21st September
21:29 GMT -6
Mr Talbot looks across the scrubland surrounding the home of the Orange Central Power Battery. "Of all the places I thought that my life might take me, an alien world was far from the top of the list."
Ms Black looks around. "I think we've lost Chester."
Ring? Ah. "Let him. The women of the Orange Lantern Corps are perfectly capable of looking after themselves. And we don't really need him for this." In fact… "Why don't you take a few hours off as well? Nothing that happens here will have any impact on your work on Earth, and it can't be much fun living under that sort of pressure all of the time."
She turns back to me and raises her eyebrows. "Are you telling me I need t' get laid?"
I frown. "Noo. There are any number of recreations here, or you could take an air car to Tamarus and go sight-seeing. I'll let you know when we're ready to leave." She nods and starts walking out across the grounds towards the main amphitheatre. "Though if you want to, Tamaranians are very liberal about that sort of-" She holds up her right hand and shows me her index and middle fingers. I smile at the back of her head. "-thing!"
Mr Doom bows his head slightly, a small smile on his lips.
"You're welcome to join her."
"You will not be rid of me quite that easily. I think that my influence as a moderator may be required."
I shrug. That would have been too easy. I turn to Mr Talbot-.
"I hope that you don't intend to make that sort of suggestion to me."
"Wouldn't dream of it." I take a few steps back towards the corridor entrance. "If you'd like to accompany me?"
Mr Talbot looks up at me, mild suspicion evident in his expression. "Why are you pushing this?"
"It's an Apokoliptian thing. Not all of our Elite are the greatest fighters, but even a scientist like DeSaad is perfectly capable of leading an attack if he has to. And anyone who wants warriors to follow them into battle needs to be a good deal better than 'capable'. Plus, installing you as Prime Minister pro tem becomes easier if you're visually associated with the pointy end of the job."
"Is that all?"
I lead the way back into the building. Mister Talbot keeps up with me while Mr Doom hangs back. If he's anything like most street wizards he's trying to get a feel for the local energy channels. And those are far weaker in Vega than on Earth. "Not… Specifically this. But… Linked to why I want to get this started… Another ally of mine has expressed an interest in.. liberating an elderly relative of his who is presently being housed in the.. Dee wing of the Tower of London."
"A wizard?"
"A.. bio-artificer. He made-."
"Fiendstein."
"That's the fellow."
Mr Talbot nods. "I went to see those cells, once. I don't much like them, but I remember what that man did."
"He's in his eighties, mad as a fish and he's stuck being housed in patently inhumane conditions. I want to see him released into his family's care. They'll keep him housed in secure accommodation for whatever time he has left. In America, in the middle of a former nuclear testing area."
"And if I say 'no'?"
"I'd be disappointed, and probably sue the British government once things were settled down."
"Not threatening to pull the plug on the whole enterprise?"
I nod and wave at a couple of Tamaranian Lanterns as they pass us in the corridor. They both bow briefly.
"Don't be absurd. I have a sense of perspective. Reforming the British government is far more important than liberating one man."
"I'll agree to a review of the case, with a view to releasing him on compassionate grounds unless the evidence is exceedingly damning."
Cranius will be pleased. "Thank you."
He nods. "So, what's this weapon your armourer has for me?"
"Weaponer."
"Is there a difference?"
"One's her title, the other isn't."
We reach the doors to Weaponer Lysis' workshop. Given what she's been working on, I thought that keeping it as far away from the Orange Central Power Battery as the site's defences would allow was the correct thing to do. She seemed happy enough, but I nonetheless generate construct armour as the door opens.
"Weaponer Lysis?! Are you decent?!"
She doesn't even bother turning around from her work station. Not that her cybernetic eyes actually require her to look at someone to see them. She's wearing new and slightly Apokoliptian-looking light armour, the tron-lines glowing with the power of her ring. "Would it matter to you?"
"It would interest me, sociologically speaking. Seeing you adapt to Tamaranian social customs, I mean."
She doesn't deign to respond.
"How are you getting along with Clarissi Dox?"
"He is.. competent. And entirely acceptable as a go-between. Ah." Now she does look in our direction. "And this must be our test subject."
"Excuse me?"
Several emblems flash up on her display, and she almost immediately shuts it down. "Ooh. Grayven.. told me that you… Hm. I suppose I might not need the blast shields and restraints…"
"What are you talking about?"
"Weaponer, if you could perhaps lead the way..?"
Weaponer Lysis turns away from her station and heads towards another heavily fortified door as I lead Mr Talbot and Mr Doom around the laboratory. "You see, the most powerful tools in the universe are power rings. Unfortunately, they're rather hard to make. And harder still to use properly. The Guardians have quite rigorous selection criteria for their Green Lantern Corps.. and.. they've found a way to make it impossible for anyone else to make green rings. Orange rings can cause.. rather severe psychological issues for their users. I manage fine but there've been one or two 'incidents' with the Tamaranians... And then there's yellow, but… I rather doubt that you'd want everyone you meet to be terrified of you. But…"
The door to Weaponer Lysis' hazardous testing area opens, revealing a red-glowing personal lantern, with a matching uncharged ring held in a clamp next to it. And Lysis herself on the far side of a heavily armoured and force field protected observation booth.
Mr Doom takes a step back, staring at the ring in alarm. "It is a manifestation of hatred and rage, a tiny fragment of the Bull Which Tramples The Universe. Mister Talbot, I most strongly advise you to have nothing to do with it."
"A power ring." I step aside as Mr Talbot approaches it. "Not something I've trained with. How dangerous is it to the wearer?"
"We're not.. sure. Animal tests resulted in the subjects going into a berserk frenzy, then dying."
"I'm glad that I'm so valuable to you." He cautiously holds out his right hand towards it. "Yes, I… I think I can feel it. Puts me in mind of how I felt when I wrung that lunatic Webster's neck with my bare hands."
"But you don't feel like doing it again?"
He glances back at me. "I've never stopped feeling like doing it again. I've simply learned to channel the impulse better."
"And that is why we think you can handle it. If you can't, my entire Corps stands ready to hold you down and take it off you."
"Hm." He leans forward to study it closely. "Is there anything else I should know before I put it on?"
I shake my head. "The basic functions are either automatic or instinctual. We can have a training session once you've adapted to it."
Mr Doom shakes his head. "Geoffrey…"
"I'm sorry, Cursitor, but the chance to be on the front line is more than I can pass up. How do I go about taking possession of this?"
Lysis presses a button to communicate with us. "The final part of the process requires it to attune itself to your hatreds. Put it on, then hold it up to the lantern and hate."
"My dear Ms Lysis-" Mr Talbot opens his right hand, and the ring leaves its cradle to float onto his right ring finger. "-I do not need prompting to hate."
"Geoffrey Talbot of Earth. You have great hatred in your heart. You belong to the Red Lantern Corps."
For a moment, his eyes flicker red, red mist precipitating out from the ring. Then he lets out a very quiet snort, and his eyes revert to normal. "Then I just..? Hold it out..?"
"It's customary but not essential to speak a devotional oath when you do, but merely focusing on your hate is quite sufficient."
He nods, and holds out his right hand.
"I, Geoffrey Talbot, do solemnly and sincerely declare and affirm that I will well and truly serve the people of Britain in the office of constable, with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality, upholding fundamental human rights and according equal respect to all people; and that I will, to the best of my power, cause the peace to be kept and preserved and prevent all offences against people and property; and that while I continue to hold the said office I will to the best of my skill and knowledge discharge all the duties thereof faithfully according to law."
When the lance of red energy flares from the lantern and strikes his ring he doesn't even flinch.
"Charge at one hundred percent."
"Good." He clenches his right hand, red mist swirling from the ring and then dissipating. "Now let's get some practice in."
