Beyond The Impossible

Eralal, planet Lampyria

68,000 light-years from Earth

Unlike cities on Earth, which began their development horizontally and invented high story buildings and skyscrapers much later in its technological development, Lampyria is different.

The lower gravity allows brick and mortar buildings to reach impressive heights, and the fact that 100% of its native population is capable of flight means the city resembles a collection of apartment complexes. Roads are not particularly important: people can just fly from one place to another.

Public transportation is non-existent, with the only vehicles being the gigantic insects called ralas.

One of these beings has just placed a Lampyrian and four aliens on the rooftop of one of the buildings. Three of the aliens are wearing environmental suits to protect them from the toxic air, and the fourth is a goddess.

<Look at this place> Vesta comments, taking a moment to appreciate the view.

It’s very early in the morning, but the city of Eralal is quite busy already. She can see thousands of Lampyrians flying from building to building, carrying on with their lives without missing the lack of modern technology.

<This is quite impressive for a pre-industrial civilization. Is this your capital?> Noriko asks to Lily.

<We don’t have a capital, but Eralal is the largest city-state. Fifteen million people live here.>

<How many of them aren’t Lampyrians? I hope they don’t freak out when they see us> Kari says.

<We don’t get many visitors lately, but aliens are generally welcome. I’ve booked some high-pressure rooms for you> Lily says, gesturing the others to follow her as she takes flight.

Since there is no rooftop access, she has to fly to a lower floor. Vesta follows her, with Kari and Noriko holding on to her, while Quantum just transforms into light and reappears where they land: the reception, which counter-intuitively is on the fiftieth floor.

There’s a Lampyrian waiting for them at the front desk. The only way to distinguish her from Lily is the slightly shorter blue hair; otherwise they’re perfectly identical, down to the clothes they’re wearing: a white bra and what look like white capri pants.

<Hi, I have reservations under the name “Ms. Blue”> Lily says.

<There must be a mistake, ma’am, you reserved three rooms but you have four guests.>

<It’s alright. They’re large enough rooms, they can share.>

<I see. As a reminder, though, there’s an extra fee for threesomes> the receptionist points out, looking at a plate near her desk. Next to the indecipherable scribbled lines of Lampyrian language, there’s also a translation in modern Olympian. Quantum can’t read it, but even through the helmet she can see Noriko blush when Kari studies the menu.

<Ooh, Nori, we should definitely try this one!> Kari exclaims, pointing at one specific item.

<Not in a million years. We’re outta here> she says, turning towards the exit only to be blocked by Lily extending her wing in front of her while still talking to the receptionist.

<We won’t need help from any of the staff, really. We’ll be fine on our own.>

<That’s odd. No alien comes to Lampyria to stay alone> the receptionist comments.

<Listen, these are merchants from Argos, very rich merchants okay? They’ve had Lampyrians before, now they just want to do their business privately. They’re just looking for some cheap thrills, you know how aliens are, right? They won’t cause you any trouble> Lily sweet talks the receptionist, slipping something into her hands: gold coins.

The receptionist quickly puts them in her pockets, stares at the aliens for a good fifteen seconds, and finally hands Lily three keys.

<Just don’t make too much noise, okay? If my boss learns I’m booking only the beds…>

<You won’t hear a whisper> Lily reassures her, leading the rest of the Vanguard down the hallway.

<This is embarrassing beyond words> Noriko complains.

<You should’ve seen the look on your face. Quantum teases her, getting Kari’s attention.

<What about you? First time in a w##rehouse?> she asks him.

<Of course! What kind of guy do you think I am!?> he answers.

<There’s no need to get offended!> Kari answers.

<Prostitution is Lampyria’s most productive industry, or at least it used to be. Here’s your room> Lily says, opening the door. There’s a small decompression chamber separating the hallway from their destination; they stay there for a few seconds before going inside.

It’s a small apartment: a king-sized bed, a drawer full of various kinds of ointments, and a bathroom barely large enough for a single person.

<You can remove your suits, this is a high pressure room with air filters> Lily tells them.

Noriko, Kari and Quantum are quick to remove their helmets and to get some fresh air, with Noriko also removing her boots and Kari jumping on the bed. Thanks to the lower gravity, the bounce almost makes her touch the ceiling before falling down.

<This is awesome! Kiros and I are definitely coming here for our anniversary!>

<I assume you didn’t call us on your planet for sightseeing and… this, right?> Noriko asks Lily.

<No, of course not. Remember when I told you there are fifteen million people living in Eralal? It used to be ten million two years ago.>

<I guess it’s not thanks to tourism> Noriko comments.

<Lampyrian population has skyrocketed since you synthesized the Hope Elixir four years ago, which extended the Lampyrian lifespan from two to ten years.>

<Define “skyrocketed”.>

<Lampyria’s population stabilized to a hundred million people centuries ago. It’s now three hundred million and increasing.>

<Come on, there’s no way an entire planet’s population can triple in four years> Kari objects.

<It’s worse than that: it took a while before everyone took the Elixir, but now there’s no Lampyrian alive who remembers living with a two year life expectancy. I’ve run the numbers: we’ll hit a billion people within the next five years> Lily continues.

<That can’t be right> Noriko insists.

<Lampyrian pregnancies last a week and we are adults within a month. Obviously no Lampyrian has ever reached ten years, but my research shows we can remain fertile until death.>

<If that is true…> Noriko comments, then pauses. Her silver eyes shine, a clear indication that she’s running some calculations on her own, and by her expression she’s not happy about the results.

<No, it still doesn’t add up. Sure, a Lampyrian can theoretically give birth several times each year, considering they’re not fertile for a month after each pregnancy, but…>

<How do you know any of this?> Quantum asks.

<I researched Lampyrian physiology before developing the elixir. Increasing the lifespan five times shouldn’t have increased the birth rate five times!>

<Why not? If they have more time to make babies, they make more babies> Kari deduces.

<Because nobody wants to keep having children all the time. Right?> Noriko asks, unsure about her own question.

<We’re the youngest and weakest sentient species in the Galaxy, Noriko. Many people don’t believe the effects of the Elixir will be permanent, or think this is our chance to populate the rest of the Galaxy like other aliens. Lampyrians who have lived on other planets are now coming back here… this didn’t happen before, since we didn’t live long enough.>

<Lampyrians like you?> Noriko asks.

<I came back here to recruit members for the Covenant, and I’ve found many of them. They’re willing to join your cause… but they’re asking for protection.>

<I live 68,000 light-years from here> Noriko objects.

<I know. But if Zeus is truly gone, he won’t protect us anymore. Other gods will come to conquer Lampyria, and we need something to protect ourselves. We need one of your ships.>

<Lily, you do realize that the moment they find out you have my technology they will just have an incentive to attack you, don’t you?>

<That’s no longer a hypothetical. Apollo’s Oracles are already here> she reveals.

<The vacation’s over> Kari comments.

<I didn’t detect any ship on the planet, or in this system for that matter> Noriko says.

<They don’t need one. The Oracles can travel faster than light on their own> Lily reveals.

<Do you know why they are here? What they are looking for?> Vesta asks.

<We found a Lar temple, during excavations for a new apartment complex. Lar artifacts can be sold for a lot of money, so it’s no surprise word got out so quickly.>

<It doesn’t sound like something that would attract the attention of Apollo> Vesta says.

<I also thought it was strange. But then I learned they found a black monolith inside the temple, with two silver symbols: one that resembles a key and one…>

<Let me guess> Noriko interrupts her, taking the coin from her pocket and showing one side to Lily: the side that shows the symbol for infinity.

<This was the other one?>

 

Temple of Zeus Agoraeus

As the name implies, this temple used to be in the middle of a great agora, the city’s central plaza.

But that’s in the past: over the centuries, the city of Eralal has grown around the ancient ruins; the temple is no longer a place of worship, just a monument to the past.

It’s still kept in relatively good shape: the ceiling is still intact, and so is the marble statue of Zeus. The god is represented seated on a throne, holding a scepter in one hand and a small winged woman in the other. It’s a very common way to portray him, but usually the woman in question is the goddess Nike. In this case, it’s a Lampyrian.

There are two humans looking at the statue, a man and a woman. Both are wearing white uniforms, with a golden symbol above the heart representing the Sun. From an Earth perspective, identifying their ethnicity would be quite a challenge: she might be half Hispanic and half Indian, he could be half black and half Asian, but what does identify the region of space of their immediate ancestors is the unnatural brightness of their blue eyes.

The woman is pacing back and forth, her eyes moving quickly: she’s examining every inch of the temple, touching her chin with her white gloves. One of her white boots is tapping nervously the ground, without making any noise. By contrast, the man is just standing at attention, looking at the sky with a vacant expression on his face.

<Give it a rest, Sister Shaina. There’s nothing here> he tells her.

<Well something is creating all these tachyons, Brother Keyer. The High Oracle ordered us to find out more about the Lar artifact, and that’s what we are going to do.>

<You’ve been scanning the entire spectrum for hours, Sister Shaina. It is clearly beyond the scope of the powers that the Sun God has gifted us.>

<Or maybe it’s just a trick of these filthy locals> the woman comments, giving a disgusted look at the Lampyrian priestesses in the temple. They’re completely immobile, frozen in time. In fact, everything except the two Oracles is perfectly still.

<They’re primitive, but their perversions can influence weak minds. Perhaps they have allies, or they’ve simply stumbled upon something than they cannot possibly understand.>

<Or perhaps both. Look at the stars> he tells her.

<This isn’t the moment to pray to the Sun God for guidance, Brother Keyer. We should… wait. That’s a tachyon stream, isn’t it?>

<Indeed, Sister Shaina. A small power source, but it’s there. Perhaps a Lar ship? No, there are two separate signatures. One is Lar and the other… I don’t recognize it> he admits.

<I do. It’s a dispersion cloak, a device to hide a star drive. Very advanced technology> she clarifies.

<Could it be Athena, Sister? In this sector?>

<Much better, Brother> she answers, with a smile starting to form on her face. Her body changes form, although only her colleague can sense it: her particles change into photons and then shift up to gamma rays, and the Lampyrians nearby are almost instantly blinded and killed by the Oracle’s mere presence.

<I hope you’re ready for a promotion, Brother, because we’re about to kill the Slayer of Gods.>