Max Black enters the gym yawning. It's not easy to get some decent sleep on a planet with six suns.
It's probably still early in the morning, but Kari is already up. She's fighting her own duplicates, something that resembles kickboxing but is practiced with four opponents at a time.
one of them asks while dodging a kick in the face.
Max whines; when Vesta is present he can understand Myridian language without problem, but lately she's been too busy helping with the reconstruction. Another duplicate appears, trying her best to communicate.
<Στθπιδ τρανσλατιον τηινγιε. Λετ'σ σεε…Kari has…hm… ηοω δο Ι σαυ παλαcε? Home? Kari has far home. Stand under? To speak me okay?>
Max answers, turning his body into light and disappearing.
It's been almost three weeks since the overthrow of the Oracle regime, and he hasn't picked up a word of the language. Kari has tried hard to learn English, though; her duplicates, at least, since he's never sure when he's talking with the original.
He turns human again on the roof of Null Palace, formerly the Oracle Palace. He knows from experience that trying to walk through the front door and try to talk with Noriko is a waste of time.
He's not alone on the roof: Torn is there, overlooking the city, duster blowing in the wind, leaning on an energy sword like a stylish cane.
No answer.
Sitting in the throne room, Noriko Null is bored. It's not technically a throne room because she's not technically the Queen, but it doesn't really make a difference. For all intents and purposes, she's now the supreme ruler of Myridia.
It was a natural step: the Oracles eradicated any form of democracy and imposed a complex hierarchy where everything must have a direct superior with absolute power. This is how things have worked for three hundred years, and even Null can't change that overnight.
Still, she's bored. She's typing the draft of the new Myridian Constitution on an holographic keyboard using her right hand, while resting her head on the left hand.
The physical reconstruction is the easiest part. With their power to create ten thousand copies of themselves, Myridians never lack a sizable workforce. They are also extremely fast learners: each duplicate can dedicate all his or her time learning something, and then be re-absorbed by the original transmitting all of the knowledge acquired. The concept of doing one thing at a time is completely alien to Myridian mentality, something even the Oracles were never able to break.
Still, it's a lot of work. Laws need to be written, infrastructure needs to be updated, breeding camps need to be converted to less horrifying enterprises.
Myridia lacks industries, free press, health care, transportation and pretty much anything invented after the 19th century. Agriculture is even more advanced than Earth's, but defense is severely oversized, especially now that Anti-Oracle Devices have been installed all over the planet. And of course many are still loyal to Demeter, even though by her estimation Noriko can count on the support of over 90% of the population.
She's been directing the reconstruction, helped by the fact that she only needs to sleep one hour per night. There isn't a single action involving more than a dozen Myridians that isn't under her supervision. She's bored out of her mind.
Max chuckles.
The hologram changes form again: it zooms out to show the whole Milky Way Galaxy, entirely covered in colored patches. Each patch has a name on it: Demeter is right between Hephaestus and Artemis, but it goes on until it covers everything.
There's something in Noriko's voice…something Max hasn't heard before. She looks like she's about to cry.
Max places a hand on her shoulder. She can be extremely unpleasant at times, but he's come to consider her a little sister. A very bossy little sister, but still.
Before Noriko can say "personality", Vesta rushes back into the building; she's in such a hurry she bumps her head in the wall making a noticeable dent, but she's too upset to notice.
Max is too shocked to say anything; Noriko grabs his wrist to move his hand away from her shoulder. Her eyes shine brightly, quickly suppressing any tears and any glimpse to the girl inside.
The spaceship floats right above Null Palace; it's big enough the cast a shadow on half the city.
Demeter is floating in front of the building. The resemblance with Vesta is uncanny: if it wasn't for the green hair and eyes, they would look exactly identical. She just stands there, surrounded by green energy that keeps her long skirted green dress from blowing in the wind.
The mothership is floating above her, casting a mile-wide shadow.