Paradise Forgotten Trilogy

by Mackenzie Morris

10

  Troy closes his eyes to keep himself from having a panic attack as he clings to Gabriel's brown leather jacket. The archon's strong arms are more than enough to keep him secure, even hundreds of feet above the ground like they are now. The cold air up here makes Troy shiver even through his thick wool coat. He slowly opens his eyes and tries to avoid looking down. Gabriel's large gold wings are glimmering in the bright desert sun. "Gabriel?"

  "What's up?"

  "How much longer until we get there? I think I'm about to freeze."

  "Oh, sorry. I forget how sensitive you organic life forms are. I'll head lower so it will be warmer for you."

  "Thank you."

  "You're afraid of heights, aren't you?" Gabriel asks as he descends into the warmer air closer to the ground.

  "More like I'm afraid of the always painful landing."

  "Don't worry. I won't drop you."

  "Mistress did this on purpose." Troy says. "She knows how much I hate being off of the ground since I fell one hundred feet into those ruins and broke so many bones. It hurts even thinking about it still."

  "Once we land, I'll hide my wings so no one will suspect anything. I don't want my presence to negatively impact our mission here. We don't have much time as it is. Mistress only gave us two hours. She doesn't trust Hector. I can't say that I feel any different."

  "This entire thing is his fault, anyway. The way he treated Paris was abhorrent at best. You can't abuse a child like that then be surprised when they turn out like this."

  "There are plenty of children who go through that and worse then lead normal lives."

  But not Paris. "I know, but Paris is a special case. He never had a chance to leave that kind of abuse. Uriel wasn't exactly a healthy father figure."

  "That's certainly true. Speaking of Uriel, he used to be my very good friend. I want you to know that wasn't him at the end. Deep down, he was a good man. He couldn't get past the nanobots that kept trying to control him."

  "Why didn't that happen to you?" Troy asks.

  "Because I didn't try to gain more power by injecting extra nanobots into my bloodstream. That's what greed and ambition will get you. So tell me. What are you going to offer to Hector in exchange for his cooperation?"

  That's a good question. "I haven't given it much thought. Anything he wants, I guess. I'm in no position to barter."

  "And if he asks for something completely out of the question?"

  "Then I will deal with that when the time comes."

  "What do you think Hector will be able to do to help us?" Gabriel asks. "He is just one man."

  "He is one man with money and power. With his resources and spy network, we can infiltrate Athens or shut down trade. We can get some extra soldiers or technology to find information. Maybe we can get some help to rescue Blice and Silver. The possibilities are nearly endless."

  "I'm just surprised that you of all people would decide to even speak with a monster like Hector."

  It's not an easy decision to be sure. "I will do what I have to do. Sometimes the worst people make the best allies."

  "That doesn't make any sense."

  "It doesn't have to make sense. I know what I'm doing."

  "Are you sure?" Gabriel asks.

  Troy sighs and rests his cheek against Gabriel's warm t-shirt. "No. I'm running out of time, energy, and plans. I'm desperate at this point. I can't let Paris have Nova and I certainly can't let him destroy more cities. If this is the only option left, then I will have to take it and make the best of it. I'm glad you're here with me. I don't think I could do this on my own."

  "No problem. I will keep you safe no matter what. You can trust in me. This jumbled up mess is partly my fault so I have to help you untangle the strands and glue everything back together. I am not a Nymph, but you will be my king as well. I will serve you loyally until the day I die."

  "Thank you. That truly means a lot to me, Gabriel."

  Gabriel flies lower and lands outside the city gates where only a few dromedary camels can see him for what he is.

  Troy slides out of his arms and his knees buckle under him.

  "Whoa." Gabriel catches him and helps him stand. "Are you all right?"

  "Yeah. I'm just not used to flying, I guess."

  "Don't scare me like that. I'm supposed to be watching over you."

  Troy pulls away from him and fixes his coat. "I thought you were Zodiac's guardian archon."

  "I am, but you could say he lent me to you for the time being. He can handle himself at this point. We can't have anything happening to you, especially now that we know the basics of our plan to get you back into Athens and on the throne. As long as those full metal archons are still utilizing the same programs that the real archons like me have been using, then I always have the backup plan."

  "You shouldn't have to die for this cause, Gabriel. No one should have to sacrifice themselves for me. We will only use that button as a last resort if things become overly desperate. I don't care if you are mostly robotic. Your life is just as valid and important as a human, Nymph, or android. If you have free will and self-awareness, then you are just as much a person as I am."

  "Do you count the nanobots as being people as well, then?" Gabriel asks as he combs through his short black hair.

  "No. They seem to be dependent on a carrier to survive outside a body or computer. They have to have an initial power source."

  "I think the archons did too."

  "Whatever. That ultimately doesn't matter. You are a living, thinking, feeling being. That's what matters to me. Now, enough of this. We need to get moving. I hate this country with a passion beyond anything else."

  Gabriel hides his wings and checks to make sure the slots in his leather jacket aren't visible. "There we go. All hidden. You ready to do this?"

  "As ready as I'll ever be."

  Troy and Gabriel walk side by side as they pass through the suspiciously unguarded city gates. Young children dressed only in thin cotton pants run past them, laughing and playing with wooden swords. A few women in pink sheer skirts with gold jewelry dance and twirl to the slow songs from the snake charmers. Long black cobras sway back and forth, following the hands of their charmers on the vibrant-colored carpets lining the main streets of the bustling market. Exotic citrus fruits and baskets piled high with spices cover the wooden tables in the merchant stalls. The bright desert sun glints off of the gold and silver jewelry, the rubies and sapphires, and the pools of glistening water where stray dogs drink and black cranes are perched on the bricks surrounding the wells. Far off beyond the crowds of people stand the golden walls of Hector's palace in all their flashy exuberance.

  As they walk through the streets, Troy's nose tingles with the pungent spices and scents of red peppers roasting on open fire pits. This place has so many delicacies that have been lost to the rest of the galaxy. This is the one aspect of this country that doesn't make him want to destroy it. Too bad the culture here is being choked out by Hector's brutality. When they pass the large wooden stages in the middle of the courtyard, Troy's stomach turns. This is the reason the entire country is now worthless. Slave auctions.

  Gabriel must have sensed Troy's discomfort because he pats his back reassuringly. "It's okay. You're not a slave anymore."

  If only. In the end, he still wears Orion's ring in his nose and that man holds the papers claiming Troy as property. Even if he is king in the future, that will never go away. He could get rid of it, but he will always know who his master is. "Let's hurry past this place. I hate it here."

  "Agreed."

  Troy tries to not look at the naked slaves being auctioned off to the greedy men throwing coins onto the stage. One of the young girls is crying as they laugh and throw pebbles at her. His hands tighten into fists as he listens to her screams. He can't pass by and let this continue.

  "Nope." Gabriel grabs Troy before he can run of and drags him down a side street. "I saw that look in your eyes. You were about to do something stupid that would have
gotten us both killed. I know you want to help them, but now isn't the time. We can't risk making Hector angry when we are the ones coming here to ask for his help."

  A man in a red turban with a short black goatee waves from the other end of the alley and runs towards them. "Troy?"

  Who is that and how does he know his name? As the man gets closer, panic leaps to life in his chest. Master Khalid. It's his former owner in this country. What now? He looks to Gabriel who offers no advice.

  Khalid stops in front of them and catches his breath. "Troy? Where have you been? Where is Orion? I needed you two for another ruins scouting mission. I thought for sure that you and Orion had run off and escaped. Why in the world would you come back? It's been years."

  "I have come here to speak with Hector about joining the Nymph resistance to help us overthrow King Paris and unify all the races of Nymphs."

  "Hold on. Why are you so involved in that? You're just a slave. Who owns you now?"

  Troy crosses his arms on his chest. "I own myself. Soon, the entire planet of Olympus, no, the entire Milky Way Galaxy will belong to me, the rightful king."

  Khalid looks shocked and leads them over to a small shack on his property. "Oh my gods. Troy, are you saying what I think you're saying? Surely you can't be." "I am Troy Lifestone, son of Queen Helen, Prince of Olympus. I have emerged to take back what is mine."

  "Phoenix King!" Khalid takes Troy's hands. "You are the legendary Phoenix King. Then that means . . . gods help me. Forgive me, Your Majesty. Forgive me for treating you so horribly."

  "Worry not. You were doing what you needed to do for the best of your business. Besides, compared to a lot of slave owners, you were positively friendly. You are nowhere near being on my extensive list of people to get revenge on for what they've done to me and those I love. Once I am king, I will destroy all of the people on that list with swift and definitive justice."

  Khalid bows and kisses Troy's hand. "My prince, allow me to repay you in some way. Just say the word and I'll do it, whatever it may be."

  Troy thinks for a minute and glances over at Gabriel. If things don't go as planned, it could be dangerous to fly out of here with Hector's antiaircraft missiles. "You know what? Yes. There is something you could help me with. You operate this opal mine, right?"

  "Yes, my prince."

  "Is there an exit somewhere near the walls?"

  "A section hit a sinkhole about a thousand feet past the walls. We haven't had a chance to rebuild."

  That will work in a pinch. "Perfect. Don't. If things go poorly here, I will need to make a quick escape. Will you allow me to use your mine as a getaway tunnel?"

  "Be my guest. It is still hazardous, but you can do whatever you want."

  "Thank you."

  "It's the least I can do."

  "I'm sorry for my hastiness, but we really must be going now."

  Khalid catches Troy's arm as he turns to leave. "One more thing, my prince. If you do become king, destroy this place. Wipe it off the face of the planet."

  "That's my plan."

  "Farewell." Gabriel leads Troy towards the palace. "Who was that?"

  "The man who owned me and Orion years ago when we were stuck here."

  "Oh, I see."

  Troy's cell phone rings and he answers it. "Hello?"

  Mistress sounds worried on the other side. "Troy, where are you?"

  "Still in Kyro."

  "Have you met with Hector yet?" Mistress asks.

  "Not yet. I was stopped by someone I knew and we worked out a contingency plan."

  "You need to finish up there and get to Pax as soon as physically possible. There have been some . . . developments."

  Developments? That's never good. "Tell me."

  "It involves your brother. I can't say much more until you are here in person."

  "Did they find him?" Troy asks.

  "Uh . . . yes. We found him."

  "Thank the gods. I was so scared he was going to be hurt."

  "Oh, Troy."

  "I'm about to head inside the palace. I'll give you a call as soon as I strike a deal or have to run for my life. I hope this goes well."

  "As do I, friend. As do I. One more thing. Do you know where your brother put the money from your inheritance?" Mistress asks.

  "It was in his room. He hadn't given me my share yet. Why?"

  "We're moving everything right now. Also, I needed to secure it for you."

  "Why? I'll just get it from Atlas later. I don't need it right now."

  She nearly whispers now. "Someone has to have it. Atlas can't anymore."

  * * *

  Atlas types on the keyboard at the console in the tent in the middle of the nomadic Nymph encampment on Barren Void. He rolls up the sleeves of his dark green cardigan and pours his twelfth cup of coffee for the night. As he sips his coffee, the Nymph guards remain silent and stoic in their polished silver power armor with their plasma rifles at the ready. When one of them clears his throat and taps his finger on the side of the trigger, Atlas knows to get back to work. He hasn't had any sleep during the forty-eight hours he has been here. He sets down his cup and turns back to his work.

  The light from the screen and the tiny strings of data begin to run together the longer he is forced to sit here working without more than a two minute break every two hours. Even while doing extra work in the research lab of the academy, he never had this grueling of a schedule. Atlas opens the next file to be decoded and spots something interesting. It's a code for launching some sort of robotic army. Why is Isidore carrying this kind of program? Upon further examination, he finds the entire thing. When he attempts to launch it, an error box pops up, calling it the alpha code. Alpha code? He has heard about this before somewhere. Before he can report his findings, there is a commotion outside and the guards grab his arms. One of them calls someone on his phone and speaks excitedly as he looks at the alpha code on the screen.

  The guard closest to him takes him by his arm and shoves him through the tent flap and out into the perpetual night of Barren Void. With one hard hit to the head, Atlas drops to his hands and knees as his glasses hit the sand. He can still make out the faces of the people by the bonfire through his blurry vision and the blood now trickling from the cut on his forehead.

  Zodiac, Dion, and Orion are on their knees in the middle of the camp with the Nymphs surrounding them. Their hands are bound behind their backs and they all have bruises spotting their faces. How did this happen? Did they come to rescue him?

  Dion sighs. "He was the bait. Damn it all. We've been set up."

  "We've been trapped by Paris." Zodiac growls. "I'm gonna kill that kid."

  Atlas shakily stands and takes a few steps towards his friends until the guards push him back. "Guys, help!"

  "They can't help you, Atlas." The guard dials a number into the sensor on his arm. "Your Highness, we have intercepted the rebels as you asked. Yes, Atlas found the alpha code launch program. Mmm hmm. And what about Atlas? I see. Are you sure? Very well."

  "Don't you dare touch him!" Zodiac shouts.

  "On your knees." The guard throws Atlas to the cold sand. He replaces his plasma rifle on his back and draws a pistol from his belt instead. "Nothing personal, just doing my job. This will be a lot less painful than the plasma. You can thank King Paris for the lead."

  * * *

  No one has said a word for ten minutes as Troy and Gabriel sit on the opposite side of the empty dining room table. The crystal chandeliers above them cast haunting shadows on the white walls adorned with gold curtains and watercolor paintings of snakes. The servants place trays of tiny cucumber sandwiches on the table then leave the room, shutting the tall wooden doors behind them.

  Hector leans back in his velvet-covered chair and lights a cigar. He stares at Troy and taps his thick fingers on the black lace tablecloth. "There has to be a good reason my men allowed you in here. I don't grant audiences with common riffraff." He glances over at Gabriel. "Is this man your bodyguard? He mus
t be from Earth, judging by his dark skin."

  Gabriel's eyes narrow and he drops a sugar cube into his teacup. "Yes, I am from Earth. What's it to you?"

  "You are absolutely beautiful. You don't happen to have a son, do you?"

  "No. And if I did, you wouldn't be anywhere near him. Troy, let's get this meeting over with before I lose my composure with this guy."

  Hector leans forward and studies him more closely. "I meant that as a compliment. Let me guess. You are an archon, yes?"

  Gabriel nearly spills his tea. "What?"

  "You are a flying robot capable of space flight. You are the one who was made to protect the humans in Africa, aren't you? You two look so surprised that I figured out your little secret. If you are indeed wanting to work with me, then I will suggest first coming clean about things like this. I never invest in anything without knowing all the details . . . and the risks. You, sir, are a risk. Archons are, while physically hearty, mentally and emotionally weak beings. All of your actions and behaviors are based off of what you have learned and perceived from the humans you watched for many, many decades. It's a bit sad, isn't it? That you ultimately have no emotions or thoughts of your own? What a pathetic and meaningless existence. Well, what did I expect from a robot without a soul?"

  "That's not true!" Troy shouts.

  "Troy, stop. He's right. Underneath the simulated skin and blood, I am all metal and programming. That's it. We archons are nothing more than that. Uriel managed to actually fall in love twice. I was so perplexed by it all and admittedly jealous. I've never loved anyone. Maybe that's just an emotion I wasn't programmed to feel." Gabriel sets his teacup down and crosses his arms. "Go ahead. I'm fine. Let's get this done and head back to Himmel to help Mistress pack."

  "Okay. Pharaoh Hector, I came here to-"

  Hector blows a smoke ring. "That brand on your face. To what pleasure do I owe hosting a meeting with a Forgotten?"

  "I believe I have quite the proposition for you."

  "From a slave?" Hector chuckles. "Oh, I'm just dying to heart this. Go ahead. It's not like I have a country to run or anything."

  Troy summons all of his courage. "Right. Well, do you know who I am?"