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

Mr Zoat · May 22, 2023

13th February 2013
16:12 GMT -5

New Berrith looks… Like it's almost as crap as it was last time I was here. The people have rebuilt, to a degree. I can actually… Their neighbours have made some attempts to enlighten them, though they weren't stupid enough to actually land on the planet. But using telepresence and robot drones has allowed them to rebuild a part of one of the continents as an actual civilised region.

Maybe the lessons will diffuse into the rest of the planet?

Dreamer looks down at it, her face painfully blank.

"It even looks a little like Apokolips."

Bear looks at her for a moment, before returning his attention to the planet. "It has no Fire Pits. Or an unspeakable overlord."

I drift a little closer to Lightray. "Is there some prohibition against saying-?"

"Yes." He looks at me to make eye contact before returning his attention to the Forever People. "Speaking his name can draw his gaze. They were not ready for it."

Objectively true, as it turned out.

But the New Gods aren't exactly overburdened with people capable of psychometry, and since we're not really expecting physical resistance on this mission it's… Not a terrible way to help the Forever People to try sorting themselves out.

Which is just about the only reason that Lightray agreed to help me.

I turn back to Dreamer. "So… Do you need to go down, or..?"

She ducks her head and hunches her shoulders. "I.. don't know. Usually, I would need to be close to whoever or whatever I was trying to read."

She opens her right hand, where the broken remains of the Indigo power ring lay on her palm.

"It does-. I.. can't-."

"I've had that in my possession for a while, and I'm pretty heavily orange. Everything I know about psychometry says that traces don't stay forever and can be overridden by a powerful influence."

Vykin shoots me a grateful look as Dreamer nods.

"Yes, that… May be the issue. Do you know where on their planet he came from?"

"No, not a clue. I tried following his desire-trail back once, but it looks like the indigo light obscures it."

And I couldn't feel anything that marked the berrith recruit out from his fellows. Which doesn't necessarily mean anything; from what I remember, the Indigo Lanterns in the comics were criminals that Abin Sur recruited so Ub'x… Would fit right in, and might have picked the most evil berrith rather than the most compassionate.

"And since Indigo Lanterns use teleportation rather than normal Lantern FTL I can't really track him that way. So, ah. Are we going down, or do you want to try Ranx?"

"I wanna see these varmints up close!"

Serifan's scowling, hands resting on the grips of his pistols.

"I… Would respectfully suggest that we stop off at the alien settlement first. See if any of the more civilised berrith can tell us anything. Or the more civilised aliens."

"I ain't afraid of them!"

"No, but we might make them afraid of us." Moonrider's right hand is tightly clasped around the club that looks like it doubles as a energy weapon, but that's the only obvious sign of tension. "We're here to get information, not fight an entire planet."

Serifan settles back a little. "Sounds like they got it coming."

Vykin shakes his head. "It is not about what they have coming. We can't make a better world by treating them as they would treat us."

"I wasn't planning on eating 'em." Serifan glares truculently at his team leader for a moment, then turns to me. "Hey, Lantern."

"Yes?"

"You'd kill 'em, right?"

"No."

"You pullin' my leg, partner? How many people 'er dyin' between Legion and the Reach?"

"Quite a lot. But there's no one but berrith on New Berrith and they can't leave, not with all the defence satellites and monitoring equipment."

"They left before."

"That was a fluke that required a lot of things to go exactly their way. And the defences have been upgraded since then."

He looks at me with an expression of extreme scepticism. "So you rilly wouldn't kill 'em?"

"If evaluated purely on their own moral standing, it's pretty obvious that the universe would be a better place without them. But I want to build a better universe, not just mow the moral lawn in the one we currently have. And that means no exterminating species that are keeping to themselves."

"… Fine. But they better not eat anyone when I'm around."

Vykin nod. "Or any of us. Mother Box-."

"Ah." I raise my right hand. "Probably better not to teleport past the security cordon."

He frowns. "They cannot stop us."

"There are ways to block boom tubes, and in a case like this where the Guardians of the Galaxy have gotten personally involved I wouldn't assume that they don't have access to them. And they certainly have armed drones ready to shoot down people who just appear without warning. But beyond that… It's high-handed, and likely to aggravate the people whose assistance you're seeking."

"We are of New Genesis."

"The local people look at the Guardians as the supreme authority on… Exotic matters, and their representatives are the Sector's Green Lanterns. They probably haven't even heard of New Genesis."

Moonrider nods. "If this… This is the first time they meet our people, we should make a good impression."

Vykin looks around. Bear nods, Dreamer avoids meeting his eyes and Serifan shrugs.

"Very well. Can you make contact on our behalf?"

"Certainly. Illustres to Green Lantern One Zero One Four. Come in please."

There's a brief delay, then a H'lvenite face appears over my ring. Ah. I'm not great at distinguishing between different squirrels, but I don't think that's Ch'p.

"Orange Lantern. Why are you here? Have the berrith escaped again?"

"No, just a follow up on that case. I need to get in contact with Ub'x, and since the berrith are the last people to speak with him, I'm hoping that they have a lead."

"They were already questioned. They were very unhelpful."

"I have people with me who can bypass their reticence. Ah, without mind control."

"Wait there. I will come to you."

Mr Zoat · May 22, 2023

Coda said:
personal effects

(Yeah, don't ask me why that's the phrase English decided to standardize on. It's easy enough to look up why it means what it means -- "effects" is derived from the Latin for "to make" so it's things that have been made that are personal... but we have the word "artifacts" that follows from the same root, meaning "that which was made by skill." I guess "effects" is technically broader, as it would also mean things that were made accidentally or coincidentally that have developed personal significance...)

Thank you, corrected.

Darko · May 22, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
Dreamer look down at it, her face

"looks"

Mr Zoat said:
Which us just about the only

"Which is"

Mr Zoat said:
I turn back to Dreamer. "So… Do you need to go down, or..?"

She ducks her head and hunches her shoulders. "I.. don't know. Usually, I would need to be close to whoever or whatever I was trying to read."

She opens her right hand, where the broken remains of the Indigo power ring lay on her palm.

"It does-. I.. can't-."

"I've had that in my possession for a while, and I'm pretty heavily orange. Everything I know about psychometry says that traces don't stay forever and can be overridden by a powerful influence."

Vykin shoots me a grateful look as Dreamer nods

Good attempt at making her feel better.

Mr Zoat said:
"I wanna see these varmints up close!"

Serifan's scowling, hands resting on the grips of his pistols.

"I… Would respectfully suggest that we stop off at the alien settlement first. See if any of the more civilised Berrith can tell us anything. Or the more civilised aliens."

"I ain't afraid of them

He seems very aggressive.

I'm guessing it's a coping mechanism like how some traumatized people can become more aggressive to help them deal with feelings of helplessness.

Cuchulin · May 22, 2023

Coda said:
personal effects

(Yeah, don't ask me why that's the phrase English decided to standardize on. It's easy enough to look up why it means what it means -- "effects" is derived from the Latin for "to make" so it's things that have been made that are personal... but we have the word "artifacts" that follows from the same root, meaning "that which was made by skill." I guess "effects" is technically broader, as it would also mean things that were made accidentally or coincidentally that have developed personal significance...)

English really is the bastard child of a hundred parents.

Chojin Patriarch · May 22, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
13th February 2013
16:12 GMT -5

New Berrith looks… Like it's almost as crap as it was last time I was here. The people have rebuilt, to a degree. I can actually… Their neighbours have made some attempts to enlighten them, though they weren't stupid enough to actually land on the planet. But using telepresence and robot drones has allowed them to rebuild a part of one of the continents as an actual civilised region.

Maybe the lessons will diffuse into the rest of the planet?

Rather drawing a blank on Berrith (new or old.) A check of the Wiki shows a link to Ch'p, the squirreloid Green lantern, and thus his nemesis, Doctor Ub'x, the one Indigo Tribesman OL has met. So he's coming at this in a rather roundabout fashion, then.

Dreamer look down at it, her face painfully blank.

"It even looks a little like Apokolips."

A blasted heap, outside of brutalist architecture urban areas, ruled over by tyrants who lead with an iron fist?

Bear looks at her for a moment, before returning his attention to the planet. "It has no Fire Pits. Or an unspeakable overlord."

I drift a little closer to Lightray. "Is there some prohibition against saying-."

I mean, He's basically the closest thing to an absolute evil New Genesis has. Is it any surprise His name is taboo?

"Yes." He looks at me to make eye contact before returning his attention to the Forever People. "Speaking his name can draw his gaze. They were not ready for it."

Objectively true, as it turned out.

He may not always be listening, but safer not to take that chance, eh?

But the New Gods aren't exactly overburdened with people capable of psychometry, and since we're not really expecting physical resistance on this mission it's… Not a terrible way to help the Forever People to try sorting themselves out.

Which us just about the only reason that Lightray agreed to help me.

An easy job to get them back in good order, eh? Sadly, they're doing it with OL, whose on-screen missions rarely go smoothly

I turn back to Dreamer. "So… Do you need to go down, or..?"

She ducks her head and hunches her shoulders. "I.. don't know. Usually, I would need to be close to whoever or whatever I was trying to read."

And if it's an entire planet's thaumosphere you need to inspect? What then?

She opens her right hand, where the broken remains of the Indigo power ring lay on her palm.

"It does-. I.. can't-."

Ah. Trying the direct route not working on it?

"I've had that in my possession for a while, and I'm pretty heavily orange. Everything I know about psychometry says that traces don't stay forever and can be overridden by a powerful influence."

Vykin shoots me a grateful look as Dreamer nods.

Bit of a long shot, then. At least her boyfriend seems relieved that she's not pushing herself.

"Yes, that… May be the issue. Do you know where on their planet he came from?"

"No, not a clue. I tried following his desire-trail back once, but it looks like the indigo light obscures it."

Only natural. If Indigo Tribesmen are as saturated in Compassion as the comics canon suggests, there's little room for anything but Indigo.

And I couldn't feel anything that marked the Berrith recruit out from his fellows. Which doesn't necessarily mean anything; from what I remember, the Indigo Lanterns in the comics were criminals that Abin Sur recruited so Ub'x… Would fit right in, and might have picked the most evil Berrith rather than the most compassionate.

"And since Indigo Lanterns use teleportation rather than normal Lantern FTL I can't really track him that way. So, ah. Are we going down, or do you want to try Ranx?"

It's been a while.

Ub'X visited Ranx?

"I wanna see these varmints up close!"

Serifan's scowling, hands resting on the grips of his pistols.

Easy there, cowboy. Let's not go off half-cocked, especially in your holsters.

"I… Would respectfully suggest that we stop off at the alien settlement first. See if any of the more civilised Berrith can tell us anything. Or the more civilised aliens."

"I ain't afraid of them!"

It's not all about you, amigo...

"No, but we might make them afraid of us." Moonrider's right hand is tightly clasped around the club that looks like it doubles as a energy weapon, but that's the only obvious sign of tension. "We're here to get information, not fight an entire planet."

Serifan settles back a little. "Sounds like they got it coming."

Seriously, do you have some sort of conflict libido thing going on, hombre?

Save it for when you need it.

Vykin shakes his head. "It is not about what they have coming. We can't make a better world by treating them as they would treat us."

"I wasn't planning on eating 'em." Serifan glares truculently at his team leader for a moment, then turns to me. "Hey, Lantern."

Aw, look, he's frustrated he doesn't get to shoot innocent folks... Even if they don't sound so innocent.

"Yes?"

"You'd kill 'em, right?"

That depends. What benefit would it provide the universe at large?

"No."

"You pullin' my leg, partner? How many people 'er dyin' between Legion and the Reach?"

Apples and Oranges, boy. A whole different matter.

"Quite a lot. But there's no one but Berrith on New Berrith and they can't leave, not with all the defence satellites and monitoring equipment."

"They left before."

Not for long, I think.

"That was a fluke that required a lot of things to go exactly their way. And the defences have been upgraded since then."

He looks at me with an expression of extreme scepticism. "So you rilly wouldn't kill 'em?"

Only if it had some reasonable benefit. It's not really a good idea to make a habit of casual genocide.

"If evaluated purely on their own moral standing, it's pretty obvious that the universe would be a better place without them. But I want to build a better universe, not just mow the moral lawn in the one we currently have. And that means no exterminating species that are keeping to themselves."

"… Fine. But they better not eat anyone when I'm around."

Yes, in that case, it might be reasonable. But do try to contain your glee if it occurs.

Vykin nod. "Or any of us. Mother Box-."

"Ah." I raise my right hand. "Probably better not to teleport past the security cordon."

There are procedures for this kind of thing, after all. Bit rude to simply bypass them.

He frowns. "They cannot stop us."

"There are ways to block boom tubes, and in a case like this where the Guardians of the Galaxy have gotten personally involved I wouldn't assume that they don't have access to them. And they certainly have armed drones ready to shoot down people who just appear without warning. But beyond that… It's high-handed, and likely to aggravate the people whose assistance you're seeking."

...It always takes a second to remember he's talking about the Green Lantern Corps' Guardians. The joy of a smaller universe.

Although it's more internally consistent.

"We are of New Genesis."

"The local people look at the Guardians as the supreme authority on… Exotic matters, and their representatives are the Sector's Green Lanterns. They probably haven't even heard of New Genesis."

In other words, kids, your omniscient morality licence is no good here.

Moonrider nods. "If this… This is the first time they meet our people, we should make a good impression."

Vykin looks around. Bear nods, Dreamer avoids meeting his eyes and Serifan shrugs.

Yeah, let's not go in swinging your big Lawful Good dicks, shall we?

"Very well. Can you make contact on our behalf?"

"Certainly. Illustres to Green Lantern One Zero One Four. Come in please."

Yes, best to talk to their more-or-less warden.

There's a brief delay, then a H'lvenite face appears over my ring. Ah. I'm not great at distinguishing between different squirrels, but I don't think that's Ch'p.

"Orange Lantern. Why are you here? Have the Berrith escaped again?"

Most likely his successor in the comics, B'dg. I'm guessing their world is one of the top recruiting picks for the Corps

"No, just a follow up on that case. I need to get in contact with Ub'x, and since the Berrith are the last people to speak with him, I'm hoping that they have a lead."

"They were already questioned. They were very unhelpful."

Well, that's probably because of who was doing the questioning...

"I have people with me who can bypass their reticence. Ah, without mind control."

"Wait there. I will come to you."

Probably a standard order amongst the Corps: "Do not let the Orange Lantern Illustres go unsupervised in your sector, he will make trouble. It might not be his fault, but it tends to follow him."

So, then. OL following a trail of breadcrumbs in search of Tribesman Ub'x, or at least another Indigo Tribesman. With the Forever People and Lightwave in tow, for added hilarity. It's a safe bet that this will not go as OL expects. And probably rack up even more head-shaking and annoyed groans amongst the Guardians when all hell breaks loose this time. So, onwards!

Darko · May 22, 2023

Chojin Patriarch said:
He may not always be listening, but safer not to take that chance, eh?

Especially since they've been touched by his influence and now aren't in a place where Highfather can protect them.

Chojin Patriarch said:
Bit of a long shot, then. At least her boyfriend seems relieved that she's not pushing herself.

Not sure they're dating.

It may be just him being grateful that a team member is made to feel better.

Chojin Patriarch said:
Seriously, do you have some sort of conflict libido thing going on, hombre? Save it for when you need it.

I mentioned above that it may be because traumatized people will sometimes act aggressively to feel less helpless.

Chojin Patriarch said:
That depends. What benefit would it provide the universe at large?

Less cannibals in existence.

Mr Zoat · May 22, 2023

Darko said:
"looks"
"Which is"

I drift a little closer to Lightray. "Is there some prohibition against saying-."
But there's no one but Berrith
Have the Berrith escaped again
nd since the Berrith are the last

Thank you, corrected.

BoML · May 22, 2023

Chojin Patriarch said:
It's been a while. Ub'X visited Ranx?

For a given value of "visited". Ub'X definitely got NO say in it, since he was not only a prisoner (literally spiked to a wall), he was also the go-to person for 'gourmet' ingredients when the Berrith were feeling a little...peckish. Well, that, or they tried a variety of methods of torture until they finally realized that Ub'X just straight up can't feel pain of any kind. And they needed him alive.

Here's the link to the chapter where Paul talks with him.

Mr Zoat · May 23, 2023

13th February 2013
16:19 GMT -5

A tiny green fleck appears from the depths of space; the new H'lvenite Green Lantern. His fur is more of a red colour than Ch'p's grey and lacks his backwards-sweeping jaw line styling. He flies around us in a circle, his eyes glowing as he has his ring bring him up to speed.

He takes it fairly well, considering.

"Hello there. Has something happened to Lantern Ch'p?"

"His wife gave birth. He's taken a short leave of absence while I handle the Sector alone. I am Green Lantern B'dg. And you are the Orange Illustres and New Gods of New Genesis."

Vykin nods. "We would like to visit New Berrith."

"What for? Tourism? We don't allow hunting."

"We are trying to locate the Indigo Lantern Doctor Ub'x. The Illustres has given our friend Orion a red power ring, and it has strongly affected his mind. We-."

"Indigo? Red-? There are more Lantern Corps? Why wasn't I-?" His whole body jerks so that he's facing me. "Why is there a note on your file telling me to avoid thinking about anything that you do?"

"Because my actions tend to be strange and I have little regard for the mental equanimity of the people around me."

"Are there..? Really two more Lantern Corps?"

"I've only met one person with an indigo power ring and one person with a red power ring."

"That's… A little reassuring. And you will-" He returns his attention to the New Gods. "-gain the information you seek how?"

"I…" Dreamer perks up a little. "I can call up images from their minds and their pasts. Since I know what Doctor Ub'x looks like, I should be able to find anything they know about him quite quickly."

Moonrider leans forward. "Do you know anything about what he was doing? Has the Green Lantern investigation discovered anything?"

"The current investigation… There isn't one. The Orange Illustres-" He glances at me. "-is the only witness that he was even on Ranx. We haven't seen Ub'x for years, and good riddance to him. I can authorise you to land, and I will, on the condition that you share all of your discoveries with the Green Lantern Corps."

Dreamer looks awkward. "Not everything that I discover will have anything to do-."

"All relevant discoveries. The ones relating to where Doctor Ub'x went."

"I…"

She looks at Vykin, then Lightray, then for a brief moment me.

"I'm.. not…"

Vykin takes pity on her. "We have no interest in apprehending him. We need him to help our friend."

"And all of his victims across this Sector deserve to know that he's not coming back. I don't need your help to beat him."

"You misunderstand. Until Orion is purified, we will protect Doctor Ub'x from you."

"Oh. So that's how it is." He tilts his head towards me. "How about you, Illustres?"

"I'm reasonably confident that if I locate him, I'll locate at least one other Indigo. And that's all I really need. Is he due to be executed?"

"He hasn't been tried yet. Probably not. Compared to what the berrith did, other crimes tend to pale into insignificance."

"Being an Indigo Lantern is effectively a lifetime community service order. I suggest that you try talking to him as he is now before making any hard decisions."

"How exactly is it community service?"

"The Indigo-. As far as I know, the Indigo light turns the Lantern's mind towards compassion, and tends to blot out everything else. Whatever drove him before, it's now not a consideration."

"As far as you know."

"If we don't find him it's not an issue. If we do, you can speak to him yourself. If you're not satisfied… Not to blow my own horn here, but you can't take me in a fight, so you'll have to wait until my homeworld is free, at which point he stops being my problem."

"That's… Reasonable. Your homeworld-." He blinks in apparent surprise. "Why is all information relating to you homeworld restricted?"

"Anti-Life."

"What is-? That's restricted too."

Lightray nods. "For a good reason. It is a memetic hazard."

"If I can't know what it is, at least tell me what it does."

"Weaponised clinical depression."

"It's a psychic weapon?"

"It's a psychic weapon that completely bypasses psychic defences and can infect entire planets at once."

He… Grooms his whiskers for a moment as he thinks it through.

"Alright. I can delay justice. Stopping a weapon like that is more urgent and important than arresting Ub'x immediately."

"Thank you."

"I'm transmitting the authorisation now. Follow me down. Follow my precise flight path. If you deviate from it too greatly the emplaced weapons will fire."

Vykin nods. "We will comply."

Checking those weapons by ring-scan… Yeah. If their Mother Box told them where to appear, they could evade them. Lightray can fly faster than they can track. And I'm me. But that's not what this is about. We're not trying to conquer New Berrith or this region. Heck, I've had enough trouble with the Spider Guild. I don't want to take on another civilisation of cannibals until I'm sure that the system I have for rehabilitation can work.

I let the New Gods take the lead as we follow B'dg down. I guess it's an assumption that I've never questioned, cannibalism being a bad idea. For humans it's a good way to get prion disease, but I suppose there's no real reason why that should be the same for all species. I just thought, you know, socially, it would tend to get weeded out. Because most intelligent species evolve on planets where they're the only intelligent thing, and most of them are humanoid. My brain tells me not to eat tamaraneans and thanagarians using the same parts that tell me not to eat humans because it's too old to distinguish between them. So berrith must be mostly fine with eating other berrith, and somehow there wasn't a social divide in favour of non-people-eaters where their societies outperformed the people-eating-people, and there wasn't any sort of disease transmission as a result…

"Lantern B'dg, are the berrith predators or scavengers?"

"Most predators are happy to scavenge. It's less demanding in terms of energy."

"Sure, but there are some species who mostly scavenge, and some-."

"We don't know. The berrith made no attempt to record their own history outside the self-aggrandising monuments of some of their alphas. No one wasted time studying the natural history of their original homeworld. Some scientists have tried to draw conclusions based on their physiology, but it's all speculative. What are you planning?"

"Nothing. Just trying to gather information."

He glances back. "Your file suggests that you might not be telling the truth."

"You needed to check the file?"

Darko · May 23, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
Indigo? Red-? There are more Lantern Corps? Why wasn't I-?" His whole body jerks so that he's facing me. "Why is there a note on your file telling me to avoid thinking about anything that you do?"

Ha!

Celtic Spartan · May 23, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
"You needed to check the file?"

that's the most intelligent approach a green lantern has taken yet regarding Paul.

Handlewithcare · May 23, 2023

Oh that poor space squirrel.

Paul is a memetic hazard too. As is Godspeech.

He will end up rocking back and forth in a corner somewhere.

Vaermina · May 23, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
He glances back. "Your file suggests that you might not be telling the truth."

"You needed to check the file?"

Yes, because normally people don't make stuff up as much as you.

Chojin Patriarch · May 23, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
13th February 2013
16:19 GMT -5

A tiny green fleck appears from the depths of space; the new H'lvenite Green Lantern. His fur is more of a red colour than Ch'p's grey and lacks his backwards-sweeping jaw line styling. He flies around us in a circle, his eyes glowing as he has his ring bring him up to speed.

He takes it fairly well, considering.

And that's just what he, as a Sector lantern, is cleared to know. Seriously, some of the shit OL's dealt with or caused outright is probably enough to make veteran Lanterns want to find the nearest bar and try to kill some brain cells.

"Hello there. Has something happened to Lantern Ch'p?"

"His wife gave birth. He's taken a short leave of absence while I handle the Sector alone. I am Green Lantern B'dg. And you are the Orange Illustres and New Gods of New Genesis."

Well, congratulations to him and M'nn'e. Hopefully the litter isn't too big a hassle for him and the missus.

Vykin nods. "We would like to visit New Berrith."

"What for? Tourism? We don't allow hunting."

Heh. Given what Serafin was thinking... He's not far off the mark there.

"We are trying to locate the Indigo Lantern Doctor Ub'x. The Illustres has given our friend Orion a red power ring, and it has strongly affected his mind. We-."

"Indigo? Red-? There are more Lantern Corps? Why wasn't I-?" His whole body jerks so that he's facing me. "Why is there a note on your file telling me to avoid thinking about anything that you do?"

Well done, OL. You're now considered a memetic hazard by the Guardians.

"Because my actions tend to be strange and I have little regard for the mental equanimity of the people around me."

"Are there..? Really two more Lantern Corps?"

Well, that depends on whether one person can qualify as a Corps.

"I've only met one person with an indigo power ring and one person with a red power ring."

"That's… A little reassuring. And you will-" He returns his attention to the New Gods. "-gain the information you seek how?"

I mean... What OL said is true. Thankfully, the restriction on thinking about what he says will help B'dg not worry too much, then.

"I…" Dreamer perks up a little. "I can call up images from their minds and their pasts. Since I know what Doctor Ub'x looks like, I should be able to find anything they know about him quite quickly."

Moonracer leans forward. "Do you know anything about what he was doing? Has the Green Lantern investigation discovered anything?"

Any such investigation is probably well above B'dg pay-grade.

"The current investigation… There isn't one. The Orange Illustres-" He glances at me. "-is the only witness that he was even on Ranx. We haven't seen Ub'x for years, and good riddance to him. I can authorise you to land, and I will, on the condition that you share all of your discoveries with the Green Lantern Corps."

Dreamer looks awkward. "Not everything that I discover will have anything to do-."

Certainly, she may learn a few unpleasant things about the Berrith's tastes and preferences for their meat... But that's not exactly helpful.

"All relevant discoveries. The ones relating to where Doctor Ub'x went."

"I…"

She looks at Vykin, then Lightray, then for a brief moment me.

Feeling a bit nervous in the face of authority? I take it she's been feeling a bit uncertain since the Incident.

"I'm.. not…"

Vykin takes pity on her. "We have no interest in apprehending him. We need him to help our friend."

Not necessarily the best thing to tell a space cop about a wanted criminal...

"And all of his victims across this Sector deserve to know that he's not coming back. I don't need your help to beat him."

"You misunderstand. Until Orion is purified, we will protect Doctor Ub'x from you."

...Awkward.

"Oh. So that's how it is." He tilts his head towards me. "How about you, Illustres?"

"I'm reasonably confident that if I locate him, I'll locate at least one other Indigo. And that's all I really need. Is he due to be executed?"

At least OL's reasonableness can help defuse this little disagreement.

"He hasn't been tried yet. Probably not. Compared to what the berrith did, other crimes tend to pale into insignificance."

"Being an Indigo Lantern is effectively a lifetime community service order. I suggest that you try talking to him as he is now before making any hard decisions."

And any useful intelligence you can get on the Indigo Tribe will no doubt be... Acknowledged by the Guardians.

"How exactly is it community service?"

"The Indigo-. As far as I know, the Indigo light turns the Lantern's mind towards compassion, and tends to blot out everything else. Whatever drove him before, it's now not a consideration."

Not much of a one, besides understanding how bad the things he did were.

"As far as you know."

"If we don't find him it's not an issue. If we do, you can speak to him yourself. If you're not satisfied… Not to blow my own horn here, but you can't take me in a fight, so you'll have to wait until my homeworld is free, at which point he stops being my problem."

Ah, the casual confidence of being an Illustres.

"That's… Reasonable. Your homeworld-." He blinks in apparent surprise. "Why is all information relating to you homeworld restricted?"

"Anti-Life."

I take it that's new. Let me guess, non-terran Green Lanterns are prohibited from entering the system, just in case?

"What is-? That's restricted too."

Lightray nods. "For a good reason. It is a memetic hazard."

Heh. B'dg in well over his head.

"If I can't know what it is, at least tell me what it does."

"Weaponised clinical depression."

At least in the form affecting Earth, anyway. Nothing says all versions of the Anti-Life express in the same way every time.

"It's a psychic weapon?"

"It's a psychic weapon that completely bypasses psychic defences and can infect entire planets at once."

And its Master wants to extend it to the entire Universe. Yet Earth is resisting it. Chew on that...

He… Grooms his whiskers for a moment as he thinks it through.

"Alright. I can delay justice. Stopping a weapon like that is more urgent and important than arresting Ub'x immediately."

Ah, good, Reason before Lawfulness. Hopefully the little guy won't get into too much trouble over it.

"Thank you."

"I'm transmitting the authorisation now. Follow me down. Follow my precise flight path. If you deviate from too greatly the emplaced weapons will fire."

Right. Good to know. ...Just how big a deviation are we talking here? Because the upper atmosphere can be turbulent.

Vykin nods. "We will comply."

Checking those weapons by ring-scan… Yeah. If their Mother Box told them where to appear, they could evade them. Lightray can fly faster than they can track. And I'm me. But that's not what this is about. We're not trying to conquer New Berrith or this region. Heck, I've had enough trouble with the Spider Guild. I don't want to take on another civilisation of cannibals until I'm sure that the system I have for rehabilitation can work.

In other words, let's not give the Guardians another diplomatic incident to fuss over...

I let the New Gods take the lead as we follow B'dg down. I guess it's an assumption that I've never questioned, cannibalism being a bad idea. For humans it's a good way to get prion disease, but I suppose there's no real reason why that should be the same for all species. I just thought, you know, socially, it would tend to get weeded out. Because most intelligent species evolve on planets where they're the only intelligent thing, and most of them are humanoid. My brain tells me not to eat tamaraneans and thanagarians using the same parts that tell me not to eat humans because it's too old to distinguish between them. So berrith must be mostly fine with eating other berrith, and somehow there wasn't a social divide in favour of non-people-eaters where their societies outperformed the people-eating-people, and there wasn't any sort of disease transmission as a result…

The universe is a strange and unusual place. Who knows how or why they ended up like this?

"Lantern B'dg, are the berrith predators or scavengers?"

"Most predators are happy to scavenge. It's less demanding in terms of energy."

True. At least on Earth, anyway. Most predators are honestly lazy, when it comes down to it. For good reason.

"Sure, but there are some species who mostly scavenge, and some-."

"We don't know. The berrith made no attempt to record their own history outside the self-aggrandising monuments of some of their alphas. No one wasted time studying the natural history of their original homeworld. Some scientists have tried to draw conclusions based on their physiology, but it's all speculative. What are you planning?"

Well, he's got your number, OL. Smart fellow.

"Nothing. Just trying to gather information."

He glances back. "Your file suggests that you might not be telling the truth."

"You needed to check the file?"

Damn, OL's having some fun today.

Let's hope B'dg doesn't come to regret this decision. Hopefully things go off without a hitch, unlikely as that may be for any mission involving OL. And he's already laying the groundwork for some future plans about sorting out the socially unacceptable quirk of the Berrith. Probably plans that will take centuries to come to fruition. But he's got the time. We've seen that, sure enough...

Impatient_Quill · May 23, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
"Indigo? Red-? There are more Lantern Corps? Why wasn't I-?" His whole body jerks so that he's facing me. "Why is there a note on your file telling me to avoid thinking about anything that you do?"

The real question is who was smart enough to add that to the file.

Prince Charon · May 23, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
"Alright. I can delay justice. Stopping a weapon like that is more urgent and important than arresting Ub'x immediately."

The healthy form of Lawful Good (and the form that the more likeable versions of the Guardians look for in their Lanterns).

Impatient_Quill said:
The real question is who was smart enough to add that to the file.

Ganthet?

Coltsguy · May 23, 2023

Ah shit, this lantern is checking the receipts. That's smart.

Duke Long · May 23, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
If you deviate from too greatly the emplaced weapons will fire."

'from it'

There have been some decently large civilisations that practice some degree of cannibalism even among humans with our instincts, like the Aztecs, so I don't think it's too surprising that a species without those instincts could have large-scale cannibalism in a global civilisation, particularly if they're much more aggressive on average, as is IIRC the case for the berrith.

moralrelativity · May 23, 2023

Mr Zoat said:
"Indigo? Red-? There are more Lantern Corps? Why wasn't I-?" His whole body jerks so that he's facing me. "Why is there a note on your file telling me to avoid thinking about anything that you do?"

Oh, my! That's DELIGHTFUL and laugh-out-loud funny. Chef's kiss for you Mr Zoat.

RichardWhereat · May 23, 2023

Impatient_Quill said:
The real question is who was smart enough to add that to the file.

Hal did it.

Mr Zoat · May 23, 2023

Impatient_Quill said:
The real question is who was smart enough to add that to the file.

Guy Gardner.

Duke Long said:
'from it'

Thank you, corrected.

There have been some decently large civilisations that practice some degree of cannibalism even among humans with our instincts, like the Aztecs, so I don't think it's too surprising that a species without those instincts could have large-scale cannibalism in a global civilisation, particularly if they're much more aggressive on average, as is IIRC the case for the berrith.

I know that the Aztecs sacrificed people, but I didn't know that they also ate them.

Ct613hulu · May 23, 2023

The depiction of Aztec cannibalism is largely exaggerated. There is some evidence that it was a part of their religious rituals but the idea that it was performed on a systemic base or formed a meaningful part of their diet is a complete fabrication.

NightmareWarden · May 23, 2023

I hope Ch'p names his babies Alvin, Simon, and Theodore. Or, I guess... Alv'n, S'mon, and Theodore.

I hope Lightray joins the assortment of Lanterns when they go to Earth. I'm still trying to get a read on him... his irreverence could be neat. Meanwhile I hope Dreamer is far, far away from the danger.

BlackCoat13 · May 23, 2023

It's always a bit weird that the typical Sector Greens seems barely aware there are other colors when everyone in the Green Lantern Corps knows about the Orange and Yellow lights due to the Orange Corps and the Sinistro stuff. If there's at least two more colors... why stop there?

Duke Long · May 23, 2023

Ct613hulu said:
The depiction of Aztec cannibalism is largely exaggerated. There is some evidence that it was a part of their religious rituals but the idea that it was performed on a systemic base or formed a meaningful part of their diet is a complete fabrication.

Yes, I was mostly going off the Wikipedia page which agrees that while they probably did it for rituals, they likely didn't do much of it outside of those.

Darko · May 23, 2023

BlackCoat13 said:
It's always a bit weird that the typical Sector Greens seems barely aware there are other colors when everyone in the Green Lantern Corps knows about the Orange and Yellow lights due to the Orange Corps and the Sinistro stuff. If there's at least two more colors... why stop there?

This guy is apparently new to the Corps, so it makes sense he wouldn't know all that much.

As for the others, they could just be too busy to research it.

Coda · May 24, 2023

The majority of cannibalistic rituals I'm aware of in historical real-world societies are funeral rites meant to represent either the last gift of strength from the departed to the living, or a means of grieving by destroying the body in the most personal way possible to acknowledge the departure of the soul. (Anecdotally, the last known society with such funeral rites willingly gave it up when they learned about prion diseases -- it wasn't religiously significant, it was just a tradition.)

I'm not aware of any such rituals that involved slaughtering a human for the explicit purpose of consumption -- at most, it was the final step of a sacrificial ritual carried out for other purposes, and as far as I know there's no historical evidence that it was ever done on a frequent basis.

Ngamer11 · May 24, 2023

Mr Zoat, I just noticed that you hid almost all the 2011 episodes on the TOC in the folder for the 2010 episodes, as well as hid the 2011 July-November folder in the 2011 January-June folder.

Mr Zoat · May 24, 2023

13th February 2013
16:28 GMT -5

"So, ya wanna actually talk to some of these jerks?"

The robot facing me looks like it was patterned after a bear, with a screen replacing the head. Ring scans show it to be respectably well armoured by local standards, though not armed with anything beyond brute strength and retractable claws.

B'dg nods. "They do, governor. I don't, but that's the job."

"Ya know they eat people, right?"

Vykin nods. "We have been informed."

"And ya can't take weapons in with ya. It's like taking keys into a zoo exhibit."

Serifan starts to open his mouth, an expression of outrage on his face. Vykin raises a hand in his direction and he bites his tongue. "We are capable of defending ourselves without weapons. The Gods of New Genesis are far stronger than normal people."

"Good for them. What about you?"

B'dg flies over to the robot and whispers into its microphone.

"They-? Seriously?" B'dg nods. "Oh, okay, just as long as their next of kin knows the score. So we're clear, the guns here are designed to stop people coming to or going from the planet. We don't put infantry weapons here in case the berrith get a hold of them somehow. Same with ships. We deliver things to the planet with drop pods so there's no fuel left over. The robots are fuelled with bleed torsion generators which self-destruct if something goes wrong. The robots are strong because that's the only way to make these savages listen. Basically, I'll show you who you can talk to and that's it. I ain't going to help you do something stupid like run an investigation here."

Bear shrugs. "I think we can manage."

Another robot trundles forward and Moonrider allows it to take his club. "If you hold them in such contempt, why are you here?"

"There's a short list of people with the skills to do something like this. It's even shorter when you exclude the people looking for a reason-. An excuse to just kill them all and have done with it, and the people who'd treat them like the civilised species they're not. It needs to be done, and I'm the best candidate."

Serifan scowls as the second robot approaches him, but he grudgingly divests himself of his pistols. "Why not just shoot 'em all?"

"Because the Guardians of the Universe asked us not to. And since their Lanterns did most of the work in stopping the berrith, they get the deciding vote."

"Imagine, Serifan." Lightray smiles at him. "Once we are done with Apokolips, we could be the ones protecting and nurturing younger civilisations."

"So we could vote to wipe 'em out?"

"So we would not need to." "Because we can shine the light of civilisation upon them."

Serifan winces-. Actually, all the Forever People do. Not sure what that's about, it was a perfectly reasonable if slightly naive statement of principle. Maybe they get that from him a lot?

"Having pursued both possibilities myself, I find that preserving a civilisation and reforming it is honestly the more satisfying, in the longer term. Killing more than a few hundred people just makes it too abstract to have the same psychological impact, whereas seeing a people successfully reintegrate into society with what they've built while not being evil can be really satisfying."

I consider Chughraghahh for a moment.

"Eventually. But given how long your species naturally lives, it shouldn't be an issue."

Vykin nod. "Please take us to those you have settled here. That will allow us to become accustomed to their behaviour before confronting those in the wild."

The h'lvenite on the screen shakes his head. "I don't think that you really understand what we do here, but alright. Follow this robot and it will take you to them."

The robot turns away and starts walking towards a compound near the outer perimeter of the h'lvenite settlement. We leave the Forevermobile and follow along behind it, Moonrider frowning thoughtfully.

"What do you mean? Aren't you trying to change their society by showing them a better way to live?"

"Ever seen a trapped animal gnaw off its own leg to escape a trap?"

Moonrider frowns. "No. Though I have nothing against hunting, on New Genesis we use matter re-sequencers to-."

"I don't care. The point is that the berrith don't want to change. If we build a school… Heck, even a gymnasium, they just smash it up unless they're watched the whole time. If we watch them, they steal things, and make rude gestures."

Serifan looks mystified. "So what can you do with them?"

The robot stops at the door to the compound, and raises its right forepaw. The door detects… Whatever it's scanning for, and slides open. I can immediately hear the… Noise? It's coming from living creatures, but it's not reaching the threshold for speech…

The robot shows us a window on a crèche, infant berrith being tended to by fur-coated robots.

Bear blinks in confusion. "What..? Is this?"

"Our attempt to eliminate nurture. Their mothers are living in the nearby berrith settlements. We pay them in food for the opportunity to educate their young."

"They sold you their children? You bought them?"

"This will be an educational establishment. On any normal world, they'd be paying us. The berrith here will be free to leave with no obligation to us once they reach adulthood or if their mothers want them back. But in the mean time, we will bring them up to be decent sophonts, something that previous generations of berrith have uniformly failed to do."

Dreamer steps up to the glass in something of a daze, laying her right hand upon it as she watches a berrith infant be sprayed with something unpleasant when it refuses to give up its empty bottle.

"They-. You're not a predatory species-."

"Input from better socialised predators and omnivores was sought and included. That is why this robot is pattered after a large creature rather than after my species. And why they will be taught how to hunt and butcher rather than just farm."

The robot turns away and walks further down the corridor.

Serifan looks nonplussed. "D'you mean the Guardians approve of this?"

Lantern B'dg shrugs. "They haven't objected."

"The Guardians did something similar to a species in my home system. They took them, and… Completely changed them. That's the reason why my species exists today. And the reason why the descendants of those they altered have an actual civilisation and not a series of bonfires."

"That's interesting. And restricted."

"I don't set Green Lantern Corps data security policy."

Another set of security doors, and this time the noise is louder and I can easily pick out words. Rowdy… Youths? Shouting at each other. None of it sounds… Especially violent.

The robot stops in front of another window. Young berrith are being taught… Some sort of team game involving ropes. They… Seem to be getting it.

"These children are a little bit older. We're not sure where the cut-off is for being able to socialise them, so we're trying with several different age groups. The early indications are that berrith aren't innately stupid, so I'm hopeful that we might be successful."

One of the children punches another in the face, causing two others to jump on them. The robots move in quickly to pull them apart and apply corrective face-squirts.

"Eventually."

Katillno · May 24, 2023

Yah the sense I'm getting is that their behavior has quite a bit of nature backing it not just nurture might have a bit more success if they slightly altered the dna of embryo to influence the brains development to be a bit more empathetic…..expose them all to violet light and hope after a few generations the empathy sticks?

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