Beyond The Impossible

Infirmary of N07-Naraka

Watching brain surgery isn’t exactly fun, but it’s much worse when your patient is a friend. Vesta is biting her lower lip watching doctor Liralia drilling a hole into Noriko Null’s skull.

<Vitals are steady> a duplicate of Kari Zel informs them. Another one is passing a very small tube to the Lampyrian doctor; she gets it close to the incision, where the tube suck up the blood spilling from it.

<This should reduce the swelling; it looks like the brain is healing itself> Liralia comments, keeping her hands steady while looking at the holographic screen that is projecting a brain scan.

Despite the doctor’s optimism, Noriko isn’t breathing on her own: she’s been intubated, and only the infirmary’s machines are keeping her alive. She’s not responding to any stimuli, even though there seems to be plenty of brain activity.

<Is she going to wake up?> Vesta asks.

<I don’t know. It’s as if her brain was somehow disconnected from her body. Can we get a scan of the Nexus?> Liralia asks.

After some trial and error, Kari manages to set up a hologram of the Drylon device.

<It’s crazy to think that thing’s inside Nori’s head all the time> she comments. The damage is barely visible, just a dent the size of needle’s tip.

<I thought she was invincible, but something so small could end up killing her> Vesta says.

Her grim thoughts are interrupted by a communication through the Neural Transmitter:

<Guys, we have a situation here. The Oracles are invading the planet> she hears Quantum say.

<We have to go> Kari says, creating a new duplicate just for the occasion while leaving the others to help the doctor. Vesta looks at the Lampyrian straight in the eye and tells her with the voice of a god who gives an absolute command:

<Don’t let her die.>

 

Blues Brothel, City of Eralal

Vesta and Kari are teleported to the same establishment where Noriko was mortally wounded.

Quantum, Torn and Lily are waiting for them, and they’re all looking over the city: the flocks of Lampyrians flying around have been replaced by a couple dozen Oracles, men and women wearing the white uniform of Apollo. They move from building to building taking the form of yellow streaks of light, apparently searching through every single home.

<They’re looking for you> Lily explains, perhaps stating the obvious.

<Can they find the ship?> Kari asks her.

<Not on their own, as long as the Naraka is hidden underneath the swamp. But there’s a ship coming this way, and they probably have advanced sensors.>

<Any chance your people can convince them that we’re already gone?> Quantum asks.

<They would never listen to us. Apollo’s Oracles are true fanatics: they’re recruited as children and indoctrinated into believing he’s the one true god and that humans were made in his image, so they see any other species as inherently inferior.>

<You said a ship is coming, but I thought these Oracles didn’t need ships> Kari asks.

<They don’t: they can transform into tachyons and travel faster than light. But according to my contacts in the Covenant, Queen Helen is coming here> Lily explains.

<Queen… you mean Helen as in “Helen of Troy”? What is she doing here!?> Vesta wonders.

<She’s Apollo’s wife. I thought you knew that.>

<No, they must’ve married while I was exiled on Earth. This is… this is really bad, guys, we have to leave the planet before she arrives!>

<Why? Is she dangerous?> Quantum asks.

<She’s the most beautiful woman in the universe> Vesta answers with a grim tone.

<How terrifying> Torn comments sarcastically.

<Any mortal laying eyes on her will fall madly in love in an instant. That includes the Lampyrians and all of you> Vesta explains.

<Oh come on, we’re not that shallow!> Kari protests.

<That’s just how it is. We must defeat the Oracles before Helen arrives.>

<If you do that, they’ll just send more reinforcements to enslave us> Lily argues back.

<Enough talk> Torn intervenes, jumping into a newly created pentagram. And a moment later, he’s on top of the nearest building stabbing an Oracle in the chest with an energy sword.

<That idiot’s gonna get us all killed!> Quantum protests, following him as a ray of light; Vesta reacts similarly quickly, crashing through the wall to join the fight.

<So much for teamwork> Kari sighs.

 

The Mindscape

Noriko Null has learned that the Mindscape is as diverse as it is confusing: so far she’s seen an ocean, a desert, a city, and now once she opens a door she finds herself on a snowy mountain.

Any illusion of this being reality is quickly set aside just by looking around: the sky above her is a mirror image of the very same mountain.

<Good thing I brought my jacket> she comments as she zips it up, just when a sudden gust of wind makes her bones shudder. Then she looks at Diomedes: the Greek hero is still just wearing a skirt and sandals.

<Aren’t you cold?> she asks him.

<You still carry with you the burden of the material universe> is the answer she receives, but not from Diomedes. It comes from a ten year old child, floating with his legs crossed in the lotus position a few inches above the top of the mountain. His head is shaved clean and his skin is silver.

<We are but fading transient information, suspended in the virtual memory of the Nexus, like the ghosts of a dream> the child says, keeping his eyes closed.

<This is the Monk. He’s extremely insufferable> Diomedes comments with a sigh.

<Suffering is an illusion. Like everything that is true.>

<What’s that even supposed to mean? Is this one of the hosts that went crazy?> Noriko asks.

<All those who seek enlightenment are crazy, for it is the only sane way to understand reality.>

<The Monk is… different. You and the Scribe used the Nexus to master science, Null, but there are other ways. I dedicated my life to war and adventure. The Monk focuses on philosophy.>

<That’s just perfect. I’m about to die, Diomedes, you expect me to fix the Nexus just by thinking about it really hard?>

<We are all born dead, pawns in the game between life and death> the Monk answers.

<Wow, that’s so profound it goes all the way to being stupid. Do you have anything useful to say?>

<You dislike me.>

<I don’t even know you> Noriko shrugs, struggling between politeness and rightful annoyance.

<Does anyone really know anyone?>

<Okay, screw civility, every word you say makes me wanna punch you in the face. If you weren’t just a kid, I swear…>

<I was one hundred and thirty-six years old when I died. But aren’t we all children compared to the greatness of the->

The Monk doesn’t finish his sentence: Null just slapped the back of his head. He clearly didn’t expect that, almost falling to the ground before regaining his balance.

<Did… did you just hit me?>

<I like her style> Diomedes nods.

<Seemed like you needed to snap back to reality. Maybe you’re dead, but I’m definitely not and I’m not going to let you waste my time with this zen bulls#it. Do you know who I am?>

<The successor of the successor of my successor as host of the Nexus, the fourteenth human to carry the title> the Monk explains.

<Fourteenth? How many hosts have there been?> she wonders.

<The Nexus has had 79 million 235 thousand and 168 hosts, including you.>

<That’s… wow. That’s a lot to process> she comments. She thought she was unique, but this revelation really puts things into perspective.

<It’s actually a very small number when you consider the Nexus is 7 billion years old.>

<Are you sure about that age? I tried several types of radiocarbon dating but…>

<Both of you should focus on the problem at hand, instead of obsessing over trivial minutia about the Nexus> Diomedes chastises them.

<Believe me, Diomedes, nobody is more focused on saving my life than me. Just answer my question, Monk.>

<I have spent my lifetime and my afterlife contemplating the mysteries of the Nexus, Null, and while I have barely scratched the surface, I have some understanding of how it works.>

<Enlighten us, and try to avoid your empty metaphors.>

<The Nexus has infinite storage capacity: it can hold all the information gathered by its seventy-nine million hosts and a record of their minds. However, while the Nexus is infinite, there are limits to how quickly a host can access information, even after the brain is mutated by the Nexus. To counter this, the Nexus routinely consolidates the older data it contains, streamlining it for retrieval by the host, and deletes the ghosts of the older hosts.>

<I thought you said we can’t access the information recorded by previous hosts> Null tells Diomedes, who just shrugs waiting for the Monk to continue.

<That ability was locked after the number of hosts increased beyond a certain level, but the Nexus still carries out the consolidation process. The Nexus keeps an entry log of which host personalities have been deleted from the Mindscape, and I have been able to access that log> the Monk explains.

<Sounds like this log could give me a lot of insight about the operating system of the Nexus. Where can I access this kind of data?> Noriko asks.

<All the way down to Central Registry> the Monk answers.

<I’ve never uploaded myself there. You’ll have to show us the way> Diomedes tells him.

<That would be unwise. Only the most enlightened and disciplined minds can survive witnessing the true essence of the Nexus.>

<Oh really. And guess what happens if I just sit down and contemplate the universe or whatever it is that you’re doing here? I don’t survive either> Noriko points out.

<And you should care a great deal about her survival. If she perishes I will be quite upset> Diomedes tells the Monk, cracking his knuckles to be more intimidating.

<Are you threatening me, Diomedes? We are both already dead. You can’t harm me.>

<You wouldn’t be the first ghost I kill.>

Noriko can’t tell if Diomedes is bluffing, but it’s clear that he does make the Monk uncomfortable… something that she appreciates.

<C’mon, Monk, don’t tell me you’re not at least a little bit curious about learning more about the Nexus. How can you truly understand the universe if you don’t know yourself?>

<Don’t encourage him> Diomedes mumbles.

<No, she’s right. This could be an opportunity to know more about my purpose in this reality.>

<Not to mention saving my life and repairing the Nexus.>

<Yes, of course. You might be less shallow than some of your predecessors, Null.>

<Hey!> Diomedes protests.

<Settle down, boys, I’ve had too many voices arguing inside my own head. So… which way to this “Central Registry?”> Noriko asks.

<It’s not a physical location. But since your mind is still too literal to understand it, I’ll create a metaphor for you> the Monk says, reaching for an invisible button in front of him: as soon as he touches it, a sliding door suddenly appears out of nowhere.

<An elevator? That’s the best metaphor you could come up with?> she complains.

<Everyone’s a critic> the Monk sighs, floating towards the elevator as Noriko and Diomedes follow him.