through him and the metallic flesh on his arms rippled as he prepared a response. "Are you certain you're not simply angry at having been sterilized all those years ago?" Cronus looked away and seemed to be in thought. Caesar decided to press ahead. "I know you were expecting the team to bring back materials and intel from BBM's compound." Cronus nodded. "You won't be getting it."
"Why?"
"Because the Dorian military intercepted and shot down the transport before it could cross the Baetican Mountains."
Cronus lowered his head and pounded the desk. Caesar gripped his hands hard.
"Mnemosyne and the others are still working on it," Cronus said. "There will be backups of the Titans very soon."
"Yes," Caesar said, drawing out the "s" sound. "And what about expanding that knowledge to others? Can Tiberia benefit from your immortality?"
Cronus swallowed hard and nodded. "Of course, dominus." Caesar began to walk away and was about to turn off the connection when the praetor asked, "How long shall I remain in Alabor?"
The emperor turned and held his hand in front of his torso. He made a slight show of his consideration of the question. "Your recent efforts against the insurgency have been effective."
"Yes, my lord."
"See them through." With a thought, Caesar turned off the screen.
While he moved back to the throne, the line of prefects emerged from the shadows and slowly moved toward the platform. All were in Cyclops bodies at this point. Some appeared more lifelike than others.
"Troubling, dominus," Gallian said. His absurdly muscular form seemed to strike a pose as he continued, "This Titan … he was too consumed by his, uh, siblings."
Caesar nodded and sat on the plush cushion in his chair. "I understand why, to a point. I felt as though I owed them to some degree. But his desires … and his lack of action, until recently, have left us vulnerable."
"When did you find out about the Psilons in Pausa, lord?" Cleon asked.
"Two years ago." A few of the prefects seemed surprised. "I didn't tell him because I knew it would be a distraction."
"As it has been," Gallian said.
Etne stepped forward, "And what of the subconsul who disclosed the information, dominus?"
The emperor rolled his eyes. "A worm. Cronus has named him quaestor for Alabor." A few of the prefects gasped. "He will extort his way through the office and when his term is up, he will disappear."
"Phase One of the Expansion has been a success, save for Alabor," Etne said. "But the blockades are beginning to take their toll."
"Not just blockades, imperator." Lucanus stepped around Etne and bent toward Caesar. He looked at the man's Cyclops body and noted the visible joint lines and its general inferiority compared to his own. "Trade with Eridia has been reduced to nothing."
"They were our best customers," Titus said.
Maxentius looked to his left at the map of Isinnia. Tiberia and its new holdings were in blue. Trouble spots were highlighted with yellow circles. "Gela is of no use to us now. We will quietly abandon it. That will save considerable money and manpower."
"Yes, dominus," Aelia said.
"As for the Expansion, we will have to work our new citizens that much harder."
"And Alabor?"
"Oh," the emperor smiled, "Cronus will remain praetor for the foreseeable future. He despises it."
"A worthy punishment for his conspiring with that quaestor, lord," Gallian said.
"And what of Doria?" Etne looked at the imperator, waiting for an answer. When none came, she continued, "They destroyed a Tiberian military craft, killing an elite company of the Empire's soldiers."
Caesar nodded slightly. Not to mention the secrets they still hold. Etne knew all about that. He had spoken with her several times on the matter. "Yes." He looked back toward the map and said, "We will order our factories to increase production of Cyclops." The prefects nodded and spoke their approvals. "The Expansion is not yet finished."
XLIX
BARAZ
134 Years Before the End
Gaia touched her arm again.
Baraz was startled and she looked over at the woman. Gaia was nodding across the table. Karin turned and saw five strangers; one of whom was seated there. A female police officer in her uniform and another military officer in his were nearby. The seated man spoke next.
"I see that you're distracted … that's understandable." He motioned toward one of the other suited men and he dropped a card on the table. "Our investigators will be on campus for at least the rest of the day. We'll speak to you if we need additional information."
Baraz stood up and said, "What about Tiberia?"
"What about them? They've overrun half the continent in the last decade and the rest of the world is shocked into coma." He lowered his head and said, softly, "I'm sorry, but I don't believe they'll have anything to say about three dozen murdered lab experiments."
Karin's teeth ground together and she grunted, "People. And twenty-four children."
The man nodded. "But not everyone thinks the same as you." He nodded toward Gaia and said, "My best."
The group left the conference room and Baraz sat back down. She sighed and her chest seemed to cave inward. "Did I miss anything when I drifted off?"
Gaia sat next to her. "No. I mentioned the intel you got about the plane that was downed in the mountains, but they wouldn't confirm anything."
"And the inventory of the medical labs?" She rubbed her forehead. "I know they were taking materials from the download chambers before they destroyed all of the units."
"They did. I have the full list." Gaia put her hand on Karin's shoulder. "You don't have to do this now."
"If I don't," she straightened up, "no one will." Then she reached across the table and pulled a glass pane toward her. She pressed a corner and it lit up.
Gaia sighed and watched her. "Karin?" The doctor didn't answer. She rubbed her back and said, "Karin, listen to me."
Baraz finally looked up and mumbled, "What?"
"A decade ago, you dropped everything to try and give me justice." The doctor pushed the pane away. "You spent weeks in embassies and government offices. You paid bribes and bought information. You dealt with every unscrupulous person between Pausa and Tiber." Gaia picked up Karin's hand. "You spent years trying to get somewhere. In the meantime, you lost control of everything here. The Titans were treated like experiments." Baraz's eyes drifted toward the windows. "It's not what you wanted, but that's what happened."
"I regret it every day."
"I know."
"If I had paid more attention," Karin inhaled, "millions of lives might have been spared."
"Maybe." Gaia turned her chair around and crossed her legs. "We'll never know." Baraz stared at Gaia and made no movement. No sound. "I mention this to point out that you have another chance." Karin's brow furrowed and Gaia continued, "Instead of going down that path again and getting nowhere, turn your attention toward the ones who need it."
Baraz's lip shook and she started to speak, "But we lost all of them."
"I know." Gaia squeezed her hand. "They won't be coming back. Their children remain."
Karin turned and looked at the door. After a moment, she stood and left the room with Gaia right behind her. Silently, they rode the elevator down several levels. When it opened, they strode into the hallway and passed two police investigators as they mapped the building on their paperwork. They stopped in front of a closed door. Baraz's hand hovered over the handle. It trembled and then she grasped it and turned.
She was hit with a wall of noise. There was chatter and crying. Screaming and yelling. A few younger children were running in circles around the seats but most of the Psilons' remaining twenty-one children were huddled together against the back wall, holding each other and talking.
"I thought Lisa was here to watch them?" Karin asked.
Gaia nodded. "I'll go find
out what happened."
As she left, Baraz walked into the room and began clapping her hands. "Children!" A few looked up but most were still carrying on. One of the runners came by and she grabbed her and pointed her toward a seat. "Children, please!" She sat another child down and Gaia reentered the room with Dr. Onesi. "Are you hungry?"
Most of the children answered affirmatively and Lisa spoke meekly, "I was heating up some soup."
"Good. Please see to that." Baraz looked back at the children. The oldest was nine. There were babies being held by older brothers and sisters. Most had bags under their eyes and they were all still in their nightclothes. Several were whimpering, only just having stopped crying for the first time in hours. "Let's, um … Gather 'round, children."
A few got up and moved to seats closer to Karin. Some stayed against the wall. She saw Poseidon cradling baby Hades. The poor older brother's head was leaning into the corner of the wall and he was fast asleep. Polemos was holding and rocking his baby sister, Bia. Antaeus sat in the lap of his older sister, Hyria. Twins Antero and Ate sat next to each other, mirror images of despair. A little girl, Hera, sat on the floor under the seat of her chair looking at Baraz. Her wide eyes glared at Karin and the doctor could feel the waves of fear still coming off her.
Gaia stepped forward and clapped her hands. "We need to talk, everyone."
"Excuse me," one small child said as he patted Gaia's leg, "when is mommy and daddy coming home?"
Gaia put her hand on the boy's head and directed him toward an open chair. "Sit down. We'll talk about it."
"You older