Unfinished business

Fairbanks, Alaska

The ship enters the atmosphere at the wrong angle, surrounded by a cloud of flames. Thanks to a last minute correction it doesn't crash into the ground, but drags on the snow for several miles before finally coming to a halt.

Nothing happens for over an hour. Then the area surrounding the crash is quickly isolated by the United States Army, which is under orders to keep it under control and to await further instructions.

The ship is only slightly bigger than a bus, and the wings have been completely ruined by the crash.

As the soldiers approach the ship, something flies above them at supersonic speed. Realizing it missed the target, it turns back. Then it lands with so quickly and displaces so much snow that it looks like something just exploded.

When the snow has settled, the soldiers can't believe their eyes. It's a woman with long red hair, wearing just an orange tube top and tight jeans. Barefoot in the snow.

<Uhm, hello. Was anybody injured?> Vesta asks.

<Step away from the vehicle, ma'am – someone shouts. Like his fellow soldiers, he's holding a weapon and seems ready to use it.>

<Look, I don't want to cause trouble, but I'm taking the ship> she says, walking towards the vehicle. The first soldier shoots, and the others follow.

The bullets ricochet on her body; they're as harmless as raindrops for her, but they could damage the ship even more.

She raises a wall of fire around the ship. This distraction gives her enough time to reach the ship, raise it over her head, and fly away from the army's orders and imprecations.

Null Tower, New York

Max Black walks through the door as radio waves, then turning back into human flesh.

Kari Zel is laying on the bed, unconscious and full of bruises. It's not a normal bed: strange devices scan her body from head to toe, then project a tridimensional hologram of her internal organs.

Noriko Null is studying the hologram with a serious expression on her face. Another Kari Zel is by her side, dressed in civilian clothes, together with Vesta and Torn.

<I got here as soon as I could. Is she gonna be alright?>

<I'm working on it> Noriko answers.

<I recognized the symbol on the ship. Artemis Hunters. Lousy drivers> Torn explains.

<What ship? Where is it?>

<I had Vesta park it where nobody's gonna find it> Noriko reveals.

<The Moon> the goddess clarifies.

<Are you done yet?> Kari asks impatiently <I wanna know what happened.>

<She suffered multiple internal injuries. She's not gonna wake up anytime soon> Noriko answers.

<So? I can just absorb her back.>

From the looks of the others, the Myridian girl understands they are unfamiliar with the concept.

<What? I can absorb duplicates if I touch them. I gain all of their knowledge.>

<Is it safe? She is in critical condition> Noriko stresses.

<What happens to the body of a duplicate has no effect on the original. Watch.>

Kari touches the shoulder of the other Kari. The one on the bed simply disappears with a loud popping sound, leaving the sheets to fall on the bed.

The original Kari falters; only Vesta's help prevents her from falling down.

<I'm okay, I'm okay. Just a little dizzy. Gods, she really went through a lot these past weeks...>

<What did you learn?> Noriko asks.

<You may want to sit down for this one...>

A five-star hotel in Tokyo, Japan

Since she lost control of Scion Corporation, Leiko Tanaka has been out of public view. There's no need to make a spectacle of herself fighting it: this wasn't part of her plan, but it's working.

She closes the door to her room and recovers a small object from her purse, the size of smartphone.

Her scientists assembled it from the circuitry the Olympian vase she recovered; it is the same device that brought the Talos to Earth months ago.

She checks herself in the mirror before activating it. There are still bandages over her broken nose; all in all, a small price to pay for the cause.

Once the device is active, it creates the holographic shadow of a man. It's impossible to see anything other than a dark silhouette.

<You missed your last scheduled report> it says.

<There's a new development. The Nexus has discovered my plans and defeated the Blue. She will soon have complete control over the deployment of reactor technology.>

<Have you been compromised?>

<She managed to establish a psychic link for a few seconds. I believe she suspects that I work for the Mortal Liberation Front.>

<Your orders were to update the global readiness level in case of an Olympian invasion. Instead you managed to hand the planet over to the Nexus. My superiors will be...disappointed.>

<There is a way to turn the situation to our advantage.>

<How? We can't trust a Nexus with an entire planet. It's too dangerous.>

<Then conquer the planet and give it to me as your lieutenant. The gods don't know anything about Earth so you don't risk to be discovered, and you can isolate the Nexus to work for you.>

<First you wanted us to attack the planet because its technology wasn't progressing fast enough, now you want the same because the Nexus is working too fast? My superiors will find this fixation with planetary conquest troubling.>

<I gave up my own daughter to the Nexus. Never question my loyalty to the cause!!!>

Leiko's sudden burst of emotion seems to affect the shadow. He takes time before responding.

<We don't have the resources for a full-scale invasion. But I will inform my superiors about your proposal. In the meantime, make no contact with the Nexus and await further instructions.>

The shadow disappears, leaving Leiko alone once again. If she were anyone else, she would smile.

"Sentimental idiot" she thinks, putting the device back into her purse together with the Core.

Null Tower, New York

All five members of the Vanguard sit at the round table: Null, Quantum, Vesta, Kari and Torn.

At the wave of Null's hand, the lights dim and the table projects the holographic image of the Milky Way Galaxy.

<This is so cool. It's like being in a Justice League meeting or something> Quantum whispers to Kari, who nods pretending to know what he's talking about.

<This is the map of the Olympian Galaxy I recovered on Myridia> Noriko explains. Two red dots appear over the map: one labeled "Earth" and the other "Myridia".

<43 light-years towards the galactic centre there is a border between five kingdoms, each ruled by an Olympian god: Zeus, Hermes, Artemis, Demeter and Hephaestus. Earth lies on the edge between the Hephaestus Collective and the Demeter Theocracy. Myridia is deeper into Demeter territory, 50 light-years away from us. Even if the Hunters manage to conquer it, they will have to defend it against the power of five Olympian gods.>

<That's why they need the God Eraser. Can Myridia hold its own against the Hunters?> Vesta asks.

<No> Torn answers.

<Excuse me? Myridia has the best infantry of the galaxy!> Kari protests.

<They're good. The Hunters are better.>

<You've run into them before?> Noriko asks. It's always a chore to get information out of Torn.

<Not personally, but anyone capable to make it big in Artemis space is dangerous. It's a rough territory, crowded with the kind of space monsters she likes to fight. She's not really interested into running the place but hates being told what to do, so there are no real governments. The Hunters are just one of the many factions fighting for control; they don't follow any rule, except for the only law existing in their sector.>

<Which is?> Quantum asks.

<"Don't f##k with Artemis".>

<And what about Elytra's story on the Lampyrians? Can she be trusted?> Vesta asks.

<She's a Hunter and she works with Talas Khanos. It could be a trap> Torn advises.

<Wait. We're not seriously considering sitting this one out, aren't we?> Kari asks, understandably worried about her people. The others don't seem very excited, with one exception:

<Yeah, I mean c'mon, space pirates guys!> Quantum says.

<This is happening because we killed Demeter and let Khanos take control of the God Eraser. It's our responsibility to do something about this!> Kari insists.

<I didn't say no> Noriko clarifies. She strokes her chin; judging by her shining eyes, she's not taking the situation lightly.

<I can't spare the whole Vanguard on this; we have unfinished business on Earth.>

<I'll stay> Quantum volunteers, to the surprise of all present. Even Null.

<I know, I know, I'm gonna miss the space pirates. But I still haven't found my sister and if Leiko tries any more monkey business with the Blue I'm the most qualified to deal with it. Besides, who else is gonna stay? Little miss genius here is the only one who can fix the spaceship and disable the God Eraser, Torn is the only one who knows anything about the people you're gonna fight, Kari knows the planet better than anyone else, and if you're gonna fight spaceships you need Vesta to kick some pirate butt.>

<This is...surprisingly mature for you> Noriko compliments.

<Hey, I'm like ten years older than you!>

<Nice to see you're finally starting to act like it.>

<You really suck at being nice to people> Quantum pouts.

Project Silver, classified location

The President of the United States is walking through the brand new facility, accompanied by the Secret Service and a balding man wearing a lab coat.

<Are you sure this can work, professor?>

<As sure as we can be, Mister President. We believe the Heart keeps memory of whoever has gained access to it; our tests show that it was suitable to interact with the biological samples we recovered from Robert Null. This should work with anyone sharing enough DNA with the previous user.>

<But obviously we can't fully trust the father of Noriko Null. She has shown complete disregard of international law and refuses to testify before Congress about her actions.>

<Do you think she's a threat, sir?>

<She is Null. I've learned not to trust that girl.>

<I understand, Mister President. As soon as you give the order, we're ready to begin.>

On the other side of the bulletproof glass there's one of the most advanced laboratories in the world. Everyone inside is wearing hazmat suits; everyone except the African American woman strapped to the apparatus that has been connected to the Heart of the Universe.

<This is strictly voluntary, miss Black. Just give the word and we will abort the procedure> says the President through the lab's microphone.

<I want to do this, sir> she reassures him.

<Very well then. Operation Ascension is go> the President orders.

The electrical charge passes through Kayla Black's body, and all of her muscles contract as she tries to remain conscious.

She lied: this isn't what she wanted. But who can give up the chance to be a goddess?