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Source: collected/007-mortal-steel-episode-9.mp3
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00:00:00.000 Speaker 1 [rock music]
00:00:08.860 Speaker 1 Mortal
00:00:55.720 Speaker 1 Steel: Episode nine.
00:00:58.480 Speaker 1 [footsteps] Dr. Marie Singer waited
00:01:04.340 Speaker 1 by the door. Paced by the door, anyway. Was she going to come?
00:01:10.440 Speaker 1 Or maybe she would turn them in. What would happen to her?
00:01:16.680 Speaker 1 Maybe she could convince them Francesca and Ursula were not involved.
00:01:21.840 Speaker 1 Ursula was kneeling at the foot of her bed, head bowed in silent prayer. Marie had
00:01:27.880 Speaker 1 kept a similar habit once. There wasn't a better time to pray for help.
00:01:34.520 Speaker 1 No, the Lord helped those who helped themselves. Meanwhile,
00:01:40.120 Speaker 1 Francesca was examining a light fixture. Oh, wait. She had it
00:01:45.940 Speaker 1 dismantled.
00:01:47.780 Speaker 2 Francesca, stop it. Put that back.
00:01:51.800 Speaker 1 The woman ripped something electronic free from the lighting fixture.
00:01:55.940 Speaker 3 It was bugged. Video and audio by the looks of it.
00:01:59.440 Speaker 2 And now they know you know. Did you think about that?
00:02:04.840 Speaker 1 Francesca looked down at the thing in her hand, dumbfounded.
00:02:09.620 Speaker 3 Oh. I could put it back.
00:02:14.700 Speaker 2 Just... [sighs]
00:02:17.280 Speaker 1 She reached toward her face with claw-like hands gripping the air.
00:02:24.260 Speaker 2 Don't touch anything else. Okay?
00:02:28.860 Speaker 3 Yeah, okay. Chill out.
00:02:31.280 Speaker 1 Blessedly, their dorm room door slid open and Kelly Jon Fore slipped
00:02:37.120 Speaker 1 cautiously into the room with eyes wide. She was dressed in all black.
00:02:43.360 Speaker 2 Why are you wearing that?
00:02:46.120 Speaker 3 I was sneaking.
00:02:48.640 Speaker 1 Marie pressed her palms to her face and let out a silent scream.
00:02:55.380 Speaker 1 Francesca held out the severed camera toward Kelly.
00:02:59.560 Speaker 2 Who's watching us?
00:03:02.800 Speaker 4 I am.
00:03:04.460 Speaker 1 Kelly Jon Fore visibly withered, gasping like a fish out of water.
00:03:10.620 Speaker 1 This was a little more direct than she'd hoped for, but trying to keep any of these
00:03:15.820 Speaker 1 people covert was clearly a lost cause. Still, she felt bad for
00:03:21.600 Speaker 1 dragging the young mother into this. Hopefully, they had not angered this creature.
00:03:28.740 Speaker 2 Are you the intercom?
00:03:32.200 Speaker 4 Yes, and before you ask, no, you're not prisoners here. You may leave at any time
00:03:37.160 Speaker 4 through the way you entered.
00:03:39.860 Speaker 3 Yeah, right.
00:03:41.100 Speaker 1 If they were going for antagonistic, Marie may as well try to get some information
00:03:45.240 Speaker 1 out of it.
00:03:46.240 Speaker 2 Why are you stealing children?
00:03:49.440 Speaker 4 I have never stolen a child. They were donated.
00:03:53.120 Speaker 1 [gasps] Kelly Jon Fore snapped out of her stupor.
00:03:58.040 Speaker 3 Liar. You took him.
00:04:01.180 Speaker 4 You knew the price of admission. As did your parents, and their parents before them.
00:04:06.120 Speaker 4 Survival comes at a cost. If you do not wish to pay it, you may leave.
00:04:11.380 Speaker 1 Kelly screamed at the intercom.
00:04:13.360 Speaker 3 [screams]
00:04:14.900 Speaker 1 Slamming her fist into the speaker until it bled. It was a blind, mindless rage.
00:04:21.140 Speaker 1 Marie tried to gently pull her away, but the woman spun on her, something feral in
00:04:25.840 Speaker 1 her eyes. She stood tense, ready to fight, ready to kill, but the
00:04:31.760 Speaker 1 speaker could not be killed. The rage bled out of Kelly and she sunk to the floor,
00:04:38.260 Speaker 1 sobbing.
00:04:38.720 Speaker 3 [cries] What did you do to him?
00:04:47.400 Speaker 3 What did you do to my baby?
00:04:51.440 Speaker 1 Marie couldn't take it anymore, the fire in her chest, the rage stoked by this
00:04:57.240 Speaker 1 woman's suffering. It demanded violence, and it demanded it now.
00:05:02.900 Speaker 2 Get up.
00:05:04.600 Speaker 1 Kelly looked up at her with tear-filled eyes.
00:05:08.960 Speaker 2 Get your husband and your baby. We're leaving.
00:05:14.060 Speaker 1 Marie glanced at the other sisters, but they were clearly coming with her. Not even
00:05:19.100 Speaker 1 Francesca offered a word of rebuke. They rose and left the room and paced down the
00:05:24.640 Speaker 1 hall at a speed just below blind panic. Marie could feel the eyes of cameras on her,
00:05:30.240 Speaker 1 could feel whatever time they had to escape ticking down like the grains of an
00:05:35.580 Speaker 1 hourglass. When it ran out, there would be no escape. The
00:05:41.200 Speaker 1 intercom, whatever it was, it would not tolerate traitors for long.
00:05:47.300 Speaker 1 It created a horrible pressure, like standing in the jaws of a closing mouth.
00:05:53.480 Speaker 1 Kelly Jon Fore ran fingers through her hair, muttering to herself.
00:06:00.160 Speaker 3 What am I doing?
00:06:02.060 Speaker 2 You're making the right choice. We can protect you out there
00:06:07.248 Speaker 1 blatant falsehood. Mostly. When they'd fled Last Respite, they'd been certain they
00:06:12.828 Speaker 1 could not return for fear of political fallout. Now Marie would gladly welcome
00:06:18.868 Speaker 1 a prison cell if one was on offer. Anything was better than this place.
00:06:24.968 Speaker 1 And the moment they were safe, she was going to make a call. Cyborg number
00:06:31.048 Speaker 1 four was gonna tear this place apart.
00:06:35.868 Speaker 1 That was when the lights went out.
00:06:38.868 Speaker 1 [dramatic music]
00:06:46.148 Speaker 3 [gasps]
00:06:46.288 Speaker 4 Important to stay in your rooms due to the toxic gas.
00:06:50.288 Speaker 1 Oh, hell.
00:06:53.808 Speaker 1 It wasn't the soft whisping of gas she heard in the darkness as the other people
00:06:59.188 Speaker 1 reached out for her, grasping for comfort and safety she could not provide.
00:07:05.688 Speaker 1 It was the sound of servos, metal feet clacking
00:07:11.607 Speaker 1 on concrete floor.
00:07:14.308 Speaker 4 I can't afford to waste resources. Please accompany Jelly John 3. I don't think his
00:07:19.988 Speaker 4 motor control is sufficient to guarantee your safety if he must use force.
00:07:24.728 Speaker 1 Dim red emergency lights lit up a path along the floor down the hallway.
00:07:31.068 Speaker 1 A humanoid figure covered in rags waited for them where the trail of lights stopped.
00:07:37.288 Speaker 1 It stepped toward them in slow, jerky movements.
00:07:43.268 Speaker 3 Excuse me.
00:07:44.888 Speaker 3 [gasps]
00:07:50.388 Speaker 1 Part 11. Sins of Knowledge.
00:07:59.548 Speaker 1 Ethan climbed up the incline to meet the bikers. He tried to ignore the
00:08:05.348 Speaker 1 pulsing veins running through the earth and the small squid-like creature swimming
00:08:10.728 Speaker 1 through them, following him. The lead scary boy,
00:08:16.347 Speaker 1 Miranda, wrinkled the half of her face Ethan could still see and pinched her
00:08:22.068 Speaker 1 nose.
00:08:24.088 Speaker 3 Ugh, you smell like sewer.
00:08:27.808 Speaker 1 Sewers haven't been cleaned in a long time. Ethan pointed a finger gun at
00:08:33.568 Speaker 1 Miranda and winked. You're just trying to get out of a hug. She recoiled from
00:08:39.628 Speaker 1 him. She was more alarmed than when he'd threatened to turn their bodies into gifts.
00:08:46.668 Speaker 1 What kind of world was this?
00:08:48.908 Speaker 3 Ugh, you wouldn't.
00:08:50.688 Speaker 1 Ethan sat back on the motorcycle. The name Eddie was carved below the
00:08:56.608 Speaker 1 handlebars. No, I wouldn't hug you. But if I did,
00:09:03.408 Speaker 1 it would be lethal. Whoa. There was that
00:09:08.928 Speaker 1 admiration again, after he'd threatened to hug them to death. His second
00:09:14.948 Speaker 1 mind was loving this heroic dialogue, but it served no purpose. There was
00:09:20.908 Speaker 1 a boy out there who needed saving, and if the Stalker told any truths, the nuns
00:09:26.568 Speaker 1 might not be running into the arms of safety at New Hope. No more words.
00:09:33.048 Speaker 1 Time to use a little ammunition. Now how do we find New Hope?
00:09:38.908 Speaker 1 Miranda nodded towards something on the horizon.
00:09:42.768 Speaker 3 You gotta get past those.
00:09:45.548 Speaker 1 Ethan zoomed in on the skyline where she watched. Helicopter drones buzzed about
00:09:50.848 Speaker 1 over the rooftops by the dozen. His eyes stretched to zoom even further.
00:09:56.948 Speaker 1 They had machine guns on them.
00:10:00.128 Speaker 3 Your eye is stretching out of your head.
00:10:05.628 Speaker 3 It's creepy.
00:10:08.288 Speaker 1 Ethan swung his head and his telescoping eye toward Miranda. Heh,
00:10:14.308 Speaker 1 you're one to talk. The bone shield could only hide half of her smile.
00:10:21.048 Speaker 1 That flicker of a smile held some hope for peace. All right, let's
00:10:26.828 Speaker 1 go.
00:10:28.948 Speaker 3 What's the plan?
00:10:31.068 Speaker 1 Win. [motorcycle revs]
00:10:35.368 Speaker 3 Works for me.
00:10:36.128 Speaker 3 [motorcycle revs]
00:11:10.148 Speaker 3 [crow caws] [motorcycle revs]
00:11:10.548 Speaker 1 Ethan took a hard left to stay with the riders. The drone swarm behind them was a
00:11:14.828 Speaker 1 humming, flying cloud of black death. There were more than just the gunner drones.
00:11:20.328 Speaker 1 There were also the smaller, faster drones with adhesive on their undersides and no
00:11:24.748 Speaker 1 gun. It hadn't been clear what they were for until three of them stuck to the back
00:11:29.208 Speaker 1 of a scary boy and detonated. The resulting pink mist painted a dangerous
00:11:34.968 Speaker 1 picture for anyone who fell behind.
00:11:39.028 Speaker 1 At least the gunner drones were not of sufficient caliber to do more than ruin his
00:11:43.068 Speaker 1 outfit. A squadron of drones appeared at the end of the street. Bright yellow muzzle
00:11:48.188 Speaker 1 flashes and a pattering popping sound. One of the scary boys was torn to shreds and
00:11:53.328 Speaker 1 flipped over his careening motorcycle and smashed into a ruined car.
00:11:57.508 Speaker 1 [screams] Ethan lowered his shotgun arm and fired. [shotgun fires] But at
00:12:03.428 Speaker 1 this distance, the pellets did little more than knock the drones around. The things
00:12:07.808 Speaker 1 were so light and small that only a perfect shot would actually shatter them. This
00:12:12.644 Speaker 1 is no good. They could neither outrun nor outmaneuver the gunners. If those sticky
00:12:18.344 Speaker 1 explosive ones caught them, well, even Ethan would feel those. He pulled up
00:12:24.384 Speaker 1 alongside Miranda as they drove under the gunner's squadron and took a hard right.
00:12:29.044 Speaker 1 The drone zipped around to follow them, peppering with more small arms fire.
00:12:32.844 Speaker 1 [drone firing] Where do we go?
00:12:36.404 Speaker 3 We're circling back. Your new buddy should be set up.
00:12:39.704 Speaker 1 He wanted to ask what she meant, but they were forced to separate to dodge obstacles
00:12:43.304 Speaker 1 in the road. [tires screeching] This was the second time Ethan had been harassed by
00:12:48.004 Speaker 1 flying opponents. It was growing tiresome. It made a straightforward
00:12:53.484 Speaker 1 slugfest with an opponent like the spine eater almost appealing in retrospect.
00:12:58.604 Speaker 1 Almost. [gun firing] Their small mounted machine guns pointed directly at Miranda.
00:13:04.504 Speaker 1 She tried to angle her body so that the bone side would block some of the fire. But
00:13:08.664 Speaker 1 this, this is the end for her. Unless, unless
00:13:14.564 Speaker 1 Ethan did something stupid. He looked down at the handlebars. No time to reload the
00:13:19.924 Speaker 1 shotgun. Then he released the handlebars and stood up on the seat of the motorcycle.
00:13:25.364 Speaker 1 [gun firing] Balancing, he drew the messenger and shot one of the drones cleanly out
00:13:29.724 Speaker 1 of the air. [gun firing] The other one began shooting at Miranda. Overclock.
00:13:33.724 Speaker 1 [machine clicking] Time slowed, creating a shocking feeling of vertigo.
00:13:39.704 Speaker 1 Ethan ignored the human weakness and let his accelerometers do the balancing. He
00:13:44.704 Speaker 1 watched a bullet sink into Miranda's body in gruesome slow motion.
00:13:50.444 Speaker 1 Ethan's second mind flagged a new threat on his HUD with a yellow warning symbol.
00:13:55.824 Speaker 1 Oh, what now? A cockroach the size of a dog sailed in slow
00:14:01.864 Speaker 1 motion through the air. The human head on its back watched Ethan
00:14:07.744 Speaker 1 serenely as it flew, its mouth open in a little O shape.
00:14:13.544 Speaker 1 Disturbing as it was, it wasn't on a collision path with him. Release
00:14:19.084 Speaker 1 overclock. [machine clicking] The corpse nest collided with the drone, taking it out
00:14:24.544 Speaker 1 of the air and shattering its frame against the wall. Then the creature, still
00:14:28.664 Speaker 1 living, because apparently even demons realized that cockroaches were unkillable,
00:14:34.384 Speaker 1 leapt toward the cloud of explosive drones. The simple machines covered it, then
00:14:39.804 Speaker 1 detonated, [explosion] taking out a large number of their own in the process.
00:14:44.904 Speaker 1 [motorcycles revving] Miranda's motorcycle swerved, then slowed. She fell from the
00:14:50.784 Speaker 1 bike at a still lethal speed, rolling and scraping against the ground.
00:14:54.584 Speaker 1 [tires screeching] Without even thinking, Ethan dismounted and ran to her. A wide
00:14:59.204 Speaker 1 smear of blood ran from her mouth down her neck. She looked up at him with one
00:15:04.184 Speaker 1 annoyed eye.
00:15:06.524 Speaker 3 Leave me.
00:15:08.224 Speaker 1 No. Ethan got an arm under her and dragged her through a blown-out door into a
00:15:13.144 Speaker 1 building, moving in the direction the corpse nest had come from. He waited just
00:15:18.264 Speaker 1 inside the doorway. A gunner drone zipped in to follow them. Ethan snatched it out
00:15:22.864 Speaker 1 of the air and smashed it against the wall. [drone crashing] He pulled the gun from
00:15:27.524 Speaker 1 the broken device and handed it to Miranda, pointing at the simple firing mechanism.
00:15:32.924 Speaker 1 Here. She crawled toward the wall and leaned against it. Blood pattered the ground
00:15:38.764 Speaker 1 beneath her.
00:15:40.844 Speaker 3 I still hate you.
00:15:43.464 Speaker 1 Get in line. Miranda snorted a humorless laugh.
00:15:47.844 Speaker 3 The others?
00:15:49.084 Speaker 1 A series of explosions outside answered her question in the worst possible way.
00:15:54.604 Speaker 1 [explosions] The sound of motorcycles died abruptly.
00:15:59.604 Speaker 3 Go. Take those bastards down at the source. My mom was New Hope.
00:16:06.064 Speaker 3 She killed my dad to get me and my brother out. That place broke her, holy man.
00:16:12.264 Speaker 1 She met his eyes with her own. An old rage simmered there.
00:16:18.704 Speaker 3 It needs breaking.
00:16:21.624 Speaker 1 Ethan nodded once. No heroics this time. You gonna be all right?
00:16:29.044 Speaker 3 I'll live. There's enough juice in me to heal.
00:16:32.583 Speaker 1 Ethan searched for a way to the rooftop, and his eyes found the stairwell door. But
00:16:37.804 Speaker 1 he paused before leaving. I'm, uh, sorry about Eddie.
00:16:44.404 Speaker 1 There was a sharp intake of breath behind him.
00:16:48.244 Speaker 3 Yeah, well, he was an asshole.
00:16:52.464 Speaker 1 Still.
00:16:54.904 Speaker 1 Then he pushed open the stairwell door and took the stairs four at a time. He might
00:17:00.164 Speaker 1 have tried for five or six if his endoskeleton wasn't fractured.
00:17:03.864 Speaker 1 [footsteps thudding] The
00:17:09.704 Speaker 1 rooftop was a mess of mechanical debris and bleeding broken bodies. If
00:17:15.484 Speaker 1 anything remained of the drones, Ethan's sensors couldn't pick them up. A creature
00:17:20.364 Speaker 1 made of two dozen legs and half as many torsos stood before him. Its
00:17:26.184 Speaker 1 skin was a mix of different tones, like a patchwork quilt of people.
00:17:32.404 Speaker 1 It lowered two oversized legs with a fleshy scoop at the end. A corpse nest
00:17:38.164 Speaker 1 crawled into the scoop, and the creature catapulted it into the air. [body crashing]
00:17:43.284 Speaker 1 It sailed over the rooftops and landed two streets over. A mouth opened on the large
00:17:49.264 Speaker 1 abomination from somewhere Ethan couldn't and did not want to
00:17:55.044 Speaker 1 see. The way is
00:17:58.004 Speaker 1 clear. Thank you. Ethan looked at
00:18:03.964 Speaker 1 all the human bodies. A swarm of smaller corpse nests were already pulling them
00:18:09.764 Speaker 1 into piles.
00:18:12.724 Speaker 1 He watched as tiny squid-like things forced their way out of the cockroach
00:18:18.064 Speaker 1 creatures and into the body parts. Making them wriggle and twitch with new life.
00:18:25.048 Speaker 1 Ethan asked his second mind if it was certain it would not repress his memories.
00:18:31.248 Speaker 1 The many-legged abomination lowered on one side and then rose again.
00:18:36.768 Speaker 1 [body thudding] A bow? The back holds.
00:18:42.948 Speaker 1 Ethan nodded sharply. Any idea where the entrance is? The mine
00:18:48.948 Speaker 1 is found tunnels. Too many metal people.
00:18:55.328 Speaker 1 Then the abomination bowed again. You may ride me.
00:19:02.928 Speaker 1 Uh.
00:19:06.508 Speaker 1 All right. Ethan put his one intact foot on one of the knees
00:19:12.528 Speaker 1 and hoisted himself onto the creature's back. [body scuttling] Two sets of arms
00:19:17.488 Speaker 1 unfolded from sagging flaps and grasped him around the waist. A brief stab of terror
00:19:22.948 Speaker 1 hit him. Would it eat him? [creature grunting] But no, the hands
00:19:28.768 Speaker 1 held him firmly but gently in place as the abomination walked to the edge of the
00:19:33.528 Speaker 1 rooftop [body whooshing] and leapt the gap to the next building. [body thudding]
00:19:38.748 Speaker 1 Ethan bobbed around on top of it as it moved from building top to building top.
00:19:43.148 Speaker 1 [body whooshing] He closed his eyes and tried very hard to forget about what was
00:19:48.688 Speaker 1 actually happening. [body whooshing] It was almost kind of fun.
00:19:53.408 Speaker 1 [gentle music]
00:20:16.288 Speaker 1 Kelly, Dr. Singer, and Ursula held hands, sitting in the corner of the dark room.
00:20:21.848 Speaker 1 Fran herself was feeling the crease of the only door for irregularities of any kind.
00:20:27.288 Speaker 1 There had to be some way out of here. [door banging]
00:20:33.368 Speaker 1 Why? The thought shocked her. She was so used to there always
00:20:39.168 Speaker 1 being a solution. The chance that there was no solution, was no way
00:20:44.908 Speaker 1 out, that, that truly terrified her. She kicked the door and
00:20:50.668 Speaker 1 screamed. [Francesca screaming]
00:20:53.048 Speaker 3 Francesca?
00:20:54.408 Speaker 1 She screamed again. [Francesca screaming] Wordless fury. [Francesca panting] There
00:20:59.728 Speaker 1 was a scratching sound from the other side of the room. [claw scraping] All of them
00:21:03.148 Speaker 1 spun to face it. Apparently, there was another door. [claw scraping] And whatever
00:21:08.048 Speaker 1 was on the other side had claws. There was a low
00:21:13.488 Speaker 1 growl muffled by the steel door. [creature growling] Francesca slumped to the ground
00:21:18.708 Speaker 1 and cradled herself. [body scuffling] She felt the overwhelm coming, felt the panic
00:21:23.148 Speaker 1 rising. Trapped. Doomed. Helpless. Then Ursula spoke,
00:21:29.428 Speaker 1 soft, smooth, and perfectly calm.
00:21:32.928 Speaker 5 Why are you named Kelly John 4? I'm, I'm the fourth child
00:21:38.948 Speaker 5 of Kelly and John.
00:21:40.968 Speaker 1 That little shred of information was enough to steer Fran away from the panic
00:21:45.148 Speaker 1 attack, a mind tugged away from the brink by the reins of curiosity.
00:21:51.148 Speaker 3 Then what is your name?
00:21:53.708 Speaker 5 We choose names after our fourth child.
00:21:57.488 Speaker 1 Francesca narrowed her eyes.
00:22:00.568 Speaker 3 That indexing system is terrible. [scoffs] Francesca.
00:22:05.628 Speaker 1 Okay, so what were her existing kids named then? To be determined?
00:22:11.448 Speaker 1 Placeholder? Wait. Dots connected in her
00:22:17.308 Speaker 1 mind.
00:22:18.728 Speaker 3 That robot was Kelly John 3.
00:22:21.908 Speaker 1 She saw Kelly John 4's head tilt in the darkness.
00:22:28.528 Speaker 5 What robot?
00:22:31.508 Speaker 1 And then Francesca's panic attack began in earnest. The room spun and she held
00:22:37.428 Speaker 1 her knees, trying to shut the world out, trying to shut her thoughts out, trying
00:22:43.868 Speaker 1 and failing.
00:22:46.228 Speaker 3 Not me. Not me. Not me. Not me. Not me.
00:23:09.128 Speaker 3 [upbeat music]
00:23:09.488 Speaker 1 Ethan stepped off the elevator platform and dropped the remaining 15 feet into
00:23:13.868 Speaker 1 darkness. [body thudding] Then he sprung from
00:23:19.868 Speaker 1 the squat and switched to infrared. [electronic whirring] Remains of corpse nests
00:23:24.268 Speaker 1 littered the floor. A robotic foe, barely visible by the light of its warm torso and
00:23:29.528 Speaker 1 head, lunged for him. Ethan blew the legs off it with his shotgun arm, then kicked
00:23:34.868 Speaker 1 its head as it fell forward. [metal clanking] The robot's upper body flipped
00:23:38.968 Speaker 1 backwards and clattered against the wall. [body thudding] [laughs] He stepped
00:23:43.268 Speaker 1 farther into the tunnel, choked with robotic enemies. Ethan battered one to the
00:23:47.988 Speaker 1 floor with the barrel of his right arm, spun, then kicked the other in the chest so
00:23:52.048 Speaker 1 hard that its limbs fell off. [metal clanking] He moved between them, tearing them
00:23:57.388 Speaker 1 apart like toys. [metal crunching] It felt good to destroy, to destroy mindless
00:24:03.328 Speaker 1 weapons with ease. [weapon firing] In the blink of an eye, he'd torn apart five
00:24:07.528 Speaker 1 robots. The remaining 22 he could see fell down. Fell
00:24:13.308 Speaker 1 down to one knee, heads bowed.
00:24:19.848 Speaker 1 What the hell? A chorus of whispers ran through the kneeling
00:24:25.608 Speaker 1 robots
00:24:30.340 Speaker 1 The one he'd blown the legs off crawled toward him and placed a crude, rusting hand
00:24:35.720 Speaker 1 on Ethan's foot, stroking it reverently. He kicked the hand away.
00:24:42.020 Speaker 1 Attack me. The robots didn't move. Ethan pushed one over with his
00:24:48.040 Speaker 1 fireplace poker foot.
00:24:51.540 Speaker 1 It flailed helplessly on the floor, eventually spinning its torso around and pushing
00:24:55.900 Speaker 1 itself back up into a kneeling position, head bowed. The battle
00:25:01.600 Speaker 1 rage slowly drained from him. His second mind replaced twenty-two red
00:25:07.500 Speaker 1 warning symbols with blinking question marks instead. Don't ask me.
00:25:14.080 Speaker 1 The robots were dressed in clothes. Some of the clothes were so torn and filthy that
00:25:19.080 Speaker 1 they were little more than yellow strips of cloth hanging from their metal bodies.
00:25:24.840 Speaker 1 There was a story behind that that Ethan really wanted to avoid. He knew he should
00:25:30.680 Speaker 1 be glad that his enemies had surrendered, but a part of him longed
00:25:36.680 Speaker 1 for the simplicity of bad guys that didn't talk back, except to curse him before
00:25:42.440 Speaker 1 eating lead. Creatures he could destroy without remorse. Ethan
00:25:48.080 Speaker 1 disengaged combat mode and pinched the bridge of his nose.
00:25:54.500 Speaker 1 All right.
00:25:56.860 Speaker 1 What's your deal?
00:25:58.080 Speaker 1 [rock music]
00:26:52.780 Speaker 1 Miranda waited impatiently for her wounds to close. If she got up now, she'd bleed
00:26:58.660 Speaker 1 all over the place. Her superhuman healing wouldn't matter if she didn't have any
00:27:03.820 Speaker 1 blood left. It would be dark soon. Best to lay low until morning,
00:27:09.860 Speaker 1 lest she become a midnight snack for something that was a little more demon than she
00:27:15.060 Speaker 1 was.
00:27:17.360 Speaker 1 It was hard to believe that Dave, Rex, and the others were dead now.
00:27:23.720 Speaker 1 Eddie was dead. That stung. He was a horrible person,
00:27:30.060 Speaker 1 but he was her brother.
00:27:32.540 Speaker 1 Something moved in the twilight. Miranda sat up, pointing the makeshift gun at the
00:27:37.060 Speaker 1 shadows at the far end of the room. A creature like a human starfish
00:27:42.900 Speaker 1 stepped out of the darkness. It switched easily between its two pairs of legs as it
00:27:48.640 Speaker 1 approached. One of the corpse walkers. Better than an
00:27:54.060 Speaker 1 uncontrolled demon, certainly, but not exactly good company. Miranda
00:27:59.580 Speaker 1 frowned. This one had not removed the genitals from its source
00:28:05.040 Speaker 1 bodies.
00:28:08.220 Speaker 1 The creature sat down a few feet away from her. It reached one eerily long arm
00:28:14.280 Speaker 1 toward her.
00:28:17.300 Speaker 1 What?
00:28:20.020 Speaker 1 There was something shiny in its open hand. A, a can.
00:28:26.040 Speaker 1 The abomination bumped the can gently against her, insistent. She took it.
00:28:33.140 Speaker 1 It's beer? Miranda looked over at the creature,
00:28:39.060 Speaker 1 trying to ignore the genitals. It pulled another can from somewhere unseen,
00:28:44.900 Speaker 1 popped the top, then tipped it over a hole in its torso. She looked down at the
00:28:50.660 Speaker 1 can in her own hand and shrugged.
00:28:55.300 Speaker 1 Cheers. [creature growling]