A/N:
1. trenth...Well I'm certainly glad to here that ma'am"...Alfredo replied with a look of relief. That should be hear. Freyja thought to her self, equally relivedthat should be relieved. :)...Noted and corrected...thanks
2. Little used words, terms, trivia, etc. concerning this chapter...
(1)...Eiríkur Rauði...Erik the Red
(2)...Leifur Eiriksson...Leif Erikson
(3)...Hél... (pronounced "Hail")..Norse Goddess/Queen of the underworld; said to be one half a beautiful woman and one half a dead rotting corpse. Her throne was in the frozen hall of the same name (Hél), in the cold underworld of Niflheim. It was not necessarily a place of punishment, like we of Judeo-Christian cultures think of Hell (derived from the same name), but rather the dwelling place of those who did not die a hero's death in battle and therefore chosen to be taken to either Valhalla or Sessrumnir/Fólkvangr. You would end up there simply from dying of old age, accident, disease, etc. It's also interesting to note that Hél was not only the Goddess and ruler of the dead, but also the guardian of souls not yet born. A cool video about her can be found at….. ..com/watch?v=m3Xm9qj5XG0
(4)….Iðunn.…...Norse Goddess of youth, life and health. She gave the other Gods and Goddesses special apples, that kept them from aging, getting sick and/or dying. They did not, however, make them immortal, as we today think of the term. They only protected them from death by natural causes. They could still be killed in battle and/or by accidents.
(5)….Tunguska Event…On June 30, 1908 there was a mysterious explosion in Siberia, near the Podkamennaya Tunguska River. It knocked over about 80 million trees over a 800 square mile area and was estimated to be the equivalent of up to a 15-20 megaton thermonuclear blast (about 1,000 times as powerful as the bombs the U.S. dropped on Japan at the end of WWII). No signs of a crater was ever found and the most accepted, or rather the "official," theory was that it was a large meteoroid or comet exploding before impact. It has never, however, been fully established or proven as to what the cause actually was and there have been many things about this occurrence that the comet/meteoroid theory can't explain, like accounts of radiation/genetic damage in wildlife and people in the area, the sky glowing at night for weeks afterwards, accelerated growth rate in the trees in the surrounding areas, etc. There are several "other" theories and they range from the earth colliding with a small black hole, a piece of anti matter, an alien space craft going out of control and disintegrating in the atmosphere and even something ripping through the space time continuum.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, there has been much evidence come to surface of a massive cover up on the part of the Russian government, surrounding this event. It is sometimes referred to as a Russian Roswell.
.org/wiki/Tunguska_event
.gov/headlines/y2008/30jun_
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.com/videosearch?q=Tunguska+event&hl=en&sitesearch=hl=en&sitesearch=&q=tunguska+explosion&src=2&view=2&qvid=tunguska+explosion&vid=287042242327364278
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters related to TSCC or are they my creation. This work is strictly amature (obviously) and I receive no compensation of any kind. The character of "Freyja Björnsdóttir", however is of my creation totally.
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The Story of a life:
Chapter 6: Bedtime Stories
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Mar. 12, 2026
Furnace Creek; Death Valley, Ca.
1830 Hrs.
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The little eighteen year old Lieutenant, clad in the garb of some primordial savage, continued to relax in the soft flickering glow of her little fire pit. She reached over to a little pile of sticks by her side and tossed a few more onto the fire, sending a swarm of orange glowing fireflies fluttering away into the night, as Allison laid back against the gnarled cottonwood, gazing absent mindedly into her little fire.
Suddenly a faint silent sound, a sound so slight it would be nothing more than just a feeling, a sensation of being watched. An awareness of a presence rapidly approaching, pulled her from her revere.
She sprang to her feet while simultaneously reaching behind her, to grab a pair of shiny, pristine condition, pearl handled S&W.50 magnum revolvers, that hung from the dead cottonwood, in one quick fluid motion. With a gleaming ten inch stainless steel hand cannon in either hand, in stark contrast to her stone age attire, she bound with cat like quickness and agility, out of the fire's light and quickly scanned her now dark surroundings, for the author of that ever so silent sound, the subtle but sudden sense of being watched. Her head snapped, as if spring loaded, to the southwest... toward a pair of red glowing eyes, rapidly closing in on her from out of the darkness...
...She lightly squeezed the triggers, gently thumbed the hammers down to the safe position, as the twin pistols slid under her waist band. Dropping to a knee she threw open her arms, as the eyes of the nocturnal predator went from a fiery red to a yellowish gold, with the changing angle of the fire's soft glow. Fenrir's black furry mass burst out from the night. His hundred ninety two pound bulk nearly bowled her over, as she grabbed his neck and buried her head into his gray streaked mane.
..."So where ya been, ya big ol fenrisúlfur!"...Allison cried out, as they playfully wrestled...
..."I was starting to worry...ya get it done?"...
Fenrir boxed her solidly in the thigh with his snout, as she stood up, then loped smoothly and silently toward the fire. He glanced back her way, his immense dark form silhouetted by the fire's orange glow, as he spoke, with his piercing amber gold eyes.
She ran back to the old gnarled cottonwood, at the fire's far edge.
He laid back his ears, tilted his head to the sky and with a sharp piercing howl, called out to the night. From the distant southwest their returned a chorus of calls, then back into the darkness he shot, like a swift silent shadow.
She dashed behind the tree, grabbed a long silvery pike, a rawhide pouch, reptilian skinned hood and her knife. Quickly returning to the fire's edge, she dropped to her knees. With her pike laying to her left and the little pouch on her right, she pulled the hood over her head and made a few quick little adjustments, so the eye slits were positioned for optimal vision. With her hood in place, she was somewhat reminiscent of a medieval headsman, save it being fashioned of various snake and lizard skins with just mere neatly cut little slits, where the eyes would be.
The occasional chirp of a cricket, the slight tinkle from the stone fountain and an occasional far off subdued rumble, like the sound of heat lightning on a warm summer eve, from the distant North West, as Mt. Young belched forth another golden plume, was all that broke the dead silence of the dark desert night.
With muscles tensed like spring steel, blood pounding in her ears, she crouched close to the ground behind the soft glow of the waning fire, where she waited patiently like a spider in its web. With her silvery gleaming spear clutched in her left hand, she reached into the little pouch on her right and withdrew a fist full of silvery gray powder.
A long piercing howl, shattered the still silent night and her body drew taut, like a snake ready to strike. At the slight sound of the snapping of a twig, the glowing hot coals burst into a blinding white flash as the powder was cast forth. She jammed the pike's butt solidly into the earth, as it was deftly yanked upward to precisely the right angle, then smartly off to her right she rolled. The deer came down in her place with a thud, its heart neatly pierced by gleaming silvery shaft.
She bounced back to her feet with her thick brown hair flaying, as the hood was yanked off. Fenrir and his silvery gray companion, Igrayne, loped leisurely into the camp, flanked on either side by their sons, Galahad and Gawain.
She grabbed her paratrooper knife and clutched it in her teeth, as the feral little savage bounded back to the fallen animal, placed a foot on its shoulder, pulled the pike from its breast then dropped to her knees by its side. Laying her head on its neck, she stroked its fur a few times, whispered soft words as if apologizing for the deed just committed, as her little band of "Knights" respectfully looked on.
After she concluded her little ceremony, the "Wolf Girl" snapped open her knife and sliced open the belly in one clean stroke. She thrust her arm deep in under the ribs and pulled out the heart. After biting off a chunk she held it out to Fenrir, who snatched it tight in his fangs. After a sharp tug and a few growls, it ripped in two and the other half was tossed to an eagerly waiting Igrayne, who caught it with a snap of her jaws. The liver was next and was sliced in two, then tossed to Fenrir and Igrayne while the remainder of the entrails were given to Galahad and Gawain, as they growled and snarled in little tug of wars, over the warm moist delicacies.
Allison sliced off a fair sized chunk of flesh from the hindquarters for herself, tossed it on the glowing coals and then gave Fenrir a little nod of her head. He pounced on the carcass, savagely tearing off chunks of meat, nearly swallowing them whole, till he had eaten his fill. Igrayne followed suit and then their two sons. With her knife, the "Wolf Girl" stabbed the hunk of meat in the fire and relaxed back against the old cottonwood, pulling the baked flesh from the fur with her teeth. Fenrir and Igrayne sat at her sides, their fury triangular ears twitching and turning, like little radar receivers, to detect the slightest of threats, to their leader and comrade in arms.
In the year 2026 AD she laid, her belly full, asleep on the ground with a black fury beast pressed up beside her, curled up in a ball in the soft orange glow of a fire. Three others wandered about the camp, guarding against any unwelcome intruder, or laid by the lazily flickering fire, gnawing on bones under a clear starry sky. A rumbling and grumbling volcano, glowing with a pulsating yellowish orange hue, off in the far distance, completed the scene. To the millions of souls outside of this peaceful refuge, it was perhaps the eve of mankind, but to Allison and her brood it was but the dawn, as if in the early Pleistocene. As she slept under the dark starry sky, she dreamed of the day when her Kyle would join her and make her dream a reality, after the fires of Ragnarök subsided.
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March 16, 2022
New Los Angeles, Ca.
Sergeant Mc Cook and Allison Young's Quarters
2230 Hrs.
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Corporal Allison Young lay in her bed, listening intently, as Freyja Björnsdóttir told her the stories from her own childhood. While the tales of King Arthur and his Knights were still her favorite and the old leather bound book her Dad had found for her, her most prized possession, the myths and folktale's of Freyja's native land had become a total passion with her. She had decided to turn in early (she had been in bed since about eight o clock and it was now after ten), as this would be the last night that her Dad would be working late, at least until they had a new group of recruits ready for training.
Perry had been getting somewhat antsy, as to when Freyja would be returning to her regular duties at the infirmary. Allison was now fully recovered, physically and spiritually. The arrival of Fenrir and Igrayne into her life had seemed to have given her a real reason to live again and had returned to her, her old spunk, along with that peculiar bouncy gait she at times had. The need for Freyja's duties as a nurse or even a nanny had long since past. With the exception of an occasional visit, to help her Dad with his books and other business related issues, as he had finally made her a full partner in his little operation, she would probably not be seeing much of her "Aunt Freyja" for awhile, after this night.
Allison also had acquired a few new duties of her own. After her encounter with the dog trainers, she had brazenly marched into Perry's office with her demands, as Fenrir took the liberty to urinate on the corner of his desk.
While he had been more than just a little taken aback, by her rather brash and presumptuous entrance, her somewhat snide initial comment on how she could probably "take him out," before he could even draw his weapon and should consider doing something about his security measures, he was also a little impressed.
With the exception of Lieutenant Connor, who was MIA anyway, he had never seen in any of even the most top officers under his command, the same self confidence, unflinching boldness and direct pull no punches manor in which she spoke. She was probably the most arrogant and surly individual he ever had the displeasure to meet, without even so much as a clue to any sort of military courtesy. Even so, she seemed to possess qualities that he wished more of the men under his command could acquire.
The young Corporal he had placed in charge of the new dog training program, while the best he could come up with at the time, was also proving to be less than adequate, a fact that Allison had been sure to remind him of, several times, during their discussion. In the weeks following the onset of the project, they had managed to come up with a perfect one hundred percent rate of failure, it was going nowhere fast. Perry had received direct orders from none other than supreme commander General Mitchell himself, to get this project going and he expected results rather than excuses.
According to Sea-Tac intelligence reports, Skynet had developed a new prototype infiltration unit. Unlike the rubber skinned T-600 series, which resembled a glorified walking store mannequin that a blind man could spot, these were different. They were life like in every detail, from real sounding human speech to actual living flesh and were absolutely impossible to detect, upon first encounter. The scariest part about them was that, not only did they look totally life like, but they could be produced to exactly duplicate an actual living person. Dogs, however, could somehow sense that they were different and as they were totally foreign to the animal's range of experiences, would interpret them as a threat and react accordingly.
While these new Skynet units were still exceedingly rare, the general consensus was that they would be the next generation of terminators. Mitchell had expected Perry to have at least half of his combat units equipped with dogs, within a month's time. It had already been slightly over a week, with a zero success rate and it didn't look like things would improve anytime soon.
The two wolf cubs, sitting dutifully at Allison's side, stood as living testimony to her alleged talent in this particular area. He wasn't sure if he trusted her, given her background and he surely didn't like her, but he was over the preverbal barrel.
With much reluctance, he took the chance and appointed her to be Corporal Peterson's advisor. She was still technically a civilian, but in reality, she was most definitely in charge and while Peterson didn't exactly like her, or the situation in general, he was able to finally accept it. They never became anything close to friends, but did manage to develop a good working relationship. Within four days time they had all the dogs previously collected, trained and into service.
With the supply of dogs to train exhausted, she and her ever present wolf cubs, had lead several expeditions in search of more. On one such occasion they had come under attack by a pair of T-600's. Allison, armed with only a knife, Fenrir and Igrayne, who were growing at an astonishing rate (at fourteen weeks old were already the size of a good sized German Sheppard and still growing), was able to disable one, allowing the other four members of her team to concentrate their firepower on the other. No casualties or serious injuries had been sustained during the brief engagement.
Perry had been so impressed with her performance as a dog trainer, not to mention her combat skills, that he did something unheard of up until that time. Bypassing basic training altogether, he had accepted her into the resistance forces and not as a Private, but rather a Corporal. This little breach of protocol was even more remarkable when considering that Allison had, in her usual bold arrogant manor, refused any form of physical examination upon her induction into the service and that any medical certification, or subsequent treatment, would be through her "Aunt Freyja," as she now openly referred to her as, only.
He further suggested, that after the pressure was off on dog training, that she should move on to become an advanced close combat instructor. She would select the top graduates from her Dad's basic training class and further train them, to become special elite combat units. The job would come with a promotion to Sergeant and that's exactly what she decided she would do, when the time came. As attractive as a promotion to the rank of Sergeant was to her, as she would be the second female to ever achieve that high of a rank under Perry's command, it was not the entire motivation.
As much as she preferred working with animals, as opposed to people, there was one drawback she didn't particularly care for. The presence of her two wolves was quite disturbing to the regular dogs, that looked at them as a threat and invoked some very negative reactions. She was forced to leave them at home, while working as a dog trainer and that she would rather not do.
. Sergeant Mc Cook, had been so proud of her that he let her have her pick, from his immense stock of weapons to choose from, for her personal side arms. When she had selected two 50. Cal. five shot, single action revolvers, he was somewhat bewildered as to her choice, as opposed to something with a higher rate of fire and magazine capacity. Where he asked why she simply replied with…
…."They're simple and easy to take care of. They never jamb and besides... how many shots do you think I need, to get the job done?."…..
While she was still for the most part universally disliked, due to her sharp tongue and abrasive personality, she had gained much respect and even admiration from the troops in general. If it were to come down to an actual fire fight, she was someone who they would sell their soul to have on their side, regardless of their personal opinion of her.
On the home front, however, it was much different. There she was not "Wolf Girl", the "She Wolf", or even Corporal Young. At home she had no need of a mask to hide behind, she could be herself. She could be just plain old Allison ….Daddy's little princess…Aunt Freyja's little sweetheart. There was no place else that she would really rather be.
As Allison was now officially a working girl, with a job that took up much of her time and as Freyja would soon be returning to her regular job on a full time basis, she figured an opportunity to have a talk with her, about some things she had been wondering about for some time now, might become somewhat rare.
As she lay relaxed in her bed with closed eyes, listening to Freyja's intriguing tales of Norse Mythology, she figured this would be an opportune time to have a little talk. She opened her eyes, sat up slightly, propping herself up on an elbow and asked….
….."Aunt Freyja…do you remember back when all the bombs came and everything blew up?"….
…"Well somewhat"….Freyja responded, somewhat puzzled as to why she would ask such a thing…
…"You have to remember I was in very bad shape at that time…I almost died, so any details are probably pretty sketchy"…..she went on to say….
….."Ya, I heard about how sick you were right after that"….Allison clarified, then further explained…
….."But I didn't mean right after then, I meant after you got better..the three years after that …you know, when nobody could go outside and it was always so cold…..when it snowed so much….when everyone was always fighting and killing each other for food"…..she concluded….
….."Well of course I do sweetheart"…Freyja responded….
…."Those were dark horrible times….everybody was so scared…everyone remembers that, why do you ask such a thing?"….Freyja inquired with a puzzled look…
….."Well do you ever wonder if maybe those three years could have been Fimbulvetr?…like in the stories you tell me?"…Allison inquired in a serious tone..and continued with…
…."And maybe what's going on right now is perhaps Ragnarök?"….
A look of deep concern spread over Freyja's face, as she contemplated Allison's questions. She had noticed for some time now, that it seemed as if she was taking these stories just a little too seriously. In day to day life, Allison was so down to earth, at age fourteen she was already well on her way to being a battle hardened soldier. There were many that actually feared her. At times like this, however, she was such an innocent and naive child like little girl, that seemed to live in a fantasy world. Having one's mind in a fantasy land, during these dark times, could prove to be extremely hazardous to your health, of this, Freyja was all too aware. As she reached out to Allison, gently straightening her hair, she replied sympathetically and in a very concerned voice…
….."Allison…sweetheart…look…I know how much you like these to hear these stories…and I like telling them to you, but there just that sweetheart, they're stories, myths, fairytales….that's all, you can't base your life around them…they're not prophesies, …I know you're smart enough to realize that"…..
….."Well that may be so"…Allison halfheartedly agreed…"But there's people that say the same thing about the Bible, Torah, Koran and all those other books, but their's others who do believe they're prophetic and base their lives around them, so what's the difference?"…She concluded….
Freyja had never been very religious. As far as the Bible went, she was pretty sure there was an Adam and Eve, a God and a Devil and Jesus Christ in there somewhere, but that was about it. The more she thought about it, she realized she knew more about the old pagan beliefs of her ancestors, than the so called great religions of the modern world. While she never talked about it, as she considered it an embarrassment, her own Father, a highly respected member of the Pre J-Day scientific community, was a devout follower of "the old ways," in his private life. His personal patron God, or rather Goddess, had been Freyja and he named his daughter in honor of her. Unable to come up with a better answer to Allison's inquiry, she simply said, somewhat half heartedly…..
….."Well because…..because…they're…'pagan'…I guess"…
Allison sat full up in her bed, raised her knees and while wrapping her arms around them, commented on Freyja's remark…
….."And just because they're so called 'pagan' beliefs, does that make them more or less valid than the others?…Actually the word 'pagan' just means that someone believes something different than you do and you think you're right and they're wrong"…
After a moment of thought, Freyja realized Allison was right, so she again agreed….
….."Well I suppose you're right"….after which she went on to say….
…."But you need to realize that I'm a scientist"…and as she gazed downward momentarily, corrected…..
….."Or rather I use to be…and their's no scientific proof or evidence for the things you're talking about, by all we know, those thing should be impossible, sweetheart"…she concluded while stroking Allison's hair…
…"Yes, that's true"..Allison responded…"it can't be proved, but just because you can't prove something do's that mean it's impossible?…because something has never happened before does that mean it can't?…By all known science you should have died on J-Day, but you didn't….You should have died three days after that from radiation, but you didn't…You should also be blind, deaf and hairless with hideous burn scars all over you but that didn't happen either..did it?..My Dad told me about a time you got so shot up that you should have died again…but you didn't…..How many people should be dead right now, according to medical science…including me…but aren't, people that you just happened to be around a lot, at the time"…and as she nodded her head toward Fenrir and Igrayne curled up together in the corner of her room, continued on with…
….."And those two…I know a lot about wolves and they shouldn't be even half their size, for as old as they are, but since I started my new job, they've been here all the time….around you. I've overheard Doctors saying that you don't hardly age….also impossible, but here you are, looking like you're twenty five or so, instead of almost forty….and…oh ya!…I don't think my Dad actually knows how old you are"…..and as she gave Freyja a quick little wink, added….
….."Just thought you might like to know that"….then continued on…
….."There may not be any proof, but there sure seems to me like there's a lot of evidence floatin around…..I'm going to tell you something that I've never told anyone before..even My Dad, so you got to promise that it will stay as our little secret.. OK?"….
Freyja was again starting to feel like Allison was the Mother and she was the daughter, but she was starting to find this conversation somewhat intriguing, so she just whispered…..
….."ÉG lofa"….And waited to see exactly where Allison was going with all this….
….."Do you remember back a few weeks ago when you thought I was getting ….sick again and going back into another comma?"….Allison inquired …..
….."Of course I do!"….Freyja exclaimed and added as she gave Allison a quick hug….
…."Fjandinn! …How could I ever forget!…Skítur!..I thought we were going to loose you again!"…..
…."Well you're right, you almost did"…Allison affirmed matter of factly
She then related in detail to Freyja her near death experience. She told of the cold dark misty land of Niflheim, that she had found herself in, of hearing her Father calling to her but being unable to move. She described perfectly the cold specter like visage of Hel, drawing her toward her with open arms. Her cold breath had frozen her tears and even her fears, to where that eternal embrace had started to become inviting. If Hel were to touch her, she knew she could never return.
She told of the Goddess Freyja, bursting from the darkness in her chariot, demanding her release and freeing her from Hel's cold spell, of looking into Freyja's fiery blue eyes and taking her hand, then finding herself back in the land of the living, staring into her Aunt Freyja's same fiery blue eyes.
…."Well now, that certainly is quite the story"….Freyja commented, then added with a chuckle…"I think maybe you should be telling me the bed time stories, instead of the other way around"….
…."You're not taking this seriously"…Allison interjected somewhat impatiently…
…."The Freyja I saw in the vision looked just like you, everything else looked exactly, like what you've described in the stories…exactly"…..
…."But sweetheart"…Freyja interjected with a growing look of concern …"That's just because your mind was playing back what I told you before…just because the Freyja you saw looked like me doesn't mean anything either. You're mind just showed you a picture of me. You associate me with her because of the name and it was a very common name for girls back in Iceland. It doesn't mean anything at all…It's just a name."…
…."Ya, I use to think that too"….Allison stated…"Until tonight anyway"….
…."Well…what happened tonight?"….Freyja queried with a puzzled look…
…."It wasn't till an hour or so ago that you told me about and described Hel. I saw her in my vision; again, exactly and I mean exactly like you described her tonight…and my dream was over two weeks ago. There's not a whole lot of Norse Mythology books around these days, as I'm sure you know. How would I know about her before tonight?
…."To be perfectly honest, I really don't know"….Freyja admitted somewhat perplexed"… But the mind can do strange things sweetheart. It could be that after I told you about Hel, you just think you saw her in your dream."...
A sly little smile came over Allison's face, as she got up out of bed, walked over to a corner and pulled out several pieces of paper, from her little pile of personal affects. She got back into bed and handed them to Freyja saying …
….."So what do you think about these?"….
Freyja looked in astonishment at the almost photo quality drawings she held in her hands. There were pictures of the Goddess Freyja, in her cat drawn chariot, the Rainbow Bridge and Hel with her minions in the cold misty land of Niflheim. The renditions of Sessrumnir, Valhalla with all the Valkyries and Einherjar were of such quality that it seemed as if you were actually there.
…."You actually drew these!"…Freyja remarked in shocked amazement ….
…."Where did you learn to draw like this!….their like….like.. fjandinn! they're like photographs almost!"…
What amazed her the most was not just the quality of the artwork, as remarkable as it was, but the fact that the detail was of such that it was exactly as she pictured these things, in her own mind. There was absolutely no way she could ever, with mere words, describe the scenes she was looking at to where anybody would be able to reproduce them on paper as Allison had done. It was like looking at her very thoughts.
…."My real Dad.. Uh…I mean my biological Dad"….Allison quickly corrected…"got me started when I was real young, but since then I just learned on my own I guess"…she explained nonchalantly, with a shrug of her shoulders.
…."And I drew these right after I had that dream, long before you ever told me about Hel"…..Allison continued on…"So I didn't just think I saw it that way, I really did"…she stated confidently"…
…."That was you, Aunt Freyja.. in the chariot…That was you that guided me back"….Allison concluded emphatically….
…."Are you saying that you think I'm the Freyja of legend?…that I'm a…an actual Goddess!…that I'm Immortal!"….Freyja inquired incredulously …
…."For one thing"…Freyja categorically stated …."I was born April 22, 1983 in Hvammstangi Iceland…..not a thousand years ago… Also, I'm most definitely not immortal. It may be true that I age very slowly, but I do age and someday I will die, just like everybody else. If I were to put a gun to my head and pull the trigger, I'd be just as dead. I may be pretty tough, I guess, I may be able to heal up from injuries better than most, but I can be killed. Why do you think they wont let me go out into combat? I also don't seem to remember where I parked my chariot, or where I put my golden war helmet"….She concluded with a slight chuckle.
…."No, I didn't mean to say you were immortal or a God, or that you were the Freyja of old."...Allison explained..."And the Gods in your stories weren't actually immortal either. You told me that they had to keep eating the apples that Iðunn gave them, to keep from growing old. The other people, back then, probably just thought they were Gods and I think now, that they really existed, or at least some beings or people that were similar."...
..."What do you think would happen, if you had some kind time machine and went back to the Viking days? How would they react to you?...when they noticed that it didn't seem like you ever aged, when you could get all shot up, with let's say…arrows and survive, where anyone else would not?...What would they think, after it was known that you could heal people like you can, by just being close to them?…They would probably think you were a God…right?"…..
… "Well ya…your probably right"…Freyja acknowledged… "If and again I say if, I could time travel back to then, they probably would think that. I also agree that the characters in the old folk tales might have been real, but I doubt real seriously that they were any kind of super human, strange visitors from another planet, or anything like that. They were probably just some local heroes or super warriors, that after time people venerated them to the point to where they started to think of them as Gods. Just like King Arthur; we both know that he didn't really exist, at least not like in the books, but I'm sure that there was somebody back in third century England, maybe some local warlord, that the stories were based on."…..
….. "Why couldn't they be super human?"….Allison asked, steadfastly holding to her theory and added... "Your are, so why couldn't they be?"…
…. "Allison sweetheart, I'm not super human!"….Freyja stated insistently… "Skítur!…I should know. The doctors studied me for years, like some laboratory animal. Fjandinn!…they still won't let me fight, cause they keep hoping they'll find something in me that they can use to better the human race, but they have never found anything! I'm no different than you, your dad, or anyone. I'm hundred percent pure normal flesh and blood, that's all"…..
…. "Ya, right!"…Allison retorted… "You took enough radiation to kill twenty men, swam around in boiling water, according to what I've heard and can sometimes heal someone just by being close to them…normal?.. I'm sure!…I don't know about you, but that sounds kinda super human to me"….
….. "OK..OK…Allt í lagi!"…Freyja conceded… "I'll admit there are some things about me that are rather strange…I just figure I've got a super strong will to survive and was luckier than Hell. As far as being able to heal people, well that's just because for some reason, I tend to make people relax by being around them. I can encourage them and it's their own mind that heals them, not me."…
….. "There's nothing magic about it. The doctors also all agree, that whatever it is about me, it's probably a one in a billion thing at best. I doubt very seriously that there was a whole race of super humans like me, if that's what I am, way back then or any time in the past or the present, but lets just say that your right. Lets say, for the sake of argument, that sometime around 300 AD or so a whole race of super beings sprang up in Iceland, Norway, Jutland, or wherever. What's that got to do with today?…with me? What's that got to do with your dreams, about me rescuing you from Hel, or prophecies about the end of the world…Ragnarök?"….she concluded…
….. "I'm glad you asked"…Allison stated excitedly… "I was just getting to that. I also think I know how you can heal, why you were able to survive your ordeals and why you don't age like the rest of us."….
….. "Well I'd certainly like to hear this and I'm sure the doctors would like to know as well. So go ahead and clue me in" …Freyja interjected with a chuckle, while crossing her arms and giving Allison an amused look…
…. "OK then, here's what I think"…Allison proclaimed confidently… "I think you can somehow project your mind, your thoughts or whatever, into the mind of another. Maybe you don't even know that you're doing it and I'm sure if that's the case then you probably can't control it. It just happens, unconsciously no doubt."….
…. "You heal yourself and keep from aging because, like you said, you have a very strong survival instinct and mind. Like the doctors said, you're probably one in a billion. Yes, your body is normal, just like everybody else's, but your mind is not. Your mind tells your body to heal, not to age and your body obeys. Mind over matter. That's why they can't figure out how you survived. They don't fully understand the human mind" ….
Freyja started giving Allison a rather incredulous look, but before she could say anything, Allison caught it and piped up with….
…. "Hey, I know what you're thinking, but I know what I'm talking about here. Among the people I use to be with, well there was this one person that wasn't like the rest of them and took an interest in me, taught me how to fight and was my protector, when all the rest turned against me." ...
... "Cameron"…she paused for a moment as if in deep thought… "had been a soldier of fortune and an adventurer long before J-Day, and had traveled all over the world many times, visited and lived with all kinds of weird primitive people, learned all about this mind over matter stuff. Have you ever seen anyone that was able to stick there hand in a fire without burning it?…kinda like the way you said you swam around in boiling water?…or punch through bullet proof glass with no broken bones and just a few minor cuts, that would heal up in just a day or two?... Cameron could do all that and more... taught me a lot, all I know about survival, weapons and this mind over matter stuff. I learned from the very best. I'm not even half as good, Cameron was a master, but still….that's why I can take on three grown men and win every time. Excellent martial training combined with a little mind over matter. So just trust me, I know something about this…OK?"…. .
Freyja had, at first, been a bit skeptical of Allison's alleged knowledge on the subject, but she had asked the Sergeant, the previous week, if he could teach her some self defense techniques. Mc Cook had simply referred her to Allison, saying she was actually better qualified and had been astounded by Allison's combat skills. She had watched her and her Dad spar and couldn't believe the way she had literally mopped the floor, with a man more than twice her size. The more she learned about this little girl, she looked at as a daughter, the more remarkable she was finding her to be. She put her doubts to rest and gave Allison a little nod for her to continue…..
….. "So anyway"…Allison continued…. "You said that you relax and encourage people, so that their own mind can heal them. Well, I think that's partially true, but not entirely the case. Part of your mind merges with theirs and it's your mind, not theirs, that heals them. I also think that the longer you're around them, the greater your personal interest in them is and how receptive they are, also may be a factor."…
….. "So you think it's.. like….telepathy?"…Freyja inquired with mounting interest…
Allison pondered the idea, with a thoughtful look about her, then replied…..
….. "Umm…something like that maybe, but I think it's different. I have a form of telepathy with animals, especially dogs and even more so with wolves. I've known this since I was about seven or eight years old. In my experience, telepathy implies a form of two way mental communication and I don't think that's what you have. I your case I think it's more like a merging of your mind, spirit, consciousness or maybe even your soul with others"…..
….. "Sounds like you're talking about love"….Freyja commented..
Again, Allison thought for a moment, then affirmed….
….. "Ya…I guess that is love...of sorts…The Freyja of old was... among many other things, the Goddess of love…right?..so it fits."…..
…. "Well I suppose it does"…Freyja remarked, then went on to point out, with a hint of uncertainty…
..… "But, unlike me, she was also very sexually promiscuous"…..
….. "According to the legends"…Allison further pointed out… "You were….Opps!.. sorry about that, I meant she"….Allison quickly corrected… "was always very free with her love, just as you are in certain ways. It could be interpreted either way."…
After a moment of thought, Allison remembered a story Freyja had told her and conceded with…..
….. "Well ya, on second thought, I remember the story about how Freyja had spent a night with each of the four the dwarfs that made her the necklace, so maybe you're right, maybe she was kind of a whore at that"….
….. "Oh no!.. no! no!…dauði og djöfull! No!"…Freyja exclaimed defensively…. "She was defiantly not a whore!…She just figured that because the necklace was the finest thing they could make, the total summation of their collective skills, that it was only fair that she should repay them with what she considered to be one of her finer skills.…She was just very independent and free spirited,...that's all"….
…... "Free spirited and independent….just like you…huh Aunt Freyja?"…Allison commented casually….
….. "Well in some ways..ya..like me"…Freyja affirmed with a hint of pride…
….. "But not in that…other way." She adamantly stated and went on to say….
….. "Freyja was also the Goddess of battle and you know damn well I'm not much of a warrior"…
….. "No, you're not"…Allison agreed, then clarified…..
... "Not yet anyway, We've only had one training session together and seems to me like you pick it up pretty quick, like it comes naturally. As far as that other part goes"….she went on to say…
... "Ya we all know you're not like that, but; if you had never met Ásbjörn….or my Dad"…she hastily added… "and you were born way back in the Viking days, as free spirited and independent as you are, how do you think you might have been?..without all of today's modern social cultural rules and morals ingrained into you?"…...
While Freyja's heart had always been for Ásbjörn, she knew all to well the depths of her physical desires and the will power it took to constantly keep them in check. After her move to Los Angeles and ensuing separation from him, there had been, unquestionably, a few temptations. There had even been, on one occasion, a situation where she had come within a gnat's ass of giving in to her pent up carnal desires. If she had lived single and alone back in the days of Eiríkur Rauði and Leifur Eiriksson, she most likely would have made the Freyja of legend look like a old schoolmarm by comparison. Deep inside, she knew all to well the answer to Allison's final question. It was something she didn't like to admit to herself, let alone anyone else.
….. "Well I don't know, I've never really gave it much thought"…Freyja stated unconvincingly, with a hint of red flashing over her face….
Upon noticing her discomfort with the question, Allison responded with…..
….. "You know how much I hate liars, but I suppose that's a half truth and you didn't mean any harm by it. ….. It's OK, you shouldn't feel ashamed about your desires, the fact that you don't give in to them just shows the kind of person you are. I also think that if the old days Freyja lived today, she wouldn't be like she was back then. She'd probably be just like you. Deep down I think you identify with her and she was your childhood hero. I can tell, buy the way you defended her...when I accused her of being a whore"….She concluded, with a triumphant grin...
…. "Why you….you planed the whole thing!…it was a trick!…you said that just to see how I'd react..didn't you?"….Freyja exclaimed…
… "You'll never know…will ya?"…Allison slyly responded…
…."Helvíti!..You should have been a lawyer!" ...Freyja remarked...
Allison stared blankly at her for a moment then asked….
… "What exactly is a lawyer?…I've heard that term a few times before, but nobody's really ever explained it to me"…
Freyja was somewhat surprised by Allison's question at first. After realizing, however, that she had, with the exception of the first few years of her life, known only the post apocalyptic world, the question made sense. Knowing that she was, for the most part, a post J-Day baby, Freyja also figured she knew little or nothing about court systems, legal, procedures or lawsuits. In light of all this she figured a full explanation might be rather difficult, so she proceeded with….
….. "Well they don't have them anymore, but before J-Day, they were people that were very good with words. They could make you say or confess to things that you might not really want to. People would hire one to talk for them, if they got into a situation where they felt that they needed to be better with words than what they were."…
Allison stared at her for a moment with a thoughtful look, then asked another question….
…"Did they torture people?"…..
… "Oh no.. no sweetheart"...Freyja responded with a chuckle… "They were just very skillful with how they used words and receptive of how someone would react to them, like you seem to be. They were shrewd, wily and astute, they would simply trick you into saying things…con you…that's all" ...
….. "If they used torture too, they probably could have done even better"….Allison remarked…
Even though Freyja loved her as if she were her own flesh and blood, at times, it seemed as if Allison had some mysterious dark side. Knowing, however, the world she had grown up in and especially where she had come from, her remark was not really all that surprising, so she further explained…..
….. "No sweetheart, they were so good at what they did, they didn't need to resort to torture. Lots of times people will lie under torture, just to get you to stop and say whatever it is they think you want to hear. Being clever and cunning is much more effective, for getting to the truth of a matter"…...
…. "Hmm, that makes sense..…I'll remember that. It probably would be a more effective strategy …thanks for explaining"….Allison commented thoughtfully, before continuing on….
….. "So anyway, back to what we were talking about, Freyja of the Æsir, she was your childhood hero right?"….
She was right on target and Freyja knew it.
They had promised each other that whenever they had these little talks, what ever was said would stay just between the two of them. Allison could be a bit deceitful at times. She could conveniently omit things and withhold information to mislead you, but she never actually told a bold faced lie, or ever broke a promise once it had been made. It was like it was sacred to her.
Freyja went ahead and told Allison all about her childhood, about the bedtime stories her father would tell her. She told of the times she and Eiríkur her brother would accompany him to an old stone shrine, on Fridays, to pay homage to the Goddess Freyja. She had been proud that her Father had named her after such an important deity and fantasized about actually being the Goddess of love, beauty and battle; Queen of the Valkyries.
While she had stopped believing in such things as she grew older, along with Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny, in her "Walter Mitty" moments, she still secretly imagined herself flying through the clouds in a golden cat drawn chariot. She would shift her shape and fly off to other worlds, charge into battle upon Hildisvini the war hog, with her silvery long sword and lance, then minister to the heroic dead and dying after the battle's close.
She told of how she, at the age of nineteen, had asked her Father why he still clung to his rather eccentric beliefs, as educated as he was. His answer had been that he had noticed that for every secret science unlocked, concerning the nature of the universe, time and space, a hundred more questions were discovered. It was like the more you learned, the more you realized how much you really didn't know and there was no telling what could actually be possible. He had also told her that most myths and legends of old, tended to be based on something that actually happened and believed that there could be much more to them than most people thought. He had hoped that, some day, he would be able to show how the myths of the ancients could unlock some very basic question about time and space. Before he could finish his work, on some very revolutionary theories he had, he and several of his colleges disappeared on a expedition to central Asia, while doing research at the old Tunguska Event site. Most figured it had been the handiwork of bandits or gun runners.
After Freyja finished her "confessions," Allison remarked…..
..."That's why in my vision the warrior lady looked like you, because in a way it was you. Because deep down in your subconscious you imagine your self to be her, so naturally she would look just like you. The same thing with Hel and everything else I saw, you projected you mind into mine to guide me back and I was seeing it all as you would imagine it to look." ...
….. "Well that would explain a lot"….Freyja admitted…. "But if I have this.. this mind fusion or projection ability you seem to think I have, then what about your Dad? You seem to know how I really feel about him. If what you say is true then I'm sure I would have projected those thoughts to him and he would have responded by now."….
….. "Like I said before, I don't think you're in complete control of this gift you have and if you did, I also don't think you can force your will on someone."….Allison explained…"When you came to me in Niflheim, you held out your hand and asked me to join you. It was up to me to accept the offer, but as soon as I took your hand we became as one mind and the next thing I knew we were back."…
….. "Oh no!, I'd never want to force my will on him, or anyone"….Freyja clarified…. "but I just thought that he would know how I feel about him"…..
…. "Maybe he does"….Allison speculated… "but perhaps he just doesn't know how to interpret it. In my case and in the case of those you heal, we're dealing with simple survival and everyone wants to live, a pretty basic instinct, but other human emotions can get rather complex as I'm sure you know"…...
…."Ya, maybe so"…Freyja replied skeptically, then came back with…..
….. "Anyway, what about the prophesy part…you know, about Ragnarök? Why do you think that this is that final apocalyptic war were involved in now?"….
…. "I don't know that"…. Allison replied… "that's why I asked you, but from the tales you've told me and similar things I was told, back in my Death Valley days, it all seems to fit"…
….. "Well you know, I never really thought about it"….Freyja admitted thoughtfully…. "but I'll have to admit, a lot of what you said does kind of make sense, or at least there's no other explanation….but even if there was a race of super beings back then, I doubt they would be able to foretell the distant future. The part about magic necklaces, golden flying chariots and some of the Gods, or whatever they were, being able to change there shape at will" ...she chuckled slightly and continued…. "well you'll have to admit that's a little hard to take seriously…. don't you think?" ...
….. "Ya that is a little hard to believe"….Allison agreed….. "but just because part of it might be imagined doesn't mean it all is. In the King Arthur stories, Merlin could also change his shape. Uther Pendragon did the same thing, with Merlin's help, so he could sleep with Igrayne by impersonating her husband. Two different stories from two different cultures mentioning the same thing. They must have gotten the idea from something, don't ya think?"…..
Before Freyja could answer, Allison posed another question…..
….. "Do you think that it will ever be possible to time travel?"….
Freyja froze momentarily at the question, as a look of uneasiness swept over her. She had been working with a research team, before the war, on just such a project and had been sworn to absolute secrecy. The project had given her a great sense of accomplishment as they had been making tremendous progress, but their mysterious benefactor, that had supplied the funding, had started to turn the whole thing into a living nightmare with all the cloak and dagger. They had explained in no uncertain terms, what could happen to anyone even suspected of being a security risk.
Cautiously and a bit nervously she responded with…..
… "Well, ya…uh…someday maybe...I suppose it could be possible" …
During the project they had actually succeeded in sending an atomic clock forty eight hours into the future and were closing in on a way to send it into the past. Experiments with live laboratory animal subjects and living plants, however, had never succeeded as they would materialize two days later in the time chamber in perfect condition, only completely lifeless. At the time it was proving to be an insurmountable problem. Freyja and her partner Zella Aguilar, however, had come up with a seemingly workable solution, at least on paper, to the problem of sending living tissue through the portal. J-Day, unfortunately, had brought the whole program, along with everything else, to an abrupt end and the opportunity to test the theory never presented it's self.
Freyja had assumed that the mysterious shadow entity, that had backed the project and held the entire research team in fear, most likely perished on that day as well, but as their identity was never actually known to her, or any other members of the team, she couldn't be sure.
Sill fearing the possible consequences of reveling anything, concerning the old project, she added to her former response with…..
…"But It probably wouldn't be for hundreds of years from now and that presupposes we survive this war"….
…."
. …."It really doesn't matter when, even if it's ten thousand years from now"…Allison stated…. "As long as it gets done someday and you seem to agree that some day it might happen. You just answered your own question, on how those people a thousand years ago could know about what's going to happen."….
….. "So you're implying that the old Gods of the Æsir…including my namesake came from…. the"…..Freyja paused for a moment as an incredulous look came over her face, then both in unison said…
…. "The future"….
Freyja thought for a moment and the look of disbelief left her face as she became lost in thought. The little talk she had just had with this little fourteen year old girl, seemed to have put new light on many questions that she had always wondered about. Her Father's strange preoccupation with the old myths had always mystified her, but now it was like it had all suddenly fallen together.
She thought back to her days working under that dark shadowy presence, in the secluded underground laboratory and representatives of that unseen power "suggesting" that she should give lectures on the impossibility of backward time travel. She wondered about her Father's strange disappearance. She never could believe the official story, that it was simply the work of Siberian highwaymen. Had he perhaps been getting too close to something, that certain individuals wished to remain a mystery and out of the public's eye?
… "Aunt Freyja!…hello!…. you there?"…Allison shouted to an unresponsive Freyja.
….. "Oh sorry! I was just thinking"…Freyja exclaimed, somewhat startled, as she returned from her thoughts.
….. "So anyway, what do ya think…about my ideas…Ragnarök and all?"…Allison inquired with just the hint of a proud grin, as she sat in her bed with her arms crossed.
Freyja's look of amusement and disbelief was now long gone and had been replaced by a look of genuine curiosity and wonder as she replied…
….. "Allison sweetheart, like I said before, I really don't know. I'm not saying I don't believe you"…..and as she looked her in the eye, with a very serious and sincere look about her, continued…. "I mean that, I really do. All we talked about does make sense in a way and I suppose it could be possible, but there's no way of telling. All we can do is just wait and see what happens"….
….. "Ya that or get prepared, just in case"…Allison commented…
….. "And how would we do that?…prepare for the end of everything?"…Freyja inquired with a concerned look…
…. "According to the story, two normal people will survive Ragnarök to begin life in the new world after the war. Nothing was ever mentioned about Freyja getting killed or participating in the final battle. According to what you told me, she was assumed to have survived in Fólkvangr, along with all those she had chosen to be with her, to help out in the repopulation process"….Allison explained…. "I'm not saying that you're that same Freyja, but you do have the same name, you have the same basic characteristics as she did and….well… if the legends are some sort of prophecy….who knows?…something to think about."…..
This time, when Allison put forth another one of her rather bizarre ideas, Freyja was not really all that shocked. Actually, she found the theory a bit intriguing, even a little scary, as she apprehensively responded with…..
….. "Yes, it is something to think about…. that's for sure."…..she buried her head in hands for a moment then continued….
...… "But I just don't know...You seem to be casting me in the role of some sort of super hero and that's not what I am. If what you seem to think I am is true, then it would be up to me to decide who will survive and who gets thrown to the wolves. I couldn't do that. I may be like Freyja in some ways, but not in all. I'm suppose to take the ones I choose to live to some place called Sessrumnir or Fólkvangr. Helvíti!…I don't even know where that is! I'm suppose to be the commander of the Valkyrjur and maybe their just symbolic of some sort of elite combat unit, but I'm not much of a soldier let alone a leader"….she let out a sigh and added…
...… "You obviously have me confused with somebody else"….
… "No, you're not like her…in all ways"…Allison commented, then added…..
…. "Not yet anyway, just think about it…allt í lagi?"…..
Freyja didn't really know what to think by this point, she felt confused, lost, but as it appeared that the conversation was coming to an end, she started to feel slightly relived. As a warm relaxed smile returned to her face, she softly replied…..
…. "OK…I will…. ÉG lofa"….
Allison stretched her arms out, while yawning and said…
…. "This has been the best talk we've had so far, but I really need to get some sleep…got a long day at the kennel tomorrow"….
Freyja looked down at her with a soft smile and said….
…. "That it has…that it has"…and added…
…. "Takk….takk fyrir"(Thanks…thanks a lot)…..
Allison looked back at her with a puzzled look and asked…
…. "For what?"….
… "For what you told me about your Dad"…Freyja replied… "Takk"…
….. "Ya…I thought that would interest you"….Allison replied, with a impish little grin..
She leaned over and kissed Allison on the forehead and said….
….. "Góða nótt, sweetheart"….
….. "Góða nótt"…Allison replied, then added with a beaming smile…
….."Mamma"...
She lay back into her pillow, as Freyja tucked her in and gave her a quick kiss on the fore head, turned off the lava lamp and returned to the main room to do some final tidying up in preparation of the Sergeant's return. As Allison drifted off to sleep, a happy contented little smile adorned her face. She was where she had wanted to be every since the day when everything blew up. She was home again, in her own little room, in a home with her own Mom and Dad. There were still a few "details" concerning Mom and Dad that needed to be worked out, but she knew now it was just a matter of time. While Allison still loved her King Arthur stories, she no longer had to rely on them for her peace of mind. Palmdale was a long time ago. Her flesh and blood mom and dad from there, while she would always remember them, seemed as if a fleeting distant dream. Like the tales of King Arthur and his Knights, it was as they had never really been.
The only other thing that was missing in her life was Kyle. All figured he was dead, but she knew better now. She didn't know how she knew but she knew. These long talks she had with Freyja always seemed to energize her in some strange way, physically and mentally. While his name was never mentioned in the course of the conversation, she had thought about him.
Allison oft times wondered why it was, that on what she had at the time perceived to be their first meeting, that she had been so taken by him, why it seemed as though they "fit like a glove" as a couple and came away with the feeling that she had known him for a lifetime. Now she knew why. She had a memory like an elephant and never missed a detail, but sometimes memories could be blocked, if they are too painful to bear. Now the pain was receding, her mind full and clear.
She didn't much believe in fate, but history did have a way of repeating it's self. She had lost him once before and he had returned. Allison knew now she would see him again. This time it would be different though, as she was no longer the frightened little girl from Palmdale, to be taken advantage of by every two bit charlatan and self proclaimed Messiah, to lead her astray. She was older and wiser now. She had resources and assets of which Cameron had left to her, that she never had the opportunity to investigate, hidden deep in the bowels of Death Valley to assist her. This time she would hunt him and find him. It was just a matter of time and she had the patience.
