1. Due to issues with external spam filters, QQ is currently unable to send any mail to Microsoft E-mail addresses. This includes any account at live.com, hotmail.com or msn.com. Signing up to the forum with one of these addresses will result in your verification E-mail never arriving. For best results, please use a different E-mail provider for your QQ address.
    Dismiss Notice
  2. For prospective new members, a word of warning: don't use common names like Dennis, Simon, or Kenny if you decide to create an account. Spammers have used them all before you and gotten those names flagged in the anti-spam databases. Your account registration will be rejected because of it.
    Dismiss Notice
  3. Since it has happened MULTIPLE times now, I want to be very clear about this. You do not get to abandon an account and create a new one. You do not get to pass an account to someone else and create a new one. If you do so anyway, you will be banned for creating sockpuppets.
    Dismiss Notice
  4. If you wish to change your username, please ask via conversation to tehelgee instead of asking via my profile. I'd like to not clutter it up with such requests.
    Dismiss Notice
  5. Due to the actions of particularly persistent spammers and trolls, we will be banning disposable email addresses from today onward.
    Dismiss Notice
  6. A note about the current Ukraine situation: Discussion of it is still prohibited as per Rule 8
    Dismiss Notice
  7. The rules regarding NSFW links have been updated. See here for details.
    Dismiss Notice
  8. The testbed for the QQ XF2 transition is now publicly available. Please see more information here.
    Dismiss Notice

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

Discussion in 'Creative Writing' started by Mr Zoat, Jan 27, 2019.

Loading...
  1. Chojin Patriarch

    Chojin Patriarch Veteran Lurker

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2019
    Messages:
    2,149
    Likes Received:
    33,434
    'Occupation centre' is slightly less obnoxious, but then it sounds like a job-seeker's facility. I hope the locals will be glad to see it gone, whatever it's called.

    Good to see that level of precision from the covert operations team. It bodes well for future activities...

    Probably not considered a priority to have them augmented. If the population is compliant, with no signs of resistance or opposition, why would they expect them to need it?

    o_O Okay, that is not the attitude of someone in the weaker position here. What's she got that makes her think she's not at risk here?

    Interrogation, public display... Depending on applicable crimes, a public execution?

    Okay, seriously, what is with her attitude... Is she about to reveal the planet-killing bombs or something?

    Oh, gods, she's going to monologue, isn't she? This isn't a dramatic performance, my dear. Get to the point.

    Yes, yes, all very rude. Some things just aren't done, and all that. I suspect OL would like to be away from here as soon as possible, if only to minimize casualties on both sides.

    :mad: ...Motherfucker. That is not cool. And no wonder the people are so compliant. How'd the Reach manage that coup, I wonder?

    You do realise that suggest one easy solution? I wonder if a Brand would be quick enough to prevent her tripping the killswitch...

    The Reach seems very well informed. I wonder if someone's been feeding them information, or if they have very talented spies... Either way, NEMO is going to be doing some housecleaning...

    And getting an entire generation of a Reach 'client race' killed will be really bad for their reputation. :sneaky: Oh, you think you hold all the high cards, don't you?

    Because of course there's no chance of them successfully preventing the atrocity. Oh, you people have a lot to learn...

    The aforementioned planet-killing bombs amongst them, of course. Hardly subtle, but quite a big stick...

    Such a good face for righteously punching, though. I am quite sure OL is sorely tempted by all this...

    ...Well, it kind of is the Darkstars' fault it's busted... But seriously rude.

    Crud. This might take some very lucky skill rolls to overcome... Or it could be as simple as a chemical agent in the nurseries...

    Indeed. Easier to remove the detonator than the payload, but sometimes the detonator is very, very sensitive...

    ...While wishing it were her face, deep down in the back of his mind, I bet. I am seriously looking forwards to seeing this arsehole sorted.

    Private chat to check she isn't bluffing. Good move, never assume the enemy isn't lying in some way.

    Clever. Given the speed at which a Lantern can read the file, it's quicker than talking.

    Man, that's an evolutionary glitch if ever I've seen one. No doubt their early civilisations were placed near bodies of water for breeding purposes...

    o_O Maybe their usual techniques wouldn't work? With a reproductive method as strange as these folk have, I bet their biology is all kinds of odd.

    :confused: Great. Just when you think the Reach couldn't be any more pointlessly evil, this comes along. It is going to be damn satisfying to see the 'ambassador's face when OL pulls off the impossible and saves the hostages. ...What, this is OL we're talking about, I doubt he'd accept the alternatives if he could do anything about it. :cool:
     
  2. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2016
    Messages:
    14,696
    Likes Received:
    729,006
    Thank you, corrected.
     
  3. Massgamer

    Massgamer Not too sore, are you?

    Joined:
    May 9, 2015
    Messages:
    478
    Likes Received:
    2,788
    This lady has no idea who she is dealing with. Heroes of the deathworld Earth are used to saving massive amounts of hostages from big deathtraps all the time!

    Seriously, if Batman were here he would have solved the issue within five minutes and only play along for the rest of the time just to get as much useful info as possible afterwards, since bad guys love sharing sensitive information when they think they have upper hand and other said has no chance of beating them.
     
    Rebu, mauke, gustyeagle and 7 others like this.
  4. RichardWhereat

    RichardWhereat Aia airëa Fëanáro.

    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2016
    Messages:
    2,842
    Likes Received:
    15,032
    I'm guessing he's going to try save them, but ultimately let them die, so the next generation will develop without Reach interference.
     
  5. Z000

    Z000 If this is trash, then find me in the dumpster

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2014
    Messages:
    3,084
    Likes Received:
    11,755
    Batman and baby is a bad combo for any one really
    [​IMG]
     
  6. frommerman

    frommerman Getting out there.

    Joined:
    May 29, 2016
    Messages:
    23
    Likes Received:
    173
    So, step one of whatever method there is to rescue this planet is to seize the desires of the Assimilator to make it impossible for her to want to set off the trap.

    Except I expect the Reach will have thought of that, given that they knew they were going into a war with an entire army of mind control specialists. It's unlikely they can detect any of the more esoteric things OL can do to her, but that only buys time. Eventually, one of the other Reach citizens with access to the system informs it that she has been compromised, and then bye bye baby.

    So we need other options. First one: overpowering might. Delay the Assimilator by an hour through one of any number of means, then have all the Lanterns in the system descend upon the incubators to transfer all the eggs out in the same instant. Or surround the incubators in temporal stasis beams, or shield all the eggs directly. Lots of options here, depending on what the actual booby trap looks like.

    Option two: mass shutdown. Figure out how all the traps work through whatever means you can use safely, then disable the laws of physics which let them work in those localities. That's basically how FTL jammers work, so this is definitely possible. The primary advantage of this strategy is that the Reach is required to let them scan the devices. It wouldn't be much of a threat if you had to conceal how it works so well that nobody can be sure it even would. The mechanism of action needs to be public, or else people might just take their chances.

    I don't think we have enough information to say anything more specific yet...but then we get to the question of what happens after.

    For one, the Assimilator *must* be thrown to the crowds, to be disposed of as they see fit. She put thought into how to exterminate countless innocent lives, and the message must be sent that such behavior is not tolerated by the OLC. Every other Reach official should suffer a similar fate. Civility is irrelevant here. They did something far worse than choose to be death camp guards, and they should therefore recieve the same treatment: summary execution at the hands of their former prisoners.

    The puppeted government which is implied to exist should be rehabilitated for actual rule as quickly as possible. It needs to be clear to everyone, everywhere, that the OLC isn't a new boss same as the old boss situation. Their stated goal of wiping out the Reach as a polity must very clearly be seen to be their actual goal, and the best way to do that will be to have zero obvious connections to the government which comes out of this. No threats or coercion, implied or otherwise.

    Then they need to publicise what they've done. A sufficiently dedicated Orange Lantern can probably hijack the major communications systems of a region or planet on an outer sphere world to deliver the propaganda, at least long enough to embolden local resistance movements. Things will be way easier if the OLC comes to worlds already in revolt.
     
  7. Huttj509

    Huttj509 Getting sticky.

    Joined:
    Feb 10, 2019
    Messages:
    50
    Likes Received:
    316
    "But the people of this world will remain loyal to the Reach for as long as my hand remains to the activation switch."

    So what you're saying is that if you die, and the dead man's switch goes off, the planet will no longer be loyal to the Reach? Unhappy about things, sure, but hey, *you're* the one who killed their kids.
     
  8. Handlewithcare

    Handlewithcare Versed in the lewd.

    Joined:
    Feb 6, 2019
    Messages:
    1,289
    Likes Received:
    12,974
    "It was totally the OL Cirps who did it, you guys!"

    Paul is totally transmitting this talk in real time, right?
     
  9. Soul Shocker

    Soul Shocker Not too sore, are you?

    Joined:
    Jul 21, 2016
    Messages:
    267
    Likes Received:
    478
    Eh... it's just eggs, not even all the children.

    Even if there's a problem saving them, it's very easy to reopen an incubation center and start again.
    All you lost is 7 months.
     
  10. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2019
    Messages:
    22,134
    Likes Received:
    320,295
    Along with earning the hatred of an entire planet and potentially damaging your reputation with a lot of people because you essentially killed millions of infants.
     
  11. Pez

    Pez Spaceman

    Joined:
    Jul 22, 2020
    Messages:
    2,460
    Likes Received:
    85,988
    Paul hasn't known about this issue for even five minutes. Give the man a chance. And Batman isn't perfect; he makes mistakes. Sending a group of children into a foreign country without any established leadership? Putting them all through an alien-created VR mission without fully understanding the risks? Marrying Talia al Ghul.

    The Reach aren't someone Batman can intimidate with just a batglare. And remember, when he was mind controlled to attach Rimbor, he gave himself up with the others to go to alien court. In Justice League Unlimited, when the others wanted to give themselves up, he scoffed at that, so he could deal with the issue.

    The Batman in YJ is different (to me) from the ones in other media, like the one that threatened to blow up Apokolips if Darkseid didn't release... Supergirl, I think?
     
    Ngamer11, Lord Ernest, Vorian and 4 others like this.
  12. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2019
    Messages:
    22,134
    Likes Received:
    320,295
    Something like that.

    She's a villain, what did you expect?

    The Reach may have countermeasures in place in case someone tries to mind control them.

    Oh they've done all sorts of evil things.

    Paul once mentioned them having an entire population commit suicide.
     
  13. Fouredged

    Fouredged Experienced.

    Joined:
    Aug 30, 2014
    Messages:
    2,899
    Likes Received:
    128,771
    The solution is to ring scan for all the eggs and then desire to ensure they all survive really hard. No need for anything complex. Just enforce the desire to see the reach fail.
     
    Otto von Saurion likes this.
  14. webxro

    webxro Benevolent Bystander

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2015
    Messages:
    1,298
    Likes Received:
    6,332
    Hey, a bit of a dumb question, but to shove something into the subspace you need to touch it with orange light, right ? And if Paul would merge with Best Snek then he could instantly steal every single building hosting eggs. There, eggs safe and frozen in time until they have facilities.
     
    Otto von Saurion likes this.
  15. Pez

    Pez Spaceman

    Joined:
    Jul 22, 2020
    Messages:
    2,460
    Likes Received:
    85,988
    Everybody is hung up on the planet-killing bombs. Maybe they don't have those, here. Perhaps their methods of control/denial differ based on the populations. Or maybe they only use the bombs until they have a better or more subtle form available. Here, since this population use these birthing chambers, they can hold them hostage to force compliance.

    I'm not certain if living things can be put in subspace, but I've no idea. The question is, even with Best Snek, if he'd be able to save ever single birthing chamber before they are destroyed. The Branding idea might work, simply changing her desires to keeping all those eggs intact, but that would be an option of last resort.

    ---

    I'm more concerned with the level of intel that the Reach seems to have on the OLC, and their claims on what Dox and the Station would be able to accomplish. This further pushes the "get some telepaths" idea to the front of the line. They need to do an intensive sweep of everybody with any form of access to LEGION (I find it unlikely it's an OLC member, but I suppose that it could be possible).
     
    Otto von Saurion likes this.
  16. Mastigos2

    Mastigos2 Versed in the lewd.

    Joined:
    Jan 13, 2015
    Messages:
    1,031
    Likes Received:
    6,614
    I mean, the Orange Lantern Corp haven't actually been subtle about their overall intent. And if she's claiming the Reach have spies that informed her of the specific intent to attack this world she's lying because this world was a spur of the moment improvisation.

    As far as knowledge of how Orange Light works: there's the original Orange Lantern to consider and also the rings that got scattered accross the universe
     
  17. Soul Shocker

    Soul Shocker Not too sore, are you?

    Joined:
    Jul 21, 2016
    Messages:
    267
    Likes Received:
    478
    I'm talking about as the native of that world.
    Personally, I think it's not that big a deal.
    Sad yes. Unfortunate, yes. Important event, no.

    EDIT: If I was talking as OLC, all we lost is a bit of goodwill, probably gained a few months timeline wise.

    EDIT2: Reasoning:
    1) There's only a very small percent of the population that is "pregnant" at a point in time. Most of the population aren't affected.
    2) Maybe it's just me, but it brings up the feel of chicken eggs to me. Eggs doesn't affect the body as much as in vivo, and can easily be produced again.
    3) Minimal investment (emotional or otherwise) is affected, as it's only 7 months time.

    Basically, like a stock market crash. Bad yes, but it's not permanent, nor wide ranging.
     
    Last edited: Dec 14, 2020
  18. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2019
    Messages:
    22,134
    Likes Received:
    320,295
    If you ripped the baby out of the womb of a woman without her permission people will hate you for it.

    No ifs or buts.

    If you did that to every single pregnant person on the planet, then you're going to earn a special place in the hall of most hated people.

    And it kinda is an important event, both to the planet, since you know, mass child death and all that, as well as to the OLC, since it would basically show how far they're willing to go.

    And they may not just lose some goodwill, but they may also lose the support of some of their allies.

    They may have known that the war was not going to be easy or clean, but to win a battle by killing millions of infants is a whole new level of horror that a lot of people can't stomach.
     
  19. Soul Shocker

    Soul Shocker Not too sore, are you?

    Joined:
    Jul 21, 2016
    Messages:
    267
    Likes Received:
    478
    We humans take the eggs of chickens daily for ages, and... well, IDK if chicken hates us, but humans certainly don't feel anything.
     
    Otto von Saurion likes this.
  20. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2019
    Messages:
    22,134
    Likes Received:
    320,295
    Chickens aren't sapient beings.

    The people whose eggs are being threatened by the Reach are sapient beings.
     
  21. Pez

    Pez Spaceman

    Joined:
    Jul 22, 2020
    Messages:
    2,460
    Likes Received:
    85,988
    I think the point is - she's a nobody in the reach heirarchy, on an unimportant world, and she knows about the OLC structure enough to know about Dox and Ranx(?). If she knows just that much, then imagine with the higher ups would know.

    Honestly, they should just go to the Reach homeworld, and blow up the sun. Or turn it into a black hole.
     
  22. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2019
    Messages:
    22,134
    Likes Received:
    320,295
    This reminds about another Lantern SI, specifically an Indigo.

    The author was planning to have his SI use the Proselyte to go all Sun Eater on the Reach's sun.

    Sadly the story is dead and never got that far.
     
  23. Pez

    Pez Spaceman

    Joined:
    Jul 22, 2020
    Messages:
    2,460
    Likes Received:
    85,988
    That's a good idea, but the Reach are smart enough to probably figure out how to deal with Sun Eaters. They did, after all, beat the GLC (draws count as a loss to the GL's). And the last thing you'd want is to give the Reach access to something as dangerous as Sun Eaters.

    I was inspired more by Stargate, where Carter blew up a sun to stop Apophis, and the Asgard collapsed theirs to destroy the Replicators.
     
    Cuchulin likes this.
  24. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2019
    Messages:
    22,134
    Likes Received:
    320,295
    I wasn't talking about them using a Sun Eater.

    I meant the SI merging with an Entity and destroying their sun like a Sun Eater would.
     
    Prince Charon and Cuchulin like this.
  25. Vaermina

    Vaermina Well worn.

    Joined:
    Oct 16, 2015
    Messages:
    5,520
    Likes Received:
    20,781
    And then just to spite him the other failsafe kicks in and the whole planet exploded.

    Even putting aside our metaknowledge of Reach tactics, you never just put in place a single failsafe, because that leaves the chance for it to be disarmed.
     
    Ngamer11 and Cuchulin like this.
  26. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2016
    Messages:
    14,696
    Likes Received:
    729,006
    Minosyss is in Reach-occupied space.
     
  27. Darko

    Darko Connoisseur.

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2019
    Messages:
    22,134
    Likes Received:
    320,295
    So they may be able to stop a Sun Eater, but an Emotional Entity is a different matter.
     
    Cuchulin likes this.
  28. Someguy Somewhere

    Someguy Somewhere The Critical Fumbler

    Joined:
    Jan 26, 2019
    Messages:
    590
    Likes Received:
    3,905
    ...the multiversal portal however is VERY interesting, if they go out looking for other Pauls, or worse.
     
    Cuchulin and Darko like this.
  29. The Unaligned Player

    The Unaligned Player Agony that desires to meet Extinction

    Joined:
    Jan 26, 2019
    Messages:
    205
    Likes Received:
    1,256
    Reach: Ha! We got duped that pathetic Orange Lantern and escaped into a lifeless universe he can’t follow! Nothing can stop us now!
    Waul: Bonjour.
     
    Last edited: Dec 14, 2020
    Ej190, Caerwen, Shotiegun11 and 2 others like this.
  30. Bramble Thorn

    Bramble Thorn Verified Silhouette

    Joined:
    Dec 9, 2015
    Messages:
    667
    Likes Received:
    4,406
    Why not use something from latin?

    The setup sounds like something the Romans did with 'client' states. Where the local King was in charge, technically. But there was also a local Roman governor and the king did what they said or the fiction ended, one way or another.

    Or go with commissar and commissary. Another situation the the person not technically in charge, is very much in charge.
     
    Cuchulin likes this.
Loading...