The Gods Who Chose Us
Page 37
Act III, Chapter 11
The Vial
Location: Nazca, Peru
I’ve inhabited a small window of time for far too long. I’ve used most of my iterations to pinpoint the genesis of the virus, identifying Loki as the perpetrator and determining the vial’s origin in Pachacamac. My conclusions led to an ephemeral euphoria, my joy degrading to despair when I realized what would become the most embarrassing revelation about this mission: the Council and I have no idea how Loki opened the vault without destroying the vial. We developed methods to pry or blast open the door, but it always ended with releasing the contents of the virus upon entry. It may be a mystery I never solve…one of a few intractable problems that forever lay beyond the ambit of my knowledge.
—In Vino Veritas, page 303, note 2.
* * *
Sigyn was camped, alone, on the flat mountaintops scattering Nazca, Peru. She and Vili had formulated a message to Loki—written in Aesirian—for him to meet her at their initial landing spot. She was pleasantly surprised to have been met with peace; the surrounding foothills and peaks echoed with only a cool, crisp breeze.
She used the serene environment to meditate and reflect on her mission to Earth, as well as read through Earth’s scientific research on a device COPUOS gave her. She focused primarily on physics and biology. The notion that scores of sentient beings had relived their lives countless times lost its nihilistic shock as she considered what she really valued. As much as she hated to admit it, Loki still held importance to her.
She didn’t see her syzygy while camping out on the mountains, but after waking from a nap she found a black, sturdy, locked box outside of her tent. Loki…has he been here this whole time, camouflaged and watching me?
She considered speaking aloud in case Loki was around, but decided not to. He knows where to find me if he wants closure.
Sigyn took the container and began her flight to a remote location in Iceland to meet with Dionysus and Vili. She knew Dionysus was already in contact with Prometheus—the main Council member who worked with him to destroy the Chronos Passage—to begin Earth’s transition to Olympia. Moreover, Vili had ordered Skadi to travel to Asgard and inform Odin and Ve as to what transpired. He planned on having Odin negotiate with the Olympus Council over their sovereignty; he didn’t want the deceptive glory offered by Dionysus. Above all, he valued the Aesir and their happiness.
As Sigyn flew to Iceland, her mind buzzing from spending two days reading theoretical physics, she pondered the consequences from over use of the Chronos Passages. Can the universe reset itself indefinitely, regardless of how many times a Chronos Passage is used? What consequences are unleashed on the galaxy from exploiting such a powerful aspect of nature? How much of this can Dionysus answer?
The intrusion of Dionysus into her thoughts caused Sigyn to reflect on why she came to Earth in the first place. In my wildest dreams, I couldn’t have imagined uncovering these hidden truths of the universe. Even if one hundred versions of me died to reach this point, it was worth it.
Appendix
Select Mythological Characters and Objects
Major • Minor
Olympian (Greek)
Athena
Goddess of strategic warfare, crafts, art, wisdom, law, and courage. Her spear represented the wisdom and strategy necessary for victory.
Atlas
A Titan who sided against the Olympians in their war with the Titans; his punishment was to hold up the sky.
Dionysus
God of winemaking, rebirth, ritual madness, and religious ecstasy.
Hades
Brother of Zeus and ruler of the dead and the Underworld.
Chronos
Personification of empirical time (past, present, and future).
Aion
God of unbounded, everlasting time.
Poseidon
Brother to Zeus and ruler of the sea and earthquakes.
Zeus
Considered the most powerful of all Gods.
Aesir (Norse)
Vili
God and Brother to Odin. He aided in the slaying of Ymir, whose body was used to create the Earth. Little is known of him, but he is thought to have brought intelligence to humans.
Sigyn
Goddess and wife to Loki, known for holding a bowl to catch venom dripping on his head during his imprisonment.
Loki
Trickster and shapeshifter God known for his pranks and betrayal of trust. He is associated with fishing and nets.
Skadi
Honorary Goddess associated with bow-hunting, skiing, winter, and mountains. Her name derives from the word meaning ‘harm’ or ‘shadow.’
Odin
The most powerful and revered God. He was associated with wisdom, healing, knowledge, battle, death, and much more. He was the embodiment of divine ecstasy, whether from battle, poetry, or anything in-between.
Ve
Brother to Odin. He is thought to have brought spirituality, speech, hearing, and sight to humans.
Svalinn
A shield that protects Earth from the fiery sun.
Other
Lugh
Irish God associated with law, truth, kingship, and battle skill.
Wen Shi
Known as the ‘Mother of Dragons’ (Longmu) and associated with parental love and filial devotion.
Pachamama
Fertility Goddess of the Andes.
About
The Author
Michael J Roy leads a data science team for a pharmaceutical and biotechnology consulting firm, while managing the online educational account Minute Mythology (on Instagram and Facebook). He has degrees in Mathematics, Statistics, Economics, and Operations Research from the Pennsylvania State University and Columbia University. In college, his academic research was focused in astrophysics, mathematics, and the life sciences.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Standard Olympian Units
Prologue: Lost
Act I, Chapter 1: The Primordials
Act I, Chapter 2: Athena
Act I, Chapter 3: Passage
Act I, Chapter 4: Inspection
Act I, Chapter 5: Intruders
Act I, Chapter 6: Sigyn and Loki
Act I, Chapter 7: Vili
Act I, Chapter 8: Atlas
Act I, Chapter 9: Detection
Act I, Chapter 10: First Contact
Act I, Chapter 11: Pacha
Act I, Chapter 12: Pursuit
Act I, Chapter 13: Descendant
Act I, Chapter 14: The Huaca
Act I, Chapter 15: Growth
Act I, Chapter 16: Preparation
Act I, Chapter 17: The Unveiling
Act II, Chapter 1: Panic
Act II, Chapter 2: Olympians
Act II, Chapter 3: Aesir
Act II, Chapter 4: Skadi’s Fleet
Act II, Chapter 5: Guard
Act II, Chapter 6: Attacked
Act II, Chapter 7: Activated
Act II, Chapter 8: Discovered
Act II, Chapter 9: Training
Act II, Chapter 10: Trapped
Act II, Chapter 11: Dionysus
Act II, Chapter 12: Rendezvous
Act II, Chapter 13: Invitation
Act II, Chapter 14: Planning
Act II, Chapter 15: Hidden
Act III, Chapter 1: The Experiment
Act III, Chapter 2: COPUOS
Act III, Chapter 3: Last Chance
Act III, Chapter 4: Confrontation
Act III, Chapter 5: Ambush
Act III, Chapter 6: Coalition
Act III, Chapter 7: Betrayal
Act III, Chapter 8: Last Journey
Act III, Chapter 9: Final Goodbye
Act III, Chapter 10: Repeated Failure
Act III, Chapter 11: The Vial
Appendix: Select Mythological Characters and Objects
About The Author
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Michael J Roy, The Gods Who Chose Us