Beyond The Impossible

Themiscyra, 1 million light-years from Earth

Noriko Null shouldn’t feel nervous. She’s met countless gods and killed over a dozen of them.

But she knows meeting Ereshkigal in the presence of the unpredictable Amazon Queen Clonie is a recipe for disaster: the monarch is itching for a fight that can’t be allowed to take place.

Still, she can’t help admiring the Queen’s talent for spectacle. All modern Amazons are androids that care little for the luxuries that typically accompany planetary rulers, but the hall that has been prepared for the meeting is an exception.

Four thrones of ivory and solid gold have been assembled in a circle, with one a little higher than the others being reserved for the Amazon Queen.

Amazon warriors are stationed at regular intervals, wearing full armor and standing at attention with their nuclear-powered spears glowing.

A magnificent chandelier decorated with diamonds and precious stones floats near the ceiling, suspended by an antigravity generator.

<Oh my Father, what are you wearing!?> Hebe exclaims, covering her mouth in shock.

The Goddess of Youth is wearing an immaculate white evening dress, an elaborate necklace of pearls and diamonds, and the crown that formerly belonged to her mother Hera rests on her head, with its ridiculous amount of blue gemstones.

By contrast, Null is wearing a green leather jacket of a horrible shade of green and black pants.

<What’s wrong with the way I dress?> she asks, looking down at her clothes.

<There’s not enough time in the day to answer that. You’re not even wearing your crown!>

<So? Ereshkigal knows who I am. This isn’t a party, Hebe, what’s the point of dressing up?>

<There’s a protocol to this kind of thing, Noriko. A goddess receiving a foreign ruler of equal or higher status should always, always look her best.>

<I put on makeup.> Noriko shrugs.

Hebe gives her a disappointed look without commenting further.

<Okay, some makeup.>

<What in the name of Hippolyta are you wearing!?> Queen Clonie exclaims as she approaches, wearing a full battle armor made of shiny white Neutral Matter.

<Okay, okay, I get the message, I’ll change into something fancier. Do you have anything for me?>

<With your body? We don’t have children on Themiscyra, we don’t have anything that would…>

The Queen doesn’t finish the sentence: the lights on the chandelier have dimmed on their own.

 

<She’s here.> Hebe announces, her voice quivering.

The room gets darker and filled with the smell of a freshly dug grave. A thick darkness appears, warping the space around it, acting as a portal for the goddess that steps into the room.

Ereshkigal is an imposing figure. A full head taller than the Amazon Queen, her skin is so black it makes difficult noticing her features. This makes her shining red eyes stand out even more, especially with her white hair and golden tiara showing her symbol, the eight-pointed star.

If Noriko felt underdressed before, now she feels the opposite: Ereshkigal is wearing just a crisscross that just covers her breasts with what look like white mummy wraps, and a long white skirt with an asymmetrical hemline that leaves almost her entire left leg exposed.

<Welcome to Themiscyra, Lady Ereshkigal. I am Clonie XVII, Queen of the…>

<This won’t do.> Ereshkigal interrupts her, looking around.

Her fiery red eyes set on the chandelier, which is transmuted from diamonds to bones and whose neon lights are transformed into incense-flavored candles.

Floor and ceiling turn into stone, and one by one the Amazon warriors standing guard crumble into piles of rusted circuits and depleted batteries, as if thousands of years had just passed in the blink of an eye.

Ereshkigal, not caring much for protocol, walks past the Queen and just sits on the central throne. As she crosses her legs, the ivory seat of power is transformed into a throne of skulls.

<What did you do to my soldiers!?> Clonie exclaims, ready to attack Ereshkigal; only Hebe’s quick reflexes prevent it, as she grabs the Amazon’s arm to stop her.

<It would be rude not to provide a gift to my hosts. I granted them the greatest honor I can bestow: death. This place has such a lack of things that die, it’s almost disgusting.>

“Thank God I didn’t hold this meeting anywhere near organic people.” Noriko thinks.

<We thank you for accepting this meeting, Ereshkigal. Let me introduce myself, I am…>

<I know who you are. Hebe, spawn of Zeus and Divine Co-Empress of Olympus. Goddess of things that have yet not realized they will die.>

<Goddess of Youth.> Hebe humbly corrects her.

<And your pet “Slayer of Gods”, the Mortal Co-Empress who couldn’t even finish the “Strongest Under The Heavens” tournament that my sister Inanna held.>

<Technically I tied for third place. Are we done with the introductions? We have serious business to discuss, you know.> Noriko says, taking her seat; Hebe and Clonie do the same, with the Amazon staring at Ereshkigal with the clear intention to start a fight as soon as possible.

<There have been attacks on the candidates to the position of Prime Minister of the Olympian Empire. The assassins are Ichor uses, and they seem to have some connection to you.>

<Of course they do. I sent them.> Ereshkigal admits; her honesty catches Noriko by surprise, and she doesn’t have an answer ready.

<You sent these people to murder innocents!?> Hebe exclaims.

<Mortals. They would die anyway. My adepts would just slightly accelerate the process.>

<I wouldn’t take this lightly if I were you, Ereshkigal. This is a direct attack on Olympus.> Noriko points out. She doesn’t want to antagonize her, but she doesn’t seem to care for subtlety.

<The rules of the Nine Gods prevent me from attacking whatever god sits on the Throne of Olympus. Your position is not recognized by the Nine Gods, Slayer; your servants are fair game.>

<She may not be recognized, but I am. The Prime Minister is the head of our government: an attack on my government is an attack on me.> Hebe points out, finding her courage.

<I agree. And I would never attack a serving member of your government.>

<You just admitted to sending assassins to do just that!> Noriko objects.

<Has the election been held?>

<Not yet, but…>

<Then those candidates are not part of your government and are not protected by the treaties of the Nine Gods. And neither is the head of the local cult of a fake minor goddess.>

<That’s not why the treaty exists and you know it, Ereshkigal. If you attack my people you attack me, and you know perfectly well that leads to war.> Noriko threatens her.

<Really. Then by that logic, if you were to attack the servants of any of the Nine Gods… just as an example, by aiding an uprising against Poseidon… you would be breaking the treaty and all the Nine Gods would have no choice but to declare war on Olympus, wouldn’t you say?>

Suddenly, Noriko has a moment of clarity: everything makes perfect sense now.

<That’s what this is about. You’re forcing me to decide whether to intervene against other galaxies or be an isolationist. Is this why you allied yourself with Poseidon?>

<I care little for the goals of that boorish sea hick. I only want one thing.> Ereshkigal says, pointing her finger at Noriko.

Her leather jacket quickly dissolves into dust. Noriko is quick to grab her Genius Gun; by the time it’s in her hand, it’s turned into dust like the rest of her clothes and the throne beneath her.

Within seconds Noriko is standing naked in front of the Goddess of Death, one arm covering her breasts and one hand over her crotch. There’s only one thing still on her body, secured on a choker around her neck.

<The Vial of Destiny. It may prevent me from causing you personal harm, but there are other ways to achieve one’s goals.>

<Why would you want it?> Noriko asks, grateful that Hebe is coming to her aid, ripping the skirt from her dress and handing it over as a makeshift blanket.

<It makes you the only thing in the universe that I cannot kill. I find that offensive.>

<She’s not the only one you can’t kill!!!> Clonie shouts, jumping at the occasion and throwing herself at the goddess.

Ereshkigal moves so fast that even Noriko’s enhanced brain takes a moment to process what happened. She can just see the goddess standing up, her arm plunged inside Clonie’s chest.

The Queen’s body has been smashed through exposing the inner circuitry and making her bleed sparks and blood.

The Queen of the Amazons watches Ereshkigal hold her core battery in her hand, transmute it into a beating heart that slowly becomes as black as her skin.

<The Vial in exchange for peace, Slayer. That is my price. Pay it, and I give my solemn word I will not harm anyone from your galaxy until the day you die. Ignore it…> Ereshkigal threatens, pushing the black heart back inside Clonie’s chest.

<…and that day will come sooner than you realize.>

Black tendrils crawl between the android’s circuitry, visible through her veins. Two black swords grow in her hands, and although her face has the vacant expression of a dead person, Clonie takes a fighting stance.

<Save yourself, Noriko! She can’t kill me!> Hebe offers to defend her co-ruler, but Noriko places herself between the goddess and the possessed android.

<It’s alright. I’ve got this figured out.> she says, more worried about covering herself with the piece taken from Hebe’s dress than about the woman charging at her with swords.

And she’s right to be confident: the black sword stops inches away from her head, with the android physically unable to go any further.

<Are we done now?> Noriko asks.

<Quite.> Ereshkigal concurs; black goo flies out of Clonie’s mouth and flies back into the hands of the goddess. Then the android, damaged beyond repair, falls like a puppet who’s had her strings cut.

<How…!?> Hebe wonders.

<The Blood is ultimately of divine origin; Ichor is so similar to it that I had a hunch the Vial would protect me from that as well.>

<You will not be able to hide behind that trinket forever, Slayer of Gods. Sooner or later, death catches up to everyone.>

<Including gods.> Noriko replies, her silver eyes shining.

Ereshkigal doesn’t pick up on the threat, retreating into a portal of darkness.

Noriko leans against the throne, taking the opportunity to catch her breath: despite her bravado, she knows she cut it close this time.

Hebe instead crouches to shake Clonie, who doesn’t seem to respond to any stimulus.

<Do you think you can fix her?> she asks.

<Probably. But the Amazons will probably want to switch to a different model for their next Queen… that’s the way they roll. Do you mind…?> Noriko asks, gesturing towards the scraps of clothing that she’s desperately clinging to.

<Oh. Sure.> Hebe says, gesturing towards the mortal.

The molecules around Noriko are rearranged into a green chiton that looks too big to fit her body properly, while Hebe’s dress regrows to its proper length.

<Not really my style.> the mortal complains.

<Sorry, but your regular clothes are too complex for me. What are we going to say to the Amazons?> the goddess worries.

<Nothing. The room was under surveillance.> is the reply coming from the Amazon who just entered the room, wearing a civilian peplos and a crown. Noriko is certain to have seen that same exact face and body and long blond hair on other Amazons; it must be a popular model.

<I was activated as the next Queen. You may address me as Queen Xanthe.>

<I know what you’re gonna say, but you should not launch a retaliatory strike against…>

<You misunderstand my role, Lady Null. I was programmed with a more isolationist policy: we have determined that a war against Ereshkigal cannot be won.>