Updates from Mount Olympus

“No, no, he cannot do this! Enough is enough!” The angry man reached for the vase on the table and flung it across the room to watch it shatter and leave a dent in the wall.

Behind him, his comrade reached out a hand to steady him. “Menelaus, we cannot openly defy the gods. Remember what happened when they wouldn’t let us leave for Troy?”

Menelaus snarled as he turned on Odysseus. “They made my brother sacrifice his daughter. And he did. They made up rumors about foreigners eating cats and dogs. Have you ever eaten a dog!”

“No, I loved my dog. He was so loyal, he waited for me for so long. The first thing I did after coming back from my father’s house was give him a funeral.” But Menelaus didn’t seem to have heard him. He was still ranting.

“Now they want even more from us. We can’t live without the wheat that comes from Asia, and they want us to pay more for it. Not to mention all the machines that we’ve been using to create ways of growing our own in this rocky land. They’re making feeding ourselves more trouble than it’s worth. Zeus may be the god of gods, but I cannot support this choice. Sparta cannot afford the taxes.”

“That’s not going to be a problem,” replied Odysseus, his voice soothing and full of confidence. “We can get around this. There are legitimate ways to get out of paying taxes.”

Menelaus’ eyes narrowed. “We trusted your plan to defeat those thieves who spat on our honor, and it worked. I’ll trust you again now. What do you have in mind?”

Odysseus smiled. “We send a large certain shipment of the machine parts that don’t go together to Miami. We don’t pay the import tax on it, so it’ll get impounded. When it gets impounded, it is retained for a certain amount of time and then sold at auction. Tell me, Menelaus, what kind of person actually wants a large shipment of legal machine parts that don’t go together and can’t be sold on the black market?”

“No one,” Menelaus responded. “It takes up too much space and can’t be used for anything productive.” His eyes went wide. “So we’ll win it with an extremely low bid! And we’ll do the same for the other shipments of machine parts, send shipments that are useless without something else no one has, not pay the tariff, and get them with a low bid at auction, then we’ll bring them together and assemble them. We are kings, we have the resources to find what auction they will be sold at. And we are Greeks, we can build anything!”

“It’s how we built the horse,” Odysseus replied, smiling as Menelaus figured out the plan. “Once we have the machines, we’ll use them to grow the wheat ourselves. We’ll need less from Asia, even less on the tariffs.”

“Are you worried about angering the gods again, that didn’t work out so well for you last time?”

“No, no it didn’t,” Odysseus said, shuddering at the memory. “But I praise Athena and Hermes for making me clever enough to come up with this plan, and since I’m home now, I don’t think they can try making my way back hard again.”

From Olympus, Zeus watched with anger and concern as the mortals made their plans to thwart his progress while still showing him the necessary respect. Behind him Prometheus, who was done supporting him after the balance of power had shifted, smiled as the tables turned.

The halls of Olympus trembled with the sound of Zeus’s voice. The great god of the sky lounged comfortably upon his throne, thunder curling contentedly around his fingers. Athena stood before him, arms crossed, her storm-gray eyes blazing with fury. Below them, on the mortal plane, an army stood on the edge of destruction—her army, warriors who had prayed to her for wisdom and courage, now abandoned to the mercy of fate.

“The invaders wouldn’t honor their side of the agreement…” she continued.

“Daughter, this is not my concern, and it is disrespectful for you to come here and demand I do something about it when you are forcing younger men to partake in the army, without the choice, simply as conscripts.”

“Have you even taken part in…”

“I’ve seen it all from Olympus,” Zeus cut her off again. “I enjoy keeping tabs on my favorite daughter. And I know you and these people you favor have had difficulties getting new conscripts for their army.”

“It’s war, father, everyone has problems. Including you. These people worship you, the invaders do not. There are a lot less of them now. You don’t feel it now, but you will…”

“Don’t tell me what I’m going to feel. You came to me for help solving your problem. You are in no position to dictate what I’m going to feel.”

Athena continued as though he hadn’t interrupted. “If this doesn’t happen, you’re going to feel it.”

Zeus leaned forward, his golden crown glinting in the firelight. “Is that a threat, daughter?”

“It’s a fact,” Athena shot back. “You think you can sit up here and ignore this? If you don’t act, Olympus itself will suffer the consequences. You cannot refuse to help them.” Athena demanded, her voice cutting through the charged air. “You are going to feel very…”

Zeus interrupted yet again. “Don’t tell me how I’m going to feel,” he said, waving a dismissive hand. “I’m going to feel very good. You have to be thankful that I’m even listening to you after the others you spoke to gave you the opportunity to stop the war. You are not in a good position. You do not hold the cards.”

Athena tried to make a point, but her father went on. “You are gambling with the worst war this world will ever see. And what you are doing is disrespectful to me, and to the people, after I’ve backed you for so long.”

Athena clenched her jaw. “Do you really think that speaking loudly about…”

Zeus picked up the talk immediately. “I am not speaking loudly,” he interrupted sternly. “You’ve done enough talking. Your worshippers are in trouble. They are not winning. You have a chance of survival because of me. If I hadn’t offered my help, they would have already been defeated.” He leaned back. “They are dying. They are running low on men and weapons. You do not have the cards. I gave them the javelins and they know it. I have done enough, and you need to be thankful I’ve done that.”

“You haven’t done enough. They haven’t won, and the fighting only made the invaders more aggressive.”

Athena stepped closer. “This is not just any war. This is justice, Zeus. And you know it.”

Zeus looked away, tapping his fingers against his throne. The clouds outside darkened, as if sensing the unease in their king. “Perhaps,” he murmured, “but my decision stands.”

Athena exhaled sharply. “Then don’t come crying to me when the balance of power shifts. When your name is cursed instead of praised.”

Zeus chuckled. “Let them curse. Let them pray. The storm will pass, as it always does.”

Athena turned to leave. “Not all storms pass. Something tells me this one won’t.” And with that, she vanished, leaving only the echo of her defiance in the halls of Olympus.

---

“What have you done!” Zeus turned to see Apollo approaching him. “Do you even realize what you’ve just done, father!”

Zeus stretched to his full height and looked back at his son. “I’ve done a lot of things for our benefit. I’m sorry that you don’t understand that what I do is necessary, but very bad things are happening, and I am the one the mortals expect to keep them in check. What is it that you think I’ve done wrong?”

“You’ve replaced the successors of my son, the greatest doctor the world has ever known, with that woman I rejected. And she’s telling them to avoid doing the protocols that stop them from being sick, endorsing medical practices that my son showed were phony. You are destroying his legacy!”

“Your son’s time was long ago,” Zeus replied, not changing his tone. “The world has changed, and many of his practices don’t work anymore. We need a different way of looking at it. And she was ideal for the job.”

Apollo shook with rage, then looked away. “Why are they even believing her, I made sure she would never be believed again after she rejected me.”

Zeus responded in a voice that sounded as though he was taking credit for a brilliant idea. “Prometheus emphasized how right she was about Troy, and that if the mortals had listened to her then, a lot more people may have still been alive. They were willing to listen to her after that.” He smiled. “Especially when I told Ares to get Phobos and Deimos to back her words up.” Apollo looked back at his father, the rage returning to his eyes, as the king of the gods continued. “You were the one who told us that regardless of what Paris did, it didn’t justify what the people he wronged did to his entire home. Like I said, the world has changed.”

“That may not be for the better,” Apollo replied glumly.

Apollo looked down as his son’s work was undone. Before long, an outbreak of a disease eradicated in his son’s time occurred in Apollo watched with concern, and knew he had to fight back. He went behind his father’s back to have Hermes send his own messages to the mortals, and the truth of what was happening spread faster than the disease could.

“Outbreak could be perilous for Cassandra”

“Some experts question Cassandra calling outbreak ‘not unusual’”

---

“They have done bad things. Very bad things,” Zeus said to himself as he looked down on the relief organization, Gaia’s Aid, as their leader signed an order to send a contingent across the ocean.

 “Yes, they have,” agreed Prometheus’ voice. Zeus had heard him approach, wondering what he’d want to do this time.

“What do you want,” asked the king of the gods.

“Only to help you,” Prometheus replied. When it looked as though Zeus would protest, he continued on. “I gave them everything they could have needed to rise above the other mortal creatures. Yet they cannot use these gifts properly, the way they were intended. Everything I did for them, everything I suffered for them, and this organization, to only help each other, instead of those who gave them everything, is how they repay me.” Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that Zeus believed him wholeheartedly.

“This organization is a stain on my world. As I have said, they have done bad things. They must go.”

“I already have a plan,” said the Titan of forethought. “I gave them fire and everything they gained from it. I know how they think. And I assure you, they still trust me.” With just the right tone in his cackle, he added “After losing so much for them, so painfully, it’d be hard for them not to.”

Zeus smiled, knowing not to look a gift horse in the mouth. “Then get going. I want results immediately.”

“It shall be done, my lord.”

Prometheus wasted no time. As soon as he left Zeus, he set his own plan in motion. By whispering to the people who still remembered him, who knew what he had given for them, the story spread through the population like the Black Plague.

“Gaia’s Aid Laundering Millions! Corruption in Washington: Who Profits From Climate Fear? Follow the Money – Straight Into Their Pockets!”

It didn’t take long for even the most devout to grow doubtful. The clamor of those who just wanted something to be angry about was too loud to be ignored. Prometheus waited for the group to grow large enough. And then, he made his next move.

It took only one year’s worth of knowledge from that advanced computer class he had taken (ok, he had gone above and beyond, but he represented forethought, he knew he’d need it one day) to take down Gaia’s Aid’s website and make sure it wouldn’t be restored any time soon. The organization was thrown off as its members were left unable to access their offices, their resources, or even their emails, from anywhere. Their headquarters were left abandoned until one brave employee tried to get in by breaking a window and was promptly arrested, upon which the building was declared a crime scene, not to be entered while the low-level authorities ran a slow investigation.

On a higher level, the chaos increased. The Senate erupted into debate. They also ran their own investigation over the matter, which struggled to separate the lies from the truth. While it happened, they struggled to keep the organization alive. And unfortunately for their enemies, humanity’s leaders had not been made leaders for nothing.

“We will not let this be the end,” Washington declared. “Not without proof. Not without a fight.”

For the moment, as neither investigation had gathered proof, the organization stood, struggling to maintain itself, but managing, for the moment.

On Olympus, Zeus turned to Prometheus, fury on his face, already raising a thunderbolt. But Prometheus spoke first.

“That wasn’t supposed to happen, perhaps I made them more resilient than they were supposed to be. Or perhaps they learned how to survive without me. No matter, it is only a temporary setback, you know this. You know me.”

Zeus frowned and raised his eyebrows, but lowered his thunderbolt, while still, on Earth, the mortals fought to keep Gaia’s Aid alive.

---

Zeus looked down on the land he wanted. It would be perfect for what he had in mind. He would give it to the richer class. And they would use it for their entertainment, and of course, to worship him. They might even invite him to spend time there. Of course, he’d go anyway, even if they didn’t. There were, after all, perks to being the most powerful one known to mortals. He stroked his tanned face as he imagined everything coming together.

“It’s not the right thing to do,” came the voice. Zeus turned to see Prometheus walking toward him.

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m coming to point out that you really shouldn’t take that land for yourself. The people there do not want to move. It’s their land, their home.”

“And it will be mine.” He turned to stare at the one who had helped him and betrayed him. “I let you join me when you abandoned your brother and your father. After you betrayed me, and my son freed
you, I let you stay free. And this is how you repay me.”

“I’m trying to help you, Zeus. You let me stay free because I helped you, not because of the goodness of your heart.”
“You’re a man who works by results, and the result is, I let you stay free.”

“And I’m trying to help you now. I guarantee, taking that land for your own private resort of rich worshippers is a very bad idea. So many people will die or lose faith in the process, you will feel it when you notice less burnt offerings, is it really worth it just to have a private place to enjoy yourself among professional ass-kissers?”

“It’s not just that, it’s for me too. And my family and close, personal friends. Besides, the sacrifices are just a show of respect, we don’t actually need them, knowing I have the power is enough. My brother will enjoy it as well.”

“The Rich One does not intend to take part in that. He knows that taking that land is going to mean a lot more work for him just as his wife comes back from work.”

“Yeah, well, it’s in the job description to work hard, if that’s what he’s really concerned about he’s just whining. Besides, we’re not that close, he rarely comes by. I meant my other brother.”

“Zeus, I am warning you. If you use this for your own pleasure, nothing good can come of it.”

Zeus slicked back his hair that he had dyed especially for the occasion, but said nothing.

“You look younger.”

“It’s the treatments.”

Prometheus sighed, and turned to leave. He had known that Zeus wouldn’t agree to stop this ridiculous plan, like he had known that he wouldn’t stop the other project he began that year, but he had to at least try.

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