Beyond Yggdrasil

By Tore Olav Arnesen

When the nations of the world learns of its possible demise, how will they react and what must be done to preserve life on our planet. A Norwegian marine scientist named Jens at the Kristiansund Institute, Norway, many years ago had made a breakthrough in communications

with a dolphin named Kong that has never been revealed to other resear

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tore Arnesen
• Release date: Dec 4, 2023
• ISBN: 9798869037916

Book preview

BEYOND YGGDRASIL

A Novel By:

Tore Olav Arnesen

Contents

Author’s Prelude:

Chapter 1: The Breakthrough Revealed

Chapter 2: Building A Team

Chapter 3: New Projects Begin

Chapter 4: The Work Must Go On

Chapter 5: The Universe And Beyond

Chapter 6: Discovery Of A New World Order

Chapter 7: Addresing The World Stage

Chapter 8: Evaluating The Warning

Chapter 9: Resolution Of The Earth’s Future?

AUTHOR’S PRELUDE:

This story is a follow up to my first novel BEYOND RAGNAROK, published by Outskirts Press in November of 2017. Since I felt there was more to tell, I’ve decided to expand the story, perhaps even into a trilogy. Any follow up novels, like the first one, will be based on both my Norwegian and American Heritage. The first book in this possible trilogy took place in the past during the Cold War, and this one is based on present times. When, and if, I do the third, it will be about future events.

I’ve attempted to make this second novel, which is a sequel to the first one, capable of standing alone. Thus, this second novel picks up where Beyond Ragnarok left off or with Jens a sea mammal research scientist and his colleagues at the Kristiansund Sea Mammal Research Institute in Norway working on a breakthrough in interspecies communication between dolphins and humans they had achieved. Because many of the characters are the same, and it’s a continuation of events that occurred in Beyond Ragnarok, it would be helpful for the reader to have read the previous novel first. Those readers who have not read it can familiarize themselves with Beyond Ragnarok by visiting my web page at www.arnesen.us, where there are videos a professional script analysis, and an independent book review. Doing this may assist them having a better understanding of the events that led up to and continue in this novel.

Because of their inclusion in this story, the following two terms derived from Norse mythology, are relevant here and thus are provided below:

Ragnarok - In Norse Mythology this represented an epic battle between the Viking Gods and the Giants that it was believed would led to an apocalyptic end of the world. All the novels in my series will be linked together by the frightening concept inherent in the Vikings’ belief in Ragnarok.

Yggdrasil – Represents an immense mythical and eternal green ash tree that plays a central role in Norse mythology and cosmology. It represents the cycle of birth, growth, death, and eventual rebirth of the world after Ragnarok occurs. In Norse Mythology, it was known as the World Tree of Life. Vikings believed it was invisible to humans. Yggdrasil was believed to connect the nine known worlds. Its roots were said to extend all the way down to the underworld, while its trunk and branches reached into the heavens. Yggdrasil’s top or crown is so high that, like the tallest mountains, it is snowcapped and extends above the clouds. Supposedly, when the tree trembles, it signals the arrival of Ragnarok and the impending destruction of the world.

While Ragnarok did not occur in my first novel Beyond Ragnarok, it will also be raised again as a major concern and once again become a possibility in my second novel Beyond Yggdrasil. If the earth is going to have an epic apocalyptic Ragnarok type ending and it occurs in this second novel, then if there’s a third novel, it likely address what happens in the aftermath of this terrible occurrence. If Ragnarok doesn’t occur in Beyond Yggdrasil it could finally be resolved in a future third and final novel in this trilogy.

Further information that will be helpful to the reader is as follows:

Physical cosmology – This is the branch of physics and astrophysics that helps in understanding the physical origins and evolution of our universe. The earth’s sun is categorized as a yellow dwarf or G2 type star that should have about a seven billion year life, give or take a few million years, but who’s counting? According to estimates of when our sun was created, it should be a little over halfway through its life cycle. So, in a few billion more years our sun will die by ballooning into a red giant and then collapsing into a white dwarf star. Of course, this means our entire solar system including the earth will eventually have an apocalyptic ending similar to that which was predicted in Norse Mythology as Ragnarok.

In reality, an apocalyptic end to our planet will most likely occur much sooner than in a few billion years. The catastrophic end to our world will most likely be due to the same catastrophic events that have happened in the past, such as from a large extraterrestrial object striking the earth, or due to an immense volcanic eruption. It could also be due to human causes, such as becoming un-inhabitable due to severe environmental degradation, or as a result of a nuclear war. Hypothetically, perhaps the Vikings were right and Ragnarok will actually occur to end all life on our planet?

On that cheerful note, I will begin the telling of my new and second novel BEYOND YGGDRASIL.

Therefore, I hope you enjoy it:

Regards,

Tore O. Arnesen

Web Page: www.arnesen.us

CHAPTER 1: THE BREAKTHROUGH REVEALED

What is found we quickly name

Still most secrets have their cost

Which can also bring one fame

Though when shared can be lost

By: Tore Olav Arnesen

November 2016:

It was a beautiful sunny Sunday fall afternoon in Averoy, Norway, and Jens Elfesen, the Director of the Kristiansund Sea Mammal Research Institute, and his wife Tove were sitting at the kitchen table of their scenic Norwegian ocean front home. Where they were slowly sipping from seemingly empty less cups of coffee and reflecting on how drastically their lives had changed during the last sixteen or so years.

Tove recalled how back then, Jens had been missing and even presumed dead. It was months before any of us realized that in reality you were still alive and learned that you had been kidnapped and taken to America by the U.S. Navy.

Jens chuckled, Yah that was quite the experience. But all is well that ends well.

Just then, their two children, seventeen year-old Anne and fifteen year-old Edgar, burst into the room. Anne was vigorously protesting about how Edgar had humiliated her in front of her best friend Else. Edgar had been teasing her about being in love with Ivar, their teenaged neighbor who always had a disgusting looking runny nose.

Tove, with a frown and shake of her head, gave Edgar her best disappointing look and scolded him, Edgar, you know that’s not true and you know saying that embarrasses your sister. Stop telling people that fib! She paused, then added, Supper will be ready soon. Go up to your rooms until I call you to come down.

After supper was finished and the children had gone back to their rooms to do their homework, Jens and Tove retired to the living room. They had planned for this to be the day for finally deciding whether to expand the incredible breakthrough in dolphin communication research Jens had made and whether to finally share this knowledge with other sea mammal research facilities. Obviously, this was an important discussion for them to be having. Especially since, except for a small group of associates, government figures, and immediate family, no one else knew about it or to their knowledge had achieved a similar breakthrough since.

Tove painfully reflected back on how Kong, a bottlenose dolphin that had been injured, was rescued and rehabilitated by the Kristiansund Institute, had subsequently resulted in Jens’ breakthrough in interspecies communications. Since then, the Kristiansund Institute had been actively expanding its communications capabilities with Kong and eventually to include other bottlenose dolphins. While, all this time, keeping the details of this incredible achievement in interspecies communication a well-guarded secret.

Jens breakthrough was he had discovered that dolphins strongly believed, if and when they ever fully revealed their actual capability to communicate with humans, it would result in a catastrophic end to the world. As a result, doing this was something that was strongly prohibited by any of their species.

Sea mammal research scientists worldwide knew how intelligent dolphins should be and have been frustrated at the lack of success they should have be able to accomplish, compared to what they’ve actually achieved in their work with them. As Jens had figured out was the reason humans had not achieved more with dolphins was that they were intentionally playing dumb, if you will.

Because of the special sensitivity to dolphins of communicating freely with humans, Kong and Jens understood that revealing their extraordinary interspecies communication breakthrough to other humans or dolphins obviously had to be done very cautiously. They also felt they had to see how other dolphins reacted to this development, before sharing this breakthrough with other sea mammal researcher scientists.

Up to the present time, Kong, because of and in respect of his species’ long held beliefs, had been slowly and cautiously revealing to a few select bottlenose dolphins that he had been secretly fully communicating with a human and that contrary to their belief the end of the world had not occurred.

Meaning, this breakthrough in enhanced communication between Jens and Kong was the first time two individuals from separate species had fully communicated with each other at such a broad and profoundly intimately personal level.

Raising concerns, Tove mentioned she was skeptical about how other researchers would respond when they were informed that Jens has been having complex and detailed discussions with Kong and other dolphins, especially after they learn that these communications included language syntax. After all, this was widely believed to be a trait that other non-human species were incapable of.

Jens agreed, while mentioning about chimpanzees’ having 98% of human DNA and even though researchers have known they have extensive vocabularies, when chimpanzees put their words together, they seem to lack syntax.

Tove knew getting others to believe and accept that dolphins share this trait with humans would be enormously difficult. She also understood that was only the beginning. Wondering how difficult it will be for others scientist to accept Jens’ finding that dolphins have been intentionally concealing the fact of their also having such sophisticated and advanced communication capabilities, even including symbolic language capability!

Then, Jens wanted to know if she was referring to dolphins being capable of representing logical expressions through the use of symbols and other variables, rather than by just using basic words when communicating with each other or now even with humans. Thus, showing agreement with her that this meant dolphins had a human level of communication capabilities.

Yes, Tove agreed. This has the benefit of removing the ambiguity that normally accompanies ordinary human languages, such as Norwegian or English. For others to learn and discover dolphins also have this capability will not be readily or easily accepted by most people, including sea mammal research scientists.

It’s going to be a lot more controversial for them when they find out that dolphins not only have the capability of abstract thought, but that they can also express spirituality, Jens quipped.

You mean, because of their generational belief that the world will end when men and dolphin fully and openly communicate with each other? asked Tove.

It’s more than that. It’s the intensity of the belief Kong exhibited when we successfully initially made personal contact with each other! Remember, he tried to kill himself…commit suicide! His deeply held belief that life on earth would end when this event happened was akin to any strongly held religious belief by many of us humans.

I could never forget, Tove murmured.

When Jens initially learned from Kong about his species belief that the world will end when men and dolphins first communicate fully with each other, is when he first compared the beliefs of dolphins to that of Vikings belief in Ragnarok. The similarities were pretty apparent. For instance, dolphins, like the Vikings, thought there would be a catastrophic end to the world.

Meaning dolphins, like men must have beliefs and abstract thoughts. Further pointing out how this clearly demonstrated dolphins’ having an intelligence comparable to that of mankind.

This was a widely known belief by Norwegians about how their Viking ancestors had a strong religious-like belief about a catastrophic end to the world or Ragnarok happening and that it was probably a way for them to make sense of the turbulent world around them.

Kong and Jens had been hopeful that other dolphins, when informed about their communications between themselves, would likewise eventually understand and accept that their belief in an apocalyptic end of the world was, like the Viking’s belief about Ragnarok, merely a myth. They obviously didn’t need or want any more suicide attempts by other dolphins!

Yet, as Jens and other researchers at the Institute had learned, convincing other dolphins of this fact had not been an easy task.

Other dolphins initially took Kong’s word about the fallacy of their long-held beliefs as being blasphemous. It was only after convincing other dolphins to come with him to the Kristiansund Institute to observe his direct communications with Jens, that these dolphins eventually accepted the idea of their long-held beliefs being false. More dolphins have since come around to tentatively accepting the possibility that communicating more fully with humans will not have tragic consequences. Yet, progress in accepting this new world view has been progressing painfully slowly.

Jens and his research team figured it may take decades or longer for dolphins, and eventually other cetaceans, to discover and, more importantly, finally accept the fallacy of their long-held beliefs.

So, Tove asked, Are you certain you feel now is the time to reveal to our colleagues at other research facilities the full extent of Kong’s and other bottlenose dolphins’ ability to communicate so fully and sophisticatedly with us humans?

"Yes, but I’m still hesitant. I’m not sure all my colleagues would understand and accept how cautiously they need to proceed, especially if