Beyond The Impossible

Asgard Station, Null Zone

Athena is staring at the ice statue that used to be Kylon, unaffected by the artificial coldness of the room. Unsurprisingly, Vesta is also untouched by the temperature.

<Can you help him?> she asks.

Athena weighs her answer carefully before speaking, as she always does. Vesta has always been slightly irritated by her habit of pausing just a little too much before giving any answer, especially when they come as a question.

<You never studied transmutation. How much do you know about it?> Athena asks.

<Less than I should.> Vesta admits.

<Working with molecules is easy; no offense, but any Class-3 god could do it. Working with atoms is trickier and requires a lot more, let’s say, finesse. But if you know what you’re doing, you can basically transform any lifeform into any other, and then go back to the original form. But we’re dealing with sub-atomic work, which is a whole other level.>

<I’m not sure I follow. I remember you transmuting Arachne into a spider… which was too harsh as a punishment, but let’s not go there… how is this any different?> Vesta wonders, pointing at the ice statue before the two goddesses.

<To change Arachne into a spider, all I had to do was manipulate the atoms of her DNA; to undo something like that, all you need to do is remember the original DNA. But Ereshkigal transmuted Kylon into ice, Vesta… it’s just solid water. And while you don’t have the same scientific knowledge of Noriko, I’m fairly certain you know water does not have its own DNA.>

<Don’t patronize me, Athena.>

<I’m just being realistic. Ereshkigal transformed all the atoms of Kylon’s body into H₂O: the information that comprised his original body is simply lost.>

<I won’t accept that as an answer, Athena, and neither will Noriko.>

<I’m afraid I won’t be able to help you there. True, I have dabbled with transmutation, but it is not my area of expertise.>

<Fine. Who’s the family expert on transmutation?>

<If a Class-1 goddess has caused this, Vesta, it stands to reason that only a Class-1 god would be up to the challenge.>

 

Eir General Hospital, Midgard City

Kari Zel never liked hospitals. They were not a common sight on Myridia when she was growing up: medical care was reserved for the Oracles, and anyone else was lucky enough if they were granted time to rest from injuries.

She’s already uncomfortable because of the environment, but she also doesn’t feel good about having to visit Ganos Lal. And yet, she knows she must.

<Lady Zel? You shouldn’t have.> Ganos greets her from her bed.

<It’s an Earth tradition.> Kari says, thinking she’s referring to the bouquet of flowers that her fellow myridian has brought to the hospital.

<Around here, it’s customary to bring flowers to the sick.> she explains.

<Why? Does it help with healing?>

<To be honest, I’m not really sure what they are for. Torn says they’re for eating, so that’s probably not the reason.>

<I meant you shouldn’t have visited me, Lady Zel. You don’t need to trouble yourself.>

<No, I really had to. I figured I treated you too harshly over the past years; we don’t always agree, but you’re not as bad as I originally thought.> Kari reluctantly admits.

<Kind of you to say, but I just succumbed to the curse of a dark goddess and nearly murdered the lover of my goddess. I don’t deserve your sympathy.>

<You were mind controlled, Ganos. However, Doctor Kalama just told me she thinks you don’t have any leftover Ichor in your system: you’ll be free to return to ruling your Church in no time.>

<I don’t deserve that honor anymore, Lady Zel. I will resign from my position as Supreme Pontiff.>

<What!? Then what’s going to happen to the Church of Null?>

<I am not sure. We never established any rules of succession.>

<Man we really suck at that, don’t we? The Mortal Republic, the Winter Kingdom, Olympus itself… why can’t anyone in this Galaxy figure this σχητ out!?> Kari complains.

<It seems that, in trying to overthrow the gods, we keep making the same mistakes they did; except we don’t have the luxury of immortality.> Ganos hypothesizes.

<I guess. But you can’t quit being Supreme Pontiff without a successor, Ganos, it would throw the Galaxy into chaos! Well, more into chaos than what it normally is.>

<I can’t in good conscience interpret the will of Null when I keep going after her wishes and hurting those she loves. I’m a little surprised you care, Zel, weren’t you one of the harshest critics of the very existence of the Church?>

<I still think we would’ve been better off if you hadn’t founded that thing. But what’s done is done, and you can’t walk away from your responsibilities that easily.>

<My decision was not an easy one to make, Zel.>

<Do you still believe Null is a goddess?>

<Yes. With all my heart.>

<And that people should keep worshipping her?>

<The faithful have already done much to help the Galaxy and will continue to do so.>

<Then you’ve still got what it takes, as far as I’m concerned.>

<But I no longer believe I have all the answers!>

<Newsflash, Ganos: NOBODY DOES. Nobody has all the answers! Not you, not Noriko, not the gods themselves. The reality is nobody knows what they’re doing: we’re all making this up as we go along. That’s how life works.>

<That goes against everything I believe. Null must have all the answers, or the church itself is meaningless. Life itself is meaningless.>

<Being a little overdramatic, aren’t we Ganos?>

<I truly don’t get you, Zel. If we disagree about everything, why do you want me to still be Supreme Pontiff?>

<I think you’re a nutjob who lives in her own fantasy world. But you also really care about other people. Which, out of all the people who could potentially end up succeeding you… that makes you the least dangerous nutjob that could lead the Church.>

 

<That is an… unorthodox endorsement, Lady Zel. But I will consider your words carefully: perhaps I should hold my decision for a while longer.>

<Yeah, you do that. Just don’t tell Noriko I was the one to convince you to keep your job…>

 

Asgard Station, Null Zone

Vesta feels uneasy having lead Zeus into this sanctuary. She knows Noriko wants to limit as much as possible access to this dimension to anyone who doesn’t have her authorization or her full trust, and Zeus lacks both.

Then again, she reasoned that if Zeus really wanted to enter the Null Zone, her wishes would have little consequences. Zeus always does whatever he wants.

<By me, you didn’t tell me he was this handsome!> he says, approaching the ice statue of Kylon; he would caress his cheeks if Vesta didn’t grab the god’s wrist.

<Careful! Noriko was very insistent on avoiding contact at all costs.>

<I can understand why. Such a fine specimen of Lar manhood. She should’ve introduced us when he was still flesh and blood!>

<She did, Zeus. You met him before Noriko’s coronation.>

<I did? My bad. Mortals tend to blend together after a while, you know.>

<That is a terrible thing to say, Zeus.>

<But is it wrong?>

Vesta decides to let the comment slide; she certainly has more pressing things to consider than trying to bring her brother into the right century.

<Can you turn him back to the original form or not? Athena said it’s not possible.> she insists.

<Ah, my sweet Athena… there’s so much brain into her cute little head, but that kid still has a thing or two to learn from her daddy.> Zeus boasts, holding his hand in front of the statue’s head and concentrating.

It’s one of the few times Vesta has seen him make a serious face.

<Let me guess: she complained about the lack of DNA?>

<Something like that.>

<Athena is very pragmatic. You see, if you don’t have DNA to work with, there are two ways to get around undoing transmutations. One is the brute strength approach: take the original sub-atomic structure and then recreate it, quark by quark. Takes more divine power than you realize, so you need a Class-1 god, but it’s doable.>

<Is that what you’re trying to do?>

<No, nobody does that kind of work anymore. You see, there’s a nifty trick to get around such busywork: if you embed a signature of the original form into quarks, then you don’t have to remember the whole thing. All high-end transmutations work like that since Thoth came up with the technique eons ago.>

<That is… surprisingly scientific coming from you.> Vesta admits, surprised to see another aspect of her brother other than the harsh tyrant or the sex maniac.

<Athena likes to think she got her brains from her mother, but… uh. This is interesting.> Zeus pauses, tilting his head and watching the statue with a confused expression.

<What’s wrong?>

<Well, there’s no mistaking it, this is definitely the work of Ereshkigal. This is some of the best work I’ve ever seen.>

<Sounds like a bad thing.>

<That signature I was telling you about? It’s incomplete.>

<What do you mean “incomplete”?>

<I mean Ereshkigal wrote the signature and then deleted half of it. Without the complete signature I can’t return Kylon to his original state, not unless you want a puddle of wet half-finished organs.>

<Could she have made the transmutation without using any signature?>

<Obviously yes. No offense, but any Class-3 god could do it.>

<So Ereshkigal is the only one who can reverse the transmutation. She kept half of the signature in order to keep Kylon hostage.> Vesta realizes.

<Sounds like her style.> Zeus nods.

<Dammit, that’s not what Noriko needs to hear. But thanks for trying anyway, Zeus.>

<Anything for my favorite sister!>

<There’s something else I have to ask…>

<Anything!>

<How powerful is Ereshkigal, really? If it comes to the worst, could you… well… defeat her?>

<Of course! It would surely be a tough match, but I still am the most powerful of all the Nine… well, former Nine Gods.> he boasts.

<That’s the first bit of good news I’ve heard in a while, Zeus. It’s good to know we can count on you to hold her off.>

<Sure! Of course, as long as it’s in another Galaxy. And if she doesn’t have another Class-1 god with her. And if I’m the one who takes the first strike.> he clarifies.

<What if any of these scenarios apply?> Vesta reluctantly asks, knowing well that Ereshkigal has the backing of at least Poseidon and that she wouldn’t allow them the element of surprise.

<Oh then for sure you would kiss goodbye to the whole Galaxy and our entire pantheon. But don’t worry, I would totally survive!>

<That’s a relief.> Vesta lies.