11th July 2012
16:08 GMT
"
I'm not-.
Varnathon. He's-" Varnathon turns back to the students. "-probably a dozen t-units away by now!"
Different accent, different cadence and different diction. I don't know if he's actually matching the man he looks like but he can't have gotten this far in life without being good at
something.
The one-armed woman looks cautiously at me.
"Robot?"
I smile and send my heavy armour into subspace, replacing it with construct armour.
"Surprise! I-.
"
One of the students reflexively shoots me.
"You know, I can see why you were assigned to medical experimentation.
"
The student next to him swivels on his heel and punches him in the face, knocking him to the deck.
"Thank you. So, Varnathon, are you willing to accept that I can scan you through whatever disguise you're wearing, or do I have to stab and electrocute you until I work out how to turn it off?
"
One-arm q'ardajin frowns.
"He's probably using a simple mass diffractor. A relatively small-."
"Stab and electrocute, because it's not always about efficiency.
"
"You're the Orange Lantern who-? I thought you'd
kill him!"
He reaches up and touches his forehead, the disguise evaporating a moment later.
"
Why didn't you kill him!? You had a perfect opportunity!"
"I wanted his skills.
"
"Do you have any idea how many people he's killed?!"
"An entire planet driven mad with fear for Sinestro's ring alone.
"
"That's the
least of it! Two species went extinct when he tested out the antithesis ring delivery system alone! He hunted down and vivisected dozens of Green Lanterns, then tortured them to death to try and work out how their connections to their rings worked!"
I nod.
"Do you have their names? It would help with their record-keeping.
"
"You don't..?
Care?"
"The fact that Kalmin's evil isn't exactly news to me. I'm a little surprised that you're so exercised about it, though.
"
"You're working with a man who
genuinely wants to destroy all reality!"
"Yes?
"
"
Why?!"
"I really need someone with his skill set. And there's only so much evil he can do when we're watching him so closely.
"
"
I thought
I was watching him, then you and the ginger-haired Green Lantern turned up!"
"Look, are you going somewhere with this?
"
"I've been reforming q'ardajin society! The Council of Commanders are stupefied into indolence, the Thunderers reduced to menacing the few aliens who actually come
here and the remaining Weaponers building for export! This is the least destructive Qward has ever been!"
"That's-. You're actually
trying to make Qward less evil?
"
"I understand your scepticism, but
yes!"
One-arm points her gun at his head. "Explain yourself."
"We're a species governed by mad scientists! I'm in the process of changing our culture so that we'll become a
normal empire, conquering people to exploit their resources and to swell our egos, not out of a sense of obligation to a god who
quite literally wants to kill us!" He glares at me. "Why are you even
here!?"
"You're trading with the Reach.
"
"Probably? Who are-? The ones with no noses and beetle-themed elite soldiers?"
"Yes. You sold them qwa-matter.
"
"For which they paid extremely well. Access to their supply chains and distribution networks will enrich Qward without giving them anything radically different to the weapons they already deploy."
"Are you aware that they're fighting the Orange Lantern Corps?
"
He stares at me for a few moments.
"Oh eat my marrow."
"Why were we selected for medical experimentation?"
"Because to change the q'ardajin I need to be able to
control them. I need at least one generation of Weaponers to
not try and overthrow the existing order. I need
stability."
"We learned all the lessons we were taught, we did all we were asked, and you decided that you couldn't
use us."
"Yes, but that doesn't matter now! You, Lantern, you could take them. Take them back to your universe with you, and I'll continue to change Qward. I'll even agree not to sell to anyone in the matter universe. Grant me isolation and I'll make a Qward that has forgotten both you
and the Anti-Monitor!"
Ah, man. I don't like deliberately making a society worse, but this is
Qward we're talking about. And he's right; I could drop a group of young q'ardajin off with Dox's Research and Development people… Heck, I could probably talk Dr. Sivana into taking them on as graduate students. Amalak would take them. He's probably got plenty of opportunities for ruthless, self-motivated young people with no next of kin.
"Alright lads and lasses. How would you feel about working away from home?
"
One arm lowers her gun slightly.
"Not excited, but it's better than medical experimentation."
"That's a positive attitude if ever I heard one. Varnathon, I need to verify your story. You're wearing something that shields you against mental intrusion. Please remove it.
"
He touches his forehead cybergraft and… Ah, there we go. I can see him.
Why are these idiots always tearing everything down? Don't they see how much stronger we could be if we used our resources more efficiently?
O-oh. It's like looking at myself. And not just because I'm feeling what he's feeling. He sees the same potential in Qward that I see in Earth: not just serving an uncaring god but building a mighty empire across the stars.
But it's just not in my interests to let him.
I stick a construct muzzle over his face.
"Kalmin, come to my location. We have him.
"