New Atlantis, 2.7 million light-years from Earth
News tends to move slowly in this Galaxy, ever since Poseidon’s downfall.
Typically, news from far-off planets would need to first become the talk among sailors, spreading through the river that connects multiple solar systems.
Even in this slow-paced realm, however, when the goddess who rules a sector encompassing half a Galaxy disappears, there are procedures in place to notify her allies.
It only took a couple of days before Kestral, the merman currently serving as Prime Minister of the Atlantean Confederacy, is notified of the loss of all communications with Rhodos.
The other two goddesses who share the former realm of Poseidon, his daughter Despoina and the nymph Calypso, appear as holograms in Kestral’s office.
<This is clearly an attack! We should retaliate with overwhelming force!> Despoina shouts.
<That’s a bit extreme. Maybe Rhodos wanted some time to herself? Ruling your own sector can be very stressful. We should just give her space and let her be.> Calypso sympathizes; not surprising, given how little she wants to rule.
<With due respect, Your Highnesses, both your positions seem extreme. I will dispatch a ship to assess the situation before taking action.> Kestral says.
<Ugh, you would think a mortal would have more sense of urgency. Who put you in charge of the whole Galaxy anyway?> Despoina whines.
Kestral would remind her, but he has another priority: a pendant he’s wearing over his bare torso is suddenly blinking rather insistently.
<Who would call you during an official meeting?> Calypso wonders.
<The answer to both of your questions is the same: Noriko Null. I should definitely take this.>
<Fine. Not that I want to talk to that murderer anyway.> Despoina says, abruptly ending her transmission. Calypso has the completely opposite reaction:
<Tell her I said hi!> she says excitedly before disconnecting.
Once he’s alone again, Kestral presses a hidden button on the pendant. A holographic projection of Noriko Null, slightly distorted for being generated in an underwater environment, appears before him despite the cosmic distance.
<Empress Null. Always a pleasure.> Kestral greets her, with a respectful bow.
<Just Null, please. You received my message about my new status, right?>
<I did. Just a couple of days after receiving news that you had been killed and overthrown by Athena, so that was quite the backlash.>
<You guys really should keep a closer eye on what happens in our Galaxy. Giving you access to some of our news network wouldn’t be that hard.>
<No offense, but we actually prefer to keep to ourselves. As grateful as we are for freeing us from Poseidon’s rule, Atlantis isn’t as used to fast-paced changes as Olympus.>
<You don’t often get to choose how the rest of the universe interacts with you, Kestral. At least the last time we messed up with your galaxy, you got the chance to be Prime Minister. That ought to have been some consolation, right?>
<On good days, it is. You of all people know how hard it is to work with gods who are constantly squabbling over the most minor things. It’s like herding catfish.>
<I hear you. Listen, speaking of dealing with gods… I’m guessing you know Medusa?>
<An old enemy of Poseidon. She died ages ago.>
<Well she’s back. And to make matters worse, she has transmuted Vesta into stone.>
<She did what? It’s been a while since I’ve heard stories about her, but her power shouldn’t work on any gods.>
<She got an upgrade. Don’t ask me how, that’s a long story.>
<I am sorry to hear that. But why contact me? Surely you have the means to restore her.>
<I thought so as well. But anything I’ve tried turned out to be useless… I don’t know how, but Vesta has retained her invulnerability even in stone form. She’s completely unresponsive to anything I came up with.>
<And you’re hoping my Drylon device, the Philosopher’s stone, can fix her?>
<Oh, so I see you went with Quantum’s name for that thing. Yes, I have seen you use it to turn people into stone, so I’m hoping it might be able to do the opposite.>
<I am certainly open to it. But you will have to come to New Atlantis for this: I can’t leave in a moment like this.>
<Some kind of emergency?>
<I don’t know yet. But Rhodos cut all contacts two days ago; I still don’t know why. It could be one of her temper tantrums, but the fact that her capital planet also ceased all communications…>
<Wait a sec. Did you just say two days ago?>
<Yes. You sound like that’s important?>
<Considering that I don’t believe in coincidences, yes, it definitely is. Listen, can you give me fifteen minutes? That should be enough for you to prepare a room with breathable air.>
Defiance-IX, in orbit above Halia
Major James Davis suddenly finds himself able to move, and it’s disorienting to say the least.
Especially since the first thing he sees once regaining consciousness is his crew frozen in place, transmuted into stone while still at their stations.
And the second thing is a green-skinned woman with snakes instead of hair.
His first instinct is to take out his gun and to point at her; a futile gesture, considering the gun becomes stone much faster than he can pull the trigger.
<No need to worry. I’m not going to kill you; I have nothing against mortals.> Medusa says.
<My crew would beg to differ.>
<I will return them to normal once I have your word they’re not going to attack me.>
<I can’t promise that, ma’am.>
<You are this ship’s captain, aren’t you?>
<I am. And I speak for all members of my crew that we’d never pledge allegiance to you, if that’s what you are…>
<I just want to reach a safe planet. I don’t how to pilot this ship.> Medusa admits.
<Earth isn’t far away. You can probably get there on your own power, can’t you?>
<That’s no longer an option. Don’t ask me how, but we are a long way from your home.> Medusa reveals, pointing at the viewscreen. Which is currently showing the planet they are orbiting.
A planet that used to be completely covered by water and that is now a solid block of stone.
<What’s wrong with that world?> Major Davis asks.
<It’s dead. I killed it.>
The total lack of empathy with which she says this sends chills down the Major’s spine.
<Why?>
<It was an accident. I don’t even know if its people were ruled by any god.>
<Is that important?>
<Of course it is! It would mean that they deserved it.>
New Atlantis, offices of the Prime Minister
As a merman, Kestral isn’t particularly at ease in a room without water. He needs to wear a special mask to breathe, and he’s relying on antigravity belt to keep him suspended in mid-air to avoid his tail from touching the ground.
But it’s a small price to pay for the help of his guest, who has just teleported into the newly drained room with two unexpected additions.
One is a statue of Vesta, and the other is a bronze-skinned humanoid with an inhuman number of muscles developed enough to hold said statue under his arm like it weighted nothing.
<Welcome back to the Aegian Galaxy, Null.>
<Sorry for the short warning, Kestral. This is Gilgamesh, I presume you’ve heard of him? Gilgamesh, this is Kestral, he helped me take down Poseidon.> Noriko introduces both men.
<Did he now?> Gilgamesh greets him, extending his hand for a handshake.
Kestral imitates the gesture, failing to properly return the handshake.
<She is far too kind; I barely did anything. I assume you are the same Gilgamesh who led the rebellion against Kronos? You were an inspiration to our rebellion!> Kestral exclaims.
<I helped. I’m always surprised my antics are still remembered after a million years!>
<So you are not dead, Medusa is not dead… do all the dead return to life now?> Kestral wonders.
<Let’s hope we don’t add another goddess to the dead. What’s your expert’s opinion on this transmutation?> Noriko asks, gesturing to Gilgamesh to put down the statue.
Kestral puts his hands on Vesta’s shoulders, closing his eyes.
<She is alive. I can feel her atoms attempting to restore themselves, but some powerful magic keeps them frozen in place. What kind of power did Medusa access?>
<Can you help her?> Noriko asks, hoping he doesn’t mind her changing the subject.
<I will do my best.> Kestral promises, and a faint glow flows from his body to Vesta’s.
The goddess suddenly inhales sharply, losing her balance and falling to her knees. It’s only a moment’s weakness: she soon rises up again, looking at her own hands.
<What the Hades?> she wonders: her hands, just like her whole body, are still made of stone even if she can move again.
<Medusa’s power appears to be stronger than mine. I can’t fully heal you, Vesta, your atoms refuse to be anything but stone. This is the best I can do.> Kestral admits.
<Does it hurt?> Noriko asks Vesta.
<I feel perfectly fine. This is just weird.> the goddess acknowledges, tapping her fingernail on her arm to test this isn’t an illusion. It just feels and sounds like stone.
<I suppose it’s a start. Kestral, you said something about Rhodos disappearing two days ago: that’s exactly when Medusa disappeared on board one of my ships.> Noriko says.
<And since she can now petrify gods, you think she went after Rhodos?>
<Not exactly. Unless Medusa received a power boost far greater than she has otherwise demonstrated, she wouldn’t have been able to reach this Galaxy on her own. I think someone else is using her as a weapon: she was just pointed in the right direction.> Noriko explains.
<Then I assume you want to check her planet?> Gilgamesh asks.
<It’s not that easy. The Portal Generator can only take me to places it’s already mapped: I’ve never sent a ship there. It’ll take me a little under three days to bring here one of my ships… but there’s a faster way to check. Kestral, I assume you have sensors tracking travel around her sector?>
<Of course, but it’s limited considering nearly all of our ships travel through the river.>
<That’s enough, I only need to check if they detected the Defiance-IX’s warp signature.> Noriko explains, taking her N-Phone out of her green leather jacket.
Without even typing anything, she interfaces directly with the device that begins to stream a large amount of information onto its screen.
<So, ehm, should I connect you to our systems or…> Kestral awkwardly suggests.
<No need. I’ve already hacked into them.> Noriko dismisses her.
<That’s not as reassuring as you probably think it is.> the merman points out.
<There it is: that’s the signature. Medusa is definitely… oh. Crap.> Noriko’s face rapidly switches from the gratification of having tracked Medusa to a very worried expression.
<We can’t wait. I need a ship, any ship, that can take me to that sector. NOW.>
<What’s wrong? What did you see?> Vesta asks, already having forgotten all of her troubles the second she saw Noriko so worried.
<There’s another signature I recognize there. If she starts working with Medusa, we are f##ked.>
Defiance-IX, in orbit above Halia
Major Davis is not exactly a tech genius, but he wouldn’t have received command of this ship without familiarizing himself with at least its most basic systems.
Including the short-range sensors, which give a bleak report on the nearby planet.
<You weren’t kidding. Everything down there is stone now.>
<Then find me another planet and take us there.> Medusa orders.
<I need to check the long-range scanners first. You can’t just fly around without knowing where you’re going, it could take us centuries before we find…>
He doesn’t complete the sentence, taken by surprise when the chair he’s sitting on starts to float.
That’s the least strange thing happening: the ship is suddenly changing shape, twisting itself into knots like an Escher painting, and Medusa is visibly as confused as he is.
Who is causing this is not a mystery for long. A woman lounging on floating pieces of rock appears on what used to be a bridge, heralded by space bending itself beyond recognition.
She has a bald head and there are several cybernetic implants visible on her skin.
<I thought I sensed a weird warp signature around here. I didn’t expect to find a dead planet and a murdered goddess.> she says.
Despite facing Medusa herself, there is no doubt she has the confidence to be fully in control of the situation.
Something that comes easy when you possess one of the most powerful Drylon devices in existence, granting you near total control over space itself.
<Hello, my name is Skorpios and I also like to murder gods. Let’s talk.>