Shadows of Olympus (Universe in Flames Book 6)

by Christian Kallias

  “I’m feeling much better. Thank you for the power-up.”

  “Any time, old friend.”

  “Did you see Hades?”

  “Yes. He thinks you’ve used up your time in this form and should be heading towards Elysium while you still can. He also hinted that perhaps Zeus could be responsible for your condition somehow.”

  “How?”

  “He didn’t know.”

  “How convenient.”

  “I understand your frustration. And this powering you back up is only temporary. Hades warned that it will take more energy on my part every time, so time is of the essence. We need to get to Olympus as soon as possible and make sure Zeus helps you with this, whether he likes it or not.”

  “Chase, he won’t care.”

  “I’ll make sure he helps you, even if it’s . . .” Chase stopped himself.

  Even if it’s the last thing he does.

  “No, Chase, you have to promise me you won’t kill Zeus, no matter what.”

  I can’t make that promise.

  Chase grimaced. He didn’t like that idea either, but he was losing patience with the leader of the Olympians, even if he had never met the man. This entire situation was because he hadn’t finished off the Furies thousands of years ago, and he was staying on the sidelines while Chase and his friends were fighting and dying because of his mistake. Zeus needed to take responsibility for this, and either help or be removed as the leader of the Olympian people.

  “Chase,” insisted Ares, “please promise me!”

  “I’m sorry, Ares, I can’t do that. I promise I’ll try every diplomatic avenue I can think of but, at the end of the day, I’ll do whatever is needed for both Olympians and Asgardians to enter this conflict on our side. It’s our only hope and you know it. Without their help we can’t even dream of retaking Earth from Gaia 2. There’s just too much at stake here for me to promise anything anymore; and not only to you but to anyone. I’ve made a promise to your sister.” Chase paused. “I told her I would do everything to stop the Furies. I can’t make another promise that could conflict with that one. I hope you can understand.”

  Chase, of course, omitted to tell Ares that he had also promised Aphroditis not to rescue her. He still wasn’t certain that’s a promise he could keep.

  Ares made a face and rose from the floor, turning his back on his pupil and friend. “I understand, Chase. When are we going to Olympus?”

  “We’ll arrive at Droxia shortly. As soon as we’ve loaded the quadrinium, the fleet will split. We’re taking the Euphoreon to Olympus, while the rest of the fleet goes to secure Alpha Prime once and for all. I’m not expecting much resistance there.”

  “Why don’t you ask Argos about it?”

  “I did. While he’s no longer in the loop, last he knew, they hadn’t devoted any resources to the area surrounding Alpha Prime.”

  “That doesn’t mean their plans haven’t changed.”

  “I know. That’s why most of the fleet is going instead of splitting it proportionally. So they have a chance in case they have to fight for it.”

  “Is the fleet really in shape for another conflict, Chase? Especially when you’re not there to orchestrate it.”

  “I have complete confidence in Saroudis’ abilities to manage without me. Our mission to Olympus takes precedence over this.”

  Ares took a few paces and stopped a few inches away from the viewport.

  “I don’t like any of this, Chase. It feels like we should regroup and lick our wounds right now, not split up and go on a fool’s errand unprepared. This might very well be what the Furies are expecting of us, so they can pick us off at our weakest and finish us off once and for all.”

  Chase had thought of that. He was afraid of that scenario as well. But for the life of him, he couldn’t see an alternative. The Alliance had been beaten and, right now, unless either the Olympians or Asgardians joined, hopefully both, they were vulnerable. Even with all his powers there was nothing Chase could do about that. If he could use his powers in space, then perhaps he could tip the balance, but last time he did that he created a black hole.

  “Let me ask you something, Ares. Are you absolutely sure I can’t use my powers in space? Isn’t there a way to do it that doesn’t tear the universe in the process?”

  Ares sighed. “Chase, as it is now, you can’t. You saw what happened the last time. And while I understand you had no choice, you can’t take that chance.”

  “I did use some of my powers again and no anomaly appeared that second time.”

  “Pushing a destroyer out of the way and canalizing your vital force for destructive purposes are too different things. Still, you might just have been lucky last time.”

  “Or there might be a way we don’t know about yet.”

  “There is, Chase. The spirit ships. Legend has it they were used to turn the tides of the last Fury war. They allow their pilots to focus their inner powers and unleash them safely into space.”

  “Are you telling me if I pilot a spirit ship I can use my powers through it?”

  “That’s exactly what I’m telling you.”

  “Then we need to get these ships as soon as possible.”

  “That may not be as easy as it sounds, Chase. I asked Athena about them. She thinks they were destroyed.”

  “Don’t take this the wrong way, Ares, but we also thought the Furies were gone before. And they’re not. One more reason we need to see Zeus. I’m betting he’s the only one who knows what happened to them.”

  “You’re going to try and beat it out of him, aren’t you?”

  “Not alone, and certainly not before asking nicely. But if it comes to that, with the help of Argos and Chris, we’ll make it happen. I know you don’t agree, but we have to do something!”

  “I know, Chase, and perhaps I can convince Apollo and Athena to join you.”

  “I thought Athena wasn’t ready to go against her father?”

  “She isn’t, but maybe by provoking it with our visit, she might reconsider.”

  “Or she might take her father’s side if she isn’t ready.”

  “That would not be good for you. She’s also a powerful warrior. One we could use on the battlefield and in large-scale battles. She’s probably the best strategist this universe has ever known.”

  Chase grasped the back of his neck with both hands. It was sore. He hadn’t slept much since they had to leave Earth, and he was starting to feel the effect of exhaustion.

  “Chase,” said Ares, “you really need to get some rest. You gave me a large chunk of your energy just moments ago. The only way to get it back is with sustenance and rest. The last thing you need right now is to appear exhausted in front of Zeus. He’d eat you up for breakfast in your current condition and you know it.”

  Chase wanted to argue but he knew he couldn’t keep pushing himself this way. It felt as if it had been this way for as long as he could remember, in fact. Never a moment’s pause, never being able to enjoy the present. Always fearing the future and the consequences of his own actions.

  “Right. I’m going to rest. If you feel weak again, come see me.”

  “You can’t keep spending your energy on me; not when it’s needed to fight the Furies and Gaia 2.”

  I’m aware of that, old friend.

  “Very well. I’ll sleep until we reach Droxia. You should also try to take it easy. No teleporting anywhere. Try to ration whatever energy I gave you.”

  Ares disappeared into thin air. “Very well, Chase.”

  * * *

  Argos looked through the viewport of his quarters and saw the familiar sight of Droxia. A planet that, not long ago, he had helped almost completely destroy. He felt a strange sensation at the thought.

  Was he feeling remorse? That was not an emotion he was used to. Something was happening to him at the core. That much was clear. He got up and almost stumbled. He was weak and the timing couldn’t be worse. He looked at the morphine injector. While its effect had only
been short term, it had helped. He injected himself once more and soon the tiredness and haziness he was suffering from the venom’s withdrawal faded away.

  There were side effects in using that drug, though. He had hallucinations. The worst one had happened shortly after his talk with Sarah. He thought he saw Supreme Commander Arakan enter his quarters and burn him alive as he had started to do when Argos had first disobeyed his order to destroy Chase aboard the Iron Fire.

  But right now he needed to see what was happening on the bridge. He was really feeling parched, so he went to the bathroom sink to drink some water and wash his face. When he looked into the mirror, he noticed something new in his reflection. His hair was a darker shade of gray. What did it mean? Why would his hair color change? Could it be a side effect of taking morphine?

  He decided that it mattered not and left his quarters to go to the bridge. He crossed paths with Ryonna and the insectoid he had injured aboard Hellstar prison.

  Ryonna growled.

  “Easy there, tiger,” said Tar’Lock.

  “I don’t know what you think you’re doing,” barked Ryonna, “and I don’t understand why Chase is trusting you, but I’m keeping a close eye on you, Argos. If you even sneeze the wrong way—”

  “I know, Ryonna, you’ll kill me, right? You guys should really take a number, as it seems most of you want a go at me given half the chance.”

  “I don’t want to intrude on things that don’t concern me,” interjected Tar’Lock, “but can you blame her? You and two of your Fury friends nearly annihilated everyone on her homeworld. In fact, I’d count myself lucky that she was verbally warning me.”

  Argos laughed. “You’re funny, insectoid, I’ll grant you that. See, Ryonna knows she doesn’t stand the shadow of a chance, otherwise she would have already tried. So yeah, Droxians are proud but they’re not stupid. Not in a million years can she defeat me. Right, Ryonna?”

  The face of the Droxian was filled with hatred, doubled with frustration. Her eyes burned with negative emotions and she felt the urge to attack him. That much Argos could tell.

  Not so brave after all.

  Argos wanted to add another demeaning remark but stopped himself. Right now, alienating any of Chase’s friends would be a terrible idea. So against his better judgment he revised his stance.

  “Still, I’m sorry for what we did to your world,” said Argos with as much honesty as he could muster.

  “Stop talking, Argos!” she barked back.

  “No, please let me finish. I was blinded and on a power trip. I thought I belonged with the Furies and that this universe was ours to take. For my efforts bringing them back to the universe, I’ve gotten nothing but grief. So I understand why you don’t trust me, but please understand my determination to help you win now. I should never have awoken them.”

  “If that’s true that only makes you a traitor. And I don’t trust traitors.”

  “Understandable,” answered Argos with a resigned tone.

  There was no way he would gain the trust of Ryonna and the others with just words now. Actions might help, but in his current state, would he be able to deliver? He wondered. Looking at the insectoid, Argos remembered something from one of his missions.

  “You’re a Gorgar, aren’t you?”

  “That’s correct. My name is Tar’Lock, by the way.”

  “Right, Tar’Lock. I . . . I don’t know how to tell you this.”

  “Say it anyway,” said Ryonna with a sub-zero tone.

  “Your world. It’s one of the worlds the Furies enslaved to procure the necessary materials to build their fleet of ships. I’m really sorry, I . . . I chose the planet myself for its vast ore mines and relative proximity to the Erevos.”

  Tar’Lock clicked and hissed.

  “Is it true, Tar’Lock? Is your world near Erevos?”

  “I don’t know. It’s not a memory I decided to keep.”

  “Right,” said Argos. “That’s how we did it, in fact, using your genetic defect of having very limited memory. Your people didn’t even have to fight. We just sent agents to overload the population with new information, propaganda in fact, and convinced your people that it was in their best interest to work with us. That’s also why nobody in the universe got a distress call from Gorgar. They provide the resources the Furies need of their own accord. At least, that’s what they think. I’m afraid to say that your people are easily manipulated.”

  Tar’Lock clicked some more and made fists.

  “That remark I made to Ryonna applies to you as well, Tar’Lock. You can’t hope to defeat me, but I’m not . . .” He corrected himself. “I’m no longer your enemy. In fact, I could provide you with a way to reclaim your world. In doing so we’d also inflict a blow against the Furies by disturbing one of their main resource pipelines. I can’t guarantee that they won’t simply take your world by force then, though.”

  Ryonna put a hand on Tar’Lock’s shoulder.

  “How?” said Tar’Lock.

  A plan started forming in Argos’ head. “I can get you the research you need to undo what was done to your people. I might also be able to correct that genetic defect with your memory.”

  Ryonna’s face changed. “Is that even possible?”

  “It is. But it requires something I don’t have here. And I’ll be leaving for Olympus soon. If you’re willing to get me that substance, I can prepare a serum that will undo the brainwashing done to the Gorgar and provide your people with longer memory through the use of a simple augment.”

  Tar’Lock looked at Ryonna with a spark of hope in his eyes. No other words were needed.

  “What is it you need, Argos?” asked Ryonna, still throwing daggers at him through her gaze.

  “I need the research on one of my bases of operations, as well as Kyrian snake venom.”

  Let’s see if they bite.

  Argos felt a strong negative feedback from his heart. His head told him this was the best way to get rid of his current predicament, but his heart told him using the suffering of the Gorgar to get his fix was not going to fly well if he was discovered.

  “That’s a powerful drug. Are you a junkie, Argos?” spat Ryonna.

  “Look, I’m not talking about the synthetic drug for junkies that’s sold all over the universe. I’m talking about the real venom, from a clone snake. It has some strong medicinal values and I will need it to make the serum. It’s up to you, really, if you want to believe me or not.”

  “Let’s say I believe you, which at this point is a stretch. How much of the venom would you require?”

  “I would need a clone snake and the research I have on them. So I can make more clones as needed, since one probably won’t have enough venom to make this work.”

  “Give us a second, Argos, will you?”

  “Take all the time you need. Right now I’m going to the bridge. You can give me your answer later. I have nothing to gain from this besides proving my newfound allegiance and willingness to help you all. So I don’t really care whether or not you want my help. But I’m offering it anyway.”

  Argos kept walking towards the bridge without saying another word.

  * * *

  “Do you think it’s true?” asked Tar’Lock.

  “I don’t know, but if it is, we got to do something about it,” answered Ryonna.

  “What if it’s just one more of his insidious plans? I don’t trust that . . . man.”

  “I don’t trust him either. In fact, I’d like nothing more than to dismember him. But if your people have been enslaved and are unwillingly helping the Furies build ships, we’ve got to make it stop.”

  “Do you think Chase will agree?”

  “Agree, yes. Anything that hurts the Furies is a good thing. I just don’t think he has the resources necessary to pull it off at the moment. We might have to do this on our own.”

  “What about the Droxians? Can we ask for help? Perhaps if you asked Ronan?”

  Ryonna was pensive for a while. “My peop
le have suffered the biggest losses in this war up until now. I don’t know how receptive they would be to our plight. But perhaps I could convince Chase to intervene on our behalf. He saved Droxia, after all. That has to count for something.”

  “You’d do that for me and my people? Why?”

  “You’re my friend, Tar’Lock. You’ve always been there for me in the past. It’s about damn time I repaid both your actions and your friendship any way I can.”

  “Thank you, Ryonna,” said Tar’Lock, a smile of hope spreading across his face.

  C H A P T E R

  VI

  Argos entered the bridge of the Hope and approached Chase, who had just finished with a holo-transmission.

  “Anything I can do?” he asked preemptively.

  “Argos, I didn’t expect you here.”

  “I saw we were in orbit around Droxia and thought I would come to check things out.”

  “I’d rather you worked on fixing Chris’ condition.”

  “I am, don’t worry. Right now the computers are running simulations. There’s not much I can do until I get these results, which should take a while longer.”

  “Alright, fair enough.” One of Chase’s eyes twitched slightly.

  “You look tired, brother. You need to rest before we go to Olympus. I suppose that’s still on the cards?”

  “Yes. And no offense, Argos, but you don’t exactly look in top form either.”

  “I know. I’ll get more rest as well. I think our training session took more energy out of me than I expected.”

  “I wish I could help but I’m topped out myself. We have a problem with Ares. I need to constantly give him my own life energy for the time being or he could vanish out of existence.”

  Argos wanted to tell him that perhaps he shouldn’t, that Ares wasn’t important anymore. But since he was the one who had killed the Olympian in the first place and was responsible for Ares’ new form, it might not go down well, so he decided against it.

  “What about Chris?”