Beyond The Impossible

The Dark Pyramid

Noriko Null has never met her grandmother before, and she’s almost unrecognizable: which is understandable considering that Noriko Tanaka has been legally dead for thirty years.

<You should hurry. This primitive hardware is malfunctioning and will not last for long> the elderly woman says with a voice that’s not her own.

<Is that the Core? What have you done to her!?> Noriko protests, trying to break free from her restrains. On the opposite side, her clone Void sits calmly, like she own the place, despite being similarly restrained.

<Focus, Null. There is no need for emotional outbursts.>

<The f##k there isn’t! She’s family!>

<What do you know about family?> Leiko Tanaka asks her, coming closer to look her in the eye with barely contained disgust.

<I offered you an alliance, Noriko. I even offered you the chance to walk away from all this. And yet you chose to challenge me. And worse, to openly disrespect me.>

<You don’t get to be upset against anything, Mother. You’re a monster.>

<“Mother”? I recall you renounced our relationship, more than once. And I still remember what you said when you hesitated instead of killing me> Leiko says, unbuttoning the lower part of her shirt to show the scars on her abdomen.

Noriko could never forget. She was controlled by Abyss at that time, but she recalls every single time she stabbed her. And how good it felt to make her suffer.

<You said that my every breath was a gift from you. Now I get to repay your gift. Scribe, we are ready to initiate the extraction> Leiko orders, turning away from Noriko.

<You’re jealous> Noriko says to her back.

<I do not believe that antagonizing her is a wise choice, Null.>

<You think you’re so smart, Leiko, but what have you accomplished? You tried to get me killed, and I stopped you. You founded the Empire of Shadows, and I stopped you. You tried to steal my tech, and I stopped you. Now try to take over the world, try to take over the whole Galaxy for all I care, and you know what? It won’t matter because I will still be the Slayer of Gods and you will just be another bully. So go ahead with your silly little plan and your silly little alliance, it won’t matter. Because I am still Noriko Null, and you will always be nothing next to me. Remember these words? You are nothing. You will always. Be. NOTHING.>

<Shut your mouth!!!> Leiko shouts, turning to hit Noriko in the face using the Heart Of The Universe. Since it’s as hard as a rock, Noriko spits blood afterwards.

When she looks up and stares at her, even Leiko has to step back when she hears her threat:

<I will take everything you have from you. You will be alone and unloved, wishing I killed you.>

Even Void is without words. She’s felt the mind of Abyss, the concentration of all the evil thoughts of mankind, and yet she’s never witnessed so much raw hate.

<We are ready, Scribe. This… this thing no longer interests me> Leiko instructs him.

<Then let me proceed to my ascension to godhood> the computers say through an electronic voice.

The room is filled with electricity: arcs of pure thought are exchanged between the three people restrained on the chairs, and the pain begins.

Noriko has been hurt before; she’s come very close to death too many times to recount. But she’s never felt pain to this level, not even when she received Athena’s blessing.

She screams at the top of her lungs; she wants to be brave and strong, but it’s too much. It’s not just the metallic tendrils drilling their way into her skull: what’s happening inside is infinitely worse.

<Establishing connection to the Nexus. Soon I will gain access to all its knowledge.>

<Why couldn’t you do this earlier, exactly?> Leiko asks the Scribe, calmly walking towards the mainframe while thunderbolts and screams fill the air.

<The host’s synchrony with the Nexus must be at its peak for this to work; I have monitored Null’s actions for months and I tested her repeatedly. Coming so close to defeating me, the original owner of the Nexus, proves that she has surpassed even my level by now.>

<I see. And what about the Heart Of The Universe? Why not get it sooner?>

<There are ways to access some of its power, like you and Eris discovered. But to use the Heart to its fullest potential, it must recognize me as a Drylon. Once I have unlocked the Nexus, the Heart will make me the most powerful entity in this Galaxy.>

<How interesting. I wish I thought of a plan like that> Leiko says, taking a device from the inside pocket of her business suit and applying it to the mainframe.

<Oh wait… I did.>

Something changes. Suddenly the electricity doesn’t just flow between the three women sitting down: they’re also shooting lightning at the computer itself.

<What have you done, woman!?>

<Just a little modification to override the control circuits of the transfer process> she calmly explains, walking towards the middle chair where her mother is sitting down. She pushes her off, not caring in the slightest for her safety, and takes her place.

Noriko is screaming on her right. Void is screaming on her left. The Scribe is screaming behind her, trapped inside the computer systems without a viable body to host his consciousness.

Leiko Tanaka sits proudly like a queen. Finally, everything is as it should be.

She looks at the Heart Of The Universe in her hand, stained by the blood of her daughter, while her own mother grovels at her feet.

<You shouldn’t have forced my hand, Null. Ravage was supposed to give the Heart to me: I would’ve stolen its control, right under the Scribe’s nose, and my secret ally would’ve taken care of the Scribe’s fleet. Thanks to your meddling, I almost lost my chance to rule the Galaxy… but you are now slaves to my will. As is the entire planet Earth.>

 

Bridge of the Ragnarok

Everyone is looking at the Dark Pyramid on the screen, anxious to see how Noriko plans to escape from her situation. Torn is the only one to look around perplexed, answering:

<Something’s wrong. A disturbance in the Blood.>

<Okay now you’re just asking for Max to quote something> Kari jokes, but much to her surprise Quantum doesn’t make a Star Wars joke… he shoots a laser beam at her position.

Luckily Torn is fast enough to create an energy sword that deflect that blast, which just blows up a console. But Quantum has just started: he takes Vesta by surprise, shooting her with pure kinetic energy, enough to knock her into the lower deck.

Torn doesn’t waste more time attacking him, knowing well that he’s at a disadvantage: he can’t risk damaging the ship, while Quantum can survive in space by turning into any kind of energy.

Kari knows this isn’t her fight and puts as much distance as she can from it, monitoring the ship’s radar. She really wishes she hadn’t: the entire fleet is now surrounding the Ragnarok.

And they all open fire at the same time.

 

The Dark Pyramid

Noriko Tanaka can’t remember the last time she was awake. She can’t remember how she got in this strange place, or why there are two young girls screaming like they’re being tortured.

All she knows is that the woman sitting behind her is the splitting image of how she looked like when she was much, much younger.

<<What is happening? What is this place?>> she asks in Japanese.

<<You must be immune to the Neural Enslaver thanks to your connection to the Core. It doesn’t matter: you are obsolete now, Mother>> Leiko answers.

<<Leiko? What… I don’t understand!>>

<Your daughter… is…> Noriko tries to talk, despite the unspeakable pain.

<<What? What are you trying to say?>>

<In Japanese… f##k… okay… <>Your daughter… is insane… you have to… listen to me…>>

<<My daughter? Who are you, young lady?>>

<<My name is Noriko. I’m your granddaughter>>

<<My… my what? How long have I…>>

<<No time… the other girl’s pocket… get the…>> dammit, what’s the word? <Get the syringe> – she says, referring to the syringe containing the cerebrospinal fluid she extracted from her father.

<<You speak English. Did my daughter marry a foreigner?>>

<<Just hurry the f##k up and get me off this thing!!!>> Void shouts, uncharacteristically losing her cool: she may be a cold engine of logic, but her pain threshold has been saturated today.

Despite the craziness of the situation, Void’s voice commands obedience. The old woman walks towards her and awkwardly searches for her pockets; when she does, she notices that despite the longer hair she’s the splitting image of Noriko.

<<Are you my granddaughter as well?>>

<<Yes we are all a nice family of psychopaths, now give her the syringe!>>

<<Definitely the daughter of a foreigner. You are too rude to be Japanese>> she scolds her, while still taking the syringe. She then walks towards Noriko, but bumps into Black Knight.

<<I can’t allow you to help her, Tanaka-san>> he says politely.

<<She’s dangerous. Kill her>> Leiko orders him; interestingly, without the Neural Enslaver.

<<I can’t kill a defenseless old woman>> he replies.

<<Very well>> Leiko acknowledges, then she quickly takes out a gun from an inside pocket.

Despite the pain, Noriko’s heart stops. The old woman seems to take forever to fall, with blood flying all over the place: the bullet just cut right through her neck.

Black Knight also watches her fall; her hand opens, letting the syringe roll on the floor. He follows her eyes, which are looking right at her granddaughter as she dies.

Noriko screams of primal rage, giving everything she has to break free of her restrains; even the sudden adrenaline rush isn’t enough, though. Her fury is in stark contrast with Leiko’s coldness.

<<She was your own mother, Tanaka-san. And you just killed her without a thought.>>

<<The world is mine now, Black Knight, and there is no place for weakness in it. Now get rid of that syringe and let me work: I am ready to complete the extraction>>

Something inside Noriko’s head starts to glow, something in the shape of the symbol for infinity: the Nexus is about to end her life.

<Witness, Scribe, the start of a new era. Any final words, “Slayer of Gods”?> Leiko taunts her.

<S… s… soul…> Noriko struggles to say.

Something changes. All electricity becomes blue, and the computers shoot sparks everywhere.

<Scribe! What is happening!?> Leiko asks.

<Information overload! She’s creating a positive feedback loop between her and the clone… she’s using my entire mnemonic database as a secondary brain!!!>

<What!? How is that even…>

<SOUL RESONANCE!!!> Noriko shouts, and all hell breaks loose. Her body emits so much blue electricity that it’s impossible to look at her; Leiko and Black Knight decide to move away from her, while the clone sits motionless. It’s not breathing anymore.

Everything is exploding in an endless series of short circuits and catastrophic failures. It’s not long before several electric fires plague the ship, and the damage is too extended for the fire protection systems to be able to do anything about them.

<Scribe! Mist! Where are you!?> Leiko asks. Black Knight has fled in a different direction, but she sees a familiar figure: a red skinned man standing inside the smoke.

<Ravage. Where is my daughter?>

The Demon can’t answer: he falls on his knees, and his severed head rolls towards her feet.

There’s something else in the smoke. Something carrying a blue energy sword. Leiko shoots at it, but her gun gets sliced in half easily. Then she sees them: electric blue eyes in the smoke.

<Your daughter isn’t here anymore.>

<Who are you!?> Leiko asks. She steps out of the smoke: there’s electricity coming out of her spine and flowing through the rest of her body, and her eyes are spewing blue fire.

<I am vengeance. I am rage. I am Fury. Prepare to die.>