Beyond The Impossible

The Milky Way seen from Hell is breathtaking. It dominates the sky, appearing ten times larger than Earth’s moon and far brighter. There are a few stars, but they’re too faint to be noticed.

Noriko Null is enjoying the view and a rare moment of tranquility, something she hasn’t had the chance to experience much on this planet. She’s sitting on the rooftop of what used to be a house, but is now one of the lesser victims of Abyss.

<That’s quite a view, isn’t it?> Quantum asks her, materializing into human form next to her and immediately regretting it: she’s still protected by Agony’s power, but he’s suddenly exposed to the unbearable heat.

<This place is cool and all, but I can’t wait ‘till we’re back to a planet with air conditioning.>

<Uh-uh> Noriko answers absent-mindedly.

<Is everything okay? I know you’ve been through Hell lately…>

<I’m fine. And how many times have you made that joke already?>

<That obvious, uh? Anyway, sorry Torn couldn’t convince his boss to see you again: I would’ve loved to see him apologize.>

<Well, I did wreck half his planet, so I won’t hold it against him. The important thing is Oblivion decided to grant Torn a full pardon for his treason. Something about “showing true neutrality”, I dunno… I’ve lost any hope of making sense of Demon logic.>

<You can say that again. Can you believe Torn doesn’t like Star Wars?>

Noriko can’t help smiling a little. Sometimes the simplicity of Quantum’s worldview is frustrating, but sometimes simplicity is exactly what she needs.

<Yes. That is definitely Torn’s most unusual characteristic> she deadpans.

<You know what I mean. He said, if the Jedi can move objects with their minds and have lightsabers, why do they hold them with their hands instead of killing people at a distance?>

<Somehow I doubt he used so many words.>

Quantum chuckles, and there’s an awkward silence. They’ve been through so much together lately, but most of it is almost impossible to describe in words. In those cases, smalltalk helps.

<How far away from Earth do you think we are?> he asks.

<About 163,000 light years, given the angular diameter. We’re well outside the Milky Way, probably on the very edge of the Large Magellanic Cloud. It’s amazing if you think about it: even the fastest starship we’ve encountered would take at least a month at continuous full speed to reach this place, but Demons can reach Earth instantaneously.>

<Interesting> he lies. They both stare at the sky for a few seconds without saying anything.

<So you don’t want to talk about what happened?> he finally breaks the ice.

<I’m fine, Max. Stop worrying about me.>

<You have four other personalities, Noriko. You’re definitely not fine.>

<Abyss is gone, Void is under control, Eve is harmless, and my body doesn’t generate enough energy for Fury to manifest again… I’m pretty sure this was a one-off deal.>

<If you say so. Then I guess we’re not gonna address the other thing?>

<That the Nexus in my brain is probably sentient? I’ve been thinking about it. If only I could communicate with it…>

<You’ve got to be kidding me! Messing around with the stuff inside your brain is exactly the kind of thing that started this whole mess!>

<I know, I know, I promise I’ll be more careful in the… we’ve got company – Noriko says, noticing the woman who just appeared behind them. She has grey skin and she’s wearing a black and white hooded robe, and her words… it’s not even clear if they are words.>

<╣▼╚╚†►║▼‡╤╤▲╚≈ > she says.

<Interesting. I saw her before the battle; friend of yours?>

<Torn called her the Emissary, but he didn’t get to explain anything since, well, Abyss happened.>

<I see. دۆيۆۇسپېىكدېمۆنلث? > Noriko asks the woman, leaving Max confused.

<You speak Demon? Since when!?!?>

<Since I absorbed Hell’s power> she explains dismissively.

<†▌╚╚◄♦▼╒♦╚╚♦†║►?> is the Emissary’s answer.

<What did she say?> Max asks.

<I have no idea. But judging from the tone, I think she wants us to follow her.>

< ╤□▌‡†▲◄> the grey woman nods, disappearing into the ground like a ghost.

<Sure let’s follow the creepy mystery woman, what’s the worst that could happen?> Max shrugs.

 

Deep below the surface of Hell

The journey is quite unpleasant. The Emissary is able to phase through solid matter and Max can transform into intangible neutrinos, but everyone else has to walk to reach the destination.

It’s an endless series of stairs, most of which have crumbled to dust over the centuries. Torn and Agony are escorting them, with Noriko and Kari behind them riding the red skeleton of a horse.

<It’s freezing here> Kari complains; her breath is visible as a small cloud.

<It’s to keep children away. Demons don’t like coldness> Agony explains.

<Torn, who is this woman? What does she have to do with Hell?> Noriko asks.

<She’s the Emissary of Death. She’s… in human terms, an ambassador> he explains.

<An ambassador of… what, a death god? Hades?>

<We’re in the Chamber Of The Stone. We don’t speak Death’s name here> Agony chides them.

 

The atmosphere is solemn and somber, with the sound of their steps echoing in the mostly empty chamber. All the light is coming from a pentagram of fire dangling below the ceiling; there are Demon words etched on the walls, glowing red. Noriko reads them out loud:

<“From the Blood we are born, through the Blood we live, through the Blood we will die”.>

<This is the most holy place in Hell. You are the first non-Demons to come here> Torn says; he’s lowering the tone of his voice to show respect.

At the center of the chamber there’s a statue: a man with a long beard fighting a winged serpent, keeping one hand on its throat and the other one wielding a spear. The Emissary walks towards the statue and kneels before it. Noriko studies the statue for a moment, but her attention is more attracted by the large stone in front of it. It’s at least three feet tall, black, and it’s filled from top to bottom with strange symbols.

<I can’t believe it. This is…> she says, her silver eyes shining.

<The Stone of Creation. The oldest thing in Hell> Agony explains.

<This doesn’t look like the same language written on the walls> Kari notes, touching the stone and immediately regretting it: it’s colder than ice.

<This is simply impossible> Noriko says, her eyes still shining, as they scan the words. Given what happened recently, Max is understandably worried.

<Noriko? Everything okay?>

<E-nu-ma… e-liš la na-bu-ú… šá-ma-mu…my God…> Noriko says to herself.

<Is she transforming again?> Agony asks, ready to create a weapon. She saw what she’s capable of.

<Look at this: Enuma eliš la nabuú šámamu. “When the sky above was not named”> Noriko says, indicating the first line written on the Stone of Creation.

<Are you going insane again, or can you actually read this stuff?> Max asks.

<Šapliš ammatum šuma la zakrat, “and the earth beneath did not yet bear a name”. Believe it or not, this is Ancient Sumerian.>

<You’re right, I don’t believe you> Max answers.

<What is Sumerian?> Kari asks, utterly confused.

<A language spoken on Earth about six thousand years ago… but this is much, much older than that, isn’t it? Could it be the basis of their language? Nobody has ever found a relationship between Sumerian and any other known language…>

<Can you read the rest?> Kari asks, excited at the idea of a new mystery.

<Of course I can. “The primordial gods Apsu and Tiamat ruled upon the universe after the fall of the”… I can’t read this word> Noriko admits, pointing at one specific character.

<Drylon> Torn reads out loud.

<It says here that their children became the Anunnaki, the first generation of gods. They grew in numbers until the seventh generation, when the younger gods rebelled and refused their duties of “keeping the creation working”… Wow. This bears quite a resemblance to the Enûma Eliš, the Babylonian creation myth. Have you ever read it?>

<I’m still waiting for the movie> Max jokes.

<It goes on describing a war between gods, but get this part: “Nothing can kill a primordial god except a Drylon weapon, which can’t be used by immortals. Needing soldiers who could die, Enki created the first incarnation of humans”.>

<The first incarnation? What does it mean?>

<I have no idea. But according to this… the Sumerian gods created humans because gods can’t use Drylon weapons, which is consistent with what we know about them. And apparently it worked: Apsu was killed and Tiamat “fell into a deep sleep”. Is that supposed to be Tiamat?> she asks, pointing at the winged serpent in the statue.

<Yes. This is her fight with Marduk> Torn explains.

<I guess it’s about this part then: “Angry at the death of Apsu, Tiamat returned to give birth to dragons whose blood was so venomous that nothing could destroy it, not even Drylon weapons. Marduk, god of the storm and son of Enki, challenged Tiamat’s power and imprisoned her into the Dragon Tomb for all eternity”.>

<That’s what Torn and Vesta told us, right?> Kari recalls.

<I’m not finished. “Since the dragons could not be destroyed, Marduk fashioned a planet from their bones and used their blood to create the second incarnation of humans”. It’s the Demons, guys! This is their origin… created by Marduk from the blood of energy dragons.>

<Cool, but what does it have to do with anything?> Max asks.

Noriko turns her attention to the Emissary, who’s still bowing in front of the Marduk statue.

<I know who you are. You are a servant of Ereshkigal.>

At the mere mention of that name, Torn and Agony take a step back, shocked at hearing it in the holiest of places. The Emissary stands up and looks at Noriko, saying in a stern voice:

< ◄♦▼▲╪►╣♦╤†♦╪╤□◄♦╒╤□▲╤╣▲║►!>

<I think you just made her angry. Who’s Ereshkigal?> Max asks.

<The Sumerian goddess of the underworld. What’s her involvement in all this? Are you here to spy on the Demons, or on the Olympians?>

< ▌▲║♦╣╚◄▲‡►╪◙▲╣╤ > the Emissary answers, seemingly offended by the question.

<Look, lady, I’ve had just about enough of you> Noriko says, angrily pointing her finger at the Emissary’s chest <You want to help? Fine, just do it already! Enough with this mystery crap!>

<►╣♦▼■□ > the Emissary protests, swatting away Noriko’s hand: she looks angry now.

<Don’t play dumb, I know you can understand what I’m saying, don’t you?>

<سحېللبېوىتثحلنگيۆۇ> the Emissary says, taking a step back and lifting her cloak. Doing so releases the exact opposite of a flash of light, as complete darkness surrounds her. It’s only for a few moments; when the light returns, the grey-skinned woman has disappeared.

<Where’d she go!? What did she say!?> Kari asks.

<“She is watching you”> Torn translates from Demonic.

<Who? Ereshkigal?> Noriko asks.

<Yes. Apparently, Death wants to keep an eye on you> Agony nods.

<Well there’s a comforting thought> Kari jokes, although she’s just as worried as the others.

<I’m not worried about her, right now> Noriko says, looking again at the Stone of Creation.

The words “the first incarnation of humans” have caught her attention. Just how many offshoots of humanity are there in the universe, she wonders?