call Olympus. He had to hope that she would be different than Hestia. He had to.
LXXVI
ZEUS
8 Years Before the End
"Zeus?"
His white hair was pressed against the glass of the vehicle as it rode up the hill. He stared at the old trees that lined the road, picked clean by fires or storms.
Bia shook her head and said again, "Zeus?"
He turned this time. "Yes?"
She put her hand on his and softly answered, "I know you're worried and distracted. I am, too. Demeter was a good friend. For years. We have to let Hera, Leto, Hermes, and the others work on it." Zeus nodded. "You and I have to worry about this."
She pointed forward and Zeus followed her finger. He saw the beginnings of the city over the shoulder of their Cylon driver. "You're right, of course." Bia patted his hand and leaned back in her seat. Zeus turned toward her and asked, "How do you do it?"
"What?"
"Shut it all out," he said. "I've tried over the years, but I can't keep everything away."
She grinned weakly and said, "You're a natural leader, but you tend to feel too much. You have to … compartmentalize." He nodded. "Prioritize your thoughts and push the others away. I'm not saying anything you don't already know."
"I know," he said. He leaned in his seat, too. "This has all just been … too close."
"Yes, it has."
Zeus sighed and continued, "You're far more even-tempered than I. Why didn't you lead?"
"The Institute was your idea," she said. "Your tendency to feel too much? That helps give you charisma. It draws people in." Bia shook her head and smiled, "Women especially."
Zeus grinned wryly and said, "Not you, though."
"No," she closed her eyes and laid her head back against the cushion, "I'm immune."
Zeus relaxed, too, closing his eyes and meditating as the vehicle jostled along the road. He tried to organize all of the info in his mind. What little they knew about Cylon society. What Olympus' needs are. Plus, if he's able, find out what Tiberia wanted and what they got when they visited last month.
In a soothing monotone, the Cylon driver said, "We have entered Thera." Both Zeus and Bia stirred and looked out their windows. Trees had been cleared away and the roads were straight. Buildings were made out of gray metal and glass and seemed to have emerged from an assembly line. They were all the same height and bore no decoration to speak of, arranged precisely on the city's grid. Nearly all of them had broken windows and cracks in their façades.
In contrast, there were dozens of Cylons along the streets. Many of them wore colorful "clothing" made of metals and plastic. Some danced about. High-pitched singing could be heard even in the vehicle. Music blared and colored lights danced off nearby gray buildings. Many Cylons wandered in and out of the street seemingly oblivious to the traffic. A fight among several units caught Zeus' eye before Bia sighed.
"I don't understand," she said. "At all."
"We have arrived at the Council Chambers," the Cylon said as he stopped the vehicle.
Zeus opened the door and stepped out. "Thank you." He walked around the rear of the car and met Bia on the sidewalk. They looked up at the curved building; the only one of its kind within sight. A large Cylon with a train of colored plastic and metal plates that dragged along the sidewalk passed between them and the steps. They watched it go and then started walking together. As they approached the doors, they opened automatically.
The duo moved toward a Cylon standing in the center of the lobby. It had a large semispherical dome on its face and a dim yellow light ebbed within it. Its coverings were dull brown and seemed to be plastic. "Welcome to Thera. I will show you to the council chambers." Zeus and Bia bowed briefly before they followed the Cylon around the curvature of the hall. Zeus found himself staring at the being's ball feet which rolled effortlessly on the tile floors. The unit stopped and rotated. "Enter here, please." It motioned to a blank part of the wall and Zeus glared at the Cylon. Bia, however, moved forward, causing the wall to indent and then slide away. Zeus followed.
What had been a featureless and dull hall gave way to a round mixing bowl of color and sound. The Psilons blinked rapidly as they tried to adjust their eyes to the lights. Red flashed at them, then blue. Sounds pulsed together throughout the hall and caused their chests to rattle. Bia struggled to stand upright and Zeus placed his hand against the wall to steady himself.
They were standing at the lip of a large concave floor. At the bottom of the bowl, a long curve served as a table. Around it, Zeus and Bia could see five Cylons of varying types and attires. One began to move toward them. It took Zeus a moment to see, but its flowing cape was actually a metallic mesh. Through some means of magnetic field manipulation, the Cylon was lifted into the air and seemed to glide toward the pair.
"Welcome to Thera," the Cylon said. It hovered before them. A trio of rotating circle lights stared at them. Its head was small and seemed to be perched upon a coiling neck. Its body was equally wiry and was hidden in the ebbing of the metal cape. It changed colors in time to the music, if that's what it was, and flapped near Bia's head. She ducked to one side as it spoke again, "Please, come down to see us."
At first glance, there were no steps for them to descend, but the curvature of the bowl changed and stairs emerged from the metal wall. The Cylon drifted alongside them and Zeus waved his hand, "Can you turn the volume down?"
Immediately, the sounds were gone. The pulsing lights, too. "Is that better?"
"It is," Bia said. Zeus stepped into the bottom of the bowl behind her and they walked together toward the table.
"I am Malaflees Carbanotto Blue Edair." The Cylon flowed over their heads and resumed his place behind the table, though it didn't sit. "I am leader of the Council of Five."
Zeus and Bia nodded. "And how should we address you?" Bia asked.
"Malaflees Carbanotto Blue Edair," it answered matter-of-factly.
When the Psilons stared at the leader for a beat without expression, another councilor said, "Your name is too long."
Angrily, Edair lifted up and glided toward the Cylon that spoke. As the leader approached, the "offending" Cylon stood and took a defensive posture.
"It is my name!" Edair screamed.
"It is too long!" the other replied.
Bia glanced toward Zeus and saw that his mouth was beginning to fall open.
The leader reared back and yelled, "It is the name I chose! We didn't all go short like you, Bevonal!"
The other Cylon's chest puffed out hearing its name and it said, "That was my choice, too."
Edair slowly came back down. Zeus saw for the first time that its feet never touched the floor. It turned to the Psilons and said, "For the sake of time, you may call me 'Blue.'"
They bowed again. Bia asked, "And who are the rest of the councilors?"
Even though its eyes were circling lights, Zeus could swear that it rolled them as it motioned toward the end of the table.
"Bevonal," the other Cylon said. "I represent the military division."
"And the elderly," Blue said.
Bevonal didn't acknowledge the remark. It saluted, clanking its heavy, shiny fist against its breastplate. Though not as ostentatious as the leader, this Cylon also had flair. At its core, it was an echo of Tiberia's old military Cylons. Bevonal bore three crests along its head. Its shoulders were pointed and quite tall. Its fingertips were like tapering daggers. Each corner of the being's armor had been drawn out into dramatic spikes.
Looking at it directly, Zeus could tell that the unit was covered in cereisium.
The next unit bowed. It was tall and spindly, but its skin was a combination of polished copper and ceramics. "I am Sessquino Ma'd, representing the public services division." Its voice was melodic and pleasant, unlike Bevonal's or Edair's.
"Ruun Hyjaru Fid," the next said. It stood but made no other motio
ns. It was colored metallic green and seemed to have multiple limbs of varying sizes and types around its torso. "I am a representative of the native division." Zeus squinted, not understanding what that meant.
"I am Trxdana Erstwhile Pvamoos of the public services division." This one was large and squat. Its armor was a dull blue and there seemed to be nothing flamboyant about it, other than its name.
Again, the leader rose, "I am Malaflees Carbanotto Blue Edair, representative of the natives and leader of the Council of Five." It spread its arms as though it was receiving rapturous applause. The cape shimmered in color again and Blue began to sit behind the table.
"I am Zeus, leader of the Olympus Institute."
"I am Bia, aide to Zeus and co-founder of the Institute."
"Very good!" Edair said. "I have always enjoyed introductions."
Zeus took a small step forward, "Shall we begin our negotiations?"
"Please," Ma'd said, inviting a harsh look from Edair.
Zeus looked toward Bia, who stepped forward and smiled as she spoke, "We, of course, know of the resources you recently discovered." The Council nodded in unison. "Congratulations on the find."
"Thank you!" Edair interrupted. "It was a very exciting day."
"It was," Fid said.
Bia looked between the two to decide if she should continue. "Of course, like most nations, we wish to negotiate for a small portion of the resources."
"Oh," Blue said.
"We don't know if we should share," Pvamoos said.
Edair rose up again. "Yes, it has been a point of contention. There are many metals.
Lords of Kobol - Prelude: Of Gods and Titans Page 54
