That would give us early warning and give us time to mobilize a response, and space fold our fighters to intercept.
The only problem was that it took Hephaestus a thousand years to create each jump pack, as they have to be built a molecule at a time, alternating first matter then antimatter. They vibrate with the natural resonance of our spacetime, and since they vibrate in opposite directions, a charge is built up and stored in a pocket of multidimensional space until there is sufficient charge to fold space.
We have less than a hundred of them built at this time, and I had spent three to transport our people, and the Asgard expedition here and father exhausted four with the Bolt of Zeus. But with the Asgard's manufacturing techniques, I believe they can be mass produced like they do with the portable energy harvesters and shield projectors.
The ongoing negotiations for an accord were not progressing well, with the Citadel on high alert and tensions and anxiety high among our people. I think mother and father are overthinking it. They are reticent because they feel the Asgard are holding their technology over us as a bargaining chip. I believe I need to speak with them to remind them that we are doing the same. Just the thoughts I've been having about the jump packs could help them as well as us.
The other sticking point is the ingrained mistrust that we Olympians have of anything and everything. We have been isolated for far too long, and we need to shake that and join the other worlds and live free, instead of being the prisoner of our fear.
I think Arina sees this and that is why she is working so diligently to complete the temporary Bifrost gateway. She confided in me that she is going to petition Odin to send through as many portable shield generators as possible 'on loan' to the Citadel for protection against the current Halfling threat outside the gates.
I noted that she seems quite sure of herself as she has already started the portable manufacturing unit we brought from Valhalla, creating more magnetic force harvesters and power projectors to power the shield generators in question. I had to smile as I knew what she was thinking. She had done the same thing on a much larger scale when she built the Scale Shield of Arina in Heildfine; covering a city as grand as Valhalla herself which protected it from the might of the Ragnarok until it was replaced with a magnetic core generator that withstood the main weapons of the Frost Giant Star Killers.
The Little One wanted us protected if the worst happened, and I already knew that Odin and Geiravor would agree to it. I have had to calm mother and father's frustrations a time or two when they misunderstand what Odin is saying. They are looking at it from a completely different point of view and don't understand that the united races would come to our aid if we ever needed it, accord or not. It is just who they are. They would not withhold assistance as a bargaining chip.
The accord is just to come to an understanding about the sharing of technology and culture and set up a free trade path between the other worlds. Valhalla itself would give anything we needed without expectation of anything in return unless we wished to. The unspoken rule is something for something, but no Asgard would withhold anything from someone in need.
Zeus, always the most paranoid, thinks that there have to be strings attached because no race could be so altruistic. I know I make father sound like an ass, but he truly isn't. It is that mindset that has kept our race alive for so long, and I know that pressure makes him come across as abrasive and taciturn, but he loves Olympus and would give his life without hesitation to protect us.
Hera, while sharing many of his traits, is more open to new concepts and ideas. And with Eros chiming in with me, she is coming around. It still grates on me a little that Eros holds more sway over her than I do. But hey, siblings... am I right?
Caeneus has tried multiple times to woo me to his bed as the weeks wore on. And as tempting as it was in my current state of sexual frustration, I couldn't get past the taboo of it I had branded into my mind. Not even the affection and memories I still shared with him when he had been a she could get me past it. And it truly saddened me, because there were times over the eons I believed I could truly love her if I just let myself.
It had been when Aphrodite had somehow caught me alone for a meal on one of the outer walls I had been sitting on to stare out into the jungle, with overlays tracking the Halfling vessels, that I found myself sharing my experiences with the Asgard for the first time. Not the technical aspects that my parents had asked about, but things of a personal nature. My thoughts and emotions of it all.
I would have thought it all part of the eons-long game of seduction she had going on with me, if not for her pink-streaked brunette hair as she asked her questions with sincerity. Was that light brunette her true hair color? The question that had me stopping to really think was, “Didn't you get lonely? Was there anyone special in Valhalla?”
I had to look up from where she placed a hand over mine, to see her hair unchanged except a lock of blonde hanging to the side. That was the first time I had ever seen her embarrassed that all Olympians could read her by the color of her hair. I often wondered about that quirk of her genetic makeup.
All of us had some deviation from the genetic templates of our parents, an evolution if you will. But only us firstborns. Even the secondborns had deviated too far from the template to develop these traits. Mine was the ability to calculate distance, trajectories, and environmental conditions, instantly... it was instinct for me. That is why I became the Hunter, an archer. The heads-up displays my cloak feeds me just help to increase that precision to a frightening degree.
Aphrodite's was peculiar and made her unique among the Olympians. I often wondered if that is why she played this game of seduction with everyone, the teasing, to keep us off guard because we could visually see it as she played with us. Not that most of the firstborns and some of the secondborns minded being her prey.
To tell you the truth, I actually enjoyed being the prey for once, instead of the perpetual hunter. Maybe that's why I have never succumbed to her charms, and perhaps that's why I was her favorite target.
I didn't even realize how much I was enjoying the intimacy of our conversation, devoid of the innuendo and double entendre every other sentence she usually brought to bear. I felt like I was speaking with the real Dite. So I shared... the truth of it all.
I shrugged and said, “Well, you know me. I've always felt awkward about intimacy beyond our normal taboo of it all, though there were a couple people in Asgard who could have broken my resolve.”
She just watched me as I continued, “I was surrounded by people who loved me... the Asgard are truly a remarkable people, but just like here, I have always felt as if I stand apart, watching from the outside. So yes... at times I did feel lonely.”
Her hair was streaking blue in concern as she shrugged, giving me a sad smile as she pulled her knees up to wrap her arms around her legs. “I understand.” Then she cocked her head. “You really feel lonely here in the Citadel at times? I thought I was the only one.”
I chuckled a little, not sure if she were serious. I voiced that, “Besides mother, you're the most popular woman in Olympus, and everyone clamors for your favor.”
She looked away from me and said as we looked out over the jungle, “Not everyone.”
Then before I could ask what that meant, she went on, “The pleasure of intimacy is different than true companionship. Sometimes a person needs... more. A true connection, so they felt they weren't on this journey alone. If all we needed to fulfill one's life were sex, I'd be the happiest woman in all the worlds.” She shot me a smirk which I returned.
I'd never heard her speak so candidly before.
She chuckled and said with a smirk, “And I'm goooood.”
I had to smile at the familiar tease. I leaned over to bump shoulders with her and then we just sat there, looking out across the world we called our own... together and yet alone.
I thought on it. Did everyone feel the same way we did? Even surrounded by the people we loved? That we were alone
on our journey through life, just observing? Was this the beginnings of the Fog of Ages the Asgard fought? Just existing but not being part of that existence?
I almost chuckled at myself. Get with it Artemis, since when do you get philosophical?
It was nice. Sitting there with Aphrodite and just being there, so neither of us was alone, without all of her over the top seduction and teasing. Then the moment was ruined when my heads-up display flickered to life. Tych, now what?
Dite noted me sit straighter as I looked at the information scrolling in my vision. “What is it Artemis?”
I said distractedly, “I'm being fed tactical data from Pegasus. She's almost five light hours out... a Star Killer is there just beyond a gateway in the big dark... what she calls space. Our sensors haven't detected it because only a few meters of the ship are in our space.”
She was tapping the air, pulling up her cloak's own heads-up display as her hair darkened, then screwed up her face in confusion. “There's nothing on the whisper frequency. Where are you getting...”
I gave the woman an apologetic smile. “I'm getting the feeds from the Asgard channels. Arina is dumping it to our network now.”
She cocked an eyebrow, her dark hair going a little purple. “They include you in their network?” Then streaks of blonde overtook her locks as she purred at me, “Who do I have to sleep with to get that kind of... access.” The way she said access left me feeling heated between my legs. Ok, so our truce was over, and her game of seduction was back on. For the first time, it made me smile a bit.
With a little less 'drop your panties please' in her tone, she prompted, “Hep is frustrated that they are sharing just what is necessary to interact with their systems for communications and defense. But you seem to have full access, but you don't share with the Citadel?”
I sighed at her and explained, “Well as soon as we come to an accord... 'if' we come to an accord, they will share virtually everything with us. They've been burned in the past by sharing technology freely up front. It caused a war between them and the Ragnarok that raged for eons.”
Then I gave her a smirk as I said, “And besides, I'm sort of... well I'm part of their ruling caste. I have to find a balance between allegiances. Not sharing our tech with them and not sharing theirs with us.”
She blinked, and I almost smiled at the odd swirl of color cycling through her hair, she was confused, and I thought it looked sort of cute on her. Zeus' balls, it's Aphrodite, Artemis, don't fall into the trap of thinking her cute. Kroth, I looked away when I realized I was watching her lips. Kate would be laughing about now and reminding me she was human by pointing out in their crass way, “You need to get laid, woman.” Why did Caenis have to go and get herself all manned up?
Shimmying in my sexual frustration a bit, I tried not to make eye contact as she asked, “Part of their ruling caste?”
I sighed. I still hadn't fully explained to Hera like I kept meaning to. But I felt a sly smile quirking at my lips Dite would be telling her everything we speak about here so maybe I wouldn't have to. Well, everything but that first serious conversation I've ever had with the 'Goddess of Love' a few minutes ago.
Not quite knowing what to say about it, I opted for full disclosure. I first asked, “You understand how families work outside of Olympus among the other races?”
She nodded. “Of course. All the genetically diverse races develop separate family units. Unlike our single family. That way the multitude of preferred bloodlines can be identified so no degradation due to further inbreeding can occur. It is so foreign to have so many people in a population that they can be so selective.”
Squinting one eye I offered, “That's a pretty clinical way of looking at it. It is a lot more complex than that, and we could spend days discussing it.”
She purred out automatically, just being Dite, “Or nights.” She rolled her own eyes, knowing it was just reflex to her to make everything into sex.
Amused, I continued, “The Asgard family system is a complex one, even among the other races. You don't need to be blood relation to be in a family. If you become someone's Second, you become a part of their family by default as they become responsible for you and your training. Or a ranking member of the family can create a blood tie with a person, which has the same effect, making that person a part of their family. And inbreeding isn't much of an issue in a family unit that is comprised of multiple bloodlines and even races in some cases. It is hard to summarize.”
Then I blushed a little at the memory. “Odin himself had seen how loved I was by his daughters, and I saw him and Geiravor as sort of surrogate parents while I was off-world. All it took was Odin introducing his family to some Earth dignitaries who came through the Bifrost for a celebration in Valhalla for me to become his daughter too.”
Dite cocked her head, she was amused and intrigued. I explained, “Odin's word is law. And when he introduced his daughters to the President and Vice President of Unified Earth, he had added me.”
I chuckled. “I'm sure you could hear Arina's squee of excitement from Olympus. I became part of the ruling caste family and speak with Odin's voice as Arina does, she's my sister now according to Asgard law. As are the Valkries, Kara, Kate, Inatra, and Mist.”
She just blinked at me, absorbing what I had said. I could see her processing the ramifications of it all. Then she chuckled and said, “That puts you in a terrible and precarious position. How would that tasty big man, Intark, put it? 'That's krothing fucked up.' You truly have access to all their technology with no restrictions?”
I nodded slowly, wary of her next words, but she surprised me.
“That's sort of awesome.”
I thought about that a moment, it sort of was, wasn't it?
Then she teased, “So... you're Asgard then.”
Rolling my eyes, I parried, “And Olympian, wench.”
She nodded right back, mimicking me as she said, “Yes, you are an Olympian wench.”
Ok, that was funny.
Standing to start toward the main control room, now that we confirmed a Titan vessel was within striking distance of Olympus, I admitted as I took Aphrodite's hand to help her up, “It is going to sting when Zeus and Hera find out.”
Her hair went almost white as she leaned in to whisper in my ear, “I could kiss it and make it better.”
The heat between my legs was almost uncomfortable as I hissed out a breath then turned, surprising her as I grabbed a handful of the back of her hair and pulled her in to gave her a heated kiss. Then I pushed her away as I strode off, growling, “Put up or shut up, woman.”
I tried to hide that my legs felt like jelly, and there was a fire burning at my core as I left her behind, standing there stunned. I can't believe I just kissed Dite... and by the tree of ages, it was like kissing the sun itself.
I heard her squeak out in a distracted small voice, “O... ok.” Then she was scurrying to catch up with me. I had to school my face to hide my satisfaction that she had no seductive quip about that, and she seemed to be blushing as badly as I watched her hair turn a vibrant pink.
It was one of my greatest victories. I finally shut Aphrodite up. I needed a cold shower bad, and a change of panties, but I shut her up.
I had kissed Dite.
I noted all the frantic activity as we moved along in silence. Word was already spreading that the Titan ship had been located. I saw twin data streams coming from both our tactical systems and the Asgard feed.
We slipped into the control room, and it was crowded as well. This didn't change anything, but the almost live video feed by Pegasus, had fear and anxiety spiking high.
Father was the calm head, calling out to our people, “Go back to what you were doing, everyone. This development changes nothing, we knew a vessel had to be out there somewhere. The Halflings are still unaware of our presence. Things can get back to normal once they finish their scavenging run and leave the planet to on their way.”
His words had the calming effect
he had hoped as everyone looked at him and the screens showing the vessels Pegasus had shadowed, rendezvousing with the Titan Star Killer. And people started dispersing.
That is when it happened. Alarms started sounding, and my heads up went red as a high energy burst communication burst was sent out from a console in the control room. On the screens, the Halfling ships still on the surface turned and started accelerating toward the Citadel! We were betrayed!
We were all looking around, and I caught sight of one of our rescued men, Charon, standing at a terminal with his face twisted into a smirking grin. My worst fear had come to pass... the man was still loyal to Rhea!
Without a thought, I moved in a blur across the control room. I lifted and slammed the man up against the wall behind him, an arrow in my other hand, pressing it up under his chin and shouting, “Why!? You've killed us all!” The Citadel still couldn't space fold, we had no place to run now that he had given away our position.
His eyes were almost manic under his long wavy chestnut hair. The secondborn had no regret, all I could see was something akin to madness. And... I could see his love for what he saw as his Goddess.
I growled and tensed to deliver the killing blow, shoving the arrow up into his brain, but Hera almost screamed out to me, “Artemis, no!”
I shouted back at her, the adrenaline of the hunt singing through my veins mixing with my hate for the man who had likely doomed us as a race. Our only chance now was to gather everyone together and use the jump packs to abandon our Citadel and go on the run. “He betrayed us!”
Again I was about to thrust the arrow up to wipe away the mocking smile on the man's face until she pleaded, “He's – your son.”
Tales From Olympus: Gods Reunited Page 11
