Chapter 19: Seeing double
Kari is bored. She's watching the sun disappear below the horizon. Waiting for something, for anything, to happen. You're not supposed to feel lonely on Myridia, ever, but she can't help it.
Like any Myridian she knows, she's been living by herself since she was fourteen. Like any Myridian, by age twenty Kari had seen absolutely everything her world has to offer.
Twice.
Unlike any other Myridian, this only made Kari bored out of her skull.
A sudden flash of blue light just below the water is about to change all that.
The last thing that Max Black remembers is touching the Heart of the Universe, then hitting a wall.
That's not what he did, but it's close enough. It could've been worse: if he'd materialized inside something solid, like a wall, he'd be dead by now.
Instead, when he opens his eyes, a beautiful white girl with purple hair and blue eyes is smiling warmly.
<Υοθ σcαρεδ με τηερε φορ α σεcονδ> she says.
<Unless I have a concussion, that's not English> he answers, trying to get his bearings.
<Τηατ σοθνδσ λικε γιββεριση. Υοθ σθρε υοθ'ρε οκαυ?>
They're on a beach, who knows where; probably on the other side of the world, since it's close to dusk. He sure can't tell from the girl: not only he can't understand a word she's saying, he has no idea what language he's hearing.
The girl's appearance isn't of much help. The purple hair would've been weirder before he knew a girl with silver eyes.
<I'm Quantum. Y'know, the super-hero? Quantum> he repeats, more slowly.
<Jθστ μυ λθcκ. Φιρστ πεοπλε Ι μεετ, ανδ τηευ ταλκ νονσενσε.>
<Yeah…whatever you just said isn't very helpful. Where's Vesta?> he asks, looking around.
Several feet away, the goddess is lying lifeless on the beach. There's another girl next to her, kneeling over her body attempting CPR. Wearing the same pink dress and miniskirt of the girl with the purple hair.
<There she is. What's she doing?> Max wonders. When he tries to walk away, the girl with the purple eyes grabs his arm.
<Σταυ ηερε> she says. It sounds like an order.
<Girl, thanks for the help and all, but that's my friend over there> Max protests, struggling to free himself from her grip. She's stronger than she looks.
<Ι σαιδ σταυ ηερε> she adds. This time it sounds like a threat.
In the blink of an eye, Kari's body triplicates. Two identical Kari stand beside her, with the exact same pink dress and purple hair.
<What the> is the only thing that Max gets to say, before one of the Kari punches him in the face.
Another one kicks him in the shin. He falls to the ground, too disoriented to turn into energy.
The two duplicates disappear with a popping sound.
<Αρε ωε cλεαρ, ορ υοθ ωαντ με το kick your butt again?> she asks, suddenly making sense.
Vesta awakens with someone trying to resuscitate her. Kari is pushing her chest rhythmically to start her heart again. Only when the goddess awakens, she starts to breathe again.
<I hate teleporting> she complains, rising to her feet.
<Take it easy, you almost drowned> Kari advises.
<Come again?>
<I pulled you out of the water, don't you remember?>
<Not really, I was kind of dead at the time.>
As soon as she's spoken, Vesta regrets her words: she just knows the girl will now look at her like she's from another planet.
<Yeah, I know, it's annoying when that happens.>
<…>
<I'm Kari Zel, by the way.>
Max is massaging the back of his head. Kari is shorter than him, though not as much as Noriko, but she managed to take him down without the slightest effort.
<So, how come I can understand you all of a sudden?> he asks.
<That's probably me> Vesta answers, floating towards him a couple inches off the ground.
<Vesta, this is…uhm…what's your name?>
<She's already met me. I'm Kari Zel.>
<That's the name of the girl over there> Vesta answers, looking back. The girl who rescued her disappears with just a popping sound.
<I know, that's me too> Kari nods.
<What do you mean it's "probably you"?> Max asks.
<Gods can understand any language instantly. Sometimes, people around us can do the same.>
<I should probably get used to answers that don't make any sense.>
<Sorry to change the subject but did I just see that girl over there just…disappear!?>
For once, Max shares Vesta's uneasiness with the current situation.
<There's definitely something funny going on here. She just made copies of herself a second ago.>
<And? What's so strange about that?> Kari asks.
Vesta decides to change the subject entirely:
<We should probably just rest for a while. It looks like it's almost night.>
<But it's not even dawn> Kari answers. She's definitely finding these people to be very strange.
<Then why's the Sun setting?> Max notes, pointing his finger towards the twilight.
<So? There's two more about to rise.>
Max and Vesta look at each other, flabbergasted. Both swallow loudly, before Vesta asks:
<How many suns does this planet have?>
<Six. I take it this is your first time on Myridia?>
Later
Kari's house is just five minutes from the beach. It's nothing fancy, more like an apartment with a small garden outside the door. There's no other house in sight.
<So where are you guys from?> she asks.
<New York> Max answers.
<Earth> Vesta says at the same time.
<Never heard of it. Who's your god?>
Again, the two visitors share a puzzled look.
<Your world. Which god owns it?> Kari clarifies, thinking there's something wrong with the translation if they can't understand such a simple question.
<You wanna answer that?> Max asks Vesta.
<It's…complicated> is Vesta's honest reply.
<Oh, disputed world. Gotcha. I thought you guys were acting strange…you're refugees, right?>
<Sure, why not> Max shrugs.
<Don't worry, I'm not gonna report you or anything. For what it's worth, I think Myridia was better off before the gods came back.>
They're now in the kitchen, where Kari takes the only chair. An exact duplicate appears right by her side, walking off to get something to drink.
<Sorry, I don't own another chair. I'm used to be by myself> Kari says.
<I can see that> Max notes, as the duplicate Kari serves him a glass of something vaguely resembling tea.
Vesta adjusts by crossing her legs and levitating, keeping the same distance from the floor like she would if she was on a chair. Interestingly, Kari doesn't seem to care that her guest can fly.
<Tell me about Earth. You're prime people, aren't you?>
<I'm not...familiar with the term> Vesta admits.
<People from outside Myridia. You can't do this> Kari clarifies, creating another double and then making it disappear with a popping sound.
<That's…that's amazing. You mean anyone on…Myridia, right? Anyone on Myridia can create duplicates, just like that!?>
<Of course. Hey, is it true that prime planets have cities with hundreds of people!?>– Kari asks excitedly.
<Even more than that. Can anyone else do that? We know someone called the Many with a very similar power> Max asks.
<As far as I know, no. Never heard of someone called Many either.>
<How about Null? Asian girl, late teens, silver eyes, never smiles?>
<What's an Asian?>
<This is getting nowhere> Max surrenders.
<Kari, you said that Myridia was better off before the gods came back. What do you mean with "came back"?> Vesta asks.
<Myridia didn't belong to any particular god for at least a thousand years; I think they just forgot about us. Three hundred years ago the Oracles invaded and took over…they've been ruling the planet ever since.>
<"The Oracles"?> Max repeats.
<They completely destroyed our industries and started the Harvest. Some say they turned Myridia into a paradise, but come on, they draft people for their stupid wars!>
<"Harvest"? Kari…which god owns this planet?> Vest asks, biting her upper lip.
<Demeter. Does she own your planet too?>
Vesta doesn't answer; she's noticeably paler and visibly shocked.
<What's up, Vesta? You know this Demeter?>
<She's my sister. And we're in very, very deep trouble.>
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