35. Mushroom Power

        Breakfast on the Circuit was a step up from the university cafeterias, a tradition after a successful night in Fina. By mid morning Nolan, Josh and Bell were on their way back to Atlan for afternoon classes. Full of food and satisfied in every department, they sauntered down the hill toward the Merchant's Institute, uncertain if the power had been restored or if there had been some incident affecting the lines, but there were no notices, the stairwell was lit and the train running on time.

         Slightly hung over and looking a little unkempt, Nolan felt like a new gen nevertheless. He reflected upon the night before as the walls whizzed by, he had had a good time after all, even though he didn’t get to be with Zara for his first time. It didn't really matter, he felt empowered now, everything he had been told about sex was true. His whole outlook felt different now that he had officially reverenced himself.

         His thoughts wandered deeper, he kept thinking about Zara, disappointed she had turned him down, he hadn’t prepared for the sting of rejection, he couldn’t understand why she had been so hot and then so cold. Was it because he hadn’t been to the salon?

         "HA-HAAAA!" Atalon laughed out loud as the medificated soldiers fell about, drooling and waving around, babbling like over-animated Moha Lab examples they had been recruited to replace.

         Halios wasn’t amused, he simmered like a pressure cooker, threatening to explode.

         "I don't know if this is a good idea" Orius looked on trying to remain objective. "Can you picture Aquilla now?"

         "BA-AH-HAAAA!" Atalon exploded, beside himself. "HA-HAAAA! Can you see the DOGONS now? HA-HAAAA!"

         Seton was growing concerned too, the behavior of the soldiers was making his work look foolish, clearly the new medification appeared to be useless in certain individuals.
         Orius was concerned for other reasons, that the king was bordering on insane was revealing itself as he cackled uncontrollably over the entertainment of Seton’s unfortunate results.
         Then, as if sensing his judgement, Atalon stopped laughing and turned to him with a sincere and serious look on his face. "Halios here had another good idea."

         Orius glanced at the General, shifting nervously in his seat.

         "Go on, Halios, tell him about your good idea."

         The shifting energies were like shifts in temperature, Orius stiffened, bracing himself for the worst as Halios stood up from the chair, smiling suddenly.

         "The atomic power..." Halios began "the new mushroom energy you have developed for the vimanas…" He paused to choose his words carefully, not wanting to scare him.

         "Mushroom?" Orius was lost for a moment. "The Serpent power?"

         "Yes" Halios replied, smiling. "I prefer to use the term 'Atomic power'."

        "Atomic power?"

        "Yes, Orius. Atomic. Microscopic atoms that go BOOM!"

         Orius felt the water pooling in his mouth, sensing where this was headed now.

         "Go on..." Atalon coaxed.

         "Lets make a BOMB!"

         "A... bomb?" Orius echoed, reeling in shock in spite of having braced himself. It wasn’t only Atalon who was insane, Halios scared the living daylights out of him too. He stiffened, calming. "What do you need a bomb for?"

         "AQUILLA YOU IDIOT!" Atalon snapped.

         Orius studied the their faces one by one, was this a joke? He couldn't tell... Were they actually being serious? He pondered the concept for the first time, he had only done his experiment on a tiny scale and it destroyed the whole lab, the power had exponential properties. Halios was right, the atomic power could be used as a bomb, but a bomb of such nature could yield catastrophic damage, the radiation and poisons it would release into the atmosphere could trigger their own demise, the sick rabbits hopping around weren’t a random disaster, it was a suicidal idea. 

         "The atomic power is designed for high altitudes" he explained. "It's safe to use for the vimanas but not for weapons... It’s not gunpowder you know."

         But Halios and Atalon had already decided to go ahead with the bomb, the seed had already grown roots in the plans for the New Empire, it already had a budget. 

         Atalon handed him a scroll "I need your aribu to begin building it right away" he ordered. "Forget this Lunie Moha Lab crap, what a fucking joke!" He glanced at Halios. "I want to blow the lid off that mountain, blow that hideous creature’s GUTS into the high altitudes! We'll take cover in the War Bunkers and the next day it will All Be Over!"