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

Chojin Patriarch · 2025-03-18T06:57:51+0000

Mr Zoat said:
2nd June 2013
11:35 GMT

"…facilities available."

Queen Artemis and a couple of her ministers nod as I make my proposal. From what I've been able to determine, since their world never industrialised their culture didn't really pick up on the idea of mass production. The closest they've really got is their basic education system, but even then they mostly do it as a master-apprentice thing.

The joy of having reliable magic. I expect most worlds with that sort of casual magical access wouldn't bother to advance ~~scientifically~~ technologically much. Unless they had some good reason for it, anyway.

"Now, I don't know how many people have had a chance to read through the books on thaumaturgy which I left last time..?"

Artemis and a man with a impressive Father Christmas beard and opulent purple robes nod.

"How hard would it be to convert it to your notation?"

I'm guessing not many, then. Presumably Papa there is the head of the local magic university. Not a patch on Ridcully at first look...

The man shakes his head. "For something as advanced as your gateways there would be little point in converting it. The Atlantean command of thaumaturgy is far and away more advanced than ours. It would be easier to learn their notation from the beginning rather than confuse matters with an imprecise translation."

Perhaps inventing a sort of hybrid of both traditions if some clever clogs gets ideas.

I nod. "Okay, but you'll need to be aware that some of your thaumosphere's constants are going to be different from the environment the Atlanteans are used to working in."

He nods enthusiastically. "I have already begun charting them, though it would be convenient to have an expert to refer to."

In other words, he'd like to have an Atlantean mage or two stop by for a visit and consultation?

"King Orin has reverted Gamemnae's order, so after a brief break Atlantean scholars will be available for foreign employment once more. Minus the specialists who are going to be working with Venturia on the deep thaumaturgy research. At this point the techniques needed to manufacture the Dolmen Gates are well known enough to be handled by skilled craftsmen, rather than expert thaumaturgists."

Good to know NEMO will get its Atlantean support back. And the good word on Dolmen Gates too.

King Orin seemed to think that it would be a good deal easier to get a larger pool of volunteers for a project intended to directly benefit Earth than for one which just involved hiring people for a foreign war on the other side of the galaxy. And even fairly pessimistic suggestions show that it will take millennia before the Reach reach Earth at their current rate of expansion. The galaxy is too big a place for things to be otherwise. They are a threat, and Kadabra and Truggs' historical reports make it clear that they'll eventually be one to us… But they're not now and won't be anytime soon.

Ah, and now you just know the Universal Narrative will take that as a challenge.

"So the next question I have is… What do you want in exchange?"

A man in a red robe with a thick belt nods. "Naturally, we have no agreed-upon exchange rate."

I'm sure all these colourful outfits have some significance to the locals.

All it sounds is like a fashion parade at a Renfaire.

"If we did I'd just work out what the going rate was and add a few percent. Now, I can offer payment in any Earth currency you like, but unless Dream transportation is a lot more simple than I think it will be, that's not much use to you. It would probably be easiest to either allow me to purchase a large amount of local currency with… Metal, lore, equipment, or… Whatever you want. Alternately I could issue my own currency here, but I don't know how that works within your legal system."

Though offering resources would have to be done carefully to avoid crashing their market prices.

Red robe shakes his head rather sharply. "It is absolutely forbidden."

Artemis considers it for a moment, then shakes her head as well. "Part of the way in which we ensure that our physical coins are legitimate requires them to be the only type in circulation."

So, a minor magical spell that ensures they can't be counterfeited or milled? Logical enough.

"So, no script?"

Red robe's mildly contemptuous expression conveys the negative. "As far as the magic we use is concerned there is very little difference."

Now I'm kind of mildly curious as to how they legitimise their coins...

"And a currency purchase?"

"That's…" He makes eye contact with several other councillors for a moment. "Something that we could do, though it would be… Unusual."

Though the kinds of amounts OL can throw around would probably bankrupt a small country.

"Okay. Ah, don't keep me in suspense. How does it usually work around here?"

"Usually, someone from off-world would contract with a local noble. A contract would be drawn up and bound in blood. The off-worlder would provide whatever was agreed upon and the noble would arrange for the work to be carried out."

...It can't be that simple, can it? There's got to be a catch.

"Ah, yes, we have something similar on Earth, though I… Imagine that the intent is a little different. Is it-." I turn to Queen Artemis. "Are you able and willing to serve in that capacity? I have no idea what the royal demesne is like here."

From the.. somewhat less than pleased looks I'm going to assume that I shouldn't have asked that.

Oh, there's definitely a catch.

"I apologise if I've violated local custom-."

Queen Artemis raises her right hand to stop me. "I am a head of state without issue. Given the nature of the contractual binding, I have avoided putting my name to such agreements."

...I'm guessing the catch is very lethal, then.

"It's immediately fatal?"

"It can be, if the violation is severe enough. One off-worlder once used a trade agreement to bring a large fission bomb here. Since then, we have used a clause to.. prevent the signatories living long enough to perform such a betrayal."

Well, I can see why they make the penalty so severe.

"And you're the queen, so you can't put yourself in position to be affected just in case you need to break the contract." I nod. "So can your castellan sign it under their own authority, or do I have to find someone else?"

She tilts her head slightly. "I am a little surprised that you aren't more concerned about the binding that you would undergo."

Eh, what's one more death? At some point, Death is going to give him a frequent Die-er card or something...

"Oh, psh." I shrug, smiling. "When I first came to this universe I agreed to a year's servitude under pain of being endlessly attacked by supermonsters if I disobeyed an order. A simple thing like 'pay on time and don't nuke our planet' is nothing compared to that one."

She sits back, her eyes widening slightly. "You didn't tell me about that."

Well, it never came to pass. Why bother mentioning it.

"I've been involved in a lot of crazy things in the last three years. I.. needed to get some of my planet's senior heroes to trust me quickly, and making myself unable to disobey achieved that. I trusted them not to abuse that authority, and… They never did."

Let me down in a big way once, yes. Made inappropriate use of my oath, no.

Still, it paid off. You got to peace out to Vega once the year was up, found a Lantern Corps and have cool adventures in space...

"Actually, your situation reminds me of my own queen. Queen Hippolyta only had an heir relatively recently, and when Princess Diana got curious about who'd been next in line before her she tracked the woman down. She was a distant cousin of the queen, and when Diana told her that she'd been Crown Princess until she was born, she said 'That can't be right. Are you sure?'"

To be fair, Themyscira was more or less in isolation for three thousand-odd years, so her lack of an heir wasn't too big a problem.

"I don't think it's quite the same. I came of age fifteen hundred years ago."

"You're right: you're half Queen Hippolyta's age." She blinks in shock, her expression fading. "And she had a daughter by using clay infused with titanic magic, shaping it into a girl and then getting her patron gods to bring it to life."

So... New life goal for Artemis, or would she prefer to do it the old-fashioned way?

She stares at me for a moment, and then nods slowly. "Your homeworld sounds… Fascinating."

"The word you're looking for is 'mad'. And yes, it is."

Ah, another world learns about Earth Bullshit™. Always amusing to see their faces.

"I think I should like to visit it."

"Um. You can? But… The Anti-Life wrecked our civilisation. If you could give us a couple of years we could probably have things running properly again, otherwise it's… Not going to look very impressive."

Honestly, I think she'd rather see you at a low point, just so she can imagine how much more awesome they are.

"I understand. But if we are to be a part of the rebuilding, I should see what it is like." I nod. "Because I see the wisdom in keeping a pact of this size under direct royal control, and the only way that could be done-" A couple of the advisors give her an odd look. And then give me an odd look. "-requires both parties to be completely certain about the relationship."

"Alright, well, give me a day to sort out accommodation and I'll await your pleasure."

Man, OL inadvertently making himself sound all the cooler. So no surprise her advisors are starting to notice that she's apparently got the 'marriage potential' goggles on...

I'm sure OL must have some inkling that she's starting to find an interest in him. Somehow, I don't think Alan will have to have that date with her now. Though I worry about how she might react when he inevitably refuses her on grounds of prior romantic engagement... Or perhaps she can meet another Earth hero a bit more to her tastes...

Duke Long · 2025-03-18T08:16:37+0000

Chojin Patriarch said:
I'm sure OL must have some inkling that she's starting to find an interest in him. Somehow, I don't think Alan will have to have that date with her now. Though I worry about how she might react when he inevitably refuses her on grounds of prior romantic engagement... Or perhaps she can meet another Earth hero a bit more to her tastes...

He told her he was affianced when they first met, so I'd hope she wouldn't be too displeased. It is strange that she's giving off these romantic vibes with that knowledge. Maybe in her culture that would be acceptable? Or maybe she's excited to meet Alan on his planet, either because the first date already happened and went well or because with how much Paul is hyping himself up she has very high expectations of someone he considers a hero?

Mr Zoat · 2025-03-18T08:29:17+0000

Chojin Patriarch said:
The joy of having reliable magic. I expect most worlds with that sort of casual magical access wouldn't bother to advance scientifically much. Unless they had some good reason for it, anyway.

No, thaumaturgy is a science. They don't develop much technologically.

Lord Ernest said:
Is it me or did something of the last part of the exchange flew over the Illustres' head?

So Aquaman wants more of the Atlanteans to stay on Earth, rather than go back to NEMO service, so he established a volunteer program for the rapid creation of a global Dolmen Gate Network. Did I get that right or am I lost?

No. Aquaman thinks they'd be fine going to another planet to make Dolmen Gates, because those are going to be used on Earth. He doesn't think that many will want to go back to N.E.M.O., but he's not insisting as long as the immediate damage to Atlantis is fixed first.

Chaoswind · 2025-03-18T09:18:58+0000

@Mr Zoat Alan already talked to Paul about meeting queen Artemis and having a date with her a while ago, and the dialog here is written as if that date never happened... Did the date fall through?

PJ739 · 2025-03-18T09:23:57+0000

Well then, Jade isn't going to be happy.
Jade: "this is the third strike, you are forbiden from dealing with any more Queens"
Paul: " but i may have"
Jade: "FOR.BI.DEN."
Paul: "... yes honey"

WereDragon · 2025-03-18T10:16:52+0000

Mr Zoat said:
And even fairly pessimistic suggestions show that it will take millennia before the Reach reach Earth at their current rate of expansion. The galaxy is too big a place for things to be otherwise. They are a threat, and Kadabra and Truggs' historical reports make it clear that they'll eventually be one to us… But they're not now and won't be anytime soon.

Sooner or later he is going to meet an alt who is currently dealing with the Reach on Earth and is going to become very worried.

"I understand. But if we are to be a part of the rebuilding, I should see what it is like." I nod. "Because I see the wisdom in keeping a pact of this size under direct royal control, and the only way that could be done-" A couple of the advisors give her an odd look. And then give me an odd look. "-requires both parties to be completely certain about the relationship."

Another queen wants Paul to make them some children.
Wonder if this one will have the brains to just ask outright rather than dangling vague hints he can pretend to miss.

Lord Ernest · 2025-03-18T10:39:35+0000

Mr Zoat said:
Aquaman thinks they'd be fine going to another planet to make Dolmen Gates, because those are going to be used on Earth.

So are the Dolmen Gates getting constructed on Queen Artemis' planet? I'm not sure if I understood what the agreement is, exactly. Wasn't the Illustres contacting this planet to hire mages for N.E.M.O.?

WereDragon said:
Wonder if this one will have the brains to just ask outright rather than dangling vague hints he can pretend to miss.

Pretend? That's generous. I'm fairly sure he doesn't pretend, mostly.

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

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