With only 50 floors, Null Tower isn’t the tallest skyscraper in New York. The only thing that makes it stand out is the big steel structure on top of it, shaped like the symbol Ø…Null’s signature.
Todd Slate reaches the roof; the view from the top isn’t all that great thanks to the symbol’s shadow, but Roosevelt Island is perfectly visible from the east side of the building.
That’s where he knows he can find his employer Noriko. She’s sitting on the edge of the roof, her feet dangling over the fall. A dangerous place to be, but that never seems to stop the girl.
He almost doesn’t recognize her. She’s not wearing her trademark green leather jacket of a horrible shade of green, but a one shoulder prom dress.
<Hey. Didn’t know this was your favorite spot as well> Todd says, approaching her and seating on her left…though not as close to the edge.
<Not now. I’m on my break> the girl says, crossing her legs.
<Don’t tell me you come out here to smoke.>
<No, usually I come out here to be hit by lightning.>
<…I don’t get it.>
<Nevermind. Actually, I’m on a break from thinking. I schedule one three times a week.>
<Okay, now I really don’t get it> Todd admits.
<I shut down all hypercognitive activity and reduce my brain’s processing power to human levels.>
<So you’re not supersmart now?>
<Nope. Would you believe I got these for 30 bucks?> she asks, raising her leg to show off the high-heeled sandal she’s wearing. She’s even painted her toenails.
<I know I can afford the high-end stuff now, but they’re cute.>
<Okay now you’re creeping me out> Todd admits. It’s not just the clothes: the attitude, the posture, the voice, everything’s different. It’s like talking to another person.
<What, I can’t have fun dressing up every once in a while?> she objects.
<Yes, of course, but you’re…well you’re you. Remember how much we argued about what to wear for the congressional hearing?>
<I know, I know, sorry for bit##ing so much about it. Hey, do you have any plans tonight?> she asks as she shuffles closer to him. Close enough to notice she’s wearing perfume.
<I’m working on your next press conference.>
<Sounds boring. You know, my father would freak out if I went to the dance with you> Noriko says, holding Todd’s arm.
<Your father would kill me if you did that> he protests, trying to break free.
<Dad’s not here. You’re cute when you’re WHAT THE F##K ARE YOU DOING!?>
Noriko’s shout is accompanied by the sudden light in her silver eyes. Todd is scared enough to almost fall off the Tower; he can hear his heart pounding.
<I didn’t do anything!!!> he defends himself.
<I WASN’T TALKING TO YOU!!!> Noriko shouts again; she stands on her feet, stumbling to adjust to her heels. Her breathing is accelerated and looks right and left, disoriented as if she just woke up from a nightmare.
<Noriko, what’s going on?> Todd asks, approaching her but unsure if touching her is a good idea.
<Don’t lose control. Don’t lose control. Don’t lose control> she repeats, taking longer breaths. This seems to calm her down considerably, and in a few seconds she’s her normal self again.
<Did…did you just have a panic attack?> Todd speculates.
Noriko’s eyes turn from silver to black for half a second. Not just the silver iris: the white sclera also becomes black. It may be quick, but it’s also terrifying to witness.
<Break’s over> she declares, leaving behind an extremely confused and scared Todd.
Eleusis, 30 light-years from Earth
Most gods travel the galaxy with a mothership, extremely big and powerful vessels with the offensive capabilities of an entire armada. The Aetos, mothership of Hephaestus, is different from all of them, and not just because it’s shaped like a hawk: it doesn’t have shields, relying exclusively on its hull composed of neutral matter. Unfortunately for the mothership of Artemis, which is firing against it, neutral matter is utterly indestructible.
Artemis is sitting on her throne in the middle of the bridge, leaning on her golden bow, while her crew is quickly panicking. None of them have experience with space battles: Artemis prefers her fights to be close and personal.
<I’m sure Hephaestus is there. Let’s see if he shows up when we break his toys: ram his mothership at maximum speed> she orders.
None of her crew dare to speak. Only her guest Aura, leader of the space pirates called Hunters, is willing to protest. The giantess walks up to Artemis to explain:
<Even at a million times lightspeed we won’t make a dent.>
<Neutral matter cannot be damaged, but there must be something inside made of ordinary matter.>
<But everyone on this ship will die!!!>
<I fail to see how it is my problem> Artemis replies. The coldness in her voice shocks even the veteran pirate, who can’t believe what she’s hearing. The goddess notices, and isn’t pleased.
<What? Just because you say a few prayers in my name you think I owe you anything!?>
<I will not die in your name> Aura boasts, pressing a button on her belt. A remote signal activates the mothership’s teleporter, and the woman disappears in a flash of green light.
<I gave you an order!!! I am your goddess and you must…> Artemis shouts, interrupted by something smashing through the hull. A Talos robot flies towards the goddess, catching her by surprise and carrying it through the ship by force.
A few people are sucked into space before the emergency forcefields seal the holes, but the damage is done: Artemis has been kidnapped against her will.
From the surface of Eleusis, the battle is unremarkable. The two motherships are too far away to make out anything except a few bright lights in the sky.
Eleusis is a rather isolated world. Located on the historical border between Demeter, Hephaestus and Artemis, its ownership has changed many times during its history. While technically under the dominion of Hephaestus for the last seven hundred years, worship of Demeter is still the most widespread religion. Unlike Myridia, Eleusis doesn’t have Drylon technology and is of little to no strategic value, so neither Hephaestus or Artemis ever made a serious attempt to convert them.
With the exception of space exploration, banned on religious grounds by Demeter herself, Eleusis is about a century ahead of Earth.
This means that when Artemis crashes on Eleusis, her impact destroying a shopping mall in the process, the entire planet is informed within minutes.
The first videos show her with a Talos; during the fall, she somehow managed to lodge several energy arrows between the plates of the robot’s outer shell.
She plunges her hands inside the robot’s abdomen and, with extreme effort and a primal scream of rage, breaks the Talos in half unleashing a fountain of sparkles from its electrical system.
It’s an astonishing display of power: no one has ever seen a Talos physically injured.
<IS THAT ALL YOU’VE GOT, BROTHER? COME AND FIGHT ME LIKE A GOD!!!>– she shouts at the sky.
For hundreds of years, Eleusis has enjoyed the closest thing to religious freedom this part of the Galaxy has ever known. Whether gods exist was never in doubt: their presence on the planet is well documented. But the clergy of Eleusis has debated endlessly about which gods deserve their prayer.
Worship of Hephaestus was widely diffused for thousands of years, which may have even helped its technological advancement, until his robots showed up. Luckily for Eleusis the earliest models of the Talos were not programmed to obliterate all biological life, but to say that Hephaestus didn’t make a good impression would be an understatement.
Very few people worship Hephaestus today. One of them is Nils Amsden, an elderly man selling cheap food on the street. When fire clouds appear in the sky and a man wearing an elaborate white armor descends from it, Nils Amsden falls on his knees to pray.
<<It is Hephaestus that shall break you, Artemis! Look upon me and tremble, for my face is the last you shall ever see!!!>> – he shouts, with volume high enough to be heard for hundreds of miles.
Hephaestus touches the ground with a sound of thunder, the asphalt cracking under his weight.
People are understandably running away from him. He takes a few steps, leaving footsteps on the ground, before he notices Nils Amsden praying.
<<Who are you worshiping, old mortal?>> he asks. His voice sounds like an engine roaring.
<You are the one true god, Lord Hephaestus, Forger of All Souls! I never doubted that you would one day come back to save us!>
<<You are right about one thing>> the god says, raising his right hand in a sign of blessing… and unleashing an atomic flame that burns Nils Amsden alive.
<<Hephaestus is back>> he adds, walking away from an old man dying in his name.
Null Tower, New York City
Quantum isn’t around the Tower all that much. Besides working all over the world, he values his secret identity of Max Black too much. Still, receiving orders only through the Neural Transmitter implanted in his head is too impersonal, so he still drops by every once in a while.
He meets Todd Slate in one of the corridors. The two haven’t met many times; Quantum feels obliged to wear his mask when he’s around.
<Hi Todd. Still trying to convince Noriko to give an interview?>
<Actually I was hoping to talk with you about her; don’t you think she’s acting a little strange, lately?>
<Now that you mention it, I think I saw her break into a smile yesterday.>
<Come on, I’m serious. This prom thing seems to have shaken her really bad, I’m worrying.>
<Null kills gods. She’s not afraid of dances> Torn answers, behind Todd’s back.
<Gah! Where did you come from!?> Todd exclaims, frightened by the sudden voice.
<Door> the man answers. In fact, right beside him there are Vesta, Kari and Bob, Noriko’s father.
<Oh no no, nothing about work tonight> Bob says to Todd, with a tone impossible to contradict.
<Mister Null, I was just…>
<What’s with everybody showing up at the same time in the same place?> Noriko asks.
Everyone turns to look at her, and she’s barely recognizable. Not only she’s wearing a dress and heeled sandals, but also the Egyptian bracelet Vesta gave her, a purse, makeup, and a stylish hairdo.
“You look exactly like your mother” Bob thinks, realizing just now how much effort Noriko must have put into differentiation herself from Leiko. But he also knows that she’s not comfortable about the subject, so he holds up the digital camera and smiles.
<We have to take a picture! Come on, everyone get closer!>
Much to Noriko’s chagrin, the rest of the Vanguard poses next to her. Torn, Vesta and Quantum on the back row, being much taller. Kari is on Noriko’s left side, with her duplicate on the right.
<Smile> Bob says. Everybody does so, except for Torn and Noriko; both Karis also do a V sign with their hands.
<Noriko! I said smile!> Bob protests.
<I am smiling on the inside> Noriko answers in the most deadpan way imaginable.
“Maybe I worry too much; she seems fine now” Todd thinks, in an effort to convince himself.
<Don’t wait up for me> she adds, pressing a button on her other bracelet: some kind of high-tech wristband. Shortly after, something breaks through the wall behind her father.
It’s the Phoenix, her motorbike, headed straight for the window. In the span of a few seconds Vesta and Torn put Bob and Todd out of the way, while Noriko mounts on the bike.
The Phoenix easily smashes through the window; instead of falling down, however, the wheels rotate downwards, and Noriko leaves the scene riding her flying motorbike.
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