Beyond The Impossible

Five miles west of Cactus Springs, Nevada

The road cuts through a vast expanse of flat, lower-elevation Mojave Desert scrub. There’s nothing of interest here, especially because the Lar spaceship that landed during the night is currently invisible thanks to its cloaking device.

The hatchet opens; a Lar looks outside, his hand holding firmly a respirator that allows him to survive the outside temperature.

<Are you sure this is where you want to go?> he asks the teenage goddess stepping outside the ship.

The elaborate dress that she’s wearing is completely inappropriate for the desert heat, but she doesn’t seem to mind. She has red hair with a blue streak and a halo of fire floating above her head.

<It’s perfect. I’ll be safe from the Ice Queen: no Lar would dare set foot here. Thank you for your assistance.> she says, removing a large diamond necklace from her neck handing it over.

<A wedding gift from aunt Theia. It should be worth a couple hundred billion obols; I assume that’s enough to buy your silence?>

<It’s enough to buy a planet! Thank you, Your Majesty!> the Lar says with a bow, running back inside the ship. Tyche ignores him, calmly walking towards the road.

<I guess I should try to look like a local until I find Null.> she tells herself; as she walks, her fancy clothes are transmuted into something inspired by Null’s typical fashion… only she ditched the jacket, and the T-shirt has a flaming halo instead of the Ø symbol. And it’s intentionally a size too small, to show off her figure: she’s still Aphrodite’s daughter.

She stands at the side of the road, giving it a puzzled look.

<What is this, a landing strip? It’s too small for any decently sized ship. Maybe for a cargo drone?>

Her confusion isn’t helped by the arrival of a car, which stops next to the immortal teenager. She approaches the vehicle as the driver opens the car’s window.

<Hey kid. Did your car break or are you hitchhiking?> he asks.

<I don’t know what a “car” is, so definitely the latter. Can you tell me where is the nearest city?>

<Las Vegas is fifty miles from here. I’m going there if you want a ride.> the driver tells her, opening the door on the other side. Tyche is not entirely sold on this primitive vehicle, but she finds the situation amusing enough to indulge the mortal and get in the car.

<You’re lucky I found you! You could’ve met someone dangerous.>

<Luck is typically on my side. Why aren’t we moving? What are you waiting for?>

<The belt.> the driver tells her, causing Tyche to look at the one on her jeans.

<What’s wrong with it?>

<Put on the seatbelt> the driver insists, touching his own seatbelt. Tyche seems to understand, but then rips the seatbelt from the car with her bare hands, then attempts to wear it like a regular belt.

<I don’t like this style.> she says, discarding the seatbelt by breaking the window to throw it away.

<Jesus Christ!> the driver exclaims, hastily getting off the car. Tyche sighs, gets off the car and starts floating a few inches off the ground.

<Ugh, I swear to Grampa, you just can’t find good help anywhere these days. Where did you say this city was?> she asks, more annoyed than angry. The driver timidly points out the direction.

<Thank you for your assistance. Have a pleasant life, but not too pleasant.> Tyche tells him, beginning her flight towards Las Vegas.

 

An undisclosed location

Most people mistakenly believe the Global Defense Organization is part of the United Nations, but it’s actually an independent entity that answers to the governments that fund it.

Since Senator Todd Slate is part of the Subcommittee of Planetary Security, he’s one of the people responsible for funding the G.D.O. As such, he’s been granted access to one of their secret facilities, although he’s had to undergo several tests to make sure he hasn’t been taken over by an alien parasite or replaced by a shapeshifter: the G.D.O. prides itself on considering all possibilities, no matter how fantastic.

He’s allowed inside the cell of the most prized possession of the G.D.O., the Lar called Kylon who defected from the Winter Kingdom.

<Mister Kylon. Have you been briefed about me?> Todd asks, leaning against the wall and tucking himself inside his windbreaker. It’s freezing cold here, but Kylon is wearing only a white shirt, in addition to the bright orange pants of his prison uniform.

<Just Kylon, please. And yes, Senator Slate, I know who you are. You are one of the people who pay for the G.D.O., not to mention Null’s past lover and a survivor both of her battle with the Guild on Myridia and her victory against Tiamat.>

<And I have been told you’re not cooperating with the G.D.O. You promised to share information about Lar technology, but you refuse to translate the technical information contained inside the data device you brought with you. Why?>

<You could ask Null to translate them for you. It doesn’t take much to deduce that the G.D.O. considers her a threat. Which is not a bad deduction, mind you, but I defected the Winter Kingdom to swear allegiance to Earth. And correct me if I’m wrong, but Earth does include Null. So if the G.D.O. wants to change the terms of our agreement, I should be allowed to change mine.>

<You want something else in return for your cooperation. What is it?>

<Straight to the point, Senator? I can see what you have in common with Null. In that case, I’ll be direct too: release me from prison and I will share the technology. I didn’t leave my world to live the rest of my days in a cell.>

<You seriously think the G.D.O. would let you walk out of here just like that!?>

<I’m not that naïve, Senator, I know I’d be under constant surveillance and I’m okay with that. It would be a small price to pay for me, and your people would benefit immensely from what I can give you in return. Especially during an election year, if you know what I mean.>

<I won’t ask how you know this is an election year…>

<I’ve been told President Keen is decidedly anti-alien and would like the G.D.O. to execute me if given the slightest chance. They don’t let me watch me a lot of news, but I know a little of this and a little of that… like the fact that the President has no chance at being re-elected, thanks to how poorly he handled the invasion of the Winter King or the pandemic. The next President will be under tremendous pressure to deal with alien threats more decisively. As will your party, Senator.>

<You’re a real piece of work, Kylon. Just consider yourself lucky that Null has been vouching for you, and I know she wouldn’t without good reason. I’ll talk with the G.D.O. to see if we can come to an agreement, but it may take a while.>

<My lifespan is eight time longer than a human’s, Senator. I have all the time I need. But Earth shouldn’t take its independence from galactic matters for granted… sooner or later, someone will come for you when the Vanguard isn’t here. Don’t throw away the change to protect yourselves.>

<I assure you, Kylon, that I will give serious consideration to your proposal.> Todd Slate says, before leaving the cell.

 

Null Tower, New York City

When Noriko Null offered her a position as a manager at Null Technologies, Kari Zel was skeptical. But now she feel like she’s getting the hang of it: every major company operation must have her approval, something made much simpler by her use of duplicates.

Her powers are not public knowledge, although she hasn’t made much of an effort to hide them; she’s pretty sure most of the Tower’s staff has already figured it out.

She’s sitting at her desk in her office, surrounded by a dozen of her duplicates; everyone is busy reading reports or writing emails, made easier by the widespread use of holographic tablets.

When somebody knocks on her door, it’s a relief to gather her toughs as Kari absorbs all of her duplicates before saying:

<Come in!>

The last person Kari expected to see enters the room: Daren Bekker, Noriko’s current boyfriend and South African athlete. She barely knows him, in fact she didn’t even know he was in America.

<Sorry to bother you, miss Zel, but do you have a few minutes?>

<Sure, come in! And call me Kari, please, everybody does! How are you doing, Daren?>

<It’s been rough, but I’m happy the lockdown is finally over. It’s crazy, isn’t it? After we survived two alien invasions and the entire world literally freezing over, all it took to truly scare the entire planet was just a stupid virus!>

<Yeah. And according to Noriko, things would’ve been much worse if she hadn’t donated all those masks and ventilators. But I guess that has nothing to do with the reason you’re here, right?>

<Actually, Kari, it does. Now that she’s created a vaccine and things are starting to get back to normal, there’s still something off about Noriko. You’re one of her best friends, so I hoped…>

<Hold on: if it has anything to do with her sex life, she’s repeatedly made me swear to never try to get involved in any way!>

<No, we don’t have trouble in that area. But her birthday is coming up and…>

<Aah, okay, I get it. Let me guess: she doesn’t want to do anything special for it? Doesn’t even want to discuss it and immediately changes the subject?>

<Yes! How do you know?>

<Noriko has a… thing with her birthdays. Something crazy seems to happen every year. And I don’t think she likes to think about the day she was born, because, you know…>

<Because her mother abandoned her at birth? Yes, I know. I tried to talk with her about it, but…>

<Ooh, bad move, Daren. That could land you in a loooot of trouble with her, trust me!!!>

<I learned that the hard way.> Daren comments, looking away.

Part of Kari would like to know more about it, but considering how much Noriko has insisted on handling her relationships on her own, she decides to respect her friend’s wishes.

<Anyway, Kari… between the pandemic, the vaccine, her charity, her work at Null Technologies, the construction of Midgard City and her experiments… not to mention trying to heal from a brain tumor… I feel like Noriko needs a break. She feels she’s invincible, but she has to relax.>

<I couldn’t agree more! I’ve been telling her to relax for years. What do you have in mind?>

<Noriko never told me anything, and it feels weird to ask, but… you’re an alien, right?>

This surprises Kari. Despite her caring less and less about her secret, she didn’t expect Daren to be the kind of person to figure it out on his own.

<Kind of. Why do you ask?>

<There’s too much going on in the world for Noriko to truly disconnect her brain from everything, and I know you guys have a spaceship. Is there a planet where I can take Noriko for a vacation?>

<Oh my gods, Daren, that is a great idea! Yes, I do know the perfect place… we could all go to Myridia in secret, and she would finally visit it without turning it into a planetary event!>

<I take it you’ve been to this “Myridia” before, then?>

<Sit down, Daren, it’s about time someone brings you up to speed… there are a few million things you need to learn if we want to throw Noriko a birthday party on Myridia!>

 

Null Tower, New York City

Noriko Null yawns as she activates the holographic interface for her Covenant operatives. She’s been so focused on Earth lately that she hasn’t had the time to get enough updates on the status of the Galaxy… especially after spending so much time dealing with the Egyptians and the Eden.

Much to her displeasure, the first operative to respond is Ganos Lal, Supreme Pontiff of the Church of Null and a constant source of eyerolls for her.

<Lady Null! What a pleasant surprise! Have you received my messages?>

<Lal, I know I told you to ask my permission before making changes to the way the Church operates, but I didn’t mean twice a day for three months straight! What’s going on!?>

<There is great unrest in your congregation, Lady Null… your actions during the Egyptian War has pushed many of your faithful to create local churches that don’t follow your doctrine. Since you ordered me to avoid forcing our dogma against dissent…>

<Glad you hear you followed my advice…>

<…we have agreed to hold a formal council during the 24^th Null’s Day.>

<That’s what you wanted to talk to me about!? I’ve already told you a thousand times, Lal, I don’t want to be involved in theological discussions about a religion I never even wanted!>

<Then you won’t be attending the Council of Myridia, Lady Null?>

<Trust me, Lal, the last place I’ll be during my birthday is Myridia.>