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

Mr Zoat · Mar 28, 2023

21st January 2013
12:23 GMT

"…drawing of the merchants." Razer looks at the picture the court artist was able to render. "I doubt that you will be able to find them based on this alone. We don't know what makes one member of their species stand out against the others."

"You'd be right, if I didn't recognise them."

The Free Lancers. They moved pretty quick-. No, wait, if they flew to Chughraghahh and used the portal there… Okay, that gets them closer, but they still-.

Then flew to Alstair and used their plant-based Dominion rip-off gate to fly to O and then flew here, then they could make it.

I should be charging them a percentage.

I've got no idea how they knew about this place. Sure, the Reach would happily fund them to pick up anything related to the emotional spectrum, but unless they tripped over it by pure chance… Don't know.

Ilana blinks at me. "Who are they?"

"Specialist… Traders, I've encountered before. They folded fairly quickly when I threatened them, but that just means that they're realistic. Have they been here before?"

Razer indicates the negative. "No. Apparently, this was their first visit."

"But they knew about the situation; they probably spoke to other traders."

So how secret was the fact that the miners were afflicted with insane rage? It wasn't a secret in the city, but..? No, no, they found that power ring deliberately. It would be difficult but not impossible for them to have acquired a system for detecting emotional spectrum energy. They'd already left by the time we arrived, so… Maybe the main focus of the Butcher's energy was detectable in a way that the residue wasn't?

I'll ask them when I catch up with them.

"Thank you for your assistance. My team will be leaving Volkreg to complete our investigation. I will return when that's done in order to enact a lasting peace. And, knowing me, probably some light industry. I can take you home now, or leave you here until I return."

Ilana and Razer look at each other for a moment, then turn back to me. Ilana makes a gesture of ending. "This has been… My horizons have expanded more than I thought possible."

"But we will need all hands in the fields now that there is once again sunlight with which to grow things."

"Understood. One moment."

I attach tethers to each of them and transition, appearing on the battlements of their home city. The small cluster of soldiers on the ramparts clutch their weapons for a moment, and then appear to recognise my companions.

"Thank you, once again, for your assistance."

I nod respectfully, and then transition back to Jade, already knowing what I'm going to see. Her armour's sensors detect me and she steps aside to see what drawing the locals have created. Not exactly display-worthy, but I pick out the Free Lancers from amongst the faces on display.

"The Free Lancers."

"They've travelled a long way. Any idea how?"

"It's possible due to the zeta relay on-."

"The one you built for Amalak. And then the gate near O, which you-."

"Yeah, no good deed goes unpunished." I huff quietly. "Rage absorbed, peace reigns, ash cloud gone. We're finished here, unless you can think of anything I've missed?"

"You haven't recruited anyone."

"We're too far from N.E.M.O. space, and I don't have time to teach someone. And I haven't encountered an outstanding candidate."

She nods. "Azmah or Turi?"

"We need to find out what the Free Lancers are doing, and if they're on Azmah then it's obvious what they're up to. Orion?"

Ping.

He's kneeling next to his astro-harness. His head is bowed, and his hands… I think he's praying. Odd. I didn't see any obvious buildings of worship in Super Town, and… I rather thought that their connection to the Source just… Rendered conventional worship meaningless. But he did just absorb quite a lot of red light, so I think I'll give it a minute or two.

Ping.

His eyes open and he stands, his muscles tense. Without looking at either of us he steps up onto the astro-harness.

Ping.

"Azmah."

I nod. "If you don't have an objection."

"The intensity of the rage is clearly enough to overwhelm mortal minds. Removing it wherever I find it is my duty to the Source. What concerns me is that Draan Del Daar knew that it was here and left the mortals to their plight."

"I'm not going to try and defend his behaviour. The only thing I can think of is that for most of his life this planet was uninhabited. It might genuinely have slipped his mind."

"There will be a reckoning either way."

"After he's made the ring. We need that."

Ping.

"I have not forgotten. Mother Box, open a Boom Tube to Azmah."

Ping.

BOOM!

Jade charges her maser. "So, this is a world where everyone's either being electrocuted to ash or fighting everyone else on the planet."

"Technically, they only fight everyone in their line of sight. And their government officials appear to be able to rise above it, though I think that's something to do with how they live in a Faraday cage. But I'm pretty sure that with sufficiently conductive dividers and an absence of the Butcher's Blood, we should be able to becalm them."

Orion flies through the portal, and Jade and I follow a moment later. Contacting the government-.

"YAAAGH!"

A hulking local man throws himself at Orion, axe in hand! Orion jinks around the swing and fires two astro-bolts to the back of the local's helmet. The man staggers but the lack of intelligent control doesn't stop him stomping around in a circle and swinging at Orion once more. This time Orion knocks his arm aside and counters, punching once, twice and then a third time into his face! On the third his helmet is torn off, and I take that as a opening to attach a shock construct to his head and stun him.

And here come the rest.

Mr Zoat · Mar 28, 2023

Sojiko said:
"than"

Thank you, corrected.

Chojin Patriarch · Mar 28, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
21st January 2013
12:23 GMT

"…drawing of the merchants." Razer looks at the picture the court artist was able to render. "I doubt that you will be able to find them based on this alone. We don't know what makes one member of their species stand out against the others."

"You'd be right, if I didn't recognise them."

Well, then. That's about all the loot OL can get from this sidequest. Plenty of hardly-useful XP for all the sub-objectives, Razer prevented from having his little tragedy, and leads on the Butcher's Blood acquired. On to the next zone to 100%.

The Free Lancers. They moved pretty quick-. No, wait, if they flew to Chughraghahh and used the portal there… Okay, that gets them closer, but they still-.

Then flew to Alstair and used their plant-based Dominion rip-off gate to fly to O and then flew here, then they could make it.

Oh, mother-fuckers! And this is the... Second time they've been involved in Spectrum-related acquisitions? Third? Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times... Is enemy action.

I should be charging them a percentage.

I've got no idea how they knew about this place. Sure, the Reach would happily fund them to pick up anything related to the emotional spectrum, but unless they tripped over it by pure chance… Don't know.

And working with the Reach probably has too many strings attached. And paperwork.

Ilana blinks at me. "Who are they?"

"Specialist… Traders, I've encountered before. The folded fairly quickly when I threatened them, but that just means that they're realistic. Have they been here before?"

They don't seem the sort to make repeat visits, mind.

Razer indicates the negative. "No. Apparently, this was their first visit."

"But they knew about the situation; they probably spoke to other traders."

So someone has been feeding them information about Spectrum-related things.

So how secret was the fact that the miners was afflicted with insane rage? It wasn't a secret in the city, but..? No, no, they found that power ring deliberately. It would be difficult but not impossible for them to have acquired a system for detecting emotional spectrum energy. They'd already left by the time we arrived, so… Maybe the main focus of the Butcher's energy was detectable in a way that the residue wasn't?

I'll ask them when I catch up with them.

And this time, don't let them go. Not until you've winnowed out every little secret they've got.

"Thank you for your assistance. My team will be leaving Volkreg to complete our investigation. I will return when that's done in order to enact a lasting peace. And, knowing me, probably some light industry. I can take you home now, or leave you here until I return."

Ilana and Razer look at each other for a moment, then turn back to me. Ilana makes a gesture of ending. "This has been… My horizons have expanded more than I thought possible."

Travel will do that to a person...

"But we will need all hands in the fields now that there is once again sunlight with which to grow things."

"Understood. One moment."

...But after a long journey, sometimes the call of home is the loudest.

I attach tethers to each of them and transition, appearing on the battlements of their home city. The small cluster of soldiers on the ramparts clutch their weapons for a moment, and then appear to recognise my companions.

"Thank you, once again, for your assistance."

If nothing else, these two are going to have a lot of reputation bonuses in their local area.

I nod respectfully, and then transition back to Jade, already knowing what I'm going to see. Her armour's sensors detect me and she steps aside to see what drawing the locals have created. Not exactly display-worthy, but I pick out the Free Lancers from amongst the faces on display.

"The Free Lancers."

Nice to have the confirmation, but frustrating that now they have to worry about them turning up on their other stops too.

"They've travelled a long way. Any idea how?"

"It's possible due to the zeta relay on-."

"The one you built for Amalak. And then the gate near O, which you-."

I bet gaining access would have been expensive.

"Yeah, no good deed goes unpunished." I huff quietly. "Rage absorbed, peace reins, ash cloud gone. We're finished here, unless you can think of anything I've missed?"

"You haven't recruited anyone."

Hey, he can't hand out rings that willy-nilly, not with prior business to deal with first.

"We're too far from N.E.M.O. space, and I don't have time to teach someone. And I haven't encountered an outstanding candidate."

She nods. "Azmah or Turi?"

Which is closer? Which is the more likely place those assholes went?

"We need to find out what the Free Lancers are doing, and if they're on Azmah then it's obvious what they're up to. Orion?"

Ping.

"Just a second, Mister Lantern. He's taking care of a little something here."

He's kneeling next to his astro-harness. His head is bowed, and his hands… I think he's praying. Odd. I didn't see any obvious buildings of worship in Super Town, and… I rather thought that their connection to the Source just… Rendered conventional worship meaningless. But he did just absorb quite a lot of red light, so I think I'll give in a minute or two.

Ping.

"That's probably a good idea, dear. Don't worry, we're almost..." Honestly, I'm not surprised that some feel a more personal connection to It. And given It's everywhere, why would you need a church?

His eyes open and he stands, his muscles tense. Without looking at either of us he steps up onto the astro-harness.

Ping.

"...Done. Feeling better, Sweetie? Any ideas?"

"Azmah."

I nod. "If you don't have an objection."

Already learning to tap into the... What would the halls of power for Rage be? An Arena?

"The intensity of the rage is clearly enough to overwhelm mortal minds. Removing it wherever I find it is my duty to the Source. What concerns me is that Draan Del Daar knew that it was here and left the mortals to their plight."

"I'm not going to try and defend his behaviour. The only thing I can think of is that for most of his life this planet was uninhabited. It might genuinely have slipped his mind."

And they did seem to consider themself above petty things like morality, in the pursuit of pure science.

"There will be a reckoning either way."

"After he's made the ring. We need that."

Ping.

"He's got a point there, Sweetie. Once we're done, though..."

"I have not forgotten. Mother Box, open a Boom Tube to Azmah."

Ping.

"Already had it charged up, Sweetie. Shall we go, folks?"

BOOM!

Jade charges her maser. "So, this is a world where everyone's either being electrocuted to ash or fighting everyone else on the planet."

...Ah, right, this is one of the weird worlds of the DC Cosmos.

"Technically, they only fight everyone in their line of sight. And their government officials appear to be able to rise above it, though I think that's something to do with how they live in a Faraday cage. But I'm pretty sure that with sufficiently conductive dividers and an absence of the Butcher's Blood, we should be able to becalm them."

Orion flies through the portal, and Jade and I follow a moment later. Contacting the government-.

Sounds like this race has a lot closer tie to Rage than the Volkregians.

"YAAAGH!"

...Oh, hell, it's an entire planet of Doomguys, isn't it?

A hulking local man throws himself at Orion, axe in hand! Orion jinks around the swing and fires two astro-bolts to the back of the local's helmet. The man staggers but the lack of intelligent control doesn't stop him stomping around in a circle and swinging at Orion once more. This time Orion knocks his arm aside and counters, punching once, twice and then a third time into his face! On the third his helmet is torn off, and I take that as a opening to attach a shock construct to his head and stun him.

And here come the rest.

At least they have a tank to keep the mooks off them.

Well, cue up the 'Doom' soundtracks, this place is going to be fun. And on the upside, at least the locals can't fly, so once they get a little air, the regular folks won't be troublesome. Let's hope this place doesn't take as long as Volkreg did, though. Because if the Free Lancers aren't here anymore, then every moment of delay lets them get further away.

The folded fairly quickly when I threatened them...

They folded fairly quickly when I threatened them...

So how secret was the fact that the miners was afflicted with insane rage?

Should be 'were', if he's referring to the Miners collectively?

"Rage absorbed, peace reins, ash cloud gone.

"Rage absorbed, peace reigns, ash cloud gone.

RoninSword · Mar 28, 2023

So Orion absorbed some Red, but they still missed out on the actual Blood, right? Just want to be clear.

DAT_NOOB · Mar 28, 2023

Darko said:
Those two shoes are adjacent to each other, but they're not a 100% match, do things like the timeline for certain events will be different

Stsword said:
Zoat is adapting a storyline from the Green Lantern cartoon, that it turns out, was engineered by Atrocitus to recruit Razer into the red lantern corps.

So it's a natural enough assumption to make.

But as BR rightfully pointed out above, it's a wrong assumpton because Atrocitus is still imprisoned by the GLC.

In fact I remember Zoat mentioning that Atrocitus wouldn't make a Red Lantern Corps- he hates the GLC too much to emulate them.

So unless Zoat has changed his mind, which would be within his rights of course, Atrocitus would apparently do something else.

So I haven't missed something?

Mr Zoat · Mar 28, 2023

Chojin Patriarch said:
They folded fairly quickly when I threatened them...
Should be 'were', if he's referring to the Miners collectively?
"Rage absorbed, peace reigns, ash cloud gone.

Oh, thank goodness. I don't think I could have handled a second day.

BR549 · Mar 28, 2023

RoninSword said:
So Orion absorbed some Red, but they still missed out on the actual Blood, right? Just want to be clear.

Correct. It appears the Free Lancers made off with nearly the entire prize - making the quest now to find out why - and the residue that was left from so many eternities of the Blood being in place, Orion slurped up like a cherry Misty from Dairy Queen.

I'm not sure this next planet is going to be quite so Paragon on the quest meter, though.

Rafin · Mar 28, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
Jade charges her maser. "So, this is a world where everyone's either being electrocuted to ash or fighting everyone else on the planet."

When did they learn about the situation on Azmah?

Mr Zoat · Mar 28, 2023

Rafin said:
When did they learn about the situation on Azmah?

Mr Zoat said:
"Did you have any actual contact with the people of this world? Do you know people in their governments?"

"I… Did. I don't know if they're still alive… I'll… I'll send you my records. I don't know how much use they'll be-."

Wheenesss · Mar 28, 2023

Unrelated to the current episode, but can anyone remind me of what Donna's exact origin was in this fic? I know there was an episode about it but I can't remember anything that happened in it.

Steelplaza · Mar 28, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
"The intensity of the rage is clearly enough to overwhelm mortal minds. Removing it wherever I find it is my duty to the Source. What concerns me is that Draan Del Daar knew that it was here and left the mortals to their plight."

"I'm not going to try and defend his behaviour. The only thing I can think of is that for most of his life this planet was uninhabited. It might genuinely have slipped his mind."

I'll try and defend his behavior. Draan didn't put the Butcher's Blood on these planets, he just knew it was probably there. So he knew an environmental hazard (maybe) existed on some random planets he had no connection to. Who made it Draan's job to solve every problem in the universe?

It wasn't even doing that much on this planet. They probably lose way more miners to inhaling rock dust, and I don't see OL dropping everything to help improve industrial air filtration technology (though it's OL so he might do that eventually).

Stsword · Mar 28, 2023

Wheenesss said:
Unrelated to the current episode, but can anyone remind me of what Donna's exact origin was in this fic? I know there was an episode about it but I can't remember anything that happened in it.

The titans re-enacted the ritual that created Diana, so Donna is like the bootleg version of Diana.

Hence she is blessed by the Titans instead of the Olympians.

Darko · Mar 28, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
I've got no idea how they knew about this place. Sure, the Reach would happily fund them to pick up anything related to the emotional spectrum, but unless they tripped over it by pure chance… Don't know

I'm still betting that it's Lysis.

The Qwardians were selling weapons to aliens and they may have used them.

Mr Zoat said:
He's kneeling next to his astro-harness. His head is bowed, and his hands… I think he's praying. Odd. I didn't see any obvious buildings of worship in Super Town, and… I rather thought that their connection to the Source just… Rendered conventional worship meaningless. But he did just absorb quite a lot of red light, so I think I'll give in a minute or two

They might have shrines in their homes.

Some religions do not require places of worship, but just the home.

Plus this could be him recharging his batteries so to speak.

Stsword said:
The titans re-enacted the ritual that created Diana, so Donna is like the bootleg version of Diana.

Hence she is blessed by the Titans instead of the Olympians.

Chronos also apparently did it at the same time, so Donna is in a way Diana's twin sister.

Darko · Mar 28, 2023

Chojin Patriarch said:
"Just a second, Mister Lantern. He's taking care of a little something here

"Wait a minute you primitive little fucker! The link head is bysy!"

Chojin Patriarch said:
"That's probably a good idea, dear. Don't worry, we're almost

"So the idiot is capable of having an intelligent thought. There really is a Source."

Chojin Patriarch said:
Done. Feeling better, Sweetie? Any ideas?"

"Finished? It's about Source-damned time!"

Chojin Patriarch said:
And they did seem to consider themself above petty things like morality, in the pursuit of pure science.

More pure art.

Chojin Patriarch said:
He's got a point there, Sweetie. Once we're done, though..."

"The monkey has a point. You can kill that walking turd later."

Chojin Patriarch said:
Already had it charged up, Sweetie. Shall we go, folks?"

"Don't tell me what to do, fuckface!"

Stsword · Mar 28, 2023

Darko said:
Chronos also apparently did it at the same time, so Donna is in a way Diana's twin sister.

Then why is Donna a teenager while Diana is a member of the greatest generation?

Ngamer11 · Mar 28, 2023

Stsword said:
Then why is Donna a teenager while Diana is a member of the greatest generation?

For some reason, she was frozen in time as a baby and protected by a cultist, until a fire in the building where she lived accidentally killed said cultist, leading to Donna being freed, found, and subsequently adopted.

RoninSword · Mar 28, 2023

Stsword said:
Then why is Donna a teenager while Diana is a member of the greatest generation?

Donna wqs literally put in stasis while the cult tried to figure out what to do. And then the building burned down.

Darko · Mar 28, 2023

Stsword said:
Then why is Donna a teenager while Diana is a member of the greatest generation?

Ngamer11 said:
For some reason, she was frozen in time as a baby and protected by a cultist, until a fire in the building where she lived accidentally killed said cultist, leading to Donna being freed, found, and subsequently adopted.

RoninSword said:
Donna wqs literally put in stasis while the cult tried to figure out what to do. And then the building burned down.

Pretty much.

Though I think Chronos was trying to figure out how to best use Donna and not the cult.

Guess making her took a lot out of him that he wasn't able to respond for decades, or he's very patient and likes to take his time with planning.

Coda · Mar 29, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
Oh, thank goodness. I don't think I could have handled a second day.

Would something retroactive help?

Mr Zoat said:
The amount of energy this type of teleporter uses… Leaving the rock completely smooth

Leaves

Mr Zoat said:
I'll give in a minute or two

Is this a Britishism, or should this be "give it a minute"?

Prince Charon · Mar 29, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
I attach tethers to each of them and transition, appearing on the battlements of their home city. The small cluster of soldiers on the ramparts clutch their weapons for a moment, and then appear to recognise my companions.

"Thank you, once again, for your assistance."

Razer and Ilana are going to be the local heroes that people tell their grandchildren about, aren't they?

Mr Zoat · Mar 29, 2023

21st January 2013
12:31 GMT

"Outsider." One of the three individuals Liana referred me to glowers at me while speaking. The other two just glower. "Go away."

"I'd love to, but there's something that I need first. And I'd like to help with your… Total internal conflict issue."

"Already fixed."

I frown, and look out of the window at the people outside. While they're not fighting right now, that appears to be because they're either too tired or too injured to throw a punch.

"With the greatest respect, it doesn't look like it."

"Planet has long had multiple magnetic poles. Chaotic magnetic fields. Lightning storms. Our species uses these fields for navigation. Borders. Our sense of place."

"And.. increased electrical activity in your atmosphere… Given your sun, would be a perfectly normal consequence. And with that gone, no one knows where they are."

"You are less stupid than Green Lantern."

"There's a species on my homeworld who has something similar. They use our magnetic field to find the coast, but for some of them it goes wrong and they instinctively walk the wrong way. They end up in the middle of a frozen wasteland and die."

Liana 'fixed' the magnetic field to a simple north and south pole, which means that the interactions they need for a sense of place aren't happening any more. I thought that by 'walls' she meant literal walls. This problem actually makes sense.

"I don't think that I can turn your planet's magnetic field back, but I should be able to create enough conductive-."

"Stop. Trader already offered that." The local official scowls deeper. "Accepted. Machines spreading cables. Not work completely. People need to learn new wall map, but… Better."

"Did the traders look like-" I create a construct of the Free Lancers. "-this?"

"Yes."

"How are they rolling the cables out?"

"Their robots. Takes time."

"Do you have a copy of their plans? I'd like to help."

The local I'm talking to turns away, going into a huddle with the other two. I raise my left hand to my ear.

"Any luck?"

"They've already left. Orion's Mother Box has a read on their warp drive, so we might be able to follow it. It's been redesigned since last time you met them."

"Might be worth checking that they're not leaving a false trail. Anything on the Blood?"

"No. Liana's records are pretty clear: they all started fighting the moment she got rid of their walls, all at the same time, all over the planet. There might not be any focus of the Butcher's Blood here. There might not-"

I'm nodding. "Might not even be any here."

"Or the Free Lancers might have already taken it."

"Or that. Is Orion doing alright?"

"He wasn't talkative before and he isn't talkative now. I can't read his body language because he isn't human."

"Have-?"

"His god powers haven't changed my behavior significantly. If his people think anything like humans, he won't. He won't want to do anything that reminds him of his father. It's the same reason why I don't watch sports. I have found something interesting."

"Yes?"

"The magnetic fields these cables produce. It's not stable. It oscillates."

"Okay?"

"It's one of the things we look out for when detecting Reach mind altering technology. Some patterns of light are hypnotic. It wouldn't do anything to us, but to the locals it might have mind-altering power."

"Well spotted. I'll ask. Anything else?"

"No."

"Then I'll see you when I'm done here."

I lower my hand, waiting for the locals to finish their discussion. Two of them glance at me distrustfully, while the third looks more resigned.

"Yes." The metal floor next to him undulates, a globe covered in thin lines rising up as he gestures. "Here. Take. Make wires. Leave."

I attach a construct tether to it and pull it over. Quick scan… Got it. Compare it to population centre, scan intended cable composition and power generation… I can improve on that. And add a way to override those oscillations in case it turns out that they are nefarious, the probability of which appears to be in the region of 112%...

"Thank you."

I float the globe back towards them… And they ignore it.

Alright. I put it on the floor by their feet.

"I'll get right on that. I appreciate that Lanterns haven't exactly covered themselves in glory where your world is concerned, and I'm grateful that you're giving me the-" Totally voluntary. "-opportunity to make amends."

"Go away."

With all this rage around, it's a little difficult to make out the desire for normalcy that is its antithesis. But since the rage is essentially mundane it doesn't cloud it out quite as much as the Butcher's Blood did. So

I can

travel to the largest concentration of brawling locals and start fabricating cables and a generator. None of them bother looking up to spot me, and I-.

One gets dog piled as I watch, the high metal content of their body meaning that they don't bleed or break but rather bend in ways that make me wince. Still alive, still filled with rage, but-.

But if I reveal myself by using a purple healing ray, one, that might prolong their suffering and two, that might make them focus on me. Which would be fine, except that they might also focus on the cables I'm about to lay, which wouldn't. I-.

"Lantern. I have their trail. We should depart at once, lest they make some new mischief."

"But-."

"We can come back for the Blood, if they have not already taken it."

"They came up with a plan to stop the fighting. If I leave, their robots will take weeks to implement it. If I stay for a few…" Quick check. "A few hours, I can have it finished. You can stay or go-."

"If I go and the Blood remains… It will undo your work. They will descend into anarchy once more."

"Not necessarily."

"I will not risk it." I hear him sigh. "They escape this day."

Mr Zoat · Mar 29, 2023

Coda said:
Would something retroactive help?

No.

Leaves
Is this a Britishism, or should this be "give it a minute"?

Thank you, corrected.

mastermenthe · Mar 29, 2023

I am feeling withdrawal symptoms...
*update appears while typing this comment*
Oh, uh, okay then!?

Mr Zoat said:
"Not necessarily."

"I will not risk it." I hear him sigh. "They escape this day."

Godammit OL, the Freelancers (employers) obviously know, start presuming enemy action already!

Handlewithcare · Mar 29, 2023

Remarkable show of restraint on Orion's part. A good sign.

NightmareWarden · Mar 29, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
Liana

From her wiki page, her Oath of uncertain canonicity:
"The Cosmos through, in every part, one thing endures: a loving heart. Against the knaves who'd quell this song, Green Lanterns stand, to right the wrong!"

How very golden-age.

The guardians expelled her over this, but they didn't fix the planet? Because, presumably, the natives didn't want anything to do with Green Lanterns after Liana? Okay...

Chojin Patriarch · Mar 29, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
21st January 2013
12:31 GMT

"Outsider." One of the three individuals Liana referred me to glowers at me while speaking. The other two just glower. "Go away."

"I'd love to, but there's something that I need first. And I'd like to help with your… Total internal conflict issue."

Just go along with it, guys. The sooner you play along, the sooner he'll be gone. A thing many people didn't learn and suffered through, well, having to deal with OL longer than necessary for.

"Already fixed."

I frown, and look out of the window at the people outside. While they're not fighting right now, that appears to be because they're either too tired or too injurer to throw a punch.

Huh, must be siesta time.

"With the greatest respect, it doesn't look like it."

"Planet has long has multiple magnetic poles. Chaotic magnetic fields. Lightning storms. Our species uses these fields for navigation. Borders. Our sense of place."

And that is still a fucking weird geological phenomenon.

How would that even have worked?

"And.. increased electrical activity in your atmosphere… Given your sun, would be a perfectly normal consequence. And with that gone, no one knows where they are."

"You are less stupid than Green Lantern."

I suppose that explains them being part metallic. Natural radiation shielding.

"There's a species on my homeworld who has something similar. They use our magnetic field to find the coast, but for some of them it goes wrong and the instinctively walk the wrong way. They end up in the middle of a frozen wasteland and die."

Liana 'fixed' the magnetic field to a simple north and south pole, which means that the interactions they need for a sense of place aren't happening any more. I thought that by 'walls' she meant literal walls. This problem actually makes sense.

...Okay. What made her think that was a good idea? Did she not even bother to check with the locals before sticking an oar into the magnetosphere and stirring well?

"I don't think that I can turns your planet's magnetic field back, but I should be able to create enough conductive-."

"Stop. Trader already offered that." The local official scowls deeper. "Accepted. Machines spreading cables. Not work completely. People need to learn new wall map, but… Better."

...Off-world traders, huh? I have a sneaky suspicion that...

"Did the traders look like-" I create a construct of the Free Lancers. "-this?"

"Yes."

...Well, shit. There's got to be a catch, then.

"How are they rolling the cables out?"

"Their robots. Takes time."

How... Inefficient.

"Do you have a copy of their plans? I'd like to help."

The local I'm talking to turns away, going into a huddle with the other two. I raise my left hand to my ear.

No doubt their conversation has an undercurrent of 'We give stupid orange men this, he go away? Good?'

"Any luck?"

"They've already left. Orion's Mother Box has a read on their warp drive, so we might be able to follow it. It's been redesigned since last time you met them."

And that sounds extra suspicious. They must have hit a jackpot somewhere.

"Might be worth checking that they're not leaving a false trail. Anything on the Blood?"

"No. Liana's records are pretty clear: they all started fighting the moment she got rid of their walls, all at the same time, all over the planet. There might not be any focus of the Butcher's Blood here. There might not-"

Or it's so distributed that it's undetectable. Like an invisible fog around everything.

I'm nodding. "Might not even be any here."

"Or the Free Lancers might have already taken it."

...Also that, yes. Which is getting really annoying.

"Or that. Is Orion doing alright?"

"He wasn't talkative before and he isn't talkative now. I can't read his body language because he isn't human."

But not enough to put him in the uncanny valley? Interesting.

"Have-?"

"His god powers haven't changed my behavior significantly. If his people think anything like humans, he won't. He won't want to do anything that reminds him of his father. It's the same reason why I don't watch sports. I have found something interesting."

Given how many Sportmaster had supposedly 'mastered', and used as fighting styles, I can see why.

"Yes?"

"The magnetic fields these cables produce. It's not stable. It oscillates."

Let me guess. It periodically makes the locals angrier?

"Okay?"

"It's one of the things we look out of when detecting Reach mind altering technology. Some patterns of light are hypnotic. It wouldn't do anything to us, but to the locals it might have mind-altering power."

Given they do have a magnetic sense, that's a reasonable suspicion.

"Well spotted. I'll ask. Anything else?"

"No."

The problem is, will the locals want to tell you anything about that? Would they even be aware of the issue? A culture like this doesn't really strike me as having much of a scientific community.

"Then I'll see you when I'm done here."

I lower my hand, waiting for the locals to finish their discussion. Two of them glance at me distrustfully, while the third looks more resigned.

Looks like a general majority: 'We don't like you.'

"Yes." The metal floor next to him undulates, a globe covered in thin lines rising up as he gestures. "Here. Take. Make wires. Leave."

I attach a construct tether to it and pull it over. Quick scan… Got it. Compare it to population centre, scan intended cable composition and power generation… I can improve on that. And add a way to override those oscillations in case it turns out that they are nefarious, the probability of which appears to be in the region of 112%...

Now, on whose word did the Free Lancers set that up, I wonder...

"Thank you."

I float the globe back towards them… And they ignore it.

Ah, shunning. The ultimate expression of 'Go away now'...

Alright. I put it on the floor by their feet.

"I'll get right on that. I appreciate that Lanterns haven't exactly covered themselves in glory where your world is concerned, and I'm grateful that you're giving me the-" Totally voluntary. "-opportunity to make amends."

...And your ego doesn't want to let you be shown up by the Free Lancer assholes, eh?

"Go away."

With all this rage around, it's a little difficult to make out the desire for normalcy that it its antithesis. But since the rage is essentially mundane it doesn't cloud it out quite as much as the Butcher's Blood did. So

At least the desires don't have anything about beating your skull into paste... Right now.

I can

travel to the largest concentration of brawling local and start fabricating cables and a generator. None of them bother looking up to spot me, and I-.

What would they care what's above, if someone they reflexively hate is right there in front of them?

One gets dog piled as I watch, the high metal content of their body meaning that they don't bleed or break but rather bend in ways that make me wince. Still alive, still filled with rage, but-.

But if I reveal myself by using a purple healing ray, one, that might prolong their suffering and two, that might make them focus on me. Which would be fine, except that they might also focus on the cables I'm about to lay, which wouldn't. I-.

Just drop them. If they aggro on the cables, push them back.

"Lantern. I have their trail. We should depart at once, lest they make some new mischief."

"But-."

Ah, yes. There's always one asshole in a multiplayer scenario who just wants to run to the next quest marker and get in with it, huh?

"We can come back for the Blood, if they have not already taken it."

"They came up with a plan to stop the fighting. If I leave, their robots will take weeks to implement it. If I stay for a few…" Quick check. "A few hours, I can have it finished. You can stay or go-."

And OL can always catch up with them easily enough if they run into trouble.

"If I go and the Blood remains… It will undo your work. They will descend into anarchy once more."

"Not necessarily."

"I will not risk it." I hear him sigh. "They escape this day."

...Until you pick up their trail at the next planet. Because of course they'll have been there.

Dangit, OL. This is no time to get bogged down with busy work. The trail grows cold, and the longer you delay, the more likely the Free Lancers will acquire more of the Butcher's Blood. It might well hit a critical mass, and that would be bad for everyone nearby.

All while you run around fixing other people's mistakes...

Hoo boy. A few typos:

...they're either too tired or too injurer to throw a punch.

...they're either too tired or too injured to throw a punch.

"Planet has long has multiple magnetic poles.

"Planet has long had multiple magnetic poles. (Unless they have odd tense use...)

...and the instinctively walk the wrong way.

...and they instinctively walk the wrong way. (Also a double space before 'they')

"I don't think that I can turns your planet's magnetic field back...

"I don't think that I can turn your planet's magnetic field back...

"It's one of the things we look out of when detecting Reach mind altering technology.

"It's one of the things we look out for when detecting Reach mind altering technology.

... the desire for normalcy that it its antithesis

... the desire for normalcy that is its antithesis

Mr Zoat · Mar 29, 2023

Chojin Patriarch said:
And that is still a fucking weird geological phenomenon. How would that even have worked?

How old are you? Because if you're my age or younger, then there's a reasonable chance that you'll live to see it.

...Okay. What made her think that was a good idea? Did she not even bother to check with the locals before sticking an oar into the magnetosphere and stirring well?

No. That's why she got fired.

...they're either too tired or too injured to throw a punch.
"Planet has long had multiple magnetic poles. (Unless they have odd tense use...)
...and they instinctively walk the wrong way. (Also a double space before 'they')
"I don't think that I can turn your planet's magnetic field back...
"It's one of the things we look out for when detecting Reach mind altering technology.
... the desire for normalcy that is its antithesis

Thank you, corrected.

Massgamer · Mar 29, 2023

Weird biology for an equally weird environment I suppose.

Hopefully locals are much friendlier when their whole magnetic map thing is back and feel less lost, in both senses of the word.

Vaermina · Mar 29, 2023

I kind of feel the need to point out here that the Butchers Blood doesn't actually belong to LePaul.

And unless they do something like try to destroy a planet with it, or sell it to The Reach. LePaul would absolutely be in the wrong to just take it from them.

Rafin · Mar 29, 2023

I have difficulty understanding just what happened on Azmah and in what order.

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