Beyond The Impossible

The Ragnarok

On the bridge of Earth’s only warship, Max Black a.k.a. Quantum reassembles his particles into flesh and blood, then immediately throws up on one of the workstations.

<Man, I hate anti-matter. I’m gonna feel awful for weeks.>

<Quantum. You have to listen to me> a cold voice calls him, accompanied by the hologram of two intertwined snakes: the ship’s artificial intelligence, L.O.K.I.

<Loki? Where are we? Where is everybody?>

<We are on planet Takama, 45,000 light-years from Earth. The entire crew has been captured by Viper’s forces. The Ragnarok has lost all its engines, weapons are offline, reserve power will fail in seven minutes, and a group of twelve Oni robots is in the process of disassembling the ship.>

<Okay. What’s the bad news?>

<The entire crew has been captured by Viper’s forces. The Ragnarok has lost…>

<I get it, I get it, I was just joking. Do we have any way to contact the team?>

<I have enough computational power to have attempted contact before. No response.>

<Great. So I have to infiltrate Viper’s evil lair of whatever?>

<No, that plan would be ineffectual. I am programmed to respond to a variety of scenarios, including the total loss of crew. Searching for an appropriate response now.>

<“Captured by your evil clone and imprisoned by killer robots while stranded on another planet”?>

<Scenario #27. “Download L.O.K.I. into one of the robots, take over the army and rescue us”.>

<Seriously!? Like I’m gonna help someone called “Loki” do something like…>

<Sub-section 42: “If Quantum is the only available help, tell him Loki is just a name”.>

<Alright, smartass, you win. What do you want me to do?>

<You have to remove my external memory drive. Then we infiltrate Viper’s evil lair.>

<Wow. Whoever thought of that plan must really be a genius, right? I’d hate to be a sassy artificial intelligence calling it “ineffectual”.>

<It would also be regrettable to lack the brainpower necessary to understand that the plan can only work with the assistance of said artificial intelligence.>

<This is going to be one of these days, isn’t it?> Quantum sighs, rolling his eyes.

<Indeed> another voice says. Quantum throws a laser towards the shadow that just talked; the energy however stands still while the woman steps into the light.

<If you’re finished with your little routine, perhaps we can save your friends> Eris says.

 

The Divine Palace

Noriko Null wakes up when someone punches her in the stomach.  She rolls over in pain, falling from the couch. When she tries to stand up, she stops when someone almost steps on her neck: a stiletto heel touches her throat, and she watches Viper look down on her.

<What did you see?> she asks. She knows she’s her clone, but now she looks like a distorted version: the long hair, shortened to a buzz cut on half of her head, the cropped T-shirt, the jeans shorts, the tattoos all over her body representing the seven gods killed by Null… and the snake over her navel, twisted in the shape of the infinity symbol.

<A skankier version of me. Please tell me you don’t go out dressed like that> Noriko mocks her.

<I forced you to re-live your worst regret, but I couldn’t see it. What was it? Losing control to Abyss? Letting Artemis destroy half of Beijing? Allowing Leiko to take over the Winter Kingdom? Please tell me it’s not something lame about your love live, ‘cause yeesh, now that’s a horror story.>

<Not killing you> Noriko lies, trying to be convincing: the reason why Viper didn’t see anything is that she avoided the torture by speaking with Eris.

<Don’t be so hard on yourself, it’s not like you didn’t try. Come with me> Viper orders her, stepping away from her throat. Noriko considers jumping her, but she’s unarmed: Viper took away her weapons, even her jacket, and she’s in handcuffs. Indestructible handcuffs.

<Neutral matter again? Where do you get all this stuff?> Noriko asks, looking around: the place is guarded by multiple Oni. Trying to hurt Viper is not an option now.

<I found one of the old Hephaestus forges and cranked up production. “God of blacksmiths” my #ss, that place is completely automated. Lazy bastard. But, I’ll give credit where credit is due, he was a heck of a lot smarter than I thought. I found all sorts of crazy designs in his secret lab, like the sword I used to cut off your arm? Good times. Oh by the way, I know your fake hand can get out of those cuffs, but try that and I’ll cut off the other one, okay?>

<Man, you really do love the sound of your own voice. Why are you telling me this?>

<Come on, Noriko, you of all people should understand the frustration of being surrounded by complete idiots that can’t appreciate your genius! But I bet you can understand this> Viper says, once they’ve reached the doors to another part of the building: a laboratory, where they approach a tube large enough to hold a human next to an incredibly complex machine.

<Hephaestus built this to harness and concentrate divine energy. At first I thought he wanted to control his powers, or gain more, but then I remembered: he was a Greek god! The key to their plans is always in their pants! And I finally got it: remember Galatea?>

<His robot mistress> Noriko recalls.

<I thought that if Hephaestus got tired of banging a robot, he would’ve tried to build an actual goddess. The problem is that the only organism that can withstand the power of a god is another god. So when Tiamat killed Hekate, my Talos robots snatched her corpse and put it in this machine. Add some of the energy that Tiamat left behind and a secret ingredient, what do you get?>

<Amaterasu. She’s a resurrected Hekate, brainwashed into thinking she’s your daughter.>

<Give me a little credit! Like I said, secret ingredient> Viper continues, rubbing her belly.

Noriko suddenly gets as pale as a ghost once she connects all the dots.

<You didn’t> she says, shaking her head.

<I needed a genetic template to ensure she would be different enough from Hekate and, well, it’s not like either of us was ever gonna use our eggs for anything else, right?>

<I think I need to throw up. Why are you telling me this, Viper!?>

<Because you deserve some of the credit as well. Not just for killing Tiamat. Remember when Ilithyia activated the Nexus, at Kari’s wedding? Our minds are connected, Noriko. And when I couldn’t quite complete the process on my own, you came to my rescue and interfaced with the machine. In other words: Amaterasu isn’t just my daughter, Noriko. She’s our daughter.>

<I’m not… I didn’t… I… I…> Noriko stutters, looking like she’s about to pass out. It only gets worse when Viper puts her arm over her shoulder and holds her tight.

<So you see, Noriko? You don’t have to conspire with Eris to know about my plans. All you have to do is ask me. Why would I lie to you now? After all…> she pauses, coming close enough to whisper directly to her ear and continue:

<I’ve already won.>

Viper giggles, practically dragging Noriko with her into the last room of their journey: the central hub of her operation, where she can control all of her forces. And where she’s brought her other prisoners, none of which is currently conscious: each of them is tied to a cross.

<I took inspiration from Abyss and forced them to live the worst moments of their lives. Some are really, really boring: Kari’s watching her parents whipped to death by Demeter’s Oracles, Torn is slaughtering humans with his sister, and the Lampyrian, whatshername, is thinking back at the first time she saw a blueskin die of old age. But your other friends, oh man, did they bring me some juicy memories> she continues talking, reaching Liosthenes and caressing his face.

<Take this one! The Athenian officer! He told you he’s a mole for the Mortal Liberation Front, right? Well, he’s not. He’s just a soldier who disobeyed his superiors because he’s fallen for the propaganda of the Mortal Republic and thinks he’s helping humanity of some s#it like that. Imagine his face when he learns he’s given me enough intelligence to invade the Athenian Federation! And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, thanks to this Einstein here> she continues, walking towards Alexer Syzar and kissing his cheek.

<I just LOVE stupid autocrats! His mind just gave me ALL the military information I needed about the Mortal Republic, AND some secrets that the Guild kept for millennia, AND I know all about his secret deal with Leiko! You’re gonna LOVE what he gave her in exchange for helping him! Just as I loved what I got out of her> she says, pointing at Vesta as she walks towards her.

Just like the others, Vesta seems paralyzed, but there’s an expression of pure terror on her face.

<She’s seen enough suffering to last a hundred lifetimes. World wars? Concentration camps? Crusades? Atom bombs? Two thousand years of death and suffering? She could’ve stopped all of that and she knows it, and oh, how it’s eating her soul. Can you look me in the eye and tell me she doesn’t deserve this punishment? You really think I’m worse than her!? Worse than YOU!?>

<Mother> Amaterasu calls her, appearing with a flash of pure sunlight. She looks around, with Noriko catching her eye pretty much instantly.

<Mother? Why is there another Mother here?>

<We’ll talk about it later. Right now I need you to throw this goddess into the Sun> she says looking at Vesta. She gets closer, squeezes one of Vesta’s breasts, then walks away and makes a vague gesture to Amaterasu signifying “get on with it”. Noriko is still silently staring at Viper, who starts to get agitated while her daughter disappears with the red-haired goddess.

<What? You’ve always wondered if they were real and we both know that! Don’t worry about Amaterasu, I’ll explain everything to her. Maybe she should call you Father, since you didn’t do anything during her birth and didn’t even want her. You know, like your father> she grins, clearly expecting a reaction from Noriko. And receiving none.

<Ran out of things to say? No speech on why I’m evil and I need to be stopped? Well here’s a freakin’ speech for you, girl scout: I can do what you can’t. I still have nine ships like the Ragnarok, ready to invade the Mortal Republic. Once I’ve taken over I’ll build a hundred more, no, a thousand more, and conquer the rest of the Galaxy. Have you seen what I’ve already accomplished, while you were wasting time on Earth? Yes, I’ve destroyed a couple of planets here and there and maybe I’ve had a few million casualties, but this sector has never been so peaceful! And I don’t even have the Nexus! Can you imagine what you could do if you stopped acting like a little b##ch!? But no, all you do is sit on your #ss on that pathetic little planet and wait for others to come to you! Oh please, Slayer of Gods, please help us and then go back to doing jack s#it while we wait for the next a##hole to conquer us! How can you STILL think you’re better than me!?> Viper shouts, now so worked up that her face has turned red.

Noriko Null is still staring at her. Still keeping her mouth shut.

<SAY SOMETHING!!!> Viper screams in her face.

<Mom would be so proud> Noriko answers. Five words, in a monotone voice, almost whispered.

Viper is fuming. Electricity starts to flow through her body, clouding her mind with anger.

<You don’t care about the Galaxy. You don’t care about Amaterasu. You don’t even care about power. All you want is convince yourself that you’re better than me> Noriko calmly explains.

<How am I NOT better than you?> Viper asks back, recreating her electricity swords in her hands.

<Because one, I’m not a murderous psychopath. And two, because you don’t have any friends> Noriko says, watching one of the Oni grab Viper from behind and throwing her towards the nearest wall. When the other Oni notice this, before they can react a bolt of lightning comes out of the first robots and jumps to another, one by one. When the lightning turns back into Quantum, only the Oni that attacked Viper is still standing.

<Took you long enough, I thought she’d never shut up!> Noriko says, twisting her artificial hand enough to remove the handcuffs.

<My apologies, mistress. These units have impressive security me/me/me/me> L.O.K.I says through the robot, glitching when the room gets noticeably darker. Viper stands up again, with electricity flowing through her body. Black electricity.

<You are ALL. Gonna. Die> she says, her body clearly strained to its maximum.

<Max, clear the room. NOW> Noriko orders, concentrating: her silver eyes shine, and just like Viper her body starts to emit black electricity.

<I can take her out! She’s not even armed!> Quantum protests.

<She’s channeling this world’s collective consciousness, if you kill her now you kill everything with a brain on the planet, now GO!!!> she clarifies.

<This is probably a bad idea> he comments, trying to leave as a beam of light; whatever the two geniuses are doing, however, is making it extremely hard to concentrate enough to escape.

<FINAL ABYSS!!!> Viper shouts, releasing the black electricity as a single stream aimed at Null.

<FINAL ABYSS!!!> Noriko also says, responding with an identical attack.

When the two streams of pure information collide, people outside the Divine Palace can feel the force of the explosion shake their brains.