Beyond The Impossible

The Mindscape

The view is like nothing Noriko has ever seen: an endless valley full of books, stacked on top of each other, extending to the horizon. She’s following her predecessor Roxiana, but pauses to pick up one of the books… and it’s not in any language she can recognize.

<You seem to know your way around this place. Care to explain, well, anything?>

<This is where the Nexus dumps any information it doesn’t deem worthy to be recorded into the Master Archive. I’ve deciphered only a tiny fraction of it, and I can’t really blame it… even as a historian, I have to say most of this stuff is pretty boring.> Roxiana replies, gesturing towards the valley of books.

<I thought the Nexus kept a record of everything… isn’t that why it has copies of the personalities of all its former hosts?>

<Oh, dear, you really have no idea, do you? We’re expendable. Everything here is: nothing really matters to the Nexus except the Master Archive.>

<Which is…>

<A host absorbs all the information of a civilization. When the host dies, everything that has been recorded is copied into the Master Archive and locked… it’s one of the only three things that are inaccessible to previous hosts.>

<In addition to the memories of later hosts, yes, I remember that. What’s the third?>

<The recordings of the original Drylon hosts.>

<There are Drylons still living inside the Nexus!?> Noriko exclaims.

<Don’t get your hopes up, no host has ever been able to talk with them for five billion years.>

<I would rather spend my time looking for them than wandering around this place. Seriously, why did you bring me here? I doubt there’s anything here that will help me get back to my body.>

<There are advantages to being underestimated, dear child. No Mind’s Land is the lowest level of the Mindscape, so there are few security measures around here. I couldn’t use my Wraiths anywhere else, but here I can… let me show you.> Roxiana says, closing her eyes and clasping her hands as if she was praying. Several ghostly version of her exit her body, and they scatter around in every direction.

<How are you doing this?> Noriko wonders, trying to touch a Wraith: it’s as immaterial as the name suggests.

<Your brain is powerful enough to have more than one mind. I can teach you how to have thousands of thoughts simultaneously… it’s how I explored No Mind’s Land. Just a fair warning, you don’t want to rush this or you risk developing nasty alternate personalities.>

<You don’t say.> Noriko snarks, not wanting to discuss the likes of Abyss or Void.

<This will help you contact nearly all the former hosts at once. So, are you interested?>

 

Asgard Station, Null Zone

Jane Blake never thought that she would ever sit at the same table reserved to official Vanguard meetings, let alone without any actual member of the team.

She feels like an outsider much like Asclepius; the demigod physician seems to have little interest in being present, despite the sense of obligation towards his patient Null.

Kylon is the one who called the meeting, but even if the Lar is taking charge it’s pretty obvious that Shinobu, Noriko’s enigmatic cousin, likes the idea of calling the shots.

<I want everybody to remember that we are all risking our lives here. If the Ice Queen discovers what we are planning, she will have us killed at sight.> the Japanese businessman reminds them.

<Speak for yourself. I’m immortal.> Asclepius points out.

<So were Circe and Adrestia, but she orchestrated their deaths just as well.> Kylon adds.

<Touché. So, what exactly is our plan?> the demigod asks.

<We’re taking Null to Hades.> the Lar answers.

<That’s not a plan, that’s a goal. We still haven’t figured out how.> Shinobu responds.

<Don’t you guys have a thing that can get us anywhere in the universe?> Jane asks.

<The Portal Generator has a limited range; the Stygian Galaxy is 2.7 million light-years from Earth, well beyond that.>

<What sense does that make!? Aren’t we outside the universe or something?>

<Null’s notes describe this dimension as “substantially smaller than our universe, resulting in the two not being entirely transdimensionally aligned”… her words, not mine, so don’t ask me what it’s supposed to mean.> Kylon shrugs.

<Of all times to use her big words.> Jane comments, rolling her eyes.

<And before anyone asks about using the Shadow Network: I’ve looked into the database that Null decoded, and Hades seems to have removed all the gates in his galaxy.> Kylon elaborates.

<Maybe we can ask the Demons to get us there?> Jane suggests.

<With Leiko controlling the android that is posing as Null, we have to assume she has at least partial control of Hell. She must be monitoring all the Vanguard’s closest allies; we would be spotted as soon as we set foot there.> Shinobu says.

<Besides, there is no trace of the exact coordinates of Hell in the system. Null must’ve memorized them, and she has never used the Portal Generator to get there. Our only option remains to get to the Stygian Galaxy by starship.> Kylon adds.

<How long will that take?> Asclepius asks.

<The fastest commercially available starship can reach 2 million times the speed of light, so a little over a year and a half.>

<It’s too long. Any chance to restore Null to life will vanish long before that.> the demigod says.

<I thought she was dead already, what difference does it make?> Jane wonders.

<Even assuming Hades can heal her body, the Nexus will need to function to restore her mind. The longest documented cases of a Drylon device in operation after the host’s death never reached beyond seven months. If we use a ship, Null will be long dead before we reach Hades.>

<If only we had the Ragnarok, its Negative Drive could make the trip in less than three days. It’s under the custody of the Mortal Republic now, like the last remaining ship of its class, the Xibalba; we will have to risk stealing one of the two.> Kylon proposes, obviously not enthusiastic about the idea. Something that Shinobu picks up immediately.

<They must be under the highest security imaginable. I might be able to sneak on board, but there is no way we would ever be able to get away with it.>

<I’m out of ideas. Unless you want to risk freeing Skorpios from her prison, but I’m even less confident about involving a hostile force that could fight the entire Vanguard at once.>

<Wait. You have access to Noriko’s database, right? Does it have the schematics of the Ragnarok’s engine?> Jane asks.

<It does. But the Negative Drive is one of the most complex feats of engineering in the entire Galaxy, even Null’s computers won’t be able to accurately replicate one.>

<But if we had someone modify a regular ship to go as fast as the Ragnarok?>

<It would have to be a technological genius familiar with Null’s technology, and Ares already killed Voron. And unless you happen to know somebody else like that…>

<Actually, I think I do. Or rather, my boyfriend use to date her.> Jane recalls.

163,000 light-years from Earth

Palace of the Government, City of Eralal, Lampyria

Kylon had to come here alone: the humans would not survive the planet’s toxic atmosphere or its lethally low air pressure. Now that thanks to Asclepius he can survive temperatures above zero, his Lar physiology has several advantages.

He’s sitting in the office of the First Chief, where the planet’s latest de facto leader is staring at the holographic tablet in her hands; she paces back and forth, rapidly scrolling through several pages.

<This is insane.> Lily Elosia comments.

<So… do you think you can do it?> Kylon asks.

<Look at this thing! Multimodal flux compressors and magnetorheological shock absorbers inside a nanoelectromechanical system!? Who does that!?>

<Can you build it or not?> he insists.

<Hmmm.> she hesitates, scratching her head using the tip of one of her bat-like wings.

<First Chief…>

<Call me Lily, please. Mister Kylon, you might be overestimating my abilities: I’m nowhere near as smart as Null.>

<Excluding other Nexus hosts, her records credit you as the smartest person she has ever met.>

<Really!? I mean… wow, that’s very flattering. Well, you see, I have bad news and good news.>

<Of course you do. Nothing that involves Null is ever easy.>

<If I understand the schematics correctly, I’m fairly confident I will be able to modify an existing stellar engine into a poor copy of the Negative Drive, provided that you can get me certain components. You won’t reach its top speed, but I might get you up to, say, 50 million lightspeed.>

<That would get us to Hades in less than a month, so I’ll take it. What’s the bad news?>

<It will carry over the same design flaw of the Negative Drive: as soon as you turn it on, it will be picked up by the sensors of half the Olympian Galaxy.>

<Making us even bigger targets than we are now.> Kylon nods.

<I would gladly give you more assistance, but Lampyria doesn’t have any ships.>

<You’ve already doing more than enough, Lily. You might be saving the Vanguard.>

<I hope so. Any news on Max? Usually it doesn’t take him this long to reassemble himself.>

<Still nothing. But if I know Quantum enough, I really doubt he’s out for the count.>

 

Kythera, 950 light-years from Earth

On a planet mostly populated by Lampyrians, seeing people fly is commonplace. But it’s not a blue-skinned woman that soars its skies holding Max Black in her arms: it’s a female version of his body, with angel wings made of pink energy sprouting from her back.

They land in front of a colossal and anatomically correct statue of Aphrodite; there’s a building standing right below her spread legs.

<Well this is awkward.> Max comments, trying to make it seem like he’s not looking.

<In what way?> Eros asks, retracting the energy wings into her body.

<That’s Aphrodite. Isn’t she your mother?>

<Yes. And?>

<And you’re okay with people looking at that statue?>

Eros looks at the statue, then back at Max, and give him an extremely puzzled look.

<Seems pretty accurate to me. I take it you wouldn’t like a statue of your…>

<NO!!!>

<I adore mortals, my love, but I swear I will never understand you.> Eros shrugs.

<I already told you to stop calling me that. I don’t love you.>

<Give it time, sweetie. Everybody loves me.> Eros giggles; her body briefly switches to pink energy to completely change her into a Lampyrian, and just in time because a member of that species just left the building to greet them.

<Welcome! It is so rare to have one of our own as a client. Are you here as a couple or…>

<Yes.> Eros answers.

<No, we aren’t. We’re looking for a ship.> Max corrects her.

<That’s a little… unusual, but we don’t judge anyone in this brothel. It might cost you, though.>

<Look, miss, we’re not here to…> Max tries to steer the conversation, but Eros is already embracing the Lampyrian with one of her blue wings.

<My, aren’t you just adorable? I think I’m in love all over again.> Eros tells the woman he just met, making her blush with just a wink.

<Oh for the love of… we don’t have time for this. How do I get back to Earth!?> Max complains.

<I don’t know what that is. Do you really have to leave so soon?> the Lampyrian says, caressing the blue form of Eros.

<Yes, I really do. How about Myridia? There has to be a flight for there, right?>

The two Lampyrians don’t answer him: they’re already busy making out.

<Dude! Do I have to take a hose!? You said you wanted to help me!> Max complains, pulling Eros by her wing.

<I will. I’ll take you to Myridia, but we can’t leave her behind! She’s the love of my life.>

<You don’t even know her name and you met her like thirty seconds ago!!!>

<Love knows no time. We’ll find a ship in time, but right now love calls.> Eros answers, practically dragging the Lampyrian back inside the brothel.

<And I thought Hermes was irritating.> Max Black sighs.