Theogony 3: Terra Stands Alone Read Online Free PDF Page B

he thought. He’s never been this forthright before. “ When were the Archons here? ”
    “ They were here around 1500 B.C. and then again around 800 B.C., ” said Steropes. “ We asked them to come and help with different invaders that had come to your planet. ”
    “ Would I have heard of either of these? ” Calvin asked.
    “ Yes, ” Steropes replied. The rakshasas were so horrific they still exist within Indian lore. ”
    Calvin ran a quick internet search and found that the rakshasas were creatures from Hindu mythology. They were reputed to be insatiable cannibals who liked drinking blood from human skulls. Yuck. Some were thought to have the ability to fly or to change their shapes at will.
    “ Geez, ” said Calvin. “ Another creature that wants to eat us? ”
    “ That is correct, ” said Steropes. “ They are nasty, disgusting creatures. Unfortunately, one of their powers is the ability to charm individuals. We asked the Archons to come and help us get rid of them, because they are not easily influenced. ”
    “ Wait a minute, ” said Calvin. “ The race that we’re going to go ask for aid isn’t easily influenced? ”
    “ That is correct, ” said Steropes. “ As a race, they are some of the most single-minded people I have ever met. They do believe in doing the right thing, though, so they came and helped rid Earth of the rakshasas, but not before the rakshasas had eaten enough people to make it into Hindu mythology. ”
    “ What else can you tell me about the Archons? ” asked Calvin. He was enjoying getting straight answers from a Psiclops for a change.
    “ The Archons are another of the founding races of the Alliance of Civilizations, ” said Steropes. “ They are humanoid in appearance and are about seven feet tall with long, white-blond hair. ”
    “ Tall and white hair, ” repeated Calvin. “ Got it. Anything else? ”
    “ Yes, ” said Steropes. “ They also have wings. ”
    “ Wings? ” asked Calvin. “ Seven feet tall with wings? That sounds just like... ”
    “ Angels, ” answered Steropes. “ Yes...they look just like angels. ”
    “ Enough, ” said Calvin. “ I don’t think I want to know any more. ” He noticed everyone was moving toward their seats; the meeting appeared to be about to start. Sure enough, everyone stood as the president walked in. “ Look, I’ve got to go, ” he said. “ The president is here. ”
    “ So I can go with you? ” asked Steropes hopefully.
    “ I don’t know, ” said Calvin. “ I don’t make the decisions. ”
    “ But you’ll ask them for me? ” Steropes asked.
    “ I don’t know, ” replied Calvin. “ Let me think about it. ”
    “ OK, ” said Steropes, disappointment heavy in his voice. He played his last card. “ Once, you trusted me to fight alongside you inside a Mayan pyramid, ” he said. “ I told you I would be able to help, and that I would save Terran lives. I don’t know how many lives I saved that day, but it was probably most of the platoon, if not all of it. You trusted me then; I would ask that you trust me now, if for no other reason than in remembrance of that day. ”
    “ I remember it, ” said Calvin. “ Like I said, I’ll think about it. ” The window to Steropes closed.
    The conference room had filled up while he was talking with Steropes, Calvin noted. The space itself was unlike any other he had ever been in. At its center was a table which could easily seat 20 people to a side. Behind it on both sides, the floor of the room sloped upward, with 10 rows of stadium seating. It was almost like a mini-parliament. The leaders could sit around the table, with plenty of room for their staffs or other experts that might be needed. Although most of the people at the table had implants which would translate any Terran language, all of the seating in the room had jacks that allowed users to plug in and get a running translation of the conversation, provided by a small artificial intelligence that