Chapter 7: Percy's First Repair Job
Percy had been so excited when Apollo told him he could drive solo today.
No backseat driving. No Apollo blasting terrible '80s music. Just him, the Sun Chariot, and a smooth ride across the sky.
It was supposed to be a simple run.
…Of course, it wasn't.
The Chariot Breaks Down—Mid-Flight
Percy had barely gotten past noon when the first warning light flashed.
At first, he thought it was just one of Apollo's weird settings, but then the Chariot sputtered.
Then the heating core started freezing.
Then all the core systems started crashing.
"Uh-oh." Percy grabbed the controls, feeling the panic rise in his chest. "That's not good. That's really not good."
Using his connection to the Sun Chariot, he did a quick scan.
Core Stability: 42% and dropping.
Thermal Regulation: FROZEN.
Energy Output: Falling rapidly.
Percy swallowed. Something was seriously wrong.
(The Problem with Midday Repairs)
Normally, Apollo handled repairs at night or during eclipses—when the sun wasn't fully visible.
Percy?
Yeah, he didn't have that luxury.
It was the middle of the day. If he just stopped the sun, people would definitely notice.
His brain scrambled for a solution. What would Apollo do?
…Oh.
Oh.
Time to get creative with some classic Apollo
[The Cover-Up Plan]
Percy reached for the emergency toolkit Apollo kept behind the back seat.
He had no idea how half the tools worked, but he didn't have a choice.
"Okay," he muttered. "Step one: Make an excuse."
Step One: Make the sky weird enough that no one questions the sun acting up.
He cranked up the solar flares, making them interfere with radio signals.
Extra heatwave over the Pacific. Hopefully, mortals just blamed it on climate change.
Step Two: Midair Maintenance.
He looped the chariot into a low orbit, parking it just behind a thick storm front.
Pulled out the wrench labeled DO NOT USE UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.
Opened the control panel under the dashboard.
…And immediately regretted it.Because wow, there were so many wires."Okay," Percy breathed, staring at the mess of glowing circuits. "Don't panic. You got this."
Fixing the Sun (Somehow)
Step One: Reroute power from the frozen heating core.
Percy found a lever labeled SUN TEMP REGULATOR and yanked it.
A loud CLUNK sounded, and the Chariot shuddered.
Step Two: Kickstart the Core Stability System.
Percy spotted a big red button that said EMERGENCY RESTART.
"Well, that seems important."
He pressed it.
For three seconds, nothing the entire Chariot jerked, nearly throwing him the Sun flared, blinked, and then—Everything settled.
(The Aftermath)
Percy let out a huge sigh of relief as the Chariot stabilized.
Core Stability: Back to 99%.
Heating Core: Fully operational.
Energy Output: Stable.
"Yes!" Percy fist-pumped. "I fixed the sun!"
…Then he realized he still had to explain the weird solar behavior.
[The Report to Olympus]
Later that evening, Percy was waving off Apollo's praise when Zeus's voice boomed through the sky.
"WHY DID THE SUN GLITCH TODAY?"
Percy froze.
Apollo patted his shoulder. "Go on, kid. Your turn."
Percy gulped, then took a deep breath.
"Uh, well," he said, trying to channel Apollo's confidence, "there was a, uh… solar flare anomaly!"
Zeus narrowed his eyes. "A what?"
"A totally natural solar event!" Percy nodded enthusiastically. "It happens sometimes. Science and stuff."
Zeus stared at him.
Apollo grinned behind his sunglasses.
Then Zeus just… sighed. "Fine. But next time—"
"—Of course, totally, no problem!" Percy cut in. "Won't happen again! Probably."
Zeus grumbled something about "irresponsible sun drivers" before disappearing in a thunderclap.
As soon as he was gone, Percy exhaled. "That was terrifying."
Apollo cackled. "Kid, you just pulled off your first divine cover-up. I'm so proud."
Percy shook his head. "I hate that I'm good at this."
Apollo ruffled his hair. "Welcome to sun god life."