"Troy is your favorite. You've said so yourself many times."
"Shut up, Xanthe. I'm warning you. Say one more word and I'll kill you."
She touches his arm and tries to kiss him. "Stop. Darling, please talk to me. This isn't like you."
"I told you to shut up!" He grabs Xanthe's shoulders and throws her up against the wall where she slips and crumples to the floor.
"Oh hell no." Troy runs into the room and draws his gladius. "Stop right there. What are you doing? Get away from her!"
"This doesn't concern you. Go upstairs." Apollo orders.
"No! It does concern me. That's my mother and my unborn sister. How dare you lay a hand on the woman who is carrying your child? I will fight you over this."
"You are in no place to challenge me, boy."
Troy scoffs. "Boy? I am more of a man than you are. Real men don't attack defenseless women. Now leave before I'm forced to kill you."
Apollo holds up his gauntleted hands where the shimmering purple of dark matter spreads up his arms. "You don't get to threaten me. Don't make me put you in your place."
"I'm not playing around."
"Neither am I. These nanobots will kill you instantly."
"Enough!" Troy runs towards him, slashing out with his gladius that clangs against the breastplate of his father's power armor. He ducks to avoid a ball of dark matter that hits the far wall, leaving a jagged hole to the kitchen.
Zodiac watches as Troy continues to swing at Apollo and dodge dark matter, strewing plates and cups from the table and knocking pictures off the walls. Apollo wouldn't actually kill his son, would he? The more concerning thing is Xanthe's condition. She hasn't gotten up from where she fell. Her hair is matted and soaked in a growing pool of blood around her shoulders. He can't tell if she's breathing from here. She needs to get to the hospital, but if he goes out there amidst the chaos, he could get hurt. However, the longer he watches this, the more urgent the situation becomes and time is running out, not just for Xanthe, but for her baby as well. When Troy cries out and his gladius is thrown across the room and spins to a stop at Zodiac's feet, he knows this just got a lot worse for everyone involved.
"On your knees, boy." Apollo orders as his dark matter fades.
Defeated and left without a weapon, Troy drops to his knees on the broken glass. He's breathing heavily as sweat drips down his face. "Dad, please get Mom to the hospital. I'm sorry. I'll never challenge you again."
"Shirt off and on your stomach."
Troy is begging now. "No. Please."
"Now, Troy! If you want your mother to get help, then do as I say. I will not be challenged in my own home."
"Okay." Troy takes off his t-shirt and lies face down on the floor, just feet away from his unconscious mother.
Apollo takes the whip from the wall and lays into Troy with all his strength, slashing the leather straps across his back until Troy's screaming stops and fades into pained groans. He throws down the whip and steps over his son before picking up Xanthe and carrying her through the front door. "If you follow me, I'll throw her into the river."
As soon as he's certain Apollo is gone, Zodiac runs to Troy and helps him sit up. "Troy . . . are you okay?"
With shaking hands, Troy wipes the tears from his eyes then holds onto Zodiac as he breaks down. "He's never whipped me."
"I know."
After a few minutes of sobbing, Troy takes a deep breath and calms down enough to speak. "How bad is it?"
Zodiac studies the crisscrossing welts across his shoulders and lower back where his Nymph tattoo is. "Doesn't look like he broke the skin."
"No. He couldn't. That's my whip to use on you."
Well, that is awful to find out. He has a special whip to use on him?
"That way I won't violate the android protection laws by leaving bruises." Troy stands up and pulls his shirt back on. "Oh, gods, look at all the blood. Do you think my mom is okay? What about the baby?"
Zodiac stands and tries to wipe Xanthe's blood from his pants, but there's too much. "I'm sure they're both fine. What happened to Apollo? He's never like that."
"We have to go see my mom."
"But Apollo-"
"I don't give a damn about him." Troy says. "I have to get to my mother."
"First, we should check on your brothers and sister."
"Then we're leaving. Go get some clothes packed up. I don't feel good leaving them here alone so I'm bringing them all to your house where they may be safer if Apollo comes back. I'll be over there in a bit."
* * *
Blice smells the freshly bloomed pink roses in the bouquet as he steps into the room at the inn. It's the right room. The lights are off, but pale sunlight is pouring into the room through the open window and the woman is sitting in a rocking chair watching the seagulls darting in the pale blue sky as she sips her tea. What should he say to her? What can one say when it's been so long? Blice says the first thing that comes to mind. "Hello, Mrs. McSage."
The woman turns to him and pushes her long black and grey hair out of her face. "Hello, Blice. How are you?
Blice sets the bouquet of roses on the table next to her. He can't take his eyes off of her pale green eyes. "Better than ever. You're beautiful."
"You don't have to lie to an old woman." She blushes as she speaks.
"No, I mean it. Clara . . . I've missed you so much."
"It's been forty years."
Blice pulls up a chair next to her. "I know. So much has happened since our wedding."
"Yes . . ."
"I was trying to think back to all of the crazy things that were going on back then. Hold on. Weren't you pregnant?"
She nods her head. "Madeline."
"What a beautiful name. Was Byron the father?"
"Yes."
"Well, you have to tell me now." Blice says as he watches the sunlight dancing on her hair. "How is she? Do I get to meet her?"
"No. I haven't seen her in close to thirty years. Your father . . . did terrible things to her then took her into space and I never heard from her again."
"That's horrible, but I have to know about you. How are you alive? You can't be a living computer anymore because you've aged. Not only that, but all the T.I.M.E.s were killed off."
"Ah, yes." Clara sighs and stares out the window. "The technological information management experiments. Can you believe that it's been so long that I almost forgot what that stood for? I've moved away from all of that stuff."
"I've noticed." Blice takes her hand and smiles warmly at her. "So you're a slave now? How did that happen?"
"Let me start at the beginning . . . or the end of our time together. After Isidore and I were taken prisoner, your father shot me and Isidore escaped with Katarina. But the wound wasn't fatal. He removed my microchip and I recovered for a while before he made me research new developments for him. We then left Earth and went to Himmel. From there, he would send me down to Paradise to steal technology. So for years, I went back and forth undetected by Paradise security. I would stay in one of the apartments near the Presidential Palace. I would watch Isidore and his adopted son playing in the gardens and building robots. I would watch you fluttering around, right outside my window every morning on my petunias I was growing. I wanted nothing more than to open my window and say hello, but I couldn't. Evans threatened to kill Katarina if I let anyone know I was there. The worst part was watching my daughter grow up into a beautiful strong woman, get married to Byron, who I had feelings for as well, and then not be there for her. I was always so close, but still so far away. I almost wish that I hadn't been there, that I wasn't forced to watch the people I loved go on with their lives believing that I was dead. And your half brother, Zach Montgomery, knew the entire time."
"Oh, Clara. Do you know what happened to your daughter?" Blice asks, not really wanting to be the bearer of bad news.
"Yes. I know she died to kill your father's partner. I also know that Byron killed himself. I know everything from the ar
chons to Velex and Dressler, to Jarred and Jayce."
"Do you know where Jarred is? He's been missing for ten years."
"I'm not allowed to say." Clara says.
"Is he alive? His children deserve to know at least that much."
"Jarred Cunningham is alive."
"Thank you, Clara."
"As for your previous question, I'm not truly a slave here." Clara says. "The governor is a wonderfully kind woman. We keep each other company."
"Clara, I have to know." Blice kneels down and holds her hand to his lips. "Will you accept the apology of a pathetic lost man? I still love you. I never stopped loving you. I may have fallen and hurt people, including you, in the past, but I am yours if you will have me."
Clara takes his face in her hands and brings him closer to kiss her.
* * *
Zodiac stuffs some clothes into his backpack and cinches it down tightly before slinging it and Troy's on his back and going out into the main room where all of Troy's siblings have been gathered with some of their belongings.
Troy has brought one of his teenage brothers into the corner and pats him on the shoulder. "Sparta, listen to me for a minute."
"Yes, Troy. What is it?" Sparta asks as he ties his long white hair in a ponytail.
"As the second oldest, I have to rely on you now, okay?"
"Of course. I'll do anything for you."
"I need you to stay here and keep our other siblings in line while I go try to fix this mess. Atlas will help you. I don't know how long we'll be gone so you need to step up and be a man. Now's your chance to make me a proud big brother. Do what I would do."
"Yes, sir!"
Troy turns to the rest of them. "All of you will be staying here at Zodiac's house for a while until I can figure out what is going on. You are not to leave the house under any circumstances. Keep the windows closed and covered by the curtains. Don't answer the door for anyone. I have Zodiac's key so we are the only ones who should be trying to get in. Zodiac, Nova, and I are going out to tend to some important things. I'm placing Sparta and Atlas in charge. You are to do as they say and not complain. Obey them like you would obey me or Mom, okay?"
The little girl in a pink lace dress with a floppy teddy bear under her arm pulls on Troy's hand. "Troy?"
Troy smiles and kneels down in front of his sister. "What is it, Io?"
"I wanna go."
"Not this time. I need you to be a good girl and stay here with Sparta and Atlas. They'll take care of you."
"But I want you." Io says as she pouts.
Troy picks her up and holds her to his chest. "I know, but you other brothers want some time with you too. They have games to play with you and all your other brothers. Think of this like the time we went camping in the mountains. Remember that? It was fun, right?"
"We made s'mores."
"I'm sure you can make s'mores if you want to." Troy laughs as he hands Io to Atlas. "Take care of her."
Atlas pushes his thin glasses back up his nose. "We will. Anything for you, Troy. We'll make you proud."
Zodiac watches as all nine of Troy's siblings either bow to him or hug him and give their words of encouragement. What is it like to have a family like this? Zodiac and Nova have essentially been outsiders in this family. They all grew up together and did everything with them, but in the end, they never were a part of it. The longer he watches this, the more Zodiac realizes one thing. This entire family and their stability depend on Troy. They all adore him and look to him for guidance almost as if he is a secondary father.
Troy pulls away from them. "I will be back soon, I promise. Everyone obey Sparta and Atlas. They're in charge until I return. Bye, guys."
* * *
Once they get to the hospital without incident and no sign of his father, Troy leaves Zodiac and Nova in the waiting room as he follows one of the nurses back down a hallway into a quiet room. There's no way of knowing what state his mother is in, but if he had to make a judgment based on the amount of blood left on their living room floor from her fall, it wouldn't be a good one.
"There you are, Sir. Call for us if you need anything." The nurse says as she leaves and shuts the door behind her.
Troy goes to the bed and breathes a sigh of relief when his mother opens her eyes and smiles at him. So she's all right. That's all he wanted. "Hi, Mom."
Xanthe reaches out for him. "Troy, where are your brothers and sister?"
"They're with Sparta and Atlas. Don't worry about them. How are you doing? What did the doctors say?"
"The baby is fine. They had to staple my head together, but I'll be okay. They want to keep me for a couple of days just to monitor me and make sure the baby won't be affected. So tell me. Where is Apollo?"
"We don't know."
"Are you okay, Son? He didn't hurt you, did he?"
Troy's hatred for his father is growing now, despite years of believing they were inseparable. The welts on his back still sting, but not as bad as the trust that has been broken. "That doesn't matter. You concentrate on healing. I'll be fine."
"Tell me everything."
"I fought him to protect you and then he disarmed me and whipped me."
Xanthe looks concerned as she squeezes her son's hand. "Why is he doing this? I've never known him to be violent towards me or you children. Troy, please don't get the guards involved. I can't do this on my own if they arrest your father."
"I know." Troy says. "What do you want me to do?"
"Go back home and stay with your siblings. I'll talk to Knight Commander Pathos to get you some time off until I'm released. Until your father comes back and fixes whatever is wrong with him, you are the man of the family. We all rely on you now, Troy. Can I trust you and Zodiac to take care of things?"
"Of course. You call me if you need anything. I'll have my cell phone on."
5
Zodiac lands the cargo ship outside of the only science laboratory he can think of on Olympus. If Gabriel and Uriel were working on research involving strange occurrences with power armor, then maybe they can find some correlation between that and Apollo's strange behavior. They really don't have anyone else to go to for help. After all, Gabriel did tell him to seek him out if they needed anything.
"Well, let's get this going. I don't want to leave my mother alone for very long." Troy says as he opens the door and jumps down onto the pavement.
"Catch me!" Nova slides down into Troy's awaiting arms and they stare into each other's eyes a bit too long for Zodiac's liking.
But what can he do? Nothing, absolutely nothing. He trusts Troy to not do anything stupid or something that would break the law. If they do anything like he fears they might, it is technically illegal because they are from different social classes. On top of that, there is a much more serious violation that would result from it. Pure Nymphs like Troy can never mate with impure Nymphs like Nova. Troy knows that.
As they make their way towards the entrance of the square laboratory building, Uriel steps outside to meet them. "Hey there. We were just talking about you. Troy, do you have your power armor with you?"
"Uh, yeah. It's in the ship. We need your help with something."
"Your father acting like a homicidal maniac?" Uriel asks.
"Yes. How did you know?"
"That's part of what we've been trying to figure out. Let me guess. Apollo was wearing his power armor when he went psycho?"
"Yes, he was." Troy says.
"Seems that our friendly little nanobots aren't behaving so friendly anymore."
"So nanobots made my father do those things?"
Uriel shrugs his shoulders. "It's too early to know for sure, but if you want to speed up the scientific process, you can put on your power armor and be the guinea pig in our experiment. In our controlled environment, you won't be able to endanger anyone and it shouldn't be too painful for you."
"If it will help save my family, then I'll do it."
* * *
Zodiac and Nova sit with the
two archons behind a glass wall in a side room looking out at an empty room lined with cushions and sheets of rubber. A row of straw practice dummies is lined up along the far wall and bright lights shine down on Troy, making his power armor glisten like it has just been polished. Knowing the pride Troy takes in his job, it probably was polished recently.
Gabriel picks up a speaker and talks into it so Troy can hear them from this side of the protective glass. "All right, Troy. Here's how we're going to do this. We need you to use each of the six functions on the control panel of your power armor and show us the normal abilities at the standard power levels. Then we are going to take that armor off and you will touch this electromagnet in here. After that, you will put the armor back on and go through the same process."
"So you want me to have an electrical discharge of nanobots while inside my armor?"
"How long has it been since you've reacted violently to technology?"
"About two years." Troy says. "When I first got my power armor, they made me touch a supercomputer to unleash my pent up nanobots. I ended up shutting it down due to how large the surge was."
"That's common for Nymphs. You react to technology and electrical currents far more than humans do. That's why you can use power armor while most humans can't even use it with modifications to their bodies. Well, enough talking. Let's get this going. I have synced your armor signals to this computer so we can monitor your power levels and vital signs on the screen. And if things go wrong, we have a defibrillator at the ready for your heart."
"Wait. I could die?"
"Don't worry." Gabriel says. "We will see anything that goes wrong more than likely before you even feel it. Okay then. Activate your nanoshield when you're ready."
"Activating nanoshields now." Troy presses a button on the arm of his armor and a thin membrane of violet dark matter spreads out in front of him, hanging in the air like a force field.
"Okay. Looks good. Now activate your nanocannon and shoot one of the practice dummies over there."
The shield fades and Troy's hand glows brightly. He holds it out and unleashes a ball of dark matter that speeds into a dummy, knocking it backwards and disintegrating it.
Paradise Forgotten Trilogy Page 6
