Beyond The Impossible

Emerald Lake, Yoho National Park

British Columbia, Canada

The lake’s water is calm and pristine, reflecting the lush vegetation surrounding it; no wonder it’s one of the park’s premiere attractions. As it’s inevitable in this age, the tourists who are appreciating its beauty are doing so primarily by taking endless pictures and videos. They expect to bring home memories of a perfect vacation.

What they capture is certainly something they won’t forget soon: a large metallic arch appears out of nowhere in front of Mount Burgess, almost as big as the mountain itself. Something traveling at incredible speed emerges from the strange structure: its design is alien, but it’s unmistakably a flying motorbike. It’s followed by another identical vehicle, then the arch disappears leaving no trace. The two bikes fly around each other in a complicated dance, shooting at each other, until one of them manages to shoot down its pursuer.

As one flying bike crashes into the trees and explodes, the other one slowly lands near the lake.

Some of the tourists have already fled, but a couple are still filming when the strange visitor gets off the bike and removes his helmet.

He could pass as a human if it wasn’t for the grey skin and the icy blue eyes. He approaches the tourists, raising his hands as if to highlight that he’s holstered his weapon.

<I am Kylon of Megacles, Frost Commander of the Winter Kingdom. I wish to defect.>

He doesn’t get an answer, only very confused stares.

<Is the translator working? Can you understand me?>

<Y-yeah. Are you an alien?> a tourist asks him.

<Clearly Null’s intelligence isn’t a racial trait of her species. Take me to your leader.>

 

Midgard City, Antarctica

Protected from the frozen wasteland that surrounds it by its massive walls and highly advanced climate controls, Midgard City is finally becoming something more than a research installation.

There are already over 5,000 people living here. The vast majority are refugees from the worst places in the world: people who left their impoverished or war-torn country to look for a better future. There’s no lack of things to do: the robots took care of assembling the building and the basic infrastructure, but everything else needed to create a new country is still a work in progress.

Two people are jogging through the streets, moving past the people on the sidewalks: it seems like everyone has something to tell them, especially to the shorter one lagging behind.

In an attempt to avoid the hundredth person who wants to tell her how much Midgard City has changed his life, Noriko Null crosses the street towards the City Hall. She doesn’t need to be particularly careful to do this: there aren’t too many cars in the city, thanks to its highly elaborate transit system.

She leans against the wall, next to one of the Nullbots who guard City Hall, and takes a sip of water from her canteen as she waits for her running companion to cross the street to catch up.

<What are you doing?> Daren Bekker asks her.

<Catching my breath.> she answers, wiping the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve.

<You’re the one who insisted on training together. I told you…>

<I shouldn’t overdo it, yeah, I know. Can’t you just, I dunno, run slower?>

<I was running slowly. Just take five minutes, I’ll do a quick run around the block and then we’ll start again, okay?> he tells her, giving her a peck on the cheek before he starts running again.

Instead of looking at him, she’s distracted by the Nullbots changing their position: they’re allowing a man to leave City Hall.

<Good morning, Noriko. I didn’t know you were in the city.> Oluwa Kalu tells her.

<Just passing through.> she answers, hurriedly trying to fix her hair to look at least presentable in front of her former date.

<That was Bekker, right? I didn’t know he moved to Midgard City.>

<He’s staying with me. I mean, he’s sleeping at my place.>

<I see. You make a nice couple. I assume he’s fine with your space adventures?> he asks. She can’t tell if he’s genuinely worried or if it’s a jab at her expense: the fact that she kept secrets from him was the reason their relationship never started. She could tell him that Daren knows about the dangers she faces even less than Kalu did, but she prefers to lie instead.

<Oh, yeah, he knows all about it and finds it very exciting. What about you? How does it feel to be the first mayor of Midgard City?>

<Strange. There’s not a single day when I don’t ask myself if this is the job for me, but when I look at what we’re able to accomplish for the people who need our help, I really think this is more than just throwing money at problems to make them go away.>

<Good for you. We should catch up one of these days.> she replies, when her cellphone rings. She takes the opportunity to skip the awkward conversation and answers.

<Prime Minister, it’s been a while. How can I help you? Hm-mm. Of course. Did you get his gear? Good. Keep him in isolation until I get there, okay? Great. I’ll see you soon.>

<Trouble?> Kalu asks her. Noriko ignores him and starts another call.

<Kari? Have the Ragnarok do a full sensor sweep of the solar system and meet me in Vancouver in a couple of hours. Bring Vesta with you.>

<I assume you’ll be leaving.> Kalu says.

<Something came up in Canada.> she replies, trying to resume her jogging but immediately regretting it: her legs are killing her.

<That’ll teach me to race a professional athlete.> she sighs, pressing a button on her watch; her body then disappears in the blinding light of her teleporter.

 

Hell, 163,000 light-years from Earth

The sanctuary of Desecration Mountain is one of the most sacred places on the planet. Only the highest ranking Demons are allowed to pass through its massive doors, and the sanctuary is heavily guarded. Not to keep Demons out, but to contain what’s within: the sanctuary is the only place where gods are allowed to access.

There are five portals, one for each of the gods with an official relationship with Hell: they’re reserved for Hades, Ereshkigal, Inanna and Baal. A few minutes ago, the fifth one was activated.

Hell’s security forces scrambled to be ready. Vice, the current Lady Of All Demons, is standing with a dozen highly trained warriors when the god finally steps out of the portal.

The elderly Demon woman has never seen Anubis before: the Egyptian god hasn’t set foot on Hell for thousands of years. He’s certainly an imposing figure: a tall and muscular half-god half-jackal, with visible cybernetic implants all over his body.

<Lord Anubis. Welcome to Hell.> Vice tells him, nodding respectfully.

<Are you in charge here?> the god asks.

<I am the Lady Of All Demons, yes.>

The god doesn’t show much of a reaction. He looks around, sniffing a couple of times.

<There are 294,964,740 Demons on this planet. You will supply me a third of them.>

<Supply them for what?>

<That is not your concern.>

<I respectfully disagree, Lord Anubis. As Lady Of All Demons, I can’t simply hand over a third of Hell without a compelling reason.>

<I am one of the Nine Gods. I don’t need to give my reasons to anyone.> Anubis answers with more than a touch of disdain in his voice, taking a step towards the sanctuary’s exit.

His path is blocked by Vice with a red energy sword. The old woman is dwarfed by the god, but there’s a determination in her eyes that makes it clear that she’s not intimidated.

<No god has power over Hell. We don’t bow to any higher authority.>

<If you won’t bow to me in life…> Anubis answers, grabbing Vice’s arm and lifting her off the ground with one hand, while his other one effortlessly crushes the energy sword.

<…you will all be my slaves in death.> he concludes, snapping Vice’s arm like a twig and throwing her with great force against the entrance gate.

 

Vancouver, Canada

The building doesn’t look like much, which is to be expected: it belongs to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, and they have no reason to attract attention.

A couple of CSIS agents are escorting Noriko Null to the heavily guarded basement, while Vesta and Kari Zel trail behind her chatting quite loudly.

<I appreciate your help in expediting this, agent. I thought that being directly invited by your Prime Minister would’ve cut through the red tape.> she notes.

<It’s the Global Defense Organization, ma’am. Since Canada joined the GDO, we must follow their regulations when it comes to any kind of alien contact.> the CSIS agent explains.

<I see. I understand you also recovered a dead body and some alien technology?>

<That’s correct.>

<I would like to examine it. Maybe even run an autopsy.>

<I’m afraid it’s out of my hands, ma’am. Everything is already on its way to a GDO facility except for the, ehm, the alien. We’re allowed to retain any living sample for 24 hours to assess if it presents a biological threat. Officially, the Prime Minister invited you as a technical expert on the subject.>

<Smart move. And if I need to personally interact with the alien to reach my decision?>

Before the agent can answer, Kari and Vesta giggle loud enough to make him pause for a moment.

<It can be arranged, if you sign a liability waiver. Come this way.> he says, leading Noriko down the same hall. Before following him, she gets closer to Vesta and Kari who are looking at the latter’s smartphone.

<Will you two knock it off!? You’re making me look bad in front of the Canadians!> Noriko complains, keeping her voice down.

<I’m sorry, Kari was just showing me pictures of her twins! Aren’t they adorable?> Vesta asks, pointing at the photo of Kari holding two newborns while her oldest daughter Ariel shakes their tiny hands, while her husband Kiros and his duplicate stand at each side of the picture.

<Will you please take this seriously? We just had a Lar crash on Earth through a portal!>

<That doesn’t sound like a big deal compared to the stuff we usually face.> Kari comments.

<It’s certainly a bigger deal than your kids.> Noriko answers, immediately regretting her words.

<Kari, I didn’t mean it like that…>

<I know, I know. It wasn’t very professional of me. I’m just a bit overly excited since Ilithyia made me skip almost all of my pregnancy when…>

<Ehm. Ladies?> the agent calls their attention. He’s reached a door of reinforced steel guarded by two heavily armed guards in riot gear.

<Right. Sorry. Let’s meet this alien, shall we?> Noriko says.

 

Inside the room

Kylon feels like he’s in Hell. It’s considered room temperature for a human, but for a Lar it’s unbearably hot. The orange clothing they made him wear don’t make things easier; he would wipe the sweat from his forehead if they didn’t chain his hands to the surface of the table where he’s been sitting for the past hour.

Then the door opens. If he didn’t recognize the person approaching the table by her green leather jacket, the silver eyes would be a dead giveaway.

<ते स्लयेर् ओफ़् गोड्स्?> he says.

<Νοτ ην Λαρηαν. Cαν γοου σπεακ Ολγμπηαν?> she replies, taking her N-Phone from her pocket.

<Οφ cοουρσε. Η αμ surprised that you don’t speak Larian.> he answers, his voice instantly translated into English mid-sentence.

<Every Lar who has spoken to me was either using a translator or was trying to kill me, so I never got the chance to learn it. Let’s keep talking in Olympian, this device will translate it to our guests.> she explains, tapping the phone.

<Our guests? I thought you ruled over this planet.>

<There’s a lot you need to learn about Earth. And I’d like to learn more about you, mister…?>

<Kylon of Megacles, Frost Commander of the Winter Kingdom.>

<Quite a mouthful. So, Kylon, what are you doing on Earth?>

<I’m asking for asylum. In return, I can give you the means to travel the universe.>

<You’re a little too late, Kylon. I already discovered interstellar travel.>

<I’m not talking about spaceships, Null. I’m talking about giving Earth the technology that once made the Lar the most powerful empire since the Drylon.>

It’s not often that Noriko Null is left speechless, but it takes quite a lot of brain power to reply:

<I’m listening.>