The Ultimate Sacrifice Pt. 04

I thought about it, "I have my doubts, but I don't know. Would you mind staying and I'll try to communicate with you while in the soul state?"

Poseidon responded, "If you can't that would almost be a hard stop to your plan. We can't afford to lose one Olympian."

Hades said what I was thinking, "Brother, if Hector isn't successful, we will lose more than just one of us. I think we have to approach this as though Aristaeus is already lost. If Hector can save him without compromising the rest of us or Earth, that will be to our fortune."

Poseidon wasn't happy, "I don't care for this subtle approach. I prefer a more direct confrontation. Get this over with, once and for all."

"Wouldn't that be a bit contradictory to your previous comment about not losing anyone. You must realize Lilith can kill all of you just as easily as Ares. Then Anu can unleash his fury on my planet. Wasn't that the main reason I was created?" My response to Poseidon was calm, measured and logical.

I could tell Poseidon was used to taking action. This whole situation was very frustrating to him. He sighed, "I guess you're right, Hector. Let's get on with this experiment."

I looked over at Hades, "Are we ready to see how this works? I suggest, at first, we both travel to space between the living and the light. Then you come out and monitor how long I can safely stay there."

"Some call this space purgatory, I call it my observatory." Hades added.

"I like observatory much more than purgatory."

Hades asked, "Do you need any instruction as to how to transport to the observatory?"

"Nope, I've got this." I just seemed to know what I was doing.

We got comfortable in our lounges, closed our eyes and began meditating. Then I was inside darkness. I looked around and saw the light off in the distance. Next I noticed an untold number of souls ascending towards the light. There was no form or shape to them, just small elements of energy on a direct path to their intended destination. They came from all over the universe, all with one purpose... seek the light. It took me a moment to focus on them individually. Once I was able to do that, I could see and feel each ones past life. I didn't want to spend too much time examining ascending souls, I was here for a specific purpose. I looked around and with great difficulty was finally able to see the room where Hades and I sat. I checked my vitals, no heart beat and no brain activity. For all intents and purpose, I was dead again. Poseidon sat in the room, fidgeting, not knowing what to do.

The last two times I was in this place I observed the real world with detached interest. This time I was fully conscious of my surroundings. Then I felt Hades' presence. I couldn't see him per say, but I knew he was there.

"After all these centuries watching souls ascend to the light, it's nice to have some company." I heard Hades speak.

"This is amazing." I responded.

"Yes, but be careful, it is also very addictive. You can get so immersed in the souls ascending, that you lose track of time." Hades cautioned.

"The last two times I was here I could only think of reaching the light. Nothing else mattered. Being in this space and able to just observe is a very different experience."

"Have you tried to communicate with Poseidon yet?" The god of the underworld asked.

"Not yet, let's give it a try. Hephaestus' security blanket, around the Olympus, is impressive. I had some difficulty penetrating it, even from where we are." With that I concentrated on Poseidon. It was difficult, at first, to transcend the observatory, back to the real world and into Poseidon's mind. Finally, I could hear how bored he was and wondering if the experiment was an abject failure.

"No Poseidon, I think we're making progress." A thought I projected to him.

Poseidon was a bit startled. He stood up straight and looked around the room. Then he spoke out loud, "Hector, I hear your voice, not in my head but aloud in the room." He looked over at Hades and me. We were still unconscious.

Hades reacted, "Hmmm...interesting."

"Well that won't be good if I'm trying to communicate with Aristaeus and not be noticed by Lilith." I projected.

Poseidon responded, "Do you need to talk to him to defend him against Lilith?"

"Good point, I don't know." With that, I concentrated on examining Poseidon's internal physiology. He had a strong heart, lungs were clear, kidneys operating efficiently, his pancreas was effectively processing his blood sugar, his mind was free of any tumors. He was perfect, physically. His blood pressure was a little elevated. I peered into his head. He was frustrated and angry at the overall situation. I projected a calming thought to help him think clearer. His blood pressure dropped back to normal. He fixed himself a glass of wine and sat down. I felt I needed to try something more definitive, so I put Poseidon to sleep. He went out like a light, spilling his wine and dropping the glass from his hand. It went crashing to the floor.

Hades asked, "Did you do that?"

I responded, "Yea, I needed to try something both of us would acknowledge. Apparently, I don't need to talk to him."

Hades answered, "You owe me a glass. And wasting good wine, that's just bad form."

I knew he was joking.

We stayed in the observatory for a while. We talked about the process of dying and being reborn. I inquired about God. Hades explained that he didn't rule out the possibility, but the answer, for or against, was on the other side of the light. What he did know, was there was no such thing as divine intervention while a soul was living. Souls had the free will to live whatever life had in store. There was no "grand plan." Life was a random set of circumstances that resulted in an unlimited variety of outcomes.

The only predetermined variable was whether a soul was basically good or evil. Also some of the traits related to good or evil appear to transcend lives. He mentioned my predisposition for self sacrifice, putting others before myself. I inquired if the condition of the soul could be changed? Hades indicated that it was possible, but very rare. He explained it was the yin/yang of the universe.

We talked about different planetary theologies, how similar they were to Earth's and their differences. We even discussed souls that get stuck in Purgatory and those that return to the living, after the body died.

We were just getting into a fascinating conversation when Hades all of a sudden announced he was tired and needed to leave the observatory. Since I still felt ok, I told him I'd stay awhile longer. Before he left he warned me not to push it too much.

Then I was alone again in the space between the living world and the afterlife. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious about what was on the other side of the light. But, something told me that would be a one-way trip, so it was a fleeting curiosity. I spent some time watching souls ascend. I couldn't remember seeing other souls the two times I died, only Hades and my daughter's voice. I concluded that it was a mortal limitation. I picked out a number of them and learned what I could. Some led fulfilling lives, others had lifetimes of regret. For many life had been a struggle. I observed those who had died of natural causes and those who did not. I even saw a few who seemed to be lost. One constant in the universe was how temporary life is. Most didn't live to their full potential, many craved more time.

Then it hit me that I might be the only potential exception to that rule. Even if I do live forever, I silently vowed to live each day like it was my last.

I checked on Aristaeus several times. He was still sedated. Aphrodite had connected a device to his brain in order to facilitate the change in his memories. I knew this would be a high risk procedure. If anything went wrong he would suffer irreparable brain damage. I wondered if I should have just removed the neurotoxin from his body and dealt with Lilith face to face. I concluded there were too many unknown variables for a face to face confrontation to take place. There was to much at stake to play the "macho" card. Besides, Aphrodite has proven to be a talented scientist and surgeon.

I thought about trying to see if my senses could extend beyond the Olympus. I hesitated attempting to surveil either Anu or Lilith. Besides, I didn't know their location, so it would have been difficult. I didn't want to run the risk of alerting them to my existence. I decided to see if I could find Heracles. I concentrated as hard as I could. It was difficult to get beyond Hephaestus' defenses. That bode well for our plan. I thought since I was and was not on the ship, at the same time, that I wouldn't be limited by his defensive safeguards. However, I apparently underestimated Hephaestus' talents. Finally I saw Heracles sitting on the front porch of the cabin, reading a book. I projected a thought to him that spoke of his need to prepare himself and Perseus for battle in the near future and that Josephine and I would return soon. Heracles put the book down, smiled, picked up his phone and called Perseus.

Periodically I would reach out to Hades and Poseidon to let them know I was ok. After, I don't know how long, Hades beckoned me to return to the land of the living. When I opened my eyes, Josephine and Zeus had joined Hades and Poseidon.

"Why did you call me back? I haven't been under very long." I asked

Hades responded, "You've been under for over two Earth days. I've never even come close to that."

To say I was astonished would be an understatement. I knew I could stay in that state for a much longer period of time. I theorized the soul was the energy that kept the body alive. The best analogy I could come up with was a car battery. Take the battery out and over a period of time of inactivity, the car would deteriorate. Take the soul out of the body and the body begins to weaken and deteriorate. Most mortals couldn't travel to the observatory because of their fragile bodies. As we've discovered, Hades was mortal, but his body was much stronger, as were all the Olympians. Therefore he could reside in a temporary state, just not for long periods of time. I on the other hand, didn't have a body that would ever deteriorate, thus allowing me to stay in the observatory for much longer periods. This theory also meant the soul is still somewhat connected to the body, in this state. That also seemed to confirm Aphrodite's thesis and the need to destroy my old body. Severing the relationship between my body and my soul.

A glimmer of hope emerged, this just might be the beginnings of a viable plan. In fact, my body doesn't have to be present when Aristaeus meets with Lilith. But if it wasn't, Lilith wouldn't need to be face to face with him either. Also, it could diminish Aristaeus' value to Anu and then he would just kill him.

I would be the bait to get Aristaeus close to Anu and/or Lilith. I decided being in the physical presence of them would provide me the best opportunity to learn as much about them and the Annunnaki as possible and also provide the greatest defense for Aristaeus.

Now we had to figure out how to get Aristaeus and me out of Lilith's lair alive and in one piece. I doubted that once Aristaeus delivered my body to her, she would release me back to him. Also, I surmised that he would be unable to return to the Olympus once he stole me. I feared he would lose his usefulness to Anu and he would instruct Lilith to kill him. That left me with the real possibility that I would have to fight our way out of the situation. Aristaeus wouldn't be of any use, in a fight. He was a valued Olympian, but not for his fighting skills.

I also had to prepare to act quickly. If Lilith was alone and I was successful in dispatching her to the afterlife, Anu might panic and immediately attack either the Olympus or Earth. Earth seemed to be the most probable target. If he no longer had Lilith's power, it would be difficult to successfully defeat Zeus. In fact with Hephaestus' security enhancements, his success would be improbable. But a stalemate would also be unacceptable. There had to be a decisive conclusion to these hostilities.

Curiously, I wasn't worried about failing. I'm not saying I was positive we would be successful. It was just two possible outcomes in an equation, an "either/or" type of problem. Either we win the upcoming war, or we don't. Without the "fear of failure" it gave me a sense of clarity I never possessed in my human condition. I could look at "all" the possible outcomes and variables. It became an "if/then" planning session in my mind. If plan A didn't work, then I'd adjust to plan B or plan C and so on. The difference was I was planning out to an infinite number of probabilities. I never possessed this level of calmness when I was a Marine. I took on that squad of Iraqis insurgents out of fear for the lives of my companions. This was very different, I lacked emotion but possessed absolute resolve. If we lose this war, I was going to make damn sure Anu didn't win it.

Next step was to talk with Aphrodite and Apollo about Aristaeus. I asked them to meet Josephine and me in Josephine's villa.

"How are his adjusted memories coming?" I asked.

Apollo seemed very uncomfortable. Before Aphrodite could answer, "I don't want him part if this insane plan. Remove the neurotoxin from him now." He demanded.

"And what of Lilith, Anu and the rest of the Annunnaki?" I asked.

Apollo was desperate, "I don't care what happens, Aristaeus can't be part of it."

Aphrodite answered that one, "He already is part of it. He's our only way to get close to them."

Apollo, "There has to be another way. He's not a warrior."

Aphrodite responded, "In this war, all of us are either warriors or victims."

I stopped her, "Apollo, if we remove the neurotoxin now, we'll be forced into a direct confrontation with Lilith and Anu. Olympians will be lost. But if that's what you want, get Zeus to agree and I'll remove the neurotoxin." It might have been a cop-out. I knew Zeus wouldn't go for it.

Apollo dropped to his knees, tears running down his face, looking straight at me, "Zeus will never agree if I ask him. He'll only listen to you. Please, make Zeus see that Aristaeus can't be part of this plan."

I would have never pictured the great god Apollo beg anyone for anything. On one hand his pleading appeared pathetic and self serving. On the other hand, had the roles been reversed and if my daughter was in Aristaeus' predicament, I may very well have acted the same way.

Before I could answer Josephine erupted, "HOW DARE YOU! Hector is trying to save all of our fucking lives and you're on you damn knees like a coward! I've never been so ashamed to be related to you! Aristaeus and Hector are our only hope to get close enough to Lilith and maybe Anu to end this! Hector is willing to sacrifice himself to save YOU! All you can think of is your precious little boy and not the greater good!" She seemed to just be getting wound up.

I interrupted, "Josephine, please, Apollo is just being a father. Don't fault him for that."

Apollo was shocked by Josephine's outburst. He stood up and initially peered down at her. She met his stare, not giving an inch of ground. Then his face softened. He looked...ashamed and embarrassed.

He looked over at me, "She's right, I am a coward. Do what you need to do with Aristaeus." He looked old, tired and weak. He turned his body away from us.

"Apollo, look at me." Slowly he turned his head back towards me. "I will do everything in my power to bring your son back to you. I promise."

He simply nodded and disappeared.

I looked at Josephine and Aphrodite, "Well, I didn't expect that."

Aphrodite, "I thought you could read minds."

"Just because I can, doesn't mean I should. It's still wrong to invade someone's privacy." Apparently my moral code had transferred over with my DNA.

Josephine asks, "What now?"

I looked at Aphrodite, "Can you build in a suggestion to Aristaeus, while you alter his memories?"

Aphrodite responded, "Yes, such as?"

"I need him to think that taking my body to Lilith is his decision."

"Understood, I can make that happen."

"How long until you're finished?" I wasn't trying to hurry her, just establish a time line.

"He'll be ready by tomorrow morning."

"Before you wake him, let's stage my body back into the sarcophagus. I'll be observing. Also let's limit his access to others. The fewer who have to act that I'm dead, the better. You, Josephine and Zeus would be logical ones mourning the failed experiment and my loss."

Aphrodite nods her agreement and disappears.

"Zeus, would you please join Josephine and me for dinner?" I asked.

The king of the gods appeared before us, in a normal human size, "I would be delighted. Thank you for the invitation."

Josephine gives her father a hug and says, "I'll get busy, in the kitchen. The two of you have a great deal to discuss."

Zeus and I talk about the plan. He had some good ideas how to arrange for Aristaeus to steal my body without it appearing to be a setup. He also told me Apollo went to him after his meltdown with us. Zeus said he has never seen his son so embarrassed and distraught. At the end of their conversation, Apollo understood the need for the plan to proceed. He hoped I would be able to save Aristaeus, but feared the worst.

The real possibility of death for these beings was truly a new and difficult concept to grasp. They've played with the lives of countless mortals, for centuries, but didn't appreciate the impact of their actions on others. As Zeus talked it reminded me of a boss, who didn't have any children, not understanding why those who did always made them a higher priority than their job. The boss only "got it" when he or she became a parent. The Olympians finding out they were mortal gave them a completely different perspective on life...and death.

During dinner we made some adjustments to "the plan." We discussed the various "what ifs" that could and will occur. I barely remember eating, although I do know that it was delicious. Once we filled our bellies, Zeus thanked his daughter and then departed to make preparations.

"That was an exquisite meal Josephine. I'm sorry I didn't help prepare it."

"You and father were a tad busy conspiring. It was the least I could do." She responded.

"Then I will clean up. It's the least I can do."

She had another idea, "It will be quicker if we both clean up. That way, you can make love to me sooner."

"I like the way you think." I said as I began taking dishes to the kitchen.

We did make love. Man did we make love. Just before my rebirth, we made love "like" it would be our last time. This time we made love "scared" it would be our last time. It was the kind of sex two people have just before one is sent to into combat, neither knowing if the warrior will return. So...we tried to suck, fuck and lick every ounce we could, wanting it to go on forever, yet knowing it couldn't. For two essentially immortal beings, we acted as though one or both of us wouldn't make it out of the impending conflict alive.

Chapter eighteen -- Lilith

Aristaeus woke up in his villa. Once he got his bearings he remembered the events from the day before. Aphrodite had been so certain she could transfer Bob Davis' consciousness into the surrogate and bring it to life. When Hades announced he couldn't stop Bob's soul from ascending everyone was devastated. With Bob's body destroyed and his soul rejecting the surrogate, there was nothing for him to reenter. Josephine was beyond devastated at losing her lover and Zeus was distraught and worried about what would become of them and Earth.

Aristaeus smiled.

He needed to get off the Olympus and inform Anu and Lilith of this glorious news. But would they just believe his word? He needed some way to provide tangible evidence of this fortuitous turn of events. Somehow he needed to steal the surrogate and deliver it to Anu and Lilith. The Olympians no longer had a use for it. Damn Hephaestus and his infernal defenses! As hard as he had tried, he hadn't been able to get a message to Lilith since Bob was brought to the Olympus. Even though Lilith felt certain she could defeat an enhanced Bob Davis, she had taken the threat serious. Anu thought it was just Zeus' desperate last effort to even the battle field. Surely Anu would finally defeat the Olympians once he knew Aphrodite's experiment to create the ultimate weapon of war had failed so miserably.