Eric Olafson, Neo Viking Vol. 02

Lox

Lox approached the barrier and one of the beefy police officers in full armor was actually a neighbor of his who lived in a house just three tunnel recesses down from his in tunnel recess Dwelling in tunnel 9. He had often talked to that police officer since he officer took great pride in his little front lawn and not only was a regular customer but also always asked Lox for plant and flower advice. The cop's name was Trevor Burke. Lox was certain he would not even need psionic suggestions here, not that he would want to try. While the officers suit was not a new model but most likely had Psi shielding.

Burke looked impressive in the shiny blue battle armor holding a shock baton in the right hand. He had his helmet visor open and the baton was deactivated. Despite the crowds the Police seemed relaxed and it was clear they did not expect any trouble. There actually were eight protesters with signs and they were heckled by the crowd and posed no security problem. Trevor raised the huge hand of the battle armor." Oh good morning Mr. Marshall. Say what pretty pink flowers. What are those?"

"Good morning Mr. Burke. These are Pink Lulus from Sares. I am supposed to deliver these to the female delinquent."

Burke looked at his helmet read out and said. "Yes that is confirmed. Burke opened the gate and said." My wife loves all things pink. Would they grow under Tunnel light?"

Lox could not believe he just made it inside the barrier with weapons. The spy in him laughed at the lax security and the stupid police man, but his Lox Marshall identity had become way more than just a disguise and a cover. He begun to think like a Union citizen and he felt sorry for betraying the police man who was a good neighbor and had invited him to BBQ's more than once. He could have become friends with the officer. Marshall was after all well respected and had a solid clientele who would never order anything plant related from GalNet and always come to him. He answered with a guilty consciousness. "I don't think they would, they are expensive for a reason and grow only on Sares Planets as far as I know."

Burke tried to shrug inside the armor and pointed with his chin towards a black limo landing on the other side of the scaffold. "There they come, the slaughterers. It can't be long now and the circus will start."

Hoods

Our flier landed before the scaffold in the now crowded park and Dawn said. "You know everything you have to do, right?"

"Yes I think I got it. After the guards have placed the prisoners I go down the line and place the hoods over their heads. You go after me and set the noose. Then I proceed to the other end and you go down to the panel and press the button after the Chief Justice has made his final speech. I then throw up preferably inside the dress. You wait till they are dead, release their bodies and we can go."

She nodded "Yes that is it. Are you ready?"

"I don't think I have a choice, so yes I am."

We left the flier and I followed her through a gate in the barrier opened by a police man and up the stairs of the scaffold. From up there I could see that the park and the surrounding buildings were full of people both human and not. I had never seen so many people in one place and they all stared at me at least so it appeared to me. I wondered why so many would get up so early to see someone die, especially disturbing were the media crowd. Between two buildings in the distance a big field screen flickered into existence and showed a close up of the scaffold and us.

Lox

Lox watched the dark red robed executioners getting out of the limo. He said to Burke." Those are women"

The police man tried to nod."Looks like it, they must have ice in their veins. To be honest LoxI could not do it. I don't think I could kill anyone in cold blood like this."

Both Executioners walked close by and the Kermac spy could only see their eyes for a moment before they mounted the stairs. He shivered involuntarily and actually for the first time in his life prayed and hoped there really was a Whispering Spirit. Then he said." You are a police man. You carry a gun."

"I never raised my blaster against anyone in anger. I am a police man, not a soldier. I don't mind using my fists, the shock baton or restraining fields and that's all we ever have to do here on Corri-Door. That poison murderess is the first capital crime we had in years and in the entire system and she didn't resist arrest. Oh I am all for capital punishment don't get me wrong. There are over 7 Million permanent residents living in this system and lots of traffic coming through and we have very little capital crimes, so the idea behind it seems to work fine. I think that criminal Saresii mind bender sure earned his sentence and I have no patience for Califerm dealers but I am not so sure the Dai deserve it."

He holstered his Shock baton and whispered. "I just think they should do it in a little chamber away from this entire county fair atmosphere. I know they voted it in and even my lovely peaceful wife has voted for it and she had herself a spot reserved right over there on River's Roof. I bet she and her friends sitting up there right now waiting for the hanging."

Hoods

Now a dark blue police van with hover bike escort and a platoon of marines in destroyer suits behind it, landed. It was the prisoners. Police men and robots dragged twenty shackled individuals up the steps.

The Califerm thief struggled against the police men's grip, the woman's feet collapsed as she went up the stairs. The Crowd had hollered obscenities at the Dai but now a hushed silence has taken hold, except for the murmured comments of the news casters it was eerie quiet.

I noticed a civilian holding a big bunch of flowers right next to a police officer in crowd control gear talking to each other and Dawn said. "That is just a local flower dealer. The woman requested flowers in the last minute and I allowed it."

Chief Justice V'Thensnhk

Chief Justice V'Thensnhk like almost everyone else in the Justice General Building on Pluribus was glued before the big field screen watching the events unfolding on Corri-Door. He was Klack but despite the great biological differences to humans, he had a very similar range of feelings. He regretted the fact to deputize and draft such a young human, he know it was actually quite unfair. He always wanted to be a real Judge, unbiased or influenced by anything but the law. He didn't like to be pressured by the department of state, but it was done. It seemed the young human worked well together with their best but sometimes difficult Chief executioner who always wanted everything perfect.

His PDD glared red and he immediately answered this priority one call. It came from the state department and it was the representative of the Ult who currently held the chair of this ministry. "We just have received credible intelligence that Kermac Agents will try to sabotage the Execution. Can you delay the Execution and get everyone to safety? We are trying to get assets to deal with this to Corri-Door within two three hours."

"First you use every political trick in the book to speed things up and now you want it delayed? Have you looked at the broadcast lately? It will be over in an hour or so. There is police and they should be able to handle any Terrorists. I will tell them to be on the look out. Why don't you go over to the Kermac who are still here on Pluribus and tell them to call back their assassins? You can tell them that the Justice Department will not stand idle and arrest them if they commit crimes on Union ground. Ordering a murder is certainly a hanging offense."

"They are under diplomatic immunity and we don't have official proof they did anything anyway. This is a matter of the State and not Justice Department."

The Klack got angry. "All of a sudden it is a matter of state?" The Ant being whistled in highest agitation. "The rule of law applies to anyone and everything and no one is excluded. Union constitution does not acknowledge political motivations. There is no law on the books that allows foreign nationals to commit crimes. It is the very reason we are able to prosecute and hang the Dai. I am the first who will call this execution off if you can show me diplomatic immunity is anywhere in our law books. I will personally call for a mistrial and let the Dai go if you insist on diplomatic Immunity." The Judge was not done and his antennae wiggled furious. "I won't be bullied anymore. If you have a political problem address the assembly and if the Assembly decides to act and they make a law, then we of the Justice Department will enforce it. We are the Union we are not Kermac or whatever prim civ you like us to be. I also a Citizen and I will send a request to have all this openly discussed at the Assembly."

Lox

The delinquents had their hands locked in shackles on their backs and Lox found it easier than he expected to slip a mini blaster into the hands of one of the Dai Than and give him psionic instructions. It took only a few thoughts and the Dai did not need much psionic persuasion to take the weapon.

Adam Smith

Adam Smith finally saw the Lox Marshall, standing right by a police man behind the barriers. Too far for his laser eye so he had to get closer. He was almost there, three more meters and the distance was perfect. A fat woman stepped into his way and he was tempted to burn another hole her in that big butt. A heavy hand suddenly dropped on his shoulder and he reacted in the fast trained way of a master assassin, turning around releasing the long thing mono blade from his left underarm sheath and breaking the tough blade against the torso of a Paladin Police robot ... The robot crushed much of his shoulder bone and placed a force field cocoon around Adam. The Undercover Union Investigator spoke in his wrist com." Assassin apprehended and neutralized."

Adam Smith could not allow to be interrogated and with a sequence of eye blinks he activated a little device below his heart and it released fast spreading green Spore foam.

Hoods

The Delinquents had been placed under the nooses their feet currently held by form fields. The bald headed flower dealer was allowed to approach the woman who was the only one who had her hands tied in the front. He handed her the flowers and walked off. Dawn who stood by the Stairs nodded to him and turned away. The bald headed harmless looking man suddenly held a weapon in his hand aimed it at Dawn and fired."

Dawn stumbled back. The third Dai's hands were suddenly free holding a little weapon. Out of reflex my hand reached for my knife I, but the cursed hood covered it. My hands touched only fabric. The Dai fired at me but he must have missed, I felt no pain or anything. I reacted more out of instinct and the chain sword drew as easy as Mördaren, the blade grew and with the teeth on the sword went with a whining snap supersonic, however the Dai before me did not move. I turned to face the next enemy, there was none. Whatever just happened was already over. Marines and Battle robots secured the scaffold and Dawn got up on her feet. There was a dark spot on her dress where the blaster had hit her, but no hole. All the Delinquents looked like statues stiff and unmoving.

Police had arrested the Bald headed man and led him away. Dawn nodded to the local Judge and said." The Execution will commence."

Then she came over and said." Are you alright?"

"Yes I am but what happened?"

"An attempt to sabotage the Execution. I recieved a warning about it, mere moments ago." She touched the blackened spot on her chest." Our robes are more than fabric, it is microscopic fine Ultronit foam loops covered with velvet. It takes more than a Class III Line blaster to burn through that. It looks like you didn't even feel the thermo blast that hit you." She pointed out a small blackened spot right above my heart.

She then motioned to the prisoners."The prisoner control suits became rigid they can't move a muscle. Your intervention with the sword was quite spectacular and fast, but not necessary." Dawn handed me a stack of black hoods. " Put those over their heads, don't even ask if they want it or not, so we can get this over with."

She really was cold as ice and any affection I had for her before died that moment.

After the Marines had scanned the prisoners for weapons and I had the sorry task putting the black hoods over their heads. Most of them did not look at me, but the young Dai stared right into my eyes and even though he acted tough and stoic, I saw the fear and the silent plea for mercy. My hands trembled as I pulled the black fabric over his face. The Califerm thief was shaking and tears streamed down his face. "I didn't even know what was in the bag." He bubbered."I don't want to die." I think I was crying too as I pulled the hood over his head. The woman seemed not even aware what was happening, now that I her saw her close up, she was quite beautiful. Her lips formed words, as she looked at me. Perhaps a prayer or a plead for mercy, I was glad I did not hear what she said. Her face too disapeared behind the black fabric.

Dawn came after me and placed the nooses made of memory metal. She touched a control on the cuff of her glove and the memory metal cables stiffened.

The local Judge instead of reading the charges or the names simply nodded and the crossbar shot up, the nineteen dangled and I could not look away as much as I wanted. Most of them died silently and fast. The green lights flickered for a few seconds and turned red. The light of the califerm thief however stayed green moments, the thief kicked and spasm, then he went limb. The third Dai who and fired the weapon still gargled and his legs tried to find ground. The light stayed green and I could not say how long it took but I prayed to every God I knew to have mercy and turn that last light red. It stayed green for what seemed an eternity. The Crowd had made a collective sigh as the bar went up, but now there was utter silence. Only now Dawn pressed another contact on her glove, In heard the buzzing crackle of electricity, blue sparks crackled around the memory metal noose, one last violent kick the Dai Than stopped moving and the light went red.

The trap doors opened, the bar lowered and the memory metal robes released the bodies sliding directly into the tilted coffins below. The Scaffold was now empty, except for a bunch of pink flowers looking strangely out of place.

She motioned me with a wink and I followed her. The crowd was still silent and the first spectators started to leave. Dawn in a normal tone as if she would order coffee said. "That went rather well, except all the complications. "I knew she had that Dai suffer longer by setting the noose differently or something like that and I felt like an accomplice.

I was glad I could take off the robe and mask when we had returned to the small hotel and I took a long shower, but I felt as dirty when I left it as when I stepped in. I didn't press the button, no, but I was still there and not even as a spectator. It was a situation as unfair as can be and yet I did do nothing.

The Klack Justice had thanked me and I was dismissed. Dawn wanted to celebrate or have dinner or something. I did not ask details and I did not care about what else she wanted. I had used an Auto dresser and was Eric once again and sneaked out the back door of the hotel. A crowd of media people had gathered before the hotel, but no one was particular interested in me. It suited me fine as I just had to get away and went straight to the Gray Lines counter. I did not want to know details of the attack or who was behind it, or be asked to stick around, maybe to hang a little bald headed man. "Robot I want the next bus out of here, preferably to Arsenal Gate but if the service is still interrupted I take whatever bus leaves earliest."

"You can take the Greylines Wind spiel 923 Gate twelve. It will leave in 21 minutes to Palomino."

"Get me a ticket pease."

Assembly

The Elly announced their wishes for member ship and Algear leaned back into his seat and said. "Do you think the Elly will serve some sort of interesting food?"

Egill shrugged. "I would assume they do."

The Narth delegate stapled his fingers and said. "Food, the very idea of consuming substances is fascinating and one shall look forward to see you both eat the gelatinous Pulse-Stink maggots the Elly prefer."

Egill turned to the Narth. "You just made a joke right? There is no such thing as a Gelatinous Pulse Stink Maggot, or is there?"

"To question one: If one made a joke then it was unintended. Narth is still very much in discussion as of what a joke might be. One can make a Joke without producing any material item, but would the act of making if successful not yield a product and usually making requires raw materials. What raw materials would a joke need?

"To question two: You are asking this following a false statement. Denying the existence of the maggots does not make them any less substantial. However one can assure you Gelatinous Pulse stink maggots do exist and are the larvae state of the Pulse stink fly. This particular life form defends itself against natural predators with a highly concentrated organic liquid that sprayed in small pulses from the life forms abdomen. According to Xeno biological research documents it is among the most offensive odors and considered revolting by over ninety to experience it." percent of all olfactory sense enabled sentients. One will acquire with Narth Supreme to receive olfactory senses as well."

Algear said."The raw materials of a joke are every day occurrences, retold often in an exaggerated state to bring the punch line across."

"One does not understand why it would be necessary to retell an occurrence and alter it by adding substance. While it seems clear to the author of the dictionary one just consulted, what a punch line is. However it is not clear to Narth." The Narth got up and bowed. I must seek now the state of solitude. I shall return once I no longer seek this state."

He went to the door but was simply gone before he had reached it.

Egill shook his head."He is amazing. I can't wait for Tyr to talk to a Narth. I think he might be the only one able to understand them."

"I feel like a child, no less than a child when he speaks with such certainty and then his questions or his understanding of the most basic things of life make me wonder if the Narth have not evolved into a state that is neither life nor death but something else, a third state if you will."

Egill rubbed his beard. "Tyr often said that the Universe is dual. Life and death, Dark and light, good and evil, black and white, male and female, yes but that the key to a different place is the third state and it is not a mixture of two concepts, but a complete separate new one. He tried to explain it to me by saying to imagine the moment before the Universe came to be, the moment before matter, energy and time. He says this is the third state. Of course I am only human and cannot imagine that."

"It somehow sounds right and yet like you I can't begin to understand or imagine such concepts. I had enough Assembly business for a while, why don't you come with me to Saresii Prime One and we have a nice dinner and watch that Universal Wrestling Titans match. You know the Title belt is on the line and who knows if Terrible Tyrant will survive the Monster Pit Challenge."

"You are supposed to be a refined, fine mannered sissy Saresii Elder arrogant, old and above such crude below primitive UWT shows. Did you not only an hour ago lecture the Pan Saran delegate how high and mighty the Saresii are?"

"First of all it is a secret. No one in the Universe but you knows that the First Saresii of all loves watching UWT matches and drink a beer doing it. Secondly it was you who got me watching this mindless predictable repetitive junk and thirdly I did not lecture the Pan Saran. I let him partake on my great wisdom."