Chapter 1: Lessons in Solar Maintenance and Mechanics
It all started with an innocent question.
"Does the Sun Chariot ever break down?"
Apollo, who had been mid-strum on his golden lyre, paused. His sunglasses slid down his nose as he turned to look at Percy. "Kid, you have no idea what you just asked."
The next thing Percy knew, he was standing in a massive, glowing garage. But this was no ordinary garage—this was the Sun Garage, a celestial workshop floating somewhere in the cosmos, dedicated to maintaining the most powerful and temperamental vehicle in existence.
The Sun Chariot rested in the center of the massive space, still radiating warmth, its golden frame shifting with solar energy. Tools hovered in midair, neatly arranged by some invisible force, and massive glowing schematics flickered across the walls.
Percy's eyes widened. "Whoa."
Apollo crossed his arms and smirked. "Yeah, whoa. You think driving the Sun is all fun and games? This baby needs regular maintenance, or next thing you know, we get solar flares going off in the wrong places, temperature spikes, or—" he shuddered dramatically "—the Chariot refusing to start in the morning."
Percy gasped. "You mean… the sun could actually not rise?"
Apollo shrugged. "Hasn't happened yet, but you really don't want to see what happens if it does."
Percy looked at the Chariot, suddenly feeling a whole lot more respect for it. "Okay… so how do you keep it working?"
Apollo grinned. "That's what we're here for, kid. Welcome to
Sun Maintenance 101."
The Basics of Solar Mechanics
Apollo led Percy to a giant glowing blueprint of the Chariot, which shimmered as it updated in real-time. "Alright, let's start with the basics. This thing isn't just a car—it's a living system. It's powered by raw divine energy, solar flares, and a mix of ancient mechanics that even I don't fully understand."
Percy blinked. "Wait, you don't know how it works?"
Apollo huffed. "Hey, I know enough! I've been driving it for millennia, but I didn't build it. Helios left a bunch of weird old protocols in the system, and whoever designed the original model didn't exactly leave a user manual. I've had to figure out most of it myself."
Percy glanced at the hovering tools. "So… what's the worst thing that's happened?"
Apollo groaned. "There was that one time I ignored a warning light. Turns out, that was the temperature regulation system failing. The Sun overheated, and, uh…" He coughed. "Let's just say the Ice Age ended real fast."
Percy's jaw dropped. "That was you?"
"Look, we fixed it, okay?" Apollo waved a hand. "Anyway, the point is, I do regular maintenance now. Every month, I run a full systems check. Every 5–10 years, I do a full tune-up. Used to be every century, but turns out that's not good for the Chariot."
Percy frowned. "But how do you fix it? I don't see any normal car parts."
Apollo smirked. "That's where the connection comes in. Since we're both linked to the Sun Chariot, we can feel when something's off." He tapped Percy's chest. "You ever get that weird buzzing feeling when you're near it?"
Percy nodded. "Yeah, sometimes it's like my bones are vibrating."
"Exactly. That's the Chariot's way of saying, 'Hey, something's weird.' You'll start to notice when things feel off—a gauge blinking too fast, the energy flow feeling sluggish, or even the heat level being too steady."
Percy scrunched his nose. "Too steady?"
Apollo grinned. "Yep. The Sun is always shifting. If it's too smooth, it usually means something's stuck and needs a reset."
Emergency Repairs and Sneaky Fixes
Percy watched as Apollo summoned a holographic display of different "repair strategies."
"Alright, so if something goes wrong, I've got a few tricks up my sleeve," Apollo said. "First option: Solar Eclipse Mode. If I need a quick fix, I temporarily block out the Sun, so I can tinker with the systems."
Percy's eyes widened. "Wait—so every eclipse is just you doing maintenance?"
Apollo smirked. "Not all of them, but yeah, a lot of the time. Humans freak out over it, but hey, I gotta work somehow."
Percy nodded, taking mental notes. "Okay, what if you need more time?"
"That's when I go for Early Sunset or Late Sunrise Mode," Apollo explained. "If the Chariot is acting really weird, I might land it early and start repairs before anyone notices."
Percy's eyes narrowed. "Wait. That one summer where the sun kept setting super early—was that you?"
Apollo coughed. "Uh. No comment."
Percy snickered. "Got it. So what if it's something really bad?"
Apollo sighed. "That's when I call in a favor from Zeus."
Percy blinked. "Zeus? Why?"
"If I need to do a deep-dive fix, I get Zeus to summon a massive storm to cover the sky," Apollo explained. "That way, the Chariot stays in low power mode while I work on it. Humans just think it's a cloudy day, and I get a couple hours to tinker."
Percy's jaw dropped. "So, like, half the thunderstorms are just you fixing your car?"
Apollo shrugged. "More than you'd think."
Percy's First Lesson
After the crash course in Solar Maintenance, Apollo led Percy over to the Chariot itself. "Alright, kid, time for a test. The left heat vent is slightly clogged. You should be able to feel it now that you know what to look for."
Percy closed his eyes, focusing on their connection to the Chariot. Sure enough, he felt a slight hiccup in the warmth. "It's… uneven," he muttered. "Like the heat isn't flowing right."
Apollo grinned. "Exactly. Now, take this—" he handed Percy a glowing tool that looked like a golden tuning fork "—and tap the left panel."
Percy did as he was told. The second the tool made contact, the Chariot let out a soft hum, and the warmth evened out.
Percy's eyes widened. "Whoa! That was so cool!"
Apollo ruffled his hair. "Not bad, kid. Keep practicing, and you'll be an expert in no time."
As they wrapped up for the day, Percy couldn't help but smile. It wasn't just about driving the Sun—now, he understood how to take care of it. And for the first time, he realized that being co-owner of the Sun Chariot meant more than just fun.
It meant responsibility.
And maybe… just maybe… he was ready for it.