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  “Maybe Omin’s clone got them before they could reach us.”

  The Olympians wouldn’t have any interest in confronting Omin’s clone. Their only concern would be to save Ann. But somewhere along the way, the clone must have intercepted them, which explained why a Paler attacked Ann in the parking lot.

  “There’s something important that you need to know,” Hathor told Paff. “Omin’s clone is disguised as Alexander Napoli, a human here on Earth. He created a small chip the size of a Paler orange seed, and he has implanted about twenty percent of the planet with it. He probably forced the Olympians and Second Commander Jaz and her two companions to take this chip. The chip brainwashes those who take it so that they will do anything he says. You have to remove the chip from their hands in order for them to be back to their normal selves.”

  “How will I know if they have a chip in them or not?” Paff asked.

  “There will probably be a scar where the incision was made.”

  “Since some Earthlings have been infected with this, too, we need to remove their chips as well. If we can do that, then Omin’s clone will lose his army. Then we can isolate him and get rid of him so that he’s no longer a threat to anyone.” Paff took out his telecommunicator and pressed a button.

  The captain quickly answered. “Leader Paff?”

  Paff quickly described the situation.

  “I will notify the ranks to focus their efforts on removing the chips,” the captain replied.

  Paff ended the communication. “Thank you, Hathor. Will you be coming with us?”

  “Yes.”

  Together they headed for the location Paff expected the Palers and Olympians to be, the nine Palers following them.

  ***

  Alexander Napoli’s Underground Chamber

  Jaz was slowly recovering from the brutal punishment Omin-2 had given her for losing the queen of Raz. In the beating, he had damaged the chip so that she had enough of her own free will to force aside the messages from the chip.

  She groaned as she sat up on the table, pretending not to care that there were about a hundred humans standing silently in the room, guns in hand, waiting for their cue to attack. She was certain these humans had the chip in them. She recalled how painful the chip had been to insert. It didn’t hurt her physically. It was the mental pain that ripped through her mind that caused incredible agony. In some ways, it was worse than the Great Prison had been.

  “I see you feel well enough to join us.” Omin-2 said.

  She decided to play along so he wouldn’t suspect that she was no longer under his control. Lowering her gaze, she offered a submissive nod.

  “You failed on the mission I sent you on yesterday, but fortunately for you, I am merciful and forgiving,” he continued. “You will come with me. The others will remain here until they have defeated those rebellious Palers under Paff’s command. It shouldn’t take too long. Once they begin receiving my chip, they will give them to others, and before you know it, Pale will be mine.”

  She just stared at him. She wanted to jump up and grab a gun from one of the mindless humans in the room, but she made herself stay still.

  He turned to the humans, Lino, Ares, Zeus, and Apollo who waited for his orders. “Leader Paff and his small group of do-gooders are on their way here as we speak. I will depart from here with Jaz. When you have succeeded in bringing the Palers and Earthlings to their knees, you will be honored above all others. I will give you special positions of power under my reign. Come, Jaz. We have important work to do on Pale.”

  She bit her tongue to force aside her protests and simply nodded and followed him.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Six Years in the Past

  Aboard the Olympian spaceship

  Planet: Earth

  Athena smiled as she engaged her shields that would hide them from the Paler warships. “Despite our lack of technological advancements, the Olympians have designed ways to become invisible to our enemies,” she told Ann.

  Ann fought to get off the chair, but the rope binding her to it was too strong. Her hands and feet weren’t budging from the chair either. She groaned in aggravation. How was she supposed to help the planet Raz if she couldn’t even help herself? She wondered if Hathor knew where she was. She knew he would be worried about her. But at least Athena and Falon left her parents and Stacey alive, so she had that comfort.

  “We’ll be at the United Nations in a few minutes,” Athena said as she steered the ship by the military jets that were firing at a Paler warship.

  Falon glanced out the window. “The Paler warships are just sitting in the sky, protecting their crafts with the shields. Why aren’t they attacking the humans?”

  Athena shrugged. “I don’t know. It doesn’t make sense.”

  “The Palers should be fighting…unless Leader Paff told them not to. But why would he do that?” He glanced at Ann as if she should have the answer.

  “How should I know?” Ann asked. “I don’t even remember you two.”

  “Quite a clever plan Omin’s clone had.” Athena nodded in appreciation. “It makes perfect sense to defeat your enemy by making her unaware of who’s a danger to her. Ares is probably proud of the tactic.”

  “Ares? The god of war?” Ann asked.

  Athena looked at her. “What do you know of the gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus?”

  “Only what I learned in Greek and Roman mythology. I guess it was more than a myth though.”

  “You always did know a lot about us. It was quite delightful to know that our fame survived the ages on this planet.”

  “And you’re the goddess Athena who sprang from your father’s head?”

  “Yes.”

  “You’re known for wisdom. You are the favorite daughter of Zeus, and you’re one of the three virgin goddesses.”

  Athena grinned in pleasure. “Which was your favorite goddess as you studied the mythology?”

  “Believe it or not, you. You possessed the level-headed thinking I always admired.”

  “You’re not just saying that to get me to side with you, are you?”

  “If Apollo were here, he would verify the truth in my statement.”

  “Remarkable. I will beg Omin’s clone to spare your life. I would hate to see you die.”

  Falon rolled his eyes in disgust. “You Olympians are incredibly vain.”

  “Ah…he anticipates our arrival,” Athena said, ignoring Falon as she landed the spaceship on top of the building.

  Ann glanced out the window at the two gathered on the roof, waiting for them. Apparently, Omin-2 was keeping his Alexander Napoli appearance. She guessed it was so the Earthlings wouldn’t attack him since the Palers were obviously not attacking now. He had a Paler with him—the same Paler who had attacked her yesterday. She wondered about the poor physical condition the Paler was in since there was no way Ann did that much damage to her yesterday.

  She mutely watched as Omin-2 and the Paler boarded the ship. The Paler seemed to recognize her, for her eyes widened in surprise when she saw her.

  “Sit over there, Jaz,” Omin-2 ordered.

  Jaz obeyed.

  Ann glanced at her, wondering if she had the chip in her hand. What was the distinction between those who had the chip and those who didn’t?

  Omin-2’s eyes fell on Ann as he sat in his own seat. “I see that William wasn’t able to do his job. If that lame-brained human wasn’t so crucial to my plans, I’d eliminate him for such incompetence.”

  Ann blinked in surprise. What did Omin-2 want with William?

  “We have one brief stop to make before our departure to Pale,” Omin-2 told Athena. “Take me to Xenia, Ohio. I believe that’s where we’ll find that sniveling coward.”

  “Yes, lord Omin-2. We will find that sniveling coward,” Athena replied, ascending into the sky.

  Omin-2 leaned back and smiled at Ann. “It’s nothing personal, Queen Ann, but quite frankly, you are my biggest threat. That king you chose, Hathor, is
n’t much of a comfort either. But William… You should have chosen him. If you had, this wouldn’t be necessary. All is not lost though. There’s still time to make things right. Of course, if this final plan fails, I will have to kill you.”

  Ann shivered at his threat. Only, she knew it wasn’t really a threat. It was a promise. She swallowed the lump in her throat and forced herself to look away from the intimidating Paler. She hoped Hathor would find her and save her before it was too late.

  ***

  Outside Alexander Napoli’s Underground Chamber

  United Nations

  Leader Paff had just found the hidden chamber when his telecommunicator beeped an urgent message. He stopped his team to check it.

  “Great,” he grumbled. “Omin’s clone just left this building, and no one in my army saw him. They have no idea what he left in because they didn’t see anything but human aircraft in the area.” He placed a trace on Jaz, Falon, and Lino. “Second Commander Jaz and Guard Falon are with him. What can he want to do with them? It looks like Guard Lino is still here. I’ll see if I can locate Queen Ann.”

  Hathor drummed his fingers on the sword as he waited for Paff to tell him where Ann was.

  “She’s with Omin’s clone, too,” Paff told him. “Let me see if I can tell where they’re headed.”

  Hathor’s heart sank. Just when he thought he was going to find her, she disappeared again.

  “It looks like they’re going to Xenia, Ohio.”

  “Why is he going back there? Ann was just taken from there,” Hathor said.

  “Is there anyone else Omin’s clone could possibly want to have with him right now?”

  Hathor began to shake his head when a name flashed through his mind. “William. He wants Ann to be with William instead of me.” But why? Forcing aside the question, he said, “I have to go find the queen. Will you be alright?”

  Paff nodded. “I have the best Palers with me. We’ll do fine.”

  “Thank you, Leader Paff. May we see each other back in the future and celebrate our victory.”

  Paff smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “Good luck.”

  ***

  Ann’s house

  Xenia, Ohio

  Stacey and Kent waited for the ambulance to take Ann’s parents to the hospital before they left the house. They had helped her father set the door back in its proper place and locked it behind them before the ambulance pulled out of the driveway.

  “I don’t know what to do now,” Kent said once he and Stacey were alone. “I don’t know where Hathor or Ann are. I wish I could do something.”

  “It’s frustrating to know what’s going on and not be able to do anything about it,” she agreed.

  They were ready to get into his car when William pulled into the driveway, blocking their exit. He jumped out of his car, holding a backpack. “Where’s Ann?” he demanded, looking desperate.

  “You’re too late,” Kent said. “She’s gone.”

  “Where did she go?”

  “You know what? You’ve been nothing but a bully, and that behavior needs to stop. We don’t have to tell you anything. Let’s just get out of here,” he told Stacey.

  Kent made a move to open his car door.

  William reached out and shut it. His face was two inches away from Kent’s. “Listen, I will do whatever it takes to get her, so if you think I’m just going to go away, you’re mistaken.”

  “You’re a creep!” Stacey spat.

  Ignoring her, William stared at Kent. “Where is Ann?”

  “I’m not telling you,” Kent replied through gritted teeth. Just who did William think he was?

  “You’ll tell me or else.”

  “Or else what? You’re a high school senior. I’m a college freshman. What do you think you’re going to do to me?”

  Stacey crept up behind William. “I’ll tell you where Ann is.”

  Kent started to protest when he noticed what she was carrying in her hand. He shut his mouth and watched as William turned to face her.

  Before William could say anything, she sprayed mace in his eyes. He dropped his backpack and screamed in pain as he covered his face.

  Kent grabbed the backpack and rummaged through it. Carson had mentioned something else William had, something that was in the form of a gun. Just as he reached for it, a hand grabbed his shoulder and turned him around.

  The image of Alexander Napoli stood before him. “That belongs to me,” Omin-2 said. “I advise you to keep your distance.”

  Too stunned to react, Kent let go of the backpack.

  Omin-2 took the chip injector out of the backpack and dragged William across Ann’s front yard. “Be sure to tell Hathor I took the queen to Pale. Four years into the future,” he said.

  Then he and William disappeared.

  Kent blinked, not believing what he had just seen and heard.

  “What just happened?” Stacey asked, her voice wavering.

  He shook his head. “I don’t know, but we should stay here in case Hathor shows up. That alien thinks Hathor will be back.”

  ***

  Alexander Napoli’s Underground Chamber

  United Nations

  Leader Paff and his nine team members stood outside the chamber door. It was oddly silent. He knew that Guard Lino, Apollo, Ares, and Zeus were in the room. He took a deep breath, trying to gain his composure before their attack.

  Turning to High Ranking Official Baugh, he asked, “Do you have the detonator?”

  “Yes, Leader,” he said, holding it. “It will be enough to disorient them for one minute. We will have to act fast.”

  Paff took a deep breath. “Remember, we go after Ares first. He’s an expert in war, so if we can get the chip out of him, then he can lead us in a strategy for getting chips out of everyone else.”

  The nine Palers agreed.

  “Good.” He put his hand on the doorknob. “Go.”

  Baugh threw the detonator into the room. Someone fired a gun in response, starting a small fire, which began to devour a computer and a box full of chips.

  Paff led the nine inside the room, their masks on. They went after Ares. Since Ares was strong for an Olympian, it took all nine of them to pin him down while Paff took out a knife to remove the chip.

  As soon as the chip was out, Ares stopped struggling and looked around him in confusion. “What am I doing here?”

  “I don’t have time to explain,” Paff said. “We need to get a chip out of everyone in this room. Here’s a knife. We need you to plan a strategy to get as many chips out of people in the shortest amount of time.”

  Without hesitation, Ares began to do as Paff instructed.

  By the time Ares and Paff had Zeus pinned down, the smoke began to clear.

  “There they are! Shoot them!” one human exclaimed as he fired his gun.

  The sound of gunfire filled the air as Ares hurried from one person to another to remove their chips. When the chips were removed, he ordered the people to block his opponents from shooting at him or the Palers in the room.

  At one point, one of the few remaining humans still implanted with a chip almost shot Paff in the back, but Zeus raised his gun and shot his hand first. The human screamed but was suddenly free of his chip’s control.

  Paff briefly noted that two of his men were wounded and another was dead. He grimaced. He hated the price of war. Pushing aside his sorrow over the wounded Palers, he focused on his mission. He followed Ares to the next person so they could remove their chip.

  ***

  Two years in the past

  Alpha Head I

  Planet: Pale

  “Olympian ships are impressively fast,” Omin-2, now in Paler form, remarked. “I’m not easily amazed, so that’s a great compliment, Athena.”

  Ann’s mind was still reeling from gaining four years’ worth of memories. The switch to the future had done something to give her back her memories, and although she couldn’t explain it, she was glad to be able to remember
a part of her past. It had felt strange to know about her life without having lived it. She remembered everything up to the time she was in North Dakota.

  Her last specific memory was calling William on the phone. He had been going on and on about someone named Carol and how wonderful she was. Ann clenched her teeth. How could she have been blind for so long? William only cared about himself. He’d only wanted her around so he could listen to her express her desire to be with him again, and she played right into his hands.

  She’d continually fed his ego. Why hadn’t she seen it before? Why had it taken her another trip into the past to see things the way they really were? She glanced at William. He was in another chair, his eyes slowly recovering from the mace that Stacey had sprayed in them. What did he want with her now? She was sure he was using her for something.

  She shivered in disgust. To think she spent so much time dreaming about him. Thankfully, she ended up marrying Hathor instead. She would like to remember meeting Hathor and finding out why she eventually chose him instead of William, but she knew those memories would not return to her until she went forward two more years into the future.

  Athena landed the spaceship in Omin’s secret hideout.

  Omin-2 stood up. “I have a personal matter to tend to. Athena, stay here with this ship and guard it from any intruders. Falon and Jaz, take Queen Ann and the soon-to-be king William to my private room. You remember that room, don’t you? It’s where I was created.”

  “We remember and will do as you say,” Falon acknowledged.

  “Yes, Omin-2,” Jaz agreed, sounding as mindless as Falon did.

  After Omin-2 left the ship, Falon stood up and untied Ann’s hands and feet.

  She breathed a sigh of relief and rubbed her sore wrists.