by Kip Hartzell
“See,” Zeusticus said, “our efforts here have not been a complete waste, of course it has taken us a thousand years, and a lot of lives to recover them.”
John slowly walked around them, knowing they were the real thing. “You have done well, and you have a marvelous base here.”
“I have been perfecting it for hundreds of years. I must admit, I thought you had come to try to dissolve my home.”
“What? One man.”
“You underestimate yourself.”
John came back to reality. Even if he did recover a few skulls, was it worth it to put their Cousins in so much danger. “Zeusticus, I would like to discuss the advancement of our Cousins.”
“I’ve been noticing, you use the term ‘our’ instead of ‘the’ Cousins. As if they are our equals.”
“Maybe in the future, but they are a part of us, and a part of our future. We brought all this upon them. It’s our responsibility-no-our duty to protect them, teach them, make them better than we are.”
“I care for them, also, much more than anyone knows. But, they have to be disciplined, they are all my children.”
“Then we must free them. We have to stop advancing them, until we can resolve the Destroyer problem. If they reach space flight beyond the solar system, the mother ship will return and sanitize the entire system, and then start over somewhere else.”
Zeusticus was becoming angry. “I know this, that’s why I believe we should, teach, train, and arm them, in order to fight alongside us. I believe we can defeat this scourge.”
“It would be like throwing children at lions. It’s wrong.”
“Yes, right now, but soon, those children will grow up.”
“I hope so, what then, will they think of us?”
Zeusticus blinked. “They will understand...we had to make tough decisions, parents always do.”
“They shouldn’t have to understand. They are innocents in all this. We must distance ourselves, and technology, from them, for now.”
The two had been slowly walking back to the main hall when Zeusticus seemed to be capitulating. They walked up to the spinning holo-world and stared. Zeusticus started looking his age, the long white hair blended with his white beard. Wrinkles were accentuated by age. The party had stopped and a serious overtone had taken over the room. Athene-A strolled around the crowd. She looked up to see John and gave him a look of accomplishment, not willing to telepath, so her thoughts couldn’t be intercepted. She had a drink and quietly mingled with the Olympians. Hephaestus was behind a chair in a far end of the horseshoe design. Ourani-A was competing with her sister for attention, both drew a crowd. Her shyness seemed to entice the growing crowd. Hephaestus worked diligently and ignored his jealously.
Zeusticus stared at the world. “No!” he bellowed at the ceiling. “I will not leave them unprotected. They need me...they need us.” He spread his arms, letting his white robe hang loosely from his arms. “Friends, fellow Olympians, our savior here, and Chief Councilor wishes us to stop being Gods and return to the TSD. I say he is delusional to think that we can win without the help of our Cousins. What do you say?”
Jeers and no’s resonated through the hall.
“So, John, are you willing to risk civil war,” Zeusticus looked at Athene-A.
“No, Zeusticus, my Council does not want war. But they do want to cut off complete access to Chrysalis, it’s resources, and the TSD. Without it, all of you will grow old and die.” The crowd hushed. “But I need official verbal confirmation of dissension to take back to my Council.”
“We can give it to you, now.”
“In that case, everyone should take their seats and be accountable for their actions.” John relaxed. “Do you have anything to drink around here?”
Zeusticus relaxed. “Dionysus, bring us your best. Everyone, take your seats for official business.”
Dionysus retrieved a sealed container and several goblets. He opened the container and John was immediately awash with the wine’s aroma. He handed Zeusticus a cup, and then one to John, with a smile. He then retreated back to the others, while they began sitting in their respective chairs. As soon as Dionysus sat, Zeusticus stood in front of his throne. He dissolved the Earth aura in the middle of the room, John moved to take its place. He took a drink of probably the most fantastic drink he had ever tasted. He looked at it, swirled it around, and smelled it deeply, while everyone became comfortable and quiet.
Zeusticus stood in front of his chair and resided over the vote. “Members of the Olympian Council, a major change in policy has been presented. A vote to disband Olympus, and return everyone back to Chrysalis rule. A majority will send us back.” He looked at the end of the floating thrones at Poseidon. A quick response of a thundering, “No,” resonated through the hall. Zeusticus, then turned to Dionysus. He looked uncomfortable, took a long drink, and then tossed his cup to the floor. His almond shaped eyes focused on Zeusticus, “Yes.” Zeusticus looked as though he had been stabbed. He hissed, then pointed at Apollo. “Yes.” This didn’t surprise him, since he had always been a friend of John’s. He pointed quickly at Pandemos-Aphrodite, she squeaked out a sultry, “No,” as if she had never said it before. Her sister just glared, wishing she would’ve taken a seat on the Olympian Council just to counter her sister’s vote. Zeusticus smiled, and then turned to Dian-A-Artemis, she waved off a young maiden and gently rubbed her tear-drop shaped amber pendant. She didn’t even look at Zeusticus when she said, “Yes.”
Demeter, daughter of Zeusticus, answered, “No,” before she was even asked. He then looked across the room to Ares, who had been his most trusted and bloodthirsty General. The hybrid child, defeated all monsters and man, alike. He responded with a stern, “No,” while giving John a killing glare. Confidence rose, as Zeusticus put his hand up toward Hephaestus, who, quickly said, “Yes.” To no one’s surprise. Leto’s eyes glowed amber, as she tried to control her wolfen instincts. She glared hatred at Her-A, and would go against Her-A, or Zeusticus, on anything. “Yes, you should be stopped-”
“Enough! Hermes, your vote could end this nonsense. What is your vote, my friend?”
“Zeusticus,” the Dragon said, as he stood up from his mountain of pillows, “I have known you a long time. I feel our time has come to an end. It is time to go home. I vote, yes,”
Zeusticus was angry, but not worried. He turned away from his friend, and put a hand on Her-A’s arm, as she sat quietly. She looked up evilly at him, giving him pause and concern. “No,” she said, giving Zeusticus a satisfying scare.
Zeusticus looked relieved at the tie. “I vote, no, since there is no majority, the motion has-”
“The vote is not over, Father,” John said calmly. “You promised me a seat among the Gods, if I trusted you-believed in you. I earned it!”
“Who are you?”
“You know who I was, don’t you? You can feel it-Heracles.”
Zeusticus stumbled back into his chair. John talked, as he approached. “You and Her-A tortured me, using me as your personal battleground, you both should be ashamed. How many others have you treated this way?” Her-A blushed with anger. “I vote ‘yes’ to disband.”
“No! I forbid it.” He and Her-A started to get up. John sent a mental signal to Hephaestus, who, pressed a button on his handheld.
As the throne chairs slammed to the floor, except the ones that voted, yes. The gravitational force held them in place while they struggled to move, or even breath. The stress on their bodies from the adapted chairs made mental manipulation almost impossible. Her-A was screaming and struggling against the forces that held her. She had lost all sensibility, and acted like a trapped wild animal. Zeusticus quietly fought against the increasing force. He vanished, and then appeared behind John, grabbing, and then throwing him. He skipped across the floor, until he came to a stop. Zeusticus was already airborne and flying in his direction. John leaped straight up just before Zeusticus slammed his foot into the floor, causing a large creator.
> John floated above him. “Zeusticus, you lost the vote, you must honor the traditions of our people.” He saw the same rage he had seen in Aztek-Alon, and knew this was no longer going to be easy.
Zeusticus raised his arm at John and powered up the electrical discharge device attached to his forearm. It shot out a massive amount of electricity. The lightning bolt deflected off of John and tore out a section of ceiling. “Do you really think we would build a weapon with no counter measures.”
The would-be God howled with madness and disappeared. He appeared behind John again, and wrapped his arms around his neck, putting him in a choke hold. John struggled, as they floated high above the floor. Suddenly, John disappeared, and then appeared behind Zeusticus, followed by a similar choke hold. “Father, stop this madness. Zeus, stop!”
The rebels were glued to their seats, while Athene-A, and the rest floated closer to the combatant’s level. They slowly encircled them. They began chanting in unison, focusing their combined power.
Zeusticus disappeared again, and immediately appeared face to face with John. The blue eyes gave him away. He was insane. He gave John a fearsome mental and physical push across the room. The chanting became louder as they focused all their energy. Zeusticus locked up like he was in an invisible vice. He slowly drifted to the center of the group, while John hit a wall and limply tumbled to the floor. Once in the center of the trap, Zeusticus fought to stretch out his arms, with his remaining strength, exploded in an angry energy wave in all directions, sending himself and everyone else out, away, and down to the marble floor.
Hephaestus was quick to duck behind his throne-chair, and quickly helped Ourani-A-Aphrodite to a sitting position. Seeing she was alright, he raced over to John, who was slumped against a wall, and rubbing his head.
“John, are you well?” The bull man asked as he helped him up.
“Nothing I can’t recover from, thank you.” John focused his vision on Zeusticus laying on the floor, unmoving. He groggily made his way to him, and rolled him over. He breathed a sigh of relief to see he was still alive. Athene-A kneeled by John and put her hand on his shoulder, while waving a handheld over them both.
“He’ll live. You, on the other hand, have concussion, again.”
“Everyone else?”
“Apollo is attending them, no fatalities.”
“Good, have Drof bring in the security team.”
Pandor-A stood behind the console that controlled the TSD, and waited for instructions. John had taken notice of her aloofness, for a very long time. He was going to have to look into that. Right now, he had to carry out the Council’s decision. Zeusticus, and the crew that remained loyal to him, stood in line at the TSD opening, with wide wrist cuffs that used agoam crystals to dampen physical and psychic energy. Her-A was struggling against her Minotaur guards, screaming at times, while kicking. Reaching the TSD opening, they gently as they could, threw her in. Pandor-A took some readings and then gave John a nod.
They watched the spectacle, until Zeusticus broke the awkwardness. “I want to thank you for speaking to the Council on my behalf.”
“I wanted to. You, and your group, brought down a Destroyer detachment. No easy task. I wish things would’ve turned out better for you, for a Hero.”
“This is the best for us.”
“I promise you, once we find a cure for this Destroyer influence, I will bring you out. But, it could take a very long time.”
“Time is irrelevant, it’s just what we use to measure the distance between actions. Our Cousins were already forgetting about us, soon we would not have been needed, and dissolve into myth and legend. Until we meet again, John.”
“Until we meet again Honored Zeusticus.” He moved gracefully up the steps, took one last look back, and then slipped into the multi-colored swirling opening.
Poseidon stepped up. “I’ve added people to work on freeing your brother, Hades,” John sympathetically said.
Poseidon’s burly frame, barely acknowledged him, and defiantly stepped into the Temporal Storage Device. Ourani-A cried, as her sister, Pandemos was led to the portal. The closer the God of War got to the device, he began to struggle. It took everyone around to get Ares the warrior into the machine. Demeter looked older, she begged John to let her stay, but truth tests proved her to be deceptive. John stood their sadly, with Athene-A by his side, while the rest were incarcerated.
“What’s your plan, now?” Athene-A asked.
“To dismantle Olympus, and transfer all resources back to Chrysalis. In the meantime, track down all the Destroyers, and hybrid Destroyers Zeusticus let run free and see if they need to be detained. Try to make sure Tartarus stays closed, or nullified.”
“That list, may take some time.”
“This whole mess we’ve made, will take time to fix.”
Jay strained to keep up with the passage of time. He could feel the machine starting to release its hold on him. Civilizations, great and small, rose and fell. Parts of the world advanced more quickly than others, but all had the same theme. One person, male or female, would rise up to conquer, and then fall quietly, or dramatically. Advances in all categories would take steps forward, and with little, to no help from the Atlanteans, fall back into chaos and ignorance. A cycle that was repeated constantly. Just before he awoke, he saw the Earth inundated with water.
Jay blinked away the blurriness. “Wow,” he said. Rhe-A took the band off his head and then looked at her scanner. He sat up, shaking the dizziness out. When he opened his eyes, he was looking Rhe-A in the face.
“How are you feeling?” She asked with compassion.
“A little dizzy...and disorientated.”
“Cerebral cortex has been over stimulated. John, I suggest taking a twenty-four-hour break. Unless, you want more mush for brains.”
Jay stared for a second. “Say, did you shrink, or did I grow?” He slid off the table and his knees buckled. He caught himself with the table and steadied himself. She took his arm to help steady him. He notices she was as tall as he was.
She let him go, and turned and went to her laboratory instruments. “Mush, primordial mush,” and continued working.
John shook his own head, rubbing it with one hand, and said, “Yes, mush, that was a traumatic time. I’ve tried to put it aside, but it still haunts me.”
“What can we correlate with that event?” Athene-A asked, without showing any side effects.
“It seems these crystal skulls keep coming into play.” Jay said. He felt better and moved around the lab, while thinking out loud. “So, you know who the Destroyers are?” He asked, and then picked up a small device and twirled it around. Rhe-A reached around him and took it away, like a parent would do to a child.
“We’ve encountered them several times, but still are confused by them. They’ve done some erratic things, changes in their behavior from time to time. We are still studying them.”
Jay continued strolling the room, rubbing his head. “So many questions,” he said more to himself. “Seriously, dragons?”
“We have quite a few families here.”
“So, what’s next, rainbows and unicorns?”
“Rainbows are a natural occurrence, there’s no such thing as a Unicorn. But we could make one if you’d like,” Athene-A said, humorlessly.
Jay laughed. “I’m sure something will make sense, soon. It has to. One more thing, at the end of that session, I saw the Earth covered in a lot of water.”
They looked back and forth at each other, until John said, “We call it the Great Awakening. It’s another long story for another time.”
“Say, I’ve got a free hotel room in Athens, anybody want to go sightseeing, since I apparently have a day off.”
“No, not this time, Jay,” John started, “I’ve got a lot of data to go over. Go, relax. We’ll continue when you get back.”
“Grandma?”
“I would love to, but I have seen my city enough. Rhe-A, would you accompany JJ. It would make me feel b
etter.”
“With all this work to do.”
“You haven’t been out of this hole in a very long time. It will do you good.” Athene-A made it sound like and order.
Rhe-A looked at Jay, and then back at Athene-A. “Alright, but just for the day.”
Jay clapped his hands together. “Good, prepare to be amazed.” He started for the door, giving Athene-A kiss on the cheek as he went.
“Well?” He motioned with his hands.
“Right now, I have to prepare.”
“Where’s your spontaneity, your sense of adventure?”
“I have more sense, and more adventure than you could imagine. I’ll meet you at the shuttle in an hour.”
The door closed behind Jay. He stood in a very large room, and watched all manner of species walk passed him with hardly a glance.
“Rhe-A,” John said seriously, “keep a close eye on him. If he does have the answer to the location of the key, or tracker skulls, the Destroyers might find out, or might already know. He’ll be a target. He’s a good person and doesn’t deserve this.”
“And,” Athene-A joined in, “it wouldn’t hurt for you to be nice to him. He could hold all our fate’s in his mind.”
“I think we’re all doomed,” Rhe-A smiled. “Don’t worry, I will protect him with my life...but do I have to be nice?”
Jay found a 3-D map of the complex on a wall. He stared intently at it. The complex was pointed at the peak and bulged out as it extended below the mountain. A teardrop shape. The levels were carefully planned out and a self-contained world rested quietly within a world.
“Is there a place you wish to go?” Aidan said, from behind him, bringing Jay out of his concentration.
“Uh, no. I’m waiting for Rhea. We’re supposed to take a break, and go to Athens.”
“Alas, I wish I could go with you, but my appearance might cause a bit of a stir.”
“Yes, you would be the talk of the town.”
“There once was a time when Minotaurs ruled this world, and humans worshiped us.”