Beyond The Impossible

Aegian Galaxy, 2.5 million light-years from Earth

Across multiple duplicate bodies, Kari Zel has accumulated thousands of hours flying spaceships.

None of it is particularly useful to navigate the Ragnarok through the river that violates a large number of physical laws by flowing in outer space.

<Guys, we have a problem.> she calls out, with the rest of the Vanguard getting closer to the captain’s chair; they’re looking at the viewscreen that is showing the space river.

<We can’t drive the Ragnarok through that thing.>

<Why not?> Quantum asks.

<Because this is a spaceship.>

<Yeah I know, but this thing’s kind of indestructible right? We’ve taken the ship under the sea before, I don’t see the problem.>

<The ship can move through space because it’s empty. I’m not sure we can pilot the ship through the water without destroying the entire river.> Kari explains.

<So?> Torn asks.

<So we’re supposed to keep a low profile. Even if the ship could move faster than light underwater, which I’m not sure, we’d attract too much attention.>

<Why do we need to get inside the river in the first place? Isn’t our destination a planet?> Vesta wonders.

<I thought so too, but now that we’re close enough to scan the system, turns out this galaxy is weirder than we anticipated.> Kari explains, exchanging the camera feed on the screen with a schematic representation of this solar system.

It shows the river flowing between planets, with thousands of smaller bodies floating in-between.

<Aside from a couple of gas giants, there is no terrestrial planet here. Those things inside the river are the size of large asteroids or small moons.>

<Space islands.> Quantum nods.

<The river is maintained by some kind of energy field that keeps the water confined and prevents it from freezing. It’s also causing some serious interference with the sensors, so I really have no clue of where exactly we’re supposed to go. Vesta?> Kari asks.

<Sorry, I’ve only been to Atlantis and a couple of ocean planets. I knew Poseidon created those rivers, but I’ve never been inside one.>

<So you don’t know if we can fly through it?>

<I’ve… never flown a ship in my life. Usually I just fly whenever I want to go.> Vesta admits.

<Figures. What about you, Torn?>

<I’ve only visited planets with an atmosphere, and I’ve been there through portals.>

<That’s just great. We flew millions of light-years and we have no clue what we’re doing.> Kari sighs, regretting that Noriko isn’t part of the mission.

<I could fly inside the river and get a look around.> Vesta suggests.

<Are you sure? This is new territory, we don’t know what you might encounter.>

<I’m invulnerable. Also I don’t need to breathe, and since I understand most species in this galaxy are water-breathers I’ll attract less attention.>

<Most species in this galaxy also don’t have legs.> Torn reminds her.

<Not much I can do on that front… but I’ll try to get as few looks as I can.>

 

A few minutes later

When Vesta’s body comes into contact with the water freely flowing through space, she’s surprised by how warm it is.

“Somehow I thought it’d be freezing. But this is surprisingly nice!” she thinks, acclimating her body to the new environment.

She has to make a conscious effort to avoid holding in her lungs the air she breathed in before leaving the ship.

While she doesn’t need to breathe, she’s done so for so long that it’s now second nature to her.

Flying through the water, she realizes in how many ways it’s different from a real river.

It’s not only a matter of volume: the amount of water dwarfs even the largest oceans. But the molecules are more scattered; without gravity to push the water down, it’s constantly bouncing towards the field that is keeping it together.

There is also a current moving forward. She’s now convinced that the locals don’t normally live in the water: no mortal could withstand such a force, as the pressure coming from the current brushing against her skin would reduce Vesta to a pulp if she wasn’t invulnerable.

The current assists her to fly… or maybe to swim, since these terms seems interchangeable here… towards the nearest settlement.

Several ships pass her by. At first glance they don’t seem to have engines on their own, but rather they absorb energy from the river’s energy field as means of propulsion.

Vesta is not an expert on such things, but she is certain they are technologically far less advanced than any ship of the Olympian Galaxy. Even Earth seems futuristic by comparison.

The lack of any sort of sensors helps her stealth: she approaches the settlement and arrives at the port without anyone noticing she’s the only one arriving without a ship.

The “space island” is definitely some kind of commercial hub, since every ship she sees is either loading or unloading cargo.

“There’s bound to be a bar of some kind around here. Best way to learn information in a strange new land.” she thinks.

Despite her attempt at keeping a low profile someone must have noticed her, because she’s soon approached by a merman swimming next to her.

<Can I help you with anything, beautiful?> he asks.

<Yes, in fact. I’m looking for the nearest bar.> she replies, thankful that her divine nature allows her to completely ignore any problem of communication: she doesn’t know what language he’s talking, but they immediately understand each other.

<You’re in luck, I know this island like the front of my fins! Here, let me buy you a drink.> he says, placing his hand around her waist and swimming alongside her.

<You’re most kind.> she plays along, adjusting the position of his hand to thwart his attempt to grope her backside.

<New to Gyaros, pretty lady? My name’s Myyacendros, by the way.>

<Yes, I just arrived in the system. I’m Ves… thia.> she corrects herself mid-sentence, ending up mixing her current name with her birth name. She doesn’t know how famous she is here.

<So have I, beautiful Vesthia, but I’ve navigated all the Cyclades. If there’s someone you can teach you how to have a good time around here, it’s definitely good old Myyacendros.>

<Good to know.> Vesta nods with a smile, moving his hand once again.

“If he tries one more time to grab my ass, I swear I’m blowing my cover.” she thinks; luckily they’ve reached an establishment that she can immediately recognize as a bar.

Even though everyone is drinking out of bottles through a straw, instead of using glasses.

<I’ve never seen a pale Thalassian before.> the merman breaks the ice.

<A what?>

<You’re Thalassian, right? You don’t have an air mask, and you have legs. I’ve never seen one with such a pale skin.>

<Oh. Yeah I get that a lot. There’s not a lot of Thalassians that look like me.> Vesta lies.

“That’s Roxiana’s species if I’m not mistaken. Are they all dark-skinned like her?” she wonders.

In fact, looking around she can see that the only people without a fish’s tail instead of legs is way darker than her; they would be mistaken for Africans on Earth.

<So tell me, what’s a cute biped like you doing on Gyaros?>

<I’m waiting for some friends. Maybe you could help me meet them: they’re coming from out of the system, and I don’t know where they’re supposed to land.>

<“Land”?> the merman asks, raising an eyebrow.

<Yes, their ship’s not at the docks. How do people reach Gyaros without going through the river?>

<I’m not sure I understand, Vesthia. They’re not coming through the river?>

<That’s right. They have a ship in space. You know space? Outside the river?>

<I see.> Myyacendros says, moving away from her.

He takes a deep breath, and his mouth makes an extremely unsettling sound that no human could possibly produce. It’s like someone playing water glasses.

All the customers at the bar stare at him, and then the water at the center of the crowd is moved away by the appearance of a portal.

A mermaid swims out of it. She’s holding a silver trident in her hand, there is a glowing blue jewel embedded into her throat, and she’s topless.

<Who summons the Siren of Gyaros?> she asks. Every customer crouches against the floor, genuflecting themselves towards her.

<I have found an outsider.> Myyacendros answers, avoiding eye contact with the Siren.

<I’m sure there’s been a misunderstanding, I haven’t done anything!> Vesta defends herself.

<I will be the judge of that. Show me your papers.> the Siren orders.

<I don’t have papers.>

<That alone would be enough for me to arrest you. You’re not a native, why are you on my island and how did you get here?>

<I flew. I mean, I came with a ship.>

<All ship passengers must have papers. How did you get past immigration officials at the docks?>

<I didn’t go through the docks because I didn’t arrive through the river. As I said, I arrived on a ship… a spaceship? You know what they are?> Vesta asks, now sure she’s in too deep.

<Traveling through space is illegal. You must be a member of Atlantis Uprising.> the Siren deduces, moving forward and poking at Vesta with her trident.

<Tell me how to find your city-ship and you will only get a life sentence.>

<I don’t have a city-ship.>

<Then by the will of Poseidon Almighty, I sentence you to death!> the siren exclaims, moving forward with the trident. Which would impale Vesta if she was mortal, but instead she moves the weapon aside with one finger. Even if the Siren is using all of her strength, she can’t budge it.

<I’m trying to be polite here. Let’s not make a scene, alright?> Vesta suggests.

In response, the Siren creates a sonic blast originating from her mouth: the pressure wave emanating from her is very similar to an explosion.

The furniture around Vesta is shattered, and Myyacendros would be killed instantly if she didn’t take the care to anticipate the blast and push him away first.

Vesta takes the blunt of the blast, which does absolutely nothing to her. The Siren needs to catch her breath, but before she can scream a second time Vesta grabs her mouth and keeps it shut.

<I take it you’re this galaxy’s version of an Oracle. How many of you are there on this island?>

The Siren struggles to break free, but she has no hope of overpowering Vesta.

<One. There’s only one Siren per island.> Myyacendros informs her.

<Thank you. I wasn’t lying, by the way, I’m not with Atlantis Uprising. How did you call for the Siren? I didn’t see any communications device.>

<All Sirens are attuned to their island. She hears everything.>

<Uhm. Would other Sirens in this… what do you call it, archipelago? Would they be able to get a distress call of some kind from this one?>

<Only through the trident.>

<Good to know.> Vesta replies, taking the trident away from the Siren.

<If you’re not with the Uprising, why Gyaros? This island isn’t valuable enough to be conquered!>

<The less you know, the better. Can I trust you guys not to call the other Sirens?>

<Yes, please, don’t hurt us!> several of the bar’s customer plead.

<I’m not here to hurt anyone.>

<Then why are you here?>

Vesta looks at the Siren, still trying to free herself as multiple sonic attacks are blocked by the hand of the goddess. Then she looks at the locals… and in their eyes she sees something familiar.

Fear. The utter terror of gaining the attention of the gods.

<We’re here to help this galaxy, if you’ll let us.>