Beyond Hades: The Prometheus Wars Read Online Free Page A
Author: Luke Romyn
islands."
"So you mean you've actually found it?" asked Talbot, unable to conceal the excitement in his voice.
"Your brother died finding it," replied the general somberly.
Talbot's excitement evaporated at the words. "Tell me how he died." The words almost sounded like a plea.
"He died trying to find a way to undo what we've done. Upon finding Atlantis, we managed to create sealed areas of the city; places we pumped dry in order to explore. We discovered a vast underground catacomb full of machinery -"
"Machinery?" interrupted Talbot, momentarily forgetting who he was addressing. "That's not possible."
"It is. And if you interrupt me again, I'll have you tied in that chair and gagged." The words were not an empty threat.
Talbot's mouth snapped shut while his mind buzzed uncontrollably.
"As I was saying," continued General Sharpe, "we found vast underground caverns full of machinery, the likes of which none of our scientists had ever seen. Made entirely out of a stone similar in composition to granite, this civilization had managed to mold it like the finest sculpture, yet it is somehow immune from erosion. The minutest detail, stuff we can't replicate today, is involved in this technology which, though centuries old, performs better than any machine crafted today. It is truly astonishing that such an ancient race of people were able to fashion anything so marvelous.
"These machines are enormous, and even after years under the ocean, no signs of decay tarnish their design. They remain perfectly intact." The general's face took on a faraway look, but an instant later his gray eyes snapped back into focus, piercing Talbot with their intensity. "Upon them are instructions written in a language none of our linguists could decipher, yet your brother was instantly able to understand it, word for word."
Talbot's mouth dropped open once more, and he yearned to interrupt, but the general's warning still hung in the air like a hungry vulture circling a dying man.
"Nobody, not even your brother, could explain his innate ability. With his assistance, we were able to re-engage the machinery. We foolishly restarted something which should have been left lost forever. We opened a gateway of sorts; a temporal portal into another universe. Put simply, Doctor Harrison, we opened a doorway into Hell."
Talbot's mind exploded, and he shook his head mutely, sure he had misheard the large man.
"Not the Hell the Bible teaches us, rather the Hell from Greek mythology: a place called Tartarus," continued General Sharpe. "I assume you have heard of it?"
Struggling to form thoughts around the terror pounding within his brain, Talbot replied hesitantly. "Thomas was the expert, but as an archaeologist I still know the legend of Tartarus quite well. It was allegedly an enormous pit, supposedly the place for the world's evil souls - a land even beyond the realm of the dead known as Hades. Zeus expelled the Titans there after they tried to take over Olympia, or something like that. The Titans were called the Elder-gods, and stories spoke of their strength being legendary; so their prison - Tartarus - must have been mightier still. It was said to have resembled Hell very much - perhaps even providing the inspiration for the biblical place of the damned."
The general nodded gravely. "In essence, the machinery your brother restarted after centuries of laying forgotten opened a doorway into this dimension. We discovered a land populated by creatures previously believed to be completely mythical. It is a place from Greek folklore, inhabited by creatures such as the gryphon which attacked your escort helicopter."
General Sharpe paused, his expression somewhat haunted. "We've managed to stop or contain most of the beings which tried to escape, but some creatures - like the gryphon - are simply too powerful for us to contest."
"What do you need from me?" asked Talbot, his curiosity too powerful to restrain any longer.
General Sharpe didn't seem to
"So you mean you've actually found it?" asked Talbot, unable to conceal the excitement in his voice.
"Your brother died finding it," replied the general somberly.
Talbot's excitement evaporated at the words. "Tell me how he died." The words almost sounded like a plea.
"He died trying to find a way to undo what we've done. Upon finding Atlantis, we managed to create sealed areas of the city; places we pumped dry in order to explore. We discovered a vast underground catacomb full of machinery -"
"Machinery?" interrupted Talbot, momentarily forgetting who he was addressing. "That's not possible."
"It is. And if you interrupt me again, I'll have you tied in that chair and gagged." The words were not an empty threat.
Talbot's mouth snapped shut while his mind buzzed uncontrollably.
"As I was saying," continued General Sharpe, "we found vast underground caverns full of machinery, the likes of which none of our scientists had ever seen. Made entirely out of a stone similar in composition to granite, this civilization had managed to mold it like the finest sculpture, yet it is somehow immune from erosion. The minutest detail, stuff we can't replicate today, is involved in this technology which, though centuries old, performs better than any machine crafted today. It is truly astonishing that such an ancient race of people were able to fashion anything so marvelous.
"These machines are enormous, and even after years under the ocean, no signs of decay tarnish their design. They remain perfectly intact." The general's face took on a faraway look, but an instant later his gray eyes snapped back into focus, piercing Talbot with their intensity. "Upon them are instructions written in a language none of our linguists could decipher, yet your brother was instantly able to understand it, word for word."
Talbot's mouth dropped open once more, and he yearned to interrupt, but the general's warning still hung in the air like a hungry vulture circling a dying man.
"Nobody, not even your brother, could explain his innate ability. With his assistance, we were able to re-engage the machinery. We foolishly restarted something which should have been left lost forever. We opened a gateway of sorts; a temporal portal into another universe. Put simply, Doctor Harrison, we opened a doorway into Hell."
Talbot's mind exploded, and he shook his head mutely, sure he had misheard the large man.
"Not the Hell the Bible teaches us, rather the Hell from Greek mythology: a place called Tartarus," continued General Sharpe. "I assume you have heard of it?"
Struggling to form thoughts around the terror pounding within his brain, Talbot replied hesitantly. "Thomas was the expert, but as an archaeologist I still know the legend of Tartarus quite well. It was allegedly an enormous pit, supposedly the place for the world's evil souls - a land even beyond the realm of the dead known as Hades. Zeus expelled the Titans there after they tried to take over Olympia, or something like that. The Titans were called the Elder-gods, and stories spoke of their strength being legendary; so their prison - Tartarus - must have been mightier still. It was said to have resembled Hell very much - perhaps even providing the inspiration for the biblical place of the damned."
The general nodded gravely. "In essence, the machinery your brother restarted after centuries of laying forgotten opened a doorway into this dimension. We discovered a land populated by creatures previously believed to be completely mythical. It is a place from Greek folklore, inhabited by creatures such as the gryphon which attacked your escort helicopter."
General Sharpe paused, his expression somewhat haunted. "We've managed to stop or contain most of the beings which tried to escape, but some creatures - like the gryphon - are simply too powerful for us to contest."
"What do you need from me?" asked Talbot, his curiosity too powerful to restrain any longer.
General Sharpe didn't seem to
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