Ignition

The elevator doors are about to close when Kari shouts:

<Wait!>

One of her duplicates appears right in front of the door, blocking it with her hand to prevent it from closing. The original Kari is pushing Vesta to make her walk faster: they're both wearing high heels, but the goddess is far less comfortable wearing them.

<Why do I have to wear shoes? I can fly> Vesta whines; for the first time in years she's wearing something different from the orange tube top and tight pants. She's wearing a casual evening dress, orange of course.

<Just hurry> Torn says from within the elevator, ignoring the Kari duplicate sticking out her tongue at him. She disappears with a popping sound when the original Kari and Vesta join Torn and the elevator begins to rise to the top of Null Tower.

Kari says to Torn: he's wearing his usual dark duster.

<Wait, we're doing what?> Vesta asks.

the goddess guesses.

<Or we fight> Torn adds.

<Torn, we're supposed to have fun tonight, remember?> Kari corrects him.

Noriko's lab is a mess, even more than usual. There are pieces of hardware scattered everywhere, especially around the main device she's building.

It's a big sphere surrounded by six pistons apparently crossing it at random points. The whole thing is about six feet tall and far too heavy for her to build unassisted, which is why there are three Nullbots helping her carry around the parts and lay the industrial cables that will power it.

Vesta and Kari don't say a word when they enter the lab, and are naturally joined by Torn in silence. Noriko acknowledges their arrival from behind the device:

<No argument here. I hate these things> Vesta complains, stepping away from the Nullbots.

<Please don't tell me you're wasting the evening building another God Eraser> Kari adds, noticing the passing similarities between the two devices.

<No no no, this is much better> Noriko explains, finally showing herself.

She's not wearing her trademark leather jacket, probably because she dismantled the air conditioning to scavenge parts for the device. Her hair is messed up, her hands and arms are covered by grease spots, and her silver eyes are constantly shining.

<You lost me at "magnetic". Are you done yet? We're supposed to have fun tonight> Kari insists.

<Nori, it's eight PM. Have you even eaten today?>

<Couldn't find the time. Ideas keep bouncing off each other. I think I found a way to break the rules of physics.>

The others look at each other, until Kari asks:

<Don't we do it all the time?>

<You don't understand. We've seen god powers and technology used for a variety of things: telekinesis, teleportation, faster-than-light travel...all of which should need an astronomical amount of energy. I think I've found where it's all coming from> Noriko explains, caressing the device.

<Am I the only one who's not following?> Torn asks.

<How long have you been running your brain at maximum?> Vesta asks; it's really hard to miss the fact that Noriko's silver eyes are pretty much burning with light.

The silver light flickers, and Noriko loses her balance. A Kari duplicate catches her before she falls.

<What's going on?> she asks.

<√Ω2(πɣ2-πΩ2)-∑πɸ2> Noriko answers, trying to stand on her own but failing to keep her balance.

the duplicate says, but can't finish the sentence before disappearing.

The device starts to hum softly. The room goes dark.

Vesta holds fire in her hand in order to see. The device is still humming, but it's the only thing working: the Nullbots are completely immobile, and all the holographic projectors are off.

Noriko, Kari and Torn are unconscious. The first thing Vesta does is to check their vitals: they're breathing and she can get a pulse. The two girls are running a fever.

"The device must've have knocked them out somehow" she thinks, moving towards it to inspect it or possibly to disconnect it. Not only the flame goes off when she's less than a couple of feet away, it takes her considerable effort to make every single step.

"What is this thing!?" she wonders, pushing as hard as she can: even with all her strength, something is preventing her from touching the device. And given that she can literally move mountains, it's far from a good sign.

It was supposed to be an evening among friends, to forget about what they've been through lately.

Instead Max Black had to put on his Quantum mask and rush to the Tower, where he finds the bodies of Noriko, Kari and Torn on the medical beds.

<What happened?> he asks to Vesta, the only other person present.

<Kari Zel shows symptoms of extreme exhaustion. Mistress Null has a body temperature of 105.8°F and her brain activity has risen 745 times above her normal state. I have no point of reference for Torn's physiology, but he seems to have developed both a secondary and a tertiary heart> I.R.I.S answers.

<What!?> both Max and Vesta exclaim.

<This sucks> Torn says calmly, slowly rising from the bed.

<How do you feel?> Vesta asks, worried.

<Tired. What did I.R.I.S say about hearts?>

<Well...apparently, you have three hearts now> Max answers, surprised to say these words.

<I've always had three hearts> Torn replies, puzzled.

<And you're telling us now!? No, wait, don't tell me: "you never asked", right?> Max jokes.

<Right.>

<I.R.I.S, what can you tell us about the device that Noriko was building? Can you shut it down?> Vesta asks to the artificial intelligence.

<Nothing. I had no part in its construction. I cannot understand its function and have no means to disengage it, since it is not powered by the Tower's power supply.>

<So the only person who has any clue about it is...> Vesta says, looking at Noriko.

<εψ2(ϑɣ/π)√Ω> Noriko says to herself.

<Great. Anybody here talks delirious math?> Max asks.

Quantum rubs his hands, concentrating. The door to Noriko's laboratory is open, showing the complete darkness on the other side.

He then shoots lasers from both hands at the darkness, but without success: the darkness simply eats the energy he's throwing at it. Other types of energy don't have different results: electricity, radiation, nothing seems to be able to get through.

<CUT OF A THOUSAND DEATHS!!!> Torn shouts, releasing a stream of deadly daggers that Quantum has seen tear through half a city. They fly into the darkness, never to be seen again.

<Odd> is everything Torn has to say.

<"Odd". That's how you call a room of dark stuff that eats everything you throw at it.>

<Yes.>

<No. And I couldn't understand a word Null said about it.>

<Well, at least it doesn't seem to be harming anybody outside that room. As long as...>

Quantum doesn't get to finish his sentence before the lights in the corridor go off.

<...it doesn't expand. We're fu##ed, aren't we?>

Back at the infirmary, Vesta is trying to lower Noriko's temperature with a cold wet cloth.

<∑ɣ(1+ϑ)+(1+ɸ/Ω)-√π/Ω>

<Is she alright? I can't remember a thing> Kari says, finally able to stand, rubbing her temples.

<I'll be fine; feels like I just OM'd.>

<"OM"?> Vesta repeats.

<Over-multiplied. It happens when you try to create more than ten thousand duplicates. It's hard to describe to a non-Myridian...but it's not pleasant. How's Nori doing?>

<ϑ=ξɸ2 → Ω=√ϑπ !!! ∑Ω2=∞ !!!> Noriko exclaims.

<Warning. Body temperature at 107°F and brain activity 1586 times above normal state.>

<That's it, I'm taking her to a hospital> Vesta decides, lifting Noriko's body from the bed.

Noriko grabs her clothes and looks at her: her eyes are shining like torches.

<∑Ω2=∞!!! ∑Ω2=∞!!! ∑Ω2=∞ !!!> Noriko keeps repeating, louder and louder.

<Warning. Intracranial hemorrhage detect->

I.R.I.S stops talking; the entire room has gone dark, and Noriko is shaking uncontrollably.

<What's happening? What do I do!?> Vesta starts to panic.

<Don't worry about us, take her to a hospital, NOW!!!>Kari shouts at her.

Vesta doesn't waste any more time: keeping Noriko in her arms, she kicks the window open and flies away from the building.

She turns her head just once: the lights of the entire Null Tower are going dark, from the top to the bottom, in rapid succession.

This may be the busiest city in the world, but it's not every day that a woman smashes through a window carrying the body of a visibly sick teenage girl.

Despite the sudden entrance, the medical personnel is trained to respond quickly to a medical crisis and in a few seconds Noriko's already on a stretcher being examined by a doctor.

Vesta keeps her distance to let the doctors do their job; she's seen plenty of sick people in her immortal life, but she has close to no experience healing them.

After what feels like an eternity, the doctor approaches her.

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Chapter 56: Ignition

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Chapter 56: Ignition

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