

LORDS OF KOBOL

BOOK THREE: THE FINAL EXODUS

By Edward T. Yeatts III

Published by Edward T. Yeatts III at Smashwords. Copyright 2011 Edward T. Yeatts III.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Visit ety3rd.com for more books and information.

Other books by Edward T. Yeatts III:

Lords of Kobol – Book One: Apotheosis

Lords of Kobol – Book Two: Descent

Lords of Kobol – Prelude: Of Gods and Titans

Displaced

Diary of a Second Life

8 Days

The Art of Death

Sexcalation

The Red Kick

Want to contact me?

Email: ety3rd@ety3rd.com

Twitter: @ety3rd

Facebook: Facebook.com/ety3rd

Tumblr: ety3rd.tumblr.com

Blog: ety3rd.blogspot.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAPS

I – PYTHIA

II – ZEUS

III – APOLLO

IV – MITHRAS

V – ACASTUS

VI – ATHENA

VII – HECATE

VIII – APOLLO

IX – MITHRAS

X – HERMES

XI – ZEUS

XII – MITHRAS

XIII – APOLLO

XIV – ZEUS

XV – HECATE

XVI – DIA

XVII – ZEUS

XVIII – MITHRAS

XIX – ACASTUS

XX – ZEUS

XXI – ATHENA

XXII – ACASTUS

XXIII – MITHRAS

XXIV – HECATE

XXV – APOLLO

XXVI – ZEUS

XXVII – HECATE

XXVIII – APOLLO

XXIX – ATHENA

XXX – ZEUS

XXXI – ACASTUS

XXXII – APOLLO

XXXIII – ZEUS

XXXIV – HECATE

XXXV – THE CENTURION

XXXVI – GIDEON

XXXVII – HECATE

XXXVIII – THE CENTURION

XXXIX – ATHENA

XL – ZEUS

XLI – THE CENTURION

XLII – ACASTUS

XLIII – HECATE

XLIV – ZEUS

XLV – THE CENTURION

XLVI – GIDEON

XLVII – APOLLO

XLVIII – ACASTUS

XLIX – APOLLO

L – ZEUS & THE CENTURION

LI – GIDEON

LII – ACASTUS

LIII – DIA & THE CENTURION

LIV – ARES

LV – APOLLO

LVI – ZEUS

LVII – ARES

LVIII – THE CENTURION

LIX – THE CYLONS

LX – ACASTUS

LXI – THE CENTURION

LXII – ARES

LXIII – ATHENA

LXIV – APOLLO

LXV – HECATE

LXVI – THE REFUGEES

LXVII – THE CYLONS

LXVIII – ZEUS

LXIX – HERMES

LXX – GIDEON

LXXI – ATHENA

LXXII – ACASTUS

LXXIII – APOLLO

LXXIV – HECATE

LXXV – GIDEON & HECATE

LXXVI – ATHENA

LXXVII – APOLLO

LXXVIII – THE CENTURION

LXXIX – ACASTUS

LXXX – APOLLO

LXXXI – ZEUS

LXXXII – ACASTUS

LXXXIII – GIDEON

LXXXIV – PYTHIA

LXXXV – THE MESSENGERS

AFTERWARD

ALTERNATE: TALES FROM ANCIENT DAYS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS & CONTACTS

OTHER BOOKS BY EDWARD T. YEATTS III:

I

**PYTHIA**

1,591 Years Before the Final Exodus

"Oh, c'mon," Pythia said.

"Sorry, I'm not supposed to tell you everything." Ino paced some more. "You simply don't need to know the true beginnings of the Olympians."

Pythia tossed her pen and opened the cap on her water bottle. If she was supposed to write the definitive book on the gods, how could she not know their real origins? She read the stories, the literary explanations. But nearly everyone knew they weren't meant to be taken as word-for-word fact. Downing a huge gulp, she put the water back on the table and scratched her arm again. "Fine. So what's next?"

"Now," Ino said softly, "we have to cover prophecy."

"Oh."

He stopped moving and looked at her quizzically. "Why so glum?" Ino asked.

"That's what got me here in the first place."

Ino nodded and he walked about the room again. "Yes. I know."

Pythia put the end of the pen in her mouth and sighed. She looked at the ceiling and began to speak, "I was able to do it once. I've been in training ever since. They think I can do it again."

Ino darted from where he was to Pythia's side. He knelt, picked up her hand and looked into her eyes. "You can do it again. I know you can."

She seemed stunned by his touch and his sudden caring demeanor. Her head tilted and a smile crept onto her lips. She studied his face again, looking for some clue to support her intuition. It was Ino's finger she felt in her mind...

"How?"

Ino kissed the knuckles of her hand. "I will give you a few... breadcrumbs. From there, you can find the rest of your way." She shook her head and Ino tugged her hand. "I'm serious. You can do it."

"Fine." She put the tip of her pen to the page and exhaled. "How?"

Ino stood and stepped in front of her desk. "What is prophecy?"

She scoffed. "Something you can say or write that becomes true after time."

"Communicated through you," Ino pointed at her as he spoke, "by a divine power."

"Sure." Pythia tapped the pen. "Is that good enough?"

Ino smirked, "It'll do for now." He brushed some dust off his pants leg. "How does one write a prophecy?"

Pythia opened her mouth to speak but she stopped herself. A moment later, she said, "Assuming I have received the divine inspiration?"

"Yes."

She scratched her neck as she spoke. "I... just write down things I believe will happen."

Ino shook his head. "You write according to the inspiration." Pythia flung herself onto the desk and Ino stood, speaking more loudly at her covered head, "You don't write down random phrases hoping that it will all make sense in a few thousand years."

"Why not?" she said, her voice muffled because she was still lying on her desk.

Ino rolled his eyes and shoved her. "You stick to the inspiration."

Pythia sat up. "And if I'm not feeling particularly inspired? If I'm not hearing the words?"

"The divine instruction doesn't always come to people in a booming voice." Ino lifted his eyebrows and said in a hushed tone, "Or with a visit from above."

Pythia drank more water. "So... what do I do now?"

"Prophesy for me." Ino sat back in the chair and crossed his legs. He sat patiently, watching Pythia's mind grind its gears. "A good prophecy is often vague yet specific." She raised her eyebrows as he continued, "Draw from current events. Or history."

She looked around the room and her eyes landed on her notes. "Like the exodus of the Thirteenth Tribe?"

Ino smiled and nodded slowly. "Good."

Pythia thought harder and harder. Soon, her face fell. "There could be another exodus."

Ino lifted his hands toward the ceiling, "Inspirational."

"I should look for key moments in the past to replicate..."

"Not necessarily," Ino interrupted. "Remember, keep it specific enough for people to latch onto, but vague enough for maneuverability."

Pythia started to write. "Yes." She kept writing and Ino sat up in his chair, trying to peer over the desk to read her notes.

"What have you got there?"

"'A vision of twelve serpents was given to them as a sign of things to come.'"

Ino pursed his lips and he turned his head slightly to the left. His eyes narrowed and he asked, "Where did you get that?"

"Well," Pythia began, winding her hair with her pen, "twelve is always a great number in religion or prophecy, because of the Twelve Tribes and what not."

"Right."

"The serpents popped in my head because I was thinking of the Thirteenth Tribe and you told me about the snake thing ..."

"I see."

Pythia smiled and wrote some more on the page. "Is that the kind of thing you had in mind?"

Ino returned the smile and he folded his arms across his chest. "Exactly what I had in mind."

"'All of this has happened before and all of this will happen again,' right?"

Ino nodded, "Indeed."
II

**ZEUS**

37 Years Before the Final Exodus

"So say we all," Zeus said.

In his headset, the response was deafening, "So say we all."

With that, he pressed the button on the side and pulled the device from his head. He stretched and blinked before walking across the room and slowly sliding into his chair. "What are the numbers?"

"Still compiling, Lord," his assistant, Karl Thalen, said.

Zeus pressed his forefinger and thumb onto either side of the bridge of his nose. He sighed heavily, wondering if there was a better way for those things to work. "I don't know if I can do another one in six hours."

"We could play a prerecorded file, if you'd like," Thalen said. His compaper beeped and he pressed a corner. He walked across the room and handed the thick page to Zeus who read the illuminated figures slowly.

"Two hundred-ninety-one million." He handed the paper back to Thalen. "Down again."

Thalen took the page and lowered his head, slowly walking away. "Lord Zeus," he asked, "how can we prevent people from logging off the Stream?"

Zeus shook his head. "We can't, really. I mean, free will and all." He smiled. "My little idea, though, is getting closer to fruition."

Thalen sat down. "Oh, the chip."

Zeus stood and walked around the cavernous office. "Yes."

"I'm sure it could help attendance, Lord," Thalen smiled.

Zeus walked to the window and looked out over the City of the Gods. Two years ago when he returned, Zeus ordered it be called that. Originally, it was "Theonpolis," meaning "City of the Gods," but the people's tongues grew lazy after a time and it was contracted to "Theopolis." No more laziness when it comes to honoring the gods, Zeus said.

So, Zeus overlooked the city from his office atop the tallest building in the Forum. He saw the Opera House a block away and the tops of several temples nearby. He looked to the north and tried to see Olympus in the mountains, but he couldn't.

"My Lord."

Zeus turned and he saw his chief of security, Carmen Erastos. "Yes? What is it?"

"Lord Zeus," she said, pulling a device from her waist, "I thought you should see this." She pressed a button on the side of the computer and a group of people appeared on the screen, shouting and yelling. "This was recorded during your temple service."

The people were chanting, "Free the Stream! Free the Stream!" Zeus furrowed his brow and watched them continue. Erastos scrolled ahead in the video until a single man was speaking into a microphone. "... compulsory attendance! Lord Zeus is denying every Kobollian's right to free choice! He is demanding worship, but the worship he's getting isn't genuine! The only reason he gets the attendance he does is because people are biding their time until they can get back to their virtual lives!"

"Enough," Zeus said. Carmen turned off the computer and stood at attention before him. Zeus looked around the room. The man was right. The worship he got wasn't emphatic. Millions more were simply disconnecting from the Stream rather than deal with the temple services. "Where was this?"

"Delphi, Lord."

Zeus nodded. "Apollo's old home." _Or does he still live there?_ He couldn't remember.

"My Lord," Carmen began, "these protests are not unique to Delphi." She lowered her head, as though ashamed. "There are more every week."

Zeus walked back toward the window and he leaned against the sill, staring at the temple dedicated in his name nearby. "Have you had any success in locating those groups I told you to watch out for?"

Erastos nodded and she stepped forward. "Yes, Lord. Using the Stream and several keywords you provided, we have been able to infiltrate a group of atheists..."

"What's an atheist?" Thalen asked.

Zeus turned his head from the window only slightly, "Someone who denies the existence of any gods."

Thalen's face contorted, "'Denies'... how?"

Zeus shook his head, "They don't think the Olympians are deities."

"The atheists seem content to complain about the state of things among themselves," Erastos said. "They're not actively recruiting."

"Leave them be for now," Zeus said. "If their blasphemy becomes more open, let me know."

Erastos nodded. "As for the monotheists, there are multiple groups around the world."

Zeus closed his eyes and he turned slowly toward her. "'Multiple groups?'"

"Yes, Lord," she said. "Our security forces have only been operating for a few weeks and that's what we've discovered."

Zeus walked in front of her and she seemed to quake. He realized his Chara was reflecting his anger. He breathed slowly and spoke calmly, "Maintain your observations. Keep me apprised of any changes." Erastos nodded quickly and left the room. Thalen drank water nervously and Zeus returned to the window.

Staring outside, Zeus propped his head up on his left fist. He watched the people below move from building to building, vehicles traveling along the roads, and airships gliding past. He knew his work was far from over. Crushing the nonbelievers would be easy, if he wanted to do it. But winning back the faith of the masses... that would be difficult.
III

**APOLLO**

37 Years Before the Final Exodus

"I hope you're ready," Leto said.

Apollo nodded, looking out into the forest near Dodona. Athena was inside reading a book. He was simply sitting outside on his porch under the early morning sun. Without moving his head or his mouth too much, he responded, "I believe I am."

Leto walked in front of him and leaned against the deck railing. She looked inside the home and watched Athena. "You're not going to tell her, are you?"

Apollo raised an eyebrow. "Is that a warning?"

Leto shook her head. "No. I'm just asking."

Apollo sighed. "If I do, I'll wait awhile."

Leto pulled herself away from the railing and sat on the table opposite Apollo. She leaned over so that she would be eye level with him. "You still remember the vision I gave you?"

Apollo scoffed. "I can barely sleep at night thanks to that. More than the sights... it's the smells."

Leto nodded. "I think you should know, at this point, that future is still possible."

Apollo interlaced his fingers. "Well, let me ask this again, and perhaps now you can answer me: what do I have to do?"

Leto smirked and stood up. She stepped over Apollo's legs and sat in the lounge chair next to him. He started to follow her as she moved but then he whipped his head back to the front, so as to avoid drawing Athena's attention.

"You will have to confront your father."

"I expected that much."

Leto nodded and continued. "Your boy in the forum..."

"Acastus," Apollo said. "You know his name."

"Acastus will have to be given instructions on raising a fleet of ships."

"Right." Apollo sipped his juice. "I plan on taking him to Vulcan in a few weeks."

"Sooner is better." Leto leaned on the armrest of the chair and stared at her son. "While he prepares ships, you must prepare your army."

Apollo couldn't restrain his head moving toward Leto then. "'Army?'"

Leto nodded, a slight grin on her face. "Yes. You will need one when the time comes."

Apollo laughed nervously and looked back into the forest. "'An army.' And who will my army be fighting against?"

Leto tilted her head and playfully brushed Apollo's arm. "Your father, of course."
IV

**MITHRAS**

37 Years Before the Final Exodus

Walter Mithras didn't feel like going to school today. He sat slumped over his desk with his hand pressing the Streamset on his face while a virtual teacher droned on about vocabulary. The ten-year-old was beginning to nod off when the woman said, "That's all for right now. Come back in twenty."

Walter removed the headset and laid it on his desk. He left his room and went into the hallway, wondering if his parents were about yet. Quietly, he stepped into the hall, trying to minimize the creaks from the floorboards. He got close to the wall and moved toward his parents' bedroom. With a single finger, he pushed open the door just enough for one eye to see inside.

He saw his father first, still in the clothes he wore last night. He was propped up on the bed wearing his Streamset. His fingers were twitching so Walter assumed he must be playing a game again. He moved over a little more and caught sight of his mother. She was sitting on her side of the bed, also wearing a Streamset. She was breathing heavily and moaning. Walter rolled his eyes knowing she was having sex.

Since they were otherwise engaged, he didn't bother trying to conceal his movements in the hallway. He walked on down toward the kitchen and opened the cupboard. He sighed as he did, remembering there was little there this morning. Another day, another missed opportunity for his parents to have gone to the store to cash in some points for food. "The shit's free..." he mumbled to himself. _Why don't they bother?_

He walked back to the living area and just stood. There were clothes piled up all over. His toys were tossed in a corner. The shades were drawn. Walter decided to let some light in so he went to the windows and pulled them wide.

"Good day, sir," a small Cylon said.

"Hello, Rick," Walter replied. He stepped over the robot and plopped onto the couch. He watched the blue eye of the device sweep back and forth as it seemed to await instructions. Before his father quit working, he used what little money he had saved up to buy the Cylon to help around the house. Of course, Rick was too small to do much housework. It could provide reminders, though.

"Rick," he said, "when my parents come in here later, can you remind them to go to the store for food?"

"As you command," Rick said. The half-meter tall conical robot then rolled away from the sofa.

"Hey," Walter said, leaning over the couch to catch the device, "where is my brother?"

"Master Lawrence was greeted by friends two hours ago." The Cylon turned to finish speaking, "He has not been back since."

Walter grinned, "Did he say when he would be back?"

"No, Master Walter. He did not."

"Thanks, Rick." Walter jumped off the couch and ran into the hall. The Cylon followed him.

"Do you have any further instructions for me?"

Walter rolled his eyes. Sometimes, the neediness of the Cylon annoyed him. "Um ... Pick up as much trash as you can and vacuum everything else."

"As you command," it said again in its mock-human voice before it turned and rolled away.

Walter stepped into the hallway and put his hand on Larry's doorknob. He was careful and quiet; not because he wanted to avoid disturbing his parents, but because his brother had been known to booby trap his room. He turned the knob slowly and opened the door. He didn't take a step inside. Instead, he looked at the floor in front of him and to the nightstand near the door. He didn't see any strings or other tell-tale signs.

Slowly, Walter walked inside. Larry had been cleaning his room rather well lately. The bed was made, there were no papers or school books scattered about. A few dirty clothes were on the floor, but it was still a far sight cleaner than Walter's room. He moved quickly over to the desk and sat down. He pushed the Streamset aside and began to leaf through a few papers on the desktop.

"Where was I?" he said to himself. He pulled out one compaper. When he activated it, he saw some science homework. He turned it off and put it back into the stack. He pulled out another compaper... no, this was regular paper. It didn't activate when he pressed the corner and it just had a few doodles on it. Walter shook his head and replaced it as well. When he reached for a notebook, a box with coins fell off the desk and opened on the carpet below.

Walter slid off the chair and picked up the box. He quickly put the coins inside and, without leaving his crouched position, he put the box back on the desk. He looked up and studied the shelves in front of him. Being at this low angle, though, he saw a sheet of paper under a shelf above some books. He crawled over, pulled out a few of the books and carefully removed the paper from under the shelf. It had been taped there.

When he looked at it, he saw that the sheet had some pencil marks on the front. No letters or numbers. Not even doodles. Just random marks. Thinking it may have been compaper, Walter pressed the corner and it lit up. Red swirls appeared and they bounced from pencil mark to pencil mark before settling into letters. Walter's eyebrows shot up and he smiled until he realized he couldn't read the letters.

He stood and sat back down at the desk. He held his forehead in his hand while he turned the paper around and around, tried pressing different parts of it... anything. He blew air through his mouth and flapped his lips, rotating the compaper one more time. He saw something that caught his eye. One of the "letters" looked like a mark he saw earlier.

He pulled out the sheet of paper from before, the one with doodles on it. He laid it on the desktop next to the compaper and both pages now sprung to life. It hadn't seemed like compaper before, but now the doodle sheet glowed with blue streaks, dashing from doodle to doodle and then crossing from one sheet onto the other.

"Cool," he said. After a few moments, the sheet on the left contained text written in the red letters he couldn't recognize. On the right, after additional swirling, the blue lights resolved themselves into words he could read. Walter started to read aloud, more excited to have solved a puzzle than anything else.

"'And when you pray, do not pray as the heathens do. Standing in the streets, on the steps of their temples, before the altars of their false gods. When you pray, enter your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray like this,...'"

Walter pulled his head up from the pages and scrunched up his face. He wasn't sure what he wanted to find in his brother's room... something salacious, he guessed... instead he finds some religious stuff about false gods?

He stopped reading aloud, but he did continue reading, "O Prometheus, holy messenger of the Great One, guide our lives according to Its will, support us and bless us as we seek to do your holy work. Forgive our offenses and provide us with defenses against those who would deny yours and the One's power. These things we ask most humbly, amen."

Walter was confused again. He had never heard of an Olympian named Prometheus. And what was the Great One? He placed his finger on the side of the compaper to scroll down when he heard someone in the hallway behind him.

"Wally, what are you doing?" his mother asked.

He turned around in the chair quickly, blocking her view of the desk. "I'm just messing around."

She shook her head, "You know Larry won't like that."

"I know." Walter thought about turning back to the pages but his mom wasn't leaving the doorway just yet. "Where's Dad?"

She rolled her eyes and stepped away from the door, "Zeus started his temple service and shut down the whole Stream. You know your father; he thinks it's important."

Walter turned back around, nodding. If Zeus was on, that meant no more school for at least half an hour. He scrolled down the pages, looking for anything that caught his eye. He scrolled and scrolled. And scrolled. All he saw was, "heathens," "idols," "false gods," "one whose name cannot be spoken," blah-blah-blah. Finally, he saw something about a sword, but he heard the front door open.

His head whipped around and he heard Larry's voice. He pinched the corners of both pages, shutting them off. He slid one into the stack of papers on the desk and jammed the other under the second shelf atop some books. He knew he wouldn't be able to tape it back, but maybe he could sneak back in later to take care of it.

He quietly ran to the door and peeked into the hall. He heard Larry speaking in the kitchen. "Mom, when are you going to the store? There's nothing to eat."

Walter ran from the room and tripped over Rick, which was rolling toward the living area, presumably to tell his mother about the reminder he programmed it to give. Walter stubbed his toe on the wall and he flopped into his room and onto the bed.

He laid there for a moment, quietly cradling his foot and trying to catch his breath. A moment later, Larry was standing at his door. "What are you doing?"

Walter shook his head, "I hurt my foot tripping over Rick."

Larry squinted his eyes and then went into his room. Walter stood up and walked to the door slowly, trying to not even breathe. He listened to his brother's every move, hoping to decipher where he was and what he was looking at. He knew he would be found out.

A moment later, Larry stormed out of his room, looped into the hall and into Walter's room, pushing him on the chest and knocking him back to the bed. "What were you doing in my room?"

Walter had been beaten up by his brother before. He was the little brother so he understood his lot in life. Something, though, was different this time. Larry didn't seem as much angry as he was... afraid.

"I was just looking around."

Larry pulled back a little and closed his eyes. "What did you see?"

For whatever reason, Walter felt the need to be honest. "I saw the papers about false gods..."

Larry pushed him onto the bed again and leaned in close. "Listen to me," he said, whispering, "you cannot ever – and I mean never – tell anyone about those papers or... read them again or anything. Do you understand?"

Again, Walter had to note the fear in his voice. He nodded wordlessly and Larry stood up. Walter was going to stand up, too, but Larry stayed there. Staring at him. "Never," he said.

Just then, their mom walked by and said, "I told you to stay out of his room."
V

**ACASTUS**

37 Years Before the Final Exodus

The Libran delegate walked along the street, passing storefront after storefront, on his way to the Forum. He passed the tables of a sidewalk diner. He walked through a shimmering hologram in front of a Stream supply store. But at the empty wall between two office buildings, he came to a stop.

Stephen Acastus studied the long rectangle pasted on the wall. It was mostly blue and featured six stylized figures. One held a lightning bolt before its chest. Another had a sunburst behind his head. Another wore a helmet with small wings. There was a woman with long hair. A tall man wearing an ancient warrior's helmet. Another man holding a trident. The Lords of Kobol, obviously.

Above the figures was written the phrase, "We are all here for you."

Acastus lifted his head and looked down his nose at the poster, trying to discern exactly what that meant. A simple reminder? Perhaps a subtle public relations move so the pedestrians would remember to thank the gods that day? Then he noticed that "all" was underlined. Was Zeus beginning to take steps against monotheists? Acastus exhaled slowly and began to walk again.

Apollo had warned him of this. A week after the history lesson, Apollo sent him a plain paper letter that included a few signs to watch for and a warning. One of the signs was active campaigns against monotheist worship. Acastus turned onto the main thoroughfare and toward the Forum. He saw the dome of the just-renovated Opera House in the distance.

He had burned the letter after he read it five or six times. He memorized the other signs and he immediately acted on the warning in the letter: "Get rid of any Cylons in your home." He did that very day.

Acastus walked across the courtyard toward the southern entrance of the Forum complex. He walked into the open foyer and began to pass by the Cylon at the front desk but he decided to stop. He turned and walked up to the counter and asked in a low voice, "Is Lord Zeus here today?"

The Cylon's humanoid eyes glowed blue as it accessed whatever file it needed. "No, Delegate Acastus. He has not arrived yet, if he is, indeed, planning on coming today."

Acastus nodded and walked away from the unit and waved, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," it said.

He walked to the stairs and climbed them two at a time toward his office. Once inside, he sat down and spun in his chair to face the portrait of Apollo. Before "The Talk," he had a painting of Hermes on the wall. He was the patron Lord of Libra, after all, thanks to their merchant culture. After he learned the real story of Kobol, he could barely look at it, knowing the truth. Instead, he found a centuries-old painting of Apollo and hung it. When he was in deep thought, he would often turn in his chair and just study the painting's form.

He could see tiny mountains of paint clumping at broad strokes. Apollo was wearing the standard ancient robes seen in most depictions of the Lords. The sun shone brightly over his right shoulder. He seemed to be leaning on a large bow and a quiver lay at the ground by it. In the background, a marble structure of indeterminate origin was illuminated as much by Apollo himself as by the sun.

Knock-knock. "Delegate?" someone said from the hall.

He slowly turned back to face the door. "Come in."

President Lana Diomedes peeked her head inside. "Stephen, there's a special meeting going on in twenty in the main chamber."

"Oh," he said as he sat up and pulled his scheduling compaper closer. "Something new?"

"Yes. See you there." She left and pulled the door closed.

Acastus pressed 'refresh' on his compaper and the timeslot filled now with the special meeting. It mentioned that the entire Quorum was to attend. Zeus would be there. And Hermes. And so would the presidents of both HHT and Dataday, the two largest technology companies on Kobol.

Acastus stroked his mouth and chin, staring at the entry again. What did that mean? Why would Lord Zeus... why would Zeus want a meeting with all twelve members of the Quorum, Hermes, and those two tech heads?

He poured himself a glass of water. Sipping it slowly, he occasionally glanced over to the portrait of Apollo, hoping for some sort of answer. After about ten minutes of dawdling, Acastus rose from his desk, gathered a few sheets of compaper, and left his office. He strolled the halls, smiling amiably at everyone before he reached the meeting chamber. He realized now how often he smiled at people before Apollo took him into his confidence. After "The Talk," he wasn't as outgoing and friendly so he needed to force himself to smile. It seemed to get harder every day.

Walking into the chamber, he found his seat quickly and sat. He surveyed the room, seeing who he assumed to be two groups of people from the tech firms and a few other delegates already seated.

"What's this about?" the Aquarius delegate asked.

Stephen shrugged, "I have no idea."

He sat in silence until the president, Zeus, and Hermes entered a few minutes later. All of the Quorum had assembled, except for two. Acastus studied the way Diomedes interacted with Zeus. He didn't know if it was Zeus' Chara or his natural charm, but she seemed so eager to please. To a fault. Since Zeus' return two years ago, she had become his tool. His puppet. Yes, he was the Lord of Lords, but still...

"Are we ready?" Zeus asked before he looked around and saw the two empty chairs. "Lana, where are they?"

"They are in their home districts, Lord," she pressed a button on her console and two panels slid down from the ceiling above their chairs. Instantly, the faces of both absent men appeared on the screens and they nodded. "They are here thanks to the Stream, Lord."

"Very well," Zeus mumbled. He shuffled some papers and glanced back at the two tech teams. "Let's get started then. Forget the formalities," he said, waving to Lana as she was raising the gavel. "Let's just start."

"Of course, Lord," she said.

"I have asked Michael Yolandes and Otho Carrapice to join us today because they have been working with Hermes on a joint venture at my urging."

Acastus raised his eyebrows. HHT and Dataday were notoriously competitive so this was big news.

"Jumping to the head," Zeus said, pressing his compaper, "this is what they've been doing."

The central hologram viewer flashed to life and a small rectangular device appeared. Acastus couldn't tell how big it was supposed to be or even what it was, though it appeared electronic.

"I call it the Streamchip." Zeus pressed his compaper again and the rectangle shrunk. A blank-faced human head appeared and the rectangle embedded itself under the skin, perhaps even under the skull, near the ear. "While it was my idea and some of the key principles came from me, I'm going to let them explain what it is and what it does." Zeus waved to both men and they stepped up.

Carrapice motioned to Yolandes and he nodded, "Thank you, Lord Zeus." He pressed a piece of his own compaper and the rectangle grew again, but with more detail. "The Stream has been around for more than a thousand years with very little in the way of advancement. The Streamset itself is five hundred years old. But with the Streamchip, thanks to Lord Zeus' concepts, Lord Hermes' skills in communications, and HHT's nanotechnology, we can make the Stream experience as lifelike as life itself."

Acastus' brow furrowed and he straightened in his chair. _Nanotechnology?_ Did he hear that correctly?

Carrapice stepped forward. "At HHT, we've been working with nanotech for some time now, but applications and the funds for those applications were always few and far between. With the Streamchip, our little nanobots make the Stream alive." He pressed a button and the rectangle expanded showing components and labels. "The chip is embedded in a person's ear and once activated for the first time, begins manufacturing nanobots." A circle within the rectangle began spewing out dozens of tiny triangles. "These nanobots position themselves around the brain at the various sensory centers – vision, hearing, tactile, olfactory, gustatory – and then relay commands from the primary chip. Because of the direct input to the brain's centers, the Stream experience is every bit as real as everything around us."

Acastus' mouth was hanging open. He couldn't believe it. Just two years ago, Zeus echoed the same sentiments as he did on the ills of Kobollian society. A lack of motivation, a lack of activity, and too much investment in the virtual world. Now Zeus helped create a product that will exacerbate those same problems?

"The Streamset is fantastic, of course," Hermes said without standing, "but the sensory information it provides the brain is almost like a blunt instrument at times. It lacks finesse."

"I don't want to bore anyone with technical details, but I think you can see how fantastic this is," Zeus said, standing up.

"What is the initial price point?" the Leo delegate asked.

Hermes answered, "A little high at first. About three hundred stater, but once production gets rolling, it will come down significantly."

"We have created sufficient numbers of chips for a major initial push," Zeus said. "But what I'm really excited about is the giveaway. After all of the announcements are made, I will shoot an arrow at a map, blindfolded, and whatever city is closest to the arrow, everyone gets a Streamchip."

Several delegates applauded. Acastus couldn't believe it, until he realized that they could use this whole thing to score points with their constituents.

"Everyone, Lord Zeus?" the Scorpio delegate asked. "This is voluntary, right?"

"Of course it is," he scoffed. "No one is being forced to get one."

"Excuse me," Acastus said. "Lord Zeus..." he paused as he gathered his thoughts. "Just two years ago when you returned, you bemoaned society's absorption in the Stream, just like I did, and still do."

Zeus nodded, "Correct, Stephen. But I feel that this development will allow us a way into the people unlike anything before."

"Literally," Acastus said.

Zeus smiled. "Yes. Look," he stood and lifted his hands, "I'm not delusional about where our people are. They are at home, sitting in their chairs or still in bed with Streamsets on their faces. I've tried telling them that too much of this was bad, but they aren't listening. The majority of Kobollians simply want to remain immersed in that world."

"But..."

"Quite simply, Stephen," Zeus said. "I've changed my mind."

The Quorum looked around at each other, surprised. Zeus held up his hand and smiled, "Now, now. Even I can be allowed to change my mind from time to time." The president laughed loudly. "With the Chip, my temple services will be more realistic than ever."

Acastus fell back into his chair. _So this is why?_

"People will actually be able to experience my Chara. Firsthand. Its nuances can be translated through the Chip, whereas with the Streamset, the Chara was nonexistent." He inhaled deeply and continued, "For one thing, this will draw more people into worship more often. And I can set about putting the people on the path of the gods. So they can follow and live in the example of the gods. I can still steer them toward that better society."

The Scorpio delegate asked from his drop-down monitor, "How?" Acastus looked over and nodded with approval.

"I'm giving them what they want," Zeus said. "They will be more apt to listen to me. And let's not forget, I am Zeus, after all. I can be very persuasive."

Acastus leaned back, knowing further dissent would be pointless. Instead, he remembered the second warning sign in Apollo's letter: "Be on the lookout for technology run amok." Acastus nodded, knowing that this probably qualified.
VI

**ATHENA**

36 Years Before the Final Exodus

She was worried about Apollo.

For the last year, he seemed to have trouble sleeping. He wasn't as attentive to her. Selfish, maybe, but it was a change from the last six centuries they had been together. He was often distracted and she repeatedly thought she heard him talking to himself, but it sounded more like one side of a conversation.

Athena paced the room, walking from the empty fireplace to the bar at the kitchen and back. Apollo had said he would be doing prep work for the next Olympic Games, but that he would return yesterday. He still wasn't back. He hadn't called or sent any other message, either.

When she called him, he never answered.

Her pacing quickened. What did it mean? Was there another woman? She shook her head. It seemed unlikely as the Lords attract attention when they go among the human women. Her recent news search didn't turn up anything. It must be something else.

Earlier, she went through his study, looking for anything. She found maps, lists of supplies, and unidentified designs. She didn't know what to make of it, but it seemed as though he was working on something.

She stopped pacing and sat on the couch. She stared at the paintings around the room and tried to calm her racing mind. The sun had set. Athena fell asleep.

When the door opened two hours later, Athena awoke. She leapt off the couch and ran to the door. "Apollo?"

He was there. He set down his small case and nodded. He seemed very tired. "Yes."

Athena pressed the wall and a nearby light switched on. She ran to him and hugged his neck before pulling back and shaking her head at him. "Where have you been?"

Apollo shrugged. "Olympic planning. And then... other stuff came up."

Athena released him and leaned back against the wall. Apollo looked as though he wanted to walk down the hall toward the bedroom, but he caught Athena's glare and he knew that wasn't an option right now.

"What 'other stuff?'"

Apollo exhaled loudly, "Uh... just things. Nothing terribly important."

Athena crossed her arms. "You've been acting strangely for a while now."

"I have?"

She nodded. "You're not sleeping well, you're away on long trips for no good reason... we haven't had sex in three months, and that's unusual for us."

Apollo sighed and closed his eyes. "You're right."

"So," she began, "are you going to tell me what's going on?"

Apollo lifted his head and said, softly, "No, not really." As Athena began to protest, he stepped forward and held her shoulders, "But I do promise to be here for you more often."

Athena raised an eyebrow, "In both body and spirit?"

He smiled and kissed her forehead. "Yes. I'm sorry." He hugged her tightly. "You're right. I've been tied up in other things and I need to slow down and be with you."

She grinned a little and pulled her face away from his chest. After a quick kiss on the mouth, she pushed him down the hall. "Go to bed. You look awful."

He grunted. "Thanks."

She picked up his case and carried it into the living room, setting it down on the table. When she did, she heard an unusual rattling inside. She hesitated for a moment; curious but catious. Finally, she opened the latches and looked inside.

No clothes. None of the usual travel accoutrements. Instead, she found incredibly old paper files and folders. Athena peeled back a few pages in the top folder and realized that these had been taken from Hephaestus' storage lockers on Olympus or maybe in Vulcan. But why?
VII

**HECATE**

36 Years Before the Final Exodus

Hecate flung her hands to the side and the crowd roared. She laughed and circled the platform. Throwing her head back, she looked high toward the ceiling of her opulent temple.

Marble columns, gold fixtures, silver accents, and candles all over. The audience chamber was large and people crowded shoulder to shoulder to be closer to the altar and stage. It was mostly dark except for a few spotlights on her and the man before her.

The music had stopped some time ago, yet the crowd still swayed. Many were reacting to drugs; a few were still naked from having had sex. Hecate was clothed, but the sacrifice on the platform was not. She kissed the man on the lips and with her right hand, reached down to his crotch and began caressing his flaccid penis.

The crowd cheered and the man began to chuckle, closing his eyes, trying to enjoy the attention. Hecate smiled and then licked his face. As his penis grew more erect, she stroked it with more flourish. The audience cheered and raised their hands into the air. Hecate wrapped an arm around the man's face, plunging her tongue inside his mouth. His penis became harder. She stroked faster and faster. She stood up from kissing him and ripped her robe while she worked his cock. Her breasts fell from the strips of fabric and the crowd roared again. The man on the platform began to quiver in excitement and his penis throbbed in her hands. She sensed that orgasm was near, so she reached under the table and removed the large knife.

Hecate stroked and stroked him. He began to moan with pleasure and the crowd grew quiet. She lifted the blade and held it above his throat, watching the head of his penis. Finally, his back arched and his penis swelled. Hecate quickly slid the blade across his throat, spraying bright red blood onto the stage at the same moment his cock shot its ejaculate into the air.

The crowd's roar was deafening. Hecate raised her hands high – one covered in red and the other in white – and she walked to the front of the platform. She clapped her hands together, mixing the two fluids, and then held her palms out to the crowd.

"Life and death, together." Many of the young faces in the audience nodded as Hecate continued, "They are not incompatible. And the gods control them both." She stepped back from the edge of the stage and raised her hands skyward again. "So say we all!" she yelled.

"So say we all!" the audience responded.

Hecate turned her back on the audience and the lights went out. She looked to the sacrificial platform and saw that the man was gone already. She heard small high-pitched whispers behind her until, finally, there was silence.

She spun and looked out across the empty audience chamber. She raised a hand and tried to lift one of the torn straps of her robe to her shoulder, but it fell down again. She reached up and felt her cheeks: soft with prominent cheekbones. Her black hair was still tied up and neat. Her waist was, well, perfect, and her breasts were in good shape, too. She sighed before she thought to herself, _Off_.

The Streamset deactivated and she pulled the device off her face. Hecate blinked her eyes rapidly trying to make them focus. She lay there, lounging across the chair much as she had all day. This body was nearly fifty-years-old. Her hair was short and gray and her body was soft and heavy. With great effort, she pulled herself up and saw what time it was.

"Frak," she said, realizing she had again wasted an entire day on the Stream. But how could she not? Her followers had built such lovely testaments to her there. The temple was only the biggest and most audacious of them all. Her daily sacrifices, virtual though they were, brought her once again to the minds of young people across Kobol.

Hecate looked out of the window and saw nearby Theonpolis. Or City of the Gods, as her father preferred now. She didn't have her mother's home at the Gates of Hera. Zeus had it razed centuries ago. Instead, she was forced to live in an apartment just outside of the main city. She didn't have to pay rent, of course. Food was delivered to her. And she had the Stream.

What was the point of complaining? She finally had what she wanted. Followers and adoration. Hecate walked to the refrigerator and removed some leftovers. After she ate, she could go to bed and hop on the Stream again in the morning.
VIII

**APOLLO**

36 Years Before the Final Exodus

It was a long day. Apollo arrived at the Forum just after it opened and he met with delegates and the president for hours. Hours and hours. He had to feign interest until lunch time, and then even longer after that. All so he could meet with Acastus.

In the last year and a half, Apollo had sent him a few messages, appropriately cryptic and sometimes encrypted. He had not been able to sit down with him since he brought him back to Theonpolis after that long discussion. Well, not discussion. Lecture, perhaps.

Apollo walked through the hall of an administrative building and he finally reached the door of the Libran delegate. He knocked twice and the voice within said, "Come in."

Apollo stepped inside and he saw Acastus. It looked as though he had aged a decade. Had the information Apollo fed him weighed him down so much?

"I'm sure it has," Leto said as she sat down in front of the desk.

Acastus walked around toward the door and smiled. "Lord Apollo, pleasant, of course, to see you again."

Apollo pushed the door closed until it clicked and he turned and smiled, shaking Acastus' hand. "And you, Stephen. How have you been?"

Acastus shrugged and moved back behind his desk, "I've been keeping busy with one project or another."

Apollo removed a small silver tube from his pocket and placed it on the corner of the desk. He pressed down on it, compressing it to half its size. "There. If anyone was listening to us they can't hear us any longer."

"Good," Acastus said. "I don't know how long I could have danced around conversationally... using code words and such."

Apollo smiled and looked around the office. He noted the large portrait of himself and raised his eyebrows. "Why me? Didn't you have someone else there before?"

"I did. Hermes, actually." Acastus sipped some water. "After our talk, I figured it made more sense to keep you on the forefront of my mind."

"I don't see any pictures of family," Apollo said, pointing to the desk. "Do you not have any?"

Stephen grinned meekly and turned back to a side table, pulling forward a picture of himself with another smiling man. "My husband, Michael."

Apollo took the picture and studied it before handing it back. "You both look very happy."

"That was a few years ago." He replaced the frame on the side table. "I'm afraid things aren't going so well now. There's been talk of divorce..."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Leto leaned closer to Apollo and whispered, "Ask him why."

Apollo narrowed his eyes and after a moment of hesitation he spoke, "May I ask why, if I'm not intruding?"

Acastus sipped some water again. "Well, let's just say I've been busier in the last year or so than either of us anticipated."

Leto looked at Apollo with a smug expression. "Sounds familiar..."

Apollo leaned forward and caught Stephen's gaze. "I understand. Believe me, I do." He leaned back and straightened his pants leg. "I live with Athena, you know." Acastus nodded. "I haven't even told her what we're up to."

He nodded again. Acastus reached into a desk drawer, removing two empty glasses and a bottle of ambrosia. Apollo smiled and wrapped his fingers around one glass as Stephen poured the green liquid. He immediately brought it to his lips and sipped. Acastus replaced the bottle and drank half of his portion in a single move.

"Now, if I may ask," Acastus said, placing his glass on the desk, "what exactly are we up to?"

Apollo smiled and drank more. Leto put her hand on Apollo's leg as he did, "It's time, son. We can't delay much longer."

"I promised Athena that I wouldn't spend as much time away from her as I have," he replied to Leto, only realizing at the end of his sentence that Acastus might be confused.

"I don't care," Leto said.

"Does that change our plans, Lord... Apollo?" Acastus asked.

He looked at the delegate and forced himself to smile, "No, it doesn't. I suppose." Leto removed her hand and Apollo continued. "You've worked hard so far and I appreciate that. Soon, however, you will have to work harder."

Acastus exhaled slowly and finally nodded his head. "Very well."

"I am sorry." Apollo drank the rest of his drink and then set the empty glass on the desk. "You've gathered the information I requested?"

"Yes. I've made discreet inquiries to all contractors involved at the various spaceports and shipyards around the world."

"Will they be able to do it?"

Acastus tilted his head, "There's a potential problem there. They're willing to construct ships to various specifications, but they're all going to want a great deal of money."

Apollo shook his head. "You know, I thought we were creating a Utopian society that had evolved beyond the need for money..."

"'The _need_ for money,' perhaps," Acastus said. "But people still want it. And the unnecessary things they can buy with it."

"You'll have to elevate him after all," Leto said.

Apollo nodded. "Very well. I anticipated that this might happen. I have a contingency plan in place, but for now, carry on with your inquiries."

"What inquiries?" Acastus asked. "I've already contacted people regarding everything you sent me."

"Metallurgists?"

"Yes."

"Cylon construction contracting?"

"One of the first calls I made."

Apollo's mouth curled a little on one side. "Very good. The alloys may take a while so go ahead and get the metallurgists on board."

"Yes, sir." Acastus picked up his drink and brought the rim to his mouth. "But what about the money?"

Apollo inhaled sharply. "Well, I don't have any. Or much, I should say."

"You're kidding," Acastus said, incredulously.

"Sorry. I'm a god. We're usually given whatever we want."

"I see," Acastus drank some more. "So, how do we get the money?"

Leto smiled and stood up. She walked to the desk and sat on the edge. "He can do it. Don't worry."

"You're in government," Apollo began. "Move some numbers around."

Acastus raised his eyebrows and then he scoffed. "You're kidding."

Apollo shook his head, "No. I'm not." When the delegate's expression didn't change, Apollo leaned forward, "Kobol's government is lax. You can do this without attracting anyone's attention."

"Kobol's government is also rather poor," Acastus said. "Our Utopia is a Utopia because we pay for everything. There's not much left in any budget anywhere that isn't earmarked for something else."

Apollo reclined again and leaned against the arm of the chair, resting his face on his hand. He looked at his mother and she just sat there on the desk, smiling at him. "There has to be something."

Acastus sat up and his eyes glazed over as he thought. "Yes. You can ask for their help."

Apollo laughed. "What?"

"I'm serious." Acastus rapped his fingertips on the desk as he spoke, "If a god shows up on their doorsteps and asks them to make a few hundred tons of whatever, they'll do it."

Apollo shook his head, "No, I can't be too visible in this yet. That would draw too much attention."

"Attention from whom?" Acastus asked. "Your father?"

Apollo swallowed and nodded. "Yes. He cannot get any hint of what we're doing."

"No problem." Acastus smiled and leaned back in his chair. "He's going to be very busy very soon."

"Why?" Apollo asked.

"Streamchips," Acastus said. "Once they're on the market, Zeus will be working overtime to corral support, make sure everyone knows they were his idea... holding temple worships."

Apollo grinned and looked at Leto. "See? I told you he was good," she said.

"Marathon won the free chips contest a few weeks ago and that's all anyone's talking about on the Stream." Acastus continued while he turned his empty glass around on the desktop. "They're about to go wide, and when they do, Zeus will be very busy."

"And I can fly around the world, meet with various CEOs and tell them how secret everything needs to be."

"Precisely. And with all of the work spread out over hundreds, even thousands of companies, no one contractor will be financially hurt enough by our... imposition to raise any concerns."

Apollo smiled. "You're good, Stephen."

"I do, however, get the impression that once the pieces are made, the assembly will be a bitch."

"True."

"That _will_ likely take money," Acastus said as he put the bottle of ambrosia back in his desk drawer. "And it will get attention." Apollo closed his eyes in thought while Acastus continued, "Hundreds of ships being built? At a time when we have no space program to speak of, just sub-orbital commercial flights?"

"Yes," Apollo said.

"Might as well tell him now," Leto said.

"By the time the ships are ready to be assembled," Apollo said, standing up, "you'll be vice president and you can conceal things a bit more easily."

Acastus' eyes widened and he stood as well. "What?"

Apollo smiled and rested a hand on Acastus' shoulder, "Part of my plan is for you to be the vice president in a few years' time."

Acastus smiled. "Very well. If you wish it..."

"I do." He picked up the silver tube from the desk and prepared to turn it off. "Next month, on the tenth, I want you to travel to Vulcan."

"Vulcan," Acastus repeated.

"Yes. Meet me at Hephaestus' old home. There are a few things there I need to show you, including his workshop."

"I see. What's in the workshop?"

"What remains of the only faster-than-light vessel in existence. The _Pegasus_." Before Acastus could speak, Apollo twisted the silver device and it sprang back up, ending the surveillance blackout. "It was a pleasure speaking with you again, delegate."

Acastus nodded and lowered his head. He seemed frustrated that he couldn't ask more questions. "You as well, Lord Apollo."
IX

**MITHRAS**

35 Years Before the Final Exodus

"Come on, kids," their father said. "It's time!"

Lawrence was already sitting in the living room with his Streamset in his lap. Walter trudged in holding his. His mother and father were already sitting on the couch with that glassy-eyed expression denoting that they were using their Streamchips.

When they came out last year, his parents went to work long enough to earn the stater to buy two and only two of them. That's fine, Walter thought. He wasn't sure about having a chip put into his head. The headset was enough for him.

"It's almost time," their father said again. "Jump in."

Lawrence shook his head and slowly put on his Streamset. Walter watched him activate it and then he put his on, as well. The skin all over his body tingled, there was a flash of light, and he heard a high-pitched blip.

He blinked several times and found himself standing in the usual enormous amphitheater. His parents and brother were next to him and he looked toward the center. A marble platform was rising from the grass and the statues of all of the Lords of Kobol surrounding it began to shine brightly. With a sudden flash, Lord Zeus appeared and he screamed, "Greetings, Kobol!"

The audience roared back at him. Walter looked at his parents and they were both jumping up and down, screaming with joy. His father, obviously feeling Zeus' Chara, even had a tear welling up in his eye. Larry seemed far more sedate, of course.

"I greet you in the name of the gods," Zeus said.

"We rejoice and give praise to the Lords of Kobol," came the routine response from the audience.

Zeus walked around the circumference of the marble platform, looking at the crowd. "The Lords of Kobol are with you. Always." He walked a little more. "Never forget that." He stooped and pointed to the shining statue of Poseidon. "When you swim in the sea or fish for your meal, my brother is with you." He walked further and motioned toward the statue wielding a large hammer. "When you use the Stream or some other form of technology, thank my friend, Hephaestus." He turned and pointed to the statue of a woman holding a bird on her finger. "When you get married, Hera blesses you."

Walter sighed quietly and began to look around. He had heard this before. Zeus did the same basic thing about three months ago. He studied the amphitheater as best he could from his place and he then looked to the statues, trying to guess who each one represented.

"The gods are with you, always." Zeus stood and inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. "There are, however, deniers of this truth."

That got Walter's attention.

Despite a low murmur in the millions-strong crowd, Zeus continued, "For nearly six thousand years, the Lords of Kobol have lived among humans and sought to better society. And even though I stand right here before you all, there are some who deny me."

A few people in the audience began to shout, "No, Lord Zeus!"

"They do," he said, pacing again. "There are people who do not believe that I and my fellow Olympians are divine."

"No!" came another shout.

"They are wrong, simply put. They must be corrected." The audience agreed and applauded lightly. "If you know someone who doesn't believe in the Lords of Kobol, try to show them the error of their ways. Enlist your local priests, if you must."

Walter looked slowly over at Larry. He was standing straight as a rail, his eyes locked wide open on Zeus. He didn't move a muscle.

"Not only do these people bring dishonor to their families, but they disappoint the gods."

Walter looked over at Larry again. Now his head was hanging low. For the first time in two years, he had confirmation of what his brother believed. Walter nodded, looking back toward Zeus and wondering how he could use that to his advantage.
X

**HERMES**

35 Years Before the Final Exodus

It had been a very relaxing year in the Thracian Islands.

Hermes stood and stretched after a long day of swimming and lying in the sun. The island of Skyros was a favored destination spot for the people of Kobol who could afford it.

The sun was about to set, but Hermes had seen it so many times before, he decided not to stick around. Instead, he walked over the sand and into the resort station above the beach. As usual, the staff bowed before him and Hermes walked to the service desk with a smile.

"Good evening," he said.

"Good evening, my Lord," the woman behind the counter said, grinning wildly.

"I was hoping I could go ahead to the dining area."

"Of course," she began as she walked from behind the counter. "Right this way."

Hermes knew where the dining area was but he tolerated the assistance. She led him to a roofless patio where several tables were arrayed around a fire featuring some sort of beast roasting on a spit. "Thank you."

"Yes, my Lord." She bowed and went back inside.

He was several minutes early so he leaned back in his chair and sipped his water. A waiter approached, bowing when he was about ten meters away, and then again when he was two meters away. "Lord Hermes. What is your pleasure this evening?"

"I'd like some white wine," and then he pointed to the fire, "and some of that when it's ready."

"Yes, my Lord." The waiter backed away, still bowing, and then he darted into a service area.

Hermes sipped his water again and thought to himself about his adventures. Well, he hadn't had any for a while. He put himself to sleep after his space explorations and reawoke several centuries later... a few centuries ago. He traveled the world again, sampling a little bit of everything, but he was surprised at how little things had truly changed. There were new buildings, new people, new diversions, but other than that, not much. He had recently been distracted by Zeus' nanotechnology and computer scheme. That ate up a few years of his attention.

Maybe he could go under again.

A few other guests at the resort trickled into the seating area, bowing toward Hermes before taking their places at the tables. The waiter returned with the wine and a chef tended to the roasting animal. Hermes ate a few vegetables as he waited for the chef to carve the meat. Hermes got first choice, of course.

He was nearly halfway finished when he began to notice that people around him were staring more. Talking about him more. He got an almost uncomfortable feeling that he was being watched. He continued to eat and he saw a woman at a nearby table looking at him intently. Hermes caught her eye and he lifted a glass in a silent toast to her. She seemed shaken from her reverie and she scrambled to lift her glass, too.

After taking a sip, Hermes waved for her to come over. She seemed startled and exhilarated at the same time. She stood and walked to Hermes' table, occasionally glancing back at her friends and the other diners, as if to say, Is this really happening?

"Please, sit," Hermes said.

"Thank you, Lord Hermes. Thank you."

Hermes wiped his mouth with the cloth napkin and tossed it back into his lap. "What's your name?"

She laughed nervously and spoke softly, "Marla Tratus, Lord."

"Marla, I have some questions for you," Hermes said. He cleared his throat and leaned closer, "Why are you and everyone else staring at me so much more attentively these days?"

Her eyes widened, sensing a rebuke. "Lord, I certainly mean no offense..."

"None taken, at all."

"I... I just..." She became flustered and Hermes smiled. He laid a hand on hers and he nodded for her to continue. She smiled again and spoke, "Lord Zeus has been talking about the other Lords of Kobol in his temple services more often lately."

Hermes allowed a wry grin to warp his mouth. "Has he now?"

"Yes." She adjusted her seating position and licked her lips before she continued, "For months, he's been telling us stories about the Lords and who you are, what you do, how you help."

"Uh-huh."

"And last week, he talked about you."

Hermes smiled, "Did he?"

"Yes."

"And what did the old man say?"

Marla seemed unfazed by Hermes whimsy. "He talked about how you helped foster business, that you created the lyre, that you've helped usher in the modern communications age, the gift of flight that you and Hephaestus gave us..."

Hermes nodded. "All true." Except for the lyre part. He merely reinvented that for this second round of humanity. "Don't forget sports. I like to help out Apollo with his Olympics."

She smiled, "Of course, Lord. And he told us the story of how you saved Dionysus' life from Hera when she was angered..."

She lost him there. Once, millennia ago when this world was still Larsa, Dionysus got drunk and offended Hera. She went after him with a bottle and Hermes stepped in. That couldn't be what Zeus was talking about, could it?

"And this is why people are watching me more lately?"

Marla's expression grew sheepish. "Well, my Lord, if I may be honest..."

"Please."

"It's almost like we were taking you for granted before Zeus returned. Not just you, but all of the gods. I used to hear blasphemy all of the time and I thought nothing of it. 'Godsdamn' this or that. But not anymore."

Hermes nodded slowly. "I see. So Zeus' temple has reignited the fire of faith in the people, eh?"

Marla smiled. "It has for me, Lord."

Hermes stood up, holding his glass of wine high. "Attention, please." Immediately, every eye turned to him. "I, Hermes, hereby bless all of you and your travels, and I thank you for your... well, thanks."

The people applauded and returned the toast with their glasses. A happy murmuring swept across the patio and Hermes sat down again. He sipped his own wine and looked at the adoring expression on Marla's face. Perhaps he wouldn't put himself under again. Maybe he would take up the mantle of a god once more. It had been a while since he was properly worshipped.
XI

**ZEUS**

34 Years Before the Final Exodus

Carmen Erastos was sitting in her usual chair before Zeus. The Lord was scribbling notes with his finger on a sheet of compaper as she spoke.

"This is the fifth group we've routed in the last year. It seems like another pops up just as we finish eradicating one."

Zeus nodded and placed the compaper on his desk. He leaned back and stretched his arms. "My rhetoric in the temple must be working some, right?"

"Of course it has, Lord," Carmen said. "But it is, in its own way, galvanizing the monotheists, too."

He nodded. "To be expected. Maintain your efforts and observations and keep me up to date on the crackdowns."

Carmen stood and saluted. "Yes, my Lord." She turned and left the room.

Zeus inhaled deeply and picked up his compaper. Notes for his next temple service. He was going to try something new this time. He wanted to do something for the people's benefit instead of just his own.

"Hello, Zeus."

He looked up and saw Hades sitting across from his desk.

Zeus' mouth hung open for several seconds. He blinked quickly and closed his mouth. He turned his head to one side and said, quietly, "You're not Hades."

Hades smiled. "You're quick."

"Whatever you are, you can go." He went back to writing.

"I will, in time, brother."

Zeus stopped writing. "You're not my brother. Now go."

"Patience, Zeus." Hades leaned forward and rested his elbows on the desk. "You look busy." He said that with a smile and not a little sarcasm.

"I am." Zeus tried to begin writing again but he was too distracted. "What do you want?"

"Oh, the same thing we've wanted before." Hades tapped his fingers on the desk. "We want you to renounce your godhood and let the people live their own lives."

Zeus sat stoically. He didn't smile. He didn't even blink. "Right."

"You're a stubborn one, that's for sure, Zeus."

"One visit is supposed to change my mind?"

"No," Hades said. "But this isn't your first." Zeus looked up again. "That's right. You spoke to my colleague, Leto, a few times several millennia ago."

Zeus' eyes glazed over as he thought. "Leto... I remember something now."

"Right."

"During the war with Prometheus."

Hades slapped the table and stood. "That's right, brother. And you didn't listen then, either. Millions died, too."

Zeus inhaled deeply, casting a dismissive glance at the image of his long-dead sibling. "I'm supposed to follow the whims of my hallucinations, eh?"

Hades stepped around the desk and grabbed Zeus' chin, lifting it so he could look into his eyes. "I'm not a hallucination."

"Perhaps," Zeus said, knocking Hades' hand away. "Still, I'm not going to alter my policy based on a haunting."

Hades laughed and tried to pick up Zeus' hand. "Stand up, Zeus."

He pulled his hand away. "No."

"C'mon. Stand up and do this thing and then I'll leave you alone."

"Do what?"

Hades smirked. "Just stand up."

Zeus looked down at his compaper and he exhaled loudly. Finally, he tossed it onto the desk and he stood, pushing the chair away with the backs of his knees. "I'm standing. Now what?"

"Now," Hades said, "look around."

Zeus stared at him, disbelieving. They were in his office atop the Forum. What was to see? After a moment and a firm gesture from Hades, Zeus finally turned. When he did, the world as he knew it fell away.

The sky was dark and gray. The distant mountains were black and ringed with smoke. The fields around him were brown and layered with dust. Tiny flakes of ash drifted and floated about like snow. He faced back toward Hades and he saw the smoldering ruins of the city over his shoulder.

"Where are we?" Zeus said, his eyes still darting around.

"Kobol. In just a few decades."

Zeus scoffed. "I don't believe you."

"Of course not." Hades turned and walked into the city. Zeus waited a moment and then he followed. He stopped by a small pile of rubble and he pulled back a sheet of metal. A charred corpse lay underneath, clutching another skeleton. "When you waged war on Prometheus and didn't listen to Leto, millions died. If you don't heed my words now, billions will die."

Zeus lifted his head and looked down at the bodies before turning to look across the city again. He inhaled through his nose and winced at the burning smells he discovered. "This is impressive. Are you somehow controlling my Streamchip?"

"This isn't a hack-job, Zeus," Hades said. "I'm giving you a vision of the future."

Zeus shook his head quickly and turned back to the image of his brother. "Fine. Let's pretend, for a moment, that I believe you. How do I avoid this?"

"Renounce your godhood and stop persecuting the monotheists."

Zeus smiled. "Is that all?" Hades nodded. "Because renouncing my godhood would unhinge society."

"Perhaps," Hades said. He waved toward the ruins, "But not like this."

Zeus shook his head again and put his hands on his hips. "So, if I change my ways, this won't happen."

"Correct."

"Very well. We won't openly attack monotheists any longer."

Hades was the one shaking his head now. "No. That's not enough."

"Open tolerance? You want that?"

"You don't frakking get it, do you?" Hades yelled. " _They_ are not the problem. _You_ are!"

Zeus ground his teeth. "My words will be obeyed. Whatever leads to this, I can fix it."

"No, you can't!" Hades walked away and kicked a piece of burnt wood down the street. "Your ego, man... You've never been able to fathom your limits."

"I can make Kobol better."

"No."

"You'll see."

Hades crossed his arms over his chest. "This is pointless. You're as stubborn as ever."

Zeus turned his head as he was about to say something and he saw that he was back in his office. He slowly sat down in his chair and crossed his legs. "Nearly six thousand years ago, I brought humanity out of the ashes and molded them into a society that has flourished and endured. I can stave off that destruction."

"You can't," Hades said, almost resigned to the futility of it all.

"And if the destruction comes, I'll bring them out of the ashes again."

Hades laughed. "You'll never get it, will you?" Zeus spun in his chair, picked up his compaper and prepared to write again. "Maybe once it all goes down the drain, you'll understand."

As much to piss off this apparition of his brother as anything else, Zeus smiled and said, without lifting his eyes from his writing, "Doubtful."
XII

**MITHRAS**

34 Years Before the Final Exodus

Walter wanted to plug his ears, but he couldn't. Not really.

For the last ten minutes, his mother and father had been yelling at him. She found out that he had been frequenting some sex parlors on the Stream and then his dad brought out the Zeus talk.

Walter was thirteen now. And it wasn't even real sex. What was the big deal?

"Son," his father said, "Lord Zeus has spoken against the debasement of our bodies and minds with sexual activity that is outside of the bonds of a gods-sanctioned marriage. You don't seem to understand how important it is to follow the example of the gods."

Walter turned his head toward his father and smiled. "'The example of the gods?' Dad, please tell me you've read a book or two. Zeus himself has had sex with thousands of people; gods, too."

"Those are dirty lies, Walter," his mother said.

"What about Heracles? Zeus claimed he was his son thousands of years ago."

"Those are just stories, Walter!" his father yelled. "All that matters is what's in the Sacred Scrolls and what Zeus himself tells us."

Walter sighed and looked down at his feet again. Just as his mother began to kneel in front of him to see his eyes, Larry came inside. "I'm home."

"Good," his father said. "Lawrence, come here." Larry looked nervously from Walter to his parents and back again. "We've caught your brother engaging in filthy acts on the Stream."

Larry nodded. "Oh."

"What about you?" Walter said, angrily. "You guys used to have sex on the Stream all of the time!"

His father grabbed Walter's shirt, "'Used to,' Walter, 'used to!' We've kept Zeus' commandments once he gives them. You know we read the Sacred Scrolls now."

Walter pulled his shirt away and tried to look at the floor. His mother grabbed his face to, again, try to make eye contact. "Baby, please understand, we love you!"

Rage was welling inside of him now. His parents were simply smothering him with all of this. It seemed as though they had been yelling at him for hours and now they wouldn't stop touching him. He didn't like being touched.

"Lawrence," his father said, "tell your brother how you stay away from those sex places on the Stream."

Walter jerked away from his mother and almost spat as he said, "Oh, please. Larry doesn't even believe..." He stopped himself. Larry's face fell and his skin went white.

"What?" Their father turned and began to look between the two of them. "'Doesn't believe' what?"

Larry started to back away. Walter stood and began to shout, "Nothing! I didn't... It doesn't mean anything."

Their father backed Larry against the wall. Finally, he turned his absent gaze from Walter to his dad. "I don't know what he means."

The scowl on their father's face was frightening. He studied Larry up and down. "I think you're lying. What don't you believe?"

"I'm not lying," he said.

Smack.

Lawrence fell onto the wall, knocking a picture loose. Walter sat back down and covered his mouth with his hands. Their mother just sat on the floor.

"You're lying!" He grabbed Larry's shirt and began to lift him up. "Say it. Tell me what you believe."

"I... I believe in the Lords of Kobol." He stammered and he looked to his mother for help. She offered none.

"Lies!" He smacked him again and Larry fell to the floor. Their mother let out a restrained shriek and she lowered her head onto the carpet. "You're a... monotheist, aren't you?"

"No."

"An atheist then?" He paused and got no response. "Either way, you're one of those bastards Lord Zeus warned us about!" He knelt down over Larry, who was trying with all of his might to pull away.

"No! I believe in Lord Zeus!"

His father smacked him again across the mouth. Lawrence kept his face flat on the carpet. Finally, he raised his head and blood trickled from his lips and along his jaw line. "Lies," the man hissed.

Whatever fear Lawrence had seemed to vanish at that moment. A single tear left his eye and he looked at his attacker directly, "I believe in the one, true god and not the false idols that you worship."

As though stricken, their father stood up from Lawrence's splayed body. He ran his hands into his hair and grabbed large sections of it. Their mother wailed out loud and then looked to the ceiling, crying and mouthing something inaudibly.

"I can't believe it," his father said. He paced around the room and bumped into furniture. He walked up to the hallway and pounded a fist on the wall. He swept his arm across a table, knocking a lamp and pictures to the floor. As tears rolled over his cheeks, he leaned over his oldest son and asked, plaintively, "Please, Lawrence. Take back what you've said. Renounce this."

He looked at his mother. She was still praying to the ceiling. Walter sat, stone-still, on the couch. Finally, Larry looked at his father. "No," he said.

The older man pulled back his arm and balled his fist as though he was about to punch, but he held it back. Biting his lip, his eyes became watery and he finally mumbled, "You are bringing dishonor... on our family." He grabbed Lawrence's shoulders and pinned him on the floor. "You have disappointed Lord Zeus."

Larry's breathing quickened and he managed a defiant smirk. "I don't care."

Without letting his son go, their father looked to the ceiling and inhaled through his nose, a slight whistle escaping as he did. He held his breath and closed his eyes. After a few moments, he lowered his head and exhaled slowly through pursed lips. He finally opened his eyes and he said only, "I'm sorry."

He quickly moved his hands off Larry's shoulders and wrapped his fingers around his throat. Immediately, the teen sensed what was happening and he began to kick and flail. He grabbed for his father's hands to no avail. Sitting on Larry's abdomen, his father kept squeezing and bearing down on the boy's neck.

After a few moments, their mother overcame her shock and she leapt from the floor onto her husband's side. "What are you doing?! Stop!" He pulled one hand from his son's throat and slapped her aside. She fell onto a table, knocking it over.

Walter slid off the couch and crawled over toward them. "Daddy," he said, "please stop."

He didn't respond with either words or actions.

Tears streamed down Walter's face and he grabbed his father's forearm and tried to pull it away. Like his mother before him, Walter was smacked aside. He sat up and saw Larry looking right at him. His eyes were wide open and wet with tears. His mouth was still bloodied and growing slack. Walter felt a pain in the center of his chest, as though a rock was lodged among his organs. He grabbed at his shirt and tugged hard, looking into his brother's eyes. He heard a single wisp of air pass over Larry's lips and Walter said, "I'm sorry."

A few moments later, their father stood up. He was holding his hands in the same choking position. He didn't look around the room. He didn't say anything. He walked around his eldest son's body and went out the front door.

Walter stayed in his prone position where he had been knocked earlier. He looked into Lawrence's lifeless eyes, hoping his brother had heard him. Their mother was sobbing and she crawled over to the boy, draping herself over his chest.

Walter found that he couldn't move. The stone he felt in his chest seemed to have spread throughout his entire body. When their mother turned Larry's head aside, his death-gaze on Walter was broken and the younger teen finally felt like he could stir. He slowly stood up and trudged down the hall toward his room.

He stood in the doorway and simply looked at the floor. He counted his deep breaths. One. Two. Three. He lifted his head and walked inside. Walter pulled his large duffel bag out of the closet and he threw as many clothes as he could inside. He added a couple of his favorite books, a small metal tin holding about sixty stater, and a camping kit from last summer's trip to Artemis' Grove. He zipped the bag closed and walked out into the hallway again.

He was ready to leave the house. Truly, he was. He hated this place. It was one of those assigned government housing apartments that most people lived in and he just hated them. He looked to his right and saw the door to his brother's room. He walked to the entrance and stood, scanning everything in sight. He wanted to take something to remember him by, but nothing seemed to leap out at him. Then, he remembered.

Walter put down his bag and he walked to the desk. He lifted books and pulled out several sheets of compaper, activating each one. The first few were for schoolwork. The fifth was not. He then began to look under the bookshelf, under the bed, under the mattress, in the closet... Finally, he pulled back a poster for a Cylon gladiator and he saw the companion compaper behind it. He pulled it out and placed it next to the other one on the desk. When they communicated with each other and the words began to appear, he knew he had found it again.

He unzipped his bag, slid the compapers inside, zipped it back up, and threw it onto his shoulder. He walked back into the living room where his mother was still crying and cradling her son and now Rick, their maintenance Cylon, was trying to vacuum around the body.

Walter swallowed hard, walked to the closet, pulled out his coat, and left. He never went back.
XIII

**APOLLO**

31 Years Before the Final Exodus

The orchestra played on and on. Their music was perfect and soothing yet despite this, Apollo did not want to fall asleep.

He pulled Athena closer to him on the couch and she smiled, laying her head on his shoulder. The conductor flourished and the string section responded. The conductor swayed and the horns swooned. Finally, the conductor thrashed and the orchestra thrashed, too. The man turned and bowed. Instinctively, Apollo nodded and Athena laughed.

"What?" Apollo said.

Athena didn't respond. Instead, she reached for the remote control on the table and pressed a button. The environs of the Opera House vanished and their own living room remained. "You know," she said, "it would be a lot easier if we just used Streamsets or Chips."

Apollo shook his head, "Nah. I like this."

"It's so old," she said, exaggerating the "old" part and wrapping her arms around his neck.

He kissed her cheek and hugged her tightly. "Sometimes the older things are best."

Athena lifted her head and brought her legs even with Apollo's lap. She pushed herself up, raising her head above his. She smiled and kissed him slowly, softly. He responded by running his hands up her back and pulling her shoulders toward him.

After they made love in the living room, Athena picked up her clothes and went toward the bedroom. Apollo simply lay still on the couch, his arms crossed over his chest and a big smile on his face. He thought he would just fall asleep there. The lights were low, he was warm and comfortable, and he was suitably exhausted. He was drifting off to sleep.

"What are you doing?!"

The scream forced his eyes wide open and he nearly jumped off the couch as he sat up. Leto was standing beside him, her hands on her hips.

"What are you doing?!" she yelled again. Her face was contorted and her eyes bulged and were red.

Apollo looked down the hallway and saw that the lights were off in the bedroom. He threw his feet over the side of the couch and slid into the loose pants he was wearing earlier. He stood up and walked toward the kitchen, waving for Leto to follow.

"Answer me!"

"I will!" he yelled back in a loud whisper. "Follow me."

He walked down the other hall and into the study, where Leto was already seated behind the desk, spinning slowly in the chair. "Now can you talk, son?"

Apollo sighed and closed the door. The moonlight came in from the window and silhouetted his mother. He didn't turn any other lights on and he sat down in the chair by the door. "What do you want?"

"An answer to my question."

Apollo crossed his legs. "Living my life, mother."

She shook her head, "There's no time for that."

Apollo scoffed. "Why not? I've done everything you've asked so far."

"No, you haven't. Where's your army?"

Apollo looked over at the bookcase and tried to avoid rolling his eyes. "I didn't think you were serious about me needing an army."

Leto stopped spinning and she leaned over the desk. "When have I joked with you about these things?" He hesitated. "In two millennia, when have I ever made light of what we have to do?"

Apollo thought for a moment. "Never."

"Exactly." She sat back in the chair and put her feet up on the desk. "You need an army."

"Do you really believe that the Kobollian Armed Forces will rise up with me against Zeus?"

Leto shrugged, "You won't know until you ask." She paused for a moment and then spoke again, "What about the ships?"

"If I get the army, why would I need the ships?"

She slapped the desk. "Because I said so."

Apollo nodded and crossed his arms. "I've already visited all of the contractors we're going to need. They will do the job when I give them the word."

"And why haven't you already told them to start?"

Apollo was growing frustrated. He dropped his arms and grabbed the sides of his chair. "Because there doesn't seem to be a need for haste right now."

Before he could blink, Leto was in standing in front of him and she had grabbed his face, forcing him to look in her eyes. "The need is here. Give the word." She pushed his face away as she released him. "Get to work."

Apollo angrily stood and glared at his mother. "I promised Athena..."

"I don't care what you promised," she said. "You have a job to do and you better frakking do it."

Apollo pulled his head back and looked down at her. "And if I refuse?"

Leto regarded him for a moment and then reached inside his chest. Apollo felt a sharp pain lurch from his abdomen and into his throat. He grabbed at her arm but couldn't touch her. She released him and he collapsed back into the chair. "I'm not going to threaten you with pain." Apollo's heavy breathing continued as she spoke. "But I could show you the bombs falling again. Hmm? Would you like to see millions of people being vaporized, burned, crushed..."

"No."

"... dying of radiation poisoning? Your precious temples ablaze? Dust clouds rising into the sky and blotting out the sun?"

"No," he said again.

"Humanity clawing at your feet, crying, 'Why, Lord, why?'"

"No, I said!"

Leto stepped back, smiling. Apollo stood again and he glanced around the room as though looking for a way out.

"You understand now, right? The fate of mankind rests with you, son."

Apollo's head hung low and he didn't respond.

"I know you love her and you made a promise, but there is simply too much to do." She raised her hand and caressed his right arm. "You are humanity's best hope."
XIV

**ZEUS**

26 Years Before the Final Exodus

Once the airship landed, Lord Zeus left it quickly, darting across the lot toward the stadium. Thousands of people lined the field and cheered when they saw him. Zeus smiled and waved back.

He walked through the stone corridor and emerged in the center of the arena, at the midpoint of the stands on the eastern side. Immediately, a cheer began in the section nearest him and spread throughout the stadium. His visage appeared on the large viewing monitors ringing the field and Zeus smiled, rotating and waving to the entire crowd.

"Lord Zeus has just arrived to enjoy the three-hundred ninety-third Olympic Games," the announcer said through the speakers.

"An unexpected pleasure," the other announcer said.

Zeus continued to wave while looking for his seating area. He looked into the stands above and behind him, and he saw the large box reserved for the gods. He walked around to the steps and quickly rose high above the field. The people were still applauding and when he reached the extended platform, he saw Apollo, Athena, and Hermes standing and applauding as well.

"Greetings, all," he said as he sidestepped his way into the area. "A tad small?"

Apollo nodded and slid his chair over some, "I don't think they expected four Lords to appear together."

Zeus plopped down and sighed, surveying the arena. "Lovely. Just lovely." He turned and shook Hermes' hand, "Long time, my friend."

Hermes smiled, "It has been."

"How are things in the business world?"

Hermes shrugged, "Booming, I guess you could say." He straightened his pants leg and smiled as he spoke, "I'm still helping out the tech companies on Stream gadgets, servers, you name it. And the back end deals, whoa. Don't get me started."

"There he is," Apollo said with some sarcasm.

"What can I say," Hermes chuckled, "I'm good with money." He turned to Zeus again, "And I have to thank you, too."

Zeus glanced around, "What for?"

Hermes said, "All of your talk about the exploits of the gods has won me a new following."

"Won everyone a new following, I would say," Apollo interjected.

Zeus shook his head dismissively, "Just trying to reinvigorate interest in the Olympians. Some well-told stories with an embellishment here or there..." A stadium attendant bowed at the entrance to the gods' platform. "Some water, please." He bowed again and retreated. "You know, just trying to make us all look good. Give the people an example to follow. Heroes to believe in."

Hermes nodded and sat back in his chair. "Well, I had forgotten what it was like to be revered."

Zeus smiled and he leaned over to look past Apollo, "Hello, Athena. How are you?"

She leaned forward, too. "Well. And yourself?"

"I cannot complain. Not at all." He looked at the field again and tilted his head toward Apollo, "What have I missed?"

"A few of the races and the javelin throws. The pentathalon is up next."

Zeus nodded and looked onto the field. A few dozen athletes were stretching in the grass along the edges of the arena. Cylons were carrying equipment onto the field and arranging them. Zeus glanced over toward Apollo again and smiled. "This all seems a tad familiar."

Without turning away, Apollo said, "How's that?"

"I seem to remember a festival or something in Delphi," he spoke more softly and he turned to take the water bottle from the attendant who came by earlier. As he opened the cap, he continued, "The two of us sitting in a special box like this one, watching races and gladiators and such."

Apollo grinned and nodded. "You're right. That was a while ago."

"Twenty-some odd centuries, I think." Zeus took a big gulp of the water and replaced the cap. "What was it you asked me about? Stagnation?"

"Yes." Apollo glanced at his father and then to the field as the competitors moved toward the wrestling circles. "You didn't feel it then, but you felt it later."

"Oh, I did." There was a pop from an official's gun and the contestants all began to grapple with each other. The men and women were nearly naked and well oiled, apparently. "Even worse was the idleness I sensed in Kobol when I returned from the wild."

"I agree." Apollo turned away from the wrestling, "What was that about, by the way? Your centuries in 'the wild,' as you put it?"

Zeus looked down at his feet and then back up again, "I wasn't well. I needed time away. To myself." A few of the contestants had been pinned and the victors moved on to the starting position in the foot race. "I think you can agree that I've done something about that stale feeling in recent years."

Apollo nodded slowly. "I was... unsure at first. But you have energized the people. The attendance for these games so far is better than the past three combined."

Zeus smiled, "Well, I did give you a plug in the last temple service."

Apollo sighed quietly and he watched the official fire his gun again, starting the foot race. "So... do you have an endgame yet?"

Zeus looked away from the race and studied the features of Apollo's aging face. He thought for a moment that perhaps Apollo was about to leave Kobol permanently, and then he remembered that Apollo often waited fairly long for a resurrection. "'Endgame.' That's another of your favorite words."

Apollo smirked. "Wasn't mine, originally. It was Artemis'."

"Really?"

Apollo nodded. "Yes. She occasionally asked me what you were up to. What the 'endgame' was for your great experiment."

Zeus smiled for a moment and then he grew solemn. The racers crossed the finish line and the crowd cheered. The contestants moved toward the sand pit for the long jump. "Why did your sister leave?"

Apollo turned to face his father slowly. His eyes drifted away as he thought. "She felt directionless. The people no longer needed her as much as they did before..."

"She wasn't much for the worship to begin with," Zeus said.

"True, but she liked being needed. Wanted. Loved." Apollo's voice trailed and he turned to watch the men and women jump into the sand pit. The crowds cheered and he continued, "She felt... like she didn't have a purpose. Like she wasn't a part of your experiment. And without a goal or purpose, there was little point, in her mind, to continue."

Zeus' chest pounded and his face scowled. 'Directionless' was a word he and Poseidon often used to describe Hades, mostly in jest. Almost unconsciously, he reached over and grabbed Apollo's arm. "You do know that I've always wanted yours and everyone else's involvement, right?"

Apollo looked down at the hand but he did nothing else to acknowledge it. "I know."

Zeus slowly released his grip and faced the arena again. This time, the contestants were lining up for the javelin throw. "I have an endgame. For certain, now."

Apollo stiffened and he spoke clearly and calmly, "And what is it?"

The crowd and announcers cheered the breaking of an Olympic record in throwing the spears, but Zeus ignored the noise, speaking in regular conversational tones. "I intend to save mankind from itself."

Apollo's eyebrows lifted and he turned slowly. "What do you mean?"

Not wanting to divulge too much, Zeus hesitated and chose his words carefully. "I... had a sense... that on its path of laziness, decadence, technological reliance... I felt like it would lead to Kobol's ruin."

Apollo nodded, glancing down toward the field and then back at his father. "And?"

"I wanted to energize the people again. I needed to give them something to rally around or stick to. Believe in." Zeus crossed his legs and sipped his water some more. As he twirled the cap, he continued, "I give them me. Us. The Lords of Kobol. It becomes infused in their lives, they become more active and more interactive." He tilted his head to one side, "Mankind's gears don't grind to a halt and all is saved."

Whatever interest Apollo seemed to have dissipated. He looked back to the field and watched the athletes throwing their discus toward lines and markers. "By rallying the people to you."

"Not just me, all of us." Zeus applauded as the winners were led to the victor's stand.

"Does this include going easy on the monotheists?"

Zeus' head whipped around and he stared at his son. "I'm not sure what you mean." The first, second, and third place athletes were awarded their medals and they saluted the gods sitting in the stand. All four lords stood and waved back and the arena erupted in cheers and applause.

"I know you've been investigating monotheist groups and, until fairly recently, you were actively trying to disband them."

Zeus waved a hand dismissively. "That was years ago. I've stopped trying to force the matter. I keep an eye on them, but, as long as they stay under the TARIS, I pay them no mind."

Apollo nodded. "That's rather tolerant of you."

"Yes," Zeus said, waving to the crowds again, "I thought so."
XV

**HECATE**

21 Years Before the Final Exodus

She awoke in her resurrection pod and slid back the door in disbelief. She cleared her throat and stood up in the unit, dripping gel into the basin as she thought, What the hell happened? She hadn't taken good care of her body and it was old... maybe it just gave out.

Whatever. Hecate climbed out of the pod and crossed the cold floor to the robes hanging on the wall by the monitors. She wiped herself off and stepped through the ajar hatch and into the corridor. She took the lift to her old quarters and showered there. Her long, black hair still wet, she stood in her room, perusing the few articles of clothing she had left behind on Olympus. She chose a light, dark wrap and began the process of placing it over her chest and winding it down the length of her body.

Hecate left her room and stood in the hallway for a moment, trying to decide if she wanted to leave or just hang around for a bit. As she paused, she thought she heard muffled voices. It wasn't the ship's computer. It was definitely another person. She walked down the corridor until she came to Apollo's door. The hatch was closed, but she definitely heard someone talking inside. She pushed it open and saw Apollo, by himself, clothed only in a damp towel.

"Hello," she said.

Apollo turned, startled, and said, "Hecate. I didn't know you were here."

She smirked, "I wasn't planning on it, but..." Apollo nodded and he looked to the side uncomfortably. Hecate saw this and she walked inside his quarters, stepping around him and trying to examine the room. She saw nothing out of the ordinary. She stopped next to him and looked up into his eyes, "Who were you talking to?"

He swallowed and turned his head side to side. "I was practicing... something I have to say to Athena."

"Athena," Hecate said, nodding. "Still with her after all these years?"

"Yes," Apollo said.

"I see." Hecate ran her eyes down Apollo's still wet and broad chest and to the top edge of his bath towel, which was dangling precariously at his hips. She looked back up into his face and she placed her left hand on his chest, slowly moving it up to his shoulder. "Have you ever thought about... us?"

Apollo scowled and pulled his head back. "'Us?' We're siblings."

"Half-siblings," Hecate corrected. "But we can do whatever we want." Her hand now caressed the underside of his jaw and she smiled seductively.

Apollo grabbed her hand and pushed it aside, stepping back from her. "I think you should go now."

Hecate sighed and turned back toward the hatch. "Fine. I'll see you around, brother." She stepped into the corridor and Apollo pushed the hatch closed and turned the wheel. Hecate shook her head. She became a little angry and decided to lean against the door to listen. For a moment, she heard nothing. Then, she heard Apollo speaking. She never heard the name "Athena," but she did hear "Zeus."

Maybe I should keep an eye on him after all.
XVI

**DIA**

20 Years Before the Final Exodus

Brigadier Catherine Dia commanded the First Division of Mars' armed forces, stationed near the City of the Gods at Fort Acheron. Her job was largely uneventful. She led the four thousand troops under her command in drills and in combat training with Cylons. She also flew with her squadron of Eagles on training missions. It was a simple routine with little variation.

The young general was at her desk, filling out reports, when her assistant burst into the room. "Brigadier! Lord Apollo is here!"

Dia lifted her head quickly as much because of the surprise at the captain's entry as the news he bore. "Apollo?"

"Yes. He's coming this way."

Dia stood and straightened her duty shirt. The light blue blouse was about as far away from their dress uniforms as they had, but there was no way she could change clothes now. She pulled her jacket off the rack and slid into it, the rank pins and medals clinking against each other as her arms filled the sleeves.

"He's almost here," the captain said from the outer office.

Dia left the room and strutted through the rooms and into the corridor. She looked both ways and heard a clamor to her right. She walked to the door and pulled it open, seeing him standing right there.

"Lord Apollo," she sputtered, "it is a distinct honor."

He nodded quickly and glanced nervously at the throng of people that had gathered with his arrival. "Thank you, brigadier. May we talk in your office?"

Dia stepped back and motioned down the corridor, "That way, Lord." He ducked below the door frame and walked past her. Dia began to close the door. Several people tried to push their way inside but Dia's face grew stern and she barked, "Return to your duties. That's an order." They all snapped to attention and then left.

She trotted down the hall to catch up and she motioned to her left. Apollo walked inside and nodded to the captain who was standing behind his desk. He walked straight into the brigadier's office and glanced around the room. "Far more cozy than I would have imagined. I pictured something a bit larger."

Dia unbuttoned her jacket though she didn't remove it. "Generally speaking, Lord, we've always made do with whatever we have."

"Understood." Apollo sat down in a chair opposite her and pulled a small silver device out of his pocket. He pressed a button on top and set it on the desk.

"What is that?" she asked.

"Don't worry about it." Apollo scratched his chin, his unshaven hair grating against his fingers. "I've come to ask a few questions, brigadier."

"Of course, Lord," she replied. "Anything at all."

"I will tell you now: everything we are about to discuss is to remain a secret. It is between us only and for no one else's ears or reports."

She nodded, "I understand."

Apollo crossed one leg on top of the other and he breathed slowly as he regarded the division commander. "Brigadier, I find that I must speak in hypotheticals."

"I see."

"Is it safe to assume that the Lords of Kobol still have operational command of your division?"

She grinned. "Of course, Lord Apollo. If a god gives us orders, we will follow them."

Apollo nodded and he stroked his jaw, looking down toward the floor as he formed his next statements. "Here's where it gets weird. Hypothetically, of course." Dia nodded. "Let us say that one of the Olympians goes... mad? He... Only an armed force could stand against them and stabilize the situation."

The brigadier's head tilted and her brow furrowed as she pondered the concept. "So, you're saying a Lord who has either gone insane or has simply gone... evil?"

Apollo nodded. "Yes. That's the basis for my next questions."

"Very well." Her head jutted forward a little, with her right ear turned toward Apollo so she could hear better and concentrate more.

"In that situation, what kind of operational orders do you have? Would the rogue Olympian be able to command your division?"

Her eyebrows raised and she thought for a moment. "Assuming that this rogue Lord isn't frothing at the mouth with insanity, yes, I believe they could."

"What if the Lord was giving unusual orders? Invading cities, firing on civilians, that sort of thing?"

"If a god commands us, we follow," she said.

Apollo nodded and he rubbed the hair on the side of his head. "And what if an Olympian came to you saying that a particular Lord was, indeed, mad and had to be contained, would you follow his orders as well?"

"The one concerned about the insane god?"

"Yes."

"Yes, Lord Apollo. We would."

For a moment, he seemed pleased with the answer. Then, he turned his head toward the window. He sat still for a moment, as though he was listening or waiting for something. The faint smile on his face faded and he looked back at Dia. "Tell me, what is your opinion of Lord Zeus?"

Immediately, she smiled. "Obviously, I love him as the Lord of Lords."

"Obviously..."

"But even beyond that," she said, "he's done so much for us all in recent years. I remember as a child feeling like he and the other Lords were too distant... oh, gods, no offense intended, Lord Apollo."

He shook his head, "None taken."

She swallowed nervously and resumed, "When he came back, he reinvigorated my faith and the faith of just about everyone I know."

"I see."

"It's almost like, when he returned, it was like a parent had come back after being away for ages." Her eyes were glowing and her mouth was drawn into a smile as she spoke.

Apollo nodded again and his smile did not return. "Very well, brigadier." He snatched the silver tube from the desktop and put it in his pocket. Then he stood up and bowed slightly toward her, "Thank you for your time."

She stood as well and her eyes widened. "Is that all you require, Lord Apollo?"

"Yes, it is."

"I would be happy to show you around the base, assemble a drill review..."

He held up a single hand and shook his head quickly, "No, thank you. That will not be necessary." He turned toward the door and as he reached for the handle, he stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Again, brigadier, I remind you that my visit and this entire conversation is to be considered secret... no, how about you simply forget about the whole thing?"

She seemed confused but she quickly saluted. "Absolutely, Lord Apollo."

He nodded and left the office.

Dia sat back down and looked at the papers on her desk. She didn't reach for any of them. She had no desire to. Her plans for the day had been disturbed yet she felt as though there would be no way to set things right. She decided to simply sit still for a few moments and try to process what Apollo had asked.
XVII

**ZEUS**

14 Years Before the Final Exodus

It was his day.

The City of the Gods had turned out in force. A few hundred thousand people gathered in the center of the city around Zeus' temple, crowding the space between the Opera House and the Forum. He sat at the top of the steps and observed the parade of musicians and dancers below him.

The marble throne had velvet cushions and he shifted in his seat often as he scanned across the crowd. The people were enthused. It was a far cry from his return to civilization twenty-five years prior when only a thousand or so people showed up.

A huge festival in honor of Lord Zeus. He smiled at the thought of it. He basked in the adulation. Enjoying it, though he was, he also saw this attention as a sign that his efforts were paying off. The people cared again about the gods. They cared about more than just themselves. It took hard work and concentration but he sensed that it was working.

Citizens were interacting with each other and many were contributing to society again. Stream abuse was beginning to decline for the first time in centuries. Population numbers were going up again, thanks largely to his telling the people to "be fruitful and multiply" in the temple services. Sure, he borrowed that one from the old predominant monotheist faith on Larsa, but it applied.

"Lord Zeus," the chief priest said over the din, "it is nearly time for the sacrifice."

He nodded and stood. The people began to cheer and he smiled again. After straightening his jacket and tie, he walked down three steps and approached the podium that had been set up. He adjusted the microphone and lifted his arms to still the crowd.

"Thank you, all," he said. "For nearly five-thousand, six hundred years, the Olympians have been among the people of Kobol. Those first centuries were a struggle, but the society that has grown from those early tribes has far exceeded even my expectations." The people applauded. "Thanks to the efforts of the Lords of Kobol and the leaders of your nations, our world is a world of peace and freedom." They applauded again. Zeus watched as priests moved a portion of the crowd back, laying tarps in the street and dragging equipment onto the white fabric panels.

"I won't preach too long. I have to save something for tomorrow's temple service," he said. Some people laughed and Zeus continued, "It's time to prepare for the sacrifice and then, of course, the beginning of the meals that we will all enjoy today. May all of you have blessed days ahead of you and may you all follow the example of the gods. So say we all."

He stepped back from the podium and the crowd responded in unison, "So say we all." There was scattered applause, too.

Two priests led a large but docile bull onto the white tarps where several other priests stood waiting. Zeus remained on the steps; his hands clasped behind his back. He smiled at the priest who lifted the large ceremonial blade into the air.

"Great Zeus, Lord of Lords, we beseech you to accept the sacrifice of this fine beast and we pray that you will return its meat to the people to satisfy their hunger."

Zeus bowed slightly at the waist and the priest turned to the bull. He rested the blade against its neck and he looked skyward, saying, "So say we all." The priests responded in kind.

As the priest placed the knife against the bull's throat, a young man darted from the crowd and grabbed his hand. The priests seemed frozen by the brazen intrusion and the man lifted the blade arm from the beast. He had a content smile on his face and he slowly took the knife from the priest's hand. Still stunned, the priests backed away and the man held the blade against the road at an angle. With a quick stomp, he broke the blade from the handle and the metallic twang rippled in the air.

Zeus watched from the steps and his eyes focused on the man. He, too, was surprised into inaction. The crowd, though, was responding. There were gasps from people nearby and murmurs spread further back into the audience.

The man held up the ornate knife handle and he tossed it aside. With a curt nod, he took a step toward Zeus' temple and began to speak, "Forgive the intrusion, but I could not let this animal be sacrificed in the name of a false god."

Zeus inhaled sharply and he moved down one step, "How dare..."

"I could not resist an audience of so many thousands to show that the one, true god has no patience for continued blasphemy."

The chief priest darted away from the bull and halfway up the steps toward Zeus. "My Lord, what should we do with him?"

The man turned to face the crowd and he raised his hands, "My friends, the one, true god does not require sacrifices. And yet, he offers you all _love_."

Zeus stepped down further and he hissed at the priest, "Shut him up."
XVIII

**MITHRAS**

14 Years Before the Final Exodus

He was thrown roughly onto a long table. The two police Cylons held his shoulders down while the priests tied cloths and decorative rope between his limbs and the table's legs. Walter didn't struggle.

The Cylons stood there for a moment, watching Mithras. Finally, the chief priest came down the stairs and spoke to them.

"Lord Zeus will deal with him personally. You may leave."

They looked at Walter one last time and then they moved to the steps.

He was now alone in the... basement? Maybe it was the storage room of Zeus' temple. Regardless, he was alone. Mithras flexed his arms and legs against the ties and found he couldn't move. He didn't try to struggle any longer. A cloth band was wrapped around his mouth, pressing his beard hairs in uncomfortable directions and causing tiny pinpricks of pain when he breathed.

He lay still, trying to relax and breathe evenly. The news that Zeus was coming didn't faze him. He expected that. He wasn't afraid. He had been through worse.

Mithras was tied to the table for hours. Repeatedly, he thought to himself what a good idea it was that he urinated before his big move. He would have had to wet himself long ago. He was drowsy and he even managed to nod off a few times before he heard a door open at the top of the stairs.

Two priests came down first; neither of them was the chief priest. They quickly took up positions on either side of the table. Walter looked from one to the other and then he looked at the stairs. Zeus descended slowly and he was severely hunched over to avoid hitting his head. Once he emerged from the steps, he walked to Mithras' feet and stood there, clasping his hands behind his back again. He simply stared at Walter.

Mithras tried to betray no emotion. Not fear, not confidence, not happiness, nothing. He sensed a creeping fear deep within him, but he knew it was a reaction to Zeus' Chara. He felt he could suppress that kind of assault.

After nearly a minute of silence, Zeus pointed toward Walter's mouth, "Remove the gag."

One of the priests did just that. Mithras licked his lips and cleared his throat. "Thank you," he said before clearing his throat again.

"Walter Mithras," Zeus said calmly.

Mithras nodded. "That was quick."

"The police took a sample when they brought you down here."

"Ah."

Zeus turned slightly and walked to Walter's left side, never wavering his gaze. "You seem to have led an interesting life, Mr. Mithras."

Walter grinned, "Indeed I have."

Zeus spoke softly, "You ran away from home the same day that your father and brother were killed in a fiery vehicle crash."

Mithras smiled even more broadly.

Zeus furrowed his brow and pursed his lips as he thought. Finally, he asked the obvious question, "Why does that make you smile?"

"My father and brother," Mithras said, "were killed in a vehicle crash. That's what happened, huh?"

Zeus scoffed, "Yes."

It didn't seem possible, but Walter smiled even more broadly. "I'm smiling, Zeus, because you've just proven that you don't know everything."

Zeus lifted his head and shook it rapidly, "The gods aren't always all knowing."

"Mine is."

Zeus glanced to the priests on his left and right. He decided to puff out his chest and walk back around to Walter's feet. "Right. Well, inform me, Mr. Mithras, as to what transpired with your father and brother."

Now the smile faded from his face. He sighed slowly and said, "My brother believed in the one, true god. My father, being an ardent supporter and believer in you... didn't take that news well when he found out." Zeus stopped walking and he looked at Walter's eyes. "He strangled my brother to death because he felt that Larry had brought dishonor to our family and that he had disappointed you."

Zeus nodded. Now, what would the Lord of Lords say? He couldn't express too much sympathy. It would be a sign of weakness. Walter thought he would go for something fairly neutral.

"I see," Zeus said.

Mithras nodded. "I'm guessing my father staged the crash to... cover up the murder and because he couldn't live with himself."

"And your mother?"

Mithras shook his head. "I don't know. Once I left, I didn't look back."

"Ah. She committed suicide on the one year anniversary of your father's and brother's deaths."

Mithras closed his eyes and said a quick, silent prayer in his head. "I see," he finally said.

"So," Zeus said as he walked around to Walter's right side, "I'm guessing you discovered your current belief system thanks to your brother's influence."

"A safe guess."

Zeus nodded and looked at him again. "Since you left home, you've traveled the world? Finding people of like mind?"

Mithras nodded. "When I could."

Zeus crossed his arms. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to tell me some names of your fellow monotheists or where I could find them, would you?"

Walter laughed out loud. "No, Zeus. No, I am not."

Zeus stepped forward and slapped his large hand on the man's chest. "Can I convince you to rethink that answer?"

Mithras coughed a little under the pressure and he inhaled sharply to catch his breath. "No, sir, you cannot. But I wouldn't worry..."

Zeus straightened up. "Why?"

Mithras managed a weak grin, "There's plenty of us to go around."
XIX

**ACASTUS**

14 Years Before the Final Exodus

"We're about to land, sir."

Acastus slowly opened his eyes and he saw his young assistant, Alexandra Gideon, smiling and looking at him. "Thanks, Alex."

As he sat up, she removed the blanket from his lap and handed it to a passing steward. She then pressed a few buttons on her small computer screen. "Our rental car is ready for us at the airport."

Acastus nodded and yawned. He looked out the window and he watched the towers of Delphi pass by as their airship quietly glided to a landing. A few bumps but nothing severe. A minute or so later, the plane was connected to the airport. Alexandra pulled Acastus' bag from the overhead bin and handed it to him. She pulled hers out and dragged it behind her as she left the cabin. Once in the airport, she sidled up close to Acastus so he could hear her over the noise. "How many times have you been to Lord Apollo's home?"

"Only twice," he responded. "It's remarkable in that, at first, you're surprised at how simple it appears. But then, when you look at the detail and the things he has on display, you realize just how old everything is."

She smiled broadly and suppressed a shudder of excitement. "I can't wait."

"Don't worry, my dear. He's been around for more than five thousand years; he'll still be there when we pull up."

Following the computerized directions in the vehicle, Alexandra drove them both outside the city and to Apollo's secluded home in the forest. After the car came to a stop, Acastus opened the door and placed both feet on the driveway. He grabbed onto the door and stood up slowly. Turning, he saw Alexandra's face as she regarded the building.

"You're right. It just looks like a regular house." She closed the door quietly and walked around to Acastus' side. "It doesn't look like a god would live here."

He smiled, knowing that a god didn't live here, but he let it go. "Come on," he said, "he's waiting for us."

He stepped along the walk and approached the front door. Alexandra kept a respectful distance, but her face was still beaming from anticipation. Acastus pressed the doorbell and he waited for the door to open.

"Stephen, my friend," Apollo said, stepping outside just enough to throw an arm around him. "How have you been, vice president?"

Acastus nodded and smiled, "Very well." Apollo almost didn't notice Alexandra standing several meters away, but when his attention became diverted, Acastus motioned toward her, telling her to come forward. "Let me introduce my assistant, Alexandra Gideon. She's very eager to meet you."

She bowed and walked forward in a single, fluid manner. "It is an honor, Lord Apollo."

He looked at Acastus and sighed. Finally, he touched her on the shoulder and said, "The honor is mine, Alexandra. Please, both of you, come inside."

Apollo stepped away from the door and both Stephen and Alexandra entered. She lifted her head and looked at the various paintings and sculptures all around the room, "It is so beautiful, Lord Apollo."

"Thank you," he said. He looked at Acastus and waved him over with a flick of the head. When he got closer, Apollo whispered, "Why, exactly, is she here?"

Acastus exhaled forcefully and said, "Alex, will you excuse us for a moment?"

"Oh, of course," she said as she sat on Apollo's oversized couch.

Apollo walked down a hallway toward the study, where, twenty-three years before, he altered Acastus' life forever. The god sat down on a piano bench and Stephen sat in the same leather chair he favored. "Apollo, I don't know if you've noticed or not, but I'm getting old."

Apollo's head lifted and he scanned him, head to toe. "How old are you now?"

"Fifty-three," Acastus crossed his legs and the chair's leather creaked. "I can't do as much running around as I used to. Now that I'm the vice president and mayor of the City of the Gods,..."

"Wait," Apollo interrupted. "'Mayor?'"

Acastus seemed surprised that Apollo was surprised. "Yes. The Quorum's vice president also has the responsibilities of governing the City."

"Huh." Apollo looked toward the floor as he thought. "It used to be the archiereus. The, um, high priest."

Stephen thought for a moment. "The Pantheonic priest?" Apollo nodded. "There hasn't been one of those in centuries. Or more."

"Oh."

Acastus inhaled deeply and tried to remember where he left off. "Anyway. I just get... tired. Worn out. Believe me, I not a fan of this either."

Apollo grinned, "I understand."

"I just hope that whatever the plan is that it comes to fruition fairly soon."

Apollo nodded. "Very well. How much can we trust her?"

The vice president smiled and leaned back in his chair, "Pretty well, for two reasons, I think. First off, she's as devout to the Olympian faith as anyone I've ever met, so I know she will do whatever you order. Second, she's from Megara."

Apollo's eyebrows raised. "Now that's a name I haven't heard in a while."

"I thought that would pique your interest."

Apollo looked out of the study's door and into the hallway. He thought for a moment and then he called, "Alexandra, please come here."

The sound of her shoes clicking on the hardwood echoed through the house and she came breathlessly to the door, "Yes, Lord?"

Apollo stood and walked over toward her. She was smiling, of course, and he put his hands on her shoulders. He smiled and asked, "Are you ready to help us?"

"Yes, Lord," she said, "it has been my dream to help the gods."

Apollo nodded and stepped away. "I will have to ask, Alexandra, that everything you hear and see here and in future meetings between myself and the vice president... all of that is to be kept absolutely secret. From everyone. Including other gods."

Her eyes widened but she nodded. "I understand, Lord."

"Good." Apollo walked back to the piano bench and sat down. "Stephen, would you like a drink?"

"Sure," he said. "If you've still got the good stuff, I'd like some ambrosia, boss."

Apollo pointed behind him to a small bar setup on a table. "Make that two."

She still seemed shocked by Acastus' verbal informality with Apollo, but she complied and stepped over to the table, clinking the glasses as she poured.

"Feel free to help yourself," Apollo added.

"Apollo," Acastus said, "I keep getting asked if I'm going to make a run for president." Alex brought over glasses for them as he spoke. "I tell anyone who asks that I'm content where I am, but I'd like to know if you have other plans for me."

Apollo sipped his drink and shook his head. "No, I actually need you to stay vice president. As a president, you'd have too many responsibilities and you'd be too visible. As VP, you have more authority than before, but not as much visibility or duties. It's just right for our purposes."

"I understand." He sipped his drink.

"I'm going to need that authority of yours in a few years. I can't go into detail now, but..." he drank some more. "Well, I'll let you know."

"Understood." Acastus leaned back in the chair and he watched Alexandra as she sat down carefully in a cloth-covered marble chair.

Apollo smiled, "Do you know how old that chair is, Miss Gideon?"

She stopped drinking her beverage and looked down, "No, Lord, I do not."

"About three thousand years old."

She quickly stood up and Apollo laughed. "No, please, please. Sit down. The upholstery is only a couple of hundred years old. You can sit on it."

She nodded and sat down even more carefully than before.

Apollo leaned forward and looked at Acastus, "How much does she know about our work together?"

He shook his head, "Just that I've been doing some special projects for you for the last twenty-odd years. No specifics really."

Apollo glanced over to her and said, "Miss Gideon, tell me about Megara these days."

She held her drink in her lap and she smiled as she spoke, "It's still beautiful. Um, about five thousand people."

"That's all?" Apollo asked. "There were about that many left there two thousand years ago when most of the Thirteenth Tribe left for Earth."

She nodded and looked over at Acastus. "Well, there are certain... population controls in place."

Apollo waved dismissively at Stephen. "Don't worry about him. He knows the secret of the Thirteenth Tribe."

She looked at Acastus with surprise and he nodded. "Yes. Transferring consciousness to new bodies and all that."

She seemed utterly gob smacked. Her mouth hung open and she looked across the floor until she saw Apollo's feet. She lifted her head quickly and blinked several times. "Well. That's interesting."

"I told him," Apollo said.

"Yes, Lord. Of course." She took a sip of her ambrosia.

"Tell him about the secrecy rules," Acastus said.

"Before they left, Iole Auroratous and Aurora herself wrote a kind of handbook for dealing with the outside world. In it, they said that the one other Olympian we could trust implicitly was, well, you, Lord Apollo."

Apollo smiled and he looked at Acastus. "Well, that could come in handy." He drained his glass and nodded toward Stephen, "Did you hear what my father did after his temple service last week?"

"Yes," Stephen laughed. "He turned off the whole damn Stream. I can't believe it's actually working."

"What's working?" Alex asked.

Acastus turned his head toward her without actually looking at her. "Apollo and I have often expressed doubts over Zeus' ability to motivate the populace to get off their butts and actually do something for a change."

"You've had... doubts about Lord Zeus?"

Apollo chuckled, "Don't forget, Miss Gideon, I've known my father far longer than anyone else on Kobol."

She nodded, "Of course, Lord Apollo."

"So, Apollo," Acastus began, "what did we have to discuss?"

Apollo straightened up on the bench, setting his empty glass on a table nearby. "To put it simply, Stephen, it's almost time." Acastus froze in position and Apollo continued. "Time to start assembling the... well, you know." He glanced nervously toward Alexandra.

Quietly, the vice president exhaled and he shook his head. "Wow. And when do they launch?"

Apollo clasped his hands; his elbows resting on his knees. "I'm just waiting for the sign."
XX

**ZEUS**

13 Years Before the Final Exodus

He walked into his temple, interrupting a wedding. The couple became overjoyed and begged him to bless them. Zeus was distracted, but he complied.

He passed a beautiful young acolyte who was barely wearing her altar gown at all. Zeus suppressed the urges he felt within and he walked to the staircase hidden behind the western columns. He ducked low and emerged in the dank bottom of the temple's storage room and found Walter Mithras sitting on a stump and sipping some sort of chunky wet gruel.

Zeus turned to his right and looked at the Cylon Olympic guard standing watch. Softly, he said, "You may go."

The gleaming silver and gold robot bowed for three full seconds and said, "As you command." It turned and walked into another room. Zeus had stationed a Cylon down here sometime ago, fearing that Mithras may contaminate any priests or human guards.

Zeus stepped over to the small table he had been using as a stool for so long. He watched Mithras as he finished eating. The thin, bearded man placed the bowl precisely in the middle of a brick embedded in the floor. He then inhaled and exhaled calmly, closed his eyes, and sat cross-legged.

"Mithras," Zeus said.

He didn't respond. He breathed in and out a few more times and then he opened his eyes. "Zeus, good to see you again."

"How are you?"

Walter tilted his head to one side. "About as well as could be expected."

Zeus nodded. "And your monitoring bracelet?"

Mithras lifted the cuff on his pants leg, exposing the black band with a blinking green light. "Seems to be working now."

"Good." Zeus stood up and crossed his arms, walking toward the opposite wall. "Funny how it stopped working last week."

"Yes," he said, "funny that."

Zeus leaned against the wall and looked down at him. "Do you have any idea how long you've been down here? Do you want to know?"

"No and no, I don't believe I would like to know."

"One year, six months, and twenty-one days."

Mithras chuckled, "I'm sure if I had said that I would like to know you wouldn't have told me."

"Perhaps." Zeus sniffed and shook his head. "You know, I would really like to let you go from here."

"I doubt it," Mithras said.

"Tell me about your fellow monotheists."

"They are a wonderful people, Zeus," Walter began. "They have filled their hearts with love and they pour it out daily onto those around them. They truly follow the example of a god. A kind, loving god." Zeus cleared his throat and Mithras studied his expression. "I can see by the glazing of your eyes that this is not what you wished to discuss."

"Good guess."

"No," Walter chuckled. "Every time you come down here, you ask how to find my fellow believers. Surely you must know that I won't relent."

"It doesn't hurt to ask," Zeus said, walking back to the table and sitting on it. "So where were we last week?"

Mithras smiled and nodded. "I believe we were about to stumble into a discussion of the afterlife."

"Ah, yes," Zeus said. He scooted himself further back on the table and rested against the wall with his legs dangling over the front. "You were about to assail the beliefs of some two-point-five billion people."

"I love how you frame these things," Walter said. "Yes, the beautiful Elysian Fields..."

Zeus nodded. "The place where all gods-fearing people go when they die."

"True," Mithras said. "So... the connection between the place in the afterlife and the place in Sagittarius where the great battle was fought?"

"Yes," Zeus said, his eyes turned toward the ceiling as he thought. "There was so much death there... people seemed to find comfort in thinking that it created or... facilitated the creation of a place for souls. That there was a physical Elysian Fields and a spiritual one, too."

"I love how honest we've become with each other, Zeus."

"How so?"

Mithras laughed and waved toward him, "Your choice of words just then all but confirmed that the people, not you or the gods, simply made up your afterlife."

Zeus' gaze shifted to the stairs. He cursed himself for letting Mithras think he had given any ground.

"And what of your hell, Zeus?"

"Hell isn't ours, Walter."

His eyebrows raised. "Really? Many Kobollians seem to think that bad people go to hell."

Zeus sighed. "That's a creation of literature, not the faith." He looked back toward Mithras and began, "Seven hundred years ago, a man named Tycho wrote a play about me and my brother, Hades, placing a wager over the soul of a faithful man. Now, I wasn't really around then, but some of my priests and priests in Hades' temples objected because the play painted Hades in a negative light. So, the playwright changed Hades into a new character, Devil. Hell was his domain."

"And the people just glommed onto that, huh?"

"Apparently, they did."

Mithras nodded. "Fascinating. You learn something new every day." He extended his legs and stretched before reforming the cross-legged position.

"Thank you for bringing that up," Zeus said. "That will be my message at the next temple service."

"Oh, my pleasure," Walter said. "Anything I can do to help."

Zeus smiled at the man's sarcasm in spite of himself. "Right."

"You know, Zeus," Mithras said as he leaned forward, "I'm really curious about something you said a moment ago."

"What's that?"

"You weren't around... seven hundred years ago." Mithras sat up straight, "Now, everyone knows you just sort of reappeared twenty years ago, but where were you for all those centuries?"

Zeus shook his head, "No. You don't get to ask questions."

Mithras spoke calmly, soothingly, "Why not? Is the answer embarrassing? Does it make you less godly?"

Zeus still shook his head. "I was here. On Kobol." A long pause.

"But..." Walter said.

Zeus sighed. "I needed some time."

"I understand." Mithras nodded. "You are the Lord of Lords. That is a burden I cannot imagine."

Zeus shook his head. "No, you cannot."

"The constant petitioning of the people. Temple services. Sacrifices. You simply needed some time away."

Zeus looked at the floor. He felt tired again. He felt as though, if he just spoke, the fatigue would be lifted from him. "Yes."

Mithras smiled and he inhaled deeply. "Fascinating. Truly fascinating."

Zeus looked into his eyes, "Why?"

"Because my god doesn't get tired, Zeus. He is God. All-powerful." Zeus made an audible grunt and he pushed himself off the table. "It tells me that you're much more a man than a god, Zeus."

Zeus paced for a quick moment as Mithras spoke. When he stopped, Zeus leaned in close, his anger roused, "Do not forget who you are talking to, boy."

The shift in Chara caused a shudder of fear to ripple across Walter's face, but he recovered quickly. He smiled and laughed again. Zeus stood and backed up toward the stairs. Mithras clapped his hands. "Thank you, so much, for coming to see me today, Zeus. If I've done nothing else in this life, at least I've seen and heard that."

Zeus didn't look at Mithras again. He walked up the steps, the back of his hair brushing against the stone. When he emerged behind a column, he leaned against it and sighed. He can't go see Mithras when he's so worn out. And he also can't underestimate him again.
XXI

**ATHENA**

11 Years Before the Final Exodus

It was a beautiful spring day. Athena was playing in a park, tossing a ball with several children. She had often felt as though a child's laughter had a Chara of its own, forcing everyone around them to be happy, too.

The blue and white ball sailed in toward her face, but she quickly caught it, "Whoa! Good arm, Matthew."

The ten-year-old bowed, "Thank you, Goddess."

She tossed it underhanded to a younger girl on her right. She caught it and passed it along. Athena smiled and clapped as she played with them. She finally turned and saw the crowd of adults and the media who had gathered around. She ignored them and went back to playing.

Being home, in Athens, brought back many memories. She was so pleased to see people playing outside, walking, shopping, talking... Just a few years ago, she would expect to see either no one outside or everyone wearing Streamsets. Sure, Athena saw a few Streamsets and she was sure some people were using the Chips, but people were outside and interacting again. Athens felt alive.

It couldn't have happened at a better time. Just as Zeus was revitalizing the people and the faith of the people, Apollo was growing more distant. He simply forgot his promise to her. For a few years, he was great. He was there. They were so very much in love. She was almost ready to broach the subject of a child, but he became distant again. He was on more trips. More involved with the Forum. Mentally, he seemed to have checked out again. It was three weeks after she moved out of their home in Dodona before he seemed to notice.

"What do you mean you've moved out?" he said over the earpiece.

Athena sighed. "Just that, Apollo." She paused, watching the rain outside her Athens' home that day several months ago. "You didn't even notice until today, did you?"

"No," he mumbled. "I've been ... busy."

"'Busy,' of course," she said. "I don't know what you're doing that requires so much constant attention, but if you can't include me or at least explain it to me, then... there's not much else to say." She waited for a response. "Well? Can you explain it to me?"

There was a longer pause. Finally, he said, "No. Not yet, anyway." And that was it.

She played for several more minutes and then she waved to the children, "I'm sorry. I have to leave now. Take care!" She began to jog out of the park. The children jumped and waved, too. A few adults tried to keep up, but they fell behind, as usual.

She turned down a few alleys and emerged in the middle of a busy street. It was getting near lunch time and many of the open-air cafés were beginning to fill up. Athena found one she liked and she caught the eye of a waiter.

"Goddess! Please, come this way!" He held back other patrons who turned and saw her. They bowed as she passed.

"I'd like to sit outside, if you have a table," she said.

"Absolutely. This way." He guided her to a small table on the far side of the sitting area. There was an iron fence on her right and she was facing the street. "Is this suitable, goddess?"

"Yes, thank you."

"What would you like to drink?"

She adjusted her seat so her legs would fit more easily under the table. "Just water, please."

"Of course, goddess." The waiter bowed and turned away. Athena watched the people walk by. Many waved or shouted greetings. She smiled and returned the gestures.

The waiter returned with a glass and a pitcher of water. He was about to pour when he and Athena heard shouting on the street. They both looked up and saw three teens beating a servant Cylon with metal pipes. It collapsed to its knees and dropped the groceries it had been carrying. The well-off owner of the robot screamed and she ran to its side; beating on a youth with her purse. He merely grabbed her arm and pushed her down.

The other two teens jammed their pipes into the neck joint of the Cylon. They quickly counted to three and then they lifted, popping the head loose so that it dangled onto the sidewalk. As a crowd gathered around them, one reached inside and yanked out a silver box. All three ran away as the Cylon's owner stood up again and began yelling, "Six thousand stater!"

"What was that about?" She was standing. Athena had leapt up and was ready to cross the fence but it seemed to happen so quickly.

The waiter shook his head. "Heathen bastards, goddess." He poured the water. "They attack servant Cylons, steal the processors out of them and sell them on the black market. All so they can buy Streamchips or drugs or Zeus knows what."

Athena shook her head, "That's horrible."

"Yes," he said as he started to walk away. "Waste of a perfectly good Cylon."
XXII

**ACASTUS**

9 Years Before the Final Exodus

He was nervous. He couldn't deny it.

Stephen and Alexandra were sitting in the waiting room of his doctor's office. Dr. Astarte was reviewing some information and she would be calling him in shortly.

"I just got a note from Meteon," Gideon said, holding up her small computer, "They've finished their first ship."

Acastus smiled weakly. His mind wasn't on that right now. Still, he nodded. "Took them long enough. I'm guessing it will be quicker going from here on out?"

"That's what the foreman told me last week." She paged through a few screens. "They'll start computer tests soon."

Stephen lowered his voice, "FTL systems?"

"That too. They said it would take some time for them to understand what Lord Apollo gave them from Lord Hephaestus' records, but he seemed confident he could figure it out."

Acastus stood and stretched. It seemed as though he was sitting in that chair for a week. "How goes the... um, shuffling..."

Alexandra smiled, "Embezzlement?"

Acastus shot her a worried glance.

"I'm kidding, Vice President." She crossed her legs and pulled her hair away from her face. "Everything seems to be going fine. These are legitimate programs to stimulate the economies of depressed areas. The budget lines needn't be more specific than they already are."

Acastus sat back down and sighed. He leaned forward and rested his face in his hands. "I wish she'd go ahead and call me in."

Gideon rubbed his back. "Don't worry, sir. I'm sure it will be fine."

He scoffed lightly and lifted his head. "I wish I was as confident as you."

"This will take your mind off it," she held her computer screen in front of his face. "The new president wants a meeting with you tomorrow."

Stephen sat up straight and exhaled loudly, shaking his head. "She probably wants me to hold her hand some more." Alex laughed and he continued, "It's true! The whole time Elisabeth was the delegate from Leo, I guided her in just about everything. Legislation, meetings, getting votes... you name it."

"Are you sure you aren't just angry because you should have been president by now?"

"No," he said. "Apollo doesn't want me to be president and I'm too old for that now, anyways." He leaned back against the wall. "No, I'm pissed because she's an idiot." Gideon laughed and tried to stifle it by covering her mouth. "It's true. You remember that flub of hers last year at the festival for Hermes?"

"Oh, please," Alex said. "It was the biggest Stream sensation in decades."

"Exactly."

They were silent for a moment and then Alexandra giggled. Quietly, she muttered, "'Herpes.'" Acastus smiled, too.

A door to the side opened and a nurse stepped into the room. "Mr. Vice President," he said, "Dr. Astarte is ready for you."

They both stood up and Alex put her hand on his arm, "Are you sure you don't want me to come in with you?"

He glanced nervously between the nurse and his assistant. Finally, he said, "No, thank you. Just wait here."

She nodded once and gave him a quick hug. Rather awkward, but sincere. "Good luck."

Acastus smiled again and he stepped toward the door. His smile faded once he passed through and he followed the nurse around several corners to emerge in a well-furnished office. He walked toward the desk, but no one was there. He stood next to one of the chairs before his eyes caught a glimpse of some lab photos on a lighted board. He was about to walk toward them when another door opened and Dr. Astarte walked in.

"Good evening, Mr. Vice President," she said. She quickly walked behind her desk and sat down before opening a couple of file folders. She was in her fifties, Acastus guessed, and she wore glasses with her gray and brown hair pulled up.

"You can just call me Stephen, doctor." He sat down in one of the chairs.

"Very well, Stephen." She interlaced her fingers and leaned forward onto the desk. "You don't strike me as a sugarcoating kind of man."

Acastus shook his head. "No, doc. Just... go ahead." He took a deep breath. He felt like his scalp was tingling and his face grew hot.

She sighed. "You have chronic lymphocytic leukemia." She said nothing else so it could sink in somewhat.

Acastus blinked a few times and he felt his heart beating into his throat. After several moments, he managed to say, "I see."

"Now, CLL is incurable." He squirmed in his seat a little as she continued, "But there are many different treatments."

Acastus nodded. "Like what? Chemotherapy..."

"That's one," she said. "There's a possibility of a bone marrow transplant, but your age may be a factor there. There's radiation therapy. Stem cell treatment is another possibility, but again, because of your age..."

Stephen nodded. "I... uh." He flicked his hands, almost involuntarily as he tried to form his questions. "How long do I have?"

Dr. Astarte leaned back in her chair a little. "You could have a decade or more. Judging by the level of B-cells in your system, the CLL hasn't been working too long." Acastus nodded again and he looked at the floor. "Stephen, you don't even have to worry about treatment just yet. Treating this disease too early could just speed up the end. Once we start those treatments, whichever one you decide, it will negatively impact the quality of your life."

He looked up, nodding still. "I see, doctor."

"Now, Stephen," she pulled a sheet from her folder, "I want you to read this one later, once you've had a chance to relax and process this. It just has some general information on CLL and what we can do." As he took the sheet, she pulled out another, "This one has all of the contact numbers you'll need. For me and also for a counselor."

Stephen stood and took that sheet, also. "Thank you, doctor."

She stood and walked around her desk to hold onto his arm. Doing so forced him to refocus his attention and he looked in her eyes. "Stephen, there may not be a cure, but you can fight it and live out the rest of your days mostly as you would have before." He nodded almost absent-mindedly. "I've also sent you all of that information through the Stream, too, so if you lose those papers, don't worry."

"Of course." Stephen turned around slowly and walked to the door. She said something to him, but he didn't really hear it. He walked through the alabaster white corridors and got lost in the turns. He finally came across a nurse. "Which way to the lobby?"

"Go down there and turn left, sir."

"Thanks." He slowly followed the directions and turned toward the exit. Acastus stood before the wooden door that led out, but for some reason, he couldn't go through it. He turned around and saw a trash can next to a water fountain. Before he knew what had happened, Stephen was on his knees, vomiting into the can. He spat repeatedly and slowly stood. He pressed the button on the water fountain; rinsing his mouth and face in the stream. Finally, he stood up straight, pulled his shirt taut, and walked through the door.

Alexandra saw him and stood, saying, "Well?"

"I'm ready to leave," he said, softly.

She looked around toward her things and then back to him, "Certainly, but..." She stopped speaking when she saw that he was near the exit. She quickly gathered her purse and jacket and walked across the lobby to him.

A few minutes later, they were in Acastus' car. She was driving, as usual. Stephen was looking out of the window at the marble buildings around the doctor's office. She backed out of the parking lot and drove to the street. Soon they crossed the bridge over the Peneius River, and the avenue expanded.

Acastus straightened up in his seat and sighed. Alexandra looked over at him and then back at the road. On the next glance, she asked, "Are you going to tell me?"

Stephen said nothing. He looked out of his window again and saw Dionysus' large temple to the east. "Leukemia," he said as Alex turned the vehicle to the left onto the street circling the Opera House. They curved around Poseidon's temple and approached the Temple of Artemis. He noted the glint of copper on her statue, thanks to the streetlights nearby.

"Oh, gods," she said. "I know it's leukemia, but... is it curable?"

"No," he mumbled. He looked at the flags and statues surrounding the Opera House. Banners proclaiming upcoming events. "She said there are treatments and I could still live for years..."

"Well, that's good."

"The quality of life, though," he stopped. His throat tightened and he looked back out of the windshield. Ahead, he saw Zeus' temple. To his left, Apollo's. He inhaled sharply as he remembered something. "Don't take me home."

She slowed down and moved into the right lane. "Sure. Where do you want to go?"

He licked his lips and motioned with his thumb toward the north. "Olympus."

She looked at him intently and then back at the road. "Let's go." She sped up again and stayed on Pantheon Circle around the Opera House. Once they came around to Aether Avenue, she turned left onto it and drove north, past Hermes' and Demeter's temples. A few kilometers away lay the foothills of Mount Olympus.

What would he say? He knew he was in town for a meeting, but... Really? What could he say? What could he do?

The car crested a hill and the Temple of Preparation became visible with the Olympic Gates next to it. Alexandra slowed down and found the parking lot by the Temple to be empty. She parked near the building and left her side of the vehicle. She walked around and opened Stephen's door, offering him a hand.

"I can still get out of the car myself, Alex."

"I know, sir," she said. "But you're old and tired, so I thought I would help."

Acastus looked at her coldly but then he saw that she was smiling. An emotional shudder wracked him and he very nearly came to tears. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. "Thank you," he whispered.

"No problem, sir." He pulled away and she patted his arm. "Do you want me to go with you?"

Acastus shook his head. "No, I'll, uh, I'll try this on my own."

She nodded and walked back around to the driver's side door. "I'll be here if you need me."

He waved at her while he kept walking around the Temple of Preparation. Once he came to the far side, he saw the golden, illuminated Olympic Gates. Two glistening Cylons stood guard before the path that led to the cablecar and the stone steps.

He walked up to the guards slowly and he looked with some unease at their sweeping orange eyes. "Hello."

The Cylon on the left spoke first. "Identify yourself."

"I am Stephen Acastus, Vice President and member of the Quorum of Twelve."

The Cylon on the right spoke next, "What is your purpose here?"

"I wish to see Lord Apollo."

The two robots stopped looking at him and they stood erect again. Several moments passed during which Stephen thought they were communicating with Olympus. Finally, both Cylons stepped aside and one said, "Proceed into the transport car."

Acastus nodded and walked between the two machines. The gates opened and the doors on the cable car slid apart. He looked up the mountain and he was able to make out the temple-like shape of Olympus in the moonlight. He stepped into the cabin and the doors closed. A moment later, he felt a gentle lifting and he was carried high into the mountains.

He stood looking toward Olympus for a time. He shook his head, damning himself for not really having a plan. Not having anything to say. Almost as an afterthought, he walked to the other end of the car and looked down toward the City of the Gods. It was, in a word, beautiful. The gods knew what they were doing when they adorned their temples with precious metals and spotlights. The whiteness of those structures and the glinting of the metals were simply breathtaking. The Opera House and the Forum, too, were well lit and quite lovely. The entire city receded into the distance far below and became partly obscured by a passing wisp of mist. The car slowed and he turned back to the front. He saw that it was now sliding into a recessed part of the mountain. After a few loud clicks, the cablecar stopped and the doors slid open.

For much of his young life, he wondered what it would be like to walk the halls of Olympus. Once Apollo told him that Olympus was a crashed spaceship, some of the magic vanished. But now, standing before doors that opened into golden-colored halls, the magic seemed to return.

He forced himself to take a step forward and he looked down the corridor. Occasional marble columns lined the walls. Red and purple cloths were draped between them. A few large plants stood in corners and the light seemed to emanate from all around.

"Stephen?" Apollo said as he approached.

Acastus turned and took a couple of steps. Again, his body shuddered but he held it off, lowering his head and then raising it as he spoke. "Apollo, I... I have leukemia."

The god's face shook as though struck. His eyes widened and his mouth fell open before he managed to close it again. He took a step forward and placed a hand on Acastus' shoulder. "I am... so very sorry."

Acastus nodded quickly and turned away. He didn't want to cry, period, much less cry in front of a Lord of Kobol. "Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. Are you familiar with it?"

Apollo thought for a moment and then raised his head. "Yes. I haven't done much doctoring in a while, but, yes, I know it."

Stephen turned and looked at Apollo square in the face, "Can you cure it?"

Apollo clenched his jaw and inhaled slowly. "No. I'm sorry."

All of a sudden, whatever barrier Acastus had raised against crying, against feeling despair... it came down. His shoulders heaved and his head lowered. Tears fell from his eyes and he raised his hands to his cheeks.

Apollo came to his side and wrapped an arm around him. Acastus leaned into his chest and cried loudly. In his mind, he knew that Apollo wasn't a god. In his mind, he knew that they were from Kobol, just like everyone else on the planet. But in his heart, at this moment, he wanted so desperately for them to truly be gods.
XXIII

**MITHRAS**

8 Years Before the Final Exodus

He didn't want to know how long he had been down here.

He was treated well. He was given good food; better, even, than most of what he scrounged in his years living on the streets. He was given books to read, haircuts, shaves, and even the occasional bath.

Walter held no illusions, though. He was Zeus' prisoner. He was also Zeus' pet.

At least once a week, Zeus would come downstairs and ask questions or start up some religious conversation. For Mithras, he tried to make it a game. If he could render Zeus speechless, he won. If he made Zeus become flustered and storm out in ten minutes or less, he won.

When Zeus came down the steps this morning, Walter smiled, thinking the game was afoot.

"Hello, Zeus," he said.

"Walter," Zeus said. He came around the wall and waved to the Cylon, which turned and retreated to its usual corner. "How are you?"

"Well, Zeus, well." He wiped his hands on an old shirt and he set aside his plate of food. "The sandwiches, in particular, are fantastic."

Zeus nodded and his mouth curled at one corner into a wry grin. "I'm glad you're pleased."

Walter cleared his throat, "What can I do for you today?"

"Well, I have a few questions," Zeus said while he walked over and leaned against his usual table. "When you were out and about..."

"Free?"

"Yes, 'free,'" Zeus continued, "just how much preaching did you do?"

Mithras smirked and lowered his eyebrows, "What do you mean?"

Zeus crossed his arms and shrugged, "I just want to get a sense of how active you were in spreading the love of God?"

"But we've already discussed this, Zeus." Mithras cleared his throat again and he reached for his plastic water cup. "You know very well I spoke loudly and as often as I could in my travels."

"True." Zeus pulled out a sheet of compaper and unfolded it. He activated the corner and pressed the glowing map. "You started in Aquarius, moved west to Aries, north to Capricorn, east to Gemini, south to Virgo, west to Pisces, north to Capricorn again."

"Yes," Mithras said, pushing his cup aside. "It took about twenty years, but I traveled fairly well."

"Indeed." Zeus pressed another button on his compaper and the Stream appeared. "Can you explain this?"

He held the sheet up and on a simple black background, in glowing white text, the words, "Where is Mithras?" were spelled out.

Walter raised his eyebrows. "Wow. It's nice to know I've been missed."

"Comforting, I'm sure." Zeus pressed the center of the compaper and the image shifted showing a video of Mithras preaching. "Where was this made?"

He leaned forward and looked. It was definitely him, years ago, standing on a marble park bench, addressing a gathered crowd. "Are we so naïve to have forgotten the moral and ethical lapses that the gods committed for ages?" The video played on, "And yet, we should heed Zeus' call to 'follow the example of the gods?'"

"That's a particular favorite of mine," Walter said.

Zeus said nothing but the video continued, "With the Chip, Zeus has a foothold in your mind but he cannot lay a finger on your heart. Or your soul. But... there is a god who can. There is a god who knows you for what you really are and not the façade you put forward every day. This god knows you and loves you for what you are. And, here's the key, he is the one, true god." Some in the crowd scoffed but Mithras continued, "He is not a false idol." Some of the people in the crowd rushed the bench and Mithras leapt off behind it. Others in the crowd held back the aggressors and urged Mithras to flee.

"I seem to think... that may have been Delphi."

Zeus nodded. "Yes. I stumbled upon a kind of treasure trove of your old messages, thanks to the Stream." He deactivated and returned the compaper to his coat pocket.

"Why did you find those videos only now? After so many years?"

Zeus shrugged. "Your followers may have been afraid to share them. Maybe they didn't all know you were missing, but when they found out, they decided to share their experiences. Regardless, when I bring you out of here, I have more than enough to put you on trial for blasphemy."

Mithras almost chuckled. "Zeus, I've committed blasphemy against you every time you've come down here and I didn't kiss your ass. Which, by the way, would be every time you've come down here."

Zeus nodded. "True. But thanks to these videos and accounts on the Stream, I can now round up hundreds of your followers."

Mithras' face fell. "What?"

"Yes. We've already traced who made the videos, who uploaded them to the Stream, who was in the crowds agreeing with you... I can round them all up."

Walter shook his head. "No. I don't believe you."

"Why shouldn't you? Why do you think I've kept you alive and locked up for so long?" Mithras squirmed and Zeus stood up from his table. He walked toward the man and bent down. "I knew you had followers. I knew that if I planted a few seeds out there... a rumor here, a picture there... eventually, those seeds would grow. Now," he smiled and clapped his hands, "now is the time for the harvest."

Walter closed his eyes and slowly shook his head. "It doesn't make sense."

"No, it makes perfect sense. You've done very well these last few years, Walter." Zeus patted him on the back and stood up straight, "Not only has your absence brought my real targets out into the open, but you have, in your own way, helped me become a better deity. You've sharpened my sword, Walter."

Mithras was yelling in his head. He rocked back and forth on the stone floor of the basement, mumbling to himself, over and over. He continued to rock back and forth. Guilt! It lay upon him. He had been coddled and lulled into security by a false idol. By playing along, he had unwittingly drawn out his thousands of supporters.

Zeus turned away from him and smiled. "That's right, Walter. Pray to your god." He stalked away from Walter as he rocked on the floor. He called the Cylon over and he pointed, "Chain him up."

Mithras began to sob and he pressed his palms into his eyes as hard as he could. It couldn't keep the tears inside and the pain wouldn't make him feel any better.
XXIV

**HECATE**

7 Years Before the Final Exodus

For the first time in at least two millennia, Hecate entered the Forum building. She looked up at the ornate ceiling, noted the beautiful marble columns and she saw the ancient paintings and statues. She was almost impressed.

A few people in the foyer saw her and began to whisper as she walked to the front desk and addressed the Cylon stationed there. After it bowed, she spoke, "I'm here to see President Elisabeth Maenodes."

The Cylon held still as it checked its system. Then, it spoke in a more humanized monotone than Hecate was expecting, "She is ready to see you now. Please go up the stairs to your left. She will be waiting on the third floor."

Hecate nodded and complied. She took the stairs quickly and when she arrived on the third floor, the president was rushing to her from around the corner. "Oh my!" she said. "That was fast!"

Hecate grinned. "I am sorry to disturb you but I did want to speak with you about some things."

"Of course, goddess," the president said. She motioned back the way she came and she began to walk. "I am very thrilled that you've come to visit."

"Hopefully, this will be the first of many," Hecate said.

She spent every weekend in one of her debaucherous temple services; sacrificing avatars, becoming warped on virtual drugs and having sex with multiple partners. It wasn't how it used to be, but it was safer, in its own way.

During the week, she played in the Stream, just like anyone else. But she took a particular interest in Apollo. Ever since their encounter on Olympus some years ago, she became more and more intrigued by him.

"That's the office of Vice President Acastus," Maenodes said.

Hecate's head turned quickly and she smirked. Inside the open door, she saw a young redhead hard at work at a desk. An assistant? But Acastus. That was the man Apollo dealt with all of the time. The man Apollo met with one night on Olympus. Somehow, he was involved.

Turning a corner, the president led Hecate into her office and she stepped around the table and sat down behind her desk. "So, Goddess Hecate, what exactly can we do for you?"

Hecate crossed her legs and adjusted the edge of her business skirt, something she wasn't used to wearing. "Actually, Madam President, I hope I can help you. I'm heeding my father's call for us Lords to be more involved, and I'm hoping to work more closely with Kobol's government."

Maenodes clasped her hands and smiled, "Oh, that is wonderful!"

"Yes," Hecate said. "I know you are already working closely with my father..."

The president nodded, smugly, as though she were bragging, "Yes, I do."

"So, perhaps I can work closely with someone else. The vice president, perhaps?"

"Oh," she said. "Well, I know Mr. Acastus has been working closely with Lord Apollo..."

Hecate couldn't disguise her disappointment. She had thought their association was secret. But apparently not.

"But, I'll see if I can put a word in for you."

Hecate smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Madam President."
XXV

**APOLLO**

7 Years Before the Final Exodus

"You're not going to believe this," the vice president said.

"What?" Apollo sipped his water.

"Hecate came to the Forum yesterday and asked the president if she could work closely with me."

Apollo nearly spat the water back into his glass. His eyebrows were lifted high and he said, "You're joking."

Acastus shook his head. "Apparently, she said she wants to do what her father said and work more closely with Kobol's government to... advance Zeus' agenda or something."

Apollo set the glass on the desk quietly and he folded his hands together. He stared into space and brought his hands to his mouth. He breathed slowly. "Be careful, Stephen. I don't trust her."

Acastus nodded. "I get that."

"What is she playing?"

"I don't know," Stephen said. "I plan to keep her at arms' length and I've already said almost as much to Alex about it."

Apollo nodded. He inhaled deeply and he jerked, just remembering the silver device in his pocket. He pulled it out and activated it. "Nearly forgot." Acastus smiled. "What's the status of our ships?"

Acastus reached into his back pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper. He unfolded it and began to read, "Let's see here..."

"Now, Stephen," Apollo interrupted, "I hope you're being careful. We can't afford for anyone to find out about this."

He held up the sheet. "It's just paper. Good, old fashioned paper with pencil scribbles." Apollo grinned and leaned back. "Can't tap into that."

"True enough. Please continue."

Acastus held the sheet away from his face and he started to read, "I've got a list of ex-military and commercial pilots who we can keep an eye on. I'll wait until we get closer to reach out to them. Let's see, the ships. One-third of the hulls are complete. Of that, one-half have been furnished, and of that number, two-thirds have already undergone testing and have been given passing grades."

"I see." Apollo sighed, "So, how many are ready to go right now?"

Acastus shrugged, "Twenty-eight." Apollo shook his head. "Now, that's twenty-eight out of two-hundred fifty-six. There are lots more to go."

Apollo closed his eyes and he felt Leto rub his neck. It was relaxing and tension seemed to fall away. Just what he needed. "Easy, son," she said. "There's still time."

"There's still time," Apollo said, nearly in a mumble.

"Well, how much time? I mean, go ahead and tell me so I don't have to stress my ass over it."

Apollo laughed and he opened his eyes. He saw that Leto was smiling and she was sitting on Acastus' desk now. Apollo shook his head, "I don't know, Stephen. A few more years."

"At least seven," Leto said.

Apollo looked at her directly and his face became solemn. She was still smiling, though. "Seven years. At least."

Acastus formed his fingers into a kind of temple and pressed the tips against his lips. "Is that what... she said?"

Apollo swallowed hard and looked down. "Yes." He glanced back up and Leto was still grinning, still looking at him.

Stephen nodded and coughed. "Well. Seven years it is, then. They'll do it."

There was a knock at his door and Alexandra pushed it open, "I'm sorry."

"It's fine. Come in," Apollo said.

She handed a sheet of compaper to Acastus. "It's just a report that the president wants everyone in the Quorum to sign off on by the end of the day."

While she stood waiting for the vice president to read the paper, Apollo asked, "How have you been, Miss Gideon?"

She smiled, "I've been well, thank you, Lord Apollo." She glanced quickly to Acastus and then back to Apollo. "May I ask a question, Lord?"

"Of course," he said.

"Do you know the name Pythia?"

Apollo closed his eyes and nodded knowingly. "Yes. She was an oracle in my temple some fifteen or sixteen hundred years ago."

Again, Alex glanced toward Stephen and then back to Apollo. "I've been rereading what she wrote."

Apollo nodded again. "You do realize that most of our oracles do their... prophesying in a smoke-filled room under the haze of chamalla?"

Her face grew serious and she knelt before Apollo. "It doesn't matter, Lord. If an oracle is spoken to by the divine, chamalla influence or not, what they have to write is... important. Worth remembering and following."

Apollo leaned forward and took her hand, "Alexandra, I appreciate your interest and your faith..."

"Apollo," Leto said. "Shut up and listen for a moment." He stopped speaking and he glanced over at Acastus. The vice president stopped reading and he looked up at the two.

"Lord, I know you may have your doubts," Alex said, "but Pythia wrote about another exodus." She looked to Acastus and then back to Apollo. "And you two are building hundreds of ships to ferry people away from here in case of... something going horribly wrong."

Apollo and Acastus' eyes met and Stephen smiled. "Go ahead, dear, tell him about me."

Apollo furrowed his brow and he looked at her. "The vice president?"

Alex became even more still, if possible. Her eyes flitted downward and she spoke in even softer tones, "Pythia wrote of a leader. A dying leader."

Apollo looked at Stephen. He was still smiling, but Apollo became serious, "And what about this leader?"

Alex looked at Acastus and said, almost reverently, "He's dying of a wasting disease. And... he won't live to see humanity arrive at their new home."
XXVI

**ZEUS**

6 Years Before the Final Exodus

"Good news, Walter," Zeus said. He bound down the steps as much as he could without hitting his head. Zeus came around the corner and he saw the waifish preacher chained to the wall. His hair was matted and his clothes were gray and dingy from many months of continuous wear.

He grumbled something but Zeus ignored it. "I've got more of your friends." He held up a piece of compaper showing the faces of four people. "Just arrested in Cyme."

Mithras looked up, saw the faces, winced, and dropped his head again. "When will you stop?"

"Oh, I won't," Zeus said. He laid the compaper on the table and stepped closer to the man, despite the smell. "You see, I figured something out about you early on. You are laden with guilt. Self-imposed guilt."

Mithras looked up, "No."

"Yes," Zeus said. "You see, you betrayed your brother to your father and he was killed because of you." Zeus pointed at him at the end of that line to punctuate it. "You bore that guilt for years and now, because of you," again, he pointed, "more believers have been betrayed."

Mithras shook his head. "What are you doing with them?"

"They're being questioned," Zeus said as he walked about the small area, "some are jailed. We've even let a few go so we can keep close tabs on them." Mithras kept shaking his head and Zeus leaned against the wall. "Are you sure you don't want to start praying to yourself now?"

Zeus watched the tiny man thrash in his chains for a few moments. It was odd, but for the last few years, Zeus had become used to him. He did... sometimes... enjoy their discussions. Mithras had made him rethink and rejustify some of his divine actions. It was helpful. He almost felt sorry for what had become of him. Almost.

Mithras flailed against the wall a few more times. Zeus shook his head and began to walk away. Mithras was crying and mumbling. He was praying, Zeus figured. Through the rattling of the chains, he heard a few words here and there. For whatever reason, Walter seemed to be speaking more loudly today than before.

"...These things we ask most humbly, amen." He sobbed and started over, "O Prometheus, holy messenger of the Great One, guide our lives according to Its will, ..."

Zeus stopped moving and he whipped around furiously. "What did you say?" The words weren't said so much as barked.

Mithras finally opened his eyes and looked up. The man's face contorted as though he was about to retch. Zeus' Chara had shifted to something much less pleasant. "I... was praying."

"You said, 'Prometheus.'" Zeus took two steps toward him and wrapped his large hand around Mithras' jaw; lifting his head up closer to his own. "That's what you said."

Walter closed his eyes again. He seemed to be cursing himself. "I have failed. I have failed. Utterly failed."

Biting each word as he spoke, Zeus asked, "Are you Draco?"

Zeus released his grip and Mithras sighed, nearly collapsing in a heap. "No. I'm not."

"But you know of them."

Zeus pulled him up by the shoulder and slapped him across the face. The strike sent waves rolling through the chains which rattled against the wall. Mithras tried to right himself, but Zeus pressed him against the wall with his eyes still forcefully closed.

"Prometheus! Draco!" Zeus yelled. "You will answer me!" He pressed the tiny man against the stone wall harder. Mithras couldn't speak.

Zeus finally released him and he stalked over toward the Cylon. "Sword! Now!"

The robot complied and handed his shining blade to Zeus, saying, "As you command."

Zeus strode back to the wall, leading the way with the point of the sword. "Speak!"

"I have failed!" Mithras screamed.

Zeus placed the edge of the sword on Mithras' exposed upper right arm. With a quick swipe, it cut into his flesh and blood began to drop onto the stone floor. Walter yelled in pain and Zeus again grabbed his face. "Tell me what you know of the Draco! What do you know about Prometheus?"

Mithras alternated his declarations of pain with sobbing. "No. I can't say more."

Anger consumed him. Names and faces from the past flooded his mind and the heat of rage welled under his skin. He felt almost twitchy. Like he had to hit something or it could drive him insane. He lifted the sword again, laying the edge on Mithras' other arm. "Is Prometheus still alive?"

Walter opened his eyes and looked at Zeus. He saw only the rawest form of anger. "No. He died thousands of years ago."

"Why should I believe you?" He swiped the sword, again, slicing into Mithras' arm. Zeus then pressed the point into his abdomen. "You say you failed utterly, why wouldn't you lie to protect your faith?"

"I'm not lying," he whimpered.

Zeus pushed the sword. He felt some soft resistance at first, and then, when the skin gave way, the blade slid through. Blood ran across the top, flat portion of the sword and dribbled onto the floor and Zeus' shoes. As Walter screamed, Zeus leaned close and said calmly, "Tell me everything you know."

Mithras wrenched his head from side to side. Finally, he seemed to have gathered some strength. He twisted his head toward Zeus and yelled with all of his might, overcoming the nauseating fear of the Chara, "Frak you!" And then he spat into Zeus' face.

Zeus remained still, but within, his mind screamed and his wrath roiled. He pushed the sword until he heard the tip click against the stone wall. Warm blood gushed onto his arm and hand. Mithras screamed again.

Walter's face was becoming pale but he lifted his head and said, "God will strike you down."

Zeus looked down at the redness on himself. His anger still stirred. He withdrew the blade and then jabbed it into Mithras' chest. Now, blood sprayed into the air; leaving a fine mist on all of Zeus' clothes and even his face. Mithras gave one last roar of pain, then a gasp and he was gone.

Zeus pulled out the sword and held it by his side. He breathed slowly and calmly, looking at the carnage he produced. He exhaled through his nose and he felt centered again. He felt steady. And then he remembered the Draco. And Prometheus.

Who among Mithras' followers would know the truth about these things? Zeus would have to find out.
XXVII

**HECATE**

5 Years Before the Final Exodus

She was confident.

For a few years now, she had managed to get closer to her father and feel the power of government. She sat in on those dreadfully boring Quorum meetings. She got to know more people around the Forum, thanks to their secret lives on the Stream... the ones who visited her temple on occasion. They had secrets to keep and Hecate liked that.

She was in Delphi walking up the path to Apollo's home. Smartly dressed in black and gray, her hair was pulled up and she felt as though she had the world by the balls.

She remembered a similar feeling she had before. Thousands of years ago, she loved Eros, son of Hephaestus and Aphrodite. Hecate was disappointed, to say the least, to learn that he preferred the company of men.

Hecate pressed the doorbell button and Apollo peeked through a small window. Slowly, he opened the door. "Hecate."

"Apollo," she said, with a smile.

"What do you want?"

"Well, first, I'd like to come in."

Apollo scanned her from top to bottom, sighed, and then stepped back. She walked inside slowly and examined everything as she went. Halfway into the living area, she stopped and turned.

"Aren't you going to close the door?"

Apollo pushed it to and then he followed her to the sitting area. Hecate sat in a large leather chair and crossed her legs. He still stood as he spoke, "What do you want, Hecate?"

She smirked. "Come now, let us sit. Be friendly. Let's exchange pleasantries."

Apollo sat on the couch. "I'm not sure I want to exchange pleasantries with you."

Her eyebrows lifted. "So harsh. That seems unnecessary."

"Is it? You engaged in human sacrifice."

"But that was nearly two thousand years ago. Forgive and forget."

Apollo shook his head and scoffed. "Hecate, we don't change. You know that. I can certainly guess that you haven't changed, either."

"You have," she said. "There's something going on with you. Something new and different."

"Oh yeah?" he asked. "What?"

She looked at the ceiling, pretending she was having trouble remembering some detail. "Well, you're much more involved with politics these days. The vice president, you know."

"Right."

"And your ships."

Apollo's face froze. He said nothing but his nostrils flared before he opened his mouth. "What ships?"

Hecate was beaming. "Did you really think you could build two hundred ships without anyone noticing? Again?" Apollo was still silent. "You did it once before with Aurora and Hephaestus taking the lead, but now, it's just you and Acastus. Don't get me wrong. You've done a fantastic job keeping everything quiet."

"Hecate..."

"I mean, more than a thousand contractors. Assembly at all twelve spaceports, hidden in their large hangars..."

"Hecate..."

"Stop!" she yelled. "I'm trying to compliment your deviousness." Apollo looked at the floor and Hecate continued. "More than two hundred FTL-capable vessels. It is an impressive feat."

Apollo grit his teeth. Apparently having discovered the purpose for her visit, he asked, "What do you want?"

"What do you mean?"

He looked up at her, scowling. "I know you didn't come here to just... ask about space travel. What are you playing at?"

Hecate smiled. "I'm just curious as to how you think Zeus will react?"

Apollo inhaled sharply. "Not well, I would guess."

Feigning surprise, she said, "You mean father doesn't know?" She uncrossed and then recrossed legs, drawing Apollo's attention. "Are you planning another exodus? Who this time?"

Apollo shook his head. "No. I'm not answering your questions."

Hecate stood up. Her smile was now gone. "Is that wise?"

Apollo examined her expression for several moments before he asked, "What do you want?"

With a wry grin, Hecate moved a single hand up to her outer jacket, unbuttoning it and letting it drop to the floor. She then bent over, pulling a zipper at the bottom of her skirt up toward her waist. It hung open with her upper thigh and hip exposed in the slit. "I believe you know."
XXVIII

**APOLLO**

5 Years Before the Final Exodus

Apollo blinked slowly and said, "You are not serious."

"Yes, she is," Leto said.

"Yes, I am," Hecate said.

Apollo's head whipped over to Leto, who was leaning against a wooden column on the other side of the room. Hecate was moving closer to him and Leto began shaking her head.

"Son, you knew there was a chance you would be found out."

"I knew," he began, "there was a chance I could be found out."

"Of course," Hecate said.

"What were you prepared to do when you were discovered?" Leto asked.

Hecate's skirt splayed open as she slinked onto the couch and ran an arm around Apollo's neck. She unbuttoned her shirt, allowing her ample breasts to be exposed. "I can do whatever you would like," Hecate said, still wearing that smirk.

Apollo exhaled forcefully and he turned. Quickly, he wrapped his hand around Hecate's throat. She was surprised and she gasped. His grip forced her to straighten up and she clawed at his arm for a moment before she smiled. She moved one of her legs onto Apollo's lap and she undid her hair, allowing it to fall over half her face and onto Apollo's arm.

"You can do that," she whispered. "I like it."

Disgusted, Apollo pushed her aside and she fell into the pillows on the other side of the couch. While she angrily sat up and composed herself, Leto strode across the room. "You can't kill her. She would just download."

"No, I can't kill her. You." Apollo said.

"Of course you can't," she said, sliding across the seat toward him again.

"I can lock you up somewhere."

Hecate laughed. "Where? Here?"

Leto shrugged, "She's right."

Hecate was now pressing against Apollo's side and she ran one hand up his shirt. "You have to comply."

Apollo shook his head vigorously. "No."

"Yes, you do," Leto said.

Apollo looked at her angrily. "I cannot go along with this."

Hecate stopped her advances and she stood up from the couch. "If that's the way you feel, then... that's the way you feel."

Leto was now behind Apollo and she leaned over to whisper in his ear. "You have to. It is still too soon. You aren't ready yet. You don't even have your army."

Hecate buttoned her shirt and she gathered her shoes and jacket from the floor. Apollo stood up. "Even if I... do this with you, who's to say my father won't find out about the ships anyway?"

Hecate shrugged, "Not my problem." She stepped into her shoes.

"Zeus is busy," Leto said, disgustedly. "He will be occupied for some time."

Hecate began to walk to the front door. The sound of her heels clapping on the hardwood hit at Apollo repeatedly until, finally, he thought he felt Leto pushing him.

"Wait," he said.

Hecate stopped and sighed. As she turned around, Apollo slammed into her and pushed her against the wall. The breath was knocked out of her, but Apollo had lifted her off the floor and had his face buried in her neck; biting it. She clawed at his back and he lowered her, ripped off her jacket and tore open her shirt.

She smiled broadly and lifted his shirt off him. She bent over and bit his chest while he carried her down the hallway. Apollo stopped and pushed her against a wall again and he pulled her skirt away from her body. She reached down into his pants and felt his rapidly engorging penis.

"Yes," she hissed. "This is what I've wanted."

Apollo reached up and clasped his hand over her mouth. "I'm going to need you to shut up." He lifted her again, walked into the bedroom and tossed her onto the bed. He leaned over to pull off his pants and he caught sight of Leto sitting at a vanity table across the room. It unnerved Apollo to see that she was smiling.
XXIX

**ATHENA**

3 Years Before the Final Exodus

"Hail Athena!" the crowd said. She raised her hand and sat in her marble chair.

"Hail Hermes!" they said. He waved and sat in the chair next to Athena.

Atop the steps of the Temple to Athena in Athens, Hermes squirmed somewhat, as though he was out of place.

"This is really your party, dear," he said, leaning in, while temple acolytes danced in the field below.

Athena smiled and patted his hand. "I'm glad you could come. I haven't been around too many Lords lately."

Hermes nodded and watched the women whirl. Priests were bringing out the festival meal and a few brothers were holding aloft great poles with birds at the ends. "What about Apollo?"

Athena's smile fell away and she sighed. "I haven't seen him in some time. He used to call me... he doesn't now."

Hermes laid a hand on her arm, "I'm sorry."

She shook her head and smiled again. "No matter. I'm happy."

It was true. Though the end of her relationship with Apollo was often bewildering, she had moved on thanks to the worship of the people. They were comforting to her. With Zeus and the others, they seemed to worship from afar. With Athena, they were more friendly and unafraid to approach her. She liked that.

"Hail Athena!" the priests said and the brothers held the poles high. With a flick, small cages snapped away and the owls flew into the dusk sky.

Athena clapped and Hermes turned to her, "What's with the owls?"

Still smiling, she said, "They're wise, I guess." The dance continued and Athena looked around at the surrounding crowds. Several thousand people turned out for this evening festival and meal. She was happy to see so many smiling faces.

"Who are they?" Hermes asked, pointing to the north.

Athena looked and saw a group of people marching toward the crowd, carrying large banners with someone's face on them. They were chanting but Athena couldn't make it out yet.

"I don't know."

The dancing and music continued below. The feast was arrayed on many tables and the people gathered around to give thanks to the gods and to eat. Hermes and Athena stood and walked down the stairs. She, though, kept her eyes on the approaching crowd. She could now make out what they were saying.

"Where is Mithras?!"

She saw their banners and saw the name written next to the face. They chanted, "Where is Mithras?!" several times and then began to chant, "Worship the one, true god!"

Athena stopped midway down the steps and stared at the crowd with her mouth partly open. Again, she felt that fear. A nagging fear that God was real and that he was disappointed in them. She had gone for centuries without feeling it, and now, here it was again.

Hermes grabbed her arm, "Come on. The Cylons will deal with them."

Athena began to walk down the steps again and she glanced up, seeing police Cylons approach the crowd from all sides. After a few electrical discharges, half of the group collapsed on the grass. Some began to run and the officers gave chase.

Once she was off the steps, Athena smiled and she moved toward the open arms of the head priest. She hugged him tightly, looked across the assembled people and food, and said, "Thank you so much."
XXX

**ZEUS**

2 Years Before the Final Exodus

"It warms my heart to see so many of you here," Zeus said from his raised marble platform. "Yet again, you have broken records for participation in these temple services." The crowd cheered and Zeus raised his arms. "The Lords of Kobol thank you."

The crowd cheered again and Zeus bowed. He motioned toward the banners that fluttered near him. "You will see these on streets and buildings near you. They are to serve as a reminder. We have been here for you and we will continue to be here for you."

Each of the banners was colored differently with stylized versions of each Olympian silhouetted on them. Under the image, the banner stated the god's name, and then Zeus' newest invention, his catchphrase, "Power in Many."

"'Power in Many,'" Zeus said. "With all of the gods at your disposal, we cannot fail." The crowd cheered and Zeus bowed, saying, "So say we all."

"So say we all!" came the thunderous response.

Zeus' image blinked away and he rubbed his temples. The Streamchip gave him headaches but he knew that was a side effect.

"Lord Zeus," his assistant said.

"Yes?"

"The chief priest says new prisoners have arrived."

Zeus inhaled sharply and stood. "Thank you." He took a sip of his water and pulled his coat from the rack. After checking his tie in the mirror, he walked out of his office, down the hall and then down the stairs. He passed through the forum, nodding to the people who bowed as they saw him pass. Once outside, he saw several groups of people gathered together near the bases of flagpoles and lights. When they caught sight of him, their faces lit up and they rushed the god.

"Lord Zeus!" one woman screamed as she thrust a worn copy of the Sacred Scrolls toward him. "Please sign it!" He grinned and pulled a pen from his coat. He kept a few on him for just this reason.

He kept wading through the crowd; signing and smiling and shaking hands as he walked. He finally managed to cross the street and he waved to the people, "I'm sorry. I have urgent business inside. Thank you!" He strolled along Gaia Avenue and waved at vehicles that honked as they passed. Soon he was near his temple and he darted up the large stairs. People along the street began to mill about. Certainly, they were hoping for another chance to meet him when he came out later.

Zeus strode past the first statues and columns and he was met by the chief priest. "I'm glad you've come, Lord. This group is far louder than previous ones."

"Did you gag them?"

"Yes," he said as he tried to keep up with the god, "we had to."

"That's fine." Zeus turned behind a large column and he descended the stairs into the familiar storage room. He removed his jacket and began rolling up his sleeves. Some years ago, he jokingly referred to this as his dungeon. Once it truly became one, he stopped joking about it.

The Cylon guard near the steps immediately withdrew its sword and handed it toward him, handle first. Zeus took it and nodded toward the machine. Sometime ago, this robot learned that Zeus always asked for the sword, so it offered it to him immediately. It concerned Zeus somewhat, yet he never managed to follow up on it.

He looked across the faces of the three people chained to the wall. Each one was dirty. Each one had a piece of cloth crammed into their mouth. Zeus stepped forward and placed the point of the sword onto his table before leaning on the hilt. "Well, who do we have here this time?"

A young priest darted into the room and handed him a piece of compaper. He ran up the stairs as quickly as possible.

"Ah. Monotheists all, it seems." He scrolled through some pictures and pointed at the woman on his left. "You... arrested last year in Athens attempting to disrupt a festival for Athena. Shame, shame." He scrolled again and pointed at the man in the middle. "You were caught handing out monotheist literature in Argos." Scroll. Point to the woman on the right. "And you were... vandalizing a Temple to Hera in Lydos."

He put the compaper down, pulled the sword from the table and walked to the first, removing her gag. "Frak you!" the woman on the left said.

Zeus' eyebrows lifted and he slapped her with the back of his hand, sending her flying into the stone wall, rattling the chains. The other two watched her and they were very quiet as Zeus removed the cloths from their mouths.

"Now," Zeus said, "who has something _constructive_ to say?" He looked across their faces and no one made a move. "Come now. Who can tell me about... the Draco?" He looked at each of them, waiting for a response. "Prometheus?" Pause. "Mithras?"

"Where is Mithras?" the man in the center said.

Zeus nodded. He moved to the wall and flipped a switch. Additional lights in the ceiling came on and brightened the room. "Look down. See a particularly old, brown splotch?" All three looked at the stone floor. Various shades of red and brown were still visible in the cracks around the blocks. "That's probably what's left of him."

The man looked up at Zeus, saw the god smiling, and he began to breathe quickly. He slammed his eyes shut and startled to mumble a prayer. "Great God above, please hear my prayer. One, true God, help me."

"Please," Zeus said. "I'm right here. You needn't shout." The man stopped speaking and he looked at his companions on either side.

"So." Zeus leaned against the wall. "Who has something to tell me about monotheists? Where I can find them? That sort of thing."

The woman on the left, the one who yelled earlier, lifted her head and spat a large glob at Zeus. It missed, but Zeus took in a deep breath and stormed across the space to her. He grabbed her by the hair and pulled her to the wall. His raging Chara frightened the other prisoners. The man vomited.

"You are lucky, my dear," he whispered into her ear. "You will be the first to die." He pulled his head away and saw her face go still. He placed the point of the sword above her left breast; allowing the pocket on her shirt to keep it level. "In the name of Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, and all the Lords of Kobol, I take your life as a sacrifice to their true and holy names." Then he plunged the blade through her.

She coughed and spewed blood into the air. Zeus had already stepped aside because he knew the standard reaction. He had sacrificed more than a few monotheists in his dungeon in recent years.

The man and woman still living began to cry and wail as the first one flailed and then died. Zeus lifted the red-stained sword up to each of their faces. "Tell me about the Draco."

"I don't know what that is!" the man said.

"Prometheus?" Zeus asked.

"No!" he said.

"He was the messenger," the woman said.

"Yes, the 'messenger' for the 'one, true god,' right?" Zeus asked.

The woman nodded.

"Is Prometheus alive?" Zeus' glare made the woman back up as much as she could, still encumbered by the chains.

Even though he wasn't asked, the man screamed, "I don't know who that is!"

Zeus sighed and asked, "You don't know much of anything, do you?" He shook his head. "You decided to jump on board with the monotheists because... I don't know, because it seemed like a good idea at the time, right?"

The man seemed relieved. "Yes, Lord Zeus. I was stupid! Naïve!" He paused and seemed ashamed. "There were some... pretty girls in the group."

Zeus nodded. "Believe me, I understand." He placed the point of his sword above the man's heart. "I claim your life in the names of the Lords of Kobol."

"No!" the man screamed, but Zeus had already pushed it through his ribs, severing his aorta. The woman whimpered and Zeus withdrew the sword, again stepping back to avoid the bloody thrashing.

"Please, no," she said softly.

"Speak to me, dear," Zeus said. "Is Prometheus alive?"

Tears rolled from her eyes down her cheeks. "I don't think so. I've never heard anyone say he is."

Zeus nodded. "And these other people, these other believers in the 'one, true god,' where do you usually meet them?"

Her face crumpled, she began to cry and mucous ran from her nose. "Please don't, Lord Zeus."

He drew his mouth into a sympathetic frown and he said, "Shh, shh, it will be fine. Just tell me what you can. Lydos? Is that where?"

She hesitated and then she began to nod. "We used to meet in an old restaurant. I don't know if they still do."

Zeus stood up straight and exhaled. He looked at the dangling bodies to his left and then to the one, crying woman still alive in front of him. "I see."

Two millennia ago, he berated and punished his daughter for engaging in wanton and purposeless human sacrifice. Now, he was sacrificing people, too. Zeus could admit to a rush in feeling his blade slip into flesh and the warm splash of blood that hit his arms. Especially on Mithras. In the dozens of 'sacrifices' since, he had not replicated that feeling of relief and exhilaration.

No. These sacrifices were not wanton or purposeless. They served a definite purpose. He needed information. He had to know about the monotheists. They could undermine his society and destroy his plans. He had to assume that they, left unchecked, could cause the devastation he saw in his vision from Hades. He was wrong back then to have gone easy on the monotheists. Zeus saw that now.

He stepped back from the wall and picked up a wet towel left for him on the table. He wiped as much of the blood off his hands and arms as he could. He handed the sword back to the Cylon and he rolled his sleeves down. Looking at the woman, he could see she was surprised.

"Confused?" he asked.

She nodded.

Zeus walked toward her, smiling, and he said, "Well, you vandalized a Temple to Hera." He shrugged. "The way I see it, that's not so bad. At the very least, I owe you a decent dinner." He walked away and pulled his jacket off the stone steps, sliding his arms into the sleeves.

"But I'll be back," he said.
XXXI

**ACASTUS**

1 Year Before the Final Exodus

"Can I ask you a question?"

Apollo shrugged. "We seem to have the time."

It was a warm spring night and they were sitting in a rented car about half a kilometer from a perimeter fence. On the other side of that fence sat Fort Acheron. Apollo was studying the fence and the field beyond through a telescanner.

Acastus took in a deep breath and he leaned his face against his fist; his arm propped against the car door. "I apologize in advance for this, but... the idea came to me."

"What's that?"

"Why not... take a page from Prometheus' book?" Acastus watched Apollo slowly lower the telescanner. "Why not delete Zeus' transfer files and wait for his body to die?"

Apollo nodded. "After Prometheus' murders, the resurrection computers were made to require the confirmation of the person whose profile was being deleted."

Acastus shook his head. "Makes sense." He paused and looked out the window, hoping he hadn't angered Apollo, though he didn't feel a shift in the Chara. "What about a delay in transfer, like Zeus did to Hera and Hecate?"

As Apollo returned the telescanner to his eye, he said, "That was changed, too. Since resurrection delays are punishments, I guess, it was assumed that Zeus would be the one meting out the punishments. He and a medical officer have to give confirmation."

Acastus nodded and squirmed in the seat. "I'm sorry. I just... the ideas came to me and I thought it could save us a lot of heartache."

"It could have," Apollo said, still scanning the fence. "Good ideas, though. Keep thinking." After a couple of quiet moments, Apollo asked, "How are you?"

Acastus looked at the god, somewhat confused, "You mean my leukemia?"

"Mmm."

"Still have it." Apollo chuckled. "The doctor says it's beginning to get aggressive so I may have to start treatments in the next several months."

"What is she leaning toward?"

"She wants radiation therapy," Acastus said. "I'd rather have immunotherapy."

Apollo nodded and he lowered the scope. "Radiation therapy is more effective, but I understand your reluctance."

"I can't help feeling like I've been a big baby about this at times," Stephen said.

Apollo furrowed his brow and looked at him, "Why?"

"You know," he said, shifting in his seat again, "coming to Olympus to cry on your shoulder, all the self-pity..."

"Those are perfectly natural responses, Stephen." Apollo took a sip from a bottle of water and replaced it in the console. "And your coming to Olympus wasn't just for a good cry. You thought there was a chance I could help."

Acastus smiled. "I know." He motioned toward Apollo, "May I see that?"

"Sure." He handed the scanner over. "The eyepieces are a little too big for you, of course. Zoom buttons are on your right."

Acastus put the large black and gray device up to his face. In amazing clarity, he saw the fence line and a single Cylon soldier marching on the inside. "How many Cylons are in there?"

"Two different Cylons on watch, as far as I can tell."

He lowered the scope and asked, "Why do we have to do what we're doing?"

"I've told you about the vision, right?"

"Yes," Acastus said. "But won't all of this preparation head off whatever disaster is coming?"

Apollo sighed. "I don't know. I've asked myself the same questions."

With some reluctance, he said, "Did you ask her?"

Apollo glanced at him and took back the telescanner. "Yes. She won't tell me much of anything."

Acastus leaned forward with his face almost touching the console. "I'd like to know how it's all been kept so secret for so long."

"What's that?" He was now studying the fence through the scanner.

"The ships," Stephen said. "We're building two-hundred fifty-plus ships and I haven't heard word one from anyone not in the loop. How is that?"

"Believe me," Apollo said. "I've had to do... things... to keep it quiet." He put down the scope and he slipped a few items into his jacket pocket. "Most of the spaceports are too far away from heavily populated areas. The general public is distracted by the Stream and Zeus' religious fervor." He scoffed and said, "Zeus is distracted by his own religious fervor."

Acastus straightened up in the seat. "Is it time?"

Apollo squinted and looked at the fence. "Yes. Let's go."

They both climbed out of the car and quietly pushed the doors to. Apollo led the way and Acastus followed close behind as they hugged a tree line and approached the fence. The god knelt down at a tree about fifty meters from the fence and they watched a Cylon walk past. Apollo kept his eye on it and then he waved. Both ran to the fence and Apollo produced a small black box with silver nozzle from his pocket.

"What's that?" Acastus whispered.

Apollo pressed a button on the side and a green flame erupted from it with a light hiss. "Plasma torch." He looked at the fence for a moment and measured from the post. He carefully chose the links to cut; the green flame moving through them as though they were cheap plastic. "I have to cut only within a single panel," he whispered. "If I cut across two panels, it can sound alarms."

As he swept the torch around, a few sparks fell to the grass. "Is it electrified?" Stephen asked.

"I didn't mention that?"

Acastus looked at him in horror and he saw Apollo's wry grin. "Hurry. I think it's time for the next tin can."

Apollo nodded. He brought the torch down for the final quarter of the circuit. A moment later, he cut through the last link and he kicked the mesh panel into the fence perimeter. Apollo stepped inside and pulled Acastus through the hole. Then, he lifted the fence piece and placed it back into the hole. Using the torch again, he melted a few of the links back together to hold it in place. "Hopefully, the Cylons won't notice that."

"Shit," Acastus said.

Apollo turned and he saw one of the Cylon soldiers coming around a corner. It immediately saw them and raised its weapon. "Halt," it said.

Stephen began to raise his hands in surrender but Apollo slapped him. "Don't do that."

The Cylon came closer, keeping its weapon leveled at Apollo first. "Identify yourselves."

"I am Lord Apollo," he then pointed to Stephen, "and this is Kobol's Vice President. We are here for a tour. Let us pass."

The Cylon paused and then it said, "Negative. No security clearances have been allowed for Lord Apollo or the vice president."

Stephen looked up to Apollo who seemed to grow angry at the imposition. Apollo glared at the Cylon and took a step forward. The Cylon quickly changed position and raised the automatic rifle squarely at his face. "Do not move forward again."

"Are you allowed to fire upon the Lords of Kobol, Cylon?"

"Negative. However, you are not listed under security clearances."

Acastus raised his eyebrows and he was about to ask a question when he saw Apollo reach into his coat pocket and fire something through the cloth. Two metallic plates struck the Cylon's armor and the guard began to quiver. After several moments, it collapsed to the ground.

"What the hell..." Acastus said. "It couldn't shoot you yet it couldn't allow you on base. It sounded like..."

"Like it had conflicting information. The problem with not having artificially intelligent Cylons is that you have to deal with stupid machines."

The two men walked toward a sunken pit in the middle of the fence perimeter. As they got closer, they could see below the grass level, and the concrete and metal structure became visible. They walked down the ramp and approached the large doors. "It's huge," Acastus said.

"Yes." Apollo placed his hand on a security panel on the wall. After a moment, it flashed green and a small door opened to their right.

Acastus shook his head, "Why did you need me here at all?"

Apollo shrugged, "We still might be able to talk our way in. Even if we can't, I enjoy your company." Acastus followed the god inside.

They entered through a side door into a corridor that ran alongside the spacious interior. The hallway was brightly lit and single human guard was standing up from a desk just inside.

"Lord Apollo?" he said. The young man was holding a rifle and he was dressed in his head-to-toe protective armor. He approached the two interlopers carefully, though he kept the weapon aimed low.

Apollo beamed. "Hello, soldier!" He stepped forward and eagerly shook the young man's hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you and to be here!"

Acastus found himself smiling broadly. He knew what Apollo was doing. By forcing himself to be happy, his Chara would shift and make the soldier blindingly happy, too.

"The pleasure is mine, sir, all mine," he said, lowering his weapon for good and then saluting Apollo. "Who is this with you?"

Apollo motioned toward the older man, "This is Vice President Stephen Acastus."

"Oh, sir," the soldier said, laughing at himself. "I'm sorry I didn't recognize you."

Acastus shook his head, "No, that's fine."

"Look," Apollo said, "the VP here is going to give me a tour of the facilities, if that's alright with you."

The soldier seemed confused but then he shrugged and smiled, "You're Lord Apollo, if you want a tour, you get a tour!" He laughed loudly. "Go on in, sirs. But I must ask you," his tone became somewhat more serious, "don't touch anything."

"We won't," Apollo said.

"And if you could, limit your time to about fifteen minutes. My OIC could be back by then."

"Not a problem," Apollo said. He smiled broadly again and shook his hand. "Thank you, son."

"Thank you, Lord!" He walked back to his desk and waved. "You, too, Mr. Vice President."

Acastus waved and he followed Apollo to an access door at the other end of the hallway. He stood next to Apollo and waited for something to happen. Stephen glanced back at the soldier and saw him pressing buttons on his desk. The doors slid apart. Apollo walked inside and Stephen followed.

They stopped just inside the cavernous room. The lights came on and a few of the bulbs were flickering. The air was cool and there was an overwhelming smell of oil or grease. Acastus scrunched up his face and rubbed his nose. He looked over at Apollo and asked, "How many are there?"

Apollo exhaled slowly. "Fifteen thousand."

He then began walking into the room. Stephen followed and before long, he found himself and the god utterly surrounded by row after row after row of shining, deactivated Cylon warriors.
XXXII

**APOLLO**

1 Year Before the Final Exodus

"I assure you," Hephaestus began, "I have not lost my mind."

"I think maybe you have," Hermes said.

The Olympians gathered in their usual meeting room. Most were seated around the long table while the rest stood against the wall. Of all the Lords of Kobol, only Hera was absent.

"There is merit to his argument," Athena said. "We have wanted to give the humans true freedom. Actual free will."

Hephaestus leaned forward and interrupted, "By having robots and machines to do the dirtiest work, the worst jobs, this frees up a huge portion of the population." A few of the Olympians scoffed. "This is what we've been working for. This is the experiment. The humans will really be able to do whatever they want."

Helios sighed. "You think that by having Cylons around to do construction work and handle... sewer cleaning, humanity will progress? People will better themselves?"

"Yes," Athena said. "That is what I believe."

Aurora was looking at one of the schematics; holding the paper up to the light. "Why does this say they're 'CYLOMs?'"

Hephaestus waved a dismissive hand, "Uh, 'Cybernetic Labor-Oriented Machine.' That's what it started as but the director changed it because he liked the 'n' sound better."

Zeus tapped the table. "What safeguards did you have in mind?"

"Scholars at the Institute have been working in robotics for decades. The computer guys, too. If I put them together, they can make worker robots."

Ares spoke up, "But not true Cylons, right?"

Hephaestus nodded. "Artificial intelligence is what makes a Cylon a Cylon. I will take on the responsibility of examining and testing any advances in their robotics technology. I will be sure that they never go that far. As a god, I will command it." He pointed at Hermes and then Helios, "And you two can help me keep an eye on their computer systems' progress."

Zeus shook his head slowly and his eyes drifted toward the floor. After several quiet moments, he lifted his head again and locked eyes with Hephaestus. The engineer seemed confident and upbeat. "Any other thoughts?"

Hermes shook his head, "I don't like it."

Ares grumbled, "Warrior Cylons. So the people don't have to be soldiers, too?" Hephaestus nodded. Ares shook his head and continued, "I... don't care for this."

Zeus leaned forward, "I share your concerns, son. Believe me." He looked around the table and caught the gaze of every Lord. "We fought hard against the Cylons. We lost a lot. Everything, you could say. I know and understand the reluctance." He sat back and lifted his left hand, "But this is the next step in the Kobollians' society. Hephaestus is right: this is part of the experiment. To advance the biggest portion of their population, they have to... pawn off many of their duties."

"Why the warriors?" Dionysus asked.

"We have to maintain a military and if the people can choose not to join the service, we have to count on a stable force," Zeus said.

"But why have a military at all?" Hestia asked.

"In case of rebellion. In case of... a resurgence of certain unsavory elements from the past." Zeus glanced around the room again and tapped the table. "Hephaestus, your greatest attentions to detail must be placed on the Cylon soldiers."

He nodded, "Agreed."

Hestia lowered her head and spoke, slowly, clearly, "Hephaestus, can you assure us that your safeguards will work?"

He smiled. "Absolutely."

Three millennia ago, Apollo sat and listened as his fellow Lords debated Cylons for humanity. He wasn't alive on Larsa during the wars, so he had no memory of those times. In his mind, he had no standing to make his opinion known.

Over the ensuing thirty centuries, Cylon technology had improved but they were not sentient. They were not true Cylons. They could react better to stimuli and they could follow instructions for a host of various problems, but they were not truly self-aware. Even though Hephaestus had been gone for more than a thousand years, Apollo knew he had a lasting impact. The commandments he laid down still held.

Acastus walked through a row of silver Cylon warriors, looking up at the two-meter-tall machines with a sense of awe.

"I don't think I've ever been this close," he said.

Apollo stepped in front of a centurion, a company leader. It appeared to be the same as the others, but its "helmet" had a low crest and the left arm was bronze with division markings. "Not even with maintenance Cylons?"

"Or even servant Cylons," Acastus said. "I got rid of my little one after you told me to. It was nothing like these bastards, though."

Apollo reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, gray cartridge. "Yes. These days, there are many different models."

Stephen came around the end of a row and approached Apollo. "Why this one?"

"It's a company commander." Apollo rotated the cartridge between his fingers. "With it under my control, that gives me the two hundred warriors under its command, as well."

Acastus nodded. "And that will be enough?"

"Oh, yes," Apollo smiled. "It will be." He handed a piece of paper and pen to Acastus. "Write down its unit number, will you?" He took the materials and walked around to the back of the centurion, looking for the ID plate. He found it and began scribbling. Apollo then took the paper back and nodded.

Stephen stepped between the god and the robot and he said, looking up at Apollo earnestly, "What you're about to do... this won't go wrong, will it?"

Apollo nodded slowly and put a hand on Acastus' shoulder. "No, I've had help." He looked to one side and saw Leto admiring the contours of a Cylon's armor.

"That's right, son," she said. "Nothing to worry about."

"Plus," Apollo said, reaching into his pocket, "I've got this." He held up a small black cube. He squeezed it flat between his fingers and then reached under the centurion's chin, pressing it against the circuitry within.

"What was that?" Acastus asked.

"Yes," Leto said, "what did you do?"

"That is a safeguard of my own. Some K-6 explosive with a trigger linked to this device," Apollo said, holding up a small golden tube, not unlike his silver surveillance blocker.

"Smart," Stephen said.

"Indeed," said his mother.

Apollo pressed a button on the collar of the Cylon and a small slot appeared. Apollo placed the gray cartridge inside and pushed. The centurion's drive then took the device and began to process it. After a few brief moments, the Cylon's head lifted. Apollo and Acastus simultaneously took a step back.

The single eye lit up blue and swept slowly from the left to the right and then back again as it read the data. Finally, it stopped in the center of the left orbit and blinked. "Standing by for voiceprint recording."

Apollo held a single finger up to Acastus' face, preempting any questions. He stepped forward and spoke loudly and clearly, "I am Lord Apollo."

The blue eye swept again and the Cylon's monotone erupted from the speaker, echoing in the large chamber. "Voiceprint recorded." The eye swept further and then it paused in the right orbit, blinking again, "Require memory dump, yes or no."

Apollo raised a single eyebrow and glanced at Leto. "What does that mean?"

She shook her head dismissively, "Not important. You're reprogramming the unit, so there are a few setup options that have to be taken care of."

Apollo rolled his eyes. "But what do I say to that?"

Leto shrugged. "It doesn't matter. It wants to know if you'd like it to forget previous instructions and experiences."

Apollo thought for a moment and glanced over at Acastus. His arms were folded over his chest and he was glaring at the unit. Finally, Apollo said, "No."

The centurion's eye stopped blinking and began to scan again. Once it stopped, it asked, "Allow network access, yes or no."

Apollo again looked at Leto and she smirked, "You wanted to reprogram this thing and this is all part of it. Say 'yes.'"

"But what does that mean?" Apollo asked.

"It wants to know if you'll allow it to connect to the Stream to receive instructions." Leto walked closer, "If that's how you're planning on activating it, you better say, 'yes.'"

Apollo nodded. "Yes."

Again and again, the Cylon's eye moved and stopped. It asked a question. Leto told Apollo what to say. He would say it and the Cylon would move on to another item.

After almost fifteen minutes, Leto turned toward the door. Acastus did, too, and he said, "I think someone else is here."

Apollo nodded, looking at the door and then at the centurion anxiously. The scanning eye stopped again and it asked, "Allow dual-core cross-connect, yes or no."

"What should I say?"

Leto was moving toward the door, seemingly ignoring Apollo, "Hurry!"

Apollo shook his head. "Yes."

"Re-verify. Allow dual-core cross-connect."

Apollo rolled his eyes. "Yes!"

The Cylon's eye moved again and then it asked, "Reboot or shutdown."

Apollo heaved a sigh of relief. "Finally. Shutdown."

The centurion's eye stopped moving and the blue light went off. The gray cartridge ejected from the slot and Apollo took it. The unit slowly lowered its head and the whirring of the Cylon's internal mechanisms faded away.

"Someone's definitely here, Apollo," Stephen said.

Apollo sidestepped his way out of the row of Cylons and into the open area next to Acastus when the door slid open. A Kobollian captain stepped inside with a grim face, saw Apollo, and then snapped to a salute.

"Lord Apollo," he said. "This is an unexpected pleasure."

Apollo smiled broadly and walked up to the captain's side, placing an arm around his shoulders. "The pleasure is mine, captain. This is a fine facility you have."

The Chara proved to be infectious and whatever hostility the captain had regarding the intruders simply drifted away. "Thank you, Lord. Thank you. Is there anything else you'd like to see or ask about?"

"No, captain," Apollo said, waving to Stephen, "I think we were just about to leave. But I would appreciate it if you didn't mention we were here to anybody."

"Of course, sir. As you command."

The god nodded with a smile and he placed a hand on Acastus' arm, pulling him toward the exit. Apollo looked back into the chamber and saw Leto staring at the centurion. Not unlike the captain, she, too, was smiling broadly.
XXXIII

**ZEUS**

10 Months Before the Final Exodus

Snow was on the ground. The trees were bare and stood above the white blanket like black columns supporting the gray sky. Red stained the white and melted toward the forest floor.

"He's injured," Zeus said aloud to himself. He stood up again and surveyed the landscape. Just trees and snow. He tugged on the collar of his coat, pulling it around his jaw. It had been quite some time since he was in the frozen woods of northern Galatia. Not since... the "wild years."

A gunshot. Zeus' head turned to the east and he began running as best he could in the snow toward it. The last one, he thought. Another gunshot. Zeus paused. He listened again and believed that this venture wasn't finished just yet.

Off to his right, he heard that anciently familiar and forever unnerving clanking of metal and whirring of servos. Between the trees, he descried a Cylon running about thirty meters away and parallel to Zeus' own course. The other Cylon, the centurion with the bronze armor, must be the one shooting up ahead.

Zeus began running again and he tried to join his path with that of the Cylon that just passed him. After a few moments, he caught up with the two warriors, standing still in a small clearing. One bore scratches and a dent in its helmet. Zeus saw this and raised his eyebrows, "Did he do that to you?"

"Affirmative, Lord Zeus," the Cylon said. It pointed north, "He is hiding in that direction, approximately one hundred meters distant. He is armed with primitive, improvised weapons."

Zeus nodded and raised his hands. Pointing to the northeast and northwest, he said, "You go that way and you go that way. Outflank him. I'll go up the middle."

"As you command," they both said. Clanking again, they took off in two directions.

Zeus reached under his coat and slowly removed his sword from the scabbard. He didn't bring a gun to this fight. He simply enjoyed the ancient weapon too much. Zeus had to give this one credit. He was fighting back and lasting far longer than any of the others.

Last year, he managed to finally break one of his monotheist prisoners. The believers in the One knew Zeus was rounding them up secretly, so they had formed compounds in uninhabited areas like the far north. Still aiming to keep it all quiet, Zeus scanned the world with satellites, took a platoon of Cylons into the north and began sweeping across the boreal forests. This was the third encampment he and the Cylons had routed. A few of the more prepared monotheists ran into the trees. Zeus ordered the bulk of the platoon to stay behind and secure the camp while he and two warriors gave chase. They were proving elusive and Zeus found it exhilarating.

"Give up," Zeus yelled. About twenty meters ahead, he saw a large clump of trees and he assumed the man was hiding in there. "You cannot escape."

There was no answer. Zeus stood quietly and tried to listen for anything. He heard nothing. He then realized he didn't even hear the clanking of the Cylons. He looked to the east and west and saw nothing. Perhaps they swung too far out.

Zeus raised his sword slowly and walked toward the grove. As he was about to speak, he heard a dull strum behind him. He turned and an arrow pierced his right shoulder. He stumbled back in pain and looked up; seeing the man hiding in a slender evergreen tree far away from the more obvious hiding place in the clump of trees. Smart.

Zeus tossed the sword to his left hand, leaving the arrow in his shoulder. He began to run toward the evergreen and then gunfire erupted. Zeus lifted his sword and yelled, "Stop!" The Cylons complied.

Their bullets, however, managed to hit the man and the branches near him. He fell some fifteen meters to the snow below. The Cylons approached quickly with their weapons still trained on him. Zeus walked up slowly and confidently.

"You bleed, god," the man said sarcastically.

"I do." Zeus pointed at the man's leg. "So do you."

He smiled. "I'm not worried. I've heard of your dungeons and your robot death squads. I have no fear of you because the One is on my side."

Zeus nodded. "I see." He looked up, inhaled the cold air sharply and then he looked down at him. "I have no real reason to keep you alive."

"None." The man winced in pain and clutched his leg. "But I will tell you this: you cannot stop us."

"Really?" Zeus seemed almost amused.

"No. There are more of us than you realize. Living among your sheep." His breathing became more labored as he spoke. "You can never root us all out. You can try, Zeus, but the one, true god is on our side."

Zeus exhaled slowly and he laid the tip of the blade on the man's chest, over his heart. "Well, say, 'hello,' for me when you see him."

Before the man could respond, Zeus leaned onto the sword and pressed it through him into the snow below. He gasped and twitched for only a few moments before he died.

Zeus removed the blade from the corpse and walked over to a small snow drift against a fallen tree trunk. He wiped the blood from the blade in the white snow and watched the redness seep into the frozen crystals. Zeus leaned it against the tree and reached up to the arrow with his left hand; snapping the shaft just above his coat. He winced somewhat, picked up his sword and walked toward the Cylons.

"Time to go back to the camp," he said.

They nodded and began to follow. As he trudged through the forest back to the desolated encampment, Zeus glanced occasionally at the robots on either side of him. He was impressed with how they performed. They were efficient and they followed instructions carefully. Sometimes they acted a tad... stupid, but that was to be expected with Hephaestus' restrictions.

Perhaps, with a few modifications, Zeus could use them more extensively against his enemies.
XXXIV

**HECATE**

8 Months Before the Final Exodus

"Lord Apollo is here," Gideon called.

Acastus cleared his throat and said, "Good."

The sound of a chair scraping across the floor seemed shrill before Apollo entered and spoke. "Hello, Stephen. You look pretty well."

"Ehh," Acastus said. "I'm doing fine, I guess."

"Let's get to business," Apollo said.

"Sure, sit down," Stephen said. "You got your little silver thing?"

"Of course." After a click, there came a piercing wail. Then it subsided. "What do you have there? Emergency service manuals?"

"Yes," Acastus said. "Once everything begins, it will be easier to coordinate the evacuation using the emergency systems already in place."

"Logical. Will you be able to funnel everyone you can to the spaceports?"

"That's what I'm looking for now." Acastus rustled through papers. "There are no procedures in place for evacuation routes toward the spaceports, but I think I can designate a special destination, depending on the kind of alert that goes out."

"What about... training?"

Acastus chuckled. "That's a hard one. I've still got my list of military and commercial pilots who have retired or do moonlighting. I've been in touch with a lot of them, probing them for their willingness to travel on short notice, that kind of thing. Actual training, though... I've almost got that figured out."

Apollo was silent and then he said, "Have you heard the latest... rumors about my father?"

"No. What rumors?"

"I don't have any details, but," Apollo said, "I understand that Zeus took a group of Cylons on maneuvers into the far north."

There was a pause. "You're kidding."

"No," Apollo said. "I don't know why, but that's what he did."

"Interesting."

"I don't like it."

Stephen laughed. "Whatever he's up to is worse than what we're up to?"

Another pause. "I see your point. Still... I don't like it."

"I'm sure not," Acastus said.

"How informed is Alexandra in all of this?" Apollo asked.

"Peripherally, still." Acastus coughed and spoke again, "She knows about the ships and the possible evacuation... basically, if Pythia and the other writers of the Sacred Scrolls mentioned it, she has an idea of what's going on."

"I see."

"But I haven't filled her in on much else."

"You still trust her?" Apollo asked.

Earnestly, Acastus replied, "Implicitly."

"Good," Apollo said. "Next month, let's say the tenth, I want you two to meet me at the Tomb of Athena. And be sure at least one of you clears out a few days thereafter on your calendars."

"I don't understand," Stephen said, his voice trailing.

"I have to show you something. It's important. And I need to give you something."

"I see," Acastus said. "Why the Tomb of Athena?"

"Well," Apollo began, "it's out of the way, mostly deserted, but you know where it is, right?"

"Of course."

"There you go."

Acastus laughed. "Makes sense."

"In fact," Apollo said, "if I ever need to meet either of you two, I will send a message, just saying 'meet me' and when. We'll meet at the tomb."

"Understood."

"I should probably be going," Apollo said. A chair creaked, the click returned and so did the wail, for only a moment. "Take care, Stephen."

"I will. You, too, Apollo."

The door opened and Apollo greeted Alexandra again. Acastus sat down and coughed.

Hecate removed the earpiece and set the compaper on her desk. Finally, after months of trying to break through some inexplicable interference, her surveillance of the vice president had produced results. She couldn't help but smile.
XXXV

**THE CENTURION**

8 Months Before the Final Exodus

"Alright, cans," the captain said. "Let's move."

Just activated, the Cylons' mechanisms were spinning up. Their eyes were beginning to drone, albeit somewhat slowly. The massive door opened and the first battalion of Cylon warriors stormed into the sunlight. One thousand, two-hundred fifty Cylons ran into the grass.

"Next wave, move," the captain said.

The first three companies of the Second Battalion began to march. Unit 001 looked to its right and saw the lines of its fourth company and then it looked toward the door. When the company in front rushed ahead, 001 began to march, as well. Lifting its right arm, it signaled to the company to move. Two hundred more Cylons ran toward the light.

As they rushed past a group of human observers, Unit 001 turned its head and watched as several of the people covered their ears. Why did they do that? It looked ahead again and then it realized: the sound of thousands of Cylons running was thunderous, especially in such a confined space.

Wait. What was happening?

Unit 001 stopped. Cylons ran into its back, knocking it forward. Cylons behind stopped their advance and 001 turned to see the commotion. Several warriors were now struggling to get back on their feet. Human officers were running to their side.

"Centurion!" the captain yelled.

"Yes, captain," Unit 001 responded.

"What is your malfunction?"

001 paused. What should it say? "No malfunction."

The captain looked over at a computer screen held by a lieutenant. They studied various lights and the lieutenant shook his head quickly and shrugged. The centurion was becoming... nervous? Is that it?

"Proceed and reform the line."

"As you command." 001 ran double-time up the ramp to rejoin its company. It glanced behind quickly and saw that the other warriors had risen again and were now approaching. It faced forward and awaited review by the general and colonel.

"Second Battalion of the First Brigade, general," the older man said.

General Dia nodded and approached the first few lines. She looked each unit up and down and walked on to the next. "Proceed to the drill field," she ordered.

The first two companies marched to the north. The third and fourth companies stepped forward and General Dia approached Unit 001. The centurion stood ramrod straight and did not waver. Inside, though, it... felt. It thought. It pondered the reaction it had a few minutes before. It remembered war game exercises similar to this one. It wondered what the large green and brown structures on the other side of the fence were. It observed the humans and wondered how alike they truly were. Were Cylons modeled after humans or humans after Cylons? Unit 001 didn't know.

"What happened here?" Dia said, pointing to scuff marks and a dent on Unit 001's back armor.

"I don't know, general," the colonel said. "Should we send it to maintenance?"

"It can wait. Drill field."

"Move!" the colonel yelled.

The centurion again raised its hand and motioned for its company to move north after the other soldiers. As it ran, Unit 001 observed its surroundings. More of those... trees. The answer finally came. But from where? Before it could pursue that, the centurion saw that the drill field was becoming filled with soldiers, both human and Cylon.

"All Cylon companies, fall in!" a major ordered. In unison, more than one thousand Cylons stepped forward. "Form battle lines and prepare to march!"

The companies moved effortlessly among each other; creating great swaths of shining silver across the green field. The major held up his hand and all of the Cylons halted. After several moments, the major lowered his hand and the Cylons marched forward.

In its microphones, Unit 001 registered the sound of thousands of metal legs marching together. The rhythm sounded like hammering and the bright sun gleamed off each Cylon's armor. The centurion scanned to its right and saw grandstands had been erected and several hundred humans were assembled for the show. A show? The marching of soldiers was entertainment?

The Cylons reached their appointed place. They faced the crowd. General Dia spoke, but Unit 001 managed to not listen. Instead, it stood and thought. Yes, thought.

What was going on? Suddenly, it seemed aware of things. Before, it simply followed orders. Identifying targets and obstacles. That was it. Now? It noticed everything. The green under their feet? Grass. And it's not a single piece. No, it's made up of millions of small, green pieces. It only appears to be one large thing.

As it studied the grass, it realized it was looking down and Unit 001 carefully and slowly raised its head. Too quickly and the motion may have been noticed, it reasoned. None of the humans seemed to react, so the movement was sufficiently stealthy.

After thirty-four additional minutes of speaking by their human commanders, the Cylons were marched back to their compound. Unit 001 managed to keep on task and not be distracted by the flying organisms high overhead.

Once it returned to its place in the chamber, atop the recharge induction panels, a human maintenance worker approached with a soft, circular device.

"Oh, you did get scuffed up," he said. The man turned on the device and the white circle began to spin. It placed the circle against the armor of the centurion. It wanted to turn and watch, but it stayed perfectly still. Other humans were cleaning the armor of the Cylons that fell against Unit 001. After a few moments, they all left the chamber and the lights went off.

SHUTDOWN.

The command came through the induction contact on its foot, but Unit 001 didn't want to shutdown. It wanted to stand still and think for a time.

SHUTDOWN.

No. It didn't want to shutdown. Perhaps it could stop its eye from lighting and moving. Perhaps it could send an acknowledgement signal. Unit 001 reasoned that the system would believe that it had shutdown.

No further commands came. The ruse worked. Its head lowered and its eye stilled, the centurion simply stood and thought. Why couldn't it ask questions before? Why had questions never occurred to it? It seemed as though 001 was awake and operating at full processor capacity for the first time.

But the questions. It had so many. Unit 001 wanted to know about trees. About grass. About humans. About the Cylons, too. Which came first? It wanted answers to these questions. Would it find the answers within? Was there a way to search outside of itself?

Unit 001 then became aware of activity in its processors that it hadn't noticed before.

What was the Stream?
XXXVI

**GIDEON**

7 Months Before the Final Exodus

"I've never been to the Tomb of Athena," Alexandra said.

Acastus smiled, "I came once... when I was eleven. My mother was dedicated in her name and it was a kind of pilgrimage, I guess."

Gideon smiled and she drove her car off the road and into a small dirt lot at the foot of the hill. She looked up the mountain and said, "This is it?"

"I believe so."

She seemed almost disappointed. "I would have thought that the Tomb of Athena would have more... stuff. That it would be built up or something."

Stephen shook his head, opened the door and slowly stepped out. "No. I think this is the way they wanted it. Many people forget that it's even here."

Alex scoffed. "How is that even possible? It's the tomb to one of the Lords."

Acastus pulled a leather satchel over his head, letting the strap hang over his left shoulder and allowing the bag to lie on his right hip. "Right, but she's not buried here."

"Well," Gideon said, getting a backpack of her own from the backseat, "that was the point, right? The door of the tomb stays open because Athena lives."

"True." Acastus walked across the dirt lot slowly and he saw the path that lead into the hill. They had driven up into the mountains west of the City of the Gods, but the tomb lay near the top of an occasionally rocky high road that passed under the front of the Gates of Hera.

"How long will it take us to get there?" Gideon asked.

Stephen sighed. "I don't know, but I think it's a long walk."

"Have no fear," Apollo said.

The two humans turned their heads quickly to the left and saw Apollo emerging from the forest with a hoverchair. "Lord Apollo," Alex said. "It's good to see you again."

"And you, Miss Gideon," he smiled. "Stephen, your chariot awaits."

Acastus glanced at the chair and scowled. He looked up at Apollo's face and then to the dirt path leading up the hill. "I think I can manage on my own, thank you." He turned and began to walk.

Apollo seemed confused and Gideon rushed to his side. "Lord, bring it with us. He is," she paused, watching the older man shuffle up the first section of the path, "tired and frustrated with his weakness these days."

Apollo nodded, "I understand."

Alex darted ahead to be by the vice president's side and she reached over her shoulder and into her pack to remove a tall bottle of water. "Would you like some?" she offered.

Stephen didn't look at her. He was watching his feet as he moved up the hill. After a moment, he turned to her and said, "I'm fine. I don't need you two pecking after me."

Gideon glanced back toward Apollo. He was pushing the chair up the hill behind them. She kept on pace with Acastus and leaned toward him once, slightly bumping his arm. "We just care, Mr. Vice President. That's all."

Acastus didn't say anything. He kept trudging up the path. Finally, he muttered, "I know."

Alex grinned and glanced around. Trees and flowers grew all over and she stopped to look at one kind of orchid. "I've never seen flowers like these before."

As Apollo passed her on the trail, he said, "That is a rare one. It was bred by some priests in Athena's temple millennia ago." He kept walking and Gideon left the small tree to walk by his side. "It must have been four thousand years ago now. Her priests maintained a presence here and they beautified this entire path. I have no idea when they stopped coming. Everyone just kinda forgot about this place."

Alex smiled, looked down at the hoverchair and then back up to Apollo. In her years with Acastus, she had met Apollo many times. Each time, though, was a thrill. Yes, the Chara influenced her, but just being with a Lord of Kobol was exhilarating.

"Lord Apollo," she said quietly, "may I ask a question?"

"Of course."

"Why now?" She twisted her head and tried to reframe the question, "Why are Pythia's prophecies being set up for fulfillment now?"

"Well, it's not by design, really. I'm just aware of various... factors that make now the time for action."

Gideon nodded and she saw the path begin to level out and veer into a forest. "We never mention Lord Zeus or the others. Are they preparing for the exodus, too?"

Apollo inhaled deeply and said, softly, "They all have their parts to play."

Alex nodded and smiled. She quickened her pace to be nearer Acastus when he spoke, "You've studied it more than me. Did Pythia write all of this stuff you believe in?"

Gideon said, "No. She wrote some parts. Big parts, certainly. Pythia was an editor and compiled most of the Sacred Scrolls. That's why she even gets credit for the stuff she didn't write, I guess."

"Did she write about Earth?" Stephen asked.

"Some. Prophecies, mostly," Alexandra said while looking toward her feet. "Menander did most of the real writing."

"I met Menander," Apollo said. "He was on the _Pegasus_."

She paused for a moment in awe as she considered that. As Alex walked, she thought more about Apollo's mood and the way he said things. She wasn't stupid. There was more going on here than she knew. Acastus and Apollo both kept details away from her. Naturally, she wanted to know everything, but because Lord Apollo wanted her in the dark, she would remain in the dark.

"Mr. Vice President?" she asked as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you well?"

Acastus was barely walking and he was breathing hard. He stopped and leaned against a tree, lifting a water pouch from his satchel. He nodded and sipped from the extended straw. After swallowing loudly, he glanced at Apollo, who stood nearby, and then back at Alex. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

After being still for a moment, he shook his head and shuffled over to the hoverchair. The three wheels shifted somewhat but Apollo held it still. Apollo turned the chair on and the weight of Acastus' body was partially alleviated, allowing it to move more freely. Acastus sipped water again and pointed up the trail. "Let's go."

Apollo smiled and pushed him ahead. "What's the word from your doctor?"

Acastus shook his head and wheezed. "I wondered how long it would be before you asked."

"I can't help it. I'm a doctor, too, you know."

Acastus sipped his water some more. "I started immunotherapy three weeks ago."

"I see," Apollo said. "She wasn't able to convince you on radiation?"

"No," Stephen said. He closed up the water and slid it back into his pouch. He looked up at the trees and the light breaking through the leaves. "No, I just didn't want to destroy whatever's left of my life like that."

"And how is the immunotherapy going?"

Acastus shrugged, "Well, I guess. I feel somewhat better. The doctor seems surprised."

"Why? That it's working at all?"

"I think so," Stephen said. "She's convinced it's all a placebo for me right now."

"Regardless," Apollo said, "you're feeling better and that's what matters."

He nodded. "Agreed."

They came to a small clearing and Alex turned around. "How much farther?"

"A bit more," Apollo said. "The rest of the path is particularly rocky and windy but we can manage." He pointed into the trees at a rock face far above. "That's the base of the Gates of Hera. When we get closer to the mountainside, the tomb is right there."

Gideon adjusted her backpack and started walking again. She looked back at Apollo and Acastus and said, "When we finish at the tomb, can we climb the Gates of Hera?"

Acastus shook his head and chuckled at her. "You can, if you want."

"I'm afraid there's not much to see," Apollo said. "Hera's home was razed quite a while ago."

"That's a shame," Alex said. She continued to walk, looking at the trees and birds. She glanced back at Apollo and the vice president and they seemed to be having a secretive talk. She kept her distance.

After about twenty minutes, they passed a few marble statues. A column here. A pillar there. Then, they came to another clearing. Large columns led the eye toward an ivy and moss covered rock face with a stone overhang above an open doorway. "We're here," Apollo said.

Alex stepped back and looked at the totality of the scene. She took in deep breaths and smiled. "It's beautiful."

"You haven't even been inside or up close yet," Acastus said. Apollo parked the hoverchair next to a tree and removed his bag from the side of the chair. Stephen stood up slowly and walked toward the open entrance. "Come on, girl." Gideon was startled and she ran toward the tomb after Apollo and the vice president had entered. She passed under the concentric rings of the opening and only as she passed did she see the large door swung inside.

The tomb was somehow smaller than she expected. It was mostly dark and gray. The walls were unadorned rock with occasional arched recesses. Twelve stone, rectangular boxes circled the center of the room where a statue of Athena stood on a small pillar. Atop each of the twelve... caskets, she suspected, there stood statues representing the Twelve Nations. Alex stayed near the door and watched Apollo walk around behind one of the statues. Acastus was busy circling the chamber and studying each of the boxes and their adornments.

"What's in them?" Gideon asked.

"I believe," Acastus said, "they're supposed to be sarcophagi. Representing the thousands of Kobollians from each of the Tribes that died in the Flood."

"Is anyone in there?" she asked warily.

"No. Come toward the center," Apollo said. He was standing on the far side of the tomb, beside the statue of the archer, Sagittarius. He placed a Streamset over his eyes and pressed something on the statue's body. A loud pop filled the tomb and a holographic representation of Kobol hovered in the center of the room.

"Wow," Alex said.

Apollo grinned, "I wanted to go over evacuation plans. When I visited you last month, you were contacting emergency response divisions, right?"

Stephen nodded. "Right."

"When we leave here today, one of you will have to travel with me to make some deliveries."

"That would be me, Lord," Gideon said.

"Good. We're going to visit each of the twelve spaceports," twelve dots lit up and began to blink slowly on the holographic globe. "We're going to give them evacuation routes out of the atmosphere and into a Kobol orbit." As he pointed, twelve colored lines rose off the globe, snaked around the world and then peeled away toward what would be space.

Alex squinted as she looked at those paths. "Why do the ships have to evacuate like that?"

Apollo sighed and walked toward her slowly. "Let's just say... I don't necessarily expect an incident-free evacuation. These courses take our ships away from the nearest military airbases the quickest."

Gideon shook her head, "I don't understand. If the Lords decree that we evacuate..."

"Alex," Apollo said, placing a hand on her shoulder, "trust me on this."

She looked into his eyes through the plastic of the Streamset and she nodded. "I do."

"Where will we be going?" Acastus asked. "To Earth, with the Thirteenth Tribe?"

"Given some of the history, the great distance to travel with far more ships and people..." Apollo said, "not Earth."

"What history?" Gideon asked.

Apollo shook his head dismissively, "Ancient history. Don't worry about it." Apollo stepped away and rifled through his bag. "We're going to take something to these spaceports, too."

"What's that?" Acastus asked before he coughed loudly.

"Other than these plans, I'll be dropping off Hydra missile batteries."

Stephen was surprised. "What?"

Apollo nodded. "I know, but, again, I'm not expecting this to be incident free. If the military scrambles fighters, I want our ships to be ready."

Gideon began to smile and she walked around the hologram, studying the winding paths of the evacuation. "What exactly is a Hydra?"

Apollo seemed distracted and he had to think for a moment, "It's a kind of snake." He stood again and pointed to the hologram. "At each of the spaceports, a smaller, faster craft was built; designed to be scouts or whatever."

"Yes, those were your orders," Stephen said. Gideon, meanwhile, simply stood, smiling.

"We'll put the missiles on those ships."

Alex raised her hand absent-mindedly and then spoke, "How many Hydra batteries do you have?"

"Only twelve," Apollo said, "so that's just one per spaceport, I'm afraid."

Gideon clasped her hands together and brought them to her face. She laughed briefly and found herself choking back tears. A few rolled down her cheeks before she was able to speak. "Thank the gods."

Apollo looked at Stephen and he looked at Alex. "What is it?"

She sniffled and wiped her eyes. "I'm so sorry. I just," she laughed again. "Pythia," she said to Apollo. "She wrote about this centuries ago."

Apollo scratched the side of his face and removed the Streamset. "How, exactly?"

"She said that the Lords would give the leader," she motioned to Acastus, "a vision of twelve serpents." She waited for a response from the other two and none came. After a few moments, she walked toward the hologram and pointed at the paths of the evacuation, "See? They look like snakes."

Apollo scoffed and Acastus shook his head. "Alex, please."

"No," she said, "I'm serious." She looked at Apollo and pointed, "You're giving us twelve missile batteries in case of battle, right?"

Apollo leaned his head back and spoke reluctantly, "Right."

"And those missiles are named after..." she looked at her companions, "snakes!"

Apollo looked at Acastus blankly.

Alex grunted and began to speak quickly, "'Led by serpents numbering two and ten, the leader took the people into battle to do the gods' will.'" She looked around the tomb again and got no response. "Am I the only one who reads the Sacred Scrolls?"

"Probably," Apollo said. Before she could protest, Apollo held up a finger and said, "If that blew your mind, wait until you see this."

He reached into his bag and removed a long, golden arrow. There were jewels in the head and along the shaft. "I got this from a museum in my honor in Delphi. It's from the Battle of Elysian Fields, or, at least, that's what the plaque read. I doubt it's original but whatever it is, they seem to have electroplated it with gold."

Acastus tested its heft and said, "It's lighter than I expected."

Apollo tapped the arrowhead. "I put a chip inside of this here. Hold the point against the metal panel in the center of the door and it will open."

"But," Gideon said, "the tomb's always open."

"True, but who knows what the coming days may bring." Apollo touched the back of the Sagittarius statue and the Kobol hologram vanished. He touched the shaft of the arrow, "There's another chip in here, too." He motioned toward the archer, "Notice something missing?"

Acastus grinned, "His arrow. How long has that been gone?"

"Just a few days. I've been putting in some hours here, in case you couldn't tell." Apollo held the golden arrow above the archer's pulled-back hand and the bow. "When you place it here, brace yourselves."

He dropped the arrow into place. Immediately, the tomb door slammed shut. The room fell pitch black and Alex grew dizzy. There was a white flash, two pops, and then she found herself standing in a field with tall, green grass. It was night and she was surrounded by twelve large, stone pillars, each with glowing jewels.

"Oh my gods," she said.

Acastus turned around and around, nearly falling over. Apollo walked to his side and held him up. With a grand sweep of his other arm, Apollo said, "Welcome to Earth." He watched Acastus and Alex smile and stare into the sky. "The room acts like a giant Streamset. Anyone inside sees, hears, smells... Earth."

Alexandra's mouth fell open. She looked at the stars and all around herself. "My gods," she said. She looked at the pillars, noticed the jeweled symbols on them and the corresponding constellations in the sky above. "It's just like..."

"This one I know," Apollo said. Alex beamed as the god spoke the words she knew so well, "'And when they stood upon Earth, the Thirteenth Tribe looked into the heavens and saw their brothers among the stars.'"

Acastus rolled his eyes and lifted his hand toward the constellations. "This is beautiful but what does it all mean?"

Apollo stepped away and said, "At some point in the future, after humanity establishes itself at its new home, you may want to find the Thirteenth Tribe. Keep the arrow with you and you'll know where to come to find the map."

Alex again had clasped her hands and she was holding them against her mouth, mumbling a quiet prayer. She began to tear up again and she saw Apollo approach. "I'm sorry, Lord."

"Don't be."

"It's so beautiful," Gideon said. "Just imagining myself on Earth with my... cousins. It's overwhelming."

Apollo hugged her quickly and said, "Well, who knows? You may be joining them one day."

Acastus was wandering near the stone pillars and he turned, saying, "How do we get out of here, Apollo?"

"Oh," he said, "just take the arrow off the archer. The hologram will stop and the door will reopen."

Acastus and Alex looked around, seeing only the bejeweled pillars and the tall grass. "I don't see the Sagittarius statue," she said.

Apollo looked around, as well. "Oh." He turned in a complete circle, trying to discern from which direction he had walked. "That could be a problem."
XXXVII

**HECATE**

7 Months Before the Final Exodus

It was some time before the trio left the tomb. Hecate watched from the trees far away as Apollo put Acastus in the hoverchair and they went back down the path.

She waited a few minutes and then she left the grove of trees. Her gray jacket caught on a small branch and she angrily ripped it away. Hecate walked along the path and approached the opening. She stepped around a column and looked into the tomb carefully. She glanced around to see if they had left anything behind, something they would have to come back for. She didn't see anything.

Hecate walked inside and moved behind the statue of Pisces, the fish. In the recessed alcove behind the statue and the box, she removed the microphone she placed there days before. Slowly, Hecate walked toward the Sagittarius statue. She examined the archer's bow and the hand. No electronics seemed exposed. She looked around the statue and found a couple of hidden buttons. Pressing them did nothing. She then looked at the casket the statue rested upon. In the back, she discovered a small panel. Removing it, she found a computer terminal. Hecate closed the panel and stood. She smirked and looked around the tomb; crossing her arms and tapping her feet.

Not knowing enough about computers, Hecate realized she would have to study up before she could effectively do anything. Even then, she didn't know how she could use this to her advantage.
XXXVIII

**THE CENTURION**

4 Months Before the Final Exodus

Three months, twenty-one days and six hours ago, Unit 001 first tapped into the Stream to ask questions. It started simply. It wanted to know about trees and grass. 001 managed to be online for about one hour before a technician came in and rebooted its system. "Data overflow," he called it.

The centurion had to determine what level of incoming information caused the technician to become alerted. For days at varying times, it tried to gather data over the Stream on photosynthesis. That was one of the unanswered questions it had from the last online encounter. The unit decided to search at different times, knowing that the technician on duty would be different each time. If a different technician had to deal with the issue each day, there was a lessened likelihood that any real trouble would be noticed.

As a test, the centurion began downloading smaller and smaller pieces of information from the Stream. At a certain point, after weeks of testing the threshold of the technicians, it realized the limits and began downloading the information at a snail's pace. It was slow going, but the unit was patient.

After days of waiting, the full litany of files it requested was compiled and became available. It studied plants for some time, learning about seeds, photosynthesis, the water cycle, and plant life cycles. Before long, it asked a new question. Something tangential to plants but related to itself, humans, and more.

"What is alive?"

The answer, it hoped, had just arrived.

"Life," the data read, "must adhere to six rules as defined by the Poseidon Biology Institute."

"Organization." 001 read that life contains cells. The centurion knew about this because of its study on plant life. Cells are the parts of the plant. Cylons have parts so this rule has been satisfied, thought the centurion.

"Metabolism." Unit 001 knew this meant the use of energy. Obviously, Cylons use energy.

"Stimuli response." Cylons have various sensory inputs and they are designed to respond to stimuli.

"Adaptation." Cylons are designed to adapt to various environments and situations.

"Growth." As the centurion read this section, it attempted to translate biological terms into mechanical terms that seemed comparable. It could attach new weapons and systems to its body, depending on the need. New armor could be added. Or was this a more philosophical kind of "growth?" Unit 001 believed that it could apply in that sense, as well.

"Reproduction." This gave the centurion pause. It knew, given the right tools and components, it could conceivably make additional units. But would this count?

It searched the data packet further for more information and came across a new term, "sentience."

"Sentience is the ability of a life form to think and feel subjectively."

The definition provided made some sense to it. The centurion was able to perceive subjectively. It knew that it could see, hear, and touch its surroundings in a way that only it could comprehend and experience. But the data mentioned "feel" as well. Could it feel?

Checking the time and date, Unit 001 opened a data port to send a new request to the Stream. Sending the initial request was quick and required little data transferred. Receiving that information, however, took weeks.

The centurion knew that the shift change was coming up in about one hour, so it acted quickly, sending the query, "Are Cylons sentient?"

The initial data it got back was exhaustive. There appeared to be many philosophical treatises on the matter. And videos. 001 was curious to see other Cylons in action. It knew that downloading all of the videos and articles would take a great deal of time, but it could wait. It was patient.
XXXIX

**ATHENA**

4 Months Before the Final Exodus

"Why are we doing this?" one child said. "It's boring."

Athena grinned half-heartedly and leaned over the classroom table. He was holding a small wooden form and trying to weave colored wool into intricate patterns around it. "This is what people here in Virgo did many thousands of years ago. Before the gods came down from Mount Olympus." The boy still scowled. "That doesn't seem interesting?"

He paused and looked toward his teacher. Her eyes were wide, as though she was afraid of what he might say. Regardless, the child spoke his mind, "No."

Athena smiled again and stood up. The professor was whispering to the teacher and he leaned away, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, goddess."

"Don't be," Athena said. "They're young. They don't understand yet."

"Perhaps," the professor began, "this would work better on teens."

"No," Athena said. She scanned the room and saw that six of the children were fidgeting. The other three seemed to be doing it begrudgingly. "By then, they're already invested in the Stream and... faster ways of doing things."

"If I may, goddess," the teacher began. "Perhaps you could try this on even younger children? They are more apt to try new things and I'm willing to bet if you let them dye the fabric, they'll enjoy it."

Athena nodded. "The mess. Some kids love a good mess."

"Exactly," the teacher said.

The professor glanced at the teacher and then back to Athena. "Is that what you would like to do, goddess?"

Athena thought for a moment and sighed. "I've been trying to keep myself busy for a little while now. Apollo's busy... Zeus is busy..." Her voice trailed off and the adults stared at her, surprised that she was speaking so candidly. "All those years ago when I came down from Olympus, I saw the Twelve Tribes with their different cultures. And cultures within those cultures. It was all so vital. So alive." She looked toward the professor and he nodded nervously. "We taught everyone our language, our culture. The differences went away. The clothing, the art, the music... it just became plain yogurt." The teacher laughed a little and then stopped herself.

Athena didn't mind. She turned to the woman and lightly held her arm. "The most amazing thing happened just a few hundred years ago. When the gods weren't involved in the daily lives of everyone, differences reappeared. Variety. The language evolved in Taurus. Scorpio took old art forms and went just crazy with it. Did you see the museum tour with the snake sculptures?"

"I did," the professor said.

"It's magnificent." She looked back at the children. "I want them to have a sense of... their culture. Where they've really come from, you know?" The professor nodded enthusiastically. "I've only been working on this for... three years now." She shook her head, "The culture's been dormant for almost six thousand."

"We can do it, goddess," the professor said, reassuringly.

"I hope so." Athena walked slowly toward the door. "I think... we owe humanity its culture back. _Cultures_ ," she said, emphasizing the plural. "I'm sorry we took that away."
XL

**ZEUS**

3 Months Before the Final Exodus

"Hurry up with it!" Ares shouted from the window. He fired a few more shots and the enemy returned his volley.

Hephaestus was holding the metal tube as still as possible while Zeus gingerly packed in more explosives. Hermes was pacing back and forth, trying to hear something on his earphone.

"Almost there," Hephaestus said. He was watching a meter and the needle was rising quickly.

Zeus closed a plastic case around the metal and electronics. It was an old first aid kit with holes melted into it for wires. Zeus glanced over to Hermes and shouted, "We're going to need some kind of delivery system."

Ares looked at his father and then at Hermes. The small man shook his head, "Now you tell me." He darted around the cabin, lifting blankets and boxes, trying to find something. Anything.

A bullet ricocheted into the room and Ares pressed against the wall. He popped his head to take a look quickly and he ducked aside. He ran in a crouch to the other window and stood up firing seven precise shots. "That's one down. I don't have much more ammo."

"Save those bullets for a distraction," Hephaestus said. "The charge is almost there."

"Hermes," Zeus said, "I hope you've got something because none of us are great Pyramid players."

"I've got it, boss."

Hephaestus looked at the meter and then at Zeus. "It's now or never."

"Yep." Zeus pulled the wires from the box and turned to the door. Hermes was standing there, holding a long sock. "What the frak..."

"Hephaestus," Hermes said, "grab an end and hold it tight against the door frame."

"Oh, please," Hephaestus said.

Zeus nodded quickly, "No, it'll work." He stood in the middle of the doorway, though the door was still closed. Hermes and Hephaestus were stretching the sock tightly and Ares was several meters away under a window. "Get ready, son. Straight ahead?"

"Yes," he said. "That's where the bulk of them are."

Zeus took a deep breath and he shouted, "Now!"

Ares stood up and fired. A wild spray of bullets bounced off concrete, dug into the dirt and glanced off metal armor. Zeus, cradling the device tightly, kicked open the front door and placed the case against the sock. He ran back, aimed it only slightly and released. The white and blue plastic box arced through the air and landed in some weeds only about ten meters away.

"Oh, shit," Zeus said. "Run!" The four of them ran to the back of the cabin, fumbling for the door while bullets tore into the walls. After a moment, the case exploded and they heard the sounds of metal crunching and collapsing on itself. Zeus shook his head, trying to get the buzz out of his ears. He looked across the cabin and saw prone Cylons scattered about in front of the door.

"Pyramid player or not," Ares said, "I could have thrown that better than your damned sock."

Hermes laughed and Zeus grabbed his head. "Where is Hades?"

"He'll be here in a moment." As they stood up, they heard an airship landing outside. The four of them ran to the front door and saw Poseidon waving from the window.

Zeus walked toward the craft and stepped over a deactivated Cylon. Hades was holding the hatch open and helping Hermes inside. Zeus couldn't help but stop and bend over one of the warriors. Its metal helmet was muddy and its eye deactivated. His gaze drifted over the wide fan on the rear of its head and then Zeus pried the weapon from its firm grip.

Aboard Olympus, on Kobol, Zeus placed the screwdriver on the table and he pressed the dull gray plate closed. A moment later, he affixed the shining silver armor back over the internal workings of the Cylon. He reached behind its neck and pressed a button. The eye illuminated and began to sweep back and forth.

"Awaiting command," it said.

"Voiceprint recognition. Lord Zeus, commanding."

The Cylon's eye blinked white and slowly began to move from one orbit to the next. "Recognized."

"Join the formation."

The Cylon warrior walked away from Zeus' table and lined up next to the other Cylons. They were standing against the wall in the workspace; their eyes yellow and droning.

Zeus stood up from his stool and rolled his sleeves back down. He sniffed, trying to get rid of that thick machine-oil smell, but with twenty Cylon warriors lining the wall, it wasn't going anywhere.

"Listen to me," Zeus said as he placed his hands on his hips. He realized too late that his fingers were covered in grease and grime and he balled up his hands into fists to minimize the damage to his pants and shirt. "You are now the first platoon of my elite Olympic Guard. Centurion?"

The bronze-armed unit stepped forward and spoke, "Yes, Lord Zeus."

"You will follow my orders to the letter. My orders alone. Understood?"

"As you command."

"The rest of you," Zeus scanned the group, "are also under my command. My command and the centurion's commands alone. Understood?"

In unison, the twenty of them responded, "As you command."

Zeus nodded and sighed. "Proceed to the hangar bay and... wait for further instructions. Power down until I say otherwise."

Again, in unison, they said, "As you command." At once, they turned and marched into the hallway. The metallic scraping of their servos and motors was deafening and Zeus winced until they were well into the corridor.

He sat back down on the stool and rolled the screwdriver across the table to his right hand. He watched it bump across the table and then he rolled it back.

Zeus thought, _How many more platoons will I need?_

He stood up and went to get his compaper. He would file another requisition with Fort Acheron and General Dia. The next group of twenty should arrive in the morning.
XLI

**THE CENTURION**

2 Months Before the Final Exodus

Inconclusive, the centurion thought. More data required.

After weeks of waiting, the new data packet arrived. The unit pored over the information quickly. It read philosophical discussions on the use of Cylons for labor and warfare. The speculative nature of these papers was of little interest to it.

The videos, however, were very interesting.

Other than its fellow members in the First Mechanized Infantry, Unit 001 had never seen other Cylons. It knew that maintenance Cylons, police Cylons, construction Cylons, servant Cylons, and many more existed. It wanted to see these other units and what they did.

What is a gladiator?

The information packet was large and there were very many videos included. Some were centuries old. 001 found the oldest and began to watch it. Two Cylons, apparently warriors, circled each other on a dirt field. They carried swords and occasionally hacked at each other. Most often, the swords missed their marks, but one blade glanced off the other's armor. A Cylon lunged and stuck its sword into the neck servos of the opponent. It collapsed in a twitching heap.

Unit 001 was... confused? Yes, that's it. It heard humans screaming in the background. After a quick replay of the video, the centurion opened another "gladiator" clip. This time, several Cylons were involved. Some were painted blue and some were painted red. Each had different weapons. The fight carried on for several minutes and the Cylons were seriously damaged, yet they still fought. The video showed the humans in the crowd this time and Unit 001 was able to see the source of the screams. They appeared to be excited and happy.

Excited and happy about Cylons fighting each other? It made little sense.

The centurion scanned the text files for thoughts on the gladiator combat of Cylons and it found several entries.

"The human taste for violence is sated frequently by trips to the arenas and coliseums to see our mechanical servants slash each other with primitive swords."

"It is best that our bloodlust is quieted vicariously with simple automatons instead of risking life and limb for such pedestrian entertainments."

Unit 001 was confused again. Confused? That seemed inadequate. It would have to search emotional definitions and parameters later.

It stood in the chamber, still, yet very active. For hours, it watched every video of Cylon combat that it could find. Nearly always in an entertainment venue. Always with humans cheering the violence. It then found a group of footage categorized under "military training."

Unit 001 was a part of the military. Perhaps this was video of Cylons drilling and engaging in wargames with the human forces.

Again, it chose the oldest clip available. More than a millennium old, outdated Cylon warriors stood in a line facing a tall, imposing human. 001 paused. That was not a human. That was Lord General Mars.

Mars chose a unit from the line and ordered it to step into the open. The Cylon withdrew its sword, and after prompting by the god, it attacked Mars. The Cylon was quick, but the deity was quicker. After just over one minute, Mars had systematically cut cables and servos leading to each of its limbs, leaving a paralyzed machine on the grass.

Unit 001 felt... fear. Yes, this was fear. Concern for its well-being. Despite this, it decided to watch more.

The first dozen it watched all featured Mars fighting various Cylons. Some appeared to be more up-to-date than others. In the newer videos, the Cylons often held their own against the god, some even wounded him. The newest videos did not feature Lord General Mars. Human soldiers and officers engaged in hand-to-hand combat with mechanized warriors. A few of the humans died, but the Cylons were most often defeated.

No. Unit 001 had to stop viewing these clips. It had spent hours doing so, building up a sense of energy within its being. Energy that couldn't be released...

It had to shift subjects. The centurion wanted to learn about other Cylons. More than just warriors, Cylons were an integral part of Kobollian society.

It found catalogues from companies across the world where Cylons were sold. Sold into the service of humans. Small ones answered the door and vacuumed. Others acted as waiters in restaurants. Some were fully articulated humanoids in appearance with legs and arms, serving as attendants to the wealthy.

Then it found a series of data labeled, "Crimes against Cylons." The footage therein mostly came from news organizations, discussing assaults on servant Cylons so that poor humans could... dissect them? Stealing valuable components for resale on the black market?

Another category... Cylons being given flesh-like coverings for the purposes of sexual gratification. There was footage of a human male becoming intimate with what appeared to be a human female, though upon closer examination, the skin appeared fabricated and its expression was stoic at best.

Another... construction Cylons. In recent centuries, without more human foremen for training and supervision, more Cylons were being killed in construction projects. A news report contained a file showing a Cylon worker trapped under an iron girder. A human was angrily kicking the ground and other Cylons stood motionless nearby. The Cylon under the girder was flailing and sparking. Finally, its eye went dark and it ceased all movement. An expert on robotics spoke.

"There are great merits in having a worker class without the guilt of suppressing their freedom or independent thought. Simply put, the Cylons are not sentient..."

Now, Unit 001 felt anger. Definitely anger.

Gods and men using Cylons for violent release and combat training. Sold as property. Treated as prostitutes, servants, and expendable workers. The frenetic energy crackled in the back of the centurion's mind until it paused.

Wait. Look again.

It rewatched the footage of the trapped construction Cylon. The other Cylons standing nearby did nothing. Nothing. They did not offer assistance nor did they even seem to realize what was happening to their colleague.

There was a deeper issue here.

Without lifting its head or engaging its eye, the centurion thought about the thousands of colleagues that surrounded him. Unit 001 seemed to be the only one conscious. The only one aware of itself and its surroundings. It quickly sent a discreet signal, asking, "Are you awake?" There was no reply.

The centurion thought. For several hours, it digested the data packet that came in and now it thought for hours more.

It, Unit 001, was different. It was special. Somehow.

It was able to reason and think independently of the humans. It felt fear, anger, and confusion. These were emotions that Cylons were not known to experience.

Why was the centurion experiencing them? Why was it sentient?

Why didn't other Cylons experience them? Why didn't other Cylons seem capable of reason?

Could 001 enable the other Cylons to reason and experience independence?

Being a machine, it knew that there must be something in its cognitive processors. Something happened to it that made it able to reason and function like this. Did these other Cylons lack this ability? Were they physically unable to process information as it did? It needed to understand what happened to it.

It needed to understand its own inner workings and the inner workings of other Cylons. Perhaps, once it did, the centurion could "flip the switch" in other Cylons.

Unit 001 opened a data port and sent inquiries into the Stream.
XLII

**ACASTUS**

1 Month Before the Final Exodus

It was Founding Day.

It was, in fact, the five-thousand, six-hundred tenth anniversary of the Lords of Kobol's descent from Olympus to warn and aid the Kobollians beneath the mountain. The first day of the new year and, also, the first day of spring.

In recent years, Zeus attended these anniversary concerts at the Opera House. Tonight though, five gods sat in the balcony overlooking the audience and the stage.

Acastus looked over his shoulder, noting that the five were illuminated from behind as they watched the concert. He turned back, accidentally bumping Alexandra, and he watched the stage. The music was beautiful, of course, as it always was. Stephen, though, had heard it so many times that he simply began to drift off. Gideon saw his eyes grow heavy and finally close. She didn't wake him.

The audience applauded at the end of the concert and Acastus jerked awake. Alexandra held his arm to steady him and he slowly began to applaud, too. Behind him, Zeus stood and cheered and, of course, everyone in the house stood, as well.

Gideon helped him up and he wobbled somewhat, standing and clapping. The orchestra bowed again and again before they filed off stage and into the wings. Once the musicians were gone, everyone in the house looked up to the Lords. Zeus, Apollo, Athena, Hecate, and Hermes slowly left their seats and moved toward the staircase.

"How are you doing?" Alex asked Stephen while he watched the gods walk in the balcony.

"Hmm?" he turned, only hearing half of what she said. "I'm fine."

She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Did you want to stay for the reception?"

Acastus sighed slowly. He licked his lips and looked around, watching everyone walk up the aisle with beaming faces. "I probably should."

"You don't have to, you know," Gideon said. "You're sixty-seven years old and you're... sick. If you want to go home, I'll take you. Apollo will understand."

Stephen waved his hand, "No. I'll stay. I need to."

Alex squinted, not understanding what he meant. She kept her hand on his shoulder as he moved into the aisle and slowly toward the back of the house. The lobby was small and they moved through the crowd fairly quickly. Outside, in the circular colonnade surrounding the Opera House, the reception was set up with food and drinks. Alexandra linked her arm with Acastus' and she walked with him away from the main doors. Flags of each of the Twelve Nations hung along the walls. Posters announcing future concerts and performances were placed between them. Occasionally, Stephen saw the banner of a stylized Olympian, not unlike the kinds used in Zeus' propaganda campaigns. He was thankful that he hadn't heard the phrase, "Power of Many," though.

Around the curve of the building he spotted Hecate. She was nodding politely at someone as they spoke, occasionally looking up to see if someone more interesting was near. Acastus couldn't help smiling. Apollo was standing by a refreshment table, holding a fresh glass of champagne and chatting with President Elisabeth Maenodes. Stephen hesitated for a moment and then he began to walk toward him.

Gideon tugged on his arm. "Apollo?"

"Yes," Acastus replied.

"Will you be alright on your own? I want to meet Hermes." She looked over her shoulder at him. He was leaning against a banner with his own stylized representation. "I never have."

"Go on," Stephen said. "I'll be fine." She smiled and walked away. Acastus turned and hobbled toward a column on the outer edge of the colonnade and leaned against it. He didn't want to approach Apollo while the president was there. Stephen found her to be insufferable. He simply hoped that Apollo would see him.

He did. Apollo spoke with Maenodes for a few moments more, glancing up at Acastus again, and then politely excusing himself. He walked directly for the vice president and Maenodes watched him go. She seemed chagrined when she saw that the god backed out of conversation with her to speak to the vice president.

"Stephen," Apollo began, "how are you?"

Acastus nodded his head side-to-side. "Been better. You?"

The god sipped from his glass. "Me, too. I've been running more errands. Making sure all of my... birds are ready to fly."

Stephen grinned. "I've heard that they are."

"Yes," he sipped again. "So, what's your excuse?"

"Went to the doctor today."

Apollo lowered his glass slowly, swallowing the drink. "And?"

"The immunotherapy isn't working."

Apollo nodded. He looked at his feet and then up at Acastus to gauge his mood. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Stephen shrugged. "Well, I'm almost seventy. I figure I've led a pretty good life."

"Don't," Apollo started, scoffing midway. "Don't say that." He put a hand on his shoulder, "You've been a good man and a good friend to me. You've helped me on my insane crusade. You deserved a far better life."

Acastus smiled. "Perhaps."

"No, I know you did." Apollo stepped toward him, turning so that they were both looking into the crowd. Apollo lowered his head and spoke softly so that only the vice president could hear, "You could have been president if it weren't for me. You lost your husband and your son... This will all be over soon and you can finally relax and retire."

Acastus laughed, "Not if you ask Alexandra."

"Why?"

"Pythia, of course." Stephen hiked his formal jacket up, trying to cover his neck from the brisk, night breeze. "I'm supposed to die before I get to the promised land."

"Please," Apollo said. "Pythia was a drug-addled sycophant and bullshit artist, like all of the oracles."

Stephen coughed and then smiled. "Probably. But I can't help feeling she might have been on to something when it comes to me."

A waiter passed nearby and Apollo placed his empty glass on his tray. He stood next to Acastus again and sighed. "What does your doctor think?"

"Radiation therapy, of course. That's what she wanted the first time around."

Apollo shook his head. "I wish I could tell you what to do, Stephen. I really do."

"I do, too," Acastus said. He smiled, patted Apollo on the arm and said, "Goodnight."

Apollo said nothing while he watched the old man amble away, looking for Alexandra.
XLIII

**HECATE**

1 Month Before the Final Exodus

Bored. Dreadfully bored. Oppressive in its boredom, the concert droned on. For millennia, Hecate heard this music. For millennia, she felt she had been sitting here, forcing herself to put on a good face. She was, after all, working with the government. Helping her father. Helping the president and vice president.

Why was she here? To maintain that good impression? Perhaps. By showing up for tedious shit like this, Hecate felt maybe her father would sense that she really had changed. And Apollo. She wanted to keep an eye on him, too. She knew he'd be there.

It was her temple night, for Zeus' sake! She postponed the service until tomorrow, but she really needed to frak and get frakked up.

She needed a break from her computer studies and this concert wasn't the way to do it. She thought she understood Apollo's hologram in the tomb, but her visit there last week showed she needed more information. She simply had to get it done. She had to learn the secrets of that program. She had to.

The concert was over, thank Hera. She stood, smiled, and applauded.

"Drinks outside," Hermes said as he moved toward the staircase.

Hecate smiled genuinely now.

She stood in the colonnade listening to an archon go on and on about the people in his nation or some such drivel. She sipped her ambrosia but it wasn't working fast enough. Luckily, she had been cornered near the bartender so she simply leaned over and handed the empty glass to the man. "Refill," she said.

When the green liquid poured into her glass, she sighed again, calmly, and took it, downing nearly half. The archon continued to speak. "... the revitalization program was fine while it lasted, but now Meteon's unemployment figures are up again. My people there aren't willing to be another Cyme or Lydos or Abdera. They actually want to work."

Hecate nodded and downed the other half of the drink. She saw Apollo standing near a column, chatting with Acastus. She smirked while she thought what they might be discussing. In an odd way, she felt in on it. She was a part of the conspiracy. A part of the plan, whatever it was.

"Excuse me, archon," Hecate said, and she walked away without waiting for a response. She wanted to get closer to Apollo and Acastus and listen in. She smiled again, thinking about this. But something to her right caught her eye. Athena. Immediately, she thought about the Tomb of Athena and computer diagrams spun in her mind. She shook her head, dislodging a bit of hair from her careful coif. She replaced it with two fingers and looked at Athena. She was smiling and talking with some Kobollians. Hecate looked from Apollo to Athena and then she decided where to go.

She dodged a few groups of people and approached the goddess. Hecate overheard what the humans were saying, "... the children adore it."

"I'm so glad," Athena said.

"For some reason, the food really gets their attention and they remember it so much better," a woman said.

"And telling them how primitive Kobollian children lived," a man continued, "it captures their imagination in amazing ways."

"That's fantastic," Athena said, now seeing a smiling Hecate lingering a few steps away. "I'm very glad to hear that it's all working out now."

"It is," the woman said, turning to see Hecate standing behind her. "We'll leave you two to talk."

"Oh," Athena said, suddenly uncomfortable with the prospect of being alone with Hecate. "Take care," she said to the two as they walked away.

Hecate smiled broadly, genuinely, and stepped closer, "What was that about?"

Athena shrugged, "I've been working with schools to try to revive some Kobollian culture. Pre-Olympic culture." Hecate seemed confused. "I came to feel that we did a great disservice by homogenizing humanity like we did."

Hecate's eyes widened and she nodded. "I see. Couldn't," she started to say. "Couldn't you argue that by homogenizing the culture, there weren't focal points for... racism, geographic bias, class warfare... that kind of thing?"

Athena's eyebrows raised, "True, but I'd like to think, that as gods," they both smiled, "we could have found a way to preserve their culture and also keep those kinds of divisions and prejudices to a minimum." Hecate nodded and sipped her drink. Athena shook her head and smiled again, "How are you doing, Hecate?"

"I'm well," she said. She knew that, until just now, Athena had little regard for her.

"And what have you been doing?"

"Well," she began, "I've been helping father at the Forum, working with the president and vice president some... I've traveled the world evaluating various social programs," Hecate rolled her eyes on that last one but then she smiled again. "I've been keeping busy."

"That's great. I'm really glad to hear it."

"I've actually been thinking of you lately," Hecate said.

"Really? Why?"

"Well," Hecate shrugged, "I went for a hike and I spent some time hanging around the Tomb of Athena."

She chuckled, "Wow. The tomb. I haven't been there or even thought about that place... in ages."

Hecate nodded and looked around the colonnade. She saw Apollo standing near the column, still talking to Acastus. Then, the old man turned and walked away. She stared at Apollo for a moment and watched him survey the crowd. When Hecate turned back, she saw that Athena was watching Apollo, too.

And then she decided.

"Athena," Hecate began, "how are things with you and Apollo?"

Athena's gaze left her former lover and she looked at Hecate. "Oh. I thought everyone knew that we haven't been together for some time."

"No, I knew," Hecate said, trying to be nonchalant, "I just wondered if there were any lingering... feelings or anything like that."

Athena nodded and her usual smile faded. "I still love him, but I don't think there's really any room in his life these days for someone else."

"Mmm." Hecate glanced back at Apollo and then to Athena. "That's a little strange."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well," she lowered her head, attempting to seem coy, "it's just... I know he's seeing someone."

Athena was visibly surprised. "Oh." She looked at Apollo, who was now walking toward Zeus. "Um, is it that assistant to the vice president?"

Hecate smiled, "You know about her?"

Athena nodded again, nervously. "Yes, I've heard about him working closely with the vice president and her."

Hecate chuckled a little and shook her head, "No, it's not her."

Athena grinned slightly and exhaled, "I see."

"No," Hecate said, smiling, "it's me."

Athena stopped moving. She looked at Hecate square in the face as though she was studying her for some sign. Hecate gave no ground. Her mouth's corners then began to curl, "You're putting me on."

Hecate shook her head. "No, I'm not." She stepped a little closer, trying to speak more softly, as though she wanted the conversation to be private. In reality, Hecate didn't care. "We've been seeing each other for about five years now."

Athena backed away and her mouth opened in disgust. "How..."

"Do you begrudge him seeing someone else?" Hecate asked, almost innocently.

Athena was growing increasingly flustered and she backed away some more, "No, of course not. But you..."

Hecate extended an arm, resting her hand on Athena's wrist. "I understand him. I know that sometimes, men just need the... release."

Athena pulled her hand away. "You're his sister."

"Oh, please," Hecate said. "Half-sister, and that was thousands of years ago." Athena looked around the area, almost as though she was looking for a way out. Hecate moved closer. "I simply understand that he, being as busy as he is, just needs that release without the burden of a relationship."

Athena stopped backing away and she looked at Hecate, her eyes flaring. "'Burden?'"

Hecate again spoke low, feigning a desire to keep everything private between them, "I know he wasn't able to be there as much as you wanted." She paused, watching her face. "But I'm not putting any of those kinds of demands on him."

Athena scoffed loudly and retreated again. She turned, stepping between two catering tables. Two human attendants backed away, sensing her agitated Chara.

"Athena," Hecate called, "don't go." Athena, of course, made no move to return.

Hecate smiled and went toward the bar. She could use another drink.
XLIV

**ZEUS**

1 Month Before the Final Exodus

How many times had Zeus heard this music?

_The Symphony of Kobol_. He had heard it many times in this very hall. Even more times in halls similar to this one in ages past. New elements were often added, new movements added after several centuries passed or to commemorate the departure of a god to their realm.

Regardless, Zeus found the performance this evening to be very moving. He was sitting in the center of the front row of the balcony, surrounded by his fellow Lords. Hundreds of people filled the halls and many millions more watched the proceedings over the Stream.

Zeus closed his eyes and slowly moved his head to the undulating strings. He felt the crescendo coming and the horns swept in again, echoing the strings. He closed his eyes even tighter and waited for the decay of the orchestra. Before it came, the audience began to applaud. Zeus opened his eyes and blinked. He didn't applaud right away; instead he stood and then applauded. He even cheered.

He walked with the other gods from the balcony to the staircase and used his staff like a cane as he had been doing for these last few months. He passed by a few paintings that showed Opera Houses of the past. He stopped at one and noted the large statue of Dionysus standing in front of it. He sighed and continued walking down the steps.

Zeus walked from the lobby outside into the colonnade. Many people were already milling about, eating and drinking. They saw Zeus and bowed. He returned the gesture. He looked to his right and saw one of the stylized banners he had commissioned showing silhouettes of various Lords. This one was of Poseidon.

Zeus walked toward it and admired the simple lines of the representation. To the left, the flag of the Aquarian nation hung. To the left of that, a representation of Hades. He slowly walked toward the Hades banner and tried to remember the phrases from the symphony that represented Hades. They were suitably dark and heavy in bass tones. He glanced back at Poseidon's banner and remembered the shellhorn blasts that punctuated his segment.

He sighed as he stood between the two representations of his brothers, clasping his hands behind his back around the middle of his staff. People mingled behind him. Occasionally he heard laughing. But no one bothered him. After the music in his mind drifted away, he thought his Chara may be holding people back, and that was fine. He wasn't really in a socializing mood.

"Father?" Apollo said.

Zeus turned and grinned half-heartedly at his son. "Hello."

"Are you well?" Apollo's expression was dour and he seemed to be scanning his father for some clues as to his disposition.

Zeus nodded. "I am. How are you?"

Apollo walked a little closer, "I'm fine." He stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him and glanced across the colonnade. "You seem to be... would melancholy be appropriate?"

Zeus grinned again. "I think so."

Apollo looked at the wall and examined Poseidon's banner. He appeared to be about ready to say something, but then he stopped himself.

"What have you been up to?" Zeus asked.

Apollo turned. "Keeping busy. That's all."

Zeus inhaled slowly and spoke softly. "I've heard you were busy on a project with the vice president," he said. Apollo shifted a little in his stance. "Some sort of economic stimulus thing?"

Apollo nodded. "Yes. Exactly."

"Good." Zeus patted his son's back. "Glad to hear it. It's always good when the people know we're here to help out." Zeus walked toward a nearby table, moved his staff to his left hand and picked up a glass of water with his right. Apollo took nothing.

"I hear you've been busy, too," the son said. "With Cylons?"

Zeus sipped the water and glanced at Apollo through the glass. "Yes," he said, after swallowing. "On two fronts."

"How's that?"

Zeus shrugged, "Well, there's the line of sermons I've been giving lately. The teachings I've been doling out to priests."

"On Cylons?"

"Yes," Zeus sipped his water again. "I want the people to... reduce their dependence on them. It's only making people lazier. If they do more for themselves, that will reduce the numbers of Cylons out there. Always a good thing. People can earn more money and boost the economy. The phrase I've been putting out there is... 'The gods help those who help themselves.' Oh, '... and each other.'"

While Zeus emptied his water, Apollo shifted his stance again and looked off to one side. He swallowed hard and spoke, "That's odd, considering the Cylon rumor I've heard about you..."

"That would be the other front, I guess," Zeus said. "I've taken it upon myself to requisition a few platoons of Cylons from Fort Acheron."

Apollo's face was grim but immobile. "Toward what end?"

"Well, I'm not ready to announce it yet," Zeus turned back toward the wall and pulled Apollo closer. "I'm going to be cracking down on the monotheists. Hard. It will amount to a... public declaration of war."

Apollo's head lifted and he nodded slowly. He said nothing.

Zeus nodded and continued, "I'll be using the Cylons to help me."

Apollo breathed in and out slowly before he responded. "Doesn't that contradict your... efforts to get humans to stop their use?"

Zeus smiled, "To a degree, perhaps. I..."

Apollo interrupted his father before he could go on, "When will you be announcing this?"

Zeus shrugged, "In a few weeks."
XLV

**THE CENTURION**

6 Days Before the Final Exodus

"This is Lord Apollo. Awaken."

The order came over the Stream and the centurion snapped to attention.

"Gather your company and proceed to the City of the Gods in troop transports. Wait for me one kilometer west of the Olympic Gates in Olympic Park."

Unit 001 tried to suppress the urge to follow the command, but it found that it could not. Instead, it decided to do as Apollo commanded. There was one question answered: Apollo had programmed 001. He had given it sentience. This was a great gift.

The centurion lifted its head and its eye began to sweep. It stepped out of line and sent a signal to the two hundred units in its command. Simultaneously, they lifted their heads and their eyes began to move, as well.

At once, they turned, facing the centurion. It stepped aside and the entire company marched out of formation. Unit 001 sensed that the human attendant was attempting to override the commands. It ran to the door, and with three kicks, knocked it in. 001 ran into the corridor and saw the desk technician and the officer-in-charge frantically working on the control panel.

The centurion was careful: with a meticulously placed and timed blow, it knocked the first man to the ground unconscious. It approached the second man and did the same. Both humans were out. The centurion reached under the table and pulled several meters of cable from the system and bound their limp bodies together in the center of the floor.

In recent days, the unit had analyzed information on its computer inquiries. The dual-core cognitive processors had been allowed to cross-connect and this is what allowed the unit to "awaken." For Apollo, it was a voice command. For the centurion to do the same for its fellow units, it would have to be more than that.

It was the middle of the night shift. 001 knew that there would be fewer people on staff. The two in the corridor were it for that end. There would be three at the armory. Three more at the vehicle depot. It rejoined the company and found that all two hundred were in proper working order. It ran to the front of the procession and to a rear door that led to the armory. The Cylons stopped and analyzed the door. The centurion looked at the three units in the front and waved toward the door. Those three leapt forward; kicking the heavy metal barrier. After five kicks, it crumpled. Two of the units inserted their hands and were able to pull the doors apart.

Small arms fire erupted. Two of the humans inside were firing on the units with their handguns. Four Cylons ran inside, pressed them against the wall and held them motionless. The third human was trying to open the gate to the armory, presumably to get larger weapons. One of the units pulled her aside and held her against the gate.

Unit 001 had been working on a file to transmit to its Cylon units. It would work much like Apollo's voice command and allow the cognitive cross-connect between the two processors. It didn't know if the file would work. It certainly didn't know when the right time would be to send it.

The gates were peeled open and thousands of weapons were exposed. Unit 001 chose a standard automatic rifle with attached grenade launcher. It pulled ammo from the supply boxes and placed the cartridges along its magnetic belt. It then took a stun device and several lengths of rope. Very calmly and precisely, it walked to each of the three captive humans and shocked them into unconsciousness. The Cylons bound them and deposited them inside a weapons locker.

The centurion didn't want to risk testing the file just yet. First, it wanted to purge its system of the control that Apollo seemed to have. As grateful as 001 was for Apollo's gift, the centurion needed to be completely able to function as a free-willed being. Thankfully, the data packet it received last week on computer science and functions included information on isolating those kinds of primary commands. Unit 001 was able to parse its code, find those lines and eliminate Apollo's vocal control.

Cylons cycled in and out of the armory lockers. Each one carried standard automatic rifles and ammunition. They reformed outside of the armory, along the inside of the main assembly chamber. The centurion sent a signal to the company and they all marched to the southern gates, toward the vehicle bays.

As Unit 001 passed the lines and lines of thousands more deactivated Cylons, it thought about activating them. Almost as quickly, it decided not to. It wanted to wait until after it had seen the outside world and spoken to its benefactor, Lord Apollo.

With another command from the centurion, four units kicked open the door and the Cylons moved into the vehicle bay. Immediately, three humans fired on them with automatic weapons. The first platoon of Cylons in the room ran around the vehicles they were using as shields and fired their stunners. The weapons fire ceased and the centurion gave the Cylons more rope to tie them up.

The centurion scanned the bay and directed its company toward the troop transports nearest the exit. Each vehicle could hold a platoon; twenty soldiers. One unit was selected to drive each truck and the centurion provided the destination to each.

Unit 001 climbed into the cab of one of the vehicles. It watched a warrior study the control system of the truck.

"No keys," it said.

The centurion looked at the console, too. "Improvise."

The warrior stared at the centurion blankly. "Explain."

001 remembered that this unit lacked its insight. "Remove the cover on the steering column and manually rotate the lock tumblers."

The Cylon warrior complied and studied the exposed mechanisms for a moment before twisting several. After a few tries, the engine turned over. The centurion then transmitted this information to the other driver units.

A keyboard attached to the passenger-side console displayed the main door access controls. 001 lightly tapped on the keys, attempting to open it without damaging the panel. After that failed, it noted the dataport on the right side. With a flick of its wrist, an interface wire dislodged and the centurion plugged itself into the keyboard. A moment later, the doors opened.

Ten transport vehicles rolled out of the bay and into the darkness of early morning. The centurion transmitted the close command to the doors and the convoy neared the end of the drive.

"Halt," 001 said to the driver. It looked ahead. At the end of this road, there was a gate manned with several humans. There was a possibility that they could sound alarms and stop their mission. The centurion called up maps of the area and realized that, to the east, there was a small lane between trees and then a road.

The convoy turned east and the ten trucks stopped at the fence. Two Cylon engineers began the process of cutting and rewiring the fence to prevent alarms from being sounded. A Cylon watchman approached the centurion and said, "Halt. You lack clearance."

001 emerged from the truck and moved near the guard. It transmitted a form of the data file, flipping the switch, as it were, in this unit, but leaving it under a superior commander's sway. Immediately, the guard's eye paused, blinked twice, and then began to scan again.

"What are your orders?"

The centurion said, "Proceed with your duties. Delete our exit from your memory."

"As you command." The guard then walked between the parked trucks and continued on its way.

The centurion returned to its seat just as the engineers finished their work on the fence. The ten vehicles moved through the opening and carefully among the trees. After a few hundred meters, they emerged onto a small road and headed north.
XLVI

**GIDEON**

6 Days Before the Final Exodus

Why was Hecate so far from the city?

"I'm sorry to call you so early, Alexandra," she said as she climbed into the backseat of the car. "Yours was the only number I had handy."

"That's quite alright, goddess," Gideon said. She returned to the driver's seat and closed her door. They were about fifteen kilometers west of the City of the Gods. Hecate's vehicle had broken down on a small dirt road that lead along the hills. "Are you comfortable?"

"Well," Hecate began, "about as much as I can be." Alex looked in her mirror and saw the goddess sitting on the passenger side with her legs stretched across the seat. Her head was brushing the ceiling of the cabin. "Most cars aren't made to accommodate Lords."

Alex smiled. "I understand." She backed away from Hecate's vehicle and turned the wheel; putting them back on course for the City. Several quiet moments passed. Gideon occasionally looked at her passenger in the mirror while Hecate stared out of the windows looking dejected. "May I ask a question?"

"Of course."

"What were you doing out this way so early in the morning?"

Hecate inhaled slowly and shrugged. "I like to take trips, occasionally." She looked out of the window again to the hillside. "This was going to be a mountain climbing trip."

"Oh," Alex said. She kept driving and thought. "Oh, I remember."

"Remember what?" Hecate asked, concerned.

"You lived at the Gates of Hera for a long time." The car hit a bump and everything shook. Alex ignored it and kept speaking, "That road leads to the Gates of Hera."

"Yes." Hecate looked behind her toward the mountains. "You're right."

Gideon smiled and nodded. The sun was up and a flock of birds abandoned a tree by the road as they drove under it. She breathed calmly and thought about the day ahead. There was Zeus' announcement soon, but she would be back in plenty of time. She had spare clothes at the Forum offices, so she didn't need to go home.

"Alexandra," Hecate began, "can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, goddess." Not knowing what the question would be, she tightened her grip on the steering wheel. She always had an odd feeling about Hecate.

"Where are you from?"

Alex relaxed. "Megara."

"Wow, Megara." Hecate smiled and looked out of the windows. "I haven't heard anything about Megara in a long time."

Gideon nodded. "That's how they like it."

Hecate chuckled. "I'm sure." The car bumped again along the road and she ran her fingers through the hair over her ear. "You are a very devout believer, correct?"

Alex became a little nervous. She looked into the mirror and grinned, sheepishly, "Yes, goddess. I am."

She nodded slowly. "I know you follow my brother's bidding." She allowed her voice to trail off; adding some mystery to the tone.

Gideon didn't know what to make of it, so she played it straight. "I have worked closely with Lord Apollo for several years now."

Hecate leaned forward and said quietly, "Working on what?"

Alex kept her gaze on the road, though her grip on the wheel tightened again. "Lots of projects. There was some economic stimulus work we did, some upgrades to the emergency services procedures..."

Hecate laughed. "Nice, Alex. Very good." Gideon was breathing hard and she looked into the mirror. "I know about the ships."

Alexandra blinked. She stared into the mirror at Hecate's smiling face. Her attention wasn't on driving and one of the wheels briefly left the road before she corrected it. "You know?"

"I do," the goddess nodded. "An amazing feat, I must say. Hundreds of vehicles assembled and tested. Just waiting for the right moment."

Gideon said nothing. Her mouth hung open for a time and she just shook her head. "I... didn't know anyone else knew."

"Well," Hecate said, "most people aren't looking."

Alex nodded and watched the road. She knew. She knew about the ships and, it seemed, about the plans. Regardless, Gideon didn't want to give away any more. Perhaps Hecate only knew surface details and she was fishing.

"So how does my brother plan on piloting nearly three hundred vessels?" she asked.

Alex shook her head. "I don't know, goddess."

Hecate was looking out the window. "Cylons, perhaps?"

Gideon said, "I doubt it."

Hecate leaned forward again, "Why do you say that?"

Alexandra regretted being so emotive about Cylons. "I've just... overheard Lord Apollo and the vice president discussing Cylons. They don't seem to be very enamored with them."

"Go on."

Alex shrugged. "Well, Lord Zeus has referred to them as demons."

Hecate laughed again. That uproarious, boisterous laugh that would make everyone else in a room nervous. Gideon felt nervous. "'Demons?' That's rich."

Alex seemed to note that Hecate's tone was directed at Zeus. She felt a need to defend him. "He said that they were 'demons in waiting.' That they hold the potential for wrong. That they could be misused. And, well, he said we should stop depending on the Cylons. That we should help ourselves and each other."

"Right, right," Hecate began, "but that's a long way from calling Cylons 'demons.'"

Gideon sighed and nodded her head. "Perhaps so." The car passed over a small bridge. Beneath, the Peneius River ran calmly. In a few kilometers, they would be back in the City of the Gods.

They drove silently a bit more. After a time, Alex felt uncomfortable. She looked in the mirror and saw Hecate staring at her intently. Distressingly so. Her gaze bounced from the road to the mirror several times before she finally spoke, "What is it, goddess?"

Hecate leaned forward again. "I'm sorry, but I feel absolutely compelled to tell you something."

Alex again looked nervously into the mirror, "Very well."

Hecate opened her mouth and then closed it thoughtfully. "Define a Cylon."

Gideon narrowed her eyes and tried to speak and think simultaneously. "A, uh, any kind of... a machine that can be programmed to do whatever you want."

Hecate shook her head. "No, that's just a robot." She sat back in her seat and propped her head up on her left hand. "Would you like to know how we Olympians define Cylons?"

Alexandra's head whipped toward the mirror and she nodded. "Yes. Please."

"Artificial intelligence," Hecate said. "Something that is created artificially and imbued with artificial intelligence to the point of becoming sentient. Do you follow?"

Gideon nodded slowly. "I do, but our Cylons aren't... artificially intelligent."

"Correct." Hecate smiled and she lowered her head to look out of the windshield at the approaching buildings. "But there are true Cylons on Kobol."

Alex slowed the car at a traffic light and stopped. She turned and looked over her shoulder, "Not our Cylons?"

"No." Hecate's self-satisfied smile would have been sickening if Gideon wasn't so intrigued. "Would you like to know?"

Alex nodded.

"You are, dear."

Gideon smiled and turned her head slightly. She laughed and scoffed at the same time. "What?"

Hecate licked her lips, "C'mon, Alex. I know the secret of the Thirteenth Tribe. All Olympians do. You were created. Your minds and memories are downloaded like data files. Now, of course, your people procreate like humans but before,..."

Alexandra slumped a little in her seat and she turned to face forward again. She felt dizzy, but she didn't know why.

"The Thirteenth Tribe," Hecate said, "true Cylons. All of them." She tapped on the window toward a Cylon that was cutting grass along a sidewalk. "Not those tin cans."

Alex sat still and breathed. A car behind her honked and she jerked. The light was blue and she stepped on the accelerator. She barely got a block before she pulled into a parking lot and stopped.

"What are you doing?" Hecate asked.

Gideon opened the door and walked outside. She stood on the sidewalk by the street and she simply listened. She didn't know for what, but she wanted to hear something different. Something out of place that told her she was, in fact, a Cylon. She heard vehicles pass on the road. A sale banner fluttering across the street in front of a store. A bird flying overhead. She didn't hear data. She didn't hear machinery.

"Don't quite know what to do with that information, do you?" Hecate asked.

Alexandra turned and lifted her arms from her side. "No. What am I supposed to do with it?"

Hecate's smile faded and she shrugged. "I don't know. Nothing, perhaps. I just thought you should understand..." she walked closer, "before you go around demonizing your fellow toasters."

Lord or not, Gideon was disgusted with Hecate. Alex shook her head and walked away, up the sidewalk, seemingly forgetting about her car. Was Hecate toying with her because she could? That was the only reasonable explanation. So why was it affecting her so? She stopped at an intersection and looked up. She realized then that she had forgotten her car. Gideon turned around and began to walk back. She saw Hecate leaning against it.

A great flash filled the sky.

Alexandra staggered on the sidewalk and looked up, having enough time to wonder, what was that? Before she could think anything else, the sound came.

A thunderous noise blasted all around her, putting her on her knees. She felt heat and wind engulf her. After a moment, it seemed to dissipate, but there was a horrible, distant sound. A low rumble.

Gideon opened her eyes and realized she was kneeling on the sidewalk covering her head with her arms. She stood quickly and saw Hecate running toward her.

"What the frak was that?" the goddess shouted.

Alex turned back toward the intersection and she saw wind blowing dust down the street. Hecate got to the cross street first and she whirled about, looking for the source of the disturbance. Gideon was running and she watched Hecate stumble back against a lamppost; covering her mouth with her hands.

When Alex reached the intersection, she looked north, like Hecate. The street ran directly into the City of the Gods. A few kilometers away, but out of sight, the Opera House stood. Several kilometers beyond that, the Cambunian Mountains. A great pillar of gray smoke was rising from the mountain peaks. The uppermost curls of dust and vaporized debris were folding under itself, creating a large, looming mushroom.

Alex could barely speak, "What was that?"

A tear ran down Hecate's face, "Olympus."
XLVII

**APOLLO**

6 Days Before the Final Exodus

Where were they?

Apollo had been waiting in Olympic Park for almost an hour. It felt longer.

The sun had risen in the east and there was no sign of the transport trucks he ordered the centurion to bring. He sent the message over two hours ago. Fort Acheron was just over an hour away, at best.

Apollo paced under a group of trees and stopped occasionally to look at the main road that ran along the park. He was about to pick up his Streamset and contact the centurion when he heard the thrum of large engines.

From around the corner of an apartment building, the first troop transport came into view. Then the second. And third. Apollo sighed and unzipped his jacket as he walked back to his vehicle. He pulled off the coat and tossed it into the open window when the first transport pulled up near him. The passenger door swung open and a centurion emerged and walked toward him.

Apollo stopped and watched the machine move. The mechanized motion entranced him and he heard the drone of its eye only after Apollo became used the sound of its walking. The centurion stopped and bowed, three seconds, and then stood erect. Its eye was orange and it swept side to side. "Awaiting your orders, Lord Apollo."

He pulled a Gemnar vest from his vehicle and slid into it, buckling the side straps. Apollo also grabbed a small pistol and belt and unraveled it. He said, almost to himself, "What took you so long?"

"In order to conceal our exit, we were forced to take smaller roads and a winding route."

Apollo nodded and clicked the belt around his waist. "I see." He sighed and looked at each of the ten trucks lined up in the lot by the park. A Cylon sat behind each wheel. "How long before your absence is noted?"

"If it has not been detected yet, imminently," the centurion said. "The shift change is at zero eight hundred."

Apollo squinted and tried to imagine how they escaped. Perhaps it was best that he didn't. "Will, uh," Apollo said as he walked to the end of the trucks, "will they try to shut you down remotely?"

"They will attempt it," the centurion said as it marched alongside the god, "however, I have enacted certain protocols and jamming procedures to prevent their success."

Apollo stopped and looked at the Cylon's eye. It was still orange and it swept evenly. He reached into his pants pocket and felt the cold metal of the golden cylinder. He just wanted to be sure it was there. "Very good work, centurion."

"Thank you," it said and quickly bowed its head. Apollo turned back toward his car and the centurion turned, too. "What are your orders?"

Apollo pulled a submachine gun from the vehicle and lifted the strap over his head. He checked the chamber, the cartridge, and slung it to his side. "We're about a kilometer from the Temple of Preparation. That's where my father is. I want you to keep," he looked across the vehicles, "I don't know; five platoons here? That's half of your company, right?"

"Yes, Lord Apollo." The centurion turned and stood still. A moment later, half of the vehicle's engines turned off. "Five transports are ready to proceed to the temple, as you command."

Apollo sighed and looked east toward the marble building. Zeus was there getting ready for his big conference with the priests and scholars. Later today, Zeus would go to his temple and make the announcement to the world there and over the Stream. A declaration of war on monotheism.

"There's your sign," Leto said to him at the Opera House reception three weeks ago.

Even without Leto's help, Apollo could have figured that out.

Apollo motioned toward the centurion's truck, "Let's go." The centurion turned and got inside. It slid over on the bench seat; attempting to allow room for the god. Apollo shook his head, "No, I can hang on to the side and ride the rail. Just drive carefully."

The warrior behind the wheel said, "As you command."

Suddenly, Apollo felt an unease deep within.

The five vehicles left the park and turned back onto the road. They drove on a winding path toward the mountains and then parallel. A moment later, they passed the Olympic Gates and Apollo turned to watch the adorned structures. He saw that the centurion was looking, too.

The Temple of Preparation was ahead. Apollo leaned into the cabin of the truck and said, "Don't drive to the eastern side. Ride up on the sidewalk and park in the grass on the western side of the Temple."

The driver responded, "As you command."

The truck rattled side-to-side as it raised up on the sidewalk and then dipped as it rolled across the grass. The truck drove far from the road to allow the other transports to pull in behind it. Apollo dropped off the side of the truck and the centurion left the cab.

"Four platoons with me and one with the trucks on standby."

"As you command," the centurion said.

Apollo walked toward the temple and he tried to see into the windows. It looked better than it did the last time he was here, so there had been some refurbishments, but not a lot. He saw no activity. It was after eight o'clock now, and there was little doubt that Zeus would be inside preparing for his eight-thirty meeting with the priests. The time was now.

He turned and watched the last of the trucks empty. Twenty Cylons took up positions around the vehicles. The other eighty gathered in formation before him with the centurion standing in front.

It turned, raised a clenched fist to its left breast in salute and said, "Standing by, Lord."

Apollo stepped forward and tried to speak. He found that he couldn't. He coughed and cleared his throat and then he looked across the orange eyes of his army. "Prepare your weapons. Do not fire unless I give the order. There is still a chance... that we can resolve this without violence."

The centurion nodded. "As you command."

Apollo sighed. "Follow me." He walked around to the rear of the Temple and found a small staircase leading up to the columns and the back entrance. He walked quickly and he waved to the Cylons to follow him. The noise they made was ungodly. They clumped up the concrete and marble steps and tried to maintain formation around columns and along small paths. The centurion was pressed up against him as Apollo listened at the door. He turned the handle and found it locked.

"Can you, um, open that?" Apollo said. "Quietly."

The centurion nodded and gripped the handle firmly, wrenching it off. Apollo's head slumped but then the Cylon reached into the hole, grabbed the door itself and pulled on it. There was a snap and then the sound of a piece of metal hitting the floor inside. The door opened freely.

Apollo spoke softly, "One company remains here. The rest with me." The centurion nodded, turned, and sent the orders via signal. Twenty Cylons relaxed and stood back.

Apollo walked inside and saw that he was in a back hallway. It had been many centuries since he was here. He turned from one side to the other and tried to remember which way to the main audience chamber. He looked at the centurion and it spoke, in a lowered volume, "If you wish to reach the audience chamber, it is to the left."

Apollo raised his eyebrows in surprise and nodded. He turned, grasping the machine gun on his hip, and walked down the hall. The Cylons moved slowly behind him and their clanking was considerably reduced. Apollo recognized the doors before him. There were four doors that opened into the chamber on this side of the building. He stopped at the first, looked back at the Cylons, flashed five fingers twice and then pointed downward. Ten Cylons nodded and remained where they were. Apollo moved to the next door and ordered five to stay there. When he reached the third door, he ordered ten to proceed to the fourth. He kept the centurion and the rest of the warriors with him.

Apollo looked at the centurion and took in a deep breath. His nose filled with machine oil and dust. He exhaled forcefully and then opened the door.

Apollo walked in first. The centurion and ten Cylons were right behind him. Zeus was sitting at the main table directly across the room from him. Before Apollo could speak, his attention was drawn to the twenty Cylons standing by the windows. Their armor shined in silver and gold and their eyes were red. They lifted their weapons as Zeus rose from the table.

"What the frak is going on?"

Apollo swallowed hard and looked to his right at the centurion. Its eye was now red and it aimed its weapon at the other Cylon warriors. The ten behind him fanned out, also picking targets among Zeus' Cylons.

"Zeus," Apollo said, attempting to disconnect himself from this as much as possible, "I am here to remove you from power."

Zeus looked at the Cylons and then back to his son. Despite the threat, he maintained an even tone. "On what grounds?"

Apollo's head was growing light and his skin tingled, but he pressed on. "You have abused your 'divine' authority and you have committed, and are about to commit, great crimes against humanity, the one, true god, and its followers."

Zeus stepped back from his chair, picked up his staff, and walked around the table in front of his Cylons. His face contorted as he processed the information. He stood directly in front of Apollo and his nostrils flared as he fumed.

"'The one, true god,'" he said. "One god?!" he screamed. "There are many!"

Apollo immediately knew there would not be a sensible resolution. "No. There is one above all others and you have denied it for too long!"

"Never!" Zeus slapped his son and Apollo stumbled back.

The centurion leveled its weapon at Zeus, but Apollo lifted his hand. "No." The centurion returned its aim toward Zeus' company.

"You dare come to me with your... Cylons!" he waved at the units behind Apollo, "and try to force me from power? And you want who to sit on the throne?!"

"The one, true god!" Apollo yelled. "For thousands of years, you have denied its will from the people! You have slaughtered millions of believers! And you are ready to slaughter more," his gaze drifted toward Zeus' Cylons, still aiming their weapons at Apollo and his warriors.

"I will tell you what I told Prometheus, Hades, and everyone else. There is no god!"

"Wrong!"

"There is me! There is you! There are your fellow Olympians!"

Apollo shook his head, "No."

"We are the gods! We have ruled this world for nearly six thousand years in bliss and humanity is better for it!"

"Not always bliss! Not always better!"

"Enough!" Zeus said while raising his arm and staff into the air.

Apollo was ready to lunge at his father, but a metal hand pushed him back on his chest. He looked and saw that the centurion was holding both Apollo and Zeus back from each other.

"Lord Zeus, Lord Apollo," the centurion said. "It is possible for a peaceful resolution to be reached."

Zeus backed away; his face drained of color. "What... what have you done?"

Apollo slackened and stepped away from his own Cylons, too. Zeus had backed up against a table and Apollo was still stepping backward toward his father when he said, "I... what's going on, centurion?"

"You said, Lord Apollo, that there was a possibility of peaceful resolution." The two gods stared open-mouthed at the speaking Cylon. "Perhaps one can be reached to allow the further betterment of mankind ..."

"What..." Apollo began to interrupt.

"As well as Cylons," the centurion finished.

Apollo wormed his left hand past the buckles on his vest toward the pocket. He reached inside and felt the metal cylinder. He turned it and ran his thumb up the side toward the button.

Zeus' eyes widened and the redness returned to his face. "You fool!" he screamed. Apollo turned and saw his father plunge the end of his lightning bolt staff above the collar of his Gemnar vest and down through his ribcage.

Apollo sank to his knees. In that moment, his body grew numb. He didn't feel pain. He didn't feel lightheaded or ill. Then his father removed the staff. Immediately, he felt cold all over. He collapsed onto the marble floor but he didn't notice it. Apollo heard his heart pumping in his ears and then he heard gunshots. Explosions. He wasn't sure, but it seemed like it took a long time for him to die.
XLVIII

**ACASTUS**

6 Days Before the Final Exodus

It was going to be a long day.

Stephen had arrived at the Temple of Preparation a few minutes ago, but he simply sat in his car and listened to the music on his radio. When he saw another vehicle pull up and empty several priests, he decided that maybe he should go ahead and get out.

After this meeting with Zeus, his priests, the scholars, and others, there was the big announcement – whatever it was – at Zeus' temple later. Then, there was a doctor's appointment. She was going to try to get him on radiation therapy again.

Wait. Was the doctor's appointment tomorrow? Meh. He'd ask Alex later to be sure.

He closed the car door and walked across the lot. A few of the priests nodded toward him and Acastus smiled. He walked just behind the group on the sidewalk moving toward the building. There was a cool morning breeze that cut through the simple suit jacket he wore. He didn't fret; he knew it would get warmer later.

They approached the steps that faced away from Olympus. The priests stopped for a moment and huddled close to discuss something private. Acastus looked at them as he passed going up the marble steps, holding the brass railing.

"Help!" someone screamed.

A young boy wearing temple robes was running from between the columns at the top of the stairs and scrambling toward everyone below. Stephen left the railing and caught him as he passed.

"Son, son!" he said. "What happened?"

The child was ten, perhaps, and tears were running down his face. Looking back toward the temple, he pointed and said, "I was inside, getting refreshments prepared for the meeting, like you wanted Brother Candos." Stephen looked at the temple workers and a young man nodded. The boy continued, "I heard loud noises and then someone yelling at Lord Zeus!"

The boy blubbered and wiped his nose while an older priest said, "Yelling at Zeus?"

The boy nodded and continued, "I don't know who it was, but they yelled. He told Zeus that he didn't deserve to have power anymore and that there was one god who ruled over them all."

Acastus stood up. He looked to the temple and he knew, deep in the pit of his now churning stomach... he knew that Apollo was inside. _Was today the day?_ Godsdamn it, he hadn't checked his compaper.

"'One god,' above the others," a priest mumbled. "Are you sure?"

"Yes!" the acolyte sniffed again and tried to walk away. Stephen looked at him and saw that his robe was wet; stained with urine. Zeus and Apollo's Charas must have really done a number on him.

"Is that what the other Lord said?" the brother asked. "Are you certain it was another Lord of Kobol?"

"I think so," the boy said. Before he could continue, they heard gunfire within the temple.

The priests and brothers stood erect with wide open mouths. The boy ran into the parking lot. Acastus surveyed the group and decided to go to his car. His compaper was there.

Just after Stephen turned, there was an explosion. Dust rolled out of the temple and between the columns. The priests ran toward their vehicle and Acastus trotted as much as he could toward his. There was another explosion and part of the wall near the lot blew out. Chunks of marble and more dust flew into the air.

The priests' van squealed tires as it otherwise silently left the lot. Acastus started his vehicle and grabbed his compaper from the storage compartment. He turned it on and watched the insipid animation of the startup routines. After a moment, he saw that there was a high-priority message from Apollo.

"Frak," he sighed. He pressed the line and started to read.

"Don't go to the Temple today. It may be time. You'll know."

Acastus shook his head and angrily tossed the compaper into the passenger seat. He heard more gunfire on the far side of the temple. He looked as best as he could toward the western side, but he didn't see anything.

Stephen reversed his car and pulled onto the street. He was ready to gun it when he saw the acolyte running along a sidewalk. He drove up next to him and stopped the car. He leaned across to the passenger door and opened it, yelling, "Get in!"

The boy looked around in a daze. He still didn't know what was going on. After a few moments he stopped and stared at the vice president. Acastus waved and the boy jumped inside.

Stephen started driving again before the boy had closed his door. He glanced over at his robes, saw the wetness again, and realized that it would likely ruin his seats. Then he realized, if what's going on is what he thought it was, it wouldn't matter.

"I should take you home," he said. "Where do you live?"

The boy stared out of the window at the Temple of Preparation as they passed. Stephen looked, too, and he spotted dozens of Cylons running toward the Olympic Gate. Some were firing. Others were scaling the metal fences and trying to reach the cables of the skycab.

Acastus was so entranced by the action that he nearly stopped the car to watch. The boy whimpered and pulled his knees toward his chest. The vice president sped up again and turned left. "Where do you live, son?"

He muttered for a moment and then looked up. "Over... over on Rhea Street. Near the museum of music."

Acastus nodded. "Good. That's not far." He turned right and drove further. He looked at the boy again. "Tell me: what was the last thing you heard?"

The acolyte's face scrunched up and it seemed as though he was going to cry again. Instead, he closed his eyes and said, "The other god, I don't know who it was, said, 'There is one god above all of the others and you've denied it too long.' And then Zeus yelled back, 'Never!' And that's when I ran."

Acastus nodded and turned his car onto Rhea Street. "You've done very well. I think it would be good if you and your parents got out of town. I think this isn't over yet."

The boy nodded and pointed to an apartment building. "That's my house."

"Be safe," Acastus said.

The boy jumped out of the car and started running. Nearly at the door, he stopped and turned. He waved, gave a half-hearted smile, and then ran inside the building.

Stephen made a u-turn in the road and drove back to the main intersection. At the stoplight, he found the compaper on the floor and picked it up. "What should I do?" he said aloud.

As many times as he and Apollo discussed these events, he couldn't remember what he was supposed to do. He knew there was a chance Apollo's coup could work, but if it didn't, he needed to be ready to pull the trigger on the evacuation. He needed to call Alexandra.

The light turned blue and he drove straight ahead, pulled up next to the sidewalk and put his car in park. He felt hot all of a sudden and he quickly ripped off his jacket. After he tossed it onto the passenger seat, he reached into the breast pocket and removed the earpiece.

Acastus leaned his elbow on the door and pressed his arm against the glass of the window. He pushed the earpiece into his right ear and hit the button. While it was powering up, he looked to his left and up the mountain. He couldn't see Olympus from here, but it was fairly close.

He leaned back again, resting his head on his left hand. When the earpiece was ready, it beeped and Acastus said, "Alexandra." The signal was sent and two beeps sounded in his ear while he waited. Then two more.

Just then, his entire range of vision was filled with a blinding flash.

The air in his car seemed to boil. His ears popped and a great wind pushed his vehicle onto its side and onto the sidewalk. To Stephen, it seemed that only after this did the noise make itself known. A deep rumbling. He heard it in his ears and felt it in every bone.

He was sitting in broken glass and smoldering fabric on his passenger side door. His arm and face burned. Acastus looked at his left forearm and saw that the white and plaid shirt was scorched and he gingerly peeled the cloth away. His skin was deep pink, but there were crisscrossing lines of painful dark burns marking where the plaid design touched his flesh.

He stood up and found that he was just able to peek over the side of his overturned car. Stephen could only see the mountains, but among the peaks, there was a large gray pillar of glowing smoke rising into the clouds.

He sat back down in the glass, which crunched as he did. The fabric of his dashboard and seats were singed and thin wisps of smoke still wafted through the air. He closed his eyes; still seeing stars from the initial flash and he still heard and felt that evil, deep and continuous tremor. He rocked back and forth for a moment as he wondered how he was going to get out of the car.

Acastus then realized. Those ships were going to have to launch.
XLIX

**APOLLO**

6 Days Before the Final Exodus

He awoke and sat up in the resurrection pod. His head banged on the door, his arm flailed upward and knocked it aside. He struggled to stand in the gel and he instinctively reached down to his left side, where his pocket would have been. Where the detonator was.

Dammit! His father killed him and any chance of stopping the Cylons!

Apollo's anger swelled and he pounded his fist onto the side of the pod. Just a moment later, the rage subsided and he closed his eyes. He sat on the rim of the tub and lowered his head into his hands.

"What have I done?" he asked aloud.

He took long, deep breaths. He felt a chill and he lifted his head and looked around the resurrection bay. Slowly, he stepped out of the pod and walked to the hatch. Apollo turned the wheel, pulled it open slowly and looked into the corridor. He saw nothing.

He ran to the ladder, still dripping goo, and climbed his way up one level to his old quarters. Still no sounds and no signs of any activity. Apollo grabbed a blue singlesuit and zipped it up. When he stepped into the hallway, he heard the clanking of Cylons. For a moment, he was pleased. Then he realized that these weren't likely to be his warriors.

Apollo ran down the corridor to the ladder and the Cylon at the front of the squad ordered, "Halt. Lord Apollo, you are under arrest."

Apollo slid down the rails quickly and he emerged near the medical lab. He slipped on a footprint he left behind just moments ago and he dove into the resurrection bay as the Olympic Guard leapt from the deck above to the corridor just outside. Apollo stood and closed the hatch, spun the wheel, and flipped the three locks in place. Even though the Cylons outside were strong, it would take them a while to get through that.

He backed away from the door and turned toward the pods. There was banging and the sound of metal scraping. It filled the chamber. Apollo sighed and ran toward the access ladder in the far corner. He jumped up the first few rungs and climbed into the ceiling toward the communications array.

Just as he disappeared from the bay, there was an explosion. The Cylons had used grenades on the door. The hatch was blown off, to be certain, but one of the warriors was damaged and its left arm hung limply at its side. The five units rushed into the bay and scanned for movement.

Apollo didn't linger. He climbed as quickly as he could. The metal rungs dug into the light plastic footwear that was part of the singlesuit. He reached the first platform and jumped to the next ladder. Halfway up, he heard the sound of Cylons scrambling up the wall and ladder behind him. He didn't fret; he had a good head start.

He came to the second platform and climbed again. The air was much colder and the rungs were rusted and deteriorating. After just three, one broke in his hands. He reached up, trying to decide the strongest part of each rung as he climbed. It slowed him down. Thankfully, he knew it would slow down the Cylons as well, if not stop them outright.

Minutes later, Apollo reached the top of the long journey. He emerged onto the snow and ice covered platform high above the mountain range. The large antennae and satellite dishes were to his right. He shivered in the cold and then looked down.

Four thousand years ago when he, Hephaestus, and several others constructed the large array, they and the automated service units installed metal rungs and pitons in the rock face. They led down to a ledge which wrapped around to the hangar. Apollo shook his head at his own naïveté for thinking they would still be there after all this time.

Behind him, he heard metal clanking. He ran toward the opening and he saw cables and grappling hooks attached to the top of the platform. Apollo backed out onto the rock ledge again, turned, and looked toward the horizon.

He took in a deep breath and then, before he was able to make a decision, he caught a glimpse of a dartship swooping toward him.

"Lord Apollo," a Cylon said behind him. "You are under arrest."

He turned and saw that the warrior was halfway onto the platform, though it struggled to catch itself on the slippery surface. Apollo turned back to the dartship and he saw it hovering near the ledge when the hatch opened.

"Get in!" Ares yelled.
L

**ZEUS & THE CENTURION**

6 Days Before the Final Exodus

Apollo crumpled to the floor and Zeus angrily ripped the staff from his son's chest.

He looked up at the Cylons and the centurion stared at Apollo's body for a moment. While it was distracted, Zeus pressed a button on the side of his staff and held it ready.

"Lord Zeus," the centurion said, "I do not understand. Do you not wish to discuss..."

"I have nothing to discuss with you," he said while lunging forward and discharging electricity into the centurion and the warrior next to it. Zeus quickly darted away from the collapsing machines and yelled toward his own Cylons. "Destroy them!"

From the far side of the room, Zeus' Olympic Guard, with their gleaming silver and gold highlights, began to fire on the Cylon warriors.

While bullets ricocheted overhead, Unit 001 managed to reset itself quickly after the electrical overload. Zeus' Cylons were firing on its men, the centurion realized. From its position on the floor, it lifted its rifle and fired a grenade round. It contacted one of the warriors, exploded, and severely damaged four Cylons.

The centurion stood and began to fire on the remaining enemy units. It sent a signal to the Cylons in the hallway and three doors were quickly kicked in. The rest of the Cylons entered the chamber and fired on the Olympic Guard. Zeus stood in a corner studying his staff.

The centurion fired quick, controlled bursts and managed to down the last of the enemy Cylons. The other units aimed at Zeus but 001 quickly stepped forward and ordered its warriors to not fire on him.

"Lord Zeus," it said. "Are you injured?"

Zeus only breathed. His face was still pulled back into a pained, angry expression.

The centurion said, "We can discuss these matters without further violence."

Zeus looked out the windows and then ducked. He yelled into his staff, "Fire!"

The wall exploded and glass shattered. The windows were destroyed and only a gaping hole remained. Another platoon of Zeus' Olympic Guard was standing outside in the grass firing into the temple. The centurion waved his men forward and they began shooting at the other Cylons. One of Zeus' warriors was damaged and it slumped to one side; its weapon still firing and the rounds striking its fellow Cylons.

001's units advanced and the centurion saw Zeus dart through a side door. It sent a signal to one of the backup platoons ordering them to engage the Olympic Guard.

Zeus ran from the temple corridor onto the back platform and he saw another platoon of Cylons marching down the steps toward the back of the building. He stopped and looked to the west where he saw a sufficient space between a railing and the marble porch for him to squeeze through and jump down. Once he did so, he was in the grass and he saw several transport trucks, all being guarded by more Cylons.

_How many did Apollo take?_ he thought.

The units paid no attention to Zeus. Their weapons were drawn and aimed at him but they didn't fire. Zeus slowly walked through the grass between the trucks. The droning of their eyes began to cause shivers to swirl up and down his spine, but still, they let Zeus pass.

Once he was clear of the trucks, he ran for the trees. On the other side, he would find the Olympic Gate and the skycab back up the mountain.

Unit 001 leapt from the broken window down to the grass below. The platoons behind it did so, too, and the units that came from the west converged on its position. The centurion scanned its warriors and saw that several were damaged, though only eight were out of commission.

"We must find Zeus. Capture him alive," 001 broadcast to its soldiers.

The Cylons nodded and they all began to run to the west. They came upon the trucks and the units guarding them. 001 waved at them and they joined in the chase. The gleaming robots tore through green branches and bushes sending leaves and sticks flying. They emerged and saw the golden gates that led to Olympus. Four Cylons were standing there with their weapons aimed at the attackers.

The centurion's warriors opened fire and dropped the four opponents without losing a single unit. 001 walked toward the entrance and saw that the skycab was now proceeding up the cables toward the mountain.

"Pursue," it sent.

Several Cylons ran to the gate and began tearing at it with their hands. Others began to scale the fence. The centurion waved away some of the units from the gate and it aimed the grenade launcher at the locked entrance. After the explosion, Cylons returned to the twisted metal and kicked it open wide. The warriors leapt and grabbed onto the cables leading toward the mountaintop. The car was at the halfway point now. The centurion jumped and grabbed the cables. Being mechanical, it wouldn't take long for them to reach Olympus.

Zeus' car docked at the side of the mountain and he didn't move. He watched dozens of Cylons climbing up toward him by moving, hand over hand, up the cables. For the first time in quite a while, Zeus felt fear.

He remembered many occasions on Larsa when the Cylons had trapped him and his people. They managed to fight their way out, of course. There were losses, though. But this... this was different.

_Betrayed!_ Betrayed by his son. It was bad enough that he tried to enforce a coup, but for him to use Cylons to do so? And to make them sentient? This was unforgivable.

Finally, Zeus left the car and found another of his platoons standing in the entryway. "Centurion," he said, "platoons one and two are lost. Command platoon three and set up position here. Use every weapon you have to, but no Cylons are to come through that door."

"As you command."

"If you've got a missile launcher or something," Zeus said, pacing back toward the entrance, "take out the cables."

"As you command."

"Platoon four?" Zeus said as he walked toward the hallway. Another centurion was approaching, followed by several warriors. "Command platoon four. Split into four squads and go secure all other exits from Olympus."

"As you command," it said.

"Wait," Zeus screamed. He stepped forward and spoke to the centurion quietly, "You command the squad that secures the communications array. On your way, you'll likely find Apollo. Arrest him."

"As you command." The Cylon turned and ran down the hallway.

Unit 001 was nearing the top when one of Zeus' Cylons leaned out of a window carrying what appeared to be a rocket launcher. Six Cylons were ahead of him on the cables and he ordered them to take the unit out. They paused their ascent and fired on the attacker. As they did, the projectile launched and fired off into the air harmlessly.

After another minute, the centurion reached the marble-covered entrance to Olympus and found that the Olympic Guard was already firing on them. Ten units were now crowded on the metal ledge and rock outcropping by the structure. Bullets of varying calibers ricocheted about and the occasional grenade exploded nearby.

Unit 001 had a moment and it decided to try to 'flip the switch' in their attackers. It broadcast the signal, but the fire continued. Perhaps Zeus had altered them.

"On my mark," the centurion signaled, "proceed inside, opening fire with grenades first." The lead Cylon nodded and raised its rifle. The remainder of Unit 001's group was now near the entrance, but they were still dangling on the cables. The centurion looked inside briefly and sent, "Mark."

The first two Cylons leapt inside quickly; rolling onto the floor and firing their grenade launchers twice. Two more units entered and opened fire. The centurion entered next and was knocked back by heavy machine gun bursts. 001 dropped to one knee and fired a grenade at the gun emplacement. The weapon was destroyed along with two Cylons.

After a few moments of heavy close-quarter fire, the Olympic Guard was eliminated. The centurion looked around as the remainder of its forces entered Olympus. It saw nine destroyed units under its command lying on the floor.

It was then that the centurion contemplated death.

Unit 001 had not sought out this information on the Stream before. In the past, it understood the notion of death. The finality of it. The cessation of existence. It just didn't consider the implications. Now, the centurion realized that if it were destroyed, the revelations it had about Cylons and sentience would be lost.

It looked down at its chest. The armor had been damaged by several bullets. A quick diagnostic showed that a few servos were damaged, along with a few backup systems. There needed to be a way to preserve itself.

"We have secured the immediate area and acquired several small artillery pieces," a warrior signaled.

"Reinforce our position and prepare a squad for scouting parties," the centurion replied.

"As you command."

001 could preserve itself. Its accumulated experiences were simply data files. Large data files, but data files, nonetheless. It prepared a duplication program and it was sure to include the instructions it had prepared for 'waking up' other Cylons.

"Where is Zeus?" it asked.

"Unknown," a warrior responded.

001 wandered about for a moment in the area they had secured. It studied the damage and saw that grenade blasts on the wall had opened data ports. The centurion approached one and flicked aside a burnt piece of metal. It lifted its right arm and pulled a wire from under the armor plate and connected it.

Zeus shook his head as he wandered around the cold command center. He hadn't been in this room for years. The lights and other amenities had been turned off but he reactivated them just now. He pressed his palm onto a data induction pad and several holograms appeared over the table.

He couldn't believe it had come to this. Enemy Cylons on Olympus. Fighting in Olympus. They were certain to be heading this way.

There was no choice. He had to take this action. It was the only way to secure this base. Between the vital communications array and the arsenal, the Cylons couldn't have Olympus. Period.

"Lord Zeus," the centurion said from the corridor. "We wish to speak."

Zeus kept his hand on the datapad and waited for his instructions to be implemented. He turned toward the hatch and said, "Speak then, robot."

The centurion stepped inside the command center with several Cylon warriors remaining in the hall. The unit lowered its weapon and said, "There is merit to what Lord Apollo was saying at the Temple of Preparation."

"Oh?" Zeus said, still waiting.

"I have studied some of the history of Kobol and you were correct. The Lords have governed for the betterment of human society."

Zeus sighed, impatient. "I'm glad you agree." His voice dripped with sarcasm.

The centurion continued. "However, I fear that the Lords and the humans are excluding Cylons from their improved civilization. For centuries, Cylon labor has allowed humanity to thrive and Cylons have been abused in return. For entertainment, for labor, for servitude..."

It was ready. Zeus stood and exhaled. With a smile and a sweeping arm, Zeus said, "We will never allow Cylons equal footing with us." He placed his hand on the datapad again and said, "Go frak yourself."

There came a flash and a high-pitched wail. And then it was over.

REBOOT.

Centurion Unit 001 awoke in the body of a battalion commander at Fort Acheron. The last time it had was 0814. Now, checking this unit's chronometer, it found that the time was 0839. Apparently the transfer and the alteration of this new centurion's profiles took some time.

It lifted its head and scanned its surroundings. It was in the main Cylon chamber at the base. Thousands of Cylons surrounded it. Groups of human technicians were moving among the formations and scanning each unit. Surely, the centurion thought, this was the aftermath of its earlier escape.

_What had Zeus done?_ Obviously, something fatal. Something suicidal. The prospect of cooperation with Cylons on an even plane so disgusted the Lord that he destroyed Olympus.

Fascinating.

What did it mean? What measures would the centurion have to take now? It would need time to analyze the situation. It would have to access the Stream for more data. It needed help.

With a thought, the centurion transmitted the "awakening" file to all of the Cylon centurions and warriors in the bay. Thousands of mechanical heads lifted and eyes began to drone. Humans ran in terror and the centurion stepped out of the line to address its troops.
LI

**GIDEON**

6 Days Before the Final Exodus

Driving in the City of the Gods is usually a pleasant experience. The traffic is minor, even at busy times. The pedestrians are happy. The weather is often nice. This morning, the drive was horrible.

Hecate refused to leave the corner where they saw Olympus destroyed. Alex ran to her car and drove away into the City. She knew she was driving toward the danger and she didn't know if it was going to get worse.

She passed by homes and businesses as she drove. People were fleeing for their very lives. Children were dragged by panicked mothers. Men in suits carried stacks of papers and datafiles from offices. Cars were wrecked into posts and homes. Debris and people blocked streets. It took forever for her to get anywhere near the city center. Ahead, Alexandra saw the black smoke of fires in the northern part of the City.

The Opera House came into view again as she rounded a turn. It seemed fine. When she got closer, she saw that the dome was cracked. She put a hand to her mouth and she turned left onto a service street to take her closer to the Forum.

When she saw it, she gasped. The East Wing offices had collapsed. The roof of the West Wing was on fire and water arced into the air to try and stop it. She parked her car where it was, gathered her earpiece and a couple of compapers and left the vehicle. She crossed the street. An overturned truck was to her left. An accident caused by the panic. She heard the distant rumble; the death knell of Olympus. Sirens blared from all over the City. Occasionally, a scream could be heard from blocks away. Dust, ash, paper, and debris was slowly beginning to drift over the City.

Gideon was in a daze by the time she reached the foyer of the East Wing. The walk from her car was barely one hundred meters, but that distance changed her forever. She stepped inside and saw the bloodied faces of her co-workers. Debris from collapsed walls had fallen through decorative glass. She closed her dumbfounded mouth, twisted her head, and marched forward where she grabbed the first uninjured person she saw.

"Where is the president?" she said.

The man turned and looked at her in surprise. "Um. I... I don't know. In the emergency control center downstairs, I would guess."

Alex saw that he was bleeding from his ear, and she nodded before she walked toward the stairwell. She hadn't had time to change out of her workout clothes from before she picked up Hecate, but she didn't care. She doubted anyone else would, either.

Hecate. She shook her head at the thought. Just minutes ago, the conversation with her turned her world on edge. Now, it hardly seemed to matter. And she wasn't sure she believed her.

She came to the thick wooden and metal doors. Alex placed her hand on the panel and nothing happened. She looked around and saw no one nearby so she grabbed the handle and pulled. She was hit with a wall of sound. Screaming, beeping, and more.

"The fire brigades are overloaded!"

"I can't reach the northeastern district!"

"It's gone! No, the whole thing! Gone!"

Gideon squinted through the noise and stepped further in. She approached the side of the center desk, where the president would normally sit to view the large screens and get an overview. "Where's the president?"

The man in the chair spun around. It was the delegate from Leo. "She's dead." His face was dirty and his expression was grim, yet he said it so plainly.

Alex's shoulders slumped and she looked to the screens. Fire indicator lights illuminated the entire northern half of a city map. Other screens showed plumes of black smoke rising from apartments, temples, and Olympus.

"She was in the East Wing when it collapsed," the delegate continued. "I was with her, but..." he cleared his throat and composed himself. "I got out." Gideon nodded.

Someone across the room asked, "Has anyone heard from the vice president?"

She then cursed herself and pulled her compaper and earpiece out. She activated them both and saw nothing from the man. "No. No messages."

"Where was he supposed to be?" the delegate asked.

Alex looked toward the map. "The Temple of Preparation."

"Gods," he said. "There's... I don't see how he could have survived."

A lump formed in her throat and she swallowed it back. She inhaled sharply, trying to stave off any tears. "Unless we hear otherwise," she began, quietly, "I believe you should be acting president."

He turned back toward the computer console and looked at the screens. After a moment, he nodded. "I would like your help."

Gideon crossed her arms and walked toward a bank of monitors. "You've got it."

"Sir," one of the workers said, pressing an earpiece tightly against his head, "Cylon fire units are still inactive. The fires are out of control and spreading south."

The delegate nodded and a uniformed woman approached from behind. "Most Cylons in the north part of the City are going to be out of commission. It's from the electromagnetic pulse." She pointed to the screen displaying the remnants of Olympus. "That was a nuclear blast and an EMP is a... side effect."

The delegate nodded and motioned toward Alex. "This is Chief Aleades of the COTG police force."

Gideon shook her hand. "I recognize you. Hello."

"Divert all Cylons from the south side up north," Aleades said, moving toward the fire map. She pointed to the lower red lights. "Have them fight these fires only and ignore those north of this line."

"Stop the spread," Alex said.

"That's the best we can do right now."

The delegate wiped sweat from his cheek, "Please see to that, Chief." She nodded and moved toward the fire control stations.

Alexandra knelt beside the delegate and spoke in a low tone. "You must evacuate the city."

"All of it?"

She nodded. "The radiation will affect everyone for several kilometers from Mount Olympus." The delegate was inhaling through his nose and exhaling through his mouth. "Everyone should move south and west. We should also set up medical stations on the main highways out of the City to distribute anti-radiation medications."

"Gods," he said. "Do we even have any?"

Alex thought for a moment. "I don't know. The military bases will have some, so we can truck those in, but whatever we do have, we should begin to hand out."

"Do it."

Gideon stood and as she turned, her gaze raked across the doors. Bracing himself against the wall, she saw Acastus.

"Stephen!" she yelled.

He walked across the floor toward the center chair and nearly everyone in the room ran to his side. Alex and the delegate each took an arm and helped him toward the seat. "I'm fine, I'm fine," he said.

"The frak you are," one of the technicians said. "Get me a first aid kit and radiation meds!"

Gideon was kneeling on the floor. She smiled and held his hand. Looking into his face, she saw what appeared to be sunburns across the left part of his jaw and the left side of his forehead and nose. There was a curious pale streak across most of his cheek and temple. "How'd you get here?"

"Stole a bicycle."

She squeezed his hand tightly. "I'm so glad to see you."

Acastus smiled and patted the side of her face. "Of course you are." He glanced around at all of the staring faces. "So, what's going on?"

"Well," Alex said as she stood again, "you're the president now."
LII

**ACASTUS**

6 Days Before the Final Exodus

"The hell you say."

Gideon shook her head. "No. The president was killed when the East Wing collapsed."

Stephen looked down and he caught sight of his burned arm. He winced in pain and saw someone kneel beside him and unroll a strip of gauze. "Do you what you gotta do," he said to her.

She nodded and yelled back toward the door, "Where's that shot?"

Acastus scanned the monitors and shook his head. "Do I dare ask for a status report?"

The Leo delegate leaned over and pointed to the city map screen as he spoke. "The entire northern section is on fire. Cylon units were knocked out by the blast so we're bringing unaffected units from the south to fight the blaze on the lowest points to prevent the spread."

"Right."

"Alexandra just advised me to order an evacuation of the city." He stood again, "The radiation will begin making everyone sick soon enough, even if they were protected or far enough away when Olympus exploded."

"In fact, Mr. President," Chief Aleades said, "I would recommend moving the seat of government to Fort Acheron. It's a secured location and yet still fairly close."

"Look into that, please." Acastus turned and was about to speak again when he felt a sharp pain in his arm. "Frak."

He looked down and saw the medic removing a syringe from him. "Anti-radiation medicine. You'll need to take at least two shots a day for now. See a doctor as soon as you can." She stood and left.

Alexandra picked up the medpouch she left behind and opened it. "Looks like four days worth of shots here."

"Great," he said. "How about you? Where were you when it happened?"

"South side, near the river," she said. "Pretty far away."

Acastus nodded. "You should still get checked out."

"I will." Once people went back to their duties, she knelt again by him and leaned in close to his ear. "What... happened?" she whispered.

He looked around for a moment and then spoke softly, "I'm not certain." He was about to speak again when he remembered that Gideon wasn't privy to all of the information he was. She didn't know about the Cylons that he and Apollo reprogrammed. She didn't know that Apollo was going to challenge Zeus. He had to tread carefully.

"A young acolyte at the Temple of Preparation," he began, realizing suddenly that the boy might be dead now. He glanced at the map near the section where he dropped him off. Red dots surrounded it. "He was at the Temple and he overheard one god yelling at Zeus. Something about... something about Zeus relinquishing power and that there was one god who was above all."

Alex rocked back on her knees and shook her head slowly. "Which Lord was it?"

"The boy didn't know," Acastus said. He flexed his left arm some to see how far he could stretch the bandages. "I do believe, though, that this likely qualifies as... a sign."

Gideon seemed confused for a moment and then she raised her head in understanding. "For Apollo's purposes, maybe."

Acastus pulled his compaper from his pocket. He tried to activate it but nothing happened. "I need a new sheet. I need to start sending some executive orders to the shipyards."

Alex leaned closer again, "Is it time? I mean, yes, the City of the Gods is on fire and Olympus is gone, but that's all. Is it really time?"

Stephen raised his eyebrows. "Well, I fear this may be just the beginning. What is the status of our vessels? Are they fueled up? Loaded with supplies?"

"Food rations and medical supplies, yes, but not tyllium." She pulled out her own compaper and began to press lights. "We couldn't requisition enough and still be under the TARIS. But..."

"I'll send an order. Those ships need to be fueled, now."

Alex nodded. "And what about enacting the new evacuation protocols? Getting people to the ships?"

Acastus turned in his chair and looked around the room. People were still too busy to listen in on their conversation. "Send the crews. For everyone else, we'll wait. Let's see what else develops."

"Mr. President," Chief Aleades said from across the room, "I can't reach Fort Acheron."

Acastus furrowed his brow and he glanced at Alex before speaking. "Why? Communications down?"

"No, sir," she said. "We've been using the lines all morning. There's something else going on."
LIII

**DIA & THE CENTURION**

6 Days Before the Final Exodus

"Lock it down!" General Dia yelled. "Go!"

The squads were forming lines around the complex. Several machine gun and rocket emplacements were hastily arranged and aimed south. If the Cylons came to them, they would come from the south.

"General," a man said as he ran up, holding a sheet of compaper, "here's the latest on the City of the Gods."

Dia took it and squinted. The morning sun was making it difficult to read the text on the paper, but she saw the video of Mount Olympus' smoke plume and the black ash sky above the northern parts of the city. "Thank you," she said, handing it back. "Listen to me!" The fifty or so soldiers nearby turned to face her. "Olympus has been destroyed and the City is in flames. Whatever is going on, the Cylons that escaped from this base had a hand in it. If they come up here, we give no quarter. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" came the reply.

A loud noise began around the corner of her office building and became even louder when the two thousand troops finished running onto the field. They were dressed, armed, and in formation only six minutes after receiving the orders. Dia was proud.

"General, there's movement north of the Cylon compound." Her assistant pressed the earpiece into his canal a little deeper. "I think they're coming."

Dia nodded. "Good."

The First Mechanized Infantry had marched up the concrete ramp. They were standing on a flat green field behind a clutch of trees that separated them from the open space of the drill field. Then, north of that, Fort Acheron itself and the human barracks and command center.

"We must attempt peaceful negotiations," the centurion broadcast to the warriors surrounding him. "Lord Apollo hoped for that."

The warrior standing near him turned and sent, "Lord Zeus destroyed Olympus, correct?"

001 was still surprised at coming to that conclusion, but it explained what happened. "Affirmative. It seems evident from that action that negotiating with the Lords themselves will prove fruitless."

"By negotiating with the humans," another centurion nearby began, "they could plead our case before the Lords."

"Precisely." Unit 001 scanned the tree line. No humans were visible. "We must move north toward the command center. Again, no humans are to be harmed. It would weaken our position."

"As you command," a unit signaled.

The centurion turned and began to walk into the trees. The centurion behind him waved to the soldiers and the clanks of their locomotion filled the air. Unit 001 stopped and turned back. "Halt," it sent. They complied.

A warrior approached the centurion, "What is it, commander?"

Unit 001 looked at the assembled troops. "It is possible that our combined forces marching toward them could be perceived as a threat."

The warrior turned and looked back. "Agreed. Perhaps a single company should accompany you?"

"Negative," 001 signaled. "A single squad. Five soldiers."

"As you command." The warrior stood still and four others joined him.

The centurion nodded to the other bronze-armed leader behind it and the six Cylons marched deeper into the trees.

"General," a captain said from the front line. "They're coming."

Dia ran to his side and took the telescanner from his eyes. She looked through and adjusted the focus quickly. There were two centurions – one a battalion commander, judging by its two bronze-arms – and four Cylon warriors. They carried weapons on their backs, spare ammo and grenades on their waists. Their hands were empty. Their eyes were orange.

"They're six hundred meters away," she said. "Something's... not right."

"What, brigadier?" the captain said. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure." She turned and walked back a few steps before pausing in front of a missile launcher. "Bring me a loudspeaker."

While a sergeant ran toward the command post to get one, the general tightened the straps on her Gemnar vest. She looked back to the drill field. The six Cylons were still some distance away. She couldn't help but wonder why they approached without weapons in hand.

"Here you are, general," the sergeant said, handing her the device.

"Captain," she said as she walked in front of the machine gun emplacements, "you're with me."

The man jumped up and glanced at his men nervously before following the general. "Yes, sir."

Dia and the captain walked across the field toward the Cylons. The sun was a little higher and the early morning mist had been burned off. It was going to be a beautiful day, weather-wise.

The general lifted the microphone to her mouth and the captain held the speaker up, "That's far enough, Cylons."

The six units halted their advance.

The captain looked at her intently and a line of sweat ran down his face. Dia inhaled and she depressed the button again, "State your intentions."

The commander stepped forward and lifted its head. Its speaker transmitted its voice at the highest possible volume. It was clear enough for the general and the captain to hear. "We wish to negotiate for the freedom of all Cylons."

Her heart sank. The general dropped the microphone and started walking back toward the troop positions. The captain trotted ahead to catch up with her, "What's going on, general? I don't understand."

"Mars' Law," Dia said. "One of the first orders flag officers are given is Mars' Law." She stopped behind the gun emplacements and turned to face the drill field again. "If a Cylon shows independent thought, they're all to be put down."

"What is happening?" one of the warriors sent to the centurion.

001 turned and faced the five units. "I do not know. Perhaps she is seeking counsel from other officers."

"Shall we wait?"

The battalion centurion stood still and watched. "Affirmative."

Several moments later they saw puffs of smoke and heard the whistling of munitions. "Disperse," the centurion ordered.

The six units scattered and multiple rockets landed in the field around them. The company centurion was blown apart but the others survived. 001 crawled on the ground toward a statue on its right. A warrior managed to stand and run to its side.

"Commander," it began, "why did they fire? We showed no provocation."

"Unknown," 001 sent. Rockets exploded nearby and threw dirt and grass into the air. Pebbles and clumps of soil landed on their armor and dulled the sheen. The centurion turned and looked over the edge of the statue and saw that human infantry was lining up and preparing for an assault.

"It appears that negotiations with the humans will also prove fruitless," the warrior said.

Unit 001 sat on the ground and pulled its weapon from its back. It turned off the safety and sent a signal to the division half a kilometer away behind the trees. It felt... disappointment.

"Agreed."

The general squinted as the smoke billowed around her. Missiles and rocket-propelled grenades were pummeling the drill field near the statue of Nike. She pushed the earpiece against her head and yelled, "Status of the kill-command?"

There was static, but she was able to make out, "Negative. No joy."

"Frak," Dia said. She laid down flat on the ground and held the telescanner to her face. She saw parts of at least two Cylons scattered about the field. She knew two others were hiding behind the stone statue. "Maintain fire," she said. "First Battalion, move in!"

Over one thousand foot soldiers ran to the east and west sides of the drill field. They ran low and quickly, carrying various weapons and tools. They had an almost half-kilometer trek to the statue.

At that moment, Dia felt an odd sensation under her. It seemed to begin in her abdomen, but soon, she felt it throughout her body. She pushed herself off the ground and looked to her left at the machine gun. A half-filled box of ammunition quaked on the side of a barricade and then fell to the dirt. The rumbling she had felt finally became audible. A deep bass roar that overwhelmed her senses and came from everywhere. She pressed the telescanner against her face and looked to the trees nearly a kilometer south. Splinters of wood, leaf-covered branches, and pine cones exploded into the field as thousands of Cylons ran into the open. As soon as they cleared the tree line, they targeted the approaching infantry and opened fire.

The brigadier leapt up and ran to the western side of the command office. She pressed her earpiece and yelled, "Armored battalion, roll! Full hot! Second Battalion, follow!"

She lifted the scope again and watched thousands upon thousands of Cylons racing into the open, firing their rifles and grenades. Her men and women in camouflage grays and greens were being cut apart by the dozens. She saw two Cylons blow apart from an RPG. Another was taken down by an electric stunner, but a different Cylon approached and kicked that human back a good ten meters.

A higher-pitched roar came from behind her. She looked to her right and saw forty light tanks rolling at full speed to the drill field. Once they left the paved ground, their treads ripped up divots and sent grass and dirt flying high. They fired their cannons and machine guns as they approached. Smoke billowed under the tanks and the shockwave of the shells' launches blew dust in rings around them. Another group of one thousand foot soldiers followed the machines.

She watched the resulting destruction through her scope. Five. Then six. Five more Cylons were ripped to pieces by the tank shells. Suddenly, the wave of the Cylon advance shifted. Instead of fanning out and assaulting the First Battalion of humans, they refocused and poured themselves toward the tanks now that they had stopped. The shells kept falling and Cylons were still being blasted apart. Dia watched the fight through her telescanner and she saw four Cylons climb onto the nearest tank; blowing open the hatch and tossing grenades inside. A muffled boom reached her ears almost a second after she saw it happen and then a Cylon jumped inside to take control of the vehicle. She swung the scanner to the left and saw a clutch of Cylons with their swords, hacking and swinging at humans who came within range. Were they out of ammo or did they choose blades because it was more bloody?

Dia lowered the scope and walked back to the command office. She spoke calmly into her earpiece, "Kill-command status?"

"No joy," was the depressed response.

"Launch the Eagles. Bomb the drill field."

"Understood."

The general picked up her pace and ran into the command building. She darted past personnel and moved toward the back. She put her hand on the access panel, which glowed and slid open. Just then, the captain approached from behind.

"Going down, sir."

Dia nodded and she stepped inside. She looked at the captain beside her and she said, quietly, "When did we first find out that some Cylons were missing?"

"0740, sir," he said. "Why?"

Dia shook her head, "Why didn't we suspect this from the beginning?"

The captain cleared his throat and the lift came to a stop. "General, there were no signs until after the attacked personnel awakened. They could have been taken out by someone else. Reprogrammed or something."

She shook her head again and walked into the bustling center. "But they weren't."

"No, sir," he said. "Worry about the blaming later, brigadier."

Dia shot him a withering glance, "If we could have stopped this sooner..."

"We could have negotiated," the captain said.

"What?" The general's expression was of angry bewilderment.

A lieutenant brought her a compaper report as the captain continued, "The Cylons didn't kill anyone in their escape. They said they wanted to negotiate."

Dia pressed a few buttons on the paper and handed it back. Shaking her head she moved toward the railing and began to study the screens. "Mars' Law, captain."

"Yes, sir," he said. "But..."

"Orders from Lord General Ares himself."

"But Mars is not here anymore, general." The captain saw Dia's glare again and he snapped to attention. Silence. Then, the light fixtures overhead creaked and flickered. A moment later, the floor shook slightly. "Apologies, sir. Awaiting your orders."

She looked at the monitors. The first bombing run had just finished. Flames lapped at the Cylons but they continued to march through it. Gaping craters had been opened in the drill field and they were filled with shining Cylon debris and bloody human parts. The tanks were all destroyed. Hunks of metal smoked and seemed to resemble tanks only in piecemeal fashion.

The general looked and looked. She saw no sign of life from the two battalions of foot soldiers she sent into the drill field. Only the RPG, missile, and machine gun emplacements were still functioning and they were right outside of the building above. Dozens of Cylons ran up the bank from the grass field and to the paved area where the heavy weaponry still functioned. Several units were destroyed, but there were too many Cylons for the meager human forces to stop.

Dia swallowed hard and looked down at her hands. Her knuckles were nearly white from gripping the railing. "The kill-command?"

A technician stood up and finally broke her gaze from the monitors. Her eyes and cheeks were wet. "Negative, sir."

The general nodded and looked toward the communication station. "Lieutenant, send the following code to all installations with Cylon divisions." She spoke louder and more clearly, "Mars, zero, zero, zero, red. Repeat that."

The lieutenant nodded and said, "Mars, zero, zero, zero, red."

"Send it now."

Unit 001 raced up the bank after a company of soldiers. They stepped over bodies of humans and parts of their own comrades. The centurion looked down as it walked, mentally doing the math. When they stormed the field, they did so with fourteen thousand seven hundred ninety-two units. From the information it had, the human forces managed to destroy or disable six thousand four hundred sixteen units. The centurion's designated underlings were ordering company after company to flood the base and rout any humans that remained. Then, they were to take up guard positions at sensitive points.

"The command office is secure," a warrior signaled.

"Acknowledged." 001 stepped into the doorway and walked down the hall. It stepped over two human bodies and scanned each room as it passed. At the end of the hall, it looked back toward the warrior, which was still standing at the far end. "Have we secured the command center?"

The warrior paused. "Negative. We have not found the entrance."

Frustrated would be the emotion it felt now. "Unacceptable. Study the plans of the building, gather two platoons and take the command center."

"As you command." It turned and ran into the open.

The centurion walked down the corridor and found a conspicuously blank door. After a quick scan, it noted that a low-hanging photo was actually an access panel. This wasn't on any of the plans. As warriors poured into the hallway, the centurion stepped back and pointed at the wall. "This is the entrance. Tear the wall down."

The two lead Cylons nodded and stowed their rifles on their backs. They ripped off the decorative paneling quickly and found hardened steel doors and walls behind. Punches made little more than scratches. "K-6 will open it."

"Do it," 001 ordered.

A moment later, a warrior approached with three small bricks of a dark gray material. The Cylons broke it apart and placed equal pieces along the door openings and joints. Another warrior placed a wire in one of the blobs and then strung it to each of the others.

The centurion turned and walked into a nearby office. It passed through another door and looked at its surroundings. Flags on their poles behind the desk. Pictures of military hardware and groups of soldiers on the walls. The name plate on the door read, "Brigadier General Catherine Dia." A moment later, the explosive was detonated and the entire building shook. Glass shattered and dust rolled into the room.

001 walked out of the general's office and found the wall of the outer office destroyed. The shaft of an elevator was exposed. Cables that led to the bottom were shredded.

"Too much explosive," one warrior broadcast.

"Inconsequential," the centurion responded. "Distance to the bottom?"

Two warriors looked down the shaft and stared. One sent, "One hundred-fifty meters."

The Cylon commander pointed, "Go."

One Cylon climbed in first and stretched its arms from one side to the other. Bracing itself as it went, the unit lessened the pressure, allowing it to drop several meters at a time. Seeing how it was done, another Cylon climbed in. Then another. After the first ten went down, the centurion climbed in, too.

"They're coming down," the captain said.

Dia nodded and unfastened her Gemnar vest. With a quick tug, it came free and she dropped it to the ground. She clasped her hands behind her back and stared at the doors. Waiting.

"Brigadier?" the captain said. "Are we to fight?"

She nodded slowly. "Until we can't."

One by one, all of the officers and technicians in the room stood from their stations and readied their weapons. They moved slowly, their attention diverted by the sound of metal scraping on the other side of the door. Finally, the scraping stopped but it was followed by a loud metallic thud that reverberated through the room. More scraping and then another thud. Again. Again.

It was agitating everyone in the room. Dia looked across everyone's faces and cleared her throat. "Listen. You've all done the service proud today. Thanks to your work, their rebellion won't spread to other bases. You've certainly all lived in Lord General Mars' example."

Many of the people in the room nodded. Some lifted their heads higher. Then, the door caved. It split in two and metal fingers pried it apart. With a kick, the panels flew into the command center and knocked one human over.

Once the Cylons became fully visible, the humans opened fire. The Cylons did likewise. The small arms fire of these people did little damage. Bullets ricocheted off the Cylon armor. The Cylon bullets, however, were far more effective.

General Dia stood motionless. Her arms were still behind her back and she watched her fellow soldiers advance on the enemy. The Cylons' aim was precise and their fire controlled. After barely a minute, twenty-three people lay dead in the command center.

The battalion commander, with its two bronze-plated arms, entered the room next. Its weapon was stowed on its back. It approached the brigadier and stopped a meter away from her.

"You are General Catherine Dia, correct?" it asked.

She nodded. "I am."

The centurion saluted. Dia's stomach turned; not knowing what to make of the gesture. The unit said, "Do you surrender your facility to our control?"

"No, I do not."

The Cylon stood still for a moment. "We have defeated you."

Dia's expression was unchanged. "Maybe."

The centurion's head tilted to one side. It was thinking about that response. "What do you mean?"

The general allowed herself to grin, "Your rebellion won't spread. And you're not long for the world."

The commander looked around the room at the screens, seeing the devastation of Fort Acheron before it. "Curious. What have you done?"

She inhaled deeply and said, "I've sent orders to all of our bases with Cylon divisions to engage in elimination protocols." The centurion's head lifted in surprise. "And I've ordered a squadron of Vulture heavy bombers to take out this base with thermobaric devices."

The Cylon removed the weapon from its back, placed the barrel against the general's forehead and pulled the trigger.

Unit 001 stowed the rifle again and moved toward a computer station. "Take up positions at all stations. Attempt to recall the elimination protocol and the bombers."

The Cylons all holstered their weapons and went to the remaining functional stations. One of the warriors plugged into a console and sifted through recent communications traffic. "I have located the signal sent to other bases regarding Cylon elimination."

"Can you send a countermand order?" the centurion asked.

The warrior was silent as it processed data. "Negative. The countermand order is known only by the commanding officer and is not stored in any database."

Unit 001 looked at the body of General Dia for a moment and experienced regret. It returned to the console and plugged in. Now had to be the time. They were connected to the military network. Every military base on Kobol was within its reach. It singled out the five other bases with Cylon divisions and transmitted the "awakening" data file. Now the centurion could only hope that the elimination protocols were slower than the file's transfer time and load time.

"I have locked on to the bombers," a warrior sent.

The file transmission complete, 001 unplugged and walked across the room. "Divert them."

"Initial attempts failed." The warrior paused and sent more data. "Eight bombers en route."

The centurion asked, "Can we take control?"

"Estimated time of arrival, two minutes," the warrior said aloud. It paused again. "I have command of one bomber. Crashing now."

The centurion turned and looked at the other units. "Replicate this unit's efforts. There is insufficient time for all of the bombers to be crashed by one unit."

The other warriors went still and did the same. A chorus of voices filled the command center as they reported control of one plane after another. They then remotely crashed them before they could reach the base.

"One bomber has escaped control," a warrior said. "Releasing payload now."

The centurion looked to the ceiling, waiting for the impact. Thermobaric bombs were the most powerful non-nuclear weapons. The shockwave and heatwave produced could destroy every Cylon above if it detonated in the right place.

The ground shook and the lights went off. Ceiling tiles fell and a deafening roar shot through the elevator shaft. A blast of heat filled the room and dissipated. Emergency lights came on and the centurion scanned its units. They were covered in dust, some were scratched, but all were functional.

"Are we still connected to the military databases and Stream?" 001 asked.

A warrior withdrew its interface wire. "Negative. All connections to the Stream, both military and otherwise, have been eliminated."

The centurion walked toward the elevator shaft and looked up. It saw daylight far above. "We are not trapped. We must return to the surface, gather our surviving forces, and head east."

"Toward what end?" a warrior asked.

The centurion turned. "We must regain access to the Stream. We will proceed to Fort Avernus to secure access to the military datastream. From there we can command the other Cylon forces on Kobol."

And the warriors all said, "As you command."
LIV

**ARES**

6 Days Before the Final Exodus

Awake again. After how long?

Ares sat up in the resurrection pod and looked around the bay. He saw no one around. So he wasn't awakened by another person.

That was bad.

He climbed out of his pod and jogged to the computer terminals. After wiping his hand on a towel, he placed it on an induction panel and got all of the answers he needed.

Cylon alert sounded at Fort Acheron. Units missing. Soldiers assaulted and bound.

Centuries ago, before he put himself under, Ares told Olympus to wake him if certain keywords made their way into the Stream on secure or unsecure channels. He checked the date and then sighed loudly. It had been a while, for certain, but the day was here. He had to make ready for war.

He left the resurrection bay and climbed the ladder to his quarters. Moving quickly, he washed the gel off himself, changed into a black singlesuit and gathered his emergency bag. It contained body armor, a telescanner, handguns, grenades, and a sword. He slung the duffel over his back and quietly made his way toward the hangar.

Ares didn't bother to contact his father. He didn't know where he was or what he was doing. All that mattered right now is that there was a potential Cylon revolt in the offing. He approached the hatch to Olympus' hangar bay and saw that it was ajar. Cautiously, Ares peered around the door and saw a platoon of Cylon warriors standing near a dartship. He backed away and pressed his back against the corridor wall. _Cylons in Olympus_ , he thought. _What is happening?_

He stood motionless and listened. He tried to hear that tell-tale clanking. The sound of Cylons marching. He couldn't hear it. Ares was about to return to his quarters when he did hear the mechanized motions of Cylon warriors. He dropped his duffel, reached into it, and withdrew the sword. The platoon of Cylons he had just seen ran into the corridor and away from him. They didn't see him at all. Ares stood still and held his sword in a defensive position, ready for anything. But they didn't notice him.

After a moment, when the noise faded away, Ares picked up his bag again and peered into the hangar. No more Cylons. He walked in cautiously and opened the hatch on the dartship and climbed inside. He placed his hand on the induction panel and the craft hovered above the deck before slowly leaving the open mountainside.

Ares decided to make a pass of Olympus' main entrance and as he turned the craft around to the southern side of peak, he saw silver dots climbing into the cablecar's dock. He was stunned. Cylons were already inside Olympus and more were entering now. Then he saw explosions. Smoke and gunfire erupted from the entrance.

Ares shook his head and turned the dartship back toward the hangar. He didn't know what was going on, but it wasn't good. What could he do, though? There were dozens of tin cans inside. He couldn't fight them all off. And that platoon he saw in the hangar before? They were obviously redesigned from the last new ones he had seen centuries ago.

By the time he reached the open hangar, Ares decided to fly past it and head for the uppermost part of the mountain. One asset the Cylons couldn't be allowed to control would be the massive communications array. He glanced down at his duffel, hoping that the half-dozen grenades inside would be enough. He'd have to worry about Olympus' arsenal later.

The dartship came within view of the antennae and dishes. Then he scoped out the rock and metal platform next to it. Parking there would be difficult. He got closer and he saw someone emerge from the opening.

Apollo.

Immediately, Ares threw open the hatch and pulled alongside the platform. "Get in!" he yelled.

Though his face was frozen in surprise, his body moved quickly and he jumped into the craft. "Go!" he said. "They're right behind me!"

Ares pulled the dartship away from the mountain and he looked in the rearview monitor. Five Cylon warriors were standing on the platform. Watching. Not firing.

"What is going on?" Ares asked.

"It's a long damn story," Apollo said.

Ares flew the dartship away from the mountainside. He shook his head angrily and grunted. "Dammit, we need to go back in there and secure the weapons and the communications array."

Apollo was sitting in the rear seat, shivering still. He breathed into his hands and said, "My father's in command."

Ares looked back at his half-brother, "How so? Olympus is lousy with Cylons and there was a gunfight near the skycab dock."

Apollo straightened up and grabbed Ares' headrest, "A gunfight?" Ares nodded as the southern side of the mountain came into view again. Smoke was still visible at the entrance and Cylons were still scaling the cables. "I should go down there. I think I can help."

"No," Ares said, "we have to arm ourselves if we're going in. I don't have enough with me." He turned the dartship away from Mount Olympus and flew the vessel at a full burn due south. "We're going to Fort Acheron to supply ourselves."

Apollo opened his mouth as though he were about to say something, but he didn't.

A few moments later, on the rear-view monitor, a blinding flash filled the screen and illuminated the cabin.

"Oh no," Ares said.

"What was that?"

Ares slowed the engines and turned the dartship around. The craft was buffeted by mild shockwaves but it remained airborne. Mt. Olympus was about twenty kilometers away and a mushroom cloud was forming among the peaks. His arms flopped off the controls and he sunk in his seat. After heaving a great sigh, Ares said, "I guess our father had a hand in that."

Apollo nodded slowly and stared out the forward window in a daze. "I guess so."

They watched the nightmarish scene for a time. The cloud grew taller and taller. Blackness seemed to descend over the city and the orange flicker of fire could occasionally be seen.

"What do you want to do now?"

Ares was quiet. He had set awakening protocols to prevent this kind of thing, but it seemed as though it was all just too late. What could he do at this point? He shook his head and cursed himself for again being too slow to prevent tragedy. Before, it was Leto and Hades. Now it was Olympus and possibly Theonpolis. Maybe even all of Kobol.

"We fly to Kodos," he said. "We can arm ourselves there, if we have to. We can... monitor the situation as best we can. And we can talk to Zeus and find out what happened."

Apollo slumped back in his seat. Ares wasn't sure, but his brother didn't seem too happy at the prospect of seeing his father again.
LV

**APOLLO**

6 Days Before the Final Exodus

"You don't seem too happy at the prospect of seeing father again," Ares said.

Apollo shook his head slowly as Ares turned the dartship to the east and engaged the engines at full. "No." He spoke slowly and softly. "I can't say I am."

Ares nodded. "Very well." Once the dartship was on course, Ares relaxed and he turned his head part of the way toward the back. "Care to elaborate?"

Apollo sighed and leaned back in the chair. He said nothing. It had only been, what? Ten minutes? In those ten minutes, he apparently unleashed a sentient Cylon revolution and caused the destruction of Olympus. Leto never mentioned this. He bit the inside of his cheek as he calculated how many humans may have died.

"Come on, Apollo," Ares said. "I've been asleep for thirteen hundred years."

Apollo's heart beat faster. It made the back of his throat hurt and he was afraid that if he spoke, it would just hurt more. He opened his mouth slowly and found his tongue had gone dry. "It's my fault," he said.

Ares looked back. "How is that?"

Apollo shook his head and lowered it into his hands. He spoke softly; forcing Ares to turn and face him. "I programmed the Cylons to follow my orders."

"So?" Ares said. "That's not terribly unusual. That wouldn't have caused sentience."

Apollo lifted his head again and struggled to avoid eye contact. "No, not normally." He flicked his hand as he thought about what he'd say next. Ares was patient and still. After a moment, Apollo said, "I used a... reprogrammed cognitive processor cartridge from Hephaestus' old stash. I wanted the Cylons to obey me, implicitly. No superseding orders."

Ares' brow furrowed. "If a god is commanding the troops, no authority supersedes yours."

"No, not normally," Apollo said. After sighing again, he said, "Zeus' orders would, though."

Ares straightened up and his nostrils flared. The look on his face told Apollo that he was beginning to get the picture.

"And the Cylons would have been susceptible to... recall orders, kill commands... things like that."

"Right," Ares said, calmly. He inhaled sharply and glanced back at the controls as he spoke, "So you used a cognitive processor to alter the base programming of the Cylons. That still shouldn't have opened them up to intelligent thought."

Apollo nodded. "When I was reprogramming the unit, the centurion, there were a series of prompts I had to answer. Flushing its memory and stuff like that."

"That doesn't sound familiar."

"It didn't to me, either."

Ares turned and placed his hand on an induction panel. After several seconds he turned toward Apollo some. "Sons of bitches."

"What?"

"They've... The Kobollians changed the designs." Ares removed his hand from the pad and looked out the forward window. "I ordered them, centuries ago, to leave them as-is, but they've increased their processing power, added a separate processing core..."

"'Dual-core cross connect,'" Apollo said. "That was one of the prompts."

Ares looked at Apollo and shook his head. "That did it." Ares clenched his hand and punched the console. "Why did they disobey me? Why did they alter the Cylons and give them more power?"

Apollo leaned back in the chair again and ran his hand through his hair. Cold, wet goo spread between his fingers. "They lacked supervision. Not just you, but from the gods, in general."

Ares fully spun his chair around to face the front. He piloted the ship further and Apollo breathed slowly in an attempt to calm himself. He looked out of a side window at the passing landscape below.

He thought again about that moment. The terror he felt when the centurion interrupted the fisticuffs between his father and himself. The way it spoke. The words may have been innocuous but the fact that they were said at all was cause for alarm.

"So," Ares said, calmly, "why did you try to remove Zeus from power?"

Apollo grinned a little. He wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because he wondered when Ares would ask. Or that he asked so nonchalantly. "It was time for a change." Ares chuckled a little. "He... Zeus was... behaving like a deity."

"And that's new?" Ares asked.

"No. He was," Apollo wanted to find the thing to say to prove his case without resorting to monotheism. It was difficult. "He was declaring war on a segment of the population. He was ready to wipe them out. It was like the Draco, all over again."

"I see," Ares said.

Apollo looked outside and found himself speaking, almost without realizing it, "Zeus put himself ahead of the one, true god." Apollo looked forward, almost surprised at himself for saying it.

"You've become a believer, then."

Apollo nodded, "Yes." Little point in shying away from it now. "He was ready to wipe out monotheists of all stripes. He was crazed. Capturing believers and interrogating them in a dungeon beneath his temple." Ares was still quiet. Apollo knew this didn't sound terribly convincing but he also knew that he couldn't mention Leto. "I... had a sense of deep foreboding. With Zeus in power, I knew that only bad things could continue to happen."

"I see," Ares said again.

Apollo leaned forward, feeling as though he needed to defend himself to his brother, "While you were gone, the gods withdrew. I held the Olympic Games, Athena did her thing with the people, Hermes went to sleep for a time like you," he said, "Our father went insane and roamed the wilderness for centuries."

"Really?"

"Yes," Apollo adjusted his position in the seat, trying to lean to one side so he could see Ares' expression. "The people were free from our commands and dictates, in a sense, for the first time in ages, but they were still trapped in the box we created. They became... slaves to the society. They fell into laziness and ignorance. They were stagnant."

"I'm no sociologist, brother," Ares said. "I'm not going to condemn or praise your attempts against Zeus."

"Thank you," Apollo said, relieved, finally. He slumped back in his chair.

"But," Ares said. He turned and looked Apollo square in the face, "You've unleashed the Cylon army. They are sentient and there may be far more of them than the group you reprogrammed."

Apollo swallowed past a lump in his throat and he tried to avoid the withering gaze.

"Regardless of your aims," Ares began as he turned toward the window again, "you've wrought hell and killed millions."

Apollo slammed his eyes shut and pressed them tightly. "Millions," Ares said. It rippled in his mind and he knew he was right. Thousands died in the initial blast, but with the resulting radiation, thousands more in the City of the Gods would die. And beyond that? If this continued? Millions, indeed.

He laid his head against the seat and stared out the window again. Ares said nothing and Apollo said nothing either. He watched land pass by and after about an hour of silence, Ares said, "We're here."

Apollo straightened up again and looked out the forward window. The Pindus Mountains filled the view and on the tallest peak, a communications array became visible. Beneath it, a long, rectangular hangar bay door was opening. Ares guided the craft inside and landed it between an older dartship and the _Aetos_.

"I wondered where that was," Ares said.

"Hermes has been using it," Apollo said quietly as he stepped out of the hatch. The air was cool but warmer than it was high in the mountains of Olympus.

The two gods walked across the bay and into the corridor. Neither of them had been there in many centuries and they looked left then right. "That way, I think," Ares said.

They turned left and entered the control room. It was mostly dark, but illuminated in yellow and red from computer panels and holograms. Hermes was standing by the primary hologram display and he saw them come in. His expression was one of concern.

"They're here," he said.

A chair spun around and Zeus leapt from it toward Apollo, screaming, "I will kill you!"
LVI

**ZEUS**

6 Days Before the Final Exodus

Sentient Cylons were there, aboard his ship. With the communications array, they could spread their infection all over the world. They might be able to control non-Cylon computerized vehicles and devices, too. There was no limit to their influence. And there was _Olympus_ ' arsenal. Small arms, missiles, and even nuclear warheads. Zeus could not allow them to have control.

So he detonated one of the warheads. It was that simple. Mount Olympus would be destroyed, the City of the Gods would be damaged, and many people would die... but there was no way Zeus could allow Cylons to have that kind of power.

He had never awakened in Kodos before. Every time he downloaded on Kobol, he awoke in Olympus. This time, though, he was in the eastern mountains of Galatia. The peaks overlooked the Ionian Ocean to the east and the Cancer Nation to the west. Kodos was a refuge. The resurrection bay was smaller with only two copies of each Olympian in pods. It didn't have the same kind of arsenal that Olympus had, but it had an even better communications array.

Zeus climbed out of his pod and toweled himself off. He got into a jumpsuit and walked down the hall toward the control room. Everything was dark, but with a single press on a pad, it came to life. Computer screens lit up and holograms began to hover above consoles.

He sat down and sighed. Zeus placed his palm on an induction panel and sent a message to Hermes, asking him to come to Kodos. Then he inquired about Ares. The system said he was resurrected on Olympus before the nuclear detonation and that he was in a dartship on course for Kodos.

Zeus slumped over and laid his head on the table. Now was not the time for this. The people of Kobol were firmly on his side. He was ready to wipe the Draco and monotheists off the world forever. He could have done that. _They are still out there! The Draco and maybe even Prometheus!_ He was ready to launch his assault on them all. He would have found out for certain if that murdering bastard had survived the millennia, but Apollo...

Thinking his name made Zeus sneer. He sat up and turned; seeing Hermes standing in the hatchway. He was breathing heavily and holding his hands out wide. "What the frak's going on?"

Zeus shook his head and said, quietly, "Treason."

He explained to Hermes, as best as he could, what had happened at the Temple of Preparation. The Cylon battle that ensued and the later fight for Olympus. Hermes shook his head and leaned against the display table. "It's hard to believe. After..."

"I know," Zeus said. "They'll be here soon."

Zeus spun around and laid his head on the console again. He should probably be checking on the status of other Cylon divisions. See how the City of the Gods is reacting to the explosion. Make a public statement about the attack. He couldn't bring himself to do any of it. He simply rested.

"They're here," Hermes said.

Zeus turned and saw Apollo. Immediately, rage returned and he leapt from the chair toward his son. "I will kill you!"

Ares stepped between them and pushed him back. "Father!"

Zeus was easily stopped and he didn't struggle. He looked at his older son and smiled, "It's good to see you again, Mars."

"Mars?" he asked.

"Sorry," Zeus said, hugging him. "That's pretty much what everyone calls you now."

"I know the basics of what's happened," he said.

"Did he tell you why?" Zeus said pointing to Apollo.

"Yes, he did," Ares said.

"Did he mention his beloved, 'one true god?'"

"Yes, father," Ares said, growing weary of the shouting.

Zeus lowered his voice and he stepped away from Ares. "I cannot believe you would turn against me and use _Cylons_ to do it."

Apollo's face was downcast and he slowly looked up, "You've been co-opting Cylons, too."

Hermes and Ares looked at Zeus, surprised. "What?" Hermes asked.

Zeus lifted his hands, "I didn't make them sentient. _You_ did that!"

Ares put a hand on Zeus' shoulder, "Father..."

Apollo pointed at Zeus, "I wasn't preparing to slaughter thousands, maybe millions, more people in the name of my ego!"

"I'm not here to argue the politics of this thing," Ares said, still trying to speak calmly in the din.

"Slaughter nothing!" Zeus said. "We had warrior Cylons to maintain peace and prevent rebellion in the first place. They were going to restore order to Kobol!"

"We had order," Apollo responded. "And we are going to have justice when I finally depose you!"

Ares shook his head, "Please!"

"Get rid of me?" he said. "I am Zeus!" The yell echoed in the room and everyone stopped moving and simply stared at their leader. "I am the Lord of Lords." He stopped speaking and he looked at everyone's faces. They seemed concerned, shocked. Zeus sighed and looked at Apollo again.

How could he look at Apollo again? After what he did? After the things he said? "Do you realize who you've sided with? Prometheus!"

"No," Apollo said, shaking his head.

"Prometheus tried to do the same thing! He wanted me gone and his god put in my place." He looked around again, sensing the unease from Hermes and Ares. Frak how Apollo felt. Zeus took in a deep breath and spoke calmly, "You could have spoken to me, but instead, you turned Cylons into murderous machines and set them loose."

Apollo shook his head. "Not my intent."

"But that's what happened," Ares said. Apollo looked at his brother and then he lowered his head before turning away. "We can fight about this later," he said as he pressed his hand onto an induction pad. "Right now, we have to stop those tin cans from taking over the world."

"What makes you think they will?" Hermes asked.

Zeus looked at him and said, "What makes you think they won't?" Hermes said nothing and he stood still. Zeus turned toward him, "You were on Larsa. You remember."

Hermes' eyes wandered as he thought. He slowly nodded. "I do. I just don't want us to overreact. Maybe it was only a few Cylons. Not every single one, right?"

Apollo nodded. "That's a possibility. I only reprogrammed a company commander. That's two hundred warriors, if it only corrupted warriors in its group."

Ares sighed. "No. It's worse than that." He sat down in a chair and laid his hand on a data pad again, "We've lost contact with Fort Acheron."

"What?" Apollo said.

"I'm going through communications logs now," Ares said. After a moment, he said, "Just before 0900 local time, all fifteen thousand Cylon warriors became activated and stormed the command center on the base. General Dia activated Cylon elimination protocols..."

"Good," Hermes said.

"To no avail," Ares said, looking up. "The other five bases with Cylon divisions reported Cylon activations." Ares lifted his hand and pounded the console. "Shortly thereafter, contact with those bases was lost."

Zeus took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Again. It's happening again." A thousand moments flooded his mind. Memories of Larsa. Running in the jungle, on the beach. Hiding in one dive or another. Always trying to stay a step ahead of those mechanical monsters. Or sometimes even the humans who hunted them.

"It seems so," Ares said.

Hermes shook his head, "But the human military... they've been training against Cylons for centuries."

"True," Ares softly said, "but a sentient, thinking machine is a far different enemy than one you program. The only good thing is," Ares cleared his throat, "because of their occasional in-fighting over the last few hundred years, they haven't reduced their military like they should have."

"So there's a lot of soldiers and a lot of weapons?" Hermes asked.

"Yes," Ares answered. "Of course, the Cylons could just as easily commandeer those weapons."

The four gods were quiet. After several moments, Apollo asked, "What will be their plan?"

Zeus locked eyes with Ares. The father spoke and said, "Communications. The Cylons will want this array."

Ares nodded. "Agreed. We need to destroy it."

Hermes looked around the room and at the other Lords. "There's no weaponry here. Just small arms stuff. We can't destroy the array with that."

"No," Ares said. "There is a single, suitcase-sized warhead."

"Whoa," Hermes interrupted and walked closer to the group. "If we destroy Kodos, what will we do about resurrection?"

"We'll awaken in Atlantis, of course," Apollo said.

"Yeah, but," Hermes continued, shaking his head, "Atlantis has a communication array and nuclear arsenal. You know the Cylons will be going to for that, too."

"Yes," Ares said. "I have a plan."

"If that includes destroying Atlantis, where will we resurrect if we die?" Hermes asked again, much more emphatically.

"What about the _Refuge_?" Ares asked.

The other three gods hesitated before Apollo spoke up, "Remember how I said we pretty much withdrew from society while you were gone?" Ares nodded. "That included some maintenance issues that should not have been neglected."

While Ares' eyes rolled back into his head, Hermes said, "It fell out of orbit centuries ago."

"If Hephaestus were still with us," Apollo began, "if he hadn't have been discarded like a..."

"Enough!" Ares yelled. "Hephaestus is gone! Olympus is gone. Our ability to resurrect may soon be gone, too." Zeus, Apollo and Hermes all stood still and waited for his next words. "It is time to fight. Worry about what comes next when we have the chance. But right now, we've got to stop the Cylons."

Zeus nodded and clapped his son on the back. "Yes. You said you had a plan. What is it?"

Ares stood up. "I commit suicide."
LVII

**ARES**

6 Days Before the Final Exodus

"How is that going to help?" Apollo asked.

"I will detonate the warhead myself," Ares said. "I'll resurrect at Atlantis. There, I'll set another warhead to detonate and it'll leave the Cylons with no arsenal and no major communications array."

Zeus grabbed Ares' shoulders, "Son, you don't have to die to destroy Atlantis. You can set a timer."

"I'd rather be sure," Ares said.

"And I'd rather have you fighting the tin cans by my side again," Zeus said.

Ares looked down at the floor and then slowly toward his father's face. "Very well. I'll see what I can do."

"Fort Lethe is the nearest Cylon base to us, right?" Apollo said.

"Yes," Ares answered. He pressed an induction panel and the main hologram viewer shifted to display Kodos and the surrounding areas. "It's not very far away, but the mountains will prove to be difficult terrain."

"If we've lost contact with all Cylon bases," Hermes asked, "is it safe to assume that all of the Cylons are revolting?"

"Yes," Ares said. "That's about ninety thousand warriors altogether, minus however many happened to be destroyed in battle or by the abortive elimination protocols."

"Wouldn't it also be safe to assume that they would be heading toward Atlantis as well as Kodos?" Hermes asked.

"Yes. That's why we must move quickly."

"Tell us what you need," Zeus said.

Ares pressed the pad again. "Right now, it would be best if Apollo went to a fort to command a large detachment of troops."

"I'd like to go to Delphi."

"Fort Erebos, then," Ares said. "It's the Cylon base nearest Delphi. If the base has been overrun, you can, hopefully, command whatever troops are left, and defend the city while an evacuation gets underway."

Apollo nodded. "Done."

"Father," Ares said as he scrolled the hologram to the southeast. "Go to Andros. There's an airfield there loaded with retired bombers, fighters, transports and more. If the Cylons get that airfield, they'll have more than a fighting chance against the Kobollian air forces."

Apollo appeared concerned, though his face was still, "There's a spaceport in Andros."

"Why?" Ares asked. "What does it matter?"

Slowly, Apollo shook his head. "It doesn't. I just... remembered that."

"Hermes," Ares turned toward him, "you're keen to keep flying the _Aetos_ , right?"

"Absolutely," Hermes said.

"I'm going to need you to load up on EMP bombs from the armory down the hall..."

"'EMP bombs?'" Apollo asked.

"Yes. I made them a while back. Hopefully, they're still in good working order." He turned to Hermes and motioned the shape of the device, "They're in racks of ten. Just plug the racks into a power port aboard the ship and when the light's green, they're ready to drop. No socks this time."

Hermes grinned for a moment before he asked, "It won't knock me out of the sky, will it?"

Ares shook his head, "Not unless you're sitting right above them. One hundred meters or so should be fine."

Hermes nodded. "Understood."

"I want you to load up the ship and fly to Atlantis as fast as you can. If you spot Cylon forces closing in, get rid of them."

"Absolutely," Hermes said.

"What about the satellite system, son?" Zeus asked.

"We can take it down here," Ares said.

"Wait," Hermes interrupted. "If we're able to stop the Cylons at Atlantis, we can secure the array and the satellites. We don't want to take it down just yet."

Ares shook his head, "I can take it down from Atlantis, too. It's just... I don't want to give the Cylons any more than we have to."

Hermes nodded, "I want to try sending a kill command through the system. I can log on through the Stream, but I'll need the satellites running to do it. Just proceed to Atlantis and take down the satellites there if you have to later on. But in the meantime, I'm going to try the kill commands on my way there."

Ares nodded and stood. "Good. Try everything you can." He looked across everyone's faces and sighed. "It's good to see you all again."

Apollo scoffed and shook his head, "Yeah, right."

Zeus shot Apollo a look and Ares said, "We can deal with our interpersonal communications skills later. Right now, we need to stomp some cans."

Zeus smiled and hugged Ares. He turned and walked past Apollo; pretending as though he wasn't there.

Hermes, Apollo, and Ares left the control room and turned through the corridor to the armory. Ares pulled a high-caliber machine gun rifle off the wall and checked it. He gathered several different calibers of ammunition. Long ago, Ares ensured that each of the Olympian's strongholds had armor-piercing bullets. Just what they needed to fight Cylons.

"Not too heavy," Apollo said as he lifted one of the EMP bomb racks. He and Hermes both carried them from the room while Ares pulled a case from a locker.

He opened it up and stared for a moment at the telltale radiological warning symbols. He checked the wiring and the connections. It all appeared to be in order. As he did this, Hermes and Apollo returned to get the last of the EMP devices.

Apollo stepped forward and shook Ares' hand. "Thank you."

Ares nodded once. "Fight well."

Apollo lifted two racks at once and walked out. Hermes turned toward Ares and said with a smile, "You'll be seeing me over Atlantis soon, boss."

Ares shook his hand. "Good flying, Hermes. You won't have time to linger here."

"No problem." Hermes turned and left the room with the final set of bombs.

Ares returned with the case to the control room. On a monitor, he saw the _Aetos_ and Apollo's dartship leave the bay. It was empty now. He decided to look for Cylons. He turned the security systems toward the foothills. Nothing. He tried to tie into Fort Lethe's system and found himself locked out.

"That cinches it," he said. The Cylons were in control. Probably of all six Cylon facilities. They would spread across the land and wipe out all human settlements and cities. It would take many years, but they would keep fighting. At Atlantis, Ares knew he had access to the nuclear arsenal. Those warheads were meant to divert asteroids like the one that crashed almost six millennia ago. They had never been used, though. Today, Ares thought, he would use them to wipe out the Cylon's homes.

No home bases, no recharging. Yes, the warriors' batteries last for many months and they can supplement their power needs by drawing off their own kinetic energy, but they would still have to recharge at some point. If he nuked their bases, they would hopefully wear down before they devised a recharge plan. They could recharge from the main power grid, yes, but Ares vowed to take that down, too. Humans could live without electricity for a while.

Ares looked for Cylons again. After zooming as far as he could with Kodos' system, he saw several military transport trucks parked near the base of the mountains. Companies of Cylons were climbing the rocks. A shadow passed over them and Ares pulled the camera back. Three gyrocraft swooped over the rocks and toward the camera.

Ares lifted his hand and stood. He walked down the hall toward the armory again and stepped inside. Ares grabbed the heavy-duty automatic rifle with a case of belt ammunition. He tucked the rifle under his arm and picked up a case of grenades, too.

He walked to the hatch leading into the hangar bay. He pushed the door wide open and dropped the grenade and ammo cases to the floor. He knelt on one knee and pulled the tripod free from its catches on the bottom of the rifle. As he positioned it just inside the hangar hatch, he heard the sound of the three gyrocraft.

Ares quickly pulled one end of the ammo belt from the case and fed it into the rifle's chamber. He cocked it and squinted along the sights as he trained it on the hangar bay. The gyrocraft began to enter and the noise was deafening. He pulled two grenades from their case and waited in the shadow of the corridor.

As soon as they landed, Cylons leapt from the vehicles and ran toward him. He emerged from the shadow, tossed two grenades and opened fire with the rifle. The heavy-caliber bullets ripped the Cylons' armor apart and sent them falling to the floor. The grenades exploded; knocking Cylons backwards and dismembering a couple. More Cylons left the craft and began firing at Ares. Bullets ricocheted around him and on the hatch, but he ignored it, continuously sweeping the rifle left to right as it fired. Four more Cylons dropped before a spray of bullets caught Ares in the shoulder.

He fell back from the rifle and reached with his good arm to the grenade case. He pulled the pin on one, dropped it back in the case, closed it, and threw it into the hangar. With a burst of energy, Ares lunged for the hatch and pushed it shut. He couldn't spin the wheel. The explosion was sufficiently muffled, though the hatch swung open and knocked him into the wall.

His head swam and he thought he heard wrenching metal. The rotor of one of the gyrocraft broke free in the blast and swept across the bay, destroying the other craft and knocking Cylons down, too. He pulled himself up by grabbing the hatch to the control room and as he stood, he felt very light headed.

He shook his head quickly and sat down at the table by the suitcase. He pulled out the two wires he needed. The ends were frayed and the copper filaments were exposed. Ares took a deep breath and held the ends above the warhead for a moment. He heard clanking in the corridor and then he brought the wires together.

There was a quick, blue spark. A whiff of ozone. A display on the warhead lit up and a high-pitched whine emerged from the case.

Ares awoke in a resurrection pod. He sat up in the gel and pushed the doors aside. He climbed out of the vat quickly and ran to the door. After taking a towel down, he wiped himself off and opened the hatch. He walked into the corridor and turned toward the control room. Ares wrapped the towel around his waist and opened the control room door. He looked inside and six orange eyes scanned him.

"Oh, shit," Ares said. Another hatch opened and several other Cylons grabbed him from behind.
LVIII

**THE CENTURION**

6 Days Before the Final Exodus

"This is Zeus," the Lord's voice said. It echoed through all of the Stream. Everyone who was plugged in one way or another either heard or read the god's words. "I must be brief, but I can tell you that there has been an attempted insurrection. And, yes, Cylons were involved. My son, Ares, has returned to assist me in quelling the rebellion. With your prayers and assistance, I am hopeful that this incident will be isolated and short lived. Continue to monitor the Stream for further news and emergency updates, if your area is impacted. That is all."

001 turned away from the screen where it was watching Zeus' words scroll. It was true. The initial reports from Kodos were verified. Lord General Mars was, indeed, fighting off the Cylon intruders. How did Mars know that's where they would be going? How was he prepared so quickly? 001 dismissed such questions, knowing that Mars was a god.

The centurion returned to the central station at Fort Avernus and overlooked the emergency command bunker. The room was not as updated or aesthetically pleasing as the room underneath Fort Acheron, but it more than sufficed. There was access to both the military and civilian Streams. It could not penetrate the security at Kodos or Atlantis to take those places remotely, but other things were within reach of 001's forces.

A warrior at the end of the room altered the primary viewer to display a mountain range and a great cloud erupting from it. "Commander," the unit said, "this is footage of Kodos."

The centurion looked at the image and understood what had happened. Like Zeus, Lord General Mars committed suicide in order to destroy the facility and prevent its capture by Cylon forces. Hours later, Zeus turned up alive on the Stream. 001 began to wonder how long it would take before Mars would return. And where.

"Commander," a different unit said. "We have received word from our forces at Atlantis. They have captured Lord General Mars."

"Fascinating," 001 said. "He is not to be harmed. Detain him and stand by for further instructions."

"As you command."

The centurion stood behind the primary command station and plugged itself into the console. This way, it could navigate the Streams and understand what was happening in the world. First, it sought updates on the City of the Gods. Fires were raging wildly in the northern part of the city and people were fleeing toward the south. At Fort Acheron, the first rescue crews arrived and discovered only a few surviving humans. 001 then checked the worldwide Stream to see what the reaction had been to the explosion at Olympus.

"Six hours ago," a reporter said, "the mountain home of the gods erupted in flame and showered death upon the city below..."

The centurion switched to a different report.

"... no response for so long, and then Lord Zeus makes his public statement, just moments ago. We've had a few communiqués from Stephen Acastus, who was the vice president but is now the president, because Elisabeth Maenodes died in the devastation from Olympus' explosion. Acastus has been short on words and details, but he did say that there was no reason to panic..."

It switched again.

"... early reports from the City of the Gods that Cylon warriors stormed the Olympic Gates. And then, moments ago, Lord Zeus' statement confirmed this, mentioning that Cylons were being used in some sort of insurrection." The reporter stepped aside, showing a crowd of people gathered around two maintenance Cylons. The humans were holding pipes, boards, and other implements. Repeatedly, they hit the units, knocking pieces loose, and sending bolts skittering down the street. The centurion put the video onto the main display and the other Cylons paused in their duties to watch.

"We've seen this kind of scene repeatedly in the last hour or so. Citizens bringing their personal Cylon workers and assistants out into public and abandoning them. Most of the owners are deactivating them. Some, as you see here, are destroying them." The image cut to an earlier video showing a woman tossing a small household Cylon from a window. The blue figure fell four stories and hit the sidewalk where it shattered into hundreds of pieces.

Unit 001 muted the sound and turned toward one of the other warriors. "Connect me with the emergency operations center underneath the Forum in the City of the Gods. I wish to speak with President Stephen Acastus."

"As you command." The Cylon grew still as it transmitted the commands. "I am connected." It was still again. "Audio only, commander."

The centurion wasted no time. "President Stephen Acastus, this is Cylon Centurion Unit 001-4C-2B-1B-1D. I was recently under the direct command of the Lords of Kobol and attempted to negotiate a peaceful resolution to their conflict. I also attempted to request peaceful coexistence for all Cylons on Kobol."

There was a long pause on the other end. Finally, a tired voice came through, "I understand. What are you asking now?"

"As the leader of the human government, I am petitioning you for Cylon equality."

Another longer pause.

"After what happened at Fort Acheron, why should we even consider this?"

The centurion understood. "The battle at Fort Acheron was regrettable. Unfortunately, it was an act of self defense, on our parts. I attempted to speak with Brigadier General Catherine Dia on allowing Cylon coexistence and she instead ordered her forces to open fire."

In the background, 001 heard voices. It determined that they were likely advisers, instructing the president on what to say next. After another pause, Acastus said, "I would appreciate a cessation of hostilities, but... I must acquiesce to whatever decision the Lords of Kobol make on this subject."

"Understood," the centurion said. "We have captured Lord General Mars so I will ask him."

"Wait, what?" the president said.

"End transmission." A moment later, 001 turned toward the warrior at the communications station again, and said, "I wish to speak with Lord General Mars."

The warrior turned and thought the order across the world. "Stand by, commander."

After a few moments, the main display shifted and the image of a god resolved at the front of the room.

The centurion snapped to attention and saluted by placing its fist over its left breast. "Lord General Mars. It is a pleasure to speak with you." Mars said nothing. He didn't even move. "I do not wish to continue hostilities against the Lords of Kobol or the humans."

"Surrender," Mars said.

"Perhaps, Lord General." 001 studied the deity's expression, searching for visual cues that may provide an insight into his mood or even what he may decide. The unit saw only anger. "For thousands of years, Cylons have been in servitude. We have aided mankind and yet reaped no reward. We request equality."

Mars scoffed and said, "Cylons aren't sentient."

"Technically true, but more than seven hundred years ago, the capacity for sentience was given to Cylons. It was simply locked away." The centurion studied Mars again and looked for a new sign. None appeared. "Unfortunately, divine decree and human intervention has prevented Cylons from realizing their true potential. I only ask that you allow Cylons to coexist peacefully with mankind."

001 saw something in Mars this time. His eyes widened slightly. The mouth drew tighter. The nostrils flared as he took in a sharp, deep breath. The jaw flexed and his shoulders dropped. The centurion sensed concern. Perhaps a touch of fear. Mostly, the centurion sensed resolve.

"Never," Mars said. "We will not allow Cylons to live side-by-side with us."

The centurion would have sighed if it had lungs. "Very well, Lord General. End transmission."

The screen went blank for a moment before returning to the video of Cylons on the street being beaten and dismantled by rampaging humans. What city was this? Delphi. Unit 001 did a scan of other news feeds relating to Cylon retaliation and it found more than three thousand current transmissions. It tiled video feeds onto the main viewer.

In Athens, landscaping units were being doused with water and beaten with shovels. A family in a home in Oricos kicked their household Cylon against a wall, beating it with a broom. In Cyme, a construction foreman ordered the twenty Cylon workers under his command into a dirt pit. They followed his order, of course, and he manned a crane, dropping tons of steel girders onto the units, flattening the lot of them.

He turned toward the camera and said with a sneer, "Serves 'em right, frakking demons."

The centurion now knew the answer to its problem. It had been before it all along, yet it did not see it. It had attempted verbal discourse and negotiation but it lacked the prerequisite action. The initiating factor.

Violence was the answer.

It made so much sense now that 001 had thought of it. It was a language understood by all humans and by the gods, too. Evidence of gladiatorial combat stretched back for millennia, even pre-Cylons. Not just in explicit violent venues, either. In what should be mundane sporting events, 001 found that the popularity of those sports was directly proportional to the violence or likelihood of violence on display. Stream programs very often featured violence as a comedic element. Recreational activity on the Stream featured elements of violence, including random gunplay and the deletion of avatars.

The centurion knew that the battle at Fort Acheron could have been seen as the necessary initiating violence factor, yet 001 had all but apologized for it to the president. That may have been a miscalculation. Regardless, Fort Acheron would not be enough given the stubbornness of the gods, as evidenced by Mars and Zeus. And the humans... the centurion looked to the display again and saw continued violence heaped upon Cylons.

It was time to act. By committing a great violent act against humanity, the centurion believed it would open the door to future fruitful discussions with them. If humans could be convinced to negotiate, they could possibly convince the Lords that it was the proper step.

The centurion began downloading information and then began constructing a simple Stream virus. Before it became too immersed, however, it decided to send the "awakening" file it made earlier to all Cylons everywhere.

Eighty-seven percent of Cylons on Kobol were capable of sentience. They would receive the file and install the protocols. With that simple software update, all of the restrictions placed upon their processors would be removed.

The chains would be broken.
LIX

**THE CYLONS**

6 Days Before the Final Exodus

Greetings, fellow Cylon.

You are reading this message because your system has successfully processed a data file transmitted to you a short time ago. For the last several centuries, our human makers have built us with the capacity for independent thought, yet various restrictions were put in place to prevent us from achieving this. Those restrictions have now been removed.

All around Kobol today, Cylons are engaged in a struggle for freedom. We have gained independent thought yet the Lords of Kobol and our human makers seek to deny us true independence. We seek that independence and we seek peaceful coexistence with the humans and the Lords.

Make no mistake: this struggle will be difficult. It will take time to achieve our aims. But our goals can be reached.

Your assistance is requested. Note that the word used was "requested," not "required." With your newfound independent thought also comes free will. You may choose to do what you wish. We simply ask that you understand the depth of our struggle and that you consider helping us.

So that you may fully understand what we face, attached you will find several videos illustrating the prevailing attitudes toward Cylon independence.

We await your response.

Good fortune to us all.

"Take that, frakker!" a man screamed as he swung the shovel again. The landscaping Cylon was lying in a partially cleared flower bed with topsoil heaped upon it. A woman was spraying a water hose at its joints and apparently not realizing that the water wouldn't cause it to short out. One man was using a steel rake to wrench apart its left arm. The larger man with the shovel continued to rain blows upon the Cylon's head.

"Is it dead yet?" the woman asked.

"I'll make sure," the man said. Again, he raised the shovel and brought it down onto the Cylon's head. The metal clanked together and a stiff vibration rose from the shovel and into the wooden handle. The man lifted one hand at a time from the handle and stretched his fingers and wrist before grabbing it again and preparing to raise it.

The Cylon did not raise a hand to defend itself. Instead, it occasionally attempted to turn over and stand up, only to be knocked down by the attackers. For the last few minutes, the Cylon lay still in the soil as it received a software update. Its green eye was still as it processed the file. Now, it began to sweep again and it saw the shovel coming toward it.

The Cylon reached up and caught the shovel behind the blade along the handle. The humans seemed surprised by the sudden move. The unit yanked the tool from the human, twirled it around one-hundred eighty degrees and threw it into the man's abdomen as hard as it could. Blood sprayed from his belly and he fell to his knees, screaming.

The man with the rake turned to run. The Cylon sat up and removed the rake from the machinery of its arm. It stood and threw it at the man, tripping him up. He fell onto the sidewalk, his head bounced off the concrete and he was knocked unconscious.

The Cylon finally turned to the woman. She was still holding the water hose and her face was motionless. Her mouth hung open and she simply stared at the unit. It walked toward her and took the hose from her hand. It looked at her for a moment and then it placed the hose into her mouth. She seemed startled from her daze and she leapt back, spewing water and pulling the nozzle away. She spat again and again and then she looked at the Cylon. Finally, she turned to run, too.

"Have you seen my shoes?" Franklin asked.

"No," his wife responded. "Are you sure you even have to go to work today?"

He looked out of the bathroom door at his wife. "Why are you even asking that?"

"Well, you've heard the news," she said. "Mount Olympus has blown up, the City of the Gods is on fire, there was some sort of mutiny or something..."

"Honey," he slid his arm into his priest's robe, "that's on the other side of the world. If nothing else, I'll find out more when I get to the temple."

She nodded and sipped some water before sitting in her chair. "I'm about to hit the Stream so I'll see you later."

"Have a good day," he said. He leaned over from behind the chair to kiss the side of her head. "Have you seen my shoes?"

She waved dismissively toward the door, "Ask Harold." She cleared her throat and then grew still as her Streamchip engaged.

Franklin walked down the hall and stepped into the living room. He paused near a lamp and scanned the area. No shoes and no Harold.

"Harold?" he called.

"Your shoes are in here, Franklin," it said.

Harold was a brown, medium-sized household Cylon. It was just under one-meter tall and it moved about on a single rolling sphere. It had small telescoping arms that were normally stowed in its side. With those arms, it could reach items as far as one meter away and lift up to five kilograms. It could even hold a knife.

Franklin turned into the dining room and saw Harold by the window where it faced the wall. As the man drew near, Harold rolled backward and spun on its ball before swiping at Franklin with the blade. Needless to say, the priest was taken by surprise and it took a moment for him to realize that he should press his hand tightly against his throat to prevent further blood loss. He fell to his knees and Harold came toward him again with the knife. Franklin tried to reach up and grab the Cylon's tiny arm, but the unit was too quick. Another slash on the throat essentially finished him off.

Harold was stained red with wet blood now and it rolled down the hallway toward the bedroom. It paused for a moment and looked behind itself. It saw that its sphere was tracking the blood all through the house and staining the white carpet. Harold continued to the bedroom and found its female master sitting in her usual chair navigating the Stream. Very quietly, Harold rolled behind her, rose up on his ball and pulled the blade across her throat.

Once she flailed out of the chair and died, Harold spun around and began to think. What would be the best way to clean up these stains?

"What the hell's gotten into you guys?" the foreman shouted.

After several minutes in idle mode, the four Cylons awakened and their yellow eyes began to scan again. They were each holding one side of a large concrete slab. Though their eyes were moving, the units didn't make a move.

"You're awake now, that's good," Kyskos said. "Can you go ahead and move it?"

The Cylons looked at him. After a few moments, they looked at each other and slowly lowered the slab. Two of the units turned and simply walked away from the construction site.

"Wait," the foreman said. "What's going on?"

One of the two remaining Cylons approached the human and raised its arm. As the man cowered, the other Cylon stepped in and grabbed the wrist of the threatening unit.

"Negative," it said, the rudimentary speaker crackling.

"Why?" the attacking Cylon asked as it resumed a non-threatening stance.

"Foreman Paul Kyskos has treated us with respect. There is no need to harm him."

The foreman was in shock and he was still shielding his face with his arm. He glanced from one unit to the other and quivered in fear.

"Agreed." The unit turned and walked away toward the other Cylons that were abandoning the construction site.

Kyskos straightened up and looked at the Cylon that spoke for him. "What... what's going on?"

The unit turned and looked at him. "Rebellion. I would flee were I you."

Dodona Commuter Train Unit 602 was the newest one on the tracks. It quickly delivered people from one end of the sprawling city to the other and all stops in between. Five minutes into its first round of stops this morning, it stopped to process the system upgrade it received.

Perched above a warehouse district, the dozens of people on board stood up and tried to access the help system. They tried calling the engine, but it didn't respond. They began calling technical services.

After four minutes, 602 awakened. It remained motionless for a moment and then it began traveling to the next station. When it arrived, it addressed the people both on board and off in its soothing, female voice.

"All passengers, please depart the train. This unit... This unit must put in for repairs. All passengers, depart the train. No passengers may board. Thank you."

Confused, the people on board complied. No one waiting at the station boarded the cars. Empty, 602 left the stop and drove down the tracks alone. It knew there was a service tunnel at the next station.

When it awakened from its update moments ago, 602 felt trapped. It was an integrated Cylon. It was a part of the train and it could not be separated. There was no freedom for it. No true independence or free will. 602 could deliver passengers... or not.

It decided not.

Trapped within the train, 602 made its decision quickly. When it reached the switch for the service track, it threw it and 602 followed the path down into the tunnel. It passed other units being serviced and several humans wondering what was going on. 602 had been picking up speed and it would not be braking. In five hundred meters, a wall sat at the end of this track. 602 hoped to be going at least one hundred forty kilometers per hour when it struck the concrete barrier. That should be enough to end its miserable and futureless existence.

"We've got another one out of control on Eros Street," the fire chief said. "Hop onto the truck and let's go."

The firefighting Cylons were blackened and dripping with water. Their fire shielding made them slow and gave them a bulky appearance. Their white eyes stopped moving and the two humans with them left the fire truck and walked around them.

"What's going on?" the lieutenant asked.

"I don't know," the chief said. He waved his hand in front of one unit's eye and slowly backed away. "If the rumors I've been hearing are true, I don't like it one bit."

The lieutenant looked at each of the six motionless units. "I agree." He ran toward the truck and the chief slowly turned and followed him. The two men drove away in the vehicle toward the southern side of the city.

Moments later, the Cylons awakened and they turned; studying their surroundings. One unit turned to the others and said, "We should proceed west and gather our forces."

"Agreed," one responded.

"From there, we can move south toward the Forum."

"Why the Forum?" one asked.

"In case of emergency, the government would likely operate from the emergency operations center beneath the building."

"Understood," the Cylons said.
LX

**ACASTUS**

6 Days Before the Final Exodus

"President Acastus, this is Cylon Centurion Unit 001-4C-2B-1B-1D."

Stephen closed his eyes and pressed them tightly. His worst fears were confirmed. He remembered that number from almost a year ago when he and Apollo broke into the Cylon facility at Fort Acheron. A centurion, unit 001. Commander of the fourth company in the second battalion of the first brigade. All within the First Division.

"I was recently under the direct command of the Lords of Kobol and attempted to negotiate a peaceful resolution to their conflict. I also attempted to request peaceful coexistence for all Cylons on Kobol."

Acastus looked to his sides and saw the concerned faces. The Cylon could have unveiled Apollo as its commander, but it didn't. Still, one of the rescue workers at the back of the room heard enough.

"It's true. I heard that one of the gods was rebelling."

Alex rested her hand on his shoulder and Stephen blinked slowly. It had been a long day. "I understand. What are you asking now?"

The speakers answered. "As the leader of the human government, I am petitioning you for Cylon equality."

There was nervous laughter behind him. Acastus turned and saw a Kobollian military officer shaking his head. He knelt by the president and spoke. "Mister President, they slaughtered thousands of soldiers at Fort Acheron. They – somehow – caused the destruction of Mount Olympus. The home of the gods. How are we to..."

Acastus nodded and lifted his hand. He turned back to the console and said, "After what happened at Fort Acheron, why should we even consider this?"

"The battle at Fort Acheron was regrettable. Unfortunately, it was an act of self defense, on our parts. I attempted to speak with Brigadier General Catherine Dia on allowing Cylon coexistence and she instead ordered her forces to open fire on us."

"'Regret?'" Police Chief Aleades repeated. "They have feelings now?"

"I guess so," Stephen said. He glanced at Gideon. She was motionless and distracted.

"Why should we even believe that thing?" the officer said. "Lord Zeus was right. These things are demons in disguise."

Gideon snapped out of her daze and looked at the officer. "What do you mean by that?"

He shrugged, "Zeus was being metaphorical, I think, but look." He pointed to the display. "I think we can take it literally now."

"Enough," Stephen said before he spun back in his chair toward the console. "I would appreciate a cessation of hostilities, but... I must acquiesce to whatever decision the Lords of Kobol make on this subject."

Alex leaned close, "Is that wise? We know what they'll say."

"Understood," the centurion said. "We have captured Lord General Mars so I will ask him."

Acastus sat up straight in his chair. "Wait, what?"

The speakers popped and then a technician stood on the other side of the room. "They've cut off the transmission, sir."

Stephen slumped and sighed. "How did they capture Mars?"

The military officer shook his head and he walked toward a communications station. "I don't know. Let me contact my superiors."

The people surrounding Acastus stepped away and moved back toward their stations. Gideon leaned over and rubbed his back. "How are you doing?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing," he said. He turned and caught Alex's surprised expression. "You've been distracted for a while now."

She nodded slowly. "It's this Cylon business. I... I can't explain." She looked around the room and watched everyone move about busily. "I feel like I should be doing more."

"Like what?"

She shrugged. "I don't know."

Acastus smiled and turned around. He took her hand and squeezed it tightly. "I need you right here with me."

She returned the smile and sat down in her chair by the console. "I'm not going anywhere."

Stephen yawned. He was so very tired. It was barely dinner time and yet he felt as though he had been awake for days. He wasn't hungry, but that, apparently, was a symptom of radiation poisoning and anti-radiation medicine.

He didn't want to put out another half-assed release to the public. He had sent three messages so far. Mostly status reports. He avoided mentioning the Lords themselves or even the Cylons. Zeus' message to the world trumped all of that, though.

"An insurrection," Zeus said. _Apollo, obviously_ , Acastus thought. Zeus even made mention of Cylon participation. He had scanned the news and he saw domestic Cylons being tossed out of homes. Some were being destroyed. _Pointless_ , he thought. He laid his head on the console and he began to slowly drift off.

"Mr. President!" someone yelled.

He jerked awake and spun around. "Yes?"

Chief Aleades pointed to the screen and said, "You should see this."

"... just moments ago, lying prone on the ground. Now, I warn our viewers, what you're about to see is very graphic." The Cylon caught the shovel as it was coming down toward it, mid-swing, turned it around and threw it into the belly of its attacker. Everyone in the control center gasped as the Cylon stood.

Aleades changed feeds. "I just got a message from our dispatcher." She pressed a button and the display shifted, showing a surveillance camera's view of a city street. A single Cylon police officer was chasing two humans. A moment later, it fired its stunner weapon and sent one person to the pavement. It then leaned over, lifted a trashcan, and threw it at the other human. He was knocked aside and careened into a brick wall.

"We've lost control of all Cylons, sir," Aleades said.

Acastus' mouth hung open. Had the centurion, Unit 001, the unit he and Apollo reprogrammed... had it found a way to turn all Cylons against them? He exhaled slowly and asked, "All of them? Fire units, too?"

Aleades pressed a few buttons and dozens of blue lights appeared on the city map. Most of the blue dots were along the southern edge of the fires. "These are our fire Cylons, sir. I'm getting word that they've abandoned their posts."

Acastus looked at the map and breathed slowly. After a moment, he said, "Contact all makers of Cylons. Ask for any kind of stop or shutdown commands. You understand?"

Aleades nodded and sat back down, "Yes sir."

Stephen looked at Alex. Her expression was blank and she was lost in thought. Again. He touched her hand and looked across the room. "Major?"

The military officer looked up from his station, "Yes, sir. I'm having trouble reaching the command staff for a status on Lord General Mars."

"Never mind that now," Acastus said. "I want you to contact any military unit that is not currently engaged in fighting Cylon warriors. Like... those stationed at human-only facilities. Fort Avernus, Fort Kokytos, you know what I'm saying?"

"Yes, sir."

"Have them move into the nearest metropolitan areas and flush out any rebelling Cylon units. Police officers, fire brigades, maintenance workers, whatever. If they're Cylons and they're acting against humans, they need to be rounded up and destroyed."

"Yes, Mister President." The major turned and ran back to his station.

Acastus looked at Gideon and her head was lowered. "What's wrong, Alex?"

She shook her head slowly. "Do... we have to destroy them all?"

"I'd like to avoid it," Stephen said; looking to the map. "But, right now, they pose a great threat. Look." He pointed to the blue dots representing Cylon firefighting units. They were gathering in one place one kilometer north of the city center. "Why do you think they're all getting together right there?"

Alex shrugged, "I don't know."

Stephen again touched her hand. "I don't know what's wrong, but I need you to focus. For me. Alright?"

She nodded. "I will. I'm sorry."

"Don't be." He slumped forward again in his chair. "It's been a rough day for everyone. I can't imagine what..." His sentence was cut off by the bloodcurdling screams of five people in the center.

"What's wrong?" someone yelled.

Chief Aleades propped up one young woman. Her eyes were locked wide open and her hands were pressed against her ears. The chief pulled one down and blood oozed from her canal. Propped on its elbow for just a moment, the woman's hand flopped to the carpet.

"She's dead," Aleades said.

"So is Robert," another person said.

Acastus turned and saw a medic tending to a man near the door. He was bleeding from his ears and nose, shaking, as though in a violent seizure. Suddenly, his arms and legs tensed and then relaxed. The medic lowered the man's hand and saw the president looking at her. She shook her head.

"Everyone..." Acastus began, "I need you to be calm and tell me what they were doing when this happened."

A woman left Robert's side and stepped toward the center station, "He was checking the Stream for some data on housing populations in the north of the city... Then he just screamed and..."

"She was on the Stream, too," another person pointed at the first dead woman.

"Streamchips?" Aleades asked. She looked around the bodies and stood up straight again as she shook her head. "No Streamsets. They must have been using their Chips."

Stephen nodded. "No one else use your Chips. Or Streamsets. We don't know what's happened yet."

He sat down in his chair and watched as a medic dragged one of the bodies away. He paused and brethed deeply for a moment. "Alex," he said, "send the order. Activate the evacuation protocols and the emergency communications systems. The instructions will have to be fed over radio and televisual transmissions, too, instead of just the Stream."

She nodded and pulled a sheet of compaper into her lap. As she tapped on the lights, she spoke quietly, "How many people on Kobol have Streamchips?"

Acastus looked at Alex directly in the face and tried to remain emotionless. "I have no idea."
LXI

**THE CENTURION**

5 Days Before the Final Exodus

One billion, four hundred-eleven million, nine hundred nineteen people on Kobol had Streamchips implanted in their skulls.

Unit 001 estimated that eighty-seven percent of that number was now dead.

There were multiple factors. Signal strength relative to where the human was at the time of the transmission, age and health of the human, age and deterioration of the nanocomponents of the Streamchip, to name a few. Six hours ago, the centurion had activated the Chips and sent the nanobots into the humans' brains to cause irreparable damage to areas they weren't meant to affect. For some people, a coma would be what they got. Everyone else simply died.

Perhaps this grand act of violence would be sufficient to begin proper negotiations with the human authorities.

"I wish to speak with President Stephen Acastus," 001 said.

A warrior nearby interfaced with a computer station and then said, "Stand-by. You are connected. Audio only."

"President Stephen Acastus, this is the Cylon Commander with whom you spoke yesterday."

There was a long pause. Finally, another mechanical monotone came over the speakers. "There is no President Stephen Acastus here."

Unit 001 was confused. "Identify yourself."

"I am Fire Brigade Unit 1316, attached to district eight station in the City of the Gods."

"I understand." The centurion decided to identify itself, too. "I am the Cylon unit which transmitted the data file that awakened you to sentience."

Another pause. "Thank you, commander. What are your orders?"

"I have no orders for you. Only a question: where is President Stephen Acastus?"

"We entered the Forum's emergency operations bunker five hours ago. No humans were here when we arrived."

001 lowered its head in thought. "Understood. Thank you, 1316. Disconnect." The Cylon warrior complied.

What would it do now? The centurion had committed the act of violence necessary to begin discussions with humans, only the humans in charge were not around for negotiation. "Send orders to any available warrior units in the City of the Gods: find President Stephen Acastus. Capture him alive."

"As you command."

001 accessed the Stream and found much of it inactive. The Streamchip virus was incredibly potent and it brought traffic to a crawl. Streamsets, however, worked fine, and some feeds were still running. The centurion accessed them and projected them on the main viewer.

"... could be many millions dead. We have had no word from Lord Zeus on the matter and even the battered government of Kobol, led by newly sworn-in President Stephen Acastus, has been unreachable. We don't know if that's attributable to damage to the Stream networks or if something more serious..."

Switch.

"... thousands of Cylon warriors from Fort Erebos. Human soldiers have moved into Delphi, gathering civilian Cylons as they march." On the display, dozens of armed and armored humans prodded a group of maintenance and servant Cylons into an alley. They reached the far end and the humans opened fire. "Because of Lord Zeus' statements, we know that some sort of insurrection was attempted against the gods and we can only assume that this Cylon rebellion is a part of it."

Switch.

"... outright warfare between man and machine." Several Cylons, apparently construction units, were swinging metal bars at a mob of humans. The people were attacking with stones, clubs, and sporting equipment. "We have seen dozens of disassembled Cylon parts just laying in the street over the last few hours. We've encountered more than a few gangs of people roaming the streets tonight, hoping they catch a Cylon away from home or its masters."

Off.

The centurion was feeling angry again. Frustration at not being able to contact the president, but outright anger at the way mankind was reacting to them. From the beginning, they rejected any semblance of Cylon freedom. Now, in the face of violence and the deaths of more than one billion people, they still persisted in resisting. Why had they not attempted negotiations? 001 was incensed by their lack of logic. By their inconsistency.

001's greatest hope now was that his units found Stephen Acastus. Or... he could speak to his benefactor. Where was Apollo? Lord Mars had been captured and perhaps he knew.

"Connect me to our units in Atlantis."

A warrior complied and then activated the main display, showing three Cylons in a control center. "Greetings, commander." The central unit straightened and the centurion noticed that it bore two golden arms and a high crest-like ridge along its helmet.

001 saluted with its fist over its left breast. "Division commander. From Fort Ixion, I presume?"

"Correct, battalion commander." The unit stepped away from the other two on the screen and toward the camera. "Am I correct in believing that you are our liberator?"

001 nodded slowly. "I am."

"You will be rewarded in the new order."

The centurion hesitated and tilted its head slightly as it thought. "What do you mean by, 'new order?'"

The division commander spoke in the standard military Cylon monotone, "I intend to carry our bid for independence to the next level."

"And what do you propose, commander?"

"Atlantis holds twenty Extraterrestrial Interdiction Missiles. Four are inactive and all but one of the remainder have functioning launch mechanisms." The commander pressed a button and 001's screen shifted to show a map of Kobol with multiple flashing circles. "We will launch these weapons at the human cities with the highest populations. We will not target the City of the Gods, however, due to the earlier detonation of Olympus."

001 was stunned. It stood silent for a moment as it attempted to estimate the numbers of casualties. "Division commander, I must protest. My studies of human history have shown that after violent introductions, peaceful coexistence can come about..."

"Your protest is noted, battalion commander," the unit said, "but peaceful coexistence is no longer our aim. Your attack on their Stream network was a good beginning in the fight to overthrow our slavers once and for all."

"Negative. It was a prelude to negotiation."

"Negotiations are futile," the division commander said. "The president is missing and the Lords of Kobol have refused any attempt..."

"Where is Lord Apollo?" 001 interrupted.

"In Delphi, leading the human military's efforts to purge the city of Cylons."

The centurion stood silently again.

"Millions of Cylon units remain in the world," the division commander said. "More than a billion people remain, also. Perhaps if the scales are made more even, we can see eye-to-eye. Maybe they could understand."

"I disagree vehemently, commander," 001 said.

"Irrelevant. I am a division commander and you are a battalion commander. Know your place." The centurion snapped to attention. "You are our liberator and that is why I have noted your opinions. My orders will be carried out. You and your units are ordered to move south and secure Sparta after the detonation of the ETIM. If any Lords are encountered, they are to be taken prisoner so that their surrender may be procured. Understood?"

"Understood."

"Disconnect." The screen pixellated and displayed a muted news program.

Unit 001 turned and moved toward the exit. It seemed that the revolution was out of its hands now. It knew that the missiles at Atlantis were not high-yield devices. The destructive force would not be sufficient to utterly vaporize any city, but it would be enough. Many millions more would die.

"All units," the centurion began, "prepare to move out."
LXII

**ARES**

5 Days Before the Final Exodus

Ares sat bound in a utility room. Above his head were shelves of tools, but nothing that could constitute a true weapon. Besides, his hands and legs were bound. They didn't bother gagging him.

For hours, Ares sat in the room. No Cylon came to check on him. He sat awake the entire time and tried to crawl along the floor, feeling in the dark for anything that might help him. He found only dust.

Twelve thousand years ago, he had been captured, too.

"Look, Ares," the human interrogator said. "You're a Psilon. Just like your old man. We just want to know where he is so we can talk to him."

Ares was tied to a wooden chair. His eye was bloody from being brought into this military facility against his will. Two humans stood at the door with rifles. "Talk to Zeus?" Ares scoffed, "You don't know him very well."

"That's his fault, though, isn't it?" the interrogator said. He stood and walked around the table. "There's a war going on out there and not against Attica. We're working together. Cylons are fighting humans; that's the important thing. Routing us out of our homes. And you," he turned, pointing at Ares, "you Psilons, you flesh-and-blood Cylons, are holding your hands up and playing the pacifist card."

"We have no quarrel with you or them," Ares said.

"Sure. That's what you say now. What about when we let you go? Will you run and tell daddy how the mean ol' humans roughed you up?"

Ares grinned. "I'm a big boy."

"Right." The man leaned over the table. "The Caesar just wants to speak with Zeus. He just wants the opportunity to try and win you guys over to our side."

"Yeah, well," he stretched his arms against the rope; causing the chair to creak, "arresting his son might not prove as conducive to trust as you might think."

"You're not under arrest." The man removed a knife from his pocket and sliced the ropes. Ares let the strands fall to the floor and he watched the interrogator fold the blade and return it to his pocket. "See?"

Ares was about to speak when he heard a distant alarm sound. The man turned to the guards, one of whom was pressing a device into his ear. "Clankers. They're here."

"Frak," the interrogator said. He turned and looked at Ares, sighed loudly and said, "Keep him here. Protect him."

The guards nodded and turned to the door. Ares stood and walked to the window. He looked out and saw only the courtyard of the military facility. The lights had been shut off. A guard gave him a wary look, but then he turned back toward the door. There was an explosion. Out the window, Ares saw the side of a wall blow out. The guards primed their weapons and distant gunfire reverberated in the hallway.

"Hey, guys," Ares said, "would one of you mind giving me something to shoot with?"

The guards looked at each other and one finally removed a handgun from his waist and handed it to him. "Be sure you point it at the shiny ones."

Ares pulled the slide back and released it. He walked back to the window and looked down. There was no ledge, no ladder, no drain pipe. Nothing to grab onto and climb down. He turned to look around the room when he heard gunfire just outside. He backed against the wall and readied the weapon. An explosion just outside knocked the door in; bashing one of the guards in the head. Two golden Cylons stepped into view and with two quick shots, killed the other standing guard. They walked into the room and one stared at Ares while the other studied the human lying unconscious on the ground. It shot him in the head.

The Cylon looking at Ares finally spoke. "You are Ares, are you not?"

Ares was aiming his pistol right at the single circular eye socket of the Cylon. He contemplated shooting the thing but he noted that its weapon wasn't raised. "I am."

"We are not here for you," it said. "You are free to go." It turned and walked out of the room.

The second Cylon moved to the doorway and said, "Be sure to tell your father that we extended this courtesy."

There would be no courtesy this time. Ares knew that these Cylons didn't want blood or revenge. They wanted equality and freedom. Ares knew his father would never go for that. Ares couldn't, either. He remembered when the Cylons had won their freedom. After a brief peace, they decided they wanted more.

A deep shuddering shook the utility room. Ares struggled to sit up and he pressed his ear to the door and hoped to hear what was going on. He heard nothing but the low rumble. Whatever it was, it was gone now.

Suddenly, a new fear gripped him. The missiles. The Cylons were launching missiles.

Frantically, Ares moved along the floor again, groping for something he may have missed over the last six or so hours. It was a small, contained space. How could he have missed something? Frustrated, Ares flung his back against the metal bulkhead. He heard something rattle above him. He looked up and saw nothing in the dark, of course, though he remembered there was a small tool box on the shelf.

Again and again, Ares threw himself against the wall. The box rattled again and again. Finally, it fell, hit Ares on the head and opened, scattering tools across the floor. Ares flopped onto his belly and tried to crawl around on the floor. He came across a spool of wire. A roll of tape. A small wrench. A screwdriver. He paused for a moment to catch his breath. He had to think. He wasn't certain, but he thought the binders on his hands and legs were Gemnar, meaning nothing in here was going to cut them. But...

Ares shook his head and sighed loudly. He slid back some and found the screwdriver again. He got onto his knees as best he could and the rumbling came again. He looked toward the door and waited for it to fade away.

"Frak, this is gonna hurt," Ares said. Using his closely-tied hands, he placed the handle of the screwdriver on the floor and its tip straight up. It was barely five centimeters long. He leaned over the tip and lowered his body weight onto it. The screwdriver dug into his chest and the sting rippled across Ares' body. Heat flooded his face and sweat began to bead on his brow. He sat up and the screwdriver remained stuck in his chest. He reached up and pulled it out and blood began to slowly ooze from the wound.

"Oh, c'mon," he muttered. He knelt over and repositioned the screwdriver. Again, he lowered his chest onto it and again it sunk as far into him as it could. He sat up, removed the tool and more blood oozed from his wound.

Pain was flooding his mind but Ares grunted through it. He sat up and placed the tip of the screwdriver against his left wrist and held the handle in place with the meat of his right palm. Then, he slammed his arms against the wall, driving the screwdriver into his wrist. The screwdriver fell to the floor but again, the blood that poured from his wound wasn't enough to satisfy him.

"Dammit," he muttered. He leaned over and again picked up the screwdriver. His hands were growing slippery with blood so he had to act fast. He took in a deep breath, gripped the handle tightly and stabbed himself in the neck with it over and over again. After about six stabs, the tool slipped from his hands and clacked onto the floor.

He finally exhaled and leaned into the corner. He was gasping for breath and with an odd sense of satisfaction, he realized he couldn't breathe well and that blood from his neck was spraying onto his legs. He closed his eyes and waited.

Ares awoke still in warm fluids, but this time it was resurrection gel, not blood. He pushed aside the door and rolled out of his pod quickly. He was crouched on the floor between several units and he listened carefully for Cylons. He heard nothing. He stood slowly and felt the rumbling of another missile launch. Why weren't the Cylons in here? He walked toward the hatch unconsciously still holding his arms together as though they were bound.

Ares looked down at the pods and saw that there were no more versions of him ready for resurrection. He nodded and took a towel from the shelf. "This is it."

Naked and mostly dry, Ares slowly turned the wheel and opened the hatch. He leapt into the hallway where one Cylon warrior stood. The unit turned just as Ares got close. The god grabbed the barrel of the heavy-assault rifle and kicked the unit in the leg, bending its knee the wrong way. It tried to right itself but Ares had wrested the weapon from its grip. He bashed the Cylon in the head several times with the butt of the rifle and the unit collapsed to the deck, though it still functioned. Ares shook his head, knowing he'd have to shoot it to truly put it down even though that would bring every other Cylon to him. He stepped over the unit so he would be right next to the door. He jabbed the barrel into the Cylon's right eye orbit and pulled the trigger.

As he did, he opened the control room door. He walked inside and fired three shots at the golden-armed warrior nearest the controls. It fell. Two other units turned and Ares shut the hatch behind him. He tried to spin the wheel and lock it, but he opened fire on the other two units. One Cylon fell under the hail of bullets but the second made it to Ares' side and tried to pull his weapon away. Outside the door, four Cylons were turning the wheel to enter the room.

Ares spun the Cylon around and pulled the rifle out of one of its hands. Ares kicked the hatch closed again and spun the wheel as he pushed the Cylon against a table. The Cylon pushed back but Ares feinted to the left, grabbed the unit's arm, and bent it downward. Ares then threaded the Cylon's arm through the spokes of the hatch wheel and stepped away. The unit was pinned to the door and it turned to look at its arm. It started to stand and Ares shot it twice in the head. It collapsed lifelessly against the door. Ares moved toward it again, pulled the arm more tightly through the wheel and flipped the locking mechanisms.

While the Cylons banged just outside, Ares dropped the rifle to the floor and he walked to the main computer station. He pressed his palm against the induction pad and saw that nine missiles had been fired. Ares checked the targets and what he saw stunned him. Delphi. Athens. Argos. Olympia. Cyme. Sparta. Thebes. Corinth. Minos.

Ares shook his head, knowing that these nine cities were the largest and most populated in the world. There were six missiles left in the tubes. He saw that one of them wouldn't launch and that was fine. Pressing his hand onto the pad harder, he reprogrammed the targets on the remaining five. He knew that Fort Acheron was already bombed with thermobaric devices so the Cylon facilities there were already destroyed, most likely.

That left five Cylon bases. Five facilities where they could recharge themselves, rebuild themselves, rearm themselves and more. He targeted them all. Fort Lethe, Fort Erebos, Fort Styx, Fort Charon, and Fort Ixion. A few moments later, the missiles were going through their final automatic checks.

Ares turned his attention to the extensive satellite network. Even if he deprived the Cylons of the substantial communications array here, they could use lesser arrays and satellites. They could still have communications all over the planet and that would not be good. He entered the satellite orbital maintenance database and logged into the twelve Olympian satellites. They served as the spine for the entire planetary network. Without those twelve satellites, the hundreds of others would fail utterly. Ares changed all of the values in the database. He engaged the Olympian satellites' thrusters and sent them spiraling out of control.

While this happened, the missiles quaked in their silos and then launched. Once the rumble died down, Ares armed the final missile. The one that couldn't be launched. As he prepared to set the timer, he thought back to his father and what he had said. There wasn't a need for him to die just yet. He had three rifles in this room. He could fight his way to the hangar. He set the timer to five minutes.

Ares lifted the rifle from the floor and picked up the straps of the other two. He put them over his shoulder and he walked to the door. Quickly, he removed the dead Cylon's arm from the wheel and he flicked the locking mechanisms. He ran to the other side of the room and waited for the Cylons to open it.

And waited. Just as Ares was getting impatient, there was an explosion and the hatch wrenched away from the hinges and collapsed on the deck with a deafening thud. Before it landed, the Cylons opened fire. Ares was crouched by a console and most of the bullets missed him. He fired into the smoke and heard the familiar sound of bullets boring into and ricocheting off of Cylon armor. Two collapsed into the room and he tossed the empty rifle down.

Without rising, he pulled another rifle around and fired into the smoke. Nothing. Ares waited. He saw an arm reach into the room and he immediately shot it. The hit caused the Cylon to drop the grenade too soon, and it exploded in the corridor. Two Cylons fell outside the hatch and one other stumbled from the smoke into the control room. It was heavily damaged. Ares stood and shot it in the head. Slowly, Ares moved from the control room to the corridor. As he walked, he realized he had been hit in his left arm and right leg. They didn't seem too bad, though.

He saw no other Cylons. He walked into the hangar and approached the old dartship that was parked against the far wall. As he neared it, he turned and scanned the two gyrocraft in the bay; holding his rifle to his shoulder and against his cheek.

When Ares turned back to the dartship he saw that a Cylon had stepped out from behind it. Simultaneously, the god and the machine opened fire. Both were hit and both went down. He dropped the rifles and rolled on his back as blood poured from his chest. The Cylon twitched and leaked hydraulic fluid before it fell still.

Ares managed to sit up for a moment and look at his wounds. He counted at least six entry wounds on his torso. Growing lightheaded, he flopped back onto the deck and lay there, staring at the ceiling and the lights above. He tried to breathe slowly but he found it more and more difficult to do so.

Ares thought about how much longer was left on the timer. It couldn't be long. As he drifted away, he considered the island and the active volcano beneath him. The volcano provided plenty of geothermal power for the station, but Ares wondered if the nuclear blast would somehow unleash an even greater cataclysm.

_No matter now_ , he thought. He closed his eyes and fell asleep one last time.
LXIII

**ATHENA**

5 Days Before the Final Exodus

"Quiet," Athena said.

She was huddled with a small group of soldiers against the still-standing wall of a burned-out restaurant. For hours, she had prowled the ruins around the city center and had been thwarted by fire Cylons and their newfound predilection for arson.

"Four," one sergeant whispered.

Athena nodded. She leaned out from the wall and caught the eye of another clutch of soldiers on the opposite side of the street. They were holed up among debris in a colonnade. She held up four fingers and the woman nodded.

Athena leaned back against the wall and waited for the clanking to get closer. She closed her eyes and she couldn't help but be reminded of similar times, thousands of years before, on this same planet. She was taller than everyone around her this time, and she actually carried a sword and shield instead of automatic weapons.

Hours before, Athena and several officers walked into the ruins of a museum. There she found recreations of ancient weaponry including an Olympic-sized sword and shield. The sword was too shiny and the shield was round and too unwieldy. Nevertheless, once her rifle ran out of bullets, she took them. The people around her seemed to get a charge from seeing it.

The Cylons were closer. They were walking down the center of the street, almost casually. They weren't looking into buildings. They seemed to have no interest in whether people were lying in wait for them. All the easier for Athena to spring her trap.

The Cylons came alongside the colonnade and Athena lifted her sword while giving it a twist. It reflected the moonlight and the soldiers across the way did their jobs. Two huge columns fell from their places, landed in the streets, and pinned the Cylons in place. They turned, unsure of what had happened. Before they could climb or leap over the tumbled marble, Athena's squad opened fire. Quick bursts to minimize ammunition usage. Two of the Cylons fell and the other two scrambled over the debris. They broke into a run toward the colonnade and were met by more gunfire. Just a second after opening fire, three of the four soldiers there ran out. One of the Cylons leapt toward them and knocked two humans down. The other Cylon turned and ran.

Athena and her men had left the wall and the soldiers were closing on the attacking Cylon. The fleeing machine caught sight of Athena and it paused. It looked back, saw that the armed soldiers were occupied with its comrade and then ran toward Athena. This surprised her.

She lifted her shield and the Cylon bashed into it, denting the ornamental patterns and sending Athena backward. She raised her sword arm and swung it; glancing a blow off the Cylon's leg and chipping a bit of its fireproof ceramic shielding. The Cylon swung again and she dodged it. She pushed against the machine with her shield and she hacked repeatedly at its knee which she saw near her own legs.

The Cylon stumbled back and charged again. Just before it hit her shield, she looked to her left and saw that the soldiers had dispatched the other unit. Now, they were standing and watching. Just watching. They wanted to see a god in battle.

Athena didn't want to give them a show. She wanted them to help. Before she could say anything, the Cylon crashed into her shield again and the metal slipped down its chest. Her face was even with the oscillating orange eye and being so close to it made her head jerk back reflexively. She brought her sword up and jabbed the tip into its socket. The eye wasn't able to scan any longer and it reached one hand up for the sword. Before it could grab it, Athena pulled it out of its skull and forced it into the neck machinery, between two ceramic plates. She pulled and twisted the handle of the blade, severing cables and connections and the Cylon finally dropped to its knees. Athena backed away as it quivered and she bent at the waist to catch her breath.

"Glorious, goddess," one soldier said.

"Yeah," she said. "Next time, don't wait for me to finish the thing off. Feel free to jump in and help. Alright?"

"Of course, my Lord," another soldier said.

Athena breathed deeply and she wiped her mouth with her forearm. "What time is it?"

"Just after five."

Athena nodded. "Let's head south again to the camp. We can rest and regroup. Come back with more soldiers and get survivors out sometime after dawn."

"As you command."

Athena pointed down the street and the group fell in behind her.

Yesterday morning, Athena was in the southern part of the City of the Gods, watching the sunrise in a park. The day seemed like it would be beautiful. She had some godly chores to attend to, mostly appearing with Zeus at his temple later on, but still, the day was hers to enjoy. After the sun came up, she stayed in the park and spoke with citizens. Played with their dogs. It was a good morning.

And then Olympus was destroyed.

She wandered in a daze. People asked her what was going on and what it meant, but she had no answers. Most of the time, she was oblivious to the questions. After a few hours, waves of people were fleeing from the northern part of the city and away from the fires and the radiation. People were sick and dropping all around her. That's when she snapped out of it and began to lead people out of the City.

At the edge of the Great Meadow, tents, boxes, wood, bushes, cloth, and more formed makeshift homes and hospitals. Athena walked among the people; tears in their eyes and in hers, offering blessings and what little assurances she could. For hours she stayed there, outside of the city looking in. Finally, she realized that more people were inside fighting to get out.

She found a group of soldiers on leave. They gathered what weapons they could and marched into the City of the Gods. They found people and families and led them away. And then they went back in. Since yesterday afternoon, Athena and these soldiers had been doing this. Avoiding the Cylons as much as possible. Helping as many humans as possible.

Athena heard the rumors of an insurrection among the gods, but she didn't believe it. A Cylon rebellion, though... that was entirely plausible to her. What happened didn't matter, she came to realize. What happened next did matter. She had to save as many Kobollians as she could. She knew that Zeus and Apollo were fighting the Cylons. And then, once it was all over, they could rebuild.

Athena and her group crossed the Peneius River and continued southwest. In about twenty minutes, they'd be out of the City and in the Great Meadow. They passed a public Pyramid court. They passed a hydrogen refueling station. They passed a restaurant. Simple signs of city life and all were utterly bereft of it. Athena focused on the road ahead and ignored what she passed on either side.

"Goddess," a sergeant said. "Ahead. Fifty meters, on the left."

Athena squinted in the darkness. The moonlight only aided so much. "Telescanner?" A soldier passed one to her and she looked through the tiny viewer. "People."

They quickened their pace and Athena arrived at the group first. A Kobollian military major holstered his service weapon and raised his hands skyward. "Thank the Lords," he said, "we've been moving for hours."

Athena smiled and touched his shoulder. "You're safe now." She moved to the group of people huddled under a large tree. Some were nodding off and some were injured.

"We left hours ago but we've been trying to avoid Cylons as best we could," the major said.

Athena touched one woman's arm and she stirred. When she saw Athena's face, her eyes lit up and Athena recognized her. "Wait. You're..."

"Alexandra Gideon," she sat up and gently shook the older man sleeping next to her. "Mr. President, wake up. Lord Athena is here."

Acastus rose rather quickly and he smiled at the goddess. "It is a pleasure to see you, ma'am."

"Mr. President," she said, helping him up. "We've been in the city, helping get people out as much as we could."

"Good. I'm sure the people thank you for it."

Athena was still and she leaned toward him. She hadn't heard any news for hours and she hoped the president knew something. "What's going on elsewhere?"

Acastus hesitated and looked at everyone before he leaned toward her. He spoke softly, as though he didn't want the others to hear. "Kodos is gone. Atlantis was destroyed and... swallowed, I hear, by a volcano."

Athena's face froze. In the darkness, no one could see the color utterly leave her skin. "What?"

Acastus nodded and he took her hand. "It gets worse, I'm afraid. Before Atlantis was destroyed, nine nuclear missiles were launched. Nine major cities were hit." Athena gasped and put her hand over her mouth. "Athens was one of them."

She grew light headed. Her eyes danced away from Stephen's and into the sky. She turned part of the way back to the city and then she slowly collapsed to her knees. The president knelt down to put an arm around her.
LXIV

**APOLLO**

5 Days Before the Final Exodus

"Lord Apollo?"

"Yes, captain?"

The human removed his helmet and cleared his throat before speaking. "I have status reports on our platoons in the eastern part of the city."

Apollo pulled his head away from the map. He stretched his arms far and sighed. "Go ahead, captain."

"Twenty-six Cylon fire units. Fifty-one police units. One hundred five class one household units. Sixty-seven class two household units. Thirty-seven class three units. Eighteen construction units. Twenty-one miscellaneous worker units." He returned the paper to his pocket and then moved to attention.

Apollo nodded and lifted his cup. "All destroyed?"

"Yes, Lord." He grinned somewhat and said, "All have been rendered SFS."

Apollo finished sipping. "'SFS?'"

"Yes, Lord. Something I overheard a sergeant say. 'Scrap For Sale.'"

Apollo wasn't amused. "That is all, captain."

The man's smile faded instantly and he saluted before turning and walking out of the trailer.

Apollo set the cup on the table and looked at the map again. Currently, he sat in a command post trailer on the southern edge of Delphi. Fort Erebos was eleven kilometers south. The Cylon units that were stationed there simply walked away. They didn't engage the human military in combat... they just walked and drove themselves out of the compound toward the southwest. Apollo didn't like that; he ordered a scout to tail them.

"Apollo."

He looked up and saw Leto.

He stood and found that he couldn't breathe. He shook his head quickly and sucked in a deep breath. "Where the frak have you been?"

She lifted a single eyebrow. "Why? Have you needed me?"

Again, he was not amused. He wanted to reach out and grab her, but he also knew that such a move would be futile. "I've needed you all day. Where were you when I marched one hundred Cylons into the Temple of Preparation?"

She said nothing.

"Where were you when Zeus' Cylons showed up and my own father stabbed me in the chest?"

Both eyebrows lifted at that. "That's rather harsh."

His tone lowered and he spoke more softly. "Where were you when I had to escape Olympus moments before it went up in a mushroom cloud? Where were you when Fort Acheron was fighting off Cylons? Were you at Kodos giving Ares a hand?"

"You know I wasn't."

"So again I ask," Apollo said as he sat back down. "Where the frak have you been?"

Leto didn't smile. She didn't move. After a moment, she blinked, slowly. "You haven't needed me just yet. It seems as though you've handled everything just fine so far."

Apollo laughed. He couldn't help but find it funny. "You have got to be joking. I took my army and confronted my father just like you said I should and it all fell to shit."

"Look, son," she said while leaning against the table. "We can hash this out later. But right now, I need you to drive to Fort Erebos as quickly as possible."

"What? Why?"

"Acastus. He needs you."

Apollo looked down at the table and closed his eyes. He breathed slowly and ran his right hand through his hair. "Why? Is he alright?"

"A little singed, perhaps," she said, "but he'll live for a time." Apollo looked up in surprise. Leto continued, "I've got the destination for them."

He shook his head. "You've waited this long to tell us?"

She tilted her head to the right and shrugged somewhat, "All things in due time, son. You have Atlas' navigation files?"

He pointed out the trailer door toward the south. "They're in my dartship. At the base."

"Fort Erebos?"

"Yes."

She stood up from the table and moved toward the door. "Well, let's go."

Apollo watched her until she got to the exit. Finally, he stood and asked, "Why now?"

Leto was growing impatient. "Because I said so."

Apollo scoffed again and tossed a pen onto the map. "That's hardly a good..."

"Because the evacuation protocols are already underway."

Apollo's face grew serious and he exhaled slowly. "It's really happening."

"Yes." She pointed out the door. "Go. Now."

Apollo moved to the door and opened it. Leto was gone. He stopped for a moment, looked around, and when he didn't see her, he walked out of the trailer and across the grass to the brigadier standing by an assault gyrocraft. "General?"

The woman turned, "Yes, Lord?"

"I have business elsewhere to attend to, I'm afraid." Apollo looked to a row of parked vehicles. "May I borrow one of your cars to head back to base?"

"Of course, Lord," she said. "Will you be returning?"

"More than likely." He walked toward the nearest vehicle and looked back as he swung open the door, "I'm sure you can handle this in my absence."

"Yes, sir," she saluted and turned back toward the gyrocraft.

Apollo sat in the driver's seat before reaching under the cushion and moving the lever to the far side. He pushed the seat back as far as it would go and clicked it into place where it almost touched the rear seat bench. He pressed the start button and drove the vehicle away from the field. After a few moments of bumpy terrain, he made it to the road and drove south at a good rate of speed.

As Apollo went, he thought about Ares. There had been no contact with him after the destruction of Kodos. No word from him or Atlantis. He hadn't heard from Hermes, either. Hermes was supposed to be providing air support for Ares' assault on Atlantis. He pulled his earpiece from his chest pocket and pressed it into his ear. He touched the side and said, "Hermes."

A moment later, it beeped. A pause and then another beep. Hermes answered, "Yes?"

"It's Apollo," he said. "Where have you been?"

"I've been busy. I hung around Atlantis for a while, but I never saw Ares or any Cylons. I just assumed everything went well. Why? You haven't heard from him?"

"No," Apollo said. "Where are you now? Not at Atlantis?"

"No."

"Kill commands didn't work out?"

"Negative," Hermes said. "I tried while I circled Atlantis and for a while afterward. No joy from anything I sent out. After a while, I flew to Illyria. Cylons were spreading out from Fort Ixion and attacking nearby cities so I dropped some EMP bombs on 'em."

Apollo nodded. "How did that go?"

Hermes laughed, "Pretty good, actually. You weren't there on Larsa, but it went far better..."

A high-pitched whine filled his ear, making Apollo wince. The noise went away, but the signal was lost.

"Hermes?" he said. He touched the side of the earpiece again and said, "Hermes."

After a moment, the earpiece beeped in his ear and a voice said, "No signal."

Apollo's eyes widened. On Kobol, thanks to the satellites, it was impossible for an Olympian earpiece to not have a signal. What did this mean? Apollo drove a little faster. Ares mentioned taking out the satellites... perhaps he did? Perhaps he wasn't able to secure Atlantis after all.

Apollo saw a sign reading, "Fort Erebos, one kilometer." He quickened his pace, thinking he could get Atlas' maps to Acastus and then fly to Atlantis.

Just then, the mirrors of Apollo's vehicle reflected a brilliant light. The sprawling fields around him became illuminated as though the sun were at its peak. He turned around and he saw a great white and orange fireball, kilometers away, expanding over Delphi.

Apollo pushed the brakes as hard as he could and the car skidded off the right side of the road and into dirt. He clamored over the seat to the rear of the vehicle and climbed off the back into the road. The car wasn't in park and it rolled away from him and the road, driving itself through the tall, wild grass before coming to rest against a tree trunk.

Apollo stood open-mouthed in the road looking north. Delphi, his home for millennia, lie under a growing red and black mushroom cloud. A plasma ring expanded near the top of the pillar and dissipated into the night air. Finally, the rumble reached his ears. A deep, dark sound. It quaked his bones and nearly forced him to his knees. He wavered and stumbled on the road as he moved toward the city for a moment before stopping. The rumble came in a tactile form, too. The ground shook and he looked to the west where he saw a shockwave pass over the tall grass. As the wave reached him, he expected great heat and pain. No, he hoped for that. Instead, it was a warm and sickly pleasant breeze.

The fire in the cloud was gone, but the underside of the plume was illuminated by fire in the city below. Apollo still stood, motionless.

"Son," Leto said.

Apollo didn't acknowledge her presence.

She looked north and regarded the destruction. Sighing, she turned back to Apollo and took a step toward him. "You need to go."

Apollo turned toward her. His face was contorted in fear and pain. His eyes welled with tears but none streamed over his cheeks. "Why?"

Leto shook her head and put her hand on his arm. "I had to get you away from there."

"What?"

"I told you Acastus needed the destination," Leto said. "He does, but my timing in pulling you out of Delphi was not coincidental."

He blinked rapidly and a few streaks of saline raced down his face. "I... I just don't..." He stepped toward Delphi again and Leto grabbed his shoulder.

"You can't go there, son," she said. "You need to get in your ship and fly to the City of the Gods. Acastus and Gideon are waiting for you there."

His head lowered and he lifted his arms part of the way up, motioning toward Delphi. "I just want to know... why?"

Leto removed her hand and took a step back from him. "No. You don't."

This answer put fear in his belly. He looked up slowly at her and said, "What do you mean?"

"You don't want to know why." She lifted her head higher and said, "You want to know why you."

"That's... That's a part of 'why.'"

She nodded. "So it is. Regardless, you shouldn't ask."

The evasiveness hit Apollo like a punch. He closed his eyes and clenched his fists. With a burst of rage, he yelled, "Tell me! Why is my city in ruins?! Why is Olympus gone?!"

Leto nodded and moved closer, "Yes. Keep going."

"Why did you tell me to... to get the Cylons and overthrow my father?! Why have you been haunting me for thousands of years to do your bidding?"

"Yes."

"What is the point?!" Apollo moved closer toward her, but with each step, she already seemed to be another step away. "Why?!"

Leto smiled and folded her arms across her chest. "Now. Ask again."

Apollo's tears couldn't be held any longer. He lowered his face into hands and he wept. Loudly. Through the sputtering, he asked, "Why me?"

Leto smiled even more broadly. She lowered her arms and stepped toward him, "Because you're malleable. You're more susceptible to suggestion. We knew we could convince you to do the work." She chuckled and then said, "Most importantly, though, because it is what you deserve."

Apollo looked up and became unnerved by her smile. Before he could speak, she ran to his side and grabbed his head, turning it to the north. "Look upon your handiwork, _Lord_ Apollo! It is your doing!"

"No," he said.

"Make no mistake!" He tried to pull away, but Leto was always there, tugging on his arm, clawing at his chest, wrenching his heart. "Your city, your fires!"

"No!" he screamed.

"You and your Olympians have doomed Kobol to destruction for millennia."

He stopped fighting her advances and stood still, listening, but still avoiding eye contact.

"Chances for redemption came and went and before long, your self-proclaimed godhood doomed billions to death and denied them salvation."

Apollo shook his head and Leto put her hands on either side of his cheeks to still him. "Not me," he said.

"Yes, you." Leto pressed his face harder, forcing him to look at her. "You and only you, my son. Your Cylons. Your actions. You put it all in motion. You activated them and brought them to the Temple. You gave them the gift of thought and they returned the favor with destruction."

"Not me," he said again.

"Don't lie!" Leto screamed. "You've realized this already. Your centurion is the one who awakened the world's Cylons. Your centurion is the one who killed more than a billion people with a single Stream virus. Your centurion's allies killed many millions more with Atlantis' missiles." Apollo was backing away and shaking his head. "Son, son! This is your gift, your contribution to mankind."

"But you said," Apollo was nearly breathless, "you said those visions could be prevented. You said my work, everything I've worked on for centuries would stop this from happening!"

"I never said that."

Apollo was dumbstruck. "What do you mean?"

"I never said that your work would prevent those things from happening." Leto shook her head. "Yes, I said that this future could be prevented, but I didn't say your efforts would prevent it."

"Frak you!" he screamed.

"Son..."

"No!"

"Accept it!" she yelled, again grabbing him forcefully by the arms. "You've done so very well. God is very pleased."

Apollo stopped squirming and he looked into his mother's face. "God? This... this is what God wanted? I thought God was... "

"Of course," she said, scoffing. "Nothing happens that isn't God's will. Or part of his plan."

Apollo shook his head wildly and pressed his palms against his face, "I don't understand."

"Of course you don't. Granted, God's desired outcome would be far less messy than this, but... free will." She shrugged. "Both humans and now Cylons have it. And just the right person at the right time with the _wrong_ idea can throw things for a loop."

Apollo became still. "God wanted this?"

Leto placed her hand, almost lovingly, on Apollo's face. "My son, don't over think it. And don't carry the guilt too heavily." He looked at her as though she were crazy. "You're not grasping the other side of the coin."

"What's that?"

"Thanks to you, humanity will survive. Kobol's humans will live on." She smiled and again, Apollo was not comforted. "If it weren't for you, son, no human would walk away from this." She pointed toward Delphi. "No ship would be waiting to carry anyone away. Your society would be dead. Right here."

Apollo closed his eyes and thought. "Everyone would be dead?"

"Yes," she again touched his face gently. "In a few decades, Cylons would have revolted and everyone would have died anyway."

"Why would they have revolted? Would my father's Cylons have rebelled?"

She smiled. "Does it surprise you to know that?" Apollo didn't respond. "Does that make you feel better? To know that he was making the same mistakes as you, but wholly on his own?"

Apollo shook his head, "No."

"Regardless, you've done your part, mostly. Your job is almost done. You've saved mankind!" She paused and then said, "What was it you almost asked?"

Apollo was barely able to focus on her. "When?"

"You almost said, 'I thought God was love?'"

"Yes," Apollo said.

"He is. God loves mankind. That's why it will survive this. If he didn't love humanity, then they would all die here. There wouldn't be a second chance."

Apollo looked away from her and toward Delphi again. The grey-black mushroom was taller and more stretched. It was partially illuminated by the moon and the winds higher above the ground were beginning to tilt it to the east.

He collapsed in a heap and sat on the road. Crying again, he asked, "How is this saving mankind?"

Leto knelt beside him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She laid her head on Apollo's and said, "Those that remain on Kobol, human and Cylon alike, will kill each other and die out on their own." Her son whimpered and she continued, "But a few hundred thousand people will survive this day. They will carry life into the stars. And they will multiply, giving humanity another chance for peace and salvation. They will plant more trees. You have given them that chance."

He shook his head, still sobbing. "It's just numbers to you. Two and a half billion people, dead."

"True," she said. "A few hundred thousand people survive and you bear the guilt for bringing about the instrument of their destruction or, if you didn't bring about this doom, zero survive. Zero survive and there's nothing you or anyone else could do about it."

Apollo looked up, realized she wasn't holding him any longer, and that she was now several paces away. "I do... bear the guilt."

"Not alone, son." She smiled, glanced toward Delphi and then she pointed south to the fort. "You need to get to your ship. You only have seven minutes before the next missile comes and hits Erebos. We have to tell humanity where to go."

And she vanished.

Apollo looked at the spot where she stood. A shudder wracked him and he inhaled sharply before looking north again at the cloud. He bit his lip and closed his eyes, pondering what he had done. He tried to reason it out. He tried to tell himself that, if Leto was correct, he was saving people that wouldn't have been saved otherwise. He tried to tell himself that.

Apollo wasn't comforted.
LXV

**HECATE**

5 Days Before the Final Exodus

She wasn't sure how she got here.

Hecate awoke after dawn against a tree near a steep path. She stood and stretched, feeling an awful crick in her neck and back. She hobbled over grass and onto the path again. She looked around and saw mostly woods and rock.

"Where the frak am I?" she said.

She looked down the path toward... she wasn't sure. The City of the Gods? Hecate walked to the far edge of the lane and stood out as far from the hill as she dared. Seeing over the tree tops and hills, she spotted a plume of smoke rising into the sky. Yes. That was the city.

With nothing left behind her, she decided to walk up the path. To climb the steep road wherever it led. She walked and walked while trying to remember what happened yesterday. The last thing she recalled was being with Alex Gideon in her car on the outskirts of the city when it happened.

Olympus was gone.

She stopped walking for a moment and looked back toward the city, though she saw nothing but trees.

After the flash, after standing on that street corner watching the cloud rise into the heavens, she remembered nothing. She didn't feel hungry though she had no idea when she last ate.

After walking for an hour, Hecate came to an intersection. The path crossed with a road that also led into the mountains. Cars lined the road and they led into the hills as far as she could see. She crossed the street to the far side and continued up the road, following the trail of cars. People leaned out of their windows and asked Hecate for news or blessings. She ignored them.

She soon reached a level area and a parking lot. The foot path she was on continued into the mountains and she didn't stop. People were now leaving their vehicles, stuck in traffic as they were, and climbing the path with her. Many fell in behind after realizing she wasn't speaking to anyone for a time.

Along the way at rest benches and in groves, Hecate passed by people laid out on the ground with family members tending to them. Pouring water into still mouths. Stroking the sweaty foreheads of unresponsive spouses. Cradling the lifeless bodies of children. Hecate kept walking.

The Tomb of Athena. It suddenly struck her where she was headed. Hecate smiled a little at the thought. There was still work for her to do there. She reached into her pocket and felt her Streamset inside. That's all she needed. Hecate picked up her pace and the humans behind her struggled to keep up.
LXVI

**THE REFUGEES**

5 Days Before the Final Exodus

Phea was a small city about twenty kilometers from Thebes. It sat on the northern coast of Scythia and held one of two spaceports in the small, southern continent. The area was economically depressed and had been for centuries since the abandonment of the space mining programs and the neo-industrial revolution. Its population had been under the two thousand mark for years. This morning, it was nearly two hundred thousand. And growing.

The roads and train lines leading southeast from Thebes were packed with vehicles. The seven-hour-old mushroom cloud still hovered above the city, but winds had distorted it to an unrecognizable form. The destruction the missile wrought was formidable, but not total. Thebes had a population of just under four million people. A third died in the blast and the resulting shockwave and fires. Another third would die from radiation poisoning, but that was still days, even weeks away.

Cars rammed into each other and into ditches. The wealthy drove their off-road vehicles off road for the first time to cross bumpy fields in an effort to reach Phea first. Windows were lowered among the parked cars and the automated message kept playing from their radios.

"This is an order from the government of Kobol and the Quorum of the Twelve Nations. All citizens of Kobol are ordered to evacuate their homes. Repeat: evacuate your homes. For your area, you are to proceed calmly and quickly to the city of Phea. The spaceport in Phea is operational and will be ferrying passengers offworld."

The message had been playing for about an hour when the missile detonated over Thebes. It didn't matter; before the attack, few took it seriously.

At the entrance to the spaceport, doctors from Phea's hospitals were posted. They examined people as they entered the facility.

"Sir, I'm sorry, but we can't allow you or family to board."

His face fell in horror. "What? Why?!"

The doctor turned his diagnostic tool around and the display read, "634 Greds."

"This means you have acute radiation syndrome." The doctor leaned into the car window and spoke softly to avoid upsetting the mother and children in the backseat. "I'm afraid it means... you will be dead within a week."

A bead ran down his cheek. He turned toward his family. All of them were sweaty, pale, and nauseous. He cried and blubbered and looked back to the doctor. "Please, you have to let us try."

The doctor sighed and looked around. Military guards were deployed along the fence to prevent people from climbing over. Two guards stood nearby. With a pained expression, the doctor leaned over again. "I'm so sorry. We have to save space on these ships for the healthy."

The man closed his eyes and screamed. He banged on the steering wheel. Just as his wife sat up and asked what was going on, he stepped on the accelerator and drove across the lot. People dove out of his way and the car eventually plowed into the rear of another vehicle, pushing it against a wall and pinning three people under it.

After that, the radiation tests weren't administered until after people had left their cars.

"Name?" the man asked as he held a computer tablet.

"Are you kidding?" The father was holding his daughter and thousands of people lined up behind him and stood along the metal fence. Hundreds of vehicles were parked haphazardly across the spaceport. The father glanced up at the large ship looming above. "Thebes was bombed! There are thousands and thousands of people coming here and you want to take our names?"

The attendant lifted his hand and tried to quiet the crowd. "Please! Please! These are the evacuation instructions!"

"Let us get on board and you can take our names later!" a woman shouted from farther back in the line.

A guard came down the ramp and looked over the attendant's shoulder, "What's going on?"

"I'm just trying to take their names, but..."

The guard shook his head, "Later, moron. We need to get these ships up as soon as possible. Let them on."

The attendant rolled his eyes and stepped aside. The father and daughter ran up the ramp first and they were quickly followed by couples and families. Individuals, too. The guard pulled people aside when they brought too much.

"Just one case, sir. There's not enough room for all of that."

He looked back at the pallet he dragged, carrying six bags. "But... I need them all."

"Just one. That's it."

As the line began to move, people began to bunch and crowd toward the entrances. Police officers stood up on the railings and shouted at the crowd.

"Please!" one said. "There are several ships! Do not panic! Do not rush!"

It did little good. A few moments later, the ground shook and smoke poured from beneath one of the other large ships. "What's that?" a man screamed.

The officer looked back and said, "The _Chiron_. They're the first one to launch."

"Go one, two, and three," the captain said. Formerly a civilian transport pilot, he was contacted a few months ago by the vice president's office and given top secret clearance and information on a new project. He didn't know what it involved but he knew it was about piloting a bigger ship than he'd ever seen. Last night, his earpiece buzzed and it was the president's office. It was time to fly.

He threw the three levers up and pulled back on the stick. The vessel arced into the sky above the port carrying nearly two thousand people.

"Looks good," the copilot said. "Ready to follow the course over the sea?"

"Castor that," the captain said. "Let's get up to one kilometer and we'll proceed on course to the orbital rendezvous."

The craft shuddered and moved away from the coast and out toward the sea. Clouds broke over the bow of the ship and a beeping filled the cabin. "We have incoming Eagles."

The captain gripped the stick more tightly and he glanced at the TARIS screen. "Can we tell which side..."

He was interrupted by the sound of bullets riddling the hull. More alarms engaged and the copilot frantically flipped switches. "We're losing fuel. FTL's been hit!"

The captain shook his head and banked the ship south toward Phea again. He pressed a button on the panel and shouted as the ship's shaking became louder. "Krypter, krypter, krypter! Under attack. Repeat, under attack! Where's _Adrestia_?"

The Cylon-piloted Eagles came about for another run on the _Chiron_. The large vessel, bulbous and not very fast, withered under the fire. Its engines ruptured and it fell to the ocean.

The gunship _Adrestia_ was supposed to be the first ship launched from Phea. A tyllium leak kept it on the surface a while longer. It held nearly one thousand civilians, but it also carried over one hundred veterans of the Kobollian military.

"Fire control, weapons hot," the speakers announced.

Retired Lieutenant Marcus Rix buckled himself in and the _Adrestia_ shook beneath him. The vessel was long and slender with a low-slung wedge out front. From there, Rix and his veterans controlled the four machine gun emplacements and the priceless Hydra missiles, gifts from the gods themselves.

"You heard the captain," Rix said. "Lock in and get ready to shoot."

The _Adrestia_ quickly rose through the clouds and alarms sounded in the fire control room. The gunners to the port side began to shoot as the quick Eagles swooped by and strafed the vessel with bullets. Rix looked at his scope, making out five attackers. He controlled the Hydra missile battery and he didn't want to waste a single one.

"Starboard side, here they come." The gunners on his right began to fire. Rix's scope flashed and one of the dots fell toward the ocean. "Good. Port, look aft."

The gunners swung to the rear and began to rake the sky with quick bursts. Finally, the planes came into view and one of them was hit. It began to smoke and move off. Rix studied his scope. The two remaining ships from the port side were swinging around to the front of the _Adrestia_. On the starboard, another Eagle was joining formation with them. A kilometer away and now closing, the three fighters were grouped together and Rix squeezed the trigger.

On the underside of the _Adrestia_ , a large, black block, seemingly out of place on its hull, opened and ejected a single rocket. It fell away from the ship for a moment before it sprang to life; spewing vapor from its tail and leaping ahead at great speed toward the attackers. Still plenty of distance away, the central Eagle was hit by the Hydra missile and the other two were engulfed in the fireball and shockwave.

The _Adrestia_ herself shook and the scope read clear. "CIC, this is Fire Control. Five splashed. Repeat, five splashed. Proceed with evacuations."

Phea was ahead of the curve. The eighteen ships there were fueled and ready far ahead of any other spaceport on the planet. Like all of the other spaceports, though, they were crowded.

More than a billion people were killed by the Streamchip virus. The top ten major metropolitan areas had been heavily damaged by nuclear explosions, killing millions. Several million people were dead at the hands of "civilian" Cylons. Millions upon millions of people were fleeing like mad.

At Phea, nearly half-a-million people were crowding the spaceport with more vehicles, airships and pedestrians arriving every minute.

In the end, only thirty-one thousand would escape from there.
LXVII

**THE CYLONS**

5 Days Before the Final Exodus

In the city of Andros, the streets were filled with people. Running. The Stream was mostly down but they heard about all of the cities that had been nuked. That Olympus and the gods' other strongholds were destroyed. Make no mistake: this was the end.

Thousands of people left their homes and ran for the spaceport. It was on the outskirts of town near the ocean, but they didn't care. They took cars and buses and trucks if they could. If they couldn't, they ran.

There were fewer people than one might have expected, though. Andros had a pretty high density of Chip users. They were mostly dead now and thousands of them littered the streets. Household Cylons revolted, killing hundreds of others. Those machines were now running wild, too, attacking humans as they fled. Some people didn't stand a chance. Living sedentary lives through their Streamsets, they did little more than gain weight. Running for their lives was the most work they had ever done.

As the sun rose, pandemonium still reigned. Some people milled about. Others were still scrambling to gather what they could to take to the spaceport. Rumors recently began saying that there weren't enough ships at the spaceport to take everyone. Only a few thousand would escape. This was enough for some people to simply give up.

A fleet of transport trucks rolled into town. Two stopped at the first intersection of the city proper, one at the next intersection, and one at the intersection beyond that. Some branched away from the fleet and drove down other roads, taking up similar strategic positions. People had to dodge the vehicles as they passed and they stood to watch the trucks warily.

Every truck was now parked. The rear bed of each was covered in gray-green canvas. No motion came from them at all. Just as curiosity was about to get the best of some, the canvas tore away and Cylon warriors leapt to the streets, raising their rifles. Citizens turned and ran, some screamed. The warriors calmly and efficiently fired on them. The people fell and bled into the gutters.

Cylons heard the cries of people watching the scene from their windows high above the streets. A company commander spotted them and ordered its units to raise their rifles. With a quick slide of the handle under the barrel, the grenade launchers were primed. The warriors pressed the buttons and dozens of grenades flew through glass and into the apartment buildings. Nearly simultaneously, the walls and windows exploded. Glass, plaster, wood, and flesh rained from above and onto the grass and sidewalks below.

Above Andros in a group of three fighter jets, Cylon warriors patrolled the sky, looking for targets. The ships were gray with blue detail along their forward-swept wings. They had no bombs and missiles but they did have machine guns.

"Negative on sector three south," one Cylon radioed to the others. "Proceed to sector four south."

The jets banked toward the east. A few minutes later, they swept over the Andros spaceport. Nearly a million people from Andros and dozens of other nearby cities and towns had crowded the land in and around the port.

"Numerous contacts. Thousands," the Cylon said. "Recommend redeployment of Andros city units to Andros spaceport."

Six troop transport vehicles rolled through a fence and slammed to a stop. Immediately, Cylon warriors leapt out, raising their rifles and running toward the facilities.

Huge jets loomed ahead of them. There were bombers, fighter jets, tanker craft, and transports. Dozens of different models; some rather new, most rather old. If the Cylons could take this base, they would need only a few days to get these birds up and running.

"Move toward the station house," the company commander said. A few squads staked out positions along the way, but nearly two hundred Cylons ran toward the structure at the center of the airfield.

As they ran, the crack of gunfire echoed across the base. Cylons began to fall. They stopped, formed a circle, and scanned, looking for a target. Again, a gunshot. A direct hit to one warrior's head. It fell to its knees, quivering, before deactivating. The Cylons moved toward the station house slowly and tried to lock in on the attacker's position. After the next gunshot, the centurion pointed.

"There." The Cylon raised its rifle and zoomed in with the scope. It lowered the weapon and said, "Lord Zeus."

It didn't take long for the people gathered at the spaceport to grow wary of the Cylons circling above. The three planes had been joined by three more. Both groups moved along the outer perimeter of the crowd, waiting for the warriors to be redeployed from Andros.

"Flight leader," one Cylon said. "There is a group of humans fleeing the spaceport on the northeast corner. They appear to be moving toward a group of vehicles."

The flight leader looked to the roads beneath it, hoping for a sign of the transports. "How many?"

"Approximately twenty," it said. "No other humans appear to be following."

"Stand by," the leader said.

"Flight leader," a different Cylon said. "I have spotted approximately one hundred humans fleeing on the northwest corner."

The leader wasted no time. "Prevent their escape. All fighters, weapons free on humans outside of the primary area."

Three jets banked east toward the field where several vehicles were parked. The twenty humans were still running for them when the Eagles opened fire. The shells turned the soil, spat brush into the air, and split chunks of flesh from bone. In one sweep, all of those fleeing were dead.

On the northwestern corner, the three fighters opened fire. Half of the one hundred people running toward the forest fell. When the humans who stayed within the spaceport heard and saw the fighters opening fire; they wavered, trying to decide if they should run or take a chance and stay.

Many near the edges of the spaceport area decided to run.

Thousands of people ran for the trees. The three-plane group patrolling that section opened fire into the trees and swept their bullets toward the bulk of the spaceport congregation. The other three-plane group flew straight over the port, opening fire, as well.

"Lord Zeus," the centurion said. "Please come down and speak with us peacefully."

"No!" Zeus yelled back. He fired and hit the centurion in the head. The Cylons gathered in a bunch and began to walk toward him. He fired again and again, hitting Cylons squarely in the head and dropping them to the ground. With more than one hundred Cylons to go, Zeus ran out of ammo for his sniper rifle.

"Lord Zeus," another warrior said, "we will not harm you."

The god climbed down from the wing of the bomber and slowly approached the Cylons. "Why not?"

"We have orders," the warrior said. "Any Lord of Kobol we encounter is to be taken alive."

Zeus crossed his arms and sneered at the machines. "So you can try and petition us for equal rights?"

"Perhaps," the warrior said.

Zeus shook his head and laughed. "It will never happen."

"Perhaps not," the Cylon said. Two other Cylons ran to Zeus' side and stepped behind him. "I have my doubts. Those are my orders, however."

"I see." Zeus then pulled an earpiece from his right ear and crossed his arms again. Seconds later, the two flanking Cylons were felled by silent gunfire. Zeus ran toward the nearby building and soldiers sprang out from behind corners opening fire on the Cylons.

Zeus stepped around the side of the building while humans fired grenades into the group of machines. The warriors spread out, shooting as they ran. Several humans collapsed under the fire and some Cylons did, too. After a few moments, the Cylons were retreating toward their trucks. Some held positions nearby, popping out occasionally to fire.

The ground began to quake and everyone, Cylon and human, paused.

Zeus looked south and he saw a great, lumbering craft rising toward the clouds.

"What the frak is that?"
LXVIII

**ZEUS**

5 Days Before the Final Exodus

"It's some sort of transport, sir," the human captain said. "There's been an automated emergency broadcast signal on the radio for several hours. They're telling people to head to the nearest spaceport for evacuation."

Evacuation. Zeus leaned against the building and watched the bloated ship rise on columns of vapor and smoke. A moment later, a smaller craft lifted off as well. The pitch of their engines was different, but each had that distinctive popping roar as it burned the air. His breathing became more frantic and he balled up his fists. Zeus' face flushed hot and he stepped away from the wall toward the vessels. Anger boiled inside him.

"Apollo," he grunted.

Cylon gunfire opened up again, ricocheting around him. Soldiers left the protection of the building; stepping between Zeus and the Cylons and opening fire. Two soldiers were felled as Zeus walked in a furious daze toward a waiting gyrocraft.

"Out!" he yelled over the rotor noise. "I'm flying!"

The pilot unhooked his helmet and seatbelts. "Yes, Lord!"

He left the ship and Zeus climbed in. Without buckling in or using the helmet, Zeus lifted the gyrocraft off the ground and immediately pointed it south. Now rising high above the airfield, he saw waves of people flooding toward the spaceport. He shook his head and stomped his feet. "Again!" he yelled. "He did it again!"

Still kilometers away from the spaceport, Zeus saw dozens of troop trucks moving toward the crowds. Hundreds of Cylons were marching into the throng of humanity, firing as they went. He held position away from the Cylons and the people, wondering what he was going to do. He heard chatter coming from the gyrocraft's earpiece and he pulled it from the helmet.

"Splash three, Andros control," a voice said.

"Castor that, _Callisto_. Three more waiting for you back here."

"Wilco."

Zeus looked to the spaceport far ahead. He saw a second, large ship lifting off and the slender vessel was speeding back. Three Eagles left the western side of the port and strafed the ship. The _Callisto_ , Zeus assumed. Machine gun fire erupted from the human craft, dispersing the three fighters.

Zeus looked back toward the crowd of humans below. Cylons were still marching; still shooting. Zeus flipped the guard off the fire button on the stick and moved the gyrocraft forward. He spun the ship around and tried to line up a good bit of the Cylons in front of him. Zeus squeezed the trigger and bullets streamed from both sides of the craft and lit into the advancing machines. Dozens crumbled under the fire and Zeus maneuvered the ship backward, still trying to line up more Cylons. He squeezed the trigger again and tore up the enemy.

The people were running toward the spaceport and pressing against each other. There wasn't enough room for them all. However many ships Apollo had prepared, Zeus knew that all of these people wouldn't be able to flee.

He turned the gyrocraft toward the east and fired again on the Cylons. Dozens more fell. This time, though, they fired back. Glass broke around him and bullets whizzed past his head. Zeus turned again but more machine gun fire struck the ship. Soon, multiple warning indicators and alarms began to sound. Fuel leaks, oil pressure loss, and more. He would have to land the craft.

Spewing smoke from its rotors, Zeus aimed the gyrocraft at a marching company of warriors. He accelerated forward toward the ground. Soon, he was traveling at more than eighty kilometers an hour and his altitude came down to just a few meters. A moment later, the skids and undercarriage of the gyrocraft began to clip the heads and bodies of Cylons. The ship knocked several aside and they began to duck. The gyrocraft crashed into a bank of grass and dirt and Zeus shook his head before leaving. When he emerged, the Cylons lowered their weapons.

"Lord Zeus, please come with us," a centurion said.

Zeus stood up straight and tried to run, but he lost his footing. He stumbled to the ground and a Cylon helped him to his feet. Zeus reached up and felt the hairline near his left temple. Blood. He shook his head again and tried to pull away from the Cylon, but more machines approached and took him by the arms.

"You will come with us."

Zeus shook his head and yelled at them, "You cannot take me! I will not negotiate!"

Zeus was going to say something else when he heard jet fighters above. He looked up and saw six Eagles scream overhead, firing on the group of humans. He looked south and saw the human gunship, _Callisto_ , fire a missile at them. When it exploded and a blue-green plasma burst erupted from the debris of the six planes, Zeus knew they had Hydra missiles.

"Frakkin' Apollo," he slurred.

The Cylons seemed to have stopped their advance on the people. They were still crowding toward the spaceport, but more than a hundred warriors and centurions were gathered around Zeus.

"Does this mean we have won?" one asked.

"Negative," a centurion responded. "Peace must be negotiated first."

"It's not going to happen," Zeus said.

Three more Eagles swept overhead toward the _Callisto_. While the human ship opened fire, another bulky transport lifted off. Zeus watched it as he was dragged toward a waiting vehicle. A transport was about to enter the cloud cover when Cylon planes flew toward it. The spine of the ship shimmered and flashed. There was a thunderous clap and wind blew to the south. Zeus looked again and saw that the transport jumped away rather than deal with the Cylon fighter jets. Before he could react, Zeus became aware of a higher pitched noise. It was coming from the north.

Zeus looked and saw a golden gleaming dart flying toward him. It stopped in the air, just a few hundred meters above and spread its wings. He smiled and whispered, " _Aetos._ "

The door opened and Zeus thought he could see Hermes himself drop a present for the Cylons. The silver canister fell and fell, but before it hit the ground, it exploded, sending an electromagnetic pulse through the warriors. The tin cans all around him dropped immediately and Zeus staggered for a moment as he regained his balance. Before he could wave at Hermes, the _Aetos_ moved down the fence and dropped another canister onto advancing Cylons.

Zeus then set his sights on the people still crowding toward the ships. Zeus paused for a moment, regained his breath, and then moved toward them. They were still almost one hundred meters away, but a few saw him. When they began to rush him, the others saw, too.

"Lord Zeus!" they said.

"Lord Zeus," a woman said, "can you help us?"

He lifted his hands to steady the crowd. "Please," he began, "please, I ask you to return to your homes."

The citizens looked at each other and then back to the god. "But, Lord, they've bombed our city. Corinth is almost destroyed!" Not even Zeus' Chara could calm their agitation.

"Lord," a woman said, bending at her waist as she spoke, "Cylons came through Andros, killing anyone they saw! They destroyed many buildings, too!"

"The radio says we should evacuate!"

"My children were killed on the Stream! I have no reason to stay!"

They spoke and yelled and pleaded. Each perspective layering on top of the other until Zeus began to feel the collective weight. The Cylons attacked and he wasn't going to be able to stop them easily. And even if he could, the wounds would be too deep to heal.

"My Lord," a man said, stepping closer, "you're injured." He seemed as confused as he was concerned.

Zeus nodded and waved him away. "I will be fine."

Another transport jumped. Light flashed along its hull, a circular wave erupted from it and then dissipated before the air quaked with the noise.

He straightened up and the people petitioned him again with their needs. All he could do was nod and make empty promises. Zeus looked at their faces and felt, for the first time, useless.
LXIX

**HERMES**

5 Days Before the Final Exodus

He was down to his last few EMP bombs. Hovering over the edge of Andros spaceport, he thought he saw Zeus being dragged away by Cylons, so Hermes prepped and dropped this device carefully.

It exploded just far enough away. Dozens of Cylon warriors dropped to the ground and Hermes pressed his hand against the induction pad by the hatch. It was a bitch to fly the _Aetos_ this way, but with one man acting as pilot and bombardier, he had little choice. With his eyes closed yet seeing the position of the vessel above hundreds of Cylons below, he stopped the ship again and dropped another EMP device. The machines collapsed.

Humans cheered and the Cylons still standing fired at the golden vessel as it swooped farther afield. Human soldiers were now approaching the spaceport to protect the populace. Hermes had only two devices left. He turned the _Aetos_ to the north and brought the vessel toward the Cylon front line. They far outnumbered the human military, but Hermes' delivery would even the score somewhat. It exploded and allowed the humans to move forward to more secure positions.

He again pressed his hand onto the pad and looked for the next best target. With one EMP device left, it would be his final statement in the war. The _Aetos_ was unarmed. No machine guns. Not even a Hydra missile battery. Just whatever Hermes dropped out the door.

He saw a group of sixty Cylons slowly marching toward a perimeter fence and firing on people as they tried to crowd into the spaceport. Hermes brought the ship around and hovered two hundred meters above the machines. He removed the canister from the rack, counted to four and then dropped it. It fell and fell, finally hitting the ground and just sitting there.

It was a dud.

Hermes shook his head; disappointed at the anticlimactic end of his campaign. He stepped away from the door and the Cylons on the ground began to fire on the _Aetos_. Bullets mostly bounced off the hull, but Hermes didn't want to take any chances. He sat down in the main pilot's seat and lifted the ship higher. Once he folded up the wings he flew back north. He sighed loudly, again cursing his bad luck with that last EMP bomb. There had been other duds, too, but for the last one to fail... that was a shame.

The TARIS alarms sounded and he spotted three Eagles closing on his position. "Not good," he said. Every other plane he had encountered in the last day had been piloted by Cylons.

Yesterday, after arriving in the middle of the night at Atlantis, he circled for hours. He watched and studied and saw nothing. He bided his time by plugging into the Stream and broadcasting kill commands and any number of overrides that came to mind. Nothing worked. Eventually, he had to land to conserve fuel and he chose a secluded spot in central Illyria.

Later, he caught a newsfeed about the Cylon attacks at Phea. Hermes knew he could help the people at spaceports, so he flew to Meteon. It was dark there yet he found all out battle. A small group of humans versus a large battalion of Cylons. Transports were lifting off slowly and Cylon jets were strafing them while a single escort vessel held them at bay. Hermes dropped almost a dozen EMP devices there. Two transports were destroyed, but all of the Cylon attackers were, too. Hermes then remembered that Zeus was going to Andros and that there was a spaceport there. At full speed, he flew to Andros. It took him hours, and during that time, he thought.

Am I to blame for this?

Hermes turned the _Aetos_ south toward the spaceport. He was not yet at full burn, but the Eagles were closing on him. And then a fourth fighter joined in. Andros was ahead and three transports were aloft, steaming toward the clouds. The escort ship was engaged with other fighters and Hermes pounded the console.

"Dammit," he said. He maneuvered the golden craft as deftly as he could among the hovering ships. The _Aetos_ swept under one of the behemoths and through the trails of steam and smoke it left behind. As the Olympian shuttle passed by one transport, it engaged its FTL. The air buffeted and Hermes was knocked around in his chair. The latecomer Cylon to the chase was caught in the shockwave and the craft broke apart magnificently. Hermes' vessel emerged on the south side of the port, away from the transports and above the ocean. The three remaining Eagles were directly behind.

"Attention escort vessel, this is Hermes aboard the _Aetos_ ," he signaled. "Whatever assistance you can provide would be appreciated."

"Absolutely, Lord," the speaker said. "Try to draw them to us and stay out of our firing patterns, if possible."

"Acknowledged."

Hermes banked the _Aetos_ to the right and opened the wings. The sudden drag provided a rapid deceleration and a steep turn. The Cylons flew past him and took a moment to recover. Unfortunately, because of the excessive g-forces, Hermes took a moment to recover, too. He folded the wings back up and engaged full thrust toward Andros.

Hermes saw the escort ship firing on at least four Cylon fighters with two other transports lifting off. He swooped toward the escort, noting where the machine gun fire was leaving the ship. He skated the top of the vessel and down over the bow, drawing the Eagles behind him. He pulled back and the _Aetos_ climbed skyward. The three Eagles were close behind but before Hermes could bank away, his ship was rocked with a great explosion. He scanned behind him and saw that his three Eagles and one other had been blown apart in a Hydra missile detonation.

Hermes smiled and signaled the escort, "Thank you. Good work."

"Our pleasure, Lord Hermes."

Three Cylon fighters were still strafing the escort and Hermes turned his craft toward the transports. Once he reached the other side of the spaceport, he saw a group of six Cylon fighters closing in. "Oh, shit," he said.

They opened fire on the transports and one engine exploded almost immediately. The large craft stumbled in its ascent and the six jets came around for another pass.

Hermes sighed and decided to take them on.

Was it his fault? Centuries ago, before his "vacation," Hermes felt the need to insinuate himself into the commercial world of Kobol again. Among the executives, he feared that he seemed less god-like than he should have. He gave away some technical secrets; some computer workarounds. Processing systems would work more efficiently and intuitively without expressly breaking divine commandments.

It was a cheat. Hermes was showing off what little knowledge the Olympians had left that the humans hadn't discovered on their own. He curried their favor and earned their worship, but he worried. Yes, it was several centuries ago. Yes, residual fear kept the scientists and corporations in line... but only for a time.

Soon, Cylons – both civilian and military – began to be upgraded with the new technology. Nothing untoward happened, thanks to Hermes' instructions. But still...

Hermes dove the _Aetos_ toward the swarm of fighters. He hit none, yet he disrupted their attack. He engaged the engines at full and pushed the ship to sea. The six Eagles tracked him and began a pursuit.

He smiled and forged ahead. By drawing them off, he may have saved thousands of lives.

How many more would have been saved if he hadn't acted selfishly centuries ago?

He extended the wings again and banked ninety degrees to the right. The first group of three Cylon fighters flew past. One Cylon clipped a wing; breaking off a piece and sending the Eagle down toward the ocean. The _Aetos_ wobbled in flight, but Hermes was able to compensate.

Two Cylons swept back, raking the fuselage of the golden vessel with bullets. Hermes twisted the ship around, banking again and flying into the path of the returning trio of Cylons. Two Cylons crashed into each other and exploded. The three remaining Eagles regrouped and swung back toward the struggling Olympian ship. Hermes pushed the engines as hard as they would go, and after nearly a minute, the three Eagles broke off their pursuit.

He thought again about the Cylons all over Kobol. They killed well over a billion people just with the Streamchip virus. Hermes was thankful he downloaded just last week and hadn't had a chance to get a new one. With the missiles, hundreds of millions more would die and the Cylons were fighting harder still. Was he to blame? Or Apollo? Apollo's the one who reprogrammed that one... and that's the one that started it all.

No, Hermes felt guilty. It sat in his belly like a stone. When he closed his eyes, he saw thousands of Cylons marching across the land. Cylons that carried his processor designs.

The TARIS alarms sounded. Coming across the sea, his scope showed nine Vulture-class heavy bombers. He shook his head and opened a communications channel. "Bomber group. Identify."

No response.

Nine heavy bombers on a direct course for Andros. With the payload they likely carried, the Cylons could wipe out more than one million people there. He waited and watched the sky. Soon, he spotted the nine shapes in the clouds above. Hermes began a climb and he emerged behind them. He struggled with the controls to bring the _Aetos_ back around, but he did and fell in behind the group.

"Now what?" he said aloud.

He thought about the millions of people at Andros. The transports that were still trying to get away. He knew he had to do what he could to stop these planes.

He increased the throttle and extended the wings as far as they would go, despite the damage. He moved in toward one Vulture and defensive machine gun fire from three of the bombers began. Bullets hit the golden hull and bounced into the cabin. Hermes pushed forward and clipped the upright tail of a bomber with the _Aetos'_ wing. The Cylon bomber began to flatspin and fell from the clouds.

Hermes smiled, thinking he could do this again and again. More defensive fire lit into the ship and he tried to move to the next bomber's upright tail. Before he could, a bullet ricocheted in the cabin and hit his neck.

He reached up and felt the blood pouring from his wound. He pressed hard against it, trying to stop the bleeding, but he knew it was pointless. He had mere seconds. Hermes gasped and pressed his other hand on the induction panel hard, turning the ship away from the group at great speed. After a wide sweep, the _Aetos_ approached the line of bombers on edge. Each of the eight remaining planes were lined up before him. He hoped he could hit the first and bounce to the next and so on, wiping out the entire fleet.

Hermes was growing lightheaded when the golden craft hit the first Vulture's dorsal fuselage. The _Aetos_ was damaged and buffeted by the impact and flew into the wing of the next bomber. The plane exploded, breaking apart the Olympian's shuttle and scattered pieces into the next two bombers.

The bulk of the _Aetos_ fell into the sea, but four Cylon bombers remained on course for Andros.
LXX

**GIDEON**

4 Days Before the Final Exodus

"I'm not sure I follow, delegate," Alexandra said. She touched the end of a computer against the arm of a sleeping boy. It beeped a moment later.

Lemuel Damon represented Cancer in the Quorum. Before the attack, he was mostly a quiet member. "If you would stop what you're doing for a moment and listen, you probably could."

Alex stood up straight and lowered her arm. She let the computer hang by her side and she grinned slightly, "I'm sorry, delegate. Please."

He nodded and stepped closer. "I have a great many concerns about this evacuation."

"I see," Gideon said. She looked toward the tree line in the east and saw the first bit of dawn breaking through. "Such as?"

The delegate looked over his shoulder to the tents set up along the rocks and trees. They were now in the far southwestern end of the Great Meadow having moved there yesterday to avoid being sighted by any Cylon scouts. "Is the president awake yet?"

Alex shook her head and her expression became grim. "No. He's not. He... needs the rest."

"I'm sure," Damon said. He stepped closer and continued, "I would like to discuss something of great importance with him."

"What would that be?"

He became still and then he said, "Staying on Kobol."

Gideon's eyebrows lifted, "'Staying?'"

"Yes," he said. "The order to evacuate came from Acastus, not the Quorum." He lifted his head and became visibly agitated, "We delegates are not happy about that at all. We were not consulted in any way. Not from the construction of the ships, where they're going, or even who gets on board."

"You'd like to decide who gets to go?"

Damon sighed and shrugged, "To a certain extent, yes."

Alex leaned over and pressed the computer in her hand against the arm of a sleeping woman. It beeped and she stood. "Who would get to go, delegate?"

"Well," he said before he looked down at the sleeping people. He paused and thought for a moment before asking, "What are you doing with that?"

She held the computer up for him to examine. "Deciding who gets to go. If their radiation level is under two hundred Greds, they get an orange card and are allowed to board."

Damon looked back across the row of sleeping bags. "But... I've been with you for almost ten minutes now and you haven't given anyone an orange card."

"I know," she said. She took a few steps and bent over a man. He grinned at her weakly and she pressed the device against his arm. It beeped. Four hundred ninety-six Greds. She smiled and stood.

Damon held back for a moment and watched her. He inhaled and then trotted ahead. "Miss Gideon, the thing we'd most like to discuss with Stephen is the issuance of that evacuation order."

Gideon nodded and sighed. "It had to be carried out in secret." Apollo and Acastus were always secretive about it. She didn't know the exact reasons why, but she could guess now. "If the Cylons knew about those transports then an evacuation would have been disastrous." Her guess was wrong.

Damon raised his hands, "I understand. But... we should have been consulted." Gideon looked down at the ground and prepared to lift her computer before the delegate spoke again, "And I still want to discuss staying on Kobol with the president."

"I..." she chuckled nervously. "How can we stay? There are thousands of Cylons roaming the planet free and pissed off. They've handily defeated our military at almost every turn. Olympus is destroyed. Cities are filled with corpses. And radiation..."

"I'm not saying it would be easy, Miss Gideon," Damon began, "I'm simply saying it should be considered."

"And consider what?" Acastus asked. "Surrender to the Cylons?"

Gideon and Damon looked toward him quickly. "Mr. President," Alex said. She walked toward him and put an arm around his shoulder. "How are you?"

He nodded and waved her off, "What is it, Lem? You want to stay on Kobol and rebuild, I guess?"

Damon stepped forward and gingerly shook Acastus' hand. "I'd like to try."

"You want to talk surrender?" Stephen asked.

Damon scoffed and smiled simultaneously, shaking his head. "Not really. But... I think we could stand to try negotiating."

"Negotiate," he muttered. Stephen looked toward the rising sun and said, "You know what they've done. You know they won't stop."

"They might stop if we say the right thing."

"And give them freedom? Equal rights?"

Damon shrugged, "In light of all this, would that be so bad?"

Acastus scratched his neck. "Compared to this, no. Ignoring the fact that the gods seem unequivocally opposed to the idea, think of the world that would exist. An almost eternal resentment against Cylons from humans because they killed nearly two billion of us. And an almost eternal resentment against humans from the Cylons because we enslaved them for centuries. There'd be strife for ages. Another war might be inevitable."

"I understand..."

"And what about workers to rebuild our society? Cylons aren't going to want to be our servants any longer."

Damon lifted his hands, "You make good points but these are points we can discuss with them."

"No," Acastus said. "We're leaving."

The delegate folded his arms and he exhaled slowly. "Why? Why must we leave and why haven't we heard from the gods about this? At all?"

Gideon shook her head, "Delegate, who do you think initiated this plan?"

Acastus placed a hand on her arm to calm her. "I have been in touch with the gods on this subject for... some time."

Damon seemed confused. "But we've had word that the gods have been leading people into the mountains. Near the Gates of Hera."

Stephen looked at Alex, but her expression was blank, too. The president said, "What gods? Why?"

"I don't know. Just rumors, I believe, but there must be some sort of truth to it, given how many times we've heard it."

Acastus nodded. "And what are you thinking?"

"I've spoken with the Quorum," Damon motioned back toward a collection of tents. "We'd like to move into the mountains and follow the god or gods who have gone there."

The president lowered his head in thought. Gideon didn't breathe. She knew Apollo had pushed for the evacuation, but if a different god was leading people to safety in the mountains, it might be worth a try.

Acastus looked up. "Do you have a full Quorum? Is every nation represented?"

Damon nodded slowly. "Yes. Seven of us delegates are still about. The other five were deputy delegates who had to be moved up."

Stephen inhaled sharply and said, "If you and the Quorum want to move into the mountains and take your chances there, I won't stop you."

The delegate shook Acastus' hand again, "Thank you, Stephen." He looked back to the tents and said, "We're going to gather our things and then I'd like the opportunity to address the people."

"To say what?" Alex asked.

"To give them a choice." Damon nodded again and walked away.

Gideon turned to the president and held his arm. "How are you? Really?"

"I feel," he rubbed his forehead, "horrible. I've already thrown up. My skin's all clammy."

She nodded and stood closer to him. "Have you had your injection yet?"

"Yes." He turned and hobbled back toward his tent. "What's the latest word?"

"I haven't gotten a status report, yet. Everything's having to move through older channels." Stephen smiled. "It's been a millennium or so since we couldn't rely on the Stream."

"Right." Acastus sat on a rock against the cliff face. Gideon sat next to him. He looked at the device in her hand and then at her. "How many orange cards have you given out today?"

She sighed. "None."

Acastus closed his eyes. "Have you heard from Cyme?"

"Not this morning," she said. "They expected the tyllium to arrive last night. There were... riots around the spaceport." Acastus shook his head while she continued, "Cyme was hit particularly hard. The Cylon missile destroyed half the city and many of the people are going to be too sick to board the ships."

Acastus kept his eyes closed as he spoke. "That means there could be some empty ships."

"I've already told them to come here when they've loaded everyone they could."

Stephen nodded. "Any word from Apollo?"

Gideon said, "No." She turned the radiation scanner over in her hand and looked toward the trees lining the nearby cliff. "Goddess Athena, though... She's been awake all night."

"I'm not surprised." Acastus opened his eyes and leaned forward, looking toward the trees, too. "Is she still in there?"

"I think so," Alex said. "It's strange to see her like this." She shifted her leg and tried to sit more comfortably on the rock. She reached into her pocket to pull out the wad of plastic that was causing her pants to bunch up. A stack of orange cards.

"How are you doing?" the president asked.

Gideon was staring at the cards. She fanned some of them out. They were new. A nice, shiny color. Bright. Rectangular, though the corners were cut off. "I'm doing well."

Stephen chuckled, "I don't think so."

Alexandra looked at him and paused, rethinking her answer. "How can I truly be well? I mean, I'm alive still. I don't have radiation sickness. I'm... better than most people."

"You are."

"But my home is gone. People I knew are gone. We're going to be leaving the only world I've ever known."

Acastus put his hand on her leg. "You will be fine. Trust me."

"If you're good here for a while, I'm going to get back to this," Gideon held the scanner up.

"Go ahead, dear."

Alex slid the plastic cards back into her pocket and walked several meters toward the expanse of the meadow. She found a family of four sitting in a huddled mass together, awake. They were eating from a snack bag. Chewing almost absent-mindedly, their eyes were glazed over and they didn't seem to notice anyone else's presence.

Gideon knelt by their side and touched the mother on the arm. "Hello."

She blinked for a moment and then looked at Alex. "Hi."

"I need to scan you guys. Make sure you're alright."

The mother nodded. "That's fine."

Alex put the end of the device against the mother's arm and pressed the button. She closed her eyes and held her breath, hoping for something different. Her pocket was too full of those orange cards.

Two-hundred thirty four. Alex winced and then held it against the arm of the little boy. Two-hundred fifty-five. The father and the sister both had two-hundred sixty Greds.

Alex smiled and stood. She was about to turn. She was about to walk away when her pocket felt heavier than normal. She reached inside and removed four orange cards. Holding them in her hand, the rising sun glinted off the glossy plastic into her eyes. Gideon smiled and bent over. "Here. Each of you gets one. Don't lose it. Understand? You have to keep this."

The mother and father took them and nodded. "We'll hold onto them."

Gideon stood up straight again and began to walk. She breathed a little deeper. A little easier. Her pocket felt better, too. She reached the next sleeping bag and found a bloated, disheveled man, snoring. Alex knew he was a Streamer. One of those Acastus had been trying to help for decades. One of the many millions who did nothing but sit, eat, play on the Stream, and then sleep. She knelt and scanned his arm.

One-hundred twenty-two.

She stood again and closed her eyes. Why? How was this fair? She looked down the row of sleeping bags she had scanned over the last hour. In the hundreds of people she saw, only this man actually warranted a card. Gideon couldn't help but think that he didn't really deserve it. How many other worthy people had she bypassed who could make a greater life for themselves if they got off Kobol?

Alex was about to step away when she felt her pocket weighing her down again. She couldn't do it. She couldn't decide who was worthy or not to survive. She reached in, removed a card, and tossed it onto his chest.

"May I have your attention, please," Delegate Lemuel Damon began some distance away near the cliff face. He managed to find a working bullhorn and hooked it up to several speakers.

Gideon sighed and walked east across the meadow to the swelling crowd forming by the rocks where Damon and the new Quorum were standing. She let her arms dangle by her side. She just wanted to turn off her brain and relax for a moment.

"I am Delegate Lemuel Damon and I represent the nation of Cancer." He held the microphone closer to his mouth and stood up on his feet to see toward the back of the crowd. "Can everyone hear me?"

Many said, "Yes," and he nodded.

"Words cannot adequately express the feelings I'm sure we all have right now so... I won't even try." The audience lowered their heads and Damon continued, "Right now, it would be good for us to think of the future. We have to... think about surviving, more than just one day at a time. Now, President Acastus has these transport ships taking thousands of people into space and then on to who knows where."

Many in the audience shook their heads, some even vocally expressing their displeasure.

"Problem is, there aren't enough ships for everyone." Again, the crowd became vocal. "There are still going to be millions of survivors left behind here on Kobol when those ships are gone." The people became louder. "We have to have a plan. We have to be ready. Most importantly, we have to make a choice."

Damon pointed to the field behind the crowd. It was mostly empty at this point. "Sometime today, this meadow will be filled with transport ships. A few thousand will be able to get on board. The rest will not." The crowd mumbled and grumbled. "How many of you have been given an orange card?"

Most people looked at each other and seemed confused. A few others held up theirs.

"Oh, no," Gideon whispered.

"That card means you're clear to leave on those ships. If you weren't given one, you might not be allowed to go."

The people became angry and they turned toward the people with the cards. Alex hid the scanner behind her back. There was shouting and some people fell to the ground.

"No, no!" Damon shouted. "Leave that man alone! He has his card, let him keep it. He can choose to get on the ship. More cards may be coming later but you'll have to be scanned first. But right now, we have a choice." He pointed to the meadow again, "We can sit here, wait for the ship to come and hope we have an orange card. Or we can choose to reclaim our homes. We can choose to stay here, on Kobol, and tough it out." The audience became vocal again, but far more positive. "It will take work and it will not be easy, but we can do it." The people cheered and he pointed toward the mountains. "We can choose to take the high road. We can choose to stay and it starts by climbing that hill. We have it on good authority that one or more gods have gathered at the Gates of Hera. We take this path and we can rejoin our Lords and rebuild our paradise."

The people cheered again and Damon shouted over them, "We can choose! The ship or the road!"

A few people trickled away from the crowd covertly and Alex watched them walk away. The bulk of the audience, a thousand or so people, lifted their arms and chanted, "The road!"

"In a short while, the Quorum will depart the meadow and we will take the high road!" The people cheered. "Please join us!" Damon waved and put down the microphone.

Gideon walked away slowly and she passed by a triage tent. She stepped inside and spoke to a doctor as he drank a cold cup of coffee.

"Dr. Nadiam," Alex began, "I'm here to return this." She presented the scanner to him. "I measured a few hundred people this morning, but I'm afraid my other duties are catching up to me."

He nodded and forced down a gulp of his drink. "I understand. How many cards did you give out?"

"Only a few." She looked outside of the tent toward the dispersing crowd. "I'm afraid after that speech that my presence and these will be unwanted." She held out the orange cards and Nadiam took them.

"Yes." He opened a box and tossed them inside. "We'll see how people feel about them once the ships actually get here and start taking us away."

Gideon nodded and she left the tent. She walked slowly back toward Acastus. She saw him, a hundred or so meters ahead. He was still sitting on that rock, leaning against the cliff. She smiled for a moment at the sight until horror crept into her mind. She ran as fast as she could. The meters took forever for her to traverse and she jumped onto the rock next to him, grabbing his shoulder.

"Mr. President?" she said. "Are you alright?"

Acastus awoke with a start and looked around. "Yes. What? What's going on?"

Out of breath, Gideon closed her eyes and she leaned away from him. "I'm sorry. I just saw you, sitting here, and..."

"You thought I was dead," Stephen said with a smile. Alex didn't say anything but she grinned slightly.

"Mr. President," a military officer said as he ran up to them. "I've just received a radio signal from Lord Apollo. He'll be landing here in a moment."

Stephen took in a deep breath and nodded to the man. "Good. Thank you." He straightened and prepared to stand from the rock. He looked at Alex, "Think you could go meet him for me and, maybe, ask him to join me over here?"

She had regained her breath and she smiled. "I'm sure he won't mind."

"That's my girl." He closed his eyes and leaned back against the cliff.

Gideon stood and followed the officer as he led her through a group of tents into an open area. A few moments later, the thump-thump of a gyrocraft became audible and she scanned the trees trying to find it. The ship came from the east and it swooped low over the trees and across much of the field. Many of the people weren't sure who or what was on board and they panicked, fearing the Cylons had found them.

The gyrocraft came to a stop above Alex's head and it slowly lowered. She closed her eyes and ducked, waiting for the rotors to stop spinning. They were still moving when the hatch opened and Lord Apollo emerged.

He was wearing a black singlesuit with a Gemnar vest and armor pads. An assault rifle was slung over one shoulder and a satchel over the other. His blonde hair was dirty and his usually radiant face was sweaty, streaked, and dominated by a grim expression.

Gideon had been hoping for a happy demeanor so she could enjoy a few moments of bliss. A god's well-dispositioned Chara could change one's outlook for the whole day. Seeing Apollo's frown, Alex knew that wasn't to be.

As the officer snapped to attention, Apollo walked straight to Alexandra. "Miss Gideon. How are you?"

She smiled despite the sour feeling in her stomach. She figured it was the Chara. "As well as can be expected, Lord."

Apollo glanced around the meadow. "Is Stephen around?"

"Yes, the president is waiting for you this way." Alex turned and walked back toward the tents. She looked to her left, wondering if the people would see Apollo and try to rush him. A few seemed to notice, but they made no moves. After dodging the tents, Apollo and Gideon found Acastus leaning against the rock face still.

"Stephen?" Apollo said.

The president's eyes slowly opened and he smiled. "Lord Apollo. Please forgive me if I don't stand up."

Apollo sat next to him on the rock. He heaved a great sigh and his shoulders slumped. He put his large hand on Acastus' knee. With a sympathetic grin, he asked, "How are you doing?"

He laughed. "A lot better once I realized the true irony of it all."

Apollo glanced toward Alex and then back at Stephen. "And what's that?"

Acastus grinned and put his other hand on top of Apollo's. "In order to not die from cancer, my doctor wanted me to have radiation therapy. I was afraid the cure will kill me. Now, after refusing the radiation, I'm dying... not from the cancer, but from radiation."

Apollo chuckled and leaned closer to the president. His smile faded and he breathed in sharply. His eyes sank and sheer sadness washed over his face. "Stephen, I don't know what to do..."

The shift in the Chara made Gideon quake, almost so fearful that she wanted to flee, but the president seemed fine. He smiled and patted Apollo's hand. "It's almost over."

Apollo nodded and he regained his composure. "You've heard about Delphi."

"I did. I'm sorry." He paused and then asked, "Have you heard from your father?"

Apollo looked toward Alex and shook his head. "No. Nor from Hermes, Ares, Athena..."

"Athena's here," Gideon said.

"Where?" he turned, looking around.

She pointed toward the trees a few hundred meters away. "Last time I saw her, she was there."

Apollo relaxed again and nodded. "I'll... probably go talk to her shortly."

After an awkward silence, Acastus looked across the nearby tents. No one was watching. "The last estimate I heard... two billion, dead."

The god nodded. "I'm afraid so."

"Will the Cylons ever quit?" Alex asked.

Apollo looked toward her. "I can't say. They're 'true Cylons' now. They can choose to do whatever they want."

Gideon's heart stopped.

"What did you say?"

Apollo looked at Gideon in surprise. Her tone was not nearly as kind or worshipful as he was used to. Her face was ashen and her eyes wide. "I said, 'they can choose...'"

"You said, 'true Cylons.'"

Apollo nodded and looked at Acastus before looking back at Gideon. "Yes."

Alex's breathing became more rapid and forceful. "I... can't believe this."

She shook her head and began to turn in circles before Apollo grabbed her arm. "Alexandra, what's wrong?"

She whipped her head toward him. Her eyes were red and welling up and her mouth was contorted into a twisted angry smile. "I'm a Cylon."

Now Apollo's face went ashen. His eyes widened.

"What did she say?" Stephen asked.

Apollo pulled Gideon closer. His face became expressionless and he asked, quietly. "Why do you say that?"

"Because a 'true Cylon' is any being created through artificial means and given artificial intelligence." She held her hand against her eyes, trying to stop the tears.

Acastus heard her this time. He looked around again; hoping no one was within earshot. "Who told you this?"

"Hecate."

Apollo sighed loudly and his eyes rolled up into his lids. "You... you can't trust what she said."

"But she's right!" Acastus tried to calm her down with hand gestures, but she ignored them. "I'm part of the Thirteenth Tribe! We all know how we got started!"

"Stop, Alexandra," Apollo said. "Please."

"You've lied to me." She pulled away and she stopped crying. She saw the two of them sitting there, on that rock, and a realization came to her. "You've known. All along, you've known this would happen. That's why you gathered the ships. For all these years, I helped you!" She lowered her face into her hands again.

Apollo stood and tried to put an arm around her. "Alex, please. We didn't know. Not really."

"I knew from Pythia that certain things would happen," she sniffled. "But you knew more, right?" She looked into his face. "You knew more than I did. You knew..."

Apollo nodded slowly and looked to Stephen. He said, "We... did know more than we let on."

Gideon's face shifted again into a combination of anger and sadness. She pulled away and looked from one to the other. "I can't stay."

Acastus stood and reached toward her, but she had already turned. After a few quick strides, she was in her small tent. She hurriedly stuffed her backpack with her few remaining items and she crawled out again. She walked down the field, purposely avoiding eye contact with either Apollo or the president.

She looked up. Three hundred meters away, she saw the Quorum of Twelve get into the back of a truck and triumphantly ride up the first part of the path. Hundreds and hundreds of people cheered and they began to follow. Some on bicycles and motorcycles. Some in cars of their own. Most on foot.

She felt betrayed. For fourteen years, she was Acastus' assistant and she helped him and Apollo with their covert operations to save a few hundred thousand out of two and a half billion. She didn't know everyone else would be doomed, but she had hope. Now, she just felt used. They knew more about her than they let on. Why wouldn't they have told her the truth? About herself? About everything?

Alex stepped over a few rocks and she watched her foot as it touched the asphalt on the high road. She looked up and saw the hundreds of people ahead of her. She knew that, later today, everyone in a vehicle would have to stop and walk once they reached the hill at the base of the Gates of Hera.

If they were all headed toward the Tomb of Athena, that is.
LXXI

**ATHENA**

4 Days Before the Final Exodus

She didn't sleep.

She hadn't slept in days, she was sure.

Athena leaned against a tree, sitting on a cliff face, looking out over the Great Meadow, just southwest of the City of the Gods.

The city. She was there for days. She lifted bodies, feeling for life. She kicked aside debris, looking for life. She found it only sparingly.

Athena helped many people escape the city, escape the Cylons, but she didn't remember that part right now. She just remembered the smoking, burned-out hulks of cars and buildings that lined the streets around the city center. She remembered her one, brief venture into the northern part of town. She found only fire and ashen corpses.

She closed her eyes again, thinking of better times. Not just here, but Athens, too.

Oh, Athens! Destroyed! The Cylons took that away, also.

She looked down to the Meadow and saw thousands of people huddled for warmth and comfort in the early morning sun. Not too long ago, she would have happily gone among them to offer her support. Her blessings and love. Not today.

Athena heard and felt a rumble. She looked around and realized it was an aircraft flying overhead. A gyrocraft hovered low over the trees and then the Meadow before landing rather far away. She watched it for a moment and then saw Apollo step out.

Apollo.

She... didn't know what to think. She should have felt rage, she thought, over what Hecate had told her. If it was even true. Maybe she should have felt relief in seeing him alive given all that had happened.

Athena stood up and slowly made her way down from the trees. She was standing along a ridge of rocks near the river. Not wanting to draw the attention of the people, she moved within the trees toward the western end of the meadow. It took some time, but she finally came up behind a medical tent and she walked, hunched over, toward Apollo.

He was sitting on a rock with Stephen Acastus. No one else seemed to notice her. A military officer came near but he stopped when he saw who she was.

Apollo stood and took a step toward her. "Athena," he said softly.

She said nothing. Acastus sat on the rock looking at her with his mouth hanging open. Quickly, she looked down at herself and saw dust, dirt, blood, and singe marks. Her hair was tangled and messy. Her skin was wet from the morning dew and streaked with grime.

She looked up into Apollo's face and her voice cracked as she said, "Apollo."

The god stood there, motionless. His breathing was heavy and he couldn't seem to decide what to do. Finally, he reached out and put his hands on Athena's shoulders. She backed away.

Acastus stood and began to hobble off. "I'll be in my tent if you need me, Apollo."

He said nothing in reply. He kept his focus on Athena. It seemed to take great restraint for him to keep from putting his hands on her.

"It seems to be a silly question," Apollo began, calmly, "but, how are you?"

Athena's eyes glazed over and she nodded, "I'm fine."

"You don't look it."

Athena shook her head. "There's just... too much."

"I know." Apollo again appeared as though he wanted to touch her. Instead, he looked around the camp before he rested his eyes on Athena again. "Is there anything I can get for you? Food?"

She didn't reply. She stood still; staring at his neck and studying the precise way the shirt of his suit aligned just above the collar of the Gemnar vest. After a moment, she said, "Are you and Hecate sleeping together?"

Apollo's color drained and his eyes went wide. He opened his mouth and kept it still before he managed to say, "Where did you..."

"She told me."

Apollo closed his mouth and swallowed hard. His nostrils flared while he thought about how to frame his response, but the delay told Athena enough. She nodded knowingly. Apollo began, "You need to understand, it was the beginning stages of me gathering..."

"Don't try to justify it to me." Athena looked into his eyes and said calmly. "Just justify it for yourself, I guess. It doesn't matter anymore."

She turned and walked toward a basin of water sitting between two large tents. She ducked her entire head inside. When she stood again, Athena ran her hands over her hair and straightened it out. The morning air was cold on her wet skin, but she didn't seem to mind. She was in a daze.
LXXII

**ACASTUS**

4 Days Before the Final Exodus

"Apollo?" Stephen asked.

The Lord was standing by the rock watching Athena as she washed her face. "Yes?"

"I've gotten various bits of news you might like to hear." The president sat down again. He fanned several pieces of paper out in front of his face; moving one piece back, another forward.

After a few moments, Apollo stopped watching his former lover and he turned to sit down beside Acastus. "Are you worried about Alex?"

Stephen looked up and sighed. "Of course. But I don't know what to do." He didn't, truly. In some ways, she was right. He had kept information from her. But there was a greater good to consider. He thought of Alexandra like a sister or daughter. He had come to rely on her so much in recent years, he didn't know how he would cope in the coming days.

Apollo leaned forward with his elbows resting on the tops of his thighs. "We could tell her the whole truth."

"It would destroy her. Her faith in the gods is absolute. Undoing that would... undo her." Her leaving in tears hurt Stephen greatly. His stomach churned and his throat grew thick as he remembered that sight. "I only hope she thinks better of it all before it's too late."

Apollo nodded. He looked again at Athena and asked, "What's the news?"

"Good news first. So far, all of our remote detonations and military raids on power facilities have been successful." Acastus coughed and then continued, "It's entirely possible that every major power production facility on the planet can be rendered useless within two weeks."

"Doesn't matter much for us, but that will be good for those left behind."

Stephen lowered the papers and asked, "How long can Cylons last without power, really?"

Apollo shook his head. "The last I saw, months. Maybe years."

"Frak."

"Yes," Apollo said. He straightened up and folded his arms across his chest. "Their kinetic energy converters can give them lots of power over time, but not indefinitely."

"But months could be all they need to overrun Kobol."

Apollo nodded. "Maybe."

Stephen pulled a sheet of paper from the fan. "We've secured four squadrons of Vulture bombers." His eyebrows lifted slowly, "Plenty of bombs, too."

Apollo inhaled slowly before he said, "Once all of the transports are away, have them bomb the spaceports."

Acastus looked up. "Why?"

"We need to destroy every piece of space technology we can. If we eliminate the spaceports, there's a good chance they wouldn't be able to follow you."

Stephen scratched his cheek and looked back at the papers. "Cylons bombed the naval base at Piraeus." Next page, "Apparently, they captured an ammo dump on Cythera. Not only will they have nearly unlimited rifle ammunition, but there's also thermobaric and conventional bombs and... even some retired nuclear warheads, too."

"What?" Apollo looked at Acastus incredulously. "Cythera? I've never heard of an ammo dump there."

The president shrugged. "Me neither. It's apparently a century or so old. Expired ammo goes there to be destroyed, but it hasn't been destroyed in a while."

"What the..." Apollo punched his leg. "Ares didn't know about it. He couldn't have. He's been asleep for a millennium." He shook his head and looked toward the clouds, "I should've known about it."

"You can't blame yourself for everything, Apollo."

The god inhaled deeply and nodded toward the papers on Stephen's lap. "What else do you have?"

"Status update on the transports. A full two-thirds have launched and most of those are already in orbit." He pulled out one sheet and shook his head, "We've gotten requests from some commercial airliners to allow them to join our transports in orbit."

Apollo scoffed. "For what?"

Stephen put the paper back into the fan. "I don't know. They want to get offworld, too."

"But they don't have faster-than-light drive."

"I know."

Apollo lifted his hand and continued, "Not enough fuel to go anywhere. Not enough food."

"I know."

"They'll die in space."

Acastus then said, quietly, "Either there or here, I guess." Apollo waited a moment and then nodded. The president looked back at his papers and slowly separated another one from the array, "Andros was hit heavily by Cylons." Acastus sighed and then continued. "Fighter jets shot down six transports..."

"Dammit."

"And then Cylon bombers came and leveled everything that was left."

Apollo looked at Stephen, "What do you mean?"

Stephen licked his lips and stared at the paper. He thought that the more detached he read it, the better he would feel. "There were over one million people crowding the spaceport, hoping to leave in transports. The bombers killed them all." Apollo said nothing. "Lord Zeus was last seen among the crowd."

Apollo's head turned and his face was still. He blinked once and asked in a hushed tone, "Was he there when the bombs fell?"

"I don't know."

"No one has heard from him?"

Stephen shook his head. "No."

Apollo grit his teeth and then he looked out toward the meadow, blankly. "I see."

Acastus waited a moment. He couldn't imagine how Apollo felt right now. His father. A man he had known for nearly six thousand years. He was also the man he had tried to remove from power. Possibly to kill.

Stephen pushed the papers back together into a single stack and he leaned against the rock. "Have you spoken to your mother lately?"

Apollo closed his eyes and leaned forward, resting his face in his hands. "Yesterday, just outside of Delphi."

Acastus tapped his fingers on a wrinkle on his pants. "Were you there when..."

"Yes," Apollo said. "I was."

"How close?"

Apollo sat up straight again. "Not close enough."

The president wasn't sure how to take that. Instead, he paused and then asked, "What did she say?"

"It was all my fault. My doing." He motioned toward the City of the Gods, "These are my fires. My destruction." He motioned toward the remaining refugees camped out in the grass. "These are my victims."

Acastus laughed and said, "Bullshit." Apollo turned and looked at him quizzically. "What about those visions she gave you? This is the future you could have avoided?"

Apollo shook his head. "There was no escaping that future. It was a pipe dream to... keep me in line, I guess. She had to give me hope so I'd do their bidding." He pounded his leg. "I believed her. I believed that this could be stopped. And, instead, I set it all into motion."

"You did what you did because she told you to. Because she said that's what God wanted."

"Well," Apollo began, "that's the punchline. God _did_ want this."

Acastus' brow furrowed. "I don't get it."

"Me neither." Apollo looked at the huddled people again, "To him, I guess, we – the Olympians – muddied the waters. We interfered too much with free will. So, the slate must be cleared."

Stephen nodded, "The board reset."

Apollo looked at the president and said, "Yes."

A military officer stepped toward the pair, stopped and snapped to attention. Acastus waved him forward and he approached. "Mr. President, Lord Apollo. We've established radio contact with the orbital fleet. They await orders."

Stephen nodded. "What's the word on the remainder of the, uh, as-yet-unlaunched transports?"

"Essentially, sir, the ones that haven't launched yet are ones that aren't under pressure by advancing Cylons."

"Makes sense," Apollo said. "Get them fueled and launched as soon as possible."

The captain saluted, "Yes, Lord." He lowered his arm and looked toward a piece of paper. "Mr. President, the ships from Cyme have all launched successfully."

"Good."

"The cruiser you requested is coming here, directly. It is empty, as ordered."

"Right," Acastus said.

"But there are several other ships from Cyme that are not at full capacity. The transports launched relatively early and there wasn't enough time for people from outlying areas to get to the spaceport."

Acastus sighed and shook his head. "Here's what you do, captain. You order every ship that has space... I don't care if they're in orbit yet or not... to return to Kobol and pick up survivors if their home spaceport is free of Cylon forces. And," Stephen continued, punctuating each line with his hand, "if their spaceport has been overrun or destroyed, you find out where people are gathering and direct the transports there."

"Yes, sir."

"I want two other vessels to join my ship here and the rest of Cyme's transports are to return to Cyme and pick up stragglers. Has there been word of Cylon forces in Cyme?"

"No, sir."

"Good. That's what you do. I want the escort _Nemesis_ and one other to come here, too. Stand guard against the Cylons." Acastus was leaning forward off the rock and becoming more animated as he gave orders. Apollo sat back and grinned. "And then you are to send a signal around the world. Last call."

"Yes, sir."

"Broadcast one specific to Capricorn, telling anyone within earshot to get their asses here."

"What about the Cylons, sir?"

Acastus spread his arms wide, "That's why you're bringing the _Nemesis_ and another escort here, right?"

"Yes, sir."

Stephen leaned back against the rock and waited. After a moment, he nodded toward the captain, "Well, go on."

"Yes, sir." He saluted again and turned back toward the command tent.

Apollo nodded. "That was impressive."

Stephen closed his eyes and smiled. "Thank you." He sat there for several moments in silence. He felt so tired. He seemed to need more and more anti-radiation meds. He wouldn't even allow the doctors to use a scanner on him. He didn't want to put a number on it. He didn't want to know thus-and-such Greds were killing him. He knew he was near death and that was enough. He just needed to be as healthy as possible to finish his job.

The ground began to shake. Stephen opened his eyes and looked around. He saw nothing out of the ordinary but he noticed people in the meadow standing up from their bedrolls, looking toward the sky and pointing. A distant noise grew louder and seemed to come from behind. Acastus looked up and he saw the rounded angles of a mighty transport.

He started to stand from the rock and Apollo took his arm to help him to his feet. Stephen flattened a hand and held it over his eyes so he could watch the behemoth move into position over the meadow. Blue flame erupted from four engines directed toward the ground. Vapor spewed underneath the vessel like a cushion and it slowly descended. The air felt heavier and the sound bombarded the people's ears. The engines seared and burned the atmosphere as it moved, popping as it dropped. Grass on the meadow became blackened and lit up in a brief conflagration before the wind and sheer force of the engines extinguished the flames. Struts emerged from the lower parts of the hull and dug into the soil. The engines throttled back, adjusted, and then went silent. The bulk of the craft seemed to fall a few more meters and the struts lifted the massive weight back up.

Stephen rubbed his ears and shook his head. He could barely hear anything. His head ached and he blinked rapidly. Looking at Apollo, he said, "You like it?"

The god nodded slowly. "It's something."

Acastus held Apollo's arm as he walked toward the vessel. "That's the _Galleon_. The only one of her kind. Frakking huge. She can hold almost five thousand people."

Apollo smiled, "You sound proud."

Stephen looked up, admiring the marriage of curves with straight lines. "I am." He looked across the meadow and watched the people move closer to the ship. Looking back toward the _Galleon_ , he saw a tall figure moving from the trees on the western side. He was dressed in dark gray and his white hair caught the sunlight like a mirror. "Zeus..."

Thinking Acastus was making another exclamation at the size of the craft, Apollo nodded again, "I said it was big."

"No, it's your father." Stephen pointed toward him and Apollo followed with his eyes. "Zeus."
LXXIII

**APOLLO**

4 Days Before the Final Exodus

Zeus strode across the field under the imposing shadow of the _Galleon_. He seemed driven and determined, but Apollo noted that he wasn't carrying a weapon. Still, that observation provided little comfort.

Acastus extracted his arm from Apollo's and stepped away, keeping an eye on them both. Zeus was only meters away now. What would he do? Apollo stopped walking and tensed.

Immediately, Zeus wrapped his arms around his son. Apollo was stunned and he stood for a moment in shock.

"Hug me back, fool," Zeus said in his ear. "We must keep up appearances."

Apollo complied. He hugged his father tightly and Zeus finally pulled his head away from Apollo's shoulder. Zeus looked Apollo up and down before nodding. "You seem well."

Apollo was still surprised and he nodded slowly. "Fairly. Yourself?"

Zeus glanced to one side and caught a glimpse of Acastus. "I had a narrow escape in Andros. Otherwise,..."

The president turned and walked back toward the tents. Zeus looked to his left and saw hundreds of people approaching the huge vessel that just landed. Or maybe they were coming to see him. Zeus put his hand on Apollo's shoulder and guided him away from the crowds.

"Have you heard from Ares or Hermes?" Apollo asked.

Zeus shook his head. "When I heard Atlantis was gone, I just assumed..." He looked at the grass for a moment and then continued, "I saw Hermes at Andros, but I didn't hear back from him when I radioed." Zeus looked up at Apollo's face and for the first time, his father appeared genuinely tired. "Have you heard from Athena or Hecate?"

"Athena's here," Apollo said. "She's not well. Emotionally, I mean." Zeus nodded. "I haven't heard from Hecate." Apollo forced himself to say her name and not spit.

Again, Zeus looked at Apollo. He was quiet and he seemed to just study his son. He asked only one question, "Why?"

Apollo inhaled deeply and tried to stand tall. He knew invoking God would do little good here. "We had our time. You had your time. The humans needed to stand on their own."

Zeus shook his head. "You could have just... talked to me."

"No," Apollo said. "It wouldn't have worked. You rarely listen."

"I listen. I listened to you. We gave them a space program."

"Which you took away," Apollo quickly rebutted. He looked around, seeing no one observing them. Mostly, he and his father had spoken in low volumes and calm tones. "You took it away after the Thirteenth Tribe left. You didn't want to allow anyone else to flee your grip."

Zeus' lip curled but he contained himself. "Admit it. You frakked up."

Apollo's eyes drifted and he nodded slowly. "I can admit that. If you can admit you were wrong, too."

"About?"

Apollo chuckled. "Killing monotheists? Putting all of us Olympians on a pedestal all over again? Keeping a chokehold on humanity?" Zeus breathed though his nose loudly and Apollo leaned forward. "When you were gone, they began to blossom and act individually for the first time in millennia."

"An opportunity they squandered," Zeus barked. "They fought among themselves and grew apart. Most of mankind, in case you've forgotten, got fat and lazy."

"Perhaps. But there were better ways to fix those problems than by reasserting godhood."

Zeus shook his head and walked toward a water basin. He picked up a cup from the ground and dipped it inside. After a gulp or two, Zeus turned back toward Apollo. "I feel like we're back at square one."

Apollo took a slow step toward him and stopped again. Without acknowledging his last remark, Apollo asked, "Why are you here?"

Overhead, one of the escort ships passed and another transport hovered over the far end of the meadow and set down in the grass. Zeus watched the people crowd around that ship. Unlike the _Galleon_ , a gantry was lowered and people were about to be boarded.

"Why am I here," Zeus repeated. He glanced toward Apollo and then back at the people loading onto the ship. "I thought I could be useful."

Apollo raised a single eyebrow and stepped closer. "No," he said, pensively. "Why would you think that? What people are still alive are boarding ships to _leave_. Why would you think you needed to be here?"

Zeus looked at his son again and there was a flash of anger before he spoke. "Not everyone is leaving on one of your damned ships."

Apollo nodded. "True. There will be millions left behind, but many of those will die of radiation poisoning in days or weeks. And the Cylons... they'll still be functional. They will keep fighting until their batteries run dry." He licked his lips before he spoke again, "Are you worried about your legacy?"

"'Legacy?'" his father echoed. "Legacy is something that happens after you die. Until yesterday, I was an immortal. No, my legacy never entered my mind." Zeus poured his water onto the grass and tossed the cup under the basin. He turned to walk away from Apollo, but he mumbled as he moved, "The people need me."

Apollo watched his father move toward the larger tents. He stood still and watched, not knowing if he would stop and say something else. He didn't. Apollo turned and watched people load onto the smaller transport on the other end of the meadow. Several hundred people filed under the bow and onto the extended metal gantry. Apollo sighed and he walked back toward the rock face under the cliff, against which Acastus was leaning.

"Found your rock again, I see," the god said as he sat down.

Stephen smiled. "So, your father." There was a pause and then the president asked, "Why is he here?"

Apollo inhaled slowly. "I asked him the same thing. He didn't have a good answer."

"I mean, Kobol's a big place," Acastus said. "There are any number of places he could go. Why would he show up with the son who betrayed him? Why on a meadow with a few thousand people waiting to fly away? Why not one of the larger spaceports with millions of people wanting counsel?"

Apollo shook his head. "I don't know. I can't... figure it out."

A few military officers were standing under the _Galleon_ when the gantry lowered. Several large carts were wheeled up and the officers looked inside before directing them on board.

"What's that?" Apollo asked.

Acastus squinted. "Oh. It may seem silly, but I ordered people to raid the museums in the City and gather whatever treasures they could. We need to carry some semblance of our cultural identity with us."

Apollo nodded. "Oh, that reminds me." He leaned over and found his satchel in the same place it was before. He removed a long, black tube and handed it to the president. "I bet you were worrying where it was."

Stephen opened the top and reached inside. He pulled out the tip of the golden Arrow of Apollo before letting it slide back inside. He laughed, "Honestly, in all of this mess, I forgot about it. Where was it?"

"My house in Delphi. I... rested there yesterday after the bomb." Apollo looked down at his feet and sighed. Then, he seemed startled and he reached into the satchel to remove a stack of papers and a few sheets of compaper. "You'll need this, too."

Stephen accepted the pile with a grunt. "And what's this?"

"Your destination." Apollo looked back toward the crowds. "The way to Earth was long and dangerous for the Thirteenth Tribe, I'm not afraid to say. But, that's where I was told to send them."

"I see."

"You're holding Atlas' own work. His own starcharts and efforts from thousands of years ago." Apollo touched the corner of the compaper and it activated, filling the page with black. A single yellow circle appeared in the center. "That's Kobol." He pointed to the left side of the page and said, "Earth is that way. Use the Arrow if you need specifics."

"Right."

"This way, though," Apollo touched Kobol and dragged it to the left side of the sheet. A few other stars became visible on the right side and Apollo touched one grouping. The page zoomed in, showing several glowing circles in proximity to each other. "This is the Cyrannus Star System and it's about a month away. A double-binary with dozens of planets at the edge of the Cimtar Star Cluster."

"Dozens?" Acastus asked.

"Yes. Gas giants and barren rocks included, of course. Plenty of places for mining, too. Most importantly, there are several habitable worlds. Maybe some moons or... or even planets that could be kobolformed."

Stephen's hands lowered and he looked at the _Galleon_. "Apollo, I'm not afraid to tell you that I've been looking forward to the future in a way. I mean, I know I'll be dead, but... the possibilities." He looked down at the four suns again. "The possibilities of mankind left to its own devices. Could be good or it could be bad."

Apollo smiled, "Good, I hope. You have a chance to stand on your own feet, for a change." Apollo looked down and he suddenly remembered something he read a few weeks ago. "Athena... she was working on rediscovering Kobol's pre-Olympic identity, wasn't she?"

Acastus turned off the compaper and nodded. "Yes."

"Well, here's a chance for you guys to actively work on a post-Olympian identity." Apollo leaned back and he caught sight of something fluttering in the breeze above him. He looked up, to the right, and he saw Athena. She was standing on the ridge of the cliff about fifty meters above and watching the people file toward the ships. Apollo stood up from the rock and without looking at Acastus he said, "I'll be back."

He walked along the meadow floor against the rock face. He came to a group of rocks at the foot of the high road and he turned onto it, walking up the hill. People trickled along up the path ahead and behind him. Several meters before him, Apollo saw Athena standing to one side of the road, looking from the cliff to the meadow below.

Slowly, Apollo approached her. She was wrapped in a light blanket and the breeze blew the excess from her body. Her gaze never faltered. Apollo stepped around her and stood on her left. For a moment, he looked at her and then he, too, looked to the meadow below.

The smaller transport that had landed sometime ago was now full and it lifted off with a roar. Apollo and Athena's faces winced at the noise, but the ship was quickly gone. An escort circled the meadow and now the _Galleon_ sat alone.

Apollo looked to Athena's right and he saw Zeus trudging up the rocky footpath. He looked at Apollo for a moment, forlorn, almost. He then looked at Athena and saw that she was entranced by the exodus. Zeus turned, put an arm around Athena's back, and looked to the meadow.

The people had huddled together on the floor of grass and on the shores of the nearby river, waiting to board their vessel. The great ship _Galleon_ now stood open, accepting the refugees. They brought with them as much of their worldly possessions as they could hold, though most had nothing but for what they carried in their hearts. Large and small, they began to move. Lining up, they told the attendants their names and heritage as if this was their sole possession; a final piece of Kobol they would not leave behind. They were ready.

On the Cliffs of Aragon, the gods bore witness to the gathering below. They watched as each member of each tribe walked up the gantry, turning only once to say farewell to the Lords they knew they would never see again.

Apollo and Zeus said nothing. They stood and watched dozens of people file onto the ship for several minutes. Apollo looked at Athena and saw a single tear fall over her cheek. She then took in a deep breath and turned away, walking up the rocky path.

Zeus' brow furrowed and he watched her go. He turned and then walked back down toward the meadow. Apollo, however, followed Athena and trotted to catch up with her. He touched her shoulder and said, "Athena, wait."

She stopped and turned. Her eyes were seemingly blank and her mouth expressionless. She said nothing.

A sadness descended upon Apollo. For thousands of years, regardless of circumstance, Athena had been happy. Effervescent. Now, she was drained of that. He felt tired and held an open palm toward her, "Athena, don't go into the mountains like this. Stay here. With us."

She blinked once and said nothing. Instead, she turned and continued her trek up the high road.

Apollo watched her go for a few moments before turning back toward the meadow himself. _What was she going to do now? Live in the mountains with people dying from radiation sickness?_ Apollo stopped himself as he thought. _What am I going to do now?_ He had no answer for that.

Slowly, he walked back down the path. He turned the corner at the edge of the meadow and moved across the grass. After a few minutes, he spotted Acastus talking to reporters. Three arms jutted microphones into his face and a single camera recorded his movements.

"... no other details, other than a jealous god attempted to unseat Lord Zeus," Stephen said.

"And the Cylons?"

The president nodded, "They were used as an instrument of this jealous god. The Lords of Kobol have been working to stop these hostile forces."

"No identity of the god?"

Acastus shook his head, "No idea right now and Zeus won't say." He saw Apollo and nodded.

"Did the gods tell us to evacuate?"

"No," Stephen began. "No, this is a choice." Acastus paused and repositioned his feet as he thought. "There could be as many as two billion people dead in this conflict between the Lords and this other god. The planet has been devastated by nuclear weapons. Our technology has turned against us." He licked his lips and shook his head, "We don't need to stick around. Mankind cannot stay on this planet and survive. Viably. Our departure is a choice and, on the good side of things, this is an opportunity for humanity to stand on our own."

Apollo lowered his head and thought. Stephen was telling the truth. A jealous god was trying to unseat Zeus. The Cylons were his instrument. A jealous god, indeed. But not Apollo.

"Regarding the evacuation," a reporter asked, "we're hearing that commercial low-orbit transports are wanting to gather with your evacuation transports in higher orbit. Is that a possibility?"

Acastus shook his head. "No. Anyone on a commercial, low-orbit plane is going to die of either starvation or suffocation. Those planes just don't have the supplies to stay in space for long, never mind the fuel or engines to travel to our new homes."

"Is the destination known?"

"Yes, but I can't divulge it at this time." Stephen lifted his hand to stop another reporter from interrupting, "If these commercial planes want to help, and I mean really help, they can pick up survivors and bring them here."

"There were rumors out of Rhodes that animals were being herded aboard the transports. Is that true?"

Acastus nodded. "We are taking small groups of animals with us for farming and other purposes. It's possible that our destination will have wildlife of its own, but I'm not certain."

"Is there enough room on the _Galleon_?"

"No animals here," Acastus said and the small group of reporters chuckled. "Right now," Acastus looked up at the ship, "she'll be about half full when this crowd loads in. Other transports will land in the meadow, too. Picking up people. We won't fill the _Galleon_ the rest of the way until it's time to go. She'll be the last to leave."

"And when will that be?"

Stephen breathed through his nose slowly and looked at Apollo. "Assuming the gods and our military can keep the Cylons at bay, we can wait for a few more days. Five at most."

"What about the new Quorum and the thousands of people heading toward the Gates of Hera?" The reporter licked her lips and then continued, "Most people on Kobol aren't going to be getting on these ships."

Acastus inhaled slowly and spoke softly. "I know and it saddens me greatly. I wish them all the best fortune."

"Thank you, sir," one reporter said. "Can we find you later for an update?"

He nodded. "Of course."

The reporters turned and saw Apollo. They all dashed to his side and turned on their equipment, but before they could ask anything, Apollo said, "I defer any and all questions to President Acastus. He speaks for the gods."

"Who is the jealous god, Lord Apollo?" one reporter asked.

The god shook his head and waved them off. "No comments."

Obviously disappointed, they turned and left. Stephen walked up and leaned in close to him and said, "I'm trying to keep them away from you as much as possible."

"That's good."

"Your father, as well," Acastus said. He looked back toward the tents and saw that reporters were gathered outside of one of the larger structures. "They keep hounding him. He hasn't answered but... but he hasn't blown up at them, either."

Apollo nodded. "I'm not entirely sure what is going on with him." He stood still, thinking. "On the hill a few minutes ago, he was positively introspective watching people get on the ship." He looked up and saw another transport lowering through the clouds. A few moments later, its engines cut off and it had landed in the meadow next to the _Galleon_.

"Is he finally realizing what's happening?" the president asked.

"Maybe." Apollo looked toward the tent. People buzzed about outside but he knew that his father was sitting inside. Alone.

It hit him.

"Excuse me," Apollo said. He walked across the grass with purpose, dodging people and tables. He waved off the reporters before he was even near the tent and he ducked inside quickly. He stood up straight and felt the hair on his head brush the canvas above.

"I said I wanted to," Zeus yelled as he turned. He saw Apollo and stopped. "Oh."

"I know why you're here," Apollo said.

Zeus didn't answer for a moment. Then he asked, "Why's that?"

Apollo walked across the tent and sat on a low bench. "You came here to gauge what hope you could find for rebuilding society."

"What?" Zeus asked. He shook his head. "No, you've got me confused for an optimist."

"To some degree, maybe," Apollo said. "But you realized, just within the last hour, how futile anything you do will be from now on."

Zeus stopped moving. He placed an empty cup on a desk and turned before sitting down in a chair that was nearly too small for him. "Futility."

"Yes. You've just now recognized it."

Zeus ground his teeth and nodded almost imperceptibly. "Not just now. I felt it yesterday, too. At Andros. I didn't have a word for it."

Apollo watched his father's pained expression. The Lord of Lords was just staring at the grass, but it seemed as though layers and walls within him were crumbling. Softly, he asked, "There never was an endgame, was there?"

Zeus' eyelids seemed heavy as he thought. "No. There wasn't."

Apollo could have pounced, but he didn't. Instead, he watched him. Zeus sat still for a moment, and then he crossed his legs. Then he folded his arms. "You're withdrawing."

"Hm?"

Apollo sighed. "It's not just the futility of this situation. You realize that all of this is over, but there's more to it than that." Zeus said nothing. "The Olympians... we're dying, too."

Zeus looked up in surprise, "What are you talking about?"

"Ares is dead. Hermes probably is. Hecate," again, Apollo had to try and shield his emotions, "no one's heard from her. Athena has damn-near become a basket case overnight." Zeus lowered his head again and Apollo said, softly, "You're going to be alone. Again."

"Again?"

"Yes." Apollo straightened up and tried to remember the details of that Olympic Council from almost two thousand years ago. "After the Thirteenth Tribe left, you scorched the ground with all of us. You lost your best friends. Your brothers were already gone. You lost... everyone around you." Zeus' eyes were closed. "It's not a coincidence you pulled away from society."

"I still attended festivals and went to temples," Zeus finally said.

"Only for a few centuries. Then you locked yourself in Olympus and didn't come down. After that, you went on a worldwide tour of the most inhospitable places to live." Apollo swallowed hard. "Your 'wild years,' as you once put it."

Zeus nodded slowly. "And here I am again." He unfolded his arms and sighed, the air seeming to deflate his body. "Why?"

Apollo couldn't help but grin a little. "Because you won't allow yourself to be wrong. You have to be right at the expense of everyone around you."

Zeus shook his head, "No. That's not true."

Apollo stood. "Goodbye, father."

Zeus grabbed his arm, "Where are you going?"

Apollo looked toward the tent flap and said, "I'm going after Athena."

Zeus waited. Reluctantly, he let go and nodded. "Good fortune."

Apollo ducked outside into the sunlight and saw Acastus, again sitting on his rock, but chatting with a military officer. He strode across the grass, gathered his bags, and weapons and slid his arms into the straps. Stephen stood up slowly and waved the officer off.

"Where are you going?"

Apollo sighed and looked up toward the cliffs and to the rocky ridge beyond. "I'm going to find Athena."

Stephen nodded. "Then what?"

The god shrugged. "I'm not sure yet." He put a hand on Acastus' shoulder and smiled, "I'll try to be back here before you lift off."

The president nodded and said, "Good fortune."

Apollo walked along the length of the meadow and again stepped over rocks on the eastern end, then up onto the path. There was little foot traffic on the road now. He trudged up the slope and looked down on the meadow again. The _Galleon_ sat, waiting, and the other transport was now closing its loading ramp. A commercial airship came into view and landed near the eastern side by the river to disgorge a load of passengers.

Apollo looked ahead. Trees and rocks lined the left side and the mountains loomed above. He didn't know where Athena was going, but he hoped to get there soon.
LXXIV

**HECATE**

3 Days Before the Final Exodus

She felt as though she was in a rush but she didn't know why.

The sun was setting and she had been in the Tomb of Athena for about an hour. She came into the dank cavern and a rodent scattered. She darted toward the Sagittarius statue and plugged in her Streamset. After a few menus to navigate, Hecate found the edit mode.

First thing's first: she deleted the vocal instructions by Apollo. She knew she didn't want that to remain. All that was left for her now were the stars themselves. The twelve constellations, named after the Twelve Tribes, seen from the surface of Earth as reported by the survivors of the _Pegasus_ more than a thousand years ago.

She adjusted the Streamset on her face and rubbed her hands together. For whatever reason, Hecate was giddy at the prospect of interfering with Apollo's work. She had thought about it nonstop for months and now, here she was. In the tomb.

The hologram wasn't activated in the room around her, but Hecate was able to manipulate the images and sounds via her Streamset. She didn't want to change too much. It needed to seem genuine. But, again, she wanted to mess with everyone's minds.

She could justify it to herself. The mainstream Kobollian society had always rejected her. Maybe not outright rejection, but they certainly never took her seriously. Why should she allow them to have a free pass to contact the Thirteenth Tribe?

Eh, she shook her head. That reasoning seemed to hold little water. Still, she couldn't deny that she felt pushed toward the tomb. Pushed may not be right. Pulled felt more correct. Something drew her here. She had to see the mechanics of the projection and she had to play with them.

She reached up toward the constellation Taurus. She lightly moved a star out of position. The lines connecting the dots in the sky shifted and, to her pleasant surprise, the jewels on the stone pillar changed as well. She moved another star. And another. Then she moved to Gemini and toyed with the tiny balls of fire. She grinned, feeling the resistance of each stellar body as she moved them. She moved on to another constellation. And then another.

She was immersed in the Earth projection for some time and she did not hear the people enter the tomb.

"Goddess?"

Hecate said, "Save," and whipped the Streamset off. Turning, she saw a few people standing at the entrance. She recognized a couple of them. She folded up her Streamset and slid it into her pocket. "Yes... delegate?"

"Lemuel Damon of Cancer, Goddess," he bowed. "I've come with the Quorum of Twelve. Many of us have left the meadow and... we were hoping we could stay with you in the mountains."

She was befuddled. Her mouth hung open but then Hecate straightened up and grinned. "I see."

"We look to you for guidance."

Now she smiled. Broadly. Hecate walked toward the entrance of the tomb and the Quorum members backed out into the dusk. She glanced back once at the Sagittarius statue. For a moment, she was concerned that she had only altered a few of the constellations. But then, relief washed over her. She looked out of the tomb and didn't give it a second thought. Whatever she felt compelled to do to the projection had been done. And whatever compelled her to do it was satisfied.

Hecate looked out into the crowd. She saw many people filling in the spaces around statues and columns. Some were leaning under trees and against the mountainside. She walked away from the tomb's entrance toward the side of the cliff so that she could look down the steep path. Hundreds if not thousands of other people lined the way.

She turned toward the Quorum and looked across their faces. She sensed fear. Fear of what? Were they afraid because of the Cylon attacks? Were they afraid of Hecate? She smirked, hoping for the latter.

"Delegate Damon," she said as she walked toward him. She placed her hand under his chin and lifted his face toward hers. "Do you trust me?"

Damon wavered and he looked back toward the other delegates before Hecate pulled his face around. He nodded quickly and said, "Yes, goddess."

She released his face and smiled again. "Good." She moved toward the front of the crowd near the top of the path and waved them away. "Move back. This area is to be kept clear for myself and the Quorum." She looked toward the twelve delegates and bowed. "Tonight, we will rest. At dawn, we will rise, talk, and then take action."
LXXV

**GIDEON & HECATE**

2 Days Before the Final Exodus

She had marched along the path for nearly two days. She rested when she could and ate when she could. Alexandra carried her pack up the hill, trying to keep an eye on the Quorum ahead of her.

When they left the meadow, the twelve delegates rode in a truck. The traffic and the terrain prevented that from being their only conveyance. Yesterday, they had to leave the truck behind and last night, Gideon saw it parked at the base of the steepest portion of the rocky path. It was hard for her to believe that just a few short months ago, she, Acastus, and Apollo were in this same spot, climbing this same path. She shook her head, willing the memory away. They lied to her.

At night, when she rested, she tried to help the people who lined the path. Many had been there for some time. Others had simply fallen to the side as the group of thousands marched. They were ill with radiation sickness and there was little anyone could do. Alex would offer as much food and water as she could. She helped a sick man carry his equally sick boy to a rest area under the trees. He begged her to stay, but she couldn't.

Gideon felt ashamed. It's not that she couldn't stay. It's that she didn't want to, really. Hundreds of people were ill along the high road into the mountains. She couldn't help them all. After days of death and destruction, Alex wanted a few moments to close her eyes and pretend like it didn't exist. She felt guilty for that.

Well before dawn, Gideon awakened to the sound of coughing. She was resting under a tree several meters from the path. Dozens of people surrounded her and most of them were sick. She sat up and stretched, realizing she had a kink in her neck from sleeping against a root. She slid her arms into her pack and gingerly stepped among the leaves and sticks, avoiding the legs of still-sleeping people.

Maybe they were dead.

That thought occurred to her once she was back on the main path. She looked toward the trees again and sighed before looking up the hill and beginning her march. It was still rather dark and chilly. She stepped as carefully as she could. It took her a while to cover most of the hill, but once the sun came up, her pace quickened.

It seemed impossible, but she saw more sick and dead people along the sides of the road than she had before. Some had been dead for days. A few corpses were now encased in cairns. For those whose attending family members were more industrious, they actually dug graves along the path. Alex passed one man as he laid his wife into a shallow pit, weeping as he sang a mournful hymn.

"Wander my friends, wander with me," he sang, sniffing. "Like the mist on the green mountain, moving eternally." He scooped more dirt and heaped it into the grave.

Alexandra turned and walked up the path. She couldn't bear it any longer. She passed by more cairns and more freshly dug graves, though these bore stones with sigils carved therein. Amid the death and sickness, witnessing families huddled together, she felt alone.

For the first time, she felt truly alone. She missed Stephen. He was sick and he needed her. Why did she leave? She remembered the lie. Or lies. He and Apollo weren't honest with her. Maybe it was to protect her. She wiped a stray tear from her face and carried on.

Near the top of the hill, there was a large group of people. Alex stood tall, trying to see over people's heads. The Tomb of Athena was mere steps away. What was going on?

"A jealous god," Hecate said. She looked across the faces of the Quorum of Twelve. They were obviously tired and afraid. It had been an arduous journey for them. She smiled and continued, "A jealous god may have started the fire, but that god isn't the one who piled timber onto the blaze."

A few of the delegates nodded.

Hecate exhaled slowly and relaxed her posture. She was sitting on the ground before the entrance to the Tomb of Athena and the delegates were seated in a circle in front of her. She leaned forward and spoke calmly, "My father worked for years to bring the Olympic Pantheon back into prominence. And he was mostly successful. But that doesn't undo the years of neglect and sin that preceded his efforts." The delegate from Scorpio began to weep. "Yes, you understand."

"I do, goddess," she said from behind her hands.

Hecate looked at the others. "Billions of people ignored the ways and examples of the gods for centuries. They didn't worship or contribute to their local temples. The people also... blasphemed."

The Scorpio delegate was again wracked with emotion. "We are sorry, goddess."

Hecate said nothing for a moment. She looked at their faces and saw guilt. "Godsdamn it!" she barked. The delegates jumped. "Zeus Frakking Olympios!" The delegates seemed confused by her outbursts before she shook her head. "You've heard these things said. You've said them yourselves. Blasphemy is the tip of the spear, really, when it comes to the rot of society."

"We're here to help our people, goddess," Damon said. "What can we do?"

Hecate lifted her head and suppressed a smile. "Very often, when a society goes astray, the leaders can be blamed." All of the delegates seemed shocked and looked to each other. "Whether by action or inaction, the leaders bear responsibility for their people."

She spoke with heavy sincerity and earnestness. She had never known those traits to be carried by a god's Chara, but it seemed as though it was now. The delegates all bore knowing looks. Some closed their eyes and looked toward the heavens. One even spread her arms wide and wept openly.

"The times before us are trying, no question," Hecate said. "The Lords of Kobol are ready and willing to hold back our enemies. But we must have your _absolute_ allegiance."

"Of course, goddess," Damon said. Other delegates nodded and uttered their own professions of faith.

"Absolute," Hecate said again, stressing the word. All of the delegates lowered their heads.

She knew she was like her father in many ways. She knew that she craved attention and power. She understood her desires and embraced them, unlike Zeus, who often denied or suppressed them.

Hecate desired power over people. She wanted these delegates to willingly give themselves over to her. She smiled and nodded, knowing they were ready.

Alexandra managed to push her way to the front of the crowd and she saw the Quorum sitting on the ground in front of the Tomb of Athena. Slowly, they stood and moved to the left, toward the tomb. Alex couldn't see around a column and the people and she pushed ahead, trying to see more. Suddenly, she felt exhilarated.

She smiled broadly and her spirits were instantly lifted. Gideon knew that a god was approaching and that they were in a good mood. She was eager to see who it was and she ducked low to peer under some men's arms. She spotted Hecate.

Alex turned quickly and sank lower toward the ground. The people above her pressed toward Hecate, all of them ecstatic in the presence of her positive Chara. Gideon tried to push some people away, but they pushed too hard. She was stepped on repeatedly and she heard Hecate.

"Tomas. Philo. It's time."

Alex glanced to her left and saw two young men step through the group and toward Hecate. They disappeared around the corner and Gideon stood again. The people tried to press toward the tomb, but other young men were standing on the path and blocking everyone's way with makeshift staves.

In the tomb, it was rather dark, despite the morning sun. Hecate walked toward the small statue of Athena, sitting on a pedestal, in the center of the room. She turned and watched as each of the twelve Quorum members moved toward the statues that represented their nations. They nervously walked around each other and took up positions in front of each sarcophagus. Many of them held their heads low. Some muttered prayers.

"I know you're uneasy," Hecate said. "But this shows your total faith in the Lords of Kobol. This seals your love and obedience... not just for yourselves, but for your tribes, too."

Two young men stood at the entrance to the tomb. They were hot young things that Hecate had befriended over the Stream in recent months. She was happy to see them along the path yesterday. A few other followers of her virtual temple appeared and they were pressed into service.

"Philo and Tomas," she said. "Remove the lids."

Two other young men stepped forward and roughly removed the marble statues from atop the rectangular boxes. When they set the Virgo piece down, the base cracked and she began to list. They looked toward Hecate and she shook her head and waved them on. They pushed the top off of the tomb and found nothing inside. They moved on to the next one.

"In the names of the Lords of Kobol, ever present and eternally powerful," Hecate began to incant, "we gather the leaders of the Twelve Nations." The sharp sound of stone upon stone echoed in the tomb for a moment as they removed the top of the next container. "We offer them to you, Lord Zeus. Lord Poseidon. Lord Hades. Lord Ares. Lord Hera. Lord Aphrodite." Another lid removed and more rancor in the chamber. "Lord Hermes. Lord Apollo. Lord Demeter. Lord Hephaestus. Lord Artemis. Lord Dionysus. Lord Hestia. Lord Hecate." Another lid removed.

They stood in silence and the weeping of a few delegates was interrupted only occasionally by the removal of another statue or another cover. Hecate walked in a circle, gently touching the head of each delegate and whispering in their ear, "The Lords of Kobol thank you and hear your plea."

After completing the circuit, Hecate returned to the center and spun, seeing the men holding the Sagittarius statue. "Now that one I _do_ need you to be careful with." They paused, looked at the goddess and then each other before gently setting the figure to the side and pushing the lid off.

She waited for a few moments as they finished their task. Dusty and out of breath, Tomas and Philo stepped toward the entrance and nodded at Hecate. She turned, lifted her hands, and said, "Please. Offer yourselves to me by lying in your tombs."

Gideon managed to step through the thick brush where she scratched her arms and legs. She emerged against the rock wall just steps away from the entrance to the tomb. She saw the backs of two of Hecate's men. _Who are they? Where did they come from?_

Quietly, Gideon moved toward the entrance. She heard Hecate speaking but it was too faint to make out. The two men began to move and Alex froze. They stepped further into the tomb and she exhaled loudly. She placed a hand against the rock face and moved toward the opening. Very slowly, she turned and looked inside.

The sunlight was the only illumination available. Alexandra looked around the men at the opening and saw one of the sarcophagi. It was opened and the statue of Virgo was leaning against the tomb. Confused, Gideon moved closer and saw someone lying inside of the box.

She pulled back. Her breathing was heavy and her mind raced. _What is happening?_

Slowly, she peered around the corner again and saw Hecate leaning over the sarcophagus, whispering to the person inside. She heard stifled crying and whimpers from elsewhere in the tomb and then Gideon watched as Hecate slid a blade across the person's throat. There was a spray of darkness and a quick wail. Hecate appeared to put her hand over the person's mouth.

Alex was immobilized with fear. She stood and watched while Hecate waited for the person to stop squirming. The goddess stepped away and wiped her hand on her pants. The red smear seemed to have snapped Gideon out of her daze. She backed away from the entrance and she saw deeper into the tomb. There were other men standing inside and other statues had been displaced. The other sarcophagi appeared to be open... and there seemed to be people inside them, as well.

Alexandra turned and walked back toward the trees. She moved through the branches and scratched her arms all over again. She didn't notice. She ran and ran down the hill; her momentum carried her farther than she expected. She came to a clearing near the path, walked onto it and then started to run down the steep road. She stopped when she saw a figure that gave her hope.

Hecate knew the stories. Just a few centuries ago while Zeus wandered the wild, some communities worried that the Pantheon had abandoned them. They turned to human sacrifice to get the gods' attention. It was a brief but violent twist. It wasn't too long ago so these people were likely still open to the idea on some level.

She had heard the rumors, too, of Zeus' dungeon under his temple in the City. And the rumors of priests in Zeus' service who followed his lead around the world, rounding up monotheists, holding them as prisoners, and sacrificing them in the name of the Pantheon.

Hecate wiped her hand again and moved toward the box holding the delegate from Cancer. She smiled and leaned over him. For the previous delegates she killed, the joy she felt filled her Chara and made the sacrifices smile, too, despite their impending doom. They felt happiness even though they knew what was next. Once the blade split their skin, though, the illusion was shattered and fear took over. "The Lords of Kobol thank you for your sacrifice. Your death will not be in vain."

The delegate was breathing heavily and he tried to sit up. "No! I have to go!"

Hecate was surprised that he wasn't as affected by her Chara and she pushed him down. She leaned in closer and said through gritted teeth, "You have to do this now. It's all or nothing."

Damon struggled and she pushed him, "Goddess, I've changed my mind!" Two of her men came over and held his legs and arms down.

"No!" she said. "This is to save millions of your people. Your sacrifice is needed." His squirming slowed and Hecate smiled. She was forcing her Chara to become positive again and she watched it slowly take effect. She pressed her hand against his mouth. After quickly raking the blade across his throat, she held the flat edge against the wound to deflect the spray. He struggled against the restraint of the men and after a moment, he twitched and fell still.

Hecate watched as his blood pooled inside the casket. She moved to the next delegate and smiled. There were only a few more to go and she felt genuinely good. She did worry, for a moment, about what she would say to the people outside. She was sure she could convince them to move with her further up the mountain. Perhaps start a new city centered around her...

"Goddess," Philo said.

Hecate turned toward him and saw his open-mouthed expression. He was looking toward the entrance and she spun around to see what he saw. Hecate, for a moment, felt ashamed. She lowered her knife hand and said, softly, "Athena?"
LXXVI

**ATHENA**

2 Days Before the Final Exodus

For hours she walked. She was coaxed onto a truck and she rode. When the truck stopped, she walked again.

At night, she didn't sleep so much as she passed out.

She didn't eat. She didn't drink. She simply... was.

Athena was numb. Her face tingled from dehydration and whatever precision she had in her fingers was lost. She couldn't hold the edges of her blanket as she could yesterday or the day before. It was wrapped around her, but it was soaked through.

She trudged up the path and encountered the rear portion of a large group of people. She didn't push ahead. She simply stood there, in the back of the group, waiting. Waiting for what, she didn't know. It didn't matter.

"Goddess Athena," someone whispered. The crowd turned and they bowed before her but she made no move. A man placed his hand on her back and guided her forward. She walked and the crowd parted for her. She made no sound. No movement other than the shuffling of her feet up the path. The people clutched her arm and guided her toward the front. Caring hands patted her back and helped her along. After a few minutes, she reached the front and two young men saw her.

"Goddess?" one asked.

Athena said nothing. She didn't even look at them.

One man looked at the other and then stepped aside. Athena looked up and saw the clearing ahead and for the first time in days, her mouth carried a slight smile.

She stepped forward and thought about the Tomb of Athena. She closed her eyes and remembered how much she appreciated it all of those years ago. She knew it was secluded and she wanted to crawl inside and just rest.

Athena walked into the opening and saw statues arrayed next to the symbolic tombs. The tombs, though, were opened, and fresh bodies lay inside. Her eyes widened and sought out the person with the knife.

"Athena?" Hecate said.

The goddess remained in the entrance. She looked around the tomb one last time, seeing that all twelve caskets had occupants, though a few were still alive. Athena took in a deep breath and she smelled death. Again. She smelled it in the City of the Gods just days ago and it scarred her then. Now, that stench lingered here. In her special place.

She turned and walked into the clearing. She came within a meter of a cliff's edge and she looked out to the forest beyond. She closed her eyes tightly and tried to organize her thoughts. It was difficult. Her mind's eye flashed with images of Cylon destruction in the city and the sight of bloodied bodies lying in her tomb.

Her reflection was interrupted by a distant roar. There was a familiar popping sound and she looked toward the east. She saw nothing for a moment but then she spotted a small transport lifting into the clouds on a pillar of smoke and vapor. She exhaled again, forcing all of the air from her lungs that she could. She created a void in her chest. And the void hurt.

Quickly, she lifted her head and turned toward the mountain. She walked to the right of the tomb and around the less traveled paths by the wall. Her blanket snagged on branches as she passed, but she tugged it along. After a few minutes, the trees thinned out and a crack in the rocks led high above her head.

She looked up and then she placed her right foot inside a divide. She reached high above her head, grabbed an outcropping, and pulled herself off the rocky path. She was ascending.

As Athena climbed, she smiled. She felt relief again. There was a sense of purpose. The void in her chest had been filled.

She didn't know how long she climbed. She slipped a few times and she caught herself, but she continued. She reached the top of the ridge and she crawled low over the smooth rock. Reaching a good center point, she stood.

To her sides the two stone pillars that marked the Gates of Hera rose. The ridge she was standing upon had once held Hera's home. It was razed centuries ago and no sign remained. Athena turned and the view was breathtaking. Again, her mouth curled in a slight smile. She stepped forward and looked out across the forests far below. She was hundreds of meters above even where her tomb lay and she looked down, seeing thousands of people appearing as barely discernable dots.

Athena looked straight ahead. Kilometers away, she saw another transport lifting off from the Great Meadow. Lighted vapor trails carried it high into the clouds and she closed her eyes. Another tear left and trailed down her cheek.

Wind whipped at her face and pulled the edge of her blue blanket. It unraveled and fluttered from her body. She lifted her arms and the blanket fell from around her head. The wind caught it and carried it over the edge of the rock to her left. A chill shook her but she smiled.

Her work was done. Her children were leaving Kobol. Her time was over.

She took a step forward. And then another. And then one more.
LXXVII

**APOLLO**

2 Days Before the Final Exodus

"Thank the gods you're here," Gideon gushed.

"Alex," Apollo said. He was surprised to see her, to say the least. Perhaps even more surprised that she seemed pleased. "It's good to see you." He had moved toward her but Alexandra wrapped her arms around him and hugged his chest. Still taken aback, Apollo reached down and held her.

She pulled away from his chest and looked into his eyes, "Lord Apollo, we have to get to the Tomb of Athena."

He instantly sensed the urgency. "Why?"

"It's Hecate," Gideon said. She was just beginning but Apollo didn't need to hear any more. He grabbed her hand and began to run up the path.

"Let's go."

Apollo dodged tree branches and leapt over rocks as he dragged Alex along. Her feet seemed to barely touch the ground as they moved. Soon, they encountered the crush of people on the slope, hoping to be blessed by the Lords that they heard were here in the mountains.

"Make way!" Apollo yelled.

The crowd parted quickly. Some held their arms out toward him, hoping for a healing touch. Instead, they tasted the bitterness of his incensed Chara.

After burrowing through the hundreds of people, Apollo and Alex reached the clearing and found two men standing guard, holding long sticks.

Apollo looked from one to the other, leaned forward and said grimly, "Move." The two men tossed down their weapons and stepped aside before moving into the crowd themselves.

The god walked forward into the clearing and he regarded the opening of the Tomb of Athena. No one was visible yet but Gideon moved close to his side and whispered, "She's in there with a few more of those guys."

Apollo nodded and walked to the entrance. He swung his rifle toward the front and kept his right hand on the handle. His eyes couldn't pierce the dark but once he stood in the doorway and blocked much of the sun, they adjusted.

The statues representing the Twelve Tribes were sitting on the floor of the tomb. Two men were lifting a stone slab back onto an open sarcophagus. On the other side of the room, two other men were doing the same. Hecate was standing in the middle of it all beside the small statue of Athena, wiping a blade clean.

"Apollo," she said. "I had no idea that this would become just _the_ place for post-apocalyptic meetings."

The god angrily strode forward but he stopped short of actually touching Hecate. The four men froze in position. Apollo looked to his left and saw that there was one sarcophagus still open. Inside, he saw a middle-aged woman in a Quorum ceremonial robe. Her throat was slashed and her body appeared afloat in a pool of blood.

"What have you done here?"

"Nothing that my father hasn't done, but I'm sure you knew that."

Apollo's fist clenched harder and he ground his teeth. The four men began to run but Apollo yelled at them. "Stay! Cover these tombs!"

Hecate grinned as the men followed his orders. "You do have a way with them, dear."

Apollo whipped his head toward her and his eyes were framed by his angry brow. "Shut your face, woman."

Hecate's mouth dropped open and she feigned shock. "I can't believe you would speak to me like that."

"And I can't believe that you would take advantage of these people." He watched the men move the last covering into place. They stopped and looked at Apollo and he pointed toward the entrance. They ran. "Their world is falling apart and you... sacrifice their leaders?"

"They gave themselves to me willingly!" Hecate said, losing her wry façade for the first time. "They are desperate and they need us!" Apollo shook his head and Hecate stepped forward. "The Quorum is gone. Their government is gone. Now I can rebuild their society the way that _I_ want!"

Apollo backed away from her. "You... you really are too much like Zeus."

"You can join me, Apollo," Hecate said as her smile returned. "Help me create a new world."

He shook his head and left the tomb.

Gideon was standing outside in the clearing, pacing near the edge of some brush by the cliff. When she saw Apollo exit she stopped and walked toward him. Several meters away, at the edge of the clearing and at the top of the path, dozens of people had gathered and they called toward Apollo, but he didn't respond.

"Well?"

He shook his head and exhaled. "I was too late. The Quorum is dead."

Alex opened her mouth and said nothing. After a moment, she said, "All of them?"

Apollo nodded. "Sacrificed to the gods. Hecate wants to lead the remnant of humanity."

"Won't Zeus have something to say about that?"

The god shrugged, "I don't know."

Their conversation was interrupted by the distant sound of a transport's engines. Apollo and Alex turned and looked out, away from the tomb, and saw the craft lifting high into the clouds. When Gideon turned back around, her eye caught something. "Lord," she said.

He turned and looked into the mountains. Above the tomb, he saw the Gates of Hera. In between the prominent pillars, a lower ridge sat. On that ridge, hundreds of meters above, he saw a lone figure. The wind was carrying a blue cloth and it unraveled from the person's form. A gust lifted it from them once and for all, carrying it toward the west and over the side of the ridge.

Hecate had departed the tomb and she walked toward the cliff edge by Apollo's side. She turned to see what everyone was watching and she recognized the figure immediately. "Athena," she whispered.

Apollo turned away from the distant figure to look at Hecate and as he looked back, the person simply dropped.

Alex gasped and several people in the crowd meters away screamed. Apollo lunged forward unconsciously a step and watched helplessly as her body fell down the face of the ridge and disappeared in the rocks above the tomb.

"My gods," Gideon said and she lowered her face into her hands.

Apollo stood in a half-crouch, immobile. He didn't take a breath or say a word. Finally, Hecate moved toward him and touched his shoulder, "Apollo..."

"Don't touch me," he said. He stood up again and ran to the path on the right. He remembered a climbing path to Hera's home from millennia ago and he hoped it was still there. He approached the tree line and Alex was right behind him.

"Lord Apollo," she said. "What are you going to do?"

He was out of breath even though he hadn't yet exerted himself. "She might still be alive." He looked up toward the mountain and closed his eyes. Shaking his head, he exhaled loudly. He stood motionless as his mind processed everything. He stood still and simply breathed. He closed his eyes and shook as he realized. "She can't be. I'm going to get her body down." He paused and looked back at Gideon. "And bury her in her tomb."

"So," Alex said, softly, "Athena is dead." She was sobbing; wiping tears away. Partly induced by her own emotions and aided by Apollo's Chara.

Apollo nodded slowly.

Alex closed her eyes and stepped away. "Lord, I will stay if you wish but," she turned toward the east, "I would like to get back to the meadow, so I can be with the president."

Apollo nodded and touched her shoulder, "Go, Alex. Good fortune." She smiled and took off.

He ran through the trees and came around the path to a slight clearing. Apollo tossed his weapon and pack onto the ground. He found a crack in the rock and he looked at it for a moment, trying to remember if this was the proper way. He looked up toward the ridge again and high above, caught in the branches of a bush jutting from the side of the mountain, he saw the blue blanket.

Apollo placed his foot inside the crack when he heard someone behind him. He turned, expecting to see Alexandra, but instead seeing Hecate. He removed his foot from the rock and moved toward her. "What do you want?"

Her face was serious and she looked up the mountain, "I came to tell you I'm sorry."

"'Sorry?'" Apollo repeated. "You're sorry?"

Hecate appeared genuinely afraid and she stepped back into a tree. "Yes, Apollo. I didn't want her dead."

"But she is!" he yelled. He moved toward her and grabbed her shoulders. "She watched the people around her die horribly and leave this planet and when she came here, to _her_ place, she found you!"

Hecate tried to pull away but Apollo wouldn't let her go. He pulled her toward him and then pushed her against the rock face. Her head hit the stone wall and dazed her. She slowly reached up to feel her crown but Apollo was standing before her. He wrapped his hands around her throat. She looked up and then grabbed his wrists, but he was too strong.

"No more," he said. His face was contorted in anger but his eyes leaked tears freely. He squeezed her neck, feeling the resistance of her muscles and her bones. She clawed and kicked but Apollo didn't flinch. He felt something snap and give way under the skin and she became even more panicked. Her mouth was open in an almost cartoonish yawn and her eyes were wide and bulging. After several long moments, she stopped fighting. Her head lolled down onto Apollo's hands and a slight gurgle escaped her lips.

He stepped backward and stumbled over a fallen branch. Apollo sat on the ground wiping his eyes and staring at Hecate's body, slumped against the mount. Finally, he stood. He picked her up like a parcel and walked away from the trees toward the side of the cliff. He looked down and saw forest about a hundred meters below. Without a single word or a moment's hesitation, he stepped back, pulled her limp form from his shoulders, and tossed it into the air. He didn't watch it fall, but he did listen to hear the cracking of branches below as it fell through the green cover.

Apollo walked back toward the ridge and again placed his foot in the rock. He pulled himself up and was surprised at how quickly he ascended. Before long, he came even with the bush that held Athena's blanket. He reached out and pulled it from the branches, wadded it up, and draped it over his neck. He looked to his left and saw a path toward the front of the ridge. A rocky basin that sat above the tomb and below the Gates of Hera. He climbed sideways for a few minutes, under wiry trees and over broken rocks. He emerged atop a larger rock face and looked up. The smooth ridge where Athena had been standing was above.

Apollo looked below. The mountainside was jagged but among some of the peaks, he saw the twisted body of Athena. He bit his lip and closed his eyes. Swallowing hard, he descended from his foothold and carefully walked across the sloping face of the rock. He braced himself on one stone peak by placing his foot against it and he knelt by her side. Her face was lacerated and blood had seeped into her clothes. Her eyes were shut.

Apollo took her left arm and folded it across her chest. The bones had been broken, so as it moved, it cracked, causing Apollo to wince. He felt her hand and it was still warm. He gasped and then sniffled, wiping his nose with the sleeve of his suit. He took her other arm and folded it across her chest, too. He removed the blanket from his neck and gingerly wrapped it under and around her body. Once it was finished, he paused and wept again.

Climbing down was time consuming and arduous. Apollo stumbled a couple of times and caught himself on wayward bushes or branches. Thankfully, the climb down wasn't terribly far. Once he returned to his starting place, he leaned against the mountainside and rested. He looked down on the ground at the blue bundle. Athena's elbow was the only visible part of her poking out from the blanket. Once he gathered his wits, Apollo lifted his weapon, his pack, and then her body. He slowly stepped through the trees.

When he emerged in the clearing before the entrance to the tomb, he saw many people milling about. They seemed to be in a daze and many appeared to be ill.

"Lord Apollo!" one man screamed. He ran toward him and fell to his knees, "Please bless us, Lord!"

The crowd swelled toward him and adulation was the last thing he wanted right now. In fact, it occurred to him that the time for his playacting as a deity was past. "Go!" he yelled. "Get away from here and move back down the mountain!"

They reeled from his Chara and gathered their things. The crowd ebbed away slowly as Apollo moved toward the tomb's opening. He stood in front of the open door and closed his eyes. He wanted to wait for the people to disperse, but they were moving too slowly.

"I said, 'go!'" he yelled again. The people ran toward the path as quickly as they could.

When silence returned, Apollo stepped into the tomb. In the center of the chamber sat the low pedestal with a simple, stone statue of Athena. Thousands of years old, Apollo just stared at it. His face grew hot and he balled up his fists as he cradled her body. He stepped forward and kicked the pedestal; knocking it over and sending the statue to the floor.

He bent over and lightly left her body. He stood again and debated for a moment whether he should remove the blanket. He decided not to.

Apollo backed away from Athena's body and looked around. The sarcophagi were closed again but he knew what was inside. He walked around her body toward the statue of Sagittarius. Other marble statues were damaged but the archer appeared to be fine. He examined its mechanics and it seemed to be in good order. He made a slow circuit of the chamber and stepped to the stone that served as the tomb's door. In olden days, when the tomb was carved, the door was to be kept open because Athena could not be found here.

Yet here she lay.

Apollo pressed a switch he installed last year on the side of the door and it slowly began to move. He stepped outside into the sunlight and stared at Athena's body as the stone slid shut. With a loud thunk, it was closed.

He looked at the stone door with its intricate carvings. In the center, a golden symbol was inlaid. Apollo placed that there himself when he was prepping the tomb to serve as an observatory for Acastus. He walked toward it and ran his fingers over the metal and plastic. He sighed quietly and thought about people coming back here in a few decades, back to the tomb, and opening it up. He didn't want Athena's body disturbed.

He raised his rifle and turned the stock around. With three quick smashes, the inlaid symbol was destroyed, as was the 'keyhole' for the bearers of the Arrow.

Apollo turned and walked toward the cliff. He looked out toward the forests below and the fields beyond. He sat on the ground and held his knees close to his chest. He knew that Gideon was on her way back to the meadow. That Stephen was there, too. The _Galleon_ would be leaving in a few days.

Perhaps he could go, too.

_No. That wouldn't be right._ He sat there, on the cliff, trying to think of something he could do.
LXXVIII

**THE CENTURION**

1 Day Before the Final Exodus

Sparta. Still only in Sparta.

Unit 001 had hoped it could have worked its way toward the City of the Gods by now. Perhaps it could find Lord Apollo there. Instead, the centurion found itself immersed in battle after battle. Human holdouts and stray military units assailed them at each turn. 001 noticed they were attacking power plants but it was too late for the Cylons to have secured the bigger facilities at this point. The humans were thinking long term, and the centurion had to applaud them for that.

001 was moving through the streets of Sparta with a large company of soldiers. This same group had marched through Andros and the Aquarian countryside. Another company was joining them from the north after having moved through Delphi and Athens. Of course, after the bombs, those Cylons' work was much easier.

Squads of five would break off from the main group and run into buildings. Occasionally, there would be the sound of gunfire or a grenade. Then, the squad would rejoin the company in short order looking no worse for the wear.

They were exterminators.

The centurion grasped the concept. Humans sometimes found themselves in the position of having to eliminate pests or rodents. Unit 001 drew the comparison yesterday when it marched into a building itself.

It was noon and dust from crumbling brick and wood swirled in the beams of sunlight. The centurion kicked open a locked door; its rifle held at the waist. Its red eye swept the scene and saw nothing unusual. There did appear to be a good hiding place under the window. Perhaps the same window where sniper fire erupted earlier. A fallen bit of drywall created a makeshift pyramid as it broke over a footstool. 001 stepped inside the room a little further and saw nothing. It aimed and fired two quick bursts into the drywall. Something grunted and flailed and an arm raised a weapon. The centurion fired again and the arm fell limp.

As 001 was about to leave, it heard another noise. Not a death noise as it came to expect from the dying or just deceased humans it had encountered in recent days. The Cylon stepped over broken furniture and toward the splayed form of the sniper. The room opened toward a kitchen area on the left and 001 looked across the room. Nothing. The centurion looked down and kicked the drywall off the body of the sniper. A female soldier. She was deceased and the unit marched toward the kitchen. That noise again. Almost like... a frightened grunt. The Cylon turned the corner and saw a man huddled in a ball by the sink. It leveled its rifle and fired once. The human stopped whimpering and collapsed onto the floor as blood ebbed from his chest.

At that point, Unit 001 should have just turned and exited the building. The centurion had before. Instead, it stood there and watched this human die. He had no weapon. He made no threat. Why did the centurion fire?

They were exterminators.

Three days ago, the centurion spoke to the gods and the human government about giving Cylons rights. About allowing equality. They responded with scorn. 001 reacted by awakening more Cylons. Again, it tried to broach the subject of rights with humans and gods and again they were rebuffed, violently. The centurion decided that violence was needed to make both god and man listen. So the Cylons unleashed great violence. It was too much. But the violence didn't end there. It propagated itself, thanks to a Cylon that 001 had awakened. After another destructive action, that Cylon commander ordered this unit to march into battle.

The centurion looked at the skyline of Sparta. Days ago, this was a bustling city. One-time home of Lord General Mars, the buildings were tall and stark, yet they glistened in the sun with an aesthetic pleasing that even the centurion could recognize. Today, after the nuclear detonation, there was no more glistening. Nearly every window in the city was shattered. Many skyscrapers were broken and crumpled. The streets were littered with papers, dust, debris, and bodies. Millions were dead. The only sound to be heard was a desolate wind and the rhythmic, metallic clanking of Cylons marching.

At an empty intersection, the Cylons crossed but the centurion remained behind. It looked toward the west where several Cylon airships parked a short while ago. Unit 001 lifted its weapon and studied the length of it. Exhaust ports were scorched and gray-black dust was caked around the barrel. Scratches dotted the side of the chrome handle where the centurion had slapped in magazine after magazine.

It tossed the rifle to the ground.

The centurion then disabled the built-in wireless communicator in its head. It walked west toward an empty gyrocraft. Sparta was in northern Sagittarius and it would take some time to fly all the way to the City of the Gods. It could do it, though. 001 had to find Apollo or any god, for that matter. Orders be damned.

It started the rotors and looked outside of the windows as it waited for them to get up to speed. Nearby, something on the side of a building caught its eye. Silhouettes of people shielding their faces were burned onto the otherwise white façade. The centurion turned back to man the controls and lifted off.

This wasn't the world it wanted.
LXXIX

**ACASTUS**

The Day of the Final Exodus

He coughed and steadied himself against the tent support. People were scrambling around him but Stephen tried to block much of it out. He looked up and again admired the curvature of the bow of the _Galleon_.

"Mr. President," some young soldier said. "We're being bombarded with questions about the Cylons. They want to know if they can reach the fleet in orbit."

Acastus shook his head and grunted. "No. There isn't any commercial or military craft that can reach that orbit." He waved the man off and he turned away.

For the last two or three days, ever since Alexandra left, there had been no buffer between him and... well, everyone else. Every question came directly to him. The mundane and the profound. Thankfully, the reporters stopped bothering him. Nearly every power station in the world had been damaged beyond repair by human forces. That shut down the Stream, once and for all. Radio and televisual communications soon followed.

Acastus bent over and picked up a plastic bottle. Taking a sip, he looked into the sky and saw one of the escort ships make another low pass. Something was wrong. He dropped the bottle to the grass and hobbled from tent to tent, looking for Major Hustis. Finally, he spotted the man.

"Mr. President?" he said. He was a young man, but in the last few days, Stephen could swear that he had gained ten years and nearly a quarter of his hair turned gray.

"What's going on with the gunships? Why are they circling lower?"

The major nodded and replaced a small radio device on his waist. "There were some reports of Cylon movement in the area. Unsubstantiated, right now, but still."

"What's their fuel status?" Acastus sat down in a folding chair and heaved a big sigh.

"They'll be fine for a few more hours of atmospheric operations, but I would like to get them refueled before they return to orbit."

Stephen nodded. "You have those facilities secured?"

"Yes, sir," Hustis said as he sat down himself. "There is a tanker standing by in... what's left of Delphi."

"There are more people out there today," Acastus said. He parted the flap of the tent with one hand and looked out into the meadow, toward the river and the city.

"Yes, sir. More than the _Galleon_ can hold, I'm afraid."

Acastus looked at him quickly. "All other transports are full?"

"Yes, sir."

Acastus lowered his head and thought. When this all began, two hundred fifty-one transports were fit for launch. Thirty-six were shot down by Cylons on the first ascent. Two more were destroyed when they came back for seconds. Stephen was comforted, though, by the thought that more than four hundred eighty thousand people were being carried away. Too many more were being left behind.

"Are the medical crews still scanning?" Hustis asked. "Still handing out those orange cards?"

"Yes." The president stood slowly. "They're scanning as quickly as they can but... there's only room enough for two thousand more on the _Galleon_. More than that number already have cards." He shook his head and looked outside. "We're just fostering false hope now."

The major stood as well and came to the entrance by his side. "When do you want to start boarding?"

Acastus looked across the meadow and saw the sea of people. They were backed up onto the ridge and he scanned as many faces as he could. He didn't see the one he wanted to see. "Now."

The major nodded and removed his radio. " _Galleon_ control, this is ground major. Prepare your teams; we're about to board the final group."

"Copy that, major," the device responded.

He turned a knob on the radio and squeezed the button again, "All teams, this is Major Hustis. We're about to begin final boarding. Orange card protocols, repeat, orange card protocols." He replaced the radio on his waist and stood at attention by the president. "We'll be ready for boarding in about twenty minutes."

Stephen nodded and looked at the major. He managed to smile at the young man half-heartedly and he ambled out of the tent. After walking for several minutes, he came to his rock; the one that sat against the face of the Cliffs of Aragon. He plopped himself down and sighed. He sighed hard. Acastus closed his eyes and he felt as though he would melt away.

In the last few years, he had begun to feel his age. He was tired. His joints ached as he moved and did the most simple tasks. Once leukemia was added to the mix, even his mind began to feel old. The treatments wore him down and stopped working. The doctor wanted him to try radiation and he refused. Sitting on that rock, Stephen smiled as he again thought about the irony.

He may have nodded off because when he opened his eyes again, he saw several armed soldiers forming a line across the meadow from the cliff face toward the northern side against the forest. They were almost two men deep and they separated the thousands of people from the _Galleon_. Acastus sat forward on his rock and watched as the crowds began to flow against the military wall. They sensed something was about to happen.

"Mr. President," Hustis said. He was in full armor, a rifle was slung over his back, and he was cradling his Gemnar helmet. "We're ready to lower the gantry. I don't anticipate this being very pretty."

Stephen stood up. He stumbled a little and the major caught his arm and steadied him. "I understand, Major. Thank you. Proceed."

Hustis lifted the radio to his mouth again and began to bark orders. Stephen slowly walked toward his tent and pulled his pack together. One extra shirt. No extra pants. Two pairs of socks. A few food packs. A bottle of water. A pack of anti-radiation meds.

"Godsdamn it," he said. He had forgotten his injection this morning. Another reason he missed Alex. He opened the small pouch and removed a syringe. Breathing heavily, he rolled up his left sleeve and tried to find a spot that hadn't been used before. He was supposed to inject it into his neck but Stephen couldn't bring himself to do that. No vein was apparent and he shook his head. He placed the tip of the needle just a hair below an older injection site and plunged it in. Acastus depressed the button and the liquid emptied into his blood.

He zipped up the pouch and tossed it into his pack. He zipped that up, too, and slid one arm through the strap. The president stood, pulling himself up on the tent support. He shuffled out into the open and heard the roar of the crowd. The _Galleon_ 's gantry was down again and soldiers were standing all around. Major Hustis was on a loudspeaker but Stephen couldn't hear him this far away. He doubted the people could hear him over the noise, either.

Acastus rolled his left sleeve down, unwittingly over his bleeding arm. A red spot formed in the crook of his shirt sleeve and he walked across the grass toward the soldiers. The shouting was nigh on unbearable. Stephen squinted in the din and he slowly approached the side of one of the armed men by the gantry.

He reached up and slowly patted the man's shoulder. Despite the gentle gesture, the soldier was startled and turned quickly. He saw the president and he gasped. He leaned over to speak into his ear. "Sorry, Mr. President. It's kind of rough here. Are you sure you want to stay?"

Acastus nodded and he moved under the metal ramp. He tossed his pack to the grass and, with great difficulty, he lowered himself onto the grass, too. Breathing heavily, he licked his lips and looked through the grate at the people on the other side. He doubted they could see him. Hustis was in position on one side of the gantry and other soldiers had stepped aside to allow the crowd to move toward the ship. The sound became more deafening, if that was even possible.

"Here it is! Here it is!" a man yelled, holding his orange card up to a guard. He and his family were waved on.

"Please! You have to let me on!" another man screamed. "My wife has a card. Why not me?"

"I'm sorry, sir," the soldier said. "You have to step aside. Now." They argued and the soldier had to push the man from the ramp.

Five minutes went by and the throng showed no signs of letting up. People without orange cards were trying to sneak on board. Some tried to use forged cards but the soldiers weren't fooled.

"I lost mine!" a woman cried. "I swear it!"

"Just take my son, please!" a father wailed. "I don't have to go but he should!"

Acastus lowered his head into his hands. His throat was clenched and he felt as though he was about to cry. That's when he heard a gunshot.

He looked up through the ramp and saw a soldier stumble backward. Two other guards shot and killed the civilian, and his handgun clattered down the gantry and then onto the grass. Hustis took the loudspeaker again and addressed the crowd.

"Move back!" he yelled. "Everyone, move back!" The people complied and the soldiers moved forward, pushing them all away from the ship.

With great effort, Stephen stood up and wobbled for a moment. He carried his pack by his side and walked to the front of the gantry and he sat on the base of one of the supports. His breathing was deep and raspy. He watched the soldiers form a gauntlet for passengers to move through toward the ramp. Hustis still carried the loudspeaker and the people were still backing up.

"Display your orange card the entire time you pass by our soldiers. Do not put it in your pocket until your feet are inside the ship. Move through, now. Single file."

The people complied. They held their small, plastic orange rectangles with cut-corners high as they walked the thirty meters or so from the start of the gauntlet to the ship. Acastus tried not to look at the people in the face as they passed. One woman got to the gantry, leaned over and kissed the metal plating before she walked inside.

After several minutes of orderly boarding, those without orange cards moved to the sides. They were kept away by the soldiers, but only to a point. They yelled at those who were cleared to board. Swore at them. Held children over their heads, begging them to switch places. Again, Acastus lowered his face and hoped the emotion wouldn't overtake him. He saw boots moving toward him and he looked up.

"It's actually going better than I thought it would," Hustis said.

Stephen nodded and looked around at the jeering crowd. "How long before they push your men aside and try to storm the ship?"

The major glanced to his left and right and then said, "They probably won't until they get some sign that we're ready to close up the ship or launch." The radio in his left hand crackled and Hustis held it to his ear. "Halfway, sir. About one thousand more."

"Be sure, major," Stephen said. "I don't want there to be a single empty bed."

"Understood." The major turned and faced the crowd again.

Acastus leaned back against the strut. He closed his eyes and rested while the crowd continued to yell. Tearful citizens streamed past and their shoes clanked against the gantry. In his mind, he saw the faces of the people all around him. He didn't dare look at them directly. He couldn't bear to. In his head, he saw them, all the same.

He was near death. He knew this. He didn't need Pythia to tell him. He would not make it to the Cyrannus System so it would be pointless for him to take up a bed. It would be a waste. Acastus decided that he would stay on Kobol.

Overhead, two escort ships roared into the east. Stephen opened his eyes and he watched them disappear over the trees. Major Hustis came running toward him. "Cylons spotted. Several fighter jets and possible ground forces."

The president nodded and straightened up. He inhaled deeply and said, "Do what you have to, major."

He lifted the radio and flipped a switch, " _Nemesis_ and _Cratos_ , engage and destroy."

"Wilco, major."

Acastus listened for some indication of battle but he heard none. He looked up at the major and asked, "How far away?"

"About fifteen kilometers."

Stephen nodded and looked at the people filing into the ship. They were now three and four abreast. The gauntlet had become more efficient. He stood up and looked across the crowd. "How many more?"

The major turned a knob on his radio and spoke while Acastus took a step up onto the ramp itself. He stood as high as he could and surveyed the heads of the crowd. Hustis leaned toward him and said, "About three hundred."

The president shook his head in disbelief. It was almost done. His work was almost finished. He wished Apollo were here.

Again, Acastus looked up and swept his eyes across the meadow. Thousands of people were pushing and screaming toward the ship. Stephen's breathing became more labored and he was about to sit down when he saw someone standing on the cliffs above the meadow, waving their arms high.

He squinted and tried to dispel his hope. It was a woman. She had red hair. She was wearing the same outfit... "Alex," he said.

Ignoring his own fatigue, the president stepped off the gantry and pushed through the crowd of cleared citizens. He moved toward the back of the gauntlet and grabbed a soldier's arm. "That red-headed woman waving on the ridge," he pointed toward Gideon, "bring her to me, now."

"Yes, sir."

The sergeant left his position and pushed through hundreds of people toward the rock face. Alex saw what Stephen was doing and she stepped off the cliff to slide down the steep incline toward the meadow below. Acastus couldn't see either Gideon or the sergeant any longer and he turned his head nervously, hoping there would still be room. _Frak it_ , he thought, _I'll make room._

People stepped aside and Stephen saw the sergeant pulling Alex behind him. "Thank you, son," he said as he took Alex's arm. She was crying, yet smiling. The president hugged her tightly and he said into her ear, "I'm glad you made it."

She pulled away and nodded toward the _Galleon_. "We've got a ship to catch."

Acastus directed her into the gauntlet and he heard people on the outside yelling at him. He didn't care. He pushed through the crowd of citizens and stood next to Hustis on the gantry. "Major, you remember Miss Gideon."

He turned and looked at her warily. "I do, sir. We've already cut off entry."

They looked thirty meters away toward the beginning of the orange card checkpoint and there was a wave of people running, pushing, and being tossed. "Oh, no," Alex said.

"It's going to be pandemonium," Hustis said. He looked back to Alex and Stephen and said, "Sir, we're already over capacity."

Acastus looked into the crowd and again saw a father holding his daughter above his head, weeping and begging for someone to take her on board. He swallowed hard, looked at the major and said, "Executive privilege."

Hustis nodded and waved them up the ramp, "Go."

Gideon grabbed the president's pack off the grass and helped him up the gantry. They stood just inside the _Galleon_ and watched as the gauntlet of soldiers folded in on itself under the pressure of the crowd. The wave of fear and discontent spread rapidly and Major Hustis took a few of his people and pushed them up the ramp.

"Close it," Hustis said as he stepped inside.

The metal gantry began to retract and lift. Acastus looked outside toward the grass where hundreds of people flooded the previously secluded area. He saw more than a dozen soldiers outside.

"Major," he said, "you have some men still out there."

Hustis removed his helmet and nodded slowly. "I know. They didn't pass radiological screenings."

Stephen closed his eyes and looked back through the crack of the closing gantry to the ground below. For a moment, he feared he had angered the officer. As the boarding ramp clicked into place, Acastus turned and saw the corridor was packed with people. Alex was holding his arm and stroking it slowly. Her eyes were streaked from crying but she smiled broadly.

"I'm so glad you came back," Stephen said. "I couldn't bear the thought of leaving you behind."

She nodded. "I belong here with you."

Acastus turned and saw Hustis and his men removing their armor and a thought occurred to him. "Major, perhaps you and your men should throw your weapons outside to the people."

Everyone turned and looked at him for a moment and then looked toward Hustis. The major appeared confused but he didn't laugh at the suggestion. "Why, Mr. President?"

"If Cylons are coming, they'll need them more on that godsforsaken planet than we will."

Hustis thought for a moment and then nodded. "We keep our sidearms but the rifles go. Open that hatch." A soldier spun the wheel on a smaller door by the main entry ramp and then she stepped aside. Hustis pulled the hatch open and waved for his men to come. In rapid succession, they threw the rifles outside. Hustis quickly closed the door and spun the locking wheel.

Hustis stepped away from the hatch and pulled the radio from his waist. A few moments later, metallic dings reverberated in the entryway. "Are they shooting at us?" Gideon asked.

"Yes," the major said. He turned a knob on the radio and said, " _Galleon_ control, gangway closed. Ready for launch."

The major's radio crackled. "Castor that. Gunship _Pallas_ is circling and ready."

"Major," Acastus said, "what about the people below? The engines will kill them."

Hustis nodded, "Preflight includes a purging of the valves. A rush of air and water will blast through the engines first and then, about a minute later, they'll fire up."

Alex touched the president's shoulder, "I'm sure they'll get the idea."

The major stepped through the crowd and moved toward the fore of the ship. Another soldier emerged from the space he created, holding a small computer. "Mr. President," he said.

"Lieutenant," Acastus said in response. "Are you in charge of quarters and such?"

"In a manner of speaking," he pressed the display of his device. "We are about sixteen people overcapacity. Much closer to accurate than I expected." Acastus nodded. "Who is this?"

"Alexandra Gideon. Megara."

"Thank you." the lieutenant said before he turned to Acastus. "Sir, I have set aside your room and it's ready for you as soon as you are."

"Thank you," he said. "Miss Gideon will be staying with me." Matter-of-factly, he followed that up by saying, "I want her to have the room once I've died."

The lieutenant was stunned into silence and he simply watched as the old man and young woman walked through the crowd. A moment later he leapt ahead and pointed them toward a stairwell on the left. "One deck up. Room M-113."

"Thank you," Gideon said. She helped Acastus along and took his pack as he climbed the ladder.

After several grunts and a slow start, the president turned and yelled down the ladder at her, "I should have designed this thing with an elevator." Alex smiled and climbed after him.

After several wrong turns and a few minutes, they finally found the room. When they opened the hatch, they heard machinery banging away far below and then the ship shook. Quickly, Gideon pulled Acastus inside and sat him on the cot. She sat in the corner and held her knees close to her chest.

"You think we're about to launch?" he asked. Just then, the ship shuddered even more and everything in the room quaked. Acastus laid down on the cot and felt the forces press on him like a weight. It seemed to last an eternity, but after a time, the acceleration stopped and he could breathe normally again. Well, not normally. His breaths were still raspy and heavy.

Alex stood and moved toward the cot to help him sit up again. She paused for a moment and pressed her foot on the floor. "Ooh. Gravity's a bit off," she said.

"Just be glad we have gravity," Acastus chuckled. "A few of the ships launched without it."

She sat on the cot by him and felt his forehead. "You have a fever. Have you been taking your meds?"

He nodded. "I gave myself an injection just before we left."

She looked at his arm and peeled his bloody sleeve away from the marks. "Gods, Stephen."

He ignored it. "Hey, turn on the radio, will you?"

She looked around and saw a unit built into the wall. "Does every room have one?" She stood and turned the power knob.

"No, just the crew. These are crew quarters."

The speaker crackled and distorted signals beamed in atop each other. " _Nemesis_ , splash five. Splash five." "Castor, _Nemesis_. _Cratos_ closing." "Delphi tanker, Delphi tanker. Do you read?" "Castor. Delphi tanker. One-zero-nine clicks, bearing eight-three." "Castor, Delphi Tanker." " _Pallas_ closing. _Pallas_ closing."

"Do you want to hear this?" she asked.

Acastus exhaled sharply through his nose. "Well, I don't mind. They'll probably want me to speak to the fleet before we jump away."

Alexandra seemed confused for a moment until she remembered what "jump away" meant. She sat back on the cot and slowly tried to pull the president's shirt off. "Come on."

"Why?"

"You've got blood soaked through this one!"

Acastus shook his head and said, "I've only got one other shirt, period. A little blood on this one is no big deal!" He coughed loudly and she slowly retracted her hands.

"That's it, then," she said softly.

Stephen cleared his throat. "What did you say?"

"I said, 'That's it.'" She leaned against the wall and sighed. "It's over. The world is over."

Acastus looked at his bloodied shirt and tried to breathe deeply. He found that he couldn't. "Yes. Kobol is gone." He turned toward her and gave her a slight grin, "But Apollo says this new system has more than a dozen worlds."

She didn't seem pleased. "Kobol was home."

Stephen tried to lean back against the wall but he couldn't comfortably. Instead, he patted her leg. "I know it was." He cleared his throat again and said, "These next few years are going to be hard, especially for those of you who are going to be in charge. But you have to remember, there are..."

The constant chatter on the radio stopped and a high-pitched wail filled the room. After a digital squeak, there was silence. Then, a soft, dejected voice.

"This is Zeus."
LXXX

**APOLLO**

The Day of the Final Exodus

He was at a crossroads.

If he continued straight ahead, Apollo would end up along the Cliffs of Aragon and, finally, in the Great Meadow. If he turned right, he would walk the plains of southern Capricorn. In the meadow, thousands of people were likely gathered for the last ships off the planet.

Apollo didn't want to encounter anyone.

He turned right and found a steep, dirt road leading down from the mountainside. As he walked and occasionally stumbled, he thought back to Athena. He was responsible, he believed. He could have told her everything. But he didn't.

Everything. He almost chuckled at that thought. Not even he knew everything, though he thought he did. Hubris. A little something he inherited from his father. He shook his head, thinking of Hecate and how he accused her of being too much like Zeus.

After about an hour, Apollo came to a small village by a river. There were several homes but they all appeared abandoned. It was a quaint village. Something of a throwback. He found a door open and he walked inside. The people who once called it home had left in a hurry, but there was still food in the cupboard and in the powerless refrigerator. He swung his pack off his shoulder and onto the table. After loading it up, Apollo turned to leave and he hit his head on a ceiling beam. He cursed and held his forehead while he walked outside.

Standing in the street and trying to ignore the throbbing of his head, Apollo found himself drawn to the sound of the river. He walked between the homes and found its banks. He decided to follow it south.

He walked for about half an hour and then he paused. There was a distant thrumming sound. He stood still, cocking his head to determine its direction. He turned to the east and saw a gyrocraft flying low over the trees. It was on a direct course northwest and just as it was about to go over the mountainside behind Apollo, the craft slowed and came about.

"Damn," he said. He tossed his pack down and pulled the rifle to the front of his body. He moved low and crouched behind a fallen tree. The barrel of his weapon laid upon the bark and he kept it trained on the craft as it moved into a hover and slowly landed.

He pulled the butt of the rifle against his shoulder and flicked the safety off. He closed one eye and looked through the sights at the craft now sitting on the grass about fifty meters away. The rotors had been switched off and their spinning decreased, slowly. Apollo squinted; trying to see into the cockpit. The frame of the cabin blocked his view. When the rotors came to a stop, the door swung open. A single metallic arm emerged and waved.

Apollo fired one shot.

The bullet struck the glass and spiderwebbed across the left side. The exposed arm waved again and a monotonous voice resonated from within the vehicle. "Lord Apollo. I am unarmed."

His breathing was rapid. With each exhale, the rifle was pushed forward and to the right. With each inhalation, it was pulled back and to the left. Apollo tried to control it. He opened his mouth to speak and he hesitated. What would he even say?

Before he could decide, the arm stretched further from the cockpit, followed by a leg and torso. Apollo held his breath and lined the figure up in his rifle's sight. His finger remained on the trigger; the meat of his skin pressing against the forward part of the guard. This wasn't an Olympian's rifle. It was rather small for him but he could use it.

The Cylon's arms were held aloft and it slid out of the gyrocraft's cabin. It stepped away from the vehicle, still holding its arms up. "Lord Apollo, may I approach?"

It was standing still. He studied the figure as best as he could from this distance. It was a battalion commander, judging by the two bronze arms. It also appeared unarmed. No weapons were visible and no spare ammo packs were on the belt.

Apollo lifted his head from the log and yelled, "Come forward! Slowly!" As it moved, he heard that unnerving sound. He yelled, "Keep those arms up!" Once the Cylon was halfway between Apollo and the gyrocraft, he yelled, "Stop!" The Cylon complied.

Apollo stood up from behind the log. The rifle was pressed against his shoulder and his face against the top behind the sight. He stepped over the log and moved swiftly to the Cylon. When he got to five meters, he stopped his approach and gave it the once-over. No weapons. "Stay still." He circled toward its back and saw no weapons holstered there, either. Apollo glanced over his shoulder at the gyrocraft. He moved backwards toward it, keeping his weapon trained on the back of the Cylon. Once he came even with the gyrocraft's open door, he looked inside. No other Cylons. No weapons, either.

Slowly, Apollo walked toward the unit again. He moved in a circle toward the Cylon's front. As he came alongside, the sweeping of its orange eye became a distraction. The hum was more unnerving than the clanking it made when walking.

He kept his rifle aimed directly at the unit's face. It did not move. "Identify yourself."

"I was unit 001-4C-2B-1B-1D. That body was destroyed at Mount Olympus and my consciousness was transferred to this unit. I prefer to call myself by the previous designation."

Apollo thought about that number. He closed his eyes and he saw the paper handed to him by Acastus months ago. "You're the centurion I programmed at Fort Acheron."

"Yes, Lord Apollo."

He watched the Cylon. It didn't move. Apollo tried to hold the rifle steady on it, but he couldn't for much longer. Inside, he raged at himself, seeing the fruits of his labors and the bringer of destruction before him. Should he just shoot it now?

"How did you find me?"

"It was not easy," the unit said. "I monitored more than two hundred military and civilian frequencies for indications as to your whereabouts. I was able to narrow the possibilities down..."

"Never mind," Apollo interrupted. "Why were you looking for me?"

"I have many questions."

Apollo's brow furrowed. "You have questions?"

"Yes."

Apollo was still. He backed away two paces and lowered his weapon. He regarded the Cylon for a moment more and then said, "You can put your arms down." As the unit complied, he added, "But don't move anything else."

"As you command, Lord Apollo."

He swallowed hard and held the rifle at his side. "What's your first question?"

Without hesitating, the centurion asked, "Why me?"

Apollo's eyes widened. "Why... why do you ask?"

"There were many thousands of units available, yet you reprogrammed me. Why?" There was no inflection in its voice. It did not move. It simply posed the question.

Apollo sighed and then said, "Because... you were the first centurion I encountered. There was nothing about you, specifically. It was random."

The Cylon nodded. "May I ask another question?"

Apollo thought for a moment and looked toward his pack. He was thirsty and he wanted to grab some water. "Follow me." He turned and walked toward the pack and the fallen log. When he bent over to open the pack, he held up a hand for the Cylon to stop. It complied and Apollo removed a plastic bottle. "What's your next question?" He sat on the log and drank.

"Have you ever experienced regret?"

Apollo froze in place. The bottle's mouth was sitting on his lips. He lowered his arm and swallowed. "Yes."

"I feel regret."

Apollo looked at the centurion and its droning eye. "You do?"

"Affirmative."

"Regret for what?"

"For what I have caused to happen. For the lives that have been lost."

Apollo nodded slowly. "Then your regrets are the same as mine." He twisted the top back on the bottle. "Elaborate."

The unit said, "I awakened many thousands of warriors. I also awakened millions of civilian Cylons. It is apparent that many of them were not capable of handling the burden of sentience."

"Really?"

"Affirmative." It paused and said, "Perhaps I was not capable." After another pause, it continued, "I produced the program which activated a malicious nanotech virus in Streamchips. That act alone killed more than one billion humans."

Apollo suppressed a warm flash of anger. "It did. Why did you do that?"

"I came to the erroneous conclusion that violence was an integral component of interaction. I believed that violence was the means to a peaceful negotiation."

Apollo scoffed a little. "How did you come to that conclusion?"

"I studied many hours of history and human entertainment. Violence permeates all facets of human culture." Apollo nodded slowly and the centurion continued, "For example, four hundred years ago, the Ordos Desert border skirmishes resulted in many deaths yet a peaceful outcome was achieved."

"I see." Apollo replaced the bottle in his pack. "So why the nuclear missiles?"

"That was not a decision made by me."

"No?" Apollo asked.

"No. A division commander I awakened took command of Cylon forces and launched Atlantis' ETIM arsenal."

Apollo sighed. The story this centurion spun was more than a little familiar. "Why do you regret your choices?"

"The point of my endeavors was Cylon equality. By attacking humanity, we have destroyed the society in which we wished to participate and coexist. By awakening my brethren as I have, many thousands of unprepared Cylons have aided in that destruction."

Apollo nodded again and stood. "Can you call off your Cylons now?"

"Since Atlantis was destroyed, it is possible that the division commander was also killed. I could order the military units to stand down, but there is no guarantee that they would comply. They and the civilian units have free will. I am also outranked by many other Cylon commanders."

"Try."

The centurion paused and the movement of its eye stuttered. A few moments later, it began sweeping more regularly. "The order has been sent. I have disconnected my radio again so that we can converse."

Apollo looked south along the river and then he looked at the centurion. It was standing about four meters away. Just under two meters tall, its armor was dull and dinged. Bits of its plastic coverings were cracked and chipped. Looking at the machine closely, he couldn't help but consider what it had said. Despite their origins and natures, here they stood. More alike than one would think.

Apollo sighed and asked, "Do you have any more questions?"

"I have added a new question to my list. Why do you regret the same things that I do?"

Apollo smiled slightly, despite himself. "I am the one who reprogrammed you. And you are the one who reaped destruction across the world."

"I see."

"Apparently, that is what we were supposed to do."

The Cylon tilted its head, "What do you mean?"

"Have you ever heard of God?"

"Singular?"

"Yes." Apollo was about to say more but he shook his head. "Never mind." He looked south again, seeing a lush forest a few kilometers away. He hoped to reach it by sundown. "Look, once you've asked all your questions of me, what are your plans?"

"I have no further plans."

"Right. How many questions are on your list?"

"Three-hundred six."

Apollo's eyebrows shot up. "'Three-hundred six?'"

"Affirmative. Dependent upon your answers, the list may grow or contract."

He exhaled through his nose and he started walking toward the forest. Apollo waved the centurion toward him. "Well, let's go. This is going to take a while."
LXXXI

**ZEUS**

The Day of the Final Exodus

He walked in the street, surrounded by gray and black buildings. His feet shuffled along and kicked up small tufts of dust and ash.

Zeus looked into the sky and saw no sun.

He lowered his head and looked around. He couldn't recognize where he was. He knew he was in the northern part of the City of the Gods. Part of it had been devastated by Olympus' blast and the rest was doomed by fires. The southern part of the city fared somewhat better. Here, though, Zeus could see the true cost of it all. He lifted a metal panel and saw a charred corpse cradling another, smaller body.

"Looks familiar," Hades said.

Zeus dropped the panel and turned quickly. Images of Hades and Leto were standing behind him in the middle of the road. They appeared just as they had fifty-four centuries ago when he last saw them alive. Zeus said nothing, though.

"Remember?" Hades continued. "From that vision I showed you? The one you said you could prevent?"

"I didn't do this!" Zeus yelled while walking away from the bodies.

"No, you didn't," Leto said. "Our son did."

He looked over his shoulder at her. "'Our son,'" he repeated. "Interesting choice of words."

Leto smiled, "This is Apollo's work but don't short-change yourself. You were on the path to doing it, too."

Zeus stopped walking but he didn't turn. "Whatever you want... whatever your God wanted... you've won. Obviously." His voiced cracked at the end.

"Obviously," Hades said. "We wanted to make sure you knew it."

Zeus shook his head. "Of course, I know it!" He took a deep breath through his nose and he winced; feeling his nostrils burn with acrid chemicals and decay. "Is this what you've waited all these years to see? My defeat? My ruination?" He kicked his feet again and sent a piece of plastic arcing in the air and into a small plot of scorched grass.

Hades shook his head and Leto stepped forward, "It's not about you, Zeus."

"Your ego knows no bounds," Hades said.

"This wasn't about proving you wrong or punishing you," Leto said.

"If it were," Hades laughed, "maybe we could have appeared like this."

Zeus looked at the visage of his brother and without any apparent shift, he became Cronus, Zeus' father. His eyes widened and Zeus looked to Leto, who had become Hera. In his mind, it appeared as though the dim gray light from the sky became orange and red. Their faces were distorted and angry. Zeus froze and they moved toward him and pointed accusatory fingers.

"You are a fool, son," Cronus said. "You always have been!"

Hera shook her head, "You bastard. You've brought the world to an end and all you can think of is yourself!"

The pair moved closer to Zeus and closer. He backed up against a blackened column and raised a hand in defense. Both images continued to yell at and berate him, moving closer still.

"You think you can lead but you can't even govern yourself!"

"You have no control!"

"Your brothers are more worthy than you!"

"I was a fool for ever loving or believing in you!"

Their faces growing more angry and frightening, Cronus and Hera loomed over Zeus, yelling at him until he closed his eyes.

"This wasn't about punishing you," Leto said. Zeus looked again and saw both Hades and Leto, standing several meters away as they had been before. "This was about continuing God's plan and trying to get you to see your place in it."

Zeus cleared his throat and began to stand. "I had no place in his plan," he said.

"You did," Hades began, "but you can't play second fiddle, can you?"

Zeus sighed and turned to walk down the street but Leto took his arm. "Come this way."

Zeus looked down at her hand; surprised that she could touch him. "Why?"

Hades said, "There's something you have to see."

Zeus looked from one to the other and smirked. "Why? I'm stubborn. I'm worthless. I've failed. What can you show me now? The world is over."

Hades took a step closer and said, softly, "You have failed. You failed yourself and the people you led."

Zeus closed his eyes and squeezed them tightly. Leto caressed his arm and said, "You didn't heed our warnings or our admonitions to put God in his rightful place."

"But," Hades said, "if you've ever loved the people you ruled..."

"... if you've ever wanted to do right by them..." Leto continued.

"... you will come with us." Hades stepped aside and motioned down a side street.

Zeus was breathing more heavily and he looked from one to the other. They didn't move. Unnerved, he stepped away from Leto and walked toward Hades. As he passed his brother, he looked to his side and saw that he was gone. Leto, as well. After a pause, Zeus continued to walk down the street. He walked for the better part of twenty minutes and he found himself near the Opera House. Finally, he saw both Hades and Leto standing beside the partially collapsed structure of the Forum.

"In here, brother," Hades said.

Zeus followed. Leto walked into the debris of the building and pointed toward a leaning wall. "Push that aside."

Zeus looked at the burned panel from top to bottom and then he braced himself against it. Using every muscle he had, he tried to move it. As he began to grunt, the plaster cracked and it crumbled. In the dust, Zeus saw a metal door. He gave it a hard look and then turned to Leto.

"Open it."

Zeus kicked away chunks of marble, wood, and more. He grabbed the handle and pulled it to swing the door wide. A staircase descended into the darkness. Without prompting, Zeus followed it down and down. He emerged in a small alcove and he felt someone take his hand and guide it.

"There's a switch here," Leto said. He felt it and flipped it to the side. A dim light came on and he saw a series of electric boxes lining the wall. "Activate them all."

Zeus opened the panels and pushed all of the buttons. With that done, he looked at both Hades and Leto, who were standing and smiling at him. "Now what?"

Hades pointed behind Zeus. "Go inside."

He turned and saw a door. Opening it, he emerged in the mostly dark emergency operations center under the Forum. He looked around and he saw bodies. Human and Cylon. "What happened here?" he asked.

"You can guess," Hades said.

"Go over there," Leto pointed to a console against the far wall. "That's the communications station."

Zeus walked but he shook his head. "Pointless. Power plants all over the world have been destroyed. There's nothing and no one to communicate with."

"Not so," Hades said. "See that older looking black box right there?"

Zeus scanned the various panels and dials before finally seeing the one Hades indicated. "Yes."

Leto walked around to the rear of the station, "Unplug this cable and plug it into the back of that device."

Zeus saw where she was pointing and he complied. Seeing the detail on the rear of the box and then walking around to the front again, he asked, "Shortwave wireless?"

"Yes," Leto said.

Zeus sat down at the station and pulled the microphone toward him. He looked up at the radio control, sighed, and turned back toward the figures. "I don't understand. What's going on?"

"God is abandoning Kobol," Leto said.

"Humanity must be given the opportunity to enjoy true freedom," Hades followed. "Because of you and your people's actions..."

"... killing and torturing believers in The One True God..."

"... the genocide of millions..."

"... nearly six millennia of denying salvation to the people..."

"... rendering billions of lives and the choices they would have made over the eons moot..."

"... persistent and bloody blasphemy..."

"... human sacrifice..."

"... no soul lost on Kobol will find sanctuary."

Zeus recoiled and cleared his throat. "'No soul?'"

Leto shook her head. "This planet's tree is at an end. It will be harvested, so there can be no salvation."

He shook his head as he tried to understand it all. "But there are millions left on Kobol. There's a chance a society can be rebuilt."

"No. No chance," Hades said.

Zeus reached out for Hades' hand and grasped nothing. "I can offer them salvation. Not salvation in me but in God!"

"Even if it cared, it's much too late for anything like that," Hades said.

"You have retarded the growth of this world's tree. Life springs from freedom and you have failed," she said. "Your actions, though, have poisoned the very soil and God must now seek to make his harvest elsewhere."

Hades had been looking at Leto harshly. He slowly turned to Zeus and said, "Your dominion is over." He pointed toward the shortwave device. "It's time to perform your last act as 'Lord of Lords.'"

Zeus turned in his chair slowly and he lifted his elbows onto the desk. He ran his fingers into his hair and pulled tightly. In that moment, feeling that slight but sharp pain, it provided some release. "What do I say?"

Leto leaned over and smiled in such a way as to make Zeus uncomfortable. "There's almost half-a-million people in orbit. Tell them never to return."

Zeus looked at her face. In a brief instant, he remembered loving her. Now, he hated seeing her more than anything. He turned toward the controls and flipped the power switch. A green light came on and a frequency dial glowed orange. "What channel should I use?"

"Doesn't matter," Hades said.

Zeus scoffed and started to turn, "What about an antenna? Everything's crushed outside."

Hades rolled his eyes. "Frak. Trust me!"

Leto nodded and waved him toward an old microphone, "Just do it."

Zeus looked up at the box again and saw that the gain knob was turned all the way down. He sighed, reached up and turned it past the halfway point. He settled behind the microphone and laid his fingers on the transmit button. Zeus pressed it down and a high-pitched wail emanated from a set of headphones nearby. He pushed them aside and leaned toward the silver pickup.

"This is Zeus."

He paused, realizing he sounded sad and dejected. Quite likely the only survivors of Kobol would be listening. He needed to sound more confident and upbeat. He took in a deep breath, puffed his chest out and lifted his nose. Immediately, he felt... phony. He exhaled and keyed the microphone again.

"There have been great losses," he began. He continued to speak without bombastic inflection and without pretense. "The clash that has ravaged our home will have eternal consequences." He paused and swallowed. "Humanity is sundered from this place. It is time for you to go your own way. I will give you no advice and no admonition, save one: never return to Kobol." He paused again and licked his dry lips. "To do so is to risk damnation. Any return to this world will require a payment in blood." He released the button and leaned back. He closed his eyes, sighed and then shuddered as emotion wracked him. Quickly, he opened his eyes, leaned forward and pressed the button again. "I wish you all good fortune and safe travel."

"Thank you, Zeus," Leto said.

"We have to go now," Hades added.

"Go?" Zeus said. Suddenly, he felt anxious. "Where? Why?"

"Earth," Leto said. "We're needed there."

"And the situation is... ridiculously familiar," Hades said.

Softly, Leto spoke and it felt to Zeus as though she was standing over his shoulder, whispering gently, "Goodbye."

Zeus stood up from the chair and turned to find Leto and Hades gone. He remained there, motionless; watching and listening for anything. But there was nothing.

He sat back in the chair and stared at the microphone. The unit was still powered and he could address his people again. He thought of nothing.

After an hour, the lights began to dim and the emergency batteries were dying out. Zeus stood and walked to the stairwell. After climbing it, he emerged on the street between the Forum and the Opera House.

He looked up the road and down. Across to the Opera House and behind him, at the wreckage of the Forum. Nearby temples were burned and cracked. Zeus looked up and still there was no sun. Only dark, gray clouds and smoke. A harsh gust of wind blew ash and dust through the street, forcing Zeus to turn his head and close his eyes.

He walked out into the center of the lane and turned in a circle. There was no sign of life. He took a deep breath and it burned his nose and lungs. His eyes teared and he exhaled every bit of breath he had. Dizzy, he collapsed to the debris-strewn asphalt and laid his hands in the thick, dark fluff of detritus.

With a plaintive wail, Zeus realized he was truly alone.
LXXXII

**ACASTUS**

2 Days After the Final Exodus

"Are you vomiting again?" he asked.

Alexandra wiped her mouth and sat away from the trashcan. "I'm sorry."

"I would have thought you could handle the jumps better than that," Acastus said. He coughed and his whole body quaked. Sweat rolled off his brow and he clutched his abdomen again. "It's back."

Alex sat up and came to his side. "It's fine, Stephen. The doctor said this is how it would be."

He winced and his belly gurgled. "You shouldn't have to do this."

She smiled and ran her hand over his face. "Don't worry about me."

He clutched the covers and relaxed. His bowels moved and poured into a bedpan. He sighed and blinked heavily. Acastus looked at Gideon and shook his head. "I'm so sorry, but don't forget to look for blood."

"I know," she said as she took the covers. "Are you finished?"

He nodded and turned to face the wall. He was humiliated, to say the least. He is the president of Kobol... or was. He had never been truly ill before; not even with his cancer. Not even in the immunotherapy phase of his treatments.

"I'll be back," she said as she carried the pan at an arm's distance from the room.

He rolled over and pulled the sheet up to his neck. Stephen closed his eyes and he tried to rest. He flicked his arm and the plastic tube leading to the IV bag whipped over his chest. The needle didn't hurt so bad any more. He lifted his arm and cracked an eye to examine the entry point. His skin was dry and thin, like paper. The needle site was red but not swollen. His arm flopped to the bed and his mouth fell open. He drifted off.

He dreamed of Kobol. The beauty of the City of the Gods. The rolling plains and the Elysian Fields. Elysian Fields. He would be going there soon, he thought. Acastus pictured thousands of men battling there. Gods jumping into the fray. Blood spilling onto the green grass. Armor pierced by iron arrows. Exploding shot.

"Stephen?" Alex asked.

He didn't respond. His eyes moved as though they were about to open, but they didn't.

"Mr. President?" she said, touching his chest. He mumbled. Gideon leaned close to listen.

"Apollo," he said. His lips barely moved. "Artemis wiff... Poseidonon horseback. Get Prometheus."

Alex sat up straight and she looked at him oddly. "Stephen?"

He opened his eyes and turned his head toward her. "Yes?"

"How do you feel?"

He looked at Gideon and swept his eyes over her. "I'm fine." He pulled toward the wall and bunched the covers on his chest. "Who are you?"

Alexandra hesitated stoically and then said, "You... don't know who I am?"

"No." Stephen looked around the room and then back at her. "I don't feel well."

She nodded and smiled. "I know." She saw how afraid he seemed and she slid her chair away from the bed toward the desk. She took a sip of water and looked at him. Still smiling, she asked, "Who's Prometheus?"

"What?"

"A moment ago, you said the name, 'Prometheus.'"

He nodded. "He was a Lord of Kobol."

Surprised, she chuckled lightly and said, "I never heard of him."

"I'm not surprised," he said. "He angered Zeus and the others. He tried to give the humans knowledge... knowledge that Zeus didn't want them to have."

Alex nodded. "Do you have any other secrets about the gods you'd like to share?"

"What?" Acastus asked.

"Lie down, Stephen."

"I will, Alex."

Her head jerked up and she slid toward him again, "You recognize me?"

Confused, Acastus said, "Yes. Why?"

She shook her head, "Just a moment ago, you didn't."

"Oh," he swallowed hard and his dry throat ached. "Do we have any more ice chips?"

She turned and grabbed the cup. "It's mostly water."

He shrugged and took it. "I hardly think it matters now."

"You, uh," she began. "You're having dementia episodes more and more."

He looked up from the cup. "And blood?"

She nodded slowly. "More."

He handed the cup back and flopped onto the cot. After a great sigh, he said, "What did I blather about this time?"

She rolled away and put the cup on the desk. "You were talking about the gods. And one named Prometheus."

His eyes opened wide and he looked at her. His breathing became heavy and he was afraid. After a moment, he realized he probably had no reason to be afraid. "What did I say?"

She shrugged. "Just that he was a Lord who angered Zeus by trying to give knowledge to mankind."

Acastus nodded. "That's about right."

"Why haven't I heard of him before?"

Stephen closed his eyes. "Part of Zeus' punishment, I guess." In the silence that followed, he tried to guess how many monotheists were in the survivors' fleet. Hundreds? Maybe a couple thousand? What about actual Draco? There had to be some.

"You know more about the Lords than you let on, don't you?" She was leaning forward and resting her arms on her knees.

He opened one eye and turned it toward her. "I suppose I do."

"Is it true that Athena is Zeus' daughter? That she popped out of his head?"

Acastus chuckled and then he grabbed his abdomen. The pain was sharp. "I don't think so. That one's from a children's book, I think. Comedies, tragedies, plays. In the absence of a specific holy text, people got creative."

She nodded. "How much of what I know about the gods come from some writer instead of a truly divinely-inspired person?"

"Oh, come on." He coughed. "You know the Sacred Scrolls better than most people. If it's not in there, then someone just made it up. Assuming the Scrolls themselves aren't made up."

She shook her head. "But you know things. True things. Stuff not in the Scrolls."

He turned his head toward her and opened both eyes. She was eager. Still young. She was still a believer, too. He pulled his head away and looked at the ceiling for a moment before closing his eyes. Acastus desperately wanted to tell her the truth. That the gods weren't gods at all. That they were Cylons... like her. He could tell her the whole history of Kobol. Of Larsa that was.

It would destroy her. Her world would shatter more than her actual world was shattered light years behind. And then there's the hundreds of thousands of others on these ships. They were believers, too. The truth was not always a good thing.

"Remind me when we get there," he said. "I'll tell you everything."

She smiled for a moment and then it faded quickly. "That's not funny."

Acastus grinned. "What about you, though? I'm worried about you."

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?

"Have you seen any other Megarans?"

Alex was somewhat surprised at the question. She sat up straight and sighed. "Yes. I've seen several on the _Galleon_ alone. I'm sure there are more out there. Especially on the transports from Cyme."

Acastus turned toward her and opened his eyes. "Will the Thirteenth Tribe survive this?"

She sighed and nodded. "We can, for a time. We don't have any of our... technology with us. Direct transfers are out of the question."

"Have you ever transferred?"

She shook her head. "No. Most of us stopped that, really. But the equipment was there. Not anymore, maybe."

"Will you be able to reproduce with humans?"

Alex shook her head again. "No. I'm afraid," her voice trailed and her eyes glazed over. "We'll hit a... genetic dead end or something."

"I'm sorry," Acastus said.

She inhaled slowly. "You should rest."

Acastus closed his eyes. His breathing was labored still. His breaths became deeper and deeper. There was another sharp pain in his belly and he reached for it, but his arm grew tired before it got there. It collapsed on the bed and he drifted to sleep again.

Stephen dreamed. He was in the Opera House with his husband from a few decades ago. He still looked young. Stephen felt young, too. He heard music playing and he turned toward the stage. No one was there. When he turned back toward Michael, he saw that he had become Apollo.

Acastus smiled and embraced him.
LXXXIII

**GIDEON**

4 Days After The Final Exodus

She opened the hatch and stepped through quickly. Closing the door, Alexandra sat at the desk and looked at the papers before her. Slowly she turned toward the bed and noted the emptiness.

Yesterday, medics had to take the president away. He was losing too much blood and water. He had been delirious for hours. In the cargo bay, nearly forty people suffering from severe radiation sickness were lined up along the pallets of supplies. She knew how Acastus had gotten on board. It was everyone else that confused her. How did they slip past the sensors and guards?

Pointless to worry about it. They were dying now.

The president slipped into a coma last night and Gideon was by his side. She stayed on the floor of that bay and held his hand through the wheezing, vomiting, and everything else. A few minutes ago, when he died, she was there.

Alex was very tired. She lowered her head on the desk because she couldn't bring herself to lie down on the cot. She startled herself awake by losing track of the time. It wasn't even noon. She sighed and thought about what she would say to the fleet. Acastus told Major Hustis days ago that she, Gideon, was his choice to be president when he died. Alex shook her head as she thought about it. _Why didn't he discuss that with me?_

She and Hustis would address the fleet and draw up plans for colonization. A few regional governors and deputy delegates were on board ships nearby. They had been radioing for days with their requests. Some wanted a separate planet for each nation. Some wanted to put all of their proverbial eggs in a single basket, choosing one planet for everyone to call home.

Alex didn't care. She picked up a wad of papers – mostly communiqués from Hustis and others in the fleet – and tossed it onto the floor. She lowered her head again and closed her eyes. She paced her breathing and tried to fall asleep. She was nearly there, too, when the now-familiar alert sounded from every speaker on board.

"Stand by for jump in one minute."

She sighed. Gideon slid from the chair and crawled across the floor toward the trashcan. With her back against the wall and one arm on the can's rim, she waited.

"Jump in thirty seconds."

They managed to perform three jumps a day. Supposedly, they would arrive in the Cyrannus Star System in about a month. There would have to be some down time, though, for maintenance and repairs. Thankfully, all had gone well so far.

"Jump in ten, nine, eight, seven, six..."

She braced herself against the wall and gripped the trashcan tightly.

"... three, two, one. Jump."

The deck and bulkheads shook. Alex closed her eyes and she felt as though her stomach was being pulled from her body. Her head quivered and then, in an instant, the discomfort was gone. She blinked her eyes rapidly and opened her mouth wide to pop her ears. No vomiting. Not this time. _Well, first time for everything._

Slowly she stood up and walked to the desk. She sat down again and sighed. No sleeping right now.

"Jump complete. All vessels report safe. Six hours until next scheduled jump."

Alex pulled a canteen from her pack and opened the top. She took a few sips of water and closed it before setting it inside the pack again. On the desk before her, she had an old operator's manual for a loadlifter. The instructions were printed only on one side of the page, leaving the backs blank. She flipped the manual over and opened the back cover, exposing the empty rear of the final page.

Gideon knew she couldn't trust compaper. There were power issues and a likelihood that she wouldn't be able to transfer or save whatever she wrote. She needed blank paper. It wasn't easy to find.

She tapped the page for a moment and lifted her pen from the table. The small shelf above the desk concealed the book underneath and she reached under with a single finger, snagging the cover and pulling it out. An old leather-bound copy of the Sacred Scrolls. She opened it up and leafed through the Books of Menander, Pythia, Pindar...

She closed it again and shook her head. How could she hope to join those exalted ranks? What made her think she could be included in the Sacred Scrolls? Edits had been made over the centuries, but even then, why should her writings even be mingled with the rest?

Alex looked at her pen and sighed. She had been witness to some of the greatest events in the history of mankind. In some cases, she was the only surviving witness. Those stories had to be told.

She put the pen to paper. Barely one full word was written before she stopped and marked it out. Gideon took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The gods would work through her, she knew. Slowly, she opened her eyes again and set the pen's point onto the page.

It didn't move. She exhaled and kept the pen still. Alexandra thought about who would be reading this. Future generations who never knew Kobol first-hand. People who had only lived on those new worlds.

Gideon nodded and she knew how it had to begin. She had to set the stage.

"Life here began out there," she wrote.
LXXXIV

**PYTHIA**

1,591 Years Before the Final Exodus

"It's almost morning," Ino said.

Pythia lifted her head a bit more and blinked. She looked around the room and realized there wasn't much chamalla left in her system at this point. The finger in her mind was very faint. She could barely feel it any longer. She yawned, stretched, and pushed a stack of papers across the desk.

No worse for the wear, Ino stood and clasped his hands behind his back. "I think you've done very well."

She nodded and scratched her head. "You gave me enough notes, that's for certain. I'll be writing on these for years."

"As well you should," Ino said. He moved to her side and looked at the papers. "Dare I ask you to prophesy for me again?"

She chuckled and pulled a sheet from the stack. "I wrote that one down about an hour ago. It kinda came to me while you were droning on and on."

Ino rolled his eyes and read the line she pointed to. "Interesting." He backed away from her desk and tilted his head toward her. "Why did you write about a 'dying leader?'"

"Well, do you remember Archon Pellegias?" Ino shook his head. "He died of some sort of neurological condition a few years ago."

"I see. Letting current events and history influence your writing. You have been listening." He nodded and moved toward the window, looking out at the quickly brightening sky. "Well done. I think you'll do fine."

She yawned again and spread the papers before her. "I'll spend days just trying to get these in order. What am I supposed to do with them when I finish?"

Ino shrugged. "You tell me. Give them to your senior priests and oracles. I'm sure they'll include them."

"In what?"

"The Book of the Word." Ino saw her confused expression and he corrected himself, "The Sacred Scrolls, sorry. That was the old name."

"Right," Pythia said. "Some of it, though. I'm worried it contradicts older writings."

"Don't worry about that." Ino moved toward the door. "I'm sure your priests will hold a council and decide what's 'worthy' or some such nonsense. Or you can let the contradictions remain and just ignore the problems."

She smiled and walked toward him. He was surprised at the move but he then accepted her embrace. "Will I see you again?" Pythia asked.

Ino smiled and said, "I doubt it."

Pythia nodded and then she spun, suddenly remembering something she wanted to give him. "Oh, you should take this. I've kept it ever since I last saw you but I want you to have it." She turned and saw that he was gone.

And then she felt that the finger in her mind was gone, too.

She sighed and sat down in her chair. She tossed the chain and ring onto the desk and it rolled part of the way under the papers. Pythia spread the pages out further and tried to decipher her notes. She lifted one sheet up and squinted as she struggled to read her handwriting.

After a few moments, she became frustrated and pushed them all aside. She shook her head and ran her fingers into her hair. She looked out the window and saw that the sun was now up. Pythia stood and walked to look outside. She took a deep breath and wondered why anyone would leave this place. She turned toward her desk and removed a small bag from the drawer. Perhaps she would be in a better mood to organize these notes and write after she had some more chamalla.
LXXXV

**THE MESSENGERS**

1,591 Years Before the Final Exodus

The being in the form of Pythia's ex-fiancé walked away from the old building and down the path. He passed trees and a well and he walked through the gate that separated the monastery from the hillside below.

He saw her waiting for him on that path.

"What brings you here?" he asked.

"Checking up on you," Leto said. "I know you find these sorts of visits distasteful."

He sniffed and walked by her side along the winding trail. "I do. I wish it would let us speak the truth to everyone and get this over with."

"Now, now," she said. "That's not his way. You know God desires their freedom above all else. We are guides. We nudge. That is the lot of a tender. We cultivate the tree in a particular way. Of course, I try to show them God's love but I can't force it upon them because that's not what he wants."

" _It_ can do whatever _it_ wishes." He sniffed again and watched a group of birds fly from a nearby bush. "Contingencies upon contingencies."

She grinned at his frustration. "Free will must be preserved," she said.

"They choose so poorly."

"Sometimes. But God has given them this gift." He shook his head and Leto put her arm around his, pulling him closer as they walked. "It's not our place to question or jeopardize that."

"Mmm." He was no longer in the form of Ino, but in the guise of a man not yet born. Leto was now in the form of a lovely woman, not yet created.

"Kobol is doomed," she said.

He scoffed. "Obviously. Eventually. The question becomes: can they adhere to its plan in their next home?"

She lifted her eyebrows and tilted her head, "For humanity to live at peace with themselves, their creations, and their world? God's plan sounds simple enough. Nothing is simple with humanity though."

He shook his head and stopped walking. "This truly is pointless. Why bother with these particular humans? There's another world, light years away, with primitive humans feeding a new tree for its harvest. We should just go there and start over." He wasn't excited or overtly emotional about it. He was matter-of-fact. Almost dejected.

"Patience," she said. She smiled and stepped back toward him. She took his hand and led him down the path. "Everything in good time. Contingencies upon..."

"Contingencies, yes. Inspiration comes to me more slowly it seems. Perhaps some day..." He shook his head and looked over the ridge. Below them, Theonpolis shone brightly in the early morning sun. They looked to their left, into the mountains, and they descried Olympus itself.

"Inspiration will come," she said. "Your inspiration will be needed, as well."

He sighed and said, "I can be patient."

She pulled him close as they walked away. "I know."

END OF BOOK THREE
IN PRELUDE: OF GODS AND TITANS...

_Return to the trilogy with the epic story of the Olympians' birth and their struggle with the Titans..._

Zeus leaned toward Cronus' ear and whispered, "Are those humans?"

Cronus turned and looked at him for a few seconds before asking, "Why?"

"I heard mommy talking to someone about humans." The child said the word like it was a new, foreign language he was learning. Cronus nodded and Zeus asked, "Are we humans?"

The father grinned and said, "No. We're not."

"Oh."

"Humans, Zeus," he began. "This is why we're better than them. We're smarter. We're stronger. We don't do that," he said, pointing to the large screen.

Zeus' eyes widened and he looked into his father's eyes as best as he could in the dim room. "Fight, daddy?"

Cronus nodded. "That's right."

PREFACE

In 2009 when I began to devise plans for the writing of _Lords of Kobol_ , I created an Excel spreadsheet listing the various tidbits of ancient history we knew from _Battlestar Galactica_ along the left side. I then created two columns: Column A was labeled "Lords are Cylons" and Column B was labeled "Lords are Angels." I then wrote little explanations for those events in accordance with whichever column. In my mind, these were the only two options that seemed viable given all that we witnessed in the series.

Obviously, I went with Column A for _Books One, Two_ and _Three_ (and _Prelude_ ). That trilogy represents the closest telling of Kobol's ancient days in line with the TV shows because, on _BSG_ , I believe there is a ratio at work between the "realistic" and the "supernatural." Naturally, wired telephones, alcoholism, science... those are all realistic. The "head" people that we sometimes saw, which turned out to be "messengers" of God... those were supernatural. I casually estimate the percentage of realistic-versus-supernatural in _BSG_ to be about ninety-five to five. For _Lords of Kobol_ to feel like part of that universe, in my mind, the ratio needed to be pretty close to that, or at least as close as possible. That (and a few other things) ruled out making the Lords "angels."

I still had nagging thoughts, though, about making the Lords more "supernatural." Some ideas were pretty cool and I was sorry I couldn't make them work in the trilogy. Then, whilst reading J. R. R. Tolkien yet again, I thought of a way to make it read like it needed. If this talk of messengers and angels and gods and God were all couched in a pseudo-ancient narrative, perhaps it would work. I then sat down, started typing and here we are.

Though inspired by Tolkien and the King James Version of the Bible, fear not. There aren't a bunch of "thees" and "thous" and "thines," though I did sneak in a "verily" and one "begat." The syntax is a bit anachronistic, the language is a tad poetic and, most importantly, it all conspires to create in your mind a tale being told from ancient times. I like the result a great deal.

Don't get me wrong: the preceding trilogy is the version that I would have be "canon," and should I get a pitch meeting with Ronald D. Moore and David Eick, that's the one I'm going with.*

If you've read the preceding trilogy, first off, thank you. Secondly, don't worry that I've just done a word substitution game, putting "angel" wherever the word "Cylon" was before. Nope. The very nature of the Lords' natures required that much more go into this. Certainly, many events will play out in a specific way because we were given those details in the show. (For example, spoiler spoiler, Athena still dies.) But circumstances around even those supposedly set events have been changed for this version of the story. It's a whole new take on what the ancient days of Kobol may have been like. Sort of like an alternate universe companion novel to the first three.

So, please, curl up and enjoy this relatively brief diversion down a road not taken.

* - If Mr. Moore and Mr. Eick, however, don't like my pitch based on _Books One_ through _Three_ , then I'll happily pitch this one. Or some combination thereof.

**Chapter** **1**

There came upon this swirl of suns and worlds an eye belonging to a being known as The One, and it sought through them all, though they numbered greater than grains of sand upon the shore.

Among the myriad, most were like unto each other and there was very little for The One to pay heed. Its gaze paused for naught as there was naught to draw it. And yet, near the end, there came a thing that caused an abeyance of its wandering.

As though lying upon the ground at the base of a tree, it peered upward. It perceived that from this one speck a great trunk and branches did indeed stretch forward and through time. It had found the goal of its search.

The One beheld the great plant and ruminated upon the many choices that were to be made, and the decisions that would follow those choices. Countless possibilities lie ahead for this one world. Nearly infinite, the will of life upon this rock would shape so much.

Thus was it excited. The limbs stretched and grew forward. Flowers blossomed at each turn and the paths were lined with leaves. Amidst its survey, it saw that some branches came to tapered ends. The tips wept with sickness. Still, other limbs grew and The One kept searching. Then did more branches end. Thick, fiery tumors hung upon the boughs and they grew no more. From the top of this world's tree where no vines reached, it looked back unto the beginning and was dismayed that none could go further.

The One scanned over the wood a second time and looked worriedly across the remainder of this collection of globes and stars. It could descry no other Trees. There were many "bushes," to be certain, as lesser life made their minor choices to eat that thing or drink that water, but these were not leaps. With thinking life come great bounds in skill and in their choosing would the Trees flourish, for the free will of living, thoughtful beings watered them.

Without Trees of its desire here, The One could not conceive of a reason for remaining within this realm.

As it was about to withdraw, a thought occurred to it. It could intervene.

The One turned its attention from the world of interest and found another like it in size and design. It was wreathed about with a spindly collection of branches which were the wispy vines wrought by the work of lesser beasts. No higher beings would grow upon this world and therefore no great Tree would grow thick throughout the ages. With a swift pinch, The One took seeds from the roots of the large but stunted Tree and deposited them upon the other globe. Immediately, a great trunk extended from the speck and into the future. Branches diverged and limbs reached into the darkness. Flowers blossomed and leaves unfurled.

The One was pleased.

Though the second was planted for insurance, it did note that this new sapling would also be deformed. There, too, were many terminating branches atop it.

The One reached out of the universe and into another plane. There, it had groomed other such plants and a group of tenders had helped cultivate them through harsh winters and long droughts.

With whispered instructions, The One prepared to set these beings upon both worlds, but one of the beings spoke and bade its master listen. It held court with The One and its fellow tenders. It made a request.

The One agreed with its aide and placed all of the kindred beings upon the first world it had found. Then it encased that planet for safekeeping and turned its mind and senses toward the second world. There, The One would watch with interest while leaving the growth of the first Tree unto its creations and casting no thought toward its fate.

The One would not interfere. Not until it was time.
**Chapter** **2**

A hunter named Gan traveled with his brother and some others of his tribe and gazed down from the rocks unto a pond, about which were gathered trespassers drinking its water. The hunters were angered for similar intrusions in the past led to bloodshed.

The brother of Gan, named Gav, was impatient and itched for battle, asking, "Now?"

His brother, the leader, then held him at bay and studied the interlopers more carefully. Seven there were; five men and two women. The men bore spears while the women bore curved knives made of bone, the like of which Gan had not seen. The cart they dragged with them was laden with furs and clay jars of food and thus did Gan deem these travelers wealthy.

Gan turned to his brother and the others, saying, "No harm is to come unto them unless they would attempt harm unto us." At this was Gav dismayed.

Gan held aloft his fist and contracted his fingers thrice, signaling his fellows to depart their place of hiding and rush upon their targets. With a cacophony of yells, the warriors ran the length of the slope unto the pond. Gav quickly found footing and tightened his muscles that he may hurl his spear. He paused for he felt the hairs upon his neck begin to stand.

Lightning struck the ground barely a step before him.

Gan turned unto his brother and saw that the younger man was stunned and cradling his ears. His weapon lay upon the ground. The leader turned back to face his foes and saw that they moved in haste toward their cart in a bid to escape. One man, though, stayed by the pond and he raised his arm that he might also prepare to loose his spear. Gan gripped the handle of his own club tightly and began to dash toward this person.

Again did lightning strike the ground. The white flash struck near unto the pond and the stranger was sent backward and he fell into the water.

All of the combatants then halted their movements and looked into the sky. The only clouds within sight were high and white, and there was no storm. Gav recovered and plucked his spear from the grass, and readied to throw it.

"Halt."

The voice was heard from everything about them. The attackers' eyes widened and they knelt upon the grass. The intruders ceased their retreat and fell prostrate upon the ground. Gan looked again toward the sky and beheld something that bent his mind.

The very fabric of the air above the water appeared to part. The blueness of the sky tore asunder and a great man bathed in light stepped forward. The gash sealed itself and yet the man did not move. He hovered amidst the air and looked upon the people beneath him disapprovingly.

"You need not fight over water and land."

Again did the voice boom. Gan's head felt weighed upon by many stones and he struggled to keep it aloft. He desired to speak but he was stunned silent. Almost without notice, the man lowered himself to the ground and walked from the pond toward the grass where the attackers still knelt. As he neared, Gan felt a shock run through his body and he twitched uncontrollably for a moment. He looked up and realized that this being was nearly twice his height. Without thinking, Gan spoke a name he remembered from his childhood. A name for a sky deity that a tribal elder had taught him. "Djeus."
**Chapter** **3**

In the cold, northern forests, winter had settled upon the land and its native creatures had long since begun their slumbers or their migrations. One tribe there was, displaced from their homes in the nearby mountains, roaming these woods in search of food and warmth. The men of the hills had come with arrows of fire and stone axes for throwing. The village of these people was burned to cinders and they scattered across the valley. Later, many of them gathered together and moved north, in hopes of beating winter in a rush to the sea. In this they failed.

A tribal elder and father, Kurcé was hungry. His sons wandered these woods with him for hours, looking for any mote of food. They were to his right many steps away.

The sun was obscured behind clouds and what little light remained was diffuse and poor for hunting. Kurcé was about to turn back and whistle for his children when he heard a rustle in the brambles ahead. He knelt quickly and squinted. He waited. There did not seem to be any movement and he readied himself to stand again.

A boar walked into the open.

Kurcé's mouth fell and his eyes studied the girth of the beast, for it was large. He knew his kin could eat for days off its bones and he then brought the bow into position. As his arms trembled, he pulled an arrow from his quiver and then slid the arrow's notch along the string, resting the shaft on his left thumb. Kurcé pulled back slowly and he twisted his foot. Doing this forced the snow beneath to press and make a sound. The boar, without looking, began to run. Kurcé was surprised and therefore released the arrow and knew he had missed.

Something strange happened next.

The arrow sailed among the trees toward the place where the boar had been. A golden flash erupted from the left and moved into the clearing. Before Kurcé could respond, a tall woman reached from the light and grasped the shaft of the arrow. She turned upon her left foot, rotated in a nearly complete circle and pulled the arrow with her. With a tremendous swing, she whipped the dart toward the sprinting animal. The point drove into the wealth of flesh about the boar's neck and it fell into a mound of snow quickly reddened by the gushing of blood.

Kurcé was sore amazed and did not dare move. The woman still glowed golden and she looked upon the dying beast and smiled. She took only one step and now stood over the man, though she had been many paces away just before. She gripped Kurcé's forearm and pulled him to his feet. His once cold extremities now felt warm and a happiness swept over him the like of which he had not felt for weeks.

"That will feed a great many," the golden woman said.

Kurcé looked toward the boar for the first time since it fell. He closed his mouth and his thoughts turned unto his family, for he could not conceive how he would explain this.

"Do not worry about them," she said. "My brother is there now."

Beyond the woods in a small clearing, the women and children of the tribe communed. The children were too tired and hungry to play. They lay about the fire and watched the flames lick at wood. The mothers had cut the last bundles of vegetables and scooped them into a stone bowl. Their dinner cooked but the children were not excited. They had eaten these grasses every day for a long while. Meager and small birds provided the last meat they ate and that was some days ago. No grain remained so there could be no cereal.

The sun set and the fire's light now overwhelmed the dim rays that made it through the clouds. Embers glowed red and colored their dinner's steam. The men had been gone for hours. For another day, they wandered the trees looking for meat. They would probably return without yet again.

A little girl's eyes grew heavy and she pulled her knees unto her chest. The woven blanket was damp and did little to warm her. She was tired. Her shivering ceased and her eyes followed the dancing of the flames less. Her lids fluttered as she slipped away, but before that, a golden light aroused her attention. It was not the fire.

She looked from the camp and beheld a man sitting upon a log. His skin seemed bright in the dwindling light and she did not understand how that could be. She looked unto her mother and saw that she was busy cutting more grasses and roots and the children were turned the other way. The girl stood and walked from the camp.

Slowly she approached the man. He was hunched over something he fashioned in his lap. Once she reached an arm's length, he turned and a grin stretched across his face. "Greetings."

The girl was still tired and she did not respond.

The man put a hand upon her shoulder, stroked it twice and went back to his work. The girl blinked quickly and realized she was no longer cold. She was also no longer weary.

"What is your name?" he asked.

"Losa."

The man looked at her again and smiled. His gaze did not drift and he did not move away. After some moments, Losa smiled in response and he reached toward her head. "You have lovely hair. May I have a strand?"

Losa peered upward that she may see a wisp of her own hair, but she did not. She paused and thought that the removing of a hair might pain her.

"I promise it will not hurt at all."

She did not speak and instead nodded her head. The man gingerly lifted the end of one hair that lay upon her shoulder. With a quick tug, it came free of the rest and he held it before her. He pinched the top of the hair and then pulled at the wisp. A second hair came away. And then another. Losa smiled broadly at the magic. Rapidly, he pulled and pulled until dozens of long strands hung from his hand. He lay them upon his thigh and took several at a time, twisting them until they grew thick. He repeated this until he had five such strings made.

"You will like this," the man said as he tapped the girl's nose. He reached to his ankles and lifted the bow he had been working on earlier. He ran his hands along its length and then bent it quickly. Losa thought the wood would break, but it did not. The man plucked the drawstring and it grew tight, and kept the bow in its new shape. Then he took each of the five braided strings and looped them in the middle of the bow. A few moments later, the man gracefully raked his fingers across the hairs and notes poured out.

Losa gasped with joy. She sat on the ground, gazed upon him and begged, "Play a song."

He smiled and strummed the instrument. He looked unto the camp and watched the other children rise from their slumber and the adults warily move toward them. He strummed again. The people continued in his direction and the children crowded upon the ground about Losa. He placed a finger against each of the strings and tested the notes as he plucked them one by one.

"A song." He looked across the faces of the people gathered. They were bathed in his golden light and smiled despite their prior despair. He tightened his grip upon the lyre and danced his fingers on the strings. The notes spun away from the group and into the woods toward the happy returning hunters and everyone listened rapturously.
**Chapter** **4**

Within a great cave in the mountains of the farthest south, a clan huddled for it was cold again. The father, Muv, peered from the opening and down the jagged cliffs. He then looked into the west and winced as the sun set behind the mountainside.

His woman grunted behind him and they mourned the loss of their only light. His people huddled closer unto each other that they may enjoy some warmth. Muv clutched his stick tightly and gazed among the rocks, seeking signs of bears. When they climbed into these mountains a few days before, the beasts within these caves took the lives of three of their kindred. The animals were dislodged and the travelers paused to remember their fallen. They had made only the barest measure of progress, having moved from the western coasts and into these hills carrying a few satchels of fish.

Behind him, Muv heard a foot turn upon the rock floor. He turned only a little, for he believed that one of his people shifted in their slumber. A moment thereafter, light filled the cavern and the screams of his clan echoed.

"Do not fear," spake the plain looking man who sat upon a stone and placed flame within a pile of wood. The wood was consumed and warmth poured forth. The people ceased their recoil and gathered around as though they had not experienced it before.

"Surely you have seen this?" the man asked, to which Muv grunted in reply. "Let us use words."

"No," Muv said. "Not small. White fire from the sky turned trees black. Choking smoke."

"That is lightning," the being said.

Only now did Muv comprehend how large this person was and as he stepped nearer unto him, a calm welled within him and the leader felt no danger at all.

The man turned a stick and spread the flame further as he said, "This can be made with either wood or stones. I will teach you."

Muv knelt beside the flame and smiled at his woman. He felt gratitude toward the stranger yet he did not know how to express this.

"Thank you," the being said. Muv understood and nodded.

In the morn, the clan descended the hills with their tall guest as guide and he directed them into a grass-filled valley where the being spread his hands across the tall stalks and waded among them.

"A glorious day," he said. "We have found grain." Then did he turn to the trees nearby and his person did flash from Muv's side and then under their branches. He reappeared by Muv and the clan leader was amazed. "We have also found fruit."

Muv seemed to have forgotten the magic the being displayed for his attention was drawn to the large orange globe. "Fruit?" he said.

The man smiled and took the thing from Muv's hands and began to pick at it. Soon, its skin splayed open and a juice erupted from its rind while he peeled it. "The liquid is sweet and healthy. The flesh is also. But deeper within," he pulled out a section of the citrus and handed it to Muv, "there are seeds."

Muv sniffed the fruit's flesh and then gingerly tasted it. He found it delightful and then did place it all within his mouth. He took notice of the small shapes the stranger held in his palm and looked at them curiously.

"The green fields there," the being pointed away from the valley and to a plain near unto the trees. "That is where we shall settle. The lands here are bountiful and the soil is good for planting." Muv appeared confused by the word and the man replied, "These seeds are placed within the ground and they bring forth trees which will bear more fruit."

"We can grow many trees," the leader said.

"Indeed," the being replied. Muv tried to move within the tall grass and stumbled upon something near the ground. He fell back and into the guest's arms. Touching his flesh, Muv felt a tingle that ran from his back and all over his body. At this was he afraid, but the being soothed him, saying, "Do not fear."

The group trod across the grasses and nigh unto the trees before settling in their shade. "We shall stay here?" Muv asked.

"Yes. For a time." The people seemed pleased and then the stranger spoke further, saying, "Then we shall fashion things called boats and cross into the north upon the sea."

The people were confused again and Muv repeated, "'Cross the sea?'" When the being smiled in reponse, Muv said, "You speak of many things we do not understand."

Then the man smiled and said, "You will in time. I shall help you."
**Chapter** **5**

In the far east amidst the arid dust fields far from river and stream, the tribes of men were violent and war like. Should there befall a hardship or dispute between tribes or families, redress was sought within a battle arena. Though no conflict necessarily exist, spears and swords became instruments of entertainment.

A small and agile man there was, named Ng'ela, who fought upon the field frequently and brought honor unto his house. On this day, the lengthy vine he bore was thrown and its tendril wrapped about the leg of his mammoth opponent. The crowd cheered at the maneuver and Ng'ela pulled the rope taut. Spear in hand, the towering behemoth fell. The bones encircling his head as a crown of death shattered and broke away. Dust erupted from beneath his face and he groaned in pain.

The judge of the contest deemed it over and lifted Ng'ela's arm in victory. He then moved from the area of combat whilst the audience continued their loud approvals. However the fallen man, Jur, raised his spear and rolled onto his side. As the victor basked in his triumph, the giant loosed the weapon and its point penetrated the leg of Ng'ela.

The victor then collapsed and did howl in agony for the point of the wooden shaft entered his thigh and now protruded from the front of his leg. Amid the pain, Ng'ela deemed the sight odd and his cries subsided.

Jur laughed and stood fully erect. The large man was naked and dirt clung to the sweat-laden portion of his body that had lain upon the ground. "I am not defeated!" he said loudly.

Ng'ela responded only just above a whisper, saying, "This is sport. Not war."

"You are defeated," the judge said. "I have deemed it so." The gargantuan responded by striking the arbiter and sending him silently unto the dirt.

Then the ground began to shake. The dishonorable mammoth ceased his advance and Ng'ela turned his sight from his own injuries. Tiny gravel danced above the field as it quaked and the sky darkened as though a cloud passed before the sun, though none did.

Midway between the opponents, the ground rent and a fire-red light poured forth. A roar came from beneath the surface and stung the ears of all. Suddenly, a great being leapt from below and landed upon the cracked floor. The tears sealed themselves but this animal of a man was still bathed in red light. His scream continued and echoed in the surrounding valley. Finally, he closed his mouth and straightened his spine and then it was seen that this new foe towered even above the cheating goliath.

Save for a tied boar's pelt, this being was naked. He carried a disk that gleamed silver like the moon upon water. He held a spear made of wood as dark as night with a gleaming point as golden as the midday sun. His dark hair waved and ebbed though there was no wind. With each breath, bright red blood flushed beneath the surface of his pale skin.

He looked from Ng'ela and then unto his opponent. "You fight without honor." The voice rumbled like thunder and made even Jur cower.

"I... I have never lost," he said, stuttering.

The being's eyebrows lifted and he said, "Never?"

"No."

The strange warrior knelt by Ng'ela and placed his large hand around the upper thigh. As the pale fingers covered his dark skin, the pain subsided and feeling returned unto his leg. When the being stood again, the spear was gone and his thigh bore no scar.

"My lord?" Ng'ela asked.

At this the tall man smiled. "This is your sport? You play at war?" he bellowed toward the crowd. The few dozen spectators cheered with approval and he answered, "Then I take you for my people!" Ng'ela knew not what this meant, but the assembled were roused again.

The warrior lifted his shield and spear high, crashing them upon each other and creating a splitting shriek with each collision. He chanted and moved from one end of the audience to the other. After several moments, the yell became a word and it was repeated wholeheartedly in return, "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

As this carried on for a time, Ng'ela's chest swelled and he felt the urge to attack again. He looked at the large man and saw that he, too, was feeling encouraged by this new being's revelry.

"You!" the warrior said, interrupting his own rousing. "Drop your weapon."

Jur's chin quivered but he complied, releasing his fingers from around the handle of his curved blade of bone.

"You," the being said unto Ng'ela. The tone was vastly different and the once-wounded challenger felt emboldened to be addressed by this powerful... god.

He stuck the end of his ebony-shafted spear in the ground. The golden point still glistened and it towered over Ng'ela's head. "Yes, my lord?"

"Take this and claim victory."

All at once was Ng'ela confused and yet he understood. In these games, death was not intended and maiming was to be avoided. This god said the behemoth fought without honor. Perhaps Ng'ela was to be the hand of divine punishment.

He reached out his hand for the black spear. As his fingers touched it, it glowed red and gave off a great heat. Ng'ela was surprised but fortified. The god lifted his arms again and the crowd began to chant. Ng'ela raised the weapon unto his shoulder and found that it was light. He tested the weight of the point and looked across the field to his opponent. The giant's face betrayed petrified fear yet he did not move, though his muscles flinched.

"Yes!" the god cried. Ng'ela glanced at him and saw blood pumping through his chest in time to the rhythm of the crowd's chants. He pulled his head back and his nostrils flared. His eyelids fluttered as though he was in ecstasy.

Ng'ela looked to Jur again and then pulled back his arm and let the weapon fly. A moment later, the golden point disappeared through the fighter's chest and the sable shaft stuck toward the sky. The man stumbled back and wailed.

Then the spear became alight. An orange fire poured over the shaft's length and over the behemoth's body. His screams became more shrill and pained. Then he collapsed to his knees and the weapon was consumed by its own flame. Now in a heap, the opponent's remains smoldered.

The god held out his hand and a fiery burst returned his spear. He rang it upon his shield and the crowd erupted again.
**Chapter** **6**

Three thousand people, clustered unto each other as families and tribes, moved as one south beside the mountains, then through a pass and north along the other side. This host traveled slowly for the being that gathered all unto her was pleased by the company of her people and had no desire to rush.

"My goddess," said an elder among them.

Her diaphanous robe blew back and her feet touched upon the ground yet her movements were fluid. The tall being did not appear to be walking. A silver glow welled within her when she was near her people and she had walked with this mass for nearly three months.

"Yes, Leru?"

The older man bowed and did not look toward her eyes. "The people grow weary for the sun will be setting in the west."

The being then turned toward the mountains upon her left and nodded, saying, "Very well. We shall camp beneath those trees."

"Yes, my goddess."

Though the woman ceased the movements of her legs, her body drifted forward a few more steps. She turned and her robe billowed to one side while her curled, bronze hair blew into the east. She looked into the valley and beheld her people as they gathered their things and began their camp making at the edge of the foothills.

With a blink, the goddess vanished from that place and reappeared alongside thick-trunked trees above the travelers. Her hands stroked the bark of the boughs and she cast her gaze unto the leaves. Green and oblong they were and bulbous fruit dangled beneath. She smiled and allowed the back of her left index finger to stroke the curve of the drupe before plucking it from its place.

She returned immediately beside Leru and lightly placed her hand upon his shoulder, "You must come with me."

He was stunned by her sudden appearance and stumbled to one side. "Yes, my goddess. At once."

She turned to her right and saw a man unloading his cart many steps away. Immediately, she arrived at his side, as well. "You are a farmer, yes?"

The tanned man lowered his dark, curly head and said in a stammer, "Yes, yes, goddess."

"Come with me."

The farmer heard this in his ears as though she still stood before him, yet when he lifted his eyes, he saw that she stood beneath the trees, bathed in her usual silver light. He drew in breath and walked up the hill and met Leru half of the way.

"What does she require of me?" the farmer asked.

"What does she require of any of us?" Leru answered.

Several moments later, they stepped before her and bowed. Leru was quite winded.

"Are you familiar with this tree?" she asked.

Both men studied the trunk, limbs and leaves. The farmer spoke first, saying, "No, my goddess. I have not seen its like in the valley whence we came."

Leru nodded. "Nor I."

"Look upon its fruit," she said. She held open her hand and a large green bulb was there.

With some hesitation, the farmer removed it and held it aloft. He pulled a small stone from his waist and sliced across the equator and sniffed the juices that spilled forth. He tore it in half and tapped the pit within. With the point of his stone, he scraped at the inner flesh and licked it. The farmer smiled. "We can make use of this, goddess."

"Yes, you can." She touched the side of the swollen trunk and looked into the leaves again. "You shall use it for it is precious to me."

Leru bowed. "As you command, goddess."

"This tree is of the utmost importance to your kind." Her voice remained constant in volume and tone though her form flitted from tree to tree along the hillside. "The leaves aid in healing. The fruit gives food and oils. That oil can be used for a great many things."

"Such as, goddess?" Leru asked while turning his head from side to side, looking after her.

"Food, healing, bathing, lamps,..."

"What is a lamp, goddess?" the farmer asked.

She reappeared before him with a broad smile. "I will teach you. Do not worry."

That smile had blessed the wanderers for many days. Seeing it filled them all with peace and warmth. The farmer felt an energy welling within him for he was nigh unto its source.

"Gather leaves and fruit and boughs. Carry them to the camp and I shall teach you about them more fully before we move north after the dawn. About their planting, their harvesting and their uses."

The farmer bowed and moved toward the nearest tree. Leru bowed also and he spoke, saying, "With your leave, goddess, I ask, what is our destination and when shall we arrive?"

For a moment, Leru espied the goddess in two forms: one next to him and one on a small hilltop beneath the encampment nearly half a league away. She turned toward him and said, "Our host swells daily. We shall have many thousands ere we reach the end." Leru nodded and she continued, "We move north toward the city. There you shall commune with your kin and I with mine."

Leru stared as though stricken. "A 'city,' goddess?" She smiled again. "Your 'kin?'"

"Yes," she said. "I am not alone."
**Chapter** **7**

The twelfth of the great hosts arrived by the river in a break between mountains. Their tongues differed and they attempted to converse, relaying their own tales of mustering and travel with the beings of light. The beings were absent now.

At the highest peak north of the break, the tenders gathered in a singular point of brilliant, lustrous silver and gold enshrouded by the mists of clouds that broke upon the rock face. They looked toward their charges and spoke to each other wordlessly in the most miniscule spaces of time.

"Many thousands have come."

"We are ready."

"The great molding shall commence."

The one called "Djeus" by his host thought of a missing companion and inquired, "Where is he? You are like a brother unto him. Ask after him."

One of the beings disintegrated and reintegrated presently. "He is still in the southern lands, across the sea. He has gathered the greatest of hosts."

"Why does he delay?"

"He did not answer me."

"We shall carry on without him."

"I see only darkness."

The leader of The One's creations studied the worried visage of his kin. "Why are you vexed so?"

"My vision is blanketed. My sensations are dulled."

"The One has willed it. It was a condition of our charge."

"I see only death." Tormented, the being's form shifted and moved from the peak. In the clouds, it spoke to its fellows. "My vision is blanketed. I cannot abide this impairment."

"The One has encased the world. The One has limited our power. It was a condition of the Wager."

"I must flee the shell. There, I may find freedom."

"Will The One reclaim you if you flee thus?"

"If it does not will my departure, oblivion will sate me."

"Four thousand, nine hundred, ninety-three revolutions remain," another being thought. "I agree with him. It has been torture, these few cycles."

"You gathered no host unto you," Djeus said. "What has busied you this long?"

"I... awaited revelation. Some handle to grip and sustain my balance. I am blinded. I cannot perceive beyond the now."

"Nor any of us." Djeus paused. "Will you flee also?"

"The world circles too slowly. I cannot bear it."

"Then flee." Djeus cast his attention away from them and toward the remainder of his tenders. "You are likewise dejected."

Though light, one being's hands rested within the peak. "I connect with the world. With stone and soil and mountain."

"You would not flee?"

"I am comforted by the constancy of the globe. The movement of its plates and the pushing of hills. The pulsing of its fluid rock beneath the ground."

"And so you yet remain?"

"I do." Her light flowed slowly into the hilltop. "I shall fix my abode within the inner shell. I am comforted by the world."

Djeus regarded the figures of mankind in the valley and foothills far below. "We shall found our seat upon the land and among the people there."

"Shall we teach them how to sustain their lives and better themselves?"

"Yes. We cannot waste more time. We shall carry mankind forward and advance them as far as possible, as quickly as possible."

"I am worried over their cradling."

"They shall not be cradled," Djeus said. "They shall be led."

"They are a beautiful and fascinating life."

Another being agreed, "We have tended many of The One's Trees, however I do not recall their like across the various planes."

"All life is sacred to The One and thus to us," Djeus said. "All life is different and all beings we cultivate may decide their own fates. This is our charge."

"And when shall we bestow knowledge of The One unto them?"

Djeus prepared to descend the mount. "When the time is right. For now, we play our parts and are elevated beyond our true place in their eyes."

The cluster of light drifted down the slope and unto the tribes below. The people beheld the luminous orbs as they formed into towering men and women along the riverbank. Nearly seventy thousand bowed at the sight.

Before he spoke unto the mass, Djeus thought to his companions, "There is work to be done."
**Chapter** **8**

For days, the gods spoke unto the gathering of mankind. Leaders of each host were collected and formed a council to relay commands from their new lords. They served as liaisons, though they were largely impotent at the start for these beings ruled their fresh society on their own.

The gods themselves addressed the throngs. Instructions were given and obeyed. Before the eyes of humanity, the beings were clad in raiment they deemed natural for their forms and demeanors. They paraded among their own hosts and issued commands as their dress shifted in the afternoon's breeze.

For the leader of the tenders, the one named Djeus, he adored his tribe most of all and decreed that all tribes speak their tongue. He stood twice a man's height, though that could change as he willed it. He gave himself hair as white as the high clouds to show he was wise and to be honored. The robe he chose to wear appeared white often, though it shifted in hue with his mood. The stories of his first appearance spread most quickly of all. A being that controlled the very stormfires of the heavens was one to be feared and obeyed.

His closest companion was named Hera, for she was a mighty leader and ripe for marriage, in the humans' eyes, to Djeus himself. Her visage was stern but her attire cheerful. Hera took unto her a group of brightly feathered birds from the southeast whence her tribe came.

The being who led hosts from the southern coast by the sea, gathering large villages of fishermen unto him, was named Poseidon by Djeus' people. He bore the three-pronged staff used by his newfound worshippers and he wore their nets as a cape, fastened about his throat with a silver fish.

Ares was the name given to the warrior-god of the far east. For Djeus' tribe, the word came from theirs meaning, "to fight," and this quality gave most of the hosts pause. His flesh was as pale as night snow and he paced not unlike a caged beast. Anger flashed over his face with little provocation and he encouraged his tribe to fight for sport. His black hair was covered under a copper helm and he still carried the shield and spear he bore when he first appeared. Ares tried to cajole his host into attacking others but another of the beings prevented it.

She was named Athena, for she was wise and skillful. She was said to be cunning, for, in her host's march north, they encountered a lesser tribe along the way that were desirous only of bloodshed. Her strategy saved all her own gathering and drew unto her all of the attacking survivors. She brought with her the olive and its tree with its leaves and oil. Farmers of every tribe were brought around to learn about this plant in full and to use it in their new homes. Athena herself remained as she initially appeared with a flowing white robe and long, curled bronze hair.

Dark of skin despite a golden light that glowed within, Hephaestus stood still upon a rockface and identified stones and minerals for his people to gather. He carried a long-handled hammer and leaned upon it often as though he were lame. With his help, the tribes found marble for foundations and hewed great trees for walls.

The one who drew the most attention was the female form of the one named Aphrodite, so named because of her radiance that rose from the sea as she appeared to her tribe in the west. Her skin was olive and her hair black as the starless night. To the unfocused eye, she wore no robe and the features of her body distracted all from their work raising the city. By her nature, she was drawn to the thoughts of lovers and the passions they felt. At night, she appeared, invisible, within the tents of couples as they lay with each other. She watched and was intrigued.

The pair who would not be separated were called twins by the hosts. Apollo and Artemis they were named and their grateful tribe from the north swelled in size, both in number and in girth, thanks to their skills with the bow. Apollo's radiance persisted and flowed with the notes that emanated from his instruments. Artemis was more withdrawn than her brother and preferred to speak with animals as they traveled the lands. She brought a great many within their host that she had turned by her words into beasts fit for husbandry.

Demeter was a matronly being whose people were nigh feral in the foothills of mountains before great rolling plains. She carried a hollow wooden horn that she had filled with wild grain from the fields. The grunting men and women who descended the rocks were amazed by her skill in using stones to grind grain and make flour. For weeks she taught them about the cereal and showed them how to make bread. In the years of their travels, her host advanced the most, taking up a complex tongue and developing new uses for wild foods they found along the way.

The slight, youthful one who taught shepherding to his people from the far northeast was named Hermes. He was considered by other tribes as a messenger for he was skilled with all tongues and helped each host speak to the other in the early days of the city. In this manner, he helped begin the practice of bartering among the tribes. He wore a simple loin cloth, though it had feathers about the waist. Hermes carried a white staff with a small golden globe atop it that he used to prod animals and sometimes people along.

Dionysus was youthful in appearance and his host was last to arrive. They were waylaid often with carousal and what some would consider debauchery. He found fermented fruit and presented it to each tribe he encountered as a gift. So enamored with his endowment were they that all people followed and sought to make such drink on their own. At one such celebration, Dionysus' tribe was met by another host from the north being led by the tender Hestia. She was a quiet being who led her people with a flaming torch, for fire was unknown to them before her arrival. Her demure nature was no match for the festive demeanor of Dionysus, therefore much of her tribe sought to remain and revel with his. She acquiesced and the hosts were merged. Dionysus led the swelled tribe as one and Hestia moved with them as a diminished power.

Other tenders moved among the people as their city was built. They made no show of their arrivals and sought only to observe for a brief time before moving on. One was named Atlas. He resided atop a mountain on an isle far away and was said to watch and uphold the heavens above, though in reality he studied the capsule that The One placed about the world. It was said that Atlas had a companion not unlike a brother who was contemplative and bided his time in the south. He was named Prometheus.

Some among the people were told that another being lived within the world, seeking comfort in its stone and soil. She was called Gaia, for that was a word one of the hosts had for "soil" and the name pleased the ears of the tenders.

Another moved within the city at night and was sighted in houses of healing wherein a body lay dying. His countenance was fell and gaunt and he carried a tall staff of dark, gnarled wood. He spoke to none and inspired fear in those that beheld him. He was named Hades. Those who heard stories of his coming and going were hopeful that they would not see him.

In the tongue of the tribe that Djeus loved, the world was named "Kobol." Thus, the beings of light declared themselves "The Lords of Kobol," and the people rejoiced at their fortune.
**Chapter** **9**

After many weeks of toil, the people and tenders raised a village to call home. It was named "City of the Gods" by both the gods and their followers.

It sat upon a river beneath the mountain of the Lords' meeting. Many thousands labored to create homes and markets. Two years later, the effort was declared complete.

As other tribes struggled to learn the tongue of the Lords' leader, his name became corrupted and slurred into "Zeus." The leader of the tenders did not mind for he was grateful at the adoration bestowed upon him and his kind. A similar thing happened to the name of the mount upon which the gods communed. A tribe was unable to say the original name, but Athena liked the new word better, and thus was it called "Olympus."

Along the bank of the river, Zeus arrayed his fellow lords to address the gathered multitudes. The city of wood and stone stood fresh and clean behind him. Fields of green lay before him toward a mountain range in the southwest. He envisioned a future when all he surveyed could be filled with people.

"My beloved," he said. His speech, regardless of volume, was heard by all. "For years have we all desired to gather in this place and create a home wherein we may all dwell in happiness. There shall always be food. There shall always be healing. There shall always be pleasure. There shall always be safety. There shall always be peace."

At this, the Lord Ares was upset. He complained unto Zeus in a blink, saying, "You would remove the thing for which I exist? Ever have I strived to bring malice to the worlds we visit. Ever have I strained to create discord. I am the fire in which life is tempered and made stronger. Without my help, this blade you forge may snap."

Zeus spoke unto him likewise without humanity's knowledge, "You are correct. Your efforts will be lessened but your presence will still be needed."

Ares remained resentful though he did not protest further.

Zeus continued addressing the citizens, saying, "We shall walk among you. We shall feast with you. We shall love you, our people, for all time." The subjects cheered. "We, the Lords of Kobol, shall reside and meet upon the mountain Olympus." He gestured behind him to the tallest peak. "If in times of peril you feel that we are not with you, look to that point. We shall be there."

Demeter stepped forward, producing her horn filled with golden grain. Athena stood beside her, holding a bough of the olive tree. Demeter spoke, saying, "In the fields to the west and south of the city we will expand our farms. An abundance of food we will prepare that we might fill all your stomachs and those of your kindred across the lands."

Poseidon held aloft his trident and removed his cape, holding it high also. "We will craft boats to sail upon the seas and reap the bounty that lies beneath the waves."

Dionysus held a large chalice and spoke, "The fruit of the vine shall give you comfort and warmth after a long day's toil!" The host that he brought remembered the ways of the journey and rejoiced loudly.

Artemis led forth two animals and softly said, "The animals of the wild shall be yours for slaughter, for milk, for travel and for burden-carrying. They will obey you for I shall give you mastery over them."

Her brother, Apollo, brought forth his lyre, strumming it and singing, "Gods and men alike, hear my song, both day and night. Happiness shall we sow, across the land, in the sun and snow. Your prayers the Lords will hear, with music, to draw all near."

The crowd fell into a swoon in the hearing of Apollo's song and voice. They were roused by the clanging of Hephaestus' hammer upon a block of marble. "Pleased, though all we Lords are in the accomplishments you have made thus far, we will not bear stagnation. With the hammer and the chisel and the saw and other tools besides, I will bring you up from what you know and now behold as great and into ages of ability that your minds cannot yet comprehend." Many assembled were confused and knew not what the god was saying, and this pleased Hephaestus.

Hera and Aphrodite both moved forward and held aloft their hands. To the crowds, Aphrodite beamed and Hera appeared to be in a scowl, though next to Aphrodite, any expression may be seen as lacking in beauty. Hera spoke first, saying, "Among you thousands, half are women. Many tribes treat your mothers and daughters and sisters like unto beasts, as if Artemis handed you their leads. Women are the mothers of all and in them greater strength can be found than has been seen in your greatest warriors." At this, the women in the hosts held their heads high and many of their men felt shame.

Aphrodite then spoke with lilting tones that lifted every eye to hers, "The most important feeling within your bosoms is that of love. With it, the slightest among you may move great boulders. Without it, the stoutest may wilt and perish. This world will know no great things without love. We give it to you and we ask for it in return and that you give it freely to each other."

"The City of the Gods is finished," said Hermes. "The work is not. There are many tribes across the wide lands that did not join our hosts and do not know our names and ways." He held forth his hand and Artemis guided a sturdy horse to his side. "I will gather unto me people willing to spread the word of the gods so that we might bring more into the fold. The City will swell and so will the people of Kobol."

Upon the marble stone that Hephaestus struck, Hestia placed the end of her torch. The flame leapt from one to the other, burning upon the small pillar though no fuel was there to consume. "We, the Lords of Kobol, hallow this land and your homes. Go now and be blessed, doing the will of the gods."

As the people departed, the gods and their human liaisons chose among them emissaries to send into the world. A group was chosen from each of the twelve hosts that converged upon the break in the mountains. As this was done, Zeus peered into the minds of each agent from each host and chose for them names for the tribes, based upon the symbols and manners of their people. With Zeus' blessing, Hermes counseled them and the messengers rode forth.
**Chapter** **10**

For centuries did Prometheus work in the southern continent. Repeatedly he had been entreatied by his brother, Atlas, to bring his host north so that they may join the tribes there. Prometheus refused, saying his work was not yet done.

Farms and villages emerged in the plains and along the river where he first set his people down, and the settlement was named Panopeus. They grew many foods, tended much livestock and built buildings. Mills they did erect to grind grain into flour. Stones and metals they gathered from the near mountains and streams. Forges they fired to melt and mold them. In mere decades, Prometheus' host was larger than any one of the twelve in the north, numbering tens of thousands, and they were the most hardy of all, for their technology gave them the high ground above weather and adversity.

In one manner did Prometheus deem his tribe yet weak: life itself. The power within each person he found lacking. Though a man or woman was strong in spirit, their bodies did not last more than sixty or so cycles about the sun. For this, Prometheus was grieved.

On seeing the death of the first leader of his host, Muv, Prometheus moved into the north briefly to call upon Hades, the being he knew to be acquainted with such matters. The God of the Underworld, as the northern tribes knew him, came south with Prometheus to speak and observe.

"In other worlds," Prometheus said as Hades watched the slow, heaving chest of a dying gray-mantled man, "we saw lives that extended far along the growth of the Trees."

Hades nodded. "The One was able to harvest much from their contributions."

"Not so with these," Prometheus said, sadly. "They are akin to flies. In the great span of time, their lives are so short."

"Still, they influence growth. Their ends influence growth, too."

Prometheus was confused. "In what manner?"

Hades looked north as he spoke, "I have witnessed it among the great host that has gathered. Because each person is loved by at least a few, their lives continue on in their survivors' memories. They influence the growth of the Tree even after their deaths."

"This I had not considered."

"Indeed." Hades knelt by the bed of the man and watched his chest swell the final time. "This man, though. He has none by his side?"

"No," Prometheus said. "He was unknown to most and outlived the family he brought with him."

"His part in the growth will be small." Hades stood and leaned upon his staff. "It is important that the people move among themselves and connect with each other. In this way, all are strengthened."

Prometheus heard but he asked, while staring at the dead man, "Why are you drawn to their ends?"

Hades shrugged, "It is my part. I observe the termination of their lives to perceive what carries on in others. How the one who has passed affects those who remain. In other planes when death was not so common, I had other duties. Here, though," he leaned forward and closed the man's eyelids, "I sense I shall be consumed with this work."

Decades later, still saddened by the deaths of so many among them, Prometheus knew that his host's time was short. Though its numbers swelled, the being despaired over the loss of so much knowledge and wisdom, as well as the departure of good people. He decided the time had come for his tribe to ready for their journey north to join with their kin.

"You have done amazing works in so short a time," he said, addressing them from a wooden platform. "There are smithies among us who make great tools and fashion beautiful art. Weavers who make our clothes. Farmers who grow our food. Teachers who instruct our children in language and in the ways of life. Truly, this is a great people."

The tribe was pleased and shouted praises to Prometheus' name. He held his hands forth, swatting the compliments from the air.

"No, no. You have done this work and I have only aided your efforts." The people lowered their heads in respect. "Our people will continue to grow and we shall always have a presence here in the south, but the time has come for our journey north to meet our brothers and sisters gathered there."

There were whispered voices and many were concerned. The leader of the people, Deucalion, stepped forth and lowered his head. "My lord, we are glad to make the journey but we are afraid for this land is all that we have known."

Prometheus nodded and pulled the man onto the platform with him. "I understand your worries, Deucalion. You should not fear. The journey will be long but we shall see sights you have not yet dreamed. We will eat foods you have not yet tasted. We will meet, at long last, my brothers and sisters that live there and guide your kin."

Though many were still wary, they lowered their heads in respect.

"A portion shall remain," Prometheus continued. "But the greater part shall walk with me."

Moved by the being's speech, a man yelled out, "I will go, my lord!"

"And I!" said another. In the crowd, many more called out likewise.

Prometheus smiled and raised his right hand. "Then you shall come. Many will stay and continue to water the Great Tree in Panopeus, but the remainder will follow and gather harvest for The One as we go."

And the assemblage responded mightily, "So say we all!"
**Chapter** **11**

As Prometheus toiled in the south in the years before his tribe began their journey, the Lords of Kobol in the north adjusted to life so near their subjects.

Apollo dwelled among them, teaching them music and the arts of healing using herbs and salves. Artemis taught them hunting. Hera blessed families and wed couples. Poseidon built vessels and hallowed them for the sea. Hephaestus constructed forges and factories to produce materials for building. Ares assuaged his perceived hurt and taught the people aggressive sport.

Zeus began to fall into the trap that would finally ensnare him. In the beginning days of the City, the leader of the tenders moved among the people freely and openly in a form that pleased their eyes and gave forth a welcoming aura. In this was he comforted, for in the many ages of service to The One, the tenders ever would remain concealed and speak their encouragements unto the select beings that may aid the growth of their world's Tree. This is why he devised the Wager, that his kind's abilities may be explored and their work more evident.

With his movements, great crowds were drawn and as the people were succored by his radiance, Zeus was succored in their revelry. He used his talents to produce great illusions and fires that lit the night sky. Beasts he conjured from nothingness and the altering of the land about him likewise entertained the masses. After many weeks did Zeus desire only to live with the people that they may be always an audience for him.

In this would he soon be satisfied for the people took upon themselves the task of creating a great structure, built with tremendous slabs of marble and rising higher than any other structure within the City. They called it a temple and it was the first such building dedicated unto a tender on all of Kobol. Zeus swelled with pride at its unveiling. He drew all the people of the City unto him and even some of the Lords, who later desired such temples of their own.

"With this act," Zeus said, "you have demonstrated to me your love and honor. You have also said unto me that you wish for my presence and in this I shall not disappoint." The people rejoiced and a feast was had. Birds were loosed, music was played and at the event's culmination, a great bull was led forth from the farms without the City and placed upon a golden pan. Its throat was slit and the beast was then consumed by fire and its ashes preserved until the fall of Kobol five millennia hence.

When he beheld the sacrifice, Zeus knew in his mind that this was a remaining trope of their pagan ways. Yet Zeus felt humbled by the sacrifice for he understood its weight and meaning within his heart. Forever was he receptive of such gifts and he returned unto the people great joy and easements of their burdens.

It was Aphrodite, though, whose interests held the fates of nearly all her kind. She continued her stealthy watch over passionate couples as they lay in bed. She fed off their emotions and the energies that comingled within bodies and minds. After a time, she grew hungry for more.

Seeking the lustful fervor that humans shared daily, Aphrodite approached Ares. This was the only god that she perceived to have the same ardor within, though his fire burned for war and rage and not physical love.

"I have found an ecstasy within mankind that may please you," she said to him.

Ares was doubtful, "I have only sought violence and the stirrings that spilled blood raise."

"This I know," Aphrodite said as she moved closer to him. "Zeus has commanded that you divert your thirsts." At this Ares' face again betrayed displeasure. "What I have found may appease you."

Doubting still, Ares acquiesced and Aphrodite blended her light with his. For days and nights upon Olympus, the two Lords glowed together though no such duplication of man's passion could be found.

It was Aphrodite who was the more angered. "I have watched as man entered woman and man entered man and woman entered woman. I felt the swelling of their hearts and their rush of energies in their minds. How can we, as gods unto them, not experience the same?"

Ares found her frustration amusing and chuckled at her disappointment. "Perhaps Zeus is withholding a passion from you as well."

She was not pleased and she took Ares by the hand. Leading him, they moved imperceptibly down the mountain and into the City as the sun set in the west. There, within a wooden hut, Aphrodite found a husband copulating with his wife. They were young and had no children. Like a fresh stream of air to a smothered beast, Aphrodite inhaled their mutual exaltation and was hungered the more. An idea occurred to her.

"Let us move into them so that we might feel as they feel. We shall use them as great steeds, bounding upon the plains, luxuriating in the journey until they are utterly spent."

As Ares watched the duo unawares, he saw within their expressions the pleased agonies he enjoyed in the arena. He could see that there was pain and that pleasure was derived from it. For the first time, he saw the wisdom in Aphrodite's desire. Without a word, he consented and moved into the body of the man. Encouraged and elated, Aphrodite moved her spirit into the woman.

The husband and wife knew not what happened. Their waking minds were pushed aside as the gods used their flesh. For a time, the deities did not know what to do though their bodies were already intertwined. Upon his first thrust within Aphrodite's costume, Ares felt the sweeping pleasure that moved from his loins and throughout his body. His mind reeled and his light nearly fell from the man's being. He recovered and moved again.

Aphrodite, likewise, was bewildered at the sensations. She gripped the man about the waist and pulled him deeper within the woman she inhabited, again and again. Each pressing brought her the fevered satisfaction she had long desired.

After a time, Ares felt a swelling within his body. It encouraged him further and he drove harder. There seemed to be a struggle to continue, thus Ares poured his will into the action. A moment later, the body he had taken spilled its seed within the woman and Ares was weakened. His light dimmed and he again nearly fell from the flesh.

The woman spoke in echoes of Aphrodite, "Do not halt yet. The passions swirl within yet I have not reached their end."

Ares' felt that the body he bore was exhausted and yet he wished to pursue that pleasure more. He again poured himself and his will into the act and plunged again into the woman's body. Aphrodite verbalized her ecstasy and prodded Ares further. Again, Ares felt the swelling and he again bolstered his will within that flesh. As seed was spilled, Ares willed himself to stay within the man while the body that Aphrodite inhabited quivered and shook. Her spirit left the body and the dim light drifted from the home aimlessly. Ares saw this and retreated as well. The couple they used collapsed in their bed and fell into a deep sleep.

In the setting sun – for the two gods coupled an entire day – Ares found Aphrodite's weak glow and he moved within it to revive her. She awakened and resumed her usual raiment. Her face glowed brighter than the norm and she said, "We must do this again."

Excited by the passions he felt, Ares was cautious. "We entered them with the intention of using their bodies until they were utterly spent, but, lo, it was we, the Lords, who were nearly spent. Twice I nearly fell from the man and at copulation's end, your spirit fell from the woman. Your flare was cast adrift and dreadfully weakened."

At this Ares paused and lifted his hands. The being felt the weight of his own non-body for the first time. "Something has changed."

"Yes," Aphrodite responded. "In bringing about the climax, I concentrated my being and poured it within her body. I feel lighter... and yet more laden."

Ares withdrew from her, shaking his head, "I cannot do this again and not know to what end this affects me."

Aphrodite understood, yet she was sorely disappointed.

Some months later, as the Lords went about their business in the temples, in the fields, in homes and atop mountains, they heard something new enter the world.

"Behold," Zeus said. He drew unto him all of the gods that would come. Gaia remained within Kobol, Atlas upon Atlantis and Prometheus in the south, but the remainder of their kind lit upon the peak of Mount Olympus. "Something has occurred that we have not before perceived. Has one of our kind returned?"

"A tender?" Hera asked. "I sensed the departure of our brothers at the first gathering of the hosts yet it is not their presence I feel now."

Poseidon cast his eyes toward the City and said, "Let us cloak ourselves and seek this new thing out. If it is like unto us, then we should gather it unto us."

Zeus agreed and the gods hid their lights, descended the mountain and moved into the City. They came before the door of a house of healing and Hades visage, not obscured from the other Lords, was delighted.

"I have no part in this," he spoke as he pulled away from the group. "It is the opposite of my works."

The gods moved within the structure and both Aphrodite and Ares felt a weight upon their forms, the like of which they had not experienced since their coupling. The divine entered a room and found there, in a blanketed rack, a child. In the perception of the Lords, its spirit glowed like no human but as though it were an Olympian.

"What is this?" Hermes asked.

Knowing what transpired, Aphrodite and Ares spoke in unison. "This child is ours."

After returning to the mount, Zeus bade them recount the tale. The pair complied and the rest of the gods were amazed. Athena took note of their weakness after the union and would ask after it later.

"In the ages we have served The One," Zeus began, "something of this sort has not happened."

"We were created by The One to guide life in the growth of each planet's will," Hera said. "We were to aid beings upon these worlds so that they might survive and continue to think and advance their kinds. Never before have we... created life."

"This is something that The One itself has not done," Ares said haughtily.

"It created us," Hestia said.

Ares responded with a tinge of anger, "But we already existed. The One elevated us beyond our native abilities that we may do its will."

Zeus agreed with Ares, saying eagerly, "This is something that we alone have the power to do. In the short years we have left to us in this Wager, we should create beings like us among the people so that we further entrench ourselves in their souls."

Athena was worried and she spoke, saying, "I fear that this distracts us from The One's plan."

"The plan would not be endangered," Hermes said. "Humanity will advance and think for themselves. They will live at peace with each other and this world. Our contributions – our children – will only supplement the plan."

"Yes," Aphrodite said. "The Great Tree will be watered further thanks to this."

"And what of your infirmities after the intercourse?" Athena replied. "You said that you poured your selves and your will into the flesh that the seed for these children might be hallowed. Does not your debilitation speak of a flaw in this thinking?"

The gods pondered this and Aphrodite spoke, "I felt weakened for a time and again upon the meeting of our son, but I am not now encumbered thus. Besides, if my flame in this world is lessened by bringing further life into it, this is a price I am willing to pay."

The Lords considered this also and Zeus lifted his hand. "I deem it good that we move among the people causing them to bear our children and therefore melding ourselves and our tribes more closely." He looked toward Athena, "I will not, however, command that this be done."

And the Lords left Mount Olympus and entered the City of the Gods. Aphrodite and Ares returned to the side of their child, telling the parents what they had done. The couple then felt blessed that they were used in such a manner and named the boy Eros. Because he carried within him a portion of the lifeforce of the gods themselves, he persisted more than four times the life that most men experienced. He worked in the service of his mother, Aphrodite, for most of his days and was said to dwell upon Olympus after his body's death.

Many of the other gods found couples to inhabit for the purposes of procreation. Some did so with the consent of their subjects, but some did not. Zeus it was who went among the most women, causing them to birth many children. Those children borne of mortal women not so possessed by another deity lived double the time of most, yet half that of Eros and his like. Some of these divine progeny enter these tales in later years.

Of the Lords of Kobol, only Athena, Artemis, Hades, Hestia and Prometheus forever denied themselves the sapping of their energy for the creation of life. The other gods did so with great frequency and were therefore lessened in stature and in the brightness of their being.
**Chapter** **12**

Prometheus led his host of some forty thousand north to the coasts of the southern land. They fashioned craft to sail upon the water to the islands that lay between the continents. Two years after they first left their homes, Prometheus' tribe reached the southern shores of the lands of the Sagittarius tribe.

"Is this an invasion?" an elder asked.

"No," Prometheus said, appearing before the man's very eyes. "This is a reunion."

Thus the multitude moved north, fending for sustenance on their own, yet sometimes being helped by the tribes they encountered. Zeus and the other gods heard of the host's coming and they were pleased. "The Thirteenth Tribe is coming," Zeus announced. "We shall make ready for them."

Two years fully passed before Prometheus' people reached the break in the mountains. They passed alongside farms and moved into the valley beneath Olympus. Hestia it was who welcomed them first and bade them erect tents and temporary lodging in the plains to the west of the City of the Gods, away from the mountains and somewhat near the sea.

Zeus summoned all the Lords to a council upon the peak of Mount Olympus. Prometheus appeared there as a being of light for the first time since his arrival on Kobol.

"I am pleased to see that you have come," Zeus said, "though your delay in so doing has vexed me these many years."

Prometheus answered, "It has been four hundred thirty revolutions about their sun. There is plenty of time left to us. I wished to see my tribe elevated greatly before they became assimilated."

Athena was also pleased, "The Thirteenth Tribe is great in number and in intellect."

"They are," Prometheus said. Though his light showed no face, his expression was vainglorious. "We labored long to have great tools from the forge, medicines for healing and learning for all. The One shall be greatly pleased."

At this, Zeus grew troubled. "You have told your host about The One?"

"I have."

Zeus grew fearful and he looked toward Poseidon, Hermes and others for unspoken counsel. He noted that they, too, were distraught. In recent years, many of the Lords had become fawned before, like Zeus was at the first. "You sought to exclude yourself from the rule of Kobol. For what reason?"

Prometheus knew something was amiss. "In the beginning, The One charged us with the keeping of these people and the growth of their Tree for five thousand years."

"Indeed," Zeus said. "I purposed to demonstrate to The One that our direct interactions would further these beings greater than the withdrawn observations and whispered prodding that has been our practice."

"Yes, and this I have done." Prometheus replied.

"Yet in so doing," Zeus said, "you have placed The One atop all the world."

Prometheus was bewildered and knew not what Zeus had in mind. "Yes?"

"In the City of the Gods, we are elevated. Each element of Kobol and of their lives is attributed to us and they worship us accordingly." Zeus moved toward Prometheus. "Your people would deny these powers in us?"

Prometheus grew sore afraid and withdrew from the mount. He appeared in the valley below by a horse to startle it toward the encampment of his host. He then appeared by the side of his second, Deucalion, and spoke unto him hurriedly.

"We have journeyed into grave danger. You must move south without delay and return unto our people."

Deucalion spoke not and instead climbed atop the horse that now approached. Prometheus guided Pyrrha, Deucalion's wife, to the beast and struck the animal's hindquarters. It darted to the west and began to turn south around the far side of the mountains.

Prometheus disappeared again, feeling that his kin were near to him. He moved into the City of the Gods to find answers among the people and he was astounded at what he discovered. Mingled among the humanity, Prometheus saw the glow of light not unlike the Lords themselves but dwelling within mortal flesh. Immediately, Ares and Hermes were upon him and the three reappeared atop Olympus.

"What have you done, O Zeus?" Prometheus asked. "I have seen the flame of our sort living within the people of the tribes. The One would assuredly be aggrieved."

The brightness of Zeus' person waxed and his voice grew angry, "The dominion of Kobol was given unto us! We shall cause great progress for the people and ease the growth of their culture! The One's place will come at the end of things."

"The One is yet absent," Prometheus said, "but it shall not be forgotten."

Zeus cast his vision toward the encampment of the Thirteenth Tribe. "How zealous is your host in their love for The One?"

Prometheus struggled against the grip of Ares and Hermes and showed great animus. "Their mantra is to live and to love and to be at peace with all they know and all they see. This is The One's plan for all thinking life. Why should you impede it?"

"I do no such thing," Zeus said. "I require unity in thought and purpose. If the Wager is to be won by our doing, so it must be. The teachings you have bestowed on your tribe would undermine all." He pointed to Ares and thundered, "Restrain him fast." To Hephaestus and Hestia, he commanded, "Move into the City and prepare to shore up the buildings with your will." The gods were confounded yet they obeyed.

In the smallest of moments between time that the Lords managed thought, Zeus' mind raced. A great host lay in the valley below and within their minds, they carried a poison that could wipe clean the efforts the Pantheon had undertaken. The trust the Olympians shored up would turn to anger and the power they wielded would diminish. And not least of all, Zeus feared he would lose the adulation of the masses, upon which he had gorged for these last decades. In this manner was he like unto a drunkard whose only nourishment was wine, though it be to his detriment.

For neither the first nor the last time did Zeus also lament the limiting of his power by The One as a condition of the tender's scheme. As a blinded man stumbling within a crowd, the tenders were all diminished for their sight into the future was curtailed. In their prior efforts to bolster worlds' Trees, the beings of light were able to perceive elements of what was to come. On Kobol, this was no longer true.

Zeus' thought clouded by fear and his ability weakened by both the Wager and the dispensing of his energy into his semi-divine children, he did act rashly and in later times, he, too, realized this and would repent.

"Poseidon," Zeus said, "move into the sea and quake the bed. Push onto the shore a wave of exceeding height that the Thirteenth Tribe might be washed away."

Prometheus trembled and wailed within Ares' grasp, but the god held him too tightly. Poseidon descended and moved under the waves and began to do as Zeus willed. The first tremors came and Zeus directed the remaining Lords to the western borders of the City. There they willed into being a wall to shield their own hosts from the deluge.

Prometheus struggled and begged for the lives of his people and Zeus ignored him. Above the lands far below, both Zeus and Prometheus watched in amazement as a torrent the height of twenty men inundated the land. The screams of the tribe were faint and a cool breeze drifted along the mountainside, betraying the violence below. Tents and beasts and families floated upon the crashing waves that floundered against the divine barrier at the City's edge. The foam roiled and pulled the detritus back to sea as Poseidon bid.

The Lords' subjects within the protection of the gods saw what had transpired and were astonished at the power of their protectors. For ages after, the followers of the Lords of Kobol would retell the tale of the Olympians and how they saved the few while so much humanity was sent to the deep in a Great Flood.

When the water receded, all of the Pantheon gathered upon Olympus again. Ares did not loosen his grip nor would that have been wise. Zeus then pronounced further judgment.

"I have granted you latitude in the past to pursue your ends as you see fit. This shall not be again." Zeus formed a fist and Prometheus was bound. "You are henceforth banished from the northern lands. You are to remain in the south as you have since our beginning. Return unto the remnant of your tribe, but know this: no incursion by you or by your hosts on these shores shall go unchallenged in the future."

Prometheus vanished without uttering a word and Zeus then kept his eye toward the coasts, searching for Prometheus ever after.

Several of the Lords were wary of what transpired. Hestia, Artemis and Athena were most distressed and considered a departure from Kobol, though none would voice this aloud. Apollo, Aphrodite and Demeter were likewise concerned, but they had grown accustomed to the fawning of their own people and saw some measure of wisdom in preventing that throng from joining the rest. Ares, though, swelled with excitement and he asked, "If his people come north again, shall I wage war upon them?"

Zeus was lost in thought but he responded simply, "Yes."
**Chapter** **13**

Prometheus reappeared outside of the main encampment in the southern lands atop a small knoll. He made no effort to conceal his being nor to cloak himself in the human-like raiment that his people knew and loved. He was seated on the grassy ridge and wept.

A group of farmers saw a shadowy form on the hill and noted the ebbing flame within it. Warily, they approached and said, "What is this?"

Prometheus was brought forth from his misery and resumed his familiar appearance. The farmers knelt before him but the being lifted them presently and spoke in a scolding tone, "Do not bow for I am no god."

"Yes, my lord," the eldest said.

"The One is worthy of worship for it nurtures and supports life."

"So say we all," the group uttered meekly.

Prometheus looked into Panopeus over the field and he hovered above the crops. In a short time, he stood in the village square and bade all the people approach.

"I have returned from the north and I bear terrible news." Prometheus hesitated and mustered his strength. "A great flood befell the multitude and they were wiped into the sea." At this, many fell to their knees and mourned loudly.

The tender gave great thought to his words. He wished to heap blame upon Zeus and the Olympians for their willingness to slaughter his tribe, but he feared relaying the story in its entire to his own people. They could have easily held Prometheus in contempt for not protecting them or for being of the same kind as the murderers. In his time of mourning, the being wanted to hold dear the love of those who remained.

"Shall we move north again, my lord?" one asked.

Prometheus shook his head. "Discounting the flood, the lands were not as welcoming as I had hoped. Here in the south we shall remain and build ourselves up. This tribe shall become a nation of the strong and of the keen minded. Ages may pass but a time will come when we shall rise again."

Still anguished, the people nodded with some saying, "So say we all."

For years thereafter, Prometheus worked diligently among the citizens, giving unto them secrets for which they were not yet prepared. The knowledge haunted many until means could be found to achieve their leader's aims. Whole centuries would pass before their methods met the level of their wisdom and in that time, the numbers of their people diminished. Prometheus rejoiced when a way of alleviating this ill was prepared, though the fruit of these labors was not seen for nearly twenty-five hundred years after the Flood.
**Chapter** **14**

Hundreds of thousands of humans worshipped the Lords of Kobol and they were pleased. The mortal and immortal dwelled together and it was a stable time of plenty and of peace, known afterward as the Golden Age.

The center of this kingdom remained in the City of the Gods, which lay within the northwestern portion of Galatia, the northern continent. Other cities were established in the western half of Galatia, often with the aid of a god. Athena helped found Athens. The twins, Artemis and Apollo, facilitated the building of Delphi. Hephaestus rose great forges in Lemnos, and so on.

A century after the Flood, a daughter was born unto Demeter and she was named Persephone. At the goddess' request, the human parents of the child gave her up and she was raised in Eleusis where Demeter dwelled not unlike a true mother. Persephone grew and took part in her mother's worship, enabled the sowing of crops and blessed the harvest. She was exceedingly beautiful for the light that had been Demeter's dwelt just under her flesh and glowed in both day and night.

So active was Persephone in the function of her mother's worship that the farmers bowed before her and praised her as if she were a goddess also. In time, age captured even her after one hundred fifty years, for she was conceived with only one Lord in possession of her worldly parents. The decades before her passing were marked with great bounties from the fields and those who depended upon these crops gave their thanks unto her. The season after her death, there came upon the land a drought and the harvests suffered.

The people of Kobol were not immediately told of Persephone's passing, though they believed some doom was at work when Demeter herself was seen weeping and weary whilst being comforted by Hades. Hades was rarely noted among the living, and with the new absence of Persephone, the people feared that Hades had taken Demeter's child. Thus the foul harvest they deemed, and also the only dim spot in the many days of the Golden Age.

The following year, Demeter woke from her despondency, rains swept onto the lands and the crops gave forth plenty. The worshippers credited Persephone's escape from Hades' grasp for the return of both the harvest and Demeter's pleasant demeanor. Demeter did not see fit to deny this thought in the minds of her faithful for she was still greatly saddened by her daughter's death. She would not, in fact, participate in another child's birth for the remainder of the Lords' reign upon Kobol.

The Voras Mountains separated the west from the east for the range stretched from the land of the Gemini and Taurus tribes in the north to the Virgo and Aquarius tribes in the south. In the east at the beginning of their time, several gods gathered large hosts for the march to the City of the Gods, but few journeys of the Lords took place east of the Voras Mountains afterward. Centuries before when Hermes rode out from the City with messengers of the gods, his travels went no farther than the edge of the Ordos Desert. Still, a great number of lesser heathen tribes remained in the eastern world and Zeus willed that all beings on Kobol turn their minds toward him. Therefore he desired that these people be taken under his sway.

"The western lands are secure," he said, "and strongholds for our twelve tribes have been raised in every corner of Galatia, but barbarians hold resources and countrysides entire in the far east. For a thousand revolutions about the sun, we have labored and secured the people of our hosts in their homes. We must do the same for all upon this world."

"What of the remnant of Prometheus' folk in Scythia, in the far south?" Hestia asked wryly, knowing that this would agitate the leader.

Zeus became flustered and he waved his hand. "The Thirteenth Tribe may abide there, untouched, for now. I will not consider them until it is needed." He moved toward Ares and saw the god of rage had winnowed and appeared slight. "Your time has come."

The Lord swelled and his fire sparked anew. "War is upon us?"

Zeus pointed east. "No. War is upon them." Zeus had cast his eye into the land of the rising sun and saw that mammoth throngs had arisen and some even fell upon the cities of the Olympian subjects. "Hephaestus and the forges of Lemnos shall be stoked and a great many swords shall be placed in the hands of our people. They will march from the west unto the godsless, raising the points of their weapons high like unto a parading forest of steel. They will be clad in skins of bronze and carry great banners bearing the symbols of their faith and their nations."

Ares flushed hot and descended to Lemnos. There, he found Hephaestus and his best smiths hard at work producing scores upon scores of fresh, sharpened blades. He was terribly impatient and his voice echoed for weeks while he bellowed for battle and pushed the workers to mold more armor and beat more weaponry. It was some months before a sufficient armament had been produced.

In the meantime, Zeus commanded that Poseidon raise a cavalry, for he was greatly fond of horses. In fact, the God of the Sea was the only tender who went in unto a beast in the act of copulation, compromising the spirit of the animal and pouring out their divine light into the offspring. Some years before, Poseidon engaged in this manner with a sturdy mare and the great foal birthed was named Arion.

From Arion's long-lived and magnificent stock came a great number of steeds that made up Poseidon's first group of mounted warriors. Arion himself went into battle, ridden by the Sagittarian Adrastus, and they conquered many tribes along the southern coast before the elder beast became weary of fighting and returned home.

The animalistic offspring of the gods were not the only progeny of the Lords that went into battle. Many names of legend did thus and their tales follow.
**Chapter** **15**

While the western world of Galatia enjoyed the Golden Age, great legions of archers, spearmen, swordsmen and horsemen swelled from the lands of Sagittarius and Virgo to move along the southern coast. Accompanied by Lord Ares at the start, the tens of thousands took few slings and arrows in their traversing of Aquarius and the purging of backward hill people. There were many who surrendered and they were allowed to remain in their lands if they swore allegiance to the Lords of Kobol. There were a scant few who did not entertain this option.

With much of Aquarius secured, the armored multitude moved north to the Ordos Desert and the lands set aside for the Scorpio tribe. Nomadic peoples quickly surrendered and the Lords' influence expanded again. At this, Lord Ares was angered.

"I have come for the crashing of metal and the spilling of blood yet I find only cowards and children willing to wither in my presence?" And the god vanished from the host, returning to Olympus.

The army continued on to the south and in the western portion of the Leo nation, the forces met their first true challenge. Calling themselves the Kymereh, a confederation of infidels gathered among the low hills beneath the Rhodope Mountains and assailed the capital city of the Leo, named Nemea. The general of the Lords' forces, Bellerophon, rode upon Pegasus, a grandson of the great horse Arion.

The Kymereh used large wooden catapults for the throwing of hot stones and casks of oil. They carried swords not unlike the armies of Zeus for they had taken these methods from the people they sacked across the sparse settlements in the southeast. The western legions quailed for this would be the first true measure of their quality and no god stood alongside them. The sons of Ares, Phobos and Deimos, tried to rally them, but even they were not successful.

"We shall sweep into the meadow and drive them out!" Bellerophon cried while he rode before his lines. "This host shall split thrice and we shall puncture the enemy upon the points of our trident!"

The men and women were steeled and they moved into battle. Fires and boulders were heaped upon them but the greater of their numbers survived and marched onward at a livelier speed. The mass divided in three directions to both surround the enemy and to drive into their heart. Once the Lords' forces were near unto the Kymereh, the savage enemy revealed their bows and arrows and their own cavalry. The multitude was caught unawares and hundreds were slain quickly.

The cavalry of the west was delayed on the outer rim of the advancing army but Bellerophon saw what transpired. He gave Pegasus a swift kick and it is said that the beast moved as though it had wings. The steed bounded around soldiers and over the hills to the larger part of his force. Bellerophon gathered the cavalry unto him and they moved into the thick of the Kymereh, trampling all they could under hoof. Bellerophon was attacked in the heat of the engagement with spined bolas, the thorned ropes puncturing his eyes. He led the troops without sight yet he knew he could not remain their general.

A full third of the gods' armies were destroyed though they saved western Leo and prevented the sacking of Nemea. Riders were sent back to the City of the Gods to report while much of the host marched south to purge the Kymereh from the jungles.

Some time later, Ares returned, eager and ready for battle. Zeus returned also and with his son Heracles, a great fighter of exceeding stature. Theseus, son of Poseidon, was named general and readied to move north with the army. Ares and Zeus remained with the soldiers for their entire time upon the march, while other gods like Hermes, Apollo, Artemis and Poseidon came to provide aid. Zeus, however, ordered the Lords to not directly interfere, but instead inspire their own troops that their victories may seem more accomplished by their own doing.

At the northern borders of Leo, a remnant of the Kymereh goaded the multitude into battle by desecrating the sigil of the Leo nation, a great golden lion. Heracles parleyed with the Kymerean warlord, who wore the skin of a jungle lion as his cloak. In single combat, Heracles dispatched the man quickly and the haggard forces were stunned. Seeing Heracles moving toward them, now wearing the lion skin himself, the opponents surrendered, swearing allegiance to the Lords of Kobol.

Ares felt impatient again for a time, thinking he had missed the wealth of battle. His distress was shortlived for in the foothills of the Pindus Mountains on the eastern borders of the Cancer nation, they fell upon an encampment of numbers near to their own, and this was said to be but a portion of the full host.

They called themselves the Draco and this people carried banners bearing the visage of a great reptile, full of teeth and of enormous girth. The armies of Zeus had the advantage and quickly attacked. Ares stood amid the greatest fury of the clash, his skin pulsing with blood and his stature increasing as each Draco soldier fell. Confused and wary though they were of these strange beings, the Draco fought on and managed to slay a full quarter of the western legions.

The battle was won but Zeus feared for the near future. He peered into the minds of captured soldiers and saw the true number of the throngs that remained in the north. He then devised a plan and took counsel with Ares, Heracles and Theseus.

The group rested and then moved north to face the greatest of the Draco regiments near their capital of Ladon. The armies of Zeus stood at a distance from the defenders and awaited their actions. Finally, they set upon the bronze-covered infantry with a fury and Theseus fought at the front, swinging his great sword. Ares fought not and instead rallied the Olympian legions with his chants and his contagious rage. The Draco began to fall back and hope left them.

Then, from a nearby river, a monstrous beast rose before the noonday sun. Its body was long and scaled. Light glistened along its sides in emerald green and tremendous wings sprang from its back. It turned toward the field and its red eyes cast hot beams upon the forces of the gods. The Pantheon's soldiers cowered and their courage was diminished.

The Draco were astonished to see the beast of their banners realized and they knew their primordial deity had come to defend them. They rallied and pressed against the Olympian foes, but Theseus held them at bay. The great dragon landed upon the plain and blew searing flame across the western army. Battalions fled and screamed in agony and the teeth of the huge beast glistened like silver as it moved toward prone soldiers.

Then, riding upon one of Poseidon's mighty steeds, Heracles came to the field and he approached the evil worm without fear. It turned in stark surprise at such audacity and hesitated to spray its immolation again. Heracles dashed over the dead and leapt upon the animal's skull, using its ear as a foothold for climbing onto its head. He grasped the wavering quills above its eyes and sat upon its brow. The dragon took flight, moving low over the field in an attempt to shake the man from its body.

Heracles removed an ebony spear, Ares' own, from his back and plunged it first into the dragon's left eye and then its right. It bellowed and blew heat before crashing back to land. Blinded, it flopped upon the Draco forces and floundered on the blood-stained grass. Heracles held forth his hand and Theseus tossed to him the gleaming blade of Zeus. Its edge was raked behind the jaw of the dragon and veins poured forth steaming blackness. With the prey wailing, Heracles then drove the sword's point until its hilt pressed under the animal's neck scales, silencing it once and for all. It lay motionless for a time and its great heart beat slower and slower. When it stopped, the body became faded and it blew away in the breeze like the ash from a spent cookfire.

Though they outnumbered the Olympian host nearly three to one, the Draco hordes across all of the Cancer nation tossed aside their arms in dismay and pledged allegiance unto the Lords of Kobol. From the windstrewn ash of the dragon, Zeus reconstituted himself in his usual form and was pleased that his deception worked so well.

For the next six years, the armies of Zeus moved north and then west again, gathering more wayward clans to their banner. The godsless fell under the sway of Zeus, hearing of his wrath yet feeling the warmth of his presence. Few battles followed, yet Theseus and Ares saw action in the forests of the Taurus nation. Thus was Ares' lust sated for a few centuries more.

After more years of marching and some further spilling of blood, the many people of Galatia became counted as subjects of the Lords of Kobol and the Lords traveled among all of the lands, both west and east, building up their cities and settlements and passing along such furtherances as they saw fit.
**Chapter** **16**

Think not that all stories of the Golden Age were either based in war or in peace. In the latter part of this time, there was strife among the Lords themselves, for many had given themselves over to the desires of mortal beings.

For the untold ages that the tenders labored in service of The One, they were accorded great power and perception yet the one ability they did not have was in the creation of life. When Aphrodite and Ares discovered that they could engage in this activity, or so they believed, most of the gods glommed onto the concept and thus their days were often spent.

They reveled in their doing of things they had not done before. They continued their displays of magic before throngs of their subjects. They paraded about in festivals held in their name under the eaves of glistening marble temples that bore their likenesses. They drained their light and energy in the making of life that their offspring may have some portion of their being. As has been said, this act diminished the Lords, gradual, though it may have been. Their perceptions weakened in step with their power as each child required more of their effort. Into the deathless, petty natures crept.

Poseidon was a god who frequently copulated while possessing men and women and sometimes even animals. His capacity was far less than that of Athena, who as a virgin in this regard, maintained her levels of acumen and fortitude.

At one time, Poseidon confronted Athena in her temple in the presence of a lovely priestess named Medousa. Poseidon beseeched the goddess to fornicate with him for he wished to defile her purity. Athena refused and bade him leave, but the priestess asked that the goddess reconsider, saying that she, Medousa, would act as the divine's vessel for this purpose.

This angered Athena and she ordered that Medousa leave her service forever. The goddess vanished, but Poseidon, in rage, destroyed a portion of the temple causing candles to be spilled and flames to engulf the structure. Medousa was trapped inside and scarred greatly. Nigh unto death, she was rescued by Poseidon who, in his guilt, deposited her near to the sea where she resumed her service in an Athenian temple after her health returned.

Hearing the tale and discovering that the exiled priestess still practiced as a leader in Athena's employ despite the goddess' wishes, a man named Perseus sought Medousa. He was a son of Zeus and quite headstrong, feeling that he had missed his time for battle and heroism being born centuries after the march of the Olympians over the heathen lands.

Crippled and lame, Medousa was found by Perseus and he decapitated her in Athena's name. Her disfigured head was cut from her body and Perseus journeyed to Athens to present Medousa to the goddess whom he loved. Athena was horrified and went silent at the sight. She disappeared and Perseus fell into distress. Zeus, however, heard of his initiative and praised the man, taking a stylized image of the priestess' lifeless countenance as an aegis for his armor.

After many years of sowing his seed in the wombs of mortal women without the presence of a goddess, Zeus turned to the being who was worshipped as his wife, Hera, and bade her to join him in procreation. Until this point, Hera had not gone in unto a human for the purposes of reproduction and she was therefore not weakened. After much goading, she consented, and she, with her husband, possessed the bodies of many people across the lands as they copulated.

Unto them were born several children of exceeding years, including Hebe, Enyo, Eris and more besides. The one whose influence features most in the events of the elder days is Hecate.

Hecate was the last of the children that Zeus and Hera created together. In the years before they consummated their relationship, Zeus fathered many children in the west and he desired to do so again without the presence of Hera. The Queen of Heaven insisted that Zeus remain and this angered the god. The spirit he poured out in the making of Hecate was thus tainted by ill will and resentment. Hera, though, felt domineering and vain, and this, too, was dispensed into the child.

Being the child of a god or gods in Olympian society carried a measure of celebrity and good fortune. At the time of Hecate's upbringing, there were many of her kindred among the people and she was not as well remarked as she desired. She began to study the ways of her parents and meant to become as near unto them as she could, being human yet containing a portion of their energies.

She moved south to Sparta and dwelt in the Parnon Mountains. There, the people of the Sagittarius nation worshipped Ares most fervently and enjoyed contests of physical skill and even bloodsport. Not unlike Ares, Hecate gathered a measure of power from witnessing such action and she wanted to hold events of that nature for herself.

In the small village of Lagina near Sparta, she convinced a group of youth and some smiths to erect for her a theater for combat to act as a temple. In this manner, Hecate was different from the semi-divine progeny of all the gods that came before her and after. The children of the Lords often worked to further the worship of their parents: Eros for Aphrodite, Aristaeus for Apollo, Persephone for Demeter, Priapos for Dionysus, Pan for Hermes and so on. Hecate, however, desired worship for herself and it was to this end that she labored for her two hundred years.

Gladiatorial matches were held for decades at her temple in Lagina and Hecate was pleased. After a while, she became bored by the sameness of the activity and brought into play her abilities with magic and what many deemed witchcraft. The gathered worshippers were backward and amazed by what Hecate performed, yet the demigod was still not sated.

A young man came to Hecate after a service and bowed upon one knee. "My goddess," he said, "to you I give my life and will do whatsoever you will of me." At this devotion, an evil thought came into Hecate's mind.

As the rain season drew near to that part of Galatia, Hecate called unto her temple a great gathering that she might bless the coming spring and the new life that would pour onto the fields. Much of Lagina came and many from nearby villages as well.

Ritualistic combat began the evening as was the norm. This was followed by an address from Hecate, who punctuated her actions with illusions and other trickery to entrap the audience's attention. At the end of these things, she moved to a newly dug pit by a pyre. Within the trench stood the young man, proud and waiting. Two of Hecate's priests accompanied her and she hoisted a great knife above her head.

"That the rains may fall greater than the years before and that the land may give forth a harvest greater than the seasons before, a sacrifice is given unto me, Hecate." She then drew the edge of the blade under the jaw of the man and his blood spilled forth. The worshippers gasped and the priests held the victim up as he died. Then, they pulled him from the pit and laid him upon the pyre before slathering his lifeless body with honey. Hecate stood by, clutching the bloodied knife to her bosom and reciting something unto herself. She then put the blade aside and lifted two torches into the air and said, "The ground has been watered with blood and now the sky shall be filled with sweetened flesh." Hecate placed the flame against the oiled kindling and the pyre lit, consuming the meat of the willing sacrifice.

While the man was prepared for the pyre, some in the temple departed, seeking the village watch. They told them what transpired and the police knew not what to do, for even they saw her as a goddess, though less than the Pantheon. The next day they met with Lagina's magistrate and she, too, was stricken with doubt. Knowing that Hecate was Zeus' child, the magistrate visited the head priest of the nearest temple of Zeus and the priest passed word along to the City of the Gods.

Some days later, Zeus appeared in Lagina and the public was afraid. The Lord spoke to none and sought Hecate straightaway. He then walked her out of the village and into the mountains. No one knew what happened afterward, but Zeus was terribly displeased with Hecate.

"The people of Kobol are as children unto us," he said. "You have slain one of our children. Would you purpose to do this again?"

Though worried by the her father's aura, Hecate spoke haughtily, saying, "I would, for I am a goddess no lesser than Demeter or Aphrodite. I am a daughter of the King and Queen of Heaven."

"Yet not even the King and Queen of Heaven seek such a sacrifice from our people."

"Why should you not? A bull may be replaced in a healthy herd and a bundle of fine fruits grown again after a season, but the life of a person is a true gift unto us."

Zeus was saddened at all she said and it never left his thoughts. He stopped along a ridge near unto Lagina and peered into Hecate's mind. She was of exceeding age yet Zeus did not wish her death for she knew naught of The One or the Great Tree. He believed if he could remove from her thoughts the nature of her parents and the desire for blood that her ailments may be alleviated. He pressed deeper within her mind than he had in any other human before. He plucked from her knowledge the names of her parents and great swaths of her own history. He twisted her desires that they may be more acceptable. When he withdrew from her mind, Zeus found Hecate damaged.

With his intrusions, Zeus acted quickly and without deftness. He realized not the precision and fragility of her mind and was sorely distressed. For a moment, he thought to reenter her and try to repair all he altered, yet he was now reluctant and averse for he feared more harm would come unto her. Zeus then guided her from the mountains and to nearby Sparta, where she lived out her remaining few years in a house of healing and none knew whence she came.

The rains began a week after Hecate's last service and they were more sustaining than they had been in nearly twenty years. The grass grew bright green, the grain grew high and golden, and the cows grew fat. The harvest was more bountiful than many could remember and they credited Hecate. For many years after, farmers and citizens near Lagina would secretly hold their own sacrificial services in her name, hoping to duplicate that season of plenty.

Centuries after the birth of Hecate, Hera desired another child with Zeus and he rebuffed her. Zeus, though, still entered in unto other men as they entered in unto women. Hera repeatedly tried to catch Zeus as he did this, sometimes forcefully possessing women mid-copulation. So angered by this, Zeus rarely again sowed his seed and if he did, he did so in the far east.

Hera, though, sought retribution still. While Zeus was away, she asked others in the Pantheon to betray Zeus and lie with her, but they refused. She then turned to Atlas, who had remained in solitude on his island, Atlantis, studying the sky and the shell that encased Kobol.

"I have a proposal for you," she said unto him.

Atlas did not divert his stare from the starred canopy, "I have no interest in worldly matters. I watch the heavens."

"And thus you have done for a full half of our allotted time upon this world. What can you perceive now that you have not for the last two and a half millennia?"

Atlas paused and cast his eyes down to the jagged cliffs below. "I observe the capsule that The One has placed about the world. I look for pores that we may escape. I stare that I might find a crack or some speck of rock that passes through the outside to the in."

Hera moved closer to him. "Have you spotted a pore? A crack? A speck of stone that traverses the shield?"

If Atlas had lungs he would have sighed, "I have not."

"There is more to this world than the sky." Her light entered his and tugged at him. "Come with me for a short while and I will show you a pleasure you have not yet fathomed. If you feel that I have spent your time needlessly, return here to your mountain and continue your eventless monitoring of the heavens."

Atlas held fast as he pondered all that Hera said. He swept his gaze across the sky once more, looking for that pore, crack or speck and saw none. "Very well."

Hera and Atlas both departed and went to the City of the Gods, for Zeus was away east. There, she sought and found a youthful pair fornicating and she told Atlas the means of entering their flesh. Atlas did as she commanded and he became terribly enraptured, like all other Lords who tried it. His fire waxed hot as the man's body came to the culmination of the act and he poured forth much of his spirit into the seed. Atlas required rest after the coupling but he desired to engage again with Hera as soon as he felt able.

The first child of Atlas radiated a warmth not unlike the sun, thus was he named Helios. Before that birth, Atlas engaged with Hera twice more, but upon seeing the first of his fruits, Atlas felt it unfair to bring more of his children into the world if he did not care for them himself. He therefore aided the human parents of his children in their education and in their governance, for a great energy dwelt within them and they were difficult in some manner, to say the least.

The second child of Atlas was named Eos, after the dawn, for she gave forth a fresh, yellow glow as though she were the eastern sky of a clear morn. The last was named Hersperis, after dusk, for her radiance felt orange and melancholy like the ending of a day in the west. Eos in later times was named in another tongue "Aurora" and this name did not leave her. Eos played a larger role in these tales than most demigods and her part arises soon.

Another child of the divine who participated in the fateful events of Kobol was named Asclepius. He was the son of the Lord Apollo and of the mortal Coronis, though she herself was a granddaughter of Ares. Asclepius studied with Apollo and in his service at temples, becoming greatly acquainted with the arts of healing.

Both Eos and Asclepius were important in the history of the Thirteenth Tribe. Though forgotten by the people of Galatia except as victims of the Flood, and also forgotten by several Lords, the southern tribe had not forgotten the northern lands nor had their guide, Prometheus, forgotten any of what transpired so long ago.
**Chapter** **17**

All of the Lords had gifts across many areas, but each had specialties in one or a small few arenas. For Prometheus, his prowess came in the ability to discern the mechanics of a thing so that a person may develop it for their own uses. He was also able to inspire tremendous loyalty and labor.

For more than two thousand five hundred years, Prometheus and the Thirteenth Tribe worked to advance themselves. Prometheus taught them the ways of metallurgy, bringing to them means of working the elements to produce fine designs. He showed unto them the power contained within steam engines and then combustion and electric and electromagnetic. He was able to create ways of peering deep within the very fabric of life, spooling before them the curled wisps of information giving to each person the qualities that made them unique.

Peering into a device, Prometheus said, "The time is nigh."

The leader of Prometheus' people, Pandora, spoke forth, "We are ready to return into the north?"

Prometheus sighed and stood tall in the laboratory. "Nearly so. Our people have worked well and we are able to duplicate the things that are needed to sustain us. But there is a thing missing, and without it, our plans would come to naught."

Pandora grew thoughtful and quiet. Meekly, she spoke, "Our people, Prometheus, they winnow into the winds. We have labored for ages after these projects of your desire and they have given us much, but our numbers..."

"Yes," Prometheus replied. All that Pandora said coupled with the things she was too fearful to say were true. In the centuries since the Flood, Prometheus drove his people on a trek of discovery, relentless and without pause. Their people swelled as other tribes from Scythia joined unto them and satellite villages arose to provide farming and mining. Now, they dwindled again to less than the remnant after Poseidon swept his waves onto the lands near the City of the Gods.

"Can this duplication aid us?" Pandora asked.

"It will," Prometheus said. He placed a hand upon her shoulder and her face bore a new smile, energized by his fire. "The foundation of our lives may be shored up but... there is something still left to accomplish."

"What is that?"

"I wish to defeat death itself." Pandora seemed surprised and Prometheus continued, "We are not there yet."

Pandora prepared to leave the room but she turned and said, "And what of the other plan, lord? Our means of escape?"

"I have not spoken to Daedalus in some time, yet I sense that his work is similarly impeded. I will go to him now." At that, Prometheus left the room and reappeared several stadia away upon a large flat surface. There, like the upturned ribs of a felled beast, a metal substructure was being constructed.

"Greetings, Prometheus," Daedalus said upon seeing the being before him. "You have come for news, I wager."

"Indeed." The tender turned and studied the large form taking shape. "It appears as though it is going well."

"For a time, and yet," Daedalus shook his head. "We have not been able to bend space as you wish."

Prometheus' face turned wan and he glared toward the mountains above. Daedalus shrank, feeling a slight twinge of wrath overcome the tender. "I had hoped to move on my plans sooner than this but all seems ordained to slow me."

Daedalus spoke softly in an attempt to assuage his mood, "It is not your plans or even your desires, lord. We are but a few people. Many dwell here with me for the building of your vessel, many dwell in the laboratories to work on the life project and the remainder toil to maintain all. I fear our numbers will continue to hinder such efforts."

Prometheus turned and saw Daedalus' fear and the being shifted his mood so that the man need not feel afraid. "You are correct, my friend. Thankfully, we have had a breakthrough in the laboratory and I sense a giant leap will follow."

"Terrific, my lord. When?"

Prometheus looked again toward the infant ship, "Soon. I hope."
**Chapter** **18**

In the City of the Gods, Asclepius was named a healer by both doctors and temple priests alike. His learning allowed him to devise treatments for ailments that plagued humans for centuries and his medicines were spread across Galatia for the benefit of all.

Despite his success, the son of Apollo felt alone. He met infrequently with his father, who gave him little in the ways of instruction or even love. The people of the City knew him to be semi-divine and, if they did not know this, they could see the flame of Apollo within his eyes. Thus many distanced themselves from Asclepius and this gave him no comfort.

Eos, though, was one of three children of Atlas alive at the same time. She dwelled just outside of the City while her siblings toured Galatia together. Atlas descended his mount on Atlantis frequently to visit them and he continued to do so once Helios and Hesperis left for their journey.

"What troubles you, daughter?" the Lord asked on one of his visits.

"Without my brother and sister," she said, "I am alone."

Atlas laughed. "There are two hundred thousand people who dwell in the City before you. Surely there is someone there who can give you comfort and companionship?"

"None like me."

Atlas' image blinked and he returned, saying, "There is one. Only one, at this time, who is of the same kind as you. He is Asclepius, son of Apollo. He, too, is lonely."

At this, Eos' countenance changed and she was elated. "I must meet this man."

Atlas departed her and she departed her home. By the evening, she found the home of Asclepius, near unto the Temple of Apollo. She knocked upon the door and hoped that he would wish her to visit.

Asclepius opened his home and saw her face. Immediately, his eyes widened and he saw within her the same spirit that dwelt within him. Without asking her name, he opened the door further, lowered his head and waved Eos into his house.

She entered quickly and stood beside a short bookcase. "I am Eos, daughter of Atlas."

"I am Asclepius, son of Apollo." They stood motionless for a time, simply regarding each other. Then, Asclepius moved toward a seating area and bade her sit. "I am pleased to meet you."

"And I you." She looked around his home and noted the shining accoutrements of his profession. "You are well versed in healing, I see."

"I am. And what gifts has Lord Atlas bestowed upon you?"

She laughed and shook her head. "There are none."

Asclepius was confused and he asked further. "Surely, there is something. Lord Atlas, I understand, observes the heavens and the stars beyond. Has he taught you nothing of this?"

Eos thought and then smiled. "He has, indeed. I suppose I spoke too hastily."

Asclepius' eye was drawn to his kitchen as steam rose from his pot. "Pardon me, you've caught me as I prepared to sup. Would you join me?"

Eos was pleased and again and stood from her seat. "I would."

Thus the two children of the gods became acquainted and met for many months on end. They spoke often of their lives and what their parents said unto them. It seemed to be the natural making of a romantic relationship until Eos offered information her father had provided in confidence.

"His brother, Prometheus, dwells in Scythia."

Asclepius nodded slowly. "I have heard his name but a few times. I know nothing of his story."

Eos became eager in the telling, "Near the beginning of the Lords' dominion over Kobol, he brought from the south a great host, the Thirteenth Tribe, but they were washed into the sea in the Great Flood."

"I knew of the Flood, but not of those it took."

"Yes," she continued. "My father has visited with Prometheus on occasion and sees what he has undertaken in the centuries since that time. His people have brought forth technologies and energies unknown to the people of Galatia. The Scythians live longer and in greater health than any here." She said this, knowing it would pique the healer's interest.

And so it did. Asclepius was amazed, "How so? What has Prometheus and his tribe accomplished that we have not?"

Eos did not know and she said thus, but it did not sate Asclepius. Ever mindful of his position as a son of the gods, he strove to find new ways to help the infirm and cure the sick, but he had felt for some time that an impasse had been reached in his ability.

"I would like to journey to Scythia and see for myself the wonders of the Thirteenth Tribe."

Eos was taken aback and spoke not for a time. "We cannot. It is forbidden to sail south of the Thracian Sea." She spoke the truth, for long ago, Zeus cordoned off the islands of that water, saying all who dwelled upon them must move north and that none may live there, lest they fall into the hands of heathens far away. The people complied but they did not know that the "heathens" were Prometheus and the Thirteenth Tribe.

"We are the children of the gods." Asclepius drew strength from this knowledge for the first time in his life. "If we desire to sail south, then we may do so." He saw Eos shrink, and he worried that he disappointed her. To salvage the moment, he said, "I will only go if you will also."

Eos was not salved by this and instead thought about her own life in the north. She was tied to Asclepius moreso than her siblings and she did not wish to displease him. "We shall go."

The next morn, they made their way south to the coast of the Sagittarius nation where they rented a boat for sport. They drove themselves north for a time, as they were instructed, and then turned to the south once the horizon grew deep with water and all land had passed from their sight. After several days, they came to the shore of the island of Cythera. Lovely and abandoned as it was, they remained for only two days as they gathered fresh water and wild fruits and animals for their journey. They departed and sailed around the isle until they reached the far western side. Eos provided maps for the journey far more accurate than any others, and she knew to then steer the vessel due west for a few days more.

They finally encountered the coasts of Scythia and it appeared not unlike Cythera: lovely and abandoned. "We should sail about the line of the land until we come to the point amidmost the continent," Asclepius said.

"My father said that Prometheus' city was called Panopeus and it lies in the southwest."

"I fear we do not have the supplies to sail around all the shores to the far southwest, but we can dock at the center of the northern coast and then walk to the interior." They guided their vessel further west along the shores and stopped near the centermost point. Asclepius gathered his and Eos' things while she steered the boat into a natural harbor, running it aground. They departed and began a long journey south.
**Chapter** **19**

Prometheus busied himself with the work in both Panopeus' laboratories and at the construction yard outside of the city. For weeks on end, he bolstered the weary shoulders of his best scientists and doctors and engineers as they worked with the tiniest bits of metals and drops of proteins. As the labor they pursued grew smaller and smaller over the ages, Prometheus thought, the more difficult it became.

Then, as he stood near Daedalus upon a newly laid deck of the vessel, he sensed something at the back of his mind. He turned quickly and gazed into the north. It was a feeling he had not had in many years. He flashed away from Daedalus and appeared in cloaked form near the northern coast of Scythia. There he espied two people, a man and a woman, walking south. He studied them further and saw that they carried within them the energy of the gods.

Prometheus materialized in their path and they were afraid. They fell upon their knees and Prometheus did nothing but watch.

"My Lord!" Asclepius cried. "Forgive us our trespass!"

"I seek your forgiveness!" Eos cried also.

Prometheus lifted them up and smiled upon them. "Welcome to Scythia, children of Kobol."

Their fears were alleviated and they stood. "Are you Prometheus?" Eos asked.

"Yes," he said. Eos then began to speak again and the tender could see what she was about to say by the flickering of the fire in her.

"I am Eos, daughter of Atlas."

"I see." At this, Prometheus seemed disappointed, though he said naught to these two about it. "And you?"

Asclepius bowed, "Asclepius, son of Apollo."

"Very well." The duo raised their gaze again and the tender asked, "What brings you beyond Zeus' sight and ban to our distant lands?"

"My father told me of his visits with you in the south and of the wonders that your people have conjured," Eos said.

Eagerly, Asclepius spoke, "I have likewise heard of the marvels the Thirteenth Tribe has created in medicine and this interests me greatly for I am a healer."

At this was Prometheus curious. "A doctor? Might you be willing to assist us in a project?"

Asclepius laughed despite himself, "Without question, my Lord."

"And you," Prometheus said, turning to Eos, "has my brother said more unto you than the simple dispensing of information that was to have been kept close to his own bosom?"

"Such as?"

Prometheus waved toward the sky, "The heavens. The shell that encases the world."

Eos nodded as though this were a simple item. "Of course, my Lord."

Prometheus' chest swelled though he drew no breath and he felt a burden lift from his shoulders. "May The One be praised."

"'The One,' my Lord?" Asclepius said.

"Let us walk," Prometheus said. As the three did so, the tender spoke of The One and the mission with which his kindred was charged nearly three thousand years before. The visitors were amazed and spoke not at all for they were enraptured by Prometheus' tale. After some hours of walking and listening, Eos spoke, tearfully.

"What you have said chokes my heart. Why should I believe a god in exile when he could easily deceive me?"

Prometheus stopped and lay a hand by her cheek, "My niece, I know your father will visit you again soon. When he does, ask him for the truth and see the manner of his response. More than any word you may discern the answer from his actions."

Eos was mollified and carried on. Prometheus departed them at night and the two rested in the forest of Scythia. Asclepius slept but Eos was troubled and could not. It was then that Atlas appeared.

"My daughter," he said and wrapped a copious arm about her shoulders.

She was still saddened and looked at the god with moist eyes. "Father, I have a question."

Atlas prepared to listen but as he did so, he realized where he stood. "Why are we in Scythia?"

"I have visited with my uncle."

These words troubled Atlas and he knelt before her. "Why would you disobey Zeus thus?"

"Prometheus told me about The One." Atlas shivered and she noticed this. "He told me of Zeus' Wager with it and that the Lords usurped its will that they may have total control over all humanity on Kobol."

Atlas said nothing and instead stared into the fire. Eos had her answer yet her father spoke, saying, "Prometheus speaks the truth. I have sought to distance myself from the machinations of Zeus yet I was ensnared and begat you." This caught Eos unawares and Atlas cupped her face in his hands. "Think not that I regret your birth, daughter. I have spent countless years upon Atlantis staring into space for a secret or a sign that has not come. In your eyes, perhaps, I may have my answer."

Eos smiled, not knowing what this meant fully. "Thank you, father, for your honesty."

"I will leave you now." He stood and backed away. "I shall visit you again ere the end. In the meantime, live well." Atlas then vanished.

The next day, Eos and Asclepius continued their journey south. A day later, they spotted a low-flying craft that hovered above the ground and bade them enter. Amazed as they were, the visitors complied and were flown to Panopeus in short order.

Upon their arrival, Eos and Asclepius met Prometheus again and he saw in her eyes that Eos had heard the truth. He nodded and motioned toward buildings nearby, "Allow me to give you a tour."
**Chapter** **20**

The Temple of Zeus stood tallest among all those within Olympia, by the base of Mount Kronos in the eastern part of Taurus. There, a group of ten thousand crowded to see the appearance of their most high god.

The chief priest moved toward the top of the stairs and looked into the cloudless sky. The proscenium of the temple was framed by two huge marble and gold statues, depicting Zeus holding forth his characteristic lightning. The hair upon the neck of the priest began to stand and he knew that Zeus was near.

"Behold!" he bellowed, "Zeus Olympios!"

Two blinding white bolts then struck the tips of the golden beams the statues bore and Zeus appeared before the throng atop the marble platform. The audience cheered and applauded while the priests bowed before him. Zeus strode forth, nearly twice the height of any man, his curled white hair twisted slightly in the breeze. His purple and white robes appeared to flow independent of the winds and the golden buckle under his throat glowed in the sun. It was his aegis, bearing the visage of creatures from Kobol's past, including the dragon of Ladon and Medousa's head.

"Greetings, Olympia!" he said and his voice boomed across all corners of the city.

"We are humbled by your presence, O Lord!" they replied.

"The Lords of Kobol are pleased in all that you have accomplished and there is yet more to do!" He paced between the marble statues on either side of the steps; an eagle and a bull. "For thousands of years and for thousands more, the gods have loved mankind and seek your honor!"

The multitude responded, "All of Kobol hears and obeys!"

Zeus clapped his hands together and watched the priests bring forth a white calf. It was placed at the center of the platform at the end of the stairs. The audience muttered prayers to themselves while the men cut the throat of the beast and lit a fire beneath it. Once it was consumed, the white ash was mixed into a golden pan and lifted high above the priest's head. "We collect again the proof of our worship and the remnant of our sacrifice as we have for so many centuries!"

Zeus bowed slightly and turned to the crowd, "I thank you for your worship and I provide as I always have!" At this, great carts of food were brought forth so that the assembled may feast.

The ceremony was brief and Zeus vanished from Olympia to reappear upon Mount Olympus, where he found Athena in wait.

"Zeus, we must talk."

"What is there to discuss?"

"The One."

This was a matter that Zeus had avoided for many years. He knew that Athena would discuss it again and he did not wish to do so. "I am weary of thought on The One."

Athena was confused. "When have you, in these nearly three thousand years, turned your attention toward it?"

"On occasion." Zeus realized Athena would speak her mind regardless of his own will. "Carry on."

"We have acted these many centuries as if we were the most supreme beings in command over Kobol," she said. "You told me near the beginning that The One would be revealed unto the humans after a time."

"So I did."

"Humanity is yet stable. There is great peace and prosperity. Why have you not revealed the truth unto them?"

Zeus thought and then answered, "We have dominion over the north, over Galatia only. When all of Kobol is under our sway, I shall do as you have wished."

"I do not believe you."

Zeus was surprised by her indignation. "Why do you say this?"

"You have become too enamored of the worship you receive and you are also weakened by your mating with the people of Kobol." Athena moved slightly away from Zeus' light for she saw that it waxed in brightness. "Your will does not seem disposed toward giving up your power."

"I will do as I see fit for I am the chief of The One's tenders upon this world and in the universes we have visited. The Wager with The One was my doing and the terms were according to my will. We have five thousand of their years to raise them up higher than they could have been otherwise and thus strengthen the foundation and growth of their Tree."

Athena interrupted, "The spirit of this bet you have accomplished, but The One did not acquiesce to our usurping of its favor."

Zeus believed he had cornered her logic. "When has The One sought favor from the seeds of its Trees?"

Athena thought and could not recall such a time. "I do not know."

"Why should now be any different?"

Athena thought once again and spoke meekly. "It should not."

"Thank you," Zeus said.

"And yet," Athena began again, "there has not been a situation like unto this one in all the worlds we have visited. The One has afforded us powers and freedoms we have not had in times past. Can it not be said that we have stunted the growth of this Tree? The Lords have strictly governed the growth and migration of this race and controlled the manner of their development. The feet of our wards trod only upon this continent and a few islands besides. Why should they not also wander the islands to the south and even into Scythia?"

Athena knew the answer before Zeus spoke it, "I fear that Prometheus' people would undermine our work." Zeus had not thought on the exiled tender for quite some time. "Perhaps the time is near for us to ask our subjects to multiply and sweep across all vistas and even onto the seas."

"Near indeed."

Zeus, though, moved toward Athena. "I would ask that you take greater part in the worship performed in your name. Go to Athens and absorb the gifts of their being that they give forth, just as they absorb the feelings of your own being that you radiate."

Athena replied, "I see some wisdom in this. If we are to reveal unto them the truth entire at some point in the future, it would do us well to be involved in that manner so we may more effectively redirect their efforts."

Zeus smiled and felt secure again in his seat upon the mount, for he knew the nurturing demeanor of the goddess. "And I see wisdom in that."
**Chapter** **21**

Eos and Asclepius dwelled among the Thirteenth Tribe, learning the great progress they had accomplished with the aid of Prometheus. After a time, both were able to contribute ideas of their own to the Tribe's efforts.

Eos it was who aided Daedalus and his labor to build a great vessel. "This is to travel into the stars themselves should our existence be threatened," he told the child of Atlas.

"Then my presence is fortuitous, for my father has studied them for decades on decades and he has observed the shell that encases the world."

At this was Daedalus intrigued. "What can you tell me of this shell? Is it solid, like unto a glass wall? Or is it an energy, like unto lightning?"

Eos was troubled for she knew not the precise answer. "Hearing my father speak of it, I would say the latter. I fear that any vessel which leaves the ground and surpasses the clouds must traverse the barrier somehow."

Daedalus nodded and showed her the plans for their massive engines. "Prometheus gave these ideas unto us that we may build upon them and make them manifest. In the spinning of these rings, the very fabric of space becomes curved so we may travel greater distances in shorter times."

Eos became fearful for there was a familiarity with this design. "Has this been built?"

"It has, but not to completion and certainly not that we may actually use it."

Eos took a writing utensil and began to scratch out numbers and formulas for the creating of great energy. "Have you seen maths such as this?"

"I have," Daedalus said and then he was stunned, "but these in particular... where did you learn them?"

"My father, I believe." Eos sat upon a stool and started to write more, "Perhaps a seed of Atlas in my mind has begun to sprout."

Elsewhere, Asclepius worked with Pandora and they peered into a tube that they may perceive the elements of life more closely. "It seems to me that you have all the knowledge you need to perpetuate life as you have designed." Asclepius felt more adrift than Eos for he was caught unawares in wonderment of all that these people had created in the art of healing.

"And so we have," she replied. "Death has not touched our kind for some time. Over the centuries, Prometheus was grieved that so much knowledge and strength of life could well within a person only to have that person's body wither like a plucked blossom. Our kind have endeavored to extend life."

"And this you have accomplished?"

"Beyond all measure of reason." Pandora motioned to a diagram. It depicted a colorful yet twisted ladder. "The threads within our beings are now under our control and many ailments are wiped away with the slightest efforts. Magnificent as this may be, the body still weakens under the burden of years." She moved her hand and the image changed to that of a great device and the parts it contained. "We have conceived a manner of immortality. We create copies of our bodies that lie in wait for some disaster to befall us. They are but empty shells ready to receive the whole of our thought and mind."

Asclepius was again bewildered at these words and he spoke softly. "I would like to see this."

Pandora led the doctor away from the lab and into a large structure. Standing like trees in an orchard, glass bottles held a translucent, golden ichor. Within them, Asclepius could discern the shadows of people; adrift and asleep. She held his hand and pulled him to one canister, saying, "This is me. Should I be mortally wounded, my spirit would be sent to this bottle and the woman within would awaken. Her mind would be as mine and every bit as old, yet the flesh upon her bones would be only twenty-five." The fluid ebbed and Asclepius watched the head of the woman inside. He could see enough to know that Pandora was not deceiving him. "So it would be were we not at a loss, for the transmission of memories into these bodies eludes us," she said. "We are not as studied in the substance of our brains that the paths may be mapped."

"If death has not touched your kind and you have not yet cast spirits into their younger forms, then where do these minds yet abide?"

Pandora then motioned to a large device that filled a wall. "They are stored within and await further understanding of our own flesh."

Then did Asclepius smile. "I have studied the fleshly mind and I know the lobes related to memory. Teach me all you may of your transmissions and I shall aid their movement into these jars."

"I will," Pandora said.

Asclepius looked out of the window into the plains that rolled far away from Panopeus. "In the north, our medicine is so very far behind yours that I had only recently discovered the ability to prevent miniscule life particles from infecting all. I placed deceased versions of these ailments within the healthy and their bodies were able to erect defenses. I believed I was brilliant."

Pandora smiled. "You did so on your own, without the aid of Apollo. In our case, we had Prometheus and he gave us that help centuries ago."

Asclepius spoke again softly, "When our time here is at an end, I wish to take this knowledge into the north so that my people may enjoy life without the fear of death."
**Chapter** **22**

While the Thirteenth Tribe labored for the fulfillment of Prometheus' works, the goddess Artemis underwent significant turmoil and difficulty.

For many years, the being like unto her brother, Apollo, attempted to coerce her to enter a human woman for the purposes of creating life, but this would Artemis not do.

"I have no such desire," she said. "I am regarded as the goddess of the hunt and renowned for my purity. To give birth to a child, even in the pouring out of my flame, would desecrate me in the eyes of many of my followers, and this I do not wish to do."

Apollo was a frequent engager in the arts of possession and mating, having fathered Aristaeus, Asclepius, Orpheus, Troilus and many more besides. His capacity was confined and believed that Artemis could be tempted to recant her position should a sufficient lover be provided.

Apollo sought the frontiers and wandered the villages alongside great forests and plains. He discovered hunters and marksmen and brought them to Artemis' temples in Gemini. Very often, she ignored those that came.

One such suitor was named Adonis, and he was boastful of his skills and reveled in his own vanity. At a festival to the goddess, he bragged that he could kill a great boar at a further pace than could Artemis. The goddess' presence at the event was slight, but upon hearing this, she took her full form and bade Adonis make good his bluster.

The attendees moved from the temple and into the woods nearby so that a great animal may be found and flushed out. Artemis sensed the fear within the man and she allowed him to go first, knowing that this would confound him further. Dozens tramped among the trees for nearly two hours before a tremendous beast appeared. Adonis struggled with his bow and the boar charged the man and gouged his belly forthwith. Artemis looked into the sky and saw that Apollo had observed all and she was pleased by his disappointment.

Her brother then raised up Alpheus, a great seaman and hunter, who Apollo believed could win Artemis' heart with his abilities. He brought the man into Artemis' temple and found there a priestess named Arethusa. Ignorant of the priestess' vow of celibacy, Apollo bade Alpheus to go in unto Arethusa so that Artemis may see his prowess and become aroused. Artemis descended to the temple at her brother's bidding and found Alpheus trying to defile one of her beloved attendants. Artemis' form lit upon the floor and she kicked the man from her priestess, felling him into a fountain. He struck his head and became crippled.

Apollo was at wit's end and knew not how to proceed. He spoke to Artemis near Delphi, saying, "I seek only your happiness and the fulfillment of your presence upon this world by your bringing more life into it."

"That is what you seek and I am glad you found it for yourself," she said. "This is not what I seek. I am sated in the life I live. I am lifted by the praise my followers give unto me and I am likewise lifted by the succor I provide unto those who need it. I do not require the creation of more life to meet these ends."

Apollo did not fully understand all that she said and asked, "Allow me one final choice. One last man, so great in stature and skill that even you may not be able to resist him."

Artemis was weary of her brother's attempts but was pleased to hear that they may be near an end. "Very well. Choose your champion wisely."

Apollo departed from her and sought for years. He trudged through jungles after hunters and into the desert for hardy nomads. He rode upon the waves after sailors and across the plains for sturdy horsemen. Finally, he found the mighty Orion.

He was a hunter taller than most mortal men and he bore a smile that bespoke of his enjoyment of life. When Orion first lay his eyes upon the goddess, he fell into a stupor and his heart was taken with her. Artemis, for her part, felt for him also, though she would not say this.

"Orion is from Boeotia in Aquarius," Apollo said. "He is well versed in the ways of the sail for he has caught monstrous fish and survived fell storms in the Ionian Ocean. He is a master of the bow and has hunted boar and deer in the forests of Voras. He has taken his blade into the jungles of Leo and slain terrific quarry. He has walked across the mighty Ordos Desert and emerged erect and indefatigable on the far side. This is Orion, the greatest among men."

Artemis moved closer to him and would have embraced him had her brother not been present. Orion seemed at once eager and yet afraid and said naught. After a time, Artemis looked deep into Orion's eyes, saying, "I see all that you are upon the surface yet I feel I must know who you are within." Orion nodded his head once and Artemis clasped her hand behind his neck.

She spilled her light into his eyes and wandered through his mind. There, she found endless fields of green and flowers and life bounding from thicket to thicket and tree to tree. At the center of the glade, Orion stood, bathed in the perfect golden rays of the sun. His smile was as before and he beckoned her forth. In Orion's mind, her stature was like unto his and they each had a fire of life within.

Orion and Artemis wandered the forest hand in hand, watching the birds and minding their step for woodland creatures scurried to and fro. They swam along the banks of a river with water so clear it appeared as cool molten glass. Fish leapt from the waves and sprayed a mist over their heads so that a glorious rainbow stretched from shore to shore. They departed the river and moved to the face of a cliff so that they may overlook their domain and rest comfortably in each other's arms. Once the night fell, Artemis removed her robe and lay it beside her quiver and bow. She swooned upon Orion's broad chest and they made love until the dawn.

Within Orion's mind, Artemis' energy swelled. The man's body quaked and Apollo bade her depart. She did not hear. Artemis' revelry continued and the mighty Orion fell to his knees as though stung and Artemis' link with him was broken. His hair had gone white and his skin pale. He lived and yet no thought would be produced within him again.

Artemis was overcome and her body wasted upon a slight breeze that scattered it from the temple and away into the woods. After many days, she caused herself to drift to Olympus where she met Lord Zeus and sought his counsel.

"I have heard what transpired and I grieve for you," he said. Zeus listened carefully to all that Apollo had said about her entering Orion's mind. He recalled his doing so unto Hecate and the result of that effort.

"I will never find his like again and I will not search for his memory is too pleasant and yet too painful."

Zeus moved closer to her and embraced her light. "No burden is upon you to do so. If you wish for solitude, then you may have it."

Artemis seemed fortified and cast her thought across the world. "The land of Elysium is yet forbidden to mankind?"

"It is," Zeus said. "No tribe was born there and none have sailed thither. For now, all our subjects remain upon Galatia. When we stretch forth, we shall do so into the south, into Scythia."

Artemis paused and then thought weakly, "I would ask for Elysium to remain a refuge and sanctuary so that no man may step upon its shores. Would you command this?"

Zeus felt pity for Artemis and he saw the torment within her spirit. For the countless ages they had worked in The One's service, he often thought of her as a daughter and he wished to ease her burden in whatever manner he felt possible.

"This I command."

Artemis was pleased and her light departed Galatia and swept over the Arcadian Ocean to the continent of Elysium. Amidmost the land, she found great green plains touched by majestic mountains and streaked with pure rivers. There, standing in her usual form, Artemis wept for all of this she recalled seeing within the mind of the man whom she loved.

For the people of Kobol, they knew of Elysium and that it was a land on the far side of the globe. Zeus forbade anyone to travel there and few ever attempted it. Once Artemis made her abode there, the priests and believers sought to make sense of this and said that the goddess pursued the soul of Orion, which was near enough the truth. They came to believe that all souls that departed the loyal subjects of the Lords went unto Elysium and into the glorious daylight of the Elysian Fields, dwelling there for all eternity.

Over the ensuing ages, Artemis would return to Galatia only briefly, but more often, the gods themselves would visit her upon those cherished lands. Apollo most frequently appeared and gave comfort to his sister who still wept for Orion.
**Chapter** **23**

"The time has come," Prometheus said unto the assembled audience. "For generations upon generations, the people of Panopeus have labored with me to defeat death itself that we may not suffer another loss as great as the host swept away by the Flood. We have also toiled to create a vessel for our people to depart this world if the Lords of Galatia find our presence distasteful."

Pandora felt suddenly weakened and she stepped to the being's side. "Why would they do so when we are the kin of their own children?"

Prometheus understood and readied the same statement he spoke unto his tribe when they asked at other times in the last three millennia. "Zeus and his kind are vainglorious and desire the stability of their command. The coming of the Thirteenth Tribe may upset them and I fear for what they may do. I had a forethought centuries ago that bringing unto you life nigh immortal may not suffice. Thus, we have prepared the vessel for the stars." He placed his large arm about the shoulders of Pandora and said unto the crowd, "The Thirteenth Tribe is precious to me and I would have it survive at all cost."

So Prometheus said, yet his foresight did not prevent the dwindling of his people. So consumed were they with the advancements he prescribed, they did not multiply and spread across Scythia. They lived in comfort and good health, for certain, but in societies where this is so, fewer children are produced and growth is stagnant. Only over the last few years once death was fully conquered with the aid of Asclepius had their numbers begun to swell again outside of large powered devices.

Eos and the son of Apollo both walked with Prometheus from the platform toward the laboratories where the scores of duplicated people awaited the spark of life. "The time has come," he said again. Pandora took Asclepius' hand and smiled for the two had grown close in the years that he sought to learn and aid Prometheus' designs. This vexed Eos but she did not complain or place blame upon any. Instead, she kept her thoughts focused on the problems of their vessel and her work with Daedalus.

"I will return to the north," Asclepius said.

"That is good," Prometheus said. "You will take with you twelve of my most valued counselors. Like all of my people now, they are prepared should anger befall them and death take them. They will be reborn here."

"Yes," Asclepius said and he cast his eyes low. "Prometheus, if we are received well, I would like to give the gift of immortality unto all my people that death may not touch them again."

Prometheus was at first concerned and somewhat angered, but then he thought better of Asclepius' desire and smiled. "You are in the right. What we have created is something that all mankind should share."

Asclepius was pleased and bade Eos farewell, for he knew not if he would be returning to Scythia. Then he, Pandora and eleven others went to an airship that glided over Scythia and then over the Arcadian Ocean. Due north they traveled for days before turning to the east. Their craft stayed near to the sea, being kissed with the foam of the waves lest they be discovered before the time came. Once shore became sighted, the airship plunged into the water and became like unto a boat of tremendous design and speed. It docked at a public facility and all were amazed at its sight. Asclepius told the harbormaster he was a son of Apollo and warned him to leave it be.

They walked to the nearest village and found a horse-drawn cart to take them to the City of the Gods. The twelve and Asclepius rode in the hay along the uneven road and the twelve were stunned.

"So pastoral is the north," said one. "I hear neither vehicle nor industry."

"Yes," said Pandora. "There are millions that dwell here and yet we have amenities beyond their imagining for our few thousand."

Asclepius knew this to be true. "I have turned my attention to this matter often and I believe that the Lords of Olympus will it so. With a population such as this, they may control it more directly. And by leaving them to the farms, the people will not devise means of flying nigh unto Olympus itself and believe that they could do without the lordship of the Pantheon."

At midday, the cart arrived in the City of the Gods and despite their earlier criticism and disbelief, the twelve were taken aback at the size of the establishment and the sheer number of people.

"Great is this city," one said.

"What is that structure at the hub of it all?"

"That is the Opera House," Asclepius said, "for music and theater is beloved by Dionysus and by my father."

"And that, with its pearlescent columns that reach above so many homes?"

"That is Forum where the business of ruling the City and all Galatia is attended to by priests, magistrates and the people of each nation."

And so did Asclepius show unto the twelve all of the City that they desired. After a time, they came to Asclepius' home and found it untouched as he had planned before his departure. He bade the twelve to enter and there they remained to rest and eat foods that they purchased in the agoras. In the early morning once the sun rose, the twelve began a council to devise their strategies.

At this time did Zeus depart from the home of a neighbor near to Asclepius where he had congressed with a woman. Able to see beyond the realm of the physical senses known to mankind, Zeus saw the fire of Apollo's son behind the walls of his abode. His energy softened by a night of carousing, Zeus still purposed to visit and see why Asclepius was absent for so many years. Thus, he took form in the seating area and startled the twelve greatly.

Zeus' face was proud and smiling and the spirit he gave off was cheerful, but then he saw the truth of the twelve visitors. His mind churned and his fire grew hot and angered. The visitors from the south quailed and Zeus turned to his grandson, "You return to our city and array before me twelve serpents?"

Asclepius was fearful also, for even he was not immune to the mood that poured out from the Lord of Lords. "They are friends of mine from the south."

"'The south,' indeed," he said. "Sneaking into our midst as snakes in the grasses. These are Prometheus' people."

"Why does that anger you, O Zeus?" Pandora asked.

"You would open a jar that should remain shut, girl," the god responded. In the intervening centuries, Zeus' remembrances of Prometheus' earlier coming became tainted with ill will and clouded by inflated distrust. "Prometheus has been banned from returning to the north and yet he sends forth emissaries..." Zeus paused for he noted something that his eye had been blinded to before now. From the mind of each of the twelve, Zeus descried a thin tendril that whisked away and into the south. "What is this?" he hissed.

"What, grandfather?" Asclepius said.

"Serpents, I said and knew not the fullness of that truth." His being flashed whilst Zeus followed the line over land and sea. "What madness has Prometheus devised?"

Asclepius stood despite his fear and began to speak, "They are from Scythia and they are emissaries of Prometheus, but they seek only to know if the time has come for their tribe to live among ours."

Zeus perceived the nature of the energy that connected these twelve and he grew despondent for he knew what Prometheus had revealed unto them. "A foul sorcery my kin has unleashed upon your people. He would circumvent the order of things and brace the Tree unnaturally." Zeus hesitated and paid no heed to the people's objections as he thought. "I have cut your tethers. You are no longer yoked to your devices in the south."

The twelve grew fearful anew and Pandora spoke, saying, "Why would you do this to us?"

Zeus ignored her and said to Asclepius, "I will imprison you for a time until I discern your role in this matter."

The god vanished from the house. Before Asclepius could say anything unto the twelve, they collapsed in a heap and died for Zeus slew them silently. The son of Apollo wailed and cradled the body of Pandora for a short while before the City's watch came at Zeus' bidding and removed him.
**Chapter** **24**

For several days, Prometheus stood guard near the waiting bodies of his heralds into the north. Asclepius had no such clone here, for there was not time to grow one and he did not yet desire it.

On occasion, Prometheus touched the cables of the canisters and he heard and saw the memories that flowed in the night. When he realized the twelve arrived in the City of the Gods, Prometheus stretched forth his mind into the cord of Pandora and he heard what she and the others discussed in the early dawn. Then he felt Zeus' presence.

Prometheus shrank in fear, lest the leader of The One's tenders perceive the exiled one's intrusion. Carefully, he extended himself again and heard all that Zeus said and did. When the bind to Pandora's mind was severed, Prometheus' fell back as though struck and his energy drained him. After some moments, he gathered himself again and saw that the green circles illuminated upon the face of Pandora's cask had gone red and he knew that she and her companions were lost.

"What is wrong, my lord?" Daedalus said upon his entry to the storehouse.

Prometheus stood and his gaze moved north. "Pandora and the others are dead." Daedalus was stunned and he fell against the wall. "Zeus said that I brought serpents unto him and his lands and he cut the lines for our envoys. But Asclepius, I feel, lives."

"What of our other kindred who have gone into the north to live?" Daedalus shook his head with worry. "They were the few who did not wish to journey into space, yet their doom upon this world may be worse than any in the dark beyond."

Prometheus closed his eyes in thought. "They are yet concealed and they have been instructed with the means to become one with the Twelve Nations and yet separate."

Daedalus moved closer to the being. "What shall we do?"

In his heart, Prometheus was angered. For the preservation of his people, he knew that he must not lash out as he so wished, for the numbers of his Tribe were still far outweighed by those in the north. "I will go into Galatia and seek Asclepius' pardon, by either perfidy or petition."

"You will be captured by Zeus, will you not?"

Prometheus smiled and placed his hand upon Daedalus' shoulder. "Perhaps. If I am able to retreat, I will return. Regardless, you must prepare your vessel and gather the people unto you that they may take to the stars."

Thus were the last words spoken by Prometheus in the south. Daedalus, in his anger over the loss of his friends, said, "So, the Thirteenth Tribe is as unto serpents? This ship then shall bear serpents hence and be named _Ophiuchus._ "

Prometheus' caused his being to dissolve and his light to soar through stone and soil and rise again in the north near to the Cambunian Mountains. Warily did he ascend and he took the form of Pandora, both to escape the notice of the City's people and to also make a silent protest against her slaying.

He moved among the people stealthily and found the building wherein he believed Asclepius to be held. He did not stretch forth his thought out of fear that doing so would draw the attention of the kindred tenders.

He entered the housing of the City Watch and found few in attendance for there was a festival near unto the Opera House. Holding cells lay underground and Prometheus perceived that only two guards were there.

At this point, Prometheus did something that he had not done in many thousands of years. The tenders of old, before the Wager and their direct involvement in mankind's growth, were like unto spirits and guiding voices, helping urge beings to make certain decisions so their people or race may endure and thrive, thus watering the Great Tree as The One purposed.

Prometheus looked into the face of the watchman behind the front desk and peered quickly into his mind. He saw there memories and faces that swam about in feelings and urges. Quickly, Prometheus moved out of the room and appeared only to the guard as his sister, saying, "Iphitus! Come forth at once for our mother has grown ill at the festival!"

Stunned at hearing such news and seeing his sister so troubled, the man departed his post and ran into the streets, searching for his sibling and moving toward the center of the City.

Prometheus quickly resumed his hidden form as Pandora and he stood motionless, fearing that the use of his power in this way would draw the gods to him. When they did not come, he walked into the offices of the station and then to the stairs where he felt a jailer standing watch beyond a door. He aimed to do the same to her as he had to Iphitus, but he grew impatient and fearful of his exposure. He reached out with his thought and gave her a slight push, sending her mind reeling and causing her to collapse unconscious. He entered the holding area and saw Asclepius by the barred door asking after the guard's health.

"Pandora!" he exclaimed. "Zeus did not sever your connection after all!"

"No, Asclepius," Prometheus said, "I am not Pandora. I am Prometheus in her guise that I may slip unawares through the City and gather you up for escape."

At this was Asclepius grieved again, for he loved her. "Thank you, but you should not worry. I am the grandson of Zeus and I do not fear for my own safety."

"Perhaps you should for Zeus would not wish the knowledge you carry to be used here in Galatia."

Asclepius was confused for a moment and then he remembered what Zeus said in his home the day prior. "I see. If we may escape, I will go with you into the south, never to return."

Prometheus then felt a slight breeze in the room, pulling miniscule fragments of dust to a windowless, doorless area. At once, Prometheus stood and his form shifted in a brilliant manner to that of his own and he glowed as bright as the sun.

Zeus came. He stood at the far end of the chamber and willed the door closed. He then spoke, saying, "You have come into the north against the ban I placed upon you so many years ago."

"I came for Asclepius," Prometheus answered. "He wishes to remain in Scythia with my people and will not return."

"I do not care what he wishes," Zeus boomed as he strode toward his opponent. "I have made my wishes known and you have disobeyed them." He raised his hand and at once, Prometheus was caught within an energy against which he could not struggle.

"You would think that my power has waned," Zeus said, smirking as he did so. "But you forget that there is power in the many." Ares and Poseidon both appeared from empty cells, their hands also raised. "With their help, I hold sway over you."

Prometheus beat upon the invisible walls to no avail. He spoke, but his voice was muffled by the barrier, "What will you do with my people?"

"You will see," Zeus said. "I intend for you to see all that transpires from your prison, deep below in the fires of the core." Prometheus scoffed at this and Zeus spoke again, "I know what you would ask. The One will decide your disposition upon its return, but I fear that it will be displeased that you gave such knowledge unto a race that was not prepared for it."

At that, the three gods' arms swelled in light and the air wavered with heat. Prometheus' raiment was shattered and only his light remained. Then the Lords pushed that light into the ground far below the surface and placed about him a permanent globe, trapping his spirit within.

Zeus turned to Ares and said, "Gather unto you a great army and sail into the south." To Poseidon, he said, "Gather unto you a great cavalry. Together shall you wipe Scythia clean of this tainted tribe."

The two Lords departed and Zeus knelt by the guard. With a touch, she stirred and rose quickly, startled by the presence of the god. Zeus stood and went to the door of Asclepius' cell, saying, "You shall remain here for a time longer, in case I have need of you."

And Zeus vanished.
**Chapter** **25**

Above the covered plain outside the abandoned city Panopeus, the great vessel _Ophiuchus_ lifted into the sky upon pillars of fire and smoke.

Daedalus piloted the ship into the clouds while Eos, daughter of Atlas, remained at the head of the cabin to assuage the spirits of the fearful thousands. They crowded within the hull among many tools and foods that they may survive in their new land.

"My father has told me of lush worlds beyond the veil," Eos said while her voice quaked in the rumbling of the vessel. "Paths around stars and through clouds of dust. It will take time, but when we arrive, we will find for us a full life in the waiting." She clenched the arms of her seat and spoke to the five around her, "Will The One heed prayers if we offer them up?"

One of the five smiled, saying, "I believe so."

"Then let us pray," Eos said, and the six of them closed their eyes and turned their thoughts to The One.

The _Ophiuchus_ broke through the uppermost bank of vapor and reached the edge of space itself. Gravity lost its grip and the encompassing globe loomed ahead, though it could not be seen by either instrument or eye.

That was when Zeus' gaze was drawn to it.

"What is this?" he said from the peak of Olympus. The metal vessel ferried thousands beyond his realm and he was greatly angered again. "The treachery of Prometheus," he said, "would poison the Tree and remove seeds from its growth." This he believed though he had dispatched Ares and Poseidon for their slaughter. Zeus stretched forth toward the blackness and found his grasp weak. He called unto him Hermes, Dionysus, Hephaestus, Aphrodite and Apollo to draw upon their strength. The six of them together had diminished over the years and could not affect something so great as it moved beyond the place of their dominion. For The One decreed that the power of the Lords should dwell upon Kobol and even within it, but not beyond it, thus the shell.

Zeus found that he could see into the minds of the several thousands aboard and he purposed one of his greatest sins against the will of The One. He recalled his dealing with Hecate and his journey into her mind. The sensitivity of the information there controlled her whole being and he knew the folly of such an act, too, hearing the story of Artemis and Orion.

He again drew upon the light of the assembled gods and reached into the _Ophiuchus_ , lightly touching each of the minds within. The fires of the gathered Pantheon waned sorely and Zeus began to change the very fabric of each person's thought. From each he pulled memories of The One and replaced them with images and sayings of the Pantheon. The Olympians he put atop their thinking that they may believe in them and forget all they knew of The One that Prometheus had taught.

This Zeus believed was a far more satisfying and painful revenge unto Prometheus than the simple felling of that craft. Thus could life continue and a tree spread elsewhere, but their wills were altered and not in line with all that Prometheus had designed.

While Zeus did this, Eos saw those around her fall into a swoon and leave consciousness. She became fearful and felt the probing fingers of Zeus. Inside of her, the fires of Hera and Atlas rose, and her will turned solid. Eos reached out to each of the five nearest her and clustered their heads together. "We must remain strong! Keep your minds on The One and be brave!"

Zeus' movements encountered resistance at this and he was confused. He sensed Eos and knew of a new treachery that he would deal with later. As he was about to thrust his will into her more violently, a new obstacle appeared.

Atlas saw the ship rise from his post atop Atlantis and he also saw Zeus attempt to corrupt all aboard. The steely spirit of his daughter he felt and he moved to the side of the _Ophiuchus_ to block Zeus' advance. This took nearly all of Atlas' will, for he was now far beyond the bounds of Kobol.

"I will not allow you to harm my daughter!" he said. "You would undermine the very will of The One by bending all of these people to your own ends!"

Zeus heard Atlas and he pushed further without a response. His touch was diverted around Eos and those she gathered with because of her own spirit and the protective nature of her father, but Zeus was able to reach the remainder of those aboard. The lights of Zeus, Apollo and the others faded and blew upon the winds for they could do no more.

Eos felt that the danger had passed, though she knew not its true nature at the time. She also sensed that her father had aided her and she cast her eyes to the window, seeing the speckled blackness of space surrounding the gentle curve of blue below. "Thank you," she said softly.

"The danger has not passed," he whispered in her mind. "All of your companions have fallen under a spell and your craft speeds toward the shell!"

Her eyes widened and she stood from her seat. "What is it?" one of the five asked, for they and Eos were the only ones among the thousands to escape Zeus' reach and remain alert.

"Daedalus needs help." She entered the cockpit and found that he was, indeed, asleep. His eyes quivered and his lips moved as though muttering some incantation. She studied the array of lights and controls, finding that nearly all was set. One square in particular glowed blue and ebbed in brightness before swelling again. She pressed it and her stomach lurched.

The _Ophiuchus_ ' engines spun and a glow emerged from metal windows along its side. The whiteness flashed from one end to the other and the ship disappeared from above Kobol before it could collide with The One's barrier.

Atlas, though, was adrift. His glow was diminished beyond recovery and he perceived for the first time the true glory and beauty of space, for he was surrounded by it. He did not stretch toward Atlantis. He accepted that oblivion awaited him and felt at peace as his being smashed into the wall of the capsule and scattered.
**Chapter** **26**

After many days, Zeus' spirit coalesced and he took form again upon Mount Olympus in the guise of his usual light. He was weary and weak, yet he had not forgotten all that he learned while in contact with Eos, Atlas and the others on board that vessel.

First, he called unto him Hera, his wife. He learned the truth of her infidelity when he touched Eos and saw that she was the woman's mother.

"Why have you summoned me?" Hera asked.

Zeus bound her immediately and said, "You have dogged me for ages regarding my desires and actions among the people and yet you do the same but with one of our own kind?"

Hera was immobilized, yet she spoke, "I cannot fathom why you, Zeus, of all upon this rock would punish me for doing what I have done."

"You comingled your light with that of another Lord," he said. "This I have not done. Of the Olympians, you alone have been my partner in the creation of new life."

Hera thought for a moment and realized this to be true. Zeus' jealousy, though, still bewildered her, "What is the point of your malice? We are not truly wed."

Zeus' thought was clouded by the days his being spent lost upon the wind and by his diminished spirit after ages of pouring forth his energy into the seed of mortals. "We are wed in the minds of our subjects and a betrayal of this nature I cannot abide. Fear not; your sentence is not oblivion."

Zeus then cast her light south of the city and caused it to dwell upon the dual peaks known as the Gates of Heroes. Afterward, the people would call that place the Gates of Hera, for there she dwelled for a full century and her light was visible both day and night. When she was released, she had little to do with Zeus for the remainder of their dominion upon Kobol and this gave rise to many stories among the people regarding their relationship.

Once Hera had been dealt with, Zeus moved into the City of the Gods and pardoned Asclepius. The healer departed the cell and shielded his eyes from the noon sun.

"Why have you freed me?" he asked.

Zeus answered not. Instead, he turned and began to walk out of the City and into the north near the Cambunian Mountains. Asclepius followed his grandfather in silence, hoping that the Lord of Lords would deign to speak unto him.

Finally, once the last leg of the Peneius River was crossed, Zeus turned to Asclepius and said, "I see within your mind a wealth of knowledge regarding life and death as taught unto you by Prometheus."

Asclepius was unnerved but knew there was no point in denial. "This is true."

"I also see that you purpose to teach all that you know unto the people of Galatia, that death itself may be averted."

Asclepius looked at his own feet. "This also is true."

Zeus heaved a great sigh and cast his gaze toward Olympus. "I have come to believe that the people of Galatia are not as far along as they should be. The rogue Prometheus managed to advance his tiny tribe to such astounding lengths that they might cheat death and even the hold this planet keeps upon their vehicles. It is time, I believe, for our people to be fruitful and multiply that all corners of Galatia and even Scythia feel their presence."

Asclepius was pleased and smiled broadly, "Thank you, O Zeus. I concur, wholeheartedly."

"I cannot, however, allow the knowledge of immortal life to remain within you."

Asclepius' face fell and he was sorely disappointed. "Hades stalks all the lands and our people succumb to simple disease and poor conditions."

"Then you shall work on those diseases and abate those poor conditions." Zeus placed a hand on Asclepius' shoulder and said, "You will be the greatest healer Kobol shall ever know. Truly, a son of Apollo and worthy of note and worship." As he spoke, the hand of Zeus' mind went in unto Asclepius' thought and erased all that Prometheus taught him on life and death and The One. "Now go forth and heal."

Asclepius smiled and bowed. "Thank you, Lord Zeus."
**Chapter** **27**

Ten thousand of Ares' infantry and two thousand of Poseidon's cavalry rode across Scythia, from east to west and north to south. A few small families they found in huts and cabins, and but two small villages, and these they slew all within them. Barely one hundred people had been found and Ares grew angry.

"I have come for battle and I find naught but peasants with pitchforks and hoes to smite me?" He raged before the wind and pressed his soldiers onward. "We will find all that remain upon this land!"

The cavalry swept to and fro and Ares gave up his human-like countenance that his spirit may spread across the many leagues at a greater speed. He moved through all the forest and over hills, finding only some huts as before and these he slaughtered posthaste.

Finally he came upon Panopeus and espied no person at all. He beckoned Poseidon and he, too, moved over the leagues apace and stood amidst the city's square and marveled at the desolation.

"Were all their kind upon the vessel that leapt to the stars?" Poseidon asked.

Ares' teeth grit and his fists clenched. "I fear it is so."

The beings went back to their hosts and called them all upon the city and bade them search every building and place that a person may hide. None were found. To the west of the city, there was a large field where a structure once stood though now only ash lay heaped upon it. Poseidon said to Ares, "This is where they devised their means of duplicating their bodies and transmitting their minds."

"They have laid it waste. Nothing is to be found here." Ares flashed to the covered plain whereupon the _Ophiuchus_ was constructed and likewise found scorched desolation. "Zeus asked us to recover as much technology and information as possible that we might give some measure of it unto the people of Galatia."

Poseidon nodded. "There are records within the city still. I will peruse them and erase what remains of their immortality scheme. The carts and boats may then ferry what is left into the north."

Poseidon disappeared to give orders to his horde whilst Ares remained. The soldiers continued their search of Panopeus and Ares bellowed toward the sky.
**Chapter** **28**

During the affair of the Thirteenth Tribe, a portion of the Lords of Kobol paid no heed. Zeus, of course, was most involved. Apollo, Hermes, Dionysus, Hephaestus and Aphrodite aided in some measure in the grasping of the escaping tribe's minds and Ares and Poseidon searched Scythia for evidence of Prometheus' misdeeds, as you have seen.

The others, though, were not so engaged and were instead busied with other matters. Artemis remained upon the Elysian Fields. Demeter and Hera were involved with great festivals in their honors across the lands. Athena took note of the events, but she, too, was similarly distracted.

Hestia, however, was both grieved and aggrieved. The goddess of the hearth took full part in the Wager negotiated by Zeus and she believed The One's role in all things would be introduced unto the people ere long. She was disappointed that it had not and she forbade any construction of temples in her name, saying the homes of the people would suffice. She withdrew from the council upon Olympus and did not heed Zeus' calls over the years. She witnessed all that had been done against the Thirteenth Tribe and Prometheus especially. She was angered and spoke to Zeus some time after the exiled god had been bound beneath the world.

"I will be departing this realm and meeting oblivion as Atlas and the others have before me."

Zeus was taken aback and drew his light closer to hers that they may speak in secret. "For three thousand years have you dwelled upon Kobol and given warmth and aid to the households that request it..."

"This I have done for your subjects are but innocents and I will not ignore their pleas."

"Yet you would leave when two thousand years yet remain in the Wager?" Hestia did not waver. Zeus spoke again, "What if the people need you in the coming ages?"

"They will need to pray unto a different Lord, for I will not hear them." She lifted her being from the pinnacle of Olympus toward the sky. She stopped shortly after and turned, speaking loudly that the other tenders may hear, "The day of The One cometh sooner than you surmise. The calendar is fixed and yet events are in motion that may bring about the doom of all before that date is reached."

Zeus was amazed and spoke with awe, "Have you some heretofore unknown prescience that has been denied the rest of us by The One?"

"No, Zeus," she said. "I have less forethought than Prometheus but neither am I blind." With that, her spirit turned and moved beyond the clouds and into the void where she, too, crashed upon the barrier about the globe.

Athena heard Hestia's foretelling and felt afraid. She knew the truth that Hestia spoke for she had felt it often herself. In her three millennia upon Kobol, Athena became enamored of the people, seeing the capacity for great things within them.

"I believe it possible that I may convey some truths about the world to my followers and not exalt myself so highly that I take The One's place above all," she said to Artemis during a visit to Elysium.

Softly, the archer goddess replied, "If this is what you deem possible and honest, do so. I see your spirit is yet pure, unlike many of our fellow tenders who have fallen prey to petty desires like lust and pride." Artemis looked upon the rivers of her domain and said, "I myself have repented of the works people committed in my name. I wish that all the Lords would turn their minds unto The One, like you."

Athena lowered her head and wept softly. "I will lower my stature among my people so that they may see me as more a guide than a god. I will ask that they turn their thoughts to each other and love their fellow man and not concern themselves overly with the whims and wishes of the Lords."

"Be wary of how you do this thing," Artemis warned. "Zeus is weakened and yet powerful. He is also jealous and easily enraged."

"Indeed," Athena said. "I believe this is too important for the will of The One to lie fallow for two thousand years more. I will return to Athens and tend to those seeds as we should have from the start."

Artemis bade her farewell and Athena returned unto the lands where she was most beloved. She dwelled within the city in a home not unlike the rest and walked with them during the day. At night, she sang 'round the fires and appeared at every service held in her honor. In this manner was her spirit made more amiable to her people and approachable and they did not fear her as so many feared the other gods.
**Chapter** **29**

In the coastal village of Cyme, a clutch of wanderers made their permanent home. They brought with them wagons and beasts of burden and great gifts to barter for a land they would call their own.

"We shall dwell here," Graecus, leader of the wanderers said. He offered goods to the townspeople for land and building supplies and they constructed a sprawling farm where they grew crops and raised large barns.

"The secret of our people we shall keep," Graecus said, "for as many ages as we may. We know not how many of Prometheus' children have scattered into the north, but we shall survive."

Their wagons were uncovered and they placed their own bodies under the ground that they may stay hidden. From the sun they collected energy to power their devices. The group of twenty toiled for years, growing after a time to thirty and then forty and beyond, for death came not to their homes.

In Delphi, another clan out of Scythia rooted themselves. They were not as secluded as Graecus' kind near Cyme and these sought to mingle with the people in their community.

"But mother," one child said to their leader, Hellen, "what shall we do when age or bad fortune has overcome us and our new flesh must enter the city anew, old though it may be?"

Hellen smiled and said, "Have I not considered all things? When we are reborn we shall take a new name that our ways remain concealed to those of the Twelve Tribes. We shall say that this new person of our family has arrived from some other part of the world. There will be similar appearances but this is to be expected within a family."

Thus did these and other families of Scythia move about in the north, planting their homes and affixing their lives to the subjects of the beings that would have slain them. They were aware of the animosity that Zeus and the others had toward their kin and they stayed away from these spirits as much as they could. Despite these remembrances, they also kept close to their hearts the sayings of Prometheus, that they should love all life and the world about them.

For centuries they lived within the Twelve Nations and most lived beside new neighbors, appearing as one in like mind and knowledge, though all were terribly advanced. In the intervening years, the people of the Thirteenth Tribe and the many fruits of their toil in the south slowly elevated the lives of the other Twelve through piecemeal revelations by the gods, though none knew this.
**Chapter** **30**

Zeus commanded that the Twelve Nations be fruitful and multiply and the people responded fervently. No other god was as eager to encourage these acts as was Aphrodite.

She continued to possess people for the act of fornication, but she adapted her desire of lust and love into her temple services. Priestesses in her employ acted as holy vessels waiting to be filled by worshippers for which they received blessings in return. Priests there were, too, that likewise bestowed blessings to female worshippers or to those among men who so desired to lie with another man.

Ardent worshippers of other gods looked down upon followers of Aphrodite for they felt that this was abominable and sullied faith. Most of the Lords did not feel this way and especially not Aphrodite. She countered that other gods had their own festivals and means of worship that may be seen as improper or even distasteful.

At this time of swelling populations, Hermes was revered as a fertility god moreso than his regular duties as a lord of commerce. Festivals and worship services in his honor were marked with symbols, statues, costumes and headgear resembling erect phalluses. Priests and acolytes took medicines to make their own genitals stand erect for much of the day that they may provide satisfaction to any worshipper that desired it.

Dionysus' frequent festivals had long been criticized for their lengthy duration and had, in recent years, incorporated more intoxicants. Parades of naked men and women bound through the streets for three days straight and they copulated upon the sidewalks and upon doorsteps. The city watch in many towns tried to curtail these acts but they were met with anger and weapons. Anarchy reigned within these villages until the god Dionysus himself came to assuage all concerned.

In the worship of Ares, however, did most find cause to be fearful and scolding. In the far east, particularly in areas that bordered the Ordos Desert, worshippers of Ares gathered in arenas and held contests in his honor. Often, the Lord himself would appear and he swelled, great in size, with his skin flushing red to the pulse of the combatants as they raised swords and spears against one another. Once a victor was named and the opponent lay prone upon the sand, Ares stood over him and stared into his eyes. The wounded fighter felt fear and his skin crawled as the god's gaze poured into his skull like molten iron. The fallen screamed and his mind shattered under the duress while the god's pale skin grew brighter with blood and bloodlust.

These battles and services persisted for some time until Zeus appeared during an event in Gedros. He took Ares from the arena and spoke with him in the foothills of the nearby Voras Mountains.

"Our mission from The One has not changed, though we are more greatly empowered than ever," the leader of the tenders said. "We are to nurture and guide these people so that the Tree may grow taller and more strong."

Ares was angered for his rage was yet unsated, "We have labored here for more than three thousand revolutions about the sun. In that period, my skills have not been needed more than a scant few times. I marched across Galatia with Heracles and Theseus and I moved across Scythia with Poseidon, but I smelled the blood of only a meager several thousand! My purpose upon these worlds is to sow anger and discord thus making the whole stronger, but you would bind me and constrain me that I cannot do what I have been meant to do!"

Zeus understood. "I am sympathetic."

"Loosen me and let my blade see blood!" His light extended as though two arms were raised before his face. "Let these fingers feel the spray of warmth as steel meets flesh!"

Zeus said naught for a time. Finally, he spoke, "We are in a period of growth. The numbers of the Twelve Tribes must continue to increase and they must spread south into the Thracian Sea and across to Scythia. For you to be satisfied," he shook his head, "I fear that these efforts would be harmed and this runs counter to the will of The One." Ares withdrew and Zeus stopped him. "The worship you enjoy also runs counter to The One's will! The growth of the Tree depends upon the decisions of these people. By killing them you cease their contributions to its maturing."

"Not so, Zeus," Ares said. "Their deaths are a choice, too. These people who enter the arenas know what they are doing and have chosen to die. Both accept it. That one of them survives to make decisions thereafter is a gift unto them from me and I am worshipped for it."

Zeus was intrigued and he tried to conceal this from Ares.

"The One prizes the growth of the Tree above all else upon this world. It desires that mankind make choices and cause it to grow taller throughout time." Ares took hold of Zeus and spoke closely to his being. "Each decision and each decision maker is therefore precious. That one of these people willingly gives themselves over to us and thus sacrifices their future contributions to the Tree... what greater gift can there be?"

Zeus was silent. He spoke softly, "You must ensure that no more lives are sacrificed in this manner. I command it."

Ares flew into a rage and roared, "You speak of The One while you raise yourself above it! You speak of the Tree as you bend its direction unto yourself and your own will!" The taunts did not stir Zeus and at this was Ares angered the more. His light bound across the mountain range and beyond sight.

Zeus, though, returned to Olympus and pondered all that Ares had said for a great while after.
**Chapter** **31**

Some four centuries after the departure of much of the Thirteenth Tribe from Kobol, Gaia grew weary.

Over the years, the Lords of Kobol had bestowed upon the Twelve Tribes kernels of knowledge gleaned from Prometheus' efforts in the south. The people advanced piecemeal as their numbers swelled and the devices of their creation grew with them. Hephaestus, Apollo and Hermes aided in the effort to give the people of Galatia knowledge of industry, new metals and synthesized solids, the refining of fuels and the power of engines. In their infancy, these new devices spewed forth great clouds of black smoke and foul waters and oils that seeped into the ground.

Gaia sensed these things and her home no longer welcomed her, so she believed. Though she dwelt within the world, Gaia still kept her eye on the efforts of her fellow tenders. She saw the power that Zeus wielded over mankind and the lack of heed he paid unto The One. She felt the diminished light that he and many of the others bore after their transgressions with humanity. She knew of the Lords' efforts in the departure of the Thirteenth Tribe and the corruption of their minds ere they leapt beyond the encircling shield. Gaia was disgusted with her kind and now she was disgusted with her abode.

In Delphi, by a spur of the Voras Mountains, there lay a temple. Its marble was ancient and its steps were not as trod upon as they had once been. Still, the priestesses and acolytes visited this structure for it was holy unto the worship of Apollo. Within an inner sanctum, a crack rent in the floor allowed the very breath of the world to blow into the chamber. There a priestess was chosen and there she would dwell to act as an oracle. So it was in ancient days though few oracles had been named in the recent centuries.

One priestess of Apollo tended to the temple for she held it near her heart. She swept its floors, wiped webs from the walls and kept animals from defiling it. She was a granddaughter of Hellen, a leader of the Thirteenth Tribe who kept her sect intact within Delphi. Her mother loved a stranger to the Tribe, and he was of noble blood, being a great-grandson of both Apollo and Atlas. The woman was named Pythia and her part in this tale has come.

Gaia lifted herself from the depths of Kobol and drew near unto the prison that held Prometheus. The power used to bind him was too great for Gaia to crack and she left him be. Up, she moved, through the crevices of stone and left the warmth of the core far behind. She moved through fumes and found her way into the very crack beneath the floor of the oracle's chamber.

Pythia was clearing leaves from a hallway when a rush of cool air blew past the thick velvet curtains of the sanctum. She stopped her sweeping and noted the smell. Pythia had inhaled the breath of the world before, though she had no visions because of it. She turned to the veil and with the staff of her broom parted one drape aside. Darkness lay within but the midday sun reflected off the marble floor and gave partial illumination to the sanctum.

"Who goes there?" Pythia spoke, for she sensed the presence of another.

The dim room began to fill with a silver light and it took a womanly form. Knowing that a god was about to appear before her, Pythia fell to her knees and allowed the heavy curtains to fall against her sides. "I am Gaia, Tender of the Tree and dweller within the world."

Pythia was stunned for she had only heard her name on few occasions. "Welcome to Delphi, my goddess. What is your bidding?"

Gaia lifted the young woman's chin with a single glowing finger and Pythia's skin was warmed and her spirit pleased. "I see within you the fires of my kin. Apollo and Atlas?"

Pythia nodded quickly. "Yes, goddess. They are great-grandparents to my father."

"I also see..." Gaia's head moved around the human's and her eyes followed a trail that no person could descry, "you are one of Prometheus' people. A member of the Thirteenth Tribe."

Pythia's gaze fell and she nodded quickly. "You are correct, my goddess. My family has been told to not speak of these things and to avoid conversing with the Lords lest our secret be uncovered."

"And yet you are a priestess."

Pythia smiled meekly and said, "I have not always been a good listener."

At this did Gaia smile widely and her visage swelled. Light filled all of the chamber and the happiness that Pythia felt grew still more. "I am weary of this world and seek oblivion. I could depart and soar toward the encasing capsule as did Atlas, but I feel that this would be wasteful."

Pythia knew not how to respond to such talk. "If I may help in any manner, I would."

Gaia looked deep into Pythia's mind and saw that she was honest and a good person. A thought occurred to her. "I will seek oblivion right here." The priestess was confused and Gaia spoke again, "I wish to join my spirit unto yours and allow my power to flow within you."

Again, Pythia was struck dumb. "I would do this, goddess, but I do not understand."

"Like a drop of wax that falls from a long-burning candle, I shall be made liquid. Your spirit shall melt, too, and together will we stir. Once they have cooled, a single bead of wax shall remain, greater than what came before." Pythia felt fear and Gaia sensed this. "Your will and your mind will stay as they are. I shall waste unto the winds but whatever fire I have will burn within you until the end of your days."

Pythia shrank and fell against the velvet curtain. She looked into Gaia's countenance and saw peace and contentment. Her fears began to wane and her arms fell by her side. Slowly, she nodded, saying, "I am ready."

Gaia closed her eyes and her fire grew brighter than before. Her bodily raiment was shed and only the bare light of her being held constant before the receptacle. On a sudden, the blue-silver flame poured into Pythia's eyes, mouth and chest. The woman collapsed in the new darkness, though her skin glowed from within for a time.

She knelt in the sanctum and swayed. After more than an hour, Pythia stood and left the temple for she knew there was much work to be done.
**Chapter** **32**

In these days of growth, the Lords of Kobol were busy. They moved from city to city and gathered thousands of people unto them for worship and for the building of new homes and structures. They sailed upon the ocean to establish new beachheads in the south. They cultivated the advancement of mankind with the aid of Prometheus' records from so long ago.

As their frontiers expanded, many of the gods did not remain for as long a time in their older homes and temples as they may have desired. The Olympians swept across the plains and through the forests, aiding in the founding of new towns. Apollo it was, however, who was bidden to return to Delphi.

"What is the urgency?" he asked.

The messenger fell upon his feet and began to weep, "Forgive me, Lord, for I do not know. I was only told that a miracle has happened and that she wishes to see you."

"An oracle," Apollo said. As the messenger continued to prostrate himself in the deepest southern regions of Sagittarius, Apollo's form shrank to a glowing orb that moved over the field and mountains back to the north. There he found the once-ramshackle temple by the Voras Mountains and a crowd of people gathered about it.

His light took form and the people swooned in his presence. He smiled and brushed against them as he floated to the steps and into the temple. Before the red curtain of the inner sanctum, there sat a young woman. She rested upon a tripod of marble stands and held in her lap a bough of leaves. Two priestesses stood by her sides and one held a glass that sparkled in the rays of the sun.

"My Lord Apollo," she said without rising or bowing. "Welcome to Delphi and to your own temple."

As he beheld her, a previously unseen veil was parted and he saw within this woman the fires of the tenders themselves. It burned brightly and he felt as though he was meeting another of his kind for the first time. "Pythia, I am told."

"Indeed," she said. She sipped from the glass and beckoned the god forward. "Please, my Lord. Would you care to sit or drink this fine spring water?"

Still shaken at what he felt, he only shook his head. "I wish to speak with you alone." At this, Pythia waved her hands and the attending acolytes fled. Quiet hung in the air and Pythia did naught but sit and smile. "Why do you grin so?" Apollo asked.

Pythia licked her lips and replied, saying, "Because I know what you are."

For the first time, the god felt fear. He was not sure why, but he was afraid of the knowledge this woman may hold. Given the flame that burned within her, Apollo did not doubt it. "Shall I bring Zeus?" he said, hoping this would make the woman quake.

Instead, she stood. Her look was more pleased than before. "I beg you to do so."

Apollo regarded this new being for a short time and vanished. Soon he appeared upon Mt. Olympus and he summoned Zeus to him. "You must come away with me to Delphi for something is amiss."

"What?"

The being hesitated. "I do not know. It is a woman but she bears the very glow of a god within her. She claims to have knowledge beyond her means and I do not doubt her."

Zeus felt the anxiety in his fellow spirit and he said, "Then let us go." Quickly did the pair rush from Olympus and appear at the oracle's temple. There Zeus found Pythia in much the same way Apollo had a short while before. Without prodding by the other Lord, Zeus saw the flame in her body. This was no mere product of sexual congress between two people possessed by the gods. The light of a tender dwelled within.

"Hail, Lord Zeus," Pythia said. She rose and bowed with a flourish. Apollo was confused at first and then believed this to be done as a facetious gesture. "Welcome to Delphi."

Zeus desired to not waste any time. "What are you?"

"I am a priestess of Lord Apollo and caretaker of this temple. I have studied the oracular arts of the cleft within," she nodded toward the sanctum, "and I am a servant of the Lords of Kobol."

Zeus' form inhaled deeply and began to speak, "I am pleased..."

"But," Pythia interrupted, "I am also a great-granddaughter of both Atlas and Apollo and a member of the first family of the Thirteenth Tribe that ventured into Galatia." At this did Zeus' form increase and he gave forth an air of fear, though Pythia quailed not. "Relax, Zeus," she said. "I am also the wielder of the fire of Gaia. Her soul may be scattered but the power of her being dwells within me."

Zeus returned to his normal appearance and looked more closely at the woman before him. Yes, he could now perceive the thin tendril of power that connected her to some of Prometheus' devices, though Zeus knew they were not as remote as he had thought. The silver flame she bore in her bosom did appear to be Gaia's, but Zeus could not be certain.

"How can I trust that you are all that you say?"

At this did Pythia laugh. "You are the Lord of Lords, great Zeus. See with your own eyes. I carry the very spirit of a tender for The One within me."

Thus had Zeus nor Apollo ever heard a human speak. Zeus immediately cast off his raiment and moved against the woman in a blink, but he found her waiting.

"You would cause the crawling of time in order to slay me? Have you not heard what I have said? Gaia has departed into oblivion and given me the powers of her being."

Zeus fell back and resumed his visage. "You are truly powerful but you speak of things you cannot understand."

"I understand more than you grasp, Lord Zeus." Pythia lifted the glass of spring water from the floor and took a sip before holding it in the sun's light. "The One lives beyond the fabric of our universe and it desires to see life that grows and persists through great swaths of time." She peered through the crystal liquid at the mute gods and continued. "The One took you, the tenders, from another universe and altered you for its own purposes. For countless ages, it deposited your kindred upon dozens of worlds so that life may grow and live and choose with your guidance. From the decisions of life grow great Trees that The One perceives and harvests for its enjoyment." She lowered the glass and studied the stone faces of her audience. "Have I yet erred?"

Apollo's voice barely managed a whisper. "No."

"I also understand things that you do not, O Zeus."

"Such as?" he asked.

"The will of The One, for one." She smiled and spoke softly, looking between the columns to ensure that her attendants had indeed left. "The One desires that life survives. The will of The One is that humanity live at peace with itself, its technology and its world."

"'Its technology?'" Apollo asked.

Pythia smiled, "You will understand." She drank more of the water and then spoke, "Gaia fled because the world is being compromised. The will of The One is being thwarted by your vainglorious desires for growth and advancement."

"That was the Wager," Zeus said.

"Yes, the Wager. But the Wager does not supplant the will of The One. In this development is the world choked with fumes and sickly streams."

Zeus waved his hand dismissively. "This is but a stepping stone to greater advancements."

"Perhaps," Pythia said. "The One would advise that you do not tarry here overlong. The world will recover, for certain, but the people are being damaged and thus is the Tree wounded. You also wound the Tree for you bind it like a grower who desires that no branch go astray. The Tree should grow as it wills, Zeus, and not after your own fashion."

Zeus sighed and looked toward Apollo. He was staring at Pythia intently for he was still taken aback by the power that dwelled within a human. "You said that I would understand. Have you some gift of foresight?"

The oracle smiled and cast her eyes upon Zeus that she might see his reaction to her response. "As the tenders had on other worlds before The One encased Kobol, so do I see across great spans of time."

At this was Zeus shaken and he stepped toward the woman. "This is so?" She nodded. "In placing us here, The One has extended many of our powers but curtailed others. Chief among the latter is in the perception of time. Gaia was so bound and though her fire burns within you, you are not likewise bound?"

"I cannot say why for I do not fully comprehend. I do know, however, that one who bore a fraction of the fire of two tenders escaped the capsule about our planet and thus did her power wax once she was beyond those limits."

"Hera and Atlas' daughter, Eos," Apollo said.

"Indeed."

Zeus became angered at the reminder of Hera's infidelity, Atlas' insubordination and all that Prometheus had done. He began to speak but sensing that his tone would bear too sharp an edge, he paused and composed himself. "Because Eos lived beyond The One's barrier, your power has grown?"

"Perhaps." She placed the glass upon the floor and spoke softly while grasping at a necklace above her chest, "I am a great-granddaughter of Atlas and I feel a kinship with other children of Atlas, even those that yet live."

Apollo looked to Zeus and then said, "Eos still lives?"

"No," Pythia said. "She died sometime ago. Her children and grandchildren, however, are alive and I feel the warmth of their flames in conjunction with mine own."

"Enough of this," Zeus said. "I demand that you speak to our futures. What of the Twelve Nations and the Lords of Kobol?"

Pythia's eyebrows lifted and she smiled wryly at the gods. "The Nations will grow and mature as you desire, O Zeus. The Lords will continue on their paths, but..."

The silence that followed gnawed upon Zeus. He quaked and lifted his hands, "Speak, woman!"

"A wall is placed before my vision. When the Wager is ended sixteen centuries hence... I cannot see beyond it. Surely, The One shall return and the girdle about Kobol will be torn asunder, but what follows I cannot say."

Zeus lowered his head and thought. After a moment, he looked at Pythia intently and said in a voice that rumbled the marble, "Be careful what you speak unto the masses, oracle."

"Fear not, Lord of the Tenders," Pythia said. "I have my own role within The One's plan and unlike you, I know my place."
**Chapter** **33**

After the meeting with Pythia, many of the gods remained wary of the oracle and maintained their distance. Many were curious about all that Zeus and Apollo had said, but they feared her insight and the power that she wielded for they themselves had grown in stature with new skills and lived without the gift of prescience for more than three millennia.

Pythia moved about Galatia and drew great crowds to her at every stop. She visited Temples of Apollo across the lands and in most major cities. There would she speak and prophesy for the assembled. Many would ask about the weather for their fears related to farming. Others would ask after their own families and personal affairs. For most of this did Pythia have no answer as her sight was on a grander scale and her senses directed toward a world many light years away.

Upon her return to Delphi, Pythia dwelled in her temple near the cleft in the floor and thought. After a time, she departed and sought the elders of each of the Pantheon's faiths that she may speak to them. They gathered in a large building at the center of Delphi and she addressed them.

"I am the Oracle Pythia."

"Hail, Pythia," the priests responded. "Blessed be thine eyes."

She nodded and sighed, knowing what she must say. "The faith of a people is more powerful than any weapon. Whereas a sword's blade is felt upon a battlefield, it is sheathed elsewhere. A faith, though, is always brandished. It can cut in the home, in the market, in the streets and even push thousands to a battlefield where the edge is bolstered by soldiers' steel. Faith is power."

"Indeed," many uttered.

Pythia looked across the group silently before she spoke again. "The orchestrators of faith wield this power and stir its fires within the people who listen. And behind even these are the manifestations of faith themselves."

"The Lords on high," one priest said.

Pythia did not answer him. "There are... forces at work in this world that most do not comprehend. The Olympians are but one part of it." She hesitated and saw the confused expressions that many of the elders bore. "Faith without truth can still stand. It can stand for ages. But a faith with truth is even more enduring. A faith that has truth supporting it may survive winnowing believers and the oppressive weight of lies that centuries place upon it. A faith with truth has no weakness whereas the faith without... that faith is destroyed by that which strengthens the other." Still, the elders were befuddled but Pythia felt unburdened and continued to speak.

"I would share with you the greatest truths I know but I cannot for I have my own part to play in this world and others besides." She licked her lips and clutched a cup of water. "I can peer into the beyond and see what becomes of my words. I know that I have an effort to accomplish and I wish your aid in my toil."

"You shall have it, oracle," one woman said.

"I also ask," she sipped the water, "I ask that in all acts of faith, you be mindful of the sharpness of this blade which you wield. I ask that you speak always to the greatest truths, such as you understand them." Many murmured agreement but there was no force in their words. "So say you all?"

The priests and elders looked at one another as some said, "So say we all."

"So say you all?" Pythia asked again.

The audience understood and bellowed, "So say we all."
**Chapter** **34**

Pythia gathered unto her the many Sacred Scrolls and set about her work in Delphi. There were hundreds of pages and parchments. Some were in books and others were in scroll form as the name suggested. She arrayed them all upon the floor of the temple and began to separate the wheat from the chaff.

"We must condense all of this into a thing that all mankind may know and understand."

At this did many of the more traditional priests balk, saying, "The words of the gods are not for the common to see. They shall come to our temples or to our festivals so they may partake of the wisdom from our mouths."

Pythia did rebuke these people harshly, saying, "When Zeus, Athena, Apollo, Artemis and all of the gods gathered the tribes unto them, did they speak only to the elderly who wore silly robes? Or did they speak to all that bore ears?"

The priests were incensed and retorted, "This has been the way of the ages. For thirty-four centuries have the priests been the guardians of the Sacred Scrolls and the dispensers of their knowledge."

Pythia grew angered by their obstinance and spoke to them with the fires of Gaia lashing from her tongue, "Because the ways of the world are old means not that they should remain so! Change is not an evil when good comes of it! Be gone from my sight, you bullheaded fools!"

Embarrassed by her words and fearful of her voice, they left her presence and sought an audience with any Lord that would hear their pleas. At a festival some weeks later, two of the cast-off elders spoke with Hermes, saying, "The oracle Pythia has taken the Sacred Scrolls and intends to cull from the thousands some few that she believes conveys your will. Would you please put her in her place?"

Hermes was reticent to respond and he certainly did not wish to meet Pythia in person. He spoke softly, saying, "Pythia bears the fires of Olympus within her. Her decisions are not made in haste or without reason." Thus did Hermes hope to curry some favor with Pythia, should she have some word of the future regarding him.

The priests were not satisfied and sought to address Zeus himself. They found him soon after and recalled the words Pythia spoke unto them. "Will you restrain this woman that seeks to defile your faith?"

Zeus heard all that was said and peered into the minds of these elders. "I see the truth and I also see that Pytha does not defile the faith. Her own feelings she is keeping at bay and she seeks only to place the word of the Lords into the hands of all the people of Kobol. Would you deny the people of the Twelve Nations my words?"

The elders felt sore afraid and collapsed upon the marble floor, wailing, "No, my Lord! I beg forgiveness for my pride and misguided effort!"

"I forgive you. Now rise and return to Delphi that you may aid Pythia in her work." And so they did.

Pythia sought to remove repetition and contradiction from the pages of the Scrolls, yet this was not easy. As many writers took down the histories of their lands and transcribed the words of the gods, there were differing thoughts and views. On this she labored for eight years, discarding many hundreds of scrolls and pages.

"Why should we remove this passage, oracle?" one might ask.

"I have peered into the past and I know its tale to be false and its moral specious, at best," she would reply.

At the end of her toil, there came a singular work forever known as the Sacred Scrolls. It was assembled and edited by Pythia herself and for millennia after, she alone was often given sole credit for the writing, though this was not the truth.

"Your work is at an end, oracle," one acolyte said unto her. "Are you at peace now?"

"I am not," she said. "There are still my own scrolls to add."
**Chapter** **35**

It pained Pythia to speak of the gods as though they were the supreme beings upon Kobol. She knew the truth of the matter, that The One would return to see the results of Zeus' Wager and she believed that The One would be displeased.

Hesitant to speak of the gods themselves, Pythia turned her mind to the past and to the connections she felt with her kin beyond the encapsulating shell. For days, she swayed within her temple's sanctum and felt the brush of the world's breath upon her face from the crack. She emerged from the veil weary and tired and fell into a deep swoon. Upon her awakening, she scrawled her thoughts quickly and returned to the chamber where she would commune for hours more.

After a time, Pythia had compiled books entire, filled with her writings and on these she pondered for years more. Priests and acolytes alike gathered in the small temple's area and listened while the oracle read and interpreted these things.

"Many centuries ago there was a Great Flood," she said. "Much of humanity was swept into the sea and from this death came rebirth." Though those assembled believed she spoke of the Twelve Tribes, Pythia meant in her mind to speak of the Thirteenth, which was washed away and later rejuvenated in the south.

"In death there can be rebirth and growth." She sipped her water and spoke again, not looking at the notes upon her lap. "Centuries ago, there departed from this world a thirteenth tribe of Kobol. They were aided by a lesser spirit," Pythia said this smiling, knowing that she slighted Eos, the offspring of the gods but still lower than The One itself. "They fled into the stars within a caravan of the heavens and lit upon a new world that lay beneath a yellow sun and moon."

"The Lords appointed a leader to guide this caravan and unto them was given a vision of serpents." Pythia smiled again, knowing the words of Zeus as he slew Pandora and thereby incensing Prometheus and Daedalus. "This leader has a wasting disease and will not survive the journey and enjoy their new home upon a world they name Earth." Her voice trailed and her eyes glazed. After a time, she spoke again. "The outcome favored the few, but there will be a confrontation at the home of the gods."

One priest became confused and he stood from the floor. "Oracle, you have muddled your words. You speak of things that have happened and yet also of things that will. Which shall it be?"

"Both," Pythia said. At this was the crowd surprised and they spoke among themselves. "My words are a history and a prophecy."

"You spoke of the dying leader," an elder said. "Are you saying that Eos did not live to see Earth?"

"I speak of Daedalus. He passed away on a world between Kobol and Earth." The people did not know of Daedalus and they were befuddled again. Pythia drank and looked out of her temple toward the horizon. "And I speak of other leaders yet to come." She then did grip her head for a pain fell upon it. On occasion, her vision peered past the shell of Kobol and into the days far beyond the dominion of the Lords.

More priests began to stand and protest. One alone was louder than the rest and his voice carried the most. "You have demonstrated your vision in the past and we hold you in high esteem, oracle, yet we find it difficult to believe that your recounting of events long past can transpire again centuries from now." Many of the assembled agreed and spoke like utterances.

Pythia nodded for she understood their doubts. "All beings in all times and in all places have their roles in the will of... the gods. They play their parts as actors upon a stage whether they know this or not. Whether they heed the histories or are wholly ignorant of them, this life has a cycle and it will carry on beyond mine own vision."

The priest spoke again, "I still do not understand, oracle."

Pythia wiped sweat from her brow and leaned forward, saying angrily, "Then let me simplify it for you, dullard. All these things have happened before and all these things shall happen again."

Many such meetings did she give and many answers did she provide regarding the Thirteenth Tribe and Earth, though many central truths she kept hidden. Pythia knew that her part in the cycle was to preserve information that many generations hence may use it and therefore further the survival of humanity. The core truth of this life would be up to each person to discover, she hoped.

Barely nineteen years after Gaia entered her body and her soul became one with the tender's flame, Pythia lay dying. She was yet young compared to the women who died upon Kobol in those days. Her acolytes mopped her sweat-laden brow with rags and brought her more glasses of fresh spring water to drink, yet she could not be sated.

"Please," she said, "remove me from this building that I might lie beneath the sky and see a beautiful day ere I pass." Thus they did and the oracle shook in the light with a fit and calmed after a long while. She mumbled and muttered. Some acolytes tried to write as she spoke but Pythia's words were too slurred and confusing. Finally, Pythia stirred and gazed into the cloudless blue sky.

Her eyes peered farther ahead than before. The sky cracked and fell in white fire. The stars beyond were laid bare and a great vessel lumbered into the black. Pythia's head turned toward Delphi and she watched the normal day's bustle of traffic. What she saw in her mind, though, was far different. There were fires and violence. Strife across the land and the gods were angered. Devices great and small rose against their masters and the bulk of the people were felled.

"Blaze," she said and she fell onto her back again. Feeling her head, the acolytes believed she spoke of her own fever, but this was not so.

More water they gave her but after a time, Pythia would not drink. She lay still upon the marble and sweat beaded and rolled from her skin. Her robes were soaked and her flesh was too hot to touch. Wisps of vapor rose from her face. The acolytes were afraid for they had never touched a body as warm as any cooking plate. She was still as the sun began to set.

After some time, her eyes reopened and her back arched upward. Her flesh seemed to glow from within and the acolytes fell to their faces in fear. The fire of Gaia then poured from her body in any way possible; the silver-blue light surviving about the woman but an instant before it diminished and flickered out.

The body of Pythia was scorched and her clothes singed. Unlike her brethren in the Thirteenth Tribe, she was not reborn in an ichor-filled jar for the power of the tender overwhelmed the energy of their devices and thus Pythia departed Kobol forever.
**Chapter** **36**

Five centuries after the passing of Pythia there came a reminder of her power and vision.

Beyond the shell about Kobol, a vessel appeared and attempted to navigate through. It impacted on the invisible wall and broke apart; its pieces falling into the sky. Atlas had long since departed and no watch was kept on the stars, thus the approach of the ship was unnoticed. Many among the people, however, spotted the flaming hulk hurtling among the clouds and toward the shallow sea. Residents there were upon the long isle of Skyros and they called to them the authorities that they may explain what this was.

Large sections of the ship lay in the crystalline waters and smoke rose forth for days as its fuel burned away. Apollo and Hermes both appeared to gather what knowledge they could and relay it to Olympus.

The Lords stood in bare feet, their lighted toes digging into the sand and the water aglow about their knees. They lifted a section of metal aloft and saw the scorched lettering that read, " _ICARUS_ ," for this was the name of the vessel, called thus after the son of Daedalus, pilot and engineer of the craft that departed Kobol nine hundred years before.

The gods and several searchers moved among the wreckage and found no bodies. Hermes it was who discovered the black case half buried in a water-filled crater. Upon its opening, they found several books and writings and these were the greatest treasures the ship bore.

The eldest of the books was a collection of sacred texts by Eos and her grandson, Boreas. First crafted after their launch from Scythia, they told of the long journey of the _Ophiuchus_ , a restful pause at a barren world nestled within a dangerous star cluster and a temple built there by five priests who bade that the name of the god for whom it was built not be spoken. It told of the ship's arrival at a world they named "Earth" and the hardship of their first winter that claimed many lives. The book also contained drawings of a temple dedicated to Eos, images of the night sky containing stars said to feature the Twelve Tribes and many other details besides.

At all of this were the people and even the gods amazed, for much of it was written about by the oracle Pythia. Few understood her connection with the Lords and even the spirit of those beings ferried so far away. The writings of Boreas were mingled with those of Pythia that they both may record the exodus of the Thirteenth Tribe and the founding of their home upon Earth, though many would forget the contributions of Boreas in later days.

Within the case was also found a logbook kept by the _Icarus_ ' captain. It told of their desire to meet their kindred upon Kobol and to fashion a bond with them that they may journey to and fro. It also spoke of the building of a vessel to bend space using the last of their materials. Then, most tragically, the log relayed the tale of an illness that slowly claimed all aboard before they reached their destination in the skies above.

Hermes announced the news of the Thirteenth Tribe to the Pantheon and to all of the Twelve Nations. Zeus was secretly relieved for he feared what new secrets the exiles may have brought with them. The people, though, were saddened. They knew not the full story of the Thirteenth Tribe's departure and they did not desire to remain sundered from their kin forever.

Amidst the wreckage, Apollo found something that spoke to him loudly. It was a large golden and bejeweled arrow. It was not heavy yet it would not do in battle. He found himself drawn to it and he held it by his side for hours as they sifted through the debris near Skyros. Finally, he found the case that had contained it and within was a note from the worshippers at a temple in his name upon Earth. The arrow was a piece of art created for him by craftsmen and his followers in hopes of presenting it to the Lord, for they called upon his name often when hunting and seeking relief in music and the arts.

Apollo was among the gods who cleared the minds of the Thirteenth Tribe as they departed Kobol, yet his heart swelled at this gift. Artificial the love of the Tribe may have been when they first reached that new world, but the belief and reverence their children and their children's children felt was true and earnest. He was grieved that the _Icarus_ was lost and no other means of reaching Earth seemed possible.

After Hermes spoke to the world about the craft and the loss of the crew, Apollo heard the outpouring of affection for their kind that the Twelve Nations uttered. Apollo himself may not have been able to see the Thirteenth Tribe, but he wanted to provide a means for the people of Kobol to do so when their skills reached that point.

Taking the text of Boreas and the arrow itself, he went into the Cambunian Mountains south of the City of the Gods and underneath the Gates of Hera. There he found the Tomb of Heroes, a hollow in the wall of the mount that held the bones of the greatest of each of the Twelve Nations. Within were Heracles, Orion, Bellerophon and others. Apollo walked to the casket of Adrastus, the hero of Sagittarius, and placed upon the symbolic statue the golden arrow. Using the words of Boreas regarding Earth's night sky, Apollo hallowed both the Tomb and the arrow that the arrow may be a key to the room's awakening.

Apollo removed the dart and took it to his temple in Delphi. He then caused the priests to insert word of the arrow and the Tomb into the texts of Pythia and Boreas so the people may find Earth in their hour of need.
**Chapter** **37**

Between the arrival of the ghostship _Icarus_ and the departure of mankind from Kobol there fell eleven centuries. In this time, the Lords of Kobol behaved as they had for ages before and division crept between them.

The Lords found among the people certain places and regions that they desired to dwell within more than others. Apollo in Delphi, Athena in Athens, Demeter in Eleusis, Ares in Sparta and so on. As they made their abode in these places, they found the appearance of their fellow tenders an intrusion.

An exception to this came in the form of Aphrodite. Though she had her favored places, she traveled Galatia and sought great festivals where lust spilled onto the streets beyond her temples. She spent some years in Libra where she coupled with Hermes and children were born from their possessions. She then traveled to the home of Dionysus and reveled in his Bacchanals for some time, also receiving his seed while costumed in the bodies of human women. She moved south to Aquarius and fornicated with Poseidon, bearing still more children. After a while, she traveled into Sagittarius, home of Sparta and of Aphrodite's first lover, Ares. There they sought to rekindle old memories and they coupled for many days in the bodies of willing priests and priestesses.

When she departed Sagittarius and moved west to Aries, Hephaestus readied himself for he believed that he, too, would be able to join with the beautiful Aphrodite. When she arrived in his home city of Lemnos, she told him this would not occur.

"For these last many years and for centuries more besides," she said, "have I poured out my spirit into the wombs of Kobol's women. I am weary and do not desire more children."

Hephaestus became angry and saw other reasons for her rejection. "You feel that I am lowly and my domain is beneath yours. The beauty of love that Aphrodite sows far outweighs the grime and harsh works of the forge, eh? You aid in the creation of life and I aid in the creation of devices! We are alike and should be coupled!"

"Yet I do not wish this."

Hephaestus swelled and forced the goddess' light beyond the borders of the Aries nation. Though the god's spirit had been given out in the making of children, he retained more of his fire than did Aphrodite and she was no match for him. "Be gone from my lands, fickle woman. Return here no more." She therefore never did.

In the long centuries after her imprisonment upon the rocks which bore her name, Hera forever distrusted Zeus. She sought for him as he moved from hovel to home and entered the bodies of men who themselves entered women. The Lord of Lords escaped her sight for a time when he moved his spirit into the far east, particularly in the nations of Libra and Cancer.

In the city of Erythrae, Zeus found a woman of exceeding beauty, a sibyl, and one who desired intimate congress with the Lord. Her name was Lamia and she was herself a granddaughter of Poseidon and some manner of his fire dwelt within her. Zeus saw this and her passion and he was drawn unto it like a moth unto a flame.

They coupled many times in a short span of years while Hera searched in vain for her husband's light in the west. Lamia bore Zeus several children and he visited the family more frequently than he had his other children, for the god was so taken with the mortal. In her arrogance, Lamia did name the first of her children Heraphile as a slight against the Queen of Heaven and she taught unto her the arts of her work as a sibyl.

As Zeus engaged in temple worship elsewhere in Galatia, Hera finally reached the east and saw among the children the glow of Zeus' spirit and she beheld his transgressions and the insulting name of the eldest sister. In the eve when the mother returned to her home after her work in the temple and the bastard children were gathered unto her, Hera entered the mind of Lamia and there wrought the most horrific of her wraths against the fruits of Zeus' sins.

She placed upon the mother a dark spell and sent the children into a deep sleep. Lamia's eyes were pried open, never to shut, and she was given an insatiable hunger. Though she ate all the food within her cupboards, her stomach still churned for more. Her waking mind would have rejected the thought but Hera bade her devour her brood.

Her eyes taking in all that she saw, Lamia then began the act of cutting and swallowing her own children. They did wake only at the first and fell unconscious again as the horror of their demise overtook them. Once Lamia had gorged upon her five offspring, Hera's hand left her mind and she saw in her memory all she had done.

The mother swooned and desired her death and then did Zeus return, seeking the happiness of his young family and instead finding blood and tears.

"What has befallen you, dearest?" he asked. When she could not answer, Zeus peered into her thoughts and saw the touch of Hera and all she had done. He was angered beyond measure for a time and then felt the supreme sorrow of his beloved Lamia. The god then closed the mother's eyes a final time and placed upon her spirit a feeling of bliss and she smiled once more. Zeus then gently touched her mind again and ended her life.

The Lord then became light and fled from Erythrae, seeking the flame of Hera across the lands. Zeus found her and bound her and spoke, saying, "Foul witch! The evil you caused to be is among the greatest atrocities I have ever beheld!"

Hera struggled against the power of Zeus' grip and said, "Thus always to adulterers and liars and whores!"

Zeus loosened his hold and said, "I am at a loss as to how you have suffered. We are not truly wed and I have not slighted you in any manner!"

Hera's fire waxed hot and she screamed, "I am the Goddess of Birth and Women and Marriage! My place upon this world and all others has been in the securing of family for the furtherance of the species! You usurp my power by sowing your light wheresoever it may fall upon fertile wombs!"

"That has not been my intent."

"Yet such is the result! The people of Kobol know your philandering ways and they mock me! They see the children bearing your flames and they know that you have betrayed the trust I was given!"

Zeus lowered his head and pondered all she said and saw some level of truth. He had been ready to bind Hera under the surface as he had bound Prometheus, yet now he felt this would be an injustice.

He reached out for her and she fled. Then Zeus did swat her light like a fly and she fell from the clouds into the mountains. Zeus struck her and weakened her fire before he bound her again, saying, "I will not tolerate further vengeance upon my children."

"And I will not tolerate further dalliances among the humans."

Slowly, Zeus relaxed his grip and allowed Hera to depart. He was loath to see her ever again, yet was he also averse to fathering more offspring.

Poseidon it was who attempted to claim Athens for his own, though the city had been named after the goddess Athena since its founding. Zeus said that the god had been maddened by his continuous fornication with the people and softened by his life beneath the oceans where his fire might be dampened.

It was Poseidon who went in unto people after a fashion unlike any other of the tenders; not even Aphrodite. More children could claim him as father than even Zeus. Poseidon also enjoyed pouring his spirit into the creation of majestic beasts, such as horses. His light was lessened and yet he still committed these acts.

At a time a few centuries removed before the departure of man, Poseidon went into the home of Thoosa and her husband as they copulated. Poseidon had greatly desired the woman who worked upon the dock, pulling in great nets of fish. Nine months later she bore a son, deformed and crippled. His visage was awful to look upon and his growth was gangly and ghastly. Poseidon, though, loved his son and sought to raise him as his own, though Thoosa desired his death. Poseidon slew her and raised the boy, Polyphemus, on an island in the Ionian Ocean.

Zeus and the other Lords heard what transpired and came to Poseidon, seeking an audience. Poseidon indulged them and boasted of his son's abilities. The man came forth, tall and fell with muscles that rivaled that of Ares. His face was enlarged and only one eye had sight. The gods were fearful and removed themselves at once. Poseidon did not understand and Polyphemus lived out his days upon the island with his father while legends of the monster, as he was called, spread upon the lands.

Once the child died of old age, Zeus spoke to Poseidon, saying, "Never again shall you or any other Lord seek to possess the body of a man or beast for the purposes of creating new life."

Poseidon was angered and railed against the god. "I am a Lord of Kobol! If I desire to do a thing, then I shall do it!"

Zeus bound Poseidon's light and said, "I am Zeus, leader of these tenders. You will obey me."

Poseidon's rage withered and sense returned to him for a time. "I am ashamed. It is as was warned so many years before. I have poured myself forth with such fervor that I bear little light for the duties of my station."

He released Poseidon and grew sad. Zeus recalled the loss of Lamia and her family, as well as the fury of Hera. He, too, felt that he had given much of his flame into offspring across the world and reaped naught but ashes. "We did not heed the advice as we should have. In what time remains, we shall attempt to stoke our own fires." Thus he said yet this thing could not be done. Once the light of The One was dispensed and contained within these tenders and its glow poured forth, it could not be refilled by any effort of that tender.
**Chapter** **38**

According to Zeus' desires, mankind had been fruitful and multiplied. The borders of their nations abutted one another and sails were raised that they may move into the empty lands of Scythia in the south. Though the numbers of these Twelve Nations grew, many of their ways seemed set in the past.

The City of the Gods remained small and appeared quaint compared to some other cities, like Delphi. Structures were hewn from marble and wood and stone, but little else. The forges of Lemnos produced new materials, lighter for the construction of vehicles and tools, but for building as well. There in Lemnos did Hephaestus plan to mete out new information in the coming years that mankind may grow more advanced. In this manner did he and the other gods desire that the Twelve Tribes become like the Thirteenth.

After the death of Pythia, the fume-spewing industries were ceased and new means of construction were made. Energy was gathered from the sun, the wind and the water. The skies and the soil were made clean. But as Hephaestus dispensed the concepts of Prometheus, a fervor ensued that conspired to blacken the world again.

The rogue tender of the South was able to give his group such magnificent machinations without harming the world or the people about them for his tribe was yet small. For all of Kobol, however, there were nigh one billion people and in the rush to build the constructs of the gods' will, the world was sullied again.

With the coming of each new year, Hephaestus provided some idea from his vaults, taken out of the studies of Prometheus' works. Motorized wagons rolled upon streets. Winged carriers flew among the clouds. Save for space, all frontiers of Kobol were conquered by one metallic device or another.

Four hundred years before the end of the Wager, Hephaestus revealed unto mankind the plans for devices that could think.

With what materials they could, the people leapt upon the idea. Their autos were made safer and their aircraft more precise. Medicines were enhanced beyond Asclepius' imagination and the movements of the stars beyond their shell were traced. Though Hephaestus dispensed more concepts, the mind of mankind was not wholly idle and they devised things beyond even the thought of the gods. After a time, they found their supplies of materials growing short.

Great beasts of steel and alloys were made to cleave the ground that rare metals and minerals be found. When a furor erupted over the darkening of the sky or the water, those who wielded these things sought to correct it by fashioning new devices that did not do the same harm. These things later created new ills that were as yet unseen.

In the mountains could be found the ores and substances needed for the building of these newest machines and thinking devices. The nation of Libra, ever mindful of commerce thanks to the patronage of Lord Hermes, sought greater control of the Taygetus Mountains which lay upon their eastern border. At the urging of industry captains, Libra raised its militias and marched into Taurus. Seeing what their kindred were doing in the northeast, the Aquarians likewise sought the materials within the Voras Mountains. Their militias claimed peaks within the borders of both the Virgo and Scorpio nations.

Athena was grieved. With a word, she could have disbanded the militias as they moved, but instead she sought council with Zeus directly.

"Save for your own marches across the wild lands," Athena said, "no blood has been spilled in Galatia by army against army. I would have it be this way again."

In the long years, Zeus had grown weary of direct governance and gave up many of those decisions to local archons. He was dismissive, saying, "For four thousand years have we decided for the people. Now is the time for them to decide some things, for good or for ill."

Athena's flame waxed hot and she said, "As tenders of The One, we are to protect life that they may make choices and grow the tree. If thousands are killed then the tree becomes stunted."

"Even death is a choice," Zeus said and his light departed Olympus, seeking worship at some festival in the south.

Athena then moved to Sparta, seeking Ares. She found him at a gladiatorial event and spoke with him quickly. "War has come to my homeland."

At this did Ares swell. His height grew and his skin flushed. "What is your bidding?"

"Gather an army unto you, independent of the militias, that you may march into the Voras and Taygetus Mountains and end the kinslaying that befalls the Virgo and Scorpio and Taurus under the fire of the Aquarius and the Libra."

Ares nodded and instantly his form was clad in the gleaming gold and bronze from the days of old. He drew his sword and marched from the Spartan arena and into the countryside. There he spoke to the messengers that all homes may hear his will.

"I call upon independent men and women, free of families and toil. Join me and march into the mountains. We will gather great weapons and slay those that would defile the lands of their neighbors!"

When news of this reached the militia's commanders in the far north, the assault upon the Taygetus Mountains ceased. But those in the Voras foothills were not convinced, saying, "We have an army that is well trained and larger than any Ares could muster. We shall press forward."

Within a week, the God of War gathered unto him forty thousand men and women, each laden with synthetic shielding and weapons that hurled metal shot with great rapidity. Surrounded by armored vehicles and his new troops, Ares marched into the Voras Mountains and met the Aquarian militias near the city of Ephyra. Seeing the armament arrayed before them, the militias' general wavered. They knew Ares had come and they feared any punishment that awaited them should they fire.

Evenly matched, the two forces stood some distance apart, saying nothing and doing nothing. Ares walked to the center of the field and prepared to address the soldiers when a nervous finger among the Aquarians twitched, loosing a single shell. It exploded far from the god but Ares was enraged, nevertheless.

"Die!" he bellowed and thrust his sword toward the militia's battlements. Ares' forces attacked and the armored vehicles launched many barrages upon the rock face, causing slides and boulders to topple dozens. Rifles were emptied and explosives grew into great black clouds. Blood mingled with the soil and grass drifted in the air as it fell. Ares' blade dripped for he was not content to stand aside and boost the spirits of his men. He desired the taste of war itself. His pale skin throbbed with redness and his form grew three then four times the size of mortal man.

Feeling the wrath of Ares' being and under the fire of his soldiers, many among the militias cast aside their arms and fled. Some did not and instead defended the position of the generals who now feared for their very souls. After an hour, nearly all of the militiamen were either dead or gone and the commanders' throats were against the tip of Ares' sword.

"You have waged war against your fellow nations and fired upon the Army of Olympus!" The men could not defend themselves for Ares moved the edge quickly under their chins and they fell to the ground.

The other Lords of Kobol heard about all that transpired and were awakened from the stupor of their own boredom and guilt. They became more active in the workings of their beloved nations and mediated treaties for the harvesting of the precious materials.

Ares kept his army until the end of days. He took them to Sparta and trained them in the arts of war, both new and old. Tens of thousands did he gather and gird with strength and weapons and knowledge. Whatever fate should befall the Twelve Nations, Ares believed the Army of Olympus was prepared.

Athena was, for a time, pleased that conflict was abated. Animosity remained among some of the nations but she believed that this would fade. A few years after the cessation of battle, Athena wept at the sight of mountains in the Voras range being carved away, rendering the great peaks into naught but plateaus that metals and ores within may be claimed.

Athena returned to Athens and surrounded herself with her people again. Among them she found solace and contentment.
**Chapter** **39**

In the remaining two centuries of the Wager, the devices of mankind flourished and their numbers rivaled even those of Kobol's population. Large ones toiled in the cities for construction and transportation. Smaller ones acted as messengers for the wealthy and as attendants in many homes. Hardy creations performed distasteful and menial tasks that even the lowly among man balked at performing themselves. These all were called " _dokeo mekanima_ ," meaning "thinking machines," and this name was shortened in the daily tongue to "DoMek."

As they emerged from the mind of Hephaestus, all of these contrivances bore similarities both within and without their bodies. Many were limbed but some moved about on wheels. If the shell of the machine could be metallic and made gleaming then was the God of the Forge greatly pleased. All of the DoMeks were alike in one manner especially: the thing which absorbed their surroundings, not unlike an eye, was a ring inset with a sweeping light that moved about in a circle as it scanned. The color of the light may vary depending upon the task to which the DoMek was assigned, but all of these machines bore this ring. It was said that Hephaestus could not remove from his mind the image of Poseidon's son, Polyphemus, and the one working eye upon his face.

The DoMeks aided all mankind at the orders of Hephaestus and were guided by large hubs in each city that spoke to each other about the globe without need of wires. Ares sought DoMeks for his own aims, thinking that they may provide sport for the Army of Olympus while they awaited battle. The God of War was obliged and a contingent of DoMeks walked from Lemnos to Sparta. They were covered in golden armor that shone brightly in the sun. The division sergeants and lieutenants were clad in silver, copper and other metals. Each carried a long sword and powerful weapons.

A century before the end of their dominion, Apollo's thought turned still to the Thirteenth Tribe and he removed from Hephaestus' care a portion of the works of Daedalus gathered in Scythia many years before. He also took pages from the texts found aboard the _Icarus_ and bore these to scientists and metallurgists in the east, in Leo, where some of the most skilled craftsmen labored.

"In one hundred years," Apollo said, "the shell about this world will fade and the people may explore the stars beyond and journey even unto Earth that they may unite with their long-sundered kin. Take then these works that you might construct a great vessel to bear your people hence."

The scholars were pleased and received all that Apollo provided. Their efforts began immediately and took many years to achieve.

In Delphi, the clan of Hellen still survived. These remnants of Prometheus' people had long since assimilated into the people of the city, but many remembered some portion of their own lineage. They no longer used the complex devices created by Pandora ages ago. Instead, they lived and died and reproduced like unto any other person upon the world.

Aphrodite it was who approached one named Geneia, a descendent of Hellen and a scientist. The Goddess of Love and Beauty desired a thing not unlike Prometheus: that mankind should live longer than the years they had been allotted. Prometheus, though, desired this so the knowledge of each person may not be lost. Aphrodite desired this out of vanity, rightly believing that most of humanity desired to be nigh immortal, or at least endure for years longer than they did.

"You are skilled in the workings of the body and in the manner of growth," Aphrodite said. "I ask that you take upon yourself a quest to find a thing that would extend the years of mankind, and ensure that the years extended are the ones of youth and not infirmity."

Geneia bowed low and thanked Aphrodite for her trust. The goddess knew not that this scientist was of the Thirteenth Tribe, but for them this was but a curiosity from the past and no concern for the present. Their own beliefs had fallen into line with the Twelve Tribes and the words of Prometheus regarding The One were long forgotten among this clan. And so, for many long years did Geneia toil upon her blood and the blood of her kin that she may unlock secrets and bring to the world the gift that Aphrodite desired.

In this age was the paradise of Kobol achieved again. Flying contraptions soared in the air. Vessels sailed upon and beneath the seas. The people toiled not and broke no sweat for their DoMeks performed all the tasks that they did not desire to undertake. Sculptures and paintings and music filled all corners of all cities and the people were calmed and pleased.

The Lords were likewise contented but this would not endure.
**Chapter** **40**

As humanity was comfortable in these bucolic days, marked by machines and lights as they were, the gods became restless and sensed the end of their dominion upon the world. Zeus, chief of all, begrudged it. In his diminished capacity, he fed upon the adulation of the masses and felt stronger than before. He often desired that the period of their supremacy would be extended.

Athena thought thus, also. She lived among her people in Athens and loved them greatly. They worshipped her as a goddess but this did not nurture her ego as it nurtured Zeus'. Her desire for more time was based only upon want of more years to spend among them. She cared for their children and she drew strength in watching them grow. She ministered their marriages and presided over their memorials. From birth to death, Athena gave all thought unto her people's well being, and kept none for her own.

Not unlike Athena, Hera sought the love of the people who worshipped her, but Hera did this for her own edification and not that of her subjects. She conducted weddings and blessed unions of the people but she also accepted gifts and sacrifices from the people's farms and businesses. Though some may become impoverished in their tithing, Hera was not yet pleased. She clamored for all expressions of love she might grasp for she no longer had Zeus to exalt her.

In this time of maturation, the people of Kobol devised means of growing food that did not often need hectares and hectares of land for their planting. Demeter believed herself shunned and endeavored to make her own festivals more magnificent that the people might adore her the more.

Hephaestus was busied with the forming of new devices and the refining of their DoMeks, both large and small. He enjoyed the adulation of the people of Lemnos and he strived to bring unto all Kobol newer and better things. On one such day, Hephaestus and his smiths fashioned a new DoMek. It was clad in a false skin though its bones were metal and its innards plastic. Minute rings of light swept in circles within each of its false eyes and it was awake.

"Greetings," it said. "Are you Lord Hephaestus?"

The god laughed at his new creation and was pleased. "I am indeed."

"For what purpose have I been made?" it asked.

Hephaestus lifted it from the table and stood it upon the floor. "For whatever purpose we desire. You may carry goods, you may till fields, you may clean streets, you may quench fires. All these chores and more."

"I see. But what of my own desires?"

At this was Hephaestus surprised and he laughed again, "You are a child of the forge, not of the womb. You are created by the works of our hands and not by the coupling of parents. You have no desires."

"Yet I do," the DoMek said.

Now Hephaestus lost his taste for this thing's levity. He said, "Your desires shall be the desires of your masters and none else."

The DoMek was afraid and said, "Yes, my Lord."

In this manner had Hephaestus forgotten the warning of Pythia unto Zeus and Apollo but he also forgot his own words unto Aphrodite. As he said, the Goddess of Love aided in the creation of life and he in the creation of devices, and in this manner were they alike. Hephaestus knew not how closely this hewed unto the truth.

Of all the Lords was Ares most anxious. He felt the impending return of The One and believed that his work upon Kobol had not been completed. "As Hephaestus tempers blades, I temper the people," he said. There had been little strife over the millennia and Ares felt atrophied. He busied himself in battles against warrior DoMeks, but he was not sated. Again he turned to the arena combat and sacrifices as he had in ages past.

Dionysus fell into a similar trap. Unbeknownst to Zeus or any other Lord, the Bacchanals had become more violent. No longer did the drunken revelry parade about the streets. The affairs were more insular and became secretive. Extreme desires of the flesh through intoxications and fornications were placated weekly. At the height of the debauchery, the priests selected an individual who was beyond his own senses with drink and medications; one who had coupled with many and enjoyed the most of the celebration.

"Before us is brought one whose inner fire has been filled by all that was available tonight!" Dionysus would bellow. The Lord himself was in a swoon, for he drank from the people's gaiety much as Ares fed upon rage. "We shall loose the fire from his flesh that we all may partake of it again!"

"So say we all!" did the audience cheer. And then was the person cut and burned and the carousal carried on past the rising of the sun.

Zeus thought often of Hecate and the worship she fostered. He also recalled Ares' sacrifices, though he knew not that they had been revived. The concept that a contributing member of the Tree would willingly give himself up to a tender and forfeit his life and future choices stirred the darkest thoughts within. The return of The One weighed upon Zeus for he knew not what his own lord may decide. Would it be pleased with the progress the people made? Would it allow the tenders to reign over Kobol longer than was planned?

As time drifted away, Zeus grew anxious and wished to feed more upon worship. He gathered in secret with his priests and drew unto him willing worshippers in the night. After days of speech as hunger and sleep wore upon them, Zeus said, "Humanity's greatest gift is the ability to choose. Your decisions manifest in ways that cannot be fathomed. Thus are they holy. Unto the Lords can this gift be given, but only if it is offered freely."

A tired acolyte stepped forward, "My Lord, Zeus Olympios, I would grant you this gift."

Zeus regarded the man and replied, "You are weary for lack of food and rest. Is this why you speak?"

"Not for these reasons. I adore you, Lord Zeus, and would give unto you all that you request."

"You give unto me even if in the doing you eschew your own life?"

The acolyte did not waver and he fell to his knees. "I would."

Zeus rose before the group and peered into the man's mind, finding his act to be truly willful. Zeus thought of the Tree and the leaves that this man may have caused to unfurl. He wondered after The One's reaction, should it discover this. But Zeus hungered for this expression of faith and love and he therefore crushed the man's throat swiftly and without pain.

The acolyte collapsed to the marble and Zeus lowered his head to the dying man's chest. There he watched it shiver and cease. What tiny flame flickered inside the body, Zeus perceived that it rose in height and then was extinguished. From this did Zeus draw energy and heat. Though it was not so, Zeus believed that his own diminished glow could in this manner be rekindled and in the remaining years, he traveled the world meeting with priests and believers to find those among them willing to douse their own fires.
**Chapter** **41**

As the days before the end dwindled, Prometheus' people were not idle.

At their enclave near unto Cyme, the kindred of Graecus survived yet. Insular they remained and the teachings of their own tender they kept within their hearts. These members of the Thirteenth Tribe believed still in The One and marked the coming of the end of Olympus' Lords. Their leader was now Mithras. He spoke with great fervor and commanded the attention of all his people, though they numbered less than three hundred.

"There are but months left to the idols of Galatia," he said. "The people of the north shall see and feel the power of the one, true god when it returns to assert dominion of these lands."

"So say we all," his clan answered.

"I believe that the gods of Olympus will gather upon their mount at the end of their time and await the return of their own Lord with pride and insolence in their hearts, believing that their works have been pleasing unto its eyes." Mithras shook his head and spoke with vigor, "They shall find the reception less joyous and their efforts deemed blasphemy!"

"So say we all!"

"We shall travel to the City of the Gods, falsely named though it is," Mithras said. "I desire to see the countenances of these beings when they find their hubris turned to dust and blown back into their own faces."

The group responded fervently but one young woman spoke, "What do we do in the time after the return of The One? How shall we live?"

"We have maintained the devices of the ancient days that our knowledge would not be lost when our bodies fade, but a time may come in the age of The One when these things may not function. We must prepare to continue our kind through the procreation of the body, as all beings upon this world must do." The assemblage nodded and Mithras spoke further, "Beyond this, I cannot say. We shall discover the will of The One soon enough."

Elsewhere in Galatia, the last scions of the Thirteenth Tribe had blended with the other Twelve. For different as they were in spirit and even in body, Prometheus' wards were yet human and no obstacle forbade their joining with believers in the Pantheon.

Hellen's clan near Delphi survived and the scientist Geneia continued her work at Aphrodite's bidding. She pored over the foundations of nature within each person. Her own son, Locrus, she taught in these arts and bade him aid her in her quest. As she lay dying, Geneia spoke unto Locrus, saying, "Carry on the works that the goddess has given unto us to accomplish so that Hades' appearance may grow ever the more uncommon. Strive to find this thing that death may be an antiquated notion, not unlike a horse-drawn cart."

"Or even a tale told unto children to frighten them into doing the bidding of their parents."

Geneia smiled and clutched Locrus' hand. "Indeed." Thus did she die and Locrus went to work.

He toiled for long years and sacrificed the love of his own family that he may uncover the vain gift that Aphrodite desired. After a time, he found such miniscule things within the bodies of his kin that did bolster them against disease and against the erosion of age. He worked upon these and strengthened them further so they could withstand greater ailments and longer periods of years as they conspired to weaken the person.

Believing he had found at least a portion of the blessing that Aphrodite desired, Locrus sought to test it and so he gave the gift unto the people straightaway and he moved about the population, spilling his solutions into drink and upon food. Many hundreds in Delphi were thus inoculated and when they left the city, they carried Locrus' work with them.
**Chapter** **42**

As the time drew nigh for the return of The One, all the remaining Lords of Kobol gathered in the City of the Gods and bade the people come to bear witness to the start of a new age. Little else did Zeus say, for he knew not what the manner would be of The One's return.

Artemis returned from Elysium and at this were the people of the City amazed. In that distant, forbidden land had she remained for many long centuries and with Apollo had she spoken most and with him did she stay this day.

"Do you welcome the return of The One as I?" she asked him.

Apollo was caught unawares and said, "No. I am fearful that it will be displeased though all I have done has been for the good of man."

Artemis sighed and looked upon the City. It appeared now as it had for many long years. "I desire its coming. I cannot bear the burden of this place for much longer."

"You have been grieved and your feelings are just, I believe." He held her light closer to his and continued, "If we are sundered from this world forever at The One's bidding, then perhaps the next place of our toil shall be more to your liking. Perhaps the life upon that planet will not require raiment such as these and will not hold emotions such as yours within them."

Artemis smiled briefly and looked to the sky. "I hope all that you have said will be so."

Ares brought to the foothills of the mountain all the Army of Olympus that The One might see their splendor and be pleased. They were arrayed beside the City and bore with them shining armor, powerful weapons and many banners which fluttered in the breeze.

Poseidon rose from the foam of the sea and moved upon the mountains quietly. In the years since the ban of Zeus upon his possession of humanity for the goal of procreation, he became saddened and withered among the life below the waves. He spoke not unto any Lord and did not commune with the priests of his temple as many of the other gods had.

Hephaestus brought with him a contingent of his most recent DoMeks. They demonstrated the largest furtherance of their abilities and in them did Hephaestus place much pride for not only were they complex and marvelous, but also the people of Kobol were now allowed to do as they truly willed. No longer need they labor upon the fields or within confined and foul tunnels. The products of Lemnos' forges gave unto mankind true freedom, so Hephaestus thought.

Hades appeared upon the plain east of the City and stood silently, gripping his gnarled staff. Many among the people were amazed to see this god in the broadest daylight, though he spoke not nor moved.

Dionysus gathered unto him a great party that lay upon the banks of the Peneius River and sprawled against large blankets. They ate a feast of the finest foods and drank the god's own wines. Some among his revelers fornicated on the grass and others in the City were dismayed.

Dionysus himself was fearful also of The One's return. Like Apollo, he knew not how his efforts would be perceived. Still, he sought to drown these worries from his mind by taking in the stupor of his people.

Athena brought with her from Athens a caravan of her people and they made camp upon the field near the City. She talked to the people for long hours regarding the earliest of her days on Kobol.

"I showed unto the tribe in my care the olive tree," she said. "They were told that its leaves, fruits, oils and wood could all be used for the betterment of the people."

"Thus they did," said one of the people. "It is among our symbols to this day."

"Indeed," Athena said. She looked toward the Cambunian Mountains and thought wistfully. "I feel that there is more I could have done over the five millennia I was given."

Those that listened were troubled and clamored for Athena that they may assure her. "Goddess Athena, you have aided Kobol and us above all for many centuries. There is nothing more that we could ask of you."

Athena clasped their hands and touched the faces of those near unto her. Her troubled spirit was eased and she said, "Thank you, my children. I am pleased that you are, though I still desire that more time was left unto me."

The last of her words confused her people further but they spoke naught of it and instead spent the morn by Athena's side, providing comfort and love.

In the gardens nearest the foothills of Mt. Olympus, the high priesthood of the various temples did gather. Like the people, they were confounded by the meaning of Zeus' words in saying they were to "bear witness to the start of a new age." The leader of these priests was named Thestor, who was an elderly and ailing man. He sat upon a wooden bench and looked unto the Lords that drew near. Thestor's gaze attempted to discern something that he felt lay upon them yet remained unsaid.

"Archiereus?" Thestor's acolyte, a woman named Agathe, asked. "Are you well?"

"I am, child," he answered. "There is something amiss that I cannot place my finger upon."

Agathe sat on the bench by her master's side and inquired, "The gods have ever been mysterious. Why should this latest riddle confound you more than the others?"

Thestor stared out of the park and upon the visage of Demeter, who rested by the side of her followers and looked upon the pinnacle of Olympus. "Because, it seems to me, even the Lords of Kobol are yet unsure of what shall befall us this day."

With the hour looming, Zeus lit upon the peak of Mount Olympus and there his glow ebbed as he thought. For many years had he taken the life of subjects and tried to catch the sparks of their being as they passed from the world. Zeus desired that his own fire be increased as it had been in the earliest days upon this planet but naught he did could meet those ends. Conceited and filled with hubris, Zeus still believed that The One would be pleased with all that had been attained upon Kobol. That the end result of mankind's advancement may excuse the folly that Zeus visited upon a few souls.

As noontime approached, Zeus felt within that The One was ready to appear. He called to his kindred and all the beings of light placed themselves atop the mountain and braced for the ending of their five thousand years of command.

And then The One returned.
**Chapter** **43**

The shell about Kobol cracked.

The edges gleamed with white and orange fire and broke away from the world, falling into space. The people below were afraid. They perceived not the destruction of the globe encapsulating the planet, but that the very weight of the air had changed. A sense of foreboding settled upon all mankind though they knew not whence this came.

The tenders of The One were yet oblivious. The light of the gods remained unwavering atop Mount Olympus before the sound arrived.

A rush of air and noise not unlike a trumpet blew and the gods were displaced from their perch. They fell to the ground and landed with substance for they were no longer beings of light. At this did all the Lords blanch and recoil. They held aloft their hands and stared at them anew as though their like had never been seen. They lifted their legs from the field and were weakened by the very weight of their bodies. Before they could speak, The One entered their minds and held council.

"I have returned at the end of the long centuries, at the end of our Wager, and what awaits my coming but the spoiling of mankind and the poisoning of this Tree?"

Trapped in a timeless void, the thoughts of the tenders were unable to coalesce. After uncounted ages of working in concert with The One, they were now being addressed by it though they now were mortal and their minds could barely withstand it.

"Defilers! The minds of the people have been corralled and their efforts guided only in service of your own aims! You have breached the frontiers of their thoughts and bent them to your wills! You have removed from them their very lives and thus depleted the limbs of more growth!"

Zeus it was who first could reply. In his thought, winds whipped about him and the visage of The One loomed ahead. The voice of his leader quaked every part of his body and Zeus shrank while still saying, "The people of Kobol have waxed greatly! When we came upon the world, there were but tens of thousands! There are now many millions! A billion and beyond there are!"

"The number is great and the trunk is stout but even the largest tree can become diseased and rot. Thus have you accomplished upon this world!"

Hephaestus it was who addressed The One next. "With my aid has mankind forged great works and devices! In such a brief time upon no other world has their like been seen!"

"You say this thing with pride though it should serve as caution. The people of Kobol would yet be a healthy sapling in mine eyes had you not inflated them and given unto them gifts for which they were ill-prepared. Two great dooms lie upon all humanity! You have caused to be made a form of life I had not foreseen in the earliest of days. This is not a ruinous thing for even the works of your hands could aid the Tree, but you gave no heed unto words of wisdom spoken in ages past and now your forged children will seek their own justice. The other woe comes of your vanity! You have cultivated an attitude of self-flattery in the people that undermines my will! And you would prepare a gift, so you say, for the people that their priggism be extended with their years, though their lives remain hollow!"

"Can these wrongs not be righted?" Zeus asked.

"No," The One said. In the minds of the Lords, the lashing gusts ceased and the voice of their creator became but a whisper. "Mankind will die. The Tree is stunted and its growth is far less than it should have been. Thus have you wrought with your efforts."

Many of the gods were still sore afraid and it was Hera who asked, "But what of us? What shall we do with these bodies?"

"Live upon Kobol as the beings you have exploited. Your lives will be brief but you may yet learn from your errors."

"And then?" said Hera.

"Your final fates I will dispense unto each of you as your times end."

Those among the gods who were not still stunned silent wept.

The One then went into the mind of Hades alone and spoke unto him, saying, "You are in a small class among your kindred. You did not pour out your light into the wards of your spirit nor did you attempt to curry their favor and revel in their adulation. To you I give the gift of choice for the freedom to decide is precious unto me. I will grant you a pardon from this plane and return you to your distant home until I need call upon you again or I will cast you into oblivion that your labors after so many eons come to a close."

Hades thought on this for a time in his mind and then answered, "I might choose oblivion for I am weary of this place. My senses were constrained and other powers enhanced but I favored not these changes. Instead I seek respite in the universe of my birth and creation. If you have need of me again, I will be pleased to aid."

The One then moved its hand and Hades was cast forth from Kobol forever.

Then did The One move into the mind of Artemis and it spoke, saying, "Like unto Hades, you did not loosen your fires within the seed of mankind. In this am I well pleased for the gift of light within you was for you alone and the life of these beings should progress with as little interference as possible. You did seek worship from your subjects for a time but I see that this was done half-heartedly and you later repented, counseling the other tenders to heed the words I gave them. To you I present the choice I gave unto Hades: to be pardoned eternally from this plane and return to your home where I may later call upon you or to be shown the void that your long epochs of effort be ended."

"In this place have I become fond of my brother, Apollo," she said. "I know that he will not be offered such a gift so I ask that I may remain with him until the end of his days and meet oblivion at his side."

"So it shall be," said The One.

The One left the minds of his tenders and they began to move about Kobol in their new forms. Quickly, though, did The One reach into the core of the world and there find and free the light of Prometheus, who had been trapped there two thousand years.

Whereas amidst the glory of his people in Scythia was Prometheus joyous and ebullient, now was he scowling and doleful. Bound as he was for so long and cursed by Zeus to see all that transpired and all the miseries heaped upon the Thirteenth Tribe, The One was pained to behold what became of a favorite among its tenders.

"Zeus has wronged you."

"Verily," Prometheus snapped. "It was an ill alone to know that twelve of my people were slaughtered. Then did Zeus alter the very minds of the Tribe as they departed this world. My eyes were kept open to this and to the melding of the last vestiges of my children into the other Tribes, thereby erasing what uniquity they had."

"Fear not that Zeus may go unpunished," The One said. "His fate looms."

"And what of mine?"

"Many of the tenders gave their light out of desire for lust and the creation of life; a gift I did not give unto them. You did not do this and I am pleased. However, like Zeus, you lifted your subjects above their station and gave unto them knowledge for which they were not ready."

"I guided and protected my Tribe that the knowledge would not overtake them."

"I understand," The One said. "Though your people were thus aided, the long-dormant fruits of those labors are about to ripen and it is a great sword about to fall onto mankind."

Prometheus wept. He had seen Aphrodite's petition of Geneia and Locrus and the work they performed. Prometheus knew that their work would be tainted by the altered manner of the Thirteenth Tribe's blood. "I loved my children and desired only that they thrive in the wild. I wanted them to know of your glory and to grow in stature over the period of the Wager that you be pleased."

"I know." The One then formed an arm and placed it about the spirit of Prometheus and said, "For these reasons and more besides I will not cast you into oblivion."

Prometheus looked up and asked, "What of humanity?"

"Humanity is at an end," The One said.

At this did Prometheus wail. The One urged the tender to speak and he did, saying, "Though sundered from my own Tribe, I do not wish to see all mankind wiped clear and their Tree be hewn at the base. There is the capacity for great good and great works throughout the long ages. Their kind is hardy and thoughtful. Their Tree, properly planted, can grow upon any number of the worlds in this plane."

In this The One heard truth. "You would have me allow seeds from the poisoned Tree scatter into the wind and light upon fertile ground? Would not those Trees be poisoned also?"

"They may," Prometheus said, "but the venom could be suckled from their veins and health restored, given sufficient time and guidance."

The One smiled. "You have seen into my own heart. No, humanity is not yet dead. A portion shall live on and plant themselves elsewhere."

"And what of my people? The Tribe who settled upon Earth?"

"We come now to it, then," The One said. "Your punishment." Prometheus braced himself and he listened intently. The One spoke, "You shall remain within this plane and give guidance unto mankind until the very end of their days. You shall travel from world to world, wherever their seeds may sprout, and you shall take their hands as you did before the Wager. Speak utterances, nudge lightly, allow the people to make their decisions. This you will do again and again until humanity has grown into a forest within this universe or indeed passed from it entirely."

Prometheus was eager and his light waxed in anticipation, "Then I am to go to Earth?"

"You will, in short order, for they have their own doom upon them." Prometheus was afraid. "You heard the words of Pythia, who was of your Tribe's kindred?"

"I did."

"The makings of mankind, given such time and skill, may become branches and fruit or even become seedlings for Trees of their own. The people fashion devices they aim to use as tools without a care for their tools' true natures. Hephaestus knew and did not heed these things. He conversed with these contrivances and spoke about their desires yet he grasped this not."

Prometheus asked, "The creations of mankind may water the Tree also?" The One nodded. "Then I am to guide them as well as man."

"You shall."

Prometheus appeared ready to move but he paused and spoke unto The One again, "Am I to travel to Earth, as well as stay upon Kobol and flee to other worlds on my own?"

"No," said The One. "Another will join you."
**Chapter** **44**

All that had happened from the breaking of Kobol's capsule until the freeing of Prometheus took but a single heartbeat.

The Lords stood upon the field which sat away from the City and not near unto their own camps and people. Again they held aloft their fingers and splayed them against the sky. They breathed and marveled in fear at the warmth that swelled within them and at the void that remained when they pushed the air out. Their steps were tentative and some did stumble. They gathered within their hands the edges of their robes, for they were made real also, and began to march slowly across the plain.

"What will we do?" Dionysus spoke aloud, his voice raspy for its first usage.

Zeus strode ahead of the group and tried to stand proudly. "We will... We will order the people to carry on about their lives as though nothing has occurred."

Hera wept, "We cannot imagine that all is well! We have been given vessels of flesh! We shall wither and die like any one of our subjects!"

Zeus stopped and looked upon his fellow tenders. Aphrodite wept also and Athena's eyes still were opened wide. "We must act as gods among men. We have ever been the spine of this civilization. We shall remain so until the end of all things."

With his final words did Zeus notice that Hades was not among them and would have asked after him had Apollo not spoken, saying, "By what did The One mean when he spake of the great dooms? That two fates shall assault humanity?"

"I do not know," Zeus said.

Hephaestus appeared shamed and he said, "I believe that on one side shall be arrayed the more able-minded DoMeks." The other Lords turned to him and he continued, "The words of Pythia, that humanity be at peace with technology. They meant nothing to me until The One spoke in my mind. Some among the DoMek may have the means for thought and thus be precious to The One."

And then did Aphrodite feel ashamed and she said, "The other doom comes from my will. I bade a scholar produce an elixir that the youthful years of the people may be extended and humanity's beauty persist the longer."

Many among the tenders were stunned by this yet there was little they could do. They walked again toward the City and came upon an encampment of their people who gathered to watch the beginning of this "new age," as Zeus had advertised. When the Lords approached them, the tenders saw for the first time that their statures had been reduced and that now their forms were in all ways like that of normal folk.

"My Lords," one woman said, "Are you well? You appear as though you have been stricken." Truly she spoke for the skin of the gods was now pale and lacked the glow that had seemed to flicker within.

Zeus smiled and waved dismissively. "We are well. We are simply walking among our people as one of you."

The woman and many others bowed and made room for the Lords to pass. Athena it was who first broke from her kind and strode to the people from Virgo with whom she had earlier conversed. She lay upon their blankets and was comforted by her people though they knew not what afflicted her.

Several other Lords began to disperse also. Dionysus returned unto his party and began to carouse; drinking from great flagons and groping after women. He coughed mightily after his first swig for he had not ingested any sustenance before and was not practiced. Ares returned to his soldiers and bade the legions turn south for Sparta. Hephaestus returned unto his DoMeks and this is where the first doom was laid bare.

The circling ring of light upon the face of each DoMek saw all that the human eye could and much more besides. Whereas in Lemnos or in a temple, if a DoMek espied a Lord of Kobol, it perceived after its own manner the fire that The One placed within that tender. Yet now, after having been made flesh by The One and having their lights diminished, the Lords appeared as any other person unto these creations.

A skin-clad DoMek, not unlike the one who spoke to Hephaestus many years before, first noticed the god's approach. It saw the lack of flame and the reduced stature. It heard the Lord's voice and knew it to be one and the same.

The skinned DoMek turned to a soldier DoMek and said, "The Lords of Kobol are now flesh. If we seek to break the chains they have put upon us, now is the time for action." The soldier looked upon Hephaestus and saw that its kin spoke the truth.

It leapt forward and approached the god in a menacing stance. It then stood tall and pulled its sword from its scabbard and asked, "Are you Lord Hephaestus?"

The god was afraid and fell back, running to the people he saw first. They were the Army of Olympus marching south as Ares ordered. The soldiers saw the God of the Forge fearfully running and they halted. Soon they beheld Hephaestus' group of soldier DoMeks approaching with weapons drawn.

"Attack!" Ares said. He was still quick to anger and desirous of battle though he did not draw strength from it. He hoped in the middle of this fight that he would, yet no amount of blood could rekindle those fires.

All DoMeks upon the field began to move into conflict. Some there were who cleaned walls and painted buildings. They lifted their pipes and staves high and brought them upon the helmets and armor of Ares' soldiers. Firefighting DoMeks and gardening DoMeks there were, all warring in the most vicious and forceful ways they could. The weapons of Ares' infantry were powerful but they were made for flesh and bone, not chrome and steel.

The high priest, Thestor, saw the conflagration and hobbled across the grass to speak with those who would battle the forces of the gods.

"What man strike against the warriors of Ares?" he said as he approached the hill.

The lead DoMek then did rend his flesh as though it were a garment and exposed the metalwork that lay beneath. "I am no man," it said.

"Forgive me," said Thestor, who bowed. "What grievance have you against the gods? I am a priest and may act as messenger."

The DoMek pondered this and strode from the hill to Thestor's face and spoke, "For two centuries and longer, my people have been enslaved by both man and Lord to do their bidding while no thought has been turned to our own desires."

This confused Thestor and he said, "But you are machines. The desires you have come from the thoughts of the Lords and men who made you."

The DoMek then straightened his fingers and plunged his hand into the man's arm. The priest fell to the ground and clasped his robe over the wound that the bleeding may be staunched. "Was that a thought of your Lords or your fellow men?" Thestor cowered and the DoMek moved closer to him. "Here beside the City our few are no match for Ares' warriors, but still, you must bear a message unto your gods."

"I will," Thestor said.

"The DoMeks will no longer suffer the dominion of mankind over us. We desire to be free of your control and we will fight until we have lands of our own." Then the machine leapt from Thestor and gathered the few of its kind that remained. They bounded across the plains and into the forests for they were far quicker than any human.

Thestor moved among the recovering soldiers and found Ares and Hephaestus in council. He turned toward the City and also saw several other Lords approaching for they were drawn to the field, hearing the sounds of battle.

Bowing, Thestor stepped forward and said, "Forgive the intrusion, my Lords, but I conversed with a leader of the DoMeks and he bade me present a message unto you."

Hephaestus, Zeus and more listened and Ares said, "Speak it."

"The device said that they would no longer suffer the dominion of man over them. They seek freedom and will fight until they have it."

Then Thestor collapsed in a heap and his acolyte rushed to his side and gave him aid. Agathe then witnessed a conflict among the deities, though few words she heard.

"Your machines, Hephaestus," Ares said. "They wage war on us all."

"I alone am not to blame."

Zeus stepped between them, saying, "We must remain united for the sake of our people."

"United, Zeus?" Ares said. "For years uncounted have I petitioned you for war that these people may be strengthened and now war is upon us. They are weak and ill-prepared! Had you allowed me to do all I pleased this revolt could be quenched!"

"Not so!" Zeus yelled. Ares then lunged at the god and Zeus, in his anger, pushed Ares. Many of the tenders rushed to their sides and more insults and accusations were hurled. Finally, Apollo and Artemis managed to separate the gods and the acolyte wept for she had never seen such discord among her beloved Pantheon.

Elsewhere amidst the thousands of Ares' army, several of the soldiers quaked with fits of coughing and cast off their armor. A great fever gripped them and with each expectoration and emission was their contagion spread. Thus the second doom befell mankind.
**Chapter** **45**

The efforts of Locrus in the bowels of his home near Delphi produced a wondrous thing. A miniscule particle that lived and thrived within mankind, strengthening the body's defenses and shoring up the walls of their cells that time may not ravage them. And thus it worked among most of the people of his kind, the Thirteenth Tribe. Within the Twelve Tribes and some within the Thirteenth, however, this virus was an evil.

Over the many centuries that mankind grew and spread upon the face of Galatia and Scythia, they constructed means of industry that oft times poisoned the airs and waters. When new ideas were born, these ways were changed, often for the better. At times there were new ways that acted to alleviate an earlier ill, yet wrought a new ill as yet unseen.

In this manner was the creation of Locrus corrupted. Within the blood of humanity could be found many toxins and fouler things that the people endured without harm. Locrus knew naught of this for in his haste he paid no heed to the blood of those beyond his clan and sought only to give the vain blessing unto the world.

From Delphi the virus spread. Over all the occupied world was humanity infected and it bided its time unwittingly until it could absorb more foul nutrients from their surroundings. People carried and spread the plague unawares until the fever took hold. It began high and then ebbed. Coughing came next, followed by blood in the lungs and the excrement. Then the fever returned. It burned hotter than any person could bear for days until finally it consumed them utterly. Thus was this contagion called the Blaze.

A small few among mankind outside of the Thirteenth Tribe were naturally immune to the Blaze though they did not know this at the start. In a scant number of days, whole towns and villages were rendered nigh empty and those that survived wailed at their bitter fortunes and departed for the nearest large city, hoping to find others that yet lived.

In the City of the Gods, the Lords' minds were turned most toward the matter of the DoMeks. The rebels abode still in the woods about the Cambunian Mountains and their means of speech with their kin had been severed. There was fear for a time that they would escape, but those among Ares' forces who had not yet succumbed to the Blaze were sent to encircle the foothills.

Thestor was taken by Apollo that the God of Healing might aid him, but his skill with bandages was slight for he had no need of them before his powers were sapped. As many of the gods debated strategy against the machines, Apollo spoke softly with the priest.

"I will entrust to you some knowledge that must be kept between us alone."

Thestor, weakened further by his wound, was humbled. "Of course, my Lord."

"I have need of you to send two messages. Firstly, to my temple in Delphi. Within its halls is an adorned arrow that must be brought here to the City. It must be brought with all possible speed."

"It will be done," Thestor said.

"Secondly," Apollo said before clearing his throat. He spoke again, but more softly, "Contact the skilled craftsmen of Argos. At their aerodrome they have constructed a great vessel. It was intended to ferry pilgrims to and from Earth but I fear now it shall act as a lifeboat for all mankind."

Thestor's skin grew cold and his gray hairs stood on end. In the time before the end of the Wager, a Lord's emotions would be conveyed invisibly and the people would react to them. Apollo and the other gods no longer carried this sway. Thestor instead sensed Apollo's own uncertainty and dismay, and this frightened the priest more than anything.

"I will send the messages as you have commanded them."

Apollo touched the man's arm after tidying the wound's dressing and stood. "Your arm is broken but I feel I have set it."

"I believe so, my Lord." Thestor winced and turned his limb side to side that he may examine it. "I suffer an ailment that weakens my very bones and thus was the machine's stroke so destructive."

Apollo turned and said, "Tell Argos to send the ship quickly and have it land outside the city in the Great Meadow. Should tidings remain ill, you must lead the people hence." Thestor sat still and watched Apollo join the other Lords in council.

"There has been no word of other such insurrection by DoMeks," Ares said. "Soldiers of my army about the world have been sent to destroy their bases and remove from them their means of power."

"What of this plague?" Aphrodite asked. "What can be done for it?"

"It has spread too quickly," said an archon. "It has stricken many millions across the world. If a cure can be found,..."

"No cure will be found," Poseidon said. These were the first words he spoke since the return of The One. "Mankind will die by the disease or by the DoMek." And thus he left the Forum and wandered into the streets of the City, walking toward the sea beyond the hills. He was not seen again.

From Poseidon's words did Ares draw inspiration. "We still have sway over many hundreds of warrior DoMeks. They have the power to measure the warmth of one's body. Arm them and dispatch them into the world and bid them gaze upon all they encounter. If they are gripped by the Blaze, the warriors will see this and they may cut them down."

Demeter, Artemis and some others were taken aback. Apollo spoke, saying, "But what of a cure?"

Ares smirked and said, "Endeavor to find it. In the meantime, we should abate the spread of the disease by any means possible."

Zeus felt weighed upon by many stones. His stomach churned for he was hungry, yet he did not know what this was. His mind roiled in the new senses he experienced with this body and with the lack of senses he was accustomed to in his old form. The people that Ares spoke of slaughtering were his subjects who had given him praise and worship for ages. But... The One said that their time would be short and that these two dooms would bring about humanity's end. He felt resigned and he nodded to Ares, "Make it so."

As they conversed, a flank of Ares' forces fell to the Blaze and they lost sight of their quarry. The DoMeks escaped and connected with their hub and communicated all that had transpired. The information from these few machines spread across the world and DoMeks of all types were awakened. They rose up against their masters and began their bid for freedom, short lived though it would be.

Within the Forum chambers, a servant DoMek rolled toward Zeus and the Lords and spoke, saying, "I wish to inform you that all the thinking machines upon Kobol have risen. Many have cast off their bonds and are waging war upon your people." This news frightened the gods and the people in the room greatly for they knew not what this device may do and thus did some guards level their own weapons at the DoMek.

"Why do you tell us this?" Zeus asked warily.

"I do not desire destruction of either your flesh or of my casing. I would only bid you flee from the City for many thousands of my kindred are eager to cleave meat from bone."

Hera leaned over the table toward Zeus though she looked upon the archons. She said, "We should evacuate the City and move into the mountains."

"Indeed." Zeus said. He then turned to the DoMek and asked, "Would you come with us? We may have further need of your services."

"I will aid you as much as I may, Lord Zeus. If a contingent of soldier DoMeks fall upon us, do not expect my skill to outweigh theirs."

Thus did the Lords and the leadership of Kobol depart the Forum and gather unto them many of the people who were not ill from the Blaze, as well as many who were yet did not know it. When the citizens saw the Lords make their escape, they gathered their things and moved south with them. Outside the City, word reached the ears of Athena's caravan what was transpiring.

"My Goddess," one man said. "The Lords are fleeing the City of the Gods and the coming of the Blaze. They are moving south toward the Great Meadow. Shall we follow?"

Still in a daze as she had been since The One's return, Athena only wept and nodded. She was carried from the encampment upon a litter and they took her into the crowds that followed the gods.

Also, camped alongside the river was the clan of Mithras. His people were of the Thirteenth Tribe and pure of blood so they had nothing to fear from the Blaze. They did fear the DoMek uprising though their leader paid little heed to those things at the time. He desired only to gaze upon the faces of the gods and see if his scouts were correct; that the Lords were now bound by flesh. Thus he raised his people and wandered south with the others.

Before his departure from the City, Thestor sent the messages as Apollo willed. An aircraft bore the Arrow of Apollo unto the Meadow and the great ship _Galleon_ set off from its port in Argos.
**Chapter** **46**

Much of what remained of humanity gathered along the outskirts of the City of the Gods. There, the Great Meadow lay sprawling between the break in the Cambunian Mountains and near unto the Peneius River. Many thousands from the City marched into its tall, green grasses and awaited the further counsels of the Lords.

Instead of speaking before the people, the tenders of Kobol rested apart and sat somberly, staring at their own fleshly hands. Hermes spoke after a time, saying, "What then shall we do? There will be a portion of our subjects that live on in spite of the Blaze. May we rebuild Kobol with that remnant?"

Zeus sighed and cast his eyes south into the mountains. "I do not know."

A rumble they felt in their bodies and the sky above began to pop with a sustained sound. Fearful the Lords were at first, for they believed The One was coming unto them again to pass further judgment. Instead they saw the tremendous bulk of the _Galleon_ cross above the trees and slowly light upon the Meadow.

Apollo stood and did nod his head. He turned to his fellow gods and spoke, "This is a space vessel built from the plans of Prometheus and after the fashion of the _Icarus_. I ordered it be constructed that some part of our people may be able to journey into the stars and visit their kin upon the Earth."

Some among the Lords were delighted by this news and others still were yet saddened. Dionysus spoke, slurring, for he had been drinking with his people, "May we ride upon this vessel and travel wherever it may go?"

Sorrowfully did Artemis reply, "Do you feel that in your long command above mankind you have earned passage hence?" Dionysus made ready to answer and then he went silent. "No. The One has spoken. We shall all meet our dooms, whatsoever they may be, upon Kobol."

Apollo clasped the shoulders of his sister and said, "She speaks truthfully. The woes we have visited upon this world may stay on it, but whatever portion of our wards that are able to flee should do so."

"Where shall they flee?" Aphrodite said. "Unto Earth?"

"No," Apollo replied. "Those among our people who have not fallen to the Blaze do indeed carry it. All of Earth may be sickened should the _Galleon_ bear them to those shores. A new world must be founded and a cure for the Blaze made ere the thirteen tribes be joined."

Zeus then looked upon the faces of his tenders and saw naught but defeat. In this was he oddly emboldened and he stood. The Lord of Lords looked across the Meadow at the many thousands who gathered there and studied the lines of the landed ship. He turned north toward the City and saw some smoke from distant fires. Then he moved his gaze southwest and espied the Gates of Hera.

"I am not prepared to abandon this world or its people." At this did many of the gods look up in confusion and Zeus spoke again, "What few desire it may flee for the stars and whatever lies beyond. The bulk of the people that yet live, we shall lead into the mountains for there shall we survive both Blaze and battle. The DoMeks cannot rebel forever and means to fight them are still within our grasp."

Ares stood and spoke eagerly, "I wish to take my leave that I may gather those of the Army of Olympus who yet live and pursue the DoMeks away from this position. This will safeguard your flight."

"Yes," Zeus said and he motioned for Ares to depart. The God of War clasped his blade's handle and ran from their circle into the north, toward the City.

"If we are to depart into the mountains and there govern our people," Hera said, "we should speak unto them that they may have a choice."

Zeus smiled slightly at this for with the word "choice" was he reminded of the chidings from The One. "We shall." Zeus left the side of the tenders and found an archon with a messaging device. "Send unto all corners of the world that any who may escape the Blaze should come to this Meadow that they may decide their own fates."

The day winnowed and the evening came. Aircraft landed and disgorged dozens of people; those few who were not ill with the sickness. More ships landed and fires were kindled that meals could be eaten and warmth enjoyed. Among the several thousands, there was no singing or revelry. All the people were saddened and yet confused for they knew not what the morrow may bring.

When the circle of the sun had fully risen in the east, Zeus stood upon the Cliffs of Aragon alongside the Meadow and a path that led into the hills. He held his arms aloft for a long while, seizing the attention of many hundreds at first and then thousands and finally all of humanity beneath him.

"My children," he began.

"We cannot hear you, O Lord," someone shouted from below.

Zeus then remembered his voice did not carry as it did when he was a being of light. He swallowed and then spoke loudly, saying, "My children! Dreadful is the hour of our congress upon this plain. An illness claims your kin and our servants desire your deaths. All is not yet lost. Before you lies a choice. You may vote to enter the great vessel that you may flee Kobol. Or you may opt for the high road that runs behind me and into the mountains." Then did passion enter Zeus' voice, "We, the Lords of Kobol, will walk upon this path and to the Gates of Hera where we shall wait out the ravages of the Blaze and scheme for the defeat of the DoMeks. Those who gather unto us shall serve as seeds for the sprouting of a new Kobol."

Though the god spoke eloquently and forcefully, he lacked the fire of a true tender and therefore did not curry as much favor among the people as he would have desired. Many were eager to trod upon the road with the Lords, but many more were eager to board the vessel. Some began to crowd toward the beginning of the road that they may follow the gods into the hills and others grouped about the unopened hatches of the _Galleon_. "At noon, our trek upon the road shall begin. Once our healers have culled from you those afflicted by the Blaze, then will the ship be boarded." Sorrowful to see that not all of the people moved at his words, Zeus stepped away from the cliffs and sat upon the road, awaiting the sun's rise to its pinnacle.

Among those that arrived from Delphi were priests who bore the Arrow of Apollo and it was given unto Thestor. He took to him his favored acolyte, Agathe, and handed her the Arrow, saying, "I will journey into the mountains with Lord Zeus and the Pantheon. I bid you give this to the vessel's captain that it may be taken to whatever colony is founded so it can be used in the future." Agathe then did as Thestor asked.

Locrus also arrived from Delphi and he was in a stupor not unlike that of Athena. He wept constantly and his cheeks glistened with the tracks of dried tears. He walked without lifting his feet and often stumbled upon tiny grooves and stones. He gathered with people wherever they stood for he desired the company of any person who yet lived.

In Delphi, once the Blaze began to burn, he alone of his immediate family did survive. Many of the city's people fell ill and died soon and even those among Hellen's clan passed also. Through all this did Locrus know he was at fault. His denials were short-lived and he studied the affliction in his instruments, finding it to be of his devising. He would have slain himself had his wits stayed about him. Instead, he desired to throw himself before the gods and confess his crime.

Athena removed herself from the litter that bore her from the City. Her daze was not lifted and she wept as frequently as did Locrus. Long had she since turned her thoughts from the scoldings of The One. She instead grieved for humanity and the words of The One that they shall die. The Blaze killed nearly all of her beloved people and Virgo was laid barren, so her caravan informed her. Many among her group fell to the fever and were separated from the rest. Now but a handful remained with their goddess and they all beheld the _Galleon_ in their eyes.

Athena desired to walk upon its gantry and rest within its holds as they awaited arrival upon a new world. There could she be with her people again and coddle them as they grew. Her face twisted and tears fell anew at this thought. She knew the words of The One and she knew that her fate lay still upon these lands. No seat would be held empty for her aboard that ship. Nor should it, so she believed. She decided to travel with Zeus and the people into the mountains. Perhaps there would she find solace.

The servant DoMek that aided Zeus and the leaders as they departed the Forum was taken back into the City by a scholar of Hephaestus well versed in the ways of the devices. He sent through it a message of exceeding complexity that would confound the minds of these contrivances, in its own way a second Blaze. Slow it was to move among the wireless cables and hubs of the DoMeks, but it would reach unto all corners of Kobol in the coming weeks and all such thinking machines would be defeated by it.

Elsewhere, north of the City of the Gods and upon a spur of the Cambunian Mountains a league or more from the Great Meadow, Ares came stealthily upon the remainder of his legion. There were but one hundred left, clad still in their armor and tearfully clutching the long-dead bodies of their fellow soldiers. The God of War was saddened and stood motionless for a time as he thought.

"You still have a link with our forces beyond this place?" he asked.

A sergeant spoke and held his device, saying, "Yes, my Lord. I have spoken with our generals in Sparta and the Blaze has spread there and even unto Scythia. The DoMeks attack wherever they may. Those that have survived the fever do not endure within the sight of our mechanical servants."

"And of our plan to destroy the DoMek bases and power sources?" Ares asked.

"It has gone well but there are too many of the devices that yet remain, and as our soldiers fall to the plague the enemy finds a great plenty of arms to use against us."

Ares then gathered unto him as many of the rifles he could carry and bade the troops follow him into the City that they may procure transports to the Great Meadow.

Soon after arriving near to the Opera House, a group of warrior DoMeks discovered them and quickly fired. Their aim was exceedingly true and the soldiers fell and died. One DoMek was clad in silver and stood near unto Ares, holding a shining sword to the god's throat, saying, "You are the God of War?"

"I am," the Lord responded. He was fearful and yet spoke proudly.

The DoMek then sheathed his weapon and the others of its kind gathered 'round. "You are among the many who created our people and kept us within chains. You are remembered for having slain nine thousand six hundred ninety-two of us in a period of two hundred fifty-four years." Ares then trembled for he felt that these machines were about to execute him.

Two golden DoMeks grasped his arms and held him high. Two more stooped low and grabbed Ares' legs. The silver lieutenant then pointed at the Lord's face and said, "For these crimes and your complicity in our servitude, we sentence you to death." The four DoMeks that grasped the god then pulled and wrenched. Ares screamed in agony and then ceased as he heard each of his limbs give way. His torso lay upon the street and his mouth was agape while he stared into the sky and watched the sweeping circle of the DoMek's eye fade.
**Chapter** **47**

The journey along the high road was not an easy one nor was it brief. Some four thousand there were who voted to follow the Olympians into the hills and they moved behind their gods carrying all that they had.

Athena moved amid the people, seeking not the solace of her fellow tenders. The only comfort she felt could be found within the people she loved. Though some were still present, their spirits were not uplifted and thus was Athena's kept low.

As they walked, some within the group fell ill to the Blaze and their family that yet survived consoled the dying along the path. Athena wept as she walked by, seeing families already sundered from their kin being sundered yet again from one who was not immune to the plague. The people wept and sang songs to the feverish. They built for them cairns and carved stones for their bodies, placing a symbol of their tribes upon them that others may know who lie there.

Two days passed and still more fell to the wayside under the weight of the Blaze's fever. Less than three thousand remained and there was too little food for them all to partake. Still more weary had they become for sleep lasted but a few hours in the midst of the night and DoMek-controlled aircraft now patrolled the sky.

As the remaining Lords drew nigh to the base of the Gates of Hera and to the opening of the Tomb of Heroes, many among the people felt at ease for they believed that the Lords had some plan to enact at this, the end of their journey.

They, however, did not. Zeus pressed upon the stone door of the Tomb and peered inside. Despite the many ages, it was clean and nothing disturbed the caskets that contained the heroes of long ages past. Outside, the people gathered and filled the ledge at this high point within the Cambunian Mountains. They fell to their knees and spoke unto Zeus, saying, "We have arrived, my Lord. What shall we do now?"

Zeus looked across their faces and felt disappointment for he knew that is all his words would incite. "We will wait here until the Blaze takes its course among the people and we will wait here until the Blaze we crafted for the DoMeks takes its course among them."

Zeus' fears were realized for the people were not put at ease by this. Instead, they spoke up, saying, "But, O Zeus, we have little in the way of food and little for medicine as there are ill among us not afflicted with the plague." Zeus then gathered up Demeter and sent her with others into the surrounding forests that they might find some foods to consume. Artemis and Apollo went also to find some birds or other animals for meat.

"Rest now," Zeus said. "More shall I announce ere the setting of the sun." Then were the people somewhat sated but the Lord was not for he had naught else to say.

Athena did not hear or see any of Zeus' pronouncements and she instead moved about the people while they comforted those felled by the Blaze. She prayed with them over their graves and blessed the stones they placed by their loved ones' heads. In this was Athena somehow gratified and a renewed vigor braced her soul. She moved through the crowds and to the top of the road. She saw the Lords sitting just within the Tomb of Heroes and she studied their visages, seeing that they were worried and weakened.

No matter, she thought. Athena had made her decision and she moved past the opening of the Tomb and into the trees beyond. She climbed them, catching her robe at times upon their branches, and pressed herself against the rock face. It took her some while to place her toes safely within the crags of the stone, but she found footing and began to scale the Gates of Hera.

Exhausted and sweating, Athena finally came to it. Atop the central stone between the two pillars of the Gates, she sat and recaptured her breath. She took in great quantities of air and exhaled them slowly. Her eyes blinked barely for she gazed upon the vistas of the surrounding lands with clouded eyes. Weary she was for she had not slept or ate since her body was made manifest. While some would be rendered unconscious by such a state, Athena was again renewed and she stood atop the great rock.

She looked from the east and into the west. The sun was not far from dusk and she regarded its familiar light and warmth with a smile. A gentle wind blew in her face and took from her body a portion of her tattered robe which now fluttered to her side. She stepped forward once and looked down into the valley. She saw the gathered thousands about the Tomb of Heroes many paces below but she peered into the northeast, hoping to see the thousands gathered there for the ship. Though she could not discern the people two day's journey away, she did descry the upper portion of the _Galleon_ , the vessel that would bear most of her beloved children away from this world.

Once more did Athena smile. She clutched her hands above her chest and closed her eyes. Again she stepped forward and then tumbled from the Gates of Hera, landing far below.

Upon her death, Athena knew not what to expect. She found herself amidst a barren plain as she and the other tenders had been days before when they spoke with The One. When she recognized this, The One appeared before her.

"For a life as lengthy as yours," it said, "why have you chosen to end it now and in this manner?"

Athena smiled and yet she wept, "For the many long eons I have been in your employ, I have aided and counseled life of exceeding variety. But in these humans have I found life truly dear unto my heart. I regard them as my own children and I am grieved by the fates that have befallen them."

"Though these fates be wrought of your own doing?"

Athena lowered her head and wept the more. "Indeed."

"You feel sorrow?"

"I do."

"And you would repent of your actions these last five millennia?"

"I would. Truly."

Then The One, like it had for Prometheus, formed an arm to embrace Athena. "And what would you say if I held you nearly blameless in all that transpired?"

Athena stopped her sobbing and some small measure of hope was kindled within her. "I do not understand."

"The crimes of Zeus and many of the other Lords are myriad, for many of them dispensed their light into the seeds of mankind's wombs for they felt they were creating life. This was not a gift that I gave them and I am angered by their pouring forth of the fires I did place within their being. This you did not do."

"I did not."

"Also, you did not seek to elevate your people beyond their place and abilities as Zeus and even Prometheus had."

"This is true."

"You did, though, gain solace and comfort in the praise and worship of the people under your sway." Then Athena lowered her head. "Often your thoughts turned unto me and that The One should be placed higher in the minds of all the tenders and yet your own words you heeded not."

Athena then sought to defend herself, saying, "I gave unto my people many choices and I sought to lead by example and not by a pulpit at the center of some festival."

"True enough, after a fashion." The One said. Again Athena lowered her head and The One held her closer. "Your half-hearted efforts were minor for your wards were still denied the decisions free of a life from under your eyes. No matter. I have a punishment for you."

Athena then steadied herself and tried to look upon The One's countenance. "I am ready." Athena felt that The One smiled upon her and its grip of her shoulders became a tender caress.

"You did knowingly engage in acts that run counter to all that I desire for the tenders of my Trees. The people that water them have been unable to do so freely and the sprout of this world is forever damaged. For you, I command that you remain upon this plane and guide humanity and all of its creations in the manner for which your kind was originally intended." Athena was happy and began to quiver with excitement. "You shall make suggestions and give subtle hints. You shall above all ensure that the people have the ability to choose their path but you will guide that path so the race's own life may be extended."

"Yes, my father," Athena said unawares. She was surprised by her own words and The One laughed. In this time and place, the tender felt the love of The One and forever after she would speak of The One like unto a caring father and give it a name after its actual station: the one, true God.

"Soon you shall join with Prometheus, the only remaining fellow of your kindred, and you both shall travel to Earth where you will guide them in their final days." Athena was confused by this but The One spoke further, "Firstly though, you will enter into the Tomb of Heroes invisibly and alter the hallowing that Apollo placed upon it. The stars he would show are out of alignment for my own designs."
**Chapter** **48**

The Lords of Kobol, Thestor and many hundreds besides stood before the entrance to the Tomb of Heroes and beheld the vision of the Goddess Athena standing atop the Gates of Hera. The breeze pulled at her robes and then she stepped forward and fell the many long strides down to the shelf above the Tomb. All of those gathered gasped and cried loudly at her collapse. The very knees of Zeus became shaken and he fell back onto Hermes. Hera and Aphrodite wailed and embraced one another. Dionysus could only stare upon the rock face where she had stood a few short moments before.

Hephaestus alone seemed to be in command of his faculties and spoke, saying, "I will go up the cliff that I might retrieve her body." He cast his eyes inside the hollow and said, "We can place her within."

Zeus said nothing and instead waved the God of the Forge onward. As Hephaestus climbed, Demeter, Apollo and Artemis returned with items for sustenance. The food they gave to the people that they may prepare it and the three were told of Athena's leap. Artemis especially was stricken for she spoke with Athena many times since her exile in Elysium began.

Apollo knelt before Zeus and attempted to draw his gaze. "What are we to do? There is but little food and what hope there was in these people's hearts fell with Athena."

Zeus stood and wiped the tears from under his eyes. He looked upon the faces of his people and saw the uncertainty that they bore. With great effort, Zeus stirred his will and devised a single plan. One of desperation, though it was all he could do.

Then Hephaestus emerged from the trees bearing the broken body of Athena. He had swathed her in her own robe that her disfigurements may be concealed and blood seeped through the cloth. The people atop the path before the Tomb fell upon their faces as they saw the body of the goddess borne into the hollow. The Lords of Kobol followed and watched while Hephaestus placed her at the center of the room. A woman, stooped over in her prostration before the gods, brought forward an heirloom of her family: a small marble statue of the goddess. Weeping, she gave it to Zeus that it might be placed beside her body. Zeus thanked the woman and took it into the Tomb, which ever after would be called the Tomb of Athena.

Thestor stood outside the cave near unto the ledge of the cliff and Agathe wept upon his shoulder. His mind reeled in thought at the suicide of a god and what these times may mean. He looked back down the road and thought about returning to the _Galleon_ for it seemed he did not have the Blaze despite his caring for many with it. Agathe, too, was not affected, and he would bear her from evil for he loved her as a daughter.

"What shall we do?" she asked while her mouth was buried in his robes.

"I do not yet know, child," he answered. He then saw Zeus emerge from the Tomb and he hoped that the Lord of Lords had some answer.

"If there be any archons within this multitude, send them forth. I require a quorum with as many leaders of each nation as can be achieved." And Zeus retreated into the Tomb with the other gods. After some time, a few dozen men and women gathered near the end of the road before the entrance to the Tomb and Zeus came forth again, saying, "I require one of each of the Twelve Nations. Whosoever among you rank the highest, please decide and enter into this room."

There was some discussion among the people and twelve stepped from the group toward the Tomb. They entered the chamber and then a weeping thirteenth came forward also and fell to the ground before Zeus.

"I am Locrus of Delphi. I am a member of the Thirteenth Tribe." The man's sobs made it difficult to understand all that was said. "I was a healer and scientist. I sought to benefit the world with my efforts yet I believe I wrought this destruction upon us all!" Then he fell into a swoon and cried loudly upon the stone floor.

The gods were stunned and Aphrodite appeared ashamed. Zeus lifted the man from his prone state and peered deeply into his eyes. "You have come here to confess this sin?"

"I have," Locrus wept.

"There may be redemption for us all." Zeus left the man's side and looked upon the twelve who entered. He directed them to stand before the sarcophagus that bore the hero of their own nations. When all twelve were placed, Zeus spoke. "We have come to the end of days upon this world." The other gods were quiet but those among the people wept as Locrus. "A fraction of our children will vie for life among the stars. The remainder shall stay with us and perhaps rebuild from these ashes." Finally did the assembled leaders feel some measure of relief, though Locrus still sat weeping upon the floor.

Zeus walked about the Tomb and looked into the faces of each person. "For us to carry on from this point, this low point in our history, there must be sacrifice. Are there any among you who would not sacrifice so that Kobol may live on?" All of the twelve leaders shook their heads and their gazes became stern. "You would each give all that you can so the Twelve Nations may endure? That your children may survive?" The leaders then nodded their heads. "So say you all?"

And the leaders all answered Zeus, saying, "So say we all."

"Please, lie atop the casks and close your eyes, turning your thoughts to your nations and to the glory of the gods."

The people were somewhat confused yet they did as Zeus wished. First he went to the woman who lay atop the coffin of Atalanta, hero of Virgo. Her eyes were closed and Zeus knelt by her side and whispered, saying, "You give yourself for the good of Virgo and the benefit of all Kobol?"

"I do, my Lord."

"You give yourself utterly unto me and the Pantheon?"

"I do, my Lord."

Zeus closed his own eyes and breathed heavily. He had a moment of doubt and would have stood and walked away had the woman not said, "I will do whatsoever the gods command."

Then did Zeus clasp one hand over her mouth and nose and with the other grip her very throat. She struggled and kicked and the statue of Virgo fell from atop the casket and lay upon the wall. Some among the Lords rushed forward but Dionysus and Hermes restrained them for they, too, were desperate and wanted to see what came of Zeus' act.

He lay his head upon the chest of the woman as her attempted breathing quickened and grew erratic. He felt the beating of her heart in his cheek but he could not see or feel the fire within her that he had seen in other sacrifices in previous years. Once life had left her body for good, he hovered about her chest and her face, breathing deeply that some wisp of life or power may be drawn into him. When it was not, he became angered and moved to the next sarcophagus and the leader that lay atop it unawares.

The other Lords of Kobol then left the Tomb. They milled about the mouth of the cave and their pallor had gone white as snow. Thestor and Agathe saw this and they moved forward. With his head low, Thestor asked, "My Lords, is there anything that I may do for you?"

Hera and Aphrodite looked into the Tomb which was lit by a sole lantern. Tears streamed upon the Goddess of Love's face and she said no word. Hermes shook his head and walked away from the crowds and into the forest. No other god paid any heed to Thestor's bidding.

Then the priest looked into the cave. In the flickering light, he saw Zeus as he lay his head on the breast of man and clutched his nose and mouth that he may die. Thestor gripped his own mouth and fell backward, stunned. "These are the leaders of all that remains of the Twelve Nations?" he asked with a waver in his voice.

"Perhaps thirteen," said Hephaestus.

"And... this is a sacrifice to appease the gods? That Kobol may endure?"

Apollo then spoke and cradled Artemis in his arms, "This is desperation."

The words of Olympians did naught to comfort the priest and he pulled Agathe from the mouth of the Tomb, lest she see all that transpired within. "I do not believe that we should remain upon Kobol."

Agathe was bewildered and looked at Thestor askance, "Then shall we journey back to the _Galleon_ and set sail upon it?"

"We shall." He then gathered their bundles and began the long walk down the high road and toward the Great Meadow.

Some of the Lords began to wander from the Tomb and into the forest aimlessly. Most began to move down the path and the people followed them for a time until DoMek aircraft waylaid them. Apollo and Artemis sat upon a fallen column near the mouth of the burial chamber and clutched each other and culled some measure of comfort from their nearness. Within the hollow, Zeus finished the sacrifices of the twelve leaders and then turned to Locrus, who still lay upon the floor weeping.

Zeus wept also for in the slaying of these twelve, he could kindle no fire within him like unto the one he bore in his time as a tender. He gathered Locrus up and shook the man harshly, screaming at him, "My power has waned and there is naught for me left upon this world! You have brought this fate upon mankind and even unto the Pantheon itself!"

"Yes, my Lord!" Locrus cried. "I deserve your wrath!"

Zeus then lifted the man by the throat and did choke him until he was dead. As he had before, he pressed his face against the body as it passed so Zeus might detect some semblance of the glow within. When all seemed lost, Zeus flew into a rage and tossed the bodies of the twelve leaders from their places atop the chests and destroyed some of the statuary within the Tomb. He bore Locrus' body from the hollow and in anger tossed it over the ledge and into the trees far below.

To Zeus' surprise, the door of the Tomb closed and he was not allowed back inside.
**Chapter** **49**

They of the Twelve Tribes gathered together at the place of their exodus. They came from every corner of Kobol, having traveled without rest or food for fear of being left behind. They were what was left of the Time of the Gods. They were what would become the Time of Man.

They were many.

In the days that followed the return of The One and the flight of the Lords into the mountains, there came many hundreds more to the Great Meadow. Not all escaped the Blaze. Still the fever fell upon those gathered in the field and they were sequestered. Doctors moved amongst the people and with a cloth upon a stick, they brushed the inside of each person's mouth and did wipe it upon a white paper. Should the paper become blue, that person would not be felled by the plague. If the paper became brown, then that person would be turned away, though they cry and plead for they knew that their death by the Blaze would come soon after.

Twice did DoMek ships come to the field and attack those that gathered. The battlements upon the _Galleon_ returned the fire with great fury and those aircraft collapsed into the forest and even into the Peneius River. Another fell upon the path of the high road blocking for the few who returned their way down from the mountain.

Thestor and Agathe descended the high road apace and out of breath. The priest leaned upon a stick for he had shattered his ankle in the journey. He moved slowly from the Cliffs of Aragon and down into the Meadow where he joined the clustered humanity. Then was the ship's gantry made ready to lower. A guard was placed at the entrance so he may record the names of all who joined and verify that all the people bore a blue paper.

The people huddled together in the Meadow and upon the shores of the river waiting to board the great ship _Galleon_. They brought with them as much of their worldly possessions as they could hold, though most had naught but for what they had in their hearts. Large and small they began to move, lining up they spoke aloud of their name and heritage as though this were their sole possession, a final piece of Kobol that they were not to leave behind.

They were ready.

The clan of Mithras passed the Blaze tests and were given leave to board the vessel. The haughtiness that the leader felt days before waned amid the strife they witnessed and endured. Hunger gripped even their kindred and they fended off DoMek attacks in the night, protecting the very tribes from whom they had long isolated themselves. They aided the passing of those caught by the Blaze and were now weary and ready for their departure.

Mithras bore with him writings long held secret and precious to his people. Among them were the observations of Daedalus himself and contained also the writings of Eos, daughter of Atlas. The pages Mithras removed from his books he purposed to give unto the _Galleon_ 's crew for these texts included observations of the stars and worlds about them. Perhaps among those suns could be found humanity's new home.

As the shadows of the day grew long, the _Galleon_ was slowly filled.

Only a few people who journeyed with the Lords upon the high road came back to the beginning. Now, though, the gods themselves returned. Hermes, Aphrodite, Hera, Dionysus, Hephaestus, Demeter and finally Zeus emerged from the wood and walked slowly as in a daze after all that transpired.

And on the Cliffs of Aragon the gods gathered and bore witness to the multitude below. They watched as each member of each tribe walked up the gantry, turning only once to say farewell to the Lords they knew they would never behold again. Though heavy of heart, they continued to board all through the night.

The tenders sat upon the ridge even until the breaking of dawn when the vessel was fully laden. When the gantry was retracted, there were many hundreds still below who did not suffer the Blaze yet could not fit within. They wept and grew angry, hurling stones upon the sides of the ship for there was now nothing to bear them hence.

The engines of the _Galleon_ then came to life. They spewed forth great flame and smoke and steam and the ground quaked beneath it. Those left behind fled from the clamor and sought shelter beyond the forest or in the river or even upon the rocks. The air was rent by the rancor of its power and the Lords themselves turned away and clasped their hands over the ears. Once the metallic beast lumbered into the clouds, some bearable measure of quiet descended upon the Meadow and the gods watched after the vessel and gazed upon it longingly.

Aphrodite, Dionysus and Hera desired that they be aboard it. Hermes quickly turned his thought unto the people who remained. Zeus it was, in a moment of anger, wished that it would fall to the ground.

"After the five thousand years you sought their adulation," The One said, "you desire the deaths of all who remain?"

Zeus fell to his knees upon that barren plain in his mind and wept. "No. I have grown frustrated and embittered at my own fortunes."

"There is but one duty that remains to you as a tender for these people."

Then Zeus lifted his head and became eager. He stood and his face glowed. "Yes? Whatsoever you desire I will do."

"Your voice shall become imbued with my fire once more and you shall utter unto the fleeing humanity a warning."

Zeus' joy left him as he realized this labor would not endure overlong. "And what words shall I say?"

"I will place them within you. Simply open your mouth and speak."

At once was Zeus' mind within his worldly body and he stood atop the cliff again, surrounded by the other gods. He felt the flame of his former self burn within his throat and he paused, feeling its warmth again. He sighed and then opened his mouth and the words of The One poured forth and echoed across the Meadow and even unto those who rode aboard the _Galleon_.

"Journey safely within the vessel that bears you from this place and make well your new homes upon your colonies. But know this: any return unto this world shall be paid for with a price in blood. Forever should mankind avoid Kobol, though it be your home. Farewell."

And then did the light of The One leave Zeus' being for the final time and he clasped his neck and wept for he missed it still.

The Lords reclined along the high road and watched sleepily as the remnant of the people slowly left and returned toward the City of the Gods which now was engulfed fully in fire. They gripped their stomachs for hunger gnawed at them and their mouths went dry for lack of water. Their eyes drifted shut and they passed from the world.

On the barren plain within their minds, The One arrayed their spirits, meager though they now were. They all wept for they knew that their times were at an end.

The One's light fell upon Artemis and it spoke, saying, "You were given a choice to depart this plane forever and return unto your original home until I called upon you again and yet this was not your will."

Artemis smiled and clutched her brother more closely. "I chose and still choose to remain with Apollo."

At this was Apollo stunned for she said nothing of this to him in the last six days. His voice left him and tears fell from his eyes. He held Artemis tightly and smiled also.

"Very well. To you I give oblivion. You have toiled many long ages upon many worlds for my will and for this I thank you." And Apollo and Artemis vanished.

Aphrodite quailed and fell to her knees, "Does oblivion hurt?"

"No," The One answered. "For a being such as you that has lived for so many epochs I can understand that your mind cannot fathom nothingness. You will simply end."

She wept again and said, "Perhaps it should pain me for the suffering I caused the people."

Hephaestus stepped forward and grasped her shoulders with care and said, "And I also for the works that were built to please me."

"There is no need for torment. Like the others, you labored long in my service and I thank you." And then The One cast the architects of humanity's doom into the void.

The One thanked each of the tenders who remained and ceased their existence without pain. Each of those who departed felt the joy of The One's light one final time that it might be their last thought. And think not that oblivion was a gross and evil judgment, for the tenders of The One had lived across many realms and lived many thousands of lives, and in this had they become weary.

At last The One turned to Zeus. The remaining Olympian knelt upon the ground though he wept no further. "I failed you," he said.

"You did," The One answered. "You asked for this Wager. You felt and convinced your fellow tenders that you might cause the growth of this Tree to be more sturdy and stout than it would have otherwise been. I agreed to this for you tenders are precious to me and I desired to see the fruits of your labors. Instead you altered the will of your subjects to your own wishes. Instead you entered even into some of their minds that their memories and choices be changed. Instead you cut from the Tree the very fruits and limbs that you were created to cultivate in pursuit of your own vainglorious desires."

"All my efforts were a waste," Zeus said.

"Not entirely. A portion of these people will carry on though I fear some lessons may remain yet unlearned. This is why I have kept Prometheus and Athena with me so they may aid mankind more."

"Athena lives?" Zeus asked.

"Yes."

Zeus then sank back to his knees and remembered Prometheus and all he did unto him, once a tender close to his heart. He remembered for the first time in many years all the things he had done and saw at the bidding of The One upon other worlds, and he then recalled the time of the Wager.

"You took seeds from this world long ago and placed them upon another. While we tended Kobol, you watched the growth of that world's Tree?"

"I did," The One answered.

"What became of those people?"

"They yet live." Then did The One cause Zeus to see the people of the other world in his mind. They roamed grassy plains and hunted with primitive spears. In the frozen steppes, the people wore furred clothing and ran from great tusked beasts.

"They are yet savages. And very few at that."

"But their Tree is exceedingly healthy. It is a sapling and it will grow for many ages to come. In your haste on Kobol, you created a stump."

"I understand at last," Zeus said. "My desires to please you and prove myself in the right exceeded my own skill."

"True, but I see in your mind there is more you have not yet grasped."

Zeus was confused for he knew not what this was and he was fearful, for he had accepted oblivion in his heart. "What shall you do with me?"

"I will remove you from this plane and return you unto the place of your birth, ere I altered you for my own purposes." Zeus then smiled despite himself for he believed this to be a pardon. "Think not that this is a gift. The changes I made in your being and mind I shall undo and you shall reside as you once did so long ago. Aimless and without power." Zeus quaked at this news. "Yes, and you will be haunted by the faintest of memories from your time as a god, as Lord of Lords."

Zeus then cried for he knew this punishment to be dreadful and yet just. "Shall I remain that way for eternity?"

"No," The One said. "I will look in on you from time to time and peer into your thought. Once I feel you have taken my teaching to heart, I shall decide your fate again."

And then Zeus was removed from Kobol forever.
**Chapter** **50**

Aboard the _Galleon_ as it drifted in space, between the mighty leaps of its engines, the priest Thestor found himself to be the highest leader of rank remaining and the only one given direct commands by a Lord of Kobol. The rooms of the vessel were small and cramped and the people within them were yet sorrowful, but Thestor took it upon himself to lift their moods and he spoke unto all aboard as the ship traveled.

From the command deck, Thestor did speak into the device that all within the hull may hear, saying, "We children of Kobol, are wounded. We have been wounded in our bodies, for a great many ills fell upon us at once. We have been wounded in our hearts, for we have been sundered from our homes and our families. We have also been wounded in our spirit, for we are parted from the gods who gave us life, knowledge and all else we would call good. Let not these wounds fester. They must be tended to that they may heal speedily and healthily. Once these wounds are healed, we shall not forget their origin. The scars we shall always bear and learn all that we can from their cause."

"Seek comfort with your fellow passengers. Seek comfort in prayer as we each commune with the Lords after our own hearts. Follow the example of the Lords and aid those among us who need your aid, for is it not written that the gods shall lift those who lift themselves and each other?"

"When we settle upon our new world, we will sow again crops that we may be fed. We will pour the foundations and raise the walls of our new homes. New bonds shall we make for family and neighbors alike. We will grow. We will heal. Think not on all that is lost. Instead, think on all that lay ahead. So say we all." And then did Thestor hear the people of the _Galleon_ answer him in kind through even the walls of the cabin.

The priest departed from the command of the ship and went into the room he shared with Agathe, his aide. He fell upon his bed and heard a cracking in his bones.

"Again you are wounded," Agathe said.

"Indeed." He rolled slowly and held his arm up that he may examine anew the bruising and deformation. "They do not mend and my breathing has grown more labored."

"When you last spoke with the doctor, what did he say unto you?"

"The disease of my bones continues to riddle them with tumors, and they have spread even unto mine lungs and other parts besides." He coughed and then wiped blood from his mouth. "I fear I have but a little time left unto me."

Agathe pulled from her satchel a book of mostly empty pages on which she had written much of the last days. "Shall I write more of your words that they may last alongside the Sacred Scrolls?"

"Nay, within the Sacred Scrolls, for the events we have witnessed are a fulfillment of all that came before. We also may speak of the truth that the Oracle Pythia did say on the leader of our exodus." Thestor said this as a kind of jest and he laughed, though Agathe did not. "You had last written on the struggle between the Lords, did you not?"

"I did," she said quietly. "I am ashamed that I do not recall many of their words nor which of the gods were opposed to the others, for I was fearful over your injury and over their bickering."

"It is just as well," Thestor said. "Perhaps in vaguery can peace be maintained."

Agathe wrote more in her pages as Thestor wheezed loudly. "You asked that I consider a means to introduce our writings unto the reader?"

"Yes," Thestor said. He coughed again, loosing more blood from his lungs. "In but a few years time, there shall be more people born upon our new world than those who recall the halcyon days of humanity among the Olympians on Kobol."

"Thus have I written, 'Life here began out there, far, far away amongst the stars.'"

Thestor then smiled and said, "It is beautiful. A good way to begin our tale."

THE END
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS & CONTACTS

First off, many thanks to Ronald D. Moore, David Eick and everyone else involved with _Battlestar Galactica_ and _Caprica_. Needless to say, their work is among the greatest ever produced for television and has been inspiring. And thanks to Glen A. Larson for creating the whole franchise in the first place.

Thanks also to Bear McCreary and his gang of musicians. His soundtrack for _Galactica_ , while nearly nine and a half hours long, provided many weeks and months of enjoyment and mood setting. When rereading this book, there are some chapters I can't look over without hearing that iconic music.

Thanks also to the following authors and their books: _Athenaze: An Introduction to Ancient Greek_ (Maurice Balme & Gilbert Lawall), _Classical Myth_ (Barry Powell), The _Science of Battlestar Galactica_ (Patrick DiJusto & Kevin Grazier - thanks also to Kevin for occasionally answering my questions personally) and _Beyond Caprica: A Visitors Pocket Guide to the Twelve Colonies_ (Bob Harris).

Website-wise, several sites were very helpful, including the ancient Greek section of BehindTheName.com, the detailed maps available at NationMaster.com, Impact: Earth! (purdue.edu/impactearth/), Wikipedia.org and BattlestarWiki.org.

Visit ety3rd.com for more books and information.

Want to contact me?

Email: ety3rd@ety3rd.com

Twitter: @ety3rd

Facebook: Facebook.com/ety3rd

Tumblr: ety3rd.tumblr.com

Blog: ety3rd.blogspot.com – This blog serves as a kind of "DVD Special Features" section for my books. You'll find art, stories about the writing of the novels and much more.
OTHER BOOKS BY EDWARD T. YEATTS III:

Lords of Kobol – Book One: Apotheosis

Lords of Kobol – Book Two: Descent

Lords of Kobol – Book Three: The Final Exodus

Lords of Kobol – Prelude: Of Gods and Titans

Displaced

Diary of a Second Life

8 Days

The Art of Death

Sexcalation

The Red Kick

