Argos, 100 light-years from Earth
It’s not hard to hide a highly advanced laboratory in the capital world of the Mortal Republic: everybody is too busy to notice the construction of yet another government building.
Beneath one of the many offices that officially belong to the Mortal Resistance Movement, one of the Galaxy’s major political parties, there’s a whole underground network.
However, in order to access the lower floors you need to be trusted by the MRM’s leadership. Not too many people can keep secrets, especially when they come across the stasis pod at the center of the laboratory. There’s a nearly naked man floating inside the pod, with hundreds of mechanical tendrils inserted into his brain.
That would be hard enough to keep a secret, but the fact that the man is a duplicate of Alexer Syzar, President of the Mortal Senate, makes restricting access to the lab an absolute priority.
The man begins to convulse uncontrollably, something that makes the half dozen scientists present extremely worried and agitated… except the black skinned man who is standing in front of the pod, calmly caressing his long beard.
<Right on time. The boss is nothing if not extremely precise with his timing.> he comments.
<Doctor, he’s losing cohesion!> one of the scientists shouts.
<Of course. Myridian duplicates are supposed to cease to exist when they die. The fact that we have kept him in stasis for three months should be proof of my overwhelming genius… not that any of you are capable of appreciating it, of course.> the man shrugs.
Syzar’s duplicate unceremoniously disappears in a blink of an eye, leaving behind the mechanical tendrils that still float inside the pod.
<Ah. It seems that even a stasis field of virtual particles isn’t enough to prevent a duplicate from disintegrating after the original dies. Very interesting. Did we record any brain activity at the moment of death? That seizure suggests an energy surge when a duplicate dies.>
<Yes, doctor, we are downloading the latest information now. Should… should we transmit it?>
<No need for that. Just download it into a memory drive for me.> the doctor orders, touching his left ear with his finger as if activating an invisible earpiece.
<This is Vector. The real Xenon Arceus is dead, although I use the term “real” quite loosely. I’m sterilizing the lab and recovering his memories as we speak.> he says, still keeping eye contact with the pod: he taps it with his finger and the pod completely shatters, reduced to a mass of glass shards and metal particles that are splattered all over the nearest wall.
One of the scientists approaches him cautiously, handing over a device the size of a football.
<Here you are, doctor, the memory drive you requested. We have successfully downloaded the full content of Syzar’s mind… the interface with his duplicate’s brain was a complete success!>
<Of course it was. I’m the greatest cyberneticist in the Galaxy.> the man says, almost offended judging by the tone of his voice, as he takes the strange device into his hands.
<Are we finished here?> the scientist asks.
<You most definitely are.> the man answers, nodding his head. The man instantly explodes: all his atoms are pushed away from the doctor faster than the speed of sound, reducing him to a messy splash of blood against the wall. The same thing happens to everybody else in the room, and to all the instrumentation as well: a silent maelstrom of pure destruction leaves the black man alone.
<I’ve completed the sterilization. Send someone to pick up the memory drive… I need to get to Myridia before the boss gets all the fun. Vector out.> he says once again through his transmitter.
Null City Grand Cathedral, Myridia, 50 light-years from Earth
It doesn’t take long before everything goes crazy. Soldiers from both the Myridian militia and the armed force of the Mortal Republic swarm into the Grand Cathedral, shouting orders left and right.
<What the… what’s going on? Why can’t I ever go to the bathroom for five freakin’ minutes before something weird happens!?> Noriko Null asks, running into a duplicate of Ganos Lal. She knows it’s a duplicate because she can see the real one being escorted out by her guards.
<Someone just assassinated the President of the Mortal Senate! Are you alright?> Ganos Lal asks.
<Syzar is dead?> Noriko asks, overwhelmed by the situation.
<We just found him in one of the chapels! Murdered in cold blood with a laser gun!>
<How!? This floor is under the heaviest security in the Galaxy! Everyone is unarmed here… except the goddesses.> Noriko notes, already formulating a theory.
<I had duplicates in the same room of Nike and Adrestia… they couldn’t have killed Syzar, and he never left this floor.> Ganos Lal tells her.
<Then the killer must’ve been part of the council. Do we know who’s the last person to meet Syzar before his death?>
<That’s why I came to you, Lady Null… please be honest with me, did you kill Syzar?>
<What!? No! He was an a##hole, but no! What makes you think I killed him!?>
<Because you were the last person seen talking to him.> Ganos Lal reveals, as they are surrounded by the Myridia militia and held at gunpoint.
<Both of you! Get on your knees! Hands behind your head! NOW!> one of them shouts.
<There must be a mistake, I’m the Supreme Pontiff!> Ganos Lal interjects.
<Do as I say if you don’t want to get shot! I don’t care if you’re Null herself!>
<You may want to rephrase that.> Noriko comments, her silver eyes shining.
The man takes a step back, clearly scared by what he just saw.
<Lady Null! Please forgive me, I didn’t know it was you!> he shouts.
<It’s alright. Everybody calm down, alright? There’s nothing to be afraid of!> Noriko says, raising her voice to be sure to be heard by everyone.
All eyes are on her, but not for long: something very strange is happening to the man she was talking to. His image is suddenly very distorted, then he falls to the floor, convulsing for a couple of seconds. When he stops, he gives off an immensely awful smell as his body is reduced to a skeleton with just a few patches of skin here and there. A couple of seconds more and all that remains of the man is a pile of askes.
If there was confusion before, now it’s time for everyone to panic. The man was just the beginning: more members of the Myridian militia and of the armed forces are affected in exactly the same way, turning into skeletons and then dust in less than ten seconds.
Even Noriko is overwhelmed: even her superhuman mind can’t process what is happening right now, and she has no idea of who could be next.
Among people screaming in terror, there is one exception: a goddess with blond hair, wearing a white military uniform, looks at the massacre with an utterly blank expression on her face.
<Well this was unexpected.> Adrestia comments dryly.
<Are you behind this!?> Noriko asks her.
<I have nothing against the mortals of this planet. I am the goddess of revenge: I don’t kill indiscriminately.> Adrestia defends herself.
<And why should we believe the word of the daughter of Ares?> Nike comments, glancing at the piles of ashes with detached disgust as she approaches the other goddess.
<Because if I wanted to kill them, I would’ve collapsed this entire planet into a black hole without even setting foot here. But if you want proof of my good faith, goddess of victory, just consider this: I know more about murder than you ever will, and one thing is very clear to me… whoever is responsible for this massacre is still inside the Grand Cathedral.> Adrestia explains.
<Then our next priority should be securing this building to make sure nobody can escape!>
<No need to worry about that, Slayer of Gods.> Adrestia tells Null, crossing her arms.
Every object and mortal in the Grand Cathedral starts to float: gravity has just been turned off.
Outside the Grand Cathedral
Daren Bekker and Jake Blake have kept their distance from the crowd that surrounds the building: this is the first time either of them has left Earth, and they know full well they should be careful.
Since they’ve gone out of their way to isolate themselves, they haven’t given much thought to the large number of security forces that went into the Grand Cathedral.
Despite being in this together, the South African athlete and the New York barista have next to nothing in common, and it takes a while before he breaks the ice.
<So, uhm, how long have you known Noriko?> Daren asks.
<Since we were kids.>
<Has she always hated her birthdays?>
<Only after learning about her mother. If you’re worried about her being mad at you for getting her a surprise party, don’t bother… she just sucks at saying thank you. She’s always been that way, even before turning super-smart.>
<I hope you’re right. As soon as this crazy stuff about her being a goddess is over, maybe we’ll finally get a chance to relax.>
<Uhm, Daren, I hate to break it to you… but if you’re around Noriko and her friends, craziness is part of the deal.> Jane says, just when the ground starts shaking violently.
Both of them have trouble standing up, but fortunately the earthquake doesn’t last more than a few seconds. Before they can rejoice about it, they notice that something is blocking out the sun… and once they look up, they see that the entire Grand Cathedral has been ripped from its foundations and is rapidly floating towards the sky.
<I may have underestimated how much craziness I’d have to live through.> Daren admits.
Inside the Grand Cathedral
Gravity is restored, as Noriko notices when she unceremoniously falls back on the floor.
<What did you just do!?> she asks Adrestia.
<I isolated the building. The killer won’t be able to escape, since it has to be a mortal.>
<This is outrageous! This is a place of worship!> Ganos Lal objects. Adrestia glances at her, and the Supreme Pontiff quickly finds herself pinned against the ceiling as the direction of gravity around her is shifted 180 degrees.
<Be careful of how you address me, mortal.> Adrestia warns her.
<Please, dear, let’s not act irrationally, okay?> Helen of Troy tells her, placing a hand over the shoulder of the goddess of revenge. Even if her powers of seduction don’t work on gods, her soothing voice seems to calm down Adrestia and Ganos Lal is allowed to regain her freedom.
<Thank you, dear. Now, I think we can all agree that our priority should be finding whoever is responsible for the murder of Syzar and of the massacre of the security forces?> Helen says.
<I think we have enough evidence for that.> a man comments: Xenon Arceus, surrounded by his Lampyrian and human assistants, as well as a dozen other people that Noriko saw at the council.
<I saw her talk with Syzar before he died.> he says, pointing his finger at Noriko.
<I saw her too.> the woman next to him confirms; Noriko recalls Xenon called her Skorpios.
<And the first guard to die was killed immediately after confronting her.> the Lampyrian confirms.
<You’re one to talk! You can’t be the real Xenon!> Noriko objects.
<Why not?> he asks.
<Syzar told me Xenon is just his Myridian duplicate. If Syzar is dead, you can’t be Xenon.>
<But… Lady Null, Syzar wasn’t Myridian.> Ganos Lal tells her.
<He was half-Myridian. I know that means he wasn’t born with duplication powers, but he was upgraded by the Scribe when they worked together in the Guild.> Noriko explains… although this only makes her sound less credible: none of this is public knowledge, and the idea that Syzar’s main political opponent is actually his duplicate sounds more than a little farfetched.
<Besides, how would I have killed Syzar? He was shot, and I’m unarmed… all of us are, we were screened at the entrance!>
<Then you won’t mind being searched. Skorpios, if you will?> Xenon asks his assistant.
Noriko isn’t exactly fond of being touched by a complete stranger, but she knows this could be the easiest way to be cleared. She reluctantly agrees, allowing Skorpios to pat her down.
<I found something.> the woman says, taking something out of Noriko’s pocket: a laser gun.
<I’ve never seen that weapon in my life.> Noriko defends herself, knowing well how unconvincing she sounds.
<I don’t think this is the real Null. We should kill her before she kills anyone else.> Xenon says.
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