Argos, 100 light-years from Earth
The Mortal Senate building is by far the most impressive sight on the planet; after the damage taken during the invasion of Selene years ago, it was completely renovated. Now it celebrates the diversity of the Mortal Republic of which Argos is the capital planet, with statues and decorations representing hundreds of different worlds.
It should be no surprise that several buildings surrounding the Mortal Senate are used as headquarters of a plethora of governmental agencies; one of these would normally be in charge of policing the streets of Argos, something that would be extremely useful in the current situation.
A black skinned man, with a shaven head and a beard, is watching over the city from the window of one of these buildings. He’s surrounded by the splashes of blood and guts that used to be officers.
He is, in fact, the only living being in this government building. Until something warps the spacetime next to him, creating a door for a bald woman.
<What’s taking so long, Vector?> Skorpios asks, using her Drylon device to close the portal.
<I am studying how the situation develops. It is utterly fascinating.> the man answers, calmly stroking his bead. Skorpios sighs.
<Did you manage to extract the memories from Syzar’s duplicate?>
<Naturally. It was child’s play for the galaxy’s greatest cyberneticist. We have access to all the secrets of the former President.>
<And did you kill the targets, just as the boss asked you to? Or you got distracted again?>
<Don’t treat to me like a child, Skorpios. All the key governmental figures have been eliminated, exactly as per the instructions Ulysses gave us.>
<“Exactly”, Vector? Really?> Skorpios asks him mockingly, pointing at the Senate building.
Even from a distance, the crowd of protesters is very visible. And since Vector has severely disrupted the chain of command of the agencies responsible for the city’s security, the situation is rapidly spiraling out of control.
<We should study how the common people react to the criminalization of the cult of Null; we may never get another chance to examine this most fascinating phenomenon. Ulysses is overly cautious: the Mortal Senate poses no threat to the Zenith.>
<Of course they’re not a threat to us. But thanks to your delay, Syzar’s widow is now Acting President and can rally the Senate into legitimizing her new position. That wasn’t part of the plan: you need to fix that s#it right now, Vector.>
<We have enough sleeper agents throughout the planet, I will direct my cyborg operatives to infiltrate into the building and…>
<Vector. I said right now.> Skorpios insists, in a way that doesn’t accept any more discussions.
<Very well. If you insist of ignoring my genius to focus solely on this silly device, I shall indulge you.> Vector says, raising his hand towards the window overlooking the city.
Like every other major planet, Argos is surrounded by a vast number of artificial satellites; as a vital commercial hub of the Mortal Republic, there are also many cargo ships flying over the city.
At Vector’s command, a dozen satellites and ships suddenly fly towards the Mortal Senate at hundreds of times the speed of sound.
The force of the impact utterly obliterates the entire building, as well as the protestors that surround it; the sheer amount of dust and debris generates a dark mushroom cloud visible for miles.
Somewhere
From Leral’s point of view, she saw Noriko Null and Ganos Lal one second ago. She then accelerated the passage of time inside the cell, so that in that single second the prisoners would experience a whole week. Once she removes the effect, she expects to see both women on the other side of the metal bars exhausted and broken.
Instead, as soon as time is restored to normal, she sees the hand of Noriko Null right against the bars, holding a tiny mechanical device.
<Think fast.> Noriko tells her, activating the modified Neural Transmitter.
The device emits a hypersonic blast that hits the Lampyrian woman’s face. Her first instinct is to use her Drylon device to accelerate time around herself, but it does more harm than good: the sound is already close enough to be affected, and she immediately collapses.
<Not fast enough. Help me search her.> Noriko tells Ganos Lal, and the two pull Leral’s body close enough to search her clothes.
<Did you just kill her?> Ganos Lal asks her, noticing the blue liquid leaking out of Leral’s ears.
<No, I think I just liquified her eardrums. I wouldn’t have tried this on a human, but while Lampyrians are physically weaker than us, they can adapt to wider range of atmospheric pressures. Here, I think I found something.> Noriko explains, pulling a key out of Leral’s clothes.
She finally manages to open the cell’s door, and with the help of Ganos Lal she locks the unconscious Leral on the other side of the bars.
<Lampyrians have hollow bones, she shouldn’t be this heavy. Who knows how many cybernetic implants they put inside her. Dammit, I was hoping she’d be carrying a weapon!> Null comments.
<Now what?> Ganos Lal asks. They are both unarmed, starved, dehydrated and in their underwear, stranded in an unfamiliar hostile territory.
<Now we improvise.> Noriko answers, her silver eyes shining once more.
Kari Zel’s house, Myridia
Jane Blake looks out of the window. Instead of the beautiful Myridian sky, all she can see are the walls of flame created by Vesta to prevent anyone to reach the Zel household.
Max Black a.k.a. Quantum appears next to Jane, resuming his human form after a trip to Myridia’s central government building.
<Hey. Everything okay?> he asks her, embracing her from behind.
<I’m fine. I’m still stuck on an alien planet, but I know I’m safe around you guys.>
<Not as safe as I’d like. Skorpios could’ve easily killed you.>
<I know, Max, I don’t need to be reminded of that. What’s up with that creep!?>
<We don’t know. It looks we don’t know anything, lately…>
<That bad, uh? How did things go with the government?>
<What government? Myridia’s President was taken hostage, so multiple factions are now claiming that they are in charge.>
<Seriously? These people figured out space travel but they can’t handle a succession?>
<Give them a break, Jane, they have been ruled by gods for centuries, they’re not used to the idea that their leaders may die.>
<I suppose that’s true. Now what?>
<Now I’m gonna ask Torn to bring you back to Earth, with one of his portals.>
<What? But why?>
<What do you mean “why”? Does this look like a place for a civilian to you?>
<Does it look like a warzone to you? This is just a normal house!> Jane points out, gesturing towards the Zel family… or rather, towards the five duplicates of Kari and three of her husband Kiros, juggling between taking care of the two newborns and the dozen of duplicates of their older daughter that are running around the place.
<Well, relatively normal.> Jane shrugs.
<Jane, I appreciate the sentiment, but you have no idea what it’s like outside… there are riots everywhere, not to mention the Mortal Republic fleet orbiting the planet. You’ll be stuck inside!>
<Maybe, but Kari has her hands full even with all her duplicates. Earth can go without a barista for a few more days; I’m more useful here.>
<Have I mentioned that I love you lately?>
<A few more times won’t hurt.> Jane responds, moving towards Max to kiss him.
<Ehm, excuse me? Quantum?>
The kiss is interrupted by Daren Bekker, tapping over the hero’s shoulder by using the hand that Null helped grow back for him.
<I’m afraid we still don’t know where they took Noriko.> Quantum confesses.
<Actually, I was hoping you could take me back to Earth? I understand this place is pretty dangerous now.> Daren says, sounding far more nervous than usual.
<I thought you found danger exciting. Not… not that Noriko told me anything about your relationship and stuff like that.> Jane lies.
<Driving a flying motorbike is exciting. I didn’t expect people throwing building or starting a war!>
<Dude, you’re basically dating a superhero, what did you expect?> Quantum asks.
<I thought I was dating a scientist billionaire.> Daren admits.
<If you want out, you can ask Torn to take you back to Earth. He’s outside, looking at the wall of fire; apparently he finds it relaxing.> Quantum replies.
<Thank you! And, uhm, good luck with saving the world.> Daren says, nodding politely and going to look for Torn. Quantum waits until he’s outside to comment:
<Wow. She sure can pick them.>
Jane hits him in the kidneys with her elbow for his remark.
<Ouch! What was that for!?>
<Noriko’s gonna be hurt when she finds out. Try not to be a d#ck about this?>
<You’re right. We have to stick together.> he nods.
<Guys. I’ve come up with a plan; let’s meet in the kitchen in five minutes.> Kari tells everyone through her Neural Transmitter. With Noriko’s disappearance, as second-in-command within the Vanguard it’s her time to call the shots.
<Alright! I was just telling Jane that the team needs to stick together.> Quantum answers.
<Actually, I have separate missions for everybody. We’re splitting the team.> Kari replies.
Somewhere
Noriko Null and Ganos Lal are exploring the prison, without much to see. There are other cells, but all of them are empty. It’s obviously a rather large building, and quite ancient: the walls are made of stone, and so are the floor and the ceiling.
And it’s huge: a true labyrinth with no clear design, something that has been built over the years without a single plan. Perhaps even centuries.
They have been exploring for over one hour when Noriko finally stops, leaning against a wall to regain at least a semblance of balance.
<Lady Null! Are you alright?>
<I just need a minute.> Noriko answers, her voice just a little louder than her growling stomach; she looks rather ill, something that even the rather clueless Ganos Lal notices.
<I don’t presume to give you suggestions, but perhaps you should rest? Even your mind must be tired; we were kept prisoner for a week and I didn’t see you sleep for a single minute.>
<That’s not the problem, my brain is self-sufficient. It’s my body that’s breaking down from a combination of hunger, dehydration and sheer exhaustion. But what do you know, even after a week without food you’re probably still able to run a marathon with your… Myridian… genes.> Noriko says, pausing when she realizes something.
<You’re Myridian. Have you tried to duplicate yourself after we left our cell?>
<No, I was following you. I though you knew where we were going!> Ganos Lal admits, and then successfully creates two exact duplicates of herself.
<Can you create enough duplicates to search this place alone?> Noriko asks her.
<I can find out.> Ganos Lal answers. She then creates a duplicate at both ends of the hallway; then each one of them creates another pair, and so on. With ten thousand potential copies at her disposal, she could search an entire city in a few minutes.
<Found it! There’s a door leading to a spaceship’s hatch fifteen floors above us!>
<Fifteen?> Noriko repeats dejectedly. She’s not confident she could make it to one floor, until two duplicates lift her.
<What are you doing?> Noriko asks once the duplicates help Ganos Lal carry her on her shoulders.
<You answered my prayers enough times, Lady Null. It’s time I return the favor.>
<Okay… but this stays between us, okay? I don’t like being a goddess, but I would really hate to be the kind of deity that needs a piggyback ride!>
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