Project Apollo

Chapter 22

US Capitol Building

8:45AM

"The Apotheosis of Washington" Seamus explained as they passed into the Capitol Rotunda. They melded with the tourists in their casual wear, blending into the environment. Xander sported the same camera-filled glasses he wore in Geneva to provide the Situation Room with a vantage point. Seamus acted as a tour guide to Ashton, Xander, and the Situation Room watching over the monitors. The ornate Rotunda of the Capitol Building towered over them.

The Spartans' heads cocked back to observe the high arching dome depicting a heavenly scene of George Washington sitting amongst 13 maidens and other symbolic figures. This central image did not concern Xander as he directed their eyes to the perimeter of the dome. There were six isolated representations, lining its frame.

"War is represented by Columbia, Science by Minerva, Marine by Neptune, Commerce by Mercury, Mechanics by Vulcan and Agriculture by Ceres," Seamus read from a tour guide pamphlet he had snagged. Looking up from the pamphlet, he eyed Xander. "I give you six deities."

"Let's search the room for the infected," Ashton suggested and, so she and Seamus fanned out.

Xander did not move though. Rather, his eyes fell from the dome and surveyed the floor before him. The room revolved around him – his roaming eye inspected the passing tourists.

Alright we have our deities... where is the time component...

His eyes searched the large oil paintings on the wall.

"Declaration of Independence, Surrender of Lord Cornwallis, Baptism of Pocahontas..." He identified the paintings lining the walls.

Xander rotated on his heel as he surveyed the marble statues, standing tall on the Rotunda floor.

Lincoln, Reagan, Garfield, Washington...

"There are no clocks, no depiction of time anywhere..." Xander spoke aloud. He stopped his revolutions and closed his eyes. He reviewed what he had seen – images of the paintings, statues and tourists. After the introspective moment, one concluding thought came to mind.

"There's no clue here."

The Spartans returned to Xander, after searching for any signs of sick visitors.

"No one appears to be sick..." Ashton reported.

"It's gotta be here somewhere..." Seamus clung to the hope that he had solved the clue.

"It's crowded, at the heart of our government and responsible for the lies he has referred to. Is this not the center of Congress? What better target than this?" Ashton countered.

"The riddle points to a clue, not the target," Xander passively declared with a distant certainty.

"What? There are six deities right above us, it fits perfectly," Seamus argued, unwilling to surrender his theory to Xander's doubt.

"Frozen in time, the rhyme read. There is no clock here. There is no time in the Rotunda, not in the paintings, statues, it's nowhere. There are only references to eternity. Six deities guarding two sets of three, people don't guard from above, they guard doorways. He's too precise to have any loose ends." Xander's eyes found something that plunged his mind into a tailspin of theories. The walls encasing the rotunda were lined with columns. His vision ascended the columns where his mind reached for an answer.

"Of course,"

A snapshot memory materialized before him. The building on his mind was long and white, topped with an arching roof. Three American Flags stood before it and behind the flag poles six white columns that stood up against the front façade of the building. Atop the columns were six statues of Greek gods.

After a flurry of thought, his mind came to a screeching halt as it finally met certainty. He opened his eyes and faced Seamus and Ashton.

"The clue is at Union Station."

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