Beyond The Impossible

Hell, 163,000 light-years from Earth

Noriko Null has never been particularly fond of kids, but the Demon girl dragging her through the house is an exception.

Probably because, while she may look like she’s twelve, the young Lesion is in her sixties.

<And here’s your room! It used to be my sister’s, but dad told her to move back into mine. So we’ll all be sleeping next to each other!> the teen excitedly exclaims.

<Yay.> her older sister Laceration sarcastically comments, more concentrated on the two Blood knives in her hands that she’s sharpening against each other.

<This is… very generous, but I can’t stay long.> Noriko tries to dampen Lesion’s expectations.

<That’s what I told her already.> Laceration adds.

<Don’t worry, you’ll be safe here! If any god tries to get you, I’ll stab them!> Lesion says, creating a Blood rapier and attempting a stab to demonstrate.

She misjudges how long the blade is supposed to be, and Laceration has to grab Noriko by the jacket and pull her aside to avoid losing a kidney.

<No weapons in the house.> Torn reprimands her, walking into the house; Noriko notices Laceration hiding her knives behind her back as he gets inside.

<Sorry dad. Noriko stays as long as she wants, right?> Lesion asks.

<Yes.> Torn confirms.

<But you’re not bringing your companion here, are you?> Laceration asks Noriko directly.

<Well, uhm…>

<I don’t want to hear how humans mate. It’s gross.>

<It is not wise to stop humans from mating, Laceration, they get increasingly tense if…> Torn attempts to explain, rapidly interrupted by Noriko:

<Hey maybe let’s not discuss this in front of your kids?>

<Why not? Don’t humans mate all the time?> Lesion asks innocently. She may be older than Noriko’s father, but Noriko is not exactly comfortable with having this discussion in front of children.

Not that she’s comfortable with Torn bringing up the subject anyway, deciding to practically drag him out of his daughter’s earshot.

<Was it something I said?> the Demon asks.

<Torn, I’m grateful for your family providing a safe temporary base, but how many times I’ve told you to stop talking about my private life?>

<I did not realize I was supposed to keep track. I will attempt to do so.> Torn nods, and from experience Noriko knows he’s being completely serious.

<Not that I’ll be spending much time in your house anyway. We should leave as soon as possible.>

<If you want Hell to assist you in retaking control of Olympus, just ask. It would require a vote of confidence at the Pandemonium and the consent of the Lady Of All Demons, but I can convince my wife to support you.> Torn offers.

<Don’t take this the wrong way, Torn, but even Hell can’t take on Athena’s forces.>

<I know. That is why we have a Slayer of Gods.>

<I appreciate the support, but I know from personal experience what it takes to topple a theocratic galactic empire. We’re going to need something more unpredictable, more unexpected and more bats##t crazy than declaring war on the Goddess of War.>

<What do you have in mind?> Torn asks.

Noriko reflects on it for a couple of seconds, then her silver eyes shine.

<Could connection to Aether be used to bridge a dimensional gap?>

<I do not even know what Aether is exactly. Its nature has eluded the understanding of Demons for millions of years.> Torn has to admit.

<I know, I was thinking out loud. Gimme a couple of hours… maybe three, tops.>

 

Forty-five minutes later, in an artificial parallel dimension

The dark-skinned woman has been spending months in this cell, with just her thoughts to keep her company. Automated systems have been synthetizing her food, and the water that fills every part of the cell is routinely cleaned, but her already voluminous hair has grown to uncomfortable lengths.

Her only window into the outside world is an unbreakable transparent door. Once a triangular portal of white fire appears on the other side of it, this Thalassian takes notice.

She watches Noriko Null step out of the portal, fidgeting with the controls of a makeshift mechanism attached to her belt.

<Integrating Aether into your own tech? You make your predecessor proud.> Roxiana tells her.

<Did I also make you proud by arresting you for attempting a genocide of Atlantis, among many other things?> Noriko replies, approaching the previous host of the Nexus.

<In a way. Given your unusual method of arrival, added to the lack of any extradition to the Aegian Galaxy, am I to understand that you lost control of Olympus?> Roxiana asks.

<You might want to sit down for the update.>

<And why would I be interested in what my jailer has to say?>

<Because learning about history is your drug. You’re all about learning ancient history, I know, but I bet that you’re just so deprived of your weird addiction that you won’t resist learning what history is being made today.>

Roxiana has no retort to that. She crosses her legs assuming a position similar to sitting down, while

still floating in water… as a Thalassian, this is her natural habitat.

She taps on the Drylon bracelet on her wrist, the Absolute Defense, that grants her total immunity from any sort of physical damage. Perhaps as a way to highlight how she doesn’t feel threatened.

<You have my curiosity.> she admits.

<I went to war with an alliance of Poseidon, Hades and Ereshkigal. I’ve killed Poseidon, Hades is imprisoned in a pocket dimension similar to this. I’ve discovered Heaven and, before blowing it up, allowing an evil double of myself to escape it: she’s now the ruler of Naqada Galaxy, with Anubis as her pet.>

<Another doppelganger? You collect the most unusual things, Null. I assume this is how you discovered Aether?> Roxiana asks.

<How do you even know what Aether is?>

<Please. Uncovering secrets forgotten by the gods is my calling. What does this have to do with this most unusual visit to my prison?>

<While I was busy fighting Baal in the Dark Galaxy, Athena took control of Olympus. I’ve lost control of my tech, to my bases and…>

<You fought Baal?>

<I killed Baal.>

This revelation seems to really shake Roxiana. She was merely humoring her when she claimed to be impressed before… this doesn’t sound real to her.

<That is far beyond anything I could have accomplished in my life. What could you possibly want from me at this point?>

<You were the most wanted mortal in the Aegian Galaxy for centuries. You said it yourself, your thing is knowing secrets forgotten by gods. If someone can help me establish a clandestine base of operations and avoid capture, it’s you. You having the Absolute Defense is a bonus.> Null admits.

<Yes, I could see how my skills would be useful to you. But how would helping you benefit me?>

<I expected you wouldn’t give a crap about innocent lives. You do realize that Athena will eventually figure out how to access this dimension, right?>

<In which case, if you’re still alive, she would ask me to hunt you down. And as you just pointed out, Null, she currently has more to offer me. What could you, in your current state, be able to offer in exchange for my assistance that Athena can’t promise?>

<Killing Baal gave me a vision that I could share. First-hand experience watching two Drylon talk to each other, discussing…> Noriko starts to explain, but she’s startled when Roxiana hurls herself at the transparent door.

<You saw a Drylon!? What do they look like!? What do they sound like!? What they were talking about!? I must know!!!> Roxiana rants maniacally, looking like a drug addict who just saw a new dose is just barely out of reach.

<You can only find out if I dethrone Athena. Baal is dead, so I am the only chance you will ever get to learn those secrets you want so much. And don’t even try thinking extracting them from my mind with force… the Nexus will delete that information from my brain the second anyone tries to tamper with it. You know I have control over it to do this, right?>

Watching Roxiana struggle to keep her composure is uncomfortable; her twitching reminds Noriko that her resurrected predecessor is not mentally well.

<How do I know you are not making this up to coerce me into helping?> she asks.

Noriko was ready for this. Her silver eyes become much brighter than usual, and the memory of a sound is transmitted straight into Roxiana’s mind: ▲‡□►╪▲□.

<“Asherah”.> Roxiana attempts to repeat, in the closest human approximation of the sound.

<That’s the name of the Drylon I heard speak. If you want to know the rest…>

<I’m in. I will do anything you ask.> Roxiana desperately offers.

<Welcome to the Olympian Resistance, Roxiana. Your first task: help me convince the rest of the Vanguard that I’ve not gone completely insane by recruiting you.> Noriko tells her, transmitting the code to open the cell.

 

Karnak Galaxy, 212 million light-years from Earth

The Throne Of The Universe

Most people in the Olympian Galaxy are fully unaware that the War of the Six Empires marked the end of the million-year reign of the Council of the Nine Gods which had been the highest authority in the known universe.

They’re equally unaware that their new empress Athena is currently standing in front of the entity that replaced it: the Universal Council, currently consisting of five gods sitting on as many thrones.

<As successor to Zeus, I formally ask the Council to recognize me as the rightful ruler of the Olympian Galaxy and take my place among you. What do you say?> Athena asks.

<I vote yes. It felt strange to have a mortal ruler among us.> the Egyptian Isis votes.

<I admire the balls it took to dethrone the Slayer, so of course I’m in.> Inanna says.

<You once swore allegiance to a mortal, Athena. You have no place among us.> Ereshkigal adds.

<I find your position shortsighted: the chaos of recent years has shaken our galaxies to the core. Athena is the most pragmatic choice to restore balance: I vote yes.> Marduk explains.

Everyone waits for Ra to say something. As usual he’s taken the form of a golden statue, looking almost fused to his throne. They expected him to have an opinion, considering that the meeting is taking place in his own galaxy. But after several minutes of silence, Isis breaks it to say:

<Three in favor, one against, Ra abstains. The vote is…>

<Still ongoing.> a new voice interrupts the goddess.

A woman looking exactly like Noriko Null appears out of a portal, but all the gods here recognize it has a different aura. This is Rei Null, her Heaven-born counterpart.

<Has everyone forgotten that the Council voted to recognize me as the ruler of the Naqada Galaxy? That makes me a voting member.> Rei interjects, walking towards her throne.

<That was under the condition of you conquering the Dark Galaxy and the Celestial Galaxy, and you have not delivered either.> Isis objects, still angry at Rei conquering the realm of her nephew Anubis. Rei shrugs it off as she sits on her own throne.

<Baal is dead, and Athena can attest that it was thanks to my contribution… we both worked together to bait him into fighting the false Null. The Dark Galaxy is now without its god, and conditions are in place for the Celestial Galaxy to follow. Does anyone disagree that this qualifies me as being worthy of joining the Universal Council?> Rei argues.

<Of course I disagree! You should not sit on that throne!!!> Isis yells.

<If she fulfills her promise of defeating the Celestial Galaxy, she will. Not before.> Ereshkigal says.

<You guys are so boring. Let’s live a little and let her in already!> Inanna votes enthusiastically.

<We hardly need another galactic war so early. It’s just a few decades until her death, then we’ll take another vote. I say yes.> Marduk says.

<Ra, you abstain right?> Isis asks her fellow Egyptian.

As expected, the statue stays silent.

<So, two in favor and two against: it’s a tie. Which means this mortal not only cannot vote, but she should not even be attending this meeting!> Isis summarizes.

<Ra, if I may be so bold… this happens because the Council has only five members: if you had more, you wouldn’t need to be the tiebreaker so often. Given that, what’s your vote?> Athena asks.

<Like that would be enough to get his attention!> Isis mocks her.

<YES.> the Egyptian Sun God talks, shocking everyone in attendance except Athena.

<You can’t be serious! If that is the case, I change MY vote on Athena’s membership!> Isis protests.

<Like it matters. This time I also get to vote, right?> Rei asks.

<Indeed. The Universal Council officially recognizes Rei Null, Empress of the Naqada Galaxy, among its members.> Marduk acknowledges.

<And as such, I hereby vote to accept Athena’s membership. You know what that means, don’t you Isis?> Rei asks smugly.

<Three in favor, two against, Ra abstains.> the Egyptian goddess replies, her words full of even more hatred than she already had for this impertinent mortal.

<Which means the Universal Council officially recognizes Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and Empress of the Olympian Galaxy, among its members.> Rei Null declares.

Athena keeps her composure as she takes her place on her new throne, avoiding smiling at the fact that she has to thank Ra’s laziness for her new position.