• The site has now migrated to Xenforo 2. If you see any issues with the forum operation, please post them in the feedback thread.
  • Due to issues with external spam filters, QQ is currently unable to send any mail to Microsoft E-mail addresses. This includes any account at live.com, hotmail.com or msn.com. Signing up to the forum with one of these addresses will result in your verification E-mail never arriving. For best results, please use a different E-mail provider for your QQ address.
  • For prospective new members, a word of warning: don't use common names like Dennis, Simon, or Kenny if you decide to create an account. Spammers have used them all before you and gotten those names flagged in the anti-spam databases. Your account registration will be rejected because of it.
  • Since it has happened MULTIPLE times now, I want to be very clear about this. You do not get to abandon an account and create a new one. You do not get to pass an account to someone else and create a new one. If you do so anyway, you will be banned for creating sockpuppets.
  • Due to the actions of particularly persistent spammers and trolls, we will be banning disposable email addresses from today onward.
  • The rules regarding NSFW links have been updated. See here for details.

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

I release the Colin Thornton construct lantern and send it onward. It marches into the fracture zone, which triggers and begins altering the relationship between spatial dimensions in its radius. Colin returns to my ring instantly, but I'm braced and prepared for the storm of horrifying images that come with seeing his memories and behaviours. I release and dispatch him again to the same result, and again-.

The spatial fracture generator stutters, a problem with hiding a power hungry system from a sufficiently capable attacker. Colin flies through during the flux with only some damage, and tears apart the generator with his bare hands.

"Dismissed."

He vanishes, and after another scan I advance into the area it was covering.

Aren't Paul's construct lanterns usually more.. expressive? Teekl, the Praexis Demons, Hellwraith, Demon Nabu, Gary..nitpick maybe, but it's weird seeing them not even go "Yes, Master" or something.

He manages to get up on his hands and knees, still cringing and unwilling to meet my eyes.

"Joseph. Joseph Harrolds."

You know, what would happen if Paul assimilated someone from the Antimatter Universe? I know it can assimilate demons and such, but would it work on something made of antimatter?
 
Aren't Paul's construct lanterns usually more.. expressive? Teekl, the Praexis Demons, Hellwraith, Demon Nabu, Gary..nitpick maybe, but it's weird seeing them not even go "Yes, Master" or something.
They only act like anything because subconsciously Paul expected them to act at least partly like their old self. If he doesn't want construct Colin to act like anything, it won't.
 
20th January 2013
12:52 GMT


Desiccated corpses with small cups next to their shelves are arrayed near the entrance. Then there's a gap before the older remains, probably because they were sleeping here and didn't see the point in walking further than they had to. Several of the shelves had bits of bedding in with them, blankets or pillows or wind-up clocks. There's a residue of poison in the cups, and after calculating the likely result on the natives' physiology I find myself agreeing with my golden alter-ego: carbon monoxide really is the way to go.
Honestly, the poison was probably the best option they had. They might not have been able to ensure that any kind of fire, especially one large enough to suffocate them all, wouldn't go out of control and damage the tombs...

The crypt is build into the stone of the mountain, and while the outer museum was a relatively normal room the crypt itself is bare stone. No decoration, but it does have oil lanterns hanging from the ceiling to light the way. They've long since gone out, reservoirs expended. For a moment I wonder where they got the oil from, but I suppose that it wouldn't be strange for communities like this to ship in a barrel a year or so.

I move deeper, Jade watching the flanks. Side passages are more crypts, but they don't have any markings so I've got no idea if they're for families or years or professions or… Whatever they considered most significant. Further in and the passages-.
Honestly, a setup like this... Would the closest crypts have been the oldest community members, dating back however many decades since its founding, with newer crypts deeper down as they expanded... Or would they have moved each older generation deeper in with each expansion, to ensure the newly interred 'ancestor spirits' were closest to the living? Who knows?

"Stop."

I stop, attack constructs ready to go at a moment's notice.
Which would be quite the display in animation. guns appearing all around him... :D

"The walls. They weren't made with the same tools."

I take a closer look… Yes. This continent was early to mid twentieth century equivalent in terms of technology. This was done with something else, something they couldn't have built; either a plasma cutter or a matter disruptor.
...So not a local. Perhaps this section was carved to to hide something newer? But by who?

"Kalmin wouldn't have left a test subject alive. But it's not that hard to come here if you know where you're going. There's no reason to assume that we're the first ones here."

I continue deeper. Something else that stands out: Kalmin wouldn't have bothered to copy local styles, whereas whoever did this clearly has. There are empty shelves, their design similar to but not quite the same as the ones the locals use. And there are bodies, but they're placed sporadically while the locals filled up spaces before moving on.
Definitely someone trying to hide something.

Alert.

Standard scan didn't spot it, but sonic and electrical sensors working together detected a spatial fracture system. Nasty if you walk into it, but the generator node… Should be…
Ooof. I expect it has an effect on corporeal forms similar to what a kaleidoscope does to light? Messy.

I release the Colin Thornton construct lantern and send it onward. It marches into the fracture zone, which triggers and begins altering the relationship between spatial dimensions in its radius. Colin returns to my ring instantly, but I'm braced and prepared for the storm of horrifying images that come with seeing his memories and behaviours. I release and dispatch him again to the same result, and again-.

The spatial fracture generator stutters, a problem with hiding a power hungry system from a sufficiently capable attacker. Colin flies through during the flux with only some damage, and tears apart the generator with his bare hands.
Good use for bad rubbish, even if you have to put up with seeing his memories every time...

"Dismissed."

He vanishes, and after another scan I advance into the area it was covering.
Since that area couldn't have any other defences within it... They'd have been destroyed by the effect.

"Would that send an alert?"

"Probably. Nothing I can detect, so we're dealing with someone clever rather than opportunistic looters."
Which means said signal could be very well-hidden from you.

Scanners and mental acceleration on full I move forward, alert for-

"Nurnnurnnurnnurn…"
Someone's having either a very bad time back there, or a very good one. :oops:

-any sign of danger to us. Nothing, and we're in a crypt cul-de-sac-. And from the way that dust cloud is moving I can tell that's a hologram.

I short it out, and-.
To be fair, it'd probably have fooled anyone without a Power Ring, I bet.

Plasma fire from a device built into the ceiling hits my force field and achieves precisely nothing, while my spear construct punches through its weak armour cuts off its power supply. Hm. So far it looks like the technology here is advanced, but the application is a little slapdash. Someone with little field experience?

Other force fields or guns? Looks like no. I push on-
A rookie Weaponer, taking advantage of Kalmin's abandonment of his worksite?

Scan available.

-into the room, construct tentacles snaking out and seizing control of the main computer system. Sadly it's not tied into anything other than the… Containment unit? But I stop the automatic subject purge countdown anyway.
Because of course there's a self-destruct. Probably something large and messy, I bet.

The subject-. A dishevelled humanoid. Male. He's wearing a plug suit-. No, a bio-monitor suit, but his hair and beard are scraggly and I can see blood around his mouth.

And fear. So much fear.
Huh. Marinated in fear. That sounds... Unpleasant.

The other equipment… Some of it looks a little like Kalmin's forge. Other parts look like the more mundane parts of his workshop. A Weaponer, then. Someone out of favour with Varnathon? Or just trying to hide a secret workshop away from prying eyes.

The computer doesn't have records on it. Because what sort of Weaponer wouldn't be able to just remember things like that?
Kalmin: A very poor one, of course.

The containment chamber is a custom job, and I don't think that it's designed to let things pass in or out easily. I could break through with a little effort, but I think it's best to get a better idea of what's going on first. The man inside doesn't look bound in any way, he's just sort of curled up against the side of the chamber.

And there's the speak-.
Yeah, best to know what you're poking before you let it out of it's cage.

Wait. I know that face. DNA scan-.

I activate the speaker.
Let me guess: An Antimatter universe counterpart of someone you know? What are the odds?

"Orange Lantern Illustres here." His head doesn't come up. "Can you hear me?"

"Eh-heh-heh-huuuu…"
Well, he's terrified beyond the capacity for rational thought.

Cowering and gibbering. Okay. If I understand this machine correctly, then pulling this lever and turning these dials should reduce the focus on the chamber interior.

"I think the Weaponer who set this place up was trying to focus the residual fear energy through this man."
For shits and giggles, or for a specific reason?

"Why?"

"I'm not sure. Perhaps they were trying to make him into an ideal Yellow Lantern? Or just to see what would happen."
To be fair, for a Weaponer, that's an entirely valid option...

"Where did they get a human?" … "Don't tell me-."

"There's an anti-matter Earth. I mean an Earth Negative Sixteen. I don't actually know if he's from there."
...So, there's an Earth -14. What's their Earth 14 like, then? Or would that be the equivalent of their Anti-Matter Universe? o_O

"But you don't think he's from our Earth. You've scanned him."

"Yes. Hello in there! Are you feeling any better?"
Given previous experience with inter-polarity crossovers, I'm betting his entire body has Situs Inversus. That is, his body is a mirror image of a 'normal' human's - Heart on the right, that sort of thing.

"Hu-ur-huh?"

His head comes up slightly, his mind still filled with fear but regaining the capacity for coherent thought.
Ah, he's not gone bye-bye any more. Just remember, if he asks if you're a god... Say 'Yes.' :D

"I'm happy to remove you from this planet just as soon as we can get some idea how safe that is for you. Can you tell me your name, sir?"

He manages to make eye contact for a moment, then they drop back down again. I'm not sure if all that I'm seeing in him is fear because it's so strong that it's overwhelming, or because that's all there is left.
It wouldn't be the first time you've encountered someone cut off from the other Lights. Remember Sally Sonic?

"W-where is she?"

"I don't know who you're talking about, sir. As far as I know, the three of us are the only people on the planet."
...The only ones alive, anyway.

"No-no-no-no-no."

"Can you tell me your name?"
Might need to be a bit more commanding to break through that thick shell of fear, OL...

He manages to get up on his hands and knees, still cringing and unwilling to meet my eyes.

"Joseph. Joseph Harrolds."
...If you're lucky, you can prevent him being acquired by Volthoom's Ring...

Huh. There's a turn-up for the books. I wonder if this universe has an active Crime Syndicate (and Joe 'Power Ring' Harrolds here was lost in space) or if it's earlier in their Earth's timeline. Either is entirely possible, given the funky inter-universal timelines... I mean, how many times did the Earth-1 Justice League have a 'first encounter' with alternate, evil Earths? Even accounting for Crises rewriting history?

The crypt is build into the stone of the mountain...
The crypt is built into the stone of the mountain...
...punches through its weak armour cuts off its power supply.
...punches through its weak armour and cuts off its power supply.
 
Looked him up and man there is just a slew of retconning as they can't seem to quite figure out this guy's personality or even how his ring functions.

But he's a villain for one of the versions of the Crime Syndicate, and the Antimatter counterpart to Hal Jordan.

And either his power ring is cursed and causes him both physical and mental anguish when he uses it, with the users generally tricking other people into taking it, or it isn't cursed but is still something separate from the Green Lanterns and the Guardians.

The cursed version of the character is kind of a weak willed little bitch, but the not-cursed version apparently has such overwhelming levels of willpower that he was able to use his lantern itself as a weapon instead of just his ring. A feat which is considered "impossible" for Green Lanterns to achieve. (I guess that would be a raw power thing.)
 
The crypt is built into the stone of the mountain...
...punches through its weak armour and cuts off its power supply.
Thank you, corrected.
Who was this? I think the anti-green version ended up with a golden ring. Was it him?
Yes.
I wonder if Paul will recognize this guy. I didn't I know who Power Ring is. His death leads to my second favorite Green Lantern becoming a character Jessica Cruz. I never learned his real name though.
No, that version of Power Ring is just called Harold Jordan.
 
I'm a bit confused. I thought Earth Negative 14 was the main Crime Syndicate universe of this fic, not Earth Negative 16? Or is that a typo? When has Paul been to an antimatter universe?
 
I'm a bit confused. I thought Earth Negative 14 was the main Crime Syndicate universe of this fic, not Earth Negative 16? Or is that a typo?
The people from -14 deliberately avoided 14 because they'd already fought them.
When has Paul been to an antimatter universe?
When he picked up Kalmin, though he didn't go anywhere near their Earth.
 
The people from -14 deliberately avoided 14 because they'd already fought them.

When he picked up Kalmin, though he didn't go anywhere near their Earth.

I thought -14 had fought Earth 12's Justice League.

So you're going with the idea that every Earth in this multiverse has its own Antimatter counterpart? That's a neat concept.
 
Where did they get a human?" … "Don't tell me-."

"There's an anti-matter Earth. I mean an Earth Negative Sixteen. I don't actually know if he's from there."

Kalmin also did once mention abducting and experimenting on humans from Earth after Jordan showed up.

I'm happy to remove you from this planet just as soon as we can get some idea how safe that is for you.

Hmm, seeing as he's been suffocated by fear removing him may potentially be like taking away the drugs f a particularly addicted user and can lead to serious complications.
 
Aren't Paul's construct lanterns usually more.. expressive? Teekl, the Praexis Demons, Hellwraith, Demon Nabu, Gary..nitpick maybe, but it's weird seeing them not even go "Yes, Master" or something.



You know, what would happen if Paul assimilated someone from the Antimatter Universe? I know it can assimilate demons and such, but would it work on something made of antimatter?

There was the whole thing with Red Tornado's 'father'. Truggs had made him a construct and paul took him in, but never gave him orders. He went over to Tornado's place to check up on him. They found that the personality of the construct was effected by Paul's own desires. The construct mad scientist didn't have any great urge to do anything, but even the suggestion of writing down his work made him want to.

Paul liked having a cat, and knew cats were gonna act like cats. Teeki was very animated and fairly cat like, writ large.

The Praexis demons were absorbed after demoing their abilities and personality and stayed that way....until Pauls drives changes (there was a big where one of them did the 'food?' gag and got dope slapped by the others....and later on when he used them he actually kinda missed it when they stopped).

The Hellwraith got shifted around once he figured out how malleable it could be, but rarely did anything to show it's personality off. Where as the Evil Fate construct from that hell on earth world is coloured by the pre battle banter and the image of the Old Nabu luggage, and acts accordingly.

Aside from Truggs, mini satan here was likely a good contender for Pauls Nemesis, as he applied all the uplifted magical developments Paul started to make the world worse. He Really didn't like the guy, and really didn't like having him in his head....but yeeting him out front as his walking 10 trap detecting pole is a decent fate for him, since sending him home to hell isn't much punishment. A bit of back sass from being used as a pinata might be expected though.
 
Aside from Truggs, mini satan here was likely a good contender for Pauls Nemesis, as he applied all the uplifted magical developments Paul started to make the world worse. He Really didn't like the guy, and really didn't like having him in his head....but yeeting him out front as his walking 10 trap detecting pole is a decent fate for him, since sending him home to hell isn't much punishment. A bit of back sass from being used as a pinata might be expected though.

Ngl, I'd love to see that :D

Satanus: Pardon me, Master, but could you not constantly use me as a glorified sandbag.

Paul: Your request is acknowledged, Lantern Thorton, but no. Now, do you mind making yourself useful and checking this hallway for boobytraps?

Satanus*sighing*: Very well, Master.
 
Last edited:
Sorry, was doing a reread and thought of this:
"To ascertain whether you are being utilised as effectively as you could be. With your strategic manoeuvrability being so much greater than that of our fastest ships, there are roles other than slow expansion and investigation which you could serve in.
How much technological pilfering have the Tau had him doing?

Because ring FTL, ring scans and the occasional covert assimilation of a tech priest to become a construct should be able to copy most of the imperium's tech base in at least not too long.
And from there it should be possible to track down imperial records of other races, and pilfer tech from those races that are more advanced than the imperium in a narrow specialty.
Or at least give Tau scientists a lot more to go on in reverse engineering attempts/inspiration for their own designs.

And if he could take an apothecary and salvage some geneseed, they could copy the space marine implants. Though that'd be something to leave for last, as it would probably be hard to hide and provocative of crusades.


Or is this interview going to bring up the idea of using him for that kind of stuff/longer-ranged diplomacy?
 
Sorry, was doing a reread and thought of this:

How much technological pilfering have the Tau had him doing?

Because ring FTL, ring scans and the occasional covert assimilation of a tech priest to become a construct should be able to copy most of the imperium's tech base in at least not too long.
And from there it should be possible to track down imperial records of other races, and pilfer tech from those races that are more advanced than the imperium in a narrow specialty.
Or at least give Tau scientists a lot more to go on in reverse engineering attempts/inspiration for their own designs.

And if he could take an apothecary and salvage some geneseed, they could copy the space marine implants. Though that'd be something to leave for last, as it would probably be hard to hide and provocative of crusades.


Or is this interview going to bring up the idea of using him for that kind of stuff/longer-ranged diplomacy?
Reminder that every single Imperium database is warded and that Power Rings can't access warded systems.

Second reminder, Imperium systems are filled with AI and Scrap Code that without Author Ex Machina would destroy his ring if he actually tried to access them.

Third reminder, if he starts Assimilating humans he's likely to get a Culexus sent after him... At which point he dies...
 
Fear Ourself (part 8)
20th January 2013
12:56 GMT


"Thank you."

So, either the local version of Harold Jordan, or… I mean, Qward's had access to parallel universes for decades at least. He could have come from just about anywhere-.

Jade makes a small jerking motion with her head, and I take my hand off the intercom.

"Am I supposed to pretend that I don't know who Harold Jordan is, or can we have a sensible conversation?"

"It's probably best that you pretend when you're back on Earth."

"Neither of us detected any spaceships anywhere on this planet, or any residue from one flying in."

"There's no interdiction system up. If they knew the area, there's no reason why they couldn't fly right up to the atmosphere."

"Or a yellow power ring."

She's right. All this yellow light, there's a good chance that I wouldn't be able to distinguish between the planet and a ring's output.

"Yes. But this doesn't feel like Sinestro. He's intelligent, but he's not an expert scientist. He was an archaeologist before he joined the Green Lantern Corps, and he certainly didn't have time for getting a second doctorate afterwards."

"He could have gone back to school after he left."

"Yes, but this is Qwardian equipment. They sell weapons, not the tools to make weapons."

"Varnathon was happy selling to aliens. And Sinestro was the reason why Kalmin lost his job."

"You think they were in touch beforehand?"

"Sinestro wants a Lantern Corps… Or at least some minions with power rings. Kalmin hasn't made another yellow ring since the one he made Sinestro."

"Varnathon could barely make qwa-matter."

"He had all of Kalmin's records and Kalmin's apprentices. He wouldn't need to make the rings himself. And we haven't seen any evidence that Sinestro has extra power rings yet. He might just be trying to learn to make them himself."

And the knowledge that I can make power rings is relatively common amongst N.E.M.O. personnel. Not sure how many people know in N.E.M.O.-affiliated space, but I doubt that it would be hard for Sinestro to find out. Or maybe he decided that he could do it after watching Kalmin. Here-.

He and Arin married after he joined the Green Lantern Corps, when he was well into his middle years. And given that Green Lantern medical aid isn't anything like as good as you might expect, I imagine that he's feeling his old injuries. Korugari tend to live a little longer than humans, but not by much. Sinestro's an old man. Learning a new trick that big..?

"Maybe, but I.. don't think it's likely."

Though I suppose there's an easy way to find out. I activate the intercom once more.

"Can you tell me who put you in there?"

Mr. Harrolds is sitting up a little. He's still clearly not happy with his situation, but that suggests that we're going to get a more helpful answer this time.

"BaldChick. Big… Robot eyes, like a bug."

Qwardian, but that doesn't exactly narrow it down.

"Did she give you a name?"

"H-human test meat."

Um. "I meant, did she tell you her name?"

"No. No."

"Are you from Earth?"

"Yeah. W-why?"

"Well, we need some information from you, but afterwards we're happy to take you back."

"H-happy?"

"Um. Well, I do feel mildly uplifted when I help someone do something they couldn't have done for themselves, so-."

"Why?"

I'm.. puzzled by the sheer bewilderment in his-. Oh. It's one of those negative Earths.

"Troop instinct. Most people get positive feedback from being around other happy people."

"You're..? You mean, you're Human?"

Right, Jade and I are both wearing all-encompassing armour. He can't see our faces.

"Yes, from a parallel universe. This is ar-. Mour."

Wait.

I take a hologram projector out of subspace, and use it to project an image of Kalmin's female students.

"Was it one of these?"

"Ah..?"

His eyes jump from the image to me, back and forth. Why-?

He's trying to work out the 'right' answer.

"The right answer is an accurate answer. It's either one of them or it isn't, and I need to know either way."

" No." He braces himself for my wrath, but I don't respond. After a moment he collects himself. "They look similar. I guess they're the same species. It's the same… Same technology."

I send the projector back into subspace.

"Did the woman who put you here use a ring at any point?"

"Use..? What?"

"A ring. A small glowing ring."

"Ah… No. I didn't.. see one."

"Did she say what she was doing with you in here?"

"Something about… Learning to control absolute fear. I'm… I'm feeling better… Now."

"Yes, I turned off the machine."

"She… She said not to do that."

"Did she say why?" He shakes his head. "Then I won't worry until something catches fire. Let me just break you out."
 
Last edited:
So last we got to see LePaul hadn't figured out creating a proper power ring (not a construct in the shape of a power ring). The only time we saw him do anything like that was retrieving Larfleeze's ring from the Honden after it was destroyed.
 
Thank you, corrected.
Sorry, was doing a reread and thought of this:

How much technological pilfering have the Tau had him doing?

Because ring FTL, ring scans and the occasional covert assimilation of a tech priest to become a construct should be able to copy most of the imperium's tech base in at least not too long.
And from there it should be possible to track down imperial records of other races, and pilfer tech from those races that are more advanced than the imperium in a narrow speciality.
Or at least give Tau scientists a lot more to go on in reverse engineering attempts/inspiration for their own designs.

And if he could take an apothecary and salvage some geneseed, they could copy the space marine implants. Though that'd be something to leave for last, as it would probably be hard to hide and provocative of crusades.

Or is this interview going to bring up the idea of using him for that kind of stuff/longer-ranged diplomacy?
Not all that much. Without the rest of the technology web, capturing a particular thing isn't all that useful. Similarly, the general state of ignorance in the Imperium means that capturing an individual might not be all that useful.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top