Washington goes to Null
When Max Black got super-powers and became Quantum, he thought he'd be living the life of his comic book heroes…fighting evil, saving damsels in distress, that sort of thing.
Not sitting in a room with no windows, listening to the hologram of the President of the United States discuss energy policy with an eighteen year old genius girl.
Quantum lifts a hand, interrupting the President before he can add anything else.
Despite the artificial quality of the President's image, Noriko can notice he's very tense when she asks the question.
<Ωηατ αβοθτ τηε βλθε?> Kari asks.
The room falls silent.
Triton, Neptune's largest moon
The Twin Dragon, Demeter's old mothership, is still on this ice world. Kari Zel, or more clearly one of her duplicates, is carrying a tray with a bottle of water and emergency rations.
On her way, she comes across a dozen other duplicates. Many more are working on the other decks: they're all extremely busy mapping every inch of the spaceship, down to every screw and bolt, as per Noriko's orders.
Finally, Kari reaches her destination: the prison. Talas Khanos is still in his cell, guarded by two Kari duplicates who pass the time playing cards.
Kari says, creating another duplicate to which she handles the tray. The two Kari playing cards wearily acknowledge her presence.
The former Oracle is standing in his cell: at seven feet, he almost touches the roof. His eyes are closed and he's holding the palm of his hands upwards.
The duplicates disappear, transferring all of their memories to her.
Talas Khanos doesn't answer, but his sharp breath indicates how frustrating he finds the girl.
Something opens the steel doors with enough force to crush them like cardboard. Kari gets ready for a fight, but her body is lifted and slammed against the wall by an unseen power.
Since this is a duplicate, the impact makes it disappear. Before she does, however, she instantly creates more duplicates; they are pushed aside just as easily.
What's keeping them at bay is a violet jewel floating in the air: a godstone. It quickly flies through the prison bars, embedding itself into the throat of Talas Khanos.
Kari falls, no longer pinned against the wall. She gathers her strength, ready to summon an army to attack the prisoner. But her body disappears when Khanos telekinetically snaps her neck.
New York City
Agent Warden places the tray on the table, next to the pile of discarded circuits. He takes the large cup of coffee, while Torn grabs the can of beer.
Torn doesn't simply open the can; he cuts off the top with an energy dagger, then drinks from it like from a normal glass.
Still drinking his beer, Torn gestures towards the godstone on the table. It's already been cut in half, but the energy swords created by Torn's mind now slices it in tiny strings. Then he burps loudly.
Noriko takes her eyes off the device in front of her, to look the red skinned man into the eyes.
Noriko's silver eyes flash intensely; while she doesn't show other signs of anger, Warden knows he's touched a nerve.
The ring-shaped device is now complete. Assembled with parts cannibalized from the room's holographic projector, the N-phone, the Mark II Genius Gun and the godstone.
When Noriko wears it on her left wrist like a bracelet, it lights up to show the circuitry of godstone filaments. And it talks.
Outside the door, Quantum and Kari are taking a pause from the endless debate.
<Ι ηατε τηισ τρανσλατιον τηινγ> she answers with a weary tone.
the N-Phone says with a monotone artificial voice.
<Υοθ ηαδ σεξ ωιτη μυ δθπλιcατε. Ωηατ'σ τηερε το δισcθσσ?>
Of course, Noriko chooses this exact moment to come out of the room. She glances at Kari, then at Quantum while raising an eyebrow disapprovingly.
Torn says, puzzled by Quantum's words.
<"Nullbots"? You mean the Tower has actual robots!?> Quantum asks.