Clell65619
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Or is he? Is the world Ready for Super Chuck? I mean sure, he looks a lot like the King, but he wears glasses and the King doesn't.
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With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)
- Thread starter Mr Zoat
- Start date
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- Tags
- self insert young justice
Or is he? Is the world Ready for Super Chuck? I mean sure, he looks a lot like the King, but he wears glasses and the King doesn't.
Trivialities (part 2)
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Mr Zoat
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3rd April 2013
11:45 GMT
There's a shimmer in the air as Kal-El works the phantom zone portal control system. The release process isn't an automatic thing due to the nature of the zone. In the early days there were incidents where criminals nearly escaped by pretending to be someone else, or exited the zone in a partially disembodied state and made a mischief of themselves.
Kara looks at the shifting grey mists unusually expectantly.
"Not thinking about preserving the species, are you?"
"No?" She frowns. "Not particular-." She gives me a mock glare, and I smile. "He's a Var. … Which doesn't mean anything to you…" She shakes her head. "He might not have aged for thirty years, but he's still from my parents' generation. Frankly, I… If I were thinking about it, I'd rather…"
"Clone kryptonian sperm cells?"
"It's not sustainable. And… Uncle Jor was right about us being too cold and closed off. I think it's more important that my children have a father than that they be pure kryptonian."
I see where she's coming from, but I'm not sure that actually makes sense. Kon's body works biologically because of his genomorph tissue, and… Frankly, being partially human is a downgrade unless you go into very particular fields, and then you're better off being entirely human. Yes, two parents are better than one, but…
"Anyone in mind?"
"No, not really. I wasn't thinking about it at all until you brought it up."
"Alright." The ghostly image of a.. average-looking man in a jumpsuit of some sort is standing in the imager. One hundred and seventy centimetres tall, short hair combed into a side parting, and slightly more muscled than I'd have expected a kryptonian of his generation to be. He actually makes eye contact with us, and looks more than a little relieved. "I think that's our man."
Kara focuses her attention on Ak-Var as Kal-El pulls the lever, the translucent outline of a man gradually gaining colour and physicality. After about twenty seconds his feet make a quiet 'clack' as they land on the floor.
"Oh, praise Rao, thank you!"
Kal-El smiles. "Are you thanking me, or Rao?"
Ak-Var's jump suit is mauve with a black triangle covering most of the chest and white trim around the neck and wrists, and his hair is brown.
"I'll thank anyone who's listening." He regards Kal-El curiously. "Though I.. don't know what I've done to earn having Jor-El himself let me out."
Kal-El shakes his head. "Jor-El was my father. My name is Kal-El, this is Kara Zor-El and Orange Lantern."
"'Was'?" He starts to look concerned. "I was sentenced to thirty years. Jor-El shouldn't be.. that old. How long has it been?"
Oh, sugar. He doesn't know. And Kal-El's spotted that as well. The prisoners in the Phantom Zone were supposed to have some awareness of the material universe and Nam-Ek could have told them… But it looks like that didn't happen.
"A little longer than that. The projection equipment was destroyed and we only recently rebuilt it."
Ak-Var snorts quietly, bowing his head. "I shouldn't be surprised that I wasn't a priority. But I don't think-" He glances at me. "-Lanterns show up for petty thieves. I'm not planning on stealing anything else, if that's what you're worried about."
I shake my head. "No, I-." Kal-El and I make eye contact, and he nods.
"Ak-Var… You might want to sit.. down." He gestures to a chair next to the room's desk. "I need to tell you something that's going to be hard to hear."
"Sirm As-En got married, didn't she?" We all look a little blank. "We were betrothed-. Then I got convicted." He shakes his head. "It's been thirty years. She's probably a grandmother by now. And I doubt she'd want to talk to me." He shrugs. "I was expecting that. I would have been more surprised if she still cared enough to be here."
"Ak-Var. That's not it. Sit down."
He looks slightly nervous, then walks over to take a seat. "My parents died in Zod's coup attempt. Not that we were close. I don't have any brothers or sisters." He sits. "What is it?"
"Do you remember learning about Black Zero in school?"
"They were clone…" He frowns. "Cultists or something, weren't they? Tried to blow up the world until Van-El stopped them."
Kal-El nods solemnly. "It turns out that they weren't quite as unsuccessful as we thought."
Ak-Var frowns uncomprehendingly. "What do you mean? That was millennia ago. None of us would be alive if they'd been successful."
"The device detonated early, but enough energy went down their borehole to start a process of… It slowly turned the outer mantle of Krypton into radioactive crystal."
"So-?"
"The radiation built up until the core reached critical temperature. The planet… Krypton exploded, and almost every member of our species died."
Ak-Var sits completely still for several seconds, eyes slightly dipped and face slack.
"Oh. But… The-. The military, spaceships-?" Kal-El shakes his head. "Even if they couldn't evacuate everyone, then-."
"While you were in the Phantom Zone, the Military Council lost power in favor of the Science Council. They demilitarised Krypton and began a period of isolationism. There were a handful of kryptonians away from Krypton, but… Not many."
"So it-. The only-." He glances over to the phantom zone projector. "That's it? All that's left are the most evil… Men and women our species ever had?"
Kal-El crouches down and puts his right hand on Ak-Var's slumped left shoulder. "Not everyone in the Phantom Zone is a complete monster. You're not, and some of the other prisoners were in there for the same kind of crime you committed. We don't really have the resources for a normal probation, so the plan is to let them out one at a time and help them acclimatise."
Ak-Var looks around numbly. "Where are we?"
"A planet called 'Earth'. The species who live here are called humans, and they look a lot like us."
I raise my right hand and wave.
"No-. I mean, this building. It looks…"
"I left Krypton as a baby in a space ship my father put together in secret. He made sure I had a couple of construction crystals, just in case things didn't pan out the way he wanted when I got here. I was adopted by a human family, and I grew up here."
"Great Rao. If I hadn't been in prison-." He shakes his head. "Look, can you..? Give me a little while to get my head around all this..?"
Kal-El nods. "Sure, Ak-Var. I'll be a couple of rooms over."
He turns and walks out of the room as Kara cautiously approaches. Ak-Var looks up at her.
"I only got here a few months ago. I grew up on Krypton too, so if you want to talk about anything… I can listen."
"Thanks, but… Not now."
She nods. "I felt the same way. But it gets… Less bad."
She turns away and heads out. On foot, because this room is shielded against solar radiation because we're not stupid. Unless Ak-Var decides that he wants to go back to the Phantom Zone we're going to have to decide how to handle that, but for now he can stay a mere mortal.
But I've got other things I need to worry about today.
I nod to him and
step out.
11:45 GMT
There's a shimmer in the air as Kal-El works the phantom zone portal control system. The release process isn't an automatic thing due to the nature of the zone. In the early days there were incidents where criminals nearly escaped by pretending to be someone else, or exited the zone in a partially disembodied state and made a mischief of themselves.
Kara looks at the shifting grey mists unusually expectantly.
"Not thinking about preserving the species, are you?"
"No?" She frowns. "Not particular-." She gives me a mock glare, and I smile. "He's a Var. … Which doesn't mean anything to you…" She shakes her head. "He might not have aged for thirty years, but he's still from my parents' generation. Frankly, I… If I were thinking about it, I'd rather…"
"Clone kryptonian sperm cells?"
"It's not sustainable. And… Uncle Jor was right about us being too cold and closed off. I think it's more important that my children have a father than that they be pure kryptonian."
I see where she's coming from, but I'm not sure that actually makes sense. Kon's body works biologically because of his genomorph tissue, and… Frankly, being partially human is a downgrade unless you go into very particular fields, and then you're better off being entirely human. Yes, two parents are better than one, but…
"Anyone in mind?"
"No, not really. I wasn't thinking about it at all until you brought it up."
"Alright." The ghostly image of a.. average-looking man in a jumpsuit of some sort is standing in the imager. One hundred and seventy centimetres tall, short hair combed into a side parting, and slightly more muscled than I'd have expected a kryptonian of his generation to be. He actually makes eye contact with us, and looks more than a little relieved. "I think that's our man."
Kara focuses her attention on Ak-Var as Kal-El pulls the lever, the translucent outline of a man gradually gaining colour and physicality. After about twenty seconds his feet make a quiet 'clack' as they land on the floor.
"Oh, praise Rao, thank you!"
Kal-El smiles. "Are you thanking me, or Rao?"
Ak-Var's jump suit is mauve with a black triangle covering most of the chest and white trim around the neck and wrists, and his hair is brown.
"I'll thank anyone who's listening." He regards Kal-El curiously. "Though I.. don't know what I've done to earn having Jor-El himself let me out."
Kal-El shakes his head. "Jor-El was my father. My name is Kal-El, this is Kara Zor-El and Orange Lantern."
"'Was'?" He starts to look concerned. "I was sentenced to thirty years. Jor-El shouldn't be.. that old. How long has it been?"
Oh, sugar. He doesn't know. And Kal-El's spotted that as well. The prisoners in the Phantom Zone were supposed to have some awareness of the material universe and Nam-Ek could have told them… But it looks like that didn't happen.
"A little longer than that. The projection equipment was destroyed and we only recently rebuilt it."
Ak-Var snorts quietly, bowing his head. "I shouldn't be surprised that I wasn't a priority. But I don't think-" He glances at me. "-Lanterns show up for petty thieves. I'm not planning on stealing anything else, if that's what you're worried about."
I shake my head. "No, I-." Kal-El and I make eye contact, and he nods.
"Ak-Var… You might want to sit.. down." He gestures to a chair next to the room's desk. "I need to tell you something that's going to be hard to hear."
"Sirm As-En got married, didn't she?" We all look a little blank. "We were betrothed-. Then I got convicted." He shakes his head. "It's been thirty years. She's probably a grandmother by now. And I doubt she'd want to talk to me." He shrugs. "I was expecting that. I would have been more surprised if she still cared enough to be here."
"Ak-Var. That's not it. Sit down."
He looks slightly nervous, then walks over to take a seat. "My parents died in Zod's coup attempt. Not that we were close. I don't have any brothers or sisters." He sits. "What is it?"
"Do you remember learning about Black Zero in school?"
"They were clone…" He frowns. "Cultists or something, weren't they? Tried to blow up the world until Van-El stopped them."
Kal-El nods solemnly. "It turns out that they weren't quite as unsuccessful as we thought."
Ak-Var frowns uncomprehendingly. "What do you mean? That was millennia ago. None of us would be alive if they'd been successful."
"The device detonated early, but enough energy went down their borehole to start a process of… It slowly turned the outer mantle of Krypton into radioactive crystal."
"So-?"
"The radiation built up until the core reached critical temperature. The planet… Krypton exploded, and almost every member of our species died."
Ak-Var sits completely still for several seconds, eyes slightly dipped and face slack.
"Oh. But… The-. The military, spaceships-?" Kal-El shakes his head. "Even if they couldn't evacuate everyone, then-."
"While you were in the Phantom Zone, the Military Council lost power in favor of the Science Council. They demilitarised Krypton and began a period of isolationism. There were a handful of kryptonians away from Krypton, but… Not many."
"So it-. The only-." He glances over to the phantom zone projector. "That's it? All that's left are the most evil… Men and women our species ever had?"
Kal-El crouches down and puts his right hand on Ak-Var's slumped left shoulder. "Not everyone in the Phantom Zone is a complete monster. You're not, and some of the other prisoners were in there for the same kind of crime you committed. We don't really have the resources for a normal probation, so the plan is to let them out one at a time and help them acclimatise."
Ak-Var looks around numbly. "Where are we?"
"A planet called 'Earth'. The species who live here are called humans, and they look a lot like us."
I raise my right hand and wave.
"No-. I mean, this building. It looks…"
"I left Krypton as a baby in a space ship my father put together in secret. He made sure I had a couple of construction crystals, just in case things didn't pan out the way he wanted when I got here. I was adopted by a human family, and I grew up here."
"Great Rao. If I hadn't been in prison-." He shakes his head. "Look, can you..? Give me a little while to get my head around all this..?"
Kal-El nods. "Sure, Ak-Var. I'll be a couple of rooms over."
He turns and walks out of the room as Kara cautiously approaches. Ak-Var looks up at her.
"I only got here a few months ago. I grew up on Krypton too, so if you want to talk about anything… I can listen."
"Thanks, but… Not now."
She nods. "I felt the same way. But it gets… Less bad."
She turns away and heads out. On foot, because this room is shielded against solar radiation because we're not stupid. Unless Ak-Var decides that he wants to go back to the Phantom Zone we're going to have to decide how to handle that, but for now he can stay a mere mortal.
But I've got other things I need to worry about today.
I nod to him and
step out.
Last edited:
Ngamer11
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That should say 'his'.
moralrelativity
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he -> the
Chojin Patriarch
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So the current projector design has multiple levels of checks to make sure that anyone approaching the interface aperture is the person they want, and ways to block anyone else. Or at least it should. Engineers aren't always smart about these things. Just look at the number of cars with 'elegant but awkward' engine bay layouts.
Seriously, OL? This is the first Kryptonian male other than her cousin and his clones that she's meeting. I don't think any kind of romance is in the air.
..Impersonal but efficient. And one of the issues of the old system, though.
There are some things even the White Light-granted fertility of Humanity can't overcome...
And now that he has, you're feeling irritatingly creeped out?
Naturally handsome, of course. Kryptonian designer genes do wonders for the physique.
All of the above, and any other god in earshot, I would think.
As always, kryptonian fashions are strange and otherworldly.
Mauve?Oh, boy. You are in for some serious culture shock, my man.
I guess he was not paying particular attention to anything. Understandable given the disparity between his crime and his sentence.
He probably is a bit curious about the odd colour, but he's no doubt assuming that maybe there are other colours that don't get seen as much. Like a rank thing or something.
Hoo boy. I get the feeling this guy was something of a frat-bro who didn't pay much attention to anything outside of his girlfriend, getting drunk and partying.
Something a lot bigger than any of those things...
Accurate. Though others have used the name over the continuities, including a super-villain or two.
Just because it wasn't instant, doesn't mean it didn't work...
Ah, now I think it's starting to hit him about how important this is.
Yeah. Unless you're a complete lunatic or psychopath, hearing about the death of an entire planet is gonna hit like a fricking skyscraper's worth of bricks.
Kind of hurts to see his hopes dashed, but... Better he not get any foolish ideas.
Still not enough for a stable breeding population, even if the ratios of male-to-female was well-aligned. So as far as Ak here is concerned, Kryptonians are practically extinct.
Yes, rather an interesting coincidence, that.
And I'm pretty sure this continuity also has a hidden Kryptonian moonbase floating around the Solar System, right? So they're not hard-up for technology.
Understandable, given the realisation that one little mistake of a college prank is the only reason you survived the destruction of your people's everything.
I have the feeling she'll be making that offer to a lot of people in the days to come.
And to be fair, she had had some time to recover before the thing got dropped on her.
I assume there's some measure of internal security monitoring him, and forcefields around all the exits. Just in case.
And I'm sure we're about to see some of them soon.
Well, he took the news better than most might have. I suspect the sheer size of it just overwhelmed the natural shock. Once he starts thinking about it, about any friends that didn't end up Zoned, the grief will come. Let's just hope it doesn't make him do something foolish. And meanwhile, OL goes about his business, leaving it to Kal-El and Kara to handle it...
...and white trim around the neck and wrists...
How long has it been?"
She turns away and heads out.
Twilight666
I trust you know where the happy button is?
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Found an error in the story only thread.
The below post has a threadmark, even though it's part of the last Episode
The below post has a threadmark, even though it's part of the last Episode
In fact you originally had posted the snip here without a threadmark:
I am assuming you threadmarked the snip in the wrong thread originally, and then added the threadmark here when @Darko notified you
Stsword
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Wally had a dream induced by the Key where he had a Speed Force Ring given to him by the New God Fastbak.
The fact it was a dream doesn't mean it's not real somewhere. In fact DC validated Kyle's dream by introducing the Weaponeers, the Qwardians' cyborgs elite units. Weaponeer 666 has a yellow lantern ring, cybernetics, and qwa bolts.
However since Zoat is a grognard who doesn't like the Speed Force, the chances of our seeing such a thing are pretty much nil.
Mr Zoat
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EgyptianDio
DAJAKU! DAJAKU!
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Am I the only one who is bothered by Science Council being that stupid and think there was something more… sinister going on.
Krypton could have conquered every star system with a yellow star but they choose isolationism? Hadn't there been another species with power and potential to swallow up the rest of the universe before a certain group… tweaked their brain and biology?
Ngamer11
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It's been explained that the Science Guild was refusing anything that went against the status quo. A comparison was made with how some people still believe the Earth is flat. It doesn't matter how much evidence is presented, sometimes people just refuse to acknowledge the truth.
Radiant Knight
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No, but if there was he'd probably become a speed lantern.
Basically this. If you took a flat earther diehard and flew them into space, they'd claim they never left the ground, that the windows are TV screens and you're using advanced technology to simulate microgravity. You could launch them into orbit in a space suit and they'd claim that you just put a VR headset on them. You could launch them into orbit without any equipment and in the scant seconds before they die they'd claim you replaced their eyeballs with cameras that are feeding them false images.
They're that doofy.
CrazyNoVa
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Wait, he doesn't like the speed force? Not that there's anything wrong with that, he's entitled to his own opinion and all, but why does he hate it?
Is it because of how often it gets used as a blatant plot device that constantly gives out new abilities as needed? Didn't lantern rings do that too, especially back in the silver age?
Steelplaza
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I mean my dude, you brought up a topic out of nowhere (a version of the SI with the speed force) and got told the author isn't interested in writing that, and now you want to have a discussion about why he isn't interested in writing about a topic you brought up.
If you want to see Zoat-SI with the speed force, why don't you write the story and post it in this forum? I feel like we've got a pretty solid idea of his personality after thousands of chapters; shouldn't be too tough.
Mr Zoat
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He doesn't, as far as he knows. The creator of Young Justice thinks it's a dumb idea, but I have no strong opinion.
Darko
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Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should do it.
The Science Council may have wanted to stop their species from having a society built on warmongering and genocide, so isolationism was their solution.
But if you want to view it from a more sinister viewpoint then the Science Guild may have seen that if the military continued with its conquests and wars then the Science Guild would lose power, so they stopped the military from gaining more power and popularity.
Just petty politics and power moves.
You don't have to have the Guardians be responsible for every single thing in the universe going wrong like that one fanfic did.
Though if you want to blame the Guardians then there is a way that makes them less the evil ones in this.
The Kryptonians were basically warmongers that committed at least one genocide.
The Guardians and the Lanterns are responsible for stopping that.
When the Science Guild came into power they probably knew that they couldn't push their luck because if they did then they'll be seeing a lot of green in their future, so they dismantled the military and went into isolationism.
CrazyNoVa
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Not a bad idea. Honestly, I don't really care about it all that much, and I was just curious about it. My question has been answered, so I won't press the subject and just move on.
Still, I might take up your suggestion about writing a short non-canon alternate universe story with the Zoat SI on this forum, someday. Nothing too serious, just a little thing for laughs.
RoninSword
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I mean, Zoat talks about tbe Speed Force literally on page 1 of this thread in the first post.
CrazyNoVa
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Oh, right! I forgot that existed. It's been so long since the last time I read it. Wow, I feel dumb. Still, thanks for reminding me about it!
Stsword
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In at least one version it was xenophobia.
Didn't want their perfection marred by inferior genes, inferior technology, inferior ideas.
Basically "Stay off my lawn!" on a planetary level.
Valint
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On a societal level, it feels like planets going through expansionist/isolationist phases over the course of their history is a normal enough cycle that it doesn't really need a deep explanation.
Honestly, Kryptonian politicians overreacting to the destruction of one of its moons and/or believing that yellow suns were detrimental to traditional Kryptonian values (both of which were, IIRC, explanations at one point for the lack of off-world Kryptonians) doesn't feel any stupider than positions we've seen real-world national leaders take.
Someguy Somewhere
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Coast to Coast (part 1)
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Mr Zoat
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29th November 2282
08:11 EST
I use the rear sensors to watch as Iowa disappears behind me. With that cybernetic lunatic verifiably dead, Lafayette can work on turning his victims back into… People, when they can recover their bodies. Or at least removing their brain chips if we can't. Autumn and Company were pretty upbeat about actually having a success, doubly so when it was against someone so clearly malevolent in an uncomplicatedly good fight. The fact that the majority of his victims were cryogenically preserved pre-War humans and as such 'pure Americans' by Enclave standards doesn't hurt either. The only downside is that now they have a population large enough to sustain itself, Autumn might be a little more reluctant to accept migrants.
But I'll take it. I'm calling that a success.
I'd wanted to stay with the State of Iowa a little longer, but the team I sent to the capital sent a telepathic squawk and then went silent and I'm the best placed to answer it. I originally sent the team that way to look for Enclave remnants, expanded the mission when I found out that there was a Brotherhood of Steel Chapter, and… My plan to aid Elder Lyons in becoming High Elder and so neutralise and integrate the Brotherhood that way was obsoleted when Elder Mari Törni replaced the crippled incompetent High Elder Jonathan Maxson, a man who looked at the NCR and said 'yeah, we can take 'em'. High Elder Törni was perfectly happy to pursue peaceful relations with the NCR, just so long as I 'don't kidnap her daughter again'.
She'll still find it helpful to have another example to point to of a Brotherhood Chapter being both successful and non-evil. The Midwest Chapter and Texas Chapter more or less merged with their respective states until they don't really exist as separate entities any longer. The Alamo Chapter has expanded a little, but they mostly keep themselves to themselves. They're improving their region a bit -the local villages would much rather have them in charge than the human-hunting cannibals who used to run the place, and they're not exactly eager for Santa Anna to take over either- but not enough to serve as an example.
But the Capital Wasteland Chapter is still unarguably Brotherhood, and unarguably following Roger Maxson's mission of using advanced technology to rebuild civilisation. Which is why I ordered my covert team to keep their Elder alive.
I'm coming up on Washington now. Best see if I can reach them.
**This is Krono. Report.**
The Brotherhood's main base in the area is located in the partially-restored Pentagon, though they've also built a secondary base in the Adams Air Force Base. Elder Lyons is supposed to be in the Pentagon, as unlike some Elders -Rusk and Solo come to mind- he knows that he's too far past his prime to jump back in a suit of power armour and lead from the front.
**This is Chief Krono. Report.**
The drawback of using telepathy rather than magic is that relatively mundane things can block it. Psychic nullifiers are just iron or steel that's been magnetised and shaped into a headband. Any blacksmith with the metal, a power cell and some copper wire could make one, and the Brotherhood certainly can. Further away from the brain of the psyker the effect is weaker, but thick metal walls will make communication difficult.
Alright, remote viewing. I close my eyes.
[The Pentagon, renamed the Citadel. Brotherhood Paladins standing guard and on patrol. One waves to a trader.]
Inwards.
[Corridors. A workshop. A drafting room. Two men engaged in 'spirited disputation' next to a plan for a.. blimp? One is Elder Lyons, and I don't immediately recognise the other.]
Where would you even get the gas? Don't disappoint me with boondoggles now. Build a foundry or something!
Inwards.
[Tree]
What?
[Tree]
Pull back..?
[A tree on a desk at a guard post. There's something… Almost entrancing about it.]
Great. Stopped by a psychic tree. I look out of the canopy and see the ruins of Washington D.C. around me, with the Pentagon… There. Alright, the saucer is still invisible. Pilot it over the wall and… Project thoughts of disinterest, and jump out.
I land on a walkway, the unarmoured lookouts closest to me looking around and then deciding that I'm supposed to be there. I raise my right hand in greeting and one nods back. Depending on how alert they are they might break the spell if I actually try talking to them, but I can find Elder Lyons on my own. Down the walkway into the base proper… Looks like they've expanded the orphanage program, a reasonable compromise between recruiting uncommitted outsiders and limiting themselves to natural population growth, and which doubles as a lifeline for all of the children who would otherwise been abandoned at Little Lamplight.
Keeping a dozen minds from really thinking about me is simple enough, and once I'm inside I don't even have to do that. They might remember me, but that memory won't seem important unless someone draws attention to it. Let's see… This way.
"…plans for it, but it simply isn't worth our time or energy. What would we even do with an airship?"
"Aerial observation. And there aren't any guns in the Capital region that could reach it at altitude."
"Observing what? Satellite observation can identify large groups of-."
I cough quietly, dropping my telepathic stealth. "Excuse me, Elder."
Both heads snap around, the other man reaching for his sidearm. The Elder frowns. "Who-? What are you doing here? This area is off-limits to visitors."
"My name is Krono." I pull a piece of folded paper from my robe and offer it to him. "My introduction."
He glances down, expression relaxing a little at the sign of a Brotherhood sigil on the seal. "Sneaking up on Elders-" He snatches it and breaks the seal. "-is a good way to get disciplined, even if you are from the Circle of Steel. What does-?" He looks up, concerned. "'High Elder'? What happened to Jeremy Maxson?"
"Stroke and brain haemorrhage, I'm afraid."
Aided by quite a lot of NCR bullets.
He returns his attention to the letter. "…cooperation with… Yes, why wouldn't we be cooperating with the NCR? We purged the West Coast of Enclave holdouts together."
Oh, right, his expedition left before-. "There are.. some things I need to fill you in on, Elder."
He finishes reading and the refolds the letter and slides it into one of his pockets. "Alright, I accept your affidavits. What do you want?"
"It's a little awkward, Elder. I assigned two people to watch over you, and it seems that they've been caught. My respects to your security, but I'd… Appreciate if it you could-."
"Those are yours?" I nod. "Do you know what they were doing?"
"I hope nothing worse than watching you with a telescope."
"They broke into our food storage lockers." I frown. They should have been able to get everything-. "They were removing our ration packs and replacing them with fresh and dried fruit and vegetables. The packs of prunes were specifically labelled 'For Elder Lyons'."
I close my eyes, hissing in frustration. "My specific orders to them were 'ensure that Elder Lyons remains in good health'. Ration packs decay in quality over time, and the preservatives-." I open my eyes. "They weren't supposed to do that, but I want to assure you that it wasn't an assassination attempt and they just decided to 'creatively interpret' their orders. I apologise for the way they have clearly overstepped."
"We were only holding them to try and find out how they got in and what they thought they were doing. I suppose I should commend them for their ability to hold their tongues under pressure." He hesitates. "And if I'm honest, the greater dietary range was a pleasant change of pace. I just wish they they'd traded with us opening rather than… Making a game of breaching our security."
I nod. "I will speak with them quite sternly on the subject. Would you object to keeping them on under your command? If so, I will arrange for their transfer."
"We could use a few people capable of subtlety. We didn't bring any Circle of Steel operatives with us when we left the West Coast, and I think that they would be useful." He nods. "Come with me. We can debrief them together."
08:11 EST
I use the rear sensors to watch as Iowa disappears behind me. With that cybernetic lunatic verifiably dead, Lafayette can work on turning his victims back into… People, when they can recover their bodies. Or at least removing their brain chips if we can't. Autumn and Company were pretty upbeat about actually having a success, doubly so when it was against someone so clearly malevolent in an uncomplicatedly good fight. The fact that the majority of his victims were cryogenically preserved pre-War humans and as such 'pure Americans' by Enclave standards doesn't hurt either. The only downside is that now they have a population large enough to sustain itself, Autumn might be a little more reluctant to accept migrants.
But I'll take it. I'm calling that a success.
I'd wanted to stay with the State of Iowa a little longer, but the team I sent to the capital sent a telepathic squawk and then went silent and I'm the best placed to answer it. I originally sent the team that way to look for Enclave remnants, expanded the mission when I found out that there was a Brotherhood of Steel Chapter, and… My plan to aid Elder Lyons in becoming High Elder and so neutralise and integrate the Brotherhood that way was obsoleted when Elder Mari Törni replaced the crippled incompetent High Elder Jonathan Maxson, a man who looked at the NCR and said 'yeah, we can take 'em'. High Elder Törni was perfectly happy to pursue peaceful relations with the NCR, just so long as I 'don't kidnap her daughter again'.
She'll still find it helpful to have another example to point to of a Brotherhood Chapter being both successful and non-evil. The Midwest Chapter and Texas Chapter more or less merged with their respective states until they don't really exist as separate entities any longer. The Alamo Chapter has expanded a little, but they mostly keep themselves to themselves. They're improving their region a bit -the local villages would much rather have them in charge than the human-hunting cannibals who used to run the place, and they're not exactly eager for Santa Anna to take over either- but not enough to serve as an example.
But the Capital Wasteland Chapter is still unarguably Brotherhood, and unarguably following Roger Maxson's mission of using advanced technology to rebuild civilisation. Which is why I ordered my covert team to keep their Elder alive.
I'm coming up on Washington now. Best see if I can reach them.
**This is Krono. Report.**
The Brotherhood's main base in the area is located in the partially-restored Pentagon, though they've also built a secondary base in the Adams Air Force Base. Elder Lyons is supposed to be in the Pentagon, as unlike some Elders -Rusk and Solo come to mind- he knows that he's too far past his prime to jump back in a suit of power armour and lead from the front.
**This is Chief Krono. Report.**
The drawback of using telepathy rather than magic is that relatively mundane things can block it. Psychic nullifiers are just iron or steel that's been magnetised and shaped into a headband. Any blacksmith with the metal, a power cell and some copper wire could make one, and the Brotherhood certainly can. Further away from the brain of the psyker the effect is weaker, but thick metal walls will make communication difficult.
Alright, remote viewing. I close my eyes.
[The Pentagon, renamed the Citadel. Brotherhood Paladins standing guard and on patrol. One waves to a trader.]
Inwards.
[Corridors. A workshop. A drafting room. Two men engaged in 'spirited disputation' next to a plan for a.. blimp? One is Elder Lyons, and I don't immediately recognise the other.]
Where would you even get the gas? Don't disappoint me with boondoggles now. Build a foundry or something!
Inwards.
[Tree]
What?
[Tree]
Pull back..?
[A tree on a desk at a guard post. There's something… Almost entrancing about it.]
Great. Stopped by a psychic tree. I look out of the canopy and see the ruins of Washington D.C. around me, with the Pentagon… There. Alright, the saucer is still invisible. Pilot it over the wall and… Project thoughts of disinterest, and jump out.
I land on a walkway, the unarmoured lookouts closest to me looking around and then deciding that I'm supposed to be there. I raise my right hand in greeting and one nods back. Depending on how alert they are they might break the spell if I actually try talking to them, but I can find Elder Lyons on my own. Down the walkway into the base proper… Looks like they've expanded the orphanage program, a reasonable compromise between recruiting uncommitted outsiders and limiting themselves to natural population growth, and which doubles as a lifeline for all of the children who would otherwise been abandoned at Little Lamplight.
Keeping a dozen minds from really thinking about me is simple enough, and once I'm inside I don't even have to do that. They might remember me, but that memory won't seem important unless someone draws attention to it. Let's see… This way.
"…plans for it, but it simply isn't worth our time or energy. What would we even do with an airship?"
"Aerial observation. And there aren't any guns in the Capital region that could reach it at altitude."
"Observing what? Satellite observation can identify large groups of-."
I cough quietly, dropping my telepathic stealth. "Excuse me, Elder."
Both heads snap around, the other man reaching for his sidearm. The Elder frowns. "Who-? What are you doing here? This area is off-limits to visitors."
"My name is Krono." I pull a piece of folded paper from my robe and offer it to him. "My introduction."
He glances down, expression relaxing a little at the sign of a Brotherhood sigil on the seal. "Sneaking up on Elders-" He snatches it and breaks the seal. "-is a good way to get disciplined, even if you are from the Circle of Steel. What does-?" He looks up, concerned. "'High Elder'? What happened to Jeremy Maxson?"
"Stroke and brain haemorrhage, I'm afraid."
Aided by quite a lot of NCR bullets.
He returns his attention to the letter. "…cooperation with… Yes, why wouldn't we be cooperating with the NCR? We purged the West Coast of Enclave holdouts together."
Oh, right, his expedition left before-. "There are.. some things I need to fill you in on, Elder."
He finishes reading and the refolds the letter and slides it into one of his pockets. "Alright, I accept your affidavits. What do you want?"
"It's a little awkward, Elder. I assigned two people to watch over you, and it seems that they've been caught. My respects to your security, but I'd… Appreciate if it you could-."
"Those are yours?" I nod. "Do you know what they were doing?"
"I hope nothing worse than watching you with a telescope."
"They broke into our food storage lockers." I frown. They should have been able to get everything-. "They were removing our ration packs and replacing them with fresh and dried fruit and vegetables. The packs of prunes were specifically labelled 'For Elder Lyons'."
I close my eyes, hissing in frustration. "My specific orders to them were 'ensure that Elder Lyons remains in good health'. Ration packs decay in quality over time, and the preservatives-." I open my eyes. "They weren't supposed to do that, but I want to assure you that it wasn't an assassination attempt and they just decided to 'creatively interpret' their orders. I apologise for the way they have clearly overstepped."
"We were only holding them to try and find out how they got in and what they thought they were doing. I suppose I should commend them for their ability to hold their tongues under pressure." He hesitates. "And if I'm honest, the greater dietary range was a pleasant change of pace. I just wish they they'd traded with us opening rather than… Making a game of breaching our security."
I nod. "I will speak with them quite sternly on the subject. Would you object to keeping them on under your command? If so, I will arrange for their transfer."
"We could use a few people capable of subtlety. We didn't bring any Circle of Steel operatives with us when we left the West Coast, and I think that they would be useful." He nods. "Come with me. We can debrief them together."
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Mr Zoat
Dedicated ragequitter
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I would like to apologise to xenoforum for this comment. It was uncalled for and untrue.
Cool10007
Hack
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Amazing, I love
crazygrox
Versed in the lewd.
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Huh, I just recently went ahead and watched the new fallout series(I forget which streaming service it's on) it does occur to me that having telepaths around may be a good way to avoid Vault-tec remnants nuking the NCR(which you only learn most of the story behind it later in the episodes).
Thinking of other obscure fallout media to draw plotlines and threats from, I vaguely remember the wiki mentioning a game where the brotherhood of steel is trying to prevent someone in china from nuking america again.
And another fanfic that involved reference to a game where there was some sort of brotherhood unit fighting against a computer?/brain-in-jar?(I don't remember) intelligence that produced lots of combat robots from their underground bunker and manufacturing center.
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Mr Zoat
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Yes. Getting safe fresh water is the first step. Food is next, and there's only one group in the region who know anything about farming.
I watched a two and a half hour video about why that series is terrible and I agreed with every point. Shady Sands is a post-war town with no pre-war elements, it isn't where the series seems to think it is, and the main character's vault is right next to the Master's headquarters and if there had actually been a vault there all of the inhabitants would be super mutants by the time Fallout started.
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Bigking321
Not too sore, are you?
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Heh. If we're thinking of the same video, yeah. The writing is... quite bad.
Chojin Patriarch
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So, we return to Fallout Earth, and it's local Paul, known as Krono. I'm assuming the events summarised here are the events of one of the main releases of the franchise. Or a major event in the Mod this version is based on...
Well, that sounds like a very stupid combination of arrogance and senility on Maxson's part. I wonder what the last part could possibly refer to...
I expect the midwestern states are playing the long game to see how it all rolls out if they can. Especially the highly independently-minded Texans.
Would be smart to get an intel update, if nothing else.
Heh. Actual common sense in a Fallout leader? I'm impressed.
Sounds like the team is either dead or somewhere where they can't reply. I suppose Krono is hoping it's the latter rather than the former.
Useful, but I bet there's ways to counter it.
Well, that didn't take long. I have to wonder if the blimp plans are just theoretical or if they're actually working on it...
It'd have to rely on hydrogen, if nothing else. Helium is a lot harder to extract from the atmosphere, what with its tendency to float upwards. Same thing that makes it useful makes it hard to acquire, unless someone has a space elevator...
...Well, that was sudden. and random.
I'm guessing the locals have some sort of biological scrambling method.
Fortunately, he can sort-of fly, so the drop isn't a problem for him.
As long as they aren't producing child soldiers, it's tolerable. Presumably, the orphans are expected to sign on and pay back their benefactors, though.
Nice, Krono. You've effectively codified a 'Someone Else's Problem' effect. And it's probably a lot less tiring than other methods of stealth.
But satellites move in orbit, unless they're geostationary. Which means you have to wait for one to come into position over a possible threat to examine it.
Yes, well, you aren't an easy man to contact, I suspect.
Sadly, I expect Krono isn't actually in your chain of command, Lyons. Merely an interested ally.
Heh. retired with prejudice.
The joy of a lack of easy inter-coastal communications. And what looks like a sense of overconfidence when it comes to their expectations of success.
An embarrassing start to their working relationship, I suppose, having to ask for your spies back.
Somehow, I suspect they overstepped their bounds.
...Yup, that'll do it. Honestly, it's probably more embarrassing that they got caught.
Indeed. I bet they were young and cocky. It seems the sort of thing young idiots might do.
And this is going to be like having their Dad turn up after a DUI, isn't it?
Ah, one of the more interesting alternate Pauls, and one of the longest-running. I see he's expanding the borders of his allies' territory, and reaching out to more far-flung branches. Though this may not be the best start to a working relationship. Having to sneak into your prospective allies' base and collect your agents is gonna leave some red faces all round.
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