This story is dedicated to my father, who never understood my need to be Kelly. Despite our problems, I know he loved me even though he didn't tell me the way I wanted him to. I miss you dad. Thank you for caring for me when I didn't care about myself. (With tears in my eyes)
By Kelly Davidson
Edited by Samuel Vincent and Nelson T.
Copyright 2001
Fade in...
There I sat shifting through the many piles of papers lying on my desk and wishing I were somewhere else. It was truly amazing how many reports passed through my hands to be filed or used to type up other reports. I knew that at least half of them would reach Judge Jasper's desk, where he would study them for a few minutes then put them in his out box to be filed by you know who. What surprised me was how much information Judge Jasper remembered. He would quote me numbers on the amount of water the town used last month and tell me it was over 200,000 gallons more then the month before. When I looked it up I found he was correct.
There were other things Judge Jasper kept track of. How much electricity we used each week; the amount of money spent at both the supermarket and clothing stores; the duty roster of the police and fire department; information that seemed useless to me but important to him. I could only guess he did this to keep a tight rein on his town. If there were even the slightest thing out of the ordinary he would know about it.
I took a deep sigh and grabbed the latest environmental reports on the river that Peace River was named after. Well, a moat was actually the correct term since it encircled the town. Judge Jasper was especially interested in this report, and it was the first thing he asked for each morning. I dreaded giving him that report. If the salt content went up or down by so as much as a quarter of a percent he would have me running all over town finding people to fix it. Why the Roman gods didn't carry cell phones I never understood. Well, that wasn't really true. Most of them did carry phones; it was the ones I needed to get hold of all the time, like Neptune and Mars that didn't. I had suggested to both of them that they get a cell phone but was met with mixed results. Neptune laughed, while Mars grumbled - and neither got a phone. The only good news about my job was that Peace River averaged about one or two new transformations a week. This meant I didn't have to spend a lot of time writing up reports or reliving their lives for the gods. Doing so could be most emotional at times.
Looking at the numbers from the various testing sites on the river caused me to sigh. They indicated I would be doing a lot of running around this morning. The first person Judge Jasper would want me find would be Mr. Marshall (Mars). As it turns out, I didn't have to look. He bolted into my office and ran right past me on his way to Judge Jasper's chambers. I stood up, mostly out of fear that if I didn't try to stop him Judge Jasper would be mad. I could tell Mars was upset, as if something terrible had happened.
I grabbed him just as he opened up the door and said, "Mercury's been attacked!"
"How bad is he?" Jupiter demanded to know as he stood up.
"Very bad," Mars replied. "I had him moved to Olympus and called for Annietta."
I felt numb. Officer Merrick - Mark Merrick - the one who had done me such a big favor not long ago - severely injured. It was almost like reliving the death of my friend, Kevin Brown.
"Call the others," Jupiter commended. "I will meet with them there. Linda, you will come with me."
He grabbed my hand and suddenly a shinny portal hole appeared in his office. Before I had a chance to think Jupiter pulled me into it. Moments later we stepped out onto a huge patio covered by a marble roof. Equally impressive marble pillars every 10 yards supported it. There was a lady standing in the center of the patio dressed in a white toga. She was fairly young and quite beautiful, with red flowers in her jet-black hair. I could see great sadness and panic on her face.
"Where is he?" Jupiter asked very concerned.
"In the sitting room," the woman replied. "The muse arrived just a few minutes before you did. He looked..." She put her hand over her mouth and began to cry. Jupiter put his massive arm around the woman in an attempt to comfort her.
"It's alright my dear. Annietta is the best healer we have. Even if she can't help him, we can put him back in stasis until he's better."
"But for how long?" she sobbed. "How could this have happened?"
"I don't know," he said softly, "but I intend to make sure the people who did this pay dearly." He motioned for another equally beautiful, young woman to come forward. "IO, please take Linda to your quarters and find something appropriate for her to wear. Come Maia, let's go see how our son is doing."
"Yes, my love," Maia replied.
IO watched them leave, and seemed very concerned about the emotional state of other woman. She was tall and skinny, with long blonde hair that reached down to her waist. In her hair were yellow-flowers, and there was a lovely feminine charm to her moments and manner.
"This way, Linda," she said pleasantly. I found myself weaving through one massive room after another, all exquisitely decorated with marble statues, crystal clear waterfalls, and plants of every kind. There was even a bird room, with exotic parrots from around the world. The place was like a palace out of ancient Rome. IO's room was lavishly furnished and included a full-length, naked statue of Jupiter himself. Apparently being seen naked didn't bother the Roman gods. The young goddess opened up a drawer and pulled out a dress similar to hers.
"This should fit you," she said while placing it on the massive bed, big enough for four people. "Let me help you change." Before I could refuse, she had already unzipped my dress.
"What strange clothes," IO observed, running her hands up and down the back of my nylon half-slip. "And this thing," she added touching the front of my bra. "Why do you wear such pretty garments if no one is going to see them?"
"The bra keeps my breasts in place and the slip prevents people from seeing my panties," I tried to explain.
"Pant-ies?" she stated confused.
"Haven't you been to Peace River before?"
She shook her head. "No. I'm needed here to keep this place in order. Someone has to tend to the fish and feed the birds."
"I see, so you're like a maid," I replied.
"Not a maid, or a servant," she answered with a smile. "I'm Jupiter's lover."
"Oh," I replied pulling off my pantyhose while the girl looked on with amazement. "You won't be offended if I keep my panties and bra on, will you?"
"No, whatever you feel comfortable with. However, we need to get back out there; others are arriving and they will require fruit and drink."
"I'm ready," I told her as I slid the dress/toga on. It was a little tight but that's probably how Jupiter liked it.
"This way," she said while leading me out the same way we had come in. By the time we got back several of the other gods had already arrived, including the goddess Diana. Jupiter came out supporting Maia in his arms. Jupiter handed the weeping woman off to IO and motioned me to come forward. He also nodded to Diana to join us.
"I want you to go to California and bring Sherry Felton here as soon as you can," he told her with urgency. "Tell your brother to join us when he finishes up with the loose end, and to hold off on his assignment for now. Now go my daughter! Mercury's life depends on your speed."
"Yes father," she replied and opened up a door portal. In a second she was gone.
"Is there anything I can do for you," I asked Jupiter.
"Pray that he makes it," Jupiter said bitterly and walked away.
Fade out...
***
Voice of Judge Jasper: We are the Roman gods, who fell to the world long ago when your people were still learning how to crawl. We have guided you through the years, rewarded you for good deeds, and punished you when needed. With our leadership, we helped you defeat the Titans in a terrible but glorious war. Once your path was set, we went to sleep, waiting for the day you would reach for the stars and take us home. But the Titans interfered, and turned you away from your destiny. When we awoke, we found much work to do; so we established a base and called it Peace River.
The Titans, with our help, established their own base later on. It's a town where we can work together, a last ditch effort to avoid another war that may destroy the human race forever. Some would like to see the town and your people destroyed, others would like to see it work - to have peace at last. There is much hatred between our people, and the road ahead won't be easy but the rewards if we do are great. The name of this last chance for peace is called Andersonville.
***
Fade in...
The smell of gasoline and oil filled the air. Not far away you could hear the sound of wheels squealing and the crowd roaring with approval. I was at home here, my hands covered in grease as I adjusted the carburetor for the next race. A look of satisfaction hung on my face.
"HEY FELTON," someone yelled. I looked up to see Jim Niles standing close by, his helmet in his hand. "I'm going to blow your panties off in the next race."
"YOU'LL BE WEARING THEM AFTER I'M DONE," I shouted back loudly so everyone could hear. A number of the mechanics and fans within earshot chuckled as Jim turned red with embarrassment. If I hadn't been a girl, he might have confronted me. Of course having Apollo standing next to me may have also convinced him not to give me any more trouble.
I laughed. Jim was your typical gearhead, whose ego lived and died on the track. Today I was going to take him down a few notches.
"You were a little hard on him, don't you think?" Apollo responded as he watched Jim shuffle off.
"It's probably the truth," I replied with a grin.
Apollo, also known as Pete Akins, nodded silently. Judge Jasper had sent me out to help Apollo bring Jim Niles back to Peace River. Apparently I was to be the bait. It seemed like there could have been an easier way to handle Jim, but I suspected Judge Jasper had set this up to test my loyalty. Things between Mark Merrick, the Roman god Mercury, and I were heating up.
"Are you sure about him, Pete?" I asked while twisting a nut.
He nodded slowly. "I'm afraid so, Sherry. Jim has terminal cancer. He won't live another three months. This is the only way to save his life."
"Why not just heal him?" I asked as I placed the air filter cover back on.
"It's hard to explain," he replied. "First of all, it's a matter of fairness. Is it right for us to heal only some people and not others who suffer just as much...or more? What about a child that is dying of an incurable disease? Or the single father with three kids who suffers a massive heart attack. Shouldn't they be healed as well? Where do you draw the line?
"Second, we can only do some much before our actions start drawing attention to ourselves. That's why if we do heal someone, we need to take them out of circulation. Real miracles happen, but there is a price attached to our miracles."
"You mean a life in wonderful, wild, Peace River," I answered closing the hood of my car. It was a 1971 Ford Mustang that belonged to Judge Jasper. He had let me borrow it for this mission, and had made sure that both Jim Niles and I would be in the finals. I felt a little cheated by this; no driver wants to make it this far unless he did it on his own. Still, this wasn't my call.
"Sherry, there are worse places," he said.
"Like Andersonville?" I asked. "Tell me, am I ever going to get to visit that town I've heard so much about?"
"I don't know. Perhaps Mark will take you there some day."
"Perhaps," I repeated as I put on my helmet and gloves. The loud speakers were calling for our heat to get ready. The only bright spot of this day was that this would be a real race. It didn't matter to Jupiter who won or lost the final race. However, I hadn't come here to lose - and I really wanted to cram my victory down Jim's throat.
Apollo helped me into the car and wished me luck. I drove to the warm-up apron and burned my tires to heat them up. I looked to my right and saw Jim doing the same thing. He was driving a '67 Cameo that looked as fast as it ran. He nodded confidently as we approached the line.
"Damn," I cursed out loud, although my car was rumbling so loudly that no one could hear me. Why did he have to be driving a Chevy? Every driver knows a Chevy always beats a Ford.
I forgot about everything else and concentrated on the Christmas tree in front of me. The starter looked at both cars then hit the button. This was going to be an even race; only the best driver would win it. I watched them blink down.
Yellow...Yellow...Yellow...Green! I hit the accelerator and felt the tires dig into the asphalt. The roar of the engine was tremendous as both cars fought to grip the road then took off like rockets when they did. I shifted quickly from second into third and redlined it well beyond what I should have; then slammed it into fourth quicker than the blink of an eye. I kept focused on the finish line that was coming up at an incredible rate.
When we crossed I looked over and saw that I was ahead of him by less then half a car length. I pounded on the steer wheel in victory and cheered. I had won! Of all the things I had experienced in life, nothing was sweeter then victory on the track. I drove the car back to the pits where Apollo was standing looking very glum.
"What's wrong with you?" I asked while getting out of my car. "I won!" That's when I saw his sister, Diane, standing there looking at me the same way.
"Sherry, I have some bad news," she said gently. "Officer Merrick...Mark...has been hurt badly."
"Hurt?" I stood there numbed by the words. "But he's a - you know. How can he be hurt?"
"I'll tell you later," she said grabbing my hand. "Right now I need to take you to him."
"To say goodbye?" I asked in a frighten voice.
"To help him live, I hope. Apollo will take care of everything here. Please hurry, there isn't much time here."
She dragged me into an empty room and pulled out a small, black box. She pointed the box in front of us and hit a red button. A beam of light shone out of it and created some kind of portal that shimmered around the edges but was black in the middle. It looked like a hole in space.
"Come with me," she said while pulling me in. A moment later we were walking out onto a huge patio. On the horizon I saw unfamiliar mountains covered with lush trees. Wherever I was, it wasn't close to Peace River.
In the center of the room was Jupiter. He was talking to Mars, Venus, and his secretary, Linda Anderson. There were about 30 other gods standing around in-groups of three and four. They all stopped talking when I walked in and looked at me sadly. Jupiter approached me with a worried look, and I knew it was bad news.
"I'm glad you could make it, my child," he said in a fatherly tone.
"How...how bad is he?" I asked nervously.
"Bad," he replied. "We have our best muse working on him, but he's not responding to her treatment."
"ONE MUSE! Why don't you have an army in there? Why aren't you in there helping him like you did before."
"This is different, Sherry. Those were flesh wounds, this is much worse. What he needs right now I can't provide him with. However, there is a chance you may be able to help."
"How?" I asked in tears.
"Talk to him," he said quietly. "Anniatta will help you bond with his mind. Show him he has a reason to live. I'm afraid he's starting to give up."
"I'll try. Where is he?"
"Through that door my child. Be brave now, and show him how much you love him.
"I'll...I'll do my best, Judge." I opened the door, and carefully walked into the dark room. In the center I could see Mercury lying on a couch. Next to him was a huge, black woman rubbing his forehead.
"You must be Sherry," she whispered. "He's been thinking about you since I got here. Are you ready?"
"What do I need to do?"
"Take my hand and I'll feed your thoughts directly to him."
"Will he be able to hear me?"
"Yes, but not in the way you think," the muse explained. "He can't talk and communicate to you with words. The only thing he can do is hear and feel your thoughts. I need you to think about events the two of you shared...happy events."
"Where do you suggest I start?"
"How about when he first met you as Sherry. Then you can work up from there."
I carefully took her hand and started to think back to the first time we had met. Suddenly everything around me went black, and I began to panic.
"Don't be afraid my child, this is part of the treatment," Anniatte's voice spoke out to me from beyond. "No harm will come to you. Concentrate now." I did and found myself seeing the event unfold as if I was there.
***
"Good morning, Sherry," Officer Ganymede said as he walked into my shop. "Is my car ready yet?"
"Got it done last night," I smiled. "By the way, did you give my message to Officer Merrick like I asked you too?"
"Yep, two nights ago," the young officer replied.
"So why hasn't he shown up?" I wanted to know.
"Busy, I guess," he answered with a shrug.
"Busy my ass! He's been avoiding me for some reason. I've been here for almost three weeks and he hasn't stopped by once. Yet you and the other officers are in here all the time. So what gives, Officer Ganymede?"
"I really don't know, Sherry. He's a little shy, that's all. Give him time."
"Don't lie to me Officer Ganymede, or I'll make sure your car stalls every time you stop at a traffic light. He wasn't shy when we first met. Why would he be shy now?"
"Well, because you're a ...well, you know."
"A girl!" I threw out. "So what?"
"I really don't know," he said uncomfortably. "Okay, something's bothering him, but I swear, I don't know what it is. The only ones who probably do know are Officer Deimos and Judge Jasper."
"Where's Officer Deimos?"
"In Florida making a pickup," Officer Ganymede replied. I knew what that meant. Peace River was about to get a new addition to its rank. Each god had to take a turn doing this, and Deimos' number had come up.
"When will he be back?" I asked.
"In a couple of days. He said something about having a date with Linda this weekend. But Judge Jasper is in."
"Like he'll tell me anything," I replied.
"He might, if you ask nicely. What have you got to lose?"
"I guess you have a point. Say, could you watch the shop for a few minutes while I go see him?"
"Well, I guess so. Just don't take too long with him. I have to report to work in 45 minutes and I wanted to get some paperwork done before then."
"What is it about cops and paperwork?" I asked. Officer Ganymede just laughed and waved me on.
When I got to Judge Jasper's chambers, Linda Anderson, a temporary assistant from Andersonville, greeted me. From what I had been told, she was to be Ashlee's Gang replacement until her return. Linda gave me a warm smile and asked what I needed.
"I'd like to talk to Judge Jasper if he's available." No sooner had I ask to see him that the door opened up and the judge walked out holding a file in his hands.
"Linda, can you get me the file on Lori Thams please." He looked at me carefully. "Miss Felton, is there something I can do for you?"
"She would like a few minutes of your time, Judge," Linda answered.
"Humph," he replied. "In my office, Miss Felton." I went in first and he closed the door behind us. "Have a seat, please."
I sat down in an overstuffed chair while he picked up a cup of tea off his desk. He looked ragged, as if he was stressed out about something. I wondered if he was sick somehow, but then I didn't know if the gods could get sick. Perhaps he was just having a bad day.
"I would offer you some tea, but I just ran out," he said in a polite but businesslike tone. "Now, what can do for you, Miss Felton?"
"Well, Your Honor, I was wondering if you could tell me what's wrong with Mark Merrick. He's been avoiding me ever since I got here. Did I do something to offend him?"
"No, it wasn't you," he replied stirring his tea.
"Then what is it?"
"He feels guilty, that's all." Judge Jasper took a drink of his tea and continued. "When he brought you back here, he fully expected me to keep you as a man. When I turned you into a woman, he blamed himself for your condition. What's the expression your people have, 'He can't face you now'? It's a wonderful tool to punish someone with."
"You mean to tell me I could've remained a man here?"
"Yes, it was possible. Even though you were a crossdresser to begin with, you were a rare enough person that I could've kept you a man and still used you. As you may have realized by looking around, we're running a little bit low on men these days."
"So why didn't you keep me as a man?"
"To teach Officer Merrick a lesson of course." He made it seem like the answer should have been obvious to me.
"Wait a minute," I interrupted. "Are you telling me that the only reason I'm a woman today is because you wanted to teach Officer Merrick a lesson? What about me? What gives you the right to punish me this way?"
"Because it's my town!" he stated firmly. "I call the shots, and I decide who lives as whom. Besides, it's not as if you're miserable because of it."
"But Officer Merrick is," I added. "I thought the main purpose of Peace River was to keep everyone happy."
"All the humans happy," he corrected me. "Our race doesn't depend on that."
"What you did to him was wrong, Judge." That earned me a quick frown.
"I'm glad you did show up," Judge Jasper said, ignoring my earlier comment. "First of all, I'm not happy with the way you've been dressing lately. Look at you, covered in dirt and grease. And your hair! When was the last time you had it done?"
"I'm a mechanic," I countered. "Wearing a fancy ball gown in a auto shop isn't very practical, Your Honor. By the time I get cleaned up at the end of the day, it's almost time for bed."
"Yes, that's the second thing I want to discuss with you," he continued. "You've been working too hard since you've arrived; almost seven days a week. That isn't healthy either. I want you to start taking some time off and enjoy life a little more. Go shopping with your sisters, buy a dress and get a makeover. Treat yourself once in a while, maybe even go out on a date."
"Is that a suggestion or an order?" I asked.
"Consider it whatever you want it to be, just as long as you do it," he answered while putting down his empty teacup.
"How about if I make a deal with you, Judge? I'll go out and buy myself the frilliest dress I can find if you set up a meeting with me and Officer Merrick ...today."
Judge Jasper thought about it carefully for a minute. "I accept. How about right now?"
"That works for me."
The Judge picked up the phone and punched the intercom button. "Linda, please ask Officer Merrick to come to my office." Ten seconds later there was knock on the door and it opened. When Mark Merrick saw me sitting there I swore he almost backed out the door.
"Officer Merrick, I want you to sit down and talk out your problems with Miss Felton. I'll be outside gathering up some files that I need. Take as long as you need."
He closed the door leaving us alone. Mark stood there looking at me rather uncomfortably. It became so quiet that you could hear the clock ticking. I decided to break the ice.
"Sit down Mark, I'm not going to bite you."
He took a seat that was the farthest away from me and asked, "How are you doing, Sherry?"
"Do you care?" I asked with raised eyebrows.
"Of course I do," he replied rather quietly.
"Then why haven't you been around to see me," I almost snapped. "Three weeks, Mark! Where in the hell have you been all this time?"
"Working," he whispered. "I...I didn't think you would want to see me."
"Why in the hell would you think that?"
"Because you're Sherry Felton now, and I'm the reason why."
"Mark," I replied calmly. "I came to Peace River of my own free will. I knew this could happen, but I made that decision before you made yours. To be honest, I'm glad to be here."
"But not as a woman," he pointed out.
"Okay, that's true," I agreed. "Becoming Sherry is going to take some time getting used to. That's why I need all my friends around me, for support. It's why I wanted you around, because I consider you a good friend. Believe me, I had my period last week and I could've used all the friends I could get."
He smiled, but only for a moment before the guilty expression re-appeared. "Sherry, the way I brought you in here, I gave my father no choice but to accept you. He turned you into a woman to punish me. He and I both knew you would have preferred living in Peace River as a man. My actions caused you to become a woman."
"SO WHAT?" I raised my voice. "So I should hate your guts now? I know what your father did, and why he did it, and I don't give a damn! Okay, you want to feel guilty about this then fine. If that's the case you try to make amends. You don't run off and hide making me think I did something wrong. All this time I thought you hated me."
He looked at me a little surprised. "I don't hate you, Sherry."
"Then show me, Mark. Stop avoiding me like the plague. Treat me as a friend you care about."
"Okay," he swallowed hard. "Where do we start?"
"First, you give me a hug," I said standing up. "Then you can drive me over to see Ms. Marshall. I have to buy a frilly dress because of you. Hell, maybe I should make you buy it ...or better yet, wear it."
"I don't think I would look as good in a dress as you would," he laughed. Mark walked over and embraced me warmly. "Welcome to Peace River, Miss Felton."
"It's Sherry, Mark. Friends call each other by their first names."
"Okay...Sherry."
***
Slowly things started to come back into view as the darkness faded. I didn't know what had happened, but the event was incredible. It was like re-living the past. I felt everything all over again.
"Anything?" I asked the muse in a desperate tone.
"Nothing," she replied softly. "We need to try again."
"But what?" I asked.
"Perhaps the first time you two made love to each other," she suggested. "I understand it was very special for both of you."
"I guess you could say that," I answered feeling a little awkward that she knew all about our sex life.
"I didn't mean to embarrass you," she replied. "I just know from his thoughts that you two have been intimate. There's nothing to be ashamed about, Sherry."
"I'm...I'm not ashamed," I answered while holding my head in my hands. There was a slight buzz and I felt a little dizzy.
"Rest for a moment," the muse told me. "We can try again in a few moments. He's stable for now."
***
Apollo stepped into the room and spotted his father talking to Mars and Minerva. He felt nervous as he approached. The fact that he had been ordered to scrub the assignment told him how serious the matter was. His father turned, and Apollo saw the stern look of anger engraved on his face. It was worse than he thought.
"How is he doing?" Apollo asked carefully.
"There's been no change," Jupiter replied. "If something doesn't happen soon, we'll have to put in him back in stasis until he's better."
"How long would that be?" Apollo asked grimly.
"About a thousand years," Minerva answered for Jupiter. "His mind was scrambled pretty badly by those cursed Titans."
"Son, I want you to go find Dennis Butz for me," Jupiter said slowly and clearly. "I want you to find him and bring him here."
"Here?" Apollo asked in surprise.
"Yes, here," Jupiter answered firmly. "In chains if you have to, but I want him brought to me NOW!"
"Yes father," Apollo answered obediently. He knew that could only mean one thing. By the end of the day they would be at war with the Titans. Not that it would be much of a war; the Titans wouldn't stand a chance against their forces. However, Apollo knew enough about wars to know they were usually bloody and not without consequences.
Apollo thought about Andersonville, and all the promise it had held for all of them. What would happen to it after this was over? He turned sadly and stepped into the portal door that had opened up for him.
***
"I'm ready," I told the muse.
"Take my hand," she told me. I complied and things started to shift around me. I found myself back in my shop working on the transmission of a car. Above me I could hear Officer Deimos rambling on about a speeder he had pulled over.
"So he tells me he's late for his dentist appointment, but when I ask him who his doctor is, he tells me he doesn't know his name. Of course I wrote him up for it," the officer laughed. I did the same, but frankly didn't see the humor behind it. I guess you had to be a cop to understand.
"Will my car be ready today?" the voice of Judge Jasper boomed out. I laid down my wrench and pushed myself out from underneath his car.
"Well, Your Honor, I've seen worse transmissions but not by much. The sprag and pump are shot, the bands are worn, and the accumulator piston isn't looking too healthy. Not to mention that you should seriously consider replacing all the gaskets, filters, and the servo."
"Could you please translate that into regular English, Miss Felton," he stated patiently. "I'm a judge, not a mechanic."
"Your transmission is having trouble doing its job," I smiled sweetly.
"That's a little bit too simple," he replied dryly, not appreciating my humor.
"I think she means..." Officer Deimos started to say.
"I know what she means, Officer Deimos," Judge Jasper interrupted. "Now, back to my original question, Miss Felton. Will my car be ready today or not?"
"I don't have the parts in the shop so I'll have to order them. That means they won't arrive at our drop box until tomorrow morning. Of course, if you let me drive to Valentine to pick up the parts I can have it ready for you by this evening."
"Do you really think I'm going to allow that to happen?" he snorted loudly. "Give Officer Deimos the list; he'll go pick up the parts." Deimos looked like he wanted to protest but thought better of it.
"Yes, Your Honor," I said. "By the way, I wanted to ask you a favor. Is this a good time?"
"Only if you want the answer to be 'NO'," he replied in a rather pissy tone. "Then it's a great time."
"Come on, Your Honor," I protested. "What I want is painless, you don't have to do anything but approve it."
"What is it," he asked formally.
"I want to camp at Lake Saturn tonight. I know it's off-limits, but I was hoping you would allow it."
"By the river!" he exclaimed. "For what purpose? That's a salt-water lake. You can't fish or swim there."
"I know, Your Honor. But that will get me far enough away from the lights of the town so I can observe the night sky. There's supposed to be a pretty spectacular meteorite shower tonight. I want to lay out underneath the stars and watch them fall."
"No doubt you'll be wearing sweat pants and a sweatshirt to do this," he pointed out.
"That usually is the most comfortable way to go camping," I replied.
Judge Jasper sighed deeply. "Miss Felton, it's bad enough you don't dress like a woman while you're at work, but even when you're off duty you rarely wear anything nice.
"Judge, wearing a dress doesn't make me more of a woman, anymore then it would make me less of a man."
"Did your wife feel that way?" he asked directly.
"That's hitting below the belt, Your Honor," I responded bitterly.
He frowned, "I'm sorry, Miss Felton, you're right. Please accept my apology. What I'm talking about here is fairness. All our other female residents are required to dress femininely, at least for work and special events. However, your actions push the envelope here. Yes, I understand why wearing a dress and heels is unpractical in your garage, but what about when you're not working. I've seen you out with Officer Deimos and your other friends from time to time. Usually you're wearing jeans and a T-shirt.
"Your Honor, come on. Bowling in a dress or short skirt?"
"Other woman do it, I've seen it." He stopped for a moment and gave me a stubborn stare. I could see he was set in his ways, and wasn't going to give me an inch.
"Okay Miss Felton, I'll let you camp at Lake Saturn under one condition. That condition is that you wear a dress and makeup, with heels. Oh, and the hem of the dress can't be any lower then your knees."
"But...but no one will see me dressed like that," I reply. "What's the point?"
"Exactly," he smiled as if that was an answer, which I realized it was. I wasn't dressing up for anyone; I would be doing it for myself. Plus, I would spend an entire evening thinking about the way I was dressed. It wasn't until then that I realized how shrewd the Judge really was.
"I also want you to get your hair done before you go," he added. "You can take off early and fix my car tomorrow."
"But Your Honor, if I'm going to go through all this fuss wouldn't it be better if I went out on a date instead?"
"That, Miss Felton, is up to you. I'll see you tomorrow afternoon." He left without saying another word.
Officer Deimos let out a whistle. "Boy, he sure is in a bad mood this morning."
"Tell me about it," I replied. "Because of it, I have to sit around a campfire in a dress. It's supposed to get down into the mid-forties tonight. I'll freeze my butt off."
"Well, you don't have to go to Lake Saturn," Officer Deimos pointed out. "There are other places you can watch from, like the park."
"That's too close to the city lights. Besides, I was going to camp on the hill next to the lake. There's a small field that'll allow me an unobstructive view of the sky."
"Then I guess you're going to look real nice tonight out there all alone," Deimos smiled.
"Officer Deimos, has anyone ever told you that you can be quite annoying at times."
"Linda tells me that all the time," he grinned.
"Smart girl," I shot back.
***
It was almost midnight and the sky above me was crisp and clear. The fire cracked and popped as I sat nearby with a blanket over my legs.
"Pantyhose keeps your legs warm, my ass!" I said out loud. It must have been a man who had started that rumor. They were hardly any protection against the chilly air tonight. I looked up at the night sky to keep my mind off that fact I was freezing. It was a magnificent sight, even with the firelight blocking me from seeing most of the night sky. I stood up and walked away from the fire. My eyes slowly readjusted to the night and I gasped. The sky was a filled with points of yellow, white, blue, and red lights twinkling in the blackness. To the west I spotted a non-twinkling, red star that was really the planet Mars. That's how I could tell it was a planet, by fact that it didn't twinkle.
Above me was the planet Jupiter, sitting there among the stars as if it were watching over me. It was the largest planet in our solar system, a gas planet that scientist predicted had no real surface to speak of. My mind couldn't even begin to comprehend what that meant. My silent vigil was broken by the sound of someone walking toward me.
"Who's there?" I shouted out.
"It's me, Mark." Mercury appeared out of the darkness. "I hope I'm not disturbing you. I thought maybe you would like some company for a while."
"Actually, I would," I told him with a smile. "Please, have a seat by the fire."
He sat down on the blanket and leaned back against a big rock for support. I did the same and snuggled up next to him.
"Do you mind?" I asked. "I'm freezing!"
"I don't mind," he replied while throwing a blanket around us. He wrapped his arm around me and rubbed my back. "Actually, it's kind of nice."
I didn't reply. I had been seeing Mark as a friend for a couple of weeks, and already I was feeling more for him then I thought I should. Was I allowed to fall in love with one of them? I was too afraid of what the answer would be to ask.
"What was it like back then ...in Rome?" I asked as we peered down at the town of Peace River, lit up by a few house lamps and the streetlights.
"Beautiful...and so different," Mark said as if in a trance. "Everything was lit up by firelight, so the houses actually twinkled in the distance just like the stars above. Of course, life was harder back then; I prefer this time better. But you haven't seen anything till you look down at a city of 100,000 people or more twinkling in the light."
"I wish I could have seen it," I replied, placing my head against his warm chest.
"In every lifetime there's something worth seeing," he reminded me. "Some of the people we brought with us would be star-struck by this sight. To be honest, Sherry, it's beautiful in it's own way."
"And romantic," I threw out just to see what he would say.
"Yes, very romantic," he agreed softly. "Especially when you have a beautiful woman in your arms."
I took the next step and placed my hand on his chest, rubbing it ever so gently. "You think I'm pretty, Mark?" I asked carefully.
"Very much so, Sherry," he answered looking at me with an intense stare. "You're one of the prettiest woman I've ever known."
"Would you ...would you mind if I...I kissed..."
"I would love it if you did," he finished for me.
We kissed, and I felt my body temperature rise rapidly. My mind and body were bombarded with all kinds of new and wonderful sexual feelings that I found pleasant. Suddenly I felt so out of control and I didn't care anymore. I wanted to make love to him more then anything else.
I started the process by lifting off his shirt, revealing a mass of black hair covering his rather manly chest. I positioned myself in front of him and started kissing him some more. His hand reached behind my back, and I felt the zipper of my dress going down. Carefully he slid the dress off me without stopping our embrace.
We lay down on the sleeping bag facing each other. I was still wearing the silky, white slip with the flowered lace that adorned the bodice and hem. Vickie had suggested it when I had purchased the dress. It hung rather loosely, and Mark slowly slid one of the straps down to expose my breasts (I had gone bra-less that night).
I cried out in pleasure as he lowered his head and gently started nursing on my breast in a firm and rhythmic fashion. I fell onto my back and one of his hands played with my free nipple through the silky slip. My mind went numb as an overload of sexual pleasure overcame me. I started gasping for air as I placed my hands around his head and pressed him closer to my breast. Somewhere in the process he was able to remove my panties and his pants with his free hand.
He stopped for a moment, and looked at me with his deep, blue eyes that held passion. I lay there inviting him to finish the job. He carefully moved on top of me and we kissed again, while his hands ran wildly through my hair. That's when I felt him enter me, and I gasped with pleasure and titillation. He started to pump, and I felt my own sexual tension building to meet his.
Some people would consider it a dirty act, meant only for those who are married. There was nothing dirty about the passion we were feeling underneath those bright stars. It was life, and we were living it. I spotted a shooting star in the sky; it's fiery tail burning brightly against the murky darkness. I focused on it as he came, and I came at the same moment. I screamed out, and was afraid someone would hear me and come running. Mercury gasped for air as he pushed and pushed, and pushed against me. I hung on as tightly as I could, squeezing against his manhood as it delivered its warm seed inside me. Then he stopped pushing, and lay there silently except for his heavy breathing. Slowly my organism faded and I found myself spent. He moved off me, making it easier for me to breathe, although I found myself wishing he were still there. He lay down on his back, and I rolled over and put my head on his chest - my hair flowing down over his body.
"That was...wonderful," I whispered.
"I love you, Sherry," he spoke in a low tone.
"What?" I asked, afraid I hadn't heard him right.
"I love you," he repeated. "I always have. I just didn't think you felt the same way."
"Oh God Mark, I do," I told him looking into his face that was barely visible in the dying firelight. "I just didn't think it was allowed."
"Of course it is," he replied while stroking my hair in a loving fashion.
"So, we can see each other openly?"
"If you want, yes," he smiled
"More then anything," I replied, wrapping the blanket around us. "It's getting cold, we should get inside the sleeping bag."
"First, let me warm you up a little more," he replied with a devilish grin.
Afterwards I curled up next to him inside the sleeping bag and fell into a peaceful sleep. I don't know if he slept, but I was exhausted after our second encounter and ended up missing the meteorite shower I had come out to see. About an hour before sunrise I woke up feeling relaxed. I knew it was chilly outside, but inside the sleeping bag it was toasty warm.
"Good morning," he said softly while kissing me on top of my head.
"Have you been watching me all night?" I giggled.
"No, I've been watching the stars and thinking."
"Which star is your home?" I asked while peering up into the night sky.
"You can't see it from here, it's too far away. It's somewhere in that area." He pointed toward a fuzzy section of the Milky Way.
"Do you miss home?" I asked.
"I was born here, Sherry," he replied. "I've heard the tales, and before they were destroyed I saw the tapes of my home world. But to be honest, this is home to me. I love this planet. If we do find a way back, I'm not sure if I'll go with them."
"I hope that won't be for a while," I told him look around the night sky. I spotted a star rising in the east that wasn't a star. "Look...Mercury's rising!"
"It sure is," he grinned staring into the sleeping bag.
"PIG!" I laughed and playfully hit him on the chest. "You made me miss the meteorite shower."
"Perhaps I can make it up to you," he grinned while placing his hand on my breast. I felt the temperature in the sleeping bag start to rise.
***
The room slowly re-appeared around me, and I found my body shaking with the sexual excitement I had felt from that night. I wiped the sweat from my forehead and looked at the muse.
"How is he now?" I asked in a hopefully tone.
"This helped, but he's not out of the woods yet. Rest for a minute while I prepare him." The muse closed her eyes and moved her hand over his head. I sat there silently saying a prayer. Why did this have to happen now? Today could've been the happiest moment of our life. Why had I waited to tell him?
***
The portal door sparkled, and a moment later Apollo appeared with Dennis Butz by his side. He appeared startled to see where Apollo had taken him. The Roman Gods faced him, most with contempt on their faces.
Dennis recovered and said to Jupiter, "So this is Olympus. I must say, I never thought I would see this place."
"Unfortunately some of your people still have dreams that they will see Olympus one day - when they come marching triumphantly in here," Jupiter stated in a forceful manner. "There's been two attacks on my people recently. I want the ones responsible handed over to me.
"Jupiter," Dennis started while looking over at Linda Anderson uncomfortably. He knew having her recording their talks could only mean one thing. They were close to war and Jupiter wanted a complete record leading up to it.
"You know I can't do that. If I did turn them over to you, I would lose all control over my people."
"CONTROL!" Jupiter's voice boomed out. "You can't control them now!"
"You're partially to blame for that," Dennis shot back. "Until you show us you're willing to do as you say, I can't be responsible for my people's anger."
"You're their leader, that makes you responsible," Jupiter stated crudely. "Your town hasn't worked, nothing's changed between us."
"That's because you're not dealing with us in GOOD FAITH!" Dennis held his ground. "Let me take 20 or 30 of my people back to Andersonville. I can give you a list of those to free that even you can't object too! I'm not talking about the generals, Jupiter. I'm talking about those who weren't even in the war, but were imprisoned because they were Titans."
"Show me Andersonville works and I'll start releasing them," Jupiter pointed an angry finger at Dennis. "That's what we agreed to, remember? The result of this experiment has been two attacks on my people in less then a month."
"I'm sorry," Dennis said truthfully. "But if I hand over the ones responsible for these attacks, it'll only erode my influence over my people even farther. If that happens, more attacks will follow."
"Then I'll hunt each one of your kind down," Jupiter exploded in rage. "I'll do whatever it takes, destroy whatever I need to destroy, to make sure your people never walk this earth again. I'll wage a war against your kind that you won't believe - that'll make even the strongest of you cringe in fear and horror!"
"NO!" Linda Anderson protested loudly. "YOU CAN'T DO THAT! This is my planet too, and I can't let you destroy us to destroy them!"
"KEEP QUIET!" Jupiter ordered. Linda fell to the ground choking.
"NO! LET HER SPEAK!" Dennis objected loudly. "Linda has a valid point. This isn't just our war we're discussing here. Just like before, her people will be swept up into it and millions would die as a result. So let her speak!"
"How dare you come into my home and tell me what to do you filthy, MACOE TITAN!" Jupiter bellowed with rage. "I GIVE THE ORDERS HERE! YOU HAVE UNTIL SUNSET TO BRING ME THE ONES RESPONABLE FOR THESE ATTACKS OR I WILL GO INTO ANDERSONVILLE AND TEAR IT APART BRICK BY BRICK!"
Dennis stood sternly and replied calmly, "Andersonville is a computer generated program, Jupiter. You can't tear it apart brick by brick unless I allow it. You could send a tornado through the center of my town and it would still be standing afterwards. Don't ever underestimate the humans, or us, Jupiter. You may be surprised at what we can do together."
Jupiter looked as if he wanted to strike down Dennis with a thunderbolt. "Apollo, get this 'Titan' out of my sight."
Apollo grabbed Dennis' arm and pulled him away quickly through the portal before his father changed his mind. Jupiter looked down at Linda lying on the ground trying to regain her breath.
"Venus, please take care of Linda." He turned and walked into his inner sanctuary to be alone.
***
"He's better," Annietta told me. "We're now at a critical point in his recovery. I need you to remember something else."
"But what?" I asked. "I relieved when I first met him, and our first time as lovers. What else is there?"
"Perhaps the secret you've been hiding from him," she told me directly. "I've picked up on it when you were connected."
"I wanted to wait for a special time."
"This is it, my dear. Tell him now."
I took her hand and everything around me went black. Slowly Judge Jasper's office faded into view.
"You sent for me, Your Honor?"
"I was under the impression you were looking for me," Judge Jasper stated as he looked at me over his glasses. "I did call you here for a reason. How would you like to go someplace for a few days?"
"Where, Your Honor?"
"California...to Tri-Rivers Speedway. Do you know of a racer named Jim Niles?"
"No, I can't say I do, Judge. There are so many drivers out there; it's hard to keep track of all of them unless they're well known or you've raced against them a few times. Who is he?"
"He's a dead man, Miss Felton. If left alone, he won't live to see the end of this year."
"And you want to bring him here, to live?"
"That's the plan," he said getting up from his seat. "Tea?"
"No thank you, Judge. Why send me?"
"Someone has to race the car," he explained. "I could use one of my own people, but I would like someone with experience behind the wheel. Apollo will go with you to help out."
"And you trust me?" I asked in surprise. "I've only been here a short time."
"Some people you just know about Miss Felton, and you're one of those people." He stirred his tea carefully then continued. "Let us speak openly and honest here. I know you won't try to escape, and I know you won't tell anyone about our operation. Currently my resources are stretch rather thin right now."
"Because of the attack on Mrs. Marshall?"
"What do you know about that?" he asked curiously.
"Just what I've heard through rumors. That some of the Titans tried to kidnap her for reasons I don't know about. She got away and now the town seems to be on high alert."
"Without going into the specifics, that's basically correct."
"It's also safer to have me go than one of your own people," I added.
"What do you mean by that?" he asked coldly.
"Come on Judge. If you send one of your people they're at risk for the same type of attack. But me, the Titans don't care about me. Even if something does happen to me, well, I'm expendable."
"No one here is expendable," he said softly. "If I thought you would be in any kind of danger, I wouldn't ask you to go."
"But doesn't that put Apollo in danger, being out there all alone with no one to watch his back?"
"Actually, no. He's the one person who doesn't have to fear from these kinds of attacks. Apollo is our negotiator to the Titans. The Titans know they need him to get what they want from us. So they won't hurt or kill the voice of their people."
"I see. When do I go?"
"Within the hour. Apollo is already on location with the car. I'll have Mars fly you out there and fill you in on the specifics along the way. Will you go?"
"Yes, I'll go."
"Good." Judge Jasper smiled. "That was my business, what's yours?"
I took a deep breath and swallowed hard. "I'm pregnant," I blurted out.
I didn't know what kind of reaction I had been expecting, but the look Jupiter gave me wasn't it. He looked angry and upset. He put down his teacup and rose up from his chair.
"What did you say?" he asked while leaning forward.
"I'm...I'm pregnant," I repeated like a frightened high school girl telling her father.
"Is it Officer Merrick's baby?" he demanded to know. I nodded that it was, and this only seemed to upset him more. He angrily paced over to the window and stared out it, his hands clasped neatly together behind his back.
"I'm...I'm happy about this," I stuttered out.
"Happy?" he almost shouted. Judge Jasper turned and I could see the anger clearly registering on his face. "Do you realize what this means?"
"I...I think so," I answered weakly.
"No, I don't think you do," he said in an accusing fashion. "You're both outstanding members of this community. People know you, even look up to you. This is a fine example you've both set - getting pregnant before being married."
"I don't care what other people think!" I replied, suddenly getting very upset by his tone. "I love him...and he loves me!"
"Love!" he repeated sarcastically and throwing his hands up in the air. "And that makes this all better!"
"This baby," I hissed with tears in my eyes, "is your grandson - your future! I thought you would be happy about that, but I can see I was wrong. Well, you can either love this baby Judge, or you can choose to ignore him or her; but this baby is Mark's and mine and you can't change that!"
"Oh yes I could," he snapped back. My face went pale.
"Please Judge, don't hurt my baby." Jupiter got a disgusted look on his face.
"I would never hurt a child," he told me forcefully. "Never, do you hear me. I'm not a monster! What I'm saying is that if I wanted to, I could change your condition. I wished you two had planned this a little better. People live by example, and this wasn't a very good example to set."
"I can't live my life for other people," I told him. "I have to live it for me, and for those I love."
"A noble idea, but hardly practical," he stated. "Have you told him?"
"No, not yet. I wanted to tell you first." Jupiter nodded and went back to looking out the window.
"He's suppose to be here soon, I'll talk to him about this."
"No!" I told him forcefully.
Jupiter turned and narrowed his eyes. "What did you say?" he demanded to know.
"I said 'NO'! This is our baby and Mark should hear it from me, not you."
A look of either anger or frustration appeared on Judge Jasper's face, and he quickly turned to look back out the window again.
"Leave me," he commanded forcefully. "We'll talk about this more when you get back."
"You won't tell him, will you?" I asked tearfully. "Please tell me you won't."
"My talk with Officer Merrick can wait," he replied.
"Thank you, Your Honor." I left the room quickly.
Outside I ran into Linda, who looked at me with great concern. "Are you okay, Sherry?"
"I'm fine. Do you have a tissue by chance?" She passed me a box of them. I took one and lightly tapped each eye.
"If you want to talk, I'm here," she offered.
"I appreciate that," I replied. Mark walked into the room and immediately noticed I was upset. Linda looked at him, and then back at me.
"I need to file something in the next room," she said quickly and left the office. Mark walked over and touched my arm.
"What's going on?" he asked carefully.
"It's nothing," I replied. Now didn't seem like the time to tell him about the baby.
"I've noticed you don't cry unless there's a reason."
"It's silly," I told him.
"I won't laugh," he promised.
"It's just that, Judge Jasper is sending me away on a trip and I'll be gone for a few days. The thought of being away from you is...well, upsetting."
"Hey," he said giving me a hug. "I'll be right here waiting for you when you get back. Our reunion will only make the moment that much more special. Tell you what. When you get back I'll take you out someplace nice to celebrate."
I didn't replied. I held onto him for dear life. A terrible thought was creeping into my mind. Supposing his reaction was the same as Judge Jasper? What if Mark didn't want a new son or daughter, and he got angry about it. Would this baby drive us apart instead of bringing us closer together? I knew he loved me, but we had never talked about having a child before. This was my way of showing him how much I loved him, but maybe he didn't want me to love him that much.
"You don't have to go if you don't want to," he said, mistaking my mood for other reasons.
"No, I'm going," I answered wiping the tears from my eyes. "I'll miss you, Mark. I love you."
"I love you too," he smiled. We kissed and I headed home to pack.
***
"What's wrong, Sherry?" Apollo asked as he drove us to the racetrack. Attached to the pickup truck was the racecar I would be driving.
"What makes you think something's wrong?" I replied gloomily as I continued to stare out the window.
"Because I can sense it," he answered. "Maybe talking about it would help."
"I just miss Mark, that's all."
"That's not what I feel," he told me. "It's something else besides loneliness."
"Maybe you should mind your OWN FUCKING BUSINESS!" I snapped back.
"I'm sorry Sherry, I didn't mean to pry," Apollo replied calmly. His concern only caused me to start bawling. I felt so miserable and lost. Apollo waited until I was done crying before speaking again.
"Do you know Sherry, that being able to sense how others feel around you is a curse? Oh, it sounds like a neat ability to have, until you feel their sadness. That's because sadness is one emotion you can't ignore. When you feel sadness in others, you'll do anything to help them feel better."
"I...I never realized that before, Pete."
"I can sense your sadness Sherry, and after thousands of years of practice, I'm pretty sure I know what this is all about. Do you want me to tell you what I think it is?" I nodded my head and he continued. "You're afraid that Mercury won't accept this baby you're carrying inside you, isn't that correct?"
"Yes!" I answered wondering how he knew I was pregnant. I felt the water works starting to open up again.
Apollo smiled and put his hand on the back of my head in a comforting fashion. "Sherry, Mercury is going to be thrilled when he finds out. He is going to love this baby just as much as he loves you. I swear he will, and so will everyone else."
"Not your father," I cried out. "I told him I was carrying his grandchild, and he hated the idea."
"My father is under a lot of stress right now, Sherry. You'll have to forgive him if he was a little upset with you back there. This attack on Vickie Marshall was bad enough, but we just heard that the same Titans plan to try it again with someone else. It's not easy for him to keep the peace with the same people who are attacking his loved ones. Trust me, Sherry, he wasn't thinking clearly at the time you told him. He'll love this new baby as much as you will. So will Mercury."
"Are you telling me the truth," I sniffed. "Will Mercury really be happy to hear I'm carrying his child?"
"I wouldn't lie to you," he said seriously then grinned. "If he isn't, I'll beat him up until he is."
I giggled and wiped the tears from my eyes. "Thank you, Pete."
"You can call me Apollo when no one's around," he grinned.
"Thank you Apollo," I smiled back.
***
Slowly the room faded back into view, and I found myself getting very emotional over the events that had taken place. This should've been a happy moment for us. Why hadn't I told Mark about the baby before I left? What if he died without knowing he was going to be a father?
"Did it help? Is he better?" I asked.
"I'm checking," the muse answered as she moved her hand back and forth over Mercury's forehead.
I couldn't stop the tears from falling down my cheeks. Why did this have to happen?
"Please wake up," I pleaded to him. "I love you, Mark. I don't want to raise this baby alone. Please, I need you so badly."
I buried my face into his chest and started to cry loudly. Damn it, why had the damn Titans attacked him? What had he done to them except work for peace! Damn them! - Damn them! - Damn them!
Something touched the top of my head, and I thought it was the muse trying to comfort me. If she was, it was a wasted effort. I didn't want to be comforted by anyone. I wanted to cry and scream, and kill all the bloody-thirsty Titans who had done this to him. Then I felt Mark's body moved slightly and his arm brushing against the side of my face. That hand didn't belong to the muse - it was his. I looked up and saw him staring at me with tired eyes.
"The baby," he whispered. "It is true?"
"Yes, Mark, it is," I almost cried. "You're going to be a father, and I'm the mother of your child." He smiled.
"I love you!" he said softly, then closed his eyes. I looked up at the muse who smiled.
"He's okay, just sleeping. He'll need to rest for a day, but the danger is gone."
"Thank you," I said hugging her. "If this baby is a girl, I'm going to name her after you."
"That's not necessary my child, but thank you. Now, I'm going to go out and tell Jupiter the good news. Why don't you sit with him for a while, I'm sure he'd like that. You can touch him, but don't try to talk to him too much. He needs to rest."
"I will, and thank you again Annietta for saving his life."
"It's my pleasure." The muse smiled and walked out the door.
***
I stood there looking out over the lush, green forest below, wondering where in the hell I was. For some reason, nothing about the landscape reminded me of earth. Even the sky above was different, a sort of pinkish red tint to it. Adding to the mysteries, the sun hadn't moved from the same spot in the sky since I had arrived here hours ago.
Despite Venus's best effort, I could still feel where Jupiter had choked me. She informed me I was lucky to be alive, and I believed her. Even hours later it still hurt to swallow. I noticed someone had walked up and was standing beside me. It turned out to be Jupiter.
"Are you feeling better?" he asked while looking out at the horizon.
"I'll heal," I replied curtly. "How's Mark doing?"
"My son is doing better - he'll live anyway." He turned and gave me a frown. "What you did, Linda, was very stupid. I'm sorry if I hurt you, but you must never interfere in my business with the Titans again."
"Where are you at with them?" I questioned.
A look of conflict appeared on his drawn face. "The deadline has past. Unofficially, we're now at war with them. Mars and the others are waiting for my word.
"Don't do it, Judge - Please!" I begged. "If you go to war with the Titans there'll be no winners. You'll end up tearing the earth apart and leaving rubble in its wake. No government is going to sit back and idly watch their people get slaughtered - they won't stand for it. This will truly be a world war where there'll be no winners."
"What can I do?" he asked, choosing to look back at the lush landscape instead of facing me. "I can't allow these attacks to continue. We've had three attacks since Andersonville came into existence. The last time such an attack occurred on us was centuries ago. I'm afraid that giving the Titans their own port of call has encouraged this to happen."
"Your Honor, there is another way. Show them some good faith and release some of their people you're holding."
"Bow down to their attacks and give them what they want. Never!" he said firmly.
"Giving in is not what they want," I explained. "The Titans behind these attacks want their people freed by war and bloodshed. They want to see you fall, not have you work with them. If you let some of their people go it'll be like shooting an arrow into their hearts. You'll give Dennis Butz more credibility and power, while taking theirs away. I can't believe the majority of the Titans want a war any more than your people do."
"You may be surprised at what they want," Jupiter lectured. He thought about it carefully, as if he were weighting everything he knew in his mind. Then he called out, "Mars, come here."
"Yes father," the god of war replied. He marched over dressed in his Roman battle gear.
"I want you to release 20 prisoners and prepare them to be flown to Andersonville tonight."
"Father!" he gasped angrily. "After what they did to Mercury and my wife. How can you bargain with them like this?"
"I'll explain my reasons later. For now, do as I say," he commanded. "There'll be no war with the Titans today."
"It will be done," Mars answered bitterly and walked away.
"As you can see, not everyone is against going to war," Jupiter pointed out.
"Mars and those like him will have the hardest time," I replied.
"Perhaps, and perhaps they're also right," he noted harshly. "I want you to fly out with them Linda, so you can meet them for yourself. And when you see Dennis Butz, tell him I'm giving his dream some more time. However, if I catch these criminals who attacked my people outside his town, I'll bring them to Peace River and charge them with the crimes they're guilty of. For now, Andersonville will remain a sanctuary for 'all' his people."
"Thank you, Your Honor. This is the right decision."
"We'll see," he replied emotionlessly, then walked away leaving me standing there alone.
***
Mars was furious! What was his father thinking? Bowing down to these Titan attacks by trading criminals for their safety. IT WAS UNTHINKABLE!
"Father, what is Jupiter up to?" Deimos asked.
"I don't know son, but it better be good." They walked past two Cyclopes guarding the cellar gate and Mars unlocked the door. "I still can't believe he would give into the Titan's demands. What the hell is going on here?"
"I don't know father, but I was looking at this list you made up and..." Deimos didn't finish his thought, causing his father to turn and give him a firm stare.
"Yes?" he demanded his son to finish.
"A few of these people are known troublemakers," Deimos blurted out. "We should switch them with somebody else."
"No," Mars stated firmly. "I know what I'm doing."
"But father, they will only cause trouble once released. I thought the idea was to ease tensions, not increase them."
"That was Jupiter's idea, not mine," Mars exclaimed.
"Father, do you want war?" Deimos asked puzzled.
"No," Mars told his son honestly. "However, sooner or later these individuals will have to be released. Would you want it done later, when more of the Titan prisoners are free and as a group, they would be more powerful? Let Dennis Butz prove his people can be trusted by releasing some of the worst. If they do change, then I'll feel better about releasing others in the future. I'll even go to the council personally and ask for it to be done. But personally my son, I don't think they will. So I would rather prove my point now than later, when they are stronger and more of a threat.
"That's good strategy, father," Deimos agreed.
"Thank you, son. Now, let's go free a few Titans, shall we." He tugged on the heavy metal door and they descended down the stone steps.
***
I looked back at them sitting there silently in their seats. They had been given regular clothes to wear, but most of them were ill fitting giving them a refugee look. There were no cheers or smiles after I announced we had left Peace River air space. They just sat in their seats quietly, as if they were afraid of what would happen next. I turned to one of them who seemed to be their leader. He was an older man with a long beard and rugged face who sat there staring ahead.
"Excuse me, sir," I interrupted. He came out of his trance-like state and looked at me.
"My name is Crius," he said suspiciously.
"I'm Linda," I smiled trying to break the ice. "I was wondering if I could get you anything, water, some juice maybe."
"We're fine," he replied coldly. "We require nothing at this time."
He said it in such a way that I knew our conversation was over. I shrugged my shoulders and went forward to the cockpit.
"We'll be in Andersonville in a few minutes," Apollo said banking the plane slightly to the left. "Look, you can see it ahead."
The town was a bright spot on the dark landscape below. Farther to the west I could see the military base set up to watched over us. To the south I spotted what looked to be the headlight of a train engine working it's way toward Andersonville.
"It's so beautiful," I whispered. "Don't get me wrong, Pete, I like your town a lot. But Andersonville is home to me."
"I understand," he chuckled. "How are our guests back there?"
"Cold as ice cubes," I replied.
"They're just nervous," he told me. "They don't know what's going to happen when we get there. They think this may be some kind of trick. I guess I would feel the same way if I were in their shoes."
"Do you think things will work out okay?" I saw Apollo reach above him and put down the landing gear.
"Only if they want it to, Linda. The ball is in the Titan's court now. How they act is how we will react."
"Pete, can I ask you a personal question? Do you hate the Titans?"
"A little," he said with a frown. "But I hate war even more. You better get buckled in Linda, we'll be landing in a moment."
I took my seat and minutes later felt the wheels hitting the pavement. The jet slowed then came to a stop outside the hanger. I rose out of my seat and opened up the door.
"You can come out now," I told them. They looked at me with disbelief and then at each other. "It's okay, we're at your new home. Come out and see it."
I noticed Crius nod his head and they started unbuckling their seat belts. I stepped outside and spotted Dennis standing by his car, his face full of concern. He calmly walked over to me, but there was tension in his body moments.
"What's going on, Linda? You told me you had a message from Judge Jasper."
"That and a present for you, Dennis. Look at the plane."
The first few of them were just now stepping out. They looked around the airport as if they weren't sure what was going on. Dennis' face went white as if he were seeing a ghost.
"Crius," he called out. He quickly approached the leader of the group who eyed Dennis with suspicion.
"Who are you?" he asked defensively. Dennis whispered something that I couldn't hear and the older man smiled. They embraced liked long-lost family members.
"Welcome home, brother! Welcome home!" Dennis kept repeating. Then he stopped and gasped. "It can't be."
A tall, well built man was just getting off the plane. Dennis rushed over to greet him.
"Artus, my son. I can't believe he let you leave." Tears formed in the director's eyes as he spoke something to him and they both hugged. Others joined in, greeting and hugging Dennis one by one as they came off the plane. There was laughter as each one realized they were now free.
I stood there watching when someone came up and tapped me on the shoulder. It turned out to be my brother, Steve.
"Welcome home, Linda," he said with a smile.
"It's great to be back home," I told him with a hug.
"This is turning out to be quite a show," Sergeant Dave Williams said as he joined us. "We weren't sure what to expect when you told us you were coming. By the way, welcome home, Linda."
"Thank you Officer Williams. It's great to be back, even if it is just for a couple of days."
"Why don't I have Officer Tabler drive you home," he said thoughtfully. "I'm sure you're parents and Jennifer will be thrilled to see you again." I looked back at the new arrivals with some reservations. "Don't worry, Linda, I'll take good care of them," he reassured me.
"Thanks, Dave." I took one last look, knowing I was seeing history being played out before my eyes. "Let's go home, Steve. I can't wait to see the expression on mom and dad's face when I walk through the door unexpected."
We got into the police car and Officer Tabler drove us away.
Fade out...
Next episode - P.O.W.
