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

Reader mode
Igloo's are actually harder then you'd think to make. The Block construction tends to need snow of a particular consistency to reliable form, that you then cut to shape place then grout with snow.

You'd likely do better with a Quinzhee , which is a mound of snow you pile, mix, let settle, then excavate the center out of for use as a shelter. Faster to make, and intended as shorter term shelter rather then semi permanent habitation like an Igloo.

Either will do for a shelter, but don't work on significant sizes because of the structural limits of snow and ice. A friend of mine had one collapse on him, the pressure was enough to burst the blood vessels in his eyes before they managed to dig him out. Needless to say they didn't do it right.

Anyway, so long as you have snow enough to insulate the interior, and a few warm bodies to provide heat, they'll do just fine for temperatures. Do Recommend excavating a small section at the bottom, to allow cold air to pool as it sinks, away from where you intend to rest.
 
CrazyNoVa said:
Considering Paul is a prince, he probably has the authority to do stuff like this on Themiscira.
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Also, some of them have directly called him a demigod more than once, and he seems to have given up on correcting them (plus, he's done a fair bit of religiously-significant stuff), which at least grants him the authority to be listened to. In the case of Faora, they're likely familiar with her general sort of psychosis (so she isn't going to fool them), even if the specific crimes she committed are rather extreme.
 
Not to be pedantic, but OL does have a HUGE database on his ring. It will have something simple he can whip up out of local materials for shelter.
Lately it seems like everyone forgot just how bullshit power rings are. He can rearrange shit at the atomic level, and/or below that in some cases.
 
Darko said:
Though he is considered to be a Herald of Hephaestaean, so he honestly may be more highly ranked than the royals.
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Last we saw the Amazons weren't exactly thrilled with Hephestian what with dragging their island into the godsrealm to use as a defensive meatshield.
 
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Vaermina said:
Last we saw the Amazons weren't exactly thrilled with him what with dragging their island into the godsrealm to use as a defensive meatshield.
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That was the act of the Olympians, not Paul.

And they've been dealing with their gods for millenia, so one more irritating thing isn't that big.
 
Motivations (part 17) New
12th August 2013
16:14 EST

The Captain leads us towards a large building. It's… A bit weird, seeing this many buildings made of wood. I've only really visited advanced worlds before, but this place doesn't even have clay bricks. Or at least, not a lot of them. I would have thought the kryptonians might at least have let them have a few crystal buildings.

"They didn't tell us their names, and they killed anyone who tried to stop them. But we recorded their faces."

Superboy is frowning. "So the kryptonians didn't take everything with them when they left?"

The Captain glances at the lake. "No."

"Do you know why they didn't?"

The Captain shakes his head. "That was a long time ago. It always seemed to me that it wasn't valuable enough to them to bother with." He smiles wryly. "People used to visit us to see the 'great crystal castle'."

I look at the lake. Was it at the bottom? "What happened to it?"

"The other aliens scooped it out of the ground and loaded it into their ship."

What? "What about the local Green Lanterns? They should have stopped something like that."

"The Green Lantern beacon is halfway across the continent. We've been lucky before; the few aliens who've visited us since the kryptonians left for good have been friendly. The people with the beacon wouldn't have called a Green Lantern in unless they knew for certain that the visitors were hostile. The aliens left before our messenger could reach them."

"And you didn't call him afterwards?"

The Captain shrugs. "What for? We know what alien ship-weapons can do. If they'd wanted us dead then we would be dead. They took everything they wanted, and then they no longer cared about us at all."

"He could have chased them! Maybe gotten the crystal palace back, or at least stopped them taking anyone else's things ever again."

"Maybe. But no Green Lantern has visited us since my grandfather was young. Activating the signal might have called the aliens back, angry that we called for help. We didn't think it was worth it."

Oh.

That's the problem with primitive worlds. They should all have a way to call a Green Lantern, but not everywhere on the planet would be able to actually send that message. Anywhere that wants to call one of us in has to send someone riding on an animal towards the beacon, if they even know where it is.

If they even know that it exists.

A hundred Earth years ago, humans wouldn't have been able to contact the Corps with their own technology. But most places could have sent a radio message… If they could have trusted any country with the beacon, which they… Probably couldn't.

The Captain pushes open the door to the large building, and inside… It's a library! Well, there's lots of large book shelves, anyway, and they've got large books on them.

"Our forebears knew that the kryptonians weren't interested in raising us up to their level, but they got in the habit of recording everything they let slip. We have germ theory, safe biological waste disposal and simple chemistry as a result." He glances down. "And we know what we will never have without burnable fuel."

A man in robes walks out from the stacks, looking at us curiously.

"Ah, grandfather! They want to see the pictures of the aliens who took the crystal castle."

"Mm? Oh. Certainly."

He walks over to one of the shelves, runs a hand along several tomes and then pulls one out and walks over to a reading desk. Superboy and I follow him as he opens the book, carefully turning the large pages covered in beautifully calligraphed writing. My power ring translates it, but I only get a few words here and there before he stops-.

Oh dear.

Superboy and I look at each other, nodding. That's a big problem.

The old man looks at us curiously. "You recognise them? Who are they?"

I guess explaining that is my job. The odd-shaped body armor isn't an immediate giveaway, but the yellow skin, gumless mouths set with sharp pointy teeth combined with the small red dot on the laborer's forehead is.

"Dominators. They're Dominators. And if they're doing the sort of thing that they usually do, they stole the kryptonian's technology so that they can study it."

"'Dominators'? Is that a literal translation?"

I shrug. "That's what they call themselves. I'm not sure if it's supposed to be their species or their culture; they don't bother to distinguish."

"Is their world near to here?"

I shake my head. "No, but they have ships over a large part of the galaxy. But you shouldn't have to worry about them coming back."

Superboy peers at the book. "Kryptonese…" He turns to the Captain. "How long ago was this?"

"About forty years ago. Is that important?"

"That's when Krypton exploded."

"What? Exploded?"

"Yeah. The core transformed into radioactive crystal until the planet burst. Do you have a list of the people who died?"

The Captain looks at the archivist, who nods. "The next page."

Superboy turns it, looking down-. "Lyla."

The archivist leans closer to check, then nods. "Yes. Do you know something about her?"

"It looks like the Dominators took her to Krypton for some reason. Are your people usually strong telepaths?"

The two local people share a glance, then the Captain shakes his head.

**No. We can send messages a short distance, but that is all.** He takes a few steps back. **Even going this far away, you can hardly hear me.** "Why do you ask?"

"Lyla ended up a whole lot more powerful." Superboy frowns. "Arisia, do the Dominators have any telepaths?"

"Not that I know of." But I'll check the database… "No, but they've studied telepaths along with everything else."

"Could they have made Lyla stronger?"

"I don't know, but it's a possibility."

"So… Okay. The Dominators are interested in kryptonian technology. But they don't want to go to Krypton. They try the possession worlds, but there's nothing much there because the kryptonians took it with them. They capture Lyla… Maybe they want to dissect her. Instead, they improve her and send her to Krypton. But they don't know that Krypton is going to explode."

I nod. "That-." I gasp. "Wait. Would they have gone to Timaron too?"

Superboy frowns. "I dunno. It would make sense. Do you think.. they made Dru-Zod attack it?"

"Dru-Zod told the Science Council that the navy left things there. He said it was a lie, but what if it wasn't and the Dominators want to cover up the fact that they had… Whatever it was, and had Lyla make him forget?"

He thinks, then shakes his head. "We're just guessing. We need to get back to Xudar." He turns to the archivist and the Captain. "Thank you for your help. We'll let you know what we find out."

12th August 2013
22:18 GMT

I stare at the man staring back at me.

"Non-Du?"
 
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Mr Zoat said:
"Our forebears knew that the kryptonians weren't interested in raising us up to their level, but they got in the habit of recording everything they let slip. We have germ theory, safe biological waste disposal and simple chemistry as a result." He glances down. "And we know what we will never have without burnable fuel."
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And this is where that idea falls apart, because if they have simple chemistry they could make their own burnable fuel.
 
Vaermina said:
And this is where that idea falls apart, because if they have simple chemistry they could make their own burnable fuel.
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Unless they, oh I don't know, lack the necessary chemical compounds to actually make burnable fuel.

Not to mention the fact that their knowledge may be incomplete because of the fact that they recorded things the Kryptonians let slip out as was mentioned in this chapter.

Letting something slip out is not the same thing as actually telling and explaining the full thing in a comprehensive manner.
 
Darko said:
Unless they, oh I don't know, lack the necessary chemical compounds to actually make burnable fuel.

Not to mention the fact that their knowledge may be incomplete because of the fact that they recorded things the Kryptonians let slip out as was mentioned in this chapter.

Letting something slip out is not the same thing as actually telling and explaining the full thing in a comprehensive manner.
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The necessary chemical compounds would exist within any carbon based life.

And are simple enough to harvest we were doing it before we had discovered fossil fuels.
 
Mr Zoat said:
12th August 2013
16:14 EST

The Captain leads us towards a large building. It's… A bit weird, seeing this many buildings made of wood. I've only really visited advanced worlds before, but this place doesn't even have clay bricks. Or at least, not a lot of them. I would have thought the kryptonians might at least have let them have a few crystal buildings.
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Arisia this time, it seems. And getting a fresh look at a culture even less developed than Earth. Though not even clay bricks? I'm guessing because of this 'Avleb's Wall' angle. They can't spare the burnables to fire the clay, perhaps.
EDIT: Okay, maybe just a local preference...

"They didn't tell us their names, and they killed anyone who tried to stop them. But we recorded their faces."

Superboy is frowning. "So the kryptonians didn't take everything with them when they left?"
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An optical recorder of some sort, at the least. I bet they had to leave some infrastructure in place too. Can't really pull buildings out of the ground, even with Kryptonian super-strength.

The Captain glances at the lake. "No."

"Do you know why they didn't?"
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Ah. Something in the lake. Or rather, about the land that existed where the lake now occupies.

The Captain shakes his head. "That was a long time ago. It always seemed to me that it wasn't valuable enough to them to bother with." He smiles wryly. "People used to visit us to see the 'great crystal castle'."

I look at the lake. Was it at the bottom? "What happened to it?"
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A base of some kind then, made of crystal. No doubt any functional devices were ripped out in the withdrawal, but the walls remained. and even walls of kryptonian-made crystals can be valuable.

"The other aliens scooped it out of the ground and loaded it into their ship."

What? "What about the local Green Lanterns? They should have stopped something like that."
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...All right, must have been one big ship to haul that much stuff.

"The Green Lantern beacon is halfway across the continent. We've been lucky before; the few aliens who've visited us since the kryptonians left for good have been friendly. The people with the beacon wouldn't have called a Green Lantern in unless they knew for certain that the visitors were hostile. The aliens left before our messenger could reach them."
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...And since they're barely pre-industrial, they lack something like a continent-wide telegraph. So it would fall to a 'Pony Express'-like system of couriers to get the word out.

"And you didn't call him afterwards?"

The Captain shrugs. "What for? We know what alien ship-weapons can do. If they'd wanted us dead then we would be dead. They took everything they wanted, and then they no longer cared about us at all."
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Fortunate. They were confident enough of their power to dismiss you as a threat and unconcerned enough to not kill you for fun.

"He could have chased them! Maybe gotten the crystal palace back, or at least stopped them taking anyone else's things ever again."

"Maybe. But no Green Lantern has visited us since my grandfather was young. Activating the signal might have called the aliens back, angry that we called for help. We didn't think it was worth it."
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That's a long-ass time. And probably a good call on expecting reprisals. If they couldn't alert someone, they were no danger. If they could, then those who took the base would brook no witnesses.

Oh.

That's the problem with primitive worlds. They should all have a way to call a Green Lantern, but not everywhere on the planet would be able to actually send that message. Anywhere that wants to call one of us in has to send someone riding on an animal towards the beacon, if they even know where it is.
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Which must mean a lot of crimes go unnoticed or reported after-the-fact because of the delays in such a system.

If they even know that it exists.

A hundred Earth years ago, humans wouldn't have been able to contact the Corps with their own technology. But most places could have sent a radio message… If they could have trusted any country with the beacon, which they… Probably couldn't.
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Late Nineteenth and early Twentieth century Earth? Hell no would any power trust any other power with such a 'privilege'. EDIT: Oh, yeah, Norway.

The Captain pushes open the door to the large building, and inside… It's a library! Well, there's lots of large book shelves, anyway, and they've got large books on them.

"Our forebears knew that the kryptonians weren't interested in raising us up to their level, but they got in the habit of recording everything they let slip. We have germ theory, safe biological waste disposal and simple chemistry as a result." He glances down. "And we know what we will never have without burnable fuel."
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Or at least the infrastructure and knowledge to make the industrial means to convert such fuels. When such things come down to people writing down things they overheard or politely nudged a Kryptonian to explain... That's barely a crutch. More like a splint.

A man in robes walks out from the stacks, looking at us curiously.

"Ah, grandfather! They want to see the pictures of the aliens who took the crystal castle."

"Mm? Oh. Certainly."
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The guy's age certainly hits home how long its been since a Green Lantern actually visited, if he was young when it happened.

He walks over to one of the shelves, runs a hand along several tomes and then pulls one out and walks over to a reading desk. Superboy and I follow him as he open the book, carefully turning the large pages covered in beautifully calligraphed writing. My power ring translates it, but I only get a few words here and there before he stops-.
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Their own language, no doubt. Though depending on how much impact the kryptonians had, it could well resemble Kryptonian script.

Oh dear.

Superboy and I look at each other, nodding. That's a big problem.
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Oh, that's not good. care to share, little lady?

The old man looks at us curiously. "You recognise them? Who are they?"

I guess explaining that is my job. The odd-shaped body armor isn't an immediate giveaway, but the yellow skin, gumless mouths set with sharp pointy teeth combined with the small red dot on the laborer's forehead is.
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Oh hell... Them with kryptonian tech, even just construction methods?

"Dominators. They're Dominators. And if they're doing the sort of thing that they usually do, they stole the kryptonian's technology so that they can study it."

"'Dominators'? Is that a literal translation?"
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It may as well be, given that's their culture's goal as well as their method of operation. Dominating themselves, dominating others...

I shrug. "That's what they call themselves. I'm not sure if it's supposed to be their species or their culture; they don't bother to distinguish."

"Is their world near to here?"
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As if that would stop them. A chance to get access to technology from one of the most advanced cultures of the galaxy? They'd cross the universe for that.

I shake my head. "No, but they have ships over a large part of the galaxy. But you shouldn't have to worry about them coming back."

Superboy peers at the book. "Kryptonese…" He turns to the Captain. "How long ago was this?"
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Not unless there's more Kryptonian stuff hidden that they didn't find.

"About forty years ago. Is that important?"

"That's when Krypton exploded."
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...Huh. Suspicious timing. I wonder if the theft was before or after the detonation?

"What? Exploded?"

"Yeah. The core transformed into radioactive crystal until the planet burst. Do you have a list of the people who died?"
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Oh? Where's Conner going with this hunch?

The Captain looks at the archivist, who nods. "The next page."

Superboy turns it, looking down-. "Lyla."
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Just one person? Or did her name stand out because he thought to look for it?

The archivist leans closer to check, then nods. "Yes. Do you know something about her?"

"It looks like the Dominators took her to Krypton for some reason. Are your people usually strong telepaths?"
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A bit of a jump, but given the evidence presented so far, it's a reasonable one. Things are taking shape...

The two local people share a glance, then the Captain shakes his head.

**No. We can send messages a short distance, but that is all.** He takes a few steps back. **Even going this far away, you can hardly hear me.** "Why do you ask?"
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Yet Lyla was able to apparently modify memories and influence decisions. I get the feeling some tampering was involved.

"Lyla ended up a whole lot more powerful." Superboy frowns. "Arisia, do the Dominators have any telepaths?"

"Not that I know of." But I'll check the database… "No, but they've studied telepaths along with everything else."
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So naturally they'd work out how to amplify her races' rather weak innate capabilities. Possibly badly.

"Could they have made Lyla stronger?"

"I don't know, but it's a possibility."
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Not out of the realm of reasonable doubt, but not one hundred percent confirmed. Still, it's a good theory to work with.

"So… Okay. The Dominators are interested in kryptonian technology. But they don't want to go to Krypton. They try the possession worlds, but there's nothing much there because the kryptonians took it with them. They capture Lyla… Maybe they want to dissect her. Instead, they improve her and send her to Krypton. But they don't know that Krypton is going to explode."
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And Lyla uses Jor-El to get into the Phantom Zone when she discovers that detail. It's a loose timeline, but a plausible one...

I nod. "That-." I gasp. "Wait. Would they have gone to Timaron too?"

Superboy frowns. "I dunno. It would make sense. Do you think.. they made Dru-Zod attack it?"
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But for what reason... Unless...

"Dru-Zod told the Science Council that the navy left things there. He said it was a lie, but what if it wasn't and the Dominators wants to cover up the fact that they had… Whatever it was, and had Lyla make him forget?"

He thinks, then shakes his head. "We're just guessing. We need to get back to Xudar." He turns to the archivist and the Captain. "Thank you for your help. We'll let you know what we find out."
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Yeah, too many 'maybe's and 'what if's for a solid case. And that still leaves the matter of where the Dominators involved went next...

12th August 2013
22:18 GMT

I stare at the man staring back at me.

"Non-Du?"
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Huh, OL's present. But Arisia knows Non somehow? A relative's case files maybe?

It seems they have the bare bones of a plot worked out. Dominators seeking Kryptonian technology go around looting planets, find Lyla and enhance her (maybe she was in the castle when it was taken?) and use her to cover up their thefts, up to and including persuading Dru-Zod to commit his atrocity on Timaron. Then she barely escapes the destruction via the Phantom Zone. And now she's out, what will she do? Seek her handler? Revel in her newfound freedom? Quietly disappear? 🤔 We'll see, we'll see...
 
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Chojin Patriarch said:
That's a long-ass time
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The planet isn't that advanced, so the local Green Lantern may have thought that it just wasn't worth visiting it because it has no resources that anyone would want and with it being a part of the Kryptonian Empire at the time it could have been assumed that the Kryptonians could handle any threats to it.
Chojin Patriarch said:
It may as well be, given that's their culture's goal as well as their method of operation. Dominating themselves, dominating others
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Heck, the Qwardians species name translates into Those That Destroy., or something like that.
 
Darko said:
"opens"
"They"
"want"
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Thank you, corrected.
Chojin Patriarch said:
Arisia this time, it seems. And getting a fresh look at a culture even less developed than Earth. Though not even clay bricks? I'm guessing because of this 'Avleb's Wall' angle. They can't spare the burnables to fire the clay, perhaps.
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You can't really make assumptions about things like that. If they're in an area with plenty of wood, buildings will be made with wood even if the technology exists. Heck, there are places in the United States today that make buildings out of wattle and daub. It doesn't mean that the technology doesn't exist, just that there are other reasons why they do something else.
Late Nineteenth and early Twentieth century Earth? Hell no would any power trust any other power with such a 'privilege'.
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Late Nineteenth and early Twentieth century Earth? The government of Norway, probably. There's a reason why Nobel trusted them to hand out the Nobel Peace Prize.
 
Mr Zoat said:
Heck, there are places in the United States today that make buildings out of wattle and daub.
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I had to look that up; I had never heard the term 'wattle and daub'. Yeah, I grew up in a Stucco house, though not in the original style of construction. The addition of wire mesh to strengthen the construction, and wood framing for interior walls were post-WWII innovations because, as Zoat notes, technology exists. Cool in the summer, warm in the winter.

And I just flashed to the smell of the whitewash we applied every spring to the exterior, even after 60 years, that memory still lives in my head.
 
I mean heck, in the right environment adobe mud brick buildings are still going strong in parts of the US, though you also get modern stuff to imitate the look.
 
Clell65619 said:
I had to look that up; I had never heard the term 'wattle and daub'. Yeah, I grew up in a Stucco house, though not in the original style of construction. The addition of wire mesh to strengthen the construction, and wood framing for interior walls were post-WWII innovations because, as Zoat notes, technology exists. Cool in the summer, warm in the winter.
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I was astonished that anywhere in the western world made houses like that. And not cheap houses either. I heard of them on a YouTube channel made by a building inspector who went around drawing circles on the problems in million dollar houses.
 
Mr Zoat said:
I stare at the man staring back at me.

"Non-Du?"
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So Non-Du just came out of the Phantom Zone in the mass release, which means the Non-Du they'd been interacting with was actually Lyla? Under a telepathic illusion or did the Dominators physically transform her too, I wonder? OL did give her brain surgery under the expectation that she was kryptonian.
 
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