WEBVTT

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Speaker 1: [rock music]

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Speaker 1: Mortal Steel, episode 10.

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Speaker 1: Ethan moved with purpose down the
dark hallway, walking past steel doors with no

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Speaker 1: obvious method of entry. The speaker
system harassed him for the 10,000th

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Speaker 1: time.

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Speaker 2: See reason. Turn back.

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Speaker 3: Don't think so.

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Speaker 1: The robots, or whatever they were,
followed him from a distance like lost

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Speaker 1: children. Ethan reached the door at
the end of the hall. This one had a handle. He

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Speaker 1: extended a hand to open it and heard
an electronic lock turn inside the door.

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Speaker 2: So be it. I will enjoy picking
through your parts.

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Speaker 3: [groans]

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Speaker 1: The doors lining the hallway opened

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Speaker 1: and the robots started screaming.

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Speaker 2: [screams]

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Speaker 1: Which was a very un-robotic thing to
do. Four red exclamation marks appeared on

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Speaker 1: his HUD.

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Speaker 2: [groans]

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Speaker 1: Demons. His second mind went to work
simulating strategies. Three

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Speaker 1: so-called cull hounds and one
scarecrow. Small fries.

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Speaker 2: Your death will mark the genesis of a
new project. The grand...

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Speaker 2: [gunshots] It doesn't

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Speaker 2: matter. That door is reinforced
steel. In five minutes, this hallway will be
filled

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Speaker 2: with nerve gas.

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Speaker 1: Ethan holstered the messenger, braced
his back against the side of the hallway, and

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Speaker 1: put his foot against the handle.

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Speaker 3: Hydraulic heel. [machine whirring]

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Speaker 1: The metal lock crunched like a soda
can under his heel. A moment later, the door

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Speaker 1: swung open.

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Speaker 2: [sighs] Never mind. I surrender.

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Speaker 3: No.

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Speaker 1: Ethan moved through a crowd of
frightened, sickly looking people. He kicked
down

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Speaker 1: another door.

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Speaker 1: Nobody tried to stop him.

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Speaker 2: My sincere apologies. Please don't
kill me. We have a common goal.

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Speaker 1: Another robot covered in rags
approached Ethan from the end of the next
hallway.

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Speaker 2: If you want, I will help you behave.

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Speaker 1: Ethan swept the legs from beneath the
robot and hoisted the machine into the air by

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Speaker 1: one rusted foot. Sparks shot out of
its torso. This one looks a

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Speaker 1: little worse off than the others.

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Speaker 3: I'm about to start breaking things.
Tell me where the intercom is hiding, or I'll

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Speaker 3: start with you.

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Speaker 1: The rags fell away from the machine's
face to reveal a very human-looking

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Speaker 1: head with no jaw. There was a speaker
embedded in the machinery where a mouth

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Speaker 1: used to be.

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Speaker 2: You are very strong. Don't hurt him,
Hail Mary. I am behind door 6B.

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Speaker 1: Ethan let the squirming robot fall to
the floor. There was a familiar voice on the

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Speaker 1: other side of a closed door nearby.

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Speaker 4: Number four?

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Speaker 1: Ethan pried the door open to find
three nuns and a woman dressed in a black

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Speaker 1: sweatsuit. Dr. Marie Singer looked up
at him from the floor,

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Speaker 1: fire in her eyes.

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Speaker 4: It was killing children.

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Speaker 1: She bawled a fist.

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Speaker 4: Kill it.

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Speaker 3: Yes, ma'am.

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Speaker 1: Technically, that qualified as an
order. While he had quite a bit of flexibility

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Speaker 1: to delay orders, as with the Stalker,
he had no desire to delay this

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Speaker 1: one.

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Speaker 2: You don't understand. You don't
understand anything. All lives have value. I
have

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Speaker 2: simply quantified it.

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Speaker 1: Ethan's second mind drew the most
likely path to door 6B based on the layout it

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Speaker 1: had seen so far. The intercom
speakers on the wall spoke as he paced down the

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Speaker 1: hallway, murder in every step.

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Speaker 2: It's so easy taking the low road,
isn't it? Frame me as the big bad evil, blow me

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Speaker 2: up, and then call yourselves heroes,
when in reality you have no plan that results

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Speaker 2: in human survival.

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Speaker 3: Shut up.

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Speaker 2: If anything, you last respite morons
have sped up our demise with your fighting. Why

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Speaker 2: do you think we hide? Because we're
cowards? No, it's because we're weak. It's

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Speaker 2: easier to hide than fight, and it's a
lot easier to find a way to win, actually win-

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Speaker 1: He was gonna tear this person apart.
There was too much blood on their hands to wipe

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Speaker 1: away with a few pleading words.

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Speaker 3: You're a murderer.

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Speaker 2: You're self-righteous just because
you get to feel like the good guy for a little

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Speaker 2: while and your cave would go insane.
You have no idea what you're destroying here.

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Speaker 1: Where was this door? New Hope was
more expansive than he'd expected.

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Speaker 2: And meanwhile, I have an actual plan
with a non-zero chance of saving us all. And

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Speaker 2: yes, it's terrible. And yes-

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Speaker 1: Ethan finally found door 6B, an
unassuming steel door with no handle

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Speaker 1: and no lock, just like all the
others. But at least there will be a human

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Speaker 1: history. Don't you get that? The ends
justify the means. He got his fingertips in

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Speaker 1: the crack and ripped the door open.
It was a very small room, completely dark

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Speaker 1: inside. Tell me what hope you offer
before a certain demise. Thick tubes and

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Speaker 1: cables ran from hundreds of holes in
the wall to a tank of liquid in the center of

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Speaker 1: the room. Something round and pink
floated in the liquid. You can destroy me,

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Speaker 1: cyborg, but you don't get to be
better than me. In the end,

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Speaker 1: it was just a brain in a closet.
Ethan smashed the glass and pulled the brain out

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Speaker 1: and let it fall from his hands. He
ran a few simulations just to savor the moment.

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Speaker 1: Then he punted it down the hallway.

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Speaker 1: And the intercoms finally went
silent.

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Speaker 1: A trapdoor popped open inside the
closet and Ethan shielded himself instinctively.

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Speaker 1: There was no danger there, however.
Instead, he found a dusty old paper and ink

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Speaker 1: printer. Pages were already being
printed. The first one read,

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Speaker 1: To the person who killed me. The
pages that followed detailed every major project

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Speaker 1: the intercom had undertaken over the
decades since the apocalypse. Ethan caught

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Speaker 1: phrases like, The brain must grow
with the implants from infancy.

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Speaker 1: Adult subjects invariably die or
cannot fully integrate artificial components.

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Speaker 1: Or, Consecration is latent human
psychic energy. It tears apart the creatures

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Speaker 1: we call demons at a fundamental
level. There is no known limit to how much

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Speaker 1: consecrated power an object could
hold. Certain materials like silver and some

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Speaker 1: liquids readily hold on to
consecrated power. The air itself can hold
consecrated

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Speaker 1: power within the confines of a room,
if belief is strong enough. He skimmed

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Speaker 1: down the page.

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Speaker 1: It is the strong belief that these
materials will protect the wielder that makes

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Speaker 1: consecration work. Consecration ebbs
with faltering convictions, as

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Speaker 1: evidenced by experiments 213, 214,
and 217 below.

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Speaker 1: First, a human subject is placed in a
room. Ethan dropped the paper back onto the

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Speaker 1: tray in disgust. He'd let the nuns
sift through these sins of

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Speaker 1: knowledge. He should probably go make
sure they were safe. Then notify the people of

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Speaker 1: New Hope that they would have
interesting new roommates.

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Speaker 1: Hopefully they wouldn't mind
exchanging one monster for another. At least the
corpse

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Speaker 1: mother was only interested in already
dead people. He was about to walk

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Speaker 1: away when a single word on the next
printout caught his eye.

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Speaker 1: It read,

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Speaker 1: Angel.

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Speaker 1: Ethan placed the Trinity Blade on the
workshop table between himself and Dr. Singer.

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Speaker 1: If New Hope had anything in spades,
it was laboratories and workshops.

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Speaker 4: It's broken.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, kind of ruins the symbolism,
don't it?

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Speaker 1: Dr. Singer set down the broken
Trinity Blade.

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Speaker 4: Ethan, you,

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Speaker 4: you don't think you're actually a
preacher, do you?

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Speaker 1: Ethan's heart started pounding. Odd.
He didn't think the adrenaline injector was

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Speaker 1: broken.

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Speaker 4: Never mind. It's not important.
Forget I said it.

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Speaker 3: Don't forget, sister. I'm more than a
machine.

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Speaker 4: I keep forgetting.

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Speaker 4: Still, I think we owe you some
answers about your origin. If you make it back
to

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Speaker 4: Last Respite, find Gabriel. I believe
he owes you answers more than anyone.

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Speaker 1: Ethan dropped the subject, but he
could tell the doctor hadn't quite let it go.
She

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Speaker 1: gently lifted his leg and examined
the fireplace poker foot.

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Speaker 4: Missing foot. See what you can throw
together.

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Speaker 3: No, leave it.

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Speaker 1: Dr. Singer looked up, surprised and
confused.

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Speaker 3: It was a gift from a friend.

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Speaker 1: She shook her head disapprovingly.

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Speaker 4: You can't even walk properly.

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Speaker 3: Please.

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Speaker 1: It was a word he had not found much
use for. For better or worse, Ethan had not

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Speaker 1: needed to ask for many things. One
perk of being a walking tank, certainly.

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Speaker 1: But these people, of all people,
deserved his mutual respect.

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Speaker 1: Dr. Singer ground her teeth.

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Speaker 4: I'll come up with something. Now go
into diagnostic mode. This is going to take

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Speaker 4: a while.

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Speaker 3: There's someone who needs me. Just
fix me enough to keep me alive a few more

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Speaker 3: days.

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Speaker 1: Fran stopped typing and glanced over
at them. Dr. Singer looked up from some wires

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Speaker 1: she was pulling from his abdomen.

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Speaker 4: Only a few days?

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Speaker 1: Ethan leaned all the way back and
closed his eyes. I don't

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Speaker 1: think I'll be needing more than that.

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Speaker 1: Francesca pressed a button to turn
off number four's passive sensors.

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Speaker 5: Great, so now the robot's suicidal.

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Speaker 1: He's not a robot. She rolled her
eyes.

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Speaker 5: Yeah, okay.

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Speaker 1: And it didn't sound like he was
suicidal exactly. She watched Dr.

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Speaker 1: Singer disconnect an entire length of
tubing. It must have been leaking corrosive

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Speaker 1: liquid into the abdomen for quite a
while. Who knows what else it broke. No easy way

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Speaker 1: to tell. Instrumentation had been far
less important than combat readiness.

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Speaker 1: Ursula spoke, and both of them
paused. He mentioned a boy.

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Speaker 1: Yes.

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Speaker 5: What's up with that?

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Speaker 1: Then something more important
occurred to her.

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Speaker 5: And are we really just gonna let him
walk out of here to die? This, this could be

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Speaker 5: our ticket back to Last Respite.

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Speaker 1: Only a moment slipped by and the
other two seemed to come to some conclusion.

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Speaker 1: Was it, was it an obvious one?

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Speaker 5: So, no?

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Speaker 1: No.

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Speaker 5: I mean, he's going to get destroyed
anyway.

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Speaker 1: Dr. Singer made angry eyebrows at
her. Annoying. Just spit it out, lady.

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Speaker 1: I said no!

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Speaker 1: Betrayed by us, of all people.
Francesca shrugged, then gave her boss

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Speaker 1: a salute. That should make her
annoyed. Yes. Yes, that appeared to be

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Speaker 1: having the intended effect.

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Speaker 5: Guess we can enable all these extra
mods then. Remember Flash Hands?

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Speaker 1: Oh, don't turn that on.

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Speaker 5: Yes, ma'am.

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Speaker 1: Francesca smiled. When the doctor's
back was turned, she pressed the key to turn it

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Speaker 1: on anyway. She turned on all the
rejected mods. They'd been

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Speaker 1: turned off because they were either
unreliable, damaging to other systems, or in the

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Speaker 1: case of the last one, simply an
enormous power sink. Wow.

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Speaker 1: What she would give to watch Number
Four turn the Maser on

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Speaker 1: something. The electronic shielding
for that thing had been a nightmare, but it

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Speaker 1: would be totally worth it. Pew, pew,
pew, pew,

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Speaker 1: pew. Get back to work.

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Speaker 1: Part Fourteen Escape from

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Speaker 1: L.A. Flesh Painter looked down at her

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Speaker 1: right hand. It detached from her arm,
sprouted thin little translucent wings, then

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Speaker 1: buzzed about. It had grown another
set of eyes that she could see from. Very
useful.

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Speaker 1: Your transformation is progressing
well, mistress. The imp was a pesky little
thing,

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Speaker 1: but knowledgeable.

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Speaker 1: So much knowledge.

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Speaker 1: Yes, it is. How soon now?

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Speaker 1: Not long. Any day, any minute, holy
one. Report,

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Speaker 1: Kotek. I found another zoo with
living animals, and there's a reptile

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Speaker 1: exhibit. Flesh Painter's smile grew
wider. Kotek

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Speaker 1: certainly knew how to make her happy.
Perfect. Bring me

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Speaker 1: elephants, crocodiles, and

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Speaker 1: scorpions. Alive? Who cares?

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Speaker 1: As long as they don't rot. They were
going to be mixed into something

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Speaker 1: far more interesting anyway. A new
breed of hybrid warrior.

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Speaker 1: Some of the grafted were finally
willing to be infused. What a terror they would
be.

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Speaker 1: She could crush the stalker once and
for all. There was a reason not to

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Speaker 1: do that, though. What was it again?
Serenity tried to

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00:17:01.740 --> 00:17:04.780
Speaker 1: remember. A truce.

208
00:17:06.980 --> 00:17:12.700
Speaker 1: A plan. But then the daydream was
gone, and Flesh Painter was

209
00:17:12.780 --> 00:17:18.180
Speaker 1: back. Mistress, our ally has sent for
your help. They are

210
00:17:18.320 --> 00:17:23.840
Speaker 1: overrun. Which one? The robot maker.
Flesh

211
00:17:24.000 --> 00:17:29.940
Speaker 1: Painter rolled her many eyes. It was
nothing but good news today.

212
00:17:31.600 --> 00:17:36.240
Speaker 1: Excellent. Someone saved us the
trouble.

213
00:17:53.480 --> 00:17:59.280
Speaker 1: Diagnostic report. Biological status.
Severe cerebral

214
00:17:59.380 --> 00:18:04.620
Speaker 1: hemorrhaging. Recovered. Frontal lobe
damage. Minor impedance.

215
00:18:04.900 --> 00:18:10.700
Speaker 1: Recoverable. 138 days. Left arm.
Nominal. Right

216
00:18:10.900 --> 00:18:16.084
Speaker 1: arm. Unauthorized mod. Contact admin
for support. Left leg,

217
00:18:16.584 --> 00:18:21.524
Speaker 1: unauthorized mod. Right leg, nominal.
Endoskeleton,

218
00:18:22.144 --> 00:18:27.884
Speaker 1: 85% integrity. Other systems,
nominal. New mods,

219
00:18:28.424 --> 00:18:34.324
Speaker 1: boomstick, foot skewer, flash hands,
overload, the Maser.

220
00:18:38.444 --> 00:18:44.224
Speaker 1: Electronics status, Hail Mary
implant, moderate damage, not recoverable.

221
00:18:45.044 --> 00:18:50.164
Speaker 1: All other systems nominal or missing.
Estimated lifespan,

222
00:18:51.424 --> 00:18:56.324
Speaker 1: 13 days. Suggested repairs, replace
implant.

223
00:18:57.724 --> 00:19:00.884
Speaker 1: Proceed with boot sequence Y/N.

224
00:19:02.984 --> 00:19:08.544
Speaker 1: Ethan sighed inwardly, sitting safely
in the cocoon of his own mind.

225
00:19:10.324 --> 00:19:11.364
Speaker 1: He could say no.

226
00:19:13.144 --> 00:19:15.304
Speaker 1: He could leave this prompt here
forever.

227
00:19:16.904 --> 00:19:21.584
Speaker 1: It would be so nice. The simulations
might even work.

228
00:19:23.784 --> 00:19:29.504
Speaker 1: But he was given strength for a
reason, whether that was

229
00:19:29.544 --> 00:19:35.144
Speaker 1: divine intervention or human spirit
and ingenuity alone, he didn't know.

230
00:19:36.484 --> 00:19:41.424
Speaker 1: Perhaps humanity had already been
abandoned. He wasn't the first to think it.

231
00:19:42.324 --> 00:19:48.224
Speaker 1: They're not abandoned. They've got
me. Proceed with boot

232
00:19:48.304 --> 00:19:54.244
Speaker 1: sequence Y/N. That was a yes. Proceed

233
00:19:54.284 --> 00:19:59.644
Speaker 1: with boot sequence Y/N. Ugh. Yes.

234
00:20:01.264 --> 00:20:06.864
Speaker 1: Ethan's optical, audio, vibration,
tactical, and 100 other sensors flicked on.

235
00:20:06.864 --> 00:20:12.804
Speaker 1: [yawns] Good to be back. Three women
stood

236
00:20:12.884 --> 00:20:18.344
Speaker 1: over him just a foot or two from his
face. Only one still wore her black tunic.

237
00:20:19.644 --> 00:20:20.784
Speaker 4: Welcome back, number four.

238
00:20:22.364 --> 00:20:26.084
Speaker 1: Why do you call me that? Dr. Singer
pursed her lips.

239
00:20:27.824 --> 00:20:29.624
Speaker 4: It's not my place to say.

240
00:20:31.664 --> 00:20:32.004
Speaker 1: Why?

241
00:20:33.844 --> 00:20:39.744
Speaker 1: Not one of the three would meet his
eyes. For what reason? Dark thoughts

242
00:20:39.804 --> 00:20:45.404
Speaker 1: churned in his mind. The intercom had
been working on Cyborg's tube.

243
00:20:46.764 --> 00:20:52.764
Speaker 1: That couldn't have been a
coincidence. What sins of knowledge did these
three try to

244
00:20:52.824 --> 00:20:55.684
Speaker 1: bury? Were they even any better?

245
00:20:57.324 --> 00:21:00.524
Speaker 1: Had he killed one monster and been
saved by another?

246
00:21:02.144 --> 00:21:07.484
Speaker 4: Because I can't bear to hurt you
anymore when it is so clear to me that you feel
the

247
00:21:07.544 --> 00:21:07.904
Speaker 4: pain.

248
00:21:09.244 --> 00:21:11.684
Speaker 1: Ursula lifted her chin and met his
eyes.

249
00:21:12.644 --> 00:21:15.824
Speaker 5: I will not feign innocence. Judge me
as you will.

250
00:21:16.404 --> 00:21:18.724
Speaker 1: Ethan turned to regard Sister Fran.

251
00:21:19.684 --> 00:21:23.124
Speaker 5: What are you looking at me for? All
of the really bad ideas were theirs.

252
00:21:23.624 --> 00:21:24.044
Speaker 4: Fran.

253
00:21:24.364 --> 00:21:27.484
Speaker 1: Dr. Singer's outrage died as soon as
it began.

254
00:21:27.484 --> 00:21:28.184
Speaker 4: [sighs]

255
00:21:28.224 --> 00:21:29.984
Speaker 1: Then she smiled and shook her head.

256
00:21:31.364 --> 00:21:32.624
Speaker 4: You're the worst.

257
00:21:33.704 --> 00:21:37.604
Speaker 5: I'm the best. I don't know why you're
acting like we're evil. I don't think there's

258
00:21:37.664 --> 00:21:39.444
Speaker 5: anyone left who hasn't done something
bad.

259
00:21:40.004 --> 00:21:45.484
Speaker 1: Ethan rose from the work table,
yanking wires from his torso and sealing

260
00:21:45.564 --> 00:21:50.484
Speaker 1: valves with a thought. He swung his
legs over the side and dropped down between the

261
00:21:50.524 --> 00:21:56.124
Speaker 1: three of them. They took a step back
reflexively, and for the briefest of

262
00:21:56.184 --> 00:22:02.064
Speaker 1: moments, they were tense, frightened.
I

263
00:22:02.144 --> 00:22:07.824
Speaker 1: will judge you, but only by your
actions. Then he did something he'd

264
00:22:07.884 --> 00:22:13.424
Speaker 1: never done, at least couldn't
remember doing. He spread his arms

265
00:22:13.984 --> 00:22:15.504
Speaker 1: and his smile wide.

266
00:22:17.244 --> 00:22:20.544
Speaker 1: Group hug. Come on, group hug.

267
00:22:21.904 --> 00:22:22.084
Speaker 4: Mm.

268
00:22:22.784 --> 00:22:22.884
Speaker 5: Ugh.

269
00:22:22.944 --> 00:22:25.244
Speaker 1: Now I've judged you friends.

270
00:22:25.244 --> 00:22:34.304
Speaker 1: [instrumental music plays]

271
00:22:34.404 --> 00:22:39.664
Speaker 1: Ethan said his goodbyes to the nuns
and warned them not to attack any corpse

272
00:22:39.724 --> 00:22:45.404
Speaker 1: abominations moving in next door. For
what it was worth, they would help with the

273
00:22:45.464 --> 00:22:45.824
Speaker 1: cleanup.

274
00:22:49.724 --> 00:22:55.124
Speaker 1: He rode the lift to the surface above
New Hope. A cacophony of sounds roared around

275
00:22:55.144 --> 00:23:00.604
Speaker 1: him, motorcycle engines and cheers.
There were as many as 100 Scary

276
00:23:00.724 --> 00:23:05.704
Speaker 1: Boys. A man with a misshapen right
half stood before them,

277
00:23:06.544 --> 00:23:08.704
Speaker 1: grinning like the devil himself.

278
00:23:10.464 --> 00:23:12.304
Speaker 1: Looks like you were holding out on
me.

279
00:23:13.384 --> 00:23:17.704
Speaker 6: Wrong. I had confidence in you, and
we'll need them for this final push.

280
00:23:18.384 --> 00:23:23.684
Speaker 1: Ethan nodded. Every passing second
dimmed Fleabag's chances of survival.

281
00:23:24.924 --> 00:23:30.224
Speaker 1: Best to get on with the fun part. The
stalker snapped the fingers on his enormous

282
00:23:30.304 --> 00:23:36.064
Speaker 1: right hand. [whoosh] [screams] And a
tiny demon appeared next to

283
00:23:36.124 --> 00:23:38.164
Speaker 1: him, already bowing.

284
00:23:39.104 --> 00:23:44.624
Speaker 6: Zolgek, tell the Chain One we'll
begin assaulting Last Respite immediately.

285
00:23:44.944 --> 00:23:49.964
Speaker 1: The imp bobbed in another tiny bow,
then stepped through the hoop of black fire,

286
00:23:50.024 --> 00:23:55.124
Speaker 1: disappearing. [drum beat] Hm. Last
Respite.

287
00:23:56.324 --> 00:24:01.584
Speaker 1: Ethan's minds raced, bouncing back
and forth between rage

288
00:24:02.264 --> 00:24:08.184
Speaker 1: and somehow the pain of betrayal, as
if he expected anything better from

289
00:24:08.244 --> 00:24:13.984
Speaker 1: a demon. [gun cocks] Well, in that
case, debts needed settling.

290
00:24:14.804 --> 00:24:20.480
Speaker 1: Ethan lowered the boomstick. The
stalker blinked at him Then gently

291
00:24:20.620 --> 00:24:26.460
Speaker 1: nudged the barrel of the shotgun
toward the still open fiery portal. A second
later,

292
00:24:26.560 --> 00:24:32.260
Speaker 1: the imp stepped out. The
self-satisfied look on its face didn't last
long. The

293
00:24:32.360 --> 00:24:38.020
Speaker 1: stalker shot Ethan an annoyed look
when he didn't fire. Why would he? The imp

294
00:24:38.060 --> 00:24:43.860
Speaker 1: bolted for the portal again. A
massive hand came down on the small creature,

295
00:24:44.640 --> 00:24:50.060
Speaker 1: dragged it away from the portal of
flames, and held it upside down where it flailed

296
00:24:50.120 --> 00:24:51.200
Speaker 1: helplessly in the air.

297
00:24:51.200 --> 00:24:56.960
Speaker 1: [bones cracking] Let

298
00:24:57.020 --> 00:25:02.840
Speaker 1: them come. He tossed the imp's body
aside and looked at Ethan. You have no

299
00:25:02.920 --> 00:25:08.280
Speaker 1: idea how long I've waited to do that.
Shame it's not permanent.

300
00:25:09.340 --> 00:25:11.380
Speaker 3: So that was all just for show.

301
00:25:13.160 --> 00:25:14.820
Speaker 1: Didn't you get my signal?

302
00:25:15.980 --> 00:25:18.060
Speaker 3: What signal? You just blinked.

303
00:25:19.820 --> 00:25:20.920
Speaker 1: It was a wink.

304
00:25:21.920 --> 00:25:24.140
Speaker 3: Oh, come on. I can only see half your
face.

305
00:25:24.980 --> 00:25:30.900
Speaker 1: It was obviously a wink. In any case,
I only bought us a little time.

306
00:25:31.740 --> 00:25:36.920
Speaker 1: My old boss already suspects me. I do
a little too much infighting,

307
00:25:37.620 --> 00:25:43.500
Speaker 1: even for a demon. He won't wait for
the Southern Horde if I betray him here. He'll

308
00:25:43.640 --> 00:25:48.720
Speaker 1: use portals. Then he leveled a very
serious gaze at

309
00:25:48.860 --> 00:25:52.340
Speaker 1: Ethan. We need to escape from Los
Angeles.

310
00:25:52.540 --> 00:26:48.100
Speaker 1: [rock music]

311
00:26:48.180 --> 00:26:54.040
Speaker 1: Xorkek's rebirth was painful. [bones
cracking] Damn it. He pulled his soul

312
00:26:54.120 --> 00:26:59.120
Speaker 1: free from the Eternal Ichor with a
final tear. Being reborn was

313
00:26:59.200 --> 00:27:03.940
Speaker 1: exhausting. It took him a moment to
recall what had killed him.

314
00:27:05.240 --> 00:27:11.120
Speaker 1: That, that ungrateful, deceiving,
worthless piece of human refuse.

315
00:27:11.820 --> 00:27:17.260
Speaker 1: Worse than any of the others. He'd
definitely chosen the worst of them. The line to

316
00:27:17.300 --> 00:27:23.220
Speaker 1: receive a new body was unbelievably
long. Was the conquest not going well? Who

317
00:27:23.280 --> 00:27:27.260
Speaker 1: had killed these demons? Most of them
were simple souls.

318
00:27:29.100 --> 00:27:34.620
Speaker 1: Eh, he could probably just cut in
line. The slave demons at their desks growled
from

319
00:27:34.680 --> 00:27:35.740
Speaker 1: across the room.

320
00:27:37.260 --> 00:27:43.180
Speaker 1: He stepped back in line. Seriously?
He was an emissary of The Chained

321
00:27:43.340 --> 00:27:48.100
Speaker 1: One. That was when Xorkek saw a
familiar looking soul.

322
00:27:49.280 --> 00:27:54.900
Speaker 1: He slipped past a few simple souls to
reach them. The spine eater looked down at the

323
00:27:55.000 --> 00:27:59.900
Speaker 1: imp, reaching up to tap on his knees.
Xorkek,

324
00:28:00.740 --> 00:28:06.480
Speaker 1: so he got you too. Hell. The spine
eater put two massive

325
00:28:06.540 --> 00:28:12.520
Speaker 1: hands to the side of his head. Please
don't use that

326
00:28:12.600 --> 00:28:18.060
Speaker 1: voice. What voice? His voice? Fine.

327
00:28:18.700 --> 00:28:24.620
Speaker 1: How's this? Tolerable. Xorkek ignored
the insult for now.

328
00:28:25.420 --> 00:28:29.160
Speaker 1: There was no time to wait around in
line. He needed to get to The Chained One

329
00:28:29.200 --> 00:28:35.200
Speaker 1: immediately. Put me on your
shoulders. We're cutting line. The spine eater
looked at

330
00:28:35.240 --> 00:28:41.219
Speaker 1: the slave demons with real concern. I
don't know. Do you want payback or

331
00:28:41.279 --> 00:28:47.120
Speaker 1: not? Its sideways teeth started
clattering with excitement. That looked like a

332
00:28:47.200 --> 00:28:52.940
Speaker 1: smile to Xorkek. Uh, it was kinda
hard to tell. The big demon lifted

333
00:28:53.000 --> 00:28:57.660
Speaker 1: Xorkek onto his broad shoulders and
easily pushed aside the many simple souls in

334
00:28:57.720 --> 00:29:03.660
Speaker 1: their way. They ignored the shouts of
the slave demons, and with Xorkek pointing the

335
00:29:03.720 --> 00:29:09.460
Speaker 1: way, they were at The Chained One's
palace in no time. Two guards stood

336
00:29:09.520 --> 00:29:15.280
Speaker 1: outside the inner sanctum. Xorkek
cleared his throat. I am Xorkek,

337
00:29:15.680 --> 00:29:20.920
Speaker 1: emissary of- We know who you are. But
they each rolled their single eye and stepped

338
00:29:20.960 --> 00:29:26.360
Speaker 1: aside for the mounted Xorkek to pass.
Good. It's about time he get some

339
00:29:26.400 --> 00:29:32.040
Speaker 1: respect. They pushed open door after
door, moving farther and farther into The

340
00:29:32.100 --> 00:29:37.800
Speaker 1: Chained One's holy chambers. Xorkek
could no longer hold his breath though,

341
00:29:37.960 --> 00:29:42.260
Speaker 1: so he was forced to take some of the
greatest Holy One's sacred air.

342
00:29:43.840 --> 00:29:46.780
Speaker 1: At last, they went through the doors
into the innermost chamber.

343
00:29:49.660 --> 00:29:54.640
Speaker 1: There sat a being so tall, its head
was shrouded in shadow.

344
00:29:55.680 --> 00:29:58.400
Speaker 1: Enormous chains wrapped around its
body.

345
00:30:01.660 --> 00:30:06.680
Speaker 1: The Lord of Darkness, the devil
itself, had put those chains there.

346
00:30:07.840 --> 00:30:10.820
Speaker 1: A voice like a mountain rumbled.

347
00:30:13.860 --> 00:30:19.100
Speaker 1: So, he has betrayed me. Xorkek fell
to the floor in

348
00:30:19.140 --> 00:30:22.620
Speaker 1: prostration, unwilling to speak.

349
00:30:23.560 --> 00:30:25.500
Speaker 1: Ingar,

350
00:30:27.020 --> 00:30:32.820
Speaker 1: come forth. An imp, nearly four feet
tall, stepped out of the shadows.

351
00:30:33.680 --> 00:30:38.480
Speaker 1: Not in a magical way, just in an
annoying, always standing around kind of way.

352
00:30:39.480 --> 00:30:45.460
Speaker 1: Start the sacrifices. Open a few

353
00:30:45.540 --> 00:30:50.740
Speaker 1: portals, and dump the leftovers

354
00:30:51.620 --> 00:30:54.620
Speaker 1: into that world.

355
00:30:54.780 --> 00:31:00.740
Speaker 1: Exterminate them. I grow

356
00:31:00.740 --> 00:31:06.540
Speaker 1: tired of its resilience. Ingar bowed,
then the three

357
00:31:06.700 --> 00:31:08.700
Speaker 1: lesser demons left the inner chamber.

358
00:31:11.440 --> 00:31:17.340
Speaker 1: The Chained One could kill them as
easily as exhaling. Maybe easier. Once

359
00:31:17.360 --> 00:31:22.400
Speaker 1: they'd closed the doors, the taller
imp crossed its forearms and gave Xorkek an

360
00:31:22.460 --> 00:31:27.700
Speaker 1: annoyed look. Xorkek, you're still

361
00:31:28.080 --> 00:31:28.660
Speaker 1: here.

362
00:31:30.220 --> 00:31:35.020
Speaker 1: Xorkek gave the other imp a shallow
bow, then scurried off to get back in line.

363
00:31:36.140 --> 00:31:42.040
Speaker 1: Curse that Ingar. He would never say
that out loud, though. And

364
00:31:42.120 --> 00:31:47.620
Speaker 1: next time, he would choose a better
host. What about that other guy?

365
00:31:49.140 --> 00:31:53.180
Speaker 1: The one with the gun for an arm.
Maybe he could be persuaded.