Sigvard hissed his answer." Because my father worked me over after this Nubhir snatcher attacked me!"
"I will keep you here for a while, till the doctor has time for you." She took him to the adjoining room and had him lay down. The doctor of the Hospital in town formed as a Holo almost right away, the Nurse closed the door and scanned me." Uh, that is a nasty cut Mr. Olafson, it's already infected! We had better Re-gen that part of your skin, it seems the Derma-Patcher has your name written on it as much as I use it on you!"
As I saw myself in the mirror I saw my shirt was blood soaked. The bandage I had applied to my chest had come loose.
Father of course had beaten me after he had returned from the exchange. Not that he had ever needed a reason for that, but he claimed that the damage to the boat was substantial and he did not get the money he hoped to gain from the sale.
"I am sorry Nurse Olga, I ran out of adhesive bandaging last night and I was not permitted into the kitchen to get more."
She sighed as she applied the Derma Patch, thousands of medical nanites repairing the cut by weaving new tissue, replicating mine exactly down to the molecule. The entire process took less than ten minutes and the only sensation was as if hundreds of fingers were circling around my chest.
The Nurse said." I want you to stay so the doctor can look you over, just to make sure I didn't miss anything."
The doctor's projection declared me fit but I had missed most of the morning class. Mr. Walter collected the reports and told me he had added the missed class to my download.
Yngve and I went topside to enjoy the wind and the clear sunny weather as we did every day since Shortsummer started ... Climbing on top of it was our favorite spot; it was not far from where I had fought Sigvard.
Here we were away from the others and their teasing, not that they were teasing us today. The wind was blowing hard but the air was not cold and I spread my arms into the gale and felt it tuck at my sleeves." Don't you want to fly sometimes like Loki did when he had Freya's feathered cloak?" I had to almost yell my question and Yngve shrugged." Not really. Those Norse God myths never did hold my attention much. Besides if you want to fly' all you have to do is order a flight belt from Techno Shack. They come complete with Anti grav and propulsion units."
"Do you remember who you are talking to? It's me Eric. No GalNet at home, the no allowance and no tech Eric!"
"I bet a bunch of Union marines in heavy destroyer suits and armed with TKU's would take all Asgard apart, stuff Thor's hammer deep in his behind and shave Odin's beard before chow time."
I stared at him." You'd better never let anyone hear what you just said."
"Did you see Pluribus? Did you see how insignificant Nilfeheim is? I am going to leave this planet as soon as I can. I piss on the opinion of the Elders."
"Wow you sound quite angry today. It isn't like you at all!"
Yngve shoved his hands into his pockets and his face relaxed and he said." I am still angry at Annar and Gunnar. I was scared to death. Then I was scared for you and as I saw you fight those fish. Now everyone speaks of you taking on a boat load of adult warriors and come out on top. I could never do that!
I am I am a Neo Viking by birth Eric, but nothing in me seems to be in tune with it all. I feel like a stranger every day I am on my own world and every time I take a Virtu and I am away I fell I belong!"
I knew all too well what he meant." I am scared every time to go home, I too am going to leave Nilfeheim and I am going to be a Star ship Commander just like Captain Ironhand."
"And then you return and you land the Starblazer right next to the Burg and kill your father by blasting the Burg to bits." Yngve said rolling his eyes." I hate to break it to you but Captain Ironhand is a fictional character and there is no Starblazer Spaceship either."
"I know that, but there is a real Union Fleet and there is a real Academy. Speaking of, did you ever get another episode?" I asked hoping he would have gotten another Virtu Upload of my favorite Virtu Experience. Yngve would bring them to school and I would use the library hook up.
"Sorry I didn't buy any this month. I spent all my allowance on Virtus about Pluribus!" He blinked into the wind and shaded his eyes to see me better. "You need to improve your grades quite a bit if you want to join the Academy and not become an enlisted. Only an Officer can become a Star ship Captain you know."
"How much do you think I have to improve them?"
"I don't know but to be accepted at the Academy to become an officer I bet they expect you to be the best of the best!"
That dampened my mood but I promised myself to increase my efforts.
He boxed me in the side. "Well then let's go back in, break is over and even though Mr. Flensburger, isn't as punctual as Mr. Walthers, he does expect us to be in class."
Mr. Flensburger, our history teacher was a little late as usual. He came into the classroom dressed like a Harpooner in the middle of Longnight. 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 already Short Summer now. It was only three degrees below zero on the C-scale. Bare chest weather my Uncle Hogun would say.
It took 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 still quite cold this morning, class," he greeted us and twenty seven Neo Vikings rose from their seats and responded. "Good morning Mr. Flensburger."
I couldn't help myself and said, "We have been told that you have been on Nilfeheim 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've had no time to get used to the weather yet."
That caused the class to laugh. He walked to the large windows, clasped his hands behind his back 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. The only thing worth mentioning living in our deserts is a centipede like scorpion and so far we were unsuccessful to find anyone who would try to eat one."
He turned back to face us and the front wall and the windows disappeared and the high detailed holo of a red featureless desert with rolling dunes appeared, even the sky appeared to have a reddish haze. The Class room computronic had taken his cue and projected a visual of New Algiers.
He gestured towards the image. "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 forty degrees on the C scale." He brushed his hand through the air and the image disappeared.
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 will graduate and perhaps some of you might actually leave this world and become real Union Citizens, not that I have big hopes for that. However this is my last school year. 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 recalled 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. He being off planet was news to me.
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 all day, even outside and in the city." He snorted in discontent. "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'll go there for a visit too!"
"You wouldn't like it. Because the guys don't wear much either and you barely see any blonde tall girls with braids anywhere. Those girls can't cook a decent meal, won't clean up after you and want to be equal to men and sit at the same table!"
His comment caused quite a few gasps of disbelief.
Flensburger shook his head putting his right hand before his eyes."You are hopeless."
Then he sat down on the edge of his desk and he stared at me.
"You look different, Eric. What are you wearing on your head?"
"It is the Helmet of the Hunt; I received it from the Elders."
"I am somewhat familiar with it. I was under the impression only someone completing the Hunt the ancient way was allowed to wear one."
Gunnar Peerson turned and gave me a thankful nod." Eric killed two Tyranno Fins saving my life a few days ago."
Flensburger got up and came closer."As you know I was on vacation the last two weeks. I did hear something about it, but just consider me an ignorant Off -Worlder for now, but would you explain that to me again? I thought the hunt part of the Ancient Challenge was considered too dangerous even by your standards and no longer required."
Gunnar answered."That is true, but Sigvard threw me into the ocean and poured Tyranno Scent into the water. I am sure the other teachers can tell you the details. I think they even recorded some of it."
His twin brother nodded to that and continued. "To slay a Tyranno Fin even in a modern Sub is no easy task, but to do it the old way by diving and using a Hand harpoon is almost suicide and because so many sons died that way this part of the Ancient Challenge is no longer required. However anyone can still do it the old way and that is the highest honor and test of skill. Eric did it to save my brother."
The teacher looked at me and said. "And you killed two of them?" He asked visibly astounded.
"Yes Sir. I had not planned on it. It all happened quite fast. That the one I killed wasn't hunting alone became apparent when its brother or father showed up, I had to kill it or it would have done so with us."
Yngve sitting next to me said. "I heard the Eldest say it was an Eight Tri," He sounded quite proud as he said. "And no Eight Tri has been slain by hand in over 200 years. It was all over the Nilfeheim Radio."
Flensburger shook his head once again."You are one crazy species of humans. Going against the biggest and fastest Predator fish in the Galaxy armed with a toothpick and hope to kill it by hitting a fist size target behind their eyes."
I made a circle with my hands. "The Mark was about that big, not fist size."
He rolled his eyes and sighed. "Right, that makes it so much easier."
Annar said. "And yesterday he was abducted by the Elhir Clan and fought adult warriors and captured a boat, but no one is allowed to talk about it much until the Elders and the Chiefs decided on the outcome of the incident."
Flensburger sighed deeply. "And you wonder why all this sounds like madness to an off worlder." He threw his hands in the air. "Very well then."
He turned to the class and said, "Have you ever wondered why we have school? Why we have classes? Why we don't simply use neural uploading for everything, like we do for language and general knowledge?"
There was silence. He pointed at Sven.
"You questioned the need for schooling many times before. Would you not rather have all what you need uploaded in your brain and be done with it?"
Sven shook his long red hair. "No I don't see the need for all this off world garbage in my head in the first place. I am going to be a harpooner like my Father and my brothers and my son will be a harpooner too. I will be a very good harpooner and one day, if Odin wills it, my father will give me my own boat and I become Clan Chief when he dies. What do I need to know about the rest of the Galaxy?"
Flensburger smiled a sad looking smile and said "I know you think that way. Many Neo Viking's coming to school think that way. But you are members of the Union and you do business with the Union. What good is a harpooner without a Harpoon? Or what good is a Hunt boat that can't sell its catch?"
Sven was still not convinced and crossed his big forearms across his barrel chest.
"We make our own Harpoons and we can eat our own catch."
Mr. Flensburger sighed. "Your skull is as dense as the ice out there. What is your harpoon made off? What do you use to propel your boats and hunting subs?"
Sven was not so sure about himself anymore and his voice changed as he answered: "Harpoons are made of Ultronit, and we use Zero point cubes to power the boats."
I could see Sven was suddenly thinking. We all knew Sven wasn't the sharpest harpoon on the boat, even though he was as strong as a Fangsnapper.
Flensburger asked... "And where does the Ultronit and the power cubes come from?"
He responded to the question, saying, "My father orders metals, knives and boat parts at the XChange."
"How does he pay for it?"
"With Union Creds of course."
"How does he get Union Creds?"
"We're selling Tyranno meat, Flasher fish and lots of Fanger Fur to the XChange in town." Even Sven realized what he was saying and nodded. "Alright we do need the Off-Worlders. You made your point, Mr. Flensburger, but why do we have to learn it this way?"
The skinny teacher sat down again on the edge of his desk. His favorite position when he was about to explain something to us.
"Our Union is a little over 3000 years old and we have over 4,500 member civilizations. There are millions of settled planets and locations. There are non humanoids, methane breathers, insectoids, and even a non corporal species. There are a very few things that are common to all. One of those things most societies have in common is the need to educate the young, to prepare them for the world. There are only a few species we know of who do not need to educate their offspring. The Bellebee for example. Those gas bag friends of ours have a collective mind they share all experiences, a Bellebee hatches with all knowledge he needs. But even the Bellebee send their young to Union schools mostly to prepare them to interact with us."
Mr. Flensburger folded his hands. "For most civilizations however schooling is necessary and after many millennia of experience and experimenting with all those various other education techniques it turned out that the old way of class interaction resulted in the best education. It's not knowledge that we try to instill, but to teach you ways to obtain knowledge and to prepare you to be Union Citizens, know about your rights and duties and of course for the same reason the Bellebee and all the others go to school, to learn how to interact with others and realize that we are all part of something bigger"
Again he looked across the class and pointed at Peter. "Why do you think these old methods might be superior?"
Peter, the son of a Fish merchant and one of the few who had plans to leave Nilfeheim after graduation for college answered after a short moment of thought.
"I believe even the smartest computronic can't answer a real question by analyzing the reason for the question in relationship to the environment and background of the student. Only a real teacher can do that."
"Not bad at
all, Peter. I would give you a straight A for that answer. Except that this is the textbook answer you just read. But finding the right answer so fast and skilfully hiding your PDD under your sleeve I still give you a B."
He nodded more to himself than to anyone in particular. "It is the environment in which we learn that makes the difference. Uploaded knowledge and implanted memories can supply you with all the data you need. While you won't find a Data head here on Nilfeheim, having your mind direct linked to GalNet is not uncommon elsewhere. So knowledge isn't the reason for schools and teachers but the environment in which you take it in to give you the tools to use the information your mind processes." He stabbed his finger at me."Mr. Olafson, what happens when you graduate?"
"We can become Citizens, Sir!"
"Very good, now regardless of your grades that determine your further career and education options, everyone becomes a Citizen after graduating Basic school and completing the Citizen Test. This is why you are here; this is why your parents want you here to become Citizens. Only as a Citizen can you freely travel, open a bank account, transfer UnionCreds, use GalNet, vote, get free health care and most of all, get the full protection of the law! Due to the so called Nilfeheim exception you don't have to serve the required 22 month, unless of course you leave Nilfeheim."
Sven still wasn't convinced, "I still don't see why an Off-Worlder like you has to come and teach us all that. My father told me that before we were forced to join the Union we would learn all that we needed from our parents or the Clan Elders."
"So you think you were forced to join?"
"What else do you call a Battleships with Planet-Buster bombs ready to vaporize our planet in orbit?"
"Before we go into that and since it seems you are quite the history expert, do you know the reason why the United Stars send Battleships in the first place?"
"Yes of course! Our glorious forefathers caused mayhem and terror by raiding other colonies and spaceships for everything we needed. "He laughed loudly." Neo Vikings were feared in this sector!"
"Indeed. Your glorious forefathers realized they would not survive another decade without things the outside world could supply. So they hijacked a freighter and a few Gunboats and resorted to piracy."
Eric Olafson Series Boxed Set: Books 1 - 6 (The Galactic Chronicles Series) Page 168