by Jay Toney
"She won't need luck, she'll have me."
Doc called to give me the news. Good news I hoped. I needed some good news after everything that happened to me lately. Especially all of the new pregnancies, none of them my doing.
"Nathaniel, I managed to successfully awaken all of the sleepers. They are still disorientated, from their long sleep. Lauren is getting them housed and supplied with clothing and essentials. They are long out of date and will need to be retrained. She is working with Persephone to set up classes for them. Is it true that you got her pregnant too?"
"I didn't have anything to do with it."
"That's what you said about Beverly, Amber, and Jewel. It is about time that you accept responsibility for all the messing around that you do. I for one am going to enjoy spoiling my grandchildren, and making you miserable by doing it."
The girls and I headed down to our cabin, Persephone and I had to stay within line of sight with each other. This made doing some things awkward, but it didn't seem to bother her. My wives shared their bed with her leaving me to sleep on the floor, to keep up appearances. It must be working, because Doc, Lauren, Nugget, and everyone else was convinced that I was sleeping with her, and my wives. It wouldn't be so bad if that was true. I got all of the blame for getting them pregnant and had none of the fun doing it.
"I want pancakes with ice-cream on top; strawberry, blueberry, vanilla, and chocolate. I also want a stack with strawberries and whipped cream."
"Pancakes sound good, but I want mine with peaches and vanilla ice-cream on top," Jewel said.
"Not me," Amber added. "I don't want any pancakes, I would love a large bowl of ice-cream though, with pickles. I also want a glass of pickle juice to go with it."
"Definitely boys," Jewel mumbled.
"I am not having boys!"
I replicated their meals and a pitcher of fruit juice for us. I made a simple meal for myself, lizard tail stew. Lizard meat was both tender and full of flavor. I ate it whenever I could, enjoying the flavor and texture. I set our dining table and brought the requested meals to the table.
"Persephone, that is quite a lot of food," Jewel remarked, staring at her plates.
"This is nothing, you should see some of the feasts that my mother hosted. She had table after table laden with all kinds of food, even pancakes for me."
"Aren't you worried about getting fat?" Amber asked. "Goddesses don't get fat."
"Well, you are developing a belly already, and you better consider wearing a bra."
"I can't. My breasts hurt, and I don't want anything touching them."
Persephone projected a holographic image of herself and stared in horror. "It's true, I am getting fat and ugly."
I stifled my laugh, but the girls still caught me. I was in trouble again.
The next morning, Persephone, Amber and I took a shuttle down to the planet's surface. The area we were heading to was located amongst steep rocky mountains. Reaching the temple would be difficult by air, and nearly impossible by ground. I circled above the temple.
The building was huge and looked as if it was carved out of the cliff's face. Its roof was domed, so I couldn't land on it. The little land surrounding the temple, only had enough room for a narrow trail, before dropping off a steep cliff.
There was a ledge large enough to land on 2000 feet above the temple. There were no other alternate landing sites nearby. We would have to land there and repel down. The climb back up would be much more difficult.
I made the landing, there was just enough room. I put on a heavy coat and a climbing harness then helped Amber and Persephone into theirs. Amber had been climbing with me before and was familiar with climbing techniques. I didn't know about Persephone.
"Persephone, have you done any climbing?"
"I have not, we gods and goddesses simply disapparate when we need to, and apparate where we choose. We don't need to climb."
"I don't suppose you can disapparate now and apparate at the temple entrance."
"I can not."
"Then you will have to climb down with me."
"I will not climb!"
"Then how are we going to get down?"
"You will just have to carry me."
"The things I do for women," Nathaniel mumbled.
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
"I thought so."
I pulled two climbing ropes from the storage compartments. They were 200 meters long. I attached a ring to the Marauders winch cable and tied our ropes to the ring. The winch would do most of the work, but not all. We would have to descend the length of the rope and climb it later.
The spool on the winch wouldn't hold both the rope and its 1500 feet of cable. I opened the rear hatch of the Marauder. It was cold and windy. The climb back up would be difficult for Amber, in the thin air of our altitude. I put a few emergency oxygen bottles inside of an equipment bag for her use. I walked to the edge of the ledge and threw the coils of rope over the ledge. Amber fastened her harness to the rope, and secured the equipment bag to her harness with a lanyard, then eased herself over the ledge.
I fastened a short safety line between Persephone and me, in case she fell. She hopped up onto my back holding onto me with her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist.
"I wish you didn't eat so many pancakes."
"Are you implying that I am getting fat?"
"No, but you sure are getting heavier."
I attached my harness to the rope and eased us over the ledge. It would have been a lot easier, without her holding onto me. She squeezed me tighter when we were over the ledge. I used my free hand to press the winches descend button. Amber and I began walking down the nearly vertical face of the mountain.
To pass the time I talked to Persephone. "Tell me about Hades."
"Hades is one of my father's brothers. He has two brothers, Poseidon, and Zeus. He also has three sisters; my mother Demeter, Hera, and Hestia. He is a very formidable man. He is usually kind hearted, but is known to have fits of rage when crossed."
"Do you have any brothers and sisters?"
"My father took other goddesses at times to be his wife. He mated with Hera, Leto, Mala, Dione, and my mother. I have 5 half brothers that are gods, and 3 half sister goddesses. My father has also lain with several mortal women who gave birth to hundreds of demigods and mortals. I am the only child of Demeter though."
We had descended quite a distance, perhaps seven or eight hundred feet. We still had quite a ways to go. "How did you meet Hades?"
"That is a sad story, Hades saw me with my mother Demeter picking flowers and playing in a field. My mother was very protective of me, keeping me away from all men. He was smitten with me at first sight and asked my mother for my hand in marriage. She refused, angering him.
A few days later, I was picking flowers in a field with my companions. You met them, the Sirens. The Earth opened up, and Hades came out, riding his black chariot, pulled by a team of black horses. He abducted me and escaped back into the underworld before anyone could stop him. When we got to his palace he raped me, laying with me like a mortal woman. Afterward, he told me that I was his wife now. While I was with him, he granted my every wish, but one, my freedom. He extended to me his kingdom making me Queen of the underworld. My mother finally found me and demanded my freedom.
I couldn't return, I got hungry, and ate the food at our table. I couldn't resist the pancakes. They were the best I ever had. I ate six plates of them. They were fluffy, light as a feather, and covered with honey.
My mother stopped all things from growing, and the people of Earth grew hungry. They pleaded
to the gods to have me released. A deal was made. Because I only ate six plates of pancakes, I would only be bound to the underworld for six months out of the year. One month for each plate of pancakes that I ate. The other six months I was returned to the surface, to be with my mother."
"I read that it was six pomegranate seeds that you ate."
"Yuck, why would I eat those when I could eat anything I wanted? It was pancakes. They didn't have ice-cream or whipped cream back then, but they had every kind of fruit topping and plenty of honey."
"Does that mean you will be leaving us to return to Hades when your time is up?"
"No. When I died, the curse died with me. I am no longer bound to Hades or the Underworld."
"Then I do not have anything to fear from him."
"You do. He will want me back, and try to take me. He was fond of laying with me like his mortal concubines and wanted my first child to be his. He will be very angry with you for getting me pregnant. He will never forgive what you have done to me."
"I thought your mother said you were still pure until you got pregnant?"
"I was by our standards. We procreate using the string of life. I never merged with him, or his string. You were my first."
"What about Hades? Did he have children of his own?"
"He took no other goddess to be his wife, while I was alive. He has lain with many mortal women, and others though. The gods do not need their string to mate amongst mortals. Their seed is powerful and will impregnate any female, willing or not. How else do you think such beings as nymphs, naiads, and merfolk came to be?"
I didn't know. I wasn't sure they even existed until now.
"I'm glad your mother at least approves of me."
"I wouldn't say that she doesn't think any man is good enough for me. That is what started this whole mess. She is just acting like she likes you because you took something away from Hades that he will never have. My first child."
The winch came to a halt, with its cable played out. Amber and I started repelling down the rope. I couldn't talk anymore. I needed my concentration for the climb. We were moving faster, repelling down the mountain. We still had a few hundred feet to go before reaching the bottom. Amber was repelling much faster than I was. Of course, she didn't have Persephone clinging to her.
"You should really cut back on the number of pancakes you are eating," I thought out loud. Oops, I didn't mean to say it. Persephone replied by giving me a tight squeeze with her legs. "Oof!"
Amber had been waiting on the ground for a couple of minutes before Persephone hopped down the last couple of feet. It was a load off of my back. I was sure I was going to feel it later, cybernetic enhancements or not. I removed my climbing harness and helped Persephone out of hers.
"This temple looks awfully familiar. I'm sure I've seen its like before."
The Temple entrance was huge. The foot of the stairs was guarded by two large Sphinx. At the top of the stairway was a was the temple entrance. It had twelve columns supporting a stone arch. On top of the arch were twelve Gargoyles. They watched us with their glowing red eyes.
"Now I remember. This is the Temple of Doom, Destruction, Despair, or some similar thing. Either way, it is home to Perses, his wife Asteria. I don't know what it is doing here or how it got here. It was last seen on Earth and was thought to have been destroyed. To find Perses we will need to pass 7 challenges."
"Halt! go no further. Before you will be allowed to pass, you must answer my riddle. If you fail, it will be your doom," one of the Sphinxes commanded. "You have but three chances to answer my riddle correctly."
"I am ready for your riddle."
"A thing there is whose voice is one;
whose legs are four, and two, and three.
So mutable a thing is none,
that moves on earth, in sky, or sea.
When on most feet this thing doth go,
its strength is weakest and its pace most slow."
"An Ostrich."
"Wrong!" The Sphinx lashed out striking me. I was nearly thrown off the ledge.
"Internal damage, releasing nanites. Estimated repair time 45 minutes," flashed in my mind. I got up and faced the Sphinx again.
"Answer my riddle. Two more chances have thee:"
A thing there is whose voice is one;
whose legs are four, and two, and three.
So mutable a thing is none,
that moves on earth, in sky, or sea.
When on most feet this thing doth go,
its strength is weakest and its pace most slow."
Persephone answered, "It's a woman."
"Close is your answer, but still not true." The Sphinx lashed out again striking me. This time I held my ground. "What did you hit me for? Persephone was the one who answered your riddle."
"She is with child, unlike you. One chance left to answer my riddle true:"
A thing there is whose voice is one;
whose legs are four, and two, and three.
So mutable a thing is none,
that moves on earth, in sky, or sea.
When on most feet this thing doth go,
its strength is weakest and its pace most slow."
"I know the answer," Amber said, "It's a man."
"Explain your answer."
"It's simple when we are young, we learn to crawl on all fours. As we get older we learn to walk upright on our two legs. When we get old, most need a cane to help them walk."
"That is correct. You may pass."
We climbed the stairs. This time we were met by the Gargoyles. Two of them stood before two doors, the rest blocked our escape. We would have to pass by these two sentinels. A large, unseen Gargoyle approached us from the shadows. "Choose a door you must. One door leads safely into the temple, the other to certain death. One of the guards speaks only the truth, the other only lies. You may only question one guard to divine your answer." This is going to be easy. I spoke to the Sentinel on my right. "Who is the true father of the goddess Persephone's unborn child?"
"That is simple mortal man. It is the god Hades. The door I guard leads safely into the temple."
"You are the one who lies, for I am the father of her child. Come this way." I led the girls through the opposite door.
We followed the passage to a moat. The next challenge seemed simple enough. All we had to do was swim across to the other side. The head of a beautiful woman broke the surface.
"Joliet, is that you?" Persephone asked the naiad.
"It is, but who are you?"
"Don't you recognize me?"
"You look and sound like Persephone, but she is long dead."
"I am Persephone."
"If you truly are, answer me this: How did you die?"
"The Sirens who were created to be my companions and protectors, murdered me using Zeus's thunderbolt. I have only recently returned."
"You are with child. Who's?"
"Nathaniel is the father of my child."
"Hades is going to be furious when he finds out."
"He may already know. My mother has spread the word of my pregnancy throughout Olympus. She has given her blessing to the child to infuriate Hades even further."
"Come, my sisters and I will help all of you to cross the water."
"What was to be our challenge?" Nathaniel asked.
"We were to drown any who attempted to cross, you need not worry. You all are amongst friends."
"How many more challenges await us?"
"There are tw
o more challenges remaining. We would help if we could."
We removed our jackets, leaving them, and our equipment bags on the shore of the moat. The three of us waded into the water. It was warm. I barely felt it, but its temperature read 84°F. The temperature didn't seem to bother Persephone or Jewel. If anything it helped to warm them. I thought we were alone with the exception of Joliet. Several other naiads broke the surface. They swam, pulling us to the other side.
"Thank you, friends," Persephone said. "I use to play with Joliet and her sisters when I was young. Long before Hades abducted me."
We made our way ashore and continued down the passage. It wasn't long before we came across the next challenge. An Iron door blocked our way. It wouldn't open, no matter how hard I pulled on it. The door was locked and couldn't be forced open. I looked around for a key, but there was none.
This was our next challenge. We would have to get past the door. I couldn't use my energy sword or my blaster. They were still wet from our trip across the moat. Amber examined the lock, then removed a hairpin from her hair. She inserted the hairpin into the lock and began moving its tumblers. After a few seconds, that seemed more like hours, there was a distinct clicking noise, and the door opened.
"Where did you learn to do that?"
"Red taught me. He told me that knowing how to pick locks might come in handy someday."
Further down the passage, we came to the last challenge. Our way was blocked by a forcefield. Its projector was being controlled by a computer. It should be simple enough to access the computer and turn off the forcefield. I sat in front of the terminal. It was requesting a login with a user id and a password. I looked around the terminal, hoping someone wrote it down. There was nothing. Computer security protocols were followed here.
I was sure the computer would do something nasty if I entered the wrong information. There was a test port on the pedestal below the terminal. I willed a connection. Tendrils extended from my right wrist and connected with the pins of the computer port. My programming took over, attempting to rewrite the computers login routine. I was met with a firewall, I couldn't pass.
"Persephone, I am going to need your help getting past the computer's firewall. I can't get past it on my own."