The Underworld (The Atlas Series Book 3) (5 page)

It took almost an hour of walking before they reached the room that held the machine. Just as Kala remembered, a chair sat in the middle of the room with a single headpiece that had hundreds of wires attached to it, all strung to the ceiling, then back down to a computer terminal.

“We don’t have Dr. Rosen with us this time,” Turner said, “but I know how to work the machine. I’m just not very good with keeping the volunteer safe. I’m afraid we’ve had two coma cases so far. But since you’re immortal and a Titan no less, you’ll be fine.” Turner didn’t seem worried at all.

“You’re saying you could put me in a coma?” Kala wasn’t reassured in the least.

“I don’t think so, no.” Turner began to set up the computer terminal. “Not deliberately at any rate.”

“Comforting,” Kala said with a sarcastic tone that Turner ignored. “Oh, and FYI: Dr. Rosen was Pandora, not a real doctor.” Kala felt the need to inform him.

“
The
Pandora?” Turner looked like he had received another treasure.

“Yes,
the
Pandora. So the only reason my brain probably didn’t fry was because I had her help.” Kala began to doubt the sanity of her decision to hook into the machine for a second time. If she went comatose, she wouldn’t be able to complete her mission and the world would end. But if she didn’t try she might never find out where Hades was sleeping.

Turner grunted, exasperated. “You’re a Titan, for heaven’s sake. I’ll send for Talan if anything goes wrong. He’ll be able to pull you out if needed. But you won’t need him, I’m sure of it. Now, do you want to do this or not?”

Kala stared at the monstrosity of a machine for a moment longer, then nodded.

Here goes nothing.

Chapter Four

Kala was surprised at how calm she felt after the seventh hour of being strapped into Turner’s device. They had made some progress initially, which gave her hope that they’d be able to put her vision to video. But the few images they managed to pull out from her memories were the same images seven hours later. She was conscious through the whole experience unlike the last time when Penny
aka
Pandora took the opportunity to talk to Kala’s subconscious.

Kala and Turner communicated with each other the entire time as she guided him through what he called “brain mapping.” She worked well with Turner. He’d become a vital ally throughout the upheaval her life had become. It was difficult for Kala to imagine the man helping her today would be a mass murderer in the future. Even for the sake of population control, it didn’t seem like something he’d do. But time and circumstances could change a person. Kala had seen it before on a smaller scale – but after living for hundreds of years? Maybe human beings became more closed off about life and death. She’d certainly seen indifference in the immortal beings she’d met so far. All they wanted to do was destroy each other, and they didn’t care about the millions of humans that could end up as collateral damage.

Life
should
matter. Coming from an ex-sniper, Kala felt like a hypocrite, but the simple idea that killing one person
saved
lives allowed her to live with herself. If it was senseless murder. Kala could never be a part of that. It was one of the reasons she wanted nothing to do with the whole Titans versus Olympians war that was coming. They didn’t care who they hurt as long as they demolished the other team. For what? Power?
To rule?
Rule what? Humans didn’t even know the gods existed. What exactly were they going to
rule
?

“Are you okay in there?” Turner’s voice cut through her train of thought. “The wave lengths from your memories that are showing up on the screen are going crazy. I keep seeing snippets of you pummeling Cronus.”

Kala pulled off the headpiece and massaged her forehead. “I need to take a break.”

“Of course.” Turner helped Kala to her feet. “Come look at this.” He led her over to the computer’s monitor screen.

“I’m not sure if I’ll be able to see anything. Screens usually equal
Vision
for me, but I am able to use the computer, so maybe it’ll work the same way.”

Upon examination of the monitor, Kala happily found that she was able to see the results of the scan. It was fascinating, as if someone had taken a camera and attempted to film her memories. The images were shaky, full of static and slightly blurred, but the pictures were there. “This is incredible. Do you think we’ll be able to clean it up?”

Turner’s face was alight with excitement as he spoke, “I’m not sure, but even what we have so far is more than we’ve ever been able to achieve on our volunteers.”

Volunteers
? Somehow, Kala doubted anyone actually
volunteered
for this machine, but she kept that distinction out of her mind and was highly impressed with what Turner had managed to record. “Can we scroll through this?”

Taking control, Turner fast-forwarded through the footage he’d managed to pull from Kala’s head.

And there it was.

Maybe.

“Okay, stop there,” Kala instructed Turner.

The cave. Hopefully.

Yes – it was. The image was distorted, but the cave was almost clear, as if someone had taken a picture in the dark.

“That’s the place!” Kala cried in triumph. “Let’s focus on cleaning this one up. Maybe someone will be able to recognize it. What about your satellites? You think the location can be tracked down?”

Turner shrugged, unsure. “We only have two satellites that can scan underground and they’re a bit glitchy, but we can certainly give it a try.” He began typing in commands. “Let’s see how much we can clean this up first though. The more information we give the satellite, the better.”

For the next few hours, Kala and Turner worked on trying to analyze and clean the footage they had. Kala knew she should be worried about the countdown deadline, but if she didn’t know where she was going, then the mission was impossible anyway. Not wanting to, Kala glanced at the time.

3d 07h 10m 33s. 10:50PM.

Kala’s heart jumped in her throat.

“What is it?” Turner noticed at once Kala’s change in mood.

“Nothing. It’s just, there’s only seven hours left of Day One. If we don’t figure out where Hades is…”

Turner interrupted by placing a hand on her shoulder reassuringly, “We’ll find him. We’re so close now and the day’s not even over.” Then Turner’s eyes lit up. “I wonder if Roberta could do a locator spell for Hades.”

Kala perked up instantly. “You think she could do that?”

“I really have no clue, but we’ve got to try everything, right?” Turner picked up his phone and left the room to call his wife, leaving Kala to work on the image of the cave.

She was using a program that was created for cleaning up security footage with low pixilation, and it was definitely helping, but not enough. She wondered if this would ever work in time. Maybe Roberta
could
help. Too many maybes.

Glancing up from the screen, Kala almost thought she was hallucinating as three people suddenly appeared in front of her. But it was no illusion. Kala groaned inwardly, Olympians. Great.

Zeus, Hephaestus, and Talan apparently had felt the need to track her down to the Compound. Talan she was happy about, but the other two Kala could do without.

Talan seemed cautious as he approached Kala. She knew it was because he was unsure what had happened with Asmodeus. She decided to try and set his mind at ease : “Asmodeus knew jack shit, but he’s going to ask around. Turner hooked me up to his machine and we managed to grab some images from my vision. Come look.”

Kala didn’t want to ask why the other two Olympians were there, so she pretended as if they were all there to help her. It wouldn’t last long, but she would enjoy the delusion while she could, and maybe she could get an answer.

Talan came around first, examining the still image of the cave. “I don’t recognize it. Zeus?” He motioned for the god to look.

A flicker of recognition from Zeus as he studied the screen. “It seems familiar, but I’m not sure. Definitely Earth, though.”

“That’s something.” Kala didn’t want to sound too grateful, but she couldn’t help but feeling a stirring of hope.

“Would you like me to try?” Hephaestus offered. “Machines are my specialty.”

“Have at it.” Kala stood and let Hephaestus sit down at her chair. Instead of typing though, he placed his hands on the monitor screen.

“I can see the missing pieces,” Hephaestus announced. “I’ll put them together.” In less than a few seconds, Kala was looking at her vision.

She was so shocked by the ease at which Hephaestus put the whole thing together it made her feel stupid she didn’t ask for his help earlier. Of course, he’d be good with computers. He had forged the twelve blades that could injure all supernatural beings, why not electronics?

Before the vision began to play, Turner returned to the room. His only reaction to the new guests was a slight opening of his eyes.

“Hephaestus got it to work. Check it out.” Kala needed as many eyes on her vision as possible, and she trusted Turner a lot more than she trusted Zeus and his son.

They all gathered around the screen to watch. When Zeus recognized Hades, Kala heard him mumbling under his breath. She was sure she’d have an earful after everyone was finished with the viewing party. Talan had to turn away when Vision-Kala was killed – whereas Turner immediately stared at her.

“I didn’t think you could die,” Turner voiced his thoughts. “Maybe you should sit this mission out.”

“It doesn’t work that way. If I don’t do it, the world ends,” Kala explained.

“Well, it looks like if you
do
do it, the world will end too. The next cycle won’t be complete. Isn’t that the way it works?” Turner countered.

Zeus guffawed and rolled his eyes. “She won’t die. At least not permanently.” He focused on Kala. “We didn’t come here to see your vision, or help you complete it. We came here because we need you on our side against Cronus.”

Changing the subject back to his own problems. Typical.

“What do you mean I won’t die permanently?” Kala decided to steer the conversation back to her mission.

Zeus looked as if she had asked him to eat nails. “You’re not going to help me until I answer, are you?”

Kala knew there were a few ways to answer that question: diplomacy, deception…

“Nope.” Kala went with honesty.

Zeus acted as a child would, by crossing his arms defiantly. “You really shouldn’t wake my brother. He’s not exactly someone you want to have around.”

“I don’t have a choice in the matter,” Kala pushed. It was one thing for Asmodeus not to like Hades, but for
Zeus
to have such a bad opinion? It made Kala wonder again how her Atlas vision was actually a “good” thing.

Zeus grumbled, “Since Atlas tricked you humans into taking over his job, I’ve never heard of an Atlas mission that had anything to do with a god or a Titan. It became a job for human existence, not immortals. Waking up Hades only puts you little apes in danger. And since my brother’s only goal is to consume as many souls as he can, he’ll
want
you to fail…” Zeus suddenly broke off, as if an idea had just come to him.

“What?” Kala didn’t like that look.

“That’s why he kills you. So you’ll fail you’re next task. It’s a trap. You can’t go,” Zeus announced with authority.

“But I have to.” There wasn’t a choice. Go, or world go boom. “And you still haven’t answered my question. What do you mean about me not dying permanently?”

Zeus sighed as if Kala was an idiot he had to explain things slowly to. “Hades can’t kill an immortal. But he can send them to the Underworld.”

Oh.

“So it
is
real, then.” Kala knew the Underworld existed, since seeing Hades in her vision, but it was nice to have confirmation.

“Of course it’s real. What did you think?” Zeus acted as if she was absurd for even doubting.

Being trapped in the Underworld sounded way better than actually dying. But if she couldn’t find a way out, then she’d end up there forever anyway. “Is the Underworld how they describe it in mythology books?” Kala asked.

“More or less.” Zeus shrugged. “But you won’t be able to get out without help, and I won’t help you unless you help me fight Cronus.”

Now it was Kala’s turn to feel like she was dealing with a child. “Really? You’re giving me an ultimatum?”

Talan made eye contact with Kala. His whole demeanor toward her had changed. The news that she’d be in the Underworld and potentially be able to come back to life had obviously put the pep back in his step. “I will get you out. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”

Zeus laughed. “You? Tell me the last time a Grigori entered the Underworld?”

Seeing the blank expression on Talan’s face, Zeus acted as if he were vindicated.