Beyond The Impossible

Central Registry, inside the Mindscape

Noriko Null and her friend Jane Blake are wandering inside a nightmarish place, a labyrinth made of cables and wires connecting an infinite number of doors. The gloomy neon lights and the complete silence contribute to make the place seem ominous, and the fact that both girls are naked helps to make the situation extremely awkward.

<What are you looking for?> Jane asks, watching Noriko trying to open one door after the other and finding out that each one is locked.

<Each one of these doors represent a connection port that leads to a section of the Mindscape dedicated to a previous Nexus host; unfortunately not all previous hosts are actively preserved.>

<So you’re going to try all of these doors? There’s like a billion of them!>

<Less than 80 million, actually. But yes, this is going to take a while. Could you maybe try to help me? We’d double our chances and I wouldn’t have to worry about you looking at my butt.>

<I wasn’t looking! You spend way too much time with Kari.> Jane protests, then begins to attempt to open a door. When it doesn’t work, she moves to the next one, and then repeats the process a few more times before deciding to break the silence.

<Well, this is fun. I’m so glad you brought me here for this exciting adventure, Nori.>

<I was trying to send us to my section of the Mindscape. But since I couldn’t even figure out how to create clothes for our avatars…>

<Our what? You mean we’re not really here? I thought you teleported us!>

<No, I sent our minds inside the virtual world generated by the device inside my brain that makes me super-smart. Well, at least when it’s working, which right now it isn’t.>

<I have to ask, Nori… why me? What about your team?>

<Torn is the only one with experience in this kind of thing, and he’s busy. Vesta is on a mission and Kari… well she’s a great friend, but she’d get the wrong idea if I asked her to get inside my mind.>

<Would you have asked Max if he hadn’t been taken prisoner? Because I’m not sure I would’ve been okay with my boyfriend being inside another girl’s mind. Speaking of which, why didn’t you ask your boyfriend?>

<What boyfriend?>

<The athlete? You do remember you have a boyfriend, right?>

<You mean Daren? That’s not a serious thing. I don’t want to involve him in this craziness.>

<But you’re fine with involving me?> Jane points out.

<Is this a bad time, ladies?>

Both Noriko and Jane scream: a man wearing a toga just appeared behind them, without warning.

<It’s okay, Jane, it’s okay, I know him.> Noriko tries to reassure her.

<How is any of this okay!?> Jane protests, trying to get hide herself behind her friend.

<Jane, this is Diomedes: his ghost lives inside my head. Diomedes, this is my friend Jane; can you get us some clothes?>

<Easily. Pleased to meet you, fair Jane.> Diomedes greets her. Within a few seconds each girl is wearing a white chiton, with Noriko also wearing her green leather jacket over it.

<Close enough. Diomedes, can you put me in contact with a previous host? Any Lar would probably do, but I’d prefer the one who created the Keys of Heaven, whatshisname.>

<We should fix your connection to the Mindscape first. Follow me.> he instructs them, with Jane hesitating while asking Noriko:

<When you say “ghost” you don’t actually mean it, right?>

<No, of course not. It’s just the simulation of the mind of a guy who died thousands of years ago.>

<Yeah, nothing creepy about that…>

Null Tower, New York City

Vesta has been in the infirmary for what feels like an eternity. She knows it’s ironic for a million year old immortal goddess, but sometimes she regrets how much she’s accustomed to the way a mortal perceives the flow of time.

She’s watching Amaterasu lying in bed, motionless. Seeing her wearing a hospital gown instead of her usual kimono reminds her that she’s not a normal goddess: when Viper created her, she used Noriko’s own DNA to give her form. And she wonders if that’s why she hasn’t healed yet.

<Friend of yours?> someone asks her.

Vesta turns to see Bob Null, Noriko’s father; she’s so rarely at the Tower that she almost forgot he lives here.

<Something like that. Can I help you with anything, Mr. Null?>

<Call me Bob, please. Actually, Catherine was really shaken when she got home tonight and she told me about her patients, so I figured I’d drop by to see if I could do something.>

<“Tonight”? What time is it?>

<It’s past midnight. Don’t you have a watch?>

<I tried carrying one but they always end up melting. You can tell Dr. Kalama that she doesn’t have to worry: she saved Vice’s life, and Amaterasu can’t die. I think.>

<So this is a goddess? She doesn’t look very Greek.>

<Your daughter doesn’t look half white.> Vesta points out.

<Point taken. Speaking of which, doesn’t she kind of look like an older Noriko?>

<I don’t see it.> Vesta lies; she knows Noriko is reluctant to acknowledge their biological connection, and while she doesn’t understand her position she wants to respect her.

<What is she the goddess of?> Bob asks.

<The Sun.>

<Noriko didn’t do this to her, right? Because I remember she killed the goddess of the Moon.>

<That was Selene, yes. But she didn’t do this; Amaterasu was hurt by another god, but I don’t understand why she’s not healing.>

<Maybe that’s because it’s night?> Bob wonders.

<What? No, why would that make a difference to the… goddess of… the sun.> Vesta says, realizing what she missed as she slaps her forehead.

<I’m such an idiot. Thanks Bob, now would you mind opening the window?>

<Sure. A change of air can’t hurt, right?> he asks, as he opens the door’s window right before Vesta flies out of it carrying the body of Amaterasu in her arms.

<Please tell the doctor that her patient is going to be alright.> she says, then she flies upwards.

It’s one of the rare occasions where she doesn’t have to slow down while carrying someone: she doesn’t have to worry about the effects of the altitude or of the acceleration.

She stops a couple of seconds later, way past the upper atmosphere: only then, when the horizon is no longer blocking the rays of the Sun, Amaterasu yawns and stretches herself.

<Can I sleep for five more minutes?>

<You were not sleeping. You were almost dead.> Vesta explains.

<Then why am I wearing pajamas?> she asks, looking at her hospital gown.

<We have a job to do. We have to stop Anubis.> Vesta stresses.

<Ten minutes?> Amaterasu pleads.

Naqada Galaxy, 17 million light-years from Earth

Max Black likes to think that he doesn’t scare easily. He has lived through some horrible situations, but during his career as Quantum he’s always had his powers. Until now.

Now he finds himself in another galaxy, without powers and with his body modified to include cybernetic parts. And his only company is a cyborg woman, the Shabti of Anubis, a position roughly in the middle between spokeswoman and chief slave.

They’re both standing on a floating platform, a slab of concrete supported by antigravity thrusters which is traveling across the exceedingly vast fortress of Anubis.

Max doesn’t see a single living soul. There are people, human beings and four-armed Naga; their bodies are in various points of decay and they are all cyborgs, to various extents. They move and carry out their business, but to call them alive would be an overstatement: they don’t speak to each other and they keep a distant, vacant expression on their faces.

<Don’t worry, Quantum. Anubis will find a way to fix you.> the Shabti reassures him.

<By turning me into a zombie?>

<I don’t know what a zombie is. But Anubis will save you from life.>

<You’ve said that before. What the heck does it mean? You think I want to die?>

<I know it must be hard for you to understand. I also feared death when I was alive.>

<When you… were alive?>

<I died 726 years ago. But Anubis saved me from oblivion and granted me the honor to serve him.>

<That’s… great… but it has nothing to do with me. I’m still alive.>

Quantum turns towards the Shabti, who is looking at him like he was a toddler convinced to know more than his parents.

<You are dead. This is what keeps you going.> she explains, pointing at the mechanical plates that are now covering part of his chest.

<When a mortal dies, his mind and his memories disappear into oblivion: nothing we do in life matters. But in death, Anubis grants us to continue our existence, as long as we serve him.>

<I’m… dead? And this tech is the only thing that keeps me alive?> Quantum asks. The situation is starting to get to him, especially when he notices his heart is not beating any faster.

<We have reached our destination.> the Shabti announces, giving little importance to Quantum’s distress. The platform lands in front of a metallic door that opens automatically for them.

On the other side, Quantum can clearly recognize a cell. It’s illuminated by holographic candles, and there’s a man immobilized by handcuffs chained to the wall.

In another situation, he would be relieved by the fact that he knows this man. Considering that he tried to murder his friends several times, it’s quite the opposite.

<What a nice surprise. Please tell me you brought Sunshine with you!> Hermes tells him.

He’s bare chested as usual, but he has the same cybernetic implants as Quantum.

<Be quiet.> the Shabti tells him. The implant releases a powerful electrical shock that Hermes seems to find extremely painful, considering the loud scream he lets out.

<Don’t allow him to interfere with the assimilation. Resistance can be harsh, as you can see.> she calmly explains over the screams of Hermes. Then she pushes Quantum against the wall: she’s much stronger than she looks, and without his powers he can’t resist her.

Then she touches his implants, and her metallic hand seems to melt into his body: suddenly, he feels so weak he can barely stand.

<Ah, I see the problem now. Your body is trying to syphon energy away from the implants, keeping you conscious. Don’t worry, I’ll make some adjustments; Anubis will have full control of your life in no time at all.> she tries to reassure him. To her surprise, Quantum is still resisting.

<Is that… what he does to you? Control you… like a puppet? You call that… life?> he asks her; every word brings a world of pain, but he persists.

<I am his Shabti, it is my duty to stay awake and carry out his orders.>

<What about… the others?>

<Give it up, kid.> Hermes intervenes, ignored by the others.

<Those who follow the path of Anubis give him full control of their bodies so that their souls can live forever while they sleep. Everybody knows this.> the Shabti insists.

<It’s useless, these mortals are so afraid of death that they’ll do anything for the false promise of eternal life. No wonder Anubis hates the Eden, they run the same scam.> Hermes comments.

<Don’t listen to him. Let me switch control to Anubis, you’ll see the afterlife in your dreams.>

<You mean like this?> Quantum asks: there’s a massive surge of electricity as he absorbs the power of her implants into his own body, and the Shabti collapses.

Hermes is genuinely impressed, as he watches Quantum take the woman in his arms.

<Nice! Great idea distracting her, I didn’t know you had it in you. Now, get rid of the body and free me from these restrains, we’ll escape together.> Hermes suggests.

<You really think I’m stupid enough to trust you? No thanks.> Quantum answers, immediately rejecting his offer and opening the door to leave the cell.

<Wait! I’m your only way to leave this galaxy alive!!!> Hermes points out.

<Good thing I’m already dead then.> Quantum dismisses him, leaving the cell without saying anything else.

<Where are you going!? Come back this instant! You can’t leave me alone with Anubis!!!> he hears Hermes scream, and for once the god’s bravado can’t mask his fear.

Quantum is not sure if he’ll be able to keep his powers, stay alive and escape. But at least he will get one last victory: he got the last word against Hermes.