by Amy Sumida
“Oh, hey, Re,” Pan called out to him. “How's it shining, Sun God?”
“Just fine, thank you,” Re said distractedly as he approached me. “Vervain, there's something that's come to my attention, and it's bothering me.”
“Don't worry about it, golden boy; it's probably just a rash.” Trevor smirked. “Gods can't get STDs.”
Re didn't even acknowledge the joke, just handed a cell phone over to me. I swiped the screen, and an image of a darkened neighborhood appeared. I looked up at Re askance.
“That came across my news feed,” Re said. “I think we've been looking at these blackouts all wrong.”
I tapped the phone, and a news report started to play. It was about the power outages... and how they were being caused by solar flares which had burst through the Earth's magnetic field to fry the power grids and all electronic devices.
“Solar flares?” I blinked at Re in surprise.
“There have been no solar flares,” Re said cryptically. “I'd know.”
“So, the solar flares thing is just a cover-up,” I murmured. “But what about the Earth's magnetic field? Is that a lie too?”
“A weakened magnetic field is something to hide, not something you use to hide the truth,” Trevor said. “A failing field could cause worldwide panic. Come to think of it, solar flares won't go over well either.”
“But solar flares aren't lasting. The American Government is making the truth more palatable by adding something that makes it seem temporary,” Hades said. “Having a failing magnetic field is bad enough, but having it fail and not knowing why would be catastrophic. So, they tell the masses that it's solar flares; it isn't good, but it's not the end of the world.”
“And it just may be. I have a theory on what's behind the failures in the Earth's magnetic field.” Re turned to Odin, and they shared a dark look.
“You guys want to tell the rest of the class what has you so spooked?” I asked them.
“It can't be,” Odin said to Re. “Those machines went down with Atlantis. They're buried beneath rubble at the bottom of the sea.”
“Buried doesn't mean lost forever,” Re countered.
“Fuck,” Odin hissed.
It was a good thing Lesya was upstairs with Azrael because I had a feeling there was about to be a lot more swearing.
“What machines?” I asked carefully.
“Do you recall when I spoke of the experiments the High Twenty did in Atlantis?” Re asked instead of answering.
“Yes,” I said slowly. “Of course I remember. It's hard to forget about a bunch of magically and scientifically advanced people experimenting with their power to the point of destroying their whole continent.”
We all went quiet. If this was connected to those experiments, things had just taken a turn for the bad.
“One of the experiments was on the energy surrounding planets and the effects of the energy emanating from the Sun,” Re said.
“You're talking about the geomagnetic field and the solar winds?” Horus asked.
“Correct.” Re nodded.
“You did experiments on Earth's electromagnetic field?” I asked with horror.
“Not at first,” Re murmured and looked away.
Before he turned his gaze from mine, I saw the guilt and shame in it.
“Re, what did you do?” I whispered.
“They wanted to harness the power of the Sun,” Odin answered for Re. “But first, they needed to know what exactly that power could do.”
“The power of the Sun,” I said softly.
“Yes; it's why I became a sun god,” Re admitted. “The energy was drawn to me. Working with it had left a mark, and it recognized me.”
“What happened with the experiments?” I growled.
“They built machines,” Odin answered for Re. “Magical machines. It was what they did. They were always looking for ways to collect more power and then use that power. I heard tales of hundreds of devices created by the Twenty.”
“And one of them destroyed Mars,” Thor announced as he entered the room. He looked straight at Re. “I saw the news. Am I right in my assumptions?”
“I don't know.” Re shook his head. “But it's possible.”
“I'm getting very impatient and very anxious,” I growled. “And I don't like either feeling. Someone needs to tell me the rest of it.”
“We were trying to harness the solar winds. As that process was underway, there was another experiment involving magnetic fields. The theory was that if a body could create energy, then a planet could create an astronomical amount of it.”
“Literally,” I murmured.
“Just so.” Re spared me a small smile. “We experimented first with Mars and discovered the electromagnetic field. It was fascinating; this natural ward that protected planets. Meanwhile, the machine we built to harness the solar winds needed to be tested, and we didn't want to use such a potentially powerful weapon on Earth.”
“So, you used it on Mars?” Morpheus asked in horror.
“We did. The machine exceeded expectations; we were able to break through the electromagnetic field in small spots which then recovered. The field experiments then became intertwined with those of the solar flares. We pushed further and further, delving into the recuperative abilities of Mars along with the strength of the Sun. But then we went too far.”
“No.” Horus shook his head.
“I'm afraid so.” Re's face was grim and full of regret. “We killed a planet.”
“What?” I whispered in horror.
“Holy fuck,” Trevor cursed lowly. “Are you fucking serious? You're the reason that Mars died?”
“We took weakened the magnetic field around Mars beyond repair, and it completely vanished.” Re lifted his chin and met my gaze steadily. “Mars was once a planet very similar to Earth.”
“And now it's a wasteland,” I concluded.
“Yes.” Re nodded. “Without the protection of its magnetic field, Mars was left defenseless to the solar winds and the cosmic rays. Its atmosphere was stripped away, and it was bombarded with radiation. The oxygen was depleted, and then the water. Entire oceans dried up, and all life on the planet died.”
“I can't even...” I shook my head and tried to swallow my rising tears. “Fuck, Re; you killed an entire planet?”
“Yes,” he said steadily. “And now I think that someone has found the machines we used and has discovered a way to employ them strategically against Earth.”
“What?!” I screeched.
“The outages,” Thor said. “The power grids showed the same kind of damage that a grid in Quebec exhibited after it was hit by a solar flare in 1989. That's why the US Government is using flares as an excuse; they may possibly even believe it to be the truth.”
“This has happened before?” I asked.
“An eruption on the Sun created enough force to blast through the Earth's magnetic field,” Odin explained. “It hit Canada and knocked out their power. That was a solar flare, but solar winds are always bombarding the Earth and it's their power that the Atlantean machine harnesses. Without the protection of the magnetic field, solar winds can interfere with anything electronic... computers, cell phones, even entire power grids. The power outage in Canada is an example of what would happen to the entire world if the geomagnetic field failed. And that's just the beginning.”
“So, before the air and water are stripped away, the world would be cast back into the Dark Ages?” I asked with wide eyes.
“Yes,” Thor said. “But that is a total annihilation of the field. Whoever is orchestrating this; they've been using the machines to cause temporary failures in specific locations—mimicking solar flares.”
“It appears to be the lowest setting,” Re said. “The more power you use, the larger area affected.”
“But they could easily escalate to destroying the whole geomagnetic field?” I asked.
“Yes,” Thor, Re, and Odin answered at once.
“Even if
they don't resort to the highest setting on the machine, a constant attack on the Earth's magnetic field could cause it to fail on its own,” Re said.
“Eros just became the least of our problems,” I muttered.
“Love is just another form of electricity,” Pan piped up merrily. “Maybe Eros will get zapped in the next attack.”
“Shut up, Pan!” We all shouted.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“Are you angry with me?” Re whispered.
The others were arguing over how to handle this latest twist while I sat back and drank my tea. I just couldn't deal. Too much had happened already, and I still needed to get back to Faerie and see where those damn coon dogs were trying to take Arach. I couldn't process the possibility of the entire Earth turning into a barren rock. I was pretty sure that if I tried, my head would explode.
“Re, I came to terms with your wicked past a long time ago,” I said gently as I took his hand. “No; I'm not mad at you. The things you've done have made you who you are, even the heinous ones.”
“I don't know if that's a good thing,” Re said.
“I can't imagine what being a part of Atlantean society was like, or what kind of pressures they put on you,” I went on. “But I know you, Re, and I'm certain that once you were faced with the consequences of your actions, you were crushed by the weight of them. You destroyed a planet, and that destroyed you.”
“It did,” he whispered.
“Then you rebuilt yourself”—I squeezed his hand supportively—“only to be crushed again when your wife died. You have gone through so many tragedies in your life, reforming yourself over and over, that you have become an entirely new person. You dragged the broken pieces of your soul back into the light and made yourself whole again; not just for you, but for your family. You have conquered your darkness, and that's what I see when I look at you—a hero. What's important to me is that this Re—this new you who I love—would never do those horrible things. The mere thought of them makes you sick; I can see it all over your face. So, how could I hold you responsible for the actions of another man?”
His entire body seemed to deflate in relief. “Vervain, do you have any idea how precious those words are to me? Thank you.”
“We've all done horrible things, honey.”
“Have you killed a planet?” Re grimaced.
“No.” I smiled softly and pushed his shoulder. “You win. Maybe I should start calling you 'Darth Vader.'”
“Was it Vader who ordered the attack on Alderaan, or was it that decrepit guy in the hood?” Re mused.
“I don't fucking know,” I huffed. “I haven't watched those damn movies in forever. But I can't very well call you 'Decrepit Guy.'”
Re burst into laughter, causing the rest of the room to stare at us in shocked irritation. The God Squad was vigilantly working towards saving the human race—and every other living thing on Earth—while Re and I cracked Star Wars jokes.
“Try using the Force,” I said to them. “Or maybe the Source. May the Source be with you.”
“What the hell is wrong with her?” Horus asked with fascinated horror.
“She almost died,” Kirill said. “Give her break.”
“What's this; like her tenth time almost dying?” Horus huffed. “She should be used to it by now.”
“Har-har, very funny,” I shot at Horus. “How many times have you almost died? I'd bet it would be even more traumatic for you on the tenth time than it was on the first. You'd be sobbing on Hekate's shoulder, whining about the unfairness of it all. Just like you do about Christmas. So you can kiss my undying ass, Horusmas!”
Re and I giggled some more.
“Shouldn't you be helping us, O' Destroyer of Worlds?” Blue asked Re drolly.
“I believe that's another title for Death,” Azrael noted smoothly as he strode in with Lesya in his arms. “Which makes it my name.” He looked around at the grim faces and tickled Lesya as he asked, “Why are you giving Re my name?”
“Mommy.” Lesya reached for me, leaning out of Azrael's arms.
“Because he killed Mars,” I said sweetly as Azrael brought Lesya over. I took her from him and kissed her soft cheek. “But I'm going to call him Vader instead.”
“Yes; I'd prefer that,” Azrael grimaced. He looked to Re. “You destroyed Mars? When did you do that?”
“Oh, back in the day,” Re said evasively. “You know; when I was an evil mastermind of Atlantis.”
“Oh, that guy.” Azrael nodded and took a seat beside us. “That's not you.”
“That's what I said.” I smiled smugly.
Re's expression went somber and soft as he looked from Az to me and back again. “Thank you, Azrael.”
“It's the truth, Re,” Azrael said gently. “You're a good man, and even though we all balked at first, I'm glad to have you with us.”
“Great; they've got Azrael too.” Hades sighed. “Anyone else want to check out of this? Or are we going to figure out how to find this son of a—”
“Honey!” Persephone cut off her husband and cast a pointed look in Lesya's direction.
“Right.” Hades cleared his throat. “No swearing and no taking this seriously.”
“I'm taking this seriously,” I protested. “I just need a little time to process it.”
“I have listened to your suggestions,” Re said, suddenly going all alpha god. “And I have found none worthy of note. Meanwhile, I've pondered the situation on my own. If you'll recall; I'm the one who brought this to your attention.”
“A valid point,” Odin conceded. “So, do you have a suggestion worthy of note?”
“We plot out the locations where the outages have occurred, research any other possible effects that we might have missed, and then cross-check the information with the known whereabouts of gods who have the power to pull this off.”
“You're saying that not all gods can use those machines?” Eztli, Blue's vampire wife, asked.
“The user must be able to provide the machine with energy that resonates with it,” Re explained. “The High Twenty helped to enhance my latent abilities into what became the foundation of my sun magic, simply so that I could empower and direct the machine.”
“What other types of magic could power the machines?” Torrent asked, his green eyes aglow with fascination.
“It would have to be something related to the effect of the machine.” Re shrugged. “So, something connected to heat, electricity, or magnetic energy.”
“This is a good place to start,” Odin went pensive. “I have a few ideas already. Let's compile our list of possibilities, and then we'll see who matches the locations.”
I looked at Re in surprise. I thought we'd been goofing off, when actually, Re had been working the whole time.
“I am the Sun God, Re, La-la,” Re said haughtily. “I can multi-task.”
“Remember that time when the lesbian asked where you buy your cosmetics?” I asked him gleefully.
Re narrowed his eyes at me. “Why would you remind me of such a grave insult?”
“I did warn you that I would bring it up when you got cocky.”
“Here I am, the most adored god of the Egyptians, being mocked by the woman I love. I am indeed paying for my grievous mistakes.”
Lesya burst into laughter.
“Just like your mother,” Re said with a persecuted air. “You have no compass for greatness.”
“Maybe not, but I have a great B-U-L-L-S-H-I-T meter,” I said. “And you're making it go off like crazy.”
“Sweetheart”—Re gave me an indulgent look—“insults lose their panache when you have to spell them out.”
“How about F-U?” I asked him with a bright smile.
“That one works.” He grimaced.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The research continued, and as it did, Azrael began his experiment. The Angel of Death stopped collecting souls. And all Hell broke loose. Well, actually, it was all Heaven.
“The Archangels
have summoned me,” Azrael snarled as he strode into the library of Pride Palace.
I'd gone to do some reading—not research—there. I was tired of skimming books about gods and searching the world for them. I needed a break. Of course, I couldn't catch one.
“What?” I put the book down. “Why?”
“Why do you think?” Azrael widened his eyes at me.
“The souls?” I asked in surprise. “Have they stayed in their corpses?”
“No.” Azrael smiled. “Actually, they've moved on; just as we suspected they would.”
“That's wonderful!” I got excited until I remembered the angels. “So, what's the problem?”
“I don't know.” He returned to seriousness. “But it's never a good thing to be summoned by the highest order of angels.”
“When do you have to speak with them?” I stood and cast my book down on the couch.
“Now,” Az said. “I wanted to let you know where I was going.”
“I'm going with you.” I went forward and took his hand.
“Carus, you don't have to do that,” Azrael said gently.
“I know, but I am,” I said in a tone that made it clear this wasn't open for discussion. “You started this because I encouraged you, and I'm not going to let you face the consequences all alone. I got your back, angel; even if it's already covered in feathers.”
“I'm a grown man.” Az chuckled. “An ancient angel. I can handle facing my peers alone.”
“I never said that you couldn't.” I smiled sweetly. “Only that you wouldn't. Now, stop procrastinating. Let's get this over with.”
“Together,” he agreed with a smile.
We went downstairs and traced to Shehaquim, the Third Heaven that Azrael ruled. At least the Archangels were meeting him on his own turf. His palatial home was empty when we traced in, and that was a relief. I took it as a good sign that they hadn't let themselves into his home when he wasn't there. But my relief was short lived. It died as soon as we strode outside to find over twenty, massive, winged men waiting for us with stern expressions and crossed arms.
