Null Tower, 47th floor
Vesta pours coffee in a mug; her right hand is on fire, heating the beverage before she hands it to Todd Slate. The current head of the company’s public relations looks her in the eye.
<So let me get this straight: the Greek gods exist, they are crazy and rule the galaxy. You are thousands of years old, Kari and Torn come from other planets, Noriko has an alien device in her head, and she killed your sister because she was a tyrant that murdered millions of people.>
<It was in self-defense…more or less> Vesta clarifies.
<This isn’t some sort of prank, right? You actually believe all of this.>
<And you don’t? You work for people with super-powers!>
<I know, but…Greek gods? Come on!>
Vesta crosses her arms, seemingly offended by the remark. Kari and Quantum choose this moment to barge in, with the latter exclaiming:
<We have a problem. I think Noriko has an evil alternate personality.>
<Oh now you’re just being ridiculous> Todd complains.
Times Square
Andrea has been working at the store for years now, and has seen her share of celebrities. This isn’t the first time one of them comes in at 1 A.M. to shop for new clothes, but it’s definitely one of the least expected. Noriko Null showed up in a dirty prom dress, soaking wet for the heavy rain outside, with no shoes. And with very strange contact lenses that make her eyes completely black.
The clothes she purchased are rather different from her usually style. Everything is red: the low rise pants that leave next to nothing to the imagination, the cropped T-shirt that exposes her midriff, the jacket that barely covers her shoulders and that she keeps with rolled up sleeves, the fingerless gloves. The only exception are the black biker boots with stiletto heels.
<This will do. A little too conservative for my taste, but what the hell.>
Andrea would comment that it’s trashy and that everything clashes with everything else, but this is a customer. A billionaire customer. She just smiles and gives her the price, without even saying anything about how weird her voice sounds.
Noriko reaches for her new purse, red of course, searching for her credit card. While she does it, she places the Genius Gun on the counter.
<Madam…we have a policy against customers carrying weapons in the store.>
<Oh, so you’re going to call the cops?> Noriko asks, handing her the card.
<It’s okay. Just don’t do it again, please> Andrea answers quickly, suddenly wishing for the girl to leave as soon as possible. There’s something deeply unsettling in her voice.
<Too bad. I was hoping for some action. Oh well, the night’s still young, isn’t it?>
<Is there any problem?> the store manager asks, arriving just now. It’s been a long time since Andrea has seen him in the store this late at night, but someone must’ve told him about Noriko.
<Yes. I’m bored> Noriko says, grabbing the manager by the shirt and kissing him. A shamelessly long French kiss, which ends when the manager pushes Noriko away and bleeds from the mouth.
<She bit me!!!> – he complains, while Noriko licks the blood from her lips.
She leaves the store giggling like a schoolgirl, twirling the Genius Gun in her hand.
Null Tower, 47th floor
The kitchen is illuminated by a holographic eye, the avatar of IRIS. Quantum, Kari and Vesta have a very serious and worried look on their faces, while Todd is definitely more skeptical:
<Look, I know I was the one saying that Noriko was acting kind of strange today, but I think you’re taking this waaay too far.>
<She’s not answering her phone or her Neural Transmitter. And she’s not at the party> Quantum says. This doesn’t convince Todd:
<It’s her prom. She’s probably making out with some guy she met and doesn’t want to be disturbed.>
<He’s got a point, what if Nori is just having fun?> Kari objects.
<Before the Neural Transmitter was disconnected, I recorded extreme levels of stress and fatigue, to the point of physical exhaustion> IRIS explains.
<Really, really having fun> Kari stresses.
<IRIS, tell them about the scan> Quantum orders.
The hologram takes the form of something vaguely resembling a human brain, twisting around a metal band shaped like the symbol for infinity. Next to it there is an EEG chart.
<This is the mistress’ brain at rest. This is the latest recorded state before she disconnected.>
The images change rapidly: the area of the brain right behind the eyes is illuminated in red, and all the lines in the EEG show a spike that rapidly brings them beyond the scale shown.
<99.7% of the brain activity is now concentrated in the hypertalamus and megaencephalon. While the hypertalamus doesn’t have a human equivalent, the mistress believes it is responsible for the access to the worldmind.>
<I have no idea what this means. And I have a hard time believing any of you guys do> Todd says.
<The megaencephalon doesn’t have an equivalent either, but it is believed to house conscious thought. Mistress Null correlated a specific pattern of neurological activity in this area of the brain to her thought process and set up an alarm in case a secondary pattern arises.>
<An alternate personality alarm. Which she disabled, and that now is giving us a red alert> Quantum explains.
A maximum security prison
The prisoner is officially dead, having been executed weeks ago. But anyone looking at her wouldn’t recognize the woman, whose looks have been completely changed by the essence of Eris possessing her body.
She is in solitary confinement: she doesn’t talk to other inmates, eats in her cell, and she has no contact with the outside world. She’s laying on her bed, looking at the ceiling with both hands behind her head. The solitude doesn’t seem to affect her: as a goddess, her perception of time is almost incomprehensible to humans. Suddenly she jumps:
<No> she says with a scared voice. Her breathing accelerates and she looks around.
<No no no> she repeats, walking up to the door, then the wall on the opposite side, then the door again: it’s not a long distance due to the size of her cell, and she makes it a dozen time repating “no”. Finally she runs up to the wall and slams her fists against it shouting:
<I have to get off this planet!!! Do you hear me!? I have to get off this planet!!!>
Eris tries to leave her current body, but the God Restrain on her wrist won’t let her.
<Please!!! I’ll tell you anything, just let me leave this planet!!! It’s awaken!!!>
Finally someone answers to her screams. It’s a voice coming from a hidden microphone, the same voice that has been carrying her interrogations.
<Calm down, Eris, you are safe here.>
<Nobody is safe on this planet! It’s awake, can’t you feel it? I can’t stay on this planet anymore!!!>
<Who is awake, Eris? Who are you afraid of?>
<The Abyss!!! The Abyss is awake!!!>
New York
Abyss is walking in the rain, with the forcefield generator attached to her belt keeping her dry. Together with her new clothes, this attracts quite a few glances. Not surprising since she’s doing everything she can to be noticed: she’s even accentuating the sway of her hips and she can’t stop smiling. The freedom to control Null’s body is simply exhilarating.
Just as she’s about to set foot in the bar, a man twice her size blocks her entrance.
<What do you think you’re doing?>
<Whatever I want.>
<How old are you? Let me see some ID.>
<Sure. He’s my card>– she answers, taking the Genius Gun from her purse and shooting at him.
The telekinetic blast makes him fly like he’s been hit by a car. People scream as the bouncer lands on top of a customer and bumps his head against the wall.
<Listen up people, my name is Abyss. I’m here to have some fun; just don’t do anything stupid and nobody gets hurt.>
People keep their distance when she walks to the counter and picks up the half empty beer mug. She starts drinking while the barkeeper slowly reaches for his gun. She’s still drinking when she shoots him; the Genius Gun is still at its lower setting, so instead of killing him he just breaks a few bones together with dozens of bottles. She smashes the now empty mug on the floor.
<Oh who am I kidding, I said fun, of course someone’s gonna get hurt.>
Abyss drains an entire bottle of whiskey, before loudly smashing it on the floor.
<Not even a buzz. Fu##in’ super-brain. Now, where were we?>
She barely touches her N-phone, transmitting in a second more information than could be typed in a week. When she was Noriko her eyes would have shined bright silver, but in her current Abyss state they remain soulless chasms.
Null Tower, 47th floor
Quantum’s argument has failed to convince Todd, who just leaves the kitchen’s table.
<You’re taking this way too seriously. When Null gets home we’ll laugh about it.>
A siren wails, as titanium blinds cover the windows and the lights turn red.
<I don’t find this funny at all> Kari comments.
<QUARANTINE PROTOCOL ACTIVATED. PLEASE REMAIN CALM.>
<“Quarantine protocol”?> Vesta repeats.
<Nobody gets in or out of the Tower> Todd explains.
<We’ll see about that> Quantum says, turning into radio waves and flying through the walls…only to bounce against an invisible barrier just outside the skyscraper. He turns back to human form in the kitchen, losing his balance; only Vesta prevents him from falling on his backside.
<Man, I hate when this happens. IRIS, why is the quarantine protocol active?>
<THERE IS A PLASMA REACTOR OVERLOAD ON THE 25TH FLOOR.>
<Of course there is> Quantum complains, transforming into neutrinos and reappearing on the 25th floor only a fraction of a second later.
The Tower’s Plasma Reactor is much smaller than the version integrated into the latest Reactor Plants, but now it has something else to distinguish it: half a dozen Nullbots working on it.
<Okay guys, just stop whatever you’re doing and nobody gets hurt.>
<We are just following orders> one of the robots answer.
<Yeah, that’s not creepy at all. Whose orders? I don’t think you’re working for Null.>
<Null is dead. There is only Abyss now.>
Only now Quantum understands what the robots are doing: they have connected the reactor to a device that he has seen before.
<Wait, is that a Negative Drive!? That thing almost blew up the whole city!!!>
<It has been improved. Now it will only destroy Null Tower and the Vanguard.>
Quantum can transform into energy at the speed of thought, but he hesitates for an instant trying to predict the robot’s next move. The Nullbot doesn’t have the same weakness and activates the Negative Drive without even touching it.
Outside
A blindingly bright light envelopes the skyscraper, without making a sound. People outside avert their eyes, then feel a powerful wind draft.
The wind slows down when the void has been filled. Null Tower has disappeared, leaving only a deep hole in the ground where the building used to be.
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