Noriko is walking alone, stroking her hands on her bare arms to warm herself. It’s too cold to wear a prom dress, and it looks like it will start to rain soon.
Her feet are killing her; she could call her motorbike and forget about her heeled sandals, but she’s not sure to be in the right condition to drive. She can’t forget Jane’s words. What did you do to deserve what you have?
Her memory of what she was before the lightning strike is foggy. She recalls everything, but not with the crystal clear memory of what happened after. It’s like looking through another person’s eyes, with everything under the magnifying glass of thousands of years of civilization.
What did you do to deserve what you have? She wasn’t anything special. She wasn’t smart, funny, creative or resourceful. She used to be average. Nothing more, nothing less. Average.
She stops and looks around. New York never sleeps; there’s always people going somewhere. To anyone else, they’re a nameless crowd. To her, every face is accompanied by everything these people have done in their lives. Average people. Then she recognizes one as a veteran. Another does community service. Another paints in her spare time. Dozens of average, complex, boring, human stories flood into her mind. And a voice is whispering at her.
“Stop pretending you’re like them. We are better now. Let me out, I can fix everything”.
She catches her reflection on a shop window. Her eyes are turning black again. She covers them and runs into the nearest alley; she knows every single inch of this town.
Her heartbeat and breathing are accelerating. Something inside her head is pounding. She doesn’t know how long she just stands there against the wall, trying to contain the migraine, before two men approach her. They are much bigger than her and they smell of alcohol.
<Well, look what we have here. How much for some action, baby?>
<You need to get away. Right. Now> she says, grinding her teeth. She can feel her mind burning.
<C’mon, don’t be shy, baby> the second man adds, stealing her purse. Inside he only finds the Genius Gun; luckily the safety is on, or he could blow himself to pieces touching the trigger.
<What’s this, a ####ing toy? The girl likes to play!>
<You really don’t want to mess with me tonight> Noriko says. Her vision is getting blurry.
<Really? Says who?> one of the two man replies, pushing her against the wall.
Noriko’s head rises slightly. Her eyes are fully black and she has a creepy smile when she says:
<Though luck, boys. You’re not talking to Noriko anymore.>
Null Tower
The door of one of the labs opens when Quantum and Kari walk through it, already arguing.
<If you ask me, this is a very bad idea> Kari says.
<Listen, the last time Noriko acted strange, she almost blew up her brain. I think we should make sure it’s not happening again> he answers.
<Actually, the last time she acted strange she cured AIDS. You’re thinking of the time before.>
<Fine, whatever. If she’s on her way to cure cancer I’ll apologize, but this isn’t the first time she acts a little…you know, crazy.>
<Define “crazy”.>
<Todd isn’t the first one to tell me that Noriko was talking to someone who wasn’t there, or referring to herself as “we”. I saw her do it when we were on Myridia, Bob when we came back, and Vesta said something strange happened when she met Athena during that “trial of the gods” thing. I’m starting to sense a pattern.>
<Don’t tell me you have a weird theory about it> Kari asks, rolling her eyes.
<No no, not at all. I just think she has a split personality.>
<Come on!!!>
<What? You’re the alien girl who can multiply, talking to the guy who can turn into energy. Give me the benefit of the doubt here. With your power, you of all people should find it believable!>
<We had a lot more cases on Myridia than you have on Earth…meeting your first duplicate can be quite a shock. But I’ve never met someone with split personality, since the Oracles killed everyone showing even the smallest symptom.>
<See? You admit it’s possible!>
<What? I didn’t say…>
<I am sorry to interrupt, but are my services required?> IRIS asks. This is one of the labs with holographic terminals for the Tower’s resident artificial intelligence. Quantum answers:
<Yes, IRIS, sorry. After the Negative Drive incident, did Noriko make a scan of her own brain?>
<Yes, she did.>
<Great. Show us the scan, please.>
<Access denied. Confidential information available only to Null.>
<What are you, a neurosurgeon? What would you do with the scan?> Kari protests.
<Okay. The Drive caused her brain to overclock; that’s what nearly killed her. Did she keep records of her brain activity? Can you show us these records?>
<The records do exist. Access denied.>
<What can we access about her medical records?>
<You are allowed to enquire about her current medical status.>
<Great. How is Noriko’s current brain activity?>
<Brain activity within normal parameters.>
<See? Nothing to worry about> Kari says, trying to drag Quantum away.
<What are the normal parameters? Noriko’s brain is not entirely human.>
<Mistress Null established the acceptable parameters.>
<When? Right after the heart attack?>
<For the first time, yes. Parameters have been modified 176 times, the last time 4 hours ago.>
<That’s strange. What’s her current brain activity, compared to the first parameter established?>
<Current brain activity is 18,471 times higher than original maximum allowed level.>
<That sounds bad, I’ll give you that, but we don’t know anything about how her brain works, maybe it’s normal for her…maybe she’s just getting smarter> Kari hypothesizes.
<Maybe. IRIS, what happens if Noriko uses her brain at 18 thousand times the maximum level?>
<According to my current program, nothing. According to the original parameters, death occurs due to Spontaneous combustion of the skull.>
<That’s some difference!!! What else did she change in the medical program?>
<Brainwave analysis deactivated. Multiple personality alarm deactivated.>
<Man, I hate being right sometimes. IRIS, re-activate the alarm.>
<Proceeding. Warning: there are two personalities detected.>
Eleusis, 30 light-years from Earth
Hephaestus is dragging Artemis out of the crater, holding her by a foot. Her face is a mask of blood, but she’s still alive; all of his might could not kill her.
The words of Elytra resonate in his mind: a mortal called Noriko Null killed Demeter with a weapon of her own design. Even his hammer couldn’t break the skull of Artemis; how could a mortal have done better than the God of Technology himself!?
There are mortals in his path. They are armed but they are smart enough to avoid shooting at him. Their leader is a strangely tall woman, almost as tall as Hephaestus.
<Lord Hephaestus. I am Aura, leader of the Hunter pirates, loyal to your sister Artemis.>
<<If you want your goddess back, you can have her>> he says, tossing her in front of Aura.
<You have turned our former leader Elytra into your servant. Is that your wish for the galaxy? To turn everyone into your slaves?>
<<The plans of Hephaestus are not for mortal ears. I came to teach Artemis a lesson: she cannot stop me. I leave you and your people alive to spread the same message to the rest of the galaxy>>
<We shall do as you ask, Lord Hephaestus> the woman swears, bowing. She waits for the god to walk away before turning her attention to Artemis.
The goddess slowly stands up, covering her maimed face with both hands.
<Call all the ships in the sector. I want every mortal alive to follow me into battle against him.>
<No> Aura answers.
<You are mortal. You must do as I demand> Artemis insists, coughing. There’s blood in her mouth.
<You don’t deserve worship. None of the gods do, not anymore. The Hunters will no longer fight in your name> Aura dismisses her, before teleporting away.
Artemis is too weak to fly away. She underestimated Hephaestus…maybe he isn’t more than a god like he boasts, but he’s far too powerful for her. She could ask for the help of Zeus, but she is the Goddess of the Hunt. She will not run crying to her father.
Hephaestus must pay for what he has done to her. But who would follow a disgraced goddess in a battle against an invincible cyber-god? If it weren’t for her injuries, Artemis would smile.
“Someone who has already killed a goddess” she realizes.
Central Park, New York
The rain wakes up Noriko. Her head is still pounding and she’s shivering from the cold. She tries to stand up but falls on her knees; her muscles are killing her. She’s on the grass.
“Where am I? How did I get here?” she asks herself, looking around. She recognizes Central Park, although she doesn’t remember coming here. She was in the alley…and then nothing.
When she looks at herself, she sees blood on her hands. She immediately searches for injuries, but she doesn’t find any: no cuts anywhere. Only a few bruises.
The rain increases. How did she get here? She’s not wearing her sandals. There are stains of blood and grass on her dress; the Genius Gun is on the ground.
“I was on the other side of the city! How…” she thinks.
“You ran away” something inside her answers. The inner voice is like nails on a blackboard.
“This blood…this blood isn’t mine. What did I do!?”
“You didn’t let me finish. I could’ve killed those sons of bit##es, but you were holding me back”
“Who are you?”
“In fact, you’re always holding me back. You’re always wasting our gift”
<Who are you!?!?> Noriko shouts. If there’s anyone in the park, they can’t hear her.
“Recognize the place? This is where we were born”
<This…this is where Athena activated the Nexus. Where I received the knowledge> Noriko says. Despite the darkness and the rain, she can’t forget this spot.
“It was scary, wasn’t it? All that information drowning who you are. So you made a new personality for yourself. Someone larger than life who could withstand it. But there was something else within that knowledge…something dark”
<The nightmares> Noriko recalls.
“You could barely close your eyes without them. You got everything from humanity…its hopes, its dreams, its science. But humanity has a dark side too. Pride, greed, fear, hatred, prejudice… everything inside your head. Every hate speech, every murder, every genocide”
<I learned to control it.>
“No, you learned to push it all away. You built an abyss where you could throw everything you wanted to forget. Not a smart move, Noriko, not a smart move at all. Because today the abyss learned to stare back”
Lightning strikes. Information flows within the girl’s body; it’s as painful as always, but this time she isn’t screaming in pain. She’s laughing like a madwoman. When she finally stands in the rain, the eyes are black once more. Two void windows into a soulless mind. And she smiles gleefully.
<Goodbye, Null. This body belongs to Abyss now.>
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