Chapter 10

Atlas

Although we didn't expect any trouble, and in spite of the great security system, I assigned Leodros to guard the Silver Mansion in our absence. I refused to give Ajustus any ground to find me lacking. Venus and I then walked to the principal research center out of the three located within the city walls.

We possessed vehicles, but they were rarely used, except to carry heavy items. Otherwise, people normally flew or walked to their destination. As she was still getting familiar with the city, Venus preferred to go on foot, which she also deemed a good way to get her steps in. That wording confused me until she explained it meant walking a certain distance daily for exercise.

Judging by the very appealing curves of her slender body, my mate was quite fit.

Once again, a wave of pride washed over me as Venus kept a completely stoic and unfazed expression despite the borderline rude way in which people were observing us as we walked past them. Her strength and dauntless attitude truly impressed me. From what Ambassador Linsea told us prior to Venus's arrival, my mate occupied a role in the upper spheres of politics, at a similar level to our senators, although in a different capacity. Based on our political representatives' behaviors, I expected her to have a demanding and superior attitude, with an overly fragile ego.

Being proven wrong pleased me beyond words.

As we entered the tall building, I stretched my neck to release the tension that had been discreetly building in my back the closer we got. My people could be very hostile when anyone questioned or challenged the origin and cause of Thaudras. Kyrene didn't worry me. She'd been studying the phenomenon her entire life and strongly promoted progressive laws and ideas. But I didn't know what welcome the rest of the staff would reserve for my mate.

Like every public building, and especially official or governmental ones, an abundance of white and light grays welcomed us. Here, as magic was not encouraged, very few windows allowed for natural light to come in. That didn't make the place dark or gloomy as plenty of artificial light sources compensated. But it always gave me a slight feeling of claustrophobia.

We didn't even have to introduce ourselves as we entered the reception area. Not surprising considering we were the talk of the town since the Prism chose us as his guardians. The receptionist merely indicated for us to proceed to a specific room, stating she would announce our arrival.

We followed the wide corridor in silence. Venus's eyes were flicking this way and that as she took in our surroundings. She couldn't read the signs and symbols on the walls as her translator couldn't yet handle Promethean letters. It still baffled me that the majority of off-worlders had a translation chip implanted at the back of their right ear at a young age.

That was yet another thing that made me fascinated by the incredible things other worlds had achieved and that their populations deemed normal. I would give anything to get to experience even just a small sample of the civilizations beyond the stars.

Our destination door swung open long before we reached it. Kyrene stood in the doorway with an excited expression that instantly wiped away any tension I felt. She beamed at us, her antennae flickering as she discreetly assessed the energy emanating from my mate, prompting me to do the same. Her scent was delicious, slightly sweet and spicy which screamed health. I didn't perceive any fear from her, but an eagerness similar to the one Kyrene was giving off.

To my delight, Venus responded to the older female's greeting with a similar warm smile.

"There you are! Come in! Come in!" Kyrene said, stepping outside the room to wave us in.

Even neatly folded behind her, Kyrene's long, dark-blue wings gave a glimpse of the other two beautiful colors adorning them: red veins and yellow eyespots. They made the scientist an incredibly powerful Polychromatic. As such, people often wondered why someone such as she would devote so much energy fighting for the rights of the Achros and Monos.

Like my parents, she had been forced to abandon her White Achromatic child—a secret I only knew of as the Razus of the Black Guard. She moved from her original city to the capital, supposedly for a new start. But she was a female on a mission, determined to enable a better future for her son and others like us. And above all, she was fighting a losing battle against time that would see him sacrificed with the rest of us.

We stepped inside an immense room with research equipment that I couldn't even begin to describe or understand the use of. Some large contraptions resembling the engine of some complex machinery or vehicle occupied the central area of the space. A few desks lined the right side of the room, with one longer table with a giant screen for meetings and discussions. On the opposite side, a massive counter with even more equipment covered most of the wall.

"Kyrene, please meet the Prima Venus," I said after she closed the door behind us. "Venus, this is Kyrene Veltis, Japhyr's most brilliant scientist."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Prima," Kyrene said warmly. "And don't listen to him. There are far greater minds than me. But you will be hard pressed to find one more passionate about her work than I am."

"The pleasure is all mine. But please call me Venus. I'm quite informal," my mate replied with a smile.

"Only if you call me Kyrene."

"Deal!"

"Please, have a seat," Kyrene said, gesturing towards the meeting table at the back of the room. "Atlas said you wanted to discuss Thaudras with me?"

Venus nodded as we headed towards the table. "I'm quite curious to hear your theories on that phenomenon. As I'm not a nuclear physicist, I don't pretend to have the same type of technical knowledge you possess. However, I am a biomedical engineer, and this issue fascinates me."

By the way Kyrene's face lit up, my mate's words clearly pleased her.

"A fellow scientist! That is great news!" she said, her voice bubbling with excitement as we settled around the table. "Thaudras is truly a unique phenomenon. Maybe your off-worlder perspective can help us further understand what exactly is happening."

"I will gladly give what reasonable assistance I can offer… within the constraints of the Prime Directive," Venus replied cautiously.

"Naturally," Kyrene conceded, although I didn't miss the glimmer of disappointment that fleeted over her features.

I didn't fully comprehend the extent of the restrictions of the Prime Directive. Off-worlders already revealed themselves to us, and the UPO provided us with some advanced technology to allow us to communicate with them. Therefore, wasn't the damage already done? Why would Venus feel compelled to withhold some knowledge that could help my people?

"Generally speaking, Thaudras is like a miniature solar flare, but it occurs on Sylvar itself," Kyrene explained. "Essentially, intense magnetic fields in specific underground areas grow much too tangled and snap like a rubber band. This in turn releases a large amount of energy. If not contained, it creates a chain reaction that spreads throughout the land leaving devastation and high levels of radiation that makes the entire region unlivable until a Prism is able to cleanse it."

"But how do these magnetic fields arise? What creates them?" Venus asked.

"They're constantly active," Kyrene amended. "They are the power source that fuels all of Sylvar's energy systems through the various beacons. However, something causes specific areas to become unstable. There is no clear explanation as to what causes the surge. But once it begins, there is no stopping it. It grows exponentially until the explosion occurs."

Venus nodded slowly, a frown creasing her forehead. "But what about the radiation? Is it constantly present underground?"

"There normally is no radiation. The energy released by the beacons is totally clean. It's only once the tangled magnetic fields start to snap that radiation is generated. We can only speculate that something alters the otherwise clean energy. Unfortunately, our technology does not allow us to get close enough to the source to identify the cause."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Our equipment malfunctions before it can get deep enough," Kyrene replied.

"I see. So once the radiation starts spreading over the land, how does the Prism clean it?" Venus asked.

"He absorbs it," Kyrene answered, matter-of-factly. "Where all of us use our wings to draft color to create magic, he uses his in part to draw in the toxins poisoning the land."

"And what does he do with it," Venus asked, echoing the question popping in my head.

The general population didn't know much about how the Prism actually accomplished the things he did. We only knew that he used his power to realign the beacons and cleanse the land.

"He merely absorbs the radiation until it kills him," Kyrene replied.

Venus recoiled. "Seriously? Is that the fate that awaits Xarin?!"

Kyrene nodded. "Yes. That is the fate of every Prism."

Although I knew of his limited lifespan, my heart still constricted at the thought that this specific Prism—who had blessed me above all others—would only walk among us for a few weeks before vanishing for another three generations.

"But what if we find a way to stop Thaudras, or to at least prevent the radioactive emissions?" Venus argued.

Kyrene gave her an apologetic smile. "Unfortunately, that will not save him. Prisms have two cycles of life. The first after their birth as a normal infant lasts for about three weeks during which they do nothing but eat to stockpile their reserves. Once they form their chrysalis, the Prisms lose their digestive system during metamorphosis."

Venus's shoulders slumped. "So he's like a luna moth…"

"A what?" I asked, echoing the inquisitive look on Kyrene's face.

"Luna moths are insects found on Earth. They come out of their cocoons without a mouth or a digestive system and die within a week thereafter," Venus explained grimly.

"That's an apt enough comparison," Kyrene said. "The main difference is that the Prisms actually transform some of that radiation into energy to fuel their bodies even as it poisons them. So death is inevitable."

"What of Atlas and the other people to be sacrificed?" Venus asked.

A troubled expression fleeted over Kyrene's wizened face. "There is no question in my mind that they are the key to the mystery, but my people's bigoted views make it extremely hard to demonstrate why their mistreatment is wrong. And now they have some insane laws pending that will make things even worse."

I stiffened and gave the scientist a stern look. "These political issues are not Venus's concerns."

"They most certainly are," Kyrene snapped vehemently, startling both Venus and me. "She's the Prima, the voice of the Prism. She must know everything that is happening so that he can also express his stance on the matter."

"The Prism doesn't interfere in politics," I countered in a firm tone. "In our entire history, never once has he set foot on the floor of the Senate or voiced his opinion about the laws or the way our society behaves. It is not his role. If we want changes, it is for us, the people, to make our voices heard. It is unfair to want to lay this burden on the Prima."

"Xarin changed the rules the minute he brought Venus here," Kyrene argued stubbornly. "He chose an off-worlder and an Achromatic as guardians for a reason. He has already influenced our informal laws and societal structure by both endorsing the marriage of an Achromatic and granting you his blessing. The news has already spread through every city, and you know every Achro and Mono is currently thinking that maybe they, too, could have a life partner."

I shifted uneasily in my seat, unable to challenge any of her statements, especially since similar thoughts swirled through my mind since Xarin blessed me.

"Our world is potentially facing one of the most devastating Thaudras in our history," Kyrene continued passionately. "None of what is happening right now is a coincidence. We desperately need help. Until yesterday, I was all but losing hope. Now, we have a chance of thwarting Ajustus's mad plans and maybe saving all of you from certain death."

"What mad plan?" Venus asked in a worried voice. "What is the Chancellor up to?"

I heaved a sigh. "Ajustus wants the Senate to adopt a new law authorizing each city to create camps away from residential areas to round up every Achro and Mono."

"WHAT?!" You cannot be serious?!" Venus exclaimed.

"Sadly, he is serious," Kyrene said grimly. "According to him, their presence in our cities is what triggered the return of Thaudras. And as the number of births of Achros and Monos has reached unprecedented levels this cycle, he believes there is a direct correlation with the bigger cataclysm forecasted to occur in the upcoming weeks. He hopes that by moving them far from us, Thaudras will happen closer to the camps, and thus spare the city."

My heart sank when instead of vehemently challenging that last statement, Venus pursed her lips and slowly nodded as if to express her agreement with it.

"I can see how he could draw that conclusion," she said pensively.

"So you concur?" I blurted out, the hurt I felt audible in my voice. "You think our presence is causing Thaudras?"

To my shock, Venus shook her head. "This is pure speculation on my part. I believe he's correct that there is a direct correlation, but not that you're the cause. I think you are the solution."

I recoiled, confused as to what would make her say that. "What do you mean?"

"The first thing I thought when you described what was happening was that this is a form of adaptation," Venus replied. "Thaudras always occurs after an average of thirty years following a surge in Achro and Mono births. It sounds to me that you are naturally preparing your defensive army. On many planets of the galactic alliance, there is a phenomenon called sequential hermaphroditism. It is when animals—mainly vertebrates—spontaneously change their gender. It mostly occurs for reproductive purposes, for example if there is a serious lack of one gender in the area, which could threaten the survival of the species."

Kyrene nodded with an excited expression. "We have similar occurrences with certain species here on Sylvar."

"But in the case of those animals you're talking about, their adaptation occurs because the scarcity is already ongoing," I challenged. "In our case, we are born three decades in advance. Therefore, the theory is that our continued presence in growing numbers is destabilizing the land."

"Time is a relative factor," Venus said softly. "Once again, this is pure speculation on my part, but based on what you've described, Thaudras can only be stopped mainly by Blacks and Whites. That means you have something that no one else does, which can counter whatever is causing that disruption. You are born early enough as soon as the first shifts in the magnetic fields occur so that you have time to reach maturity to face the challenge ahead."

"That seems farfetched," I argued. "Don't get me wrong, I would love nothing more than to discover that we are saviors instead of a curse to our people, but I don't see it."

"Venus actually makes some good points that we have also raised many times before, but failed to answer," Kyrene interjected. "We also believe that Blacks and Whites have something necessary to stop this disaster. The age of full magic maturity among Prometheans happens to be twenty-eight years old. Therefore, that the surge of Achromatic births occurs thirty years before Thaudras supports your theory that those younglings arrive at the right time to be ready to face battle at the height of their power."

Although that struck a nerve, I couldn't help but argue further. "That could be the explanation, but it could also be that because we are at the height of our power, it also causes the land to be even more disturbed, triggering the cataclysm. Maybe the colors we are drafting are causing the disruption."

"Are you, though? You can nullify magic while the Whites can manipulate all colors. The combination of those two skills—as I cannot think of any other explanation—somehow stops nuclear fusion. The question is how, and what do those Achromatics do once they are sent into the affected region?"

"That's the question we've been asking in vain and are hoping you can help us elucidate," Kyrene said excitedly.

"We would need to look at all the data you have acquired over the years and see what new readings we can acquire in the region currently affected," Venus said, her eyes flicking from side to side as she reflected on the matter.

Human eyes still felt strange to me, with their white sclera and colored irises. But I loved how expressive they were, and how you never wondered what they were specifically staring at, which was trickier to assess with Prometheans as we all had entirely black eyes with no visible irises or pupils.

"The other question is have any of the sacrificed people ever come out of it alive by the time Thaudras ended?" Venus asked.

"No, never," I replied, my stomach knotting at the perspective of the fate that awaited me.

"Were any corpses recovered?"

"Yes," Kyrene said. "The remains of some of the last people to enter were found."

Venus instantly perked up. "Were any autopsies performed on them?" she asked with a sliver of hope.

I recoiled, instinctively shocked by that idea. To my dismay, Kyrene didn't display the outrage I expected from her, but simply shook her head in an apologetic fashion.

"Unfortunately not. Among our people, it is deemed sacrilegious and therefore forbidden," Kyrene explained.

"Your people never perform autopsies?!" Venus insisted, flabbergasted.

"Yes, we do. But not on the sacrifices. They are gifts to appease the gods," she specified.

Venus frowned. She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, as if looking for the proper way to express the thoughts crossing her mind.

"I understand. But Thaudras could simply have a scientific explanation unrelated to your religious beliefs," she said carefully.

"I assure you, Venus, I do not believe for one second that our gods have anything to do with this. But mentalities are hard to change, especially when science isn't yet able to provide irrefutable proof of our assumptions. Therefore, we must pursue the work until we can finally provide those answers," Kyrene said.

I shifted my wings uneasily. A part of me struggled with accepting that the teachings we had been indoctrinated with since childhood could be wrong. The other hoped they would indeed be invalidated. Still, I was blown away to see how quickly my mate had reached similar assumptions as our wisest scholar about our situation. Her intelligence and scientific knowledge both awed and intimidated me.

But is she right? Could Achromatics like me be the solution and not the curse?

Her advanced off-worlder knowledge couldn't be dismissed. But our own history also couldn't be denied. The truth probably lay in a gray zone in between her scientific assumptions and our religious theories.

"If there's anything you can do to help, we welcome it," Kyrene said. "Well, within the boundaries of the Prime Directive," she quickly added.

Venus smiled then took on a pensive expression. "Give me any data you can share, any readings, theses, articles, and journals written on the topic."

"We have all of these. I will compile them for you," Kyrene said enthusiastically.

"I'm especially interested in Orist Valley," Venus said before glancing at me. "Is it possible for me to visit it?"

I hesitated, then looked questioningly at Kyrene. "Prometheans can go there for short periods of time. But I'm not sure that it would be safe for a human. There is a great deal of radiation lingering in that area."

Kyrene also frowned while examining my mate's soft skin. "Like Atlas, I'm not certain that it would be safe for you. Prometheans have slow cell division, which allows us to naturally repair any damage we sustain due to radiation, so long as the levels remain below a certain threshold."

"Then I will need a suit," Venus replied in a factual manner. "I will add it to my list."

"That's a good idea," Kyrene concurred. "Anyway, you will want to have one handy regardless as you will likely need to constantly wear it in the last days leading up to Thaudras."

"Why?" Venus asked.

"Some people near the area where the cataclysm will occur occasionally experience unexplained nausea, dizziness, bouts of extreme exhaustion, and even difficulty remembering things," I explained.

"This sounds like the side effects of a solar flare, which further supports your earlier comparison that Thaudras acts a bit like one," Venus said. "Thanks, this was extremely informative."

"It was my pleasure," Kyrene said, as we all got up from our seats. "I will prepare everything for you swiftly and send the first part to you before day's end, and the rest tomorrow or over the next two days."

"Thank you so much," Venus said with a warm smile. "I will keep you apprised of anything I uncover."

After a few more pleasantries, we exchanged our goodbyes and then left. We walked quietly out of the building, each of us lost in our own thoughts. As we stepped out onto the street, I glanced at my mate, surprised to find her also peering at me.

"You are so incredibly smart and knowledgeable," I blurted out, my scales instantly darkening as I barely stopped myself from adding that I felt unworthy to be her husband.

She shrugged, but I didn't miss the sliver of shyness behind the nonchalant gesture. "I'm a biomedical engineer. I'm just lucky to have studied in fields related to this issue. Had the cataclysm been related to something completely different, I would be utterly clueless."

I smiled, finding her humility rather endearing. Prometheans loved showing off and boasting about their qualities and achievements. Everything about my mate was refreshing.

"Still, the speed with which you have wrapped your head around this complex situation is impressive. Do you really think we are not the cause?" I added timidly.

Venus nodded firmly, the conviction in her eyes doing the most wondrous thing to me, even though she could not offer any certainty for the time being.

"I am convinced you are not a curse, and that this cataclysm isn't your fault. I do not believe your gods are punishing your people simply because you exist. I would bet my last credit that you are the solution, but I will need your help to prove it," Venus said.

"I struggle to accept that concept, but if there is even the slightest possibility that you are correct, then it is worth pursuing," I replied. "I do not wish to die, and neither do my guards. None of the Achros and Monos desire death. So whatever assistance you need from me, it is yours."