The betrayal of the Aesir started to weigh on her as she realized the implications their actions would have across Olympia. She chastised herself for being too soft on them. The public is going to call for their heads—all of them. This is going to start a panic at every location an Aesir is employed. Olympia will be stuck trying to balance the removal of Aesirians from society against shortages from a rapidly shrinking work force. The situation will disrupt our economy overnight. We should have kept a closer eye on them. The Council overestimated our military superiority and didn’t think the minor ‘militia’ on Valhalla posed any threat.
But I can prevent all this. I just need to kill or capture whoever is on Earth and take them before the public. Maybe enough Aesir will see the reckless actions of their leadership and call for their resignations. But what then becomes of Earth? No, that’s irrelevant. One thing at a time.
Athena saw a town ahead; she slowed her speed to that of a human jog and scanned the area. The town looked small, only a few buildings reaching two stories. The structures were run down and covered in sand and dirt. There was a harbor on the sea, but only two dilapidated boats shallowly bobbed by the dock.
As she continued down the dirt road leading into the area, a truck heading in the opposite direction slowed down and stopped. Two men with hats, glasses, and scarves covering most of their face exited. She was still a good distance from town and noticed that there were no other cars—or humans—in eye shot. When she looked back at the men, both were brandishing their primitive Earth firearms and yelling at her in a language she didn’t understand.
They got close and kept yelling; pointing the weapons at her and then to the ground. Seemingly frustrated that she wasn’t complying, the leader signaled to the other one to move closer to her. She waited until the man grabbed her shoulder and then reacted with a speed no human could match.
Athena gripped the man by the wrist, rotated his arm toward his chest, and bent it in the opposite direction as she moved forward. The loud snap was only bested by the man’s screams. She threw the bellowing human into his friend and stood still, enjoying the look of horror on both of their faces. It felt good to have a physical outlet amongst all the failures she had recently faced. If your useless race is going to get involved with Olympia, you’ll need to be held to the same standards.
The leader pushed the wailing man off him and got back to his feet, raising his weapon at Athena. She took a quick step at him, knocked the gun out of his hand, and snapped his neck with a short, brutal blow. Her return stroke flung to her left, generating a gravity wave to crush the head of the man squirming on the ground.
Without hesitation, she moved to their still running vehicle and began to accelerate toward the town. She rummaged through the small box in front of the passenger seat and found a map. 100 kilometers to an airport north of town—not too far.
Upon arriving, the town was as she expected: shabby and neglected. There was only one road, so she let it direct her movement. I don’t see any radio towers. Athena stopped by a location that had a few people leaving with food. I do need something to eat…
She briskly walked in, pilfered a handful of fish and vegetables, and left before the store owners knew what was happening. I can’t kill in the open—otherwise, I’ll just drive humans into the arms of the Aesir.
Athena sped down the only road in town and exited on the north side. To her pleasant surprise, no one followed her. She drove and ate for 40 minutes until she reached the airport indicated on the map.
The airport had two buildings connected by a walkway. Both were white, rectangular, and roughly two stories high. Two small planes were parked behind one of them and one mid-sized commercial jet was by the other. It looks deserted.
Athena drove up to one of the smaller planes and got out of her truck to inspect them. Keys are on the seat—I guess it’s so remote that theft isn’t a concern. She was already familiar with Earth’s basic technology and had no trouble igniting the engines and flying north along the coast. The map shows a city about 400 kilometers away. I can get there in this craft in two hours and find a radio tower.
Her uneventful flight ended with her landing on a rocky patch of ground outside the city. While in the air, she noticed her surroundings were evolving from a light brown to a dense green. The air felt thicker, saturated with the water that sustained the massive forests and jungles stretching across this section of the continent.
Unlike the previous town, this city had a network of roads leading into and out of it, as well as all of the other usual markings of a populated place on Earth. She landed between two roads that were kilometers apart, but both heading into the city, and ran until she came to their intersection. From there, she saw that multiple additional roads popped up and led in various directions.
Athena looked at her map and followed the roads to what appeared to be the densest part of the city. Trees and grass were common here, lining the roads and spilling around the larger buildings. The beating sound of the ocean waves was a little too distant for Athena to hear among all the other usual noise a city on Earth had to offer. A mid-day sun hung in the cloudless sky, slowly roasting the helpless beings scuttling around on the surface.
Squinting, she looked up to see which buildings would offer the best view of the surrounding city. I need to find a radio tower. She spotted a five-story building sitting on a small hill and made her way toward it. Upon arriving, she was greeted with an unlocked door and, after entering, she quickly spotted a stairwell leading up to the roof. At the top she found the exit to the roof locked, so she simply snapped the handle off the door and whipped space precisely enough to break the deadbolt.
Her hand shot up to cover her eyes as she walked back into the bathing sunlight. She moved to each side of the roof and scanned the buildings below. The variety of structures was somewhat surprising. Closer to the coast there were clean, modern, multi-story buildings constructed from steel and decorated with gardens and palm trees; the steep hills in the northeast held a cluster of single story clay and stone homes. A large gradient in economic conditions…various building materials…plenty of transportation…ah! A tower…construction…another! Perfect. Athena spotted a radio tower both east and west of her position. She decided to move east since it was closer to a road that had a straight shot out of the city.
Once outside, it took her a few minutes to weave through the people and cars to the brick building harboring a radio tower. As she passed the local population, she heard spurts of Portuguese being spoken. I should be able to communicate with whoever runs this place.
A memory briefly flickered in Athena’s mind. She recalled skipping, as usual, a social gathering held for officers after a day-long training on improvement’s to HARPE. Dionysus had playfully mocked her for choosing to study over imbibing. And Dionysus said he’d stopped drinking for a month if I ever needed to use one of the obscure human languages.
She entered the brick radio station only to be greeted by an empty front desk. There were carpeted halls leading further into the building on either side of the counter, and stairs to her right. The hallways ended in a large white room, containing mostly empty cubicles and a brown booth in the back. Athena approached the room, taking notice of the few eyes that flickered between her and the golden cylinder on her hip. I clearly don’t look like I belong.
The booth in the back was a small recording room with padding on the interior to prevent echoes. There was a small window on the side that showed two men talking and laughing into microphones. One was in a casual shirt and jeans, and the other donned a leather jacket and was oddly wearing sunglasses indoors. Athena went around the side and opened the door. She ignored a gasp and a call to stop that came from behind her.
“Ha! You—uhh well. Look at this. Some random person off the street just walked into our recording studio, and she’s kinda hot,” the one in the jacket said.
The other’s back was to the door, but he spun his chair to look at Athena. He looked back t
o his partner and then at Athena again. “Can we help you?”
They’re speaking Portuguese as well. Without acknowledging either of them she walked straight up to the closest microphone and started to speak a message in Portuguese. The two men began to protest, but immediately fell silent when they heard Athena’s words: “I am one of the creatures of unspeakable power that’s observing you, but my race does it for your safety. There is a third race on Earth. They are claiming to defend you, but instead are here to deceive you. Check behind the moon.”
The two men had backed up to the other end of the wall. Athena caught an odd motion in the doorway and turned to it. One of the humans from a cubicle was on her knees in the doorway leading to the broadcast room, seemingly beseeching Athena in prayer.
Athena destroyed the equipment in front of her with an offhand wave and turned to the two cowering men. “You two, don’t follow me or call for assistance. If you do, I promise you’ll regret it.” Turning to the worshipping woman she said, “And you: follow me.”
Athena led the groveling female outside and pointed to a car passing by. “Do you have one?”
The woman emphatically shook her head yes, tears of joy running down her face.
“I need to use it.”
The woman hesitated, likely out of fear and reverence, and then took Athena to her car parked on the side of the building. She held out the keys and said “thank you” while bowing her head.
Pathetic, all of them. Wordlessly, Athena took the keys and ignited the car’s engine. Before she fully closed the door she heard the woman utter “God is a woman.” Athena paid no attention to the obsequious insect and headed north along the coast and out of the city. That was easy enough. I’ll leave the Aesir a clear trail to follow to Egypt.
* * *
Atlas returned to the familiar white halls in the base below Antarctica, still licking his wounds from being defeated in battle. I will crush their skulls.
He needed new upper body armor. The black armor that he donned over his muscular frame was in a bloody, torn, knotted ball somewhere in Pachacamac, Peru. Armor was second on his mind, though; tracking the traitorous Aesir was the focus of his rage.
Atlas stomped to the command station to use the same network of satellites Athena tapped into earlier to track the Aesir’s flight paths. Lucky for him, he saw Athena had programmed a few of the diminutive devices in orbit around Earth to monitor for suspicious aerial activity over large sections of Peru, and to follow any such craft generating it. Likely after she realized the intruders landed in Nazca. Well, that’s one good thing that has come from her overly cautious strategy—her system identified both crafts.
Let’s see…one Linter flew directly north to Iceland while the other flew over South America and the Pacific Ocean, almost at random, before heading back to Bandurria. A distraction? I’m done with these ancient facilities. I’m going to Iceland.
His stomach rumbled. Atlas had to acknowledge his fatigue and hunger. I won’t let an empty stomach and lack of rest rob me of my triumph. He decided to eat something from the kitchen and rest on a cot in the hibernation chamber before continuing his pursuit.
Sleep never came; although, Atlas didn’t wait long. He laid awake imaging the splintering sounds emanating from the Aesirians’ heads as he pulverized their jaws with his mace. Fuck it. I’m going to Iceland.
Atlas boarded the Linter he had left behind when picking up the Aegis and exited his facility. As soon as he was above the Pacific Ocean he tuned in to any reports that were coming over the radio waves.
He learned of the ship that was shot out of the sky over the Atlantic Ocean. Athena was moving too slowly. If she thought less and acted more there is no way the Aesir would have bested her in the sky. I don’t need her weighing me down. She can continue wandering around ancient research sites—if she’s even still alive—while I kill the Aesir. Maybe I’ll keep one alive and bring them before the Council…it’s their fault we’re in this mess in the first place. Olympia has softened in my absence, becoming idealistic and impractical. They can’t wish away the instincts of sentient beings. Letting the Aesir live was idiotic, and trying to integrate them into our society was even more so. Hell, if I was an Aesir I’d do this too! I wouldn’t grovel at the feet of a society that slaughtered my ancestors.
* * *
As Atlas approached the landing spot of the vehicle he tracked to Iceland, he saw that no effort was taken to hide the Linter or move locations. They want a fight? Good. Your surprises won’t help you this time.
Act II, Chapter 14
Planning
Location: Grindavik, Iceland
Sigyn was left alone in the room while Lugh was off buying what he had called “burner phones” to contact Vili and COPUOS; Wen Shi was still going through a likely painful augmenting process. All she felt she could do was watch the television and wait for updates on what the Olympian in Africa was doing, now knowing they survived the plunge to Earth. As the minutes passed by a slow anxiety crept up on her. Loki…where is he? He should be here by now. Maybe he switched ships to lose Atlas…or maybe he did agree to this mission for some other reason…
She began to fear one of two nightmare scenarios broadcasting over COPUOS’ news network: either a confirmation of Loki’s death or his clear interference at other ancient sites, indicating his betrayal. I can’t keep watching this… but every time she went to change the channel her hand refused to obey her brain. Shit…focus on something else. Meditate.
Sigyn shut her eyes and took deep breaths; trying to separate her mind from her situation. She’d slowly breathe in and out, beginning to feel the thin tendrils of calmness envelop her and guide her away from reality, only for her mind to spontaneously incinerate the connection. Images of Atlas bursting into the room, Loki’s limp corpse, and Vili’s defeat on the cliffs burrowed themselves into her brain. Why am I here? If Vili dies and Loki disappears, what will I do?
Panic was sitting in again. She stood up and opened her eyes, prepared to pace around the room, but her gaze was immediately captured by Wen Shi, who was staring at her. Embarrassed and startled, she blurted whatever came to her mind. “Hey, uhh…I didn’t…the process is done?”
“It would appear that way. You’re worrying about your team. You’re not sure what to do if they don’t come back…but supposedly you have an entire fleet in our solar system. Can’t you just fly back to your planet with them?” Wen Shi replied, in what Sigyn was rapidly discovering was her signature calm and nurturing voice, but there was something more to it.
Sigyn was more startled by Wen Shi’s seemingly supernatural senses than her initial silent appearance. The surprise soon faded to a stillness. Wen Shi’s voice and demeanor wrapped around Sigyn’s vulnerable spirit, giving it cozy protection against the frigid howling winds of her frantic mind. “Wh…How…?”
“It’s written all over your face.”
“But what happens after that? I’ve been spotted by Atlas. I’ll be a fugitive; hunted down by the Council,” Sigyn replied, allowing Wen Shi to play a maternal role for her.
“The galaxy is a large place—I’m sure you can hide. And who knows? Maybe Atlas won’t remember you, or he won’t survive for much longer.” Wen Shi reached out and grabbed Sigyn’s shoulder, speaking softly. “Either way, I promise I’ll do everything in my power to protect you.”
Sigyn felt assured, composed, and confident in her future. Her feelings didn’t make sense of course; Wen Shi was that last of the group she’d want in a fight, but she felt better nonetheless. Something about her…she’s a genuine leader… Sigyn smiled, riding her wave of comfort and avoiding the free fall of anxiety that was one pessimistic thought away. “You feeling better?”
“Yep. I really only had a headache and then slept for a few hours.”
“Any noticeable changes?”
“I feel extremely…alert. Like I’m consciously processing a million details a second, and it’s giving me the ability to read the encrypted code
of the world around me.”
“Even more so than usual?” Sigyn laughed. “You saw right through me initially.”
“You didn’t make it all that difficult,” Wen Shi said as she laughed back. “But yes, it is…more.”
Lugh entered as both women were still laughing.
“I got a few burner phones. I’m not sure how many we’ll need—Wen Shi, you’re already up? How was it?”
“Not bad.”
Lugh shook his head and smiled. “At least that makes one of us…did you assess the type of augmentation you’ve received? Strength, rapid healing, or anything along those lines?”
Sigyn cut in. “I think hers are more cerebral than that. My guess is that most Descendants will see some basic benefits in those physical attributes, but they’ll see rapid changes in other areas…I don’t wish to over-think, but perhaps Wen Shi will become a leader that Earth hasn’t seen in hundreds or thousands of years. Perhaps her augmentation will give her the empathy and cognition required to help your world find a path through the coming darkness, shielding your people from the irrationality that can accompany uncertainty.”
Wen Shi looked over at Sigyn. “I’ve never considered myself much of a leader…or a follower. In both my personal and research lives I’ve kept my interests and goals independent from those of my peers. I’m not sure I’d even want that kind of power.”
“And that’s one of the reasons you’ll be a great at wielding it.”
After a brief moment of silence, Lugh spoke up. “Sigyn, following the instructions Vili gave us, I can use this burner phone to contact COPUOS and tell them I’ve found you, but what do we do from there? How can we convince them you’re an…alien…and how should we plan to meet them?”
“I’ll need to do a little research, but I have a way to convince humankind I am what I say I am.
“While I work on that, you two need to find four or five safe areas we can meet representatives from the COPUOS body in the next week. They need to be extremely far from one another, and in populated areas. Locations that wouldn’t notice abrupt changes in the volume of military personnel present, but with buildings that are completely secure from human forms of spying.”
The Gods Who Chose Us Page 26
