Myridia, 50 light-years from Earth
The planet is clearly visible on the main screen of the ship’s bridge. Kari’s face brightens up when she sets her eyes on her own planet.
<Isn’t that the most wonderful thing you’ve ever seen?>she asks.
<No> Torn answers, as usual confusing a rhetorical question with a literal one.
<Come on now. You could at least make an effort to be polite> Vesta chastises him.
<That is the most wonderful thing I have ever seen> Torn says with the most grave and deadpan voice imaginable. Somehow, his voice makes it sound like something terrible just happened.
<Never do that again> Kari begs him.
The door leading to the bridge opens. Quantum is yawning, but Doctor Kalama is mesmerized by the view: this is her first time in space.
<Oh my God. That’s a real alien planet!!!>
<I know! Isn’t that the most wonderful thing you’ve ever seen?> Kari asks, excitedly.
<I dunno, Kythera was kind of cool> Quantum says honestly, earning a light punch in the arm by one of Kari’s duplicates.
<Ouch! What was that for!?>
<Politeness> Torn answers. With his voice, it’s hard to tell if he’s being sarcastic.
The door opens once again. The last two people on the ship, Noriko and Todd, have reached the bridge. There’s something off about them: their hair is slightly unkempt and their clothes wrinkled.
Noriko heads straight for the captain’s chair. She rubs her eyes and fights the urge to yawn, then she realizes everyone is staring at her.
<What?> she asks, raising an eyebrow.
<We overslept> Todd answers the question on everyone’s mind. Or at least one of them, considering that everyone is acting like they’re still waiting for an explanation. Except Torn, who doesn’t see anything strange in Noriko’s behavior.
Then the ship receives a communication, relayed by the speakerphones:
<Attention, this is the Myridian Orbit Patrol. Identify yourself.>
<I am Null. Requesting permission to land.>
<Your ship is identified as the Supreme Scorpion, a pirate ship of the Diana sector. You are not authorized to reach planetary orbit; leave this system at once or we will open fire.>
<Don’t you know who I am?> Null asks, her silver eyes shining.
<I’ll handle this> Quantum volunteers, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Noriko taps her fingers on the chair’s armrests. Kari chooses the moment of silence to create a duplicate right next to her.
<You have to give me all the details later> she whispers, pointing at Todd by nodding in his direction. Noriko’s shining eyes would intimidate almost anyone else, but Kari just smiles.
<C’mon, I can keep a secret!>
<Get your mind out of the gutter. We were working and we fell asleep, that’s all.>
<-In your bedroom, riiiiight…>
Noriko rolls her eyes. Quantum reappears on the bridge, and the voice from the speaker returns with a far more friendly tone:
<Please forgive me! You can land whenever you want. Welcome back to Myridia, Lady Null!>
Noriko smiles smugly, enjoying the moment before saying to Kari:
<I hope you know how to land this thing. I don’t want to lose another ship.>
<We’ll be ready for the grand entrance in no time> Kari assures her, creating more duplicates to monitor the procedure from every station.
<“Lady Null”?> Doctor Kalama asks.
<It’s a nickname> Noriko shrugs.
Above Null City
For hundreds of years, Deka was the capital city of the whole planet. When it was renamed Null City last year, the devastation caused by Demeter was still visible in the endless ruins of the once majestic skyscrapers.
Approaching the surface, the viewscreen of the Supreme Scorpion shows a completely different view: a vibrant city that makes New York look like a third world town. Even Noriko is impressed:
<Your people sure know how to build fast> she says to Kari.
<Remember, each of us can create ten thousand duplicates. That’s millions of construction workers working day and night. Demeter wanted to breed us for war, but Myridians are better at creating things than destroying them.>
<You’re not so good at statues> Max Black notes, pointing at the colossal statue overseeing the city. Twice as tall as the Statue of Liberty, it has replaced the equally impressive statue of Demeter.
It’s the statue of a woman raising both hands triumphantly: one holds a gun, the other a stylized thunderbolt, and she has a pendant in the shape of the Ø symbol right between her breasts.
Which are not only barely covered, but the statue is ridiculously more endowed than Noriko.
<Is that supposed to be you!?> Max asks Noriko, barely containing his laughter.
Noriko doesn’t seem to consider this a laughing matter, considering her stern expression, although Vesta tries to reassure her:
<Don’t be embarrassed, it happens all the time. I’ve never seen an accurate statue of me.>
<Let’s just get this over with> Noriko sighs.
Null City Spaceport
Crowds are quite common on Myridia: while most towns have a population of a few hundreds, the streets are often busy with thousands of duplicates carrying various errands.
But when the door of the Supreme Scorpion opens, releasing its staircase, the crowd surrounding the spaceship is immense. Thousands of people have gathered to witness the return of Null, each of them creating multiple duplicates in order to view the scene from every direction.
Inside the Supreme Scorpion, everyone waits for Noriko to make the first step… but she hesitates to get in the spotlight, nervously biting her lower lip. Her hands are shaking.
<Something wrong?> Todd asks.
<Don’t be ridiculous. These people love me> Noriko answers.
“Maybe that’s what’s upsetting you” Todd thinks, but he keeps his ideas to himself. It’s hard to think when Noriko finally seen by the Myridian crowd: the sound is simply overwhelming.
Some are shouting. Some are crying. Many are chanting “Null, Null, Null” rhythmically. And everyone is pushing someone else.
<Is this place always like this?> Doctor Kalama has to shout to make herself heard.
<No, sometimes it gets noisy> Kari shouts back.
Among thousands and thousands of identical faces, two of them stand out. One belongs to the security guard that is keeping the civilians away from the Supreme Scorpion; his face is everywhere, duplicated at least two thousand times. The other is a balding man in his late fifties, wearing an elaborate cape and a silver pendant in the shape of the Ø symbol.
<Welcome back to Myridia, Lady Null> he greets her, kneeling in her presence.
<Don’t do that, please> she says.
<My name is Geres Nob, I’m the Secretary of the Interior. The Myridian Palace is ready for…>
He doesn’t finish his sentence, scared by the sound of the bullet that misses his head by half an inch. The projectile is set to hit Noriko right between the eyes, but it’s blocked by an invisible force field that becomes blue for a split second.
<They’re not wasting any time. Quantum?> she says.
<Yeah, I’m on it> he answers, disappearing in a flash of light.
Outside the spaceport
Moving at the speed of light, it takes Quantum just a split-second to reach the position where the shot was fired: a control tower on the other side of the spaceport.
The assassin is right in front of him, his features obscured by a dark cloak. Despite having almost no time to react, the assassin manages to shoot Quantum. A needless display of reflexes, because the bullet is vaporized by a laser before reaching him.
<Really? We’re on an alien planet and you’re not even using a laser gun?> he laments, disabling the weapon with a concentrated dose of microwaves.
He grabs the assassin by the shoulder, ready to punch him in the face. During the struggle the cloak moves enough to allow Quantum to see his face… or lack thereof.
<A robot!> he exclaims, facing a metallic head. And he feels the rising temperature of the robot’s power source, ready to explode.
<Oh no you don’t> he proclaims, transforming his body into enough magnetic force to disrupt any electronic system. It works just as expected, with the robot laying motionless.
Quantum waves his hand in front of the robot’s face, without getting any reaction.
<Aww. They look cooler when they explode…>
Null City Spaceport
On Earth a failed assassination attempt would lead to chaos, but here it’s taken as a proof of Noriko’s power… and the chant of her name becomes so suffocating it’s impossible to think.
<This is just annoying> she comments, taking the N-Phone from one of her pocket. She raises a hand as a gesture to call the crowd’s attention, while with the other hand she uses the N-Phone to activate the Sound Nullifier.
Everything goes silent, as if by magic. Using the Nullifier on such a large scale can work just for a few seconds, but when the sound is allowed to exist again there’s barely any whisper.
<That’s better. Now, mister Secretary, you were saying?>
<The… the Myridian Palace is ready for you, Lady Null. Your attendants are welcome as well> the man answers, sweating nervously and religiously holding his pendant.
<“Attendants”?> Vesta repeats, raising an eyebrow.
<We’re here for the εκπηορα of Old Man Vor> Kari adds. Judging from the Secretary’s facial expression, it’s not what he had imagined.
<Yes, of course. This way please> he answers, bowing respectfully. Noriko follows him, with her “attendants” behind her. The immense crowd separates to create a path for her.
Their latest goddess has returned.
The Myridian Palace
Rebuilt on the ruins of the Oracle Palace, the building serves both as the planet’s parliament and as residence of its government. It’s located less than an hour away from the spaceport, but it feels much more than that since it can only be reached on foot.
Doctor Kalama approaches Kari, asking:
<Your people don’t believe in cars?>
<We don’t really need them; if we don’t want to walk, we can just use duplicates. This your first time off-planet, right?>
<Yes. I still can’t believe I’m on another world… I mean, other than people having all kinds of hair colors, this just looks like a foreign country.>
<Speaking of which, is it me or everyone on this planet is white?> Todd asks.
<I’m not> Torn answers, completely missing the point.
The conversation is cut short when the group reaches the hall, where two people are waiting for them: a woman wearing an elaborate green robe, and a man with blue hair and beard in a military uniform. He’s the first to talk, bowing his head while the woman kneels.
<Welcome back, Lady Null. I am Radul Sil, President of Myridia. And this is Ganos Lal, Supreme Pontiff of the Church of Null.>
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