Welcome to Scandinavia, Part 1
Esbjerg, West Jutland, Scandinavia - May 10
The Ocuil Acatl docked in the harbor, as did the rest of the ships in the fleet. Tugboats sailed up to the most badly damaged ships and guided them to the docks. Dock workers boarded the supply ships and began unloading cargo boxes.
“We finally made it,” Ollin said.
“We lost a lot of good people along the way,” Atoc said.
“Admiral Kirova…” Ollin said. “They took her from us too quickly.”
Ollin watched the refugees disembarking. UN and Scandinavian aid workers ushered them into large blue tents marked with the coats of arms of the UN, the Red Cross, and other humanitarian organizations.
“I was wondering,” Ollin said, “Why did they attack us?”
“At Heligoland?” Atoc said.
“I know we were in Jerusalemite waters, but for the last two years, Jerusalem had been unable to project much naval power,” Ollin said, “They’ve mostly kept to the Mediterranean, Black Sea, and the Bay of Biscay. So why did they suddenly attack us at Heligoland?”
“Heligoland is right off the coast of the Germanian heartland,” Atoc said, “As well as being close to Scandinavia. Perhaps the committee wanted to send a message to us.”
“Do you think this is related to the Autokrator’s assassination?” Ollin said.
“Probably,” Atoc said, “Maybe they wanted a target to vent their anger on. And project strength after that incident.”
“If that’s the case, I don’t want to think about what they might do next,” Ollin said.
---
“
Velkomin til Skandinavíu,” the intercom said, “
Dobro pozhalovat' v Skandinaviyu. Skandinavt tavtai morilno uu. Sveiki atvykę į Skandinaviją. Tervetuloa Skandinaviaan. Kalós ílthate sti Skandinavía. Welcome to Scandinavia. Please be patient while we process your arrival. We are committed to reuniting you with any of your friends or family who are already in the Empire of Scandinavia…”
Clara waited patiently in line, alone. Anna, Annie, and Walter had snuck off when nobody was looking. Seems the sisters were serious about going it alone. She was happy they made it to safety, at least. Now all she had to worry about was herself.
“Next,” an aid worker said.
Clara realized she was at the head of the line now. She stepped forward. An aid worker waved her over to a chair, and she sat down.
“Okay, first, I am required to ask this for legal reasons,” the aid worker said, “If you were to return to your home country—”
“My home country is dead,” Clara said, “Jerusalem killed the Reich. It is not my home, despite what Berlin would tell you.”
“Ma’am, would you be persecuted based on your political beliefs, gender, or sexual orientation, and would you be subject to physical harm or threats on your life?”
“Yes,” Clara said, without hesitation.
“As a person in need of protection, do you wish to seek asylum in the Empire of Scandinavia?”
“Yes.”
The aid worker held out his hand. “Alright. Welcome to Scandinavia, ma’am.”
Clara didn’t shake his hand.
“Oh,” the aid worker said, “I’m sorry. It’s okay. That’s all I had for you. Could you make your way to the clinic now?”
Clara got up and walked to a tent with a Red Cross symbol on it. She sat inside. Minutes later, a doctor arrived, carrying a clipboard.
“Hello,” she said, “Can you tell me your name, please?”
“Clara,” Clara said.
“Last name?” the doctor said.
“I’d rather not say,” Clara said, “You can get it from my files anyways.”
“That’s okay,” the doctor said, “I understand you went thorugh many traumatic events over the last several years. We won’t force you. But so we can get you the proper care you need, we would appreciate it if you told us any health issues you are concerned with.”
“Well, my hearing’s been pretty screwed up,” Clara said, “Especially after that weird sonic attack in Heligoland. There was also another such attack in Bremerhaven a while ago, before they switched to just bombing and shooting us. I’m more surprised I’m not deaf. I haven’t had a proper bath in a while, so my skin’s also bad. Particularly my face. Definitely need new glasses and maybe an eye checkup. Ugh…I don’t know if anything else is wrong.”
“Don’t worry, we can do a physical checkup,” the doctor said, “If you’re okay with it.”
“Alright, alright, go ahead,” Clara said, “Do what you need to do.”
The doctor began the checkup. Clara stood on scales, measured her height, got scanned by several machines, and tried to keep herself as composed and calm through all of the tests. A sound outside drew her attention. She saw a Scandinavian soldier approaching a refugee.
“Sir, we’d like to ask you a few more questions,” he said, “Regarding the information you had on the Crusaders. You said you were made to plan their fortifications in Holstein, right?”
The man’s fists clenched, and he tensed up. The soldier raised his hands.
“My bad,” he said, “I’m friendly. I’m only here for your safety.”
For your safety. She’d heard that too many times over the last eight years.
“We are doing this for your own good.”
“We are doing this for your safety.”
“For order and stability.”
And then millions died and a dozen cities were obliterated. The man recoiled even more.
“I’m sorry,” the soldier said, “I’ll just…come back later, then.”
He walked away.
“Clara?” the doctor said. “We were going over your results?”
“Oh, right,” Clara said.
“So we looked at your ears, and they seem to be doing okay right now,” the doctor said, “Some substantial damage, but it’s not too serious right now. I think you’ll need a hearing aid. Stay away from high volume sounds. As for your eyes, they seem about normal, at least with the myopia you described. As you said, you need new glasses.”
“That’s fine,” Clara said.
“Your wounds are superficial,” the doctor said, “Some may leave scars, but the rest should heal in good time.”
“Glad to hear that,” Clara said.
“Blood work checks out,” the doctor said, “Aside from some high cholesterol. It’s high for a woman your age.”
“Is that bad?” Clara said.
“Should be manageable with diet and exercise,” the doctor said.
“Anything else?” Clara said.
“You’re headed to Oslo, right?” the doctor said.
“Yeah,” Clara said.
The doctor handed her some business cards. “I strongly suggest following up your hearing and cholesterol issues at these clinics in Oslo. Highly recommend. Also threw in a therapist’s contact information. She does a lot of work with refugees.”
“Okay,” Clara said, “Is that all?”
“Yep,” the doctor said.
Oslo - May 13
“Now arriving at Oslo East Station,” the PA announced, “Oslo Ø, now arriving.”
The train pulled into the station and slowly rolled to a stop. Clara braced herself when the train finally lurched to a halt, but she stumbled a little.
“Damnit,” she said.
The doors slid open, and passengers began disembarking. Clara looked at her ticket, making sure it was the right station. Then again, there were no further stops, so was it really necessary? She slowly got off and stepped onto the platform, feeling the smooth concrete under her feet. She stayed in place, her strained ears struggling to keep up with the train whistles mixing with the sounds of dozens of conversations and PAs. It was a little overwhelming, really. Last time she remembered being in a place with so many people was in Berlin, several years ago. The subways were packed back then, even after Bloody Tuesday. People just wanted to get to work, even if the world was falling apart. Come to think of it, the crowds began thinning as more and more of the Nullification Acts were decreed, until she herself was removed from them.
A passenger’s suitcase bumped into her, and she instantly reached for the gun at her side, only to find she no longer had a gun. The passenger stepped back in surprise.
“Oh, I’m sorry, ma’am!” he said. “I’m in a bit of a hurry.”
“I should be apologizing,” Clara said, “I’ve been on edge for a while.”
“Aren’t we all?” the passenger said, laughing nervously.
Clara tried laughing, but she couldn’t before the passenger disappeared into the teeming crowds. Guess she should get going as well. She wasn’t used to these crowds. The commutes of Berlin were many years ago. By comparison, Bremerhaven was just an empty shell she and some others had taken shelter in but never truly lived in. And all of the languages and dialects she heard here were something she hadn’t heard in years. Even among the Norse she heard, there was, standard Norse, Eimerican-influenced Kanatan Norse, the Kanatan-influenced western Norse in the western mountains and on the coast, the Russian- and Finnish-inspired central Norse of the central plains, and the more German-sounding southern Norse in Denmark. But she also heard various Eimerican languages, Nahuatl, Russian, Mongol, Finnish, Polish, Lithuanian, and some German. The German was most suspicious. She found her hand reaching for her nonexistent gun again. What if they were Crusader spies? What if some of the refugees were Jerusalem plants? What if they were here to take her back, just when she had finally arrived? She couldn’t let that happen. She had to fight back. No, she was free now, and she would die before she went—
“Clara?”
She heard her name uttered very clearly amid the commotion of the crowds. No, that had to be a trick of the mind. There was no way she was hearing that. Or maybe it was some other Clara—
“Clara, is that you?”
A woman’s voice. Kiel accent with Berlin influences. Her name said in a certain way, a way only one other person used to refer to her. She wasn’t hallucinating. Clara slowly turned around and saw a familiar woman standing by the exit.
“Sylv?” she said.
Sylvia smiled. “Hi, Clara.”
In that moment, all of the defensive barriers Clara threw up came down, like the Berlin Wall crashing down in 1986. Tears welled up in her eyes, and before she realized it, her legs were already in motion, and she had flung herself into Sylvia’s arms, hugging and kissing her with a joy she hadn’t felt in so long.
“I see you got a haircut,” Sylvia said.
“Yeah, it’s a long story,” Clara said. “I missed you so much!”
“I did too,” Sylvia said, “But we’re here now.”
“I’m never leaving your side again,” Clara said, “Never, ever.”
The two of them laughed and cried and remained in each other’s arms. People passing by were now giving them strange looks, but Clara didn’t care. She had tuned out the rest of the world. She just wanted this moment to last forever.
---
This is the last we’ll hear of Anna, Annie, and Walter. Their arcs are finished and I don’t know what else to do with them
other than kill them off.