Solstice - Chapter 17 - Seeing Xander
In the early morning hours of the following day, a launch was detected by military organizations from a site in North Korea. It appeared to be headed toward the Sea of Japan. There had been other launches in the past month in the same direction, but they had all landed harmlessly about one hundred miles out. This one, after traveling about one-hundred-fifty miles, turned in a south-south-east direction along South Korea's eastern shoreline. South Korean, Japanese, and American militaries went on alert. Planes were scrambled and warships were moved. It detonated halfway between the South Korean coastline and Fukuoka, Japan. The nuclear warhead was estimated by sensors to be approximately fifteen kilotons. A bomb equivalent to the one that destroyed Hiroshima. Four South Korean, two Japanese, and one American fighter jets were destroyed, along with a few South Korean and Japanese fishing vessels.
Every military organization in the area went on high alert, including North Korea and China. Within hours, a special session of the UN General Assembly was called. The North Korean ambassador didn't attend. While still in session, four missiles were launched from South Korea at the launch area of the North Korean missile. They were no sooner detected before North Korea launched four missiles in retaliation. These were all conventional warheads.
China defended North Korea's launch as simple testing that went awry and argued that South Korea's response was inappropriate. The rest of the world disagreed. A resolution was passed stripping North Korea of missile testing rights and stated clearly that further launches would be considered an act of war. China was the only country that voted against the resolution. The end had begun.
*****
Demi spent much of the night gleaning information from both the Oracle and Gaia. At the appointed time, she was at eight separate places, at the same time, talking and answering questions about Xanadu. She didn't discuss the morning's events or the upcoming war.
Everyone from the Colorado site was there, and all their questions and concerns were answered. The same thing happened at the other sites.
Different areas of the planet would be affected by war at varying times. There would be no warnings, and families would be sent together, even if they were in different locations at the time. The first would be leaving for Xanadu in about two months.
Families would be transported directly into their new homes. Regional groups would be housed in the same general area and retain their current group leaders. Four leaders from each group would combine with other leaders to form the assembly, which would create their minimal government. The assembly would select one person as the leader. That person's original seat would be filled by their group, making the assembly a total of thirty-three people.
Traditional festivals and celebrations would be continued and eighteen would remain the age of consent to signify adulthood.
*****
In early August, Demi announced the dates for the upcoming trip to Greece. Aphrodite and Alex would be going. Gaia would be providing for their travel, and each would bring a single bag. Ariana would care for Titanus, and in preparation, Aphrodite used a breast pump to freeze a ten-day supply of milk. They were given a specific date and time to leave, and while sitting at the kitchen table with the rest of the first family, they simply vanished. Aphrodite and Alex found themselves sitting at the kitchen table at Adara's house.
Adara jumped when they appeared, then laughed. She was nursing Pontus and they had startled her. Artemus was sleeping in a small crib next to her. After hugs and kisses, both visitors went for the babies. Being careful not to wake her, Aphrodite lifted Artemus from the crib. When Pontus finished nursing, Adara handed him to his father. They chatted for a while, mostly about the babies.
"What time is it, Adara," Alex asked.
"Twenty after eight," she replied.
"There's a twelve-hour difference? I thought it was thirteen," Alex said.
"It is thirteen hours. It's eight-twenty am on August seventeenth."
"Adara, are you sure?" Alex asked.
She chuckled. "Positive."
"I'll be damned. Ariana was right."
"About what?" his mother asked.
"We left home at 8 am, August 17th, mom."
"Yes, so?"
"There's a thirteen-hour time difference. It should be 9:20 pm on August 17th. We traveled back in time. Gaia doesn't view time the way we do. Ari and I were in Xanadu for eight hours, max, but time passed for you a full twenty-four hours."
"Alex, you've watched too many Star Trek movies," Di said.
"No, he's right. If you left home at 8 am you should have arrived here at 9 pm the same day. The same thing happened to me when I came and returned in June. I didn't think about it at the time," Adara said.
"Let's assume that's true. How does that matter to us?" Aphrodite asked.
"Gaia said it would be about ten years before we could begin cleaning up the earth. Time in Xanadu is one day for every three or four on earth. Instead of ten years in Xanadu we'll be there three or four, roughly," he replied.
"Or we'll be there for ten years, and earth will have aged thirty," Adara added.
"That's too bizarre for me. Just let me know when it's time to leave."
"Will do, mom."
"Adara, is Xander around?" Aphrodite asked.
"He's out on the mountain with the sheep. He should be back around dinner time."
"I was hoping he'd be here."
"Tending sheep is a seven day a week job. He takes it very seriously."
"That's fine. I can see him later."
Alex could see his mother's disappointment. He could also sense that Adara wasn't saying something. He decided to wait and see how it all played out.
"You promised me a tour when I came," Alex told Adara.
"It's not safe in the cities anymore. People are getting killed there. We're still safe here on the mountain. You can see Olympus just up the hill a short distance. When my mother gets back, I'll have her watch the babies for a little while so I can show you."
"Is she working?" Aphrodite asked.
"No, she's just gone to the store." Again, Alex felt she was hedging. "Tomorrow we've planned a get together. There are a lot of people that want to meet you, Alex."
"Women?" Aphrodite asked, smiling.
"I'm afraid so. My grandmother really talked him up."
Alex smiled, but said nothing. He knew this would be expected of him and didn't mind. Mentally, he had separated his duties with the larger family from his relationship with his wives.
Elena and Lydia returned to the house about twenty minutes later. Lydia greeted the visitors warmly. Elena greeted Alex as a welcome guest but was standoffish to Aphrodite. Everyone noticed.
Adara and her two guests left for a tour of the local area and the village. It was beautiful and the view of Olympus was magnificent.
"Adara, is your mother upset with my mom?" Alex asked.
Adara looked at Aphrodite apprehensively.
"Alex, I suspect she sees me as a threat to her relationship with your father," his mother replied.
"But he's Papas here. Isn't he with most of the women?"
"He was for the first several months, but my mother and your father are exclusive now, I believe," Adara said.
