"I was the first one scanned by Hamish, the guy YOU killed, little mutant-cat! But then you know that - I told you in private. Which letter would you like as proof? Hamish's notes? Jiminy's notes?
Actually, killing Jiminy was your best move. You had already planted doubts that Wowbagger was a mutant. You had to hope that I was not 100% certain of his innocence, so by killing who you suspected to be the other agent, it might leave my decision in doubt -- it was the only move you had -- killing me wouldn't have helped you, because there was a chance from your perspective that either Wowbagger or Jiminy was the remaining agent -- you've already mentioned that silly hat of yours is good at math. This was the best kill for you, but as I told you:
We knew the mutant was you or Taraz. We picked wrong, but not this time!"
"I only regret Taraz's actions cost Sir Jiminy his life. By voting for me, Meowelsworth proved his mutant status."
"Her mutant status," corrects Meowselsworth wearily, peering down at the slowly becoming more shaky projector, "Which isn't to say I agree with you. Voting for you made sense, Mr. Wowbagger, since I thought Mr. Jin was the agent, I thought Sir Jiminy was an agent, I though Taraz was innocent and I know that I am innocent. Deductively, to vote for anyone else would be a bit stupid. I didn't see through Mr. Jin's agent deception."
Turning to Wowbagger, Taraz says simply, "His claim to be an Agent is as would mine be if I chose to make it. Unverifiable."
Once he again, Taraz views the cosmos. "Honestly, his claim seems more likely to be a misdirection, and that he is not actually an Agent whatsoever. Hence why he claims it alone. That way, the mutant will attack him, and the two Agents would know for sure who remains is the mutant. The deception is far too obvious to fool the clever opponent you face however. I fear the truth will be more startling."
"Good try, kitty, but we know Taraz's actions were so pro mutant that he somehow was put higher on the list than you last round."
Nodding with Wowbagger. "Exactly we were down to two potential mutants -- actually cat, it was your words in private to me (which I shared with the agents)... it was your words that led us to believe that Taraz was lying - even though you kept saying you thought he was a citizen (pfff - the only truth you've spoken), you also implied he was in alliances that we knew to be false -- thus, we thought he was lying to you in private and he was placed just slightly higher on the list of mutants."
"Ms cat, I feel shame for having fallen for your trickery and your pleas of pity, but you're about to get your due... Stop stalling mutant - I promised you earlier your 'game' was up. There was no way for you to escape."
"Honestly, I think you have a choice Meowselsworth, initiate your helmet cat disposal procedures right now, save us the trouble of waiting to lynch you. Or continue to fight us and we leave your mutant corpse to rot in this quarantine zone... but know this, I won't be honoring the body of a mutant." Speaking the word 'honor', Jin looks over the table for any remaining Ryxis that needs to be finished... he's not particularly sure how the little butler-bots work, but cold Ryxis is better than letting it spoil.
"Well... I wouldn't honour the body of a mutant either, but it would be worth honouring the person who the mutant used to be. I understand that you didn't choose to be a mutant, Mr. Jin," says Meowselsworth, pacing about on the projector some more, still peering down every once in awhile to see what the others are doing. "I would initiate the proper procedures if I could reach buttons on my helmet with any kind of accuracy, because I fear I am doomed no matter what I say. You see... I am a cat, and my joints just don't work that way. The suicide procedures which I can activate mentally will only kill me. It is up to the living to follow through the disposal procedures... and nobody, nobody has ever assured me that they would follow through with them. Too many helmet cats die improperly disposed of, and so their records remain lost and their automated funeral invitations unsent."
There is some more pacing as Meowselsworth continues to peer down, meowing once sadly. "Besides that... I think I am stuck."
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The helmet cat withdraws her partially obscured face to resume pacing atop the holographic projector. After awhile, the soft padding of her paws is replaced with clicking. After awhile, the helmet cat once more leans over the edge of the projector, this time sporting a cheshire grin, extremely long sharp claws hanging over the edge. She speaks in growling tones: "Well, since your convictions cannot be swayed, I guess I will give you some peace of mind. Yesss. I am the mutant, and yes, I am awful and mean and killy and bad. I know that soon I will be pulled down and killed the same way I killed Sir Jiminy because I didn't want him telling all his friends about chinscratching a mutant. That's really the only reason I made sure the Wastrel died, I knew it would end like this, me on top of a holoprojector. Ryxis was a mistake. It should have been you, Wowbagger. I was planning it, but had a change of heart, but it was a mistake, a miscalculation. After I found out he was not an agent, I knew it was the mistake that would bring me death in the end. Hammish acted with such conviction, for such a long time, he had to die because everyone was quite set on killing me. That's all we talked about, killing the mutant, killing the mutant. Thoen, I thought he must be the militant by the way he spoke. I had to eliminate him before I could push forward, he might find me out through protecting, I was reminded of this by you, Wowbagger... your words were practically his death sentence. I had to get rid of Sutra for obvious reasons. Which is a pity. I liked her, but I could not smash her scanning device thoroughly enough. MUTANT DETECTED! That is a give away that Sir Jiminy could hold against me later. It didn't save him. Tia... Tia and I had a fundamental disagreement on what 'pest control' meant. I miss her. But it is my place to spread death, an uncontrollable urge, like someone new pulling the strings. Meowselsworth was the first to die."
"I didn't kill Ocid, or Eldon, or the Duke, or Bruce, or Taraz. I played a role, but no more or less than either of you played in these deaths. I didn't know the Hollow. Ironically, I really did think it might have been the scanner, which is why I abstained. Or rather, the Meowselsworth personality I gleaned from the helmet abstained. Regardless, the Hollow was just an observer, before this transformation. It wrecked it too, but believe me, the Hollow was just as strange and unable to communicate as a mutant. If anyone died from a mutant attack... it was me. It took the death of two trained scanners, one trained militant, and one agent as well as numerous civilians to take me down. This is not a victory for anyone, but I have made you suffer as much as I am able for calling for my death."
"As I said, Meowselsworth was the first to die. It's a former life I remember as if I was just watching a holovid, chasing butterflies, pouncing on yarns, meowing and purring and always seen as a lesser creature, or as disgusting, or as cute and dumb. This mutation gave me no benefit to intelligence, though, a helmet cat is always more clever than she appears, though I was satisfied with the minor affections people would give me for being cute... But when she encountered a an irradiated Ulech-Marcia rat, a carrier of radioactive mutagen contaminants, there was a choice. Let it roam free, to spread radioactivity among the entire station, causing many mutations and deaths in all of the different civilians of the station. Even leaving it in the path would have compromised many. Or contain it within her own body: Helmet cats have been known to withstand adverse effects from some of the worst rodents, but today was not that lucky day. She ate the rat to contain the radiation, but risked her life. She thought she survived but spoke little of this act of heroism (it was just her job, after all), until, well... until me."
"Which is all the better. That former self, I'm embarrassed by how little of her hunting ability she chose to use... But when we entered the Safe Zone and were prevented from evacuation, I decided to compartmentalize components of my mentality. I gave the Meowselsworth personality free reign throughout this entire ordeal, and the easiest way to make this display convincing would be to prevent the component of personality from knowing that she is a mutant. So a return to meows and purrs and pounces and rainbows and cute nonsense, while I rested in the back of her mind, only taking control when I needed to strike, and keeping this more freed and wonderful nature secret from the Meowselsworth personality (and from the broken helmet mail system, which seems to pick up on surface thoughts). If the Meowselsworth personality were allowed to know she were a mutant... she would have stepped forward, as the head of the social committee, and accepted her death. It was her social duty. But it's not mine. I don't owe anyone anything." The rambling cat stares down from the holoprojector. "I still have maternal instincts, however, and I still haven't the flexibility to press the buttons on my own helmet after death. My or her kittens will learn from my or her mistakes. It is the helmet cat way. And whether you think I deserve it... consider the Meowselsworth personality, who would have gladly silently perish so that many could have survived. /This/ is my case for using proper helmet cat disposal procedures. And now, I shall use the helmet to fade back to the background, and continue running the Meowselsworth personality, which indeed believes that she is no mutant. Just remember: Helmet cats are /not/ an inferior species." The pacing on the projector resumes, the clicking fading back to the soft padding of paws.
The sudden change in the cat leaves Jin speechless. ’Her kittens will learn from her mistakes’... not sure that I could ask for more than that. It would give everyone who died here in the Safe Zone a chance to live on... I think many of them would like that.
Jin just continues to stare at the cat circling the top of the projector unit… If the mutant’s story is true, that cat up there died a hero already. That’s got to be worth something to her children.
It feels like it's been weeks (). The stress and constant paranoia releases in a deep sigh. His fighting spirit drains a bit, and the calm, friendly Jin returns -- no smile, but at least the promise of death is gone from his eyes, and replaced by just a touch of sadness.
Jin eyes Wowbagger. The mutant made a decent plea on behalf of the cat... seriously? how could the cat-part not know about the mutant-part... seems odd, but what harm is there in this last act?? If there was some mutant rat inhabiting my brain, I think I would want the same deathhonor… We just can’t let the cat-part know about the mutant-part inside of her… it seems like a small blessing that we can give her:
"Ms Meowselsworth, finishing the honoring of Ryxis has given me a change of heart. Mutant or not, when you die tonight, we will perform the proper sequence of commands in order to pass your essence on to your kittens."
"You have my word: As I have tried to honor the other fallen as best as possible in their own manners, so too will you be honored in yours."
Meowselsworth peers down at Jin's words, just peeking her helmet and eyes beyond the edge of the machine. "Thank you, Mr. Jin," says Meowselsworth quietly, hopping down from the projector after a few sad 'I'm in a tree and won't come down' meows and plenty of hesitation. "I suppose this is it. I enjoyed my time as head of the social committee and as a vermin control expert here. These have been dark times, but I take solace that others in other safe zones did not have the same experience."
Wowbagger tears up for the second time.
"Ms. Meowelsworth, I am turning into an emotional wreck. I see you made a difficult decision. As an idle immortal jaunting around on my petty quest, I honor your wishes for your kittens too and the horrible position you were in."