by AP West
"I thought you were going to protect me."
Smack. Apollo feels pain streak across his face. "Wake up, Apollo. You have to wake up." then comes another slap. "I'm awake!" Apollo yells and he realizes its Antonia who's speaking to him. "Well let's hurry. We have to go." He wants to lash out at her but then he notices her voice. It has a dry quality to it and it reminds him of the same tone she had in his first dream of her. She oddly seems to refer to herself and the Corsair in the third person, "They took away your abilities. The Corsair believe it's a permanent condition, but it's merely temporary. Antonia injected you with a vial of nanomaterial she thought would kill you, but on the contrary, it has switched something within you that gives us all a chance."
In a blink Antonia and Apollo are standing in a room at the end of a long, narrow hallway. Antonia turns and hands Apollo a black duffle bag, "Make your way back through the tunnel and to the Acropolis. It is imperative no one sees you until you reach the library. There is a Corsair uniform in here." Apollo peers into Antonia eyes. They look far removed from anything going on around her. "Oriah is that you?" Apollo asks and she looks directly at him,
"Acropolis Resident Integrated Eugenic Supercomputer."
"Huh?"
"Acropolis Resident Integrated Eugenic Supercomputer."
Antonia pats him on the shoulder and turns to walk down the long corridor away from him until she disappears from sight. Apollo looks down at the bag in his hand and goes through the garments inside. After a few moments, he's dressed head-to-toe in flat black military fatigues. A dark cap, pulled low on his head, adding to his disguise. He stalks down the passageway, making his way up numerous steps until he's outside in Corsair Territory.
END OF PART ONE