Chapter 11. Strait of Gibraltar
Medusa sat on her private plane, staring out the window. She observed the world, marveling at how much it had changed since the days of the gods and goddesses. Humans now place more trust in artificial intelligence than in divine beings. Their time had long since passed, changed by the rise of machines and automation.
She recalled being locked for a millennium in a Gorgon's cave, what the modern world now calls the Strait of Gibraltar. She had been sealed inside with the other Gorgons, a group of two other females cursed by Athena, who happened to be the goddess' former lovers.
"I still can't believe I got cheated on for centuries, only for her to throw me into a cave with another mistress of hers!" Medusa muttered. For humans, it might have been a few millennia ago, but for Medusa, it felt like just a few years had passed.
"I still can't believe that Athena had a girlfriend," Timothy said.
"Girlfriends, with an 's,' plural. Like father, like daughter. No wonder she's his favorite," Medusa snorted. Out of the three Gorgons, she was the only one who could still change her appearance to a human body. The other two were trapped inside the cave, unable to transform.
As humans advanced in their technological capabilities, they began to fear the possibility of being discovered and potentially killed by their advanced technology. Only Medusa escapes the sealed cave and roams the earth for centuries.
"The world of the gods and goddesses is so confusing," Timothy said, leaning back in his seat, while Bernard chuckled in his own.
"Imagine if our great ancestors hadn't met our mistress. Maybe we'd have been born in poverty or selling drugs right now," Bernard remarked.
"But we've already nurtured a lot of talent from the hood, be it white or black," Timothy pointed out.
"Color is just a prejudice you humans made to separate each other. You're all nothing but different shades of wheat!" Medusa declared.
"We don't dare to judge in front of you," Bernard said, bowing his head and hitting Timothy's head.
It's good for her to be able to get out of the sealed cave and roam the world. However, once or twice a year, she must return to the cave and remain there for a week. When the blood moon arrives, she loses the ability to transform back into her human body and must remain in the gorgon's body for a week.
Even when Medusa manages to get into her human's body, the snakes on her head will still remain. It's Athena's supreme curse, which can't be undone unless Athena herself undoes it. It was the curse that created her and the other two immortals.
When the blood moon comes, she'll turn into a real gorgon, a monster, not just with snakes on top of her head as her hair but with wings, claws, tusks, and scales.
"Fuck Poseidon, I'll never forgive him." Medusa murmured that every time she has to go back to the cave, all the remnants of the memories come back.
The other two were foolish enough to fall for Poseidon's trick and fall in love with him. But Medusa was loyal; she was the only one who's loyal. However, the paranoia has turned Athena blind for other reasoning and decided to curse her into a gorgon.
She was raped, violated, and taken advantage of, and instead of coming to her rescue and defending her, Athena just decided to curse her and ban her away.
"Oh fuck, Poseidon!" Medusa keeps cursing while the plane is flying to Morocco and will hover for a minute to let Medusa go in the middle of the Strait of Gibraltar.
The Strait of Gibraltar is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Europe from Africa. Humans use it to trade for water transportation and trade. Many countries around the Mediterranean Sea use this strait as a means to trade goods for their economies. Until these days, at least one hundred thousand ships per year will pass by it, including a few of Medusa's companies.
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"We're here, sir, madam," the pilot said to his superiors.
"Get me in a week, then head straight to the US," Medusa said, standing from her seat.
The co-pilot opened the plane's door. They were using a Twin Otter aircraft, the preferred choice whenever they needed to conduct their business during a blood moon. This type of plane was safe to jump from 10,000 feet while hovering in the air, the kind commonly used for skydiving. Medusa had chosen it for its sleek design, which she found most appealing.
"Tsk, it would be easier for me to just fly here rather than having a plane," Medusa clicked her tongue, always in a foul mood whenever the blood moon arrived.
"These days, human technology can spot you flying easier, madam!" Bernard reminded her.
"I know," she said, and without further ado, she jumped from the plane. The co-pilot quickly closed the door, and the aircraft continued its flight towards Morocco. The pilot and co-pilot, coming from the outer family of Johnson, were the most trusted people chosen to be in close proximity to Medusa.
The cave was actually a submerged former island located in the Strait of Gibraltar, near Cape Spartel and the Spartel Sill. It had vanished beneath the surface approximately 12,000 years ago due to rising ocean levels from the melting ice caps after the last Glacial Maximum. The legends and researchers had long believed it to be the site of the legendary lost island of Atlantis.
But they were mistaken, for the Gorgons' cave and Atlantis were not one and the same. Medusa also made sure that Stheno and Euryale always kept an array of protection around the cave, so no human technology could look inside their domain. The humans called this long-lost island the Spartel Bank or Majuán Bank.
Due to the curse Athena had placed upon them, only Medusa or she could open the cave's door. It was this curse that controlled the access to the cave—to open and close the entrance.
As Medusa plummeted through the air, she focused her mind, feeling the ancient power coursing through her veins. The transformation began, her human form shifting into the powerful and fearsome Gorgon she had once been. With her serpentine locks hissing and her eyes glowing, she prepared to make her descent into the depths of the submerged cavern.
"Fuck you, Poseidon!" Medusa hissed.
Once she had landed inside the cave, she was already in her full Gorgon form. The power of the blood moon had risen, and it was time for her to stay locked inside the cave.
"Oh, it's time already?" Stheno said, turning her back from watching TV to see Medusa walk into the deeper parts of the cave.
"I could hear her cussing Poseidon from afar," Euryale said, laughing while trying to cook something and watching a YouTube channel.
"She still does that?" Stheno asked, laughing.
"Of course she's the one who got ditched by Athena, when she's not the one who's flirting with that jerk," Euryale said, while thinking of Poseidon.
"Ugh, stop talking about him; I hate him," Medusa said, walking into the alcohol cabinet, taking a bottle of wine, and bringing it to sit with Stheno in front of the TV.
Over the centuries, Medusa transformed the cave into something more akin to the modern world. She had even installed satellite internet for her two sisters to watch the world above them.
The first time she had entered the cave, it had been dark, humid, and filled with hatred. But after a few centuries of construction and building, the rooms inside the cavernous dwelling were now a seamless integration of advanced technology and the raw, natural beauty of the cave. The walls, carved from ancient stone, glistened with an otherworldly luminescence, not from torchlight but from the soft, diffused glow of recessed lighting panels embedded discreetly along the uneven surfaces.
The floor was a marvel of engineering—a smooth, reflective surface that seemed to shimmer and flow like mercury yet was sturdy enough to support the weight of its occupants. This was an advanced composite material capable of conducting electricity and integrating seamlessly with the home's various systems.
The furnishings were a study in minimalist luxury, with sleek, ergonomic chairs and sofas that conformed to the body's contours, their surfaces seamlessly blending touch-sensitive controls and integrated charging pads. A central focus point was a large, curved video screen that dominated one wall, capable of immersive virtual reality experiences or serving as a gateway to the digital world.
Despite the high-tech marvels on display, the cave retained a sense of warmth and natural beauty. Strategically placed skylights allowed natural light to filter in, casting dancing shadows and highlighting the cave's unique geological features. Potted plants and subtle water features added to the sense of harmony between the modern and the ancient.
They didn't really need food or drink, as the Fountain of Youth kept providing an endless supply of rejuvenating water from within the cave. However, once in a while, the ships from Medusa's company would stop in the middle of the ocean, at the exact spot, to drop off supplies, magazines, or clothes.
The door to the cave would be opened, and a few chosen humans would get inside to drop the deliveries, but they were not allowed to venture deeper than the designated line. But sometimes, one or two people's curiosity would be greater than their logic, and they would end up turned to stone.
"Is there any accident from the last supply drop?" Medusa asked, laying down on the cozy, fluffy sofa.
"No, everyone has been obedient these days," Euryale said, keeping her focus on the YouTube channel.
"The last accident we had was two centuries ago, two people," Stheno said, staring at the 89 stone statues inside the cave.
"What a pity, but they really make great statues. Maybe I should sell them," Medusa said, gazing at the human statues within the cave.