Beyond The Impossible

Takama system, 45,000 light-years from Earth

The bridge of the Ragnarok is entirely manned by Kari duplicates, with one exception: Liosthenes, the Athenian Federation officer who is currently helping the Vanguard.

Kari doesn’t trust him: he revealed himself to be a member of the Mortal Liberation Front, and her experience with that organization is far from ideal.

<What’s your deal, Liosthenes? Why blow your cover to help us?>

<It was the right thing to do. Amaterasu is dangerous and Null is the only one who can stop her.>

<But why infiltrate the Athenian Federation? I thought the MLF didn’t operate there.>

<Do you question all the orders Null gives you, Zel?>

<When I think she’s wrong, yes. I don’t trust people who blindly follow orders.>

<For what it’s worth, I’d disobey anyone who ordered me to be here> he says, looking at the viewscreen: the three Viper ships are continuing their assault on the Ragnarok’s shield.

<Shield integrity at 10%. Catastrophic failure in 14 minutes> L.O.K.I , the ship’s artificial intelligence, informs them.

<Everybody get ready, this’ll be a bumpy ride> Noriko Null adds, busting in the room with Syzar, Quantum and another Kari; instead of sitting on the captain’s chair, however, she goes to the navigation workstation.

<What do you mean? We’re not going anywhere until they stop firing> Liosthenes objects.

<I just sent Vesta out there with a Black Hole Generator. Once it’s activated, we’ll have to outrun the event horizon if we want to get out of this alive.>

<And you want to pilot the ship to do that!?>

<I can’t tell if that’s supposed to be a joke about women driving or Asians driving…>

<I have experience piloting a ship near a gravitational anomaly and I’m assuming you don’t.>

<No, but I’m like every single jet pilot and every theoretical physicist condensed into one.>

<So you can give the black hole a math lesson while it kills us all?>

<Look, it’s my ship, my black hole, so let me pilot the…>

<Oh for the love of the Gods, Noriko, just let him drive the freakin’ ship!> Kari protests.

<FINE, it’s all yours> Noriko concedes, leaving the workstation to Liosthenes.

And just in time, because the enemy ships just stopped firing: there’s a massive surge of gravitational energy above them, and by turning on the engines to avoid it they’re also deactivating their weapons.

<That’s our opening! Go go go!> Noriko orders, and Liosthenes activates the Star Drive.

The ship is supposed to accelerate faster than light, but not this close to a black hole: the gravitational waves are making it extremely difficult to maintain the course, in a constant tug-of-war between the Ragnarok and the artificial astronomical phenomenon.

And to make matters worse, it also needs to dodge the shots fired by three ships in pursuit.

<Viper’s ships! They’re escaping the black hole like we are!> Syzar exclaims.

<I wasn’t planning on the black hole eating the ships: it’s very small, so its gravitational pull is limited. I was hoping it could give us some room to breathe, but I should’ve expected they would be able to maneuver despite the interference: their artificial intelligence is also a copy of my design> Noriko explains.

<You must be so proud> Liosthenes snarks, instructing the Ragnarok to make a U-turn to face the other ships again; to prove he wasn’t bluffing about his skill as a pilot, he’s able to dodge their blasts and pull off some impressive evasive maneuvers.

<Take the one on the left. The other’s mine> Quantum tells him, shooting into space as a beam of light: no longer stopped by the anti-neutrino field, he’s finally able to make himself useful.

He doesn’t go easy on the enemy: he targets the Armageddon ship and blasts him as a massive laser, hitting what he knows to be a weak spot on the Ragnarok. Since it lowered its shield, he doesn’t expect it to resist the attack and certainly doesn’t expect to be reflected back into space without causing any damage.

“What the… that was supposed to blow it up!” he thinks, considering his options while floating in space as a vaguely humanoid mass of photons.

“Need a hand?” he hears Vesta asks through the Neural Transmitter, flying next to him and shooting a colossal stream of fire towards the Armageddon… doing no damage.

“That was half a million degrees, it should’ve done something! What are these things made of!?”

“Does… does that look like what I think it looks like?” Quantum asks.

Vesta’s attack stripped away the paint job, revealing the shining white metal underneath it.

“Noriko, the ships are coated in neutral matter!!!” Vesta reveals.

 

Divine Palace, Takama

Viper is looking at the screen showing data from the battle, sitting on her couch guarded by two Oni robots. The smile on her face says how much she’s enjoying this.

She’s not alone for long: a goddess with long black hair and red eyes enters the room, taking her place next to her under the watchful eyes of the robots.

<Eris! Glad you could finally join us; please, make yourself comfortable.>

<I’m surprised you’re still using these ships. Why not send Amaterasu to kill them?>

<Let’s call it a test drive. The Apocalypse, the Armageddon and the Doomsday are probably a little overkill against a piece of junk like the Ragnarok, but it’ll be effective propaganda. Which reminds me: Oni, order the Kali Yuga and the Xibalba to patrol the border with the Ilithyia sector, just in case they try anything. Oh, and keep the Naraka on standby to attack Earth on my signal.>

<Acknowledged> the robot replies.

<Interesting naming choices. Do all of your ships have a Negative Drive, Viper?>

<Of course they do.>

<Then they would’ve been able to reach Hell and turn it to ashes. Why ask me to get my mother’s help to get them out of the way? Surely they aren’t a threat to you.>

<Eris, Eris, Eris. Do you seriously think I’m stupid enough to tell you how to thwart my plans?>

<Touché. But speaking of people you bafflingly keep around, where is your Demon prisoner?>

<Torn? I need him to recover before I torture him some more. He’s in the dungeon.>

<You have a dungeon?>

<Why wouldn’t I have a dungeon? It’s every girl’s dream.>

<If you say so. You still haven’t told me why exactly you need him.>

<Like I would tell you, of all people! Just relax and let me handle things, okay Eris? I’m the one who restored your adult body after the false Null trapped you as a child, I’d expect more gratitude.>

<And for that action you still have my loyalty> Eris says, choosing to abandon the conversation while at the same time thinking:

“But that doesn’t explain why you keep me around. Only a fool would trust the Goddess of Discord, and if there’s one thing I’m sure about you, Viper, is that you are no fool”.

 

The palace’s dungeon

Takama may be the capital of Amaterasu’s realm, but its infrastructure leaves much to be desired.

Security is severely lacking, for example: the guards rely too much on the assumption that no mortal would try to challenge the goddess or her robotic army.

Which means that, once Kari Zel and Lily Elosia have sneaked inside the building, the only obstacle before reaching the lower floors is an Oni robot guarding a security door.

<Are you sure this is gonna work?> Kari whispers.

<As sure as I’ll ever be> the Lampyrian answers, handing a small device to a duplicate Kari has created for the occasion: is used to be a Meretrix communicator, but it’s clearly been heavily modified past its original purpose as an interstellar dating app.

The Kari duplicate cheerfully walks towards the Oni, which immediately spots her.

<Stop. Access to this area is for authorized personnel only.>

<Don’t worry. Here’s my authorization> Kari answers, activating the device and pointing it at the Oni: as a result, the robot shuts down completely.

<Uh. I was hoping for something a little more flashy> she shrugs.

<It’s just a tachyon scrambler. Come on, if the Oni are as advanced as the Talos it will only take a few minutes to reboot> Lily reminds her, hurrying to inspect the robot’s arm.

<What are you looking for?> Kari asks.

<A manual override for its weapons; that’s a blast-proof door, we need serious firepower to…>

<10K Rise!> Kari shouts, concentrating the power of ten thousand kicks into a single one: it’s enough to dislodge the door from its hinges.

<Nevermind> Lily says, reminding herself once again how it feels to work with the Vanguard.

<I think I’m getting the hang of this power.>

The two girls get inside the real dungeon; it’s like taking a step into the Middle Ages, with its stone walls and dim lights. For Kari, it’s also a flashback to her time in a Hell prison.

Which is appropriate, since Torn is there. He’s chained to the wall, with multiple wounds on his bare chest, and he doesn’t appear to be conscious. Lily hurries to check his vitals.

<His three hearts are beating, but I think he’s been tortured to a point that would’ve killed any human. I’m more worried about this thing>– she says, inspecting the metallic collar on his neck.

<It doesn’t look like he can walk, we’ll need to drag him out> Kari says, de-powering the 10K Rise to create some duplicates: a couple to carry Torn and another couple to check if the coast is clear.

As soon as the duplicates reach what remains of the door, however, the sound of a plasma beam weapon announces their demise: the Oni robot is back, and it disintegrated the duplicates in no time.

<Intruders detected. Initiating exterminating procedure.>

<I thought you said we had a few minutes!> Kari tells Lily pushing her out of the way of the Oni.

<For a Talos! This is obviously more advanced!>

<Okay, so it’s smarter. Any bright ideas?> Kari asks, punching the Oni and immediately regretting it: she can’t turn the 10K Rise back on, not this soon after de-powering.

<Adversary analysis complete. Threat level: zero> the Oni realizes, pointing its hand at Kari and preparing to unleash enough energy to reduce her to ashes.

The only thing it produces is a clicking sound. The robot seems just as surprised as Kari: it tilts its head, then its whole body shakes incoherently for a few seconds, until it collapses in harmlessly.

<Okay. I don’t know what you just did, Lily, but that was pretty badass!>

<I didn’t do anything> Lily admits, interrupted by the sound of yawning and chains breaking.

Torn is standing up, removing the metallic collar like it was an inconvenient distraction.

<What are you doing here?> he asks.

<We’re rescuing you, thank you very much!> Kari answers, upset for the lack of gratitude.

<Did… did you just disable the Oni? HOW!?> Lily wonders.

<Its skin is indestructible, but its entrails are weak: I cut him from the inside. Is Null with you?>

<No, we’re here alone.>

<She’s in this solar system. The Blood can feel her presence.>

<Wait, if you can use your powers, why are you in the dungeon!?> Kari asks.

<I was taking a nap> Torn admits.

<Seriously!? You can create portals! Why didn’t you come back to Earth!?>

<Viper thinks she can break me. She will get overconfident, and then I will kill her.>

<What does she want from you?> Lily asks.

Before Torn can answer, a bright light illuminates the dungeon: it’s coming from the beautiful woman wearing a kimono that just walked in.

<What’s going on?> Amaterasu asks.

<We are so φθcκεδ> Kari sighs.

<That’s my mother’s Demon! Where are you taking him?> the goddess asks.

<Your mother?> Kari says, utterly confused. Lily is similarly surprised by her words, but something clicks in her Lampyrian mind.

<Yes, your mother. She asked us to take him. He needs to be… fixed.>

<Really? She didn’t tell me. She never tells me anything. What’s up with the Oni?> she then asks, pointing at the damaged robot resting on the floor.

<It’s broken. That’s why we need to take the Demon, before it breaks too. Can we go now? Or should we tell your mother you didn’t let us fix her Demon?> Lily asks; she’s changed her tone, like she’s speaking to a child.

<No no no! Please take him! I’ll tell Mother everything’s fine.>

<Actually, Amaterasu, your mother said we shouldn’t tell you. But if you don’t tell her you saw us, we’ll keep this a secret, okay?>

<Okay!> Amaterasu agrees, with a big smile. She watches the trio disappear into a pentagram made of fire, then she tells herself:

<They seem like nice people.>