Post by jross on Nov 24, 2011 2:19:29 GMT -5
Issue #7: Awakenings
“Abin Sur, explain,” Sines Toro, hued in a sun-yellow aura demanded of the construct of his former mentor standing before him. Around them the others who were looking about in astonishment fixed their attentions on Abin Sur, also.
“We have come across one of the locations of a portal to the Tree of Light. The Tree itself is an embodiment of the power of the spectrum. For millenia all that was known was the green light of determination and will. There were rumors and conjecture of the full spectrum of light representing the range of driving behaviors. I am amazed to see it.”
“But what's happened to us,” chimed John Stewart.
“The tree, or what it represents, is responsible for the creation of the rings of power and the energies which they manipulate. It is odd, but seeing the rings now through my eyes of light, I perceive that the form of the rings is far different from how corporeal beings imagine them.
“I digress. The rings are nexuses that allow the hard light to exist in this continuum. Our actions here released a number of rings from among the six new colors into the cosmos. The rings have found bearers whose personalities match the drive integral to their color. It seems, my friend Sines Toro, that the life of a Green Lantern corpsman does not suit you,” Abin Sur gave a somewhat mournful smile.
“Hal,” Carol called out, “I don't understand what all of this means. Where did you find these people? Where have you really been?”
Tom gave his agreement with Carol while Guy simply grunted. Hal took a deep breath and said, “It's better for me to show you. Tom, Guy, you too. Raise your rings. Stewart, Booker, you too.”
The humans did as bade, imitating what they had seen the Green Lanterns do for Abin Sur a moment earlier. An arc of green lightning connected them all, and in seconds each of them nodded in comprehension. John Stewart rose to look over Booker.
“You seem to be okay. That was a nasty hit you took. Do these fellas need to restrain you, Booker?”
“Huh? Oh, heh, no. I'm not sure what happened back there at the proving grounds, but something is really wrong with this suit. Whatever happened, though, as an officer I should have been in control of myself. I know I'm in for a court-martial now,” the young officer looked glumly at the ground.
Tomar-Re stepped forward, “Qwardian technology is designed to indoctrinate its users toward their twisted beliefs. I would be willing to testify to that fact at any criminal trial to which you may be subject.”
“Thanks,” Booker smirked.
After helping Booker from the rest of the suit John moved towards Guy, who was wheezing and favoring his side.
“'Scuse, me. You're looking bad. Mind if I check-” John's words trailed off as he reached forward. An indigo ray beamed from his hand to Guy's wounded body. Guy's grunts of pain due to broken ribs ceased, and the skin on his face knitted itself in an instant.
“Stewart, how are you doing that? Show me,” Booker demanded. The others, who had been talking amongst themselves looked on in fascination.
“Can we do that?”
“No, Jordan,” responded Kilowog, “it looks like each of these colors must have their own powers. We need to work out how these things operate.”
“Paul, somehow, I know that you can't do this. It just “feels blue,” if that makes any sense,” Stewart responded to the major.
“None of you are versed in the lore as I have been,” interrupted Abin Sur, “allow me to tell you what I have read.
“The spectrum of light corresponds to the seven basic drives that motivate all life higher life forms. Green is willpower, or individuality and determination. Blue is hope, indigo is compassion, orange is desire, red is anger, violet is love and yellow is fear. The Tree of Light is a portal to the true light realm. It works on the same principle as the rings themselves, opening this universe to allow in the power of light.
“It seems that the time is right for the full power of the spectrum to be opened to the galaxy. You are the first to be chosen, but there will be others. There is no organization as yet for each of your colors, so I would invite you all to remain with the Green Lanterns for the time being.
“We have a unique quick-introduction training course available to new recruits. With your permission, each of you humans will be assigned to enter a REM trance supervised by a Green Lantern.”
“A Green Lantern,” Sines Toro interjected, looking at his hands. His right hand still bore a green ring, but it was duller, somehow lessened. His left was adorned with the new glittering yellow ring, shining with citrine brilliance, “or a Yellow Lantern.”
One by one each of the newly-empowered humans nodded or otherwise indicated agreement. They paired off each with a Green Lantern. Abin Sur with John Stewart, Sines Toro with Guy Gardner, Tomar-Re with Carol Ferris, Kilowog with Tom Kalmaku and lastly Hal Jordan with Paul Booker. Each submitted to the same sleep session that Hal remembered from his first night with his own ring.
Several minutes passed, and each of the new ring bearers worked vigilantly with their mentors, learning for themselves the basics of their newfound abilities. Each of them stood and stretched their limbs, looking at the world with new eyes.
“I know that your training will have been somewhat inadequate. Nevertheless, it will have to suffice. We have need of you now.”
“You need what, then? Because I've not volunteered for anything,” Booker asserted.
“The being who you all saw opening the portal, Narkanthos, has escaped,” Sines Toro responded, “he is undoubtedly heading to Qward, the planet where your suit was created. He will have designs to acquire greater weaponry.”
“Booker, after what's happened today, you owe to all of us,” John Stewart fixed Booker with a steely glare, looking at the officer as an equal for the first time.
Booker paused to consider, weighing the other men's words before responding, “Alright, I'm in.”
Carol and Guy, holding hands and smiling nodded as well. Guy bellowed, “This is gonna be the best day ever. Bring on the fight!”
Tom clasped Hal's shoulder and said, “You know that I'd never leave you alone on something like this, Hal. Let's do this.”
“It is good,” Abin Sur said, “I must retire to Hal Jordan's mind once more. I will not be able to assist in the struggle.”
As Abin Sur dissolved into Hal's ring, Sines Toro barked, “Men, follow me. To Qward!”
Sines Toro and the Green Lanterns took to the sky, hovering for a moment as their new comrades initiated their first true flights. Then, as one, the nine ring bearers soared to the heavens.
“Abin Sur, explain,” Sines Toro, hued in a sun-yellow aura demanded of the construct of his former mentor standing before him. Around them the others who were looking about in astonishment fixed their attentions on Abin Sur, also.
“We have come across one of the locations of a portal to the Tree of Light. The Tree itself is an embodiment of the power of the spectrum. For millenia all that was known was the green light of determination and will. There were rumors and conjecture of the full spectrum of light representing the range of driving behaviors. I am amazed to see it.”
“But what's happened to us,” chimed John Stewart.
“The tree, or what it represents, is responsible for the creation of the rings of power and the energies which they manipulate. It is odd, but seeing the rings now through my eyes of light, I perceive that the form of the rings is far different from how corporeal beings imagine them.
“I digress. The rings are nexuses that allow the hard light to exist in this continuum. Our actions here released a number of rings from among the six new colors into the cosmos. The rings have found bearers whose personalities match the drive integral to their color. It seems, my friend Sines Toro, that the life of a Green Lantern corpsman does not suit you,” Abin Sur gave a somewhat mournful smile.
“Hal,” Carol called out, “I don't understand what all of this means. Where did you find these people? Where have you really been?”
Tom gave his agreement with Carol while Guy simply grunted. Hal took a deep breath and said, “It's better for me to show you. Tom, Guy, you too. Raise your rings. Stewart, Booker, you too.”
The humans did as bade, imitating what they had seen the Green Lanterns do for Abin Sur a moment earlier. An arc of green lightning connected them all, and in seconds each of them nodded in comprehension. John Stewart rose to look over Booker.
“You seem to be okay. That was a nasty hit you took. Do these fellas need to restrain you, Booker?”
“Huh? Oh, heh, no. I'm not sure what happened back there at the proving grounds, but something is really wrong with this suit. Whatever happened, though, as an officer I should have been in control of myself. I know I'm in for a court-martial now,” the young officer looked glumly at the ground.
Tomar-Re stepped forward, “Qwardian technology is designed to indoctrinate its users toward their twisted beliefs. I would be willing to testify to that fact at any criminal trial to which you may be subject.”
“Thanks,” Booker smirked.
After helping Booker from the rest of the suit John moved towards Guy, who was wheezing and favoring his side.
“'Scuse, me. You're looking bad. Mind if I check-” John's words trailed off as he reached forward. An indigo ray beamed from his hand to Guy's wounded body. Guy's grunts of pain due to broken ribs ceased, and the skin on his face knitted itself in an instant.
“Stewart, how are you doing that? Show me,” Booker demanded. The others, who had been talking amongst themselves looked on in fascination.
“Can we do that?”
“No, Jordan,” responded Kilowog, “it looks like each of these colors must have their own powers. We need to work out how these things operate.”
“Paul, somehow, I know that you can't do this. It just “feels blue,” if that makes any sense,” Stewart responded to the major.
“None of you are versed in the lore as I have been,” interrupted Abin Sur, “allow me to tell you what I have read.
“The spectrum of light corresponds to the seven basic drives that motivate all life higher life forms. Green is willpower, or individuality and determination. Blue is hope, indigo is compassion, orange is desire, red is anger, violet is love and yellow is fear. The Tree of Light is a portal to the true light realm. It works on the same principle as the rings themselves, opening this universe to allow in the power of light.
“It seems that the time is right for the full power of the spectrum to be opened to the galaxy. You are the first to be chosen, but there will be others. There is no organization as yet for each of your colors, so I would invite you all to remain with the Green Lanterns for the time being.
“We have a unique quick-introduction training course available to new recruits. With your permission, each of you humans will be assigned to enter a REM trance supervised by a Green Lantern.”
“A Green Lantern,” Sines Toro interjected, looking at his hands. His right hand still bore a green ring, but it was duller, somehow lessened. His left was adorned with the new glittering yellow ring, shining with citrine brilliance, “or a Yellow Lantern.”
One by one each of the newly-empowered humans nodded or otherwise indicated agreement. They paired off each with a Green Lantern. Abin Sur with John Stewart, Sines Toro with Guy Gardner, Tomar-Re with Carol Ferris, Kilowog with Tom Kalmaku and lastly Hal Jordan with Paul Booker. Each submitted to the same sleep session that Hal remembered from his first night with his own ring.
Several minutes passed, and each of the new ring bearers worked vigilantly with their mentors, learning for themselves the basics of their newfound abilities. Each of them stood and stretched their limbs, looking at the world with new eyes.
“I know that your training will have been somewhat inadequate. Nevertheless, it will have to suffice. We have need of you now.”
“You need what, then? Because I've not volunteered for anything,” Booker asserted.
“The being who you all saw opening the portal, Narkanthos, has escaped,” Sines Toro responded, “he is undoubtedly heading to Qward, the planet where your suit was created. He will have designs to acquire greater weaponry.”
“Booker, after what's happened today, you owe to all of us,” John Stewart fixed Booker with a steely glare, looking at the officer as an equal for the first time.
Booker paused to consider, weighing the other men's words before responding, “Alright, I'm in.”
Carol and Guy, holding hands and smiling nodded as well. Guy bellowed, “This is gonna be the best day ever. Bring on the fight!”
Tom clasped Hal's shoulder and said, “You know that I'd never leave you alone on something like this, Hal. Let's do this.”
“It is good,” Abin Sur said, “I must retire to Hal Jordan's mind once more. I will not be able to assist in the struggle.”
As Abin Sur dissolved into Hal's ring, Sines Toro barked, “Men, follow me. To Qward!”
Sines Toro and the Green Lanterns took to the sky, hovering for a moment as their new comrades initiated their first true flights. Then, as one, the nine ring bearers soared to the heavens.