Beyond The Impossible

Erebus, Throne Of Hades

Hades sits down alone, in darkness, as he always prefers. For the first time in eons, he can feel there are living mortals on the planet… although it’s much easier to hear his wife’s voice.

<Just let me talk, okay? Have some f##king respect for the place.> Persephone whispers; to say that she doesn’t often lower her voice would be an understatement.

Hades doesn’t mind his companion’s bombastic ways, but he treats his throne room very seriously.

It’s every bit as ostentatious as any other divine seat of power, even though he goes for a completely different style from most of his family. Whereas they prefer to cover everything in sight with gold and neutral matter, Hades opts for a more gothic style.

The hallway is half a mile long, with the ebony black floor made of marble reflecting the light coming out of the numerous paintings… all of which only show a live fire, and that are actually paper-thin screens projecting the same video on a constant loop.

Adorning the place are a great number of marble statues, all of which depict a wide variety of mortals from different species and millennia, depicted in the very last moment before they die.

The throne itself is made of skulls and bones fused together, and it emits a faint sickly green glow.

Unlike the throne of Ares, however, these are just an artistic representation and not actual mortal remains… unlike the god of war, the King of the Underworld has the utmost respect for the dead.

Slightly elevated from the ground, it makes the already imposing 7 feet tall god even more intimidating to visitors. He’s completely covered by a dark grey cloak; only the hands are visible, wrapped with black wraps. The face under the hood remains engulfed in eternal darkness.

<I didn’t authorize any visitors.> he says. In the vast echoing hallway, even his soft spoken voice is clearly audible.

<Dear husband…> Persephone begins to explain, but she’s cut off mid-sentence.

<I told them to get a ticket.> Charon interrupts her.

<And I told you to keep your f##king mouth shut!> Persephone shouts at the cloaked skeleton with eyes made of fire.

<But it’s the truth! I shouldn’t allow living people without a ticket to get into the Underworld!>

Kylon tries to keep a straight face as the two gods bicker, when he feels a chill down his spine. As a Lar it would take a lot to make him feel cold, but he only has to look at Hades to feel like freezing.

<You are Kylon of Megales, advisor to the Slayer of Gods.>

<Y-yes, I am. Honestly I’m surprised you know me.> he admits.

<I know everybody. It’s my job to know the living to make arrangements for the dead.>

<I didn’t say you were allowed to talk, Ice D#ck, and I’m the boss here! Now Hades, you see these mortals were running around our…> Persephone says, stopping once Hades lifts a finger.

Not because of the gesture, but because at that moment her mouth simply disappears. As she tries to mumble something through the block of flesh that has replaced her lips, Hades stands up.

<Just give us a moment.> he says to Kylon, then moves towards Persephone. In her anger her body glows green; she seems to be ready to strike her husband, but as his shadow lurks above her she suddenly restrains herself.

<We’ve talked about this, dear: not in the throne room, and not when I’m working. We will have none of your hysterics on the job, understand? This the Underworld, not Olympus: we act professionally around here. Are we in agreement?>

Persephone nods nervously, and Hades calmly sits down again.

<Good. Please leave us alone.> he orders, restoring Persephone’s mouth with a gesture.

<As you wish. Come on, let’s go, I did say you needed a ticket!> Charon tells Kylon.

<Leave the mortal and the corpse.> Hades clarifies.

Persephone disappears with an explosion of green light, very loud but harmless, while Charon just lazily and slowly hovers towards the other end of the throne room.

Left alone with the King of the Underworld, Kylon clears his throat and asks:

<Is she going to be alright? We have a spaceship in orbit, I hope she’s not going to do something reckless.>

<You mean stupid, and of course she is. That’s why I love her. But do not worry, she’ll blow up a couple of planets and get it out of her system. Now, let’s see what you brought me.> Hades says. The casket that Charon moved all the way from the ship vanishes into thin air, and the dead body of Noriko Null floats before the throne.

<Do you know how many gods wish to have the head of the Slayer mounted on a wall?>

<Well…>

<It’s a lot.>

<Look, Lord Hades, I’m not going to sugarcoat it: you know why I’m here, don’t you?>

<There are only so many reasons anyone ever visits me. Gods only want me to support this or that war, this or that claim to whatever realm or spouse they fancy. And mortals either wish to talk to a dead person, or they want me to resurrect one. Well, except that one demigod who insisted on fighting my dog… that was weird. Pretty sure it was one of the Zeus kids. But this? You want me to raise Noriko Null from the dead.>

<I do. I know your sister Vesta speaks highly of you, and Null considered you one of her allies.>

<With her intelligence? I doubt it, she is not that naïve. I do admit a certain amount of fondness for the child, but please understand: she is the murderer of my sister Demeter. And as much as my wife detested her mother, she was still family. Publicly endorsing Null would carry huge diplomatic risks for me, and resurrecting someone is indeed a very overt way to show support. The interests of my kingdom must take precedence over my personal choices.>

Kylon is taken aback; he knew Hades was different from most Olympian gods, but he didn’t expect such a discussion would be necessary.

<The Galaxy doesn’t know she’s really dead. There’s no reason for this resurrection to be public.>

<Enough gods know. The risk doesn’t match the reward.>

<Maybe this will make you change your mind.> Kylon says, pressing a button on a device hidden in his pockets. And when nothing happens, he presses it again and again.

<Are you trying to teleport someone here without my permission?>

<Hmm… yes?>

<How amusing. I’ll allow it.> Hades concedes, suppressing a chuckle. While teleportation is still blocked by his power, he takes care of the exchange himself: instead of being accompanied by the usual bright light, the transport happens through a thick cloud of darkness.

Two men appear in the throne room: a Japanese man holding a dagger pointed at the throat of the second guest, a black man with his arms tied behind his back.

<Shinobu Tanaka and Vector Oxyartes. If you are planning to offer them in sacrifice, that’s not how we do things around here. Not anymore.>

Shinobu chokes up: he knows what the answer should be, having arranged a response with Kylon before they left the ship. But unlike the Lar, the human isn’t accustomed to facing a god like Hades.

<Persephone told us the exchange must be voluntary. Vector is willing to offer his own life in exchange for the resurrection of Noriko Null.> Kylon intervenes.

<I said no such thing! Who are you people? Where am I!?> Vector protests; his attempt to break free are enough to shake Shinobu back to reality, and he carries out his duties by stabbing his back.

Hades seems to be intrigued by this development, but he limits to tilt his head and watch.

<You have two options. If you offer your life, Hades will end it painlessly. Refuse and I will kill you myself, very slowly. And I have been trained extensively on how to hurt people.> Shinobu reminds him, stabbing Vector once more and twisting the knife to maximize pain.

<Null certainly keeps an interesting company. But as entertaining as this is, like I said…>

<Let me go, you primitive savages! I’m under the protection of Athena!> Vector protests.

Shinobu tries to stab him again, but his knife turns into dust as Hades stands up from his throne.

<What did you just say!?>

<I serve Athena! You can’t do this to me!>

<I thought you worked for the Ice Queen. Didn’t you use to be a member of the Zenith?> Kylon asks, surprised as much as Hades by the development.

<Yes, we all serve Athena! She won’t allow any harm to come to the greatest cyberneticist the universe has ever known!> Vector cries out.

<Athena has denied her involvement with the Zenith for thousands of years; nobody has ever been able to provide tangible proof. Are you willing to testify about your claims?>

<Anything! I’ll say anything but don’t kill me! I’m too brilliant to die!> Vector begs, to the point of dropping to the floor and prostrating before the god. It works enough to have his wounds healed.

<I thought he was supposed to be a ruthless terrorist. He’s just a pathetic little man.> Shinobu says.

<This changes everything: his testimony is of immense value to me. I will resurrect the Slayer of Gods, Kylon of Megales, but Vector is more valuable to me alive than dead.>

<Then take my life. I’m willing to make the sacrifice.> the Lar declares.

<The American girl on the ship, Jane, also volunteered. You are more valuable than her; you don’t have to do this.> Shinobu reminds him.

<I gave my word I would resurrect Null. She would never agree that one life is worth more than another, and I won’t force that sacrifice on her. I am ready, Hades. Do what you must.>

<Very well. Do you, Kylon of Megales, accept to give your life to Noriko Null of Earth?>

<I do.>

<SO BE IT.> Hades orders, raising his hands. Kylon’s body and Noriko’s corpse glow ominously, as both are now lifted in the air. A stream of energy leaves the Lar and moves straight towards the girl, and Kylon distinctly feels his life draining away.

<May life, source of all ills, flow from this vessel into the dead whose time has passed; grant her a reprieve from the eternal silence and quiet that heals all wounds, and grant this guest of my kingdom a new…> Hades recites, stopping abruptly. The energy is still flowing, but he hesitates.

<Something is wrong.> he notices.

 

Nowhere

Noriko Null feels her simulation being assembled once again; by this point she doesn’t find the situation strange. She’s completely alone in an endless void, facing only a glowing infinity sign the size of a computer screen… and appropriately enough, there’s a keyboard right below it.

<Automatic system recovery initiated. New superuser recognized. Provide identification.> she hears the symbol say, using her own voice.

<I am Null.> she replies.

<Username iamnull accepted. Select password.>

<Are you kidding me!? It’s THAT simple!?>

<Password areyoukiddingmeitsthatsimple accepted. Superuser iamnull logged in. Please select command.>

<What are you? And what “commands” are you talking about?>

<This is the Nexus operating system. There are 79.42 trillion available commands. Display list?>

<Maybe some other time. Did the Drylon hosts upload me here?>

<Data not found.>

<Did a previous host access this place? Before me, I mean.>

<Last superuser access recorded 5 billion 38 million 19 thousand 747 years before present day.>

<Really. What did they do?>

<Data not found.>

<Of course. How do I get back to my body?>

<Host wetware reinitialization available with full administrator access.>

<And let me guess, I don’t have that kind of access?>

<Incorrect statement. Full administrator access is available upon request to all superusers.>

<Explain what “full administrator access” means.>

<Full administrator access unlocks full range of Nexus control. Warning: some restrictions may apply to lower lifeforms to prevent total existence failure.>

<You mean I just need to ask full access and you can give it to me? Just like that!?>

<Correct statement.>

<And there are no repercussions for this?>

<Data not found.>

<Well… I suppose there’s no worse repercussion than being dead, so I don’t have much to lose anyway. If I understand your weird syntax correctly, it should go like this… Superuser iamnull requests full administrator access for host wetware reinitialization.>

<Password required.>

<Are you kidding me, it’s that simple.> Noriko responds, followed with a frustrated sigh.

<Full administrator access granted to superuser iamnull. Wetware reinitialized.>

 

Erebus, Throne Of Hades

Noriko Null opens her eyes, facing an extremely confused Hades: the process is not complete yet, so as far as he’s concerned she should still be dead.

He stops draining the life from Kylon because he simply has to: the transfer has suddenly reversed, as if suddenly she was the one in charge.

<Null?> the King of the Underworld calls her name.

<So much more than that.> she answers, her voice sore when coming out of traumatized vocal chords. It’s something that makes even Hades uncomfortable, as her silver eyes begin shining.