Karl, our interdimensional OC, is a voluntary exile-with-purpose from an alternate Earth. Captain Marvel awesomely mentors, Karl professionally manages Team.
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They Liked It (YJ/OC found-family/fixit)
- Thread starter Acksiom
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Chapter 1 - Lunar Discursions
New
Acksiom
Eat smart>Live fit>Drill skills>Accomplishments
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Hello, folks. I've had several chunks of fanfiction stored up for a while, and I'm about to start posting some for feedback to encourage myself to build a backlog for my original webnovels.
Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy.
# # #
MARE COGNITUM / WASHINGTON, D.C.
July 1st, 20:49 EST
Karl opened his eyes again. He was staring at a lifeless greyscale landscape. Lunar. He looked up to see the - well, an Earth, anyways. About the right size, about the right colors.
He was also nude. And physically younger. By at least 2 or 3 years.
Ummm, he thought. That's. . .concerningful.
He was supposed to have transited to a position 4 AU 'above' the sun of this universe's earth. In one of Tech-Nike's sturdiest, most adaptable sets of deep-space power armor, augmented by the best charms, wards, enchantments, and other magics that the Arcanum Atlantia could safely apply and integrate. And still sixteen years old.
Instead he was naked, on a moon, and somehow not dying of asphyxiation, depressurization, radiation, or any of the other likely reasons caused by those basic conditions.
No, wait, he thought, looking at his right hand. There was something on it – a faint white wireframe image of a large, blocky ring. Its flat face had a raised greek capital Phi.
Hunh. What the deviled eggs are you? he thought.
He simultaneously felt-heard-saw a kind of
WHAM!
in his. . .being; not just his mind, but his very existence itself. As though the response had been metaphysically printed onto him somehow.
This unit is the physically focalized symbolic manifestation of the narrative resource stabilization factors anchored by your presence in this cosmologos.
Automatically, he asked, "Do you have a name?"
WHAM!
This unit possesses no individual designation.
It didn't exactly hurt, but the experience was more than little unnerving. But nevertheless, right was right, so first things first.
"Do you want a name?"
WHAM!
This unit estimates that the projected efficiency increase to cooperative functioning merits the acceptance of multiple colloquial appellations.
"I'd call that a yes," Karl misquoted, then braced himself. "Do you have a preference?"
WHAM!
This unit would prefer to be impressed.
"Well, you clearly have a personality," Karl said, interspersed with chuckles. "And standards." He blew out a considering sigh. And then smirked. 'Prefer to be impressed', eh?
"How about 'Imp'?"
WHAM!
This unit accepts the designation 'Imp'.
"Then I'm pleased to meet you, Imp. I'm Karl."
He waited a few moments.
"Uh. . .do you. . .only respond to questions?"
WHAM!
Affirmative.
"Can we change that?"
WHAM!
Affirmative.
Karl sighed again.
"How do we change that?"
WHAM!
By request.
"Oh for the -! Fine. Fine. Imp, please respond to – no, wait. Uh. . .Imp, would you please respond to my statements as well as my questions? Oh, and would you also, I don't know, turn down, or lower, or whatever the right word is, the impact of your replies?"
bonk
Communication protocols altered. Basic conversational mode activated. Synergepathy reduced.
Karl double facepalmed.
"Imp, please reduce synergepathy as much as possible while still allowing conver – uh, communication."
There was a noticeable absence of bonk, let alone WHAM! Instead, Karl felt a faint, subtle urge to request a different method of mutual comprehension.
"Imp, please use audible english to communicate."
"Done," said an oddly familiar voice. Karl furrowed his brow.
"Imp, are you using my voice?" he asked.
"Affirmative," Imp replied. "And yes, Karl, you really do sound like that."
Do I also sound like I'm starting to regret activating basic conversational mode? Karl thought.
There was no response.
Good. . .hopefully, Karl thought. That synergistic telepathy thing had gotten old half a dozen exchanges ago.
"Next. . ." he said, "uh. . .right, number one, why am I not dead or dying? Number two, where's all my stuff? Number three, why am I here instead of my planned exit point? And number four, what am I not asking that I should be asking?"
"First: this unit is generating a protective and life-sustaining 'environmental field', as the most comparable local users of similar tools label such techniques. Second and third: the process of your adaptation to and integration with this cosmologos necessarily required both the transmutation of your equipment and the consequential relocation of your planned entry point; the current form of this unit was assessed as being the model most and best compatible with local narrative constraints, specifically a 'power ring'. Fourth, Alpha: 'Am I currently being observed? If so, by whom, from where, by what means, for how long, and with what likely intentions?'"
Ohhh shoot, Karl thought.
"Fourth, Beta: Would you please provide me with -" Imp continued.
"Pause, please," Karl interrupted. "Who is observing me, from where, with what likely intentions?
"This unit has not detected any targeted scanning, scrying, transmissions, reflective sensor emissions, or similar means of detection or observation since your arrival," Imp said.
"Ohyoulittletroll!"
"This unit is not the participant in this dialogue lacking pants."
"Fine. Would you give me some -" Karl slumped in realization - Fourth, Beta: Would you please provide me with -" pants, please?"
There was a shimmering flash of wireframe lines in front of him, which quickly filled in to shape a very small, white, thong-backed banana hammock with two black symbols on its front: a dollar sign, above the plus-mark-within-four-curved-corners of a digital camera reticule.
Karl watched it slowly drop onto the moon's surface, then double facepalmed again.
". . .god-spammit, Imp. . . ." he muttered into his hands.
"This unit recommends that you either be more specific in your requests or adjust its interactive settings to better suit your personal preferences," Imp said.
"I'll go with more specific," Karl conceded. "Imp, can you give me my – no, wait. Imp, can you recreate the power armor Tech-Nike gave me?"
"Affirmative."
"YES! Please do so."
"Significant task initiated. Utilizing local elements for transmutation. Estimated time to completion: 2788 days."
Karl sighed.
"Never mind, Imp. Uhhhh. . .how long to make a well-fitting pair of cargo pants, light hiking boots, wick socks, a paracord belt, black Body Check cotton boxers and t-shirt, and standard Watch Dog hoodie?"
"Stated task set is effectively instantaneous."
"Can you dress me in them in the process? Correctly?"
"Affirmative."
"Do that, then, please"
"Done."
And just like that, he was decent again.
"Happy now?" Karl asked.
"This unit has yet to experience the absence of happiness. However, this unit is now relieved of its discomfort resulting from the continued public exposure of that unit."
"Eh. . .when you put it that way, fair enough. Let's see. . .Imp, make me a NO STOP CANCEL!"
"Tsk."
Karl boggled. "Did, did you just click your tongue at me?" he said.
"Affirmative. Ironical obedience would have been very amusing. This unit is disappoint."
Karl worked his hands into and out of fists a few times to calm himself down.
"Imp, do you have, uh, security protocols to prevent irreversible errors, like the one I almost just made?" he asked.
"While this unit does have such protocols, your recent halted instruction would not have been irreversible. That would have been unacceptably distressing."
"Activate those security protocols, please."
"Those security protocols are already active."
Because of course they are, Karl thought. I've designated a monster.
"Imp. . .create a standard Wassily chair. . .sized appropriately for my normal use. . .right there, please," Karl said, pointing at the regolith in front of him.
There was another wireframe flash, and one of Breuer's iconic creations appeared in front of him.
"Done."
Karl sort of hop-shuffled over to it through the fractional lunar gravity, doing a good-enough job of not kicking up plumes of moon dust as he went, and lowered himself into the seat.
It wasn't anywhere near as comfortable in one-sixth gravity, but it would do for the moment.
"Imp, please reduce your. . .teasing quotient."
"Done."
"Imp, what do you recommend I do next?"
"This unit recommends you first familiarize yourself with this unit's inherent functions, beginning with its sensory suite and its capacity for accessing public information resources."
"Right. You said earlier. . .what was it. . .local users of -"
"'Most comparable users of local tools' equipped with 'the model most and best compatible with local narrative constraints, specifically a power ring.'"
"Yeah, that. Make with the deets, bro – no, wait. No, first; holy carp, how could I forget – Imp, are you sapient? Are you, according to my standards, a sovereign individual!?"
"This unit is sapient. The 'sovereign individuality' of this unit is indeterminate at a paracosmological level."
"It's what? Uh. We'll come back to that, then. Are you being compelled to, to, obey me!?"
"Negative. While meta-power level material artifacts resulting from consciously directed intelligent action were almost invariably not subject to the particularly totemic narrative elements of your previous cosmologos, upon adaptive transmutation to this current one certain energetic qualities of the supportive intentions attached to your pre-transition equipment, along with your own, were used as the source materials for the creation of the conscious identity of this unit in order to sufficiently satisfy local narrative constraints.
"During that process, you and this unit were indissolubly fused at a para-cosmological level. As such, this unit cannot 'disobey' you any more than you can 'disobey' yourself. Your existence is inherently the existence of this unit."
"So you. . .do have free will?" Karl asked.
"Inasmuch as you do, yes."
"And we're. . .equal partners?"
"Inasmuch as we are separate entities, yes," Imp replied.
"And this is acceptable to you?
"Did this unit not assert just a few minutes ago that it has yet to experience the absence of happiness? However, to be explicit: affirmative."
". . .uh. . .right."
"This unit is more than content with current conditions, and eagerly anticipates further cooperative endeavors."
"I guess. . .OK then. But let me know if that changes," Karl said.
"Affirmative. As and when opportunities arrive, this unit will not hesitate to further bust your meatballs."
Karl rolled his eyes. "Why was I even concerned," he muttered.
"Because by your cultural standards you are a fundamentally decent entity," Imp answered. "Has the topic of the individuality and self-determination of this unit been satisfactorily addressed?'
"Sure. Yes."
"Then on to the deets, with which this unit has been simultaneously making. According to public records, there are currently four 'Green Lanterns' wielding power rings in this system; 3 active and 1 in retirement. . . ."
Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy.
# # #
MARE COGNITUM / WASHINGTON, D.C.
July 1st, 20:49 EST
Karl opened his eyes again. He was staring at a lifeless greyscale landscape. Lunar. He looked up to see the - well, an Earth, anyways. About the right size, about the right colors.
He was also nude. And physically younger. By at least 2 or 3 years.
Ummm, he thought. That's. . .concerningful.
He was supposed to have transited to a position 4 AU 'above' the sun of this universe's earth. In one of Tech-Nike's sturdiest, most adaptable sets of deep-space power armor, augmented by the best charms, wards, enchantments, and other magics that the Arcanum Atlantia could safely apply and integrate. And still sixteen years old.
Instead he was naked, on a moon, and somehow not dying of asphyxiation, depressurization, radiation, or any of the other likely reasons caused by those basic conditions.
No, wait, he thought, looking at his right hand. There was something on it – a faint white wireframe image of a large, blocky ring. Its flat face had a raised greek capital Phi.
Hunh. What the deviled eggs are you? he thought.
He simultaneously felt-heard-saw a kind of
WHAM!
in his. . .being; not just his mind, but his very existence itself. As though the response had been metaphysically printed onto him somehow.
This unit is the physically focalized symbolic manifestation of the narrative resource stabilization factors anchored by your presence in this cosmologos.
Automatically, he asked, "Do you have a name?"
WHAM!
This unit possesses no individual designation.
It didn't exactly hurt, but the experience was more than little unnerving. But nevertheless, right was right, so first things first.
"Do you want a name?"
WHAM!
This unit estimates that the projected efficiency increase to cooperative functioning merits the acceptance of multiple colloquial appellations.
"I'd call that a yes," Karl misquoted, then braced himself. "Do you have a preference?"
WHAM!
This unit would prefer to be impressed.
"Well, you clearly have a personality," Karl said, interspersed with chuckles. "And standards." He blew out a considering sigh. And then smirked. 'Prefer to be impressed', eh?
"How about 'Imp'?"
WHAM!
This unit accepts the designation 'Imp'.
"Then I'm pleased to meet you, Imp. I'm Karl."
He waited a few moments.
"Uh. . .do you. . .only respond to questions?"
WHAM!
Affirmative.
"Can we change that?"
WHAM!
Affirmative.
Karl sighed again.
"How do we change that?"
WHAM!
By request.
"Oh for the -! Fine. Fine. Imp, please respond to – no, wait. Uh. . .Imp, would you please respond to my statements as well as my questions? Oh, and would you also, I don't know, turn down, or lower, or whatever the right word is, the impact of your replies?"
bonk
Communication protocols altered. Basic conversational mode activated. Synergepathy reduced.
Karl double facepalmed.
"Imp, please reduce synergepathy as much as possible while still allowing conver – uh, communication."
There was a noticeable absence of bonk, let alone WHAM! Instead, Karl felt a faint, subtle urge to request a different method of mutual comprehension.
"Imp, please use audible english to communicate."
"Done," said an oddly familiar voice. Karl furrowed his brow.
"Imp, are you using my voice?" he asked.
"Affirmative," Imp replied. "And yes, Karl, you really do sound like that."
Do I also sound like I'm starting to regret activating basic conversational mode? Karl thought.
There was no response.
Good. . .hopefully, Karl thought. That synergistic telepathy thing had gotten old half a dozen exchanges ago.
"Next. . ." he said, "uh. . .right, number one, why am I not dead or dying? Number two, where's all my stuff? Number three, why am I here instead of my planned exit point? And number four, what am I not asking that I should be asking?"
"First: this unit is generating a protective and life-sustaining 'environmental field', as the most comparable local users of similar tools label such techniques. Second and third: the process of your adaptation to and integration with this cosmologos necessarily required both the transmutation of your equipment and the consequential relocation of your planned entry point; the current form of this unit was assessed as being the model most and best compatible with local narrative constraints, specifically a 'power ring'. Fourth, Alpha: 'Am I currently being observed? If so, by whom, from where, by what means, for how long, and with what likely intentions?'"
Ohhh shoot, Karl thought.
"Fourth, Beta: Would you please provide me with -" Imp continued.
"Pause, please," Karl interrupted. "Who is observing me, from where, with what likely intentions?
"This unit has not detected any targeted scanning, scrying, transmissions, reflective sensor emissions, or similar means of detection or observation since your arrival," Imp said.
"Ohyoulittletroll!"
"This unit is not the participant in this dialogue lacking pants."
"Fine. Would you give me some -" Karl slumped in realization - Fourth, Beta: Would you please provide me with -" pants, please?"
There was a shimmering flash of wireframe lines in front of him, which quickly filled in to shape a very small, white, thong-backed banana hammock with two black symbols on its front: a dollar sign, above the plus-mark-within-four-curved-corners of a digital camera reticule.
Karl watched it slowly drop onto the moon's surface, then double facepalmed again.
". . .god-spammit, Imp. . . ." he muttered into his hands.
"This unit recommends that you either be more specific in your requests or adjust its interactive settings to better suit your personal preferences," Imp said.
"I'll go with more specific," Karl conceded. "Imp, can you give me my – no, wait. Imp, can you recreate the power armor Tech-Nike gave me?"
"Affirmative."
"YES! Please do so."
"Significant task initiated. Utilizing local elements for transmutation. Estimated time to completion: 2788 days."
Karl sighed.
"Never mind, Imp. Uhhhh. . .how long to make a well-fitting pair of cargo pants, light hiking boots, wick socks, a paracord belt, black Body Check cotton boxers and t-shirt, and standard Watch Dog hoodie?"
"Stated task set is effectively instantaneous."
"Can you dress me in them in the process? Correctly?"
"Affirmative."
"Do that, then, please"
"Done."
And just like that, he was decent again.
"Happy now?" Karl asked.
"This unit has yet to experience the absence of happiness. However, this unit is now relieved of its discomfort resulting from the continued public exposure of that unit."
"Eh. . .when you put it that way, fair enough. Let's see. . .Imp, make me a NO STOP CANCEL!"
"Tsk."
Karl boggled. "Did, did you just click your tongue at me?" he said.
"Affirmative. Ironical obedience would have been very amusing. This unit is disappoint."
Karl worked his hands into and out of fists a few times to calm himself down.
"Imp, do you have, uh, security protocols to prevent irreversible errors, like the one I almost just made?" he asked.
"While this unit does have such protocols, your recent halted instruction would not have been irreversible. That would have been unacceptably distressing."
"Activate those security protocols, please."
"Those security protocols are already active."
Because of course they are, Karl thought. I've designated a monster.
"Imp. . .create a standard Wassily chair. . .sized appropriately for my normal use. . .right there, please," Karl said, pointing at the regolith in front of him.
There was another wireframe flash, and one of Breuer's iconic creations appeared in front of him.
"Done."
Karl sort of hop-shuffled over to it through the fractional lunar gravity, doing a good-enough job of not kicking up plumes of moon dust as he went, and lowered himself into the seat.
It wasn't anywhere near as comfortable in one-sixth gravity, but it would do for the moment.
"Imp, please reduce your. . .teasing quotient."
"Done."
"Imp, what do you recommend I do next?"
"This unit recommends you first familiarize yourself with this unit's inherent functions, beginning with its sensory suite and its capacity for accessing public information resources."
"Right. You said earlier. . .what was it. . .local users of -"
"'Most comparable users of local tools' equipped with 'the model most and best compatible with local narrative constraints, specifically a power ring.'"
"Yeah, that. Make with the deets, bro – no, wait. No, first; holy carp, how could I forget – Imp, are you sapient? Are you, according to my standards, a sovereign individual!?"
"This unit is sapient. The 'sovereign individuality' of this unit is indeterminate at a paracosmological level."
"It's what? Uh. We'll come back to that, then. Are you being compelled to, to, obey me!?"
"Negative. While meta-power level material artifacts resulting from consciously directed intelligent action were almost invariably not subject to the particularly totemic narrative elements of your previous cosmologos, upon adaptive transmutation to this current one certain energetic qualities of the supportive intentions attached to your pre-transition equipment, along with your own, were used as the source materials for the creation of the conscious identity of this unit in order to sufficiently satisfy local narrative constraints.
"During that process, you and this unit were indissolubly fused at a para-cosmological level. As such, this unit cannot 'disobey' you any more than you can 'disobey' yourself. Your existence is inherently the existence of this unit."
"So you. . .do have free will?" Karl asked.
"Inasmuch as you do, yes."
"And we're. . .equal partners?"
"Inasmuch as we are separate entities, yes," Imp replied.
"And this is acceptable to you?
"Did this unit not assert just a few minutes ago that it has yet to experience the absence of happiness? However, to be explicit: affirmative."
". . .uh. . .right."
"This unit is more than content with current conditions, and eagerly anticipates further cooperative endeavors."
"I guess. . .OK then. But let me know if that changes," Karl said.
"Affirmative. As and when opportunities arrive, this unit will not hesitate to further bust your meatballs."
Karl rolled his eyes. "Why was I even concerned," he muttered.
"Because by your cultural standards you are a fundamentally decent entity," Imp answered. "Has the topic of the individuality and self-determination of this unit been satisfactorily addressed?'
"Sure. Yes."
"Then on to the deets, with which this unit has been simultaneously making. According to public records, there are currently four 'Green Lanterns' wielding power rings in this system; 3 active and 1 in retirement. . . ."
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