazed and clean. The big Recycler was turned off and pushed to one wall. The small Nanite Unit was more than adequate to take care of the Old man's trash every day. By now I was well equipped. I had shovels and brooms and wheelbarrows. Even a small aluminum framed Conveyor belt system that could be placed in segments nearly everywhere.

"You should forget about your idea becoming a Star ship Captain and start a cleaning business." The Old man croaked as he came down the stair and saw me standing there.

"I think you did it too fast. You're done cleaning and I am still here."

"Well maybe you can start training me now? I am going to be Fifteen soon and by this time next year. Elders having time for me or not, I am going to be Sixteen and challenge that Monster in my burg."

"I am already training you, if you do not like my methods then find another Old Geezer."

"I had about enough of Old Geezers in my life. I would prefer a strong younger man or perhaps even a nice looking woman as a teacher for a while."

I only was that bold because he was talking that way all the time to me and I sort of started to do the same. Since he could read my mind I was certain he knew I wasn't trying to be disrespectful.

"No you haven't been disrespectful, but you are not thinking again! What could a young man teach you? If raw knowledge you seek. Go upload a book into your brain, no teacher needed. Age is what gives you a different prospective on things and it allows you to gather experience. Now that is what a teacher is trying to pass on to a student. When it comes to experienced teachers, Eric, you have been very fortunate and lucky."

I wanted to tell him something about my rotten luck and that the word fortunate did not go along with my life, but I stopped. I did have great teachers. The Ancient One at Hasvik, Sigfrida, Carl and Richard, not to forget Uncle Hogun. They all went out of their way to teach me and try to help me in their own way.

I think it was the first time I ever seen him smile." Very good, Eric! You learned one important lesson I tried to make you see. I don't need to teach you how to fight. You are far beyond any 16 year old that ever stepped before the Elders already and knowing you, you pick a few more fights and experience on the way until you are sixteen yourself."

He made a gesture around the now empty basement." As you have seen yourself I don't have all that many weapons and I could not teach you the things Richard or Carl has shown you or even improve on it. Yes I want you to continue and train and hone your skills, but that is not what I am teaching you."

"It's the Poems, right?"

"That's part of the test and I made you learn them the old way. You could have uploaded the entire Book of Edda and all the other Poem books in one sitting a day before the challenge like many others do."

"That would be cheating though, wouldn't it? I think it would be dishonorable for someone to be tested as a warrior and confirmed in the ancient ways to use Off World tricks. Now you know how I think about traditions in the first place, but I like hypocrites even less and I would not want to be one."

"That speaks for you and I fail those who learned the poems the modern way, but I am usually outvoted by the others."

"Would they not follow your lead?"

"The elders vote in secret if all Challenges were done in a satisfactory manner. There are almost 500 clans now and there are lots of sons every year turning sixteen and wanting to do the challenge. It is a ritual nowadays and everyone passes. The Elders don't even really vote anymore they simply put their approval mark on the document."

He then said. "It is a little different when the first born son of one of the Old clans takes the challenge and I guarantee you everyone will be there and looking when you take yours!"

I sighed. "I was afraid you say that."

"Who knows what will happen till then, maybe your girlfriends killed all the old men by then and there won't be another Challenge and you simply have to murder your father without the official approval of the elders you don't like and the traditions you don't want. Talk about being a Hypocrite. Look into the mirror before you accuse others!"

"I am not..."

He interrupted me almost yelling. "You are not? Yes you are! You want to take the Ancient Challenge, which is about as traditional and old fashioned as it gets, in order to challenge and then kill your father. Granted under our laws and the old traditions you dismiss so broad handed otherwise, you have the right for revenge and you have the right to kill. Only under the same local laws that protect him are you protected. Union law does not acknowledge Revenge or abuse or anything as an excuse for murder. Yet you don't want him to be arrested under the Off-World-laws. You are as guilty as him! If you dismiss all our laws and traditions then you are guilty of killing the Steiner boy, never mind you didn't really plan to do it. It doesn't matter if a bunch of old men endorse and condone your deeds if you dismiss these old men as fools and self-serving. It however makes you a hypocrite by your own moral standards."