Shadows of Olympus (Universe in Flames Book 6)

by Christian Kallias

  “Be that as it may, I’m not sure I like you considering this as a viable alternative.”

  Was Ares right? Was Chase willing to go that far in his quest to rid the universe of the Furies? They had to be stopped. And clearly time-trapping them in an alternate dimension had been both a mistake and a failure. One that had come back to bite everyone in the ass. Whatever they were going to do to rid the universe of this scourge, it would have to be final this time.

  “I don’t like it either, Ares. What about Hades?”

  “What about him?”

  “Can’t he help us? At least with the way you’re feeling?”

  “I can’t travel to the underworld, Chase. I tried when you were between life and death, but it didn’t work.”

  “Perhaps I can.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. You were only there because you were at death’s door.”

  “And yet I was able to get out of there when I needed to. That too wasn’t possible, yet under pressure I managed to do it once. I don’t see why I can’t do it again. I remember the place very well, so perhaps I can project myself back there.”

  “Even if that’s true, what if you get stuck there? It’s not worth the risk.”

  “Let me worry about the risks, old friend.”

  Chase closed his eyes and focused intensely. After a few seconds his face relaxed but he didn’t open his eyes.

  “Forget about it, Chase, you can’t go into the underworld with your teleport ability. It’s another plane of existence altogether.”

  Chase didn’t answer.

  “Chase?” insisted Ares, but Chase couldn’t hear him anymore.

  * * *

  When Chase opened his eyes he was no longer on the observatory deck. He recognized the place at once. A shiver traveled down his spine. He was back in the underworld.

  “Back so soon?” said a familiar voice behind him.

  Chase turned around and there was Hades with a smile on his face.

  “Hello, Hades.”

  “Chase, I’m glad to see you here, but you shouldn’t have come. This is not a tourist attraction, you know. I’m not supposed to let you leave once you enter my realm.”

  “Don’t worry, I didn’t intend to ask your permission this time around.”

  “Glad to see you haven’t lost your spirit, at least. What can I do for you? I take it this isn’t a social call.”

  Chase was happy to see Hades. Without him he would most likely have died. But he was right, this wasn’t a friendly visit to check on a friend and mentor.

  “Don’t get me wrong, Hades, I’m really happy to see you, and I want to thank you for all your help. You’re the only reason I’m still alive.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous, Chase. The reason you’re still alive is that you’re a tough bastard, one that never accepts his fate, even when he should be dead. That’s why you’re still alive. I just nudged you along. I didn’t send you back to your own reality; you did that on your own. So thanks for the sentiment and I’m glad I could be of assistance; but you are who you are. You make your own choices and you affect your destiny. Never forget that.”

  Chase didn’t intend to. Now that he was finally in a place where he no longer feared or second-guessed his every move, he felt like a giant weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Now he could finally do what needed to be done. It almost took his death for him to release this burden. But it had been worth it, Chase decided.

  “I won’t, thanks Hades. I’m here to ask your opinion on something.”

  “I think I know why you’re here. It’s about Ares, isn’t it?”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Look over there, Chase.” Hades pointed at the distant horizon of the underworld. “See anything out of place?”

  Chase saw the long line of color-depleted souls walking towards their final resting place. For a split second it reminded him of his long walk with Fillio and it stung his heart a little.

  “Don’t do that to yourself, Chase,” said Hades, sensing what Chase was feeling. “She made her choice, like you’re making yours.”

  “I know.”

  “So?”

  Chase had to push his vision to the maximum, but he did see something strange. A man was walking parallel to the line of souls, much slower than anyone else, and he radiated a small but perceptible golden aura.

  “Is this . . . ?” began Chase.

  “Ares? Yes.”

  “But how?”

  “I’m not entirely sure.”

  “What? This is your realm. Shouldn’t you know everything about it?”

  “I was trapped here by my father. It may be my realm now but I didn’t build it. Zeus holds the metaphorical keys to this place.”

  “Are you trying to tell me that he is responsible for what is happening to Ares?”

  “I can’t be sure, but if I had to guess then, yeah, it’s possible. The only other explanation is that Ares has been in energy form too long and his life force is being transferred to the underworld against his will. If that process is allowed to continue, he’ll disappear and die like any mortal. So perhaps it’s time for him to travel the road to Elysium, while he still can.”

  “I still could use his help. Is there anything I can do to prolong his presence in the physical world?”

  “You’d have to ask Zeus about that.”

  “That may happen soon, but in the meantime Ares is in no shape to help anyone.”

  “Have you asked yourself if perhaps his time has come? And that perhaps you need to continue your journey without him?”

  That was a fair question. Was Chase being selfish for wanting his former mentor by his side? Perhaps he was, but he knew Ares wouldn’t want to go to Elysium until his sister was freed from the life-sucking machine she was trapped in.

  “I’d rather have him by my side a little longer. I promised him I would save Aphroditis.”

  “And that’s very noble of you, but you shouldn’t make promises you’re not sure you can keep.”

  “Oh, I intend to keep this one, Hades, no matter the cost.”

  “There’s no way for you to know how to do that. The process might not be reversible.”

  “I refuse to accept that.”

  Hades chuckled.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Nothing. You’re just as stubborn as I remember.”

  “About Ares? What can I do to help?”

  “His aura in the underworld flickered at one point, like he regained energy on the outside; that made him stop walking on the path for a little while. Did you do anything at one point?”

  Chase had sent him energy when Ares felt weak. He nodded.

  “Then I’d say whatever you did worked, even if it was short-lived. Perhaps you should keep doing that.”

  “I wish it was that simple. I can transfer some of my energy to him, but it doesn’t last long. It’s a band-aid solution at best, and it takes away from my own powers. What if Zeus did something to him? Not long ago Ares went to get Apollo to help us. Perhaps that’s his punishment for interfering with other Olympians?”

  Hades’ features grew serious. “Our father wouldn’t like that one bit, that’s for sure. You said you intend to visit him soon, so perhaps you can confirm that yourself. In the meantime, you’ll have to give Ares the energy he requires to stay in the physical world. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help in the matter.”

  “That’s alright, Hades, you’ve given me clues to what is happening to him. I’m grateful for that. I should be going. Many things need to be done.”

  “I’m glad you dropped by, Chase. Hope this isn’t the last time we see each other.”

  “So do I. Take care of yourself, Hades,” said Chase before disappearing into thin air.

  “You too, Chase, you too.”

  C H A P T E R

  V

  When Spiros opened his eyes, he was submerged in a green-tinted liquid. It took his brain a little while to remember what was happening and where he
was. He was inside an Alliance regen tank. He focused his gaze outside of the pod and saw Cedric on the ground, coughing out some of the green liquid. He had exited the chamber ahead of him. A battle droid stood in front of Spiros’ pod.

  “Hello, old friend, and welcome back. For a moment I thought we might lose you.”

  The damage traveling through the planetary shields with Ares’ help had been more than he thought his body could handle. He was surprised to still be alive.

  The liquid drained from the regen tank and soon he was out. Like Cedric before him, who had since got back to his feet and moved next to the Gaia avatar droid, he coughed some of the oxygen-rich breathing liquid onto the floor. When only air traveled in his airways and the accompanying burning had stopped, he rose to his feet. He almost fell in the process, but Gaia’s keen reflexes caught him before he could hurt himself.

  “How are you feeling, Spiros?” There was genuine worry in her voice.

  “Like a very old man who nearly bit the dust.”

  “A fair assessment of the situation.”

  Yeah, Spiros was old. In fact, he was pushing the envelope, and the last thing his augmented yet decrepit body needed was to be put under such strain. With Gaia’s help they had started working on new sets of augments to replace most of the mechanical parts of his human body. But they hadn’t had time to work beyond the blueprints. With Gaia 2 back and intent on seizing control of Earth, they might not get to implement these changes for quite a while.

  “How are the shields holding up?” said Spiros, a little tingle still present in his throat.

  “It’s holding steady, but that’s only because Gaia 2 hasn’t fired upon them.”

  “Why do you think that is?”

  “I’m not sure, but if I had to guess I would say that she likes the idea of a powerful shield protecting the planet. She might be more interested in finding a way around it that doesn’t involve damaging it or, worse, destroying it.”

  “That’s good news, but whether she manages to find a way around it or destroys it altogether, we would end up at her mercy. And something tells me she won’t be as easy to convince as you were in the past.”

  “I can confirm that. She has been sending me subspace communications on a frequent basis, trying to convince me to drop the shields. She is utterly pissed, and this world might pay a dear price. We have to find a way to defeat her or, at the very least, to incapacitate her. I could then take control of her forces and we’d have a new army of fully automated battleships to defend Earth until Chase returns.”

  “I like this plan better. But something tells me that if we manage to keep her at bay, she might either use the ships to bring the shields down, or even sacrifice them in order to get it done, just like she did with the Fury super-destroyer.”

  “I believe you’re correct. In her place that’s what I would do.”

  Spiros wasn’t sure he liked hearing that comment. Right now he was suspicious of how much he could trust Gaia. What if at some point she became infected by her counterpart? If that happened and she took control of her, she could become a liability. What if it had already happened? In his current state he was being slightly more paranoid than usual but decided to cast away the troubling thoughts for now.

  “Then let’s make sure this never happens. The result would be catastrophic.”

  “You’re alright, boss?” asked Cedric, who had stayed silent until now.

  “I wouldn’t go that far, but I’m getting there. What about you?”

  “I’m fine, but I vote we never ever teleport through these shields again. Once was enough for an entire lifetime.”

  “I can’t say I disagree with you,” said Spiros, attempting to smile.

  “So what do we do next?” asked Cedric.

  “How long have we been in these things?”

  “Almost a day,” Gaia answered.

  “Which means we need to change the encryption key to the shields.”

  “Yes, we must hurry. If you hadn’t woken up when you did, I would have had to do it myself, but we both know that since our matrices have a similar base code, she could have cracked the new code in a fraction of the time she would any others you could come up with.”

  “Alright then, we have work to do.”

  * * *

  Argos was in his assigned quarters on board the Hope. He was resting on his bed as the symptoms of his Kyrian snake-venom withdrawal grew stronger. Of all the moments this could have happened, it had to be when Chase needed him the most. The symptoms were now stronger and triggered more often than before. Soon it would be almost impossible to hide his condition from the rest of the crew. That worried him more than the eventuality that the withdrawal process could claim his life. That’s how bad he felt sometimes: as if the end was near.

  The bell of his quarters rang.

  “Who is it?” he asked.

  “It’s Sarah. Can you please open the door?”

  Sarah? What the hell did she want with him? He’d think that after all he had put her through, she would be the last one to voluntarily come and speak with him. No matter the reason, it was the worst timing ever. While he had felt slightly better in the last twenty minutes, he was still in no shape to see anyone without their questioning what was wrong with him.

  He had managed to acquire some morphine from the med-bay dispensary earlier. He didn’t want to use it. There was no logic in treating one drug by getting addicted to another. But if he was to keep his current condition a secret, he didn’t have another choice.

  “Just a moment. I’ll be right there.”

  Argos injected himself with a single dose of morphine. Soon, the pain, sweat and intensely disorientating symptoms faded away. They were replaced by a euphoric sensation he knew all too well. It wasn’t as intoxicating as the venom and it seemed to alter his brain chemistry in a much more chaotic fashion, making him have to concentrate much more to do a simple thing such as straighten himself up.

  A few seconds later he got up, almost tripping on his way to the door. He took three deeps breaths and opened the sliding door.

  “Hello, Sarah. What can I do for you? Is Chase alright?”

  “Do you mind if I come in?”

  As a matter of fact . . . .

  “No, please come in,” said Argos politely, gesturing her inside.

  She stepped inside and turned to face him.

  “I’m surprised to see you here,” said Argos preemptively.

  “Yeah, I’m not exactly sure how I feel about it either. But the fact of the matter is, you saved all our lives when Timoros tried to assassinate Chase. And while I still don’t understand why you did it—I certainly don’t trust your intentions, which I’m sure you can understand under the circumstances—I still wanted to thank you personally.”

  “You’re perfectly welcome. I . . . I wish I could say something to take back what I put you through, but I don’t think there’s anything I can say that will make the slightest difference.”

  “You’re right about that. I appreciate the fact that you’re trying to verbalize it, though.”

  Argos attempted a smile, but it morphed into a grimace instead. The room didn’t look symmetrical anymore, and he wanted nothing more than this conversation to be short.

  “Is there anything else, Sarah? I was about to get some rest when you rang.”

  “No, that’s all I came here to say. I truly hope we can find a way to put the past behind us, even though I find your presence with us equally reassuring and worrying. It will take some time before I can consider you an ally, but I admit I like the idea of someone as powerful as you having both Chase’s and our son’s backs.”

  “You do realize they both are way more powerful than I am?”

  “From what Chase told me after your first training session, that’ll change soon. At least in regard to our son. Which reminds me, Chase told me you found a temporary solution to slow his growth. Thank you.”

  “There’s no need to thank me. We still nee
d to acquire personnel and hardware from one of my bases for me to be able to find a permanent solution.”

  “I know. Still, he no longer seems to be growing at an alarming rate. As a mother I can tell you that matters.”

  Argos nodded, not sure what to say next. He could already feel the feeble power of the morphine struggling to keep his other symptoms at bay.

  “I’m gonna let you rest now. I’m sorry for interrupting,” said Sarah.

  Finally.

  “No problem whatsoever,” replied Argos even if he felt the complete opposite.

  She went towards the door of his quarters and the doors slid open with a whooshing sound that felt amplified in his current state. She walked through the doors but then turned around.

  “Argos.”

  “Yes?”

  “I want to believe you’ve changed, I really do. But if you ever endanger any of our lives again, I’ll kill you myself.”

  I’d like to see you try.

  “I understand and actually respect that, Sarah. Good night.”

  “Good night, Argos.”

  The doors closed and Argos collapsed before he could reach his bunk.

  * * *

  When Chase’s awareness returned aboard the ship, he found Ares collapsed on the deck. His usually vibrant golden energy looked pale yellow and dwindling.

  Crap!

  Chase ran to his side and transferred a large quantity of his own energy to Ares by creating a glowing white sphere of energy above Ares’ torso. The sphere merged with Ares’s body and the pale yellow energy brightened back to its usual golden color.

  “What . . . what happened?” said Ares, his voice weak.

  “I don’t know. I found you unconscious when I came back from the underworld.”

  Chase remembered his vision with Aphroditis. These past few hours he had debated whether or not to tell Ares. But she had been right; it would only make things worse. Now that Ares seemed to be losing both his powers and life energy, the last thing he needed was to worry about how horribly Aphroditis was suffering inside the machine.