Achilles' Heel, Part III: Trojan Horse
By C. Mage
When the room brightened, she was no longer in a Greek temple, put aside by time. Lara's mouth dropped open as she saw herself in her old Archaeology lecture hall back at Cambridge. The solid wood of the chairs, the aged slate chalkboard at the front, every detail was intact, right down to the mahogany desk off to the left of the front of the room. All the desks were vacant, but one had a sheet of paper lying on the top. As she walked to the paper and picked it up, the door by the desk opened and her old mentor, Von Croy, walked out. "Well, well, Lara...so good to see you."
Lara had gone for her guns the moment the door had opened, but her guns were gone. So had her old clothes. She looked down and discovered to her horror that she wore the school jumper and uniform her father had insisted she wear when she was going through grade school.
The fact that she was still a grown woman was not lost on the apparition standing before her. "My, my, aren't we the big girl?"
"What the devil is going on?"
"Glad you asked. As you may have already surmised, you are not truly at Cambridge, nor am I truly your teacher."
"Then what are you?"
"Please, have a seat. I am what some refer to as an animus, a corporeal spirit, a revenant...the semantics are endless. I am here to test you, see if you are worthy of the Oracle's attention."
"And if I'm judged otherwise, I get sent packing, correct?"
"Not quite. Losers are devoured, by me."
Lara stared at him. "You're joking."
"Actually, I'm hungry, so let's begin, shall we?" He picked up a sheath of papers from the table, holding them up. "The Oracle wants to make sure you're worthy of her presence, so there will be three Tests: the Test of Mind, the Test of Body and the Test of Soul."
"Is all this truly necessary? None of my predecessors had to go through this, did they?"
"To be honest, not really. Most of the time, we just took riches. However, since we haven't received visitors in centuries, so we have to do things to amuse us here in the Land of the Dead. You're just lucky I didn't bring Cerberus in. He's got the gates of Hades to guard, and as prosperous as you are, you don'r rate his presence. Besides, he's not housebroken." "Von Croy" set the papers down. "Now, are we going to do this or what? I'm ravenous."
She didn't like the look in his eyes, and for just a split-second, she thought she saw a shadow of something monstrous around him. "Very well...I suppose I'l have to play your game."
"GOOD girl. You're smart; that'll help. The first is the most boring part, a simple series of questions designed to gauge intuitive thought and logical thinking. By the way, you have ten minutes, forty questions. Get them all right or be second place...and second place here means being first in the menu."
Lara picked up the pencil and began.
"Correct...correct....CORRECT..."
Lara smiled as she sat there. "Something wrong?" she asked pleasantly.
"No...not at all..." The animus ground its teeth. "ALL....CORRECT."
"Imagine my surprise."
"Nobody likes a smartass, least of all me. Fine, fine, you pass the Brainy Test." He waved his arms and the world changed, resolving once more as the surroundings became quite familiar.
Lara blinked and looked around. "You must be joking." She walked forward a few steps, standing at the start of the obstacle course she'd set up in her own home, and she dressed in her exercise clothes, bodysuit and shorts.
"Not really."
Lara froze as she turned to see that the animus had adopted another form, that of David Connors. The result was eerie beyond words. "Take that off this instant," Lara snarled. "You don't deserve to wear that particular 'outfit'."
"Make me," it said in a voice so like David's, it gave her shivers. "Here's the deal, Lara Croft. All you have to do is beat me in your own obstacle course, considering that I've made a few...enhancements to the course. If you win, we move on to the next Test. If you lose, I'm going to eat you alive...while wearing this body." "David" grinned, showing shark-like sharp teeth.
"Has anyone ever told you that you're a vicous little demon who enjoys his work far too much?"
"Flattery will get you nowhere. Now get up to the starting line; exercise makes me hungry."
Breathing makes you hungry, you wretched little toad. Lara walked up to the line and prepared to run, then stared as she realized that the obstacle course seemed a bit longer than she remembered. "Ready."
"GO!"
Lara took off and sprinted for the first obstacle, a series of platforms progressing from ground level to three stories high. Lara began climbing and jumping up, then noticed that "David" seemed to simply disappear from one box and re-appear at another. "Any rules against cheating?"
"For you, yes, for me, no. Sorry about that, but life isn't completely fair, what can I say?" He grinned and re-appeared at the top block, waiting by the rope bridge. He yawned as he waited until Lara was almost at the top, then he started across nimbly. "I'm 'Enry the Eight, I am, I am..." he sing-songed as he moved across the bridge, then turned to say, "Having fun yet?"
When he opened his eyes from expressing his smug look, Lara was gone. He blinked, then looked ahead. What he saw made him snort fire from his nose. Lara, having sped past him, leaped from the edge to grab the zipline handles and descend to the ground, not even bothering to give the animus a withering glance. She jumped up to the platform starting the balance beam segment. However, what was once a fifty-foot length over shallow water was now the length of a football field. What was once water was now molten lava! She didn't waste any time, moving foot by foot over the beam. She could feel the heat of the molten rock below, but it somehow wasn't enough to hurt her, just distract her.
"David," on the other hand, seemed perfectly comfortable with the route, even doing cartwheels across the beam and he passed her by. "Hey, Lara, is it hot in here, or is it just me?"
"It's not you," Lara said irritably. She was almost at the end, but it didn't make it any easier seeing the animus waiting for her to get closer. If this keeps up, that bloodthirsty creature will be...oh HO. Lara smiled inwardly, though she continued to show her displeasure. "What's the next obstacle, monster?"
"Nothing too dangerous. The pipes. You remember them, don't you? Just a short little crawl..." He smiled as he turned the corner. Lara made it across and sprinted around the corner, her body starting to ache from her relentless exertions. She groaned as she saw four lengths of pipe, laid in two rows. "David" was already making his way through one, disappearing into the one on the left and Lara started through the one on the right. As she progressed through the first pipe, her mind was so busy trying to work out a plan that she didn't notice the blades appearing behind her...at first. She was almost halfway through when she heard the blades ramming themselves through the pipe's walls!
The animus watched as Lara progressed, just two feet away from crossing the finish line. "Hey, Lara, hope you don't mind me air-conditioning your pipe...you looked kinda hot!" He giggled at his joke, then stopped as he smelled something.
Blood.
He spit to keep himself from choking on his own saliva, his mouth watering as he smelled blood in Lara's pipe. He immediately went to the mouth of her tube to see a dark shape, pierced by the blades. Centuries of being denied the taste of warm, steaming human flesh took over and he moved through the tube like a hungry spider, grabbing at he shape and feeling cloth tear away...
...leaving nothing but a small pool of blood and the two blades at the beginning of the pipe.
"WWHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTT????????" The animus shrieked in rage, his head shooting up through the concrete of the pipe and turning around to see Lara crawl out of her pipe, her sweatpants missing, to run across the finish line. She turned back, smiling, leaning against a wall. "Do I win?"
The animus let out a loud, keening shriek of rage as he launched himself at Lara, its features running like melting wax, becoming disfigured, monstrous. All the smart remarks were gone, replaced by a single inhuman scream as claws came forth, splitting through the flesh of its fingertips. Lara went for her guns by reflex, then realized that she was unarmed just as the creature went for her throat…
She closed her eyes. Never thought I'd buy it like this…being chewed apart by some demon-spawn…rended limb from limb…and worst of all, I'm not even armed…can't say I saw that coming. Well…it doesn't feel too bad…in fact…I don't feel anything.
Lara opened her eyes again and looked right into the face of the demon, only the animus wasn't the same sickly red and green flesh color it was before. It looks like polished marble…in fact, it was. She stepped back, raising a hand and touching the surface. It was hard, cold. "Well…that was mildly different."
"Sorry about that." Lara turned to see a man dressed in jeans, a T-shirt with the words, "Elysium Fields Forever" written on the white fabric with blue lettering. He wore sandals and a quiver, and carried a bow in his hands. "So hard to find good help nowadays."
"Who…or WHAT are you??" Lara stepped back as she found herself in the temple once more.
"Well, allow me to introduce myself. I am Apollo, the Greek sun god, also known as Helios, not to mention a few lovely young ladies in Athens as Mr. Briaros Leulippe."
"Apollo??" Lara shielded her eyes a bit, expecting his radiance to be blinding, but it was a subtle glow instead…just enough to look unreal. "No offense, but I rather expected…"
"Greek clothing, shining radiance? That was the time of the ancient age, and we wore those clothes because that was the period fashion. The Greek gods may not be as powerful as they once were, but we have enough awareness to know about clothing. You have no idea how glad I was when underwear was perfected. Ambrosia, the Elysian Fields, the temples on Mount Olympus…nothing compared to the feel of bikini briefs underwear." He smiled. "So, Lara Croft, you sure came a long way. Sorry about the trouble with the demon, but maybe a few hundred years as a glorified paperweight will teach him protocol."
"So…does this mean you're going to give me the cure?"
"Nope. Not give. You still have to earn it."
Lara sighed. "Mind if I speak frankly?"
"Go ahead."
"Are all members of the Grecian pantheon so bloody bored that they feel I should have to jump through hoops and through fire to get something this important???"
Apollo rubs his chin, then nods. "Pretty much. We don't have as many worshippers as we used to, but we have enough to be remembered, to have power. As a result, we don't have as much responsibility. And when you've been around as much as we have, believe me, anything that alleviates boredom is, if you'll pardon the pun, a godsend."
"And if I die?"
"Well, chances are you'd go someplace rather nice. David would likely go there, perhaps. And you could put aside all that work…"
"NO. Look, that thing said there was a Test of Soul. Can we get on with it?"
"Hold on…look, I can make things a lot easier for you. I can see to it that you and David are joined in the Elysium Fields. I'll take you there personally and see to it that David meets you. You'll love it, endless fields and forests, no worries, no cares. It'll be EASY."
"What about my work? What about our lives together?"
"You'll have eternity together. Come on, so you check out a few decades sooner than expected. What's wrong with that?" Apollo said soothingly. "You've got the guarantee of a god; what more do you want?"
Lara turned to the god, noting with some surprise that his shirt now read, "I know what a Grecian earns." "I want to live. My purpose isn't fulfilled yet and I'm not giving up."
"Is that your final answer? You don't know what's coming next. You could buy it in five minutes."
"Sorry, Apollo, but I'm not buying. Forget it. Now, are you going to give me the Test or..." She stopped. "Bloody Hell."
"Not yet." Apollo smiled, standing up. "Alright, alright, you can enter the Sanctum of the Oracle. Forgive the dust, but it's the maid's millenium off." He lifted into the air, his body beginning to glow brighter. "I think you can find your own way out."
"That's it?"
"You were expecting something more grandiose? Fanfare, time and space being warped, stuff like that?"
"Well...yes, I suppose so."
"Tell you what. You conform to your reputation and blow up every building older than a century that you leave, and we'll make every revelation you receive properly divine. How's that?"
"Are all dieties so sarcastic?"
"Mostly. Centuries of dealing with mortals does that to a god. Turn the light off before you leave." He vanished, leaving the temple dark. A few moments later, the lights flared high, revealing a large chamber divided into two areas. One of them was a relatively circular chamber with a chair in the center of the room. The throne sat on a column a few feet higher than floor-level, isolated by a ring-shaped chasm nearly thirty feet wide. There was no apparent way for anyone sitting on the throne to leave the column, giving the chamber a slightly ethereal feel to it. The floor, walls and ceiling were made of polished marble, and the timeless air of the room made Lara wonder if she was going to walk out of the chamber in the year 2000 AD...or in the year 500 BC.
Focus, Lara. You have work to do.
"How long has she been down there?" An older man, silver peppering his hair, moustache and close-cut beard, lowered his binoculars.
"Two hours." His companion, a devastatingly attractive redhead, stood up and walked over to him, her bikini barely covering her luxuriously-proportioned body. "Intelligence suggests that she's after the records involving the Spear of Achilles...and a possible antitoxin."
"Thinks she's made contact with the Community yet?"
"Probably...she just doesn't know it yet."
"Assemble an extraction team and have them bring David Connors to our base in the Falklands. Have M allow us access to three of our Shrike-Class satellites. If Lara leaves the island, I want to know where she's going even before she does." He turned to look at her and their eyes met. The woman's heart skipped a beat; the man was not particularly attractive or remarkable, although he was in phenomenal shape considering his age. But there was a distinct, powerful animal magnetism to him that made a jaded agent like her feel like a teenager. She blushed and smiled.
The man looked at her and sighed inwardly. Sometimes, I wish I could turn off that little switch in my body that turns women into animals in my presence. It's horrendous having to deal with that feral attraction when trying to do my job. He watched as she walked back into the cabin of the boat, dropping her bikini top on the deck behind her. He smiled a little. However, it does tend to make stakeouts less monotonous.
He followed her in, removing his shirt.
Lara put aside the scorll and went to the next one. With the influences of the powers she'd seen so far, it didn't surprise her to discover that the scrolls were in excellent condition, considering the sea air and the extreme age of her surroundings. Remind me next time I buy a home, I have it constructed on hallowed ground...I'll never need to hire a maid again. She did muse, however, that the temple may not have needed a maid service, it certainly needed a librarian. Trying to navigate through the massive racks of scrolls was difficult for Lara, even with her flawless understanding of the Grecian languages, new and old. It took her three hours just to get to the correct time period, and she was going blind on paperwork.
Lara stood up and stretched, walking towards the main chamber, pacing towards the throne idly. "I tell you, Oracle, you picked a bad time to retire from the trade. I could've used your counsel right about now."
Her last words were barely out of her mouth when she heard a nearly-inaudible hum coming from the throne. Mist began to rise from the gap and, as the gase rose, it became to coalesce into a more recognizable form. A feminine, wraithlike apparition appared on the throne, sitting upon it like a Queen before her court. A hollow female voice emitted from the throne. "Who summons the Oracle at Delphi?"
"I am Lara Croft."
"I have awaited your arrival for some time. You are early, Lara, I had not expected you for another week. I suppose even I am not perfect 100% of the time."
"I need your help."
"I have the power to answer one question, one request. Name I and the solution will become apparent."
Lara took a deep breath, considering how to word her request. "Oracle, I wan't to know what is required to heal one wounded by the Spear of Achilles."
"You must make a salve from the rust of the head of the Spear." She intoned a list of herbs and reagents, as well as the complete method for making the salve. Lara recorded every word on her PDA, watching as the words appeared on her screen as text as the voice-recognition software turned audio to alphanumeric characters on her word processing software. When she was done, she saved the file twice, then looked up at at the Oracle. "Oracle...I wish to ask you something."
"Only one question about your future or your desires may be asked."
"Wait!" Lara said loudly as she saw the apparition begin to dissipate. "This question is about you!"
The Oracle paused in her discoporation. "Never has anyone asked me a question about me. I am intrigued. Ask your question."
"You've seen empires rise and fall, countries born and die, and yet you remain here. Why?"
The Oracle needed only a second to compose her answer. "Purpose."
"I don't understand. Purpose in serving Apollo?"
"I foresaw that, one day, my counsel would not be used for war, pride, profit or vanity. I foresaw that I would help to save a man's life and aid him in rediscovering his soul."
Lara stared. "You spent thousands of years waiting just to save one man's life? Granted, I'm gratefu for your timely assistance, but...I find it hard to believe you'd do all this for one soul."
"There is nothing in this world more priceless and harder to recover than one single soul, Lara Croft." The Oracle shifted and, just for a moment, she thought she saw a smile on the shadowy face of the ghostly figure. Then the Oracle disappeared.
Then the Temple disappeared.
Then Lara disappeared.
"Unhhhhh..." Lara woke up and rubbed her head. "That was..." She sat up suddenly and looked around, finding herself sitting on a rock on Delphi's shore. "Please, God, tell me I didn't dream the whole thing...!" She reached for her PDA and pulled it out of its sheath quickly, pulling up the main screen.
The recipe for the salve was still there.
Lara breathed a sigh of relief. I was beginning to wonder...Apollo as a modern womanizer? Seeing the Oracle as some sort of revenant? She shook her head. "Right...time to deal with more earthly matters. I suppose I better look around and see if I can't fnd where my boat is anchored." She climbed off the rock and walked towards the beach, checking her compass. Lovely. I'm on the other side of the island! She sighed. Perhaps I can get to the other end of the isle by nightfall on foot.
The sounds of motors came to her ears and she saw five jetskis come around the left shore, heading towards her. She took out her binoculars and held it up. Lara frowned as she picked up other details about the riders. Unless Uzis are now considered chic to use while waterskiing, I've got a bad feeling my day just became much more complicated…
TO BE CONTINUED…