Beyond The Impossible

Midgard City, Antarctica

The Vanguard appears on the roof of the Imperial Palace; most of them seem completely taken by surprise by their new location.

<What just happened? I was fighting Despoina! Who teleported us?> Vesta asks, looking around.

<Skorpios.> Torn answers.

<Is she on our side or not? I honestly lost track.> Quantum admits.

<She’s no longer allied with Ulysses. Other than that, time will tell.> the Demon elaborates.

<Forget about her, what’s this about your father showing up and killing a god!?> Kari wonders.

<Am I the only one who’s missing something?> Quantum asks to Vesta.

<I’m as lost as you are.> the goddess admits.

<My father didn’t kill Proteus, I would’ve felt his death. And his involvement is a surprise to me as much as it was to you.>

<I wouldn’t be so sure about that.> Kari comments.

Just then, the Portal Generator deposits another two people on the roof: Noriko Null and Kari Zel, with the latter creating two duplicates to passionately hug his wife Kari.

Noriko doesn’t get many chances to be this surprised, but she doesn’t hide her confusion.

<I thought O.D.I.N. was malfunctioning when it told me you guys were here. What the heck!?>

<It’s a long story. First off… hypothetically speaking, how mad would you be if we lost the Ragnarok in another galaxy?> Kari asks.

 

N-01 Ragnarok, Aegian Galaxy

Skorpios is pacing back on forth on the bridge of the warship, still mad for being manipulated by Ulysses for all those years.

Her first instinct would be to launch a rescue mission to recover Roxiana from his clutches: she’s technically still her direct superior.

But Ulysses said he was going to take her to Atlantis, and even Skorpios is not deluded enough to believe she can take on Poseidon on her own.

Normally her mere presence would’ve set off a series of alarms, but the ship is still incapacitated by a virus uploaded by Ulysses. Skorpios is not foolish enough to interface her cybernetic systems with something like that, and she lacks the technical knowledge to get around it.

She wonders if keeping the ship was a smart choice. She’s moved it to a different solar system, so the vassals of Poseidon won’t be able to find her anytime soon, but it’s still a massive target.

Her paranoia is quickly proven right when she senses an approaching ship.

The Ragnarok’s sensors are still not working, but she doesn’t need them: her Drylon device allows her to feel any artificial change in spacetime, and any faster-than-light technology is like fingernails on a blackboard to her ears.

She even feels the effects of a teleporter before the people boarding the ship have materialized.

<Uhm. Not Siren technology.> she recognizes just as she’s surrounded by the six people who appeared on the bridge.

Or rather the merfolk: these are mermen and mermaids, wearing breathing masks supplying water into their mouths and antigravity belts that keep their tails from touching the ground.

<No sudden moves! Hands where we can see them!> one of the mermen threatens, pointing a laser-pointed harpoon at her.

<Not in the mood.> Skorpios replies bluntly, and her would-be captors find themselves holding nothing as their weapons have been teleported away.

<If you don’t wish your organs to make the same journey, tell me how you…> Skorpios begins to ask, but she stops when her clothes are suddenly made of solid steel.

<How we found you? I assume you didn’t find the tracker.> one of the mermen asks, floating towards her. He makes a gesture towards his men, and they scuttle away to give them space.

<My name is Kestral, leader of Atlantis Uprising. Can I trust you to take back that threat to my people, or do I have to transmute your brains into salt?>

<You can. But if they point another weapon at me, we’ll see if you can swim on a star.>

<It’s a deal.> Kestral nods, and Skorpios finds herself able to move again.

<The tracker doesn’t use the same frequency I was given by Null, so I assume she didn’t send the signal. And I don’t see any of her regular associates anywhere.> Kestral says.

<Roxiana. She briefly transmitted her mind into this ship when we captured the Vanguard; she must’ve been the one to send the signal. She always has a failsafe.> Skorpios reasons.

<Roxiana as in the Angel of Death? Leader of the Zenith!?> a mermaid exclaims; she’s the only one to stay near Kestral. He then orders her:

<Check the logs and do a full sensor sweep, we need to make sure either she or Ulysses didn’t leave any additional trackers behind. Then bring the ship somewhere secure.>

<You won’t be able to do that, the ship is crippled. Unless you have someone as smart as a Nexus host to repair it.>

<I don’t have that luxury, but this is not the first time we take this ship. Myrrinha?> Kestral calls.

<On it, boss.> the mermaid answers, and her eyes turn completely white.

<Myrrinha’s Drylon device allows her to control any computer. She’ll fix the ship in no time.> Kestral informs Skorpios.

<An useful power. I’m sure Roxiana would’ve recruited her into the Zenith if she knew about her.>

<She did. The message sent by the tracker specifically asked for her presence… I’m guessing there are many thing Roxiana didn’t tell you about.> Kestral reveals.

<All done. There are no trackers active, we can take the ship for ourselves.> Myrrinha announces, her eyes returning to normal.

<You also worked with Roxiana?> Skorpios asks.

<She contacted us a few weeks ago, proposing to merge the Zenith and Atlantis Uprising.>

<And you refused?>

<Of course we did! We don’t target civilians!> Myrrinha intervenes.

<Even if they worship and aid the gods? Then you are fools.> Skorpios coldly replies.

<Our methods are different, Skorpios, but we share a goal with the Zenith: end divine rule in this Galaxy. Or at least we thought that was the goal… but Roxiana doesn’t really care about any of that, isn’t it? That’s the one thing I couldn’t figure out about her. What does she want?> Kestral asks.

Skorpios is skeptical. She’s had enough of seemingly sympathetic leaders manipulating her, but she doesn’t have anyone else to rely on… she can’t be picky on allies.

<Knowledge. She’s motivated by knowledge of the past. Joining the Zenith in her previous life and taking it over after her resurrection were just stepping stones to learning some greater mystery; which one, I do not know. Who knows what she will do with her next life.>

<What are you talking about? Is she dead?>

<She will be soon. Ulysses intends to sacrifice her to Poseidon and open the Gate to Heaven.>

<I don’t know what that is, but it sounds bad.> Myrrinha comments.

<It is. From what I understand, the only way to stop that would be taking Roxiana from Atlantis… but it would take a miracle to pull that off.> Skorpios replies.

<A miracle, uhm? I think I know a girl who specializes in those.> Kestrak says.

 

Null Tower, Midgard City, Antarctica

The Vanguard has assembled in the Operations Room; everyone is sitting at the round table, except Noriko who is standing up in front of a holographic chart of all the people she’s mentioning.

<Alright, here’s where we are now. Roxiana reactivated the Ithaca ship to send us a signal to follow, leading us into a trap. Except Ulysses used that trap to capture all of you, as well as Skorpios. Turns out he stuck a deal with the vassals of Poseidon: they would deliver the hostages and access to Heaven, in return for a pardon for Ulysses and various personal advantages. But since you guys broke free, Ulysses just ditched their entire alliance and took Roxiana to Atlantis himself. Oh, and he’s working with Torn’s father for some reason. Am I missing something?>

<When you put it like that, the situation almost makes sense.> Quantum comments.

<Since when does your father know Ulysses and since when is he that powerful?> Vesta asks Torn.

<From what I learned recently, he’s known Ulysses for a couple centuries. And he wasn’t like that the last time I saw him, seventy years ago.> the Demon answers.

<How freaking old is your dad?> Quantum wonders.

<Three hundred and four.>

<There’s one thing I don’t get…> Kari says.

<Just one?> Quantum says, ignored by the others.

<There’s no way around it: Ulysses beat us. There was nothing stopping him from delivering us to Poseidon if that was his plan, so why did he just wait around?> Kari continues.

<I’m afraid Ulysses never really cared for the Vanguard. He was just using you as bait… he was waiting for me to try rescuing you. Poseidon’s vassals were there to keep guard.> Noriko reasons.

<What makes you think that?> Vesta asks.

<Roxiana can’t open the Gate of Heaven. Ulysses needs me for that.>

<Wait, I thought the only way to open the Gate was by using the Key of Heaven. Didn’t you get rid of that thing?> Quantum asks.

<Well… technically I did, but…>

<You kept the Key!? That was the deal with the Primordials to save the Galaxy!> Vesta protests.

<I followed the deal to the letter, getting rid of the Key. The Primordials never said I couldn’t get it back afterwards.>

<Jesus Christ, Noriko, this kind of crap is why half the Galaxy wants you dead.> Quantum comments, shaking his head in disbelief.

<If you have the Key, why does he need Roxiana so badly?> Kari asks.

<Dunno. She studied this stuff more than anybody alive, so she might know something crucial that I’m still missing.> Noriko admits.

<But you are sure Roxiana can’t open the Gate of Heaven alone.> Torn adds.

<Yes, that’s one of the few things I’m sure about.>

<Then the solution is simple. Don’t go to Atlantis.> Torn concludes.

<Wouldn’t that mean Ulysses or Poseidon could simply kill Roxiana?> Vesta asks.

<She died once. Not a big loss.> the Demon adds.

<As cold as that sounds… yeah I’m not exactly in a rush to rescue Roxiana.> Kari admits.

<Now wait a minute. I assume Ulysses knew he’d need the Key to open the Gate of Heaven, right? And he figured out that you still have it?> Quantum asks.

<Only a fool would have believed Null would get rid of such a weapon.> Torn replies.

<There’s no need to be rude about it.> Vesta pouts; she definitely did believe that.

<Then all he needed was either steal the Key or kidnap Noriko, why go through the trouble of capturing Roxiana? Heck they technically worked for the same organization before all this, he could’ve kidnapped her at any time! Doesn’t this all sound way too convoluted? Even for Ulysses?> Quantum wonders.

<You’re right. Ulysses clearly needed to kidnap both me and Roxiana at the same time. Which, give us some credit, required lots of work.> Noriko answers.

<I stand by my plan. Let Roxiana die.> Torn reiterates.

<No, that’s way too simple. As much as I hate to admit it, Ulysses has repeatedly outsmarted me; he’s always thinking a step ahead of me. He wouldn’t waste resources it took him centuries to gather on a gamble; Roxiana must have something that is almost as valuable to Poseidon as access to Heaven. I’m missing something, I just know it!> Noriko complains.

<Mistress. You have an unscheduled intergalactic call from the N01-Ragnarok.> O.D.I.N. informs her.

<Let’s hear it.> Noriko instructs the Tower’s artificial intelligence.

The hologram projected by the table is replaced by that of a familiar merman.

<Kestral. I didn’t expect a call, let alone from my ship.>

<I didn’t expect to find a free warship just laying around in my galaxy, or to get the unsolicited help from a former Zenith operative. But you know what they say, don’t look the seahorse in the mouth.>

<Lemme guess: Skorpios wants to join Atlantis Uprising?>

<She wants to throw a black hole at Atlantis, but I’ve talked her into considering a less destructive approach. She also informed me of your recent adventures in this Galaxy.>

<I wanted to keep you up to speed, Kestral, but you’re a hard man to find. I dispatched a couple gods looking for you and they still came up short.>

<Would you have advertised the location of your headquarters to your Galaxy, before you became Co-Empress?>

<Earth’s location was a secret for years, so point taken. You’re not the kind to rub in my face taking my ship, so I hope you called to say you want to give it back?>

<That, yes, I still owe you for accepting our refugees. But also, I thought you might want to know that Ulysses is about to deliver the known universe to Poseidon.>

<I’m aware. Still trying to figure out a way to stop him, unless you know a way to sneak into Atlantis without starting an intergalactic war.>

<Uhm, funny you should mention it… because I do have a way to sneak into Atlantis. How do you feel about a trip to the Aegian Galaxy to overthrow a tyrant, Null?>