FeepingCreature
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With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)
- Thread starter Mr Zoat
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- self insert young justice
Meetings Squared (part 1)
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Mr Zoat
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13th February 2284
15:36 GMT -6
My father-in-law Chief Balm-Upon-Wounds smiles down fondly at my son as he in turn stares bleary-eyed at the unfamiliar adults around him. After a moment he decides that as long as his mother keeps holding him it's probably alright and lays his head on her chest. Balm-Upon-Wounds gently offers his grandson his right forefinger, and is rewarded with the boy instinctively grasping it. For a moment he looks surprised, then he turns to me.
"What did you name him?"
"Adam, in the Canaanite fashion. But it literally means 'Son-Of-Red-Earth', if that sounds better to you."
"Ah." He smiles, nodding as he carefully reclaims his finger and steps back to allow his-. Ah, Tear's mother and her… Fellow wife? Access to their daughter. "A name that both of our peoples can use. That sort of solution is one that you prefer in all of your dealings."
I nod, because it's true. With the wars which have wracked North America petering out, I've been able to turn my attention to political work. The State of Nevada isn't back yet, but between what's left of New Reno, Vault City, the Ranger Citadel and New Vegas there's a gradual acceptance that something like that is going to happen at some point. New Reno was on the cusp of becoming either an N.C.R. state or merging with Redding State, which is the preferred solution of that.. pesky git Anton Flynn and the Brahmin Barons he lobbies for, but then Anderson happened... So we're holding off on any definitive steps until the war with the Legion is over.
That actually… Caused an argument between Ranger General Hernán 'Snake' Vargas and President Grant Columbus Hayes of the N.C.R. because… The Rangers would quite like their home back when the Legion finally dies, while Hayes would rather annex the whole area to the N.C.R.. Which he really shouldn't do, because the Ranger Unification Treaty says that the Desert Rangers get it. When I asked former N.C.R. president Wendell Peterson about that particular clause in the Ranger Unification Treaty, he told me that he only agreed to it because he didn't think it would ever be put into effect. Which is a pretty unhelpful answer, but at least no one can claim that they misunderstood the provision.
"Let us…" He smiles as the women laugh about something I wasn't paying attention to. "Leave them to it. There are matters where I would seek your advice."
I nod. "Of course."
I lead the way out of the nursery and towards… Yes, I think that the living room is the appropriate venue. This is my father-in-law, not a merchant or lobbyist. I take a seat, while he takes a moment to admire our entertainment setup; a cabinet containing a radio and a functioning widescreen television. Not a lot to watch on the latter yet other than restored pre-War films, but Christopher Wright reopened a film studio recently so hopefully New Reno will start producing non-pornographic entertainment eventually.
"In my youth, I could not have imagined such a thing."
"In mine, I'd have found it strange to be in a house without one."
He makes an amused snort and then sits down opposite me, sitting… A little awkwardly on the soft cushions. He then looks at the television and then back at me, shaking his head. "It is like a black window in the corner of my eye…"
I nod, get up, walk across the room and close the cabinet door. "Better?"
He nods. "Yes. You must think it foolish…"
"It's not something that you're used to." I return to my seat. "Accepting that a thing exists isn't quite the same as wanting it in your home."
"It is not. Young… Adam. He has your strength."
I nod. "He does. The changes the F.E.V. makes to a person's body are genetic. In the blood. All of my children will have it."
"But… Not…" He raises his right hand to the side of his head and gestures towards it.
"No. While there are people who are born with those abilities, they're usually fairly weak. We felt it best not to grant mental powers to small children."
"You continue to demonstrate your wisdom."
I do. Adam's a fairly calm child and Tears and I can both calm him down telepathically, either by learning from his mind what he wants or by reassuring him with our mental presence. But he's had a few screaming fits and I'm jolly glad that the Sky Walkers have collectively decided that none of us want small children screaming in our minds as well as our ears.
"What is it that you want to talk to me about?"
"The men of the N.C.R. want to… Discuss how our alliance will proceed after the death of the Legion. I know that there is to be a meeting of Chiefs once the war is over, but they want to talk about things before it begins. Are they trying to secure an agreement without our other allies being involved?"
"Ah, they might be, but it's actually fairly common for everyone involved to agree to how a lot of things should be before the actual summit, and then to discuss the last few details in person. I've been doing a fair bit of the running around for that myself, but it's a lot easier for the N.C.R. to send someone to New Canaan than to New Demon City."
Because apparently 'Des Moines' is supposed to be pronounced like that and the Enclave enlisted found it funny. They actually go out in their spare time and 'correct' the surviving signage.
"Their messenger spoke of rebuilding the 'United States of America'."
"Yes, both President Hayes and Governor Autumn are in agreement on that point."
"What is it?"
"Oh." Ah. Huh. "Wasn't.. Daniel able to explain it?"
"I know that it was the great confederation of tribes which ruled these lands until the day they were burned. I know little else. The man from the N.C.R. called my lands 'Utah', but the Mormons call them 'Deseret'. I had thought that Deseret was the old American name for them, but when I saw your maps it was indeed called Utah. Why does it have two names?"
"Ah. I might not be the best person to ask about that, but the short version…" I get up again and walk over to the bookshelf. A newly printed world atlas was a present from Diana last Christmas, and I open it to the page showing the entire world before putting it down on the table and sitting down next to Balm-Upon-Wounds. "Alright." I point to Siberia. "The very oldest tribes in North America like the Navajo and the Choctaw trace their lineage back to people who travelled across from here-" I move my finger to Alaska. "-to here when the sea froze solid."
He looks disturbed. Balm-Upon-Wounds has seen the sea a grand total of once in his life, and he wasn't very keen on it then. "It can do that?"
"It was a very long time ago. The world was much colder back then than it is now. Anyway, from there they spread out across America, north and south. Then about… Seven hundred years ago? The first people from Europe-" I point to my tiny continent. "-sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and began settling the east coast. They were far more technologically advanced than the people who were there already, and even with the long supply line were gradually able to conquer them. I'm simplifying a lot."
"How long ago did the people from..?" He peers at Siberia. "Russia? Come to America?"
"I don't know. They didn't keep written records and there wasn't anyone to see them arrive. A long time before the Europeans got here, certainly."
"I see."
"The main religion of the Europeans is called 'Christianity'-."
"Yes, I know Christianity. It is the religion of the Mormons."
I wince faintly, remembering Reverend Robinson's rather pointed off-the-cuff lecture on the subject. "Sort of. The Mormons actually added… Quite a lot to the religion, to the point where people who practice the more traditional forms of the religion say that they're a new religion rather than part of Christianity. That was certainly the attitude amongst the rulers of the United States when the first Mormons went to settle this part of America. Them settling it was fine, but they refused to recognise the name 'Deseret' which they took from the Book of Mormon because they considered it an insult to their God. I'm not sure exactly where the name 'Utah' came from, but that was chosen as the official name and that was what this region was called until the Great War."
"Do men like Hayes and Autumn consider it an insult to their god today?"
"No, they just consider it to be factually incorrect."
"Good. I do not want to insult their gods, but they say that I am supposed to be attending the gathering as 'Governor of Utah', and I do not know what that is."
I frown. 'Governor'..? "Did they give you anything written down? Because this sounds like something I need to read."
15:36 GMT -6
My father-in-law Chief Balm-Upon-Wounds smiles down fondly at my son as he in turn stares bleary-eyed at the unfamiliar adults around him. After a moment he decides that as long as his mother keeps holding him it's probably alright and lays his head on her chest. Balm-Upon-Wounds gently offers his grandson his right forefinger, and is rewarded with the boy instinctively grasping it. For a moment he looks surprised, then he turns to me.
"What did you name him?"
"Adam, in the Canaanite fashion. But it literally means 'Son-Of-Red-Earth', if that sounds better to you."
"Ah." He smiles, nodding as he carefully reclaims his finger and steps back to allow his-. Ah, Tear's mother and her… Fellow wife? Access to their daughter. "A name that both of our peoples can use. That sort of solution is one that you prefer in all of your dealings."
I nod, because it's true. With the wars which have wracked North America petering out, I've been able to turn my attention to political work. The State of Nevada isn't back yet, but between what's left of New Reno, Vault City, the Ranger Citadel and New Vegas there's a gradual acceptance that something like that is going to happen at some point. New Reno was on the cusp of becoming either an N.C.R. state or merging with Redding State, which is the preferred solution of that.. pesky git Anton Flynn and the Brahmin Barons he lobbies for, but then Anderson happened... So we're holding off on any definitive steps until the war with the Legion is over.
That actually… Caused an argument between Ranger General Hernán 'Snake' Vargas and President Grant Columbus Hayes of the N.C.R. because… The Rangers would quite like their home back when the Legion finally dies, while Hayes would rather annex the whole area to the N.C.R.. Which he really shouldn't do, because the Ranger Unification Treaty says that the Desert Rangers get it. When I asked former N.C.R. president Wendell Peterson about that particular clause in the Ranger Unification Treaty, he told me that he only agreed to it because he didn't think it would ever be put into effect. Which is a pretty unhelpful answer, but at least no one can claim that they misunderstood the provision.
"Let us…" He smiles as the women laugh about something I wasn't paying attention to. "Leave them to it. There are matters where I would seek your advice."
I nod. "Of course."
I lead the way out of the nursery and towards… Yes, I think that the living room is the appropriate venue. This is my father-in-law, not a merchant or lobbyist. I take a seat, while he takes a moment to admire our entertainment setup; a cabinet containing a radio and a functioning widescreen television. Not a lot to watch on the latter yet other than restored pre-War films, but Christopher Wright reopened a film studio recently so hopefully New Reno will start producing non-pornographic entertainment eventually.
"In my youth, I could not have imagined such a thing."
"In mine, I'd have found it strange to be in a house without one."
He makes an amused snort and then sits down opposite me, sitting… A little awkwardly on the soft cushions. He then looks at the television and then back at me, shaking his head. "It is like a black window in the corner of my eye…"
I nod, get up, walk across the room and close the cabinet door. "Better?"
He nods. "Yes. You must think it foolish…"
"It's not something that you're used to." I return to my seat. "Accepting that a thing exists isn't quite the same as wanting it in your home."
"It is not. Young… Adam. He has your strength."
I nod. "He does. The changes the F.E.V. makes to a person's body are genetic. In the blood. All of my children will have it."
"But… Not…" He raises his right hand to the side of his head and gestures towards it.
"No. While there are people who are born with those abilities, they're usually fairly weak. We felt it best not to grant mental powers to small children."
"You continue to demonstrate your wisdom."
I do. Adam's a fairly calm child and Tears and I can both calm him down telepathically, either by learning from his mind what he wants or by reassuring him with our mental presence. But he's had a few screaming fits and I'm jolly glad that the Sky Walkers have collectively decided that none of us want small children screaming in our minds as well as our ears.
"What is it that you want to talk to me about?"
"The men of the N.C.R. want to… Discuss how our alliance will proceed after the death of the Legion. I know that there is to be a meeting of Chiefs once the war is over, but they want to talk about things before it begins. Are they trying to secure an agreement without our other allies being involved?"
"Ah, they might be, but it's actually fairly common for everyone involved to agree to how a lot of things should be before the actual summit, and then to discuss the last few details in person. I've been doing a fair bit of the running around for that myself, but it's a lot easier for the N.C.R. to send someone to New Canaan than to New Demon City."
Because apparently 'Des Moines' is supposed to be pronounced like that and the Enclave enlisted found it funny. They actually go out in their spare time and 'correct' the surviving signage.
"Their messenger spoke of rebuilding the 'United States of America'."
"Yes, both President Hayes and Governor Autumn are in agreement on that point."
"What is it?"
"Oh." Ah. Huh. "Wasn't.. Daniel able to explain it?"
"I know that it was the great confederation of tribes which ruled these lands until the day they were burned. I know little else. The man from the N.C.R. called my lands 'Utah', but the Mormons call them 'Deseret'. I had thought that Deseret was the old American name for them, but when I saw your maps it was indeed called Utah. Why does it have two names?"
"Ah. I might not be the best person to ask about that, but the short version…" I get up again and walk over to the bookshelf. A newly printed world atlas was a present from Diana last Christmas, and I open it to the page showing the entire world before putting it down on the table and sitting down next to Balm-Upon-Wounds. "Alright." I point to Siberia. "The very oldest tribes in North America like the Navajo and the Choctaw trace their lineage back to people who travelled across from here-" I move my finger to Alaska. "-to here when the sea froze solid."
He looks disturbed. Balm-Upon-Wounds has seen the sea a grand total of once in his life, and he wasn't very keen on it then. "It can do that?"
"It was a very long time ago. The world was much colder back then than it is now. Anyway, from there they spread out across America, north and south. Then about… Seven hundred years ago? The first people from Europe-" I point to my tiny continent. "-sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and began settling the east coast. They were far more technologically advanced than the people who were there already, and even with the long supply line were gradually able to conquer them. I'm simplifying a lot."
"How long ago did the people from..?" He peers at Siberia. "Russia? Come to America?"
"I don't know. They didn't keep written records and there wasn't anyone to see them arrive. A long time before the Europeans got here, certainly."
"I see."
"The main religion of the Europeans is called 'Christianity'-."
"Yes, I know Christianity. It is the religion of the Mormons."
I wince faintly, remembering Reverend Robinson's rather pointed off-the-cuff lecture on the subject. "Sort of. The Mormons actually added… Quite a lot to the religion, to the point where people who practice the more traditional forms of the religion say that they're a new religion rather than part of Christianity. That was certainly the attitude amongst the rulers of the United States when the first Mormons went to settle this part of America. Them settling it was fine, but they refused to recognise the name 'Deseret' which they took from the Book of Mormon because they considered it an insult to their God. I'm not sure exactly where the name 'Utah' came from, but that was chosen as the official name and that was what this region was called until the Great War."
"Do men like Hayes and Autumn consider it an insult to their god today?"
"No, they just consider it to be factually incorrect."
"Good. I do not want to insult their gods, but they say that I am supposed to be attending the gathering as 'Governor of Utah', and I do not know what that is."
I frown. 'Governor'..? "Did they give you anything written down? Because this sounds like something I need to read."
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Darko
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"from there"
ikrakro
Making the rounds.
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Fairly certain this should be "messenger."
BR549
This is filth! FILTH!!
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Welcome to Bureaucracy, Fallout!Paul. Nobody told you about this before because your need to know was not yet known...
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NX45hc0aZt0
Duke Long
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'an'
'A'
'it'
Happy to see Krono once more. I didn't know the Deseret thing. Good old Mormons, always doing something wacky.
Chojin Patriarch
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Ah, a return to Krono-Paul and the world of Fallout: Old World Blues. And I see he's wasted little time doing his husbandly duties. Though the young lad seems oddly more aware than you'd expect of an infant... I guess it comes from Krono's psionic enhancements.
...As long as he doesn't have an obsession with cybernetic enhancements and a callous lack of concern for human lives, that should be fine?
Well, when he can, anyway. I'm sure there's some folks who just can't bear to agree to peace.
Because each little fiefdom wants its own way as they assemble into a larger nation. It's been over a century since they were anything other than warring rivals for territory and resources...
I like that. They never thought it would be possible to make peace, and yet they have.
Yes, best for the menfolk to step away and let the ladies coo over the baby and mother...
Because of course the most natural, profitable use for media recording after the war was, well... The world's oldest profession.
It does feel profoundly odd to not have some sort of screen about these days, doesn't it? Especially when we depend on them so much for entertainment.
Since I doubt they have pre-recorded natural vistas handy to idle on just yet.
Especially if said home isn't as permanent a construction as Krono's house seems to be.
And that of anyone else they manage to dose with it, unless Krono only made the one perfected batch of it.
Yeah, little kids with little-to-no self-control plus psychokinetic powers would quickly equal a well-ventilated house.
So she underwent the same augmentation he did? Logical enough, given how useful it is for him.
Or find a starting point for a shared face to present to the rest of the states. Any sign of division between them would present a vulnerability...
Ah, linguistic and cultural drift after a century or more of broken civilisation.
A United States likely to be larger than it was, especially along the northern and southern borders... As for the most well-known city using that name, it's pronounced like that because of the origin of the river's name. 'Riviere des moines' translating as 'River of Monks'.
Because, again, it's been over a century since it was a thing. It's no wonder that many people don't remember the original concept.
Because of a lot of political and religious disagreements back in the day...
That must seem like an incredible concept to someone who would consider a week's ride a long distance. I've seen a few videos of tribal people like that reacting to globes and it's always a marvel to see them understand just how big everything is...
For someone from a landlocked region, I can imagine that much water would be unsettling. And learning that it can freeze like a pond in winter...
Yes, several centuries of troubles boiled down to a couple of sentences... 'Simplifying' is an understatement.
Best guess is around 20,000 years or so.
Eh, neither faith would respond to that insinuation happily, I think.
A period of some three hundred years, if I remember right.
Probably been long enough that neither group even remembers the historical arguments.
Yeah, that is quite the thing to spring on a man...
I see Krono hasn't been idle since last we saw him, and neither have any of his region's polities. No doubt still many petty warlords running around yet to pacify before they can finally manage any reunification. But by and large, some states seem to be slowly crawling their way back into being recognised as larger assemblies. Still a lot of work ahead...
BlackCoat13
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Cuchulin
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That and the old stand by of 'Orrible tales of Bloody Murder. Fascination with the Red Barn Murder of 1827 lasted for over a century with film versions and radio dramas being made based on it. Tales of 'Orrible tales of Bloody Murder sold many a newspaper in Victorian London.
Mr Zoat
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Thank you, corrected.
In game, if they actually win, they do rebrand the whole area 'Deseret'.
WereDragon
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Ha! Sure. And does this fabled 'United States of America' look strikingly similar to the New California Republic, just bigger by any chance?
At least the Enclave will be happy about it.
Mr Zoat
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In Old World Blues, the N.C.R. is actually a parlimentary democracy along Westminster lines, rather than using the American model with a clear seperation between the executive and legislature. Rio Grande is the same. Texas is interesting, because depending on what options you pick when writing their constitution they might not even have state courts or police.
Enclave? So you mean the State of Iowa?
boo600
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On Smiley v Grayven:
So! Grayven also uses magic to enforce a lack of corruption, though instead of using truth compulsion in trials/political oaths, he has a secret police of telepaths who work for him. Does that empower Smiley enough that he's fine with him, because dictatorships are corrupt by design, or just make him easy enough to deal with...? Or does he just not want to deal with Darkseid possibly showing up?
Or will Grayven have to kill a demiurge as well? (Actually, is Smiley just avoiding him because he's a governmentally-focused New God? I doubt Canis will be an ace in the hole here, or Highfather, but Allyn could be upscaled…)
So! Grayven also uses magic to enforce a lack of corruption, though instead of using truth compulsion in trials/political oaths, he has a secret police of telepaths who work for him. Does that empower Smiley enough that he's fine with him, because dictatorships are corrupt by design, or just make him easy enough to deal with...? Or does he just not want to deal with Darkseid possibly showing up?
Or will Grayven have to kill a demiurge as well? (Actually, is Smiley just avoiding him because he's a governmentally-focused New God? I doubt Canis will be an ace in the hole here, or Highfather, but Allyn could be upscaled…)
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PDV
Revelation That Uncertainty Is Itself An Answer
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IIRC Grayven being a New God makes him part of the System and Status Quo too much to cause the Yellow Man problems.
boo600
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Be…cause… he's been… assimilated into the norm by the system? Because of the Source, and merging with Original Grayven? Because Paul's original body was killed and his soul is made of Orange Light; I suppose his Enlightenment doesn't restrict him as much as Grayven's Role does, but… it still doesn't seem like Grayven's insistence on improving Earth (and especially rooting out corruption entirely in Africa!) should be given a pass.
…perhaps Grayven's temper makes him seem like a more manageable problem? Or it's just… I mean the Light didn't exist to recruit Smiley, and the Angels didn't get a good pretext to attack Grayven, but it still seems like he should have thrown some problems at the guy. He still wants to enforce arcane mechanisms to prevent lying in court!
…perhaps Grayven's temper makes him seem like a more manageable problem? Or it's just… I mean the Light didn't exist to recruit Smiley, and the Angels didn't get a good pretext to attack Grayven, but it still seems like he should have thrown some problems at the guy. He still wants to enforce arcane mechanisms to prevent lying in court!
Replanting (part 2)
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Mr Zoat
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7th September 2013
20:32 GMT
Jade looks around the foyer of the thanagarian Imperial Ministry of Culture and Doctrine as we sit waiting patiently on our decidedly perch-like seats.
"You bring me to the nicest places."
"It's cultural. It's like going to a museum. In fact, we can probably visit one of their museums while we're here."
Thanagarians have been… Comprehensive, in their cultural shift. While the cities all predate the Equalizing Plague, there are no government buildings which do. And not because they were torn down during the… I'm not sure what to call it, exactly. Putsch? Is it a putsch if you don't kill your ruler, just kick them out? 'Uprising' suggests an improvised mass movement, and… Looking at the official history and Bleez's family's private records, I'm not.. sure how much support the coup actually had. Palace coup, then.
Not that it was unpopular, exactly. It was more that most people were recovering from the Plague and were kind of indifferent to what form the government took-.
"Huh."
Jade looks at me from the corner of her eye. "Thinking about politics?"
"Yes. Have to ask Bleez-." Bleez swoops down from one of the upper offices. I raise my right hand and wave.
She smiles as she lands. "Yeah, so the woman you need to talk to can see you in, like, ten minutes?"
"Excellent, thank you. I've got a question about Thanagarian history."
She straightens her wings slightly, indicating the space around her. "You're in the right place."
"The Equalizing Plague really messed everyone up, right?"
"Uh-huh. I didn't ever get it myself, and I… Don't think there are any samples left, but, yeah."
"And… Most of the work done on trying to fix it happened in the colonies?"
"I mean… We tried, but it didn't work like a normal disease at all and we couldn't risk getting infected and there was that Equalizer guy hanging around trying to spread the infection..."
"So how come the colonial leadership didn't push for a controlling position in Thanagarian society afterwards? I mean, kicking Hyathis out was an option because… That's what happened. But given how messed up everyone on Thanagar was, the colonial leadership could probably have taken over, but… As far as I'm aware-"
Bleez looks a little uncomfortable.
"-they didn't even try. How come?"
"Be-cause the new government had everything under control. Heh."
Jade pokes me in the side. Ah, right.
I make eye contact with Bleez as she ruffles her wings, and then look pointedly at the privacy scrambler on the bench next to us.
"Yeah, well, some things you don't even think out loud." One more calming ruffle and she takes a perch opposite us. "Do you know what happens when flying infantry try fighting actual starships?"
"Depends… But in the case of Thanagar, it would be rather hard for the infantry to win."
"Right. And the colonies never had big armies, and their populations aren't that big compared with Thanagar? And then there was the chance of Hyathis coming right back if there was a civil war going on, and that wouldn't go well. So… We didn't. I mean, maybe some people liked the High Council and maybe some people just didn't even think about fighting other thanagarians..? I dunno. I don't think the people who settled the colonies were really all that… Political?"
Jade nods. "They chose to move away from the centre of your civilisation's power. They wouldn't do that if they wanted power themselves."
"Yeah, exactly. Well, not.. lots of power. They still had their estates. And a lot of the first generation colonists weren't exactly… Important people back on Thanagar?"
I nod. "I've seen the under city. I'd rather move to a new colony, too."
"So… So I guess maybe the.. idea that Thanagar is in charge kinda stuck? Or whoever's in charge of Thanagar? I know we definitely weren't planning on rebelling against Hyathis and the whole thing was a big surprise when it happened. Hey, um. Is Lantern Dul around?"
"Ah. Ring?"
"Lantern Dul is presently located in the Reach Periphery."
"So, no. Trying to get rid of us?"
"No, it's just-. The High Mor would probably want her here while you're here if she was here. So ah, what's with you and Hyathis, anyway?"
"Ugh, nothing?" Jade pointedly looks away. "Look, with the mercenaries, I was only vaguely aware of the whole conflict. And the rest… I just like it when the universe works better, and if that involves sharing technology great, everyone benefits."
"Okay, so I get that's all just about possible, but she's kind of a big deal for us-."
"Hub City."
"Yeah?"
"Why am I putting so much effort into Hub City? I know one guy who lives there. It doesn't have a good geographic location, natural resources or human resources."
"I thought we weren't supposed to call them that?"
What does-? Oh. "It's context-sensitive. The point is, picking Hub was a spur of the moment thing because I was there and there was something I could do. The way of the orange light is not a way of carefully thought out long term plans."
Jade nods. "I can confirm that."
I turn to her. "Me specifically, or Orange Lanterns in general?"
She regards me levelly. "Both."
"You'd be better at it anyway." I turn back to Bleez. "Honestly, if I'd known, I'd have… I don't know if I would have chosen not to do it, but I'd have been a lot more careful about the whole thing."
"Like..? Not talk to her..?"
I smile warmly. "A lot more careful. Though honestly, it's been a while since I've spoken to her. I-."
My ring twinkles.
"Excuse me. Yes?"
No one appears, but I feel a data transmission waiting to be absorbed. Okay, go?
"Ah."
Jade raises her eyebrows. "Trouble?"
"No, it's just… The… Blades of Alstair have cancelled their contract and left Vega."
"Is that a problem?"
"No, not really. Tamaran has built back up to the point where they can protect themselves, and Vega's a lot more peaceful now anyway. They might even downgrade their interdiction fields. Komand'r is just keeping me in the loop. It just-."
Bleez's personal organiser beeps.
"Ooh! That's us!"
20:32 GMT
Jade looks around the foyer of the thanagarian Imperial Ministry of Culture and Doctrine as we sit waiting patiently on our decidedly perch-like seats.
"You bring me to the nicest places."
"It's cultural. It's like going to a museum. In fact, we can probably visit one of their museums while we're here."
Thanagarians have been… Comprehensive, in their cultural shift. While the cities all predate the Equalizing Plague, there are no government buildings which do. And not because they were torn down during the… I'm not sure what to call it, exactly. Putsch? Is it a putsch if you don't kill your ruler, just kick them out? 'Uprising' suggests an improvised mass movement, and… Looking at the official history and Bleez's family's private records, I'm not.. sure how much support the coup actually had. Palace coup, then.
Not that it was unpopular, exactly. It was more that most people were recovering from the Plague and were kind of indifferent to what form the government took-.
"Huh."
Jade looks at me from the corner of her eye. "Thinking about politics?"
"Yes. Have to ask Bleez-." Bleez swoops down from one of the upper offices. I raise my right hand and wave.
She smiles as she lands. "Yeah, so the woman you need to talk to can see you in, like, ten minutes?"
"Excellent, thank you. I've got a question about Thanagarian history."
She straightens her wings slightly, indicating the space around her. "You're in the right place."
"The Equalizing Plague really messed everyone up, right?"
"Uh-huh. I didn't ever get it myself, and I… Don't think there are any samples left, but, yeah."
"And… Most of the work done on trying to fix it happened in the colonies?"
"I mean… We tried, but it didn't work like a normal disease at all and we couldn't risk getting infected and there was that Equalizer guy hanging around trying to spread the infection..."
"So how come the colonial leadership didn't push for a controlling position in Thanagarian society afterwards? I mean, kicking Hyathis out was an option because… That's what happened. But given how messed up everyone on Thanagar was, the colonial leadership could probably have taken over, but… As far as I'm aware-"
Bleez looks a little uncomfortable.
"-they didn't even try. How come?"
"Be-cause the new government had everything under control. Heh."
Jade pokes me in the side. Ah, right.
I make eye contact with Bleez as she ruffles her wings, and then look pointedly at the privacy scrambler on the bench next to us.
"Yeah, well, some things you don't even think out loud." One more calming ruffle and she takes a perch opposite us. "Do you know what happens when flying infantry try fighting actual starships?"
"Depends… But in the case of Thanagar, it would be rather hard for the infantry to win."
"Right. And the colonies never had big armies, and their populations aren't that big compared with Thanagar? And then there was the chance of Hyathis coming right back if there was a civil war going on, and that wouldn't go well. So… We didn't. I mean, maybe some people liked the High Council and maybe some people just didn't even think about fighting other thanagarians..? I dunno. I don't think the people who settled the colonies were really all that… Political?"
Jade nods. "They chose to move away from the centre of your civilisation's power. They wouldn't do that if they wanted power themselves."
"Yeah, exactly. Well, not.. lots of power. They still had their estates. And a lot of the first generation colonists weren't exactly… Important people back on Thanagar?"
I nod. "I've seen the under city. I'd rather move to a new colony, too."
"So… So I guess maybe the.. idea that Thanagar is in charge kinda stuck? Or whoever's in charge of Thanagar? I know we definitely weren't planning on rebelling against Hyathis and the whole thing was a big surprise when it happened. Hey, um. Is Lantern Dul around?"
"Ah. Ring?"
"Lantern Dul is presently located in the Reach Periphery."
"So, no. Trying to get rid of us?"
"No, it's just-. The High Mor would probably want her here while you're here if she was here. So ah, what's with you and Hyathis, anyway?"
"Ugh, nothing?" Jade pointedly looks away. "Look, with the mercenaries, I was only vaguely aware of the whole conflict. And the rest… I just like it when the universe works better, and if that involves sharing technology great, everyone benefits."
"Okay, so I get that's all just about possible, but she's kind of a big deal for us-."
"Hub City."
"Yeah?"
"Why am I putting so much effort into Hub City? I know one guy who lives there. It doesn't have a good geographic location, natural resources or human resources."
"I thought we weren't supposed to call them that?"
What does-? Oh. "It's context-sensitive. The point is, picking Hub was a spur of the moment thing because I was there and there was something I could do. The way of the orange light is not a way of carefully thought out long term plans."
Jade nods. "I can confirm that."
I turn to her. "Me specifically, or Orange Lanterns in general?"
She regards me levelly. "Both."
"You'd be better at it anyway." I turn back to Bleez. "Honestly, if I'd known, I'd have… I don't know if I would have chosen not to do it, but I'd have been a lot more careful about the whole thing."
"Like..? Not talk to her..?"
I smile warmly. "A lot more careful. Though honestly, it's been a while since I've spoken to her. I-."
My ring twinkles.
"Excuse me. Yes?"
No one appears, but I feel a data transmission waiting to be absorbed. Okay, go?
"Ah."
Jade raises her eyebrows. "Trouble?"
"No, it's just… The… Blades of Alstair have cancelled their contract and left Vega."
"Is that a problem?"
"No, not really. Tamaran has built back up to the point where they can protect themselves, and Vega's a lot more peaceful now anyway. They might even downgrade their interdiction fields. Komand'r is just keeping me in the loop. It just-."
Bleez's personal organiser beeps.
"Ooh! That's us!"
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BR549
This is filth! FILTH!!
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A Few Installments Later...
Morgan Freeman: It was, in fact, a Problem.
Chojin Patriarch
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'Perch-like' as in being little more than sticks with cross-bars? I've seen portable seats like that, usually as a hiking stick/cane combo. I suppose they use them to give visitors a suitable impression of their importance...
It's always difficult to categorise political unrest and actions. Especially among alien species...
You know she knows how he thinks so well when she can recognise the tone of a single grunt.
Ah, perfect timing, and plenty of time to chat.
Careful, Bleez, never know what he wants to actually ask.
Oh, the last thing they want is samples of it, unless you want to develop a perfect counter to it.
Because of course they had agents to spread it.
...That is a good question. It must be a Thanagarian thing to be that respectful of their central government... Or there was something off about the whole affair.
Keep in mind, she is a covert government agent. Naturally she's going to quote the party line.
Bit awkward to be caught out talking shit about your bosses, after all.
Generally, unless you can fly into space unaided and punch out starships, whoever owns the orbital high ground wins the fight.
And couldn't really support an occupation like the sort that would be needed to put a colony-friendly government in place, eh?
The third- and fourth-in-line scions of noble houses, that sort of thing. The kind that, on Earth, would have gone into the military or the priesthood. Or the disenfranchised for who ekeing out a subsistence living on a brand new colony was an improvement of their circumstances.
Cultural inertia. Another good reason not to stick around...
Heh. Bleez really wishing she was anywhere but having this conversation right now, eh?
Ah, so this sort of... Cultural inefficiency just grinding his gears a little.
And you can hear everyone's mental wheels squealing as OL drops the hard drift non-sequitor.
...Because you felt like it? I mean, Orange Light Shaman, that sort of thing is par for the course.
Yup, exactly. I'm sure other Orange Lanterns have done weirder things, being even less in control of their impulses than he is...
...And that pretty much confirms it.
Tobe fair, there are a few things he could have employed that kind of sentiment about...
Oh, hell. What business is calling now, I wonder?
Evidently not critical if it's only an e-mail message.
To be honest, I kind of forget they existed, given how long it's been since we saw any mention of them. Like so many other things in the story. Such is the peril of a long-running tale.
It helps that they effectively have two homegrown Orange Lanterns watching the sector. No-one's going to start shit in Vega without being very careful or very overconfident about it...
The matter is in hold until after this meeting at the bare minimum, then.
A nice little moment of idle curiosity on OL's aprt as we transit from calm introductory scenes to the meat of the main plot. Though I suspect Bleez is a little worried she's going to have to explain anything she might have mentioned in her responses. Drawback of sneaky, sneaky bosses, she can never be sure they aren't listening, even under a privacy field.
CTrees
Chasing the ring
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Calming
Mr Zoat
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Thank you, corrected.Me said:
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Signaller
Not too sore, are you?
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Not sure what happened here, the quoted text by Chojin doesn't have this problem.
Also, is boss smiley restricted to earth's thaumosphere, and if so, does that mean there's a boss beaky here?
PeriodicPedant
Making the rounds.
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boo600
Welp
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Sigh. It looks like Smiley - like John - is well-versed in the art of the Shiny Distraction. So much for tracking him down now that Paul is absolutely certain he's a big threat invested in opposing him, personally.
…wait, this just hit me. Why wasn't Ares empowered by the Sheeda War? It was entirely within Earth's thaumosphere until the end. Did he not... try anything? At all?
…wait, this just hit me. Why wasn't Ares empowered by the Sheeda War? It was entirely within Earth's thaumosphere until the end. Did he not... try anything? At all?
Mr Zoat
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Ugh.
For some reason, when I select something and click on it, the menu is mostly blank. All the options are still there, but the text doesn't display. Copy and paste are also unreliable. No idea why.
Very few sheeda are eunuchs, so what were you expecting?
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Mquz
Versed in the lewd.
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If they're the remnants of humanity, and if I remember correctly all come from a queen, wouldn't that make them all eunuchs on a long enough time scale?
Signaller
Not too sore, are you?
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The Sheeda thing was a while (maybe a year?) before Hephaestean happened, so Ares would still have been the god of war at the time. But given how lazy Zeus was and how the sheeda ignored Themyscira, its easy to believe that Ares either didn't know or didn't care.
Steelplaza
Custom Title
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I don't think OL was trying to put Bleez in an awkward position. It's just hard to tell the difference between "history" and "currently relevant politics" when dealing with an alien species and culture. I notice he even referred to it as a "history question". Like, on "The Rest is History" Dominic Sandbrook has a routine where he jokes(?) that Britain should have fought on the side of the Central Powers in WWI. And you could maybe get people mad in a debate about something like that, but it wouldn't be considered a question of treason to discuss it here in 2026. More an interesting historical "what if".
In this story I don't really have a good grip on how long ago the Equalization Plague and the rebellion against Hyathis happened. I'm sure you stated it somewhere, but it's one of the details I couldn't keep track of. When Bleez commented that she never got the Equalization plague, I was really surprised, because that implied it was all relatively recent rather than generations ago and outside living memory[1].
[1] I mean obviously Hyathis remembers, but she's immortal or something.
CrazyNoVa
I trust you know where the happy button is?
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Not sure what happened here, the quoted text by Chojin doesn't have this problem.
Also, is boss smiley restricted to earth's thaumosphere, and if so, does that mean there's a boss beaky here?
Would that make his Kryptonian counterpart Boss Sunny?
Actually, now that I think about it, if there was indeed an equivalent to Boss Smiley on Krypton, he must either be dead or incredibly weakened, since he doesn't have much of a population to feed on anymore.
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Mr Zoat
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I realised a while ago that in terms of self-interest, siding with Germany in WWII would really have made more sense for the British Empire than what we did.
I don't believe that I've given a hard number, but it's a generation ago rather than a long time. The current High Mor was part of the group that carried the coup out, one of the last of the old guard. Bleez saying that she never got it was just her checking that they understood that.
Hyathis is effectively unaging.