Lords of Kobol - Prelude: Of Gods and Titans

by Edward T. Yeatts III

dismissively and said, "They already are, I'm sure."

  She typed on the panel for a moment and a circle irised open. "Whoa. There's a bunch of Ahljaelas here." She pressed a few lights on the screen and said, "Is your family from Gargamus?"

  He nodded. "For generations. I don't know how far back, though."

  "Well, this goes back more than a century." She pressed another button and then turned to face him. "They've been watching your family for a hundred and fifty years."

  Thon's eyes widened and he leaned forward. "Why?"

  She chuckled and said, "Don't know family history, huh?"

  He shook his head. "No. No one ever talked about it, really."

  She touched the screen and another circle opened. It was a photo of someone named Mar Dohl Ahljaela. "This is why they've been watching you. This guy, Mar, tried to start a labor coalition in a government factory way back then. They killed him for it."

  Thon was stunned. He stared at the image of the long-dead man and felt as though he floated. His head swam and then he inhaled to enlarge his chest. Pride. That was something he hadn't felt too often. "What else?"

  "Well, his son fell in line. He was a worker. Oh. And an informant. His son was a centurion. Some kind of hero … after he was an organizer for labor protests."

  Thon smiled. "Another revolutionary."

  "Yeah." She opened more digital circles and said, "His daughter was just a worker, but she was investigated for subversive postings on the Matrix. Her daughter was a soldier who also tried to organize coalitions in the factories where she worked."

  He mumbled, "Grandma was a soldier?"

  "Her son … still alive," she said.

  "That's my father."

  "Oh. Well, he's just an obedient worker, apparently. You … worker who disappeared. Suspected of joining 'rebellious elements.'" She laughed again and slapped his back. "Congratulations. It seems as though you're just the latest in a long line of bad figs."

  Thon smiled and asked, "You can save those for me?"

  "Sure."

  He stood and ran into the hallway. Darro directed him toward a large column to place a charge. As he prepped the receiver, he smiled again and thought about all he had just learned. 'Bad figs,' he thought.

  Minutes later, outside, Ahljaela twisted the wires into place. He brought the battery up to his chin and then nodded. Darro held his hand out steadily. Finally, he pointed. Thon connected the wires to the battery and a boom rocked the large buildings on the other side of the barricade. Thon saw Darro smile but he wanted to see for himself.

  Cables of burning photosilicate flopped away. The datafarm's walls were peeling apart under the heat and servers sparked in the flames. A few cylinders of compressed cooling gases exploded, sending scraps of metal and chunks of datacubes high into the air. Darro ducked low and began to scurry away from the hill and Thon followed suit.

  Like his female counterpart, the Messenger had grown attached to a line of human beings. He, too, appeared around the world to inspire people to make ready for the apocalypse. They didn't know about the plan, of course, but each cog played its part.

  The being thought about the many disparate gears and how they needed to fit together. They had contingencies in place, but as the end neared, the Messenger began to worry.

  XCII

  ZEUS

  4 Years Before the End

  "This way," the Cylon soldier said.

  Zeus and Bia followed it closely into the tunnel. Immediately, they began to stumble and grope for the walls. "It's too dark in here. We can't see."

  The black soldier turned and said, "You cannot see?" It looked around and then said, "Your infrared vision is worse than I believed." A moment later, a light turned on, attached to its rifle. As the Cylon continued to walk, Zeus and Bia followed as best as they could.

  After almost twenty minutes, they emerged in what appeared to be a quarry. The sky was black above and Zeus could tell by the faint grid that they, too, employed a signal-dampening net.

  "The Council of Five is below," the soldier said.

  The two Psilons followed it down a slope and then into a small cave. After several zig-zagging turns, they entered a large chamber lit with many colored beacons. The visitors squinted in the harsh light and they heard a familiar voice.

  "Welcome back to Gela, Zeus and Bia." A large armored Cylon stalked toward them and continued, "I am Malaflees Carbanotto Blue Edair."

  The Psilons bowed and Zeus said, "Greetings. I almost didn't recognize you."

  "Yes!" Edair stepped back and spread its arms wide, admiring itself. Gone were the wispy metallic cape and its thin limbs. Now its arms and legs were thick beams. Its head was a large, harsh wedge and the contours of its armor were like ripples in a mirror. Its sensor ring was split in two, but the separate arcs were at a severe angle and glowed red, making the machine appear permanently angry.

  Zeus looked behind the large Cylon and saw the rest of the Council of Five. Bevonal, the military unit, appeared much as it did before. The rest of the councilors were also newly clad in battle armor, making identifying them difficult. "We have come for two purposes."

  "One of which we already know," Edair said.

  Zeus nodded. "You have managed to convey multiple messages over the last few years. So we have come at your invitation."

  Blue moved to speak, but another unit spoke from the table, "What is the second purpose?"

  Angrily, Edair stomped around and yelled, "I am the leader!"

  Bia sighed and said, "We have been asked to speak to you on behalf of the Pact of Nations."

  "Ah, good," Edair answered. "We were friendly with some of their members for a time. We would like to be so again."

  Zeus nodded. "Excellent."

  "But they denied our request for aid in our time of need!" Bevonal said. "Their Declaration of Rights was hollow words and nothing more!"

  The leader lurched toward the warrior and stopped itself. Bevonal didn't flinch. "What are the Pact of Nations' terms for us?" Blue asked.

  Bia lifted her chin and said, "An immediate cessation of hostilities against any and all Pact members and withdrawal from their lands."

  "Hmmmmm." Edair said, "The cessation of hostilies would be acceptable."

  "We could focus our forces solely against the Tiberians," another unit said.

  "But withdrawal," still another began.

  "We cannot withdraw," Blue said with finality. "We have bases and need them for the war against Tiberia."

  "I have a proposal," Bevonal said.

  The leader turned and then all five stopped. No noise emanated from them at all, save the soft hum of their eyes. Edair lurched back and exclaimed, "Brilliant!" It turned to Zeus and Bia and clasped its hands in front of its torso. "We will withdraw our claim from foreign territories if the Pact of Nations joins us in our war against Tiberia."

  Zeus' stomach sank and he slowly turned to Bia. Their expressions mirrored each other and she very subtlely shook her head. Zeus faced the Cylons and said, "I will convey the offer but … I can guarantee, with near certainty, that the Pact will not agree to this."

  "Why not?!" Edair screamed.

  Bevonal stood from behind the table. "Tiberia has warred with the Pact of Nations many times."

  "True," Zeus nodded, "but those wars ended. There hasn't been armed conflict with Tiberia in a century. Cease fires were agreed to. For the Pact to break those agreements would be …"

  "Unconscionable," Bia offered.

  "Yes." Zeus looked at each of their faces, hoping to gauge some sort of response. He could not.

  "That is unfortunate," Edair said.

  "Hostilities will remain," Bevonal said.

  "I am … sorry to hear that," Zeus said. "Is there anything the Pact could offer that would convince you to reconsider?"

  "No. Our terms have been made known." The leader struck a new pose, jutting a large arm toward Ze
us and Bia. "Now we come to the purpose for our invitations to you."

  "Please," she said. "Go ahead."

  A shining, golden unit from the table stood and began to speak. "We are aware that the Olympus Institute has managed to create a system with which superluminal speeds may be achieved."

  Zeus closed his eyes. Bia didn't move but, finally, Zeus said, "You are correct."

  Edair eagerly clasped its hands again and said, "We must have this technology. We do love technology."

  "I understand," Bia said. "But …" she looked at Zeus for guidance.

  "That technology is under the control and direction of the United Space Probe Agency. A group made up of Pact members."

  The leader flicked its hands and said, "We know about that. We do not care about that."

  Zeus shrugged and said, "Perhaps if Gela joined the Agency, the Pact would be able to share it."

  Blue paused and took a step backward. "That is a thought."

  Bevonal stood again and said, "To join the Agency, we would have to cease hostilities with the Pact of Nations, correct?" That idea had not occurred to Edair and, eagerly, it turned toward Zeus and Bia, awaiting their answer.

  Zeus nodded. "Yes."

  The Cylon angrily stomped again and said, "We will not cease hostilities unless they fight Tiberia, too!" It shook its head as if to clear its mind. Then it leaned forward and said, "The Olympus Institute developed the technology. You are able to give it to us despite the United Space Probe Agency."

  Bia licked her lips and said, "We are hesitant to do so." Zeus inhaled sharply.

  "Why?!" Blue screamed.

  Bia maintained her composure and genially asked, "For what purpose do you wish to have an FTL system?"

  The leader made an