Beyond The Impossible

Null Tower, New York City

While Noriko Null has transferred most of her operations to Midgard City, and most of her scientific experiments are carried out inside Asgard Station in the Null Zone, the tower still includes some of the safest labs on the planet.

Accessed through a ten ton blast door, this particular laboratory should be used for potentially explosive experiments. But it’s where a Myridian young woman is now chained to a metallic chair, which two Nullbots have just finished welding to the floor.

FBI Agent Wu looks at them with a sense of unease; not just because of the creepy nature of the faceless robots, but because he’s personally witnessed the woman getting her arms and hands being broken by Athena.

<This woman is in need of medical attention and she’s the prime suspect of an assassination attempt; she should be arrested.> Agent Wu objects.

<Sarelyn Yon is an Ichor user. Any potential encounter with a mortal population would be a high security risk.> Athena replies.

<She has rights. You can’t just torture her!>

<What an Earth-centric position. You might be surprised that torture is not illegal on her planet.>

<Uhm, actually, Myridia outlawed torture last month.> Kari Zel corrects the goddess of wisdom, who doesn’t seem pleased to be contradicted.

<Only to preventively comply with an amendment to the Olympian Constitution which hasn’t even been ratified yet.>

<We are not doing torture here. This is an interrogation.> Noriko Null intervenes, approaching them followed by a Nullbot carrying a second chair.

Agent Wu stares at Sarelyn Yon again. She’s chained up, blindfolded and most importantly gagged.

<And how are you planning to interrogate her? By reading her mind?>

Noriko doesn’t answer, just staring at him in silence, whereas Kari and Athena exchange an amused glance.

<You’ve got to be kidding me. You can read minds!?>

<In a way. I can access her soul and witness her own memories. That way we’ll be able to learn the identity of her colleague, the one who tried to murder Ganos Lal, and figure out how she gained those Ichor powers in the first place.>

<That’s amazing. Will you be able to record those memories in any way?>

<I can store them in the most secure database in the universe.> Noriko boasts, tapping her own head with a finger.

<Maybe I should have a look as well, if it’s possible. This is still part of my investigation after all.>

<Yeah sure, why not.> Noriko shrugs.

Kari creates a duplicate right next to her, exchanging a quick conversation in whispered tones:

<Are you sure it’s a good idea? You don’t have the best record with this telepathic stuff, maybe we should call Torn to supervise.>

<I’ll be using the Cosmic Background Network for this, not the Blood. Trust me, I’ve come up with a few security measures since the last time I’ve used this.> Noriko reassures her… up to a point.

Once both Noriko and the agent are sitting in front of the chained Myridian, the Mortal Co-Empress touches the prisoner’s forehead with one hand while extending the other to the human.

<Be ready, this is probably going to be weird.>

<I’m more afraid by what you would consider weird.> he admits, taking her head.

 

Nine years ago

Thrala, planet Myridia

Imagine finding yourself on an alien planet for the first time. Then imagine witnessing it through thousands of different perspectives, simultaneously.

That’s what the FBI agent is now seeing. He’s watching what will one day be called “the battle of Null City”, from the name that Deka will eventually take.

But in the moment he’s witnessing, this is still the capital city of a planet belonging to Demeter, and he’s watching the Vanguard fighting her Oracles all over the city… from the perspective of a Myridian girl whose duplicates are spread everywhere.

<Sorry, let me clear things up. Who knew Myridian memories were so hard to navigate!> he can hear Noriko say. The situation seems to stabilize itself, or at the very least now he feels like he’s only in one place instead of thousands.

While the agent can’t really tell the difference, Noriko immediately notices this is a different city… unsurprisingly, Sarelyn must’ve had duplicates in multiple cities at the same time.

<You weren’t kidding about things being weird.> Agent Wu says, looking around.

It’s a perfect recreation of a Myridian cathedral consecrated to Demeter; thanks to the presence of several duplicates, he can also see the fourteen-year-old Sarelyn Yon… still with her natural green hair and wearing a white tunic… talk to one Oracle.

<What is happening, my lord? Is Hephaestus attacking us?> he can hear her ask, with her words being translated into English in his mind.

<It seems the foul Hestia has invaded our realm, bringing with her foul beasts that threaten to destroy our paradise.> the Oracle replies, his voice full of hatred for the very concept.

<We shall pray for Demeter to save my people! She will…> Sarelyn says, interrupted when the Oracle telekinetically lifts her from the ground and slams her against the nearest column.

<You think Demeter gives a f##k about you!? All you people are worth for is breed new slaves! If you were good for anything else the Oracles wouldn’t have to fight anyone!> the Oracle shouts at her. He would probably have killed her if he wasn’t distracted by the receipt of a message, indicated by the glow on the Godstone embedded into his throat.

<You’re lucky Talas Khanos needs me. If I impress the High Geneticist today, I have a shot of being put in charge of this entire city!> the Oracle says, quickly departing from the cathedral leaving behind Sarelyn. Watching her cry through the eyes of her own duplicates attempting to console her, Agent Wu realizes just how dystopic Myridia used to be.

<Didn’t you disband the Oracles? Then why does this girl hate you?> he wonders.

<Good question. We should probably go a bit further.> Noriko says.

 

Eight years ago

Null City, planet Myridia

The fifteen-year-old Sarelyn Yon is in handcuffs, sitting in front of a panel of four fellow Myridians. As they flip through the pages of her case, she looks at the window: through the bars she can see the reconstruction of the gigantic statue that once represented Demeter being changed into a statue of Noriko Null. A man from the panel starts talking:

<Sarelyn Yon. Do you understand why you’re here?>

<I’ve done nothing wrong.> the teenager mumbles.

<You have been accused of collaborating with the Oracle regime. Yet despite being Assistant Priestess to the Temple of Demeter, you plead not guilty! How can you be not guilty if you personally escorted the victims to their rapists!?> a second man from the panel yells.

<I’ve never hurt anyone. They said they would hurt me if I said no.>

<You were a coward! Some of us dared to say no and we willingly paid the price!> the man keeps yelling, pounding the table. The only woman in the panel has to intervene:

<We cannot ask others to suffer only because we did. We should never have imprisoned this child for the crimes of the Oracles, she was not responsible for them.>

<I’ve done nothing wrong.> the teenager whispers.

<Sarelyn Yon, according to the new Myridian Constitution, you are now considered a minor and can’t be incarcerated for the crimes you were accused of. You will be released into society and assigned new foster parents, do you understand?> the first man explains.

<I’ve never had parents. All I had was Demeter. She watched over me.>

<Oh you poor thing. Don’t worry, I will personally make sure you find a new family that truly cares for you, I give my solemn word on that.> the woman promises.

<There are thousands of such cases, Ganos Lal… do you really want to help them all?>

<That is the true spirit of Null.>

<All I had was Demeter. And she took her away from me.> Sarelyn says, watching the giant statue of Noriko Null that seems to mock her from beyond the prison bars.

 

Three years ago

Null City, planet Myridia

After all this time, Sarelyn Yon is back in the same prison. Much has changed since her last stay: now she’s twenty years old, and she can’t remember the last time she met anyone who didn’t hate the Oracles and swear on their life that Null was the best thing to ever happen to Myridia.

The prison is much nicer than it used to be; under the Demeter reign, her cell would’ve been considered a queen’s chamber. But to Sarelyn, this is just a golden cage.

<My my, what a delightful hatred we have here.> she hears from the shadows, before a woman wearing leather clothes and a snake slithering around her neck like a scarf appears in front of her.

<If you want the cell, it’ll be ready tomorrow. This is my last day here.> Sarelyn says.

<So I’ve heard. Do you have any idea of where you’re going? Perhaps back to your foster parents, if they decide to renege disowning you? Perhaps assaulting a different priest of the Church of Null, only to be sent back here once more? Or maybe trying your luck among the stars, praying that the next organization sharing your goals isn’t wiped out like the Guild or throws the towel like the Mortal Liberation Front?>

<I’m done praying. The only goddess I’ve ever believed in is dead, and her murderer only gets praised for it.>

<What if I told you that there are goddesses who, unlike Demeter, actually keep their word?>

<Like you? We are told stories about you when we are children, Eris. Nobody is foolish enough to vow allegiance to the Goddess of Discord.>

<You’re still a child and I actually go by Lilith now, but both are beside the point. I wasn’t talking about me, my dear. You see, my latest hobby is scouting talent for a new ally in exchange for a few favors I owe her.>

<I said I’m done following gods. I will never trust someone from your family again.>

<Who said anything about my family?> the goddess asks with a devilish smile.

Everything stops as Noriko’s mental projection examines Eris, while Agent Wu examines Sarelyn.

<I was afraid of this. Eris had a tendency to get below my radar, who knows what kind of shady deals she’s been able to make over the years.>

<Are you sure she’s not behind this?>

<No, I have solid evidence she’s dead. I already know who she was working with, but I need more concrete proof… and for some reason, I’m having trouble getting deeper into her memories. I’m afraid you’ll have to stay behind, Agent Wu.>

<I think I’ve already seen enough. I don’t agree with her, but this girl has been trough enough.>

<Yeah, Sarelyn has fallen through the cracks of more than one crisis. But I don’t think her new benefactor has her best interests at heart… she’s just exploiting her. Which gives me even more incentives to get to the bottom of this.> Noriko vows, concentrating in her journey even more.

 

In the darkness

Noriko is glad to have left the FBI agent behind, because she’s not sure he would’ve been able to sustain the impact of the last part of Sarelyn’s memories. She’s reliving her initiation.

Standing naked in front of a pile of burning corpses, with the funeral pyre generating the only light of an otherwise pitch black environment.

A priestess with grey skin and a dark cloak is offering her a human skull, inside which there is a black liquid mass that is constantly changing shape.

Sarelyn drinks from the skull, and Noriko can feel the liquid penetrate inside her veins: looking at her arms, she can see it moving beneath her skin and bond with her entire body.

She gives back the skull and turns: what she finds sends chills down Noriko’s spine.

There is a line behind her. A procession of other volunteers. It’s impossible to estimate its size because of the darkness, but there must be hundreds… perhaps thousands of them.

And looking up, she can see there is a second source of light. Two bright red eyes, as big as two moons in the sky, whose ominous light lets her see the enormous body of Ereshkigal.

The Goddess of Death is raising her army.