A formation of Suits, march from the Lethe Tower doors towards the giddily eager crowd. Their path flanked by black flags stamped with red Lethe eagles gently waving in the warm breeze. Two giant golden statues of the same eagle are perched on concrete pedestals in the far corners of the rise. Lines of granite stairs lead down to the square between them.
“Why are there so many Machina?” asks Selene.
Surprisingly, Poth chimes in before I have the chance to clear my throat.
“Those guarding the stage with the red eyes aren’t Machina, they’re droids. Droids are pretty much just machines that can walk around. Machina are kind of like droids, but they’re sentient like our friend Tal, here.”
I must say, I’m impressed. With merely one conversation, Poth has transformed from blatantly racist to an informed citizen.
Following behind the first formation marches the father of Olympia himself, Archer Lethe, encircled by his personal entourage of Suits and droids.
My new eye quickly scans for Oriyen but fails to locate him from this altitude. I’m sure he has better things to do than show up to some prim anniversary celebration.
Gigantic display screens tower over the square, allowing everyone the opportunity to see what’s happening. The three in the middle are focused solely on the man of the hour. Some say he’s crazy, that he went mad throughout the centuries. Others rumor he died long ago and uses holograms or even clones to keep Olympia together. He looks like a normal old man to me.
Both the hair on his head and his grandfather beard are as white as a cloud. His hair is short and styled, shaved close on the sides. His black suit is neatly pressed with a red tie at his center. Looks like he’s in better shape than I am. On his collar, an Olympian flag pin. He holds his chin high and his shoulders broad. Gliding up to the mic he adjusts his suit jacket, straightens his tie. He’s responsible for it all. The good. The evil.
“Today is a very special day ladies and gentlemen, human and Machina. I’m pleased to join with you in what will go down in history as the greatest celebration our city has ever witnessed,” he begins enthusiastically as the crowd gradually becomes more silent. Every human and Machina in sight quietly face his direction.
“Several years ago, a great man, whose symbolic shadow we stand today, helped me create a catalyst for our future. From his effortless devotion, our existence was preserved. Out of chaos rose perseverance. From the ashes of a world on fire, Olympia was reborn. I wish my brother Niko could see what we, what this great city, have created, but there is still work to be done. The fight must continue. It’s not enough to simply preserve life, we must better it! It is our evolutionary duty! We not only owe it to ourselves, but to everyone and everything that comes after us. We are the future!”
He pauses a moment taking a sip of water from under the clear podium. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a man more relaxed, or dangerous.
“The next step in evolution is human-Machina symbiosis. Only by unifying and working together will we ever defeat those who wish to see us fail. Olympians, even though we face great difficulties, I have a vision that humans and Machina alike will live in
a city where they are not judged by their appearance, but by the content of their character. This is a future to strive for, but it cannot happen overnight, especially with the setbacks due to anarchist terrorists!
“Our goal is clear. One day every black sand valley shall be exalted, every dune and mountain shall bow to us. Our allies will thrive for an eternity, and our enemies will perish below the heaviest of the Outland hills. And the glory of Olympia shall be revealed, and all flesh and metal shall see it together! This is our hope! This is the promise that I go back to my tower with. With this promise, we will
be able to transform the jangling discord of our city into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood!”
Applause erupts like an earthquake shaking the very foundations of Olympia.
“May the stars shine on Olympia!”
The crowd is going absolutely wild, the cheers far outnumbering the boos. Selene and Sophia are completely captivated. Standing applause all around us. Even Tal is applauding. The guy knows how to write a speech. I’ll give him that.
Archer waves at his adorners as they scream and cheer for their hero. I can’t help but feel like he’s playing them.
As the girls wipe the tears from their eyes, I catch something weird behind them. The display screens flicker. All of them at the same time. I don’t think anyone realized it at first, too caught up in the moment. A few seconds later the screens flicker again as the loudspeaker screeches loud enough for everyone to grab their ears.
My heart stops.
The disordered crowd becomes quieter as everyone looks around trying to figure out what’s happening. This is odd timing for maintenance on the solar farm. Could this really not wait until tomorrow?
The protector in me hears Selene gasp as my eyes jerk back towards the stage. This isn’t an issue with the solar farm… Above Archer, on every screen, is the image of a glitched clock, flickering in waves behind a static background. A chilling message appears around the clock. On every display. Every TV.
The Time Is Near.
Pandemonium takes hold of the square like a pandemic. People rapidly begin to panic, as a group of Suits surround Archer and rush him inside.
Seconds before he reaches the door an explosion erupts, blasting fire and debris in all directions from the base of the Lethe Tower. The shockwave knocks us all to the ground as a never-ending storm of
