Beyond The Impossible

The Underworld

Millions of light-years from Earth, the room is illuminated only by candles that barely pierce the shadows around Hades.

The god is sitting on one of his many thrones, overseeing the mortal that has been allowed to stay in this hallowed place before her death.

Noriko Null has been meditating for so long, that once she gets out of the lotus position her legs are hurting. She stretches them, only for Hades to ask her:

<What are you doing?>

<We’ve been at this for hours. I need a break.>

<You have barely started harnessing the powers of your soul. This is a journey that cannot be interrupted by minor things.>

<Hades, I appreciate the help, but I’m the Mortal Empress of Olympus… I may not be running the galaxy all by myself anymore, but I still have responsibilities.>

<You have full access to your technology and can focus on multiple things at once; you don’t need to abandon your post.>

<Actually I kinda do, Hades. I’m still human, you know… I can’t sit in the same place for days!>

<I am beginning to question your resolve in your studies in the arts of death, Null. I already provided you access to drinking water, your body is only 17% into starvation, and your Nexus allows you to stay awake for several more days. What reason could you possibly have to leave this place?>

<I’d rather not say. Trust me on this one, Hades.>

<I have given you plenty of trust, Null, but I also am the sovereign of my galaxy. I have agreed to a bond with you; in return I expect honesty.>

<I… I just have to go.>

<You may not leave the Underworld without my permission.>

<Well… do you have a bathroom around here?>

<What? Why would you need to bathe right now?>

<I have to poop.> the Slayer of Gods finally admits.

The face of Hades is forever hidden by the shadow of his hood; Noriko wonders what kind of facial expression he could be making right now, because from the sound of his voice he’s more embarrassed than her.

<Oh. We don’t have facilities for that in the Underworld. You are granted a leave of absence.> Hades understands, creating a portal of fiery black flames.

<Much appreciated. Be right back.> Noriko excuses herself, wasting no time going through the portal and leaving behind a confused god.

<This is why I don’t work with the living.> Hades sighs.

 

N01-Ragnarok, in the Aegian Galaxy

The mermaid inside the glass container wakes up, confused about what happened: the last thing she remembers was facing a heathen.

The very same whose voice can be heard through the glass, as Vesta asks:

<I know that’s how she dressed before we picked her up, but does she have to stay topless?>

<Yes.> both Kari Zel and Quantum answer at the same time.

<Release me at once or you will suffer the wrath of Poseidon!!!> the mermaid shouts, pounding her fists against the glass.

<So let me get this straight, if we let you go we won’t suffer his wrath?> Quantum asks.

<Why you… no, of course you will! You kidnapped a Siren!> the mermaid objects.

<Sounds to me we’ll be wrathed either way.>

<Is that even a word?> Vesta wonders.

<You tell me. You’re a goddess, you’re supposed to be the expert on wrath.> he shrugs.

<I demand to be released! I am a Siren, the voice of Poseidon!!!> the mermaid complains, raising her volume with every syllable. She expects the sound generated by her throat to shatter the glass and free her, but much to her surprise nothing happens.

<Alright, lady, let me get you up to speed.> Kari starts to talk to her, starting by tapping her finger on a device attached to the container that acts as the Siren’s prison.

<This little thing? It’s called a Sound Nullifier, one of Noriko’s earliest inventions. When this thing is active, sound can’t be louder than its setting, so say goodbye to your sonic powers. The only reason it’s not set to zero is that we need information from you.>

<You wish to talk? Then tell me your name, so that Poseidon will know who to punish.>

<Name’s Kari Zel, current leader of the Vanguard and woman who gets really pissed off by Oracles who get uppity.>

<“Oracles”? You must come from the Dry Galaxy then. Which god owns your world?>

<You’re a little behind the times, missy, but we’re not here to talk about ourselves. We’re here because someone from your galaxy sent a signal to ours, and the trail led directly to this system.>

<You must be following the wrong lead. We already have too many bipeds to tolerate in this galaxy, we don’t need to gather others. The Sirens have not called for you and certainly Poseidon hasn’t either.>

<Who else has the means to send a signal to our galaxy?> Quantum asks.

<Muzzle your air-breathing Thalassian, Karizel, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.>

<What did you just call me!?> Quantum replies.

<Settle down, Max.> Kari calms him down, but he’s more confused than angry.

<No, really, if that was an insult, I have no idea of what it means.>

<Just answer his question.> Vesta asks the mermaid.

<All off-world communications must go through the Achelous, which doesn’t reach the Dry Galaxy. Anyone attempting to communicate otherwise, or to leave their planet or island except by the Achelous, would be sentenced to death.> the Siren explains.

<And what is this Achelous?> Kari asks.

<It’s the system of rivers that connects the various sectors of this galaxy. Poseidon structured his whole galaxy around it.> Vesta explains.

<It’s also how people of this realm navigate. The river supplies powers to their ships.> Torn adds.

<I thought you said you didn’t know about the rivers!> Quantum objects.

<I said I’ve never been inside one.> the Demon corrects him.

<Once Poseidon finds your ship, you will be punished for defying his will. He has gifted us the Achelous, we cannot defy his will and roam the stars without his permission!> the Siren proselytize.

<I think we just found out why Poseidon hates the Atlantis Uprising guys, considering they go around in ships.> Quantum realizes.

<Yeah I was thinking the same thing. How do we find Atlantis Uprising?> Kari asks.

<If I knew where they were, I would strangle them with my own hands.> the Siren answers.

<Figures. I don’t think we’re getting any more out of this lunatic.> Kari understands.

<Should we kill her?> Torn asks.

<What? No!> Vesta objects.

<She is a security risk. Sirens have ways to communicate with each other.> he replies.

<Not on dry land. She’s our prisoner, shouldn’t we treat her humanely?> the goddess asks.

<Most of us are not human.> he reminds her.

<Okay time out, I don’t think we should discuss this next to the crazy mermaid fanatic.> Kari interrupts the discussion.

 

Operations Room

Kari still doesn’t feel right holding a meeting in this place without Noriko. But she was chosen as the Vanguard’s leader, and she’s not willing to let her friend down.

<Well, what do you think about our guest?> Quantum breaks the ice.

<Great t#ts, not much of a brain.> Kari immediately answers.

<Can we be serious for a moment?> Vesta rolls her eyes.

<I was being serious.> Kari replies.

<Her breasts are unusually firm.> Torn nods, maintaining his usual solemn tone.

<But can we trust her? She seems even more brainwashed than the Oracles.> Quantum notes.

<Poseidon does seem to have a firm grasp on this galaxy. Those rivers are awfully convenient… I’ve seen my fair share of spaceships, and those I saw on that island are surprisingly low-tech. If Poseidon has control over such an efficient way to travel, he could easily have prevented his kingdom from getting more advanced.> Vesta says.

<Less technology means less chances to rebel. Until the Atlantis Uprising guys found some older tech and started a rebellion… this is beginning to make some sense.> Quantum adds.

<Except Atlantis Uprising knows how to contact Noriko: if they wanted to recover the Ithaca, they could’ve just asked. There’s another faction at play here.> Kari deduces.

<The Zenith. We know they’re active in this galaxy. But if Ulysses doesn’t want to be found, believe me, he will not be found.> Vesta replies.

<Torn, we could use any information you gathered in your time acting as Hell’s agent in this galaxy. Where can we start looking?> Kari asks.

<I mostly acted to disrupt the supply lines of the major vassals. Gods are permitted to use ships outside of the rivers, so we could reach one of their planets with the Ragnarok.> Torn answers.

<It’s still a whole freaking galaxy, we can’t look everywhere.> Quantum says.

<Which vassals are we talking about?> Kari wonders, turning towards Vesta.

<Well I could be wrong since it’s been a few thousand years, but last I remember Poseidon’s vassals used to be his children from Amphitrite… Triton, Rhodos and Despoina… and his mother-in-law Tethys. No wait, now that I think about it, Proteus and Calypso also had their own kingdoms.>

<Calypso. Didn’t she use to know Ulysses damn well?> Kari recalls.

<She still had her sector last time I was here. I know how to get there.> Torn says.

<That’s great! It’s a stretch, granted, but if we look around there’s a chance.>

<We can’t explore that sector unnoticed.> Torn shuts down Kari’s enthusiasm.

<Why not?>

<Her rule is extremely xenophobic. My sister and I tried to infiltrate one of her worlds, but the locals react violently towards anyone who doesn’t look like them.>

<Oh. Sorry you’ll have to sit this one out, Torn; I guess Demons are even rarer in this Galaxy than in our own.>

<You and Vesta would not fit either. Only Quantum could, if he didn’t have to breathe air.>

<Excuse me?> Quantum reacts.

<Calypso’s sector is Thalassian territory. Every mortal there looks like you, but they breathe water instead of air. Kari and Vesta are too pink-skinned to pass as Thalassians.>

<I don’t like where this is going.> Quantum admits.

<We do have breathers. You could hide one and go undercover.> Kari suggests.

<While I appreciate the irony of having the opposite problem we usually have on the planets we typically go to… you know I’m not the best spy in the world, right? I don’t really like the idea of exploring such an alien world on my own.>

<Even without the skin thing, Max, your powers do make you the best person to spot any kind of communication technology capable of reaching our Galaxy. And unlike Noriko’s holographic projectors, your powers still work fine underwater.> Kari tries to convince him.

<I guess you’re right. I just don’t like the idea of going alone.>

<You may not have to.> Vesta says, standing up and taking a deep breath.

<I haven’t tried this in ages, but I should remember how this goes.> she admits, closing her eyes and concentrating. It takes a few seconds, but her skin begins to darken.

Her facial structure and her red hair remain untouched, but in less than a minute she could very easily pass as an African woman.

<What the actual f##k!? Since when can you do that!?> Quantum exclaims.

<Since forever? I never managed to learn how to truly shapeshift, but you’ve seen me change the color of my hair before.>

<Yeah but you never said anything about turning black!!!>

<Come on Max, I am literally a million years old. Did you seriously think I was born white? Modern humans didn’t even exist back then, and technically speaking I was born made of fire.>

<Still freaks me out. Just promise to never do that again on Earth.>

<Why do you think I haven’t tried this for the past hundred thousand years or so?>

<Humans get hung up on the weirdest things.> Torn shrugs.