Yue

 21st January

14:32 GMT

Lantern Dul floats in interstellar space a short distance from her current stop on the Orange Lantern Corps Goodwill Tour. From the looks we were getting as we headed into orbit I'd say that she was at least reasonably well received by the locals, who to me looked disconcertingly like a cross between crabs and lictors.

Sometimes being able to interpret non-humanoid body language is weird.

"Got everything you need?"

She blinks slowly at me, the thanagarian equivalent of a puzzled frown. She's wearing… Slightly heavier armour than she wore to the conference. Not sure whether she's used the time since to put it together or if she didn't consider it necessary. Heh, but now she knows me better. One mace, two side arms, one glowing ring…

"I mean, no personal effects? You mentioned that you weren't the only one assigned to your original mission. Among humans, we would customarily return their personal effects to their next of kin."

"We didn't have much. I left everything with their bodies on what's left of our ship." She notices as my eyes widen. "Almost all thanagarians are materialists. None of them thought what happened to their bodies after they died was important."

"Um. If you give me the coordinates I can pick the ship up and return it to Thanagar." I place my right hand over my heart. "My oath to Gaea that I will not access its data storage or perform detailed scans of the ship or of its contents."

"Why? What do your people do with the remains of dead spacefarers?"

"My people go into space on rockets. We don't have enough spacefarers to have a tradition. Water warships that sink are left alone, but that's on a living world. In.. space… Take it from someone who's died, that's.. not a good place to leave them."

"You believe that their souls are trapped there forever."

"I don't have enough magic researchers to task them with studying the process in detail, but based on what I know…" I nod. "It's a distinct possibility."

She regards me sceptically for a moment, but apparently decides that there's no harm in humouring me. "I'll refer your request up my chain of command."

I nod. "Thank you. Now, for the journey to Earth we've got a couple of options. I can teleport us-" I raise my right hand to my forehead. "-there instantly, but Hinon tells me that unless your control is excellent you could risk physical and psychological damage." I lower my right hand. "I could get around that by suppressing your mental activity or connection to the orange light, but those options have their own problems. Alternatively, I can fly us there, which will take a few hours, or create a large zeta beam emitter construct to send you there in a few seconds."

"If your people have controllable zeta beam transportation then why do you still fly in space with chemical rockets?"

"We'd use zeta beams for that too, but we've only recently got the power generation capacity to keep them running. And of course we can't go anywhere safely without a receiver station. As it is, it's a fast but expensive way for getting around one planet, and… Not very useful otherwise. I'd basically be firing you at an upgraded version of the zeta beam generator invented… Fifty seven years ago. It's still the only one configured for long ranged travel."

"And it's safe?"

I nod. "Tested it yesterday. The people studying it are quite enthusiastic about getting a live subject through."

"Zeta beam."

"Rightyho."

I fly away from her to give myself space, then generate the large interstellar zeta tube. Not just the actual tube bit; even with it looking more like Dr Erdel's original version than the more streamlined modern version that part still isn't particularly large. I've also got the exotic radiation generating equipment, the generator and the capacitors. And a cartoony-looking control panel with one of those u-shape levers you can wrap your fist around, because why not?

I wrap my right fist around it. "Ready?"

"Yes."

I pull the lever down. The interior of the construct glows for a moment, then Lantern Dul is gone.

One. Two. Three…

"Illustres to Lantern Dul."

"I've arrived. I'm heading to Officer Hol's place of residence."

"Good show. I'll meet you in orbit."

I dismiss my construct, focus on Mr Cantrell and raise my right hand to my forehead once again.

21st January

07:34 GMT -7

I appear a mile or so above his house, then move my right hand to my right ear.

"Call Richard Grayson."

"Compliance."

A few seconds of dial tone…

"Hey."

Not 'hey, Oh El'. Which means that he's not 'Robin' at the moment.

"How is she?"

"Not… Great." He breathes out slowly. "And not just because of you. She's having nightmares about what happened to the little people in Switzerland."

"Yes, I'm not surprised. I'd have tried saying something, but I was more worried about her staff. And I didn't want to sound too sympathetic in case I inadvertently gave the impression that my rejection wasn't entirely earnest."

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that. She's pretty convinced."

"You've… Had contact with people who've done.. things under the influence, haven't you?"

"Yeah. Nothing.. quite like this. I'll.. keep visiting her."

"Has she-? She could talk to her friends about it. Her.. normal friends. Her identity isn't a secret-."

"This isn't really something most people have a whole lot of contact with. I'm not sure if they'd actually help or… If they'd get scared off."

I nod sombrely. "Any ideas?"

"I do actually know a good trauma counsellor. I'm going to talk to Zatara about arranging a meeting."

I nod. "Switzerland was quite a bit… More than she is used to. That might well be for the best. Though… If they ask why she started using the Star Sapphire in the first place-."

"Then she'll just have to tell them."

"I suppose she will. Thank you for talking to her."

"Hey, what are friends for?"

I hang up and lower my hand. Oh, hang on. I hold my left hand out in front of me. Ring, call Hinon.

Compliance.

Her face appears, floating over my ring.

"I'm heading to Thanagar. Do you want me to get you anything?"

"No." She doesn't bother actually looking at me. "I should be finished with my survey by the time you get back. We can talk about it then."

"Alright. See you when I see you."

She looks up, frowning. "That's a tautol-."

I hang up, and fly down towards the Halls' garden.