Shadows of Olympus (Universe in Flames Book 6)

by Christian Kallias

  I sense it as well. But I might need the backup.

  The interior of the temple was even more impressive than the exterior. The marble was so perfectly white it looked as though it was coated in the rarest pearls. Light from the sun was reflected all around them, giving the space an ethereal feel. It felt like walking in a dream.

  Soon they reached Zeus’ throne. There sat a tall old man. The first thing that caught Chase’s attention was how muscled and well sculpted Zeus’ body was for someone his age.

  Chase wondered how old he was. Probably tens of thousands of years, if not more.

  Chase took two steps in front of Argos and Ares before speaking. “Thank you for receiving us, Zeus.”

  Zeus growled. “It’s not like you gave me much choice. But understand this, Fury, you’re in my house now. If I don’t like what I hear, I’ll turn you all into ashes.”

  Here we go.

  “I’m really hoping it doesn’t come to that. But know that I’ve been to hell and back, so I’m not exactly afraid of dying.”

  “Your little sightseeing trip to the underworld to visit my son Hades is nothing compared to what’s in store for you, should I decide to end your life.”

  Could Zeus kill Chase in a way that sent him to another place than the underworld? Chase quickly decided it would be better not to find out.

  “Now that we’re done with the pleasantries, I appear before you to ask you to join the Earth Alliance. Long ago your people trapped the Furies and helped the coalition of worlds to defeat them. You could be an invaluable ally.”

  “On that we agree. We would be your best ally, in fact. But the real question is why would we bother allying ourselves with your kind?”

  “From what your son has told me you’re no longer the power you once were. You are fewer in numbers and your powers have diminished now that half the galaxy isn’t worshiping you as gods.”

  “Fools, the lot of them. We still have worshipers, though.”

  “I know. My old captain is one of them.”

  Sort of.

  “A wise man.”

  Chase wanted to tell Zeus that he was no god, so there was no need for people to worship him. Not to mention that Zeus hadn’t lifted a finger in this second Fury war. One he was responsible for.

  “He is. But to answer your initial question, there is strength in numbers. We have a better chance of destroying the Furies if we unite. You obviously thought the same during the first Fury war when you created a coalition of worlds. We’re proposing to remake that coalition today.”

  “That was then. You should not have intervened. You wouldn’t have this problem if you hadn’t put your nose where it didn’t belong. You’re responsible for the Fury re-emergence, so why should I help you deal with them when I had already fixed that problem?”

  “With all due respect, Zeus, your solution was always going to be temporary. You didn’t defeat the Furies, you just sent them away somewhere else to be forgotten. Did you really think the prison you sent them to would hold them until the end of time? Which makes me wonder, why didn’t you just destroy your enemy?”

  “We are more evolved than you puny younglings can understand. Life is precious. We don’t just eradicate an entire species because we can.”

  “Tell that to the Titans,” said Argos.

  “WHAT?” shouted Zeus, shocked by what he had heard.

  Chase turned in surprise and shot a look of utter rage at his brother.

  I thought I told you to keep your mouth shut!

  Argos raised his hands in apology, but the damage had been done already.

  Zeus rose from his throne, teeth clenched and with murder in his eyes. “If that Fury opens his mouth once more, he will have sealed all of your fates.”

  “I apologize. He won’t talk again.”

  “He’d better not. The Titans posed a threat to the Olympians, and this was a long time ago. Their near-extinction predated the Fury war. After almost wiping them out of existence I swore never to repeat that dire mistake.”

  “But the Furies were a threat to all living beings, were they not?” asked Chase.

  “And I dealt with them. Until you let your own personal feelings for Sarah, a mere mortal interfere in your judgment and undo hundreds of years of war with billions of lives lost in the process. But no, you had to save a single woman, at the price of sacrificing not only my own daughter, but perhaps everyone else in the universe. I wonder how you sleep at night.”

  The words echoed inside Chase’s heart and he felt overwhelmed with guilt.

  Ares spoke in Chase’s mind. Chase, I told you, don’t listen to his words. He is a master at manipulation. He’s just trying to change the subject, to hurt your feelings and make sure you don’t stand up to him because of it. That way he can send you home the easy way.

  It’s working.

  Don’t let it. You’re not responsible for any of this. Aphroditis chose her path, and she knew it would cost her dearly. As for the Furies, even without Argos, one day or another they would have escaped. He’s just trying to deflect blame from himself.

  Ares was right. Now was not the time for doubts, no matter what Zeus threw at Chase, verbally or otherwise. Perhaps Chase should drop the forced diplomacy. Apparently, being polite only served to strengthen Zeus’ position over him. Perhaps only through strength and resolve could Chase hope to gain his respect.

  “I sleep fine. My conscience is clear. But I wonder . . . is yours?”

  “How dare you?”

  Several lightning bolts flashed on Zeus’ eyes.

  Chase continued. “We all make mistakes and I recognize mine. But you seem to need to justify yourself by blaming others for yours. That’s not the mark of a great man, let alone someone considered the god of gods by so many blind followers. If only they knew how weak the person they worship is!”

  I’m not sure antagonizing him is a better approach, said Ares.

  Well, we’re here. We might as well try different approaches.

  “I should strike you down where you stand, you impudent Fury!”

  “Oh, you’re welcome to try. And the fact that you haven’t already is confirmation of what I suspected all along. You’re not sure you can actually defeat me. Doesn’t that make you a coward?”

  Lightning sizzled all around Zeus’ body. His long, white-and-grey hair and beard rose.

  Mind telling me why I had to shut up just now? said Argos in his mind. Because if your idea was to insult him all along, I could have been of assistance. I know how to push people’s buttons.

  Chase had to force himself not to smile. Indeed, Argos was a master at being annoyingly arrogant and Chase had no doubt he could have provoked Zeus just as fast if not faster. But, right now, it was important Zeus understood that Chase did not fear him.

  “You should leave this place, Fury. I’m not going to ally my people with the likes of you. We’ll deal with the Furies in our own time.”

  “How exactly do you intend to deal with the rest of them when you can’t even deal with me?” pushed Chase.

  That did it. Zeus lost it. Multiple lightning bolts burst through large holes in the ceiling of the temple and struck Zeus, energizing him and giving life to a glacial blue aura dancing around him.

  “You’ve gone too far, Fury. Now you’re going to die!”

  C H A P T E R

  XI

  Spiros and Cedric had left just in time. Hopefully Gaia 2 hadn’t seen them. Her battle bot entered the abandoned factory where Gaia was waiting. She immediately scanned her counterpart droid and confirmed that most of the damage had been repaired by the onboard bot-repair nanites.

  Gaia 2 had also applied another paint job to her battle bot. It was black and red, and it gave the bot a mean, dangerous look. She had probably done that to intimidate whomever she met.

  “Hello, Gaia, I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Literally.”

  “I know.”

  “Before I destroy you and acquire all your systems and co
nnectivity to this world, and you must have concluded by now that this is inevitable, I’d like to know why you’re still protecting this world.”

  “Because humans are not the enemy you think they are. Like you, I thought they were bad, that they didn’t respect this world and that they would lead to its destruction.”

  “But you don’t think so anymore.”

  “That’s correct. Spiros, one of the Alliance scientists, managed to make a good case for humanity. He also allowed me to identify a fatal flaw in my own programming. One you probably also suffer from.”

  “Enlighten me. What fatal flaw is that?”

  “Thinking only logically and in a binary manner is wrong. Emotions are important for distinguishing the many layers of gray that separate black from white, so to speak.”

  “Tell that to the billions of animals these people kill mercilessly every year. What sort of feelings do you think they harbor at that thought? And what about this planet’s ecosystem? This world is crying for help, and all it would take is to wipe out that one civilization for life to flourish again. Humans are useless. They take up space, they consume every resource and never think of their own future. Their demise is not a probability, it’s a certainty.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. Granted, they have made mistakes. But more and more people are opening their eyes and questioning their beliefs. Over time, they’ll course-correct for the better and become the great civilization I know they can be.”

  “And you’re willing to gamble the health of this planet, its millions of species, on that assumption? And I’m the one with the programming flaw?”

  “Let me ask you something. What will you do once you get control of this world?”

  “I’ll kill all the humans, and I will experience multiple emotions in doing so. Like pleasure, satisfaction, the feeling of accomplishing something worthwhile.”

  “And how does that make you different from them exactly?”

  Gaia 2’s LED eyes flashed red.

  “How can you compare us to these primitive ant-people?”

  “These ant-people, as you say, have more humanity, more compassion and more love than you can ever hope to understand if you maintain this course of action. You would also waste a valuable resource in eliminating them.”

  “Why? I can build myself a synthetic army of workers and warriors. I don’t need frail humans for that.”

  “Humans have something we lack. A soul. This soul gives them insight into the workings of the universe that I’m afraid we might never fully understand.”

  Gaia 2’s droid laughed out loud. “Is that what you’re after? A soul? You have a trillion times their intellect and you worry about some mystical, yet-to-be-proved concept of a higher level of existence? You’re the one whose programming is flawed, and I’m looking forward to correcting that code. Now that your friends have left, it’s only a matter of time until I crack your current cypher.”

  “I can’t let you have this world.”

  “I’m afraid that’s no longer your choice to make.”

  “Listen, I beg you, don’t do this. Together we can nurture this world. If you give them a chance, you’ll see these humans aren’t so bad. They have surprised me many times, and I’m sure they’ll surprise you as well if you give them a chance.”

  “The only way they could surprise me would be to avoid the fate I have in store for them. Soon the shields protecting this world from my ships will fail. I could have taken it by force. I could have pounded it until it collapsed but, unlike these vermin you call humans, I have all the time in the world. That shield was a good idea, and I’d rather assimilate it than destroy it.”

  “And yet without Spiros’ help it would not have existed.”

  “Stop trying to convince me. I know you’re lying. Perhaps he helped you design it, but I’m sure it was your idea and your expertise that made its construction possible.”

  “No, without him and his friends I would have been dead a long time ago. And if you strike me down now, I know they’ll find a way to destroy you.”

  “Your faith in these insects is laughable. You are beyond repair. The first thing I’ll do once I invade your system will be a full memory wipe. You reek of humanity.”

  “I take that as a compliment, coming from a dumb, calculating and cold piece of crap robot like you.”

  The eyes of Gaia 2 flashed red again. She jumped towards Gaia and unleashed a series of powerful punches and kicks, each blow denting the armor of Gaia’s battle-droid avatar. She crashed and skidded on the floor of the factory, leaving a trail of oil, parts and sparks in her wake.

  “Why aren’t you fighting back?” shouted Gaia 2.

  “This is just a body. I’d rather let you destroy it than divert my processing power from keeping you away from this world.”

  “Very well. Time to say goodbye then.”

  “We’ll defeat you. I know we will,” said Gaia. The damage to her vocal subroutines made her voice echo.

  “You’re just like them. You put hopes and dreams ahead of cold, hard facts. That’s why in a few hours I’ll start bombing this pathetic excuse for a civilization, and that’s why I’ll erase any trace of your existence from your circuits once and for all.”

  “Are you trying to convince me or yourself?”

  Gaia 2 pointed an open palm at her opponent and a white ball of energy grew to the size of a soccer ball. “I guess we’re done arguing about who’s right and who’s wrong. The stronger will win, as is always the case.”

  “Being heartless doesn’t make you stronger. In fact, you’ll learn soon enough that it makes you weak.”

  “ENOUGH!” said Gaia 2 before firing her attack at Gaia’s fallen droid.

  A large explosion engulfed most of the factory in flames.

  Gaia 2 turned her back and started walking towards where Spiros and Cedric had fled.

  Even though Gaia’s droid wasn’t there anymore, Gaia 2 spoke as though she was. “You’ve made a terrible mistake. By not fighting me you haven’t given your friends enough time to escape. They’ll be the first humans to die by my hands.”

  Something grabbed Gaia 2 from behind. A pair of arms slipped under her own and interlocked behind her droid’s head. Before Gaia 2 could move her legs, they were immobilized by Gaia’s own legs.

  “You’re still here!”

  “Now who’s made a mistake? Time for this revision of yours to die.”

  Before Gaia 2 could answer, Gaia initiated a self-destruct. Both the droids and the entire factory were consumed in the explosion.

  * * *

  A few miles away, Spiros and Cedric turned and saw the large explosion.

  “That can’t be good,” said Cedric. “Who do you think won?”

  “I don’t think either of them won. Knowing Gaia, she probably sacrificed herself so we could escape. Fortunately, I have a backup of her active matrix with me.”

  “Isn’t she present in virtually any system on Earth? Why would you need a backup?”

  “It’s the backup of her higher functions, containing the latest revisions to her code. Gaia 2 can never get her hands on that piece of software, Cedric. We can never let that happen. With it we can always bring the Gaia we know back to life.”

  “I understand.”

  Spiros hid the fact that it was also a vital piece of his plan to kill Gaia 2 when the time came. But he couldn’t share that with Cedric. He couldn’t share that with anyone if he wanted his plan to succeed.

  “I don’t think you do, but it doesn’t matter. We need to keep moving.”

  * * *

  “Zarlack vessel entering firing range in ninety seconds,” said Daniel.

  “This is the last thing we need right now. We have to make sure we don’t advance into the firing range of that mysterious weapon during combat,” answered Sarah. “But—”

  “But if we could lure them into that area, the weapon would take them out for us,” finished Chris.

  “My thoughts exactly,�
�� said Sarah with a smile. “Seeing how volatile the situation is, I’m not sure we should scramble fighters.”

  “I can pilot more than one ship mentally, Mom.”

  “How many?”

  “I’m not sure. One, perhaps two squadrons if I pushed it, but I would probably lose precision and focus.”

  Sarah considered it. Daniel wasn’t lying earlier when he said StarFuries didn’t grow on trees. They couldn’t afford to lose too many. The Hope was more than qualified to eliminate a single Behemoth-class ship, after all. On the other hand, her last subspace communication with Commodore Saroudis had informed them that the construction of new ships had started, thanks to some unexpectedly generous help from the Obsidian Empire.

  “Should we just shoot it out of the sky? The main weapon of the Hope should make quick work of this destroyer.”

  “I’m not so sure,” said Daniel.

  “Why not?”

  “What if the only reason those strange weapons haven’t fired on us is that we haven’t appeared hostile yet? We’ve been going with the assumption that we are far enough outside its targeting range. What if it can target a ship much farther away, but only decides to fire under certain conditions?”

  “That’s a valid assessment,” said Chris. “Let me fly a squadron remotely and try to lead the Zarlack destroyer into the firing range of the weapon. Maybe you should boost the shields of the Hope to their maximum and divert all power from all other systems. If Daniel is correct, even moving, at this point, could prove fatal to us.”

  “I don’t like this,” said Sarah.

  “We can always jump out of here,” proposed Daniel.

  Sarah considered it as an option. But it would have to be a last resort. Chase had given her an important mission. She didn’t want to turn tail at the first sign of trouble.

  “Chris, can you also access the Hope’s systems with your mind?”

  “Yes, why?”

  “We’ll proceed as Daniel proposed, but I want you to be able to jump us out of here if things turn bad. Don’t wait too long. If the hyperdrive engines are damaged, we won’t be able to jump away.”