Beyond The Impossible

Themiscyra, 1 million light-years from Earth

In intergalactic space, far outside of the zone of influence of the Olympian Empire, there’s a lone star orbited by a single planet.

On one of the balconies of her palace, Queen Clonie looks at the night sky: instead of the familiar constellations, the Olympian Galaxy looms over the planet.

<I hope you like your new home?> Noriko Null asks her.

<It’s satisfactory.> the queen replies, proceeding to just silently stare at the sky.

A few awkward moments pass. Noriko doesn’t know how to read her: unlike her predecessor Tecmessa, Clonie seems to have been programmed with a more unpredictable personality.

<You seem… uncharacteristically wistful.> Noriko finally breaks the silence.

<The Amazons were born surrounded by the armies of Ares. We have sought independence for millennia, and not that it has brought us peace…>

<Please don’t tell me you’re having second thoughts. I don’t have another Key of Heaven to teleport you back into the Galaxy.> Noriko lies.

<Like I said, this is a satisfactory location. And you may consider your debt to us closed: you promised you would give us a new home if we helped you conquer Olympus, and…>

<Not exactly. I asked the Amazons assist me in ending a war, which you did.>

<Precisely. We ended your war. It didn’t mean the Amazons would swear off war altogether.>

<Your Majesty… Clonie… are you trying to tell me you’re nostalgic for war!?>

<Amazons are born warriors.>

<With all due respect, you were never “born”. All modern Amazons are androids.>

<Gynoids. Programmed to continue the path of our biological ancestors.> Clonie clarifies.

<A path that eventually led them to extinction. Themiscyra is the most technologically advanced planet in the known universe; you don’t need any additional resources or territory. Your people don’t need to go to war anymore.> Noriko explains, hoping to breach a very thick layer of programming and tradition.

Clonie takes her words in serious consideration. For about thirty seconds.

<I ran a simulation on what would happen if Themiscyra declared war on Olympus. I’m sure you have done the same.> she says.

<I did. You would lose.> Noriko answers sincerely, out of respect for a fellow ruler.

<Yes, our analysis shows the same results. I have also reached the conclusion that, should you attempt to conquer Themiscyra, the only result would be our destruction.>

<And you’re telling me this because…?>

<We have fulfilled your request for assistance. Now I would ask you to provide us with something else, Empress Null.>

<I don’t like where this is going.>

<Give us an enemy to fight. The Amazons cannot remain idle any longer.>

<I don’t suppose you’re going to accept a metaphorical enemy, right?>

<We need a war.>

<Clonie, I’ve worked so hard to get the Galaxy at the state it is now, the last thing it needs is another war!>

<Themiscyra is no longer in the Olympian Galaxy. And we are not under your rule: our enemy does not necessarily need to become your enemy.>

<So you’re asking me to give you a target and my blessing for attacking it?>

<Precisely. In return, Themiscyra can pledge to assist the Olympian Empire against any attack, and supply you with as many weapons and ships as we can produce.>

<And if I say no?>

<Then Themiscyra will attack Olympus, giving you no other option than destroying us. You should know, however, that we would not go quietly.>

The temptation to just teleport out of there and deploy a black hole against the planet is quite powerful, but Noriko decides to be diplomatic.

<Can I think about it?>

 

Myridia, 50 light-years from Earth

Kari Zel doesn’t know how mothers without duplicating powers can manage their children.

Even with so many more bodies readily available, it’s a struggle to keep track of her daughters; especially with Ariel being so precocious at duplicating.

<But moooom, I want to be in the meeting too!> the child complains, as two Kari duplicates gather the original Ariel and her four copies to bring them back in her room.

<I don’t care what you want, young lady, you’re not allowed to see any other member of the Vanguard for a month.>

<But mom…>

<No buts! I told you to stop fusing with your sisters without my supervision; you decided to go behind my back and take them to another galaxy, now you’ll have to deal with the consequences.>

<But that’s not fair!>

<Too bad for you, I’m the one who gets to call the shots. Now don’t make me be late for the meeting.> Kari replies, leaving her duplicates to deal with her daughter as she goes to the room of the house that is completely off-limits to both her children and her husband.

She locks the door behind her, activates the Sound Nullifier that isolates it from any known kind of spying technology, and takes her seat at the empty desk.

Once she mentally activates the Soul Relay installed in her brain, she’s no longer alone. The relay provides images and sounds directly into her mind, and suddenly Kari is sitting in the Operations Room of the New York Null Tower.

<Some days I forget why I decided to have children.> she jokes to the projections of the other Vanguard members she can see sitting at the same round table.

<You know, your kids weren’t half bad in the mission. They’re going to be Vanguard material once they’ve grown up.> Quantum tells her.

<I know. And if you ever let them know that’s what we’re all thinking, I will kick your ass so much you’ll wish you were a god facing Noriko.>

<Is Torn going to join us too?> Vesta asks, changing the subject: the Demon is the only member that isn’t participating.

<Honestly I didn’t notice he’s not here. It’s not like he’d say much.> Quantum comments.

<Torn didn’t answer my call. I don’t know what’s going on with him, I’ll check Hell later to see what’s holding him up.> Noriko says.

<Figures. We came up with these meetings to see each other now that we’re spread across the universe and he still doesn’t bother to say anything.> Kari sighs.

<Hopefully we’ll be seeing each other more once I’ve moved the Empire’s political capital back on Earth, once the preparations at Midgard City are complete. But that’s not what I wanted to discuss; we have a potential situation in Themiscyra.> Noriko points out.

<I knew it was too much to ask for them to stay calm forever.> Vesta says.

<Here’s the thing: the Amazons are itching for war. They want me to tell them who they should be fighting. And before you ask: yes I did try to convince them to simply not declare war on anybody, and it didn’t work. They’re just too stubborn.>

<I don’t see the problem. Didn’t we just gain an ally that can control computers? The mermaid chick? Just ask her to reprogram the Amazons.> Quantum proposes.

<It’s not that simple.> Noriko shakes her head.

<It’s also wrong. Would you have suggested Noriko use her Golden Eyes to brainwash all humans to never go to war again?> Vesta argues.

<They’re robots, Vesta. That’s totally different.> he dismisses her argument.

<Ethical implications aside… as much as Atlantis Uprising has helped us, we don’t know them enough to just grant them full control of the Amazons.> Noriko points out.

<You’re not seriously considering accepting their proposal, right?> Kari asks.

<Honestly I don’t know, that’s why I’m brainstorming with you guys. I’m keeping this between us for the moment, none of my ministers know about this yet.>

<Why not? I think I speak for all of us when I say we’re not qualified for deciding the fate of an entire planet.> Vesta says.

<That has never stopped us. We’ve been doing exactly that from day one.> Quantum says, receiving a surprised look from his teammates: they definitely didn’t expect him to weight on the issue.

<What? Life on thousands of planets is completely different after everything we’ve done. Why should we stop now? Because it gets harder? If Atlantis Uprising had contacted us back when, say, we were still fighting Hephaestus or something, we wouldn’t hesitate to give them all the support we can!> Quantum argues.

<What does Atlantis Uprising have to do with this?> Vesta wonders.

<The Amazons want a war? Send them to fight Poseidon.> Quantum proposes.

<We barely know anything about his realm. It’s not even our Galaxy.> Kari points out.

<Hell isn’t in our galaxy. Anubis’ planet, whatever that was called, wasn’t in our galaxy. Myridia wasn’t our planet when we liberated it, but we did it anyway.> he recalls.

<This is different, Max.> Noriko objects.

<Why? Because now you’re in a position of power? Kestral was right: we have changed. Back then we didn’t use to worry about political implications: we saw a problem and we tried to solve it.>

<Not every problem can be solved by punching it, Max.>

<Says the girl who just stared down a Primordial by throwing exploding black holes at her.>

<Let’s say that we do send the Amazons against Poseidon. What if he finds out? We’re living the first peaceful period in Olympian history in millennia, should we throw it away?> Vesta asks.

<I think we’re looking at this the wrong way. Can we find another way for the Amazons to deal with their lust for battle? Like build new Talos robots and let them fight the Amazons?> Kari suggests.

<The Amazons are stubborn and have one-track minds, but they’re not stupid: they would see they’re being tricked. I can stall them for a while… they would be helpful in providing ships and weapons to reinforce our defenses… but only for so long. We need to make a decision, sooner rather than later.> Noriko insists.

<Without your government?> Vesta asks.

<The risk of the information leaking is too high. What if Athena gets hold of the Amazons and uses them to start a coup? What if they end up attacking Hades and make us lose the only real ally we have in the Nine Gods?> Noriko says.

<So we’re letting Poseidon do whatever he wants?> Quantum replies.

<Let me make one thing clear, everyone: we will overthrow Poseidon. You have my word on it. But we have to be smart about it, okay? We’ll find a way to deal with him, without causing a war in our own galaxy, and without a worse god taking his place. We have changed, Max, but just in the sense of at least trying to be more cautious. My resolve in overthrowing as many tyrants as I can is still unyielding, I can assure you.>

<I’ll hold you to that.>

<I hope you do. That’s the whole reason I’m involving all of you: it’s your job to keep me honest.>

There’s another awkward silence, as neither Vesta nor Kari are used to see their friends to be in such a fierce debate.

<Soooo… what are you going to say to the Amazons?> Kari asks.

<To gather their armies and prepare for war. I’ll tell the Queen that I’m planning to start a war with one of my enemies but that I’m not ready to disclose which one… it’s not like I’m lacking those. When someone inevitably does attack us, we’ll have the full force of the Amazon fleet to back us.>

<You’re bluffing them to stay peaceful because you’re expecting war?> Quantum asks.

<Si vis pacem, para bellum.> Vesta says.

<Uh? What’s that?> Kari wonders, not recognizing the language.

<It’s a Latin adage. “If you want peace, prepare for war”.> Noriko translates.