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Source: collected/010-mortal-steel-episode-7.mp3
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00:00:00.000 Speaker 1 [theme music]
00:00:53.480 Speaker 1 Mortal Steel, episode seven.
00:01:02.800 Speaker 1 Pastor Ethan Cutter rolled his left arm around in his socket. It was a little
00:01:08.740 Speaker 1 stiff, but otherwise fully functional. Relief beyond reason
00:01:14.500 Speaker 1 flooded through him. He drew the messenger from his hip holster in a flash and dry
00:01:20.060 Speaker 1 fired it against six imaginary foes. Six imaginary kills.
00:01:26.640 Speaker 1 He dropped it back into his holster. The only question now was,
00:01:32.760 Speaker 1 what was he going to punch first? That list of things to punch had grown
00:01:38.840 Speaker 1 very long since he lost his arms, and Ethan hated putting off such
00:01:44.560 Speaker 1 important work.
00:01:47.420 Speaker 2 This was good work, Dumpit.
00:01:49.700 Speaker 1 The man was turned away from Ethan, seated at his office desk, lost in some
00:01:54.920 Speaker 1 illustration. Ethan walked over to get a better look. The artwork was
00:02:00.400 Speaker 1 surprisingly skilled. In an instant, and without him asking to, his
00:02:06.100 Speaker 1 second mind began simulating what it saw on the page. Three hundred
00:02:11.500 Speaker 1 milliseconds later, Ethan stepped back out of the simulation, unable to keep
00:02:17.400 Speaker 1 the broad smile from his face. Dumpit finally noticed the cyborg standing
00:02:23.420 Speaker 1 over his shoulder.
00:02:27.300 Speaker 2 Ah, it's just something I was cooking up. Probably won't work. I'm a dreamer.
00:02:33.800 Speaker 1 Dumpit, this is a work of art. If you can build it, I can do more than make it work.
00:02:40.420 Speaker 2 I can build it. Twenty hours is a tight window, but we can do it.
00:02:45.900 Speaker 2 Still, it's no chainsaw arm.
00:02:48.680 Speaker 1 Ethan slapped the big man on the back. You're right. It's even better.
00:02:54.120 Speaker 1 [theme music]
00:03:00.920 Speaker 1 Part nine. Price of admission.
00:03:08.260 Speaker 1 Sister Francesca, former nun of Last Respite and now
00:03:13.640 Speaker 1 wastelands warrior, was not ready to get out of her sleeping bag. She heard
00:03:19.640 Speaker 1 the zipper on the tent next to her. It wasn't even dawn yet. Dr. Marie
00:03:25.780 Speaker 1 Singer set about the noisy business of preparing tea anyway. Fran
00:03:31.480 Speaker 1 buried her head deeper into the sleeping bag. No, not
00:03:37.160 Speaker 1 yet. Couldn't she dream a little longer? These days,
00:03:44.220 Speaker 1 life was the nightmare and dreams were worth living. Spurred by the sounds
00:03:50.260 Speaker 1 of Marie's ritual, more sisters began exiting their tents around
00:03:55.940 Speaker 1 her. Go back to sleep.
00:04:02.660 Speaker 1 This cork could not be put back in the bottle, however. Blasted
00:04:08.140 Speaker 1 nuns. They kept their morning rituals no matter what was
00:04:14.060 Speaker 1 happening. Fran reluctantly joined them a few minutes later.
00:04:20.019 Speaker 1 She wasn't going to be the last one out of bed. Dr. Singer handed her a paper
00:04:26.060 Speaker 1 cup of unadorned black tea. She knew she should be grateful for the finite
00:04:31.700 Speaker 1 supply. No one was growing any more, after all, but found it difficult.
00:04:38.380 Speaker 3 Good morning, Francesca. I see you're the last one awake. Did you enjoy your rest?
00:04:45.400 Speaker 1 No.
00:04:48.040 Speaker 3 It pains me to hear that.
00:04:50.660 Speaker 1 Then the seven of them were quiet. They had set out with twelve, but there were
00:04:56.520 Speaker 1 only seven now. Francesca tried not to dwell on the moments of their deaths,
00:05:03.560 Speaker 1 which were each uniquely gruesome and painful, and preferred to look
00:05:09.460 Speaker 1 forward with hope. What hope she could manage, anyway.
00:05:15.160 Speaker 1 Mostly, she hoped to be back in civilization, preferably behind a meter
00:05:21.100 Speaker 1 of solid concrete. I'll sleep better when I have a reason to believe I'll wake up
00:05:26.380 Speaker 1 again. Dr. Singer pressed her lips into a line. Why did people do that again?
00:05:33.000 Speaker 1 Maybe her tea was too hot. Maybe she was mad. People were always mad
00:05:39.000 Speaker 1 when Fran spoke, so that was a safe bet.
00:05:42.300 Speaker 3 That's what we're all working toward. Perhaps today will be our day.
00:05:48.420 Speaker 1 Fran surveyed the other sisters. Three of them, Hilda, Ursula, and Fran herself, had
00:05:54.460 Speaker 1 ditched their tunics and wimples entirely. Such a silly name for a headdress,
00:06:00.360 Speaker 1 wimple. At least it was fun to say. They wore something more akin to combat
00:06:06.380 Speaker 1 fatigues now. The other three, Temperance, Joelle, and Mary, still
00:06:12.332 Speaker 1 wore the full getup. Dr. Singer herself wore the tunic but not the wimple,
00:06:18.252 Speaker 1 leaving her long hair tied back in a neat ponytail, some kind of symbolic compromise
00:06:23.992 Speaker 1 between the factions that had already formed in their order. Didn't take long
00:06:29.872 Speaker 1 either. The seven of them sat in a row, facing the wall and drinking their tea,
00:06:36.452 Speaker 1 waiting for some horrible porridge to be done cooking. It seemed cruel that she
00:06:42.172 Speaker 1 should have to smell it for so long before undertaking the task of eating it. Dr.
00:06:48.192 Speaker 1 Singer leaned forward and looked down the row.
00:06:50.832 Speaker 3 Let's discuss battle formations one more time.
00:06:55.352 Speaker 3 Now hear me. Practice makes it automatic. You don't want to freeze up the next
00:07:01.212 Speaker 3 time some wretched creature finds us.
00:07:04.272 Speaker 1 They each stood up and formed their new battle formation. It kept changing because
00:07:10.132 Speaker 1 they kept dying. The nuns practiced for half an hour before Dr. Singer
00:07:15.812 Speaker 1 finally called it quits and asked them all to break camp. She always asked
00:07:21.812 Speaker 1 because technically she was not their leader. She had been their boss, though, so it
00:07:27.352 Speaker 1 was a natural fit. Worked for Fran. Sticking her neck out even farther was the last
00:07:33.232 Speaker 1 thing she wanted to do. Actually, all she wanted to do was survive,
00:07:39.832 Speaker 1 take a bath, and get back to work. In that order. Hopefully these New Hope people
00:07:45.732 Speaker 1 had plenty of circuits and servos for her to work on. Anything that didn't talk back
00:07:50.892 Speaker 1 would be fine, actually.
00:07:58.572 Speaker 1 Four hours later, they were sheltered under the overhang of an old movie theater.
00:08:03.212 Speaker 1 Not for water, or to hide from some unidentified sound as they had
00:08:08.772 Speaker 1 earlier. No, but to pray. To pray.
00:08:15.472 Speaker 1 Francesca was as devout as any of these people, but there was a time and a place. If
00:08:20.992 Speaker 1 God was offering them any help, they wouldn't find it like this. So she kept a
00:08:26.152 Speaker 1 lookout instead, which was why she saw the humanoid
00:08:31.872 Speaker 1 first. Fran slapped at the ladies next to her without looking.
00:08:36.532 Speaker 3 Hey, hey, hey, look.
00:08:38.372 Speaker 1 They watched in silence as the humanoid walked down the center of the broken road,
00:08:44.052 Speaker 1 directly toward them. The body was covered in brown rags from head to
00:08:50.112 Speaker 1 toe, and something about the way it walked.
00:08:55.552 Speaker 1 It was not at all normal. They dipped far too low with each step,
00:09:01.992 Speaker 1 like a person who had started their exercise routine doing walking lunges and liked
00:09:07.132 Speaker 1 it so much they never stopped.
00:09:09.692 Speaker 3 Battle formations.
00:09:11.312 Speaker 1 In an instant, they were in their arrowhead formation, wooden bats, iron rebar, and
00:09:16.472 Speaker 1 tennis rackets in hand. Fran had to admit, they'd done it rather smoothly as well.
00:09:22.712 Speaker 1 Maybe this wasn't a complete waste of time. The rag person stopped ten feet
00:09:28.392 Speaker 1 shy of their group.
00:09:30.352 Speaker 3 Greetings from New Hope. We received your message. You are welcome to follow me to
00:09:35.872 Speaker 3 safety.
00:09:37.552 Speaker 1 The voice was poorly synthesized. A robot? It turned around and started its odd
00:09:43.292 Speaker 1 walk back in the direction it had come from.
00:09:46.112 Speaker 3 Safe place safe.
00:09:48.372 Speaker 1 Dr. Singer looked back at the rest of them from her place in the front. There was
00:09:52.632 Speaker 1 that same expression from earlier. Scared? Maybe it was scared. No one
00:09:58.572 Speaker 1 spoke, so Fran took the liberty.
00:10:00.832 Speaker 3 Let's go already.
00:10:04.332 Speaker 1 They followed the rag-covered robot from a healthy distance for about half a mile
00:10:09.392 Speaker 1 until it stopped on a platform set off to the side of the street. It looked like the
00:10:14.332 Speaker 1 entrance to one of those tunnels they dug under old LA to avoid vehicle traffic.
00:10:20.832 Speaker 1 If Fran was right, this was an elevator.
00:10:24.751 Speaker 3 Stand on the spot for wonderful safety.
00:10:29.312 Speaker 1 They all looked at each other, trying to find some consensus by the way their
00:10:35.032 Speaker 1 faces were situated, which was a pointlessly difficult way to do it.
00:10:41.312 Speaker 1 The robot spun its body above the hips in a complete circle,
00:10:47.332 Speaker 1 and a small jet of yellow sparks shot out from the rags.
00:10:51.972 Speaker 3 It's good time safe.
00:10:53.712 Speaker 1 Fran voiced what she suspected their faces were already saying.
00:10:59.452 Speaker 3 This is a bad idea.
00:11:02.232 Speaker 1 They nodded in turn and reformed the battle stance. Then the robot reached into an
00:11:07.832 Speaker 1 overgrown shrub and pulled out a metal rectangle with a large red button on
00:11:13.892 Speaker 1 it and pressed it. The platform began sinking into the
00:11:19.552 Speaker 1 ground.
00:11:20.872 Speaker 3 Goodbye.
00:11:22.432 Speaker 1 It was a bad idea, but bad ideas were relative at this point. Trying to
00:11:28.232 Speaker 1 survive in the city was guaranteed to kill them eventually. And this was the
00:11:34.092 Speaker 1 first creature to greet them with words instead of teeth. Hopefully,
00:11:39.972 Speaker 1 this safety would be as tasty as promised.
00:11:43.852 Speaker 3 Oh, no you don't.
00:11:45.912 Speaker 1 Fran ran for the elevator platform and dropped down the hole before it could get too
00:11:49.772 Speaker 1 far down. She landed hard on the steel floor. A moment later, two more people
00:11:54.732 Speaker 1 thudded down next to her. Dr. Singer and Ursula. Fran had always liked Ursula.
00:12:00.652 Speaker 1 She rarely spoke, and if she did, it was strictly engineering or theological. And,
00:12:07.772 Speaker 1 well, Dr. Singer was better than nothing, she guessed. The three of them looked up
00:12:12.192 Speaker 1 at the shrinking rectangle of daylight above them. Four sisters looked down at them,
00:12:17.456 Speaker 1 and Francesca got the sinking feeling that she would never see them
00:12:22.876 Speaker 1 again.
00:12:25.576 Speaker 1 A minute later, the elevator clanged to the bottom of the shaft.
00:12:28.896 Speaker 1 [elevator clanging]
00:12:36.636 Speaker 1 The robot in rags walked into the deep darkness of the tunnel before them. A second
00:12:42.576 Speaker 1 later, it disappeared into the black, and she could only hear its ancient servos
00:12:48.256 Speaker 1 fading farther down the tunnel. Dr. Singer glanced at the two of them.
00:12:55.136 Speaker 3 I didn't leave home to stop halfway.
00:12:58.116 Speaker 1 Then she strolled boldly into the darkness. A half breath later,
00:13:04.136 Speaker 1 Fran and Ursula followed. After all,
00:13:09.156 Speaker 1 what could possibly be worse than demons?
00:13:23.196 Speaker 1 Part 10: Upgrade.
00:13:29.116 Speaker 1 Ethan pointed his new arm at the paper target and pulled the internal trigger by
00:13:34.716 Speaker 1 trying to move fingers he didn't have. The double barrel shotgun, which was his arm,
00:13:40.696 Speaker 1 spit fire and metal, [shotgun firing] taking the head clean off the poorly drawn
00:13:45.096 Speaker 1 demon. Dumpit had a maniac smile on his face.
00:13:50.016 Speaker 2 Now flex your bicep.
00:13:51.356 Speaker 1 Two shells popped out of Ethan's bicep and clattered to the floor.
00:13:54.696 Speaker 1 [shells clattering] Without being told, he slapped two more shells into the back of
00:13:58.576 Speaker 1 his right elbow, pointed his forearm to the ceiling, and cocked the gun by moving
00:14:02.996 Speaker 1 his whole arm up and down.
00:14:07.116 Speaker 2 Sweet and sour Lord above. You look like you could take the Chained One himself.
00:14:12.436 Speaker 1 Ethan squinted and stared into the distance.
00:14:16.436 Speaker 4 Well, call him up. We'll settle it now.
00:14:19.616 Speaker 2 Hell yeah. We'll settle this thing in the backyard right now. Why bother with a war?
00:14:25.036 Speaker 2 I like your style, holy man.
00:14:27.376 Speaker 1 Ethan lifted an eyebrow.
00:14:29.856 Speaker 4 I take it that's not actually an option.
00:14:32.516 Speaker 2 Nah. Chained One would never go mano a mano. Demons ain't got no honor.
00:14:37.376 Speaker 1 Then he took off an invisible hat and held it to his chest.
00:14:41.516 Speaker 2 Excepting the King, of course.
00:14:44.456 Speaker 4 What is it you see in that man?
00:14:47.196 Speaker 2 It's not what I see, it's what he does. Without the King, there ain't no home in the
00:14:51.156 Speaker 2 Outskirts. Maybe not in the whole world. Between him and the Corpse Lady, they keep
00:14:55.616 Speaker 2 away anything real nasty.
00:14:58.236 Speaker 1 Who was the Corpse Lady? Separate from the Mixers, then? Ethan had been
00:15:04.056 Speaker 1 ill-prepared for the factions at play in the Outskirts. It was more complex than
00:15:09.436 Speaker 1 he'd imagined. In truth, he had expected to walk right in here, kill
00:15:15.376 Speaker 1 the Stalker, and be home for dinner. Or nutritional paste. That was fine, too.
00:15:21.316 Speaker 1 He was still finding out, though, just how wrong he'd been.
00:15:27.176 Speaker 1 Ethan never got the chance to ask about this Corpse Lady because Dumpit waved his
00:15:31.756 Speaker 1 hands around for the forge workers to gather.
00:15:35.656 Speaker 2 Circle up. It's feedback time.
00:15:37.796 Speaker 2 [feedback sounding] All right, everybody pull
00:15:43.756 Speaker 2 your work out. It's been a long day.
00:15:46.576 Speaker 1 Bad news, sad burn.
00:15:49.656 Speaker 2 Let's see if we got anything Holy Man can use.
00:15:52.736 Speaker 1 The forge workers, many of whom were still seriously injured, placed various metal
00:15:58.296 Speaker 1 contraptions in front of themselves on the big table in the center of the room.
00:16:02.976 Speaker 1 Dumpit walked around to the first person, a shockingly pale woman in her
00:16:08.196 Speaker 1 mid-50s with so many burn marks on her arms it was unsettling to look at.
00:16:14.676 Speaker 1 She pushed a slightly melted-looking sword forward another six inches for Dumpit to
00:16:20.076 Speaker 1 inspect. It wasn't the best work, but a weapon didn't have to be pretty to
00:16:25.696 Speaker 1 function.
00:16:26.756 Speaker 2 This is the worst piece of trash I have seen in my entire life. My dad mama could
00:16:32.736 Speaker 2 have coughed up something better with her two hands tied behind her back. Even then
00:16:37.696 Speaker 2 she'd be ashamed.
00:16:39.016 Speaker 1 He snatched the sword off the table, causing the workers to cringe. Then he walked
00:16:44.016 Speaker 1 over to a still hot forge and dropped the thing right in, staring straight at the
00:16:49.436 Speaker 1 woman while it melted. Then he walked over to her and gently placed a
00:16:55.476 Speaker 1 hand on her shoulder.
00:16:57.556 Speaker 2 I believed in you when you walked through that door, and I believe in you now.
00:17:02.956 Speaker 2 You're my best friend and the heart and soul of this whole damn city.
00:17:08.936 Speaker 2 Never doubt you can do better.
00:17:11.436 Speaker 1 The woman took her lashings and praise stoically. Dumpit walked to the next person,
00:17:17.036 Speaker 1 briefly inspecting what looked like a handheld battering ram, and nodded without
00:17:22.056 Speaker 1 comment. Then he tore into the next person, cursing enough to make the tattooed man
00:17:27.936 Speaker 1 blush, and by the end of his follow-up praise, both Dumpit and the man were hugging
00:17:33.116 Speaker 1 each other, crying. Ethan's second mind queried him for once.
00:17:39.796 Speaker 1 He just shook his head.
00:17:41.936 Speaker 4 Don't even ask.
00:17:45.336 Speaker 1 An hour later, the entire forge crew was sloshing drunk on moonshine.
00:17:51.076 Speaker 1 Dumpit dragged a scrawny boy with a flush red face over to Ethan.
00:17:55.636 Speaker 2 This here's TJ. He made you bullets for that big-ass gun.
00:18:00.936 Speaker 1 Ethan stared back at the boy, who shriveled under his gaze. Dumpit poked one fat
00:18:06.736 Speaker 1 finger into Ethan's chest.
00:18:08.696 Speaker 2 Thank TJ.
00:18:10.116 Speaker 1 Ethan dialed his stare from neutral up to simmering.
00:18:15.216 Speaker 4 Thank you, TJ.
00:18:17.536 Speaker 1 Y- y- yes? The boy seemed to realize that response made no sense, panicked, then
00:18:22.556 Speaker 1 bowed. Realizing how foolish that was, he rose from his bow and scrambled away
00:18:28.056 Speaker 1 without another word. Dumpit swayed back and forth as if aboard a ship. He
00:18:33.796 Speaker 1 gestured at the messenger
00:18:36.636 Speaker 2 You get forty shots. Full, full clip. Every tenth shot is a
00:18:42.476 Speaker 2 silver tipped bullet. Took a lot of teeth to get that silver, so don't waste it.
00:18:48.436 Speaker 1 Ugh, you took out people's teeth?
00:18:52.196 Speaker 2 A collection, holy man. There's some people out there who think, think
00:18:58.096 Speaker 2 you'll amount to something. Don't waste their hope. Or their bullets.
00:19:03.696 Speaker 1 Dumpit teetered dangerously to one side, spun, then crashed into his desk.
00:19:09.596 Speaker 1 Continued speaking as if nothing had happened
00:19:12.856 Speaker 2 DJ who wrote their names on those bullets. Romantic. Good kid. My best
00:19:18.696 Speaker 2 damn friend. Heart and soul of this city.
00:19:22.816 Speaker 1 Ethan helped Dumpit into his chair, where he passed out soon after, snoring
00:19:27.996 Speaker 1 peacefully with his chin resting on his ample torso. Ethan slipped the
00:19:33.976 Speaker 1 extended clip into the messenger, spun it smoothly, then slid it back into the
00:19:39.736 Speaker 1 holster. Then he turned and made for the door.
00:19:44.556 Speaker 4 Thanks, Dumpit.
00:19:46.936 Speaker 1 Ethan stepped out into the cool night air, marveling at the distant sounds of
00:19:52.056 Speaker 1 conversation and laughter. Human sounds. A sound that should
00:19:57.956 Speaker 1 be made normal again. It was a simple thing, but it perfectly
00:20:03.956 Speaker 1 described what he was fighting for.
00:20:11.436 Speaker 1 The six elite scary boys sat on their motorcycles at the edge of paradise waiting
00:20:17.196 Speaker 1 for him. The reception was nearly warm as a freezer. The
00:20:22.956 Speaker 1 stalker melted from the shadows as Ethan approached. His second mind plopped a black
00:20:28.756 Speaker 1 warning icon on him immediately. The fact that he hadn't been picked up by infrared
00:20:34.036 Speaker 1 sooner was perplexing
00:20:36.656 Speaker 4 Looks like someone got a fresh coat of paint.
00:20:40.276 Speaker 1 Paint and weapons. Not much more. Which was why he needed to see the nuns.
00:20:47.256 Speaker 1 Repairing his titanium endoskeleton and the many hundreds of damaged systems was not
00:20:53.136 Speaker 1 work a post-apocalypse forge master was up to, however skilled he may be at
00:20:58.916 Speaker 1 putting guns on stuff. Ethan's expected lifespan had shortened considerably the
00:21:04.956 Speaker 1 last time he was knocked unconscious and rebooted. Fixing his more mundane but
00:21:10.876 Speaker 1 essential systems would be necessary if he expected to survive the week.
00:21:17.016 Speaker 1 Malfunctioning synthetic hormone injectors or uncalibrated force inhibitors could
00:21:23.056 Speaker 1 kill him just as surely as any demon, and those were very boring, meaningless ways
00:21:28.836 Speaker 1 to die. Much better to die atop a large pile of crucifer
00:21:34.416 Speaker 1 grafted warriors. The stalker slipped partially back into the shadows.
00:21:40.816 Speaker 1 Out of curiosity, Ethan switched to only infrared. His body below
00:21:46.696 Speaker 1 the collarbone was simply missing. The trick was made no less mysterious
00:21:52.596 Speaker 1 once the curtain of darkness had been pulled back
00:21:55.956 Speaker 4 Remember what I said about New Hope?
00:21:58.976 Speaker 1 I don't expect them to welcome me with open arms.
00:22:02.536 Speaker 4 I do. Their leader is called the Intercom, and it has an affinity for machines.
00:22:08.836 Speaker 4 Loves its robots. You're probably the most interesting thing it's seen in a while,
00:22:13.856 Speaker 4 too. I've personally had no trouble getting spies in. It's getting them out that's
00:22:19.316 Speaker 4 hard.
00:22:20.656 Speaker 1 Ethan set the long, dark silver barrel of his new arm across his shoulder.
00:22:26.876 Speaker 1 Then I'll negotiate.
00:22:29.796 Speaker 4 Oh, that's why I like you, Ethan. You're a blunt instrument. But this is a job for
00:22:35.576 Speaker 4 someone with finesse. Which is why I want you to visit a friend of mine first.
00:22:45.856 Speaker 1 Now, you don't expect me to entreat with demons, do you? The stalker rolled his eyes
00:22:52.396 Speaker 4 Let's call it a backup plan. You can borrow one of my allies. I believe she would be
00:22:58.216 Speaker 4 willing to help if she can use New Hope as a nest afterward. You're going to pay a
00:23:03.536 Speaker 4 visit to the Corpse Mother. The riders will show you the way.
00:23:08.676 Speaker 1 Ethan straddled the seat of the spare motorcycle and revved the engine to life.
00:23:16.756 Speaker 1 This detour seemed like a waste of precious ammunition at best. Then
00:23:22.596 Speaker 1 again, ammunition spent on demons was never truly wasted. When he
00:23:28.576 Speaker 1 looked at it like that, he won either way. Ethan looked to the side and the
00:23:34.256 Speaker 1 stalker was gone. It was kind of the creature to keep revealing powers like that to
00:23:39.216 Speaker 1 him. It would make him that much easier to kill when their deal was done.
00:23:45.536 Speaker 1 The other riders didn't start their bikes immediately, though. The scary boy nearest
00:23:51.276 Speaker 1 to him was staring with open malice. The murder practically dripped from her
00:23:56.816 Speaker 1 bone-covered face
00:23:59.076 Speaker 3 That was my brother's bike.
00:24:02.296 Speaker 1 Well, it was right kind of him to let me borrow it then
00:24:05.616 Speaker 3 You shot him.
00:24:08.516 Speaker 1 Ethan nodded down the street in the only direction they could be headed. This
00:24:14.216 Speaker 1 thing, the Corpse Mother, it uses dead bodies, right?
00:24:20.396 Speaker 1 One of the riders nodded. Wouldn't you say your body would make for a nice gift?
00:24:26.512 Speaker 1 He surveyed the other five riders. They would not meet his gaze.
00:24:32.932 Speaker 2 Seems rude to show up without a few gifts. What do you think?
00:24:41.292 Speaker 1 The scary boys finally started their motorcycles. The surviving sister was the last
00:24:47.072 Speaker 1 to join them, but she eventually sped off down the broken street.
00:24:53.032 Speaker 1 Ethan sighed. That was a relief. Words were cheaper than bullets, after
00:24:58.912 Speaker 1 all, and these creatures were still a little too close to people for his liking.
00:25:05.952 Speaker 1 He hated that he needed their help, but saw no other way to
00:25:11.912 Speaker 1 save the boy. So he pulled back the throttle and
00:25:17.772 Speaker 1 followed the gang. Hopefully, their alliance would hold for just
00:25:23.752 Speaker 1 a little bit longer.
00:26:16.412 Speaker 1 Dumpit awoke to a splitting headache, wiped at his face,
00:26:23.132 Speaker 1 then looked down at his hand. It was covered in a thick layer of black
00:26:29.212 Speaker 1 grease. Oh no they didn't. He looked at the other
00:26:34.852 Speaker 1 hand. It too was painted in grease. He was careful not to wipe any more of
00:26:40.852 Speaker 1 the mess on himself as he got up from the chair and suddenly fell to the side,
00:26:46.652 Speaker 1 slamming to the floor and knocking the breath from his lungs. Dumpit looked down at
00:26:51.012 Speaker 1 his feet. Where his fireplace poker foot should have been,
00:26:56.892 Speaker 1 there was nothing. He saw it then, laying on the
00:27:02.872 Speaker 1 other side of the room. Between him and the stolen prosthetic
00:27:08.772 Speaker 1 was a carefully placed carpet of mousetraps. Not quite large enough to
00:27:14.812 Speaker 1 seriously injure him, but certainly large enough to feel every
00:27:20.332 Speaker 1 single one as he crawled over them. Oh, I'm gonna
00:27:26.232 Speaker 1 kill you. He heard the snickers from outside his office, and though the traps
00:27:32.032 Speaker 1 stung like a rattlesnake's kiss,
00:27:36.032 Speaker 1 he couldn't keep the smile off his face. These ungrateful
00:27:41.352 Speaker 1 cottonheads.
00:27:44.392 Speaker 1 Hadn't he taught them everything he knew?
00:27:49.912 Speaker 1 Hadn't he given them a bed and a warm meal? More laughter as they
00:27:55.772 Speaker 1 heard the mousetraps spring on him. He wasn't even trying to avoid them now.
00:28:02.652 Speaker 1 Oh, he'd get his foot back. Then, then he would
00:28:08.592 Speaker 1 plan his revenge.