Eric Olafson, Neo Viking Vol. 02

Elena smiled cold." My brother has proven beyond question he is a man. He killed men for fewer offenses, so leave as long as you can. It is very impolite to interrupt a family call."

"Wow those are your sisters, little man. I am your best friend from this day on. I expect their names and contact codes." He walked off and I activated the privacy screen.

Elena laughed and said." Boys will be boys, Eric. See it with Freya's eyes and let him live."

"I am not planning to get in any fights or kill anyone. I am right at the door to the Academy."

She hugged me once more and Sigfrida did as well, and then proved she was still the warrior she always was and said. "He favors his left hand, carries a fight hammer in an underarm holster, but looks like he has a glass chin. The fool stepped into an avatar scanner field you know."

Both hugged me again and after we said our fare wells. The call terminated.

The privacy screen collapsed but the group had dissipated, perhaps called in already. I checked the glowing display numbers next to the door. Numbers 66 to 76 displayed. Still a long way to go.

The Vent-Matics were well stocked with a vast selection of popular snack items. Pre packed snacks like this I knew from the School cafeteria but never had money to buy any unless Yngve bought some and shared them. Popular Nilfeheim snacks were pickles, pickled fish, pickled sea weed buds and pickled dumplings. Dried Fish strip and air dried squid.

I found something called Minnows and Nuts and it came in a red bag and had small finger long dried and salted fish and some sort of crunchy fruits that tasted oily. I liked it and got me a can of Sparkle bright and sat down, leaning back. I was nervous about the admission process, but I was here and the recent nightmarish events started to fade. Considering all things I felt actually content. I must have nodded off for a while. I opened my eyes with that sandy feeling and the realization I had not just closed my eyes but slept. The numbers displayed 110-120, a considerable improvement, still far from the 239 on my plastic card. Almost everyone still waiting were now sitting, sprawling and reclining in the Vari-Form chairs.

I was just at my third trip to the Vent-matics, as I heard my number. Hastily I put the candy-bar in my pocket and went through the slide door next to the number display board. Behind it was a light gray corridor with black shiny floor.There were ten doors, five on each side and over one door I saw my number and name displayed in bright illuminated letters.

I looked for a door chime or buzzer but found none, so I knocked and the door opened immediately.

A uniformed humanoid being sat behind a desk, the room was sparsely lit and the walls, floors and everything were colored in a dark gray with dark red accents. Even the light from the indirect mounted illuminating plates had a reddish glow to it.

The being was about human size had two arms, a torso and a head on a neck, but there was no visible mouth or nose, and the eyes seemed just darker areas in the beings otherwise gray and smooth skin. The being reminded me of the Sisters of Nilfeheim and their stocking masks, only I was sure this was no mask but how the being really looked.

It extended a hand and said. "Have a seat applicant. I am Specialist Yda." The darker skin area where his mouth was moved but it did not appear to be the source of the voice

I sat down and said." I am Eric Olafson from Nilfeheim.

"Nice to meet you Eric and I would like to say thank you that you consider a career in the United Stars Fleet."

He moved one of his hands over a dimly lit contact area of his desk. "Yes you are Eric Olafson, you are from Nilfeheim and you are a lawful citizen. I see you spoke with a Fleet recruiter and entered the Pre Entry Program." He studied whatever read out he saw." You downloaded every fleet information brochure and I see you subscribed to "Log Book Stories" and "Command Chair" very unusual Virtu Choices for an applican

I was a little surprised to see they kept records of this." I just liked to get as much information about the Fleet as I could, Sir."

The being nodded gracefully. "It tells me that your decision was certainly not spur of the moment but you planned this for a long time." The being folded its hands and its long spidery fingers had several more joints than regular human fingers. I got dizzy just watching and wondered if his kind ever made knots they could not get apart. The being suddenly vibrated and made a humming sound. "Yes actually we do. When I was young I often got so tangled up that my Sip-Sap had to help me get my hands apart."

"You can hear my thoughts as well?" I really didn't like that seemingly every other person I ran into could read my thoughts."

"Yes Applicant I can, I am Leedei and as your new friend Mix told you, your thoughts are quite loud. "It leaned forward. "What is your reason for wanting to join?"

"To serve and protect, to do my share to keep this Union..."

It interrupted. "Not the poster reason, why did you decide to join and you can be frank and truthful"

"I needed to get away from Nilfeheim for one thing. Ever since my Grandfathers funeral I had no other plans. I always wanted to join the Fleet."

"What is it that attracts you? I see you are an executive of Enroe Industries. You own controlling stock in a successful company and you are an officer of the Justice Department."

"All this sort of happened and I sure don't think these are careers I want to spend my life doing. The Fleet is the only place where I eventually could become a star ship captain."

The being made a series of whispering sounds and then said. "I think you are indeed at the right place then."He unfolded his hands in what must have been a mental challenge. "You have a long way ahead of you before you reach that goal, but there are millions of ships and all have Captains so you see many others have reached that goal and done it before you and perhaps you too will do that one day."

This statement of the being lifted my spirits considerably and it was right. Whatever lay ahead of me, others had done it. So it could be done."

"I am Leedei as I said. My kind comes from M 31, a small satellite galaxy of Andromeda and I do not wear a stocking over my head, what an interesting concept though."

"Is there any way I can somehow adjust the volume of my thoughts? I really don't like sharing everything I am thinking.

"I know of no natural way to do that. We Leedei have very nice technical solutions and I am sure the Narth or the Saresii might have ways to accomplish that. Should you reach your goal and become an officer you or even a captain, they all receive extensive shielding and mental training."

The Leedei pointed to the door." It was nice chatting with you. Once you leave my office you will be further tested, and scanned. Be advised that from now on everything that happens could be a test and part of an evaluation process, keep that in mind."

The being was not kidding. After a dozen more interviews, medical exams and scans. I felt as if I was turned inside out and every last molecule and thought of mine had been examined, dissected and recorded.

At one point they had me undress and bathe in a milky white liquid that had a metallic odor to it. A technician explained it was to make sure no bio weapons or nanites were transported to Arsenal II.

At least I met Derek and Mix again.

After that bath they gave me a bright orange jumpsuit with my last name stenciled across my chest and the word applicant between my shoulder blades

My personal belongings were in a plastic crate and I carried it like everyone else to a long metal counter, a chubby looking human with a robot assistant waved at me." Move it applicant, your next."

He pointed at a recess in the counter and snapped unfriendly." Your crate fits right in there. Show some initiative." To his colleague next to him, processing a tall Andorran, he said, as if I wasn't there. "Sometimes I really hate my job, someone like that wants to become an Officer. Well they always need more Dibbies."

I put my crate in the recess and a warning sound beeped." Class V Weapon detected."

He took the blaster out of the crate. The one I had received from the police officer at Corri-Door." Government Issue SIG Class V with full 60 bolt magazine. You better be licensed for that."

He scanned my CIT and was satisfied. "One SIG STR 229 with magazine and holster." He handed it to the Robot who put it in another bin.

"One Fairbairn Sykes fighting knife in shoulder harness. One Oslo brand heavy Boot knife. One Marine Corps Chain sword with full flamer attachment."

He stopped." What war zone do you come from? You carry almost as much hardware as a Dai Than."

Since he continued describing and handing my things to the robot I was sure he didn't expect an answer.

"One SII -- ProDat 9 -- Hexatonium Edition."

"Pack of Sparkle Bright gum- Grape Flavor, opened"

He described each and every item of clothing and everything I had in my pockets that way. I didn't think it was right for him to know what I had in my pockets. I felt like being processed for prison. Then he said to me." All your items will be stored in safe keeping and will be returned to you, after you leave the academy, either accepted or rejected."

Between each test and each station of this process was a waiting period and since I had also to no PDD, I did not know what time it was or how long all this took. Derek was certain it was over thirty hours for sure as they finally herded us aboard a Leyland Military Shuttle. Everyone else was wearing those bright orange colored jumpsuits. I was tired and thirsty. I was certain they used every test and every sensor known to science on me. I had been bathed now four times in various liquids, sterilized inside and out. Filled out forms and questionnaires and then was probed and measured and scanned some more.

"They are treating us like penal colony prisoners than Academy aspirants." complained Derek. He managed to get a seat next to me.

I had to agree with him. It was impersonal, cold and demeaning. With a few exceptions the personnel was grumpy, indifferent and unfriendly.

Mix who also made it wiggled his big ears."To become an officer on one of those magnificent ships, I'd endure much worse."

"I wonder why they do it that way." I said. "I mean would it hurt to show a little more respect?"

Derek answered again:"It wasn't so bad. They need to make sure no spies make it to Arsenal. Do you know how many times the Kermac and others have tried to find out just what Terrans really found on Arsenal III?"

Another applicant answered this one. "The GC does not like the Union and they didn't like losing this star system to the Union, especially since everyone knows we found something there, something very important. I would be very angry to lose my own front yard to a hated neighbor only to hear that this neighbor found a treasure in it."

An applicant across the aisle had the name Binks stenciled on his chest shrugged. "I think it is a ruse, there is nothing there and all this is to throw the GC off course and it worked for the last 2000 years."

Derek leaned back in the seat, obviously glad like everyone else to sit down and rest." I think they found a secret city of the Celtest or perhaps the Uni."

I turned my head towards him "And you read that in your galactic National Magazines?"

Derek gave me a broad grin. "Sure have, but that's not the only thing I watch or read."

"So what did they find then?" I asked

Binks chimed in again "No one that knows ever talked, but rumors have it that they found a Celtest city or ship yard and completely intact, with the entire Tech level 11 stuff ready for the taking. The famous alien ship, brought back by Admiral Stahl during the last Y'All Invasion is supposedly a Celtest battleship. I think it was here were he found it."

"Was it not 2516 when Richard Stahl returned and saved the Galaxy?" I said smiling back. Proud at myself that I remembered something and wasn't completely ignorant

"2516 was when the war ended. Stahl returned in 2514"

"Why haven't we have reached Tech Level eleven yet?" I asked. "I mean if they really found what you said. It's over 500 years ago."

Binks said: "It takes the average Civilization between three to five thousand years to reach Tech level three and over 20,000 years to go from there to reach Tech level seven. Look at the Kermac. They have been around for almost a million years they say and have not advanced past tech seven.

Some of Saresii technology is considered to be Tech level 9 and they reached level three over a Million years ago. The Union in general is at Tech level eight but many consider Terran technology already well past Tech 8. Now the Terrans are still one of the youngest and newest galactic civilizations."

Mix wiggled his ears. "When my people heard of the speed the Terrans achieved this, we called it the Terran Miracle."

He kept moving his ears while he spoke. "Binks is right you know, It takes many millennia of dedicated research to even fundamentally understand the principles of any Tech level higher than yours. It can be quite dangerous too, if you are not very careful. I bet they found just what the rumor said and that is why Terrans and the Union advance so fast."

Derek nodded."Imagine a Stone Age man trying to figure out the function of a blaster weapon. This Stone Age man would have to make a lot of discoveries and inventions on his own to even understand the rudimentary workings of that blaster and during that long process might even accidently shoot himself, by looking in the muzzle, before he ever figures it out."

While we talked our shuttle left Arsenal Gate, went superluminal.

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Chapter 16: Admiral Webb

Arsenal System was an OII Main sequence star with 11 planets. Each planet was heavily developed by the Fleet. The United Stars Spatial Navy was one of the biggest organizations in the known universe. There must have been Trillions of beings serving active all over the Galaxy and beyond.

Millions of ship and bases that needed personnel, maintenance, upgrades, and supplies. Even the three gas giants in the system and their moons had some installations on them. Systems like Arsenal were there to feed that monster with materials, munitions and beings.

Because this particular Navy base was technically in enemy space, it also was perhaps also the most heavily protected and defended system. A cocoon of weapon platforms, mine fields, sensor buoys and space forts surrounded the system in addition to the many war ships and deep space fighters on constant stand by. Sensor installations tracked everything that moved within 100 light years.

Arsenal II was a very hot water less planet with a toxic acid atmosphere, to close to its sun to develop native life and in many ways similar to the Sol systems Venus. Despite these adverse conditions the planet was home to over five million beings. While most of the installations were deep underground, the planets primary building complex, a major branch of the United Stars Spatial Naval Academy and a Class B space port (mil) were above ground.

The Naval Academy had many hundred branches across Union space branches but the Arsenal II branch was also its administrative headquarters

All this information I got from a Vidi-brochure that was playing over and over again on the passenger compartment main screen.

The constant vibration of the ship changed and that most likely indicated that we had dropped into Real Space and approached our destination. The Vidi-brochure on the main screen disappeared and was replaced by a mustard yellow ball, that soon filled the screen. Thick clouds whirled in its atmosphere and prohibited any view of the actual planet surface. Without swinging into an orbit first, our transport ship immediately descended into that thick pea soup atmosphere and the view screen showed nothing but unhealthy shades of sulfuric yellow.

Moments later we had passed through this kilometers thick soup of acid clouds and the ship was floating across a lifeless inhospitable environment. Rough rugged mountains, huge fissures of canyon size zigzagging across the umbra colored surface. The transport descended further and a collection of buildings centered on a tall cone shaped tower was the obvious target of our trip. Lush green parks with perfectly groomed grass, large trees and small ponds surrounded the compound. A transparent, almost reflection free, most likely energy-field reinforced Duranium dome encased it all. As we passed directly over it it looked strangely surreal and out of place. Green parks, trees and buildings surrounded by that lifeless rugged landscape with rough looking boulders, and an environment unfit for most life forms.

The transport landed on a Duro-crete field. A slide-way inside a transparent pipe rose from the ground and attached itself to the airlock. The doors opened and a barrel chested human in uniform told us to get up. Two seat rows at a time and single file. He made sure it all happened in an orderly manner. The slide-way inside a transparent tunnel transported us across the landing field and inside that dome we had seen from space.

The slide belt had ended right behind the Ultronit base of the transparent dome. I estimated the apex of this dome to be at least a thousand meters above us. There we joined a line of at least a thousand more beings dressed in orange, already waiting. They stood on themaroon colored surface of a straight path leading to that central cone shaped tower like building directly underneath the apex of the protective dome and exactly at the center of this installation.

I estimated that path to be about twenty meters wide and a good twot thousand meters long from the bottom of the dome ring to that central tower.

We had just emerged from underneath the base of the dome. A flight of stairs led from the base ring of the dome fifty steps down and connected this entrance to that access path. From my elevated observation point I noticed five more of these access pathways, that like the spokes of a wheel radiated from the cone shaped tower. I was certain there were three more spokes on the other side but blocked by that tall building. Each of these access paths had a long line line of orange dressed applicants like this one. In my mind I calculated and estimated that there had to be at least ten thousand applicants waiting to be processed into the Academy just like me.

The spaces between these spoke like paths were covered with well-groomed grass lawns, trimmed scrubbery and small trees on it. There also were shimmering ponds of water here and there. The light came from a sun light projector mounted right at the zenith of this huge dome. Everything looked very orderly and very regulated.

I watched a gang of beings in dark green uniforms tending one of the grass areas with hand tools. It somehow reminded me of the Halls of Hasvik and I was almost certain they did that as a result of a punishment or something like that.

A humanoid union officer floated down from somewhere and hovered a few feet away from us and he addressed us. "Welcome to Arsenal Academy, applicants. Since we have a lot of applicants today listen up and listen carefully. This is your first actual order you now receive as Union fleet personnel. The instructions I will give you now are meant as a test for your ability and willingness to accept instructions that might cause discomfort or make no sense to you. Since this is your first official order it will be explained to you.

Be prepared that this might have been the last time anyone explained the reason for an order to you.I know, all this is new to you of course, but those who remain will soon get used to it."