Colonel Reed Raven is a field operative with the North American Joint Combat Force, one of the few outposts of civilization remaining in the fragmented world of 2180. When they discover the superstitious townsfolk of Rome have unearthed a highly dangerous doomsday weapon from the previous century and are now worshiping it as a pagan idol, Raven is sent on an urgent mission to disarm it.
To hide his ignorance of local customs, Raven goes in the guise of a rough barbarian from the even less civilized lands of northern Europe, a role his super-powerful physique makes him ideal for. But the mission won’t be an easy one, and he’s lucky to encounter a handsome young priest named Taliaris who has valuable knowledge -- not to mention psychic skills -- that Raven lacks. Together, Raven and Taliaris set out to save the world ... and fall in love with each other into the bargain.
They approached the temple in almost complete darkness. The spacious piazza, in stark contrast to its earlier appearance, was completely deserted. This was a good thing, because -- having lost their robes -- both Raven and Taliaris were almost completely naked. Raven still had his barbarian outfit, what there was of it, and Taliaris was looking distinctly barbarian-like too, in the dirty and disheveled state his recent adventures had left him in.
“You’re sure we’ll have the place to ourselves?” Raven asked.
“No, I’m not,” Taliaris admitted. “I’ve never been here at this time of night before. But my understanding is that the temple is emptied and locked up at night.”
They hurried up to the large, heavy doors in the main façade. A quick inspection and a few tests revealed they were never going to get in that way. The doors were firmly bolted, and neither Raven’s strength nor Taliaris’s mental skills could force them open.
“There’s a smaller door around the side,” Taliaris whispered. “We may have better luck there.”
To their relief, this proved to be the case. This entrance was locked too, but Taliaris -- closing his eyes tightly and frowning in concentration -- was able to unlock it with his psychokinetic ability.
The cavernous interior of the temple was lit by smoldering torches. But even in that dim, flickering light there was no difficulty locating the ExoVortex-666 -- or the Phallus of Apollo, as it was known in these parts. The giant missile rose up vertically under the temple’s central dome.
As they hurried toward their objective, they heard a sudden cry. They turned to see a wizened old man dressed in an ornate gold and crimson robe. He was holding a golden staff and glaring at them angrily.
“Uh-oh,” Taliaris whispered. “That’s Praxos, the high priest. I hadn’t expected him to be here at this hour. We need to be very careful. That staff of his has magical powers.”
“Barbarian infidels!” Praxos shrieked. “What are you doing here?”
