The prisoners on my new ship can stay where they are. With my new Construct Lantern now existing within its soul circuitry I can direct it well enough, but that doesn't let me do anything with the rest of the crew. They don't appear particularly eager to speak to me. Interesting that the ship doesn't have manual overrides but does have a crew. A New God would be able to direct it reasonably effectively without one. They wouldn't be able to make repairs… Ah, 'part of the ship, part of the crew'. The New God would extend their power through members of the crew as well of the ship. I'd have to assimilate them as well in order to pull that off, and I don't think that's a reasonable thing to do to them even if they're not legally prisoners yet.
And do you want the
headache that having so many experiences downloaded would cause? At least the question of how they'd interact with his Ship Master Construct Lantern has
something of an answer.
BOOM!
For a moment I tense, then Allyn's patrol flies through with the Grayven-aligned battlecruiser being towed between them.
Oh, yes. Given what
else might come through a Boom Tube, it's only fair to be
jumpy.
"Allyn, how did it go?"
"Well enough. No deaths on our side, though several marines will need some time to heal."
Well, good for you. What of your
foe?
"Did you get their ship master alive, or..?"
"Dead. I offered, but he remained faithful." I nod to myself. "What did..? You do to yours?"
...OH, right. Even if they might have seen his Construct Lanterns before, I doubt the knowledge of what they are and how they're
made has been distributed...
"Your people project their souls outwards, through objects made with New God technology. Orange powers rings can consume souls and turn them into constructs. Which means that if I can make contact with any in-use piece of New God technology-."
"That's terrifying. To deny-. Deny a soul the peace of the grave…"
Don't worry,
everyone has that reaction when they hear of it. Well, everyone who isn't a sociopathic bastard, anyway.
I nod. "Yes, and I don't like using it. But it can be very efficacious."
"Yes, I see."
...And yet you've been resorting to it more and more often.
Usually on bad people, but still...
"Look, not… Asking you to give away classified information or anything, just trying to… Get a feel for your society so that I can make our interactions as friction free as possible."
"You wish to gather information… But not 'spy'?"
I mean, if it's information you'd make available without restriction... Things that would be in children's lesson books, basically.
"Spying would imply that I'm interested in precise industrial or military information. And since there's a good chance that N.E.M.O. will have to fight Grayven at some point, I'd have cause. But no. I'm asking as a Hellenist. It's not supposed to be a theologically complex religion, but there are more Ascendants here than there are gods anyone actually remembers back home."
"I don't honestly think of myself as a god."
Though that attitude is probably not the norm, I bet.
"Are you allowed to say that?"
"Who would stop me?"
Other Ascendants, but they might have similar doubts. Who knows?
"Alright, so how do you see yourself?"
"A demi-god. Rhea was one of my ancestors. That is simply a part of history. I unarguably derive certain power from that lineage. But I always thought that being an actual god would be… That they would be transcendent beings. And I'm not."
In part, it comes down to the amount of mystical power at their command, really.
"How old are you?"
"A young adult. And if you're going to say that what I'm feeling is a normal part of adolescence, then you were going to quote my mother."
Wise woman.
"It's more that it's a perfectly normal result of having your entire civilisation upended repeatedly within a short span of time. Though, that too. My respects to your mother."
"If she were alive, I would pass them on."
...How's that boot leather tasting, OL?
Ah. "My condolences."
"It was that which convinced me that Sparta was wrong. I could feel her soul leave her body, but not where it went. That seemed like something that a god should be able to do."
Or a
particular kind of Wizard. Ultimately, it probably depends on where your divine gifts are focused,,,
"My personal opinion is that there probably isn't any neat cut-off, just different degrees of power. And that power alone isn't a good enough reason to follow someone."
"It is in our society. This technology Sparta-. Sparta traded for. It does just work best when an Ascendant controls it, it also works better when there is an ultimate authority whose power flows through our civilisation. Sparta fulfilled that role, once. Now Athyns does. The most powerful amongst us. And it would feel… Wrong, for it to be someone else."
Might makes right. Even if it's not solely
physical might, eh?
Oh dear.
"So when Grayven rolls in…"
The question is, how well will his metaphysique fit in with theirs? It seems to work well enough with the New Ascendants he commands, but there might have been some rough edges to smooth out...
"We may be able to resist him. He is not one of us. Or his being here may result it Athyns seeming… Lesser."
"Do you know what he's doing right now?"
I suspect anyone with a modicum of metaphysical perception can feel the changes being wrought upon Minosyss' thaumosphere...
"Athyns? No. I assume that he is preparing for Grayven's arrival." … "I take it from your statement that he is doing something else? Doning the Seeds once more, perhaps?"
"If you… Haven't been told, then I probably.. shouldn't…"
Interesting that it hasn't been widely spoken of. Ulterior motives? Concern for some misunderstanding of intentions? Fear of some cocky pup trying to wrest command?
"No, no, you are correct. Though it gladdens my heart to know that there is a plan. Is it..? Something to do with what I feel-? No, no. I should not ask."
"Does that.. connection to a leader mean that Grayven already knows that we beat his ships?"
Big Gray
might well have felt a tickling on the edge of his perception... Maybe it depends on how invested he is in his soldier's fighting success?
"Almost certainly."
Aah. It's unlikely that he'll treat it as being his peoples' fault, even though they attacked first. The were almost certainly acting upon his orders, and they were attacking Reach ships. And me. So the question is, how much weaker is he after having his ship shot up? What does it take to undermine his magical authority? Loss? Or if it's a more powerful New God…
This is why you need more information about the nature of New Godhood, of what a Godname
means to a New God, and how it expresses itself in them...
Not Scott Free. Not Barda. Highfather Izaya, almost certainly. But I haven't had any direct contact with the man. I suspect that Mannheim would, but would just being near to him be enough? I don't… Really want Grayven anywhere near my homeworld, because there's a very real chance that he might point his weapons downwards and fire-. Or would be not want to interfere in Darkseid's field test?
With my new ship, I could open a boom tube back to Earth…
Heck, with the right confluence of conditions, Grayven might well be able to
overpower Mannheim and replace him in the centre of the Anti-Life's focus.
Oh, here's trouble. Speak of the Devil...
...And he shall appear?
It's not-. Not in the immediate vicinity of the planet. Where where-?
BOOM!
Even with the advantage of Boom Tubes, it's never a tactically smart move to drop
right on top of an unknown location.
There. Some distance from where the confrontation happened-. Because they want to be able to bring capital ship weapons to bear easily. That's… I don't recognise that ship. Small, Batwing-shaped fighters escorting… A very large… Generation ship?
No, wait, that's… That's the Citizenry's mothership. Upgraded with New God technology. Mass-murdering misandrist cannibals.
I guess Grayven was too busy to come himself.
Now, who's in charge, though?
Astarte? Or her much more
aggressive daughter?
