Beyond The Impossible

Somewhere in Heaven

The two suns in the sky have been shining for over twenty hours. The little refuge built by Kari and her duplicates provides some shade, aided by the addition of Noriko Null’s leather jacket.

She certainly doesn’t need to wear her favorite piece of clothing for warmth: while the island is not life-threateningly hot as Heaven, it’s quite uncomfortable.

Especially since, unlike Kari who is walking around in her underwear, Noriko steadfastly refuses to take off her T-shirt or her jeans.

She takes a pause from her work on her N-Phone to wipe sweat off her forehead, something her mother Leiko makes fun of.

<You’re being ridiculous.>

<For not gagging you? Yeah, not my proudest choice.> Noriko replies.

<For doing this to yourself. Just take back your device if you are so self-conscious to undress in front of your mother.> Leiko says. She’s still fully dressed, but she’s not feeling the heat: the belt she’s wearing is projecting a Survival Field that keeps her body at a comfortable temperature.

<Not going to happen. Something’s interfering with the field generator, so I can’t expand it to protect more than one person at a time. And there’s no way I’m letting whatever you caught spread.> Noriko explains.

Leiko looks at her own right hand. What started out as a little cut on her palms has spread rapidly, and now her entire right hand is charcoal black.

<It doesn’t even hurt. Besides, even if this was contagious, we’re all immortal as long as we’re in Heaven. You’re overreacting, Noriko.>

<Am I? When you broke the Vial Of Destiny you exposed yourself to its content: the last known sample of Drylon DNA in the universe. There’s no telling what effects it could have, so right now I’m treating you like a biohazard.>

<Nonsense. I feel fine.> Leiko insists, still focusing on moving her hand but so tired of her daughter’s attitude that she takes a walk.

Noriko rolls her eyes at her antics and focuses on the N-Phone for a minute before Kari approaches her and sits next to her.

<Any progress?>

<Not really. The phone barely works: there’s something on this planet that screws with electronics. I can’t get any signal past a kilometer, and judging by how slowly the suns move it won’t be night for another 87 hours. The magnetic field is so weak that if it wasn’t for Heaven making us immortal we both would have skin cancer by now… but on the plus side, there’s enough solar energy to keep the N-Phone charged indefinitely.> Noriko explains.

<What about your mother?>

<The belt’s miniaturized plasma generator can sustain the Survival Field for hundreds of years.>

<That’s not what I was talking about and you know it. What happened to her? Is she turning into a Drylon or something?>

<It’s a possibility, I’m not gonna lie. But right now I don’t have anything capable of scanning it, and frankly it’s the least of our problems. Every moment we’re stuck on this island the destruction of Heaven gets closer, and I won’t be able to deal with it until we either find the Tablet Of Destinies or Roxiana.>

<If only we knew where she is.>

<Oh that’s not the problem. I know where we can find her.> Noriko reveals.

<What? Why didn’t you tell me? Let’s just go there!>

<There’s only one problem.> Noriko replies, pointing at the ocean.

<I don’t get it.>

<Roxiana is a Thalassian, remember? They’re water-breathers, and this is obviously an ocean planet. But neither of us can breathe water, and I don’t have the means to build some sort of water-breathing apparatus with this damn field ruining my tech.>

<So what if we can’t breathe? We’re immortal! Let’s just jump into the ocean and…>

<Drown, be healed by Heaven, drown again, rinse and repeat forever? While searching the ocean floor on foot?>

<Well when you say it like that you make it sound… hey. Did you see that?> Kari asks, standing up and looking towards the ocean.

Noriko does the same, shielding her eyes from the sun to get a better view. She struggles more: Myridian eyes are just better equipped to work under so much sunlight.

But she does see a few air bubbles coming to the surface, announcing something that is rapidly approaching the shore. Or rather, someone.

A large man emerges from the water. The sun reflects on his bronze skin, with a metallic texture that indicates this is not a human.

He shakes his head to remove some of the water from the shoulder length black hair or from the equally long beard, and doesn’t pay much attention to the two girls.

He’s almost superhumanly muscular and very much completely naked.

<Wow. This really is Heaven.> Kari comments.

<Ehm. Excuse me, sir?> Noriko asks, trying to avert her gaze as much as she can.

The man seems surprised to see them here.

<Silim. Munus gal eše turra?> he asks.

<That’s no language I’ve ever heard.> Kari admits.

<I have. Silim, Nu Noriko-e. Šumugi ra emea?> Noriko asks back.

The man is even more surprised by her using the language, and answers:

<Ĝeštug. Silimma kumea, Noriko-ne. Anše emea?>

<Uhm, Nori, a little help here?>

<Sure. Let me set things up. I never thought I’d ever use this language pack.> she admits, activating the N-Phone’s translator.

<This device should translate my words into Sumerian. Can you still understand me?>

<I can. But please Noriko, introduce me to your friend and answer my first question: what are you lovely maidens doing here?>

<This is Kari, she should understand you now. Kari, this is Gilgamesh. As for your question…>

<Are you kidding me!? THIS is how you tell me this is freaking Gilgamesh!?> Kari shouts.

<Reaper told us he’s in Heaven, and who else would be speaking Sumerian here?>

<I am indeed Gilgamesh. You two are not from around here, I gather?>

<Definitely not. Now one last thing to take care of before we can talk.> Noriko adds, activating the phone’s holographic projector to create a black censor bar on his crotch.

<I hate you.> Kari pouts.

<Where are you maidens from, exactly? You’re too light-skinned to be Thalassians and too dark to be Lar or Ur.> Gilgamesh asks, moving closer to get his arms around both girls.

<We’re human.> Noriko answers, taking a step back to keep her personal space; Kari has no such qualms, and seems to be particularly smitten with the hero.

<Perhaps we should continue the conversation at your place. Where is it? My duplicates swam all around the island, but couldn’t find anything.>

<Of course, there’s nothing on the surface. I’ve been relaxing in the city, down at the bottom.> Gilgamesh replies, pointing at the sea.

<You swam all the way from the bottom of the ocean to here!?> Noriko exclaims.

<Sure! I was really missing the sun and I needed some exercise.>

<Well, this place is not so bad after all.> Leiko intervenes, returning to this side of the island to see her daughter talking to a naked he-man with bronze skin.

<Aren’t you going to introduce me to your new handsome friend, Noriko?>

Gilgamesh has a completely different reaction upon seeing Leiko: he pushes Kari aside and vows:

<Stand aside, young maidens! I shall slay that monster!>

He only takes a few angry steps towards her, before his path is blocked by the appearance of three Kari duplicates that shield Leiko.

<What the Hades do you think you’re doing!?>

<That monster does not belong in Heaven! She may look like a beautiful flower, but she’s an infernal beast!>

<Not disagreeing with you there, but as weird as it sounds to say, she’s with us.> Noriko adds.

<Then you leave me no choice.> Gilgamesh decrees, grabbing two Kari duplicates and throwing them over the horizon, as if they weighted nothing.

<Okay, hunk or not, that was your last mistake. 10K Rise!> the third Kari duplicate shouts, with her body glowing as she concentrates the strength of ten thousand women into a single body.

She kicks Gilgamesh’s knee, with the intention to make him hunch over in pain and deliver an uppercut. But not only the demigod has no reaction, Kari is the one to be hurt.

<It’s like punching a god! What are you made of!?>

<I will only ask once more: stand aside. I don’t fight helpless maidens.>

<Helpless???> Kari repeats in a mix of shock and anger.

She then splits the 10K Rise across two separate bodies. One of them jumps on Gilgamesh’s back and wraps her legs on his neck, squeezing it with enough strength to bend steel.

His muscles don’t budge, as he looks down at the other duplicate. She’s not short, but he still absolutely towers over her.

<Is that all? Let me take care of the monster, and I’ll let you have some fun on your knees.>

<Kneel to this. Limit Breaker!>

The aura around Kari’s body becomes much fiercer, and her duplicates disappears as she supercharges the virtual particles that give her powers. She hasn’t used this technique often after the Amazons experimented on her, but she’s pissed enough to try unleashing it.

The 10K-Rise multiplies itself: instead of the strength of ten thousand women, Gilgamesh receives an uppercut a hundred million times stronger than a human’s punch.

It’s like an explosion just went off, kicking a ton of sand into the air along with the hero’s body, shot away as if caught by a tornado.

<That was excessive.> Noriko comments, covering her ears to protect herself against the thunderous sound of the bit.

<NOBODY calls me “helpless”.> Kari insists, breathing heavily as all that power still pumping through her veins is hard to contain.

<Besides, he’s also not from Heaven right? That means he’s immortal here.> she continues, dropping out of that surcharge.

<Sure, but he was our only lead. Now who knows where you’ve sent him!> Noriko complains.

<He’s hard to miss.> Leiko says, looking upwards.

Gilgamesh is slowly descending towards them, his body surrounded by a faint golden glow. And no longer censored by Noriko’s hologram.

<Not that I’m complaining.> Leiko adds, raising an eyebrow in appreciation.

<So… tall, bronze and handsome, have you calmed down?> Kari asks, placing her hands on her hips.

<You are a formidable fighter. You should join me in slaying that monster.> Gilgamesh insists, stopping his descent a few inches off the ground.

<Nobody’s slaying anything until I have all the facts. And you can stop flying now.> Noriko says.

<I can’t fly.> Gilgamesh clarifies. As he says this both Noriko and Kari find themselves floating, caught by the same golden energy.

<What’s going on!?> Leiko wonders: she’s the only one with feet on the ground.

Much to her surprise, her right arm moves on its own without her control: following her gesture, everyone else is telekinetically pushed far away into the ocean.

And to her horror she can no longer control her right hand. It twists 180 degrees, with the blackness having extended past the wrist.

She watches in terror when a scar appears on the palm. Except it’s no scar at all: it’s an eyelid, which then opens to reveal a golden eye without an iris staring at her.

And she hears a voice in her own head. Neither feminine or masculine, conveying a single thought.

<ALIVE.>