The White House, Washington D.C.
Max Black a.k.a. Quantum has been here a couple of times, but mostly he leaves this kind of work to Noriko or Kari. But he can’t refuse an invitation coming from the President himself… and he can’t exactly blame President Warden for asking the Vanguard’s help.
<I demand immediate action from Null, President Warden. I have already received reports that Harmonia has passed the Republic’s border with her sector.> President Aura explains. The hologram of the seven feet tall woman stands proudly before the Resolute Desk, paying no attention to Quantum.
<I’m sorry, President Aura, but I don’t see what you want me to do.> the President replies.
<Isn’t Null one of your subjects? I have been informed that she has citizenship of your States of United America, is that not correct?>
<United States of America.>
<Well then, order her to kill Harmonia before she proceeds any further.>
<President Aura… first of all miss Null is a private citizen, I can’t give her orders. And second, we are not at war with this Harmonia.>
<She is headed towards Earth. She has already taken over a sizeable portion of the Galaxy, a single world would be powerless to stop her. Unless you employ the Slayer of Gods.>
<I will consult with Null and take her under consideration. However I would prefer, President Aura, if next time you would go through the proper chain of command and instruct your ambassador to…>
<Let me be frank, little man.> Aura interrupts him, getting closer to look down on him from her considerable height.
<I am the commander in chief of the greatest military force to ever serve a mortal. Your world is a backwater enclave that has barely discovered how insignificant it is: the only reason your planet is of any importance is that Null was born on your soil. It would be wise to side with me first and worry about Null later.>
<Isn’t your term nearly over without chances of re-election?> Quantum reminds her.
Aura looks at him with the utmost disdain, then issues her ultimatum to President Warden:
<Deal with Harmonia before she can attack the Mortal Republic. Otherwise I will hold Earth directly responsible.>
Without waiting for an answer, she disconnects the hologram. Both the politician and the superhero breathe a sigh of relief at the same time.
<This Aura is quite a character.> the President comments.
<Yeah. She’s always been a bit of a problem… I guess that’s what happens when a former space pirate gets so much power.>
<Thank you for answering my call so quickly, mister Quantum.>
<Anytime, mister President.>
<I would still like miss Null to give my administration everything she has on this Harmonia. As part of her agreement with the Global Defense Organization, she is supposed to give all information available on potential threats to Earth.>
<With all due respect, mister President, I don’t think that’s how it works…>
<She wrote the agreement herself.>
<Oh. Now that I think about it she gave me a copy, but I couldn’t understand a word of it.>
<Mister Quantum… I want to be honest with you: both the Global Defense Organization and the United Nations are expressing serious doubts about miss Null. The fact that she doesn’t have to answer to anybody is considered… problematic by many heads of state.>
<Including you, sir?>
<Young man, when I took the oath of office I thought I was accepting the hardest job in the world. Then I learned what the Vanguard really does for a living. I have no doubts that Null has the interests of Earth at heart… I’m not President Keen.>
<I sense a “but” coming.>
<But my faith in her can only go so far. Answer me sincerely: is Null ready to stop Harmonia?>
<With all due respect, mister President, I think the right question to ask is… does anyone else have a chance?>
The Mindscape
The simulation of Noriko Null’s body opens her eyes. But instead of her silver iris, her eyelids uncover an endless field of stars.
<I think I get it now.> she says, her voice resonating with the Monk’s.
Her body seems to lose definition. She’s floating in the middle of a white blank space, and her image begins to look like a low quality video.
<Stay still. This is a crucial moment.> Torn tells her. His consciousness is projected into the Mindscape; he’s operating with scalpels of Blood energy on Noriko’s head, which is leaving the Nexus exposed. Or at least in this metaphoric simulation.
<Everything is connected. Everything is entangled in a universe-spanning web of information flow.> Noriko comments, staring into the distance and acting intoxicated.
<Stay with me, Null. Don’t lose yourself.> the Demon warns her.
<It’s not just New Age mumbo jumbo. Everything really is connected; can’t you see it?> she asks, grasping at imaginary strings before her eyes.
<Of course. The Blood links all living beings. That’s how I’m able to connect your soul to the Monk’s and allow you to…>
<No no no, it’s much deeper than that. There’s something embedded in the fabric of the universe. A web of entangled particles that allows universal flow of information.> she says, moving away from Torn. And the simulation changes to show what seems to be a negative image of a field of stars.
Except, at further examination, these are not stars. They are entire galaxies.
<Null, it’s getting difficult to maintain my connection to your soul. I don’t think we are supposed to be able to see this.> Torn warns her; his own image is rapidly dissolving into a mass of red pixels.
Undeterred, Noriko moves towards the image, reaching for it.
<Hello, you beautiful thing. I have seen you before, haven’t I?>
<N~ll, we ~~ve to ~top~> Torn continues to warn her, but his simulation vanishes as a mechanical voice resonates in Noriko’s mind:
“Runtime error. Connection unsafe. Failure condition: insufficient host processing power. Error code ▼52▲♦357391787◙3‡8896■►2 ▌4►▲◊A44. Connection halted to prevent host total existence failure. Wetware systems will restart in…”
<Override. Password “are you kidding me, it’s that simple”.> Noriko interrupts.
“Superuser iamnull recognized. System restart aborted.>
<I really should get around changing that stupid password…>
“Connection established. Cosmic Background Network online.>
Noriko Null can’t believe her eyes. Even her enhanced brain is struggling to grasp the extent of what she is witnessing… a negative image of the entire universe.
And growing around her, casting shadows larger than galaxy clusters, are twelve shadows with shining golden eyes.
<The □♦‡╤ has exceeded her parameters.> one of them says.
<Remarkable. She is not ►◙♦╚◙►₪ enough to ■╪▲‡• the network.>
<The ghosts of the original Drylon hosts. It’s been a while.> Noriko says, trying to conceal her awe at their presence. They don’t seem to care one way or the other.
<She is the □♦‡╤ called Null.>
<Is she still ▲╚▌◙►?>
<I very much am. So… is this really what I think it is?> Noriko asks, staring at the Network.
<She thinks. How ◙►╪◄ droll.> one of the ghosts snickers.
<What do you ╤□▌‡ is, Null?> another asks. She can’t really differentiate between them, but at least one of them seems to consider her worthy of a conversation.
<Well… I know of the Cosmic Microwave Background: the echo of the Big Bang, a faint radioactive field that fills the entire universe. This is something similar, right? But it’s not radiation… it’s a network of particles in quantum entanglement.>
<A very simple ▲••╪♦◊▌║▲╤▌♦╣ but quite correct.>
<In three-dimensional ╚▌╣►▲╪ space, perhaps.>
<I think… I think the Monk sensed it. He devoted so much time, and so much of the Nexus, to analyze his own mind and soul, that he became aware of the tiniest bit of interference. These particles can interact with regular matter, isn’t it? They can transmit information. And since the entire network is entangled… my God, this thing is connected to the entire universe. Is this… is this the Drylon Internet!?>
<She still does not ■╪▲‡• the network.>
<The technical aspect? Maybe not yet. But the implications… why did you even need the Nexus if you had this kind of technology? Unless… unless the network can only be used to transmit information, but you need something else to write or read. It’s not the Internet… it’s a wire. A phone wire the size of the entire universe.>
<Maybe she can ■╪▲‡• after all.>
<I did wonder if the Nexus’ ability to absorb information was in any way related to the Blood, or to the Monk’s Soul Control… I guess it is. They’re all different ways to access the Cosmic Background Network, at various levels of…>
The simulation begins to falter, as Noriko’s mind struggles to operate at this enhanced level for too long. But she does manage to notice something that feels important.
<You’re missing a galaxy, aren’t you? When I became aware of the location of all your missing tech, there was one in a very distant galaxy… and I don’t see it in the network. What are you hiding in there?>
<She cannot be allowed to go to the Ͻ►╚►‡╤▌▲╚ galaxy.>
<She must be warned. She risks alerting □►▲◙►╣ itself.>
<But it could be an opportunity. She might ‡▼ϽϽ►►₪ where we ╒▲▌╚►₪.>
<We are the Drylon. We never ╒▲▌╚►₪.>
<Uhm, guys? What are you talking about? You sound… are you scared of something!?>
<◄♦▼ Ͻ▲╣╣♦╤ Ͻ♦║•╪►□►╣₪ ╤□► ₪▲╣■►╪>
<Yeah I think you~~ lost me. I don’t thi~~ I can ke~~ this up.> she replies to the incomprehensible thoughts of the Drylon, and the simulation ends.
Asgard Station, Null Zone
Noriko stands up from the medical bed, not minding the various sensors applied to her body; it’s so sudden to take both Kylon and Asclepius by surprise.
<It’s all clear now! Vacuum zero-point energy doesn’t feed inflation! The cosmological principle is wrong!> she exclaims, pacing back and forth with manic energy and breathing faster.
<Null, calm down, you’re hyperventilating.> Asclepius warns her.
<The universe is an anisotropic membrane of higher dimensional space! Baryon asymmetry is why can’t I feel my face anymore?> she wonders; she would fall to the ground if Kylon didn’t catch her.
<Noriko, talk to me. What are you seeing?>
She’s not looking at him. Her pupils are dilated and she’s slurring her speech.
<Nanowave pulsar salad division neutral flow, arc plasma blue bye bye neon quantum cheesecake?> she asks Kylon, who admits:
<I have no idea what you’re saying. What’s going on?> he asks Asclepius.
<Some kind of speech condition. She seems to be overwhelmed by so much information that her brain can’t keep up.> the medicine god hypothesizes.
<Constant amber exhort whales fluffy shackle…> she continues to ramble, shutting up only when Kylon kisses her. She seems to calm down, as her eyes turn to their natural brown and her heartrate slows down, and she slowly reciprocates the kiss.
<Should I leave you two alone?> Asclepius asks.
<It’s okay. Thanks, I needed something to bring me back to reality, but I’m fish now.>
<What?> Kylon asks.
<I said I’m fine.>
<Did it work?>
<Absorbent. Gobble the Virgil and alert the Global Cupcake Orgasm, we have a dog to kill.>
<Uhm…>
<One second bought, maybe I’ll lay downwards for a bed minute…> she concedes.
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