Nikomedes and the Game of Olympus

Chapter 13, Act VIII - I Get Psychoanalyzed.

Niko POV

The Argo II still wasn't in great shape, but with some help from Annabeth and myself, we got the ship flying to Epidaurus to find Asclepius.

We all were tense. Tomorrow morning, one way or another, the world would end.

Whether that meant all human life ending on this world, or Gaea dying, was up to interpretation, I guess.

I wasn't much of a mathematician, but I still knew a lock when I saw one. Hermes cabin habits don't die so easily, I guess.

I was proven right when Luke stood next to me, and I saw his eyes trained on the lock.

It was a disk-shaped structure, maybe fifty yards away from the port side. It looked like a massive gear, with ridges carefully carved around the edges, with concentric circles on the inner layers, making it look like a weird, large target.

"That's definitely the entrance to the temple." He mused. "I can get it open, no problem, but I don't want to see even more gods on this trip. I've had enough godly drama for a lifetime."

"Amen to that." I grumbled. "I still think I should go, though. I've heard good things about Asclepius. Supposedly can pick out all sorts of health issues just at a glance. Literally nothing is hidden from him." I admitted.

Turns out, Leo had other ideas about how to get in there. Rather than letting Luke have a go at it, he instead brought out...was that a giant grabber arm? Was the base of that an Archimedes sphere?

Rick Riordan, what the fuck?

Well, I say brought out. More like one of the oars retracted, and the grabber arm replaced it, but it was like he managed to expand the Archimedes sphere to make a gigantic grabber arm expand off the side of the ship.

Leo opened some sort of vent, where he had what must've been a joystick or something to control the grabber arm, and he had Jason flying around the grabber arm, shouting instructions.

I was suspending disbelief the entire time, because who and what in the fuck? Why in Khaos' name would Leo just happen to be making a gigantic grabber arm?

Did he think we were gonna pick out the giants we fought via claw machine or something?

After about ten minutes of watching Leo try working with it, I just brought Luke down to the lock via shadow travel.

"Do your work, Sticky Keys." I told him. I don't think anyone noticed we were down here, which was fine with me.

Luke crouched next to the giant lock and placed his hand to it.

I could feel the ground beneath me vibrating, as if something massive was moving underneath us. I shrugged it off. That was probably just the lock moving.

A minute or two later, Luke had it open, and I think Leo believed it was his grabber arm, because I heard him cheer from the ship. I brought the two of us back up, and I just leaned against the mast, watching as people were chattering about Leo's grabber arm.

Seriously, was he trying to make a giant claw machine? I really didn't see the point.

I think Luke and I were satisfied with letting Leo take credit, because neither of us spoke up.

Looking down at the now-open lock, it was now replaced with a giant spiral staircase.

"Leo," Hazel said warningly, "even from up here, I can sense something large and dangerous down there. You sure you don't want help?" She asked.

Leo nodded. "Thanks, Hazel, but we'll be good." He patted Piper on the back. "Me and Piper and Jason—we're old pros at large and dangerous."

"Don't forget me." I said firmly, slipping closer to their group. "I would like to speak with Asclepius as well."