understand," Caesar said. He walked around the corner of the table and faced the ebbing image on the screen. "Decades ago when I negotiated peace with them, Tiber was about to fall. The Cylons were going to win. It was not the first open revolt of Tiberia's slaves but it very nearly was the first one we lost. I managed to … eke out a solution, but one that nearly cost me the Empire." He shook his head. "Half the Senate thought I had lost face, but I saved Tiberia."
"You did, dominus," a legate said.
He looked toward the machine man and said, "You were there, Qattho." He nodded. "I told the public the Cylons had been banished but many still believed it was a kind of surrender." His eyes glazed over and he said, "In a sense, it was. But we survived." 'Be bold,' he thought, 'and own that lie.' He blinked and looked at Prefect again, "My point is we have been seeking a quick resolution. A definitive one. They hid sooner than we anticipated. They fought back sooner than anticipated. Our early advantages are spent."
"I have a possible answer, my lord," Iapetus said. Caesar turned toward the Titan and he continued, "Refocus our efforts on the Majellan Mountains. Have the Imperial Engineering Corps storm in right behind our legions, we take and harvest as many resources as we can and then leave."
Caesar nodded and looked toward Quintus. The general nodded, too, "It's as we discussed a few weeks ago, imperator. It may be time."
Iapetus glanced between the two and said, "You've already prepared for this contingency?"
"We have, consul," Maxentius said. "We sold the effort to the people as one not only of resources, but of honor and security. We were 'quelling disorder and a potential future threat to the Empire.' We lose some piece of that, but we may yet get what we need."
"Enough to sustain the patricians, lord?" the tech consul asked. "My office has received requests from a further eight hundred fifty-three people this month so far who desire to convert themselves to artificial form. Two thousand sixteen requests from people outside Tiberia."
Caesar blinked slowly and looked across the conference room. In the far corner, his old closet stood. Inside was the puppet he used for decades. Eight hundred fifty-three more, he thought. Millions altogether now. He shook his head and said, "As always, Tiber's optimates will have what they require and desire."
"Good to hear, emperor," Prefect said from the screen. The other mechanized bodies in the room seemed happy with the decision, but Caesar felt disgusted.
There was a knock at the door and Caesar saw a young officer there. He waved her over as Iapetus straightened in his chair. "Emperor?" Caesar took a computer panel from the woman and began to read as Iapetus read his own message. "The intelligence consul reports …"
"I see it," the imperator sighed and sat down again. "The Cylons have reached out to the Pact of Nations for aid and assistance."
LXXXI
ZEUS
8 Years Before the End
Zeus sat on the park bench and stared at the birds bobbing through the grass a few meters away. He took a deep breath and, as he exhaled, his head ached again.
"Still hurts?" Metis asked in his earpiece.
Quietly, he said, "Yes."
"Good," Hermes said. "I think that means it'll work."
Zeus blinked. "'You think?'"
Hermes didn't answer. Zeus looked down at his leg. It was bouncing on the ground. Just a muscular reaction to my leg's position, he thought to himself. I'm not nervous.
He lied. Zeus exhaled again and Bia spoke in his ear, "Don't be nervous. This will work."
He nodded. "I know." They're relying on me. Hades and Hera. Demeter and Hestia, too. What if I fail? "What if I fail?"
"You won't," Bia said. "You can do it. Be confident."
He nodded and then Metis said, "To the north. Entering by the statue of Dicaeopolis."
Slowly, Zeus looked and saw two hulking men striding along a sidewalk toward him. "Yes."
Hermes sighed and said, "Good fortune."
Zeus stood and clasped his hands behind his back. They were enormous. Easily two meters tall, they seemed to grow larger and larger with each step toward him. The one on the left was more barrel chested and beefy. He was bald with golden skin and a permanent smirk. The other was not quite as tall and not quite as bulky, but he was still a formidable wall of muscle. He was very pale with almost black hair. His eyes were large and Zeus immediately felt like that one should not be underestimated. He also felt fear. True fear, for the first time in his long, adult life.
"Greetings, Zeus," the one on the right said as they came to a stop about five meters away. Zeus didn't answer. The small park in downtown Tritaea was nearly empty and the only sound was a nearby fountain. "I must say we were all surprised when you called."
Zeus glanced toward the other man and noted how he quivered. His smirk was now an energetic grimace. He was a cocked arm, ready to punch. The Olympian slowly looked toward Typhon and said, "Oh?"
"Yes. You knew my name. You knew … a great many things about us. We were impressed."
"'We?'" Zeus asked.
"Yes. Myself," he nodded toward his companion, "our colleagues, the Titans. Your father, especially. He was pleased."
Zeus' mouth drew into a tight line and he said, "Cronus is not my father."
Typhon smiled and answered, "I understand what you mean. But you understand what I mean." Zeus didn't respond.
"Enough talking," the larger man said.
"Now, now." Typhon gently put his hand on the brute's arm. "You must forgive Alcyoneus. He's not used to talking." He glanced at Typhon and then back at Zeus. "Still, you initiated this meeting. That was not expected."
"I'm with Alcyoneus," Zeus said. "Enough talk."
Typhon chuckled and motioned for Zeus to follow. "To our vehicle."
Zeus walked toward the pair and Alcyoneus leaned over. "Don't try anything, little man. I can kill you. I will kill you."
"Alcyoneus …"
He smiled. "I will."
Zeus said nothing and followed Typhon. They left the park and emerged onto Tritaea's sidewalk next to a large vehicle. Typhon grabbed the door handle and then snapped his fingers. "Oh, your earpiece. I know you have one. Toss it."
Zeus sighed and pinched the small piece of plastic in his right ear. With a flick, the flesh-toned device disappeared into the bushes. He squeezed into the back of the vehicle next to Alcyoneus and facing Typhon. They rode for several minutes before Typhon spoke again.
"I know you don't want to talk to me, but I am genuinely curious about the Olympus Institute."
Zeus had been meditating to dull his headache and he blinked a few times before focusing his glare on Typhon. "How so?"
"Your aims. You seem eager to help all nations and all people." He shrugged. "Why?"
Alcyoneus rolled his eyes and Zeus caught a glimpse of that. "Unlike many, we think all people can be better and live better. Regardless of national borders or religion or economies. There's no need for underclasses in today's society."
Alcyoneus scoffed and Typhon nodded. "It's interesting. It really is. Impractical in the world as we know it, but interesting." He looked out of the windows and saw the aeroport's runways. "We're here."
The vehicle screeched to a halt and Zeus stepped out onto the sunny tarmac. He looked across the field and saw a spherical airship slowly lift off; its large ball rotating and giving it lift. He turned and saw a private rotorcraft with the seal of Tiberia on the fuselage. Zeus glanced back at the vehicle and noted the diplomatic stickers there.
"Yes," Typhon said. "We are quite free to travel in Attica."
"What about the Assurian airship that attacked my Institute?" Zeus asked. For the first time, his façade was cracking.
Typhon shook his head. "I'm sorry. I don't know what you're talking about."
They walked to the aircraft's stairs when there came a muffled grunt behind them. Zeus turned and saw someone leaping through the
air and plunging a knife into the back of Alcyoneus.
"Poseidon!" Zeus yelled. "No!"
Typhon pulled Zeus away and Alcyoneus stumbled forward, grabbed the back of Poseidon's clothes, and tossed him aside. The giant pulled the knife out of his back and threw it away before flexing and smiling.
"Come on, little man!" he yelled.
Poseidon looked at Zeus and then lunged for Alcyoneus. He punched the throat, kicked his knee, and scrambled up his front toward the face. As he did, Poseidon reached toward his belt for something, but Alcyoneus was too fast. He wrenched Poseidon's arm back, causing it to snap loudly. Then he gripped Poseidon's torso and squeezed. As his ribs buckled, Poseidon screamed.
Zeus stepped forward and barked, "No!" Typhon kept him back.
Alcyoneus smiled and rotated Poseidon one hundred-eighty degrees. With his head dangling above the asphalt, Alcyoneus raised him up and then brought him down, hard. His skull cracked on the ground and blood poured out. Zeus slumped to his knees and Alcyoneus drove him down again.
Zeus looked back at Typhon and saw that he was wincing and his head and face were contorted. After Poseidon was slammed into the tarmac a fourth time, Typhon said, "Enough!"
Alcyoneus dropped the flattened corpse and moved toward Zeus. "You're next." He pulled Zeus up from the ground and he looked at what was left of his brother. Anger rippled through him and his skin felt prickly. He wanted to lash out, but he knew it was pointless right now.
The Tiberian aircraft slowly hovered and then its four large cylinder arms rotated, moving them away from Attica's
Lords of Kobol - Prelude: Of Gods and Titans Page 60
