IOLE
2,058 Years Before the Final Exodus
She couldn't believe her eyes and ears. Chief Quorum Archon Eris was on every news channel telling the world that Megarans blew up Lord Apollo.
"We have found evidence that a Megaran resident detonated the bomb yesterday that killed himself and um, harmed Lord Apollo at the dedication of a new temple there. We have also uncovered information that this resident held extremist, even violent views on his desires for Megaran independence."
A single tear fell from Iole's cheek. She was sitting on a sofa at her home in Megara, her legs drawn up close to her chest. She clutched her knees and was rocking back and forth. "This can't be real."
"We have forwarded additional information on militant Megarans to police around the world. These fringe elements in our own backyard, in beautiful Pisces, will be rooted out and eliminated."
"No, no, no," she said. If it was true, it could set back the efforts of herself, Aurora, and Apollo decades. Or even longer. Just then, her dechopem beeped and stated she had a new message.
Iole pressed a button on her remote control and a small black rectangle emerged from the side of the screen, displaying in white text, "From Aurora: please come see me first thing in the morning."
Iole turned off the dechopem and sat on the sofa, crying. After a while, she laid on her side, staring at the empty room and trying to let her mind wander. It wouldn't. It kept coming back to the horrible images and sounds of that man and Apollo exploding. And the smells. The words of Eris. Her imagination ran wild and she expected raids of armored troops. And what about Apollo? He hadn't said anything to the press. Was he still even on her side?
She tried not to think about these things, but it gnawed at her. She went to bed without eating and still, she lay there, staring at the ceiling, thinking about it all, over and over.
When her alarm went off, it surprised her. She apparently had fallen asleep at some point, though she certainly didn't feel rested. She showered slowly, grabbed a small piece of fruit bread to eat only because she knew she had to eat something, and left her home.
The streets of Megara were eerily quiet. Usually, there were delivery vehicles at the stores and restaurants, but she saw only one. There were only a few pedestrians. There weren't many more cars on the streets. It was a thirty minute walk to Aurora's home from hers, but Iole decided she didn't want to. Something just felt wrong. She walked back home and got into her vehicle, pressing the buttons to start it up, and then gliding out of her garage. A few minutes later, she pulled quietly alongside the front patio of Aurora's home.
She walked to the front door and found it was opened. Iole slowly looked inside and asked, "Hello?"
"Come in, dear," Aurora said from her kitchen area.
Iole closed the door. She walked into the kitchen and sat at the bar overlooking the food prep area. "Good morning, goddess."
"Don't lie, child," Aurora said as she sliced some fruit, "You don't think there's anything good about it, do you?"
Iole's chin quivered and she hesitated, trying to keep her emotions bottled up. She didn't want to spill it all onto Aurora at once. "No, goddess. How could I?"
Aurora nodded silently. Slice, slice. She then grabbed a pear and began to cut it. "I was worried you wouldn't be able to come this morning." Iole appeared confused. Aurora looked up but continued to slice. "Didn't you hear? Travel restrictions have been put into place in Megara."
"What?"
Aurora nodded. "The police chief ordered them at the request of the chief quorum archon." Slice. "Megara is essentially closed."
Iole felt her eyes welling up again. "I've spent centuries trying to keep us all safe and insulated. In just a few short years, someone has … split us open and exposed us to the people outside. To the people who hate and just … don't understand. Everything we've worked for, it's …"
"Not gone." Aurora used the blade to sweep the fruit into a bowl and she set it on the counter. After popping an apple chunk into her mouth, she continued, "A setback, certainly, but there's still hope."
Iole almost laughed, "You really believe that? Members of the Thirteenth Tribe are going to be questioned and investigated for this." She ran her fingers into her hair, "This is going to get worse. We're being targeted as terrorists."
Aurora nodded. "True."
"Do you believe one of us could have done this?"
Aurora walked around to the other side of the counter and sat on a stool next to Iole. "Why not? Among twenty-five thousand people in one city and ten thousand others scattered across the world, there are bound to be some … unstable elements."
A tear left Iole's eye and streaked her cheek. "What about Lord Apollo? I haven't heard him say anything about it."
Aurora shook her head. "I haven't either. I called him yesterday and he said he was instructed to remain at Olympus for a time. Silent."
"'Instructed?' By whom? Zeus?"
Aurora hesitated for a moment and thought. "Perhaps."
More tears came and Iole pounded the counter, "If Apollo would speak out, we could avoid this persecution! There might not be the investigations and the lockdowns. He needs to speak out."
Aurora put a hand on Iole's shoulder, "Calm down, dear." She pulled the bowl a little closer, "Go on. Have a bit." Iole didn't comply. "Consider it an order." She picked up a bit of pear and ate it. "Good. Now keep eating." Aurora returned to the kitchen to clean up her knives and cutting board. "If this had happened a couple of years ago, I'd be a blubbering mess, too."
Iole almost laughed as she put another bit of pear in her mouth, "Why?"
"My vision. My horrible, nightmarish vision." She wiped off her knife and put it back into the block. "Now, those things might still happen, but if they happen soon, I feel a little better about it."
Iole shook her head in confusion, "You've lost me."
"Help is almost ready. Almost."
"You've said before that we couldn't find peace here." Aurora nodded. Iole's mind turned and then she realized. "That's it, isn't it? We're going to leave Kobol?"
"Yes." Aurora wiped off the cutting board, "In the meantime, we cooperate with the investigation and help out however we can. After all, we don't want these fanatics counted among us, right?"