Love Against All Odds

Oskar - Exploding Princess Andromeda

Inside, the room was a symphony of activity—yellow turbines, the size of grain silos, churned and hummed. Pressure gauges and computer terminals adorned the walls. Oblivious to our presence, a telkhine hunched over a console, engrossed in his work. Standing about five feet tall, with sleek black seal fur and stubby feet, he possessed the head of a Doberman and clawed hands nearly human in appearance. He seemed completely absorbed, growing and muttering to himself, perhaps in communication with his cohorts on an obscure website.

As we approached, the telkhine tensed, sensing that something was amiss. Before reacting, he leapt towards a conspicuous red alarm button, but Percy intercepted his path. With a hiss, he lunged at him, only to meet the deadly edge of Riptide. In an instant, he disintegrated into dust.

"We've got one down," Beckendorf remarked. "Just about five thousand more to go." He tossed Percy and me jars of thick green liquid—Greek fire, one of the most dangerous magical substances. 

Then he handed us another indispensable tool of demigod heroes—duct tape.

"Stick those on the consoles," he instructed. "I'll handle the turbines."

We got to work. 

The room was sweltering, and we were soon soaked in sweat.

Meanwhile, the boat kept moving forward. At this rate, the ship would reach New York Harbor by dawn. We had to act fast.

Just as I attached a second jar of Greek fire to the control panels, I heard the clatter of feet on metal stairs—so many creatures descending that I could hear them over the roar of the engines. 

Not a good sign.

I met Beckendorf's gaze. "How much longer?"

"Too long," he replied, tapping his watch, our remote control detonator. "I still need to wire the receiver and prime the charges. At least another ten minutes."

From the sound of the footsteps, we didn't have that kind of time.

"Percy and I draw their attention," I said. "Meet us at the rendezvous point."

"Oskar—"

Percy didn't look keen on the idea, but I was already pushing him towards the door, so I turned to Beckendorf. 

"Wish us luck."

He looked like he wanted to protest. 

We had planned to slip in and out without being detected. 

But we had no choice but to adapt.

"Good luck," he finally said.

With that, we charged out the door.

A half-dozen telkhines were stomping down the stairs. Percy and I attacked; I sliced through them with my Xiphos daggers, Percy with Riptide, before they could even let out a yelp. 

We kept ascending—past another telkhine, who, to his surprise, dropped his Lil' Demons lunch box. I spared him, partly because his lunch box was pretty cool, and I was hoping he'd raise the alarm and divert his friends from the engine room.

Bursting through a door onto deck six, we didn't stop running. The once plush carpeted hall was now a clawed-up, slimed mess—a testament to the ship's three years of monster occupation. 

Reaching the promenade—a massive shopping mall that occupied the ship's middle—I froze, Percy crashing into my back. 

"Wha-" Percy exclamation fell from his lips. 

A fountain stood in the courtyard, and a giant crab was squatting in the fountain—and I mean giant—not your average Alaskan king crab, but bigger than the fountain itself.