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

So you watched a two and a half hour video by someone who hadn't actually seen the series.

Got it.

As a BTW, Vault 31,32, and 33 were next to the Santa-Monica Pier, and the Masters Cathedral was in Torrance, 16 miles away through the heart of the heavily irradiated at the time LA boneyard that the Master was very specifically limiting his advance through.

Yeah, he did that with the Barbie movie as well. Didn't watch it, but watched a long-ass video essay about it, which is the same thing right? I actually had watched it, so he sounded insane. I'm sure that once I finish the Fallout tv show it'll be similar. If I go into any more detail the mods might come after me for talking about politics, so I'll leave it at that.
 
In the 90's Marvel Animated Universe, did Paul get possessed by the Phoenix Force instead of the Ophidian?

What would we even call that fusion? Dark Paulnix? Dark Phaul?

And does he drink pasteurized milk?
 
Coast to Coast (part 3)
29th November 2282
20:14 MST

"…complain about reinforcements, Elder Lyons." Elder Kathrine Törni doesn't exactly sound thrilled to be talking to the head of the Capital Wasteland Chapter, particularly given their philosophical differences, but at least she's prepared to be polite. "It's a shame that we don't have the facilities to build more Liberty Primes here."

"Oh, I think Owen can keep that robot right where it is." Elder Edward Jefferson Rusk sounds more amused. "I'm a whole lot more interested in this 'Project Purity' thing. A whole lotta land we can't cultivate down here for lack of fresh water."

"I can share the plans, but without a Garden of Eden Construction Kit I'm not sure what good it would do you."

"Oh, I think I could lay my hands on a G.E.C.K. or two, if it's for a good cause. Those Corporate Vault sons of bitches didn't strike me as being the farming types, but they might have salvaged it when-."

"No, that won't work. This requires one of Doctor Braun's.. second generation devices. We've taken to calling them 'Construction Kits' rather than 'Creation Kits' because it became confusing otherwise. They include more advanced matter transmutation technology that we haven't been able to replicate."

"Well alright then. I'd offer you a few of my scribes, but they're all up north. I guess that'll have to wait."

"Actually, I can help." Elder McNamara had been keeping rather quiet, controlling the smallest of the Brotherhood's still functioning Chapters. And one that is effectively an NCR electricity company right now. "We were able to secure two examples of the Sierra Madre's matter transmuters, and some of the Big Mountain Research and Development Center's records on their construction. Our scribes don't have much else to work on at the moment, and though I can't risk sending them to you I can transmit the results of our research."

"Not like this." Elder Törni Junior cuts in immediately. "Something that dangerous can only be sent over a secure connection, or better yet by armed courier."

"That won't be practical until-."

Doctor Diana Stone cuts my connection. "I'm glad that they're getting along. But I think we can be sure that they're acting in good faith. And so you too should act in good faith and grant them their privacy."

The Alamo Chapter and the Capital Wastelands Chapter both have access to the surviving United States communications satellites, and the Texas Chapter plans to send up its own satellites within a few years. But Diana managed to secure access even before the Great War ended, and she's perfectly capable of listening in on their conversations. And she's probably still listening, but has decided that I don't have a legitimate reason to eavesdrop any longer.

Diana can make the Mark II's, but she's not exactly overburdened with technically skilled personnel either. The Twin Mothers tribe were always intended to be primitivists, and most of them were forcibly integrated into Caesar's Legion by Lanius. Lending her my people has allowed her to make a few, but most of the time it's easier to stick to the Mark 1s.

I glance out of the window as my zetan saucer is flying over the front line between the Legion and the NCR. I'll say this for them: Legion soldiers do not quit. When frontal assaults failed they switched to ambushes. When those failed, booby traps and animal lures and prisoners wreathed in explosives. My people might have been able to assassinate Sallow and Lanius with fewer casualties, but… This war needs to happen. Psychologically, the civilised peoples of the wasteland need to be invested in this, need to value this.

Having a single hero fix everything for them just makes people not care about it.

"Do you need anything from me?"

"My people returned to me."

"You and the Brotherhood. We're checking, but by the time they're given any sort of freedom in the Legion people are usually pretty thoroughly indoctrinated. I don't think that things can be as they were, Diana."

"'To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven,
time to be born, and a time to die.' I accept change, but they are still my children."

I don't comment on how the first generation of Vault 29's residents were raised. Kidnapping children is the least of the pre-War world's crimes, and at least they survived. Particularly…

"The children of the Legion might be capable of changing. Breaking through their indoctrination. Would you be willing-?"

"Bring them to me, and I shall care for them."

"Thank you." I look down again, the lights of Vegas well behind me and the familiar landscape of Groom Lake up ahead. "Alright, I'm nearly home. Contact me if you need me."

"I will."

Landing the saucer is something I'm well accustomed to doing; its agility and speed meaning that avoiding any other aircraft in the area is a simple matter even on those rare occasions when it isn't the only thing in the air here. The Legion only sent aircraft this way once, and our ground to air weapon systems made short work of their sortie. I set the saucer down in front of its hangar with a feeling of relief.

**I'm back, everyone.**

A whole month. That's the longest I've been away since I got here. Even the final negotiations between the NCR and the Western Brotherhood only took three weeks. Which was still too long, but…

I press the control to open the hatch and clamber out, the ground crew already moving in to check it for wear and tear. I wave a greeting as I jump down, using telekinesis to slow my descend to a comfortable speed. Alright, I need to check in to make sure that nothing's about to blow up in my face, then-.

**Chief?**

**Keanan. Good news from the East.** I start walking in the direction of my quarters. **Anything here I need to deal with immediately?**

**I'm afraid so. Chief Balm-Upon-Wounds is here. He needs to talk to you as soon as possible.**

My… Future father-in-law. Or-. No, I understand why people have been leaning on me. In the month I had to get to know her before I needed to get a move on with the Enclave transfer, she seemed… Nice? A good person to be the wife of a chief? And it's certainly a locally accepted way to forge an alliance with the Ammonites.

I don't love her, but I know more than enough about human history to know that I would probably end up loving her. And that loving her isn't necessary, because when you're in charge-.

It's not about you.

I never really saw myself becoming a father, but that's going to happen, too. I suppose this is what happens when you get a people-focused job.

**I'm not at my best, but-.**

"Husband!"

**Never mind, Tears found me.**

**I'll let him know.**

I turn to look at-.

You know, I think that's the first time I've seen her face without makeup. She's also switched her clothing style from the New Canaan/White Legs mix she was wearing over to the more techno-priest look that I've popularised amongst those members of the Sky Walkers whose business takes them outside of our core territory. Loose robes combined with a pip-boy, inertia suppression field and plasma pistol. That's-. A sign that she wants to integrate, which…

She smiles demurely. "Do you approve?"

"Ah, yes. I don't know if you are aware, but your father-."

She nods. "I thought that you would like to see me first. My father is… Troubled."

"I know, I should have given you a definitive answer before leaving." Her face stills, her eyes staring into mine. "Yes, I will marry-" She beams. "-you, though we'll have to sort out the details. I'm not a Mormon-."

"That is not a problem. Many of the Ammonites have not converted in their hearts. But that is not what my father wishes to speak with your about."

"Oh? Then what is it?"

"It is the Eighties. The banner of the bull has been seen at their race tracks and meeting halls. He fears that they will ally themselves with Caesar."

Which would open a whole new front in the war, even if they fought the Ammonites first. And unlike the Ammonites, the Eighties are a technologically sophisticated people. They even have their own tank battalion.

"Then take me to him. He will have my aid, and that of the Sky Walkers."
I press the control to open the hatch and clamber out, the ground crew already moving in to check it for wear and tear. I wave a greeting as I jump down, using telekinesis to slow my descend to a comfortable-

"K-chk-."

-speed..? One of the ground crew rapidly tries to master his facial expression while rubbing his side where one of his colleagues… Slapped him? I'm feeling a general sense of amusement from… The whole town, actually.

Glad to hear that no one's too worried about the largest war in the post-Great War world happening just a few miles away. I wonder-.

**Chief?**

**Keanan. Good news from the East. Anything here I need to deal with immediately?**

**Ahhh.** I can hear the amusement, even as he tries to conceal it. **Had some visitors, Chief. When we realised how long you were going to be away, most of them went home.**

**Who?**

**Chief Balm-Upon-Wounds of the Ammonites. He couldn't stay for more than a week.**

Ugh, yes, he's not going to be happy about ARGOS kidnapping his daughter. I've.. probably got time to visit New Canaan, but the saucer is overdue for maintenance and, frankly, so am I. I head in the direction of my quarters, more than ready to sleep in my own bed rather than on a mat besides a road or in an Enclave barracks.

**A few of his people stayed on as a diplomatic party.**

**Yes, fine. Tell them I'll meet them tomorrow, and their chief at his convenience.**

Through the streets, waving half-heartedly at the people who greet me. Through the doors and up the stairs.

**Will d-o, Chief.**

I stop just outside of my apartment. **Keanan, I know that something's going on. I'm not poking at your brain because surprise belated birthdays are pretty harmless, but at my age it's a bit silly and I'm far too tired-** I push the door open. **-to really-.**

"Husband!" Tears-in-the-Rain smiles at me from… My desk chair. She stands and turns to face me. "I have awaited your return eagerly."

**[Whyiswhatshedoesn'treallylooksprettygoodinthatdresstiredandotherjobnotfunny]**

"When you abandoned our marital bed for months, I was concerned that I did not please you."

**It kind of is, Chief.**

Her face looks completely innocent, but I'm a telepath. I can feel her amusement.

"Or that you had another wife in another tribe-."

"Tears-. Good work on the straight face, but your thoughts betray you."

She grimaces. "Curses. I have been preparing since I arrived-."

"We'll-. Are you serious about the-. Marriage?" … "The whole town knows."

"Yes. And yes."

"Alright. Ah. But you're a Mormon. I'm going to bed now, and you can't be here until-."

"The Ammonites are less…" She takes a few steps close. "Strict."

"And I don't want our first time to end with me falling asleep on you. Please?"

She bows. "As my lord husband commands. I eagerly await him calling for me, so that we may-."

"And now you're over-acting." I take hold of her in a telekinetic grip, float her through the doorway and shut the doors behind her. And then lock the doors.

Marvellous.
 
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29th November 2282
20:14 MST


"…complain about reinforcements, Elder Lyons." Elder Kathrine Törni doesn't exactly sound thrilled to be talking to the head of the Capital Wasteland Chapter, particularly given their philosophical differences, but at least she's prepared to be polite. "It's a shame that we don't have the facilities to build more Liberty Primes here."
Sadly, unlike some settings, giant robots aren't always useful. Especially ones tossing nuclear footballs. I suspect there are better uses of their limited resources. And at least these two are getting along despite their differences of opinion.

"Oh, I think Owen can keep that robot right where it is." Elder Edward Jefferson Rusk sounds more amused. "I'm a whole lot more interested in this 'Project Purity' thing. A whole lotta land we can't cultivate down here for lack of fresh water."

"I can share the plans, but without Garden of Eden Construction Kit I'm not sure what good it would do you."
Got to love a gadget set that can erase radiation traces from a large area.

"Oh, I think I could lay my hands on a G.E.C.K. or two, if it's for a good cause. Those Corporate Vault sons of bitches didn't strike me as being the farming types, but they might have salvaged it when-."

"No, that won't work. This requires one of Doctor Braun's.. second generation devices. We've taken to calling them 'Construction Kits' rather than 'Creation Kits' because it became confusing otherwise. They include more advanced matter transmutation technology that we haven't been able to replicate."
Maybe give them a whole different name, then? Aren't there other mythological paradises you can use? Elysium Construction Kit, maybe?

"Well alright then. I'd offer you a few of my scribes, but they're all up north. I guess that'll have to wait."

"Actually, I can help." Elder McNamara had been keeping rather quiet, controlling the smallest of the Brotherhood's still functioning Chapters. And one that is effectively an NCR electricity company right now. "We were able to secure two examples of the Sierra Madre's matter transmuters, and some of the Big Mountain Research and Development Center's records on their construction. Our scribes don't have much else to work on at the moment, and though I can't risk sending them to you I can transmit the results of our research."
Ah, jolly cooperation! Getting stuff done through the power of not trying to kill each other. :V

"Not like this." Elder Törni Junior cuts in immediately. "Something that dangerous can only be sent over a secure connection, or better yet by armed courier."

"That won't be practical until-."
And no doubt they don't trust someone like Krono's people to deliver it without examination.

Doctor Diana Stone cuts my connection. "I'm glad that they're getting along. But I think we can be sure that they're acting in good faith. And so you too should act in good faith and grant them their privacy."

The Alamo Chapter and the Capital Wastelands Chapter both have access to the surviving United States communications satellites, and the Texas Chapter plans to send up its own satellites within a few years. But Diana managed to secure access even before the Great War ended, and she's perfectly capable of listening in on their conversations. And she's probably still listening, but has decided that I don't have a legitimate reason to eavesdrop any longer.
And to be honest, if anything important comes up, you'll probably find out about it before long.

Diana can make the Mark II's, but she's not exactly overburdened with technically skilled personnel either. The Twin Mothers tribe were always intended to be primitivists, and most of them were forcibly integrated into Caesar's Legion by Lanius. Lending her my people has allowed her to make a few, but most of the time it's easier to stick to the Mark 1s.
The joy of being stuck in between stronger factions, i suppose?

I glance out of the window as my zetan saucer is flying over the front line between the Legion and the NCR. I'll say this for them: Legion soldiers do not quit. When frontal assaults failed they switched to ambushes. When those failed, booby traps and animal lures and prisoners wreathed in explosives. My people might have been able to assassinate Sallow and Lanius with fewer casualties, but… This war needs to happen. Psychologically, the civilised peoples of the wasteland need to be invested in this, need to value this.
Their determination has to be admired, but their foolishness should not. At least they're making themselves the bad guys with this constant harassment?

Having a single hero fix everything for them just makes people not care about it.

"Do you need anything from me?"
A valuable lesson learned. Though sometimes you need that one person who can shove the usual rules aside to give people a kick in the ass...

"My people returned to me."

"You and the Brotherhood. We're checking, but by the time they're given any sort of freedom in the Legion people are usually pretty thoroughly indoctrinated. I don't think that things can be as they were, Diana."
A fairly common practice in ancient times. Especially with the young.

"'To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven,
time to be born, and a time to die.' I accept change, but they are still my children."

I don't comment on how the first generation of Vault 29's residents were raised. Kidnapping children is the least of the pre-War world's crimes, and at least they survived. Particularly…
Do we want to know? Or is it that bad?

"The children of the Legion might be capable of changing. Breaking through their indoctrination. Would you be willing-?"

"Bring them to me, and I shall care for them."
I hope she understands what she's getting herself into... Edit: Okay, she's well set up for the proposition with a vaultful of robo-nannies. Still, could be surprised ahead of her.

"Thank you." I look down again, the lights of Vegas well behind me and the familiar landscape of Groom Lake up ahead. "Alright, I'm nearly home. Contact me if you need me."

"I will."
I get the feeling it's been a long day. Or possibly a long week, depending on events.

Landing the saucer is something I'm well accustomed to doing; it's agility and speed meaning that avoiding any other aircraft in the area is a simple matter even on those rare occasions when it isn't the only thing in the air here. The Legion only sent aircraft this way once, and our ground to air weapon systems made short work of their sortie. I set the saucer down in front of its hangar with a feeling of relief.
Foolish. I expect they assumed 'We'll roll over these tribal idiots and claim all their technology for ourselves!' only to receive a rude surprise.

**I'm back, everyone.**

I press the control to open the hatch and clamber out, the ground crew already moving in to check it for wear and tear. I wave a greeting as I jump down, using telekinesis to slow my descend to a comfortable-
Home sweet home. Or at least as close as he's made in this world.

"K-chk-."

-speed..? One of the ground crew rapidly tries to master his facial expression while rubbing his side where one of his colleagues… Slapped him? I'm feeling a general sense of amusement from… The whole town, actually.
Oh, boy... Something is afoot, and I have a feeling Krono's about to step right in it.

Glad to hear that no one's too worried about the largest war in the post-Great War world happening just a few miles away. I wonder-.

**Chief?**
Well, you guys have probably the strongest defences of any faction in the region.

**Keanan. Good news from the East. Anything here I need to deal with immediately?**

**Ahhh.** I can hear the amusement, even as he tries to conceal it. **Had some visitors, Chief. When we realised how long you were going to be away, most of them went home.**
Interesting. What was so important they needed to come out while the legion was all stirred up?

**Who?**

**Chief Balm-Upon-Wounds of the Ammonites. He couldn't stay for more than a week.**
...And now I think I have an inkling of why everybody's so amused.

Ugh, yes, he's not going to be happy about ARGOS kidnapping his daughter. I've.. probably got time to visit New Canaan, but the saucer is overdue for maintenance and, frankly, so am I. I head in the direction of my quarters, more than ready to sleep in my own bed rather than on a mat besides a road or in an Enclave barracks.
Life of a hero, Krono. There's always some brush fires in need of smothering.

**A few of his people stayed on as a diplomatic party.**

**Yes, fine. Tell them I'll meet them tomorrow, and their chief at his convenience.**
...That's an interesting way to put it. I bet Krono doesn't even remember the details.

Through the streets, waving half-heartedly at the people who greet me. Through the doors and up the stairs.

**Will d-o, Chief.**
I wonder how many people are remote-viewing him for a chance to see his face when he discovers...

I stop just outside of my apartment. **Keanan, I know that something's going on. I'm not poking at your brain because surprise belated birthdays are pretty harmless, but at my age it's a bit silly and I'm far too tired-** I push the door open. **-to really-.**

"Husband!" Tears-in-the-Rain smiles at me from… My desk chair. She stands and turns to face me. "I have awaited your return eagerly."
...His wife. Been a while, but I do kind of remember the whole arranged marriage thing. Or the dating contest mix-up? Whatever it was.

**[Whyiswhatshedoesn'treallylooksprettygoodinthatdresstiredandotherjobnotfunny]**

"When you abandoned our marital bed for months, I was concerned that I did not please you."
And outside, people fall down laughing at his sudden, very loud, broadcast of confusion and surprise.

**It kind of is, Chief.**

Her face looks completely innocent, but I'm a telepath. I can feel her amusement.
Surprised she hasn't taken the chance to get her own psychic upgrade. Or is that against her religious beliefs?

"Or that you had another wife in another tribe-."

"Tears-. Good work on the straight face, but your thoughts betray you."
At least you won't be in danger of getting tossed down a hole into an exposed reactor core. Hopefully.

She grimaces. "Curses. I have been preparing since I arrived-."

"We'll-. Are you serious about the-. Marriage?" … "The whole town knows."
Deadly serious, I would think. And now you know why everyone on the way were stifling their laughter.

"Yes. And yes."

"Alright. Ah. But you're a Mormon. I'm going to bed now, and you can't be here until-."
I take it they have rules about men and women being in the same room, even for married folks.

"The Ammonites are less…" She takes a few steps close. "Strict."

"And I don't want our first time to end with me falling asleep on you. Please?"
The spirit is kind of willing, but the flesh is exhausted and sleepy.

She bows. "As my lord husband commands. I eagerly await him calling for me, so that we may-."

"And now you're over-acting." I take hold of her in a telekinetic grip, float her through the doorway and shut the doors behind her. And then lock the doors.

Marvellous.
On the upside, I'm sure she has had plenty of time to get ideas about the uses of his psychic powers in the bedroom... ;)

Well, that's a hell of a homecoming. I bet Krono did forget all about his promise to the Chief the dating show results, nor expected them to take an active hand in the matter even if he did remember... On the upside, once he's not half-asleep on his feet, he'll be able to think more clearly about it. And the usefulness of having her around.
 
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...His wife. Been a while, but I do kind of remember the whole arranged marriage thing. Or the dating contest mix-up? Whatever it was.
Doki kidnapped a bunch of girls across the wasteland for Post Apocalypse's Most Eligible Batchelor. Tears won the contest but he basically just sent her home like everyone else. She and her dad had a conversation and she decided to commit to the bit, with them visiting and getting an idea of the tribe and the NCR as a whole.
 
I hope she understands what she's getting herself into...
Her Vault was set up to raise children. Even after the Legion wrecked most of it there are plenty of Ms Nannys to handle things.
Foolish. I expect they assumed 'well roll over these tribal idiots and claim all their technology for ourselves!' only to receive a rude surprise.
The Legion don't claim technology. If they'd won, the whole area would have been levelled.
Well, that's a hell of a homecoming. I bet Krono did forget all about his promise to the Chief
That sounds like something I've forgotten. What promise?
 
Late night ramble thoughts:
- I wonder what's up with Ogandu Onna Oslan - Paul saw an effect by Finality Man that deconstructed Satanus, and New God tech sometimes doesn't have the normal limitations of magic? Might be a change from too long ago, but still! Also just been a while.
- It's a bit silly that he got cagey about knowing about the orange light fountain - there's a bunch of ways that he knew about it just from trying to use his ring at all - he even saw the vision of larfleeze when just reaching more for the orange light and the ophidian.
- I wonder if paragon!Ganthet's blue light project is going much faster now that Alan is up and operating - not sure how much if any of the telemetry there has been shared onwards, but I could see it vastly accelerating that timeline.
- I wonder if the controllers and/or Kalmin and/or the reach could make "Orange Antithesis rings" - in theory it's probably possible to deploy them as relatively normal orange lanterns, or as some sort of small force for dealing with rogue orange lanterns and the like. If nothing else, I hope they've thought to worry about the risk of such a thing
- There's got to be *some* history of enlightened green lanterns having kids in the book of Oa somewhere - even if the process might be mediated by the amount of magic in the environment, considering how long the corps has existed.
- I wonder if any of the controllers can hondenport yet - it seems like if nothing else that the reach could have a substantial informational advantage from knowing that Illustres is off on some mission and therefore they can't deploy a fleet anywhere in reach space, but if they can... Options may abound.
- Wonder why John Constantine doesn't appear to have even sent a message out about what's up with reformation island and all - though I suppose that plot could still just be ongoing.
 
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Thank you, corrected.

I've got to be honest, the idea that in-his-sixties Erik had a sexual relationship with in-her-early-teens Rogue is... Offputting, to say the least.
I hadn't known they did that, since I haven't been watching, but thinking about it, I'm not actually surprised that Disney did that, just sad/annoyed/put-off that it's in-character for them now.
 
29th November 2282
20:14 MST
So… is there a reason you have decided to rehash this scene? You already did it during the 'Fall Over, part 5' update of the Tower Offence chapter.


They could tell it to walk to the Alamo and it would eventually get there, but that's not really practical.
It isn't that large. About three stories iirc? That Hornet-class amphibious assault ship would have been able to carry the thing if they can load it lying down.

Side note: Washington to Las Vagus is about 2400 miles. Assuming a mere three miles an hour that is approximately 875 hours. With no need to stop and sleep/eat that is about 36 days.
I don't feel a month would be an untenable time frame to reposition such an asset across the country.
 
So… is there a reason you have decided to rehash this scene? You already did it during the 'Fall Over, part 5' update of the Tower Offence chapter.
Oh, that's because I completely forgot that it existed.

Um.

Don't know what I'm going to do about that. Let me get back to you.
It isn't that large. About three stories iirc? That Hornet-class amphibious assault ship would have been able to carry the thing if they can load it lying down.
True, but they don't really want to give it to the unreformed Chapter.
Side note: Washington to Las Vagus is about 2400 miles. Assuming a mere three miles an hour that is approximately 875 hours. With no need to stop and sleep/eat that is about 36 days.
I don't feel a month would be an untenable time frame to reposition such an asset across the country.
Yes, assuming that Liberty Prime's route planning held out, no one on the route attacked it, it didn't suffer a mechanical failure and it didn't decide to attack anyone. They'd rather not risk it.
 
He actually edited fall over part 5 and replaced the entirety of the original content with the new version of the latest chapter.
In that case, either the story only part needs to be fixed so it reflects that, or Mr Zoat edited the wrong post in this thread. @Mr Zoat, can you please clarify which one is supposed to be edited?
 
*ahem* the author probably doesn't care, but word of showrunner says Rogue was early twenties when she hooked up with Magneto, still an age gap though.

is always fun to see into other versions of Paul and how they act, but now i'm going to hunt down the Paul in X-men cartoon segments to re-read.
 
Trivialities (part 3)
6th April 2013
09:57 GMT -5


Connection made to monitored phone line.

I glance down at my right with a faint smile on my lips. Been a while. This number-.

Oh, I'd… Forgotten about-. Well, not forgotten, but I'd stopped worrying about-.

After I got back from Vega, I sponsored the formation of a computer game company with a view to making a roleplay game about the region. Talented, passionate people to whom I gave as much data on the Vega Systems as I could -along with a chunk of seed capital- and left to it. Between the Sheeda and the Anti-Life I… Honestly hadn't spared them a thought for a year or so. In fact, I'm mildly impressed that they're still alive.

Um.

Answer.

"Orange Lantern here."

"It's… Ah. Hey. Ah."

"Good morning, Kurt. How are things?"

"We're ready."

Assuming that they were using an existing game engine -no real reason for them not to- and kept the main story relatively pared down, I suppose that they might have a first build complete after a year. It… Hm. I.. have no idea what sort of state the computer game industry is in right now. I haven't heard the others mentioning new games for a while, but it's not like I have a surfeit of spare time.

It's not like I actually need it to make money. It was… Not quite a pure ego project, but… Pretty close, if I'm honest. An undercurrent of 'if you don't like how I did it let's see you do any better'.

"Good show. Is this where you give me my pre-release code?"

"We're ready, sir. This is-. Everything you wanted."

There's.. something in his voice that's putting me a little on edge.

"Kurt, are you alright?"

"I don't know. I-I don't know. I've been-. I've just been writing and writing for… Ah…"

Where is he?

That.. wasn't what he looked like last time we spoke, but he's still recognisable. I

step out and

6th April 2013
07:59 GMT -7


reappear five metres away from him in his direct line of sight. I didn't detect any weapons or threats-.

Someone behind me drops something. "He's here!"

I glance around-. At a walking stereotype of a programmer: thin, pallid and unkempt, and staring at me through tape-bound spectacles. And to complete the picture it looks like he dropped a pack of cheetos.

And then he turns and sprints through some nearby double doors.

..

I think that maybe I should have checked on them before now.

"Ah. Sorry about-. Ah, Martin." I turn back to Kurt. "We've all… I mean, with everything that happened, it's a bit…" He hesitates, his gaze growing a little vacant before snapping back to me. "Y'know."

"No, I don't think I do. So let's start with the most important thing-."

He smiles. "The game!"

"Your health, and the health of the other employees." I scan him. Elevated stress hormones, but for a company chairman or someone who lived through the Anti-Life it's not that unusual. "Because you sound a little odd. What's been happening?"

He runs his right hand through thinning hair, glancing off to the side.

"So… At the start, things were pretty normal. Good, compared to a lot of companies. Everyone… Knew their jobs. Got the basic story sketched out, and we could get the graphic artists started right away because you told us what the ships and.. people, the different species, look like."

"I remember that much."

"And it was good! It was… The storylines were coming together, and-. And companion characters, faction leaders… Even the procedurally generated stuff could kinda link to the story missions, 'cause they wouldn't be available unless a faction was strong enough to advance its agenda, and NPCs would try things if you didn't recruit them or kill them. And… I'd say we had a basic playable build by November last year."

"That's pretty quick work."

"Yeah. And then… T-that thing."

"The Anti-Life."

"And we lost the will to live, but… Coding's not really living."

I tilt my head a little to the right. "What, exactly, do you mean by that?"

"That's what we did. That was our reason for being. For the whole-. God, was it just a month?"

"About a month, yes."

"The whole team, the artists, writers and… Backroom people, they… Cleaned up, made sure we ate enough to.. keep working." His slightly crazy eyes snap back to me. "And now we're done."

"Ready for beta testing?"

"I mean…" His eyes slide to the side again as he rubs his face with his right hand. "We probably should, but… It-it's done. Playable… We could add things, but it would disrupt the internal balance, and… It would be pretty gimmicky. You know?"

"Again, no, but I'll take your word for it. Internal balance is good?"

"The usual result if the AI is left to handle things is some sort of Citadel victory, which is what really happened. But exactly what happens changes every time. Some routes are harder so that works for people looking for a challenge. It's… Good. Yeah."

"Okay, well, I'm glad to hear that. I-."

"But you've gotta see it. Today-. Now."

He goes to reach out to me, then stops himself. I… Walk up to him and pat him on the shoulder.

"Okay, Kurt. Take me to the rest of the team, and…"

I'll make sure that they're basically healthy and not too crazy, because one of the things I wanted to do here was avoid the crunch that other computer game companies use to rush out shoddy and unfinished products and it turns out that they basically death marched it while under the affect of the Anti-Life.

Ring, low urgency alert to the rest of the team. Ask them if they're interested in trying out a new computer game.

Compliance.

"
And then you can show me the game itself."

The smile he gives me is truly disturbing.
 
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6th April 2013
09:57 GMT -5
This wasn't what I was expecting, and now I'm worried about what they've created. Is there any chance that the game will come to life somehow?

Also, the previous story part, Coast to Coast part 3, needs to be edited. You seem to have changed the wrong story part, as you edited Fall Over part 5 instead, as the part where he sort of agrees to Tears becoming his wife should come before he's asked by his father in law to help about a possible invasion.

Edit: After checking, you've indeed fixed Coast to Coast part 3. However, Fall Over part 5 still needs to be restored.
 
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