A God Called Bruce Pt. 03

"Endora, is anyone else using this system these days?"

"No, the whole system has been idle for millennia until you started using it."

"Is this system only for travel or do you control other facilities as well?"

"There are whole cities with all sorts of facilities that I can activate at any time. The cities are deserted."

"What happened to the original builders?"

"They discovered another dimension that suited them better. They emigrated to the last man. It was decided to leave the system and cities in place fully functioning as a gift to whoever came after. In the new dimension they went to there was no need for technology as far as I understand."

"Are there inhabited worlds connected to the system?"

"Yes, several hundred in various stages of development from stone age to more sophisticated civilisations, none as advanced technologically as Earth."

"Humanoid races?"

"Some, not all."

"Who or what controls the system?"

"As of now, you do."

"How come?"

"My instructions were to hand the system over to whoever activated it again. That was you. As of now you are in charge and your orders supersede any other instructions given."

"Is there any security in place to prevent unauthorised entry?"

"All security systems were de-activated to allow for a takeover. You need to activate the security again and specify who has access."

"I want you to activate security again. All persons here are authorised to come and go as they wish. Any additional personnel must be authorised by me. Can you do this now please."

"Done."

"I need a communicator."

"Please proceed to the terminal with which I was contacted and follow instructions."

"Okay."

I went to the terminal. The screen came alive and showed a box attached to the wall. A panel in the box slid aside revealing an opening about four inches in diameter.

"Please proceed by inserting your left hand into the opening," the AI instructed.

I was a bit apprehensive doing that but it had to be done apparently. I stuck my hand inside and something fastened a bangle around my wrist.

"Operation complete" said the AI, "you may withdraw your hand. The bangle is your communicator. It is not necessary to voice your communication, thinking it is enough."

I withdrew my hand and thought: Is that all there is to it?

Endora's voice inside my head said: Yes, that is all you need to do. It will work anywhere on any world covered by the system.

"Thank you," I said aloud.

I went back to the lunch room and said: "Alright fellows, that's enough for today, let's go over to Bruce's for lunch. I feel like some more of those wonderful ribs of yours Bruce."

"Ribs it is," said Bruce, "let's go."

The ribs were as good as I had remembered them.

"Why did you drag us out here? We could have had the ribs in the lunch room." Vulcan was puzzled.

"I wanted to talk to you a problem we might have. At this stage I didn't want to bring it up in front of the AI. Just a precaution until we know a bit better what we are dealing with."

"What problem?"

I told them about last night's encounter with Eris.

"I see," said Vulcan, "That's what the stuff with the security lockdown was all about. A wise precaution. I don't trust Ares and his mob any further than I can throw them."

"What do we do now?" asked Gadeirus. "Where do we go from here?"

"That is the million dollar question. We have just been handed a number of universes on a platter to do with what we wish. We better proceed with caution. It is obvious we have to tell Zeus before we make any major moves. In fact we will have to bring all six of them in on the project. Before I put a proposition to the top of the tree I need more information."

"What do you want? We can get that for you while you plan your next moves." Gadeirus was firing on all cylinders.

"I want to take the big six on a guided tour that will blow their socks off. Say if we took them to a couple of worlds, one with intelligent creatures, one like the Jurassic planet we have been to and one with a city of the ancients that Endora was talking about. I want worlds that are fairly safe, I don't want unexpected shit happening on the way.

"Ideally I would like some sort of vehicle, like a bus that we all can get into and travel. This must be possible because the ancients transported massive machinery from planet to planet. They would have had to shift gear to places where there were no power spots and would have needed vehicles to do this. There might be some vehicles we can use lying around in a warehouse somewhere. Ask the AI.

"Once we have our destinations pat and a vehicle of sorts we will do the trip ourselves and find out if there are any glitches. Having done that we invite the big six and go for broke. How does that sound for a plan?"

"Perfectly doable," said Vulcan, "You might have a bit of trouble getting Poseidon and Hades to come along, you need a crowbar to pry those two loose from their respective domains, but otherwise the plan makes sense."

"You'll have to make me a suitable crowbar then Vulcan," I said.

"I want to get started," said Gadeirus. "I'll take Darrin and Algenon with me and we ferret out what you need."

"Go for it," I said. I had hardly said it when the three of them took off.

I told Endora via my communicator what I wanted the three to do and she said she would get the material for them.

"How come we get no communicators?" Bruce seemed upset.

"I was going to get them for you until I saw the bangle. Seeing me with a bangle will not cause any raised eyebrows. I am the weirdo Demigod to them, they expect me to do strange things. All six of us wearing identical bangles will cause major rumours, which we can't afford. I'll have to work something else out for you guys."

"You really are on top of the game," said Bruce with grudging admiration.

"How does it work?" Vulcan was intrigued.

"Telepathy I reckon. I think what I want to say and a voice in my head answers."

"Can you ask Endora if she can talk to me via your bangle? If she can, let me talk to her."

For the next five minutes Vulcan didn't say a word. He was evidently in deep conversation with Endora.

"Look at your arm," he said.

The bangle was gone. I could still feel it though and when I contacted Endora it worked as before.

"What did you do?" said Bruce. "Where is the bangle?"

"It's still there, it's just invisible now," Vulcan declared with pride. "Since the communicator can broadcast telepathically I asked Endora to have it permanently broadcast a hypnotic suggestion that it isn't there. Bingo, invisible to anyone within range of the bangle."

"That sorts it out, you can all have one tomorrow." I was happy that Vulcan had solved the problem so elegantly.

"Listen guys," said Bruce, "want to go on a little trip? I want to go to that primordial world again and try something."

"I like that place," said Vulcan, "count me in."

"Okay, let's go," I agreed, "What do you want to try?"

"Never mind," said Bruce, "Let's go."

We teleported to the power spot at the temple first and then to the Jurassic world. Bruce motioned us to sit down. We sat on the granite ridge. I looked out nervously for that big bird but he wasn't around. Bruce gave us a hot dog and a can of beer and we enjoyed those, watching the huge blue creatures below.

"When are you going to try whatever it was you were going to do?" asked Vulcan.

"Just did," said Bruce.

"Come again?" I was puzzled.

"I just gave you a beer and a hot dog, didn't I?"

"So what? You do stuff like this all the time." I was still confused.

"But never on an alien world. I wanted to see if my God powers worked here. We never tried that before in all the excitement. Handy to know."

Vulcan pulled a hammer out of the air and threw it into the valley below. It bounced on the rock all the way down.

"Yep, sure works alright," he said.

The two suns were high in the sky. It was hot. A good excuse for another beer.

We sat there for a while longer and went back.

Bruce was conjuring beer up again when I had an idea.

"Vulcan," I said, "can you call your father?"

"Now? I guess I can," he said, "but why?"

"Tell him we want to show him something. When he gets here we'll talk him into coming with us where we've just been. If I can show him that world he will help me to get the others to come on the grand tour."

Seconds later Zeus arrived.

"You have called me again. This'll better be good." Zeus looked straight at me when he said that, indicating he knew very well who had called him.

"You said that once to me before. I didn't disappoint you then."

"Very well," he said, somewhat pacified, "what do you want?"

"I want you to come with us to where we've just been. To another world."

"You are asking a lot. Why should I come?" Zeus was not happy with the idea.

"This is far more important to you than to any of us, believe me."

Zeus looked at Vulcan, then at Bruce and finally at me again. Seeing that we were deadly serious he came to a decision.

"Very well, I will come, but it will better be really good. I will hold you to that."

We linked hands and moments later we stood on the Granite ridge for the second time today. Zeus stared at the scenery, his features softened. He had seen some pictures of this world, but standing on an alien planet and experiencing it was something else. Zeus was obviously deeply moved.

"This is the beginning of a new era," he said. "The Gods will be great again. Olympus will never be able to thank you enough for what you have done."

That big bird was in the sky again and coming straight for us.

"We better get out of here quick," I said pointing at the rapidly approaching bird.

"No, no," said Zeus, "he is only coming to greet us."

I wasn't at all convinced the bird's intentions were peaceful, but Zeus had spoken and that was it. As it came closer we could see it was not a bird. It was an enormous flying reptile with bright blue scales, like a dragon of old. It landed about twenty feet from us on the ledge. Apparently just curious. It did not make any hostile moves.

Zeus walked up to the animal and spoke to him in soothing tones in a language I had never heard. He stroked his neck and scratched him behind the ears. The dragon seemed to like it. I took heart and followed suit. Soon all four of us were talking to the dragon who was enjoying all the attention he was getting.

Then he stretched and started moving his wings. We stepped back and gave him some room so he could take off.

"I shall come here often," said Zeus, "I like this place. What a wonderful gift. Thank you boys, but now we must go back, there are other things to do."

We went back to Bruce's place. Zeus stayed with us for a beer and then took his leave. He was obviously touched by what we had shown him.

"I have never seen my old man like this," Vulcan said after Zeus had gone. "This has really rattled him. He knows something he is not telling us. An old prophesy coming to pass or something. Bigger than the Gods. Something involving the Fates perhaps."

"He has mentioned the Fates before in connection with this project," I said. "He said something really odd. He said: Even the Gods are subject to the Fates, whatever they are. What the Fates decree no God can rent asunder."

"I know the Fates are senior to the Gods in some way," Vulcan explained, "They govern destiny. The three Fates are, Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos; all females. Even amongst the Gods there is much speculation as to what they actually do, no one knows for sure."

"Perhaps we will meet them one day," I said, "that would really be something."

"Can you believe this joker? Now he wants to meet the fucking Fates. You are nuts." Bruce was adamant.

Vulcan just stood there and shook his head in disbelief.

We had a few more beers and a bite to eat. I went home after that. Another eventful day. Hopefully there would be no Goddesses of discord lurking in my backyard.

Against expectations I had a peaceful night.

Chapter 25: New Worlds

On getting up, the first thing I did was to contact Endora to allow Zeus to visit his dragon. He would have been royally pissed off if he had wanted to travel to the primordial planet, as he said he would do, only to find he needed my permission first.

Having thus narrowly averted a complete disaster I went to visit Bruce for breakfast. I could have easily made myself something, but I had found out a while ago that Bruce took great joy in feeding people and supplying them with booze, preferably beer. He was alone when I arrived. His face lit up and in no time I had a monster breakfast in front of me.

"You are not serious about wanting to meet the Fates, are you?" he said as I got stuck into the food. I could see he was really worried.

"Tell me, Bruce, where do the Fates live? They don't live on Olympus or Earth or we would know about it. So where do they hang out? Where is their home world?"

"Fucked if I know. Why should anyone care?" Bruce was being true to form.

"Because the next world we set foot on might well be theirs. What're you going to do then?"

"Say G'day I suppose and offer them a beer. Stop this shit. The moment you found out the three Fates are female you have been itching to find a way into their twats. That's all."

"Actually I hadn't thought of seducing a Fate. That's a wonderful idea, I might just have a go if the opportunity presents itself. Jokes aside though, think of this: The Gods, as we found out, are only the administrators of a very small part of what there is. In fact, they are quite ignorant of the big picture. They are answerable to the Fates in some way. The Fates are from somewhere outside the realm of the Gods. But even the Fates are only administrators of destiny, not the creators of it, from what I can make out. That means they are answerable to something even bigger. If I want to get to that I need to talk to the Fates first."

"You have gone stark raving mad. This whole thing has gone to your head. You are drunk on power."

"Quite the opposite, my friend. Have you thought about how Zeus and his siblings came to power? Their father Cronus had come on the throne by castrating and killing his own father. Zeus waged war against Cronus and his armies and cast his father into Tartarus. Violence, violence and more violence. I am fucked if I am going to unleash this kind of shit onto any number of universes that have now become accessible.

"There may be much fiercer violence in some of these worlds already, I don't know. I will not be responsible however for introducing violence where none may exist, and that is exactly what will happen if I allow the Gods free reign. To keep the Gods in check I need the backing of a power higher than them. I want worlds where creatures can enjoy a beer and a barbeque in peace and not have to worry about violent hordes across the river sharpening their swords in preparation for slaughter. Or is that what you want, Bruce?"

"No, that is not what I want. How are you going to stop them? You can't overrule Zeus without backing and who says you can get that?"

"I am overruling Zeus right now, though he doesn't know it, and I don't want him to know. I had to instruct Endora to allow Zeus to visit his dragon or she would have refused him travel. As of yesterday no one, not even the Gods can travel on the system without my express say so. You heard Endora. She gave me complete control over the whole shooting match.

"If I wanted to, I could lock the whole system up for eternity. Believe me, I will do just that before I allow the likes of Ares or Malabubu anywhere near it."

"Let's hope it won't come to that. Shall we make a move?"

We went to the complex. First thing I did was to ask Endora to give everyone a communication bangle. Once that was done we went to the lunch room for a conference. Gadeirus showed me some possible worlds that would be suitable for the Grand Tour. While he was explaining his choices Endora showed snapshots of these worlds on the lunch room screen. There were three worlds that caught my attention.

One looked like an artificial planet. A city in space. According to Endora there were no living creatures on that world. No animals, no plants, just workshops, factories, accommodation and all the infrastructure needed for an industrial complex in space. This place was, according to our AI, where we would find the vehicles we required.

The other two worlds were totally different. They were inhabited by intelligent beings and appeared, at least by the descriptions, to be peaceful, sedate places. One world was settled by hominids that were, apart from their golden skins, green eyes, elongated, pointed ears and blue hair indistinguishable from humans. They lived mainly off vegetables they grew in well tended gardens and fish that were abundant in the oceans surrounding island style small continents along the equator. The rest of the planet was covered in water, frozen at the poles.

The second world intrigued me because it could easily be Kia's home world. It was populated by deer like quadrupeds that roamed a huge single continent stretching from pole to pole covering half the planet. It seemed to be the only landmass, the rest of the planet was covered with water. Apart from grazing and sleeping, most of their time was engaged in lengthy philosophical discussions about everything. They were telepathic and had devised a method of communication that was unique as far as Endora could tell. There was no other race known who did that.

To guarantee privacy they created a kind of psychic bowl in which they would project whatever it was they wanted to say. This could be perceived and answered by anyone who had latched onto the bowl so to speak. This way privacy of thought was preserved. Prying into the mind of another was taboo.

Endora explained that this was the system her builders had employed for communication with herself. Knowing this came as a huge relief because I had been wondering if Endora had been exploring my mind when I wasn't looking. She said that this was quite impossible for her to do when I asked. Addressing Endora put the thoughts I wanted to communicate into the bowl as it were, from where she would pick it up. The same thing happened in reverse. The whole process occurred on a subconscious level and was unnoticeable in communication.

Including the primordial world we had taken Zeus to I had now four worlds that were suitable for the Grand Tour. All that remained was to find a suitable vehicle and we would be set. I said as much to the others. They agreed it was a good choice.

"Alright fellows, here is what we do next. I want to take Gadeirus and Vulcan with me to look for a vehicle. They know about such things and will be helpful. As to he rest of you, I want you to have a closer look at the targets, Darrin, you would perhaps be best qualified to look at the artificial planet, Algenon and Bruce can fight it out between them which of the remaining two they want to look at. Any complaints?"

Seeing there were none I motioned Vulcan and Gadeirus to follow me to the power spot. Once there I told Edora where I wanted to go. We found ourselves on a floating platform that afforded a bird's eye view over a big hangar filled with vehicles of all sizes. Some were miles long, designed to take a huge number of people, some as small as the bubble cars of the 1950's that could hold no more than one or two passengers. We homed in on one the length of a bus but much wider. It looked like a loaf of bread.

There were no wings, nor was there any sign of a propulsion system. Just a base about two feet high and a transparent dome of about ten feet in height enclosing the internal space.

"This looks just about right," said Vulcan, "Let's have a closer look."