Silverias
Not too sore, are you?
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As far as I remember, the subject doesn't come up again.
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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
DAT_NOOB
Accused of writing in a far away land
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Why not just float him up higher and... drop him?
Mr Zoat
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Several reasons. Firstly, that would take longer. Secondly, he's trying to be a team player. Getting NCR soldiers used to working with psychics is an objective in itself. Thirdly, he doesn't actually know how high he'd have to lift someone to have the desired effect.
Anti-Thesis (part 9)
Mr Zoat
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11th July 2012
06:03 GMT
A rather noticeable difference between this and my previous visit to Qward is that if you walk down the street just behind a Weaponer everyone gets out of the way really fast, pressing themselves against walls and even throwing themselves off an overpass at one point.
"Are we heading somewhere in particular, or just making our presence felt?"
We're not in the same surface city I visited last time. I'm not completely certain what the difference-.
"Weaponer Kalmin, what a-."
Kalmin twists his right hand, a pale qwa bolt appearing in his grip. He aims it at the floating robotic head and hurls it, striking true and erasing the robot.
"Um."
"Those things irritate me."
"Yes, but it could probably tell people what you want more efficiently than just stomping around and scaring aliens."
"I didn't become a Weaponer so that I could indulge the idiocy of others." He resumes his stomping through the city. "Besides, destroying one with qwa energy will get Varnathon's attention faster than mere words."
"Alright." This armour isn't really designed for walking around, but I suppose that doing so lends credence to the pretence that I'm a robot. The integrated sensors mean that I don't have to look around so see what's going on around me. "Are we heading directly to a tunnel, or are you planning on blowing up some more robots?"
"I'd quite like to talk to the local Thunderer garrison. It has been…" He looks around, clearly not impressed. "Some time since I left my workshop. This is new to me."
"It can't have been that long. Sinestro's only-."
"When I said that I didn't care about it, I meant that I didn't care about it. I came up here once or twice in my youth and never bothered to return. The tribute serves a purpose of course, but it's not the aim of our civilisation."
"And what is?"
"Destruction. The annihilation of all that is and can be, for the glory of the Anti-Monitor."
"And then what?"
"What?"
"After you've destroyed everything. What goal are you working towards by doing that?"
"I believe that you have failed to comprehend the definition of 'everything'."
If I could bow my head, I would. Yes, that's on me.
"So there's no greater aim than 'everything: destroyed'?"
"No. Why are you surprised? I've been very clear about my motives."
"I suppose that it's just such an alien idea to me. And you're shielding your psyche against the techniques I'd use to understand things like that."
"Why do you not want to destroy things?"
"Ah, ultimately? My desire to build is the product of evolutionary processes which have given rise to pro-social instincts due to the fact that those generally led to groups surviving and passing on their genes. But your desires can't be derived from the inverse; evolution might give things an instinct to destroy themselves in specific circumstances, but if everyone with a particular trait followed through then there's no way that it would get passed down."
"And that's it? You're just a product of your ancestors' circumstances?"
"Not entirely. I'm aware of them, so I can reflect on them and create a moral theory based on my intuitions. But if you want to know where it all comes from, that's where. Q'ardajin are clearly social animals. At some point you must have started wanting to destroy things, so there must have been a point before that where you didn't."
"Qward's interior is barren and desolate, the product of Erdammeru's wrath. We have no history before the Anti-Monitor brought us here. I couldn't tell you about our evolutionary history even if I wanted to."
Huh. If… The Anti-Monitor's actions resulted in… Something like the Crisis happening in the eighties or nineties… And Qward survived… Then it's quite possible that their past no longer exists. What would something like that do to a species' instincts? Or did he just change them?
I'm reminded of Chantinelle's affirmation of the idea that demons don't care where their power comes from. She wanted power, I want to build and Kalmin wants to destroy everything. There's no… Objective way of determining which is 'best' or morally correct. Other than identifying one as self-defeating, I suppose. I know that, and yet I don't see any particular problem with my desires coming from that.
'Why' finds no answer, but who cares?
"You realise-?"
"That one day, if we both live long enough, we will try to kill one another?" He smiles faintly. "How is it that you did not realise that from the first?"
"I'm afraid that I underestimated your devotion to destruction. I thought that you might be a brutal realist rather than a genuine omni-nihilist."
"I would advise against underestimating me."
"But given your ideology, I'm struggling to understand why you made Sinestro his ring in the first place. If you were just taking a commission, I'd understand, but-."
"Sinestro declared his intention to destroy the Green Lantern Corps. Having led them for years, he understood them better than we do. He seemed well-placed to make good on his vow, and the Green Lantern Corps are our enemies. I love destruction, but that doesn't mean that I must be personally present at every act of destruction. I don't need to carry destruction out with my own hands. I build the weapons which cause destruction."
"And you're working with us because the war between us and the Reach will devastate vast areas of space."
"That's nice, yes." He smiles faintly. "But it's not the only reason. I am… Obliged to you. You got me out of my rut. Convinced me that I could make myself useful to the Anti-Monitor again. There are logical reasons unrelated to morals for honouring debts, and we q'ardajin… Generally repay things. Though don't bet your life on it."
Ahead of us I can just about see the fortification guarding the passageway to the inner part of the planet. Around it is a wide open plaza and atop it are a variety of sentry guns and patrolling Thunderers. Above it… Yes, there's the faint shimmer of an energy shield to protect it against orbital strikes. I didn't get to see much of the outside of the last one I visited due to being a captive, but what I'm seeing matches the intelligence files I've had access to.
"I'll bear that in mind."
Those Thunderers don't have Kalmin's protection against my empathic abilities, though given precisely how empathic I appear to be at the moment I make an effort not to look too closely. Their drive for destruction matches with what he says his is, though rather than regarding their role as the making of tools they've got martial pride. They do want to carry out destruction in person, but…
And they die again and again, as is their place. How satisfying.
I raise my left hand and point my ring at Kalmin for a moment, then lower it. Yes, some are Dark Kantians like Kalmin, but others are just arseholes. They destroy and kill because they enjoy it, violent hedonists rather than Anti-Monitor loyalists.
I wonder what I'll see when we confront Varnathon?
06:03 GMT
A rather noticeable difference between this and my previous visit to Qward is that if you walk down the street just behind a Weaponer everyone gets out of the way really fast, pressing themselves against walls and even throwing themselves off an overpass at one point.
"Are we heading somewhere in particular, or just making our presence felt?"
We're not in the same surface city I visited last time. I'm not completely certain what the difference-.
"Weaponer Kalmin, what a-."
Kalmin twists his right hand, a pale qwa bolt appearing in his grip. He aims it at the floating robotic head and hurls it, striking true and erasing the robot.
"Um."
"Those things irritate me."
"Yes, but it could probably tell people what you want more efficiently than just stomping around and scaring aliens."
"I didn't become a Weaponer so that I could indulge the idiocy of others." He resumes his stomping through the city. "Besides, destroying one with qwa energy will get Varnathon's attention faster than mere words."
"Alright." This armour isn't really designed for walking around, but I suppose that doing so lends credence to the pretence that I'm a robot. The integrated sensors mean that I don't have to look around so see what's going on around me. "Are we heading directly to a tunnel, or are you planning on blowing up some more robots?"
"I'd quite like to talk to the local Thunderer garrison. It has been…" He looks around, clearly not impressed. "Some time since I left my workshop. This is new to me."
"It can't have been that long. Sinestro's only-."
"When I said that I didn't care about it, I meant that I didn't care about it. I came up here once or twice in my youth and never bothered to return. The tribute serves a purpose of course, but it's not the aim of our civilisation."
"And what is?"
"Destruction. The annihilation of all that is and can be, for the glory of the Anti-Monitor."
"And then what?"
"What?"
"After you've destroyed everything. What goal are you working towards by doing that?"
"I believe that you have failed to comprehend the definition of 'everything'."
If I could bow my head, I would. Yes, that's on me.
"So there's no greater aim than 'everything: destroyed'?"
"No. Why are you surprised? I've been very clear about my motives."
"I suppose that it's just such an alien idea to me. And you're shielding your psyche against the techniques I'd use to understand things like that."
"Why do you not want to destroy things?"
"Ah, ultimately? My desire to build is the product of evolutionary processes which have given rise to pro-social instincts due to the fact that those generally led to groups surviving and passing on their genes. But your desires can't be derived from the inverse; evolution might give things an instinct to destroy themselves in specific circumstances, but if everyone with a particular trait followed through then there's no way that it would get passed down."
"And that's it? You're just a product of your ancestors' circumstances?"
"Not entirely. I'm aware of them, so I can reflect on them and create a moral theory based on my intuitions. But if you want to know where it all comes from, that's where. Q'ardajin are clearly social animals. At some point you must have started wanting to destroy things, so there must have been a point before that where you didn't."
"Qward's interior is barren and desolate, the product of Erdammeru's wrath. We have no history before the Anti-Monitor brought us here. I couldn't tell you about our evolutionary history even if I wanted to."
Huh. If… The Anti-Monitor's actions resulted in… Something like the Crisis happening in the eighties or nineties… And Qward survived… Then it's quite possible that their past no longer exists. What would something like that do to a species' instincts? Or did he just change them?
I'm reminded of Chantinelle's affirmation of the idea that demons don't care where their power comes from. She wanted power, I want to build and Kalmin wants to destroy everything. There's no… Objective way of determining which is 'best' or morally correct. Other than identifying one as self-defeating, I suppose. I know that, and yet I don't see any particular problem with my desires coming from that.
'Why' finds no answer, but who cares?
"You realise-?"
"That one day, if we both live long enough, we will try to kill one another?" He smiles faintly. "How is it that you did not realise that from the first?"
"I'm afraid that I underestimated your devotion to destruction. I thought that you might be a brutal realist rather than a genuine omni-nihilist."
"I would advise against underestimating me."
"But given your ideology, I'm struggling to understand why you made Sinestro his ring in the first place. If you were just taking a commission, I'd understand, but-."
"Sinestro declared his intention to destroy the Green Lantern Corps. Having led them for years, he understood them better than we do. He seemed well-placed to make good on his vow, and the Green Lantern Corps are our enemies. I love destruction, but that doesn't mean that I must be personally present at every act of destruction. I don't need to carry destruction out with my own hands. I build the weapons which cause destruction."
"And you're working with us because the war between us and the Reach will devastate vast areas of space."
"That's nice, yes." He smiles faintly. "But it's not the only reason. I am… Obliged to you. You got me out of my rut. Convinced me that I could make myself useful to the Anti-Monitor again. There are logical reasons unrelated to morals for honouring debts, and we q'ardajin… Generally repay things. Though don't bet your life on it."
Ahead of us I can just about see the fortification guarding the passageway to the inner part of the planet. Around it is a wide open plaza and atop it are a variety of sentry guns and patrolling Thunderers. Above it… Yes, there's the faint shimmer of an energy shield to protect it against orbital strikes. I didn't get to see much of the outside of the last one I visited due to being a captive, but what I'm seeing matches the intelligence files I've had access to.
"I'll bear that in mind."
Those Thunderers don't have Kalmin's protection against my empathic abilities, though given precisely how empathic I appear to be at the moment I make an effort not to look too closely. Their drive for destruction matches with what he says his is, though rather than regarding their role as the making of tools they've got martial pride. They do want to carry out destruction in person, but…
And they die again and again, as is their place. How satisfying.
I raise my left hand and point my ring at Kalmin for a moment, then lower it. Yes, some are Dark Kantians like Kalmin, but others are just arseholes. They destroy and kill because they enjoy it, violent hedonists rather than Anti-Monitor loyalists.
I wonder what I'll see when we confront Varnathon?
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Darko
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Can Paul see other emotions now, or did he lose that ability after his new enlightenment?
Really hoping his new powers don't mess him up in a bad way.
You do have a habit of underestimating how much people are willing to hold onto their beliefs and actions, even if they're stupid and evil, like with Luthor.
Granted you cut out Lex so you may be learning.
'reasons'
Worried you'll be overwhelmed by their desires?
Seeing as he can now feel those desires as if they're his own then he may be right in worrying about such a thing.
Ahh, why did Paul point his ring at Kalmin?
Was he overwhelmed a bit with the Thunderers desire to kill people?
BlueMangoAdea
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Pretty sure Paul could see all emotions ever since his first enlightenment? Orange best, but he was definitely capable of perceiving the entire spectrum.
Darko
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Yeah I know that but I was wondering if he lost the ability to see the other lights after his second enlightenment.
Handlewithcare
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Is it odd that I can respect Kalmins motivation and even like him because of it?
I mean, the actually goal is nuts to me, but I enjoy his spiritual purity.
Other villains act because of base instincts or because they don't care about others, he does because of an overarching ideal.
Somehow being evil is more palatable than being merely nasty.
I mean, the actually goal is nuts to me, but I enjoy his spiritual purity.
Other villains act because of base instincts or because they don't care about others, he does because of an overarching ideal.
Somehow being evil is more palatable than being merely nasty.
Vaermina
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Paragon's big oops moment.
Chojin Patriarch
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And I'm suddenly reminded of the Mongo scene from Blazing Saddles, where he casually trots down the street as the people of Rock Ridge flee in terror. "Unholy Shit, It's
I suspect to 'True Q'ardajin', those on the surface are little more than annoyances to be tolerated before their eventual annihilation. Having occasional use but largely ignored.
Yeah, sending a clear message. And that message is "Your ass is grass, Varnathon."
...Or he could just be mildly vexed. Dual purposes for the win.
Plus it helps you let off some steam on something worthless? Not that your anger is so weak as to be quenched by so small an act of destruction? Probably fun, though.
So, he's a bit of a shut-in even by Weaponer standards? Why am I not surprised?
Ah. It's all just so far beneath his notice, eh? He has bigger concerns to worry about.
What, all that is? Surely there's something you don't want to destroy?
Indeed. Will you only be happy when the entire universe is a smoking cinder collapsing into a Big Crunch?
Well, you can't say Kalmin has ever been subtle...
Which makes them working together quite the odd couple. The man who wants to make a better world, and the Q'ardajin who wants to blow it up...
Because then where would he keep his stuff? Especially the things he can't keep in subspace (which we've seen is unreliable...)
Hardly. But they do have a say in the biologically-driven aspects of his personality (no arguments about what parts that may be, now.)
Huh. And I take it that sentiment is common amongst the worshippers of the Anti-Monitor. After all, what matters where you came from, if your purpose is to destroy it?
At least you still have a moral compass, unlike some of your alternates. But it's a thing to keep an eye on, to be aware of as you proceed.
I'm sure Kalmin is looking forwards to it. The ultimate test of OL's creativeness versus his desire to destroy.
Well, knowing this, I doubt there's any likelihood of that in future.
Even if you don't agree with him, there's a certain measure of purity to Kalmin. In some ways, he's a good man. In the sense he doesn't want power over you, he won't monologue as you lay dying, he'll just kill you and move on.
In other words, stay on his good side, or he'll start working out ways to kill you. Like he's going to do to Varnathon...
Yeah, that plaza just screams killing ground. I bet a large swathe of it is laden with boobytraps too.
Ah, connoisseurs of killing. They take pride in a particularly clean kill, or an impressive death, I'll bet.
Probably a very un-Q'ardajin desire for money. Or maybe he thinks that distributing their weapons into the larger world will increase the amount of destruction in the universe. Like the Reach war.
That's a fascinating insight into Kalmin's mind, there. And now I understand why he has no real desire to make more Blue Lantern stuff. What use is hope to destroy, to kill, when he could spend his time refining weapons for ever-greater efficiency? I'll bet he thinks of Compassion and Love the same way.
Or maybe he feels them in his own way: killing swiftly and painlessly to spare pointless suffering.
NightmareWarden
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Clerics, cultists, or whatever name you may use for them are a satisfying bundle of tropes indeed!
Stsword
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Huh, Zoat's seemingly changed the Anti-Monitor's goals here.
In Crisis, Anti-Monitor didn't want to destroy every universe, he wanted to destroy every non anti-matter universe.
The Anti-monitor feeds on the energy of the Anti-Matter universe.
He even tried to go back in time and interfere with the creation of the universe so there would only be an anti-matter universe.
The Monitor supposedly gained power from the non anti-matter universes, but since there were an infinite number of them versus only on Qward, logically the Monitor couldn't have been getting that much juice out of them.
In Crisis, Anti-Monitor didn't want to destroy every universe, he wanted to destroy every non anti-matter universe.
The Anti-monitor feeds on the energy of the Anti-Matter universe.
He even tried to go back in time and interfere with the creation of the universe so there would only be an anti-matter universe.
The Monitor supposedly gained power from the non anti-matter universes, but since there were an infinite number of them versus only on Qward, logically the Monitor couldn't have been getting that much juice out of them.
Darko
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This will either be a beautiful friendship, or a prelude to a duel to the death.
I think Qwardians consider these things to be the same.
One Tangseid is more than enough.
Darko
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Either that or Kalmin thinks the Anti-Monitor wants to destroy everything but is wrong.
BlueMangoAdea
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A crisis of faith from that would be hilarious. "My god only wants to destroy part of everything? "
Mr Zoat
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Thank you, corrected.
Stsword
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Well 52 of the 53 known universes, so that rounds up to everything.
nick012000
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Also, he's the son of Perpetua, and his original task was to prevent other multiverses from noticing the DC multiverse, since his mother went rogue and decided to create a universe in a way that the Source didn't want her to, and the reason why he caused the first Crisis was to prevent the multiverse from being destroyed, since that would have caused his mother to die, and the Crises caused cracks in the Source Wall (behind which she was imprisoned), which would eventually allow her to escape.
Mastigos2
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Qwardians hope to achieve omnidestruction.That's a fascinating insight into Kalmin's mind, there. And now I understand why he has no real desire to make more Blue Lantern stuff. What use is hope to destroy, to kill, when he could spend his time refining weapons for ever-greater efficiency? I'll bet he thinks of Compassion and Love the same way.
That said, it is interesting that they appear to still develop a self-contradictory hierarchy of desires and selfishness on top of that, like everybody else. Otherwise they'd be quietly fading into obscurity as they researched key parts of physics and metaphysics. And mostly researched the Bleed. What use is destroying a planet when what you really need is to remove key underpinnings that allow existence to exist?
Mr Zoat
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transhumansage
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i suppose paul has not thought that, this might be a trap kalmin is leading him into?
Pez
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He probably hasn't, but the odds of that would be near zero. Unless the trap comes after Varnathon is destroyed. Remember, Kalmin is very prideful, and the very notion of Varnathon giving qwa-matter to outsides triggers him to a level that probably matches his desire to destroy everything.
I'm more concerned that Paul's going to have to destroy Kalmin if there's a chance of Paul fulfilling his mission of getting them to stop worshipping the Anti-Monitor. We all like Kalmin, and want to see him stay part of Team Paul, but his ultimate goal wouldn't allow that to happen.
transhumansage
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i agree. i hope its a civil duel to the death though.
Lone Courier 6
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Nose must be off, this is Rebirth.
Mr Zoat
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Giving a shit a coat of paint doesn't stop it being shit.
Vaermina
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That depends on whether he hacked Paul's ring and found out about the Anti-Monitor encounter or not.
Cuchulin
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Kalmin likely think that the Anti-Moniter is goin about it wrong. Also I think Kalmin want to help Paul with his goals because destroying what Paul wants to build is a far better/greater goal than simply destroying what currently is.
In the USA we call that "polishing a turd", because just because you make a piece of shit nice and shiny doesn't make it less of a piece of shit.
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Old Knife
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I'm interested about what you'll see when you look at Varthoom.
Anti-Thesis (part 10)
Mr Zoat
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11th July 2012
06:08 GMT
The guns train on us and the Thunderers begin to gather as we cross the plaza, Kalmin in the lead and me toddling along behind him like an obedient minion. We're about half way across before-
"Halt and be recognised!"
-one of them tries hailing us.
Kalmin doesn't stop, which makes sense if the q'ardajin have a feudal arrangement. Kalmin isn't going to take orders from a feudal inferior. Or maybe he just thinks that they should damn well recognise him without being prompted. I wouldn't be able to name the Prime Minister before Margaret Thatcher but I could name the one before Cameron. And I'd probably be a bit surprised if another British person couldn't.
And I doubt there's an Amazon who can't remember the name of the queen before Hippolyta.
A Thunderer with a slightly fancier helmet appears on the battlement, prompting the shouter to step back. Fancy hat watches Kalmin for a moment, then raises his right hand in greeting.
"Weaponer Kalmin. Not dead, I see."
This time Kalmin stops and looks up.
"No. Varnathon proved to be a disappointment."
The lead Thunderer's face twitches. Yes, he thinks that Varnathon should have killed Kalmin too, but more to preserve good order than as a punishment for failure. Having two High Weaponlords adds confusion to the chain of command. And increases the risk of infighting. But by that same token he doesn't particularly want to be involved if two Weaponers are going to go at it.
"I was referring to the Lantern attack."
"Did anyone have the courage to actually check?"
"I… Don't know, Weaponer. I wasn't assigned-."
"Fah. Open the gate or I kill you all."
"Yes, Weaponer."
He glances aside and for a moment and the gate begins swinging outwards. Thick armour reinforced with force fields, though since the main defence is the Thunderer garrison I imagine it's more so they aren't bothered by weak attacks than a serious all-out attempt to build as strong a defensive structure as they can.
"Is that a new robot design, Weaponer?"
"Maybe. I haven't decided if it's worth anything yet."
Huh. I suppose that between the anti-sensor systems in my armour, my tattoos and the fact that they don't want to press an irritable Weaponer, they probably can't tell that I'm a living person.
"Do you require an escort, Weaponer?"
Kalmin doesn't look up this time, preferring to just march forward.
"No. This is a dispute between Weaponers. If I can't protect myself then I deserve to die."
I didn't expect him to care about how far I'd have to fly to get to an anti-matter to matter transfer portal, but now that I've identified it as an issue I'm thinking about it. I don't think they destroyed the one we used last time, and since it's in 1417 it's probably one Kalmin made anyway… But if the Thunderers decide to come after me that's going to be a pain.
The lead Thunderer doesn't bother speaking further as we enter the fort, the gate shutting behind us. Kalmin seems to know where he's going, so I continue to play the part of a dumb robot and follow him. Actually, ring? Robot voice.
Compliance.
"Directive, Weaponer?"
"I'm out of date with Weaponer politics. My former allies naturally abandoned me when I fell from grace, but I don't know who is allied to Varnathon and who is merely cooperating with him. In practical terms, there's no reason not to simply walk up to the workshop of an old colleague or two and try to-. Ah."
"Threat assessment, Weaponer?"
He taps his left bracer, and my armour's communication system receives a stream showing a female q'ardajin in protective overalls. She's bald, with either cybernetic or bioengineered eyes.
"High Weaponlord Kalmin. It is a pleasure to see you again."
"Weaponer Lysis. This is a surprise."
"That I'm talking to you, or that I know that you're here?"
"Either. You're sponsoring Thunderers, now?"
"I've infiltrated monitoring systems worldwide. Varnathon decided that he wanted to keep me where he could see me."
"I told you that your old clothes were impractical. What you're wearing now is much better."
"Varnathon wants me where he can see me due to the fact that I was tutored by you, not because he wants to keep seeing me in thigh-boots and a bikini. He knows perfectly well that I'm the only person likely to actually miss you."
"Foolish sentiment. I thoroughly deserved to be cast down."
"I didn't say that I actually did. Varnathon isn't… Like you."
"I know."
"Kalmin, q'ardajin don't do counter-coups. You haven't done anything that would make the Weaponers give you your old title back. Varnathon is… Reasonably popular with-"
"Varnathon is selling qwa matter."
"-the Counc-. What?"
Her eye configuration makes it impossible for her eyes to widen, but the movement of the flesh on her face makes it look like she's trying anyway.
"I've encountered it on two occasions. The gun could have been a war-prize, though not sending Thunderers to recover it was sloppy. But they had more than that. I tolerated weapon sales when I was High Weaponlord, and when I heard that Varnathon was increasing mercantilism I just rolled my eyes. But this is qwa matter, a sacred gift to the q'ardajin people from the-."
"Yes, I fully understand that trading qwa matter is not the same as selling neural impactors."
"I didn't know we were still making those."
"Some aliens from the matter universe are buying them. Varnathon had me dust off the designs. But that's beside the point. The other Weaponers won't stand for Varnathon doing anything like that with qwa matter or qwa energy. Even the ones who aren't as faithful as you will be horrified for strategic reasons."
"Can you communicate the news to the Council?"
She glances behind her for a moment before replying.
"Yes, though I doubt that I can do that without Varnathon noticing. If you're intending to act covertly-."
"I'm not."
She smiles. "No, of course you're not. Am I allowed to conceal that it came from me?"
"That's up to you. I'll quite understand if you want the pleasure of killing him yourself, but I would personally be far more satisfied if his misdeeds were revealed to the entire Council and that… Would probably be more difficult if you were detected."
"I will prioritise my own safety, then."
"Very well. I will speak to you in person when I meet with the rest of the Council."
"Kalmin… It's good to see you again."
"Don't get sentimental, Lysis. We have work to do."
06:08 GMT
The guns train on us and the Thunderers begin to gather as we cross the plaza, Kalmin in the lead and me toddling along behind him like an obedient minion. We're about half way across before-
"Halt and be recognised!"
-one of them tries hailing us.
Kalmin doesn't stop, which makes sense if the q'ardajin have a feudal arrangement. Kalmin isn't going to take orders from a feudal inferior. Or maybe he just thinks that they should damn well recognise him without being prompted. I wouldn't be able to name the Prime Minister before Margaret Thatcher but I could name the one before Cameron. And I'd probably be a bit surprised if another British person couldn't.
And I doubt there's an Amazon who can't remember the name of the queen before Hippolyta.
A Thunderer with a slightly fancier helmet appears on the battlement, prompting the shouter to step back. Fancy hat watches Kalmin for a moment, then raises his right hand in greeting.
"Weaponer Kalmin. Not dead, I see."
This time Kalmin stops and looks up.
"No. Varnathon proved to be a disappointment."
The lead Thunderer's face twitches. Yes, he thinks that Varnathon should have killed Kalmin too, but more to preserve good order than as a punishment for failure. Having two High Weaponlords adds confusion to the chain of command. And increases the risk of infighting. But by that same token he doesn't particularly want to be involved if two Weaponers are going to go at it.
"I was referring to the Lantern attack."
"Did anyone have the courage to actually check?"
"I… Don't know, Weaponer. I wasn't assigned-."
"Fah. Open the gate or I kill you all."
"Yes, Weaponer."
He glances aside and for a moment and the gate begins swinging outwards. Thick armour reinforced with force fields, though since the main defence is the Thunderer garrison I imagine it's more so they aren't bothered by weak attacks than a serious all-out attempt to build as strong a defensive structure as they can.
"Is that a new robot design, Weaponer?"
"Maybe. I haven't decided if it's worth anything yet."
Huh. I suppose that between the anti-sensor systems in my armour, my tattoos and the fact that they don't want to press an irritable Weaponer, they probably can't tell that I'm a living person.
"Do you require an escort, Weaponer?"
Kalmin doesn't look up this time, preferring to just march forward.
"No. This is a dispute between Weaponers. If I can't protect myself then I deserve to die."
I didn't expect him to care about how far I'd have to fly to get to an anti-matter to matter transfer portal, but now that I've identified it as an issue I'm thinking about it. I don't think they destroyed the one we used last time, and since it's in 1417 it's probably one Kalmin made anyway… But if the Thunderers decide to come after me that's going to be a pain.
The lead Thunderer doesn't bother speaking further as we enter the fort, the gate shutting behind us. Kalmin seems to know where he's going, so I continue to play the part of a dumb robot and follow him. Actually, ring? Robot voice.
Compliance.
"Directive, Weaponer?"
"I'm out of date with Weaponer politics. My former allies naturally abandoned me when I fell from grace, but I don't know who is allied to Varnathon and who is merely cooperating with him. In practical terms, there's no reason not to simply walk up to the workshop of an old colleague or two and try to-. Ah."
"Threat assessment, Weaponer?"
He taps his left bracer, and my armour's communication system receives a stream showing a female q'ardajin in protective overalls. She's bald, with either cybernetic or bioengineered eyes.
"High Weaponlord Kalmin. It is a pleasure to see you again."
"Weaponer Lysis. This is a surprise."
"That I'm talking to you, or that I know that you're here?"
"Either. You're sponsoring Thunderers, now?"
"I've infiltrated monitoring systems worldwide. Varnathon decided that he wanted to keep me where he could see me."
"I told you that your old clothes were impractical. What you're wearing now is much better."
"Varnathon wants me where he can see me due to the fact that I was tutored by you, not because he wants to keep seeing me in thigh-boots and a bikini. He knows perfectly well that I'm the only person likely to actually miss you."
"Foolish sentiment. I thoroughly deserved to be cast down."
"I didn't say that I actually did. Varnathon isn't… Like you."
"I know."
"Kalmin, q'ardajin don't do counter-coups. You haven't done anything that would make the Weaponers give you your old title back. Varnathon is… Reasonably popular with-"
"Varnathon is selling qwa matter."
"-the Counc-. What?"
Her eye configuration makes it impossible for her eyes to widen, but the movement of the flesh on her face makes it look like she's trying anyway.
"I've encountered it on two occasions. The gun could have been a war-prize, though not sending Thunderers to recover it was sloppy. But they had more than that. I tolerated weapon sales when I was High Weaponlord, and when I heard that Varnathon was increasing mercantilism I just rolled my eyes. But this is qwa matter, a sacred gift to the q'ardajin people from the-."
"Yes, I fully understand that trading qwa matter is not the same as selling neural impactors."
"I didn't know we were still making those."
"Some aliens from the matter universe are buying them. Varnathon had me dust off the designs. But that's beside the point. The other Weaponers won't stand for Varnathon doing anything like that with qwa matter or qwa energy. Even the ones who aren't as faithful as you will be horrified for strategic reasons."
"Can you communicate the news to the Council?"
She glances behind her for a moment before replying.
"Yes, though I doubt that I can do that without Varnathon noticing. If you're intending to act covertly-."
"I'm not."
She smiles. "No, of course you're not. Am I allowed to conceal that it came from me?"
"That's up to you. I'll quite understand if you want the pleasure of killing him yourself, but I would personally be far more satisfied if his misdeeds were revealed to the entire Council and that… Would probably be more difficult if you were detected."
"I will prioritise my own safety, then."
"Very well. I will speak to you in person when I meet with the rest of the Council."
"Kalmin… It's good to see you again."
"Don't get sentimental, Lysis. We have work to do."
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