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

CrazyNoVa · Jun 14, 2024

Question: Could the Parasite of this universe use an Orange ring? I mean, his whole character and motivation are basically defined by his hunger, so I imagine that he could probably attract an orange ring, right?

PJCG said:
I was just about to say this. Mr Zoat's telling of Kara's character makes me realise how crazy broken Kryptonians are. While also revealing the fact that, if Superman can't do these things too, after so many years of activity, he's either stupid or lazy.

Or maybe he's writers are stupid or lazy...

To be fair, Pre-Crisis Superman could somehow hear sounds on Earth from literally a Galaxy away, so if that version of Kara has Pre-Crisis Kryptonian powers, then I'm not surprised that she can hear sounds in space too. Breaking physics like that is child's play for a Pre-Crisis Kryptonian.

Mr Zoat · Jun 14, 2024

RichardWhereat said:
yeah, that slaps

The original version, obviously.

CrazyNoVa said:
Question: Could the Parasite of this universe use an Orange ring? I mean, his whole character and motivation are basically defined by his hunger, so I imagine that he could probably attract an orange ring, right?

Just about anyone can use an orange power ring. Parasite would probably quite like one if he thought about it, but they'd never let him have one.

Phoenix71771728 · Jun 14, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
The pickup point. We're just outside Visakhapatnam-.

Apparently, Google lists it as Visakhapatnam while we pronounce it Vishakhapatnam.

Now I don't know how the world works!

RichardWhereat · Saturday at 6:22 AM

Mr Zoat said:
The original version, obviously.

They remade it? What?

Mr Zoat · Saturday at 8:04 AM

RichardWhereat said:
They remade it? What?

Yes.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQ1uG91Bbls

Mr Zoat · Saturday at 8:05 AM

11th April 2013
18:59 GMT +5:30

I found out exactly what nuclear weapons India has when I joined the Justice League's anti-nuclear apocalypse conspiracy. India has nuclear weapons that can be launched from the air, from the ground and from the sea. Their nuclear missile-capable submarines are still under construction, but several small navy ships are capable of launching smaller missiles with nuclear warheads.

Normally, tracking them would be a job for Atlantis, but… They're not here right now. Keeping tabs on ground and air based deployment vehicles as well as naval vessels in harbour is handled by Batman… Or it was. Understandably, he's been busy, and a lot of the mechanisms he used to keep tabs on them remotely have failed.

In what I hope was a remarkable display of good sense by the Indian defence ministry, all of their nuclear weapons were ordered to be put in peace time mode when the Broadcast happened. But aside from an incident when our penal legion had to stop an unusually deranged City Boss using a stolen land-based missile to kill himself and his entire city on a date of astrological significance… While we know where they all should be, we don't know where they all are. And in what I suspect was a remarkable display of good -if frustrating- sense, they found time to ward them all.

On the other hand, the Mark-K eyeball works just fine.

Kara waves the transporter erector launcher back and forth in a way that makes me wince. At least there's no one inside the cab this time. "Should I put this one with the rest?"

"Did you find a missile?"

She shakes her head. "Didn't look like it was ever loaded."

"Then yes, carefully, please."

"Okay!"

In theory, Kara should be able to look around and see either radioactive residue or lead lining. But missiles are designed not to leak, and lead isn't all that uncommon. Spotting large and unusual vehicles is a little easier, but over the Anti-Life period a lot of people found a reason to take the large flatbed lorries for a drive. As Kara restores the transporter to the parking area of the closest military base, I transition to the next closest and begin probing the missiles.

There are a lot of short-ranged nuclear warhead armed missiles on the border with Pakistan, and a non-trivial number on the border with China. And I…

I could disarm them. The manufacturing centres for highly enriched plutonium were shut down worldwide by the League and League-affiliates-. Alright, it was basically Mr. Atom, because he's an expert, immune to the Anti-Life and capable of fixing any leaks. Between the collapse of governments, deaths amongst researchers and the destruction of the manufacturing capacities, it might be as much as five years before we're back to glassing-the-world levels of mutually assured destruction. So… Fairly pointless, and it would feed into the 'Justice League is taking over the world' thing.

"All where they're supposed to be. Moving on."

I transition again. Looks like the next base has an actual village inside it. I give them a wave as I start probing warheads.

"I don't understand this." Bleez flies over the settlement, because while her ship's sensors don't appear to be blocked by whatever this ward is, her ship only really has a basic sensor package.

"Don't understand what?"

"'India' and 'Pakistan' are different political groups, right?"

"Countries, yes. Don't you have a word for that?"

"Yeah, but it's… We've been unified since we overthrew the Seven Devils. The word that technically means 'countries' is an insult used against disunited aliens."

"We are disunited aliens."

"But I'm trying to be polite about it."

"It's fine."

"So they're right next to each other and point a tonne of fission warheads at each other."

"Yes."

"And aren't they worried that the other place might… You know, fire them?"

"Yes. And that's part of why they don't."

"Humans point weapons at each other… And that's… 'Peaceful'?"

"Well, sure. Who would you attack first, someone who can fight back or someone who can't?"

"Someone who can? Because they're threat and the people who can't aren't?"

"So..? Are you speaking as the heir to a colony world there, or is that the position of the Thanagarian government?"

"I don't.. think I understand why you're confused."

Check complete. "Moving again."

This base has seen some fighting. And the bodies haven't been recovered yet. Fight looks like it was… Not recent. Looks like they killed each other, and… Yes, the commanding officer killed himself. I'd guess he did that last, but the bodies are too… 'Snacked on' for me to be sure. At least it doesn't look like it was done with human teeth. I record everything, tidy and… 'Reunify' the bodies, then bag them for later collection and funerary rites.

"Humans sometimes attack because they see an imminent threat, but it's more common to attack because they see a way to benefit from attacking. If both sides can annihilate the other, and can't do it fast enough to stop the other side annihilating them right back, that appears to result in peace. Is that not how thanagarians do things?"

"Maybe it's.. because we're not stuck on one planet, and so we don't really get in this situation. But I can't see thanagarians keeping this sort of set up going for long. They must have known that the other side was setting missiles up."

"Yes, but overrunning a whole country takes a while, and launching missiles doesn't."

"I guess…"

"Ooh! Found one!"

"Found one what?"

"A fission bomb that's not there!"

Ring, track her current-. Thank you. Transition.

An airbase. Bodies, but recently killed. No more than a few days. And a plane where someone's taken an angle grinder to a weapon mount. Kara's got a pile of paperwork in her hands and waves it at me.

"See! They're one bomb short!"

I look around, marking the location of all of the other bombs.

"Yes. One bomb short. Why wouldn't they take more than that?"

"Because they only wanted one?"

"There wasn't anything critical at that location... Unless there was?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"Taking one bomb makes sense if you only want to destroy one thing, but if you just want to destroy stuff generally. Were they..? Rushed?"

Kara looks around, then shakes her head. "I don't think so. No one else came to look at this. We're the only ones who know that it happened, apart from the people who did it."

"Alright. Bleez, please come to our current location. It's forensics time."

Darko · Saturday at 8:16 AM

Mr Zoat said:
harbour is handle by Batman…

"handled"

Mr Zoat said:
"Alright. Bleez, please come to our current location. It's forensics time

Really hope he put on sunglasses when he said that.

RichardWhereat · Saturday at 8:24 AM

Mr Zoat said:
Yes.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQ1uG91Bbls

That.. is not Fresh Prince.

NightmareWarden · Saturday at 8:29 AM

Poor Bleez. Remember when Paul investigated that cordoned-off Wolverine planet? The ones who had a history of eating Ch'p's (the squirrel lantern) people? Awful place, an urban hellscape. Taking in this level of disorder, waste, and such is probably painful for the Thanagarian.

Honestly, the idea that some kryptonians or other could break her empire and fling Thanagar back into this state? Could probably give pause to the LEAST patriotic lizarcons.

Ngamer11 · Saturday at 8:48 AM

Mr Zoat said:
I found out exactly what nuclear weapons India has when I joined the Justice League's anti-nuclear apocalypse conspiracy. India has nuclear weapons that can be launched from the air, from the ground and from the sea. Their ICBM-capable submarines still under construction, but several small navy ships are capable of launching smaller missiles with nuclear warheads.

That should say 'submarines are still'. Also, it's been a while since that meeting about the Justice League's anti-nuclear apocalypse conspiracy. I honestly didn't think that scene would ever become relevant.

Mr Zoat said:
I could disarm them. The manufacturing centres for highly enriched plutonium were shut down worldwide by the League and League-affiliates-. Alright, it was basically Mr. Atom, because he's an expert, immune to the Anti-Life and capable of fixing any leaks. Between the collapse of governments, deaths amongst researchers and the destruction of the manufacturing capacities, if might be as much as five years before we're back to glassing-the-world levels of mutually assured destruction. So… Fairly pointless, and it would feed into the 'Justice League is taking over the world' thing.

That should say 'it'.

Mr Zoat said:
I transition again. Looks like the next base has an actual village inside it. I given them a wave as I start probing warheads.

That should say 'give'.

Chojin Patriarch · Saturday at 8:49 AM

Mr Zoat said:
11th April 2013
18:59 GMT +5:30

I found out exactly what nuclear weapons India has when I joined the Justice League's anti-nuclear apocalypse conspiracy. India has nuclear weapons that can be launched from the air, from the ground and from the sea. Their ICBM-capable submarines still under construction, but several small navy ships are capable of launching smaller missiles with nuclear warheads.

'Anti nuclear apocalypse conspiracy', huh? I wonder if that was around before the recent disasters, or if Batman had plans set up way back when... Though I imagine his plans are a bit more complex than 'have Superman fly around collecting them'.

Normally, tracking them would be a job for Atlantis, but… They're not here right now. Keeping tabs on ground and air based deployment vehicles as well as naval vessels in harbour is handle by Batman… Or it was. Understandably, he's been busy, and a lot of the mechanisms he used to keep tabs on them remotely have failed.

Though a Power Ring could compensate for that, unless they took measures...

In what I hope was a remarkable display of good sense by the Indian defence ministry, all of their nuclear weapons were ordered to be put in peace time mode when the Broadcast happened. But aside from an incident when our penal legion had to stop an unusually deranged City Boss using a stolen land-based missile to kill himself and his entire city on a date of astrological significance… While we know where they all should be, we don't know where they all are. And in what I suspect was a remarkable display of good -if frustrating- sense, they found time to ward them all.

...Of course they did.

On the other hand, the Mark-K eyeball works just find.

Kara waves the transporter erector launcher back and forth in a way that makes me wince. At least there's no one inside the cab this time. "Should I put this one with the rest?"

...That can't have been pleasant. Or fun to explain. And the image is probably worse if she's flapping it about with one hand...

"Did you find a missile?"

She shakes her head. "Didn't look like it was ever loaded."

It's not like they'd be stored on the trucks, after all.

"Then yes, carefully, please."

"Okay!"

This place is gonna look like a truck park by the time she's done, isn't it?

In theory, Kara should be able to look around and see either radioactive residue or lead lining. But missiles are designed not to leak, and lead isn't all that uncommon. Spotting large and unusual vehicles is a little easier, but over the Anti-Life period a lot of people found a reason to take the large flatbed lorries for a drive. As Kara restores the transporter to the parking area of the closest military base, I transition to the next closest and begin probing the missiles.

Well, yes, they are made to haul heavy loads. Of course people are going to borrow them when there's no objection.

There are a lot of short-ranged nuclear warhead armed missiles on the border with Pakistan, and a non-trivial number on the border with China. And I…

I could disarm them. The manufacturing centres for highly enriched plutonium were shut down worldwide by the League and League-affiliates-. Alright, it was basically Mr. Atom, because he's an expert, immune to the Anti-Life and capable of fixing any leaks. Between the collapse of governments, deaths amongst researchers and the destruction of the manufacturing capacities, if might be as much as five years before we're back to glassing-the-world levels of mutually assured destruction. So… Fairly pointless, and it would feed into the 'Justice League is taking over the world' thing.

No long-term benefit. I bet that would have been a Renegade interrupt moment.

"All where they're supposed to be. Moving on."

I transition again. Looks like the next base has an actual village inside it. I given them a wave as I start probing warheads.

Set up before the Exposure or after, I wonder? After all, military housing is probably a lot better than civilian housing around here.

"I don't understand this." Bleez flies over the settlement, because while her ship's sensors don't appear to be blocked by whatever this ward is, her ship only really has a basic sensor package.

"Don't understand what?"

Presumably she was en route there before OL stopped by. I doubt her ship is capable of in-atmosphere FTL. Still, having multiple pairs of 'eyes' on the matter is a definite must.

"'India' and 'Pakistan' are different political groups, right?"

"Countries, yes. Don't you have a word for that?"

The joy of the largely homogenous cultural template that tends to arise in less-well-thought-out fiction...

"Yeah, but it's… We've been unified since we overthrew the Seven Devils. The word that technically means 'countries' is an insult used against disunited aliens."

"We are disunited aliens."

I doubt Humanity even holds the record for most distinct polities on a single planet, either.

"But I'm trying to be polite about it."

"It's fine."

Don't worry, most humans wouldn't get offended by that.

"So they're right next to each other and point a tonne of fission warheads at each other."

"Yes."

Something of a Mexican standoff. Except with enough destructive power to level the region.

"And aren't they worried that the other place might… You know, fire them?"

"Yes. And that's part of why they don't."

After all, it's no fun shooting the guys you hate if there's a chance of getting hurt back.

"Humans point weapons at each other… And that's… 'Peaceful'?"

"Well, sure. Who would you attack first, someone who can fight back or someone who can't?"

A problem which diplomacy has long struggled with. Make it the former, and you're belligerent or seeking conflict. Do it to the latter, and you're a bully.

"Someone who can? Because they're threat and the people who can't aren't?"

"So..? Are you speaking as the heir to a colony world there, or is that the position of the Thanagarian government?"

Or as a single individual. She has a lot of hats to wear, so sometimes it's hard to pick just one.

"I don't.. think I understand why you're confused."

Check complete. "Moving again."

Guess it'll just have to stay a case of cultural dissonance. 'What's good for you isn't good for me', that sort of thing.

This base has seen some fighting. And the bodies haven't been recovered yet. Fight looks like it was… Not recent. Looks like they killed each other, and… Yes, the commanding officer killed himself. I'd guess he did that last, but the bodies are too… 'Snacked on' for me to be sure. At least it doesn't look like it was done with human teeth. I record everything, tidy and… 'Reunify' the bodies, then bag them for later collection and funerary rites.

Interesting detail. The commander killed himself? Presumably to stop the attackers from gaining some manner of information he has, like security codes or something.

"Humans sometimes attack because they see an imminent threat, but it's more common to attack because they see a way to benefit from attacking. If both sides can annihilate the other, and can't do it fast enough to stop the other side annihilating them right back, that appears to result in peace. Is that not how thanagarians do things?"

Or, in some insane cases, they attack to make themselves the victim somehow. ...It can happen.

"Maybe it's.. because we're not stuck on one planet, and so we don't really get in this situation. But I can't see thanagarians keeping this sort of set up going for long. They must have known that the other side was setting missiles up."

"Yes, but overrunning a whole country takes a while, and launching missiles doesn't."

And bases like this are usually able to operate independently of their central command. If the country is conquered quickly, some colonel in the boonies can fire off a retaliatory strike on the invaders out of spite.

"I guess…"

"Ooh! Found one!"

For a second, I thought that was Bleez, but the manner of speech is just not her style. Sounds like Kara lucked out.

"Found one what?"

"A fission bomb that's not there!"

Ah, good work, Kara.

Ring, track her current-. Thank you. Transition.

An airbase. Bodies, but recently killed. No more than a few days. And a plane where someone's taken an angle grinder to a weapon mount. Kara's got a pile of paperwork in her hands and waves it at me.

I see she grabbed the inventory and compared the stock to the list at speed.

"See! They're one bomb short!"

I look around, marking the location of all of the other bombs.

Always a good idea to double-check, but the evidence does look conclusive.

"Yes. One bomb short. Why wouldn't they take more than that?"

"Because they only wanted one?"

That just raises more questions...

"There wasn't anything critical at that location... Unless there was?"

"Uh, yeah?"

Perhaps some nutcase seeing the relocations the wrong way and deciding to make a statement?

"Taking one bomb makes sense if you only want to destroy one thing, but if you just want to destroy stuff generally. Were they..? Rushed?"

Kara looks around, then shakes her head. "I don't think so. No one else came to look at this. We're the only ones who know that it happened, apart from the people who did it."

"Alright. Bleez, please come to our current location. It's forensics time."

I can't imagine it was quiet. Maybe they could only carry one off because of lack of transport?

Well, the source of the weapon has ben located. Now for the real CSI challenge: Who took it and used it? Were the two the same person, or separate parties? And unless they were really stupid, I doubt whoever did this signed their work. And there's still the question of 'Why?' They had to know doing this would bring down major heat on their heads. Did they even care?

Ngamer11 · Saturday at 8:58 AM

Chojin Patriarch said:
Anti nuclear apocalypse conspiracy', huh? I wonder if that was around before the recent disasters, or if Batman had plans set up way back when... Though I imagine his plans are a bit more complex than 'have Superman fly around collecting them'.

The 'conspiracy' was previously shown in Episode 48: Bindings.

Mr Zoat said:
Bindings

11th May
13:58 GMT

Mr Zoat · Saturday at 9:02 AM

Darko said:
"handled"

Thank you, corrected.

Really hope he put on sunglasses when he said that.

No.

Ngamer11 said:
That should say 'submarines are still'. Also, it's been a while since that meeting about the Justice League's anti-nuclear apocalypse conspiracy. I honestly didn't think that scene would ever become relevant.
That should say 'it'.
That should say 'give'.

Thank you, corrected.

moralrelativity · Saturday at 9:24 AM

Mr Zoat said:
the Mark-K eyeball works just find.

find -> fine

Mr Zoat · Saturday at 11:05 AM

moralrelativity said:
find -> fine

Thank you, corrected.

DeathReaperZ · Saturday at 2:53 PM

Mr Zoat said:
She hesitates, and I punch her in the throat while drawing my revolver.

Why a revolver? Those don't exactly have high ammo capacity. Also, what happened to his plasma pistol?

Mr Zoat said:
There we are. Am-heh's bed. Now, administer an aesthetic or work fast? How avaricious is he?

I believe you mean an anaesthetic

Mr Zoat said:
The way to get knowledge from a construct lantern is to pull them into your ring.
Let's hope this doesn't result in another evil Paul.

On an unrelated note, what's Paul's, and by extension your, favourite colour? I know this seems silly, but I kinda want to know. Probably not orange though.

Mr Zoat · Saturday at 4:57 PM

DeathReaperZ said:
Why a revolver? Those don't exactly have high ammo capacity. Also, what happened to his plasma pistol?

Because they're mechanically reliable and hard to disrupt with advanced technology. It's supposed to be a holdout weapon, not an advancing-into-contact weapon.

Plasma can be detected and disrupted more easily.

I believe you mean an anaesthetic.

Thank you, corrected.

On an unrelated note, what's Paul's, and by extension your, favourite colour? I know this seems silly, but I kinda want to know. Probably not orange though.

A very particular pink-violet shade.

ShadowScion626 · Saturday at 11:24 PM

Oohhh! I've wanted to hear more form this Paul! Can't wait to see how this goes!

Jirachi · Sunday at 6:22 AM

Mr Zoat said:
Blasted Thinking Cap. If it was just invisibility I wouldn't have a problem. A weak omnidirectional pressure beam would reveal Bobo's location quickly enough. The problem is that the Thinking Cap doesn't quite do what I thought it did. After we acquired Dr. Hartford Jackson's research we found out (to my disappointment) that it isn't really a telepathy machine. It's a telekinesis machine. It can mind control people, but it does so in a fairly obvious brute force way and the one doing it doesn't get access to the contents of the victim's mind. The illusion creation function isn't as I had at first assumed a telepathic hallucination, but rather the application of what its inventor called 'mental force' on the environment, altering the properties of light in a particular area and causing false sensory feedback to anyone who touches what the user has 'created'. Oh, and it apparently increases the user's intelligence, which could well be why we're having this problem.

A few surprised faces look around as I open the door to a cubicle farm. KordTech's sales department. A lot of their stuff is special order, contracts being negotiated over a period of weeks to make sure technical reality and user expectations line up. Other stuff is actually kept in stock.

No ape.

And from the looks of things, if Bobo decides that he doesn't want to be found, it's capable of spoofing the ring.

I'm beginning to think that the Maltusians' reputation for paramount technological excellence was somewhat exaggerated.

On the other hand, Ted clearly has a non-implanted version of the technology which works. Yes. That's what I want to take away from this. And -depending on how much effort it takes to use- we might still be able to move into production. Or at least get something useful out of it. Mental illusions are useful, right? Unlike telepathy I'm not sure it's something that will be useful for me… But in power armour for general use, total invisibility would be blooming useful.
d and quite dishevelled Bobo appears on the ground in front of me. Time to get him out of this rig and back to his handlers.

Mr Zoat said:
12th April
12:04 GMT -5

"Mother Star, huh?"

I glance around from my workbench in the Mountain as Guy leans against the wall near the door. Then I turn back to my equipment, slotting a new kuru pendant into the thinkers cap currently plugged into my brain and

remembering.

Guy frowns at the device, eyes flickering green as he tries to make sense of it.

"Thought that thing wasn't ready fer the big time."

"The neural hook ups are constructs. I can just reset the physical structures of my brain when I want to disconnect. I've been thinking of integrating one into my armour, but it never seemed worth all the time I'd need in order to learn to use it well."

- Incidentally, what's up with this? First bit seems to indicate that it's not conventionally telepathic, but we see it later being treated as a generalized telepathy machine capable of intricate manipulation of the kuru pendant and such.
gets distracted by a side-tangent about how useful an exotic scanner beating stealth system like that could be

BR549 · Sunday at 8:23 AM

Mr Zoat said:
Their ICBM-capable submarines are still under construction,

...it might seem a little pedantic, but there's no such thing as an 'ICBM-capable submarine'. 'Intercontinental ballistic missiles' are always land-based. Submarine-launched ballistic missiles are...well, they're 'Submarine-launched ballistic missiles', or SLBMs. (And yes, there are also 'air-launched ballistic missiles', ALBMs, but those are really rare.)

Mr Zoat · Sunday at 8:41 AM

11th April 2013
06:36 GMT -7

Applejack regards the bracelet on the table with deep suspicion.

"Y'all're saying that there piece a' fru-fru jewellery can turn one o' them bald monkeys Twilight turned into when she went through the mirror into an earth pony?"

Sunset shakes her head. "No, of course not. Transforming someone from one species to another is a whole lot more complicated. I'm still not really sure how Starswirl's Mirror manages it. Besides, they don't really want to turn into earth ponies."

That last point gets a slight raising of her eyebrow, but she appears willing to let it go.

"So what was that about earth pony magic?"

"The three main pony tribes each have their own innate forms of magic. But what type of magic a pony has is innate; it comes from the differences in their bodies."

"Uh-huh." Applejack thinks for a moment. "So yer sayin' this little thing kin do what it takes a whole earth pony body t'do?"

"No, it can't do that either. What it can do is give someone the strength and endurance of an earth pony whose cutie mark doesn't relate to strength or endurance."

Applejack nods. "Ah kin see how that could come in useful. So where's the pegasus necklace?"

Sunset wing-shrugs. "I can make one, but without wings, you… Wouldn't really be able to fly. And it's kinda hard to do weather work from the ground."

"So, just cloud walkin'?"

"You'd be able to move faster as well, but, yeah. The unicorn version has a similar problem: without a horn, thaumokinesis-. It's hard to control. Even if I built it into a horn-shaped headdress, it's like learning to use a whole new limb."

"But ah guess everypony's got legs."

Sunset nods. "That's the idea." She raises her right forehoof to her chin, frowning thoughtfully. "Though, actually… You should still be able to intuitively use one or two spells based on your special talent, even if you can't use thaumokinesis. Whatever it was, it would be unique to you… And maybe other members of the Apple Family."

"Ah don't need no fancy magic t'be an Apple." Then she thinks for a moment, and bows her head. "But ah guess some kinda tree-doctorin' spell could come in maghty handi."

"I, um…" Sunset looks around the empty Canterlot lecture theatre, then casts a basic privacy spell. "You got my letter, right? You're on the pre-approved list-."

"Ah did."

"And?"

She shrugs awkwardly. "Jes' plain don't feel raght."

Despite the fact that Sunset has proven her ability to turn regular ponies into alicorns, take up on that opportunity hasn't been all that high. And the few ponies who came forwards were so self-absorbed that Sunset had a moment of self-reflection about pony society, but that's about it. I'm assuming that it's some sort of religious thing. Celestia, yes. Celestia having a sister, okay. Cadence, well, she came out of nowhere and Celestia says that they're related, alright. Twilight… I really don't know what Applejack thinks makes Twilight worthy while she isn't.

Or maybe she just doesn't like change.

Sunset lets out a quiet snort. "You saved the planet twice and Equestia about a dozen times. The process isn't inexplicable, and alicornism isn't handed down by some sort of higher power when you jump through enough hoops. It's just magic. Magic I understand."

"Ah don't. An' ah ain't sure I'd be all too keen on outlivin' everypony ah know."

I raise my eyebrows at that. "I'm sure Twilight will be gratified that you've learned from her example."

Applejack wince. "Now, hold on there, partner-."

"Though if it helps at all, I remember reading something that said that even if people didn't age, they still wouldn't live much past eight hundred on average due to the risks of injury and disease." I look to Sunset. "Are alicorns immune to disease?"

"Not totally; we really just have a supercharged version of earth pony resilience. Eight hundred years, huh?"

"That was for humans. Equestria is a bit less perilous. Oh, and how are you doing for ovum?"

"No sign of regeneration. I'll be dry-firing before I'm fifty, while still having a menstrual cycle because I'm not aging."

"We all got together. When we got yer letters." Applejack sighs. "Fluttershah weren't too keen on standing out. Rainbow Dash didn't want to get too big t'be in the Wonderbolts. Said she might say 'yes' eventually. Rarity said somethin' about the artist overshadowin' the art, whatever that means."

I frown. "I thought she wanted to become a princess? Blueblood got publically humiliated dodging her first attempt."

"She got over that real quick. An' Pinkie said she weren't keen on outlivin' her sisters. Ah ain't, neither."

I shake my head. "Pinkie's sisters are about her age. Statistically, she's likely to outlive at least one of them anyway, not counting all of her clones. Of course, the obvious solution is to use the spell on her sisters as well."

"'bawt-." Applejack's eyes widen, then she gulps. "'bawt a hundred alicorn Pinkie Pies?"

Ah…

She… Does sort of have a point, there.

The door to the auditorium opens, and Tempest… Stands there, looking around imperiously. I find myself checking her restored horn. Initially, Sunset and I both thought that it would be simpler to just make her an alicorn, but Celestia had concerns about Equestria having an Alicorn of War. Instead, we recovered her horn point from the cave near her home village and -after getting a lot of scans of other ponies' horns- performed a gradual restoration. She's actually a great patient: after getting her heart's desire, she wasn't going to do something stupid like rushing her recovery.

The guards are torn between enjoying the relative holiday and dreading what she'll be able to do to them once she's fully fit and returns to duty.

Tempest's eyes rest on Applejack. "Why is she here?"

Sunset smiles at her. "We needed a volunteer to demonstrate what an unmarked earth pony athlete could do."

I nod. "And we'll be-."

There's a burst of teal light as Starlight Glimmer teleports into the designated alcove, and a gust of air as Lightning Dust swoops in over her superior. Tempest raises her head to give the pegasus pony an unimpressed look, which Dust is too busy looking at the new toys to notice. Tempest gives her mane a small toss, then walks down the central aisle to take a seat near the front.

With her away from the door, the rest of the audience begin filtering in. Guard officers, teachers and researchers from the School, and-

BOOM!

-members of the American security services who have just about kept their cool while surrounded by cute colourful ponies.

Yes, I did see that. Yes, I am going to put a picture on the staff notice board.

A flash of purple light as Twilight appears, Spike on her back.

"Phew! Not late."

Spike rolls his eyes. "Twilight, you set five different alarm clocks."

I trot off the stage, passing Starlight as she heads up to be the 'unathletic, non-earth pony' for the demonstration. I'm on safety duty just in case something goes wrong during the strength trials, but that shouldn't be necessary.

Sunset comes to the front of the stage.

"Thank you for coming, everyone. Please take your seats, and I'll begin the demonstration."

Mr Zoat · Sunday at 8:47 AM

Jirachi said:
- Incidentally, what's up with this? First bit seems to indicate that it's not conventionally telepathic, but we see it later being treated as a generalized telepathy machine capable of intricate manipulation of the kuru pendant and such.
gets distracted by a side-tangent about how useful an exotic scanner beating stealth system like that could be

The second one isn't an original model Thinking Cap, but a substantially modified one based on the original Thinking Cap.

BR549 said:
...it might seem a little pedantic, but there's no such thing as an 'ICBM-capable submarine'. 'Intercontinental ballistic missiles' are always land-based. Submarine-launched ballistic missiles are...well, they're 'Submarine-launched ballistic missiles', or SLBMs. (And yes, there are also 'air-launched ballistic missiles', ALBMs, but those are really rare.)

Do they fire the same missiles?

The Froggy Ninja · Sunday at 8:51 AM

Mr Zoat said:
Do they fire the same missiles?

I'm admittedly guessing here but I'd guess probably not? Submarine launched missiles would have problems ICBMs wouldn't, and likely wouldn't have to cover the same extremes of distance, given that getting closer is one of the main reasons for a mobile weapons platform.

moralrelativity · Sunday at 8:52 AM

Mr Zoat said:
And?"

Missing opening quotes.

Mr Zoat said:
"No sign regeneration.

No sign of

Darko · Sunday at 8:56 AM

Mr Zoat said:
did."

And?"

Missing a ".

Mr Zoat said:
She shrugs awkwardly. "Jes' plain don't feel raght."

Despite the fact that Sunset has proven her ability to turn regular ponies into alicorns, take up on that opportunity hasn't been all that high

Ehh, the extra power may seem appealing, but some of them may just not want to undergo such a drastic change, or don't really care about the power.

Mr Zoat said:
I frown. "I thought she wanted to become a princess

That does not necessarily mean that she wants to basically change her species.

The Alicorn may be called princesses, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the title is just for them.

Mr Zoat said:
bawt-." Applejack's eyes widen, then she gulps. "'bawt a hundred alicorn Pinkie Pies?"

Yeah, that's basically the equivalent of Cthulhu arising.

...

Actually, it may be worse.

Mr Zoat said:
members of the American security services who have just about kept their cool while surrounded by cute colourful ponies.

Wonder why they're there.

Granted, it's possible that the strength enhancing bracelet could also be useful for humans.

RichardWhereat · Sunday at 9:04 AM

Shit, when did he first go to MLPland? I remember it being fun.

Mr Zoat · Sunday at 9:11 AM

moralrelativity said:
Missing opening quotes.
No sign of

Thank you, corrected.

Darko said:
Granted, it's possible that the strength enhancing bracelet could also be useful for humans.

Yes, that.

RichardWhereat said:
Shit, when did he first go to MLPland? I remember it being fun.

Equestrian Girls (part 1)

Blackshard · Sunday at 9:21 AM

Mr Zoat said:
Do they fire the same missiles?

No. The Trident is an exclusively submarine-launched SLBM, while an ICBM would be something like a Minuteman instead. The US experimented with ALBMs and found them unsatisfactory, and attempts to strap a Minuteman onto an aircraft for air launch proved technically possible but somewhat impractical. The Russian Kinzhal is a purpose-built ALBM, but hasn't lived up to the hype thus far.

Chojin Patriarch · Sunday at 9:29 AM

Mr Zoat said:
11th April 2013
06:36 GMT -7

Applejack regards the bracelet on the table with deep suspicion.

"Y'all're saying that there piece a' fru-fru jewellery can turn one o' them bald monkeys Twilight turned into when she went through the mirror into an earth pony?"

That seems... Kind of unnecessary, given the Mirror transforms people anyway. I'm guessing it functions more like a channel for the magical energies that make an Earth Pony an Earth Pony. Also, 'Bald Monkeys'?

Accurate, but rude.

Sunset shakes her head. "No, of course not. Transforming someone from one species to another is a whole lot more complicated. I'm still not really sure how Starswirl's Mirror manages it. Besides, they don't really want to turn into earth ponies."

That last point gets a slight raising of her eyebrow, but she appears willing to let it go.

I suspect the Mirror has some very complex transformational spells woven into it. Complex enough that even Sunset has hasn't been able to fully untangle their design, by the looks of it.

"So what was that about earth pony magic?"

"The three main pony tribes each have their own innate forms of magic. But what type of magic a pony has is innate; it comes from the differences in their bodies."

The natural muscle of the Earth pony, the wings of the Pegasus, and the mystical focus of a Unicorn's horn. I'm guessing the former was the easiest to replicate.

"Uh-huh." Applejack thinks for a moment. "So yer sayin' this little thing kin do what it takes a whole earth pony body t'do?"

"No, it can't do that either. What it can do is give someone the strength and endurance of an earth pony whose cutie mark doesn't relate to strength or endurance."

So it's more like a combined belt of +Strength and +Constitution, to use D&D terms.

Applejack nods. "Ah kin see how that could come in useful. So where's the pegasus necklace?"

Sunset wing-shrugs. "I can make one, but without wings, you… Wouldn't really be able to fly. And it's kinda hard to do weather work from the ground."

So unless you're interested in surgical grafts of cloned or mechanical wings...

"So, just cloud walkin'?"

"You'd be able to move faster as well, but, yeah. The unicorn version has a similar problem: without a horn, thaumokinesis-. It's hard to control. Even if I built it into a horn-shaped headdress, it's like learning to use a whole new limb."

On the other hand, having a way to grant telekinetic abilities, even full magic spells, to someone without... I suspect you'd have volunteers willing to put that work in.

"But ah guess everypony's got legs."

Sunset nods. "That's the idea." She raises her right forehoof to her chin, frowning thoughtfully. "Though, actually… You should still be able to intuitively use one or two spells based on your special talent, even if you can't use thaumokinesis. Whatever it was, it would be unique to you… And maybe other members of the Apple Family."

Akin to the theoretical plant-magic and earth-shaping power they seem to have.

"Ah don't need no fancy magic t'be an Apple." Then she thinks for a moment, and bows her head. "But ah guess some kinda tree-doctorin' spell could some in maghty handi."

"I, um…" Sunset looks around the empty Canterlot lecture theatre, then casts a basic privacy spell. "You got my letter, right? You're on the pre-approved list-."

Not for this gubbin... For Alicornhood? I expect there's been lots of people interested in it.

"Ah did."

"And?"

She shrugs awkwardly. "Jes' plain don't feel raght."

I suppose she'd feel dishonest to be anything other than herself. And depending on how she looks at this change, it might well feel too different for her to do that.

Despite the fact that Sunset has proven her ability to turn regular ponies into alicorns, take up on that opportunity hasn't been all that high. And the few ponies who came forwards were so self-absorbed that Sunset had a moment of self-reflection about pony society, but that's about it. I'm assuming that it's some sort of religious thing. Celestia, yes. Celestia having a sister, okay. Cadence, well, she came out of nowhere and Celestia says that they're related, alright. Twilight… I really don't know what Applejack thinks makes Twilight worthy while she isn't.

Effectively, the majority of people who most want to be Alicorns are the ones who shouldn't be allowed anywhere near the process? Yeah, I can see Sunset being a little frustrated by that.

Or maybe she just doesn't like change.

Sunset lets out a quiet snort. "You saved the planet twice and Equestia about a dozen times. The process isn't inexplicable, and alicornism isn't handed down by some sort of higher power when you jump through enough hoops. It's just magic. Magic I understand."

I mean... Was it ever revealed in canon just how Mi Amore Cadenza actually gained her transformation beyond 'gift from the powers of Harmony'? There was a novella including it, but how closely that ties to show canon is, well... That might just have been the public story.

"Ah don't. An' ah ain't sure I'd be all too keen on outlivin' everypony ah know."

I raise my eyebrows at that. "I'm sure Twilight will be gratified that you've learned from her example."

And maybe a little disappointed that she'll have to experience that by herself.

Applejack wince. "Now, hold on there, partner-."

"Though if it helps at all, I remember reading something that said that even if people didn't age, they still wouldn't live much past eight hundred on average due to the risks of injury and disease." I look to Sunset. "Are alicorns immune to disease?"

Never mind the limitations of the human brain and it's capacity for memory. Imagine your childhood memories, even the most beloved moments, fading into nothingness by the time you hit two hundred...

"Not totally; we really just have a supercharged version of earth pony resilience. Eight hundred years, huh?"

"That was for humans. Equestria is a bit less perilous. Oh, and how are you doing for ovum?"

And I'm pretty sure Earth Ponies already live for three hundred-odd years, given Granny Smith Apple's supposed presence at the founding of the town... Or maybe she was just being a little senile that time.

"No sign of regeneration. I'll be dry-firing before I'm fifty, while still having a menstrual cycle because I'm not aging."

"We all got together. When we got yer letters." Applejack sighs. "Fluttershah weren't too keen on standing out. Rainbow Dash didn't want to get too big t'be in the Wonderbolts. Said she might say 'yes' eventually. Rarity said somethin' about the artist overshadowin' the art, whatever that means."

...I hope she at least has some manner of menstrual suppressing spell handy. That seems overly frustrating otherwise.

I frown. "I thought she wanted to become a princess? Blueblood got publically humiliated dodging her first attempt."

"She got over that real quick. An' Pinkie said she weren't keen on outlivin' her sisters. Ah ain't, neither."

Huh. So of the Mane Six, only Twilight will live all that long. Unless something happens to force all of them to evolve...

I shake my head. "Pinkie's sisters are about her age. Statistically, she's likely to outlive at least one of them anyway, not counting all of her clones. Of course, the obvious solution is to use the spell on her sisters as well."

"'bawt-." Applejack's eyes widen, then she gulps. "'bawt a hundred alicorn Pinkie Pies?"

Discord:

"Not even I could enjoy that much chaos!"

Ah…

She… Does sort of have a point, there.

Equestria would either turn into a literal cartoon, or be utterly destroyed by their antics.

The door to the auditorium opens, and Tempest… Stands there, looking around imperiously. I find myself checking her restored horn. Initially, Sunset and I both thought that it would be simpler to just make her an alicorn, but Celestia had concerns about Equestria having an Alicorn of War. Instead, we recovered her horn point from the cave near her home village and -after getting a lot of scans of other ponies' horns- performed a gradual restoration. She's actually a great patient: after getting her heart's desire, she wasn't going to do something stupid like rushing her recovery.

Of course? Why throw it away by pushing herself? She's a veteran mercenary, she knows how bad an incomplete physical recovery can be.

The guards are torn between enjoying the relative holiday and dreading what she'll be able to do to them once she's fully fit and returns to duty.

Tempest's eyes rest on Applejack. "Why is she here?"

No love lost there, I see. She had opinions about the Mane Six, didn't she?

Sunset smiles at her. "We needed a volunteer to demonstrate what an unmarked earth pony athlete could do."

I nod. "And we'll be-."

So, effectively, Applejack will be the benchmark they'll be testing against. If a Unicorn can outpower her, they'll know it works as expected.

There's a burst of teal light as Starlight Glimmer teleports into the designated alcove, and a gust of air as Lightning Dust swoops in over her superior. Tempest raises her head to give the pegasus pony an unimpressed look, which Dust is too busy looking at the new toys to notice. Tempest gives her mane a small toss, then walks down the central isle to take a seat near the front.

Heh. Minor antagonist reunion. Well, I don't know if they actually played their antagonistic roles here yet or not... Given the butterflies so far...

With her away from the door, the rest of the audience begin filtering in. Guard officers, teachers and researchers from the School, and-

BOOM!

Ah, the aforementioned 'bald monkeys'.

Hope the Renegade is filming their reactions.

-members of the American security services who have just about kept their cool while surrounded by cute colourful ponies.

Yes, I did see that. Yes, I am going to put a picture on the staff notice board.

Good, good. Let the funny side flow through you.
Get out of here Pinkie!

A flash of purple light as Twilight appears, Spike on her back.

"Phew! Not late."

Only in the fashionable sense. Making quite the entrance in the process.

Spike rolls his eyes. "Twilight, you set five different alarm clocks."

I trot off the stage, passing Starlight as she heads up to be the 'unathletic, non-earth pony' for the demonstration. I'm on safety duty just in case something goes wrong during the strength trials, but that shouldn't be necessary.

...You hope. Better have all your medical resources on standby.

Sunset comes to the front of the stage.

"Thank you for coming, everyone. Please take your seats, and I'll begin the demonstration."

Ah, in her element for once. Lecturing people about advanced magic.

I foresee these buff items becoming popular in certain circles, such as construction, military units and heavy labour. And if they can be produced with minimal effort by trained unicorns, they'll probably one of the things to make Ponyville a manufacturing centre as they plan. as long as it doesn't lose it's down-home charm in the process...

...then walks down the central isle to take a seat near the front.

...then walks down the central aisle to take a seat near the front.

Darko · Sunday at 10:16 AM

Chojin Patriarch said:
Effectively, the majority of people who most want to be Alicorns are the ones who shouldn't be allowed anywhere near the process? Yeah, I can see Sunset being a little frustrated by that

Yeah, it's probably making her think that Celestia had a point about trying to teach her ethics before giving her any info about ascending.

And Sunset hates thinking that Celestia may be right.

Chojin Patriarch said:
Never mind the limitations of the human brain and it's capacity for memory. Imagine your childhood memories, even the most beloved moments, fading into nothingness by the time you hit two hundred...

Most setting with immortal humans rarely address that factor.

Doctor Who and The Man From Earth did do it.

With Doctor Who we got Ashildr, a young girl from viking times that was implanted with an alien healing device that worked extremely well and made her immortal, but she couldn't retain centuries worth of info so she started journaling to the point that she basically had a library of books with information that her mind couldn't handle.

In The Man From Earth we got John Oldman, who's been around since prehistory, but as he points out to his friends, a lot of his memories from the past are murky.

He could tell that he lived in one society, but doesn't remember the exact place where his home was, who his wife or children were at the time, what he did during that time, how long he actually stayed in that society etc.

He's also had many different skills that he mastered in the past, but now wouldn't be able to use even the basics because he hasn't used them in hundreds or even thousands of years.

He could have been a master poet in ancient Babylon, but now he wouldn't even be able to remember any of the letters of the ancient Babylonian language since he hasn't had to use in thousands of years.

Chojin Patriarch said:
Discord: "Not even I could enjoy that much chaos!"

Even drug addicts don't take drugs all the time, and a hundred immortal Pinkie Pies with godlike magic is the equivalent of jumping into a lake of heroin.

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

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In the Void.

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Getting some practice in, huh?

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This is filth! FILTH!!

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The Blade Will Never Die

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