Steelplaza
Custom Title
- Joined
- May 12, 2015
- Messages
- 343
- Likes received
- 1,809
It would be pretty neat for OL to receive a prophecy from the Hand of the Source.
Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
It would be pretty neat for OL to receive a prophecy from the Hand of the Source.
They're also generally benevolent and are enemies of Darkseid.
The New God in question hasn't appeared or been named, but when you find out who it is it should make sense. It's more how he got hold of them that makes sense than their particular identity.Hey @Mr Zoat I have a question. If "where did Batman get the ability to work with New God technology" is the mystery the story is grappling with, would you say it's a "fair mystery"? That is, if someone went back and read the story and had a decent knowledge of DC lore, do you think a reader could work it out with high confidence and present a logical case based on the clues the story has presented? Or do we just not have enough evidence yet?
It's not a judgment on the story either way; there's no particular requirement for it to be a fair mystery. I'm just curious if you think a reader could work it out.
He's still in Africa. I haven't really thought about whether or not he's spoken to Cheryl, but I'm leaning towards 'no'.@Mr Zoat What if anything happened with Finn Brady Constantine's long-lost nephew? Did Paul ever introduce them or let Cheryl know about him?
And there's the central hub. Strange technology, at least two-. No, three, people visibly wired into it. That's Victor Sage, naked and with pieces of Apokoliptian technology piercing his flesh in a dozen places. A young woman I immediately recognise as Anita Fite. Her body appears to be intact, and is covered in a chirurgical gown. Her head has not been so fortunate, and several cables appear to be plugged directly into her skull. Her mouth is moving weakly and her eyes stare at nothing. The third 'person' appears to be the upper part of Black Orchid's body.
A nice reminder of things being different here. Thank you @Mr Zoat"Just him on Earth at present, as far as we know. Several billion on a planet about halfway across the galaxy where he originally came from."
Remove the " at the end.myths." I clench my right hand and allow construct armour to momentarily form around me before dismissing it again."
Roswell Conspiracies.Oh, I remember this Paul! Interesting that he joined up as a diplomat. I guess he's suffering the worst part of winning a war: dealing with politicians.
I don't remember what show this segment was based off of though. Could someone remind me?
Thank you! Huh, I forgot how much the art reminds me of the MIB and Gargoyles cartoons.
Ah, this one... What was the name... 'Roswell Conspiracies', that's it! To refresh: The local Paul variant has a Green Ring, and entered the service of a Maltusian 'Leprechaun' to maintain his charge. The world is beset by a now-not-so-silent alien invasion, and there's multiple conspiracy groups involved, of which Agent Sh'lainn Blaze here is a member...15th August 2000
09:25 GMT
Senior Agent Blaze and I sit outside of the office of the man who I'm trying to avoid thinking of as 'the teashop'. Briefing the presidents of the United States and Russia was Director Logan's job, and other heads of state got an overview… But now we're at the stage of providing bespoke briefings to those states-. Cooperating states, which have a substantial nonhuman population.
So really, not much to say beyond 'leave them be, they'll leave you be.'The Republic of Ireland should be one of the easier ones. It's just Percival and the banshee, and the banshee live under ground. Still, the banshee allergic reaction to technology and the fact that they don't really want noisy tourists hanging around their standing stones mean that there are still a few things we need to talk about.
Ah, I bet Percival (the Leprechaun Maltusian) decided it'd be easier to provide him with a portable Lantern rather than have to make him swing by every few days to recharge.Sh'lainn has been compelled by her promotion to stop dressing down quite so much, though she's stuck with a skirt. I'm wearing a suit myself, ring glowing green on my finger and my newly-forged personal lantern in my briefcase.
"How're you findin' the trainin'?"
"It's… Necessary."
So by their standards, he's a complete rookie.Combat, I've learned how to do. But between using the ring and concealing my identity, my non-ring combat skills barely improved from what they were before all of this started. And then there are all of the other skills Alliance agents need, like how to actually conduct an investigation or use Alliance vehicles. Things that the Intracom agents who transferred over to the Alliance all already know, to their amusement and the Alliance's chagrin.
Given the stakes, I suspect better a little hard now than leave him incapable of doing his job later.I'm definitely bringing up the rear in every field aside from raw personal power.
"You no' think they're going a little hard on you?"
Ah, with the promotion came the titles of rank. And of course the Green Knight is being playful with it."No. Not really." I give her a sidelong glance. "Sir."
She rolls her eyes. "Don't call me that. Foolishness."
Better a watchful eye than some cells getting up to mischief.I shrug. "The Alliance is expanding, and basic organisation requires that long-serving agents get promotions. Though I.. am sorry about your partnership with Senior Agent Logan being split up."
"Aye, well." She sighs sadly. "It's as y' say: we need people who know what they're doin' keepin' an eye on the rest a' yeh."
I'm guessing opinions run from 'lucky FNG' to 'barely above a hostile himself.'"I'm sure that I will benefit from your sagacious wisdom, sir."
"Then hear this little bit o' wisdom: a lotta folk in th' Alliance ain't so keen on yeh."
I nod ruefully. "Yes, I spotted that."
And to be fair, most of them aren't built to risk their life, from what I remember. Either psychologically or physiologically.To be fair, I did kill a couple of Alliance agents. But while the vampire recruits can watch out for each other and… Have mostly graduated back to fieldwork, I'm in training a lot of the time and… Not a lot of Conduit members are volunteering to join the Alliance. A couple of trasgu took jobs in engineering, but… Chauf is acting as a politician and Peisinoe is… Spending time in India. Beyond that, with the increased sense of security most aliens on Earth feel now that the Alliance isn't going to hunt them down unless they flagrantly break the law, most Conduit members are happy to not get involved in fighting. Which leaves me on my own, and…
...Okay, that might explain the Lantern, if he get specs for various tech. I assume a Purple healing Ray isn't feasible to construct here due to lower background magical levels or lack of critical materials or something.I'm human. For some long-serving Alliance agents, I'm a species-traitor who killed their comrades. I know from that meet-up at Vanishing Point that most versions of me got a ring they can use to heal themselves and others. But I didn't. My bruises and breaks heal at the rate they normally do, and… For obvious reasons I can't wear the ring while sparing. It would completely defeat the purpose, and as a result my flesh still bear the marks of my perhaps-overenthusiastic tutors.
Pretty extreme but at the time, they were hiding for their lives."Let me know if they keep it oop." She huffs. "I s'ppose it'd be worse if yew were a banshee."
I nod. When she left the cavern without permission, Queen Mab ordered her death, and pursued it enthusiastically until they were eventually reconciled.
Ha!"I-." I frown. "I didn't think that the rules were the same for male banshee."
"Oh, don't worry." She smiles faintly. "I t'ink of yew as a woman."
The doors to the teashop-. And I've failed. The doors to the Taoiseach's office open and a secretary beckons us through.
I shudder to imagine how tough it is for the US, or other countries who do have more prominent troubles in that respect.According to every newspaper, radio broadcast and television program that I've found time to watch, the Irish as a people aren't really… Excited, about the presence of aliens. It seems that decades of cinematic propaganda mean that most places accept 'aliens invaded and the Americans blew them up' fairly uncritically. Ireland has a good relationship with the U.S. and no real international ambitions, so apart from a slight curiosity the news that there are aliens around doesn't really mean all that much to them. Which means that it's not an election issue, so this is probably going to be fairly simple.
That's one way to make an entrance, walking in with a faint background lightshow.I let Sh'lainn take the lead, letting my environmental shield flare a little. In the room… Ah, not an office, a meeting room with a circular table in the middle. The Taoiseach himself nods in greeting while aides take their places and his bodyguards loom in the background. The secretary who brought us in gestures at the seats on the opposite side of the circle and then backs off, allowing us to take them.
Not nearly lady-like enough, actually.The Taoiseach gives us a moment to get comfortable before leaning forwards slightly. "Agent Blaze. Agent Knight. Thank you both fer comin'." He focuses on me. "I'm guessing yewr the banshee, then?"
I blink, then Sh'lainn and I give each other a confused look. I shrug, and incline my head slightly.
Lucky the bodyguards aren't trigger-happy. That could have been troublesome. Fortunately, they're not."No." Sh'lainn shakes her head at the Taoiseach. "Oi'm the-" Her eyes go white and he hair starts to float upwards as she activates her exotic abilities. "-banshee."
"Oh." He blinks. "Right. Ah. Is there a reason yer fellah's glowin' green?"
A reasonable question, especially if they're wondering if other people can be given that power.I nod. "My mentor is the inspiration for the myths concerning the leprechaun. Also, the Green Knight of the Arthurian myths." I clench my right hand and allow construct armour to momentarily form around me before dismissing it again."
"You don't say? Are there a… A lot of the wee folk around, or jus' the one?"
I take it Maltus is a bit different here. Or that he's also counting the not-god-like-superpowered population."Just him on Earth at present, as far as we know. Several billion on a planet about halfway across the galaxy where he originally came from."
"Do you t'ink they're plannin' on makin' a visit?"
I'm guessing any on-paper briefing he might have read was sparse on details for security reasons."They haven't in the four thousand or so years he's been on Earth, so probably not."
"Alright. If he hasn't wrecked the playce in four t'ousand years, I don't t'ink he will now." He turns to Sh'lainn. "How's about the banshee?"
Still, a little humour defuses tension nicely."We're not plannin' t' blow oop the planet."
"Noh, noh, noh, I dohn't mean it like that. I mean, how many are there? Roughly?"
Given their mythological reputation, I can picture him being worried they eat people."About two hundred, livin' in a cavern in the middle o' nowhere and havin' not'ing t'do with anyone."
The Taoiseach nods. "Alright. We can cope with two hundred and one. Do they have any… Special requirements?" His gaze moves from Sh'lainn to me and then back again. "What do you eat?"
...Or a real-life hobbit, depending on fitness."The banshee are self-sufficient. We grow our own food."
I nod. "Sir Percival eats human food, and he owns a small holding. He's actually registered both to pay tax and vote under current Irish law. Most of the village just assumes that he's a midget."
Yeah, I can feel that cringe from here."Well I wouldn't want them hasslin' him over his pot a' gold. That's extortion, so it is." He smiles awkwardly. "And racial prejudice."
I… Give him a half-smile back out of pity.
Remind me, is it something to do with the electromagnetic fields it produces? That seems to be a common thing with Fae in fiction: a problem with the 'cold iron' used in technology (presumably stuff forged by human hands is 'hot' enough not to count.)Sh'lainn doesn't. "The banshee do have special requirements. Bein' around technology make us ill. We c'n manage a few hours, but after that t'ings get nasty."
The Taoiseach nods again. "Are roads okay?"
Definitely something to do with electromagnetics, then. I'm impressed she can stand it."As long as it's just stones and pitch. Lamp posts and electric cables are a problem."
"So, in effect, noh. Alroight. Let me know where it is and I'll get it made a nature reserve. Wooden buildings and woodchip paths not too much fer yeh?" Sh'lainn nods. "Good. Now, who's in charge?"
Aye, that's a name to be wary of, if not run away from fast."Queen Mab."
There's a slight intake of breath from every Irish person present, and a moment where they look at each other form confirmation that they all actually heard that.
Certainly worth at least a diplomatic meeting. Who knows what could happen?The Taoiseach exhales. "Sure Luke. I should probably meet her, if she's agreeable. Get t'know each other a little."
Sh'lainn… Doesn't look too sure. She looks at me to get some idea of what I think, and I shrug.
"Can't hurt to ask."
Surely Her Majesty isn't crazy enough to try something foolish with a high-ranking government fellow with Sh'lainn and the Green Knight present (as I expect they will be.)![]()
Thank you, corrected.
He's not. He's an intelligence agent providing a briefing.Oh, I remember this Paul! Interesting that he joined up as a diplomat. I guess he's suffering the worst part of winning a war: dealing with politicians.
Not really a lot going on there until the Ori turn up, and I stopped watching the program before that happened.Can we get an update on the stargate guys?
Probably the alt that has most of my interest atm.
No. There just aren't any males on Earth.Ha! To be fair, with an all-female race like the banshee (I assume they're all female, anyway) that would be an honour.
Pretty sure that's not what I meant, me.Me said:
'nosy'?The Republic of Ireland should be one of the easier ones. It's just Percival and the banshee, and the banshee live under ground. Still, the banshee allergic reaction to technology and the fact that they don't really want noisy tourists hanging around their standing stones mean that there are still a few things we need to talk about.
'for'There's a slight intake of breath from every Irish person present, and a moment where they look at each other form confirmation that they all actually heard that.
Honestly, I don't think so. 'Nosy' tourists might hang around the standing stones on the surface, but the banshees live underground and can just open a portal to a circle somewhere else. Electromagnetic noise on the other hand is an existential threat.
Thank you, corrected.
That's an alternate timeline where the SI has a good deal more common sense.I haven't read for a while. When did the Paula thing happened? He's going out with Paula? Can someone give me a link to that chapter when that started? I've gotten lost.
That is a variant Paul, basically OL but with a healthy dose of Common Sense, hence it's collective name. It's honestly, well... Read away and see.I haven't read for a while. When did the Paula thing happened? He's going out with Paula? Can someone give me a link to that chapter when that started? I've gotten lost.
There are several billion Maltusians in the main universe too.I wonder what makes this universe different from the others if there are several billion maltusians