Beyond The Impossible

Eleusis, 30 light-years from Earth

Syzar Manor shows the rich history of a proud family. The Syzar are the “Old Money” of the Olympian Galaxy: they’ve given birth to Presidents, Kings, Emperors and Pontiffs. They funded two Trojan Wars, they own shares of the Galactic Trade Company and the largest planetary vineyard outside the Dionysus Sector, they have embassies in the Athenian Federation and in the Apollo Protectorate. The walls are covered with portraits of these historic figures.

Many of the portraits shows couples: sometimes the heir is the man, sometimes it’s the woman. Quite a few show same-sex couples; for galactic standards, Eleusis is quite progressive.

But one couple strikes Kari Zel’s attention: the woman is much younger than her husband, and she has bright green hair.

<Your mother is Myridian> she says to Alexer Syzar. The resemblance to his father is obvious.

<Was. Both my parents died when I was just a kid. But I remember her stories about Myridia, how she was sold as a sex slave because her hair looked too much like her goddess Demeter.>

<So your father… bought her?> Kari struggles to say, with obvious disgust in her voice.

<It was how things went back in the day. But over the years he grew to love her and to change his views, trying to use his fortune to make the galaxy a better place.>

<Doesn’t seem to have worked.>

<We don’t have Oracles on Eleusis, but people always resist change. He was killed by Hephaestus fanatics, along with my mother.>

<I’m sorry. You were born here, right? So you’re not… well…>

<I don’t have any powers, no. But just like you, I can be everywhere.>

Alexer touches the frame of the portrait, activating a hidden switch: the wall slides to the side.

<A secret passage? Max would love to see this> Kari notes.

The secret door leads to something much more spectacular: it’s an enormous room full of technological equipment, surrounded by scaffolds where blue skinned women are carrying cases, signing orders and discussing plans. Kari has never seen so many Lampyrians together, not even on Kythera. They constant flapping of their wings fills the air with an irregular wind.

<Kari Zel, welcome to the Blue Rose.>

 

DeKalb County, Georgia

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Quantum is the first to arrive at the scene, a fraction of a second after leaving New York. What he finds is a warzone: a massive explosion has leveled the building. He searches for survivors, transforming himself into x-rays to see through the thick black smoke.

When he finds something, he wishes he hadn’t done that. There’s a creature in there… humanoid, androgynous, impervious to x-rays. And it’s holding a skull in its right hand.

<Konnichiwa. Watashi no namae wa Strife desu. O-namae wa?> it asks with a soft tone.

<Ehm… hello?> Quantum replies, feeling dumb. How do you speak to something like that?

<Eigo. Hello. My name is Strife. What is your name?>

<I’m Quantum. Did you kill these people?>

The creature looks at the skull again, tilting its head. It never blinks.

<Yes. They were in my way. I am Strife.>

<Alright, girl… dude, whatever, just don’t move and I won’t have to hurt you.>

<I am Strife> it repeats, crushing the skull in its hand – You are in my way.

<Okay then> Quantum sighs, releasing an electric discharge equivalent to a taser shot. Since it doesn’t affect Strife, Quantum amps it up watt after watt until it’s enough to reduce any living creature to ashes. It doesn’t work.

<Alright, let’s try something different> he says, shooting a laser beam directed at its chest. It doesn’t connect: Strife’s body transforms into electricity, letting the laser pass right through it.

<What the… how did you learn to do that!?>
<I am Strife. You are in my way> it repeats, shooting lasers from its eyes.

Quantum could avoid them, but he’s used his powers long enough to recognize the power level of those lasers: they’re way above anything he’d want to use in a populated area.

In a splits seconds decision, he intercepts the laser with his hands and redirects it into space; he’s not sure exactly how it’s doing it, but he’s certain it feels like being hit by a car.

<Dude, do you mind taking it down a notch!?> he asks, out of breath.

<I am Strife> is the predictable answer, accompanied by another eye blast. Quantum tries to intercept this one as well, and that’s the last thing he feels before losing consciousness.

 

He awakens with the feeling of cold water in his face. No, not just in his face: he’s surrounded by water, and he can’t breathe. Instinct takes control and he swims, taking a deep breath once he reaches the surface. His heart is still racing from the rush and his head is still groggy after taking the hit; it takes a while to notice that it’s nighttime. And he’s in the ocean.

“I must be on the other side of the world. Did that thing just zap me through the planet!?”

He transforms into energy again, circling the planet at the speed of light. The Valkyrie aircraft that’s transporting Noriko and the rest of the team might be supersonic, but for him it’s practically standing still. He rematerializes inside it, dripping water all over the upholstery.

<Max? What are you doing here?> Noriko asks him.

<We may need a different plan. Do you have any dry clothes here?>

 

Eleusis, 30 light-years from Earth

The atmosphere is overwhelming. Dozens of Lampyrians approach Kari, each one asking a question or trying to touch her. Alexer Syzar steps in, separating her from the flock.

<Come on girls, give her some breathing room.>

<Is that really her? She’s from the Vanguard?> one blue girl asks.

<Is Null coming as well?> another one jumps in.

<Uhm, no. It’s just me for now> Kari answers; normally she likes being the center of attention, but this is just too weird for her tastes. The Lampyrians walk or fly away, suddenly disinterested.

Syzar leads Kari to the main feature of the room, an unnecessarily large screen showing the Galaxy.

<You’ll have to excuse them, Kari. Most of them are too young to remember your role in the overthrow of Demeter.>

<That was like a year ago. Where are they from? I didn’t know Eleusis had a Lampyrian population.>

<It doesn’t. They come from all over the Galaxy, but mostly from Diana and Aphrodite worlds.>

<So this “Blue Rose” is, what,  a refugee camp or something?>

<No. We’re a terrorist organization.>

The Galaxy map lights up, showing the organization’s symbol: blue lips ready for a kiss. Then it shows thousands of blue dots over the map, covering almost all of it.

<Or at least that’s what we have been labeled. We consider ourselves more like freedom fighters.>

<A Lampyrian resistance movement?> Kari says incredulously.

<You find that hard to believe. Good, that’s our greatest strength: who would be afraid of a Lampyrian? They’re weaker than humans. 99% of them work as prostitutes. Divine law considers them animals. They only live two years… or at least, they used to. Until Null.>

<You’re giving them the anti-aging serum she created with Hermes> Kari realizes.

<I’ve been mass producing it for weeks. Now that they can survive from ten to fifteen years, they want a better future. And I’m using my family’s fortune to help them fight gods.>

<Wow. It’s good to know the Vanguard’s not alone.>

<I’m happy to hear that, Kari> Syzar notes, making a gesture towards the massive screen. The graphics change to show new symbols next to the blue lips: an eye inside a triangle, a fist, a stylized arrow, a sword with wings, and the familiar Ø. Syzar identifies them:

<The Guild, the Mortal Liberation Front, the Hunter Pirates, the Empire of Shadows and the Vanguard. With the Blue Rose, there are currently six mortal resistance movements.>

<The Guild and the Empire have killed people. They work with gods> Kari objects.

<So do you> Syzar retorts.

<Vesta is… different.>

<The Vanguard is different. Mortals, gods and demons fighting together? Liberating planets and killing gods? It’s a powerful image. Inspiring.>

<It didn’t seem to inspire the Guild.>

<Even they can’t fight the other five organizations by themselves. In fact, your encounter with them has convinced me that if all of us worked together, not even Olympus could stop us.>

<So you want to create… what, a Mortal Resistance? A Mortal Union?>

<I wouldn’t use the world “mortal”; we have gods working with us, remember? Let’s just call it “Alliance”. Would Null agree to something like that?>

<I… I don’t know. What you’re suggesting… it would change the Galaxy forever.>

<Kari, what else do you think you and your friends have been doing for the past year?>

She doesn’t know what to answer. She looks at the map, showing all the symbols with their position in the Galaxy. The Ø is outside of it, since Syzar doesn’t know where Earth is. And Kari realizes that, sooner or later, they’ll have to decide where to be on that map.

 

Atlanta, Georgia

There was little time to prepare for it. The citizens of Atlanta were minding their own business when Strife teleported in the middle of the road, causing a major traffic incident.

It watches the cars crash one over the other, the people running away screaming, and it has only one thing to say.

<Hello. My name is Strife. What is your name?>

<Stop right there> a voice calls it from above. It’s Vesta, descending slowly from the sky in her usual attire: orange tank top and tight jeans, barefoot. Her hands and hair are on fire.

<Hello. My name is Strife. What is your name?> the creature repeats again.

<I am Vesta. You have five seconds to surrender before I hurt you.>

She lands, deciding to extinguish the fire: too many cars and civilians nearby. And she doesn’t know what this creature is: it’s destructive, sure, but there’s no reason for overkill.

<I am Strife. You are in my way> it says, releasing an eye blast. It hits Vesta right on the chest, but she doesn’t move: not only to protect the mortals, but because she feels this is a good way to test her enemy. The creature sustains the blast for a good ten seconds before it desists.

Vesta examines the damage: it burned a hole on the top, and the skin on her breast is sore.

<I… I actually felt that> she admits, covering the hole with her hand; not because the damage exposed something embarrassing, but because it’s starting to hurt.

<Are you a god?> she asks.

<I am Strife. You are in my way> the creature repeats, suddenly floating on the ground with its hands on fire. Before Vesta has the chance to realize it, Strife is close enough to punch her.

The pressure wave is enough to shatter a few eardrums and windows on the other side of the city.

It’s enough to embed Vesta on the street; she tries to stand up, but Strife stops her by stepping on her stomach and pressing with enough force to break titanium.

She grabs its leg, trying to push away; suddenly the green flesh disappears from her hands and she hears a static noise. When that disappears as well, Quantum is offering his hand.

<What did you do?> he asks, helping her to get out of the street.

<I asked it if it was a god.>

<…>

<I know. Dumb move. What did you do to it?>

<I tricked it into transforming into radio waves, then I bounced his signal on a satellite.>

<Nice. Think it’ll last?>

Before Quantum can answer to that, Strife is right in front of them and unfazed from the experience.

<Okay, I’m officially out of ideas> Quantum admits.