Chapter 2: Consequences

Lothar’s beam burned through my chest. It felt as if my entire torso was on fire, but I was alive. I did not faint or pass out instead fulled by burning rage I ran towards him, his face was pure horror he still held the small weapon he did not fire a third time. I reached him in mere seconds, buried my knee in his groin and smashed the palm of my hand against his nose with the hope I would shove his nose bone up his brain. Something completely impossible f course, but I was furious and kept pounding him until strong fists dragged me away. Space port security had arrived and they took me and Lothar into custody. Med bots carried Elena away.

I was brought to the clinic and it turned out that the water filled plastic bags I had used to simulate boobs, had saved my life. The Thermo blast energy vaporized most of the water and turned it to steam, which had burned my entire chest and face.

Elena had suffered a life threatening trauma but the fast arrival of the med bots putting her in stasis saved her life.

One of the Space port security men turned out to be a former Lowman of the Olafson clan talked to me with a snickering cackle in his voice. “I didn’t recognize you until I ran your CITI. What a hoot. The hero of Nilfeheim dresses up like slut out for a cheap date on Friday nights. Who would have thought?”

I was embarrassed and felt very ashamed. Elena hissed at him. “Did we break any laws?”

“I don’t know yet. The chief is reviewing the security footage and questions the assailant.” He kept laughing. “This is too funny. You are a joke. Oh man look at you fagot.”

Another security officer entered. “I am sorry we detained you here at the clinic for a little longer. We reviewed the security footage and I interviewed Lothar Olafson. He recognized Elena Olafson and admitted his intent to kill her. He had no knowledge that you were Mr. Olafson. It all was analyzed by Legal Central and a duty judge on Holstein court confirmed neither of you have broken any laws. Mr. Olafson acted in self-defence.

“Lothar Olafson however will be facing serious charges and will see a Union judge on Holstein planet. You are of course free to go. We will keep you informed in case we need you for the court procedures.”

Then he turned asked. “What is so funny Officer Brimhilf?”

“chief look at that dressed up Tranny. It’s Eric Olafson, the oh so famous Tyranno slayer and world saver.”

He slapped his knees. “I can’t wait till I tell this to the guys.”

“You will do no such thing. Have you forgotten your oath and training? You know you can’t discuss duty related things in private and what you are doing right now is highly unprofessional.”

“Not to mention illegal.” Said the space port doctor. “What your officer is doing, chief could be considered cruel and unjustified and I will testify to that as witness if they press charges.”

“I will take care of this.” The security chief promised. “Since he finds this so funny he will like the idea to be transferred to Pit Moss Planet, immediately”

To Elena and me the doctor said. “I was informed your grandfather is waiting outside to pick you up.”

I looked at Elena and she shrugged. I had no Grandfather, and she did not know hers. I knew Egill called me Grandson because he was a distant relative, but he was on Pluribus as far as I knew. In the waiting room of the clinic sat the Ancient One, the Old Man of Muspelheim and he did not smile or looked pleased at all. “I brought a flier to the entrance. We can leave when you are ready.”

We went out the side door and he rushed us to enter a black Mercedes and I noticed Richard the swordsman behind the control.

Elkhart motioned to the back seats. “Go sit down you two. Richard, we are in and ready to leave.”

Only after the flier was in the air and he sat across us he explained his serious mood. “Eric did I not tell you to be careful with your desire? I warned you not to go in public like that. It makes no difference to me or the true keepers living in Muspelheim, but this world is not ready for this. If this becomes public you will ruin everything you have gained. Our population in general has very little tolerance for what they think is not normal.”

He hushed me as I tried to say something. “I am not done Eric. The practice of killing deformed or otherwise handicapped children is still done here on Nilfeheim.

“They will try to put Nilfeheim logic to it and perhaps accuse Sif putting you under some spell to gain her position and subdue the most prominent hero of Nilfeheim.” Elkhart sighed and dropped his arms. “You are a celebrity a warrior. The young ones want to emulate you and they play Eric Olafson, fight imaginary Tyrannos and bad space pirates. Can you imagine what Nilfeheim would say if that comes to light? They will ask questions and then find out that you are not really married to Sif. Sif is not ready yet and won’t be for many years to come. The recent events were powerful enough to move our encrusted society a little forward. Give Low Men and women a little more rights, what you did tonight could destroy it all.”

Everything he said hit me harder than the whip of my father and I felt very much ashamed.

He sighed again “It happened in public and I do not have the wonderful mental gifts Egill or Tyr have to make them forget.” He stabbed his finger in Elena’s direction. “And you are neither trained or gifted enough to do that.”

Elena cried. “We meant no harm. Eric’s mind is so much at peace when he can be Freya. No one would have noticed or recognized him.”

He nodded. “Thankfully no one but the Security guards and the doctor have. I am not blaming you for what you are or what you desire Eric. I do not understand it, but you find in me the most open minded person and if I would be younger I might even try it for a change, but this planet is at the brink of a new future and a better one for everyone. Hasvik is suddenly alive again with many applicants and both girls and boys from all walks of life and social standing. The fighting schools are overwhelmed with young women wanting to emulate Sif and the Elders discussing openly how to integrate a few women in the circle of Elders. All this is thanks to Egill and you.”

I tried to make my voice sound firm but failed. “What can we do?”

He said. “Carl has killed Lothar. Officially your brother committed suicide, Carl is very good at that. So it won’t come to a court case that anyone could watch on GalNet, where you would have to appear as witness.

“Sigfrida is also taking care of the security guard, he will have an accident. She too is very good at those things. No one will expect Lothar’s death as anything else as a suicide. For the Union the case is closed and they won’t release any security footage or names to the public, that was all we could do, but I don’t like having to kill people to protect your secret.

In a week school ends for summer break and your basic school is finally over and Mr. Valthim will make you citizen, After that you will leave Nilfeheim. Out there you can be Freya to your heart’s content, Eric, but not on Nilfeheim at least not for many decades to come.”

I nodded. “I will do that.”

“You wanted to leave anyway and join the Fleet, now you leave a little early. It will give you time to travel a little.”

He leaned back and smiled a weak smile. “I know you did not mean any harm and I can attest you look fabulous as Freya. Your clan could not be in better hands, Elena will make a great clan chief and break another barrier and you can trust her.”

She took my hand and said. “Yes you can I promise.”

--””--

The next day I went to the Clinic and asked for an appointment with Dr. Dwyer. After a short wait, I was seen by the old Terran doctor and it was hard to actually tell him what my problem was. To actually put it in words was more embarrassing than I realized, but then I told him and he listened to my problem. He leaned back and said. “What you call a disease or a sickness is a psychological disorder that occurs in genetic predestined people, well at least in your case. I checked your DNA and found you have all the triggers necessary for it to occur and this combined with your traumatic childhood most likely caused this.

“It is very rare in this form in the Union in general. The DNA triggers are usually recognized early and prenatal and if the parents agree they are removed. About a thousand years ago it became so popular that you could find a gender change studio in every mall across the Union, but some made the changes every other week and that led to wave of suicides and psych problems.”

He folded his hands and leaned back. “It is still perfectly legal and easy to change ones gender and there is no law or cultural requirement that tells you how to dress or how to feel or to what gender you feel associated or attracted. There are so much more curious things out there; it would not even raise an eyebrow on most other worlds.”

“Can I get rid of it?”

His face became serious. “Every Psycho Surgeon would jump in and say yes of course, a little psycho surgery will forever cure you of this desire.”

I said. “Why is it then you do not recommend it?”

He sighed. “With all our knowledge and all our advancements in medicine, the human psyche is still not completely understood. Even if the Psycho hacks say otherwise. It will forever change your personality, Eric. You would no longer be you. Whatever you think about your desire it is part of you and you should aim to find an answer, a balance or perhaps a place to live that is less restrictive. I have seen the results of Psycho Surgery and without exception they all turned out to be smiling and happy but totally empty and hollow. They would display whatever personality the Psycho Surgeon thought would be good. This is my professional opinion on Psycho Surgery and I cannot recommend it with a clear consciousness to anyone. All this said I have not even touched the meta-physical aspects of soul, higher awareness and spirituality.”

“It almost destroyed everything I had gained last year and it might bar me from entering the Academy.”

“I am sure they have your Medical School Exams on file ever since you signed up and they also saw the triggers.

“The specialists looking over those applications and files are not fringe world MDs but Navy scientists. They would have rejected you if this is to be a handicap. However, I can tell you that if you opt for Psycho Surgery, it will most certainly bar you from ever becoming a Commanding Officer, which I know for a fact.”

Interlude 2: Dai-Than

Every fifth Nutho-Cycle, which was a calculated time fragments of a Galactic Year and maybe three or four times in the life of a Dai-Than all the tribes would meet at Thana-Shoo the remnants of their once proud and beautiful home world. Officially destroyed so long ago by the ferocious hordes of the Y’All. But the most secretive rumors spoke of another reason the world was destroyed, but that was part of the Forbidden Past and perhaps only the Pale Ones knew the truth. Nothing but fragments of the planet remained, one such fragment the continent sized Nak-Thana-Shoo, meaning the heart of Thana-Shoo, was the site of that meeting. No outsider, no one not Dai had ever seen this place.

During four Nutho cycles this place was abandoned, except for the mystical Pale Ones that guarded this place, but at the end of the fifth cycle the system would fill with the fleets of every Dai clan. Dai Mothers and millions of ships would crowd the system. For ten Thana Shoo days all Dai celebrated highly ritualistic festivities, traded among each other, forge alliances celebrate weddings and do other tribe business. The tribal chiefs, tribe lords and their oldest children come together in the stone and rock amphitheater on Nak-Thana-Shoo. A force field bubble erected over it and filled with breathable air.

The Tribal chiefs brought forth their most formidable warriors and pit them against each other in highly regulated and deeply traditional fight events. The warrior who won the most fights was then called Champion of Thana Shoo and it was an honor like no other.

Tar Kar-Hi, the mighty lord of the Hi Dai-Than tribe, one of the oldest and most powerful of all stood in his tribes stair section of the amphitheater and looked over the many other Dai Than tribal lords, either already in their section or on their way to it, it was an impressive sight, but to him it was a sad one.

There were still many tribe lords but nowhere the number there once were, many seats remained empty and there were already more empty seats than occupied ones.

Bor Hat-Je an old friend walked over to him and greeted him by putting his hands on both of Tar-Kar’s shoulders and Tar did the same to him. “Good to lie hands on your shoulders again, my old friend, Bor Hat. How did the endless darkness treat you and your tribe over the past Nutho Cycles?”

Bor Hat looked like a brother to Tar Ka, both tall and athletic, despite their age. The arms bulging with sinew and rock hard muscles, their skin bright red and the black hair slicked back into a very tight pony tails apparently pulling the already angular arched black eyebrows up even further.

Clad in deep red almost maroon colored leather suits with intricate stitching and leather carvings. Lined beneath with metal micro mesh armor and fully seal-able in seconds to become a functional space suit.