Beyond The Impossible

Appat Island, Greenland

Kari has heard Noriko and Todd talk about Project Seven for months, despite it being a secret; Null has been adamant about keeping everything about it a complete mystery.

Now that she’s finally there she can’t wait to discover what all the fuss is about, but she has to wait: the Nullbots swarm towards the unconscious body of Noriko’s clone, who needs medical assistance.

She taps her foot nervously, crossing her arms. She knows the clone is in worse condition than her, but the complete lack of recognition from the Nullbots is unsettling.

<Hello? Is there anyone I can talk to here?>she finally asks.

<The survival of Mistress Null takes priority> one of the robots answers.

<Now that’s just plain rude> another artificial voice intervenes. Kari steps back at the sight of the hologram that just appeared floating in the air: two snakes wrapped around each other.

<What the Hades!?> she exclaims.

<Please don’t be alarmed by my presence; I am not programmed to entertain guests, but I can assure you that I am forbidden from harming a member of the Vanguard.>

<Who are you!?>

<Let me introduce myself: I am the Local Over-Kernel Intelligence of Project Seven.>

<You’re this place’s ODIN?> she asks, referring to Null Tower’s artificial intelligence.

<In a way. Follow me and I will explain everything, Kari Zel. And please, call me LOKI.>

 

The Dark Pyramid

So far, the battle with the Scribe has been inconclusive. His armor is impervious to Torn’s energy weapons, Vesta is chained up, and Null is unarmed… or she was before Quantum brought her the Gravity Gauntlets. Journalist Kristen Lynn watches her fiddle with the metal gloves.

<How are those things going to help us?> she asks.

<I’ll explain later; stay close to me if you want to live. Torn! Time to cut loose!> Null shouts.

Torn hears her after landing on his back on the marble floor, leaving his mark; even his Demon strength has its limits, and he grimaces when rolling back on his feet.

<Understood. DEFENSE…> he says, tensing every muscle in his body. Kristen watches the red energy aura emanating from his body stay still for a second, before Null grabs her by the arm and pulling her closer.

<Stay down! Null Shield!> she orders; the Gravity Gauntlets hum gently.

<…ONSLAUGHT!> Torn screams, pushing the red aura away from his body.

Thousands of red energy daggers emanate from his body, spreading in every direction. And it’s just the first wave: a sphere of pure destruction is radiating from his position, with the number of daggers rapidly rising in the millions.

They’re not as sharp as his usual weapons, but their number is absurd and their speed considerable. They spread everywhere: they just bounce against the Scribe’s armor and Null’s shield, but everything else is fair game. One after the other they rapidly reduce everything to shreds: marble, concrete, steel, titanium, all parts of the ship don’t last long against this type of attack.

When he’s finished, Torn kneels to catch his breath. There are sparks flying everywhere: the technology behind the Egyptian décor is now exposed, and for the most part broken.

<Impressive. Futile, but impressive> the Scribe praises him.

<I wouldn’t call it futile> Noriko Null answers him. The Scribe turns towards her: the Null Shield fades away, showing her and Kristen perfectly unharmed.

<I didn’t have the time to find what I was looking for, so I asked Torn to obliterate everything in sight… it’s kind of a specialty of my team.>

<You are bluffing: there are no vital systems in this area of the… where is Vesta?>

The entire spaceship shakes, like it was just hit by something massive. The Scribe calls upon a holographic representation of the Dark Pyramid, which shows a tunnel that now connects the throne room with a hole on the pyramid’s base.

<Disposing her chains into the nearest ocean; did you know that destabilized neutral matter has a density of billions of tons per cubic meter? I learned that before I killed Hephaestus.>

<You disabled the ship’s gravitational controls.>

<You’re smart> Noriko concedes, showing him the palm of her hand. The gauntlet hums again, and the Scribe is suddenly thrown against the nearest wall. The armor should protect him, but the man inside is accelerated to several hundred times Earth’s gravity in an instant: through the elaborate helmet, there’s a horrible splatter of blood and brain cells.

<But I am Null> she concludes, her silver eyes shining.

<You… you killed him! You just killed him in cold blood!> Kristen says, horrified by her ruthlessness.

<Hardly> the room itself answers, with the Scribe’s voice. One of the wall panels that resisted Torn’s attack slides open, revealing a semitransparent pod.

An exact replica of the Scribe comes out of it, complete with ceremonial Ancient Egyptian clothes.

<I learned how to transfer my consciousness into a cloned body thousands of years ago, and I have since then assimilated the technical knowledge of hundreds of different worlds.>

<Should I kill him again?> Torn asks.

<As many times as it takes. Let’s go, miss Lynn> Noriko says, pushing the journalist into the newly created hole in the floor, before jumping through it herself.

 

Empire State Building

Kristen Lynn screams at the top of her lungs for the whole journey: falling to your death has that kind of effect on anyone. Luckily for her, Vesta not only flies to her rescue but instead of just catching her she slows down her descent.

<Don’t worry, everything will be okay now> Vesta tries to reassure her, when they both land on the observation deck of the 102^nd floor.

<Okay!? Okay!? That girl is insane!!!> she protests, pointing at the sky: Noriko Null is landing slowly, her descent made secure by the use of the Gravity Gauntlets.

<I just saved your life, miss Lynn. I believe a little gratitude would be in order> Noriko answers, taking off the gloves and immediately starting messing with them. Kristen looks like she would gladly strangle her, but she doesn’t do anything since Vesta is right between the two.

<Please tell me you didn’t push her to fall because she’s Todd’s ex girlfriend> she whispers.

<Oh please. How petty do you think I am? I knew you’d catch her in time.>

<Then why didn’t you use the Gauntlets to slow her down?>

<I didn’t? It must’ve slipped my mind> Noriko answers, with just a little hint of a smile.

<Nori…> Vesta says with the tone of a scolding mother.

<I don’t have time to argue. Have you been listening to Quantum through the Neutral Transmitter?>

<I was kind of busy.>

<He’s fighting Scarab, which means we can’t take for granted that she’ll keep the city afloat.>

<So you found a way to put the city back in its place?>

<No. To keep the city’s structural integrity, soften the planet’s gravitational attraction and prevent cataclysmic seismic activity I need to access an energy source several orders of magnitude beyond what my technology is currently able to generate.>

<I didn’t catch half of what you said> Vesta admits.

<She has no idea of how to land the city> Kristen summarizes.

<-Exactly. Which is why I found a way to make you do it> Noriko concludes, giving the Gravity Gauntlets to Vesta.

 

Null Tower

For Quantum, avoiding Scarab’s attacks is extremely easy: no matter how much rocks and sand she throws at him, he can avoid it at the speed of light. The frustrating part is how quickly she can react: every time he gets closer, the rocks are already in position to stop him.

“Sir, I have a message from Todd Slate to the Vanguard” ODIN says through the Transmitter.

“A little busy right now, but let’s hear it!” Quantum answers.

“Guys, this is Todd. Blue Star thinks Scarab can be knocked out by an electromagnetic pulse, if it hits her at the exact moment she activates her powers” the message says.

<Is this the best you can do? I know you’re just wasting time> Scarab tells Quantum.

<Why are you doing this, Scarab? You barely know this planet.>

<It’s just a job> she shrugs. The entire Tower shakes: it’s protected by a forcefield, but it has limits.

<What are you doing!?>

<The Scribe wants the city to survive, but he didn’t say anything about casualties. I want to see what happens when I crash this building on the sheep that live on this planet.>

<Are you insane? You’ll kill thousands of people!>

<I fail to see how it’s my problem> Scarab replies with an evil smile, with her eyes turning completely black. And Quantum crosses his fingers when he says through the Neutral Transmitter:

“Nori, I can take out Scarab but the city will crash! Do we have a plan!?”

 

Empire State Building

Vesta looks at Noriko with astonishment, even while the latter is busy forcing the goddess to wear the Gravity Gauntlets.

<Me!? How am I supposed to land the city!?>

<I reconfigured the Gauntlets to create a gravitational lock that will encompass the bedrock that Scarab is levitating and everything standing on it, from buildings to people. I will interface with the system and make all the necessary micro-adjustments and calculations to ensure a smooth landing.>

<And what am I supposed to do?> Vesta asks, increasingly worried.

<The city will essentially become an extension of your body: you will just have to land slowly…>

<Sounds easy enough> Vesta nods.

<…while carrying the entire weight of Manhattan and five hundred feet of solid rock beneath it.>

Vesta seems terrified at the thought, and becomes visibly pale.

<The entire… do you know how much that must weigh!?> Kristen objects.

<Yes. But it’s better if I don’t tell you.>

<Nori, you have to find another way. I’m… I’m just not that strong> Vesta complains.

-Bulls##t – Noriko replies, pointing her finger at her chest: despite the age and height difference, now she’s the one sounding like the scolding mother.

<I’ve studied your powers: you’re as strong as you think you are, it’s as simple as that.>

<But I don’t think I’m strong enough! I never lifted anything as big as a city!!!>

<Because without the Gauntlets, anything this massive would break under its own weight; believe me, I’ve done the math. You survived the Vulcan Forge: this will be a piece of cake for you.>

<But… but I don’t…>
<Oh for f##k’s sake, Vesta, you’re a goddess!!! Stop complaining and act like one!!!

>

Then both women hear the same voice in their head, a radio wave shouting:

“Nori, I can take out Scarab but the city will crash! Do we have a plan!?”

<Kick her ass, Max> Null answers, her silver eyes shining as she activates the Gravity Gauntlets.

 

Quantum switches his body into x-rays for a second. He sees Scarab as a skeleton, with the bronze scarab on her belly extending tentacles inside her organs. Like all Drylon technology it’s impervious to his senses, but he knows how to deal with this kind of adversary. His punch becomes pure magnetism before hitting the scarab; the effect is instantaneous.

The woman kneels in pain, as it’s to be expected with a punch in the stomach, but it’s just the beginning. The rock under her feet crumbles into dust and she falls into Quantum’s hands.

Then they both seem to lose all their weight: the entire island of Manhattan, no longer suspended in the air by Scarab’s power, begins its freefall.

<This was probably a bad idea> Quantum says.