“Who
are you? Do you even know anymore?”
The
thought echoed in Cole’s head like the sound of his razor, clinking on the
porcelain sink, echoing in the bathroom. He knew who he was and no matter how hard
he tried to forget, he’d always remember. The countless names and titles were
all there at his instant recall. You see, that’s the problem with being an immortal.
You always remember. Cole thought about the locket, which he’d given to Bridget
two days before, and his mind drifted away.
“Foolish
pride leads to foolish endeavors,” Cole ruminated.
The
soft slapping of a red maple branch against the window jolted Cole back to the
present. Today was a busy day, an important day. The slapping of the red maple
grew louder against the window as the wind picked up. A few more scrapes of the
razor, an umbrella, a jelly doughnut, and out the door.
Rain
was falling now and Cole was walking to campus. Autumn in Ohio was a wonderful
time of year. The maple, shag bark hickory, and buckeye trees were just
beginning to change colors. It was a pleasant walk to the university. The light
rain made it less pleasant, but the short trip down College Way, past Browne
Hall, was a quick one and he enjoyed it nonetheless.
It
was amazing how the campus was growing, but managed to maintain its small
college appeal. Freshmen wandered back and forth with their noses stuck in maps
trying to find Oak Hall, or the Moore Math and Science Center. It always struck
Cole as funny that someone would need a map to get across a campus that a
strong boy could heft a football across. Well, in reality, it was slightly
larger than that, but not by much. Cole slowly ambled past Barclay and Bailey
Halls and turned toward The Swedenborg Library. Just past the library was Oak
Hall.
After
bounding up two flights of stairs to the third floor, he was finally in his
office. There was no mail in his mailbox so he headed back down stairs and over
to The Hub. It was a small café the students often gathered in. The Hub attracted
less student and teacher traffic now that the new student center had been built.
It was quiet. And he knew that Bridget would often relax here between classes. He
figured that if he was going to catch her before classes, this would be the
place.
He
walked in, adjusted his tweed vest, and made his way toward her. Today was a
new beginning and he was used to new beginnings. Cole smiled as he approached
Bridget’s booth. He noticed that she was reading The Odyssey.
“Can
I join you?” he asked. Slight surprise flickered over her face before she
nodded. “Interesting read there, Bridget.”
“Dr.
George wanted us to get a head start on his classics class, and this isn’t the
easiest story to follow.”
“You
know, it might help if you took my Greek Mythology course this semester. Having
a historical perspective may help you with your literature. Do you have a class
in the three o’clock hour?”
“Yeah,
I do. Sorry. I’m already booked with Western Civ II, and I need the humanities credit.”
“Well,
my course would meet that requirement too and would help you kill two birds
with one stone, at least for part of the semester,” Cole laughed. “I could
tutor you on the rest if you meet me here for lunch. Say on Wednesdays?”
“Are
you really serious, Dr. Weber – I mean Cole?” Bridget replied inquisitively.
“Well,
Greek history is more interesting than you may realize.”
Bridget
took this opportunity to change the subject to one that has been plaguing her
mind. “So when were you planning on enlightening me about all of my mom’s
mysteries?” She raised her eyebrow challenging him to laugh it off and tell her
he was just joking about the whole thing. “Mom mostly hid stuff from me. But
she did tell me that I dream things. And that these dreams were not really
dreams, but I didn’t believe her. Well, I didn’t put any stock in them until
you gave me the locket after her funeral. Something…happened.” It was a moment
before she continued. “Something happened to me when I opened it. I had a vision.” That word sounded weird coming
out of her mouth. “And you were in it. I also noticed that you were in the
picture with my mom and my grandma. What did you do – have a graphic design
major tweak the photo? It just doesn’t make sense otherwise.”
Cole
didn’t say anything, so Bridget continued to talk - more to herself than to
him. “You were an adult, Cole. You looked the same then as you do now. How’s
that possible? I mean, that picture is close to 40 years old. I figured you to
be about my mom’s age, but, that picture – what am I supposed to take from
that. Why did you alter it?”
“Bridget,
this is going to be hard for you to comprehend, so I’m not going to tell you
everything at one time. It’ll take time, but, if you trust me, you’ll have
answers to all of your questions.”
“Okkaayy.
So, tell me, then. I’m a big girl. I can handle the truth.”
“I
know you can. I just don’t know how to begin. This would all be much easier if
Janice had let me be a part of your life.” He took a cleansing breath. “Okay,
here it goes. That is me in that picture – unaltered - and I’m much older than
your mother…or your grandmother.”
“So,
how old are you?” she asked unable to stop herself before the words left her
mouth. She almost kicked herself for acting like a gullible kid.
“I’m
about 20,000 years old, at least.”
“Bull
shit!” Bridget snapped. “Look, if you aren’t gonna tell me the truth, well then
we oughta just forget about all this. I don’t need someone new, hiding things
from me or making crap up to win me over.”
“I’m
not lying, Bridget. Let’s leave that alone for a minute, though. Tell me what
you saw in the vision. It may help clear things up. If it doesn’t, then I’ll
fill in the details.”
“I
saw a meeting. I saw you standing at a podium. I saw you arguing with a huge
man with long white hair. And I saw Coach Sarah,” she answered quickly, a
little frustrated with herself. “It doesn’t make any sense.”
“That’s
not as strange as you might think. Sarah’s as much a part of this as I am.”
“So,
what, she’s 20,000 years old too?” Bridget gave Cole the “you’re crazy” look.
“No,
she’s a little over 12,000 years old. But trust me and don’t get hung up on the
age thing. Take my hand and I’ll tell you about that meeting. If a locket was
enough to cause that vision, then actually holding my hand should do the same,
only in more detail.”
She
stared at Cole for a moment wondering how any of this could actually be
happening. Then she pointedly took his hand.
As Cole began to
speak, Bridget watched the meeting unfold before her eyes. His voice seemed to
fade and the café, the booths, the waitress, they all just blurred out of her
vision as she became lost in the picture unfolding around her. It didn’t take
her long to figure out that she wasn’t just a bystander. She was a participant
in this vision. She was seeing everything from Cole’s point of view, just as if
she was him, feeling his emotions and hearing his thoughts. Bridget had ceased
to exist, she was Cole.
~~~~~~~~~~
Aphrodite’s
voice was calling Eros, reminding him of the upcoming council meeting. The
sound of her voice droned in his ears like an unwelcomed mantra. The memory was
so tenacious it could not be ignored. He felt himself slipping away, away to a
moment when everything in his life had changed. It was this meeting that had
sent him into hiding, the meeting that had sent him searching for a woman he
knew nothing about.
“Eros,
where are you?” Eros heard a woman call from across the courtyard of his villa.
“I’m
here, in my laboratory.”
He
had been hard at work studying the genetic makeup of the human mitochondrial
DNA and he was close to a breakthrough. Years of hard work seemed near
completion and the answers he had sought were finally within his grasp.
“Zeus
has called for a meeting of the council and he is especially interested in your
research,” Aphrodite stated as she wound her way around the last Doric column
before reaching the door of the lab. “We have a problem, and it’s finally come
to the precipice action. Zeus is calling for war with the humans. He no longer
believes that they can be enslaved.”
“What?
He does realize that this issue has been our doing. How can he expect to go to
war when we’re so greatly outnumbered anyway?” Eros questioned.
“The
humans are losing their respect for the gods, Eros. Something must be done.”
“Mother,
I wish that you would stop using that word. We are not gods. We are frauds!
This whole religion that you and the others have tried so hard to maintain
cannot last. It’s inevitable. The humans will progress and their progress will,
eventually, expose us for who we really are.”
“My
dear child, you of all people should appreciate what we’ve done for you. You
made the journey to this world. But it was us who built a kingdom for you,
where you could live forever, and live in leisure. Do not forget that! If I
were you, I would watch how you speak to Zeus. He will not tolerate your
self-righteous ramblings as I do!” Aphrodite retorted. “He expects us to
assemble at noon. Do not be late!”
Aphrodite
turned and headed out of the lab, the train of her sheer white gown trailing
behind her. Eros heard the slapping of her leather sandals grow fainter as she
crossed the courtyard. He was disgusted by the arrogance of Zeus and his
siblings. His increased contact with the humans had made him envious of their
resourcefulness. They were mastering their world despite the Atlanteans’ best
efforts to hold back their development. The world he knew as a child was
changing and he was ready for change. He was tired of being worshipped. He was
tired of being a god. He wanted to be loved by humans, not feared. He wanted to
help them. His research into the humans’ genetic structure had opened his eyes
dramatically. They would surpass the Atlanteans in time. Zeus, Hades, and
Poseidon were philanderers and their escapades had created this very problem.
Eros knew that Zeus would want to know about his research, but Eros didn’t want
Zeus to know everything he had learned.
“I’ll tell him what he wants to
hear. His arrogance will be his downfall,” thought Eros.
Zeus
had ordered Eros to begin the research when the first demigods were born. Zeus
wanted to know what kind of a threat his children posed him. Zeus was not the
wisest of the Atlanteans, but what he lacked in wisdom, he more than made up
for in bravado. He ruled the Atlanteans and the humans with an iron fist. He
depended on his strength and ruthlessness to be enough to keep the other Atlanteans
in line. It had worked until now. But, even as Zeus’ power over the Atlanteans
grew, his power over the humans dwindled. Yes, he would tell Zeus the truth,
but he would not tell him the whole truth.
Eros
packed up his notes and headed for the Atlantean capital. The sun was shining
brightly, just as it had the day before. The archipelago of Greece had the most
perfect weather. Warm, sunny days and cool evenings were the norm. Eros felt
blessed to live here.
He
had to admit that the Atlantean Council had found the perfect escape from their
dying world. Earth was rich in oxygen, much richer than the atmosphere of
Atlantea had been. This was the secret to the Atlanteans’ long life. There was
no destruction of the Atlantean cells. Earth was a hyperbaric environment for
them. It was not without its drawbacks though, at least for Zeus’ generation.
The high oxygen content would cause that generation to become almost
intoxicated if they spent too much time away from the higher altitudes. This is
why Mount Olympus was chosen as their home. The lower oxygen levels on Olympus
did not have the intoxicating effect on Zeus and his kin. The times that
Atlanteans mated with the humans always occurred during times that Zeus and his
brothers tarried too long at sea level.
Zeus
was normally always in control of himself, but the oxygen intoxication made him
act irrationally. His brothers were no different. Olympus was created to
protect the Atlanteans from themselves as much as it was to protect them from
the humans. Eros did not have these problems. His DNA had somehow adapted
enough to counteract this effect. This allowed Eros the opportunity to spend
more time among the humans, to learn to love them. He wished to dwell among
them and never return to Olympus, but Zeus and Poseidon would have none of it.
They needed to maintain their mystique. Spending too much time among men
offered the opportunity for the Atlanteans to make mistakes, to be found out.
Eros continued his trek to the Temple of Kleito. At last, Eros made it to the
Pillars of Heracles. There, Athena was waiting on him.
“Hurry,
Eros, or we will be late! Get in and take hold,” Athena cried.
Eros
climbed inside Athena’s chariot and the gentle hum of its motor increased to a
muted roar. In an instant they were airborne. Eros did enjoy the view of the
countryside from the air, but he did not like flying. Athena, however, was in
her element. She was the most skilled pilot of all the Atlanteans and she never
tired of proving it to Eros. Athena’s chariot was not enclosed and this made
some of her aerobatics even more distressing to him.
Hephaestus
had made the chariot to resemble a Greek chariot pulled by horses. The
orichalcum drive was housed in the front of the vehicle and encased by housing,
also made of orichalcum, formed to look like six horses pulling the chariot
styled passenger compartment. The passenger compartment was made of titanium
and orichalcum and had ivory and gold inlayed scroll work. Its functional
interior was more comfortable than a Spartan chariot, but not by much. It was a
sight to behold in flight. The glistening orichalcum looked like a bright
orange flame when reflecting the sunlight, and gave the horse shaped fuselage
the appearance of being on fire. Orichalcum was a metal brought to Earth by the
Atlanteans and it was the basis of their technology. It was a light, extremely
strong metal that resembled gold in appearance and was capable of generating a
powerful electromagnetic field. It was much more durable than other metals, but
was easily worked. Hephaestus, a master metal worker and engineer, fashioned it
into a real masterpiece for Athena.
“Isn’t
this fun?” Athena squealed as she made a right banking maneuver, which caused
Eros to feel a tad bit nauseous. “Eros, you do not seem to be enjoying the
ride!” She giggled.
“It’s
faster than walking,” Eros muttered. He actually was enjoying the ride, other
than the occasional instances when his stomach would be turned by Athena’s
adept maneuvers. He would not give her the satisfaction of knowing that though.
“Hephaestus should have never made this thing for you! You have too much power
over him.”
“He
loves me, Eros, and I didn’t even need your elixir to make him fall in love!”
“Yes,
but you do not love him. It’s not fair.”
“He
knows that I don’t, but he does not care,” Athena responded.
“I
know. And, I know that you use that to your advantage. If he didn’t waste so
much time on your personal projects, then just imagine what he could build.”
Eros replied sarcastically.
Hephaestus
could make anything, and if asked to do so by Athena, often would. Hephaestus
was one of the few Atlanteans Eros could really talk to. He was a burly man
with a mane of coal black, curly hair and eyes with a beard to match. His deep
voice resonated with a wisdom that even Athena was impressed by, and his laugh
was even more melodic than that of Dionysus. He was crippled and Eros had
worked many years to correct the condition to no avail. Despite his condition,
Hephaestus was kind and nearly always in good spirits. He was an immensely
strong individual and could easily have challenged Atlas in strength if he were
not infirm. He was of the same generation as Athena, but he was much older than
she was.
Eros
was thought to be a third generation Atlantean on Earth, but he wasn’t. He was
Protogenos. He was one of the original Atlanteans who made the voyage from
Atlantea to Earth many thousands of years before. Hephaestus however, still
treated him like a son. Of course, Eros had a father, or rather an adopted
father, Ares, but in reality he wished that Hephaestus had taken on the role.
Athena
and Eros, in his second life, were nearly the same age even though they were
from different generations. They had grown up together and acted like siblings.
Athena was wild and fearless, but at the same time she had an uncanny wisdom in
all decisions she made. What was folly for others was merely a calculated risk
for her. She would often tease Eros for being too timid. She saw greatness in
him that the others did not. Eros was not worshipped by the humans for anything
other than his love inducing abilities, and this was almost always in
conjunction with Aphrodite. Eros was always under her thumb. Athena loved Eros,
but she never spoke of her love to anyone. She had hoped that Eros would just
be mindful of her subtle advances. Ironically, the “god” of love and sexual
desire was oblivious to her affections. Eros was a scientist and could
chemically induce sexual desire, but his understanding of a woman’s heart and
feelings was sorely lacking. Still, she loved him and awaited the day that he
would gain a little of her wisdom in this area. She vowed herself to virginity
until that day, and her vow was iron strong.
Athena
elbowed Eros on the shoulder, laughed in delight, and shouted, “Hold on Eros!”
Another
sweeping turn, another bout of nausea, and Atlantis was within Eros’ sight.
Atlantis
was a beautiful city. The Great Canal leading into the city was a marvel of
engineering. Eros was always amazed by the work of the humans. The Great Canal
was nearly 20 miles in length and was wide enough to sail an armada of
triremes, side by side, down its entire length. It led from the Atlantic Ocean,
near the Pillars of Heracles, to the city of Atlantis itself. The canal ended at
an enormous gate that could completely wall off the city and act as a loch. The
city itself was just as described by Plato. There were three concentric,
circular canals at the end of the Great Canal. Each canal surrounded a
corresponding ring of land. Around each ring of land was a high wall
approximately 100 feet in height.
The
first ring of land was the residential and farming area of the city. It was the
largest ring and was fully capable of feeding the entire city in the event that
the city was besieged. The wall of the outer ring was sheathed in bronze. The
second ring was the city proper. It contained all of the administrative
buildings, sporting arenas, amphitheaters, and market places. The wall of this
ring was sheathed in tin. The most inner ring was the temple area. In its
center was a mountain that had been carved into a temple to Kleito by Poseidon
himself. It was a beautiful area, rich in lush, green gardens and white marble
stonework. The wall surrounding the temple area was sheathed in orichalcum.
Each
canal surrounding each ring was as wide and deep as the Great Canal. A road led
from the Southern area of the island directly to the Temple of Kleito. Each
city ring that the road passed through was secured by a large, bronze gate.
Athena
circled the city once and then made her approach to the temple. The site of
Athena’s flying chariot must have truly inspired awe in the humans who saw it.
Rarely, were humans allowed into the temple circle and never were they allowed
into the temple itself. Offerings to Kleito were typically left at the gate of
the temple on an elaborate altar. Eros wondered how the humans would react if
they knew that Kleito had died a millennia before.
Kleito
was not an Atlantean, but a human of incredible beauty. She was Poseidon’s
first human lover and his favorite. She was however, all too human, and humans
die. Poseidon carved the mountain in the center of Atlantis into a temple for
her and she developed a small cult following within the city. Kleito bore
Poseidon five sets of twin sons.
Atlas
and Gaderius were the oldest, followed by Ampheres and Evaemon. Mneeus and
Autochthon, which were the middle pair of twins, followed by Elasippus and
Mestor. Azaes and Diaprepes were the youngest of the 10. The 10 twins were all
demigods and were immortal as well, but they did not have all of the traits of
full-blooded Atlanteans.
Atlas
was given reign over the city of Atlantis and the remainder of the island of
Atlantis was divided up into fiefdoms for the remaining nine. Eros was friends
with each of the twins and they were keenly interested in Eros’ research. The
twins knew that Zeus did not care for demigods and they were correct in their
suspicions of his deceptive acceptance of them.
The
chariot came to rest in a small landing area of the temple mount. The
orichalcum powered engine, which sounded like a herd of galloping horses,
slowed to a gentle rumble. Eros hopped off the chariot as Athena disengaged the
drive.
“Wait
up, Eros! We’re doing fine on our time. There’s no need to worry about being
tardy,” Athena shouted as the engines died.
“I’m
not worried about the time. Zeus cannot do anything without hearing what I have
to say.”
“You
always worry, Eros. I know you better than you know yourself,” Athena laughed.
Just
then, Dionysus bounded down the temple’s grand stairs at its entrance. He was a
garish man and always seemed to be intoxicated. Eros did not believe it was
possible that he was constantly inebriated and suspected that it was a ploy to
keep the others from knowing his true intentions. Dionysus proclaimed himself
to be the god of wine, drunkenness, and debauchery. He lived up to his
reputation and was known to engage in orgies with the humans on a regular
basis. He loved the fact that humans were easily impressed with him, and eager
to give themselves to his carnal desires. Dionysus made no differentiation
between men and women. He would take what he could get, whenever he could get
it. Eros found him to be entirely loathsome. Dionysus had no love for Eros
either. He hated Eros for, among other things, refusing his requests to make
the humans fall in love with him.
“Well,
well, well….look who’s decided to grace us with his presence. It is none other
than the weakest god!” Dionysus snorted.
“Keep
your remarks to yourself or your head will adorn the altar in my temple!”
Athena growled. This was a threat that Dionysus knew to take seriously.
“I don’t need you to defend me, Athena. I can
take care of myself. Just because I do not like to fight, does not mean that I
don’t know how.” Eros blurted out.
“I’m
sure you are a lion in battle, Eros, but you need to, more voraciously, defend
yourself against the others. They view you as weak,” Athena replied gingerly.
“If
you say so, but I doubt that any defense I make will change their opinion of
me.”
“Well,
boy, you had better move a little more quickly. Zeus has been looking for you,”
Dionysus cackled. “Actually, take your time. It’ll be fun to watch Zeus punish
you for your tardiness.”
“We’re
not late. It’s not yet midday!” Athena retorted.
Athena
and Eros moved quickly, but deliberately up the temple steps. The giant, Doric
columns lining the vestibule were carved from the solid limestone of the
mountain itself. In fact, the entire temple structure was one solid piece of
limestone. The enormous bronze doors into the temple were difficult for Athena
to open and even posed a small nuisance to Eros. Beyond the doors was a large
hall with a statue of Kleito, which was three times her size in real life. It
was entirely made of gold and was encrusted with rubies, emeralds, and diamonds
along her crown. Just past the statue was another set of bronze doors, but
these were more manageable. Athena opened the doors and entered the courtyard
amphitheater, followed by Eros. The entire council was already there. Zeus sat
in the center of the stage with Poseidon on his right and Hades on Poseidon’s
right. Hestia, Hera, and Demeter sat to Zeus’ left in order. Aphrodite, Apollo,
Hermes, Ares, Artemis and Hephaestus sat in the theater seating area.
“It’s
nice to see that you could make it Eros,” Zeus bellowed. “It is always good to
see you, Athena. Where’s Dionysus?”
Dionysus stumbled into the theater before Zeus had even completed his
question.
“I
am here, mighty Zeus. I wouldn’t miss this for all of the orichalcum on
Atlantea!” Dionysus snickered.
Dionysus
was not lying. He eagerly awaited the day that the arrogant Eros was put in his
place. Dionysus had only known two loves, Ariadne and Athena. Ariadne had long
since passed away, but Athena was there every day. Her beauty vexed him. Her
voice bewitched him, but he never spoke of it. Athena loved Eros, but Eros was
a foolish boy and couldn’t see it. Dionysus longed to be the holder of her
affections. He fought against Eros on every front, trying to prove himself
worthy in her eyes. But Athena was unimpressed. Dionysus was flawed, but
everyone is flawed. He couldn’t help himself no matter how hard he tried. He
was as promiscuous as Athena was chaste. She hated that about him and he knew
it. Eros on the other hand had only known Psyche. His sexual fidelity
captivated her, but Dionysus could see through him. Eros had only one true love
in Dionysus’ estimation, science. Every day, all day, Eros poured over his
research, neglecting the love that was so freely offered to him by Athena. It
was this love that Dionysus longed for. He believed that her love could change
him, that she would change him into the man that he desired to be. He tried,
and often succeeded at, being benevolent, being caring, but his sexual urges
would always get the best of him in the end. No matter what he did, it was
never enough for her. And no matter how Eros rebuffed her, she continued to
throw herself at him. Dionysus hated Eros for this.
“Well,
Eros, what has your research exposed about the problem?”
“What
problem, Zeus?” Eros responded.
“Do
not toy with me, boy! You know what I mean. Tell me what I want to know!”
thundered Zeus.
“Everything,
good and bad?” Eros questioned.
“Yes,
everything. Do not test my patience!”
Eros
was, perhaps, the most intellectual of the Atlanteans, but he was also the most
sarcastic. He had not developed as much respect for Zeus as he should during
his childhood. Zeus was gigantic. He stood almost 7 feet tall and carried
nearly 350 pounds of muscle on his vast frame. His white hair and beard were
deceptive. There was no age to his body. He was the strongest and most
dangerous of all the Atlanteans. He found Eros’ sarcasm amusing when Eros was a
child, but after 5,000 years he had grown tired of it.
“All
right, I will skip the more mundane details, but feel free to ask questions, if
you do not understand what I am saying,” Eros quipped.
“Boy!!!”
Zeus shouted, his patience running low.
“Come
now, Eros, we have been waiting on your report all morning,” Aphrodite
interjected.
“Well,
as you all know, particularly Demeter, Zeus’ and Poseidon’s extramarital
affairs have created Atlantean/human hybrids. In order to understand the
consequences of their births, you must first understand how DNA works and how genetic
traits are passed on. Zeus and Poseidon have had, almost exclusively, fathered
males.
Males
pass on the Y chromosome, father to son. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades have
inherited the exact same DNA from Cronus, which Cronus inherited from Uranus.
The Y chromosome never changes. The
only reason that Zeus and Cronus are not identical in every respect is, because
of the DNA inherited by Rhea. Rhea’s X chromosome creates the differentiation.
This is why the hybrid males can shape-shift into animal forms.”
“Yes,
yes, but they cannot assume the shapes of other humans as Poseidon and I have
done. Why is this?” Zeus interrupted.
“I
was getting to that point. Zeus. If you don’t mind, then I will continue my
explanation,” Eros responded.
“Continue!”
thundered, the increasingly angered, Zeus.
“As
I was saying, the only differentiation between father and sons is the X
chromosome provided by the mother.
Female
DNA prevents the Atlantean DNA from, wholly, expressing in the hybrids. The
human females’ DNA suppresses some Atlantean traits. The Atlantean trait that
seems to be consistently repressed is the trait that allows for shape-shifting
into human forms.”
“Why
is that, Eros? We can all take other humanoid forms. Why can’t the demigods?”
Hera asked.
“You
asked the question and you are the answer, Hera,” Eros answered.
“What
do you mean, boy!” Poseidon shouted.
“Poseidon,
inside of all cells, there are organisms called mitochondria. Mitochondria
were, initially, independent creatures, but they developed symbiotic relationships
with more complex cellular based life forms throughout the ages. They were able
to pass on their traits as the creatures they inhabited procreated. In sexual
reproduction, the mitochondrial DNA passed on by the female destroyed the
mitochondrial DNA passed on by the male. The trait which allows us to
shape-shift into human forms is entirely mitochondrial. When Zeus or Poseidon
sired a child, the mother’s mitochondrial DNA destroyed the mitochondrial DNA
of Uranus. This is why Atlas can take the shape of a bull, but not that of
another man. This ends today’s lesson in genetics,” Eros stated.
“No
it does not! What are you not telling us, Eros? What about the female children
sired by Zeus and Poseidon. Is this a problem?” Demeter questioned.
“None
of this is a problem, except for the problem that it has created in your own
minds!” Eros argued fervently.
“Do
not trifle with me, paidon!” Zeus bellowed, his face reddening. “I want the
whole truth!”
“Here
is the truth. The female children of these liaisons will not pass the trait to
shape shift into other human or Atlantean forms, due to the mother’s
mitochondrial DNA destroying the father’s. The only threat that could be posed
to your reign could only occur if Hestia, Demeter, or any of the other female
Atlanteans were to have children. In that case, any female children born to
them would also pass on their mitochondrial DNA. However, the males who
fathered the children would pass on the human Y chromosome, so it is still not
an issue.”
“What
would happen if the offspring of Zeus and Poseidon were to mate with the
offspring of a goddess?” Demeter asked.
“Well,
first of all, we are not gods. We are simply immortal. Our technological and
chronological advantages will not last forever. Eventually, the humans will
surpass us in technology and knowledge. We cannot hope to continue the ruse of
being gods for perpetuity. There are only 15 of us left. We are outnumbered by
millions to one. And, at their current rate of reproduction, it will be close
to a billion to one in the next 3,000 years. Now, to answer your question, if
the hybrid offspring of a male Atlantean and the hybrid offspring of a female
Atlantean were to conceive a child, then that child would have all of our
abilities and the abilities of humans as well,” Eros replied.
“What
do you mean by ‘human abilities’ Eros?” Hestia questioned demanding detailed
information.
“Humans
have a sixth sense, one of perception, Hestia. Take the oracles at Delphi for
an example. The oracles are human, correct?”
“Yes,
we all know that. Explain what you mean!” Zeus shouted.
“Well,
the oracles can see the future. Some other humans can see the future and read
the thoughts of others. I am not talking about intuition. I am talking about a
biological trait.
It’s
a rare trait, but it is a dominant trait and will eventually be passed on to
all humans after about 10,000 more years of time passes. None of us can see the
future, except for Apollo. It is a human trait. I have not had time to study
why Apollo has the gift of prophecy, but I hope to in the future. Even Athena,
as wise as she is, is limited in this respect. It is inevitable. The humans
will surpass us.”
“That
settles it. The human race must be destroyed. If we cannot enslave them, then I
will not allow them to enslave us!” Zeus’ rage burst forth.
“Why
don’t we just tell them the truth? Why are you so afraid of our children being
greater than we are? Is it because of the history of your family, Zeus? Just
because Cronus overthrew Uranus and you overthrew Cronus does not mean that
they will do the same,” Demeter said.
“No!”
Zeus thundered. “I will not take that chance. We must reduce their numbers to a
level we can manage. We must go to war and we must destroy the hybrids.”
“I
will not be a part of this Zeus!” Eros shouted defiantly.
“Then
you should stay out of my way, paidon! Now, who is with me on this? I will
destroy the demigods and I will control the humans before I am done! Now who is
with me?”
Slowly,
Hades and his siblings, except for Hera, agreed to Zeus’s demands. Dionysus was
quick to join with Zeus. Aphrodite and Ares joined with him as well. Eros was
sickened.
“I
can’t believe this, not both of you, Mother and Father? How can you agree to
this?” Eros cried.
“We
must stand for our race in this matter, Eros,” Ares replied.
“Then,
I am no longer your son!” he bellowed.
“Truth
be known, you never were my son. You are too much like your mother, but she, at
least, understands where her loyalties lie,” Ares responded.
“As
do I, father, but my loyalty is to what is right, not what is of ease or
convenience.”
“I
am not with you, Zeus. I cannot agree to this madness,” Demeter said. “This is
not right.”
“Do
not cross me, Demeter!” Zeus warned her.
“You
may be my lover, but you are also my little brother, Zeus. I am not afraid of
you,” Demeter’s voice hardened. “You killed my one human lover, but you expect
me to accept all of your conquests? No more! I will not acquiesce to your
demands any further.”
“And
just how, exactly, do you plan to accomplish this genocide Zeus?” Hephaestus
asked.
“Atlantis
will go to war with Athens. The seedlings of democracy are taking hold in that
polis. We will wipe them out. Sparta and the others are still monarchies. If we
control their kings, then we control the people. Our technology will provide us
with the advantage we need to swiftly defeat the Athenians. We will meet their
army on the plains of Marathon and crush them at once, in one great battle.
After Athens, we will determine who will live to serve us and who must be
eliminated.”
“I
cannot believe I am hearing this! I cannot believe that we have come to this!”
Eros was beside himself.
“Eros,
I’m done with you. Leave my sight, before I make an example of you. In time,
boy, you will come to see that I am right. The strong survive, the weak
destroyed. This is the way of things. You have given us a glimpse of a future
that we cannot allow to come to pass. For this, I am grateful, but not grateful
enough to listen to your whining. Now leave,” Zeus frowned.
Eros
turned to leave, unable to believe what had just happened. He had explained
that there was no threat. The female Atlanteans had no female children. He
could not believe that so many would refuse to listen to reason. Now, he had
made himself into more than a nuisance to Zeus. He had become Zeus’ enemy and
that was not a desirable title to hold. An hour later, Athena came to Eros as
he sat under the shadow of Kleito’s likeness.
“Are
you ready to go home, Eros, or should I let you worry about what you cannot
stop?”
“I
am ready, I suppose. Nothing I say will change their minds. Look at her,
Athena. Kleito wasn’t Atlantean, but Poseidon loved her anyways. I would wager
all the gold in Atlantis that he loved her more than he loves Amphitrite. How
can he side with Zeus while standing in her home?”
“I
would not assume that Poseidon is on Zeus’ side of this issue, Eros,” Athena
replied. “There are more who stand with you than you know, but they are not
willing to make Zeus their enemy in public view. You are brilliant. I love that
in you, but you are foolish and rash. You speak your mind with no thought of
the consequences. The world is not as black and white as you would wish, Eros.
There are complexities that require a little more discretion to navigate. You
would be wise to let me speak for you in the future. As it is now, Zeus
believes that I am with him and I want him to think this way until I can talk
to the Spartans. After Athens, Zeus will most assuredly turn his attention to
the greatest of the human warriors. You have a price on your head, Eros. Zeus did
not mark you for death, but rest assured there is a price. You must go into
hiding. I will meet with you from time to time, but, for now, you must
disappear. Come, I will take you home. Get all that you need from your lab and
then, go to Athens and find the home of Mnestra. Mnestra is a human consort of
Poseidon’s and she is with child. Only I and Poseidon, of course, know of this.
Poseidon told Zeus that she did not become with child when he bedded her.
Poseidon wishes to meet you there. Now, hurry, we must move quickly.”
~~~~~~~~~~
After Cole
stopped talking, Bridget snapped back into present day.
She released his
hand. A few moments felt like a full day. The blonde girl that was leaving the
café as Bridget had made the choice to touch Cole, was just now walking through
the door. She took a few deep breaths and made her decision.
“So you’re Eros
and Sarah is Athena,” she said. It wasn’t a question.
“Yes, Bridget - in
another life at least, I was called a god. But we’re not really gods or
goddesses. We’re actually from another planet,” Cole smiled.
“So,
you crashed here or something? And what does any of this have to do with me.
Like how am I involved in all this?”
“Essentially,
you’re my descendant. That’s the crux of it.”
“You’re
what – my great, great, great, great, grandpa? I just don’t understand. I feel
normal, not alien or whatever you are.”
Cole
laughed, “Bridget, you feel normal for you. You’re anything but normal. But
it’s a good thing. It’s definitely not a bad thing.”
“I
really don’t know how to respond to that.” She should have felt freaked out,
but instead she felt a kind of peace. It was good to have some sort of answers,
even the impossible kind. “Well, I guess I’ll go switch my classes up, so that I
can take your Greek mythology class.”
“Trust
me. You’ll find it enlightening, to say the least.”
“I
have a sneaky suspicion that I’m going to learn more about Greek mythology than
I ever wanted to know. I want to know more about you and Sarah. My mom would
tell me to beware of the others –
including you. Are you a part of these others?
Who are they?”
“They’re called the Plouton Covenant. It’s
essentially headed by Aphrodite, Hades, and Dionysus. I’m not getting into all
of that now, though. You need to get your class changed. We can continue to
meet like this, but I’d rather not do it here. Maybe we could meet at my house.
I’ll continue to work through your visions, and I’ll explain what I can.”
Cole
helped Bridget collect her things. Outside The Hub, he popped open the umbrella
and offered to carry her book bag. Bridget was relieved. The weight of the
unknown was slowly being lifted, as if the veil, that had covered her eyes
since childhood, could now just slip away, blowing carelessly in the breeze.
Bridget,
curious as always, asked Cole why he had chosen to teach at Urbana, when other
universities paid substantially better. Cole explained that money was not a driving
factor in his life. He’d spent enough time accumulating wealth and, now, he
wanted to enjoy life in peace, as best he could. Urbana afforded him the
opportunity to do just that. The Urbana community and the one-on-one time with
his students more than made up for the lower pay. Bridget seemed pleased with
the answer and smiled her approval. While talking with Bridget, Cole was
happier than he had been in years. It was like Mnestra was with him again. Cole
couldn’t help but chuckle to himself when he realized that Bridget was closer
to being Mnestra’s granddaughter 100 times removed, than she was to being
Mnestra herself. Regardless of the age difference, he was happy to finally be a
part of her life and was glad that he had survived to protect her.
Cole
was, by all standards, an extremely attractive man and had all the physical
attributes you would expect of a Grecian god. He stood a little more than six
feet tall. His features and build were both strong and rigid. His hair was dark
brown with natural curls, the type of curls that most envied. His eyes were an
azure blue that often left women mesmerized. He had the look of a man who could
handle himself in any fight, yet, his demeanor was the polar opposite of his
appearance. He was soft spoken, extremely intelligent, and very modest. Cole
didn’t realize how truly attractive he was to the opposite sex. The girls at
college often talked about how they wanted to take his classes just to be able
to watch him. There was something different about Cole, now Bridget knew what.
He
was always impeccably dressed and he had an affinity for button up vests. Many
of the other professors dressed casually, but Cole felt that it was important
to dress professionally. The way he addressed his students, his vocabulary, and
everything about him seemed more polished than most of the other professors.
The material he taught seemed effortless in its dissemination. Students wanted
to learn Greek Mythology, simply because of the way he lectured. He was
completely convinced in his beliefs. How could they be myths? His students felt
as though they had been transported through time to another world, Cole’s world.
The
process of changing classes was uncomplicated and only took a few minutes.
Bridget asked Cole what books she would need and he provided her with the list
of required reading. After a short period of small talk, they said their
goodbyes.
“I’ll
see you on Monday.” Bridget ran toward the parking lot.
“Three
o’clock sharp!”
“Okay!”
She yelled back then disappeared around the corner of the Moore Center. Cole
was, simultaneously, elated and heartbroken.
Why
would any Atlantean in their right mind choose to love a human being? His
question was the answer. He knew that love was not a choice. It just happened.
He didn’t have sexual designs on Bridget, but he was in love with her spirit.
He saw Mnestra in her eyes and she was his one chance to feel alive again.
Perhaps the humans were the blessed species. The gift of immortality seemed
more like a curse when you had lost the love of your life. Five thousand years
was a long time to miss someone and Cole was ready for his misery to end. He
wasn’t going to kill himself, but he was ready, if not anxious, for the day
that death would come. Cole realized that a man, such as himself, who had lost
everything, was capable of anything.
Now here is chapter 2 and the rest you get when the book comes out ;-)
Cheers and so many thanks to my wonderful followers and twitter friends who have made this journey and wonderful experience! Lisa aka Frenchkilt
Jacob's story...I have written it exactly as he did, spelling, punctuation and all...and if I may, for just a minute, brag about him; Jacob at a very early age was a stutterer. He ended up having to take speech classes in school and, at times, even his teachers really gave him a hard time. Only 3 of his six teachers "got him" if you know what I mean. We've always said we thought he had an "old soul". He's so much wiser than a child his age should be...in so many ways! Well, just last month we were told he didn't need speech classes anymore (thank goodness!) I think being in those classes toyed with his self esteem and abilities. Finally, at the end of the school year they did some testing and, lo' and behold, we got a call last week asking if they could test him for the AGP program (gifted program). We said "yes", of course, because we always thought the child was far too bright and that's what his problems were in school.( but they wouldn't listen to us)! So last week we got a call; telling us he's being moved into the "gifted" program, and he tested in the 97th percentile for the state! Now if those who I will leave nameless ever tell me again that my child is disruptive, and needs help I say this !! "