Life

By Ryan Hartung

Deep within the Ethiopian rainforest, hidden behind a majestic waterfall, lays Persephone's temple. Although the Russians using Hades' Sphere arrive first, Salim's multinational team burst in catching the Russians off guard. Before either party has a chance to grab the ancient artifact, the Americans enter making a complicated situation even worse. However, unknown to everyone else, Jesus and Ahmed have their own plans.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ryan Hartung
• Release date: Jan 11, 2015
• ISBN: 9781942123064

Ryan Hartung

Dr. Ryan E. Hartung spent most of his life growing up in rural Nebraska. After earning his Ph. D. in organic chemistry from the Ohio State University he then made a quick stop with his family in the garden state before finally settling in Tucson, Arizona. Ryan continues to live in Tucson with his wife Elizabeth, his two daughters Amber and Keira, their dog Ginger and currently untamed hamster Brave. He is the author of the World's Divide series of novellas among other novels.

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Chapter

1

P residents, I urge you to act alongside the United States and enact these harsh sanctions against the Russian government for their involvement in the Georgian incident. What they did was no different than using weapons of mass destruction against an unwitting and unprovoked population, the United States’ President Robert Davis said, stately addressing the sitting European leaders.

What you’re asking is quite extreme, the Italian president responded to grunts and nods of approval from many of Europe’s presidents.

Many of our country’s economies are tied to Russia’s. If we begin sanctioning them, then we will in turn be hurting ourselves. Do not forget that winter is coming and almost every country represented in this room receives at least a portion of their natural gas from the Russian conglomerate. What are we to do if they stop sending their gas to us, freeze? the Spanish president enquired, to even more acclaim than the Italian president before him.

I have a better question for everyone, the United States president retorted. What if Russia decides to use Hades’ Sphere against one of your countries? What will you do then; continue debating between what is right and wrong when all of us know what we should do? The United States is not asking you to bear this burden alone. We will shoulder the bulk of the sanctions, but the European Union must, at the very least, symbolically sanction Russia. The world must know that Russia’s actions will not be tolerated.

President Davis took a step back from his microphone. While adjusting his tie and taking a sip of cool water, he gazed upon Europe’s leaders. He understood their hesitation against slapping the Russians with the sanctions they rightfully deserved. Many of them were undoubtedly worried about interruptions in their respective nation’s natural gas deliveries, while others were wondering if Russia would even hesitate to use their new powerful weapon against them.

After a few moments, England’s Prime Minister Tony Wilson, instead of remaining seated to make his point, rose above the rest of the audience.

"My fellow presidents, I understand what President Davis is asking seems overly severe, but look at what Russia did to Georgia. The communist nation sickened an entire country. They killed hundreds of people, and for what, just to regain control of its lost territory? I know that we don’t have conclusive proof, but we all know what the Americans are saying is true. The Russians have the artifact of death and that’s precisely what they used it for.

England will support the Americans’ calls for sanctions against Russia, for we cannot allow Russia to go unpunished for this atrocity. Remember the quote from Edmund Burke; ‘all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.’ We, the men and women in this room, we are the good people. Should we sit here, drink our bottled water, live in our state houses and do nothing?

Although Tony Wilson was still deeply annoyed with the American president for not forcing Colt Andrews to return to his country and turn over Zeus’ Lightning Staff, he was not surprised the American leader hadn’t. If the situation had been reversed, and a British citizen had returned with a treasure of his or her own from American soil, hell would have needed to freeze over before he’d have relinquished it too. In the end, England’s prime minister didn’t harbor a grudge against the American president, as he would have done the same. Additionally, today’s meeting, although concerning one of the ancient Greek artifacts, was not about his country not possessing one. They needed to punish Russia for their actions.

Slowly the remaining European leaders stood and began clapping at the prime minister’s short but inspirational speech. At the front of the room, a smile crept onto President Davis’ face. With the Europeans now collectively on the same page with his administration, the sanctions he would soon be imposing on the communist nation would have much sharper teeth.

As the applause began to die down for the Brit’s speech, and the leaders began retaking their seats, President Davis noticed the Czech Republic and Poland’s leaders sharing a nervous glance. Following their eyes, he knew a degree of uncertainty still remained with their decisions.

Does anyone have any additional questions? the President asked, hoping to draw the two nation’s concerns into the open.

Although hesitant, Poland’s president leaned toward his microphone. I do have one lingering issue, he began, taking a long look around the room. Although I believe these sanctions are necessary, to send Russia a clear message that this type of violent extremism will not be tolerated anywhere in the world, Poland and other countries in this room are geographically much closer to Russia than the United States or even England. What if Russia decides to use their relic against one of our countries? Russia has wanted to possess our land in the past, maybe they’ll think this is as good of an excuse as any to try again?

President Davis smiled. "I’m glad you posed the question, because that was going to be my final remark. Although I would prefer everyone to keep what I’m about to tell you within this room, it’s bound to escape eventually. As of now, America has found four of these artifacts, and if Russia attacks any one of your countries, we will use them without hesitation.

We possess the power of lightning and water and have recently uncovered artifacts giving their owners unlimited strength and invulnerability. So please, do not be afraid. If Russia dares to use Hades’ Sphere against any of your country’s populations, the United States will be there to stop it. And I plan on making this quite clear to President Aleksandrov when I speak to him by phone later today.

The country’s presidents closest to the communist nation smiled the widest at the United States’ President’s words, feeling that whatever Russia might try to pull, the Americans would be there to protect them. As the day wore on, the earlier tense meeting relaxed to a more normal tone, as economic trade and environmental issues retook center stage. At the end of their somewhat hastily planned summit, the United States and the European Union emerged more united in their common goals than ever before.

***

How dare those pathetic worms enact sanctions against us! Russian President Boris Aleksandrov roared inside his spacious office, deep inside the Kremlin’s confines.

Boris, there was a high probability this was going to happen. You should not have expected Europe and the Americans to not try and save face. These sanctions will do little to harm Russia. Do not let them bother you, his aging mentor, Anatoly Lipov calmly returned. The older Russian moved a few scraggly strands of his grey hair to the side, studying his greatest achievement standing in front of him.

President Aleksandrov paced back and forth across the office’s rich burgundy carpet. The silly sanctions the world’s Western countries had placed on his beloved Mother Russia was not the reason for his being upset. He knew Russia was strong. The Russian President was perturbed that the European and American presidents felt as though they could punish him like an unruly schoolboy.

I will not take this, Anatoly. It is an outrage that the West thinks they can reprimand us, as if we have fallen out of line with their worldview. Their actions are unacceptable. They don’t even have any proof that what happened to Georgia was caused by us! he thundered.

Boris, settle down, Anatoly demanded with a quick slap of his hand against the eighteenth century chair he was occupying. Do not let your pride cloud your thinking. So what, they won’t buy some of our wares. We can easily sell more to China or the Stans" or somewhere else. Let them have their showy rebuke, it is a small price to pay for having Georgia back