Crash and burn

Null Tower, New York City

Noriko Null steps out of the elevator, closely followed by Max Black a.k.a. Quantum. She's surrounded by a dozen holographic screens displaying a variety of equations, programs, chemical formulas and blueprints, all digitalized by the N-watch she's wearing. Interfacing directly with her brain, the N-watch leaves her hands free to grab the espresso cup handed over by one of her humanoid robots, a Nullbot.

<…and before that I need to finish engineering new Godstones using only materials I can find on Earth, which I'll need for the Mark IV Genius Gun as well. But supervising the new reactors and assembling the anti-Oracle satellite network takes precedence, I need them for when I'll have the spaceship prototype ready for launch. Oh, and tonight I had an idea on how to use the adaptive properties of the Many genome to cure cancer, I'd like to have something for when I testify before Congress next month, because I know that when I'll be at the economic summit the press won't understand anything about the new economic system I'm going to propose, and that's assuming that any of the finance ministers there understand it in the first place.>

Noriko drinks her coffee, giving Max the first chance to utter a single word he's had for a long time.

he asks, lost in her endless flow of words.

<"How's it going?"> she reminds him.

Noriko gives the cup back to the Nullbots, and looks at Max like he just landed from Mars.>

<"Hang out"> she repeats.

The evening before

Torn is sitting at the bar, hunched over his beer. He didn't say a word coming in that didn't involve ordering alcohol. You'd think more people would notice a guy with red skin, but it takes a long time before an attractive woman approaches him saying:

he answers.

are the last words she says to him, almost bumping into Max who rapidly takes his place next to the red-skinned alien.

Waiting for Torn to say something, anything else, Max tries to break the ice.

Torn finally turns his head to look Max in the eye, without moving a muscle on his stony face.

Torn nods, turning his eyes back to the glass of beer.

Torn says, drinking his beer.

Now

The door to Noriko's lab opens automatically as she passes by.

Max throws his hands in the air: who would've thought that talking to Torn would easy by comparison? But he owes everything to Noriko…his powers, the chance to make a difference, to witness impossible things up close and kick them in the face. No matter what, he will find a way to repay her.

Noriko doesn't answer immediately. She just stares back at him with her silver eyes, with that death stare that has literally made gods take a step back.

she says with exasperation.

Max asks, crossing his arms triumphantly.

Queen Hotel, New York

Kari and Vesta are standing before the five-star hotel. Kari is gathering the most attention thanks to her purple hair, but Vesta is unrecognizable since her hair is currently short and black instead of shoulder-length and bright red as usual. She goes as unnoticed as possible for a woman with the body of a goddess and an orange tube top.

Vesta asks.

Vesta tells her with a lower tone, looking around to make sure nobody's listening. It took her a long time to gather the courage to use her powers in the open, but she still prefers people thinking she's only a woman with super-powers.

Kari says.

Kari explains.

The penthouse

As soon as the lock's been picked, Kari creates four duplicates to search more efficiently. Vesta follows her, floating barefoot a few inches off the ground. She was never into luxury, but she has to admit the place is pretty impressive.

Kari exclaims, opening a closet much bigger than several places where Vesta has lived.

Vesta admits, causing the immortal goddess who can split mountains with her bare hands to blush.

one of the duplicates shouts from the other side of the penthouse.

Kari tells Vesta, before joining her duplicates.

What they find is a pile of books, newspapers and magazines. Kari concentrates on the magazines, while Vesta immediately notices two books that don't seem to belong to the collection.

Kari says after a quick glance at the covers: they're not in English.

Kari adds, holding a handful of books and magazines: Noriko, her inventions and her impact on society are on each cover.

While her duplicates are busy cataloguing what they found, the original summarizes:

one of the duplicates answers. Vesta adds:

Vesta suggests, looking once again at the odd combination of subjects in the books they found.

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