Armageddon Unleashed (Universe in Flames Book 7)

by Christian Kallias

  “This could probably work. How much storage do you require?”

  “Several million yottabytes.”

  Chase didn’t hesitate. There was only one thing he could do not to get imprisoned as a statue of ice.

  “Perseus mirror shield!” screamed Chase as he invoked the counterattack he had learned from Ares.

  The near-absolute-zero energy beam impacted the Perseus shield and the energy was returned to its sender.

  Unprepared, Oryn took the full brunt of her own attack, a look of terror on her face as the ice grew thicker around her.

  Chase melted the ice around his frozen legs and healed the frostbite caused by Oryn’s attack.

  He closed his eyes and expanded his consciousness to search for Oryn’s life signs. Her heart was still beating, but barely. For the moment she was still alive.

  Unfortunately, thawing her right away was out of the question. He needed a way to convince her that Zeus was truly her father. He could send her the memories of his discussion with Zeus, but she could reject those too.

  There was only one way to ensure she listened, but Chase didn’t have those memories. He saw no other way, so he closed his eyes and sent his consciousness back to the underworld.

  Hades appeared in front of Chase shortly after his arrival.

  “Glad to see you again, Chase. Have you come to get the soul of Spiros back to the land of the living?”

  “I’m afraid not. I’m going to have to ask you to keep him here a little while longer. I need your help with something else.”

  “What can I do for you?”

  “I need to speak to Zeus.”

  “Then why not go see him directly?”

  “I’m not sure I can teleport that far yet. Can you summon him here?”

  Hades sighed. “I don’t think you know what you’re asking, Chase. Zeus is the last person I want to see. He’s the one who trapped me here.”

  “I know, and I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t of paramount importance.”

  Hades clenched his fists.

  “Please, Hades, I really need to speak with him.”

  “This is the first and last time I grant this wish, Chase. And you’ll owe me.”

  “I don’t see what I can ever do to repay you, but sure thing. If there’s anything I can do for you, I will.”

  “Understand what I’m telling you, Chase. You can’t refuse my future request, even if you don’t agree with it. That’s the price for my cooperation today.”

  Chase thought about it. He didn’t like the idea of granting a favor in advance, especially if that wish went against his moral code. But if he wanted the Olympians on their side, he needed to complete the mission Zeus gave him.

  “Very well, I accept your terms. Now please hurry, Hades.”

  Before disappearing, Hades smiled faintly. It sent a shiver down Chase’s spine.

  Why do I get the feeling I’m going to regret this one day?

  Less than a minute later, Zeus appeared in front of Chase.

  “This is not what we agreed upon! Where is my daughter, Chase?”

  “I’m fighting her. She doesn’t want to listen to me. I had to incapacitate her.”

  “If you kill my daughter, not only will I not join your Alliance, but I’ll kill you myself. I should have known better than to trust a second member of that family.”

  “What the hell does that mean?”

  “After Ares failed to recover Zalara for me, I asked your father to bring back my daughter. That’s the last time I ever saw him.”

  “Arakan killed my father?”

  “I don’t know what happened. All I know is that he led the last assault on the Fury world. I asked him to bring Oryn back to me. He failed, and it looks like you’re failing as well.”

  Chase was overwhelmed with questions about his father but he pushed them aside.

  “Zeus, I know what’s at stake. We don’t have time for this. I need you to share your memories of Oryn’s mother. Your time together. As painful as this will be for you, I need your memories of Arakan sending her back to you one piece at a time.”

  A series of blue lightning bolts sizzled around Zeus’ athletic body and between his eyes.

  “Do you have any idea what energy I have spent casting these memories to the darkest and deepest recesses of my mind?”

  “This is the only way, Zeus. I don’t want us to be at war. Please give me the resources to accomplish the mission you’ve given me.”

  Several lightning bolts struck Zeus, and for a moment Chase thought he would have to fight the leader of the Olympians again.

  “Very well,” said Zeus.

  The Olympian closed his eyes and Chase felt him inside his thoughts. Zeus sent all the requested memories. Chase felt queasy to see in his mind the severed body parts of Oryn’s mother.

  “I . . . I’m so sorry you had to relive that,” said Chase. “Thank you for trusting me with this. I’d better be going.”

  “Before you do. While in your mind I couldn’t help noticing that you have a hole in your memories; a hole that seems to be expanding at the moment. Will that be a problem?”

  “I don’t think so. At least, I hope not.”

  Chase had done everything he could to put these flashes of new information on the back burner while they fought Gaia 2, but he feared they could have some very unpleasant side effects.

  “I can help you close that hole, if that’s what you wish. I don’t think you want to learn too much about your past. I can feel the strong bond you have made with my other daughter, Aphroditis. She’s counting on you. She believes in you, Chase. So much so that she was willing to give up her life so you would keep your promise to rid the universe of the Furies once and for all. I think the fewer distractions to deal with now, the better.”

  “Alright. But answer me this. There’s something bothering me. I feel like there’s a link between you and me, and even other Olympians. I don’t know what it is or why. But ever since I started getting these memories, I feel a stronger bond with the Olympians. Can you please tell me why?”

  “You’re half-Olympian, Chase. That’s the reason you’re immortal. I thought you knew.”

  “But Aphroditis told me I was half-human.”

  “I don’t know why she deceived you. Perhaps she didn’t know you are half-Olympian. I can sense it in you, though. I think she would as well.”

  “Is she my mother?”

  “No, but she’s your aunt.”

  “Who’s my mother, Zeus?”

  “Chase, we don’t have time for this now.”

  Zeus was right. The more time Chase spent down here, the greater the chance Oryn’s heart could stop beating. He couldn’t let that happen. There would be plenty of time to learn about his roots later.

  “Right . . . about that hole?”

  “I’ve just mended it, for now. Because only your consciousness is here, it can’t be a permanent fix. But barring any more brain damage, it shouldn’t resurface for a very long time. I’ve also unlocked the full potential of your teleporting skills. When you convince Oryn to finally come see me, please bring her to me. Just think of me and you’ll be able to teleport straight to Olympus. For that matter, you can now teleport anywhere in the universe.”

  “Thank you, Zeus.”

  “Don’t thank me just yet,” said Zeus, pointing an accusing finger towards Chase. “Bring her back, Chase, or the next time we meet, we’ll be enemies again. I know, from having been inside your mind, that you’re under the delusion that you could defeat me.”

  Chase swallowed hard.

  “You couldn’t be more wrong about that,” added Zeus in a tone that froze Chase’s blood.

  “Understood.”

  Zeus disappeared into thin air and Chase returned his consciousness to his body on board the Eternal Wrath.

  “Several million yottabytes? You’ve got to be shitting me?”

  “That’s how much I need to save both of us. Without a full dump of both my consciousnes
s and Spiros’, he will be lost forever.”

  “I sympathize, but I can’t help you, even if I wanted to. Not even ten percent of the data centers are back online on Earth at this time. Not to mention, there’s no way to transfer the data fast enough. I’m afraid what you ask is truly impossible. In a week or two, once the planet’s infrastructure is fully back online, perhaps.”

  “There’s a device that can hold that much data, and you have it in your possession.”

  “I do?”

  “The Earth Alliance, Cedric. It’s in Yanis’ possession. A sphere of ancient design. Ring a bell?”

  “I’ve heard of it, yes, but I never saw it myself. Only scans and sensor data. I don’t know what it is or what it does. But Yanis won’t agree to let us store data in it, especially while they’re fighting for everyone’s survival up there. They have bigger fish to fry.”

  “What if I borrowed it without asking permission and without distracting them?”

  “How?”

  “Your teleporter.”

  “My teleporter requires too much power. That energy is being channeled into the shield right now. I can’t power both.”

  “You could hack into the Hope. They have a modified version of your teleporter working there.”

  “Even if that was the case, how do you propose we beam that device through Earth’s shield?”

  “What about Ares?”

  “What makes you think he’ll agree to this?”

  “Tell him you need it to give more power to the shields.”

  “You want me to lie to a god?”

  “Cedric, Olympians are more advanced beings, they’re not gods.”

  “And I grew up reading their myths and legends. He’s a god to me, okay? He can teleport to any place in the universe. That’s pretty godly.”

  “Please, Cedric, I beg you.”

  “Very well. But I’m not taking responsibility for the potential fallout. If this comes back to bite me in the ass—”

  “I’ll say I coerced you to do it.”

  “Which wouldn’t be far from the truth. Let me ask about Ares.”

  Cedric sent a text request to the Hope. He didn’t want to explain to Sarah why he needed him.

  Shortly after, Ares appeared in his energy form, and Cedric was surprised to see the Gaia battle bot was nowhere to be seen.

  “What can I do for you, Cedric?”

  Cedric hesitated. “I . . . I have a problem with the shields. I need a device to stabilize it, but it’s on board the Hope.”

  “Tell me where and what it looks like and I’ll bring it right away.”

  23

  Sarah could not believe her eyes when she saw the Olympian destroyer cut in half by the Gaian battering ram. A few seconds later, both parts of the Olympian ship detonated brightly.

  Gaia 2’s ever-changing tactics made it nearly impossible to anticipate what she would come up with next.

  Sarah felt a heavy burden of responsibility for the loss of the Olympian ship and all the living souls on board. She had requested the support because she hadn’t managed to keep the Gaian ships at bay on her own. They needed the support so they could recharge their shields, and that request had cost the life of every Olympian on board that destroyer.

  Sarah opened a channel to Athena’s ship.

  “I’m sorry for your losses. I didn’t expect Gaia 2 to do this.”

  Athena turned off the holo-transmission and Sarah heard Athena in her head.

  Your crew doesn’t need to hear you apologize to me. You need to stay strong. They rely on your strength of character and resolve right now.

  Still, how many Olympian crew were aboard that ship?

  One hundred and twenty-five. But only a fraction of them lost their lives.

  What? How is that possible? I saw the ship explode shortly after splitting into two. Not many crew could have used escape pods that fast.

  When our ships lose containment, an emergency beaming procedure is activated and crewmen are teleported to nearby ships.

  I’m glad to hear that, but I’m still sorry. If I hadn’t requested assistance—

  You’d be dead. So would your son, and that would have made things way more complicated for the future of this war. Whether or not you grasp the importance of your and Chase’s role in this conflict, I certainly do. My sister gave her life to make sure you and your family rid the universe of this scourge once and for all. So stop apologizing, Sarah. I’m the one that should have kept a closer eye on your ship’s status. You have my word that I won’t repeat that mistake.

  Sarah was stunned by Athena’s words. She didn’t know what to say.

  Then don’t say anything. We still have a battle to fight. One we can’t afford to lose.

  What if we can’t win? What if we die here today?

  Then we die. But I trust my sister. She saw the path we need to take to win this war. If I must die for it to happen, then that’s what I will do. But make no mistake, Sarah. I don’t intend to die today, and neither should you.

  Understood. Thank you, Athena.

  Chase could no longer detect Oryn’s heartbeat.

  “Oh, shit!”

  Chase fired flames at Oryn’s ice coffin. When the layer of ice was thin enough, Chase cracked it with a kinetic shockwave. He couldn’t find her pulse.

  He put his hands on her and started healing her, hoping he wasn’t too late.

  He had taken too long in the underworld. Would his own curiosity cost him and the Earth Alliance the future help of the Olympians?

  Oryn coughed and started breathing again, and Chase let out a long sigh of relief. He continued to heal her so she could recover consciousness.

  This time Chase wouldn’t take any risks. He reached inside Oryn’s mind, which was made even easier by their physical contact. Before she returned to her senses, he sent her every memory he had just obtained from Zeus.

  Oryn screamed in horror and kicked Chase away. She stood and turned both her arms into icicle swords.

  “Stay back!” she warned. “What the hell are these memories? What have you done to me?”

  “They’re the proof you requested. Those are the memories Zeus has of your mother.”

  The icicle blades melted and Oryn fell to her knees, rivers of tears flowing from her eyes. Shortly after, she vomited on the floor and screamed some more.

  Chase let Oryn get it out of her system. Having seen the memories, he could only imagine what a daughter would feel seeing such barbarism. Arakan was a monster. He had kept her mother alive, but kept butchering her and sending pieces to Zeus, to punish them both for their love for one another.

  “This can’t be real! This isn’t real.”

  “I’m afraid it is. I’m sorry it came to this, but you hardly gave me a choice.”

  Oryn shot a murderous look towards Chase. The tears flash-froze on her face. “If this is a trick, I’ll make you suffer till the end of time.”

  “It’s not a trick. These are Zeus’ memories. Even your birth is there. Surely you’ve seen it.”

  Oryn rose to her feet and took a few long breaths. She closed her eyes for a moment and fresh tears ran around the iced ones on her cheeks.

  “I’m going to kill that bastard! I’ll rip out his heart and make him eat it.”

  She screamed all her frustration out. It turned into a wailing roar of pain and sadness that was unbearable to listen to. The temperature inside the bridge fell below zero, and ice covered most surfaces.

  He wanted to find words to calm her, but knew this wasn’t possible. The memories had turned Chase’s stomach even though they weren’t his own. He could only imagine how bad he would feel if that had happened to Sarah or Chris.

  He would probably have lost control, as he’d had in that vision where he had destroyed an entire solar system. That was how he imagined Oryn felt right now.

  “He used me, he lied to me, he manipulated my grief for the loss of my mother to make me a fighter, a pawn, a killing machine. That man is
a monster. I hate him with all my heart.”

  “Then help me bring him down.”

  Oryn turned towards Chase, her eyes shining so brightly Chase had to put a hand in front of his eyes.

  “Let’s make one thing clear right now! Nobody but me kills that asshole. That’s non-negotiable.”

  “Understood. You have my word.”

  Chase couldn’t ensure any of this. Sarah had seen him fight Arakan in her visions. But she had said that someone else came to join the fight. She never saw who. Could that someone be Oryn? Chase always imagined it would be Chris. Hell, even Argos could be that person now. It didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered now was defeating the Furies.

  Chase looked outside the viewport to the battle raging a few thousand miles away.

  But first we need to eliminate Gaia 2.

  His train of thought was interrupted by an explosion behind him. Miseo’s icy prison had exploded and large shards of ice were coming their way.

  Ares returned with the ancient spherical device. Cedric thanked him and sent him back to the Hope.

  “He’s gone,” said Cedric. “I really don’t like deceiving Ares. He’s a really nice guy.”

  “Then you should have told him the truth,” said Gaia as she snatched the sphere out of Cedric’s hand.

  “Very funny.”

  “Cedric, I understand how you feel, but what’s done is done. Now we need to transfer the data into this device, and quickly. If Gaia 2’s fleet is destroyed before we’re done, we will lose any chance of bringing back Spiros.”

  “I still find it a little creepy that we talk of him as if he is on some sort of life support. He’s been dead for two days.”

  “He’s still alive— ”Gaia tapped a metal finger on her metallic droid head—“in here.”

  “Yeah, but it wouldn’t exactly be him we were bringing back. I mean, it would be his memories, his feelings even; his experience, sure . . . but his soul?”

  “Chase took care of that.”

  “What the hell does that mean?”

  “Chase has been to the underworld. Cedric, I understand you’re not comfortable with any of this. If you’d prefer I do it on my own, tell me so I can stop wasting time talking and focus on trying to save the man I love.”