Chapter 20 - Coming of Age
Alex had been able to keep up with his duties and began using his ninth persona to learn everything he could about how things worked. With the assistance of other personas, when they were free, he learned about building, plumbing, farming, fishing, making clothes and even cooking. He could step in and do most anything and do it well.
At the end of her second year as assembly leader, Aphrodite stepped down. By unanimous vote, Nomena became the new leader. Aphrodite became a non-voting member of the assembly.
The children attending school were learning at a much faster rate than previous generations had. They had also developed a physical education program that was nothing short of amazing. All the children, whether born before or in Xanadu, were perfect physical specimens. You couldn't tell who was from what group.
Alexandra had kept up a calendar and had calculated, using both earth and Xanadu time, when each child had birthdays. Their eighteenth being the most important.
Leader of the assembly became a two-year appointment. When Nomena stepped down, one of the men from the South America group was elected. There were no term limits for assembly members, but they often stepped aside, and others were chosen by their groups. Ariana had stepped down and Cletus had replaced her.
About a month before Titanus was to turn eighteen, Aphrodite called Alex, Ariana, Demi, Alexandra together for a private meeting.
"Once Titanus is named Epapas, I'll be stepping down. Ariana is next in line if she chooses to become the senior Mamas," Aphrodite said.
"I suppose I will, until Terra becomes Mamas," she said hesitantly. "Alex and I have talked this over. When Titanus and his other sons become Papas, Alex is stepping down, as tradition states, and I will too."
"Ally and I are stepping down when Ariana does. We think it's better that the next generation take over entirely," Demi added.
"We'll all still have the Xpapas and Xmamas roles, but I agree with all of you," Aphrodite replied.
"God, I'm looking forward to that," Alex said.
"Alex, your last year as Papas is going include a lot of virgins," Ariana chuckled.
"Yeah, but a lot fewer impregnations. I suspect most of the women will want to wait for the new Papas," he replied.
"I wouldn't be too sure about that. Your sons won't have your enlarging dick," his mother added.
"There's another issue too," Ariana began. "Mom has kept being Gaia a secret. Alex, people already see you as a god. That's not going to change just because you step down."
"Kids, they look at all five of us as gods. Each of us has abilities no one else possesses. What else could they think?" Aphrodite asked.
The group got quiet for a few minutes. "Are we? Are we gods, mom?" Demi asked.
"I'm afraid so, honey. That doesn't mean we're any different than we've ever been. The sons of Alex, along with your three daughters, are too. They'll have special abilities. Demi's daughter will become the new Oracle. Alexandra's will hold the memory of not only what she experiences, but the history of humankind. She'll be the motivation to advance the civilization beyond what we have in Xanadu. Artemus, Adara's first daughter, will be the one who causes the planet to green up again. Leto, her second, will repopulate it with animal life."
"Ask her to skip the mosquitoes. I don't miss them at all," Alex suggested.
"Ask her yourself. She's your daughter," his mother replied.
"Mom, do you have any idea what's going on outside Xanadu?" Ariana asked.
"It's Chaos. There's nothing still alive. No bacteria, viruses, nothing. The sky is filled with ash. There's no sunlight getting through. The atmosphere is toxic. About half the planet is too hot to survive and the rest is too cold. The only indication it was ever populated are the tops of a couple of skyscrapers. They'll be covered soon. The continents have shifted and merged into a single mass near the equator. It's not a pretty picture."
"How long until we can start cleaning it up?" Alex asked.
"In about six years we'll begin. It'll take almost a year to clean, then six more months to introduce plants and animals. At that point some will leave Xanadu to establish a village to move into. When that's done, we'll all leave."
"Will some want to stay in Xanadu?" Ariana asked.
"No. Once the last of us leave, Xanadu will cease to exist. Anything else?" Aphrodite asked.
"I have one more thing," Ariana said. "Alex, when we get back, I don't want to see you anywhere near a 7-11."
"You have my word," he replied.
Aphrodite shook her head. "Whatever."
The group walked back to the house. Just after they entered the living room, Titanus walked in.
"Ah, the 'old ones' have returned," he said, jovially.
"Son, you just fucked up," Alex said, calmly.
"What do....whaaaaaa?" he screamed, as he floated to the ceiling and stayed there.
His mother walked over beneath him and looked up. "Don't speak. Don't move. If you do, I'm going to open a can of whoopass." She stormed out of the room, as the others, except Titanus, laughed.
"Dad, what's whoopass?" his son asked.
"You don't wanna know."
"Can one of you get me down?"
"Not a chance in hell," Demi said, laughing.
Terra walked into the room and looked at him. "This might be a dumb question, but why are you up on the ceiling?"
"Uh, my mom put me here."
Aphrodite walked back in. "Don't talk to the little smart ass. He's being taught a life lesson," she told Terra. "And you," she said, looking at Titanus. "Will not speak until I say you can. Unless you'd prefer to see how Xanadu looks from a mile up."
Aphrodite turned to Alex and winked, then left the room grinning. Everyone went about their business and ignored Titanus. He didn't say a word.
It was an hour or so later when she walked back in. Laying down on the floor beneath him, she looked him in the eye, and asked, "Have you figured out why you're up there?"
"You didn't appreciate my 'old ones' comment."
"Correct. So how do we prevent a reoccurrence of this situation?"
"I'm never saying it again," he replied.
She smiled. Titanus dropped to about a foot above her, before stopping suddenly. "Good boy," she said, as she raised and his forehead.
Titanus' body moved to an upright position, then gently floated to the floor. Aphrodite stood and quietly left the room. After making sure he could move, Titanus headed toward his room. Terra stepped out of hers as he passed.
"Terra?" he whispered.
"Uh huh?"
"How did she do that?"
"You don't know?"
"I have no clue," he replied.
She took his arm and pulled him into her room, then closed the door behind them. "You really don't know?"
"No," he replied, seriously.
She leaned over near his ear and whispered, "Your mother, my grandmother, is Gaia."
"Are you kidding me?" he asked, incredulously.
"Not a bit, but keep your mouth shut about it. No one outside this house is supposed to know."
"Holy shit," he said.
She chuckled, "That's exactly what I said when I found out. Now, beat it. I've got things to do."
Titanus left the room scratching his head and walked outside. His father followed him.
"I wouldn't say 'old ones' around your mom anymore."
"No kidding. Dad could she really have sent me a mile up?"
"Or ten miles up. Or down, for that matter."
"Is mom really Gaia?"
