Immortal Ladies: The Complete 3-book Science Fiction Romance Series

ARTE

CHAPTER ONE

Prologue

Her name was Pandora, and she was the greatest geneticist ever produced by the Olympians. She could manipulate DNA as an expert perfumer could mix scents. To her, the building blocks of life were nothing more than a palette with which she could formulate life as she wished.

Pandora made her way down the stairs into the ultimate isolation laboratory where she could perform her experiments without worrying about killing the whole planet, or so it was thought. After numerous chemical showers, she found herself naked, standing outside her lab, her studio as she liked to call it. She donned protective gear before passing through the final shower. Behind her, every door between the lab and the outside locked, allowing no one in and nothing out.

Monitor, status of growth enhancer Alpha-17-Kappa?

Working... Sample ready to test.

Good. Begin recording.

Working... Ready.

This is Dr. Pandora Contos of the Olympian Confederation Food Labs. This is test one of enhancer A-17-K. Monitor, begin test.

Working... 30 CC of A-17-K has been added to 1 kg of algae Dopp-22 in the presence of normal Olympian atmosphere. Scanners show no reaction.

Hmmm. Increase carbon dioxide level 5%.

Working... No reaction.

What are the light levels?

Normal, natural ambient levels, visible spectrum.

Include near UV to near IR...

Working... Warning, oxygen uptake increasing 200%... 300%!

Dammit. Emergency scram.

Scramming... Unable to comply. Containment breach in thirty seconds.

Radiation protocol!

No effect. Self-destruct in ten seconds.

Pandora ran to the exit, but never made it. Ignoring radiation, and several other lethal protocols, A-17-K broke containment killing Pandora instantly as it ate its way out of the lab. The Pandora extinction-level event had begun.

XXX

Herc, we must hurry, Cassiopeia yelled to her companion, Heracles, as the two of them prepared material destined for their new home.

Cassi, I'm hurrying, Herc replied as he picked up 50 stone of transport crates and placed them gently on a lift truck, its repulsor field straining under the load. When he finished, the truck would automatically take its load to a waiting drone where others would carefully pack its contents for shipment to the new home world.

A nearby door slammed open as two security officers ran in carrying a white crate with red symbols festooning its exterior. A-17-K? What the hell is that? Herc asked as he effortlessly took the box from the overtaxed guards and set it on the truck with the other crates.

Top Secret, one of the officers said. All I know is that it would warrant its own drone if we had any left.

Watch it, Herc said as Cassie threw him a crate.

Last one! she yelled.

Ignoring the guards, Herc typed a command into the truck's control pad, causing a containment field to form around the cargo as the cart headed out of the room.

We need to go, Cassie said as she and her brother each took a guard and hustled them out of the room. Minutes later, they were on their way to the mothership as the empty building sealed itself in the hope that someday the Olympians would return home.

XXX

The truck sped through the empty corridors, making its way to a waiting drone. Without slowing, it drove into the ship and parked in an empty space amongst a number of other trucks where it was locked and connected to the drone's power system before being put into standby.

Detecting its full complement of trucks were aboard, the drone sealed all entries and disconnected all umbilicals before launching into the sky. As it gained altitude, its external cameras recorded the encroaching wall of life as it consumed the city below.

Once clear of the planet's gravity well, the ship set course for the new home world, then activated the faster-than-light drive. Seeing that all parameters with well within operating norms, the on-board computer went into standby mode from which it would return once they were in orbit around their destination. Until then, or until an emergency awakened it, the computer would sleep while automatic monitors kept an eye on things.

XXX

The computer woke to alarms from all over the drone. Checking the instrumentation data flows, it found the impossible had occurred. The ship was on a planet.

The computer immediately checked systems and found the drone's drive system, directional control systems, and power systems were being systematically taken off-line. Switching to an Engineering room camera, it watched in horror as members of an unknown species calmly disconnected system after system, carrying the parts outside through a hole cut in the hull.

Another alarm went off. Someone or something had breached the computer center. Switching video feeds, the computer watched in horror as a multi-tentacled creature reached up and hit the power switch for the center. That was the last thing the system saw as its power disappeared.

XXX

Ren, where do you want me to take this? Joshua, the Alturan computer tech, asked while pointing to the drone's computer core.

How advanced is it?

Pretty damned advanced. The gods of the multiverse were kind this time. If you want my opinion, it should go to either the research center or the hospital. The docs really need something like this to analyze the MRI data.

Hospital it is.

Ren, a creature from a faraway universe, swam over to the breacher team working on the drone's hold. He leaned down and yelled into the ear of a squat humanoid, one from a heavy gravity planet. Sentra! How much longer? We need to get out of here before another microportal opens.

As if to answer, a section of hull fell to the ground to reveal a hold full of heavily laden trucks, their containment fields glowing.

Jackpot! Ren yelled as he clapped several appendages. He keyed his walkie-talkie, a genuine army one from Earth's World War II era. This is Ren. I need all available retrievers at my location, stat! And I need Sophocles on the double!

A swarm of retrievers arrived and began offloading the drone. Meanwhile, Sophocles showed up.

You rang, Ren? the mech asked. Soph was an octopod undercarriage carrying a quad-armed torso topped by a head festooned with sensors.

Yeah, buddy. I hope I didn't interrupt anything.

No, nothing a bottle of wine and a rare steak won't fix.

New girlfriend?

Possibly, though this one seems immune to my charm and wit.

Well, why don't you take a gander inside the hold, Ren said with a nod.

Sophocles focused several optical sensors on the interior of the drone. He whistled. Jackpot.

How high?

A nine on the tech scale at least. I'd have to look at the core, but by the looks of these containment fields, I would say a definite eight, possibly a nine. A truck hovered by. Hold!

It stopped next to the bot. Sophocles reached through the containment field to retrieve a box. He brought it out and held it in front of a precision scanner. Hmmm. Interesting.

What did you find?

Ancient Earth Greek symbology, but with differences. The odd thing is it's not from Earth. The isotopes are wrong. He tapped a button on his undercarriage. This is Sophocles. I need to talk to Rhea.

One moment.... came the reply as the communications tech made connections.

Go for Rhea.

This is Soph. How's your ancient Olympian?

If you've got one of those damn erotic urns...

He switched feeds so that she could see the crate he was scanning.

Damn. it says, 'Property of Olympian Food Research Center.' Got any more?

Soph grabbed one from the top of the truck's load and held it up.

Container A17K. Property of Dr. Pandora Contos, Lead Researcher, Olympia Food Research Center... By Hera and Zeus, this is not good.

What's wrong?

OK, I know someone from Olympia. We need to talk to her, pronto. Get your asses and that box back here, now! I've got to make a call. Rhea out.

Ren looked at Sophocles. Need a ride?

Hardly, the bot said as it lifted off the ground, tucking its legs into flight position. I'll meet you back at the hotel. He jetted off in the direction of town.

Ren keyed his walkie-talkie. This is Ren. I'm heading back to town. Ten-spot, you're in charge. Ren out.

Ren swam into his truck and followed Sophocles.

XXX

In town, Ren pulled up in front of the hotel. Around him, crowds of townspeople went about their business. Handing his keys to the parking attendant, he swam into the hotel and up to the front desk where a clerk directed him to a meeting room. Inside he found Sophocles, and Rhea talking to a human looking woman.

Ah, Ren. Good, Rhea said. This is Anna Korba. She's one of the survivors of the disaster that forced the Olympians to leave their home world and find a new one.

Rhea, we have people from over three thousand worlds and gods know how many time periods living here in our little universe. Then there's the billions who have moved off-world after arriving here. You can't expect me to know all their histories.

Sophocles turned a half-dozen sensors to the sky. He never reads the newsletters I send out.

Anyway, she knows about the box, Anna said.

Oh, sorry, please go on, Ren said.

The Olympians were facing famine, so they turned to Dr. Contos for a solution. She came up with a growth formula that would increase yields by 5000%. When she tested it, though, something went wrong, and the test sample quickly grew to the point where it was able to eat its way out of a 10-level containment facility. Several thousand of us were able to escape the destruction, but the planet was assumed to be destroyed.

So, what does that have to do with this box? Ren asked.

The growth formula was named Alpha-17-Kappa, or A17K.

Ren and Sophocles turned to look at the box sitting innocently on the table.

You mean that stuff is sitting in there? Sophocles asked.

Anna nodded.

I'm from Earth, a planet that the Olympians stopped by on their way to their new home world... Rhea explained.

A planet which we culturally contaminated by playing god, Anna added.

We're fine, Rhea said while giving the other woman a hug. We have a legend about that container. We call it Pandora's Box. Supposedly, it is filled with all sorts of woes and evils, stuff that cannot be allowed to escape, ever.

Well, make sure the damn thing is locked! Ren said.

It is, Anna explained. It is locked with a one-of-a-kind atomic laser key. Any attempt to pick its lock or force the box open will result in its contents being incinerated with nuclear fire.

Oh, Sophocles said. And where's the key?

Unknown, as was the location of the box, Anna explained. It seems to have gotten lost in transit. The drone never made it to New Olympia.

Typical for this planet and universe. So, what do we do with the box? Rhea asked.

Put it in the museum, Ren suggested. Think about it. I doubt most people around here even know what Pandora's Box refers to. It'll be kept safe and people can peer at it through the security glass.

I agree, Sophocles said. It will be safe, and we can all move on. It's not like the time we found those Kraken eggs.

Rhea looked at Anna, What do you think?

I think it's a great idea. It's not like anyone can open the damn thing.

So, Pandora's Box was relegated to a secure enclosure in the museum. Meanwhile, life got back to normal.

Two subjective months later, an event occurred which changed everything.

XXX

It was past midnight local when Brutus and his gang crept up to the back door of the Historical Museum. While the others kept watch, Brutus bypassed the alarm system before picking the ancient lock. Once inside, they made a beeline to the display section holding Pandora's Box. They gathered around the case and stared at the artifact inside. Is that it, Boss? one of Brutus's companions asked.

Yeah, that's it. That's the box Hades wants.

Kinda small, isn't it? another member of the group asked.

Yep, but the pay is the same if it's a little box or a train car. Get a move on.

In short order, the display case was breached and the box removed. Finished, the burglars made a hasty exit out of the building, then out of town in the pickup truck they had borrowed for the night.

As they passed by the sign proclaiming they were leaving the city, they could hear alarms going off behind them.

Quick, make a right here, Brutus said.

But boss, that'll take us through the forbidden zone, the first co-conspirator said.

Yeah, but it'll get us to Hades' place in half the time, unless you want to wait for the authorities. They could now hear sirens in the distance.

But people disappear out there, someone else noted.

We'll all disappear unless we get this box to Hades, Brutus pointed out. So, turn right!

They turned right and headed out of the county and into the Forbidden Zone.

See, this doesn't look too bad, Brutus said right before the truck, its occupants, and cargo were engulfed in blazing white light, leaving only the smoking lower halves of the truck's wheels to mark its passage.

Minutes later, three squad cars drove up and disgorged six deputies, one of them carried a device which he placed on the hood of his vehicle before activating it.

Morons! Didn't they think to bring a stabilizer with them? I wonder where they ended up? a deputy asked.

Probably sitting around a pool on some paradise planet, the Sheriff replied. Take pictures and grab those wheels. We can try to identify the vehicle from tread casts.

Finished with their work, the three cars headed back into town. On the way, they passed by a sign which greeted thousands of beings from hundreds of continuums upon their arrival: Welcome to Shit, the place where everything goes when it hits the fan.

XXX

The captain of the Sentry Ship Pegasus looked up from his book when the alarm went off. Report!

Picking up several objects with multiple quantum spin signatures, ma'am, the first officer said.

Position?

Dead ahead, distance one hundred miles, the helmsman replied.

Set intercept course and engage. Tactical, someone we're familiar with?

No, Captain, they're from here and several other places in the multiverse. It's a potpourri.

Science officer, what are we looking at?

Data coming in now, ma'am. Captain, I'm picking up five bodies, two nominally from the League while three are unknown. I'm also reading a pickup truck, weapons, and...

And what?

A box made of crystalline adamantine. The box reads about three thousand years old, and it's from this universe.

Crystalline adamantine? That's only used to store the nastiest of the nasties. First Officer, sound general quarters. Science Officer, prepare to recover those people, their weapons, truck, and that box, then put them into temporal stasis. Communications, contact the Cube and let them know we're coming in with a hot load. Helm, once we retrieve everything and have it tucked safely away in a time bubble, set course for the Cube, best possible speed. The captain sat back and watched the screen as they came up on their targets. It never rains, but it pours, he mumbled.

CHAPTER TWO