New Human

In the caverns below Olympus Hades dwells in secret. Two centuries have passed since his exile, but he knows they are clueless of his whereabouts and that makes him smile. Their ignorance and his brilliance really have no limits, he thinks with pride.

These caverns are his realm, The Underworld, as he has dubbed them, and this is where the tortures of the dead preside. Though, in reality the dead cannot be tortured. This is not a place where the damned are sent to suffer for eternity. No. Instead Hades has worked in secret using the bodies of the dead cast out from Olympus for burning as subjects for his experiments.

Many of these experiments ended in failure and he spent countless years toiling to try and create a new army that will not only be able to stand against, but also defeat once and for all, the AI Apocalypse when it returns. Though, not before he has had his vengeance against Olympus, its citizens and the other Olympians condemning him to exile. He will convert them all, whether they like it or not. Then they will see the brilliance and necessity of his actions as they serve him without question.

Successfully achieving the reanimation of the dead had been no easy task, but it had helped Hades to further advance himself as well. He steps from one of the many vast shadows of the caverns to stand before his mighty army of cybernetic drones. Hades is much taller now as he towers nearly nine feet into the air as he stands atop the rocky plinth. His body more machine than man, his face pale and dead as his black empty eyes stare outward, his broad shoulders tipped with spikes as curved blades run the length of his arms. Hades has no need for weapons now, he is a weapon. He is the perfect combination of man and machine, fuelled by synthetic compounds concocted by his own metallic hands that pump through his mechanised body. The fluid keeps his still organic brain alive beneath its metal enclosure. His sharp silvery fangs glinting below the dead mass of skin that had once been his face as he snarls.

“My children!” Hades says with a low rumbling voice that leaks from his synthetic voice box.

He knows even Ares could not best him now. He could tear the arrogant warrior limb from limb with little effort. He only wishes he could have the chance, but Ares will need to be converted, unlike Nemesis. He will see her dead. She is weak. Her augmentations are weak. She feels pain. Her bones can break. Nanotech is the lesser cousin to cybernetics and should only be used to help further enhancements like his own.

“Our time draws near.” Hades voice thunders again across the vast caverns as countless drones continue work on converting and reanimating more of the newly dead. Others perform upgrades to their kin in preparation for the impending invasion.

The drones have no voices so simply groan in response to Hades words. For the drones have no minds or souls. They are tools, blunt and simple. Puppets that answer only to Hades, lord of this domain, their creator.

“First we must dispatch Nemesis.” Hades voice hissing as the s’ roll off his synthetic tongue.

“And sever Zeus’ connection to Olympus.” Hades continues as he sneers. His drones groan in confirmation almost like they agree with their master, but they have no opinions. They only follow orders. Hades has made sure of that.

“Then we take Olympus!” Hades thunders so loud that the walls shake at his bellowing.

The drones continue groaning as a collective even as Hades turns and disappears from the plinth above them. He canters down the dry sloping rocks to a mass of drones, some of his best and most advanced specimens. They will end Nemesis. She will be no match for them, while he severs Zeus from Olympus. He won’t kill the old Olympian who he knows is little more than a brain attached to a machine. He may even prove useful when the AI returns, but he will make him watch, helpless, until that day comes.

“Go. Dispatch Nemesis.” Hades voice rumbles and hisses as he speaks with a too wide and evil smile across his face, his sharp fangs out on display.

He would like to end her himself, but she is little more than a fly that needs to be swatted and isn’t worth his time. He doesn’t need her for the future, his future he thinks as the elite drones vanish into the shadows of The Underworld.