Boreas, 30,000 light-years from Earth
From a human perspective, Lar society can look quite old-fashioned. Most people live in houses who have been property of the same family for thousands, maybe tens of thousands of years.
However, even such a stagnating culture is not frozen in time; individual families die out, and there is a frenzied market for houses that technically no longer belong to a single person.
One of those buildings has been rented, by a false name, to a very peculiar trio of dissidents.
Only one of them, Kylon, is native to this planet. The solar goddess Amaterasu is emanating enough heat to allow the human Liosthenes to ditch the heavy coat that allows him to survive in the sub-zero temperatures that the Lar find comfortable.
<Are you sure you’re okay with this? Seems warm for a Lar.> he asks Kylon.
<Yes, I am fine. This heat would kill anyone else from my species, but I was given the ability to thrive in human environments when I was Null’s lover.> he answers.
<Eww, gross. I don’t want to hear about that.> Amaterasu groans. She may have the body of an adult goddess, but she still has the mind of a child.
<I remember nothing from our relationship. That memory was taken to save my life.> he clarifies.
<Uh. I’ve heard that auntie has had little luck with boyfriends, but I didn’t think it was that bad!>
<“Auntie”?> Kylon repeats, raising an eyebrow.
<Amaterasu was created by combining one of Hekate’s dead bodies with genetic material from Null’s clone Viper.> Liosthenes explains.
<Interesting. So you are Null’s… daughter?>
<She prefers “niece”.> Amaterasu points out.
<Why the interest? You don’t seem the kind of guy who cares about gossip.> Liosthenes says.
<My people put great emphasis on the genealogy of their rulers, Athenian, and that is just a higher form of gossip. But if she is in any way related to Null, that would gather support for the people to sit on the Winter Throne.>
<Not this again.> Liosthenes rolls his eyes.
<Null was the former Ice Queen, and as Mortal Empress the last Winter King ruled as her vassal… when Athena dethroned her and installed Nike as new ruler, she was not accepted as the new legitimate sovereign. If we dethrone Nike, the Lar could be persuaded to accept Amaterasu on the Winter Throne.>
<But I don’t want to sit in a cold place. Or be queen or whatever.> Amaterasu protests.
<Null did not want to rule either.> Kylon reminds her.
<And look how well that turned out! No, our best chance is for Amaterasu to take down Nike: then the Winter Kingdom will be able to rule itself.> Liosthenes argues.
<A very Athenian way of thinking, believing that everyone wants democracy. Null’s failures tell us that if we simply take down a god with a plan on who will rule in its place, anarchy is the result.>
<I agree, but… we need someone to rule. The current Winter King is a brain damaged puppet, and the Lar people won’t choose their own leader… that’s been the one consistent thing they’ve done ever since Null showed up on the galactic stage. So we’re stalled.> Liosthenes admits.
<Can’t we do both?> Amaterasu asks.
<Both what? We can’t have a monarchy and a democracy at the same time.> Kylon answers.
<You can if everyone is king. Then everyone will rule everyone else and it won’t matter!>
The Lar and the human stare at each other for a full ten seconds.
<That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard.> they both comment.
<I thought it was clever.> Amaterasu pouts.
United states of America, Earth
Lake Erie Community Park, Pennsylvania
Even with the planet under new management, life goes on: people are still going on vacation whenever they can. Without a reason to suspect anything unusual, nobody paid much attention to the ordinary-looking car parked next to the others.
Two of the passengers, an Asian man and a white woman, were utterly unremarkable. In another context, perhaps the man covering himself with heavy clothing despite the mild climate could have drawn some curiosity, but the trio left sight so quickly there was no danger.
Had they suspected that the car includes the most sophisticated cloaking technology on the planet, shielding it from every known scanner known in this Galaxy, or that “man” is actually a poorly disguised Nullbot, things would have been different.
The two people accompanying it, Shinobu Tanaka and Ganos Lal, are more focused on finding any sign that could identify the secret entrance to the Junkyard.
After hiking away from the park, they approach the shore of the lake, a few feet away from a relief too low to be considered a hill.
<We have reached our destination.> O.D.I.N. informs them, speaking through the body of the Nullbot currently housing its programming.
<Are you sure? There is nothing here.> Shinobu says, turning around.
<42° 1’45.95″ North, 80°21’19.34″ West. The exact coordinates provided by Mr. Slate.>
<Perhaps there’s a hidden entrance?> Ganos Lal proposes, approaching the trees to look for something. Without any idea of what she’s supposed to find.
<I am standing at the exact coordinates provided.> O.D.I.N. repeats.
<There is nothing here.> Shinobu protests, even picking up a tiny rock and throwing it into the lake to prove his point.
<Nevertheless, I am being pinged.>
<What does that mean? I am… unfamiliar with that word.> Shinobu admits.
<It’s a software utility. All Nullbots use it to identify the presence of another unit; I am being sent a request to identify myself.>
<Don’t do it! This could be a trap!> Ganos Lal intervenes.
<That is not possible, a standard Nullbot is incapable of ignoring a ping request; it’s a security feature to avoid infiltration by a hostile force. Only special stealth units lack this feature, and the body I am using is not one of them.> O.D.I.N. explains.
<So there’s another Nullbot around here? Perhaps the Junkyard is an underground base?> Shinobu wonders, looking at the ground.
<Negative. I have received confirmation there is a Nullbot three meters in that direction.> the artificial intelligence answers, pointing at the lake. Right where Shinobu threw the rock.
<Maybe the Junkyard is invisible?> Ganos Lal wonders.
<Partially correct. I believe it is dimensionally shifted; mistress Null discovered Lar technology capable of doing this years ago. It is not unthinkable that she replicated it for her own purposes.>
<Well then ask your brethren to give us access to the Junkyard!> Shinobu proposes.
<Already did. Response reads: “Access denied without authorization level Beta-3 or higher”.>
<You ran Noriko’s empire; don’t you have the highest authorization?>
<I do not. Mistress Null is very concerned about the danger an artificial intelligence such as myself could be reprogrammed by a hostile force. I am not aware of what authorization level Beta-3 entails, but I am not included within it.>
<Can the other Nullbot hear us?> Ganos Lal asks.
<Response reads: “Please identify yourself”.>
<Ganos Lal, First Pontiff of the Universal Church Of Null.>
<Response reads: “Subject identified, authorization level Epsilon-7. Access denied.”>
<Shinobu Tanaka.> the other potential visitor attempts.
<Response reads: “Subject identified, authorization level Beta-1. Codename required for access.”>
<Black Knight.>
<Response reads: “Incorrect. Access denied.”>
<Black Knight of the Empire of Shadows.>
<Response reads: “Incorrect. Access denied.”>
<This is absurd. I do not have any other name… hmm. Given our history, it would be unwise for Noriko to grant me unsupervised access to her secret facility. If I am supposed to get here only with her explicit permission… and she’s the only one to use a specific name for me. One she knows personally irritates me.> Shinobu realizes.
He gets next to O.D.I.N.’s Nullbot, puts a hand on his shoulder and with unnecessary gravitas says:
<“Ninja Guy”.>
<Response reads: “Access granted.”> O.D.I.N. informs him, but it was already clear by something seemingly materializing out of thin air.
They are facing the door of an enormous structure, a sheer metallic cube the size of a football stadium, which was just made accessible from three-dimensional space.
The door that opens reveals the presence of a Nullbot that announces:
<The Junkyard is open, Ninja Guy. Other visitors are permitted to enter only under strict supervision; do not touch anything, attempt any recording or transmission: the Junkyard is fully authorized to use lethal force.>
<I think we’re past trying to keep this place a secret.> Ganos Lal says, tilting her head to appreciate the sheer scale of what just appeared.
Washington D.C, captain’s office on the HDS Pandrosos
Sitting at his desk in a room adjacent to the bridge Antigonus, current Governor-General of Earth, is busy reading reports he received from all over the planet.
His agents, and the local collaborators, have been quite busy lately. Tomorrow will be Nullmas… the celebration of the birth of Null by her church… and he’s certain that her followers will attempt something, even if there aren’t that many on Earth.
He’s shaken when he receives an urgent call, one he simply cannot ignore. He hurries to make himself slightly more presentable before a hologram of his goddess appears before him.
<Your Highness.> he says to the hologram of Athena, standing at attention.
<Governor-General. I have been informed that you wished to speak to me.>
<Yes, Your Highness. I have reason to believe that Vice President Todd Slate, the former…>
<I know who he is. And I know you want me to order his arrest, which I won’t.>
<But Lady Athena… I don’t wish to question your wisdom, but I am reasonably sure that he is working with other high-level targets to incite a rebellion.>
<Which I why I want him alive. A rebellion that acts out is easier to crush than one festering in the darkness. You also wished to discuss the local agency you established?>
<The Alien Deportation Enforcement, yes. There has been… significant resistance to their methods from the locals. If I could be allowed to restrict how the local media reports the news, to shape the framing of the situation, they could be led to accept the deportations.>
<You will do no such thing, Governor-General. If I act as the benevolent goddess that I am, the citizens of Earth will eventually accept the order brought to their lives. Speaking of deportations, what is the progress?>
<We estimate to have captured 95% of off-world immigrants. Asking permission for Phase 2.>
<Not yet, Governor-General. Earth is severely overpopulated, especially for such a primitive world, but starting the forced migration too soon would weaken support. Let us wait one or two decades, then we will displace a billion inhabitants per decade throughout the Galaxy.>
<Understood. However, the local birth rate could cause delays to the program… I suggest initiating a program to reduce it.>
<Good idea, Governor-General. Let us start to introduce into their food supply enough chemicals to make 1% of the population sterile; we’ll verify later if this needs to be increased. Is this all?>
<Yes, Your Highness, that was…>
<Governor-General!!!> the First Officer barges in, only to notice the hologram of Athena and immediately stand at attention.
<It appears that was not all. What is it, loyal citizen?> Athena asks.
<Sensors have picked up a transdimensional shift field. Similar to Lar technology, but far more advanced.> the First Officer explains, showing a hologram of the giant cube that appeared on Lake Erie minutes ago.
<Null. Take your ship to that location, Governor-General, and do not allow anyone or anything to leave that place. At least until my arrival.>
<You are… coming to Earth, Lady Athena?>
<Either Null is responsible for this, or her allies are, or she will soon be aware of it. In any case, the possibility of her involvement is very high… and it is time that I meet my former protégé again.>
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