Lords of Kobol - Prelude: Of Gods and Titans

by Edward T. Yeatts III

important right now."

  They walked inside the building and found a similarly plain sanctuary as Prometheus saw several years before. He looked around and nodded when he noticed the simple wooden symbol of the Median faith.

  The feet of seven people on the wooden floor created enough noise to bring the minister from his room. He emerged, wearing his traditional tattered robe and vestments.

  "I'm sorry," the kindly old man said, "the service doesn't begin for almost an hour."

  Prometheus nodded and said, "It looks like a rain is coming. May we sit in here for a while?"

  The minister raised his eyebrows and looked around. "Well, I don't see why not." He waved toward the pews and said, "Please."

  "Thank you, sir." Prometheus bowed.

  A few of the others said, "Thank you," as well.

  Prometheus sat in a pew in front of the others. He turned and leaned his arm over its back to face them. "We are, apparently, Olympus' faithful. I've spoken to everyone at least three times, no more than that, about joining us."

  Dione nodded and smiled. "My parents weren't really believers, I don't think, but they taught me about religion." She looked at her husband, Antaeus, and then she continued, "I liked what I heard. It stuck with me."

  Antaeus nodded. "Same here." He hugged Dione closer and said, "We've had more than enough close scrapes with the Cylons and the humans to make me think that someone is watching out for us."

  Briefly, Prometheus looked down and thought about his late brother.

  Antaeus touched the shoulder of his adult daughter, Selene. She smiled and said, "For me, it's almost an intellectual exercise. I know so much about the world but there is still so much more to be explained. I think … faith can help with that."

  "Yes," Prometheus said. Then he looked over at the other couple present. "What brings you here?"

  "I'll be honest," Antero said, "I've felt pretty useless for a long time."

  Her wife, Macaria, smiled and said, "I mean, I'm good with money, so I've helped there …"

  "Yeah, but what about me?" Antero laughed. "I'm no scientist. I'm not an engineer or doctor. I can't draw well. But I do read. I've read a lot of books over the last century. Like Antaeus, I feel like we've been blessed. We're in a position to survive and contribute to the world." She shrugged and added, "Well, once the war's over."

  "I'll come back to that in a moment," Prometheus said. He looked at his last follower. She didn't look up. She hadn't said a word in almost an hour. He leaned forward and lightly touched her knee. "What about you? Why are you here?"

  Leto didn't lift her head fully, but she looked toward Prometheus with wide eyes. She spoke softly and said, "Guilt."

  Prometheus nodded once. Dione raised her eyebrows and Antaeus put his hand on her leg to steady her. He quickly shook his head once and Dione stopped her animated reaction.

  "Well," their leader said, "I, too, think we are blessed. We are blessed because we have so much in a time when many millions are going without even the most basic things."

  "Yes," Antero said.

  "We are blessed because we have a community of people who help each other and look out for each other." Prometheus saw Leto's head droop lower. "We are blessed because we have the ability to live far longer than others. We can learn from our mistakes." She lifted her head a little there. "We have more time to do so."

  "Absolutely," Antaeus said under his breath.

  "I don't know what the future holds for us," Prometheus said, "or even the world. I do know that we can be here to help." A few of the others began to nod. "If the war continues to sweep across the lands as it seems likely to, we will help. If things get so bad we have to leave Larsa," he shook his head and said, "I hope it doesn't come to that, but if we do, we can make a difference wherever we go. A spiritual difference."

  At the end of his sentence, a man entered the sanctuary and looked at them. After a moment, he walked to the front of the room and knelt before the dais. He prayed, lit a candle, stood, and walked back outside. He kept his eyes fixed on the Psilons the entire time he was in motion.

  Selene shook her head once and said, "I have a bad feeling about him."

  Macaria scoffed and said, "Saban farmers. They all look that way."

  Prometheus stared at the door. He could hear talking outside. He stood and was about to suggest that they all leave when the door swung open again.

  It was the same tall man. His hair was now wet and rain was pouring heavily behind him. He stepped inside and closed the door. After he looked at each of their faces, he spoke with a very thick accent. "We know who you are."

  Prometheus glanced at his people and saw the nervousness creep across them all. Leto looked at the floor and Dione crept closer to Antaeus. Prometheus raised his hands and said, "We don't mean to cause any trouble."

  "You won't." The stranger nodded toward the door and said, "Leave now." Prometheus hesitated and the others didn't bother to stand. "I recognize you. More people will come soon and they recognize you, too."

  Prometheus nodded and said, "I see." He took Leto's arm and helped her off the bench. The others began to stand.

  "We don't like Caesar so we won't tell." The man shook his head and said, "More people coming later … they might care more about the money than me."

  Prometheus nodded again and pushed the group toward the door. "Thank you."

  They walked outside and stood on the front steps of the church. The rain fell hard and the dirt road was already muddy. Nearly everyone sighed and hiked their jackets up to their heads. As they stepped out and into the wetness, Prometheus looked back and saw their stranger talking with others. Even though he had let them go, he felt uneasy.

  "Rhea." That's what the display on Zeus' wristband read. He looked up at the group of Psilons in the meeting cabin and sighed before pressing the blinking light.

  "Go ahead."

  "Zeus." Her voice was sharp and piercing. It made several of the Olympians nearby straighten up, especially those who had Rheas for mothers. "You need to get out of there."

  "Why?"

  "We just intercepted a call to the local magistrate's office. Someone spotted your people in the Lake Nemi region." Zeus closed his eyes and Rhea continued. "More than that, we have reason to believe that the information was also intercepted by Cylons."

  "What the frak?" Hermes said as he slowly stood.

  Zeus held his wrist closer. "Why do you say that?" Zeus asked.

  "We were monitoring a group of Cylon raiders patrolling near the Tiberian border. Just moments after I got the call about you, they turned and headed straight for Lake Nemi."

  He sighed and looked around the room. Psilons began to rise and gather their things. The door swung open and a drenched group of Olympians came in from the rain. Prometheus, Antaeus, and others.

  "Thank you, Rhea," Zeus said.

  "Good fortune." The device beeped.

  "What's going on?" Prometheus asked.

  Zeus only turned part of the way toward him. "Our location has been compromised. Cylons are likely on their way here."

  Prometheus turned toward his wet comrades and held one of their hands. He lowered his head and said, "Dear God. We ask for your help in these trying times." Zeus rolled his eyes and walked away. "Please help us flee to safer shores."

  "We need to evacuate, now," Poseidon said.

  Arcas stood and said, "Agreed."

  Prometheus stopped his prayer and huddled the rest of his group inside. "What can we do?"

  Zeus raised his hands and said, "First off, don't panic. Code Black is a thing of the past. Worst case scenario … if we're killed, we download and wake up in Huban at a hangar where the ships are being built."

  Hera was standing up and staring at someone. Zeus turned and saw that Leto was among the wet with Prometheus. He glanced toward her belly. The pregnancy can't download, of course.

  Poseidon moved
toward another door and said, "Antaeus, please ready the shuttle."

  "On it."

  Zeus clapped his hands and said, "Group A, stand by to depart. Take your essentials and rig the rest." He watched as the people scattered. He looked behind him again and saw Leto standing still. Her head hung low but she didn't make a move or a sound. Zeus gave her a curt nod and she departed. When he turned back around, he found that Hera was the only person remaining in the cabin.

  Silence.

  Hera spoke first, saying, "I'm sure you found a place for her on one of the ships."

  Zeus scoffed and said, "There's a place for everyone."

  "She's pregnant."

  Zeus nodded.

  Hera inhaled through her nose and drew her mouth into a tight line. "It's yours, isn't it?"

  He sighed.

  "We've been here before," she said. Her volume continued to rise. "Semele? That Attican scientist."

  Zeus nodded. She doesn't know about Mnemosyne, at least.

  "You said," she paused, inhaling and exhaling in a very calculated way. A way very familiar to Zeus. "You said it wouldn't happen again. You said it was over."

  "I lied."

  "I know you frakking lied," Hera said.

  Zeus rolled his eyes. "What do you want me to say? Do you want me to repent, disavow any feelings I have for her and our unborn children?"

  "Plural?" Hera said incredulously. "That's fantastic."

  "I won't do it," Zeus said. "I love them."

  Hera was too angry to cry. She started to leave the room when Zeus yelled, "I love you still. Can't you see that?"

  "How can you say that?" she asked from the door. It was still raining outside. "How can you dare say that