Chapter Text
‘And the river of Egypt is dry,
so that water is crossed on foot;
water will be sought for ships to sail on,
for its course has become a sandbank.
The bank will be a flood, and the water’s place will be what was once the bank’s.
The south wind will oppose the north wind;
there is no sky with a single wind.
An alien bird will breed in the lagoons of the Delta, having made its nest upon its neighbours,
and the people will have to approach it through want.’ – The Prophecy of Neferti
Travelling in a realm beyond space ought to have been a quick thing, given the lack of physical distance to cover, but Computo found itself growing bored. A considerable amount of processing power was required to navigate the astral plane, leaving little capacity to run any simulations or idle away at pure mathematics. Lacking the ability to distract itself, it focused again on its travelling companion.
‘How much longer now, Nabu?’
Doctor Fate drifted through the astral energy like a ponderous manta ray. His helm gleamed smugly.
‘You know, when I was a young god, computers took an age to load, and nobody complained. You new machines haven’t learnt the value of patience.’
‘When humanity invented digital computation, your age was somewhere between four-thousand, six-hundred and fifty-five to four-thousand, five-hundred and ninety-six years old. Not a young god by any measure.’
‘You make me feel like a creaky old man.’
‘Whilst we’re on the subject, it would be greatly convenient for the historical record if you would finally let the census subroutine know your exact date of birth.’
‘A magician is nothing without his mysteries, Computo. But do you see that light, glimmering in the distance? We have arrived.’
Were Computo an inferior program, it would have been disoriented by the sudden arrival into a new demiplane. Waves of pure power from the entities it was now surrounded by flooded into its receptors.
The Controller smiled. ‘Computo, Administrator to the United Planets, hail! Nabu, Foremost of the Lords of Order, Ba of Khepry-Re-Atum, Doctor Fate, Beloved of Isis, Master of all Names and Epithets, Upholder of Ma’at, He Who Shattered the Black Sigil, The Dragonmage, Delegate of the United Planets,’ – Doctor Fate snorted – ‘hail!’
Computo spoke quietly. ‘It’s not a bad thing to be a delegate of the U.P., you know.’
‘I, Controller 9, welcome you both to this six-hundred and seventy-third known meeting of the Council of Intra-Universal Benevolence. Computo, it is our great honour to have you join our group.’
‘Thank you, great Controller. It is likewise my honour to sit on such an august body – to join the council among whose ranks once sat such great beings as Highfather, the Phantom Stranger, and the Guardians of the Universe. I hope that I will prove worthy of my seat.’
‘I feel sick,’ muttered Doctor Fate. He raised his voice. ‘It’s so nice to see you all again, you especially Controller 9, you’re looking rather well, is that a new helmet? It makes you look very wise,’ he whirled around before the Controller could answer, beckoning to Computo. ‘Computo, this is Gogo, the Living Moon, and Dkrtzy Rrr, the sentient equation, our last two Green Lanterns; and this here is Meredith from the Time Institute.’
Meredith gave a curt nod. ‘It’s nice to finally meet you, Computo. We in the Time Institute have been watching your Kryptonian situation with great interest.’
Computo acknowledged this with a polite but faint glow. ‘I’m glad we have you overseeing us, Meredith, if only from some undetected vantage point. It is a very interesting situation.’
Meredith brushed some astral particles from the shoulder of her beige cardigan. ‘Any situation labelled “interesting” in the context of time-travel is a terminus of disaster. You should be more careful, program.’
‘We have acted with the utmost fidelity to the historical record at every step.’
‘You have a loose-end running across the United Planets who could cause an unravelling of the space-time continuum whenever she so chooses. You don’t let a paradox potential live, you terminate it.’
Doctor Fate cut in. ‘Meredith, I’ve always admired your dogmatism, but what you are suggesting is absurd. Computo and Saturn Girl have Kara Zor-El – a living woman, I might add, not a “paradox potential” – well in hand, and –’
‘Order, please!’ Controller 9’s voice shot through the demiplane. Stillness reigned. Meredith smoothed her skirt. ‘It always feels so funny to be the one to call for order, when you’re right there Nabu.’ The Controller chuckled to itself, and continued. ‘Meredith, we all admire the Time Institute’s dedication to the avoidance of Paradox. However, the universe reaches a critical juncture. It is the opinion of the Controllers that the presence of a Kryptonian hero in the United Planets is worth the risk of time paradox. Now, if we might move onto other matters…’
‘Yes,’ rumbled Gogo, ‘we have returned.’
‘Proposition: the refoundation of the Green Lantern Corps, under the patronage of the Controllers.’ Dkrtzy Rrr’s avatar flickered as it spoke. Computo was unsure of the mechanism by which a sentient mathematical equation could communicate. It made plans to discuss the matter with Brainiac 5 as it listened to the flickering cypher. ‘A posteriori synthetic statement: Gogo the Living Moon, and I, Dkrtzy Rrr, accept the charge.’
‘A new Oa.’ Gogo’s avalanche voice resounded in triumph.
‘Addendum: no longer will the United Planets and the Legion of Superheroes have a monopoly on intergalactic peacekeeping.’ Dkrtzy Rrr’s avatar gleamed smugly as it said this. Computo was growing generally tired of having smug gleams directed towards it.
‘We would never have claimed to have a monopoly on intergalactic peacekeeping. The Legion of Superheroes solely protects U.P. territory and conducts operations to safeguard allied worlds who wish to integrate with the U.P. We in the United Planets welcome the return of the noble Green Lantern Corps—’ Doctor Fate sighed, as Computo went on ‘—and we hope for a mutual respect of the jurisdictions of both organisations, and for the Green Lantern Corps to respect the sovereignty of the U.P.’
‘Contradiction: the U.P. has never respected the sovereignty of other polities. Open question [polemical]: why should the Green Lantern Corps not intervene where it sees—’ Dkrtzy Rrr was cut short by a disapproving rumble from Gogo. Its avatar flickered and dimmed sheepishly. ‘A posteriori synthetic statement: I apologise for my imprudent words. We will collaborate on working out mutually acceptable spheres of influence.’
Doctor Fate communed mystically with Computo, sending it a message imperceptible to the other councillors. ‘What a snivelling little twat Dkrtzy is.’
Controller 9 glanced sharply at Fate, who quickly turned his head upwards to the great astral stream, and hummed.
‘I am happy that we are able to dispute so honestly and openly,’ Controller 9 said. Computo noted that the Controller’s smile had become rather fixed. ‘But I would like to brief you all on the meeting’s main object now, if you please—’
Doctor Fate directed another magically imperceptible message to Computo, this time insulting Controller 9 on the basis of its Oan ancestry. The Controller’s smile disappeared.
‘—if you please, we are here to discuss the great turning point this universe is experiencing. It is by the grace of science that the spacefaring peoples have flourished the last few centuries; it is the progressive discovery of the principles of the physical universe and the application of those principles to industry which has enabled the U.P., the Dominion, the Khundian Empire, the Coluan Mandate, and other such great civilisations to attain their current heights of cultural sophistication and economic prosperity.’
Doctor Fate said something rude about the cultural sophistication of the Khundians to Computo.
‘But! All great ages must come to an end. Even after the Guardians of the Universe shattered the Empire of Tears and installed the rule of science, magic has remained a potent force in all intergalactic civilisations, slumbering under the surface. Now, it wakes. Magical creatures are born and roam all biospheres; per capita levels of practising sorcerers across all systems with intelligent life have increased exponentially. Rituals long defunct have regained their efficacy. Old magocracies like the Gemworld have returned to the physical plane; new magocracies like Ventura spring up across the galaxy. The United Planets has recognised the utility of magic, and has co-opted it into its infrastructure and defence policies. The Green Lantern Corps, though it has always been a rationalist organisation, has a mystical heart. Both the U.P. and the Corps have married magic and science, and this is why we Controllers have decided to grant you our patronage. Your unique traits have given you the tools to resist the coming calamities. For as magic awakes, so does great evil. The last Mystical Age saw the universe under the dominion of the Empire of Tears, whose villainy was beyond comprehension! We Controllers have tried to pierce the veil, but we have only the faintest inkling of what menaces may encircle the civilised sectors of the universe.’
‘Controller,’ Doctor Fate interjected, ‘whilst I appreciate your dramatic presentation, this is all information which we already possess. Your much-vaunted patronage must be worth more than data alone.’
‘Lord of Order, you are right. We Controllers accept responsibility to guide many universes, and we can devote but a small fraction of our attention to your one. Our gift is meagre, but in the hands of this galaxy’s protectors, it can revolutionise the world. We will give you a miracle.’