Beyond The Impossible

Imperial Palace, Midgard City

Noriko Null doesn’t get many occasions to relax. She wouldn’t mind it too much, if her sanity didn’t literally depend on it.

Today she decided to switch off the Nexus device inside her head and spend some time with her boyfriend Kylon; with the amount of work as Co-Empress, it feels like they barely meet anymore.

She realizes it was a mistake, because without the Nexus she doesn’t seem to have the patience to explain to an alien how movies work.

The two have been sitting in the living room for barely an hour, but to her it feels like she’s been on this couch for weeks.

<I don’t get it. Why would the Empire waste time building a weapon that can destroy planets?>

<Because they’re the bad guys?>

<But they have hegemony over their galaxy, right? Destroying planets is counter-productive if it’s just to quell a rebellion, especially if they don’t have the technology for rapid terraforming. They should’ve invested in smaller scale weapons, if their goal was just intimidation through terror.>

<It’s just a movie, Kylon…>

<You said the same thing about the robot that talks with beeps. I still don’t get why would anyone program one robot like that when they clearly have the means to build ones that talk normal… or there’s a humanoid species that talks in beeps?>

<I knew it was a mistake to listen to Max… but no, we “had” to watch Star Wars together.>

<We could’ve watched something from my culture. Maybe this time you won’t fall asleep during “Triumph Of The Lar”.>

<That movie’s eighteen hours long, Kylon. And I’m not sitting through a forty minute song about the first thousand Lar kings again.> she protests, standing up and walking towards the door.

<Where are you going?>

<Outside. I need some fresh air.>

<Isn’t that below freezing temperature for humans?>

<It’s pretty cold in here already.> she blows him off, leaving the apartment to gather her thoughts together. As much as she wanted to relax and have a normal day, it just isn’t working.

“I feel like I’m another person when the Nexus is switched off. What was I thinking having Kylon move in? We don’t have anything in common besides politics and hating my mom” she thinks, when a message from the Palace security gets her attention.

<Apologies, Mistress, but there is a civilian insisting to talking to you.> one of the Nullbots informs her. Looking at the holographic screen in front of the door that leads to the rest of the palace, she raises an eyebrow: this is definitely a surprise.

Leaving the apartment she finds a familiar face between two Nullbots: Kristen Lynn, an old acquaintance that is now the fiancée of Todd Slate.

<Null. Or should I say “Your Majesty”?> the blonde asks, attempting a curtsy that feels more like a mocking gesture than anything else.

<“Noriko” is fine. You bots can leave us, she’s not a threat… c’mon Kristen, let’s take a walk.> she proposes; the Nullbots obey as per their programming, and the two women take a stroll through one of the numerous hallways of the Palace.

<Your eyes are not silver. Is everything okay?> Kristen asks.

<Always a keen observer, uh? I’m just taking a day off. What’s up with the visit? To be honest I never thought we’d see each other again, plus Antarctica is not exactly next to Washington.>

<There’s something I wanted to discuss with you. And as weird as it sounds, it’s actually easier to get all the way here than getting you on the phone.>

<It’s not about Todd, right? I’m happy you guys are getting married, I don’t have any…>

<Oh I know, I wouldn’t have asked him to marry him if I though he still had feelings for you.>

<You… you asked him?>

<Can you seriously picture Todd proposing? I love that man, but he can be so clueless sometimes.>

<Yeah, uhm, so, if it’s not about Todd… what did you want to talk about? You’re not a journalist anymore, so I don’t get it.>

<Just because I’m a campaign manager doesn’t mean I lost my old contacts. And since I know you better than any other journalist, plus I’ve spent some time outside Earth… I thought you should be informed before a huge story breaks.>

<It’s not about the attempt on Ganos Lal’s life, right? Please tell me there isn’t a weird conspiracy about me being around it or anything.>

<Noriko, everything you’ve done has completely changed human society in the span of a few years, of course there are conspiracy theories about you. But this one is a personal thing: now that Earth is no longer isolated, news from the rest of the Galaxy can reach us. Including places that are still relatively closed off… like the Winter Kingdom.>

<Oh. It’s about how I took power there.> Noriko realizes.

<You’re the Ice Queen because you’re the daughter of the previous one, it was only a matter of time before someone said it. The fact that Leiko Tanaka is your mother is about to be public knowledge: the story’s going to break on Nullmas eve.>

<“Nullmas”?>

<It’s how Myridians living on Earth started to call Null’s Day. The name’s spread.>

<Great. I already hated how they turned my birthday into a religious holiday, now I’m gonna hate the name as well.>

<Anyway, I thought you’d want to know this in advance to… prepare for it.>

<You’re not worried I’m going to prevent newspapers from running the story?>

<I’ve been to Myridia, Noriko. I’ve seen first hand the lengths you went through to avoid turning into a dictator. Besides, I’m sure you knew this would eventually happen when you took the title.>

<I did. I just thought I’d have more time. But thanks anyway; we’ve never been close, but I appreciate the effort.>

<It was the least I could do. So… Todd was pretty vague about whether you’d be at the wedding…>

<I haven’t decided yet. Nothing against you, but, y’know. Talk about awkward, right?>

<It would really hurt his feelings if you bailed. It wasn’t an easy breakup for him, having your blessing would definitely give him closure.>

<I’ll think about it. Need a ride back home? I can have you teleported in no time at all.>

<I’m fine, I’ve had my share of your sci-fi stuff when I was dating Max. Speaking of which, is he working at the Palace too?>

<No he mostly stays in New York. Although right now I’m guessing he’d prefer to be anywhere else… I kind of feel bad for assigning him to protecting the candidates!>

 

Null Tower, New York City

If there’s one aspect about being a member of the Vanguard that Max Black a.k.a. Quantum just cannot stand, is having to deal with all the politics.

He’s not exactly the greatest Ganos Lal fan, but he’d rather be helping the investigation rather than sit in the room with the major candidates for becoming the first Prime Minister of the Empire.

Lyra Syzar is the first to start the conversation:

<This is a waste of time, we should be interviewing everyone who has interacted with Lal after she landed on Earth.> the Lampyrian states.

<Of course you would jump into thinks without thinking. No wonder you were the first to get here in order to gather free publicity.> Liosthenes replies. Quantum remember the former soldier as an ally, but the fact he’s running for office has already made him suspicious.

<Spoken like a true Athenian admiral: eager to wait on the sidelines as someone else does the job for them.> Euphemia criticizes him. Quantum has never met the former Apollo worshipper before, but the dark skinned woman doesn’t exactly inspire too much trust.

<You’re a member of the Church Of Null. Why didn’t you visit Lal in the hospital?> Lyra asks.

<Because I take my duties seriously and didn’t want to obstruct the local investigation, unlike some young upstart that believes she knows more than she actually does.> Euphemia replies.

<Guys, please, just stop okay? There’s no votes to win here. We just brought you to a secure location because there’s a potential assassin out there.> Kari tries to calm them down.

<Miss Zel is right. Besides, if the Vanguard is going to endorse any of us, it will certainly be the only one in this room that has saved their lives.> Liosthenes boasts.

<Making a lot of assumptions there, buddy.> Kari retorts.

<Is this really a “secure location”? From what I’ve witnessed, you were taken completely by surprise by Lal’s would-be assassin.> Lyra reminds them.

<This hallowed place has been built by Lady Null herself. Her will will surely protect us from any harm.> Euphemia declares.

<It’s not an act, isn’t it? You actually believe she’s a goddess?> Liosthenes asks, raising an eyebrow. For an Athenian, the worship of Null is still a baffling concept.

<Her actions speak for themselves.> Euphemia shrugs.

<Alright, if you’re done bickering, maybe you could do something useful? For example, apparently the guy who attacked Lal talked about Eris before shooting her. Do any of you know anything about that?> Quantum asks.

<The last documented Eris cult was eradicated thousands of years ago, when Zeus banished her from Olympus. There are no reports of a resurgence.> Liosthenes says.

<She could have planned something from behind the grave.> Lyra hypothesizes.

<Are you suggesting Eris has returned from the dead? That’s ridiculous!> Liosthenes replies.

<Null has died and came back to life. It’s not that far-fetched.> Euphemia says.

<That’s just a legend and you know it.> the Athenian dismisses her.

<I meant a posthumous plot. Eris was devious enough to engineer something like that, wasn’t she?>

<That does sound like something she’d do, I’ll give you that, but those assassins had weird demon-like powers and they were Myridians. Eris has never demonstrated that power, and if there was any organization worshipping Eris on Myridia I guarantee you that I would’ve heard about it.> Kari reassures them.

<I trust the Vanguard on this. They clearly know what they’re doing.> Lyra proclaims.

Which might turn out to be last famous words when five people unexpectedly appear out of the shadows, to assault everyone in this room.

Quantum is the first to get out of the way of a sword made of solid shadows. He could just turn into light, but considering how much these weapons resemble dark versions of Blood creations, it’s entirely possible they could harm him in his energy form as well.

Kari is saved by her reflexes: a sword cuts through her duplicated body, but she’s able to create a second duplicate in the blink of an eye.

Liosthenes’ military training and Lyra’s Lampyrian physiology give them a slight advantage over a normal person, but they wouldn’t stand a chance against such a sudden attack if it wasn’t for an unexpected ally: Euphemia herself.

Her body suddenly shines, projecting a blinding light that the would-be assassins didn’t account for.

For obvious reasons this isn’t a problem for Quantum, who uses a mild electrical discharge to incapacitate the assassins. Unfortunately these are all Myridian duplicates, and the shock is enough to make their duplicates disappear just as quickly as they showed up.

<Is everyone okay? What the Gorgon just happened!?> Liosthenes wonders, temporarily blinded.

<There are perks for having been an Emissary of Apollo. I may not be able to transform into photons like his Oracles, but I still carry his light.> Euphemia reveals.

<How did they know we were here!? And how did they get inside!?> Lyra wonders, scrubbing her eyes; her eyes have already adapted to the light.

<This is starting to piss me off. Not only they’re steps ahead of us, we still haven’t a single clue about who these people are!> Kari exclaims.

<Actually, we might have stumbled into something.> Quantum says, pointing at the location where the intruders appeared: they may have disappeared, but they shadows are now etched on the wall.

<Did… did my light strip them of their shadow!?> Euphemia wonders.

<More like a byproduct of your light interacting with that dark energy they wield.> Lyra suggests.

<Whatever it is… I’d call that a clue, wouldn’t you?> Quantum says.