Beyond The Impossible

Olympus, 28,000 light-years from Earth

Hebe has never felt comfortable here. Her mother Hera dragged her to Olympus only when she needed to show off the size of her family, Zeus was a very absent father, and the less said about her relationship with her sisters the better.

Even in her official capacity as the Divine Co-Empress, she doesn’t feel like she belongs here.

This is especially true now that she’s standing next to Inanna, overlooking the crowd of 50,000 android Amazons.

All of them perfectly identical to each other, all of them wearing a simple white garment that is between a silky nightgown and a tunic.

The Sumerian goddess of sex and war looks down on this crowd, leaving her throne made of skulls and roses to examine them closer.

<Tell me again why you thought this is what I wanted?> Inanna asks.

<You wanted the sacrifice of fifty thousand virgins, and here they are. These androids were literally born yesterday, you can’t get more virgin than that.> Noriko Nulls explains.

<I wanted a sacrifice. Not a TOY.> Inanna complains, abruptly ripping the clothes out of one of the androids. And tilting her head once she notices that, from the outside, it’s completely indistinguishable from a fully grown human.

<Anatomically correct, I see. Good attention to detail. What’s your name, child?> Inanna asks, as she starts groping the android.

<Thuma 36712.> is the response she gets. The android doesn’t show signs of discomfort from Inanna’s inappropriate behavior; in fact, the goddess recognizes she’s enjoying this.

<Null, you clever little schemer. I didn’t recognize you had it in you to be so naughty. It’s a pity that this lovely slave has to die. Isn’t it, dear Thuma?>

<I have no objections to terminate my life, ma’am.> the android responds.

<Is that so. Even if I were to order you to slit your own throat?> Inanna asks, conjuring up a steel dagger with a handle made of human bone, which she hands over to the android.

<It is my purpose to die.> Thuma answers, and without the slightest hesitation she cuts through her own neck. A shower of electric sparks and the hydraulic fluid flowing out of her veins are the only indications of her true nature, and it’s enough to put an end to her life.

Hebe is so disgusted by the spectacle that she turns away from the artificial corpse, but Noriko forces herself to stare and look at Inanna in the eye.

<To all Thuma units. Kill yourselves.> she orders.

The sound of 49,999 women replying in unison “Yes ma’am” is almost as horrifying as watching this crowd performing a mass sacrifice, as the androids activate a kill-switch installed inside their bodies that ends their lives prematurely.

Inanna looks on the spectacle, fascinated and aroused by having witnessed a unique kind of death.

<Eh eh.> she chuckles.

<I paid the price you asked, Inanna. Now will you honor your word and fight Hades?> Noriko asks, but her last words are already covered by Inanna bursting into laughter.

<HA HA HA HA!!!> she laughs maniacally, taking flight so fast that the gust of wind she creates pushes Noriko to fall on the ground.

She’s already past the atmosphere by the time Hebe floats in front of Noriko, without taking the courtesy to help the mortal get back on her feet.

<That was disgusting. Have we lost all dignity?> Hebe wonders.

<I’d much rather lose my dignity than lose more lives.> Noriko replies, dusting herself off.

<Those sacrificial virgins would disagree.>

<Oh come on, they were built specifically for this purpose and their minds were not sophisticated enough to understand what was going on. They don’t count.>

<Funny. I recall hearing members of my family make the same argument about your kind.>

<Is any one of them still alive?> Noriko replies, her silver eyes shining as a stark reminder that she is the Slayer of Gods.

Hebe may be naïve, but not enough to argue with her about this.

<Let’s hope we won’t regret this alliance. Are you going to call someone to help with the bodies?>

<No. I’ll do it myself.> Noriko answers, literally rolling up her sleeves.

<Are you sure? It’s a lot of bodies.>

<And making sure I don’t forget that is exactly the reason why I have to do handle it on my own.>

 

Letum, Stygian Galaxy

1.7 million light-years from Earth

After the destruction of the throne world of Erebus at the hands of Null’s black hole attack, the royal court of the Stygian Galaxy has moved to this mausoleum world.

Persephone has never felt comfortable here. Mortal life is completely absent: the planet orbits a brown dwarf star that doesn’t provide enough sunlight to sustain vegetation; the atmosphere is thin and full of lethal amounts of carbon dioxide.

And yet its surface is filled with cemeteries that contain empty coffins and statues of people crying or praying or just staring into the horizon.

In other words, it might just be the most boring planet in the universe.

But beyond that, Persephone is not particularly fond of the lonely god that lives here.

Taking the appearance of a middle-aged man wearing a simple black robe, with black wings sticking out of his back, always hunched over looking at the ground.

Persephone has little respect for him, but then again she has little respect for anybody. But she knows that if even her husband acknowledges the power of Thanatos, never daring to question his title of the God of Death, he must be more important than his soft-spoken demeanor suggests.

<Can you BELIEVE the nerve of that c##t? How I’d love to put my hands around her neck!!!> she complains, unable to contain her disdain any longer.

<From what you have told me, Olympus had plenty of reasons to retaliate.> Thanatos replies.

<What? I’m not talking about f##king Null and her Divine C##dumpster!>

<So who is the target of your unbridled yet predictable wrath, my Queen?>

<That Sumerian w##re, Ereshkigal!!! Ever since this stupid War Of The Six D###s started she hasn’t left Hades alone!!! And her c###sucking servants don’t let me talk to him!!!>

<Are you afraid that your husband is being unfaithful, my Queen?>

<Have you met my family, Thanatos? We’re the worst collection of f####ards, d###heads and s###f###s in the whole universe, if you know what I mean. Why do you think I left my galaxy?>

<I know some of these are words. And you left for the same reason I did: we both refused to be caged into the roles that destiny was supposed to cage us in.>

<If that’s your idea of flirting with me, limpd##k, I don’t do existential s##t. You didn’t grant us asylum in your s###hole of a planet to get in my pants, I hope.>­

<Nothing of the sort. I am the god of peaceful death, and as long as there’s a chance to avoid a bloodshed I will do my part.>

<Guess it’s a little late for that, limpd##k. Didn’t Hades tell you who he invited over?> Persephone asks, pointing at the dark sky.

Even in the eternal night of Letum, the three figures that approach seem even darker.

Three goddesses, with the bodies of shapely women with porcelain skin, long raven hair and wings blacker than the blackest part of oblivion. They descend like vultures on the cemetery, perching on statues.

Their alluring bodies contrast with their horrific faces, or lack thereof: rows of sharp teeth are twisted into a permanent wicked smile, with two eyes glowing red.

<Sisters.> Thanatos wearily greets them.

<Girls. It’s been a while, what have you been up to?> Persephone asks, dropping her rebellious speech pattern: she knows that the Keres, goddesses of violent death, are way easier than anyone to upset.

<Anger.> Alecto starts.

<Rage.> her sister Megaera continues.

<Destruction.> Tisiphone concludes.

<Yeah that’s what I thought. I know there has been some tension between you and Hades…>

<Exile.> Alecto interrupts her.

<Betrayal.> Megaera nods.

<Vengeance.> Tisiphone adds, using her sharp teeth to gnaw at her own arm.

Persephone hesitates; she’s always been creeped out by them. It’s hard to imagine that these psychopaths are daughters of Nyx, considering how different they are from their pacifist brother Thanatos and their scheming half-sister Eris.

<But that’s behind us. In exchange for your help in the war, Hades is willing to pardon you from your crimes against his rule. What do you say?>

The three sisters look at each other, tilting their heads a couple of times as if communicating in a strange alien language of their own.

<Bloodshed?> Alecto asks back.

<Genocide?> Megaera echoes her.

<Holocaust?> Tisiphone asks, after pausing from chewing on her arm for a second.

<How the f### does one talk to these c##theads!?!?> Persephone wonders.

<They want to know if they have free reign to kill anything they want.> Thanatos translates.

<As long as it’s an enemy of Hades. Yes. So what do you say?>

<Butcher!!!> Alecto excitedly exclaims.

<Kill!!!> Megaera agrees.

<Destroy!!!> Tisiphone concludes.

<They said yes.> Thanatos translates.

<I got that. What about you, limpd##k? Are you with us?>

<War is not my domain. Nor is it yours. Before going down this path, Queen Persephone, ask yourself: have you reflected enough on the consequences of your actions?>

<Reflect? Don’t you know who the f##k I am!?>

<A pity. There won’t be much peaceful death in this war, and you have chosen to witness it.>

<Yeah, but in her defense…>

All the gods present are taken by surprise. None of them noticed the arrival of Inanna until she spoke up, and only now they can see her leaning seductively against one of the statues.

<…that is hardly the worst decision she’s going to make today.>

<You f##king… EAT MY NUCLEAR BLAST, YOU C###SUCKING B###H!!!> Persephone shouts, and in her usual style she immediately goes all out.

The energy blast she unleashed would be enough to atomize a country, and in fact everything on the horizon is immediately reduced to ashes.

<We’ll play later, sweet t##s. This is a war for grown-ups.> Inanna tells her, walking though the attack without receiving damage. Even when Persephone puts more power into it, the Sumerian goddess just grabs her by the wrists, then she pulls her arms with so much indescribable force that she rips both arms off Persephone’s body.

The screams of pain of the Queen Of The Underworld are music to her ears, as is the horrible sound that she makes when Inanna beats her with the arms she ripped off.

The three Keres are just salivating at this level of violence as they fly towards her.

<Slaughter!!!> Alecto yells.

<Murder!!!> Megaera shouts.

<Exterminate!!!> Tisiphone shrieks.

<Now you’re speaking MY language!!!> Inanna extatically shouts, beginning her battle with the three murderous goddesses who are assaulting her like wild animals clawing, biting and scratching her with their fangs and talons.

Persephone stumbles towards Thanatos, armless and barely conscious.

<Take me… to Null…>

<Have you reconsidered the war?> Thanatos asks.

<Need someone… to kill… a god…>