Duke Long
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'how'
'giving'
Seems very obscure. Where'd you snag that from?
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With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)
- Thread starter Mr Zoat
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Mr Zoat
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m_d
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Is it obscure though? 'Inept' is pretty commonly used word I thought? The contrary naturally follows providing that one is aware of the meaning of 'in' in context, and most english speakers would have picked that up given its prevalence in so many other words.
ToadUnderBridge
Not too sore, are you?
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Inept is commonly used, but ept has fallen out of use, much as ruthless is still used but ruth has become archaic, and underwhelmed and overwhelmed are still used but whelm is not.
Silverias
Not too sore, are you?
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It's what is known as an orphaned negative. Inert, nonplussed, and ruthless are other examples.
Someguy Somewhere
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Really feeling the Aster with is topic
BR549
This is filth! FILTH!!
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...okay, now I have to ask if there's a Paul in the Galaxy Rangers universe.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ju7EhA6RqxE
Meetings Squared (part 15)
New
Mr Zoat
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18th May 2284
15:12 GMT -6
Vesley leans closer to me as Diana displays her plans for building health clinics across New Mexico.
"How nuts is she?"
We both contemplate the large screen displaying Diana Stone's chosen avatar. Not her own long-abandoned human face. Not the tank that is her current residence. Not a symbol of her former employer Greenway Hydroponics, of which she is the last surviving executive. No, it's a live video feed of a giant holographic image of the Roman goddess Diana which she's projecting in a dedicated audience chamber in Vault 29.
"Compared to what?"
She glances my way for a moment. "A sane person."
"A touch of megalomania. As long as she's got something to work on you'll hardly notice."
"…combination of medic protectrons and trained human physicians, I anticipate a substantial improvement in the treatment of physical injuries and simple diseases. Unfortunately, I am still lacking the base chemicals to synthesise more sophisticated medicine, as well as the aforementioned shortage of medical doctors."
WARDEN's robotic avatar nods. Or rather, bends its waist slightly and then straightens up. "I've had to provisionally put Brotherhood scribe-physicians from the Maxson Chapter in charge of our Department of Health, but we don't have enough people with advanced medical training to both oversee the healthcare professionals we have and actually perform medicine."
One of the local members of the Followers of the Apocalypse leans forwards. "If you're saying that you don't have any kind of medical training college, what kind of qualifications do they have?"
The Diana image stares out with an air of benevolent imperiousness. "I have made certain to ensure that members of the Twin Mothers tribe have a practical grounding in basic medicine. Their medical men and women can clean and sew wounds, set bones and treat fevers. I have avoided training them in more complex forms of medicine."
The Followers frowns. "But… You predate the war. You're probably one of the leading authorities of medicine left. I can't imagine that there's much you couldn't teach them."
"Vault Twenty Nine was an experimental Vault."
The Follower's eyes widen. "Oh God. What was the experiment?"
"In essence, to see if people raised without advanced technology would build a happy and stable society. Alas, while my people demonstrated that it is possible, the Legion who conquered and enslaved them demonstrated that there is no causal link. In cooperation with WARDEN I have begun increasing the sophistication of the educational program for those of the tribe who have returned to me."
The Follower… Doctor Gannon, slumps back in his chair, and I can feel the relief in his mind. The fact that the Vaults were never meant to save anyone… Or at least, the fact that doing so wasn't their primary purpose, is relatively common knowledge across California. And other places are painfully aware that some Vaults 'went bad' or had messed up things happening in them. I don't think anyone has ever had the chance to directly question someone who set up such a Vault before.
The representative from Vault City leans forwards. "We've got fully trained doctors, and I suspect that persuading them to move to another Vault would be a good deal easier than trying to talk them into moving to… Some.. tribal village. But what are you offering in exchange?"
Diana frowns at the idea of someone not jumping at the chance to selflessly help people, but it's WARDEN who answers. "Essentially, immortality."
"Pardon me?"
"They'd be the first generation of fully trained physicians in Colorado since the bombs dropped. They'd form policy, get hospitals and schools named after them, and they'd have the gratitude of the state. It would be a major increase in status for anyone who wanted to move out of your city."
The representative nods. "Okay, I can see you getting some volunteers on that basis. But what does Vault City get?"
Diana's frown smoothes slightly. "I can prioritise you for seeds and seedlings, as well as agricultural equipment. I understand that your farms are manpower intensive."
To put it mildly. Vault City uses wastelander labourers in preference to robotic labourers, and those wastelanders… They've moved away from the serf-labour system they used to use, but they're still very much second class citizens and… The Vault City citizens seem to like being able to lord it over them. They were having a problem with people leaving, but the obvious place to go after leaving Vault City was New Reno, and after Anderson attacked it it's become a good deal less appealing. Of course, if their farms switch to using the farmhand version of Mr. Handy or even just regular tractors, they'll need to improve the education of their labourers so that they can maintain them properly.
"That's… Acceptable, but we'd also like access to the Colorado Dome."
WARDEN pseudo-nods again. "That isn't a problem. It'll be good for Doctor Goddard's-."
Diana's image crackles and vanishes, replaced by the text 'signal lost'. The C-27 WARDEN is piloting stumbles a few steps before straightening up.
Vesley stares at them. "What just happened?"
I'm frowning, expanding my awareness to see if I can feel anything untoward. "WARDEN?"
The C-27 looks around. "Command unit WARDEN is not available. Please state your request."
"Why isn't command unit WARDEN available?"
"Satellite uplink has been disrupted. Please stand by. Should you require police assistance, this unit is ready to protect and serve."
The screen comes back to life, but it's not displaying Diana. Instead, the green and black image of Robert House's avatar is on display. "'Disrupted' is putting it mildly. My early warning system just detected a high-altitude nuclear detonation. The resulting electromagnetic pulse appears to have shut down Diana's remaining satellites. Fortunately, my own systems are hardened against that sort of attack."
I blink. "Was it-? Someone actually built a GoldenEye?"
"Would you care to explain that, Mister Krono?"
"From a… Work of fiction. The GoldenEye satellites were… Satellites with nuclear bombs in them, designed to cripple an enemy's electronic infrastructure. They were rather more dangerous against people who relied on transistors rather than vacuum tubes, but it's not as if anyone can replace the overloaded vacuum tubes in the satellites."
"So our long-ranged communication systems are crippled."
And I need to make sure that the people on the zetan mothership are alright.
The Vault City representative is already on her feet. "I need to try and get in contact with Vault City. Would the hard lines be affected?"
"Of course not." I can hear House roll his eyes. "And any radios that aren't hardened would simply need their vacuum tubes replaced. That's why my company continued to use vacuum tube technology in the first place. Mister Krono?"
"WARDEN and Vault Twenty Nine are both hardened, so they should be fine even if we can't reach them from here. I can have people reach out telepathically-. Are there any incoming strategic missiles?"
The room gasps, but that's the obvious reason to use a GoldenEye. It wouldn't cause the damage depicted it the film, not in this universe, but it could deactivate radar stations for an hour or two.
"Not that I can detect, but my capacities aren't what they were. I didn't detect the launch."
"It might have already been up there. Alright." I turn to the other attendees. "Everyone, check in on your lead negotiators, get initial damage and intelligence reports, and reconvene in half an hour."
Because I think this is the start of something unpleasant.
15:12 GMT -6
Vesley leans closer to me as Diana displays her plans for building health clinics across New Mexico.
"How nuts is she?"
We both contemplate the large screen displaying Diana Stone's chosen avatar. Not her own long-abandoned human face. Not the tank that is her current residence. Not a symbol of her former employer Greenway Hydroponics, of which she is the last surviving executive. No, it's a live video feed of a giant holographic image of the Roman goddess Diana which she's projecting in a dedicated audience chamber in Vault 29.
"Compared to what?"
She glances my way for a moment. "A sane person."
"A touch of megalomania. As long as she's got something to work on you'll hardly notice."
"…combination of medic protectrons and trained human physicians, I anticipate a substantial improvement in the treatment of physical injuries and simple diseases. Unfortunately, I am still lacking the base chemicals to synthesise more sophisticated medicine, as well as the aforementioned shortage of medical doctors."
WARDEN's robotic avatar nods. Or rather, bends its waist slightly and then straightens up. "I've had to provisionally put Brotherhood scribe-physicians from the Maxson Chapter in charge of our Department of Health, but we don't have enough people with advanced medical training to both oversee the healthcare professionals we have and actually perform medicine."
One of the local members of the Followers of the Apocalypse leans forwards. "If you're saying that you don't have any kind of medical training college, what kind of qualifications do they have?"
The Diana image stares out with an air of benevolent imperiousness. "I have made certain to ensure that members of the Twin Mothers tribe have a practical grounding in basic medicine. Their medical men and women can clean and sew wounds, set bones and treat fevers. I have avoided training them in more complex forms of medicine."
The Followers frowns. "But… You predate the war. You're probably one of the leading authorities of medicine left. I can't imagine that there's much you couldn't teach them."
"Vault Twenty Nine was an experimental Vault."
The Follower's eyes widen. "Oh God. What was the experiment?"
"In essence, to see if people raised without advanced technology would build a happy and stable society. Alas, while my people demonstrated that it is possible, the Legion who conquered and enslaved them demonstrated that there is no causal link. In cooperation with WARDEN I have begun increasing the sophistication of the educational program for those of the tribe who have returned to me."
The Follower… Doctor Gannon, slumps back in his chair, and I can feel the relief in his mind. The fact that the Vaults were never meant to save anyone… Or at least, the fact that doing so wasn't their primary purpose, is relatively common knowledge across California. And other places are painfully aware that some Vaults 'went bad' or had messed up things happening in them. I don't think anyone has ever had the chance to directly question someone who set up such a Vault before.
The representative from Vault City leans forwards. "We've got fully trained doctors, and I suspect that persuading them to move to another Vault would be a good deal easier than trying to talk them into moving to… Some.. tribal village. But what are you offering in exchange?"
Diana frowns at the idea of someone not jumping at the chance to selflessly help people, but it's WARDEN who answers. "Essentially, immortality."
"Pardon me?"
"They'd be the first generation of fully trained physicians in Colorado since the bombs dropped. They'd form policy, get hospitals and schools named after them, and they'd have the gratitude of the state. It would be a major increase in status for anyone who wanted to move out of your city."
The representative nods. "Okay, I can see you getting some volunteers on that basis. But what does Vault City get?"
Diana's frown smoothes slightly. "I can prioritise you for seeds and seedlings, as well as agricultural equipment. I understand that your farms are manpower intensive."
To put it mildly. Vault City uses wastelander labourers in preference to robotic labourers, and those wastelanders… They've moved away from the serf-labour system they used to use, but they're still very much second class citizens and… The Vault City citizens seem to like being able to lord it over them. They were having a problem with people leaving, but the obvious place to go after leaving Vault City was New Reno, and after Anderson attacked it it's become a good deal less appealing. Of course, if their farms switch to using the farmhand version of Mr. Handy or even just regular tractors, they'll need to improve the education of their labourers so that they can maintain them properly.
"That's… Acceptable, but we'd also like access to the Colorado Dome."
WARDEN pseudo-nods again. "That isn't a problem. It'll be good for Doctor Goddard's-."
Diana's image crackles and vanishes, replaced by the text 'signal lost'. The C-27 WARDEN is piloting stumbles a few steps before straightening up.
Vesley stares at them. "What just happened?"
I'm frowning, expanding my awareness to see if I can feel anything untoward. "WARDEN?"
The C-27 looks around. "Command unit WARDEN is not available. Please state your request."
"Why isn't command unit WARDEN available?"
"Satellite uplink has been disrupted. Please stand by. Should you require police assistance, this unit is ready to protect and serve."
The screen comes back to life, but it's not displaying Diana. Instead, the green and black image of Robert House's avatar is on display. "'Disrupted' is putting it mildly. My early warning system just detected a high-altitude nuclear detonation. The resulting electromagnetic pulse appears to have shut down Diana's remaining satellites. Fortunately, my own systems are hardened against that sort of attack."
I blink. "Was it-? Someone actually built a GoldenEye?"
"Would you care to explain that, Mister Krono?"
"From a… Work of fiction. The GoldenEye satellites were… Satellites with nuclear bombs in them, designed to cripple an enemy's electronic infrastructure. They were rather more dangerous against people who relied on transistors rather than vacuum tubes, but it's not as if anyone can replace the overloaded vacuum tubes in the satellites."
"So our long-ranged communication systems are crippled."
And I need to make sure that the people on the zetan mothership are alright.
The Vault City representative is already on her feet. "I need to try and get in contact with Vault City. Would the hard lines be affected?"
"Of course not." I can hear House roll his eyes. "And any radios that aren't hardened would simply need their vacuum tubes replaced. That's why my company continued to use vacuum tube technology in the first place. Mister Krono?"
"WARDEN and Vault Twenty Nine are both hardened, so they should be fine even if we can't reach them from here. I can have people reach out telepathically-. Are there any incoming strategic missiles?"
The room gasps, but that's the obvious reason to use a GoldenEye. It wouldn't cause the damage depicted it the film, not in this universe, but it could deactivate radar stations for an hour or two.
"Not that I can detect, but my capacities aren't what they were. I didn't detect the launch."
"It might have already been up there. Alright." I turn to the other attendees. "Everyone, check in on your lead negotiators, get initial damage and intelligence reports, and reconvene in half an hour."
Because I think this is the start of something unpleasant.
Mr Zoat
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Maybe? I haven't watched it for decades.
Might actually be three decades.
The problem would be that even without a way to recharge, it would be pretty easy for him to kill the Queen and get away again,
Duke Long
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Amazing chest ahead!
First thought is that it's MODUS given that he was introduced earlier in this plot as being creepy and possibly interested in nuking China. In which case the anti-satellite attack could be focused on Chinese satellites and the loss of American satellites is just a side effect.
Or it could be something completely different, of course.
Chojin Patriarch
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That's a good question. You have to wonder how stable anyone who exists as a brain in a jar is, especially if they're past a certain age. Still, as long as her suggestions are feasible, is there any reason to dismiss them out of hand?
That's... Certainly setting a mood.
And it seems if she can direct her focus on this project, it's quite beneficial to everyone.
Still needing the tools to make the tools, eh?
I suppose learning advanced medicine isn't a priority out in the wastelands.
Bonesetters and barbers, most likely.
I'm guessing to reduce risks of someone trying to do something they aren't prepared for. Some of the advanced stuff likely requires support structures they don't have right now...
...Ah, Okay, I can see that being a sensible precaution.
Ooof. Yeah, doesn't matter how peaceful you are if your neighbours aren't.
Looking it up, I can see why he was relieved. That's just messed up...
Hopefully they're willing to be helpful...
Not a physical sort, of course. The main methods of that probably aren't conducive to continued good medical practices.
Hmm, yes, appeal to their egos.
Good, yes, spreading better food supplies is always good.
...Hoo boy. People gonna people all over everyone else, aren't they?
As long as it's done carefully? Things don't sound all that stable in certain parts there.
...Well, that seems concerning.
...Very concerning. looks like the shit is about to go fan-wards.
Oh hell. Is someone playing around with EMPs?
How fortunate.
Ah, the classic Bond movie threat.
I wouldn't be surprised to find that those were actually made in-universe too, that this was an old weapon reactivated rather than some improvised kludge...
Are the light saucers space-worthy? Or at least capable of that communications range?
Amazing how the technology of this universe developed so bizarrely...
And prevent any anti-missile systems from being brought online, with no way to target subsequent launches...
I wonder if Krono even realised he just stepped in and took charge so easily. And if others will notice the same thing...
So, someone is playing around with EMP devices. Some random wasteland lunatic - no shortage of them, after all - or a foreign power poking their nose into the Americas? Are the various communities of the former United States going to be facing an invasion attempt by an old enemy... Or perhaps a conquest by someone new they didn't know about.
ForeverShogo
I trust you know where the happy button is?
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Given the other bits from Van Buren mentioned, it's probably Presper making use of B.O.M.B. 001.
Mad scientist who wants to purge areas with nuclear fire so his followers can repopulate the Wasteland. B.O.M.B. 001 is a donut shaped satellite base that can launch up to 24 nuclear missiles. The plan for if Van Buren were ever completed was that you'd either sacrifice yourself to stop the nukes or, with the right build, you could stop most but not all of them. If you went for the latter, you would have to decide which of the settlements you visited during the game got nuked.
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Mr Zoat
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No, by this point in time Presper's very dead, and his surviving followers are living under Hecate's rule.
Razorfloss
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They're politicians of course they noticed. The question is if they're going to do anything about it afterwards. I have even odds the future leaders of each era are going to come to krono for advice in the future since he's going to live until killed.
Tzeentch
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F@#$ing Enclave, (I'm assuming)! Why can't they let everyone work together to rebuild civilization in peace?!
jasonh23761
Not too sore, are you?
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My first thought was BOMB-001 but that depends on if it was destroyed in the attempts to stop Presper or not.
Who even still has the ability to get a nuclear warhead into space? There is the silo MODUS gives WARDEN access to as a borderline bribe to go away in OWB, and the Appalachian Automatic Launch Silos that may or may not be under MODUS' direct control. Armageddon Station should be locked down hard by Tialoc. Ashton/Hopeville is either a crater or retconned (one of many issues I have with Lonesome Road).
Kovac-Muldoon should be depowered and/or deorbited by now, Bradley-Hercules may still be operational but crippled. Highwater Trousers was staggeringly dumb, ARCHIMEDES isn't a nuclear weapons platform. Maybe some other FOBS style weapon or a foreign nation? Or something weird like Big MT or the Institute teleporting something into orbit, though the latter lacks a why.
When in doubt, blame the Chicago Enclave. I bet they even have a moon base.
Or the French.
Edit: As an aside, it was nice getting back into this. I took a break and there's something oddly reassuring that Paul is still causing headaches no matter the reality, and that this pillar of my fiction intake is still going.
OWB Ramble: I've found myself partial to the Steel School of Shi thought in the last update, though the expanded Maxson Chapter narrative was a delight. Now, if only the Wardens of the White narrative would get expanded.
Who even still has the ability to get a nuclear warhead into space? There is the silo MODUS gives WARDEN access to as a borderline bribe to go away in OWB, and the Appalachian Automatic Launch Silos that may or may not be under MODUS' direct control. Armageddon Station should be locked down hard by Tialoc. Ashton/Hopeville is either a crater or retconned (one of many issues I have with Lonesome Road).
Kovac-Muldoon should be depowered and/or deorbited by now, Bradley-Hercules may still be operational but crippled. Highwater Trousers was staggeringly dumb, ARCHIMEDES isn't a nuclear weapons platform. Maybe some other FOBS style weapon or a foreign nation? Or something weird like Big MT or the Institute teleporting something into orbit, though the latter lacks a why.
When in doubt, blame the Chicago Enclave. I bet they even have a moon base.
Or the French.
Edit: As an aside, it was nice getting back into this. I took a break and there's something oddly reassuring that Paul is still causing headaches no matter the reality, and that this pillar of my fiction intake is still going.
OWB Ramble: I've found myself partial to the Steel School of Shi thought in the last update, though the expanded Maxson Chapter narrative was a delight. Now, if only the Wardens of the White narrative would get expanded.
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crazygrox
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It could maybe be China again?
Their emperor got news that the old enemy was reassembling itself and decided to try a preemptive strike?
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Mr Zoat
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I tried it. I liked how the story starts, but my problem is with how their bit of the focus tree ends. And anything to do with Lost Hills.
I conquered Navarro Territories no problem and eventually conquered Arroyo, but the end of the Steel path assumes that you're High Elder. I didn't take it because I didn't want Lost Hill's divisions, and the the Guardian Brotherhood's leader suddenly became High Elder despite not having any connection border.
I am extremely reluctant to play Lost Hills because while they seem to have improved it, it's a Mass Effect 3 revised ending improvement, that gets rid of a couple of pieces of obvious nonsense without fixing the fundamental problems.
The problem with Wardens of the White is that their story is spread over about five different countries who only interact if the AI picks that route.
jasonh23761
Not too sore, are you?
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That's fair, I don't even remember what the old Lost Hills focus tree used to be. There really isn't much for them to do but dig a hole and spin in their chairs. I do however love the Alamo Chapter, I just wish it spawned at game start as a recent schism.
Definitely a big issue, as even using the AI rules puts you at the mercy of their neighbors unless you actively intervene with the console.
Fortunately, there are supposed to be one or two Warden focused submods in the near future.
I'm somewhat tempted to sketch something up using the UAF from Van Buren, somewhere along the US-Canadian border.
Mr Zoat
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The original one assumed that the Brotherhood-NCR War hadn't happened yet and they still had all their coastal territory. The tree was mostly the generic Brotherhood tree (see Washington Brotherhood) with a bit more research if they held Navarro (which they started with) and a choice to either befriend the NCR, go to war with the NCR or demand a little bit more territory from them and then ignore them. An update changed exactly where their territory was, giving them a weird broken layout that the AI couldn't cope with.
Then they changed to the previous version, which let you spend exp they don't have in order to buy research bonuses they don't need. And all the nonsense they've still got. There's slightly more story, but most of it's at the end of the tree and a lot of it's nonsense. Like, their main thing is sending troops to help other chapters, but they're surrounded by an enemy nation, they don't have a port or aircraft hangers or teleporters. How are they sending people to the Maxson Chapter? And the worst part is that neither the Lost Hills focus tree nor the NCR focus tree explains why the Brotherhood-NCR War even happened. The NCR focus tree almost completely ignores it. You know that 'collapsed currency' debuff the NCR gets at the start of the game? That was me! I had to point out to the devs that at that point in the timeline the NCR didn't have a functioning currency after the Brotherhood destroyed their gold reserve and people started using bottlecaps again.
Sure there is. The Brotherhood reached outwards after Fallout 1. They even gave Vault 13 an entire ZAX mainframe as a thank you. The closest town to them is a place called 'Maxson', probably because they built it and named it after their founder. Which implies that the NCR annexed it after the NCR-Brotherhood War. So why is it NCR core territory? Why does the Hub riot rather than the people who were annexed a few years ago and are now paying NCR tax and getting NCR conscription notices? Lost Hills even has focuses for automatically gaining control of that territory when the war starts. Why not let them negotiate for its return, or do border wars to get it back?
I like them too, there's just not much replay value.
I already tried one. It basically gave them the plot of Wasteland 3. I didn't think much of it.
Pruning (part 7)
New
Mr Zoat
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14th September 2013
11:32 GMT
Polara isn't particularly close to Thanagar, even if it is technically in the same Sector. It also has the distinction of the constant attention of a quarter of the Thanagarian navy and a respectable record against them in fleet engagements. They haven't won, but they have done well enough that Thanagar hasn't been able to press into their core territory.
And they know that they'll get the chance to do so again, because this is the point of origin of the Equalizing Plague.
For the locals it's a perfectly normal symbiotic bacteria; a part of how they learn and preserve what previous generations have learned. Something like a trill symbiote, just compulsory. But contact with aliens and a slight genetic mutation and we get the Lord High Equalizer and the collapse of pre-Empire thanagarian civilisation.
I wave as the system defence ships carefully monitor us flying towards their homeworld. "Have you been here before?"
Lantern Guarn makes an affirmative gesture. "As did my predecessor. Thanagar was not the only world infected, and the other worlds want assurance that they will not be infected again."
"How did they get cured? Was it Hyathis?"
"Their bodies adapted. It is usually hard for a disease to infect other species."
"And the thanagarians just got unlucky?"
"I am not a microbiologist, but the lizarkons were not infected. Or if they were, they showed no symptoms."
"And what was your predecessor doing during that period?"
"She was moving between here and the infected worlds, assisting the researchers who understood the bacteria the best in creating a cure. Though her efforts ultimately came to little, it was the best chance that she had to help."
"I didn't mean to sound that accusatory."
"No, I should not have assumed that you did. Often, even if a Lantern is aware of a major catastrophe, they may not have the knowledge or power to do anything about it. A power ring is not a sign of ultimate power."
"I understand. There are several kryptonians on my homeworld. Their homeworld exploded, and the local Green Lantern was a few hours too late to save it. Not his fault, he honestly did his best…"
"I have never been in the situation of losing an entire planet. But this is not a peaceful Sector. On two occasions I have been fired upon by both fleets in a conflict."
"I've got a few ideas if you're interested in improving your own capabilities, both in terms of raw power and skill."
"I do not think that I am lacking. My performance-."
"The Green Lantern Corps trains Lanterns up to a level where they can function in an 'average' Sector, and then leaves the rest to them. I… Used to have regular sparring sessions with my Sector's Green Lanterns, and we all got better as a result. If that's not practical for you-." Hm. "I assume that you don't have a local Star Sapphire or Sinestro Corpsman?"
"I don't know what those are-." He makes a gesture of astonishment. "Oh. I have not seen one. And we do not have an Orange Lantern, either."
"You do, but Lantern Dul is mostly involved in fighting the Reach." We descend through Polara's atmosphere, heading towards their one alien-friendly city. "If you've got a candidate in mind, let me know."
"I will. What are your ideas for getting stronger? I am alone in this Sector."
"Talk to Lantern Priest of Sector One Six Three Four. His Sector is almost completely peaceful, and he's so good that he doesn't need a ring."
"I thought it was only the Guardians who had such power."
"No, anyone can learn it, it's just really hard. And even the first few steps on that path can result in significant increases in personal power."
"If it will not distract him from his duties, then I will consult with him."
"The actual most powerful Green Lantern ever is his Sector partner, so him being distracted isn't really an issue."
Huh. We're low enough to observe individual people, and… Quite a lot of the people here are wearing either full on power armour, space suits or at least A.B.C. protection gear. Some… Aren't, but most of them are wearing face masks or have visible health monitor readouts.
"Have there been other outbreaks?"
"Not outbreaks, no, but the bacteria sometimes infects someone from another species. While it is not precisely harmful, it is disconcerting."
"Have you ever had it yourself?"
"Once, for a few days. I will not forget it. Have you encountered something similar?"
"Not… Really. One of my old team mates is a telepath, and she usually set up a telepathic network for us when we were on a mission. But it's not really… The same."
I'm not surprised by the way the orange glow flows amongst the natives. They don't all have the same desires exactly, but there's a commonality between each individual. Humans in isolated rural communities sometimes have something like it, where everyone knows everyone and there's a limited amount of external contact. But here it's a product of their symbiotes.
I watch as a polaran steps around someone he couldn't have seen, other polarans briefly directing their eyes that way. As I understand it, the one who dodged wouldn't even be consciously aware of why they moved. Or rather, it would be completely instinctual, with their conscious mind catching up a moment later. Likewise, a few glance up at us, but we don't seem to hold their attention.
The crowd is looking at us. Individuals aren't.
A couple get into aerial transportation vehicles and head… Toward our target building at an accelerated rate. Other vehicles are coming in from other directions-.
"The conclave is gathering."
"Mm."
"They don't have a government in the sense that most species do. When a major decision needs to be made, a cross section of their species gathers like this."
"But they're not a true gestalt, otherwise they'd only need one person."
"Yes. They all have the same information, but they can think about it differently. At least, that is how I understand it."
Yes, the building we're going to is more of a small open air coliseum than a parliament or government office. I can see polarans walking calmly towards the available seats… Though again, unlike a true gestalt they are actually talking amongst themselves.
As Lantern Gaurn and I take out positions in the centre of the arena, there's some sort of… Pointing of multiple sets of arms in various directions, then a pause, then some arms move… Several… 'Rounds' of that happen, and then a single individual moves to a podium facing us.
"Lanterns. Welcome to Polara. Its people will now hear your request."
11:32 GMT
Polara isn't particularly close to Thanagar, even if it is technically in the same Sector. It also has the distinction of the constant attention of a quarter of the Thanagarian navy and a respectable record against them in fleet engagements. They haven't won, but they have done well enough that Thanagar hasn't been able to press into their core territory.
And they know that they'll get the chance to do so again, because this is the point of origin of the Equalizing Plague.
For the locals it's a perfectly normal symbiotic bacteria; a part of how they learn and preserve what previous generations have learned. Something like a trill symbiote, just compulsory. But contact with aliens and a slight genetic mutation and we get the Lord High Equalizer and the collapse of pre-Empire thanagarian civilisation.
I wave as the system defence ships carefully monitor us flying towards their homeworld. "Have you been here before?"
Lantern Guarn makes an affirmative gesture. "As did my predecessor. Thanagar was not the only world infected, and the other worlds want assurance that they will not be infected again."
"How did they get cured? Was it Hyathis?"
"Their bodies adapted. It is usually hard for a disease to infect other species."
"And the thanagarians just got unlucky?"
"I am not a microbiologist, but the lizarkons were not infected. Or if they were, they showed no symptoms."
"And what was your predecessor doing during that period?"
"She was moving between here and the infected worlds, assisting the researchers who understood the bacteria the best in creating a cure. Though her efforts ultimately came to little, it was the best chance that she had to help."
"I didn't mean to sound that accusatory."
"No, I should not have assumed that you did. Often, even if a Lantern is aware of a major catastrophe, they may not have the knowledge or power to do anything about it. A power ring is not a sign of ultimate power."
"I understand. There are several kryptonians on my homeworld. Their homeworld exploded, and the local Green Lantern was a few hours too late to save it. Not his fault, he honestly did his best…"
"I have never been in the situation of losing an entire planet. But this is not a peaceful Sector. On two occasions I have been fired upon by both fleets in a conflict."
"I've got a few ideas if you're interested in improving your own capabilities, both in terms of raw power and skill."
"I do not think that I am lacking. My performance-."
"The Green Lantern Corps trains Lanterns up to a level where they can function in an 'average' Sector, and then leaves the rest to them. I… Used to have regular sparring sessions with my Sector's Green Lanterns, and we all got better as a result. If that's not practical for you-." Hm. "I assume that you don't have a local Star Sapphire or Sinestro Corpsman?"
"I don't know what those are-." He makes a gesture of astonishment. "Oh. I have not seen one. And we do not have an Orange Lantern, either."
"You do, but Lantern Dul is mostly involved in fighting the Reach." We descend through Polara's atmosphere, heading towards their one alien-friendly city. "If you've got a candidate in mind, let me know."
"I will. What are your ideas for getting stronger? I am alone in this Sector."
"Talk to Lantern Priest of Sector One Six Three Four. His Sector is almost completely peaceful, and he's so good that he doesn't need a ring."
"I thought it was only the Guardians who had such power."
"No, anyone can learn it, it's just really hard. And even the first few steps on that path can result in significant increases in personal power."
"If it will not distract him from his duties, then I will consult with him."
"The actual most powerful Green Lantern ever is his Sector partner, so him being distracted isn't really an issue."
Huh. We're low enough to observe individual people, and… Quite a lot of the people here are wearing either full on power armour, space suits or at least A.B.C. protection gear. Some… Aren't, but most of them are wearing face masks or have visible health monitor readouts.
"Have there been other outbreaks?"
"Not outbreaks, no, but the bacteria sometimes infects someone from another species. While it is not precisely harmful, it is disconcerting."
"Have you ever had it yourself?"
"Once, for a few days. I will not forget it. Have you encountered something similar?"
"Not… Really. One of my old team mates is a telepath, and she usually set up a telepathic network for us when we were on a mission. But it's not really… The same."
I'm not surprised by the way the orange glow flows amongst the natives. They don't all have the same desires exactly, but there's a commonality between each individual. Humans in isolated rural communities sometimes have something like it, where everyone knows everyone and there's a limited amount of external contact. But here it's a product of their symbiotes.
I watch as a polaran steps around someone he couldn't have seen, other polarans briefly directing their eyes that way. As I understand it, the one who dodged wouldn't even be consciously aware of why they moved. Or rather, it would be completely instinctual, with their conscious mind catching up a moment later. Likewise, a few glance up at us, but we don't seem to hold their attention.
The crowd is looking at us. Individuals aren't.
A couple get into aerial transportation vehicles and head… Toward our target building at an accelerated rate. Other vehicles are coming in from other directions-.
"The conclave is gathering."
"Mm."
"They don't have a government in the sense that most species do. When a major decision needs to be made, a cross section of their species gathers like this."
"But they're not a true gestalt, otherwise they'd only need one person."
"Yes. They all have the same information, but they can think about it differently. At least, that is how I understand it."
Yes, the building we're going to is more of a small open air coliseum than a parliament or government office. I can see polarans walking calmly towards the available seats… Though again, unlike a true gestalt they are actually talking amongst themselves.
As Lantern Gaurn and I take out positions in the centre of the arena, there's some sort of… Pointing of multiple sets of arms in various directions, then a pause, then some arms move… Several… 'Rounds' of that happen, and then a single individual moves to a podium facing us.
"Lanterns. Welcome to Polara. Its people will now hear your request."
Last edited:
Darko
Connoisseur.
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Heck, he may have been stopped by Rao.
We know he made the Kryptonian species because of Despair, and if I remember correctly, a solar flare stopped Tomar from saving them.
Sarlar
Wildly Perturbed
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I do love these short visits to alien worlds, cheers!
I do believe thanagarian is missing an r, and that 'their' should be 'there'.
Cheers again!
I do believe thanagarian is missing an r, and that 'their' should be 'there'.
Cheers again!
Duke Long
Glomerulus
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Are there a ton of aliens on Polara, or is this the natives being nice enough to wear protective gear to reduce infection risk for aliens?
Also, interesting to see it called ABC, I think I've only seen it called NBC or CBRN. Guess it's just a less common version?
Reminds me of how the human conscious mind supposedly lags behind the unconscious. When you move, apparently you started getting ready to move a fraction of a second before you consciously decided to.
Mr Zoat
Dedicated ragequitter
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One more to go.
Thank you, corrected.
Its their main trade port and where foreign diplomats live. It's not that strange that they're around on an advanced world.
Other influences.
BR549
This is filth! FILTH!!
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This is probably related to the paradox that when a gunslinger is holding another gunslinger at gunpoint, with the second's gun still in its holster, if the first decides to shoot him the second is actually able to draw and fire first: reactions process faster than actions do.
jasonh23761
Not too sore, are you?
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Honestly, I'd assumed the Maxson Chapter and all other chapters outside of Lost Hills had either been set up by remote or left Lost Hills during the early stages of the NCR-Brotherhood War at the latest. When it comes to inciting incidents, if one ignores Lonesome Road in its entirety, then the Brotherhood finding out the NCR had essentially annexed a missile base would be a very useful inflection point. Perhaps the Brotherhood did petition for access but a group of hardliners forced the issue when the NCR either rebuffed them or simply took too long to respond.
All good examples of things they could be doing or leveraging. I was speaking more towards how utterly boring I found playing as the Lost Hills in the current iteration.
I don't think that one is one of the ones I was tracking, as one is delisted (and has a Warden remnant squatting in Haida lands) and the other has yet to be published.
NightmareWarden
Playtest Results: *happy chirping*
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Sounds like the kind of place Genomorphs would care about.
Actually, if Genomorphs in either of the main stories are aboard a ship which briefly connects to Polaris via boom tube? Individuals might have strokes. This setup is pretty different from gestalts in other fiction. It's interesting to imagine the wildlife on this world, the ones that are compatible with the symbiotes.
I wonder if the symbiotes are a leftover experiment from the smurfs or a a qwardian. This would be a great world for a special yellow lantern plot.
Wait. Could this give Jade a way to temporarily use Paul's innate superpower?
Also, it's interesting to imagine a comic book character leaving this, their homeworld, for a plot like Stranger in a Strange Land.
... Portions of it..
Actually, if Genomorphs in either of the main stories are aboard a ship which briefly connects to Polaris via boom tube? Individuals might have strokes. This setup is pretty different from gestalts in other fiction. It's interesting to imagine the wildlife on this world, the ones that are compatible with the symbiotes.
I wonder if the symbiotes are a leftover experiment from the smurfs or a a qwardian. This would be a great world for a special yellow lantern plot.
Wait. Could this give Jade a way to temporarily use Paul's innate superpower?
Also, it's interesting to imagine a comic book character leaving this, their homeworld, for a plot like Stranger in a Strange Land.
... Portions of it..
Duke Long
Glomerulus
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Ah, I think I remember you mentioning this before now, at some point. Feels a little Baader-Meinhof to see 2000 AD mentioned because I also played Strontium Dog for the first time just recently. Time bomb OP plz nerf.
I'm sure there's a relation, but some research apparently suggests this delay exists - to a lesser extent I think - even for non-reactive movements (insofar as any movement is non-reactive, I guess).