Beyond The Impossible

Asgard Station, Null Zone

It feels like ages since the last time the Vanguard had a proper meeting, although this one is quite unusual. Not only they are gathering in the Null Zone, but two of them are missing: Vesta is nowhere to be found, and despite being invited Quantum is not there yet.

<How is he late every. Single. Time!?> Kari complains.

<I told him the meeting was starting fifteen minutes earlier than the rest of you. Next time I’ll tell him it’s thirty.> Noriko replies, rolling her eyes.

In addition to Kari and Torn sitting at the conference table, there’s another person present that only Noriko can see: the mental projection of the former host Roxiana.

<This kind of thing is why every single Nexus host ends up working with robots. Taking meetings is just unbearable.> she says in a voice only Noriko can hear, who accidentally replies out loud:

<Nobody asked you to be here.>

<Yes, you did.> Torn answers.

<Is everything okay, Nori? You’ve been through a lot, maybe you should rest some more… have you even slept at all since you came back?> Kari asks.

<I’ll sleep when I’m dea… ehm… I guess I’ll have to stop saying that.>

<Sorry, sorry! Did I miss anything!?> Max Black a.k.a. Quantum asks, rushing inside the room.

<Yes, you missed zipping up your fly.> Noriko answers, looking away as Max makes himself more presentable as he hurries sitting down at the table.

<Having a little fun with Jane?> Kari teases him, winking.

<Well, y’know, I’ve been missing for months and all.>

<Oh I understand, believe me. I don’t get how non-Myridian can stand it, right now I have a duplicate sleeping with my husband.>

<Come on guys, focus. While you people were “having fun”, I’ve been trying to get the pulse of the Galaxy.> Noriko changes the subject, activating a holographic map of the Olympian Galaxy.

The planets of the Mortal Republic are indicated with two different colors, plus the Ares and Apollo sectors are labeled simply “???”.

<Here’s a general idea of how many planets want to stay in the Republic and which ones want independence… that’s a 65% to 35% split. Plus, both the Ares and Apollo sectors have gone completely silent for months.>

<Is that bad?> Torn asks.

<If two of the three galactic superpowers stop all communications and trade with their neighbors? Yes, that’s definitely bad.>

<Isn’t the third superpower Athena? Have you talked to her?> Kari asks.

<Not yet. Too many variables to risk a confrontation. Here’s the current list of priorities: first, establish a new provisional government for the Mortal Republic. Second, we need to find out what happened to Vesta. Then…>

<Uhm, Nori, sorry to interrupt…>

<Yes, Max?>

<Why are we doing this here and not on Earth? When are we going back? Because, I mean, we are going back right? Nobody knows what the heck happened to the planet!>

<I shifted it dimensionally to prevent Ares from attacking it. It’s invisible and intangible to the rest of the universe.> she explains.

<Then why don’t we go back?>

<Because it’s not something that I can switch on and off again… once I bring it back, I won’t be able to hide it again until I rebuild the entire cloaking system.>

<Why is that a problem, is Earth in danger? I thought you secured a treaty with Aura.> Kari says.

<Earth is always in danger, you should know that by now. But right now I’m worried about Skorpios… she escaped from the Null Zone when I accidentally activated every Drylon device in the Galaxy.> Noriko explains.

<That you know of. Potentially in every single Galaxy.> Roxiana corrects her.

<Skorpios as in the bald cyborg chick that worked for Ulysses?> Max asks.

<Ulysses knew the location of Earth, and thanks to her Drylon powers Skorpios can literally be anywhere in the universe. I’m working on something that should prevent her from attacking Earth, but I’m not bringing the planet back before it’s completed.>

<How long is that going to take? It’s not just that I miss Earth, but I haven’t been at full power since you hid it. I’m pretty sure whatever you did is interfering with my powers.> Max says.

<Oh I know, that’s where I got the idea of how to deal with Skorpios.>

<We should also be worried about Hera. She may not have cared about Hephaestus, but she won’t take lightly you killing Ares.> Kari adds.

<I know, I know. That’s why finding Vesta is so important: she knows her sister better than any of us, I’m hoping she might have an angle on how to deal with her.>

<She won’t. Vesta deals with her family by not dealing with them.> Torn comments.

<You’ve seen her fight Ares. I think we might finally have lit a fire inside her, pun intended.>

<That would be useless. She could already control fire.> the Demon replies.

<It’s a metaphor, Torn.>

<Gods are mostly immune to actual fire, I don’t see how metaphorical fire helps us in any way.>

<Tell me again why you invited this one to your meeting?> Roxiana says, vocalizing Noriko’s frustration with her friend. She opts to ignore both.

<The only information we got from the Amazons is that Vesta is with her mother, but unfortunately I have no clue whatsoever about Rhea’s location. With Helen unavailable and Athena untrustworthy, the only friendly god we have is Hades and he doesn’t…>

<He’s not the only one!> Max interrupts.

<Max, I doubt Amaterasu knows anything.>

<No I mean, we do have another friendly god available… a little too friendly, in fact… but Eros might have some clues about Vesta’s mother.>

<Ganos Lal told me about him, yes. With with the whole potential civil war thing, I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to travel to Myridia.> Noriko says.

<No, you should go. Having sex would probably be healthy for you.>

The room falls silent as the rest of the team stares incredulously at Torn.

<Oh, I take it back. I like this one.> Roxiana comments, covering a smile with her hand.

<Excuse me!?> Noriko exclaims.

<For what?> Torn asks.

<What do you mean “for what”!? You don’t think that was inappropriate!?>

<Eros is well known in Hell. Not too many Demons are interested in him, but recreational intercourse is typically healthy for humans. Especially after prolonged abstinence.>

Noriko facepalms as she sighs in frustration, while Kari takes the opportunity to help her.

<I’ll go talk to Eros. You focus on getting us back to Earth, okay?>

<Thanks, Kari. Glad to see that someone around here has her priorities straight… dismissed, everyone, I’ll contact you as soon as I have news.>

Noriko leans back on her chair as the rest of the Vanguard leaves the meeting room; she’s feeling a migraine coming. It’s not helped by the hallucination of Roxiana sitting on the table.

<The Demon’s not wrong, you know. Some recreation would do you good.>

<You know, Roxiana, people typically shut up after they die.>

<Not people like us. Have you given some thought about Kylon’s proposal?>

<About claiming the title of Ice Queen? I have, and the answer is still no.>

<It’s the most logical move. The Olympian Galaxy has a history of hundreds of thousands of years of absolute theocratic rule, and the Lar go even further than that. You can’t expect people to accept democracy in a scant few years.>

<If I take the throne because I have the most advanced technology I’m no better than the gods who rule because they have powers.>

<And when the Republic crumbles to dust, I’m sure your moral superiority will be of great comfort to the new generations enslaved by the latest power-hungry god.>

<Not if I show them that doing so get them killed by the Slayer of Gods. Drop the subject, Roxiana, this is not open to debate.>

<If you say so. I’ll resign to continue being an observer… it’s not like I can contribute to your war.>

<Actually, I believe you might. Even with mental projections, screening the candidates for the provisional government will take a lot out of me: I won’t be able to work at the new Earth defense system. But you’re familiar with interdimensional technology, aren’t you?>

<I used to dabble. I suppose you want to surround Earth with orbital dimensional stabilizers?>

<If we figure out how to tune the stabilizers to the device Skorpios uses to warp space, it might effectively negate her powers. Think you’re up to it?>

<Noriko, my dear… you have no idea of what I’m capable of. I’ll be done before you know it.>

<Of course you realize I’m going to double check everything before I start building whatever you can come up with, so no tricks okay?>

<I knew we’d make a great team.> the hallucination replies, before vanishing.

Despite her friendly attitude, Noriko doesn’t think for a second that she can actually trust her.

 

Somewhere in the Athena sector

Deep underground in a high security installation, two Aurochian guards wearing military uniforms of the Athenian Federation are guarding the entrance to a server room.

The two minotaur-looking beings are taken by surprise when the space between them warps, announcing the arrival of a human female wearing a grey cloak.

<Halt! Identify yourself!> one of the guards orders, raising the hand holding a gun. The human doesn’t look intimidated by the hulking alien.

<You have three seconds to drop your weapon before your brains and your intestines switch places.> Skorpios threatens him.

<Consider yourself under arrest, lady.> the second minotaur tells her, moving his arm to grab her.

He screams in pain when his limb is severed at the elbow, with half of his arm finding itself roasted on the surface of the nearest star.

The first minotaur shoots: the tiny bullet of superheated plasma disappears an inch before touching Skorpios, and it’s redirected back to the shooter’s head.

After dumping the body at the center of the planet, Skorpios concentrates on the minotaur holding what’s left of the amputated arm. She holds out her hand; a portal appears around the neck of her victim, separating the minotaur’s head from the rest of his body.

<Please don’t kill me! I have a wife and three kids!> the bulky alien pleads with a whimper, as Skorpios holds his severed head with one hand: her power is the only thing still connecting it to his body.

<If you answer my question: where is Ulysses?>

<Come on, Skorpios, I must’ve told you a thousand times: questions first, killing later, okay?> is the answer coming from the man exiting the server room… Ulysses himself.

<I looked for you in all other Zenith hideouts. You could’ve left a note.> Skorpios comments, making the portal disappear and dropping the minotaur’s severed head to the floor.

<Was that really necessary? You got your answer.> Ulysses comments.

<Not by him. Why are the Athenians in our base and why didn’t you come rescue me?>

<Well, in my defense, I thought Null killed you. Don’t worry about the Athenians, this is just a secondary base built specifically if we needed to grant access to an ally.>

<So you work for Athena now?>

<I work with Athena, not for Athena. What did I tell you when I recruited you into the Zenit, Skorpios? We will do anything necessary to rid the universe of the gods. Even making them think they are calling the shots.>

<I gladly leave the scheming to you, Ulysses. But don’t ask me to follow a goddess.>

<What if I asked you to kill one? Would that appease you?>

<Is it Athena?>

<No, not yet. How would you like a rematch with Vesta?>