Point Zero: Of Gods Old And New: 2

Point Zero: Of Gods Old And New: 2

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Commissioned by Ichypa

Wordcount: 2500

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So, yeah.

I’m on the largest space station in the system, the gateway between humanity and the rest of the galaxy, which is utterly filled with amazing technology and powerful weapons that could change the planet forever.

And, I’m on a date eating exotic food.

I’m going to feel like absolute rubbish when I’m back planetside, aren’t I?

“Intrepid cuisine is very delicious. They have whole hunting planets where they hunt their meals and prepare them themselves. Perfect, self-regulating ecosystems where you hunt, cook, and eat your meals… as long as you survive.” The posh restaurant wouldn’t look out of place on Earth. No. It would, because there wasn’t a place on Earth that could compare. The floors were some sort of pure black stone speckled with gold, all the lights were hovering drones that made no sound and changed illumination depending on the dish. The chairs were perfectly soft and firm at the same time, and the tables changed to perfectly allow you to use a knife and fork. Every meal arrived at perfect temperature and perfect conditions from the actual kitchen supplied with food from all over the galaxy. “I’d like to visit one someday. The Intrepid have offered… but you’ll need to be much stronger for our date there.”

“W-well, I wouldn’t mind being cared for and protected. It’s every girl’s dream.”

Gwen paused at that and tilted her head to one side in a very illegally cute way.

Rich, powerful, and rocking a suit like no one’s business, but still amazingly cute on demand.

I’m definitely using up all the good karma I’ve made all my previous lives.

“I’ll ask if that’s possible. The Intrepid would surely approve of one individual fighting the fight of two. I can be your Champion in the fight. Hm. They might find that romantic, actually.” A dinner date where I get to act like a princess while Gwen tore through hordes of monsters for us to eat. In all honesty, it didn’t sound much different from our typical date. Monsters or villains of some sort usually come right before dessert. “Ah, this is the first course.”

The first course somewhat resembled a whole hock of ham, covered in pale yellow leaves, and in a deep red, almost purple sauce accompanying by what looked like roasted potatoes in garlic and butter.

“The side is actually just garlic and butter potatoes.”

“Ah, thank you. So, the meat of the matters is… some sort of predator creature?”

“The Intrepid equivalent of a tiger, but with six lower limbs with claws, and the size of an elephant. This hock is a shoulder section and slow cooked in native spices to the region. The sauce is its blood, which has been spiced.” I was getting a clear view of what the Intrepid considered haute cuisine. It was the animal that was killed, prepped, and spiced with herbs in the area where it spent most of its life. If you’re going to kill something, I suppose it makes sense to eat it with the rest of its homeland flavoring it up for the most realistic experience.  “Hm. It tastes like a cross between tiger and beef.”

There was no reason at all for me to wonder how Gwen managed to taste tiger.

I tucked into the meal and got ready to get really full and shove most of my food Gwen’s way.

She manages to make eating look cute and cool, so I didn’t mind.

…

After dinner, it was my turn to pick where to go next.

Of course, I decided to go and check out the galaxy’s largest convenience store chain, and see what crazy, wacky things they had in stock for the average galactic consumer.

I didn’t have to wait long before I felt like I was wasting my life as a scientist.

“This is their equivalent of a bandage, but it can literally regrow most of a body in an instant. It even comes in packs of twelve.” I groused while looking at the little slivers of metal contained inside. It cost 20 Galactic Credits. A ridiculous amount of money for most people, but Gwen paid for it and handed me the pack. I scanned the back and found that it could be applied to a person ahead of time, and it’ll reconstitute them. If you put two on, you’re coming back to life, as long as you’ve got a couple pounds of mass left of you. The little things actually slip your consciousness in them, too, so there’s now worrying about being a clone. “Bloody hell, slap on some on yourself, Gwen.”

“Okay.” Gwen accepted the second life without much fuss, but the two I put on her bare skin beeped thrice. I read the instructions on the box and found that meant they didn’t have enough energy to reconstitute the individual. Right, my girlfriend’s actually hyper dense. It’s easy to forget. I put four more on her until they were all green. “Most of them were used on me.”

“I’ve got two more pairs for two more lives, while you’ve only got one. And, you paid for them.” I shook my head and put on the remaining ones. They were going to work as additional charges. I put them on the small of my back, up my shirt. Didn’t want to put them on places which could get lopped off… or maybe I did? If my hand flies off with them and I die, then I’ll get up with that mass that flew off. Huh. Wait, what if you off yourself while sending a limb of yours off with these stuck on them? Do you just freaking teleport using your remaining limb as a marker? Questions for later. “Anything else catch your eye in this palace of miracles?”

Gwen pondered for a second, before pointing at a simple box that read ‘Rations Generator.’

I looked over the information in the little display log beneath the orange-and-white box… and palmed my face.

“It’s a goddamn energy to matter convertor with a ZPM in it. It literally solves world hunger forever with whatever food you have it scan. It’s 100 Galactic Credits and it shits on all our fabricators.” Gwen nodded seriously at my words. The suit-case sized solution to any form of hunger… stayed on the shelf while she controlled herself. “Why don’t you buy it? Treat yourself.”

I wished that I could buy it for her, but I wasn’t making nearly as much money as Gwen.

Guess I’m the housewife in this equation.

Just waiting home until my ravishing, handsome Gwen comes home and… unf.

No, O’Hara, don’t debase yourself on mankind’s gateway to the rest of the galaxy.

“I will have enough funds to purchase it casually within a few months. However, if I buy it now, it will slow my financial growth.” The statement was concise, simple, yet I felt bad for my girlfriend as she longingly looked at the piece of tech that promised her the ability to eat whatever she wanted anywhere. She had her ultra-expensive food fabricator, but she couldn’t bring that around. I bet she’ll paint this one black and carry it around like a suitcase, and just have it pump out whatever she wanted whenever she had the time to enjoy some food. However, it seemed that financial stability, err, financial domination was the name of the game. “So, I will need to be patient for a few months. Then, I can purchase it as I wish.”

“Sounds about right. I’ll help out. I’ll make you a refrigerated briefcase to fill with snacks. Or, maybe, half that keeps your meals warm and the other half frosty.” I ran through a few schematics in my head. Zero-Point Modules made a lot of things easier to make. Admittedly, I didn’t know how to make an energy-to-matter converter, but I can certainly use near-infinite energy to keep things warm or cold in a compact package. “Hm, I can also make the emitters overcharge in a pinch, so you can use them as a one-time heat ray or freeze ray. After the food inside is eaten, of course.”

“I would appreciate that, O’Hara.” Gwen smiled at me and suddenly all my thoughts of using boundless energy to keep food at optimal temperature faded away. Damn, she’s just plain ludicrous when she’s smiling genuinely. It’s an intoxicating look. Like a combo between cool and cute at the same time. A heady, dangerous mix that made me think that I should build her anything that she wanted. A WMD that can level a city? Easy as pie, love. “Is there anything else that you want here?”

Returning to the world of the living after my idle fantasies, I felt a strange urge that drew my attention to the unmanned, automatic register. Much like any supermarket back home, all sorts of snacks and treats were on display for purchase. However, behind a locked box with a digital screen, there were all sorts of… things that couples could use.

What exactly did the rest of the galaxy consider as needed or wanted in the realm of fornication?

I was almost embarrassed to ask, until Gwen put a gloved hand on my shoulder and whispered into my ear.

“I’ve seen you at your very worst. Get whatever you wish.”

Damn.

Do I even need to satisfy my curiosity with a girlfriend like Gwen?

Hm.

I guess I can see if I can be ruined a tad bit more!

…

I awoke in bed with no recollection of the last twelve hours of my life.

Then, all the memories started surging back, and I suddenly felt utterly defiled and completely satisfied.

Gwen, as usual, was already suited up and groomed properly while I lay disheveled in bed.

“It would be best if we didn’t partake in those things, until you’re stronger.”

“Too underleveled for that sort of thing, huh?” I grunted and got up. The soreness all over was pleasant for now, but the memories were already taking their toll. My face felt like a kettle ready to boil over. Steam ought to be coming out my ears at this point. “H-hey, ummm, I said a lot of things last night…”

“That sort of talk is private and between us only.” Gwen stated simply, and I felt relief course through my veins. Didn’t help much when she spoke again, though. “It was very cute, though.”

“E-enough of that.” I coughed, shook my head, and did my best to not mewl in complaint. I looked over at my bedstand and found the clock there reading out that we had an hour before work. I didn’t recall much after returning to the apartment. Still, some vestiges of what we did in our last shift came to the forefront of my mind soon enough. Today, we were meeting with an artificial god, if I recalled correctly. “We’re meeting with… what’s her name?”

“Joan, and yes, we’re meeting with her today to establish a formal line of communication.” Gwen tied up her hair, while I urged my body to get up from the… soaked side of my mattress. Don’t think about it, Grace. Don’t think about how you were played with and loved it. You have a work shift coming up, and you already know Gwen takes work propriety extremely seriously. She’ll reward you for being good when you get home anyway—wow, I’ve been trained up, haven’t I? That’s kinda hot. Okay. Really hot. “She is establishing a group of followers that will utilize her powers to take down supernatural threats. We will only work against the supernatural when they are incapable of fighting against it themselves.”

“So, they’re third-party contractors?”

“Yes, though with a few more benefits than other UN contractors.” Gwen got ready to lecture me on the dynamics of united coalition of nations and an artificial god designed to aid humanity, when she suddenly paused. “It seems that she’s right at our door. Get dressed, Grace.”

Was I supposed to get hot and bothered over getting told what to do?

“Not the time to be aroused, Grace.”

“Then, stop being so hot!”

Gwen nodded and left the room.

Only then did I realize the fact that there was an actual god stepping into our home, and there was no way that I was hiding the fact that Gwen was absolutely in charge of me.

Hm.

Does being recognized by Joan count as being married?

Questions for later.

A quick shower later, and after donning a fresh set of clothes, I found Joan sitting across Gwen… as Gwen clocked herself in and motioned for me to do the same.

On the clock at home, I suppose.

“Under my capacity of Verdict Commander, I will render out my judgement of your statement.” Gwen stated simply. “Your actions were necessary and in self defense. There will be no punishment rendered. If you find this ruling unjust, I am forwarding you a number that you can call with your attorney. If you do not have one, you will be provided one, unless you wish to represent yourself.”

Ah, it’s going to be one of those days.

“I tore a man in half!”

“By your statement, and upon review of surveillance around your area, that man was ‘possessed’ by a malevolent energy entity of immense power that you were incapable of purging. This falls under a form of mania caused by outside source where the individual in question cannot be saved, and must be destroyed to prevent innocent lives from being taken.” Gwen rattled off textbook answers without a hint of regret and the artificial god looking at her seemed pained beyond belief at what she was hearing. Joan wanted to be punished for not being able to save the poor sod apparently possessed by a demon. “Here is contact information for a therapist. Your mental health is compromised, and we heavily recommend you seek aid. Your experience allows you to choose a free session of memory erasure. Please, consider forgetting that traumatic experience ever happened.”

“I… no! I won’t forget that! That’s my mistake. I should’ve been stronger, Commander Elliot! Humanity needs me to be strong!” Joan cried out and I winced a bit as Gwen kept her calm in the face of the emotional outburst. Sometimes, the mask she wore really helped in cases like this. “Don’t you understand what I’ve done? I need to be punished. I need to remember this. I need to be better!”

I was tempted to step in, I really was, but Gwen delivered the perfect answer.

“No. You are a young individual who has power and ability and potential. You can choose to be a god, but you will not be forced to. The lives of people in this Sector are my responsibility. Holt Anderson’s death is my responsibility, and I will be hunting down the murderer and bringing him to justice the moment this conversation ends. He will not escape me.”

Yep, that’s my girlfriend saying she’ll protect a god and hunt down a demon.

Damn, I love her.