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

Chojin Patriarch · Aug 31, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
Day 383
A graveyard world

From orbit, it's obvious the damage this planet has suffered. The pattern of inland lakes in places where it would have made sense for there to have once been cities. A few of them even have ruined buildings on their shores and large roads whose presence makes no sense if all their builders had in mind was a fishing trip.

Ah, the Lord Protector of the Thundercats reboot. Or did we call him 'Yaul'? Ugh, no thanks. At any rate. I wonder if this is his first trip into space, and where he's come to explore. from the looks of it... Someplace the powers of Evil have been before.

The way the remaining intelligent population is as far away from such places as they can manage. Whatever technology they once possessed has been abandoned as they regressed to the level of hunter gatherers. I can't even see farms, though their… Brown skin and horse-like faces… Remind me of something, but I can't quite call it to mind.

Not especially handsome to human eyes, I'm sure they're quite rugged by their own standards. And it seems like they have a long-held respect of the destroyed areas. Probably ancestral tales of 'the day the sky fell' or the sort.

"There it is. You were right after all."

Even a technological savant like Panthro couldn't build a craft capable of faster-then-light travel in such a short amount of time. But as long as I give them a tow, the…

Heh. Playing tug for their little shuttle, eh? I doubt it's any larger than a pleasure yacht, certainly.

I sigh inwardly.

The 'Feliner' can function in space and in an atmosphere, fly at a respectable speed and provide basic fire support. Panthro learned a great deal from the birdfolk, and from the scan I was able to take of the Black Pyramid.

Incredible genius... Naming sense of a seven-year-old, huh? Or the father of one, given that is such a dad joke.

"The record in the Book of Omens was right. This location was a guess on my part."

Because Mumm-Ra either just remembers his ship's course, or he's protected his charts with magic. I had to use the birds' astrology charts to work out which stars were likely to have small rocky worlds, and then plot probably routes using Third Earth as an end point and the… Horrifying empty blob where there was once a giving stellar neighbourhood before Mumm-Ra's ritual annihilated it for a…

Fortunately, FTL is relatively easy for a Lantern, even hauling a bunch of catfolk along. So not a lot of risk involved.

I look at the Sword of Plun-Darr on my hip, the turquoise soul stone on its quillon block. That thing has made recharging a good deal easier, though I'm sure that it has other powers that I simply don't know anything about.

A few pounds of magic-conducting metal. Millions, billions of lives…

They're already dead, LP. Remember their existence, but don't worry about mourning for them.

But it wasn't that hard to work out the Black Pyramid's most likely course. And so here we are.

Looking down on a huge white pyramid framed by four white obelisks.

Interesting. The reason they're here, I take it.

The land around it is covered in a grass analogue. There are small groves of trees in a few places, and I can't see any animals that might be eating the grass to a uniform length. I can only assume that there's something about the quality of the soil which is preventing it from growing any higher.

Or the land is being tended, possibly by some sort of magic.

I can't see any sign of civilisation in the area. No ruins. No roads. No pattern of plant growths that would suggest where one or the other used to be. It's been at least a dozen generations but archaeological evidence shouldn't vanish quite that quickly.

Did the owner of the pyramid plant it somewhere isolated by choice? Pilot it away from the towns or cities under their control in the hope that Mumm-Ra would leave them alone? Was it caught in the air and managed a controlled landing in an open area?

I guess whoever brought it here wanted their privacy... Or to avoid involving innocents in a fight if it came to them.

Or was Mumm-Ra really malevolent enough to glass the whole area and then leave the pyramid in one piece as a monument to his victory?

I have my suspicions, but I don't know him well enough to say with any confidence.

His ego is big enough to do that shit. It's say it's a safe bet.

"Sensors aren't showing any power sources."

"Unless you've plugged the war stone in to them, they won't detect magic."

Ah, that ever-classic separation of magic and science. Given their foes' predilections, you'd think they'd have developed something to get around that.

"Are you seeing anything?"

I narrow my eyes slightly, and thin yellow wisps of old yet intense fears embedded in the world as death rained from above and its people died make themselves known to me. None of them are strongly associated with the Pyramid, and I've already scanned the area for mundane things.

Good show of skill, LP. Benefit of Enlightenment, I take it.

"No. The way seems clear."

"If you're not seeing any fear-" Cheetara. "-does that mean it's abandoned?"

No, it could mean anything in there isn't afraid. Or possibly not alive to feel it.

On this mission she's probably more of a threat to me than anything in the Pyramid. Lion-O has been most put out by my refusal to care about his royal status, but tends to respond childishly to the implied insult. Tigra seems to mostly find it funny, so long as he's not the one being challenged. Cheetara on the other hand is sworn to support the monarch, and if it wasn't for Mumm-Ra then I'd be the biggest threat to his authority.

Heh. Bit like the pilot of the original series. But with LP sort of playing the Jaga role. No relativistic time stuff here, though.

"I'm seeing plenty of fear. I'm just not seeing fear from anyone still alive in the area of the Pyramid. I would caution you however that it's perfectly possible to use magic to hide from me."

"How about technology?"

And there's the man I'm displacing. Not a bad young man when viewed objectively, but our respective positions more of less drive me to undermine him as much as possible.

He does know your Ring is the ultimate level of technology, right?

"My scans aren't stopped by thermal or electrical insulation, nor repelled by reflective surfaces. I'm not detecting any subspace pockets or other forms of exotic disguise. I suppose that I cannot claim to know all technology that exists in the universe, but I have yet to encounter anything more advanced than this ring that was not built by the people who made this ring." I consider the White Pyramid again. "On the other hand, I can't see any damage to the White Pyramid. If we're fortunate, its database could be intact."

...The real question is what of its occupants, current or prior.

"Then what are we waiting for!"

The… Feliner angles towards the atmosphere and increases its thrust. I double check the course just in case Lion-O just grabbed the controls, but their vector looks good.

...That sadly seems like something he'd do. And hopefully get smacked for by Panthro a moment later.

Do.. I.. wait for them? Naturally I'd much rather have Pumrya here as my support. Imbuing a temporary ring with the power to allow her to act as a Lantern has made her far more powerful than any of Lion-O's party, but that's also why she needs to remain on Third Earth. While the.. town is far more secure now than it was in the aftermath of the Fall of Thundera, having a Lantern on hand is extremely reassuring to the population and a fearsome threat to any potential attackers.

Admit it, LP, you're more concerned with your sweetheart than the town. Of course, if it's safe, she's theoretically safe, after all.

And an excellent way to undermine Lion-O in his absence as people come to associate the yellow sigil with authority and power.

But going into a novel situation with no backup seems unwise, and the only other backup available would be…

I look across the primitives, searching for one with greater than usual control of their fears. None really stand out.

A local recruit would help, but none to be found, eh? Pity, knowing what's going on down there would be good.

So I'll have to make do. But I still have time for undermining their self-confidence. Without changing my posture I accelerate towards the planet, flying past the Feliner without bothering to look at it. Dropping through the atmosphere at an angle their ship can't match without any difficulty as my environmental shield protects me I start planning our approach.

Heh. That Enlightenment driving him to disarm potential rivals, eh? and space-diving without a ship is a good way to do that.

The main objectives are the armoury, the central computer and the sarcophagus. Of the three, the armoury is least important. I've already seen enough to Mumm-Ra's mundane weapons to be able to recreate them, and he beat whoever used to rule here. But between the sarcophagus and the computer…

Perhaps its occupant can be revived, if they're lucky.

I'm working on the assumption that whoever used to rule here was something like Mumm-Ra. That assumption appears to be borne out by the presence of a Pyramid, but that might just indicate a shared culture. And even if they were like him, Mumm-Ra might well have been able to kill whoever it was in such a way that it stuck. The central computer could well give me the knowledge that I need to fully industrialise Thundera, create the wide variety of machines that technologically sophisticated society needs…

At least, along the lines of Mumm-Ra's kind. Still, it's a decent starting point, unless their tech runs on the tears of orphans or something.

On the other hand, the cats can secure and open the database and I doubt that they'd destroy it just to keep it from me. But I could definitely see them-. Lion-O, messing up a diplomatic first contact if he was the one who went to the sarcophagus and the former ruler was still alive.

Yeah, the kid still has a lot to learn about rulership. Very much still at the 'callow youth' phase of his maturity...

That's simple then. Hopefully I'll be able to pick up something about this civilisation's culture on the way in. And the hieroglyphics won't be full of giant penises like they were on Earth; the kittens insisted on coming along and I don't want to have to explain their expanded vocabulary to Khoah.

...I shudder to imagine why the texts were like that...

An interesting chance to see what one of the few alternate-colour alt!Pauls has been up to since the mini-Crisis. It'll be interesting to see if the Controller makes an appearance, and what he might be after in this world. Regardless, I do enjoy seeing him dealing with the Yellow Ring's apparent influence towards challengers to his power. Bet he and Lion-O are like cats and dogs at times...

Mr Zoat · Aug 31, 2024

Darko said:
"living"

thebishop8 said:
*enough of

Darko said:
"Tygra"

Thank you, corrected.

dw7thdoctor said:
Why does this Paul need data like this didn't he share data with all the other Pauls at the big Krono Paul meet-up? Also love to see this Paul again.

With some of them, yes. But that doesn't mean that he got everything that all variants have, or everything that Jevek knows.

Old Knife · Aug 31, 2024

wHAT'S Going on here? Who's the guy getting displaced?

Mr Zoat · Aug 31, 2024

Old Knife said:
wHAT'S Going on here? Who's the guy getting displaced?

Displaced in what sense?

Broadly, the perspective has shifted to the version of the SI who ended up on Third Earth, the setting of the 2011 Thundercats series. He is now looking for additional local resources with which to fight Mumm-Ra.

WereDragon · Aug 31, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
Day 383
A graveyard world

Main Yellow. Nice to see him again.

But going into a novel situation with no backup seems unwise, and the only other backup available would be…

Given previous interactions with Lion-O and his followers I question if they are actually a benefit. Even assuming they can meaningfully contribute to a fight that a lantern cannot trivially win the risk of them stabbing the SI in the back or just screwing up generally rather tips the balance.

The central computer could well give me the knowledge that I need to fully industrialise Thundera, create the wide variety of machines that technologically sophisticated society needs…

Was he not able to get any tech from the various Pauls during the last crisis? Even just standard Modern Earth tech should have been quite adequate to begin industrialising.

Darko · Aug 31, 2024

Chojin Patriarch said:
He does know your Ring is the ultimate level of technology, right?

Hey, there may be something that can interfere with it as far as they know.

Chojin Patriarch said:
...I shudder to imagine why the texts were like that

I think it shows that no matter the location or the time period, most humans are interested in sex.

Mr Zoat · Aug 31, 2024

WereDragon said:
Given previous interactions with Lion-O and his followers I question if they are actually a benefit. Even assuming they can meaningfully contribute to a fight that a lantern cannot trivially win the risk of them stabbing the SI in the back or just screwing up generally rather tips the balance.

"Unfortunately, Lion-O and Tygra died. Here are their friends as witnesses and a recording."

Was he not able to get any tech from the various Pauls during the last crisis? Even just standard Modern Earth tech should have been quite adequate to begin industrialising.

I know last time I was asked I said that he did, but...

Okay, let's say that he did. Thundera is medieval and just had its intellectual class killed off. The leading technical expects Lord Protector has access to are berbils, and technological artefacts are things salvaged from either the Black Pyramid or the birds' crashed floating city. The locals actually have a better grasp of magic than they do engineering, as they had an order of magicians but no technical institute that we see. So Lord Protector can either work from scratch and hope that the berbils make good teachers, or he can try and work with the infrastructure that's already there, limited as it is. So while he could get a database from the other versions of himself -who might be reluctant to give too much to a yellow ring user, or have not got one, or not got a complete one- they can't tell him how to use novel things on Third Earth, which are probably at least a bit magical.

Darko said:
I think it shows that no matter the location or the time period, most humans are interested in sex.

Their creation myth involved one of the gods autofellatioing the universe into existence.

Darko · Aug 31, 2024

Chojin Patriarch said:
. It'll be interesting to see if the Controller makes an appearance, and what he might be after in this world

Honestly, he may not appear offering things again since last we saw him he was ready to upgrade Effigy, so it stands to reason that he has everything he needs.

Granted, he may still look for things that could prove useful.

Though in this case the local Paul doesn't have an orange ring, so he may not feel obligated to assist Jevek like the others were.

And now I'm thinking that the reason he didn't show up in the Fallout universe was that he was worried that the local Paul would be hostile. Plus the fact that he apparently has tech that can kill a Maltusian.

Sckarred · Aug 31, 2024

Chojin Patriarch said:
Ah, the Lord Protector of the Thundercats reboot. Or did we call him 'Yaul'?

I believe we had Lord Paultector or something similar as the winner

edmantgoog · Aug 31, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
Thundercats

Liked this chapter, give me good memories of some old 90s cartoons and makes me want to ask some questuis about other pauls in other verses:

Gargoyles
Riplys belive it or not
Xmen 97
Vampire the masqurade(honestly any of the white wolf games I've just recently begun playing it and leaung about mage and werewolf it I'd fascinating!)
God of war

Duke Long · Aug 31, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
Because Mumm-Ra either just remembers his ship's course, or he's protected his charts with magic. I had to use the birds' astrology charts to work out which stars were likely to have small rocky worlds, and then plot probably routes using Third Earth as an end point and the…

'probable'?

Mr Zoat · Aug 31, 2024

Duke Long said:
'probable'?

Thank you, corrected.

edmantgoog said:
Liked this chapter, give me good memories of some old 90s cartoons and makes me want to ask some questuis about other pauls in other verses:

Gargoyles

Never finished it.

Riplys belive it or not

All I'm getting when I search for that is an aquarium.

Xmen 97

Already doing that. Say 'no' to Anne-Marie 'Granddaddy Issues' Rogue.

Vampire the masqurade(honestly any of the white wolf games I've just recently begun playing it and leaung about mage and werewolf it I'd fascinating!)

I do own a copy of Vampire the Masquerade and Exalted, but I don't know the settings well enough to write them.

God of war

Never played it.

Lord Ernest · Aug 31, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
All I'm getting when I search for that is an aquarium.

I believe they're referring to this one: Ripley's Believe it or not: The Animated Series

Still, I'm hoping we get some update or involvement from the X-Men '97 Lantern in this "crisis" event.

And what issue did you have with Gargoyles? Or was it just happenstance that you didn't finish it?

RoninSword · Aug 31, 2024

So @Mr Zoat I thought you didn't like the idea of the ring deputization protocol? And yet this is twice now that we have seen yellow Lanterns create temporary yellow rings that eventually wear out. The first time being Sinestro and that Green monastery.

Old Knife · Sep 1, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
Displaced in what sense?

Broadly, the perspective has shifted to the version of the SI who ended up on Third Earth, the setting of the 2011 Thundercats series. He is now looking for additional local resources with which to fight Mumm-Ra.

This one. And upon rereading, he's talking/thinking about displacing Lion-O as leader.

Mr Zoat said:
And there's the man I'm displacing. Not a bad young man when viewed objectively, but our respective positions more of less drive me to undermine him as much as possible.

m_d · Sep 1, 2024

I know this has been answered, but I'm just going to add some extra information for people looking for where he's shown up.

Old Knife said:
Who's the guy getting displaced?

Lion-O is the lead character of ThunderCats in most of its incarnations. His character varies significantly depending on which continuity it is, but generally starts out as immature. The original English language television series ran from 1985-1989. There was a short lived series 2011-2012*. There was also ThunderCats Roar in 2020. There were also Japanese versions, comics, and video games.

He first appears in this fic in Lantern Corps, Ho! and the next two chapters. He's mentioned again in In Order.

*Trivia: This version of Lion-O was voiced by Will Friedle, who voiced Terry McGinnis in Batman Beyond, and Bumblebee in Transformers (2013-2016 version), which loosely are both other settings in this episode. The young version of Lion-O in this continuity was voiced by Tara Strong, who voiced Raven in Teen Titans and Teen Titans Go!, Barbara Gordon in The New Batman Adventures, and Twilight Sparkle in My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, which are also settings of this fic, if not in this episode.

Mr Zoat · Sep 1, 2024

14th December 2282
13:45 GMT -7

As the dirigible comes into land, I'm a little concerned to see an actual military honour guard lined up and waiting for me. Sky Walker combat psykers, Paladins from the Brotherhood of Steel research team's protection detail, off-rotation NCR soldiers…

Tears wasn't totally happy about her former game show opponent Scribe Santiago taking up residence, right up until she was introduced to her wife.

Justinia clanks into place next to me. "What is this?"

"I'm not sure. There's no… Obvious reason for this sort of display. But, you see I was telling the truth about the Brotherhood, at least."

"Yes."

I actually don't think she's slept since we left Tibbet's Prison. Eagle Rock has radio transmitters, but no satellite link, which means that we couldn't reach the Midwest Brotherhood to confirm any of what I've told her. She isn't actually high ranked enough to have been involved in the details of the discussions that have been going on regarding the Brotherhood's future beyond the fact that they have been happening. Utah is a bit of a dead spot as far as the Brotherhood is concerned, and the Maxson Brotherhood know perfectly well that they exist on sufferance and so aren't going to do anything to tick Doki Doki off.

Tanya -who bartered with a tailor in Eagle Rock for normal clothes and burned her Ant Agoniser costume- joins me on the other side.

"That's a lot of people."

"Indeed it is." I try reaching out mentally-. Ow, okay, not doing that yet. Our biomancers should be able to fix the damage faster than my natural healing and I'm honestly looking forward to them doing so. I lived twenty nine years without psychic powers and now that I've had them, going without again just feels wrong.

"When you said you ruled a tribe, I didn't… I didn't know you were such a big deal."

"I'm not this big a deal. Honestly, this could be for Paladin Hayman. Literally no one from the Midwestern Brotherhood has been back to California since your Chapter was founded. Or-."

No, there's a tall thin man standing under a sunshade in the middle of the tarmac. President Hayes. He decided to make a big deal of me coming back, and-. Yes, there's the Shady Sands press corps, such as it is.

**Chief?**

That's Commander Alwyn's mental voice. Now, I should be able to respond by thinking hard without projecting, but… I don't feel like collapsing with a migraine again. Instead, I step forwards on the viewing platform and wave down towards him.

**Wave twice if you need assistance.**

I drop my arm and sigh.

**Chief, I assume that's a 'no' but we're all getting concerned that we're not hearing from you.**

I start fiddling with my radio. It survived the acid exposure far better than my inertia shield and we're pretty close, but radios broadcast and it relies on someone in the parade actively listening.

The noise from the dirigible's propellers changes as they shift from 'thrust' to 'manoeuvre'. We begin to descend, and members of the crew begin rappelling down to tie the ropes off. Places where Eagle Rock dirigibles frequently travel have dedicated winches, but the best we can do is heavy weights.

Okay, that's our frequency. Microphone out.

"This is Chief Krono. I'm going to be peeved if someone does something stupid in the thirty seconds or so before we land. I'm a bit-" I look down at my knee brace. "-banged up, but I'll be fine."

A few moments pass, then someone dashes across the parade ground and has a frantic conversation with Commander Alwyn. Then Alwyn raises his right hand and waves in my direction.

One potentially stupid problem avoided.

"Alright, let's get to the boarding ramp. I need to get someone to pay the captain and arrange someone to pick up my flying saucer."

We head down through the dirigible, the crew mostly taking it easy. Normally they'd be preparing to offload cargo, but since I hired the airship to make the journey they're running with a minimal load. I get a few nods, but-.

"Ah, Miss Christoff?" One of the cargo handlers approaches slightly nervously. "Will your..? Friends, be disembarking with you?"

"No, definitely not. If I don't lay out a trail for them first they could end up anywhere."

The handler nods, following us to the embarkation deck. "Do you know how long you'll need?"

"Ah… If I can find somewhere for them, I can take them off in a few hours."

I nod. "We can clear out a garage for now. Did you make a decision on whether you were going to stick around?"

"I… Think I will. Nothing for me back east except a load of people who know me as The Crazy Ant Woman."

The cargo handler looks a little awkward. "Begging your pardon, Miss Christoff, but we all watched the broadcast."

She winces. "Ah, no…"

"I mean, 'Scary Ant Woman' is probably a bit better… Because the way those ants just flooded over the prison? That was-." His brain catches up with his mouth as he sees her expression. "I'll just.. go and check on the ants."

Tanya is still cringing slightly when the dirigible lands and the embarkation ramp is deployed. I head down first, waving at the crowd. President Hayes waits for me at the bottom, his eyes dipping to my leg as I limp down the steps.

"Are you alright there, Krono? I saw your fight with Lanius."

"I'll be fine, Mister President. I'll get myself checked out-."

Dust rises up from the ground as winds gust out of nowhere, electricity crackling between the dust devils. Hayes and I both draw our sidearms as his power armoured bodyguards cluster around us.

"The Legion don't have psykers, do they?"

"None worth a damn." I turn to Mariah, whose eyes are closed as she tries to detect any incoming threats. "If someone's playing silly buggers then I'm not-."

"Lantern Paul." An apparition I still just about recognise appears in the air over the landing zone. A translucent bust twenty feet tall. Humanoid, blank face and blue and red robes. Last time I saw someone like him they were picking a fight with Larfleeze. In a comic book. I don't know if Controllers even exist in this universe, and I've certainly never met one. So what is this fellow doing here? Now? "I have need of your service."

Hayes raises his eyebrow. "Another alien you've been dealing with, Krono?"

"No. I-." I look at the closest bodyguard. "Excuse me."

He steps aside, and I hobble towards the centre of the parade ground, looking at the… Projection? He doesn't seem to be focusing on anything. "Can I help you, Controller?"

Then eyes focus. "You possess a power ring that once belonged to my brother Krona."

I nod calmly. Krona? So it was him. Good to know that we didn't kill one of the good Guardians by mistake. "I do."

"What fate has befallen him?"

"We killed him. I know what sort of man he was."

"That simplifies matters. I have need of his body and his ring."

The one ring I've got that still has a little charge. I've been keeping it for a rainy day, but if he's.. able to transfer objects between where he is and here…

"I have no pressing need for his body, but I've been keeping his ring in reserve just in case."

"What colour ring did you begin with?"

"Orange."

"I will exchange his body and ring for a personal lantern that you clearly lack. I would also be interested in acquiring other objects of interest from your world."

Goodness. What I could do with a personal lantern…

"Then.. I.. think we can come to terms."

Mr Zoat · Sep 1, 2024

RoninSword said:
So @Mr Zoat I thought you didn't like the idea of the ring deputization protocol? And yet this is twice now that we have seen yellow Lanterns create temporary yellow rings that eventually wear out. The first time being Sinestro and that Green monastery.

There's no automatic system for generating new rings, but you can sort of do something like that my manifesting energy in the shape of a ring. The Lantern doing it has to develop a load of skills themselves, and the new ring doesn't have an AI.

Ngamer11 · Sep 1, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
"Lantern Paul." An apparition I still just about recognise appears in the air over the landing zone. A translucent bust twenty feet tall. Humanoid, blank face and blue and red robes. Last time I saw someone like him they were picking a fight with Larfleeze. In a comic book. I don't know if Controllers even exist in this universe, and I've certainly never met one. So what is this fellow doing here? Now? "I have need of your service."

Shouldn't that say 'Krono'?

Mr Zoat · Sep 1, 2024

Ngamer11 said:
Shouldn't that say 'Krono'?

No. Jevek is familiar with the local version as well as a couple of others, and knows perfectly well that his name isn't Krono.

Coltsguy · Sep 1, 2024

Ngamer11 said:
Shouldn't that say 'Krono'?

No, no it shouldn't.

Ngamer11 · Sep 1, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
No. Jevek is familiar with the local version as well as a couple of others, and knows perfectly well that his name isn't Krono.

He called the others by the name they chose for themselves. Since Krono is a name he accepted but didn't choose, Jevek is calling him Paul?

thebishop8 · Sep 1, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
going without against just feels wrong.

*again

Mr Zoat said:
Then eyes focus. "You possess a power ring that once belonged to my brother Krona."

This is Jevek speaking, so his text should be orange.

Mr Zoat said:
Krona? I… Vaguely remember the name. Good to know that we didn't kill one of the good Guardians by mistake.

He seemed to recognize and remember Krona just fine from his haircut alone when the encounter actually happened.

Whenever Possible · Sep 1, 2024

I'm wondering what kind of data is hidden in that ring that Krono wouldn't have been able to find or notice.

Mr Zoat · Sep 1, 2024

thebishop8 said:
*again
This is Jevek speaking, so his text should be orange.
He seemed to recognize and remember Krona just fine from his haircut alone when the encounter actually happened.

Thank you, corrected.

Chojin Patriarch · Sep 1, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
14th December 2282
13:45 GMT -7

As the dirigible comes into land, I'm a little concerned to see an actual military honour guard lined up and waiting for me. Sky Walker combat psykers, Paladins from the Brotherhood of Steel research team's protection detail, off-rotation NCR soldiers…

Tears wasn't totally happy about her former game show opponent Scribe Santiago taking up residence, right up until she was introduced to her wife.

...Well, that helps defuse one potential trouble spot. I assume her tribe are fairly accepting of homosexual relationships. Also, quite the turnout for Krono, or someone with him. Goes to show how big a deal he is, really.

Justinia clanks into place next to me. "What is this?"

"I'm not sure. There's no… Obvious reason for this sort of display. But, you see I was telling the truth about the Brotherhood, at least."

"Yes."

Drawback of not being able to call home, I suppose. He's lucky he got a ride at all, really.

I actually don't think she's slept since we left Tibbet's Prison. Eagle Rock has radio transmitters, but no satellite link, which means that we couldn't reach the Midwest Brotherhood to confirm any of what I've told her. She isn't actually high ranked enough to have been involved in the details of the discussions that have been going on regarding the Brotherhood's future beyond the fact that they have been happening. Utah is a bit of a dead spot as far as the Brotherhood is concerned, and the Maxson Brotherhood know perfectly well that they exist on sufferance and so aren't going to do anything to tick Doki Doki off.

So Doki gets off more or less scot free from the whole 'dating game show' debacle.

Whoopie.

Tanya -who bartered with a tailor in Eagle Rock for normal clothes and burned her Ant Agoniser costume- joins me on the other side.

"That's a lot of people."

I mean, the ant carapaces are probably decent light armour, but I can understand not wanting to show up in what are basically hard-wearing tights and ant-shells.

"Indeed it is." I try reaching out mentally-. Ow, okay, not doing that yet. Our biomancers should be able to fix the damage faster than my natural healing and I'm honestly looking forward to them doing so. I lived twenty nine years without psychic powers and now that I've had them, going without against just feels wrong.

Feeling a little blind in a way, eh? Not an uncommon occurrence in fictional telepaths stuck without their powers. Being able to feel people's thoughts (or at least general moods) comes in handy for awareness of your surroundings as well as diplomacy.

"When you said you ruled a tribe, I didn't… I didn't know you were such a big deal."

"I'm not this big a deal. Honestly, this could be for Paladin Hayman. Literally no one from the Midwestern Brotherhood has been back to California since your Chapter was founded. Or-."

Interesting chance to touch base and get on the same page for them.

No, there's a tall thin man standing under a sunshade in the middle of the tarmac. President Hayes. He decided to make a big deal of me coming back, and-. Yes, there's the Shady Sands press corps, such as it is.

**Chief?**

Ah, I see. The President coming to welcome a valued emissary home from his mission to England. That's a little more high-profile than one adventurer turning up rather beaten-up and with a couple of pals in tow.

That's Commander Alwyn's mental voice. Now, I should be able to respond by thinking hard without projecting, but… I don't feel like collapsing with a migraine again. Instead, I step forwards on the viewing platform and wave down towards him.

**Wave twice if you need assistance.**

Good to know they have some protocols if someone appears to be having issues with mental communications.

I drop my arm and sigh.

**Chief, I assume that's a 'no' but we're all getting concerned that we're not hearing from you.**

Better talk to them somehow, Krono, or they're gonna rush you the second your feet hit the dirt.

I start fiddling with my radio. It survived the acid exposure far better than my inertia shield and we're pretty close, but radio's broadcast and it relies on someone in the parade actively listening.

The noise from the dirigible's propellers changes as they shift from 'thrust' to 'manoeuvre'. We begin to descend, and members of the crew begin rappelling down to tie the ropes off. Places where Eagle Rock dirigibles frequently travel have dedicated winches, but the best we can do is heavy weights.

On the upside, his folks are gonna see that and get their own gear out. And if Dirigibles become more common (short the Sky Walkers managing to get larger spacecraft going) they might need to think about proper mooring.

Okay, that's our frequency. Microphone out.

"This is Chief Krono. I'm going to be peeved if someone does something stupid in the thirty seconds or so before we land. I'm a bit-" I look down at my knee brace. "-banged up, but I'll be fine."

Well, he's said his part. Safe to say his tribesmen will be reasonable about it. Tears, on the other hand...

A few moments pass, then someone dashes across the parade ground and has a frantic conversation with Commander Alwyn. Then Alwyn raises his right hand and waves in my direction.

One potentially stupid problem avoided.

Indeed. Now, to see what the President wants, before you can go collapse into whatever light transport your folks brought.

"Alright, let's get to the boarding ramp. I need to get someone to pay the captain and arrange someone to pick up my flying saucer."

We head down through the dirigible, the crew mostly taking it easy. Normally they'd be preparing to offload cargo, but since I hired the airship to make the journey they're running with a minimal load. I get a few nods, but-.

Heh. I suppose he's well-known enough that they accepted his contract on promise.

"Ah, Miss Christoff?" One of the cargo handlers approaches slightly nervously. "Will your..? Friends, be disembarking with you?"

"No, definitely not. If I don't lay out a trail for them first they could end up anywhere."

And the people on the ground might get a little trigger-happy if a swarm of giant ants comes out of the blimp.

The handler nods, following us to the embarkation deck. "Do you know how long you'll need?"

"Ah… If I can find somewhere for them, I can take them off in a few hours."

Not great, but I suppose that's about as good as she can manage.

I nod. "We can clear out a garage for now. Did you make a decision on whether you were going to stick around?"

"I… Think I will. Nothing for me back east except a load of people who know me as The Crazy Ant Woman."

So, chance for the Sky Wakers to assemble that little beast-master platoon Krono was pondering.

The cargo handler looks a little awkward. "Begging your pardon, Miss Christoff, but we all watched the broadcast."

She winces. "Ah, no…"

Heh. A literal case of 'her reputation precedes her'. Still, they're probably not going to make fun of her.

"I mean, 'Scary Ant Woman' is probably a bit better… Because the way those ants just flooded over the prison? That was-." His brain catches up with his mouth as he sees her expression. "I'll just.. go and check on the ants."

Tanya is still cringing slightly when the dirigible lands and the embarkation ramp is deployed. I head down first, waving at the crowd. President Hayes waits for me at the bottom, his eyes dipping to my leg as I limp down the steps.

Yeah, not a fun trip home. I expect he's smart enough to keep this short.

"Are you alright there, Krono? I saw your fight with Lanius."

"I'll be fine, Mister President. I'll get myself checked out-."

Yeah, kind of surprising when the clever psychic guy turns out to be able to brawl with the best.

Dust rises up from the ground as winds gust out of nowhere, electricity crackling between the dust devils. Hayes and I both draw our sidearms as his power armoured bodyguards cluster around us.

"The Legion don't have psykers, do they?"

Given Lanius' reaction to Krono? I suspect anyone with latent or minor powers keeps them well-hidden.

"None worth a damn." I turn to Mariah, who's eyes are closed as she tries to detect any incoming threats. "If someone's playing silly buggers then I'm not-."

"Lantern Paul." An apparition I still just about recognise appears in the air over the landing zone. A translucent bust twenty feet tall. Humanoid, blank face and blue and red robes. Last time I saw someone like him they were picking a fight with Larfleeze. In a comic book. I don't know if Controllers even exist in this universe, and I've certainly never met one. So what is this fellow doing here? Now? "I have need of your service."

Ah, Jevek. Well, we were expecting this, I suppose this is a good moment for it. Bit public, though.

Hayes raises his eyebrow. "Another alien you've been dealing with, Krono?"

"No. I-." I look at the closest bodyguard. "Excuse me."

Because of course they gathered around the president the second the giant projection appeared.

He steps aside, and I hobble towards the centre of the parade ground, looking at the… Projection? He doesn't seem to be focusing on anything. "Can I help you, Controller?"

Then eyes focus. "You possess a power ring that once belonged to my brother Krona."

I'm guessing he didn't know which person here actually was the alt!Paul he was tracking. Makes sense, not every variant remains completely human.

I nod calmly. Krona? I… Vaguely remember the name. Good to know that we didn't kill one of the good Guardians by mistake. "I do."

"What fate has befallen him?"

...You mind-blasted him without realising he was Krona? Better safe than sorry, eh?

"We killed him. I know what sort of man he was."

"That simplifies matters. I have need of his body and his ring."

Oh, that does not bode well. After all, it's very hard to truly kill a Maltusian...

The one ring I've got that still has a little charge. I've been keeping it for a rainy day, but if he's.. able to transfer objects between where he is and here…

"I have no pressing need for his body, but I've been keeping his ring in reserve just in case."

Ah, and now the negotiations begin.

"What colour ring did you begin with?"

"Orange."

Always interesting to see the overall spread of colours. We still haven't seen a proper Green Ring alt!Paul, have we? And no, Anti-Green doesn't count, nor Gold.

"I will exchange his body and ring for a personal lantern that you clearly lack. I would also be interested in acquiring other objects of interest from your world."

Goodness. What I could do with a personal lantern…

"Then.. I.. think we can come to terms."

It would make critical reconstruction a hell of a lot easier. In videogame terms, it's like having access to the developer console.

On the up side, Krono gets a Lantern, hopefully without any hidden strings. So he'll be playing the game in cheat mode from tha tpoint on... But Jevek is getting Krona's body and his Ring is likely to have very dangerous data on it (and possibly a backup of his mind, depending on how badly he was damaged.) That bodes ill for Earth Sixteen...

Lord Ernest · Sep 1, 2024

Oh, I see. So the Krono segments are earlier in Jevek's timeline of contacts/acquisitions?

Did he found out that Krona's body was in that alternate universe when he contacted or was he already aware? And what secrets could there be in Krona's ring that Jevek wants ro acquire?

Ngamer11 · Sep 1, 2024

Chojin Patriarch said:
Always interesting to see the overall spread of colours. We still haven't seen a proper Green Ring alt!Paul, have we? And no, Anti-Green doesn't count, nor Gold.

What about the version that uses Alan's ring on loan from his daughter Jade?

Darko · Sep 1, 2024

Chojin Patriarch said:
But Jevek is getting Krona's body and his Ring is likely to have very dangerous data on it (and possibly a backup of his mind, depending on how badly he was damaged.) That bodes ill for Earth Sixteen...

Don't forget that he collected energon of the darker variety, so we may be looking at zombie cyborg Krona.

Vaermina · Sep 1, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
Goodness. What I could do with a personal lantern…

Go quickly insane just like most of your counterparts? Why yes, yes you would.

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