The Story

For thousands of years, the proud city of Olympus towered over all other cities in the world. Its tall spires were a gleaming white beacon atop Mount Olympus. It attracted the best humanity had to offer and offered a safe harbor to all who sought progress and peace. It was a vision realized by a few extraordinary men and women - a dream come true. No government planted the flag of Olympus to spite the others. No corporation, no matter how powerful, could see any immediate benefit.

It's hard to say which of its founders should take the most credit for creating Olympus. These days, it's hard to recall their real names. Today, they are known for their roles in the city as guardians, advisors, rulers, and caretakers. Their names are as distant in memory as their appearance from an ordinary human. Mostly made up of cyber and nano-tech, they have completely taken on the look of their mythical counterparts. The citizens of Olympus refer to them as Zeus, Athena, Hades, etc.

While the "gods" busied themselves with their latest plans for elevating Olympus ever higher, their underlings and loyal assistants handled the day-to-day business in the city. One such was a man known as Prometheus. A son of Olympus' pioneers, Prometheus was raised to give the city his all, be the best public servant possible, and help bring about the utopia that the gods envisioned. He meticulously executed their tasks and came to know the city like no other. One night, he toasted with Olympus' elite and got his hands dirty in the streets the next.

Among all the faces hiding behind the badge of Marble Corporation, Prometheus’ was the most loved and respected. Marble Corporation practically built Olympus when several companies united under one umbrella. Their priorities shifted overnight and the newly established corporation worked tirelessly to achieve the strange vision of Olympus. Prometheus, as not only a good student, but a Marble scholarship recipient, knew much about that time and events that transpired. He knew about the many sacrifices and tireless labor of countless individuals that built Olympus as high as it stood - all to the benefit of its people.

That’s why it came as a great shock to him when he visited the lower levels of Olympus one night and found a small riot. He tried to interfere and reason with the crowd, but to no avail. He helplessly watched them destroy a few levels in this violent outburst that lasted throughout the night in a mixture of rage and glee. Only the morning light and Hades’ watchful eye scattered the crowd.

Although the incident was resolved and the damages repaired, Prometheus was restless. He couldn’t forget the ecstatic looks of the rioters. He would often go down to visit the neighborhood and ponder. As he sat in the now-renovated lobbies, he slowly realized that Olympus may have temporarily fixed itself, but it was far from healed.

His ventures started taking up all his free time, and he even began to neglect his regular duties. Turning away from the polished high rises and pristine districts opened his eyes to a grim reality. Below the shadows cast by the tallest towers, Olympus was suffocating, collapsing under its own weight. Suddenly, the utopian future was only for some. The people worked themselves to death for a dream they or their loved ones would never know.

At first, Prometheus planned to collect stories, evidence, and data. He was waiting for the right moment to address his superiors, but it never came. Every time he mentioned it, they would brush him off or promise to review his proposal, only to have it filed away and forgotten. For Prometheus, it was clear: one by one, the gods were failing Olympus.

Seeing that the cause was hopeless, Prometheus began to despair. Whoever would listen to him was replaced, and almost all the doors were shut to him. Months went by without a plan or semblance of hope, and the masses heard nothing from him. By the time he ceased trying to improve the system, years had passed, and the rot in the foundations spread through the metropolis like cancer. Olympus would catch people like flies and spit them out - or what was left of them.

No one will ever truly know what transpired during that time. The rumors and misinformation were later woven into Promotheus' myth. One thing was certain; when he returned to the forgotten citizens of Olympus, he was not alone. Abandoned by the gods, he reached out to the mortal inhabitants and found sympathizers.

The revolution did not commence with a forceful detonation. There was no assault, no righteous outburst. No statues toppled, nor kings dethroned. Prometheus’ revolution was quiet, but the virus shook Olympus to its core.

One morning, not unlike any other before, Olympus awoke to see its legendary monuments defaced. Statues vandalized, facades painted, and flags replaced. Overnight, the entire city was marked, but more importantly, the mark signified something other than a mere outburst of displeased youth. The graffiti hid a fragmented message scattered across the city, but present for all curious enough to inspect it. Soon, people began to share photos and information, and the mystery started to unravel.

Digital caches were hidden all around the town and in cyberspace. Anyone who decrypted the initial message could find them. In these, Prometheus offered all the secrets of the gods he met in his many years of service. Their plans and even the specifications of their unique technology were suddenly public for everyone to see.

And it finally woke the gods. Suddenly people started adopting this technology, even if in a crude manner with simple tools they had at their disposal. The pieces they made were clearly inferior to the original schematics, but also far ahead of anything else available to regular citizens. So they started adopting and integrating these technologies, perfecting the manufacture and implementation overnight, and slowly mastering its use. Within days, one couldn’t walk a street of Olympus without seeing Athena’s hair or the eye of Hades. It only escalated from there.

Seeing regular citizens walk around looking like Ares or Zeus was simply too much for them. Their plans couldn’t bear the power and knowledge being shared. They all sprung into action to attempt and contain the incident and the full brunt of Marble Corporation. Even gods themselves were levied against Prometheus and his followers. They were ruthlessly hunted and detained, or worse. Even Prometheus was soon captured. But his capture couldn’t stop what was now in motion.

He revealed the full extent of his rebellion, and the gods realized they were laid bare in the eyes of the citizens of Olympus. They each retreated into their respective domain, surrounded themselves with their most loyal followers, and contemplated their next move. Prometheus’ transparent approach instantly dissolved their strength and unity.

When they finally came to their senses, it became apparent that two factions had formed. Gods fell in line with two approaches to the problem of Prometheus’ rebellion.

On one hand, Zeus realized the gods had failed Olympus and their children. Therefore, he promised absolution to anyone who would lay down arms and reveal the secrets Prometheus had shared. He vowed to return Olympus to its former glory and work to truly usher in a utopia for humanity.

On the other hand, Hades had always worked with the less savory members of society and believed humanity could not change for the better. It was impossible to contain this breach and push things into the neat little boxes the gods had created for them. His extreme outlook meant it had to all come crashing down. A new beginning, a restart. Life after destruction. Thus, Hades called upon his followers to destroy the moderates, followers of Zeus, and gods who would allow their most guarded secrets to be violated in this way.

However, neither of the two groups could carry the day. Whether fighting with weapons for the streets of Olympus or words to captivate the minds of Olympians, both sides were evenly matched. Many citizens remained neutral and undecided, fearing Olympus' fate and refusing to further tear down their glorious once-glorious home.

Some say Prometheus lives; others say he escaped. Regardless, no one heard from him or his followers following his disappearance. Nowadays, they are all but forgotten. All that’s on everyone’s mind are clashes between gods and mortals and the challengers determined to save Olympus. Anyone could tip the scales and decide the fate of this forsaken city. In a twisted way, Prometheus made the city’s lower classes worth the consideration of the gods.

Olympus is more alive now than in many decades. Its heart beats frantically as its people tear it apart, but it can’t go on much longer. One side must prevail if anything is to be saved at all. It is up to the undecided to make a judgment. Which is the lesser of two evils: Zeus or Hades?