Beyond The Impossible

Tokyo, Japan

Despite being the richest person in the world, Noriko Null isn’t known for a luxurious lifestyle. Quite the opposite, many consider her a recluse with good reasons: meetings with state leaders and CEOs are mostly done by holographic conferences, and she almost never spends the night abroad.

Owning the world’s fastest hypersonic jet helps, of course.

Today is an exception, both for the location and the price: the Presidential Suite costs 35,000 $ a night. Todd Slate is enjoying the breathtaking panoramic view of both the city skyline and Mount Fuji, while Noriko isn’t sharing his enjoyment of the accommodations. She’s sitting on the couch, her feet on the coffee table; she’s talking over the phone, while absent-mindedly playing with a golden medal dangling from her neck.

<Hm-mm. Sure, I’ll be there. You can have your people call mine to schedule a visit. Yes, yes, I’ll tell him. Is that all? Okay. Have a nice day, sir.>

She hangs over, throwing the phone on one of the pillows and going back to staring at the medal.

<Who was it?> Todd asks, walking towards the couch. The suite is enormous, even bigger than Null Tower’s Operation Center.

<The President.>

<The President of the United States? You can’t talk to him like that!>

<I just did. He says hi, by the way.>

<You could’ve introduced me> he complains. She’s unusually moody today.

<You’ll meet him next week. I have to go to Washington.>

<Another summit?>

<No, nothing important. He wants to give me the Presidential Medal of Freedom.>

<What!? Nori, that’s great!!!>

<Hm-mm> she mumbles, her eyes still on the medal she’s already wearing.

<You know, when people receive the highest civilian award in the United States, they’re generally more excited about it. What’s wrong?>

<He’s just doing it because I have this> she answers, showing him the Friendship Award she’s wearing… China’s highest award to foreign experts for contributions to the country’s progress.

<And ‘cause the Emperor’s gonna award me the Order of the Rising Sun tomorrow.>

<Which is somehow a bad thing> he says, trying to underline the absurdity of her attitude.

<I just don’t like ceremonies, that’s all.>

Todd isn’t buying it, but he knows that trying to force her to talk about her feelings is useless.

<C’mon, we have lots of time before the ceremony. You can show me the city.>

<It’s raining. I prefer to stay.>

<Well I’m not complaining about that either. The bed sure looks comfortable, doesn’t it?>

He gets her to show the hint of a smile, but at that exact moment someone knocks at the door.

<Room service?> he says.

<I didn’t order anything> Noriko replies, immediately reaching for the Genius Gun on the table.

<Aren’t you being a little paranoid?< Todd asks her.

<I don’t think so> she replies, looking at the medal one last time. For a split second, the star-shape of the medal reminds her of the fire pentagrams of Hell.

Just as Todd opens the door, the room is illuminated by a lightning bolt.

<<Good evening. I wish to talk to Noriko>> Leiko Tanaka says in Japanese.

 

Max Black’s apartment, New York City

Kristen Lynn is waiting in front of the door. She’s drawn a few looks, something not entirely unusual for a good looking woman with voluminous blond hair. When the African-American opens the door, he encourages her to come in quickly and checks if someone else is looking.

<Worried about something? I’ve seen a lot of women come and go, but I think you’re single.>

<So you’ve been spying on me. How did you find me?> he asks.

<I checked Null’s accounts. Everyone working for her has an astounding resume… except her father and you. And you’ve never been seen in public while Quantum is in action: I checked.>

<Let’s say that you’re right and I’m Quantum, and I’m not saying that I am. What now?>

<I told you: I want an interview with the entire Vanguard, Null included.>

<How do I know that you won’t reveal my identity anyway, just to have one more exclusive?>

<I guess you’ll just have to trust me. Last chance, Max… what will it be?>

 

Tokyo, Japan

Todd Slate is literally at a loss for words. Leiko Tanaka just showed up unannounced and walked inside the room like she owns the place. It would be strange enough on its own, considering he would’ve expected the Minister of Defense to travel with some form of security detail.

But Noriko freaked out at the mere sight of her and started to shout angrily at her while holding the Genius Gun. As if it wasn’t enough that his girlfriend is picking up a fight with a foreign minister while carrying a weapon, he has no idea of what they’re saying since he doesn’t know Japanese.

<<What are you doing here!?>> Noriko shouts.

<<It is my country. I thought you said quite clearly that it is not yours>> Leiko answers calmly.

<<It’s none of your business. Now get out!>>

<<On the contrary. The security of Japan is my business, and you are a security risk>>

<<Shut the f##k up, you’re the f##king leader of a terrorist organization!>>

<<Language, my child>>

<<I AM NOT YOUR CHILD>> Noriko raises her voice and points the gun to Leiko’s face.

Todd intervenes to separate them, but finds it surprisingly difficult to restrain Noriko; for a moment he’s worried she’s about to assault him.

<Whoa, let’s calm down, okay!? I’m sorry, Minister, I don’t know what came over her!>

<<So this is your lover>> Leiko comments, examining Todd with a disapproving look.

<<A peasant. I see that living in America has lowered your standards>>

<<What do you want!?> In English> Noriko adds. She’s still upset: Todd has to physically restrain her from attacking Leiko.

<<Very well>. The Japanese forces, together with White Star of course, are scheduled to attack Pyongyang tomorrow. I just wanted you to know.>

<You’re invading North Korea!?> Todd asks.

<We are liberating it> Leiko corrects him, clearly annoyed having to talk to him.

<You can’t do it. You’re gonna start a war> Noriko objects.

<Not really. Russia will join us, China has just recovered from the Artemis attack and won’t risk further damages, and I happen to have very close friends in South Korea. As for America… Blue Star is their only superhuman agent. I have White Star and Russia will assign Red Star to the mission: it’s not worth the risk. You could stop me by sending the Vanguard, of course… but do you really want to? Think of the impact on your image.>

<You think I care!? I cured AIDS and fight gods in my spare time!!!>

<And together we pretty much eradicated terrorism. ODIN finds them, the Empire of Shadows kills them, and my people kill the Empire soldiers. Just think what you could achieve working for me.>

<How do you know about ODIN!?>

<You are Null. I am better> Leiko smiles. There’s something in her eyes that makes Todd shiver.

Noriko breaks free by a combination of tai chi and escape artistry; before Todd has time to understand what’s going on, the Genius Gun is pointed at Leiko’s face and ready to shoot.

<I will never work for you> she says, her silver eyes shining brightly.

Leiko probably knows that the Genius Gun is more powerful than a cannon, but doesn’t blink.

<If you want to avoid a war, shooting me in the face is not the right choice.>

<Get out of my sight> Noriko says, finally holstering her gun. Leiko nods politely towards Todd:

<Thank you for your hospitality. I look forward to working with you in the future.>

She turns away, calmly walking towards the door; she doesn’t look like someone who was just threatened at gun point. At the last second she turns back, taking something from an inside pocket of her expensive business suit.

><Almost forgot. I’ve been told you have a birthday coming up>> she says in Japanese.

Todd breaks a sigh of relief when she closes the door behind her, but Noriko runs towards it: she picks up the object that Leiko let fall on the floor. It’s a white envelope with Japanese words on it.

<What does it say?> Todd asks.

<“Happy birthday”> she translates.

 

Nemea, 20.000 light-years from Earth

Talas Khanos is losing his patience. The grey-skinned woman who has freed him from his prison teleported him to a barren wasteland: Nemea used to be a lively world, but it completely cut off any relation with the rest of the Olympian Galaxy after Demeter gave it to her daughter Persephone as a present. He can see why: the atmosphere was ripped away from the entire planet, exposing the population to the merciless vacuum of space. Only his ally’s power is keeping Talas Khanos alive.

He’s not sad about the deaths surrounding him: in fact, he admires the surgical precision, something Persephone isn’t really known for. He’s more concerned by the fact that his newfound ally has made him walk several miles and scale a mountain to reach their mysterious destination.

<†►□▲◙►▲╪╪▌◙►₪ > she says in her incomprehensible language. She floats several feet in the air, above the rift that separates the mountain from the nearest valley.

Talas Khanos seriously considers killing her, but he’s curious why she took him here. As jaded as he is about the wonders of the galaxy, what he sees is truly unbelievable.

Talos robots. Hundreds of them, scattered all over the valley, deactivated. Laying defeated in front of a truly colossal statue that’s been carved directly into the mountain: a beautiful woman, thousands of feet tall with white marble skin and a dress made of stone. Using the entire mountain as its throne, there is one symbol identifying her: a crescent moon carved on her forehead.

<Selene. Who would carve a statue of Selene here? Why didn’t the Talos destroy it?>

<They tried and failed. As always, I stand the test of time.>

Even without an atmosphere, the voice is loud in his head. The statue turns its head and crosses her legs, causing an earthquake just by shifting its weight. It’s not a statue at all.

<You may leave, Emissary. Please thank Ereshkigal for alerting me about the situation.>

< ▌‡□▲╚╚₪♦‡♦║◄╚▲₪◄ > the grey-skinned woman says, taking a bow and disappearing in a cloud of darkness. Talas Khanos wasn’t expecting this… he doesn’t know much about Selene, although he notices that he can still breathe despite the disappearance of his ally.

<Ereshkigal tells me you know much about this galaxy, mortal. What do you know about me?>

<Not much I’m afraid, my lady. I know you are the daughter of Hyperion and Theia, brother and sister to Kronos, who were executed by Zeus after he overthrew his father.>

<As generals of Kronos, they were shown no mercy. Zeus spared me only because my body pleased him, and I have been waiting for the past million years for my revenge against the children of Kronos. I have decided that now is the time.>

“I can see why; there’s an immense power vacuum just waiting to be filled” Talas Khanos thinks, but doesn’t dare to say it out loud: if she hates Zeus, it’s better not to tell her that he’s worked for his sister and three of his children.

<Forgive me for asking, my lady, but I see that you have been attacked by the soldiers of Hephaestus. He died several months ago… when did you conquer this world?>

<Long after his demise. But they were not following the lead of the blacksmith god: their leader is an artificial being who considers herself a queen.>

<Galatea. I know her very well.>

<That is why I have chosen you as my general. Observe your army> she says, gesturing.

The ground shakes once more, as thousands if not millions of soldiers made of rocks take form.

<This just keeps getting better and better> Talas Khanos smiles.