fear the being felt within him.
Might be the last time, he thought. The tender kept seeing glimpses of a plastic and metallic body crafted to look like him. Only a few more days before the transfer.
As she watched the pair fornicate, a light seemed to swell within the room. It wasn't present, but it was at the edges of the being's vision. The light grew and became fire. Heat. It engulfed everything around her. The tender left the room and knelt by Corol's side. The girl was happy and humming as she placed her blocks ever higher, but the flames devoured the child, too.
The Messenger momentarily felt panic and tried to see deeper into the vision. Future echoes, she realized. The fire is coming. She turned and tilted her head to try and see around the blasts and around the blazes, but it was for naught.
It is inevitable. She swelled and prepared to move around the world to see some path away from the flame. She shrank when she could not. Hopeless.
LXXII
CRONUS
9 Years Before the End
"I'm not certain I understand, emperor."
Caesar looked down on the monitor and then fixed his eyes on Cronus through the camera. "I cannot take up organic form. Not yet."
Cronus was bewildered. "This was the end you desired for more than a century. I alone have spent decades working on this."
"I know."
"So … I do not understand."
Maxentius said, "I have given it great thought, but I do not believe I can effectively govern if I am disconnected so fully from the Matrix."
"When last we spoke," the Titan began, "you were fearful of remaining in the Matrix because of Prefect and your legates. They were transitioning like you did and you were afraid you might lose your individuality."
"True."
Cronus held his arms out. "And this is why you're leaving the final product of your Life Extension Project in the basement?"
Caesar was still long enough for Cronus to think the signal had frozen. He tilted his head and said, "It is."
Cronus' arms flopped to his side and he shook his head. "It is your body, dominus. Do what you will."
"I shall." The emperor leaned forward as he prepared to disconnect the transmission, but he said, "I will not forget what you've done. I will uphold my side of the bargain." Cronus nodded. "Your exile is fully revoked and you will be paid. Handsomely."
"I appreciate the money. I'm more interested in my other request."
Caesar blinked a few times and said, "Your hunt for Zeus and his people is your own." He waved a hand and added, "I will not, however, stop you."
Cronus bowed and said, "As you wish, lord." The screen flashed and the emperor was gone.
An hour later, he met with his council of Titans. He scribbled notes quickly before the meeting, but he hoped passion would override any lack of preparedness.
"For the last decade, they have waged war on us." Cronus slowly pressed his palms against the table and stood. "It began simply enough. Propaganda. Leaflets spread in the cities. Broadcasts on wireless channels and videos on the Matrix. But it's gotten worse." He looked across everyone's faces and saw their interest. "In some nations where there is organized resistance, they have actually met with some of Zeus' people."
"What's the harm in meeting with someone?" Rhea asked.
He inhaled sharply and said, "On multiple occasions, after having met with an Olympian, there were terrorist attacks committed by people associated with those cells." Themis didn't respond. She only stared. "There have been weapons smuggled into our nations, too."
Rhea scoffed and said, "There's nothing tying those weapons to Zeus."
Iapetus looked up from his wristband and said, boldly, "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence." Cronus nodded and Iapetus continued, "Shall I?"
Cronus gestured toward him. "Please."
Iapetus looked at his wristband as he spoke. "Last year, Ares met with two men in Arkaim. A week later, there was a bombing at a government office building and one of those two men was arrested. Six years ago, after meeting with Aphrodite and Eryx, a group of people in Assuria …"
"Aprhodite and Eryx?" Crius interrupted. "Are you kidding me? They're Zeus' spokespeople. They travel all over the world."
"And they were in Lagas a month before …"
"And Aphrodite?" Themis said. "She's nothing more than a … vacuous model. A pretty face for Zeus to get his message across."
"His message is getting across better than you suspect," Cronus said, loudly. His voice boomed in the small room and he looked at Iapetus, who seemed disinterested in going on. "The point is we have reason to believe that Zeus' people have been in contact with insurrectionists in Tiberian lands."
"I was a praetor back when this started," Crius began. "I saw the leaflets and heard the radio broadcasts. Of course, I think Zeus has been fomenting dissent, but what you're accusing him of ..."
Coeus was shaking his head quickly. "I have no problem believing it. He hates us. He's said as much in the news."
Oceanus nodded and said, "No question. When we had a food riot in Lagas a few years ago, Zeus was all over it." He lowered his eyes. "All over me."
"No one here doubts Zeus' distaste for us," Phoebe began, "but what can you do about it?"
Cronus grinned and looked toward Themis. "I have some ideas. The Caesar, though, will not aid us. Not directly, so I will need to call on each of you from time to time." Some of the praetors nodded. "Still, some of you may find my plans rather extreme. If you'd rather not know, feel free to leave now. No one will think any less of you."
Themis met his gaze and stood. She began to walk toward the door. Then Rhea stood and left. Cronus furrowed his brow; surprised that they would be so weak.
LXXIII
HERA
8 Years Before the End
"We're working on any number of research projects at any given time," Zeus said in the hallway behind her. Hera turned and watched her husband lead a group of several potential benefactors among the glass walls of the laboratory hallway. "In here, our engineer Hephaestus is working on a project for the United Space Probe Agency. We've been working closely with them for some time." He turned and crossed the hall. Hera didn't look at him directly but she swiveled somewhat in her chair and began to move the test tubes around a bit. "In here, my wife, Hera, is studying ways to more quickly regenerate damaged brain tissue." Zeus led them away from her window and Hera watched them go.
She studied the group. There were four men and three women. The women were apparently older and none were what she would call "attractive." Hera sighed and tossed a pen onto the table. After shaking her head, she cursed Zeus and put her eyes against the microscanner again.
Several moments later, she heard someone in the doorway. "Hello?"
She turned toward the unfamiliar voice and said, "Yes?" The stranger was huge. Almost two meters tall, his physique was staggering and his deep voice rattled her ears.
He lifted a small box and waved it side to side while saying, "Porphyrion Deliveries. You're Hera, right?"
She nodded and stood. "Yes. I am." She looked across his broad chest and saw the "visitor" sticker there, meaning he was let in by someone in the lobby. Still, it surprised her that a deliveryman was allowed to come to the lab levels.
"If you could sign for this, I'll be on my way."
Hera took the box and glanced up into his face. While flashing a quick grin, she set it on a table and then took the computer panel from him. As she signed with her fingertip, she narrowed her eyes. "Why was your company named for Porphyrion?"
The man didn't answer. Instead, he struck Hera from behind, sending her flying into a worktable and tossing test tubes across the room. She rolled into the far wall and immediately tried to stand up. She saw him move toward the door and lock it. Hera lifted a large beaker and ran toward him.
The giant was surprised by her quick reaction and amused. He sm
iled and hesitated for a brief second while Hera leapt into the air and brought the glass cylinder down on his head. With the portion that remained in her hand, she stabbed him in the abdomen twice before he knocked her back again with a singular swipe of his enormous limb.
Now slumped against the wall, Hera struggled to open and focus her eyes. She saw the fire alarm switch on the opposing wall and began to lumber toward it. Her attacker grabbed her by the collar of her coat, however, and whipped her into the large glass wall by the door. The sharp cracking sound of the glass was interrupted as the pane held. Hera stayed against it and struggled to regain her breath.
"Hmmm," he said. "You are something else. I've seen your pictures and studied you, but you're even better in person." He took two long strides toward her and pulled her off the glass. "I'm going to take my time."
He threw her against the nearest desk. Hera was now face down and sweeping papers onto the floor as she tried to stand up. The man, however, put one huge hand on her back and pressed her down. She felt his other hand run along the length of her body toward the tail of her lab coat. Her eyes widened and she sucked in air so she could scream.
The sound of crashing glass interrupted that thought. Hera managed to turn and saw Zeus standing in the frame of the window, holding a large chair. He took one big step and swung the chair against the giant, but he shrugged it off. He quickly lunged and gripped her husband by the front of his clothes and lifted him. Zeus growled and jabbed his thumbs into his eyes. The attacker threw Zeus to the
Lords of Kobol - Prelude: Of Gods and Titans Page 51
