Beyond The Impossible

HDS Demosthenes, geostationary orbit above Earth

Noriko Null thought she’d seen it all: a dragon as big as Earth itself, Ancient Egyptian spaceships, planets with six Suns or where the sky is made of fire.

When the doors to the room next to the bridge open, however, she can’t help but gasp at the sight of the massive humanoid with the head of a bull.

<Lady Null, Lady Vesta, welcome aboard the Demosthenes> the being greets them, standing up from his desk and completely ignoring the other guests.

<Is… that a minotaur!?> Dmitry Voron exclaims.

<I have a name, sir. I am Captain Kamos of the Athenian Fleet> the minotaur clarifies, keeping his composure even though it’s clear from his tone that he didn’t appreciate the Russian’s remark.

<You’re an Aurochian, isn’t it? I thought your people went extinct a long time ago> Vesta notes.

<Only outside the Athenian Federation; they’re actually the second fastest growing minority in the Olympian Galaxy, after the Lampyrians> Lily explains to the goddess.

<Are we seriously discussing the weird alien instead of the fact that we’re inside a freakin’ spaceship!? No offense, dude> Quantum tells the Captain.

<What’s so special about it? I have a spaceship too> Noriko reminds him.

<Yeah, but this one’s cooler: ours doesn’t have a teleporter.>

<This is the famed Vanguard? You are less… focused then I expected> the Captain admits.

<I suppose we should go straight to the point. Why is the Galaxy in danger this time?> Noriko asks.

To answer, Captain Kamos sets a few commands on the console of his desk and a holographic map of the Olympian Galaxy appears out of thin air.

<Ilithyia and Apollo are at war with each other. Have you received any information about this from your allies?> the minotaur asks Null.

<No, it’s been months since I’ve heard anything from Tyche or the Mortal Republic; they’re not at war, from what I understand from your map.>

<They’ve declared themselves neutral, as have several other kingdoms, including the Athenian Federation. Only Hera and Hebe have declared war to Apollo in solidarity with their daughter and sister, but Hera lacks military resources and Hebe’s territory is too far away to provide any substantial assistance. Only Enyo could turn the tide against Apollo, but for some reason she has been reluctant to declare war.>

<That’s odd. Enyo loves nothing more than a good fight> Vesta notes.

<What about Ares? He shares a border with Apollo, next to that “Dead Zone”> Voron says, pointing at the writing in Olympian on the map.

<You can read that stuff?> Quantum asks.

<I’ve had some… private lessons> Voron answers, looking at Noriko.

<The Dead Zone marks a physical demarcation of the Ares-Apollo border that neither seems willing to cross, at least not yet> the Captain continues.

<I can see why. I blew up a lot of star clusters when I killed Tiamat there> Noriko recalls.

<You did what?> Voron asks, surprised at how nonchalantly she dropped that sentence.

<This is all interesting, Captain, but why didn’t Athena inform me directly? I still have the medallion she gave me as a communication device.>

<She is concerned the message could be intercepted by the Winter Kingdom, now that they have regained access to Lar technology. I assume it is the same reason why the Mortal Republic and the Tyche sector, which share a border with the Winter Kingdom, are keeping tachyon silence.>

<Sounds pretty serious> Vesta comments, biting her lower lip.

<Apollo is one of the three superpowers of the Olympian Galaxy: left unchecked, he will conquer both the Ilithyia and Hera sectors in less than a year> the Captain explains.

<I fail to see how that’s my problem> Null coldly states, making her silver eyes shine.

<Noriko!!!> Vesta objects.

<Nearly 20% of the galactic population lives in the Hera sector, Lady Null, the vast majority on worlds even more primitive than Earth. Our most conservative estimate of the number of casualties for a full-scale invasion is in the hundreds of billions> the Captain says.

<I know what they say about me, Captain Kamos, but I don’t do miracles. What does Athena expect me to do against an interstellar empire? She wants me to kill Apollo?>

<I have only been instructed to update you on the situation, Lady Null, and to provide the Demostenes to assist Earth in case of future attempted invasions, should you decide to… get yourself involved, so to speak. Entirely without Athena’s involvement or consent, you understand.>

<She wants me to save her ass, again, without getting her hands dirty, again.>

<If a major war between galactic powers erupts, Lady Null, we will all need someone to save our backsides> the Captain muses.

 

Hell, 163.000 light-years from Earth

If there’s one thing that this planet doesn’t lack, it’s active volcanoes. There are so many that the Demons didn’t even bother to give a name to most of them, mostly because they’re basically interchangeable. There is one that stands out: it’s called Spiteful Fate because it erupts seemingly at random with no warning. While Demons generally appreciate extreme heat, visiting the Spiteful Fate is considered suicidally reckless.

Naturally, it’s Torn’s favorite place to meditate.

He’s sitting cross-legged in front of وىتېرفىلل… a Demon term roughly meaning “waterfall of lava”… and it’s so hot he’s taken off both his shoes and everything above the belt. His pants aren’t catching fire only because he’s not resting on the rocks, but on a bed of sharp energy daggers.

He’s barely aware of any of this. His three hearts have slowed down considerably to conserve energy, and his mind is attuned to the Blood… the universal biogenic field that all Demons can access. He can feel it flowing through his body, through his family, through the very core of the planet. According to Demon philosophy, the Blood is what binds the universe together: it affects everything, from stars to Demons to humans to the gods themselves.

But when he tried to use the Blood against Leiko Tanaka, during the Winter King’s invasion, it didn’t work. The Blood simply refused to cause her any damage.

Torn knows that she was wearing the Vial of Destiny… the last existing sample of Drylon genetic code… and that divine powers don’t work against it, supposedly because the gods were created by the Drylon. Did these all-powerful aliens create a defense against the Blood? Or is the Blood an artificial construct, somehow connecting every living being in the universe?

<TORN!!!> a voice screams inside his head through the Neural Transmitter, breaking his concentration. He loses his balance, falling on the rocks. His red skin withstands the heat that would cause third-degree burns on a human, but the Spiteful Fate is so sensitive to any vibration that this is enough to cause the volcano to shake violently.

<One moment. PRESSURE YIELD!!!> he shouts, releasing a wave of destructive energy that cuts through the top of the volcano, allowing it to discharge an impressive amount of lava and gas towards the sky.

<Go ahead> he calmly resumes the conversation.

<Can you come by? I have some MAJOR news to share!!!>

<I will. As soon as I have dealt with this pain in the backside.>

<It’s “pain in the ass”, Torn, but I’m glad you finally managed to use a metaphor almost correctly.>

<What metaphor?> the Demon asks, looking at the energy dagger in his hand and removing the patch of his trousers still stuck on the blade.

 

Argos, 100 light-years from Earth

As the capital of the Mortal Republic, Argos hosts embassies and representatives of hundreds of planets; state visits are quite common, but today is different.

Not only has the temperature dropped significantly across the entire world as soon as the ship from the Winter Kingdom landed, but this is the first public appearance of Leiko Tanaka after her recent crowning as the Ice Queen.

She’s walking on a thin sheet of ice created by her Winter Armor, with the bitter cold it generates keeping the civilians away. The blue armor covers her head to toe, but she’s still easily distinguishable from the Winter King: the metal has morphed to better suit a female body.

She quietly reaches the office of the President of the Mortal Senate, arguably the only mortal in the Olympian Galaxy with more political power than her: Alexer Syzar.

<Welcome to Argos, Your Majesty. May I present you my wife Aura?> he says, making a gesture towards the woman next to him: wearing a white military uniform and seven feet tall, she dwarfs the Ice Queen and doesn’t try to hide her distaste for her.

<She can leave. This is not a courtesy visit> the Ice Queen says, her voice distorted by the armor.

<I should be present. I’m the Minister of War of the Mortal Republic> Aura tells her.

<I insist> the Queen adds, making sure to lower the temperature of the room a few more degrees. Aura looks at Syzar, who nods ever so slightly. It’s enough to convince the giantess to leave the room, without giving a proper goodbye to the armored monarch.

<Interesting choice> she comments; the helmet slides away, exposing her head as she takes the nearest seat while asking:

<I recognize her, we spoke during the Alliance. Wasn’t she the leader of the Hunter space pirates?>

<She was. Not exactly my first choice as wife, but since Hera required every vassal leading a sector to be married, I had to take action. Aura is… headstrong, but reliable.>

<And lacking political ambition. Yes, I suppose she will be a useful wife. Fortunately, since I was technically married to the Winter King before his death, I have been granted an extension from Hera’s decree to allow a period of mourning.>

<Yes, you must be devastated by his death. Why are you here, Leiko?>

<Talking over tachyon relays is too dangerous these days. Too many spies from Athena… and from you. Meeting in person is the safest way to communicate.>

<I agree. I assume you wish to discuss the tensions between Apollo and Ilithyia?>

<Not exactly. The Winter Kingdom is officially neutral, and I can defend it in case the gods get crazy ideas. You can’t exactly say the same, now that you’ve lost your associates from the Guild and that your relationship with Null is somewhat strained. I can help you with that.>

<I’ll be blunt, Leiko. You can be incredibly persuasive, but after you’ve betrayed every single ally you had, there is no way I can trust you.>

<I thought you’d be a better negotiator, Syzar. Don’t you want to listen to my proposal?>

<No. I can tell you that I don’t want to invade the Winter Kingdom, but after what you did to the King I’ll be sure to watch my back.>

<I see. If that is the case, we don’t have anything left to discuss> Leiko says, standing up and walking towards the exit without waiting to be dismissed.

<Just one thing, Ice Queen. The Mortal Senate is about to introduce legislation to create an Earth Reservation, granting the planet limited sovereignty over their solar system. Just remember that, from now on, any attempt to invade Earth will be considered an attack on the Mortal Republic.>

<I’ll be sure to remember that, Syzar> Leiko responds bitterly.

 

Null Island, Pacific Ocean

Once teleported back on Earth, Noriko takes off her leather jacket and tosses it to the nearest Nullbot. Dmitry Voron, the only one to be returned to the island with her, seems less at ease.

<I should have a look at the Ragnarok’s sensors, I don’t like how Athena’s ship was able to get this close to Earth without… are you alright?> she asks the Russian, who seems a bit shaken.

<Are you seriously going to ignore an interstellar war, Noriko?>

<Gods fight all the time. I’ll do something about it, but it’s not worth losing sleep over it and certainly it’s not worth ruining what’s left of my birthday> she shrugs, interrupted by the beeping sound that precedes O.D.I.N’s voice.

<Excuse me, mistress. You have 792 messages from Kari Zel> the artificial intelligence warns her.

<That’s over twice the number of duplicates she has on Earth. Connect me to the nearest one> she says, standing on one foot while trying to take off one of her boots.

<NORI!!! Where have you been!? I’ve been trying to call you for ages!!!> Kari practically screams.

<I’ve been busy. What’s so important that none of your duplicates could answer a Vanguard call?>

<My powers stopped working: I can’t create new duplicates. Do you know what this means!?>

<Did something happen to your planet?>

<No no no, if something destroyed Myridia all my duplicates would disappear. There’s only one thing that can instantaneously affect all of my duplicates like this! Are you sitting down!?>

<Sure>– Noriko lies, annoyed at her friend’s antics.

<I’m pregnant!!!>