The doctor smiled and nodded at all of them. Justin heard some noise from the back of the room and turned around to see several people entering, carrying covered silver trays. Mrs. Mallon was among the group.
“Before we begin though,” Mr. Fitzgerald continued, “I'm sure that many of you are hungry. Please help yourselves and take your time. We'll speak again in a little while.”
The servers put down the trays on the scattered tables. As they lifted the lids, Justin saw that some trays held tall mugs that steamed. The smell of chocolate wafted past him and he felt his mouth watering. It had been a long time since breakfast.
On the other trays were mounds of sandwiches. Justin could see what looked like meat and chicken and some sort of vegetables. Mrs. Mallon made straight for his table and set down her tray. She nodded to a gray haired man who set his tray beside hers.
“Now Mr. McLeod, you and your friend tuck in. Don't let the chocolate get cold.”
Justin smiled. “Thanks, Mrs. Mallon. This is Aaron.”
Aaron nodded and Mrs. Mallon patted his shoulder. “Pleased to meet you, Mister..?”
“Dalton, ma'am,” Aaron said.
“Good. Mr. Dalton it is. As I've mentioned to Mr. McLeod, we follow the formalities here, at least during meetings.” She gave Justin a last pat and smile and walked to the back of the room.
The two boys took mugs of hot chocolate. Justin sipped his. It was delicious; thick and sweet with small marshmallows floating on top. The sandwiches were excellent and, after eating three of them, Justin began to feel better. He was still confused about what was going on and worried about his mother and Wilson but he felt calmer somehow. He looked at Aaron who was munching steadily on his fourth or fifth sandwich and just grinned suddenly. Aaron looked back at him and raised an eyebrow.
“Sorry,” Justin said. “You just look so...normal, chewing away like that. And this place is so strange, that I suddenly felt better somehow.”
Aaron swallowed a huge mouthful and chuckled. Then his eyes widened and he grabbed his mug and washed down the food that seemed to be stuck halfway. He drew in a deep breath. “Whew, that was tight. But I think I know what you mean, Justin. I mean, just having a friendly face nearby helps when everything around you is kind of nuts, you know?”
Justin nodded. He looked around at the others. Everyone seemed a little calmer, although several of the girls were just nibbling on their sandwiches and looked very sad. The leader had picked up his papers while they ate and was going over them, still leaning against his desk. He glanced up and seemed to notice that most of them were finished. He cleared his throat loudly and the group all turned to look at him.
“Now that you are feeling a bit better, I will try to explain what is going on. Many of you will find the explanation hard to believe. That is to be expected. As I said, we had not planned on you being here for quite some time. By then, we would have already told you all of what I'm about to relate, but much more slowly, so that you would have had time to digest the facts and come to your own conclusions.” He set the papers back on the desk and sighed. “But here we are, so I will have to drop all of this on you and let you absorb it as best you can. I apologize for that.”
He folded his arms. “Let me start with some history. Ancient history now. I assume that some of you have heard of Atlantis. It was an island that legend says was inhabited by an advanced people. There are tales that tell us that these people were much like we are now, but with sciences and technologies rivaling anything that exists today. It is even said that they had invented flying machines, telephones and other modern technological marvels.” He glanced around the room. “Lovely stories, I'm sure you'd agree. But these legends are absolutely false.”
Mr. Fitzgerald stopped as the room began to buzz with conversation. Justin leaned over to Aaron. “Did you read anything recently about Atlantis?”
Aaron looked puzzled. “How did you know that? Yeah, about a week ago, I got some weird email that had me doing some research on it.”
“Me too!” Justin exclaimed. “I wonder what...”
“I see that many of you, perhaps all of you, are realizing that you share something in common,” Mr. Fitzgerald said loudly. The room quieted down. “And in answer to the obvious question, yes we are the ones who sent you the emails, or the regular mail, or in one or two cases had one of our people drop hints that set you on the road to delving into the history of Atlantis. We were trying, you see, to prepare you somewhat in case our mutual enemies began to move against you, which they have.”
“How did you know, sir?” asked one of the older boys from the back.
“That they were on the move?” The boy nodded. “We have been watching them, Mister...” Mr. Fitzgerald glanced at the papers on his desk. “Mr. Benson. We have been keeping track of them as best we can for many years now. They are secretive and clever so it did come as some surprise when they moved. Which is why you all ended up in Sanctuary so abruptly.”
“But who are they?” the boy asked.
“Ah, I will tell you that shortly. Let me continue with the background first, if you please.”
Justin noticed that the boy looked rebellious but another older teen beside him whispered in his ear and he subsided.
“Thank you. Now, to continue. As per the information you hopefully gathered, I know that you also have read some of the legends of the Titans. Old gods, apparently, that existed before Zeus and Hera and the other gods took up residence on Mount Olympus.” Several of the others looked confused by this seeming change of subject, as was Justin. What's the connection? he wondered.
Mr. Fitzgerald looked slightly amused. “Yes, they seem to have nothing in common, do they? But in fact they do. You see, the Titans were not gods. They were in fact a race of people.” Again the room buzzed for a moment but quickly settled down. “Just as the Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon were separate branches of the human family tree, so too were the Titans. And it was the Titans who inhabited Atlantis.”
He began to pace slowly back and forth along the length of the dais. “You see, the Titans were never a numerous people. Very few children were born into each generation. Even when they mated with humans, they weren't very prolific. And so, what they couldn't make up for in numbers, to defend themselves in a violent and dangerous world, they made up for in technology.” He smiled as if to himself. “The old saying, that necessity is the mother of invention, was literally true for the Titans. While the rest of the world developed slowly, and inched it's way generation by generation out of primitive darkness to new discoveries such as metal working and simple types of healing, the Titans bounded ahead, learning to create steel, steam power, advanced water conduits and much more.” He stopped and turned abruptly to face the room.
“As you might imagine, this caused many in the human race to become envious. Over time, envy turned to jealousy and then hatred. The humans wanted Titan technology for themselves. And inevitably, there was war.” he sighed and shook his head. “While the Titan race had the advantage of living on an island, which is more easily defended, and they had their technology, there was one thing that they did not have. And that was the will to fight.”
“What?” It was Benson again. “They were too chicken to defend themselves?”
Mr. Fitzgerald frowned. “No, Mr. Benson. It wasn't a question of bravery. The Titans lived by a moral code that respected all life. They simply could not bring themselves to kill for their own survival.” Now he stared at the teens intently. “Or at least, most of them couldn't. There was a faction that wanted to fight. Wanted, in fact, to rule not just Atlantis, but the entire world. They had no hesitation when it came to using the weapons of the Titans, weapons which were created more for research sake than actual use, against the humans. When the first attacks came, it was a slaughter.”
Justin looked over at Benson and saw him smile slightly at this. He shivered and looked back at the dais.
“To save the humans,” Mr. Fitzgerald continued, “the Tita
ns broke their own code and fought against the rebels in their midst. It was a horrible conflict, as Titan battled Titan, using their inventions against each other. And it was this, not the human attacks, that destroyed Atlantis.”
Justin watched the man intently. He could almost see in his mind what it must have been like, fighting in the streets, using weapons whose powers he could scarcely imagine. Powerful enough to destroy an entire island? It must have been a terrible battle.
“This place,” Mr. Fitzgerald waved a hand at the room around them, “was constructed by the Titans long before their internal conflict. It was meant as a place to store knowledge and artifacts but it was also built as a last refuge in case the Titans had to retreat from the human threat. When the threat instead became that of other Titans, Sanctuary was sealed. Knowledge of it's location and secrets was passed down, not to other Titans, who all perished in the civil war, but to a handful of humans, humans who were allies to the Titans, not enemies. And those few who survived passed on that knowledge to their descendants.” He looked at the other adults in the room. “We are those descendants.”
One of the girls held up her hand, as if she was at school. Justin smiled to himself at how easily they fell back into old patterns of behavior.
Barely glancing at his notes, Mr. Fitzgerald nodded at the girl. “Yes, Miss Shapiro?”
“Sir, this is all very interesting,” she said. Justin could see her hands were clasped so tightly that her knuckles showed white beneath her skin. “But what does it have to do with us. What's it got to do with my...my brother being hurt when he tried to protect me?”
“Ah yes, I thought we'd get to that point fairly soon.” Mr. Fitzgerald pushed off from the desk and walked around it to the blackboard at the rear of the dais. He reached up and pulled down on the board, flipping it over. On the back were two very precise drawing of humanoid figures, showing their outlines as well as their skeletal structures. He tapped the first figure on the left.
“This is a drawing of modern man, Homo sapien. Beside it we have a drawing of a Titan, homo titanus. Can you see a difference between the two?”
Justin leaned forward and stared at the figures. Aaron did the same. Suddenly he spoke up. “Hey, the skeletons are different. The Titan's bones look a lot...um, thicker?”
As Aaron spoke, Mr. Fitzgerald had again glanced at his desk. “Very good, Mr. Dalton. That's exactly right. Outwardly, humans and Titans looked about the same, although Titans were much taller and heavier than humans. But inside was where the differences became obvious.” He tapped the drawing of the Titan. “The bones are much thicker, including the bones of the skull. As well, Titans were...denser, at a molecular level.” He glanced at the room and saw some puzzled expressions. “What I mean is that the molecules that made up a Titan's body were closer packed. This made them even heavier than their size would indicate. It also made them incredibly tough and resilient. A blow that would kill a normal human would not even leave a bruise on a Titan.”
Justin suddenly felt as if a bell had gone off in his head. He looked around at the others. While many still seemed mystified, and several looked bored as if they were sitting in class, he could see comprehension dawning on the faces of many, including Benson and, when he looked over, Aaron.
“Is he saying what I think he's saying?” Aaron whispered.
Justin shook his head in disbelief. “I'm not sure,” he replied.
“I can see that some of you are putting the pieces together,” Mr. Fitzgerald continued. “But for the rest, allow me to say it aloud. You, every one of you, is a Titan.”
Mr. Fitzgerald then leaned back on the desk again, folded his arms and waited.
The room erupted in loud exclamations and bewildered questions. Justin glanced over at Benson and saw him whispering to his friend. He was scowling fiercely. He noticed Justin looking at him and turned away with a haughty sneer.
As the noise diminished, Mr. Fitzgerald unfolded his arms and stood straight up again. The teens quieted down. “I know this is hard to believe, as I said it would be. Over the next few days, I will happily show you proofs as to why we believe you are what we think you are. But for now, let me offer these facts.” He ticked them off on his fingers. “First, all of you have noticed by now that ordinary blows can't hurt you. In fact, you barely feel them. Second, each of you arrived here via the water gate. Only someone of true Titan blood can do so.”
Benson spoke up again. “So you all are Titans too?” His tone was sarcastic.
Mr. Fitzgerald smiled slightly. “No, none of us are, Mr. Benson. You are the first generation of Titans born for five thousand years.”
“But you said that only Titans can use the water gate. And yet here you all are.” Justin was beginning to get tired of Benson's sneering tone. But it didn't seem to faze the leader.
“Obviously there is more than one way in or out of Sanctuary, Mr. Benson.” The teen opened his mouth but Mr. Fitzgerald interrupted him. “And no, I am not going to tell you what they are or where. At least not yet.” He leaned back against the desk again. “And finally, the last test that you truly are Titans. Each of you were passed by a Sentinel.”
Sentinel? Justin thought. What Sentinel?
“I'm sure you all remember the large bronze statues that blocked your exit from the entry rooms. Each room has a Sentinel and they allow none to pass that are not of true Titan blood.” He tapped his chest and glanced at his fellow adults. “They would stop any of us from gaining access to Sanctuary that way, if we were not recognized as Guardians. And yet, they let you pass.” He walked around the desk and sat down again.
“Now, I think that is enough for today. You are all tired and need to rest. And you have a great deal to think about. Over the next day or two, I will be speaking to each of you individually and answering your questions as best I can. After that, you can decide whether you wish to stay or leave.”
“What?” Benson again. “You mean, you're actually going to allow us to leave?”
“We are not jailers, Mr. Benson, nor kidnappers. If you decide to leave, you may. But only after we've discussed it more fully.” He beckoned to Mrs. Mallon who walked forward.
“All right, my dears. If you will follow me, please?” she said with a smile. The girls stood up to follow her, some moving very slowly. As Justin watched, one of the smallest girls reached out to the older woman, who put her arm around the girl and led her and the others from the room.
“Jonathon, if you will?” Mr. Fitzgerald said to a younger man standing near the dais.
“Of course, sir.” He looked at the boys. Justin thought that he didn't look much older than Benson. “Gentlemen, come with me please.” He waited until they all stood and then walked toward the door.
Justin looked back as he approached the exit and saw that several adults were now standing around the desk and talking quietly to Mr. Fitzgerald. A couple of them seemed very agitated, but Justin couldn't hear what they were saying.
Then he and Aaron and the rest were in the corridor, following Jonathon.
Chapter 3
They passed many doors and several intersections. Justin wondered just how big this place was and exactly where it was. He hadn't seen any windows and all the light was created with the glowing stones. He began to think that they were deep underground. But where in the world they were, he had no idea.
As they walked, they passed many adults heading back toward the Court. Then, around a corner came another figure, also moving quickly. Justin stopped and stared at it. So did the other boys.
It was the same bronze color as the minotaur Justin had seen when he arrived. But it was not much taller than Justin and looked like a human, except for apparently being made of metal. It wore old-fashioned clothes and its' face was that of an old man. It looked worried. As it hurried past, it nodded at Jonathon and kept walking. Jonathon nodded back and walked several steps before realizing that the boys were not behind him. He turned and looked at them.
“Is ther
e a problem, gentlemen?” he asked.
“What was that?” one of the boys asked breathlessly.
“That? That was a servitor.” Jonathon sounded amused. “You'll see a lot of them here. They are quite useful. They maintain Sanctuary and help in its day-to-day operation. It's thanks to them that the place has survived for all these years. Now, let's continue.”
He turned away and the boys began to follow him again. They walked for several more minutes and Justin's mind wandered as he looked at the wall carvings and thought about the Servitors.
“Here we are,” Jonathon said, startling Justin out of his deep thoughts. He looked around.
They were standing at a four-way intersection. To the right and left, Justin saw long corridors with doors evenly spaced, facing each other. They extended such a long way that he couldn't count how many there were. Jonathon pointed.
“The young women are down that corridor and you will be staying down this one.” He indicated a mark on the wall of the corridor. “That is the symbol for female.” It looked like three vertical wavy lines. “And the symbol for you gentlemen is there.” He pointed at the wall of the opposite corridor; a symbol with two vertical wavy lines were carved there. “Please don't get them confused. Boys are not allowed in the girls sleeping quarters and vice-versa.”
The Return of the Titans Page 4