Mom, if my safety is truly paramount to you, then you’ll let me reach an age at which I can defend myself if someone comes for me. As a baby or young infant I won’t be able to defend myself if the Furies arrive on Earth, which is more than likely to happen soon.
Sarah hated to admit that he could be right. But if Chris was half as powerful as Chase, he would be able to defend himself on his own at the right age. And with all the good intentions and love she had for him, she knew that if the Furies came for them while he wasn’t in full possession of his powers, there would be little she could do to stop them.
Holding Chris tightly against her body, she covered her face with her free hand and let it slide all the way down to her chin in frustration.
One thing’s for sure, you’re as stubborn as your father.
I don’t see why this is an issue. He got us this far.
They arrived at the office of Doctor Kiriakos. Sarah was about to knock on his door, but then she hesitated.
Chase and Hades had been trading powerful blows for what felt like days. The fight was intense. They traded all sorts of physical and energy attacks, kicking the shit out of each other without resting. But Chase felt his power was growing. He was also much more aware of his limits than before. With each passing hour he controlled his pool of energy much more efficiently than he had in the past.
Hades punched his lights out with a powerful uppercut that sent Chase flying in the air before crashing back to the ground hundreds of yards away.
“Now is not the time to divert your attention,” said Hades.
Chase sat on the ground and put his hand on his jaw, which had been dislocated by the blow. With a swift and painful motion, he put his jaw back in place with a nasty, bone-cracking sound.
“Tell me about it.”
“I think that’s enough for now. You need to rest.”
Chase’s aura vanished, as did the lightning bolts dancing around him. His eyes regained their usual purple color.
“Do you mind me asking why you’re helping me?”
“Does it really matter?”
“At first I didn’t understand nor care much. Then you found the right button to push to make me furious. Now, in hindsight, it’s clear you’re training me. I tried killing you and yet you keep teaching me. I just want to know why.”
“I sense something special in you. A purity of heart I haven’t felt in ages, and even then only once before. When you first entered my realm, I wasn’t sure about you, but you reminded me of that encounter eons ago. Which is why I appeared to you in the form of a boy. I was trying to get a better read on your soul and your intentions.”
“So that’s it? You like my intentions?”
“That’s part of it. The other part is that if the Furies kill everyone in the universe, then what purpose will I serve? Granted my realm isn’t a place people come to voluntarily. But there is a cycle to every living being; well, except a select few, I guess.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, immortal beings never really pass by here. Unless they’re killed.”
“That’s a concept I always had trouble with. Ares believes I might be immortal.”
“I can confirm that.”
“With absolute certainty?”
Hades nodded.
“That’s heavy. I mean, I started to believe it myself but I preferred not to think about it too much.”
“I can’t blame you. After all, the meaning of life is that it ends. When it doesn’t, life loses its appeal, at least for most people. And I’m sure the reason you didn’t give it much thought is that you dread what it could mean for everyone you love around you.”
“I do. If what you say is true, and if I’m truly immortal, then I will see my friends, my loved ones, die, and I will still be there thousands of years after that. I’m not sure I want that.”
“It’s not easy, I grant you that. But there are benefits too.”
“Like what?”
“Well, you can always learn more, about the universe, the world around you, civilizations, and ultimately about yourself.”
“Right now all I have learned is how to fight better.”
“Yes, that too.”
“But if my physical body is dying as we speak, isn’t that some sort of paradox?”
“You’re only immortal in the biological sense, meaning your cells regenerate, but if too many are destroyed or you get killed, then you will die.”
“That’s why I don’t like the term immortal.”
“What term would you prefer?”
“I don’t know. Hard to kill?”
Hades laughed.
“What’s so funny?”
“You are. But you know what, if you prefer ‘hard to kill’ to ‘immortal’, then use that. It doesn’t matter at the end of the day.”
“And there lies my problem with this whole thing. If I don’t get myself killed, then nothing matters at the end of each and every day, because there will always be a tomorrow.”
“It’s a matter of perspective, I guess. But you died already, even if only for a little moment.”
“On board Keera’s ship.”
“Yes. And your unborn son brought you back to life. He acted on instinct mostly. He knew your time hadn’t come yet.”
“What if I feel my time has come one day?”
“Well, then you’ll do what you must.”
“How?”
“You’re not invincible. Just using every ounce of your own energy can kill you, so you can always use that way out.”
“You do realize you’re telling me I can commit suicide any time I decide I want life to stop.”
“I do. But how is that different from every living being? Free will is the only gift we all share.”
“I hadn’t thought of it that way.”
“But please don’t misinterpret my words. I don’t think suicide is a noble course of action for anyone. But I can understand that sometimes life is just too much to take, and you’ve been there not so long ago. Fortunately, it’s not something you are feeling at the moment, and that’s good, because suicide is, by definition, both a courageous and extremely egoistic act. We are defined by the connections we make in this life. We meet people, we love them and they love us back. We share a bond, sometimes stronger than life itself, with those that come our way. This is a gift from life itself, one we shouldn’t squander or decide we don’t want anymore. Because in the end, the ones that really suffer from such acts are those with whom we made these bonds.”
Chase stayed silent, so Hades continued.
“Your friend Fillio is a perfect example of that. While you two were friends you still took her death really hard. But if you think about it, it was suicide. She could have let you heal her. She decided not to. It was her right. Her soul suffered greatly so she decided to end this pain. But now others are suffering for it. That’s why consciously deciding to end one’s life is both courageous and utterly cowardly and selfish at the same time. How does one weigh his own suffering against that of others? Perhaps leaving life behind this way generates more hurt to those we love than the hurt we feel ourselves in that moment. If we truly love the people we form bonds with, doesn’t that love imply we don’t want to make them suffer?”
“What are you saying? That Fillio was selfish?”
“As a matter of principle I try not to judge. And I’m sorry if this discussion brought us to this sensitive subject.”
“No, that’s okay. I agree with you, for the most part.”
“At the end of the day hope, in any form or shape, is what drives us. When there’s no more hope, then life ends, one way or another.”
That last part resonated well with Chase in regard to Fillio’s passing. Was that what he felt in her resistance to be healed? Hope had died in her and, shortly after, so did her corporeal self.
“Indeed. You do seem to know a lot, though. Are you somehow aware of what’s happening in the world of the living right now?”
“I don’t follow.”
“When any being dies and their soul comes here, I have access to their thoughts and their feelings. I can use the bond they had with other living beings, at least until they fall into the pit. That gives me a pretty good idea, even if it is an incomplete vision of the living universe.”
“Isn’t that tiring for you?”
“Like I said, I can decide to look or simply block it out.”
“But being immortal you have all the time in the world. I would think you’d want to know what happens outside your realm.”
“Exactly, and with the billions of connections at my disposal I can go virtually anywhere, for as long as I choose. So, in a way, I don’t feel totally trapped in this place. This way I never lose my sanity.”
“I understand. Can you check on my loved ones for me right this instant?”
“I prefer not to do so on principle, but if it will allow you to focus better on the work ahead, then I will grant it.”
“How’s my family?”
“Sarah and Chris are both fine. They worry about you, but your son is pretty much in charge, even though Sarah doesn’t know it yet.”
“Are you serious?”
“It’s better we don’t discuss too much of it, but he has more power than any being his size ever had. While I don’t see the future, I can guess he will play an important role.”
“I see. Well, I’m not really surprised. He helped me even before he was born.”
“Indeed. I think he’s probably the most empathic Fury ever to be born; for better or worse I can’t say.”
“I’m not sure I like the sound of that.”
“Then just ignore it, Chase. For now, you must not focus on what’s happening out there. It’s outside your control. Focus instead on the here and now.”
Chase wished it was that simple. His mind was always racing with a thousand competitive thoughts. Though he had to admit that the more time he spent in the Underworld, the quieter his mind became. Which, in turn, had reduced his anxiety and overall stress levels to a much more manageable level.
“That’s what I’m trying to do, but can I please ask you how Daniel is?”
Hades took a deep breath before answering. “He is in turmoil. He’s exactly where I discussed earlier. He has been hurt by losing Fillio, and he is hurting on a daily basis now. He had opened his heart to her completely, so her death has really had a negative impact on his morale.”
“Will he be okay, though?”
“Chase, there’s nothing you can do about it one way or the other, at least not now. So is this really important?”
“It is to me. He’s a brother to me. I . . . I need to know he will be fine.”
“And unfortunately I can’t see into the future, so I can’t tell you more than the fact that he is suffering right now. For the time being he’s not on the right path. Please don’t ask any more questions on the subject now. You must focus on yourself if you ever wish to be in a position to help him in the future.”
Chase sighed. He had no doubt that Fillio’s death would take a toll on his dearest friend. He wished he could be there for him. To do so, though, would require him to complete his training by defeating Hades in combat. The sooner he achieved that, the sooner he would get back to his loved ones.
“That’s the spirit, Chase,” said Hades, who obviously heard or, at the very least, sensed most of Chase’s internal chatter.
Chase rose back to his feet. “Let’s pick it up from where we left it, then.”
“Yes, let’s.”
The alarm in Ryonna’s quarters resonated and took her out of her slumber. She had been so tired lately, she had really needed the shut-eye. She wished she could just turn the alarm off and go back to sleep. Her mind was still foggy and she didn’t want to get off the bed. But that was not an option. The moment that single thought reached her mind, she was up and about.
After a quick sonic shower, she went on to check on Keera, only to find her medical bed empty.
“Computer, locate other life signs aboard the ship.”
“Another life sign was detected in the mess hall.”
When Ryonna arrived in the mess hall, Keera was looking for food.
“Is there anything other than dried-up rations in your ship?”
“Hello to you too, Keera.”
“Oh, hello. I’m sorry. I’m starving.”
“How’s the implant working for you? No side effects?”
“What implant?”
“How much do you remember from our time inside the starport?”
“I remember it was intense, and—” She stopped talking and her expression changed. “My leg . . .”
She sat on the nearest chair and passed her hand over her new bio-implant. “You had to cut it. I remember now.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“You didn’t have any choice, Ryonna. If you hadn’t we would have both died.”
“Indeed. We barely made it.”
“See, so you did what needed to be done. But I barely feel any different. This must be quite an expensive medical facility you have on board.”
“I recovered it on a mission. I don’t even know how much it cost. I thought it would be a good thing to have on board at the time. My smuggling runs were getting more and more dangerous.”
“While it’s not exactly the same as it was before, I only feel a difference if I try to think about it.”
“Good, I’m glad to hear it.”
“So any food on your ship?”
“Not fresh, I’m afraid. That would have been purged when I sold the ship.”
“Okay, disgusting, dry military rations it is, then. Where are we on our mission to locate Jonas?”
“We’ll reach the set of coordinates in just a few minutes.”
Keera finished the tasteless rations and made a face. No doubt they were past their prime.
“If we can get a real meal when we reach our destination, that wouldn’t hurt either.”
“I could go for some tasty food as well. The next time we’re on Earth I’ll make sure to upgrade this ship with a food synthesizer and Chase’s preprogrammed menu. Earth has some of the tastiest food I have come across in the whole universe.”
“Let’s go to the cockpit and, for the love of the gods, let’s not talk about food anymore. I’m beyond salivating right now.”
“You started it.”
“True. But right now I wish I hadn’t.”
They both smiled and headed towards the cockpit.
Soon they reached their destination. To their surprise, there was no planet in sight, just a large asteroid field.
Keera frowned.
“Did we take a wrong turn?”
“I was just asking myself that. Let me check my instruments. The ship was parked on Droxia for so many years, without any maintenance, so maybe something went wrong.”
Ryonna checked everything twice. “Nope, we’re right where we’re supposed to be.”
“Perhaps there’s something inside the asteroid field?”
“That would be my guess as well. But that’s a dangerous proposition.”
“That’s okay. I can fly inside asteroid fields. Wouldn’t be the first time. But it would help if we knew exactly where we needed to go. The less time we spend in there the better.”
Ryonna opened a broad channel. “Jonas, if you can hear me, please respond.”
There was no answer.
“Jonas, please respond.”
Yet another minute passed without an answer.
“Ryonna, do you mind if I run a series of scans?”
“I’ve already scanned the area.”
“I know, but the only reason I can think of to establish a base inside an asteroid field is secrecy. If I was to do that, I would shield it to make it impervious to standard scans.”
“Sounds logical. Sure thing, have a go at it.”
Keera brought up the co-pilot’s holo-display and started entering advanced commands to recalibrate the scanners.
When Spiros got out of bed and arrived in the control center, Gaia’s droid was waiting for him.
“We need to talk,” she said in an icy-cold tone.
“Uh oh. In the entire history of the world, nothing good ever came after those four words.”
“When were you going to tell me?”
“Tell you what?”
“That you brought a nuke on board.”
Spiros immediately understood what Gaia must have been thinking.
“It’s not what you think.”
“I think it is. This is a secondary measure by your superiors to get rid of me.”
“I can see how it would look that way, and perhaps my hierarchy does feel better with the ability to nuke us, but this has nothing to do with you, at least as far as I’m concerned.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me?”
“Honestly, to avoid this very talk. But in hindsight it was a mistake.”
“I can confirm that.”
“I can sense you’re angry and I apologize. But please understand one thing. If we fail in establishing a stable artificial black hole, we need contingencies.”
“That’s what the hyperdrive engine is for.”
“It’s one of them but, let’s face it, this experiment could go awry so fast, we might have no other option than to blow ourselves up to stop a black hole forming near Earth.”
“Then let’s get farther away from here. Let’s train in a neighboring system.”
“That’s one idea, but we would lose access to resources we may need. At the very least it would delay our work.”
Gaia stayed silent for a few seconds. For an AI this was a long time to compute what she would say next.
“It’s true that it would hinder our efforts timewise, but didn’t we agree that the fate of this world and its security are paramount?”
“We did. And to tell you the truth, I’m surprised the thought of trying to generate an artificial black hole was not something you objected to from the beginning.”
Universe in Flames – Ultimate 10 Book Box Set: An Epic Space Opera Adventure Page 152