POINT OF VIEW: DYLAN
Sunday, October 23, 2028, around 12.30 A.M
Dylan looked back at Harry. He could not believe that the computer technician towering before him was one of The Olympian gods. A sudden realization that Dylan first met Harry / Hephaestus two months ago then hit him. That means Hephaestus had gone out from Kolaseos much earlier than Athena, Hera or Medusa. Intending to ask him about when and how he got out, the group was distracted by the clerk.
"Is there something wrong here?" the clerk asked.
"Nope," Hephaestus shook his head. "Everything's fine, Greta."
"It does not seem good to me," Greta replied, curiosity expressed on her face.
"Well ... this lady actually asked me to explain every single thing she would need to upgrade her laptop. As I am quite occupied right now, I am planning to cover the important unit only."
"Ah, I see," Greta believed. She then put her focus back on her phone.
"How did you get out of Kolaseos?" Athena demanded sternly.
"Not now and not here," Hephaestus whispered. "Ah, so, if you want to smoothly design the poster for your clients, you will surely need 12 GB of RAM and this new brand VGA card," he continued, with a much louder voice.
Athena turned confused. But Dylan whispered to her ear, "Let's play along this charade." Understanding that either Hephaestus or Dylan did not intend to make Greta's curiosity grow again, she nodded.
"How about you explain to me more about these things in your workshop? I am REALLY curious on how these objects would help me in my work."
Hephaestus needed a few seconds before he nodded and said, "Come with me to the third floor now."
*****
The workshop was packed with computer hardware card boxes, leaving Dylan, Athena, and Hera had to sit close to each other. Sitting on his work swivel and facing the group, Hephaestus sighed a deep breath. "I went out from a strange portal more than two months ago. I did not know what it was, but it just suddenly appeared not far from me when I was doing the routine of wandering aimlessly in Kolaseos."
"Was the portal something like a yellow lightning spark?" Dylan asked.
"Yes, it was," Hephaestus confirmed. "Anyway, I just want to know whether you indeed have known everything about Kolaseos."
"Just what Athena has told me."
"Wow!" Hephaestus was instantly amazed. "You are a mortal and you really dare to address her only by her name??"
"I'm the one who asked him to do it."
"I see," Hephaestus nodded. "So ... I reckon the way you and Hera got out was similar to me?"
"Yes," Athena nodded. "But my portal was in Dylan's room, while Hera's portal was near Tommy's Garage."
Hera suddenly placed her hand on Athena and started speaking in Ancient Greek language again. A frown creased on Hephaestus' forehead. "How come Hera did not know me?" he asked. "And why didn't she use English too?"
"Because she was unable too," Athena said. "And the answer to your first question is Hera has forgotten everything, including her identity as a goddess and her very own power."
"How can that be??"
"That is still a mystery to figure out," Athena said. She then turned to Hera and spoke in the ancient language again.
"Her brain must be inspected."
"By using your hammer and splitting open her head?" Athena responded sarcastically
"Hera would definitely kill me if I do it," Hephaestus replied in a flat tone, as if he did not care the way Athena responded to him. He then slipped his hand into the right pocket and took out a silver box the size of a cigarette box. Removing the lid, there was some sort of a small gray robot mannequin lying inside. A blue button was on its chest, and Hephaestus clicked on it. In an instant, the mannequin moved its hands, surprising Dylan and Hera. When it had got up, Hephaestus said, "Meet Voulos, the automaton to inspect Hera's brain."
Dylan leaned forward and took a closer look at the automaton. "How is this going to inspect Hera's brain?"
"Just tell Voulos to enter through the ear."
Dylan looked back at Hephaestus. "Enter through the ear??" he responded with his eyes flew wide. "Voulous is small, but is not small enough to enter the ear!"
"That's why I used what any human will never have," Hephaestus smiled proudly. "Voulos, be ready for brain inspection."
Voulos turned around and raised his head. Quickly he grew smaller, to the point he ended up like a straightened fur. Surprised with the transformation, Dylan and Hera moved their faces even closer to Hephaestus' hand.
"This is where magic did what human science could never achieve. With this size, Voulos could inspect Hera's brain without any problems."
"Hmm ... ," Dylan mumbled as he nodded. "Well ... since using MRI might cause commotion amongst the doctors, then I think this is the best choice that we have."
"Yes," Hephaestus said. "But be noted that before you tell Voulos to enter through ear, the subject must lay on bed or table or whatever flat. It is not a must, but more of a recommendation."
"May I know why?"
"Because Voulos will make the subject lose consciousness. If the subject does not lay, then she will definitely bump the ground."
"Ah ... I get it ... ," Dylan said as he nodded a few times.
"Good," Hephaestus responded. "Now you may borrow Voulos. After he knows what's wrong, we can think of the next step to fix the problem."
Dylan nodded. "Thank you for your help, Harr ... I mean ... god Hephaestus."
Hephaestus laughed. "I don't wish to be conservative. So I would like to ask you to also call me by my name," he paused. "However, in front of other humans, you must not forget to stick to Harry."
"I will."
"Okay then!" Hephaestus exclaimed. "Voulos, return to your normal size and sleep."
Voulos instantly grew to the original size. It then laid on the box again, and Hephaestus handed the box to Dylan. "Hopefully whatever the problem is, it can easily be rectified."
"Hopefully yes," Dylan said. "I'll keep in touch with you about the progress."
"Please do," Hephaestus said. Nodding once, Dylan then turned around. After looking at Athena and Hera, he opened the door and the three of them left the workshop.