But Zeus and his clan never went away. Angered by the betrayal of man, they cursed the Earth with rising sea levels, global warming and dwindling fuel supplies. When the resources ran out and humanity was forced to seek refuge in space, the gods were lying in wait to re-impose their authority.
Many years ago, noble King Kevin of the planet Phokis led a campaign of war against Gerald, king of the lush green planet Titanos. The great god Zeus was pleased by Kevin's actions, and led his army to victory."You have done well, Kevin," thundered Zeus. "Choose a wife from the women you have captured, and return to Phokis to father a great dynasty."
Kevin took the hand of the lovely Hermione, the prized concubine of Gerald, and returned home to follow Zeus's instructions.
Hermione bore Kevin two sons. The first, Mark, toiled hard in the arid soil of Phokis to earn his father's respect and prove himself worthy as his heir, while the younger son, sweet-natured Jason, delighted all who surrounded him with music to rival Orpheus and fantastic tales.
But just as the most glorious tapestry may be unravelled by a single loose stitch, so Kevin's happiness was threatened by a single troubling doubt. Mark, his oldest son, had been delivered a mere nine months after the war with Titanos. Might it be that his heir was in fact the son of his mortal enemy, King Gerald? The King sought the advice of his most trusted General, Alan."The problem could be settled by a simple paternity test, my Lord," advised Alan.
"That solution has occurred to me, Alan," said King Kevin, "but to meddle in genetic matters would incur the wrath of Persephone, goddess of fertility."
"That was well spoken," agreed Alan. "We must not refute the will of the gods."
And so the matter remained unresolved. The more Mark worked to gain his father's favour, the more Kevin was reminded of his uncertain provenance, and while he heaped praise on the idle but charming Jason, he could never find a kind word for Mark.
Mark was disturbed by his father's hostility. He turned to Hermione for advice."What have I done, mother, to deserve this treatment? I have striven to prove myself worthy of my responsibilities, and yet I constantly come second to my brother in father's affections."
Hermione suspected that she knew the cause of her husband's attitude, but did not wish to plant the seeds of doubt in Mark's mind.
"Your father loves you in his own way, Mark," she said. "But he is a great hero and ruler, and we must not expect him also to be emotionally articulate."
Mark left silently, inwardly cursing womankind and all its conciliatory ways. He would devise a plan of action to resolve the situation for himself.
The next day, Mark left the palace early, and travelled to the Oracle, a mystic hole in the ground with miraculous powers of prophecy. The priestess who dwelt there was said to be a conduit for the predictions of the god Apollo.
"Welcome, stranger," said the priestess. "I foresaw your arrival."
"Greetings priestess," said Mark, sinking to his knees. "The accuracy of your predictions is renowned. I seek your advice on a family matter. Since childhood, my father has spurned me in favour of my brother, and I wish to know whether I am destined to inherit my rightful role as King of Phokis."
"Very well, my prince," she muttered, falling instantly into a trance.
The priestess's voice took on a strange quality as she spoke the words of immortal Apollo. "The winds of fate are blowing against you. You will make an enemy of Zeus, your brother will usurp you, and you are destined to die by the hand of your father."
With that, the woman awoke from her daze. "Bad news, stranger," she remarked.
"Yes," agreed Mark.
Mark returned to his father's palace in a disturbed state of mind. Overwhelmed by exhaustion after years of wasted labour, he marched past his usual tasks and collapsed into bed, where he fell into a fevered slumber.As he slept, the merciful goddess Athene looked down upon him from the cloudy heights of Olympos. Although her brother Apollo had prophesied his downfall and death, she felt a degree of empathy with this cursed man. She too often had difficulty in gaining the respect of her powerful father, the all-powerful thunder god, Zeus. She decided to offer him counsel in a dream.
Riding down on the wave of a sunbeam, Athene entered Mark's head through his ear and spoke to him soothingly as he tossed restlessly between the sheets.
"Do not be afraid, Mark," she said. "You may yet escape your destiny if you follow my advice. If your brother Jason is disposed of, he cannot lay claim to your throne. Your father would surely never murder his only surviving son, and in the absence of Jason, would surely grow to love and honour you as you deserve."
After delivering this divine reasoning, Athene retreated to her heavenly abode.
Mark awoke possessed by a sense of great calm. Killing his brother would certainly resolve many of his problems, and if the gods willed it, he was in no position to refuse.But as the day wore on, and Athene's persuasive mist lifted from his eyes, he began to doubt whether he could commit fratricide. Although Jason was lazy and irritating, he was a kind child and impossible to dislike. He would have to find some way of getting rid of the boy without bloodying his hands.
One of the projects Mark had been preparing was a space shuttle that would gather data from nearby planets. Mark had planned to use it to find useful natural resources, but now an intriguing dual function presented itself: he could use it to launch his brother into space exile.
When the shuttle was finished, Mark promised to show his brother around the site. Jason was most impressed.
"Dear brother," he said. "If only I could match your powers of ingenuity and reasoning. Alas, I am only a foolish boy who spins unlikely yarns and strums upon his lyre. I have never told you this, but I admire you deeply."
Mark was unmoved by his brother's speech. Athene had cast her spell upon him, and he was powerless to resist her imprecations. He unsentimentally shoved Jason into the rocket's cockpit, then calmly sealed the door and initiated the launch sequence.
Upon learning of Jason's disappearance, the King was deeply upset. Although he could prove nothing, he suspected that Mark had somehow been involved in disposing of his brother. He confided his fears to Alan.
"My years of suspicion and hostility towards my eldest son have come back to haunt me, Alan. I fear that Mark's resentment of my favouritism have led him to commit a terrible act of treachery."
"It is not impossible," said Alan.
"I have no evidence, so we must proceed as before. We must assume that Mark is now my only son. But promise me this, my faithful friend: if Jason ever returns to Phokis alive, Mark must be killed."
"If that is your wish, my Lord," said Alan.
Kevin handed Alan a sealed envelope containing his wishes. "No-one else must know of this, Alan," urged the King.
Meanwhile, Jason's rocket cruised through the inky vacuum of space. From his seat in the heavens, Apollo glimpsed the shuttle and recognised its lonely passenger."Father Zeus," he cried, "is that not Jason, son of Kevin, King of Phokis, in yonder space chariot?"
Zeus squinted through the window. "Indeed so, my son. He is destined for great things; what reason could he have for drifting alone through the darkness of chaos?"
"I suspect treachery, father. I once prophesied that Jason would usurp his older brother Mark and take his father's throne. Perhaps Mark has exiled him in an attempt to subvert my prediction."
"What manner of hubris drives a man to defy the very gods?" raged Zeus. "This man Mark is too weak to have acted alone; he must have been assisted."
"I have seen sister Athene speaking to him, Father," Apollo confessed.
"Bring her before me."
And so Zeus interrogated Athene about her involvement."Daughter, what is this I hear of your relationship with the wretched Mark, Prince of Phokis?"
Athene could not meet Zeus's gaze. "He was wronged by Apollo's prophecy, Father. As the eldest son, he should have the right to his father's inheritance."
"Daughter, that was not well spoken. What right had you to contradict the wishes of your brother Apollo?"
"He is only my half-brother, Father. Why should he have authority over me?"
"Silence, child. King Kevin is a loyal worshipper of mine. He did not trust his oldest son, and I decreed that Jason should take his throne. Do you wish to defy me also?"
"No, Father," muttered Athene.
After dismissing Athene, Zeus pondered his options. "My impertinent daughter has meddled in matters that do not concern her. Now we must rectify her mistake and bring about the conclusion that destiny has foreseen. What say you, brother Poseidon?"Poseidon mused for a moment. "Let us steer Jason into the hands of his father's enemy, King Gerald of Titanos. Jason was not yet born during the great war, so they will not know who he is. Perhaps they will take the kind-hearted boy under their wing."
"You suggestion is righteous, brother. In due time, Jason may lead the armies of Titanos against his perfidious brother. This revenge would be exceptionally pleasing."
Having settled on a plan, Poseidon guided the tiny spaceship through the rippling waves of space-time towards planet Titanos.
[Click here for Act II]
