With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)

Coda · Jan 24, 2022

Vaermina said:
Yea... That's just wrong...

Dwarf roads will last a thousand years without any effective maintenance... With a human road you will be lucky to get five before it's overgrown to a level of uselessness...

Which means the roads will require maintenance, and maintenance costs money and time.

Basically put, you're sacrificing long term profits for a small short term advantage.

He said "effective" difference.

When you're using it, the difference between a perfect road and merely a good road is fairly negligible. You're right that there's a difference in maintenance, but as long as you can put in the upkeep -- and mind you, humanpower is a lot easier to come by than dwarfpower -- you're really not losing much in practice.

You could argue that you're sacrificing long-term profits, but I don't think that's true, either. You can start profiting from the human-built roads sooner, and roads have a network effect: the benefit you gain by connecting a new place with a road increases the more places there are already connected by roads. Getting the road network built out faster means that you get exponentially more revenue in the short term, and even beyond revenue there's also the advantages you gain for administration and information mobility.

There's also opportunity cost. If you have the power to ask the dwarves for that kind of commitment... what could the dwarves have been making for you instead that CAN'T be acceptably replaced with human equivalents?

Mr Zoat · Jan 24, 2022

3rd October 2012
11:13 GMT +7

Jade pulls her hat down to shade her face, and I can't help but notice that she's using makeup to lighten her complexion. Combined with the mirrored sunglasses, the effect is to make her look more like an American tourist, rather than a first generation emigrant.

"This is the opposite of disappearing."

And she's changed her accent, too. If not for my empathic vision, I'd be concerned that I'd sat down next to the wrong woman.

I watch as people walk past the table we're occupying outside a café without paying us any attention.

"You seem to be managing."

"Why aren't more people noticing you?"

I shrug. "All white people look the same?"

Vietnam got hit hard by the Sheeda. People fled to the countryside as invisible soldiers hunted people in the streets of all of their major cities, which only really made hunting them down take a little longer. Industry completely collapsed, and forget about tourism. Sadly for Alan's contemporaries, Vietnam followed China's example in killing off their superheroes when the revolution occurred, and unlike China they didn't have a population large enough to generate a team's worth of high-tier superhumans since the official change of policy. China could barely look after itself and help from further afield was sporadic at best.

Now, tourists are… Back, if not in the sort of numbers that they used to appear in. With former tourist hotspots in South America now under Accala control there are tourists out there, but most of them are holidaying in their own countries. Vietnam has also opened its doors to South American refugees looking to settle somewhere not under the control of a rampant plant goddess. Not out of any particular spirit of generosity, but just to get enough people to fill their population centres.

On.. the.. positive side, people who had been in prison since the Communist takeover either escaped or were released; the government doesn't have the spare manpower to maintain the same old police state. Combined with the influx of people from corrupt-but-nominally-democratic countries, I foresee some big changes in Vietnam's future.

"Okay, we've visited my grandmother-" And the carbonised stretches of forest where the automated defence systems I installed on a slow Wednesday afternoon dealt with the one Sheeda attack that bothered going anywhere near her. "-so I think we're done here."

"Any particular preference on where to go next?"

"Is there anywhere on Earth where we won't be recognised?"

"Ah… Maybe? At this point the Dolmen Gate network goes to just about every country, and I'm… Heavily associated with that. And with the arcane desalinisation system and storm controllers, those are getting quite a lot of use in a lot of places."

"So no."

"The price of not having a secret identity. And… Glowing faintly orange at all times."

Jade takes a moment to check her peripheries for autograph hunters.

"What about another planet?"

I nod. "We can go to another planet. Do you have anywhere in mind?"

"None of the planets I've been to would keep us away from work."

"I'd stand a good chance of being recognised on most of the planets I've been to. I mean, on Tamaran, everyone's orange anyway so that's less noticeable, but they've got their planetary communication system back up and running and I'm pretty sure that my picture is everywhere. Ah… The Crown Imperium highly regulates media broadcasts, so we could go to most places there and…"

Ah…

"Get arrested because they.. don't really do tourist visas outside of a few port… Cities. Um. We could probably… Manage on Rashashoon?"

"What's wrong with Odym?"

"Nothing. Nothing. Except the complete lack of facilities."

She folds her arms across her chest and leans back slightly in her chair.

"I thought you were in the Eagle Scouts."

"Yes." I nod. "I've given roughing it a fair go and know from personal experience how much I don't like it. Though I'm perfectly happy to give it another try if you feel like going seriously back to nature. In Vega there's a planet of mollusc people where there are vast areas of habitable land with no people in them. Just… Don't mention that you're female to the locals and we'd be fine."

"Why would that be a problem?"

"They've got a weird reproductive system where the males look pretty humanoid but the females are giant slugs which… They're not intelligent, and they don't have a way to lay eggs, so the males hunt them-."

"Somewhere else."

"Emana? They've actually got a government now."

"What did they have before?"

"An informal understanding between megacorporations. I think they're.. still shaking out the bugs in the system-."

"And they'd probably appreciate your input."

"If they realised that I was there. But, yes."

"No work."

"Havania? It's a Thanagarian colony world. They have some contact with other species who aren't their serfs, and Bleez gave me an open invitation to visit."

"What's it like?"

"A cross between a pre-civil war American plantation and colonial Africa, with a more pleasant climate and the rulers have wings. There isn't much building on the surface because the thanagarians like flying over and hunting in pristine wilderness, but also like their creature comforts. But importantly, I don't have any obligations there, and the Orange Lantern Corps doesn't have any obligations there."

"Are you telling me they have slaves?"

"Yes. Ah, sort of. Technically they're serfs, but… Yes. It's not called the Thanagarian Empire because they're known for species-inclusivity. But I won't proselytise if that's what you're worried about. Just some site-seeing and culturally enriching diversions."

"Are we going to be walking past slaves being whipped?"

"Almost certainly not. They usually do the beatings in prison cells where it won't unsettle anyone's stomach. And honestly, things rarely get that far."

"Alright. Let's try Havania. I assume you need to call ahead?"

"I probably should." I reach down to my bag and take an LCD screen linked to a Bleed fracture pulse receiver. That shouldn't look particularly strange to anyone who sees it. "Calling Bleez."

Compliance.

"How did you meet her?"

"She was performing at a diplomatic meeting. She's actually a famous singer in the Empire, though it was rather lost on me. I've been sending her Earth music-."

Bleez appears on the screen. Or rather, her face and the hastily-wrapped towel covering her chest does.

"Hi there Paul! I-." She spots Jade. "I'll just go and put some clothes on. Be right back!"

Mr Zoat · Jan 24, 2022

Coda said:
There's also opportunity cost. If you have the power to ask the dwarves for that kind of commitment... what could the dwarves have been making for you instead that CAN'T be acceptably replaced with human equivalents?

There's also the face that as a result of Paol's work in clearing out goblin-controlled holds the dwarfs themselves have a lot of need for their masons in order to perform repairs.

Darko · Jan 24, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
Vietnam got his hard by the

'got hit'

Mr Zoat said:
They're actually got a government now."

'They've'

AmericanNumbers · Jan 24, 2022

So suggestion to the author, They could probably vacation on a parallel Earth for privacy or get some sort of glamour pendant from Atlantis.

Vaermina · Jan 24, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
"The price of not having a secret identity. And… Glowing faintly orange at all times."

You could just take off your rings...

Whenever Possible · Jan 24, 2022

Jade's gonna realize Bleez is running an op on Paul, isn't she?

Mr Zoat · Jan 24, 2022

Darko said:
'got hit'
'They've'

Thank you, corrected.

Michael Vonica · Jan 24, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
There's also the face that as a result of Paol's work in clearing out goblin-controlled holds the dwarfs themselves have a lot of need for their masons in order to perform repairs.

Do they even have the people to fill and man those?

Mr Zoat · Jan 24, 2022

Michael Vonica said:
Do they even have the people to fill and man those?

Sort of. They're going to have to do a lot less fighting, and they're got access to mass produced halfling hotpot so fights against orcs and goblins are a lot easier. It's also a big point of pride.

Thorgrim is planning on getting the other kings together to discuss the options the SI has laid before him for increasing the dwarf population.

FreeGod · Jan 24, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
There's also the face that as a result of Paol's work in clearing out goblin-controlled holds the dwarfs themselves have a lot of need for their masons in order to perform repairs.

That armor the dwarfs are makings for him is likely worthy of song and legend. Warhammer Paul might actually end up with armor that is better than main Paul's powered armor in many ways.

goricnac · Jan 24, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
Bleez appears on the screen. Or rather, her face and the hastily-wrapped towel covering her chest does.

"Hi there Paul! I-." She spots Jade. "I'll just go and put some clothes on. Be right back!"

Jade is giving him the mother of all side-eyes right now isn't she?

ForeverShogo · Jan 24, 2022

Hmm. I rather get the feeling that if Jade wasn't there Bleez wouldn't have minded giving Paul a little bit of a show.

Z000 · Jan 24, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
I shrug. "All white people look the same?"

as a Viet Nam person, that blatant lie, you people stand out like a clown inside a military parade

Chojin Patriarch · Jan 24, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
3rd October 2012
11:13 GMT +7

Jade pulls her hat down to shade her face, and I can't help but notice that she's using makeup to lighten her complexion. Combined with the mirrored sunglasses, the effect is to make her look more like an American tourist, rather than a first generation emigrant.

"This is the opposite of disappearing."

Trying to be inconspicuous... When she's travelling with 'The Cake Man'. That's an endeavour doomed to failure. At best, the Superhero paparazzi websites will have a field day with 'Orange Lantern seen with new beauty! Who is she? Is she Cape or Crook?!' headlines...

And she's changed her accent, too. If not for my empathic vision, I'd be concerned that I'd sat down next to the wrong woman.

I watch as people walk past the table we're occupying outside a café without paying us any attention.

After the Sheeda invasion, it's probably not the strangest thing they've seen.

"You seem to be managing."

"Why aren't more people noticing you?"

I shrug. "All white people look the same?"

Probably a defensive reaction to seeing a Superhero acting all casual. ...Then again, this isn't Marvel Universe New York..

Vietnam got his hard by the Sheeda. People fled to the countryside as invisible soldiers hunted people in the streets of all of their major cities, which only really made hunting them down take a little longer. Industry completely collapsed, and forget about tourism. Sadly for Alan's contemporaries, Vietnam followed China's example in killing off their superheroes when the revolution occurred, and unlike China they didn't have a population large enough to generate a team's worth of high-tier superhumans since the official change of policy. China could barely look after itself and help from further afield was sporadic at best.

On the upside... Ah...

I got nothin'.

Now, tourists are… Back, if not in the sort of numbers that they used to appear in. With former tourist hotspots in South America now under Accala control there are tourists out there, but most of them are holidaying in their own countries. Vietnam has also opened its doors to South American refugees looking to settle somewhere not under the control of a rampant plant goddess. Not out of any particular spirit of generosity, but just to get enough people to fill their population centres.

I shudder to imagine what that's doing to the linguistic makeup of the nation. Consider places where African languages fused with European to produce things like the distinct Cajun patter.

On.. the.. positive side, people who had been in prison since the Communist takeover either escaped or were released; the government doesn't have the spare manpower to maintain the same old police state. Combined with the influx of people from corrupt-but-nominally-democratic countries, I foresee some big changes in Vietnam's future.

"Okay, we've visited my grandmother-" And the carbonised stretches of forest where the automated defence systems I installed on a slow Wednesday afternoon dealt with the one Sheeda attack that bothered going anywhere near her. "-so I think we're done here."

It's good to be connected, eh? That village was probably one of the safest places on Earth for a while.

"Any particular preference on where to go next?"

"Is there anywhere on Earth where we won't be recognised?"

...Antarctica? Themyscira? The Amazons might respect their privacy, though it might be a bit too old-school for Jade.

"Ah… Maybe? At this point the Dolmen Gate network goes to just about every country, and I'm… Heavily associated with that. And with the arcane desalinisation system and storm controllers, those are getting quite a lot of use in a lot of places."

"So no."

Heh. Bet Boss Smiley is fuming about all the 'this ain't like the real world any more' stuff going on.

"The price of not having a secret identity. And… Glowing faintly orange at all times."

Jade takes a moment to check her peripheries for autograph hunters.

If they're lucky, they'd just get ignored or brushed off. If they're unlucky, or pushy... Well, good thing OL carries healing rays.

"What about another planet?"

I nod. "We can go to another planet. Do you have anywhere in mind?"

Heh. Exhausted all the possibilities on Earth. Time to look to the stars, eh?

"None of the planets I've been to would keep us away from work."

"I'd stand a good chance of being recognised on most of the planets I've been to. I mean, on Tamaran, everyone's orange anyway so that's less noticeable, but they've got their planetary communication system back up and running and I'm pretty sure that my picture is everywhere. Ah… The Crown Imperium highly regulates media broadcasts, so we could go to most places there and…"

Police State, remember?

Ah…

"Get arrested because they.. don't really do tourist visas outside of a few port… Cities. Um. We could probably… Manage on Rashashoon?"

Honestly, Jade might find Rashashoon refreshing. Lots of asses to be kicked. Not exactly a relaxing time, though.

"What's wrong with Odym?"

"Nothing. Nothing. Except the complete lack of facilities."

That can be fixed, you know. After all, if you want it, you can have a climate-controlled little holiday ~~bunker~~ home set up in under five minutes.

She folds her arms across her chest and leans back slightly in her chair.

"I thought you were in the Eagle Scouts."

Well, doing something and enjoying it are two different things...

"Yes." I nod. "I've given roughing it a fair go and know from personal experience how much I don't like it. Though I'm perfectly happy to give it another try if you feel like going seriously back to nature. In Vega there's a planet of mollusc people where there are vast areas of habitable land with no people in them. Just… Don't mention that you're female to the locals and we'd be fine."

"Why would that be a problem?"

Given Jade's insistence on a shower back in Kenya, I don't think she's in the mood to rough it either...

"They've got a weird reproductive system where the males look pretty humanoid but the females are giant slugs which… They're not intelligent, and they don't have a way to lay eggs, so the males hunt them-."

"Somewhere else."

...Yeah. DC aliens can get real weird once you step away from the anthropoid form.

"Emana? They're actually got a government now."

"What did they have before?"

Something like a Cyberpunk RPG setting? Seriously, I would not have wanted to live there before.

"An informal understanding between megacorporations. I think they're.. still shaking out the bugs in the system-."

"And they'd probably appreciate your input."

And likely be violently offended if you refused?

"If they realised that I was there. But, yes."

"No work."

What if work finds you? Don't tell me you're not carrying a weapon or two hidden somewhere...

"Havania? It's a Thanagarian colony world. They have some contact with other species who aren't their serfs, and Bleez gave me an open invitation to visit."

"What's it like?"

Havania, for reference. Not a lot of info on it outside of Bleez's tragic backstory.

"A cross between a pre-civil war American plantation and colonial Africa, with a more pleasant climate and the rulers have wings. There isn't much building on the surface because the thanagarians like flying over and hunting in pristine wilderness, but also like their creature comforts. But importantly, I don't have any obligations there, and the Orange Lantern Corps doesn't have any obligations there."

"Are you telling me they have slaves?"

Eh, it's surprisingly common once you leave the solar system in DC. Though usually never so crassly described as 'slavery'...

"Yes. Ah, sort of. Technically they're serfs, but… Yes. It's not called the Thanagarian Empire because they're known for species-inclusivity. But I won't proselytise if that's what you're worried about. Just some site-seeing and culturally enriching diversions."

"Are we going to be walking past slaves being whipped?"

...Not unless their landowner is a sadist, I suspect...

"Almost certainly not. They usually do the beatings in prison cells where it won't unsettle anyone's stomach. And honestly, things rarely get that far."

"Alright. Let's try Havania. I assume you need to call ahead?"

...Yes, that's so much better.

"I probably should." I reach down to my bad and take a LCD screen linked to a Bleed fracture pulse receiver. That shouldn't look particularly strange to anyone who sees it. "Calling Bleez."

Compliance.

Heh. Interplanetary Comms device... Disguised as a common smartphone.

"How did you meet her?"

"She was performing at a diplomatic meeting. She's actually a famous singer in the Empire, though it was rather lost on me. I've been sending her Earth music-."

Wonder how much of it's been catching on?

Bleez appears on the screen. Or rather, her face and the hastily-wrapped towel covering her chest does.

"Hi there Paul! I-." She spots Jade. "I'll just go and put some clothes on. Be right back!"

...And this is why Video-phones never caught on until the smartphone generation. All those inevitable 'eek, I was in the shower!' calls.

Well, so much for a quiet time on Earth. Still, hopefully things remain calm and peacef-fpphh... <Pffttt-haha...>

No, no, I couldn't even finish typing that with a straight face. All hell's going to break loose, isn't it? Seriously, every chapter without something going horribly wrong just makes us more and more nervous. No doubt Mr Zoat is enjoying that subtle suffering.

Handlewithcare · Jan 24, 2022

A holo projector that covers him shouldn't be too hard?

But mostly he will have problems not trying to improve things.

I think Jade should jsut accept this will be a work holiday

gustyeagle · Jan 24, 2022

OL could just a wear the disguise he had in the crime syndicate world.

Darko · Jan 24, 2022

Chojin Patriarch said:
Well, so much for a quiet time on Earth. Still, hopefully things remain calm and peacef-fpphh... <Pffttt-haha...> No, no, I couldn't even finish typing that with a straight face

Good, you're learning.

Chojin Patriarch said:
All hell's going to break loose, isn't it?

Most likely.

Cuchulin · Jan 24, 2022

OL should maybe offer to create a few Super "Heroes" for the government of Vietnam and other similar nations, after all it sounds like they could use some and it's not like doing so would take much time or effort from OL.

NightmareWarden · Jan 24, 2022

They should go to Krypton. No work there.

Darko · Jan 24, 2022

NightmareWarden said:
They should go to Krypton. No work there.

Also no planet there.

Ngamer11 · Jan 24, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
"Is there anywhere on Earth where we won't be recognised?"

"Ah… Maybe? At this point the Dolmen Gate network goes to just about every country, and I'm… Heavily associated with that. And with the arcane desalinisation system and storm controllers, those are getting quite a lot of use in a lot of places."

"So no."

"The price of not having a secret identity. And… Glowing faintly orange at all times."

People in America still think of Paul as the Cake Guy instead of the guy who revolutionized international travel, don't they?

Mr Zoat said:
"I probably should." I reach down to my bad and take a LCD screen linked to a Bleed fracture pulse receiver. That shouldn't look particularly strange to anyone who sees it. "Calling Bleez."

That should say 'bag'.

Mr Zoat said:
"How did you meet her?"

"She was performing at a diplomatic meeting. She's actually a famous singer in the Empire, though it was rather lost on me. I've been sending her Earth music-."

Bleez appears on the screen. Or rather, her face and the hastily-wrapped towel covering her chest does.

"Hi there Paul! I-." She spots Jade. "I'll just go and put some clothes on. Be right back!"

Does Bleez actually like Paul as a friend and wouldn't mind if they did casual hook ups, or is she just playing a role when interacting with him?

Darko · Jan 24, 2022

Ngamer11 said:
People in America still think of Paul as the Cake Guy instead of the guy who revolutionized international travel, don't they?

To be fair, the cake thing is much more interesting.

Ngamer11 said:
Does Bleez actually like Paul as a friend and wouldn't mind if they did casual hook ups, or is she just playing a role when interacting with him?

It could be both.

She could be spying on him but may also actually like him.

Z000 · Jan 24, 2022

Cuchulin said:
OL should maybe offer to create a few Super "Heroes" for the government of Vietnam and other similar nations, after all it sounds like they could use some and it's not like doing so would take much time or effort from OL.

i am surprise we copy the bloody Chinese and remove them

VN hate CN, we would have kept it if it mean that we can throw them at those yellow belly chicken when ever they feel like side eyeing our clay like the last 2 millennia

Mr Zoat · Jan 24, 2022

Z000 said:
as a Viet Nam person, that blatant lie, you people stand out like a clown inside a military parade

But do individual clowns stand out if clowns are all there are?

Darko said:
Also no planet there.

No, the system has other planets and planetoids.

Ngamer11 said:
That should say 'bag'.

Thank you, corrected.

Does Bleez actually like Paul as a friend and wouldn't mind if they did casual hook ups, or is she just playing a role when interacting with him?

Discussed tomorrow.

Z000 said:
i am surprise we copy the bloody Chinese and remove them

VN hate CN, we would have kept it if it mean that we can throw them at those yellow belly chicken when ever they feel like side eyeing our clay like the last 2 millennia

I am in no way qualified to discuss Vietnam-China relations in any detail. Assume that it was long enough ago that any modern day antipathy had not yet arisen.

BR549 · Jan 24, 2022

Mr Zoat said:
I am in no way qualified to discuss Vietnam-China relations in any detail. Assume that it was long enouigh ago that any modern day antipathy had not yet arisen.

<double-checks Rule 8, nods>

It's not "modern day", it's ancient. The only reason Vietnam and China weren't at each others throats in the 1960-70s was the common enemy; once that was gone it was right back to business as usual and they fought a war in 1979.

That said, it's entirely plausible the extant supers were 'enemies of the revolution' and it was coincidental.

Idkusername · Jan 24, 2022

AmericanNumbers said:
So suggestion to the author, They could probably vacation on a parallel Earth for privacy or get some sort of glamour pendant from Atlantis.

Zoat likely already has it all planned out.

More importantly, this isn't the Common Sense Paul universe.

Darko · Jan 24, 2022

Idkusername said:
More importantly, this isn't the Common Sense Paul universe.

This shall always make me sad.

Mr Zoat · Jan 24, 2022

AmericanNumbers said:
So suggestion to the author, They could probably vacation on a parallel Earth for privacy or get some sort of glamour pendant from Atlantis.

The first sounds like something that's bound to give them work. The second would ensure privacy, but wouldn't isolate them from things that demand their attention.

Pinklestia · Jan 24, 2022

Is hilarious how Oh El literally can't think of anywhere were ge wouldn't have work or superhero stuff.

And by the way the anti time travel and anti alternate universe travel tech only covers Earth so... go to the moon, slide to another universe; have fun!

"Alternate Earth, no animal life at all; no pollution, air can be breathed by humans. Best vacation I had in decades."

Also as the metal men showed, you can change the colour of the emotional lights.

With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)

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