Mike Cooper |
"Well this is a heck of a mess. I am quite sure on my gut feeling towards Sven, I have no idea on Duke. I do not wish to change my vote. I do not want to be the one who decides. Duke, I am sorry, but we need to vote for someone. Not that it matters, but after Avistan I will not be talked into voting with the mob. While I fear I decide your fate Duke, I will not vote for you."
Mike withdraws his vote for Sven
"I am ready to vote for Sven between now and the deadline if anything changes."
Mike Cooper |
"I know by retracting my vote for Sven I am voting for you Duke, I am just trying to ease my conscience by not saying I vote for Duke. I am hopeful someone else changes their vote before the deadline."
Mike pales under the direct gaze of Duke Leto.
"Well crap, I put myself in a no win situation. If you are voted and turn out to be human, which I suspect, then I was the one who made it possible, pointing the finger directly at me. If I reinstate my vote and it stays tied, than the blame gets directed at me."
"If the blame is to be pointed in my direction, I would prefer it to be for saving the life of a human."
Mike votes for Sven.
Sven Iscidae |
"You're really going to buy the Duke's argument that 'Sven's a monster because he voluntarily turned in one of his own kind to live, even though nobody else seemed to notice the human geneticist's hints'? Seriously? With a strategy like that, I may as well attach the electrodes to my own head. That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard, guys. And that's saying a lot. I've been in Academia a long time."
Meowselsworth |
With Mike Cooper's last minute decision to break the tie, there is enough support to kill Duke Leto. Sven and Alexander, having lead the charge, push the nobleman into the makeshift electric chair for execution.
He protests with some thrashing. The flash of electricity once again causes the light to flicker and for a man to die. This one was no man, however. The Duke, or Not-The-Duke, starts to thrash, its fingers turni into fanged tentacles and thrash out at anyone who is too close, until knocking the electrodes off of its head. It lunges out of the seat, knocks over the testing equipment and roars horribly!
Without a thought, Alexander Maxerson rushes in to push the thing back. Its ribcage bursts open into a fanged maw and chomps down on the survivalist, doing fatal damage to the burly man, but not before he manages to hold onto the electrodes and start the machine again. This time, the creature blackens and falls dead on the floor. By the time this concludes, the shock and the venom has already killed Maxerson, who failed to survive this episode.
Duke Leto was bullrushed into harm's way. Duke Leto was a creature. Alexander Maxerson taught you a lesson in conductivity. Alexander Maxerson was a civilian.
Duke Leto votes for Sven Iscidae
The Red Robert votes for Sven Iscidae
Dash Gunnar votes for Duke Leto
Sven Iscidae votes for Duke Leto
Alexander Maxerson votes for Duke Leto
Results: Duke Leto
Round 6 begins now.
Mike Cooper |
Changed my vote right as I was leaving work, had to make the drive home wondering if I had chosen correctly. Of course had to hit every red light on the way home!
Mike stares in horror at the bodies before bowing his head. "A hero till the end Alexander."
"Sven you have played the game well, but now we know for sure. You sir are the nunliff geneticist. It was hard to withdraw my vote as I was certain, but now there can be no doubt."
Mike votes for Sven
Meowselsworth |
On a small table beside the dukes chair under his brandy glass and his spectacles is a book Charles Darwin's "The origin of Species" a single scripted page is written in old style from a nearby fountain pen.
"My friends,
I am deeply saddened by my deception, I fought at every turn to master this thing within me, to keep you all from harm. I did my very best and in the darkness Jimmy stopped me from killing an innocent man, bless him for that, so that my conscience is as clear as it might be.
I sought some truce some peace with the thing within me and it would not be appeased. I do not comprehend its ways and its thoughts. Maybe if I would have had more time or been able to have you lock me away in a cellar where I would have more time. In the end I suspect my efforts to save both you and myself have failed.
Peace be with you,
Duke Leto Atredies"
Lynch death speech.
Sven Iscidae |
Sven slowly and painfully rises from the floor where he'd been thrown when "the Duke" broke free of the restraints. He stares at Maxerson's steaming corpse.
"Dude... dude, you saved me. Saved us all. And... and that was hardcore, man."
Rubbing his head, he muses, "And that answers the last question I had. I was sure the Duke had been replaced, but wasn't sure if the other was you or Mike, Maxerson. Even though I thought you were a fraud, I'd hoped you weren't a monster. You died a hero. I hope the world hears about it someday. Respect. Much respect."
Turning to Dash and Robert, Sven looks them up and down. "You guys OK? I was sure Dash would be the next to go. Glad both of you are still here. Now we have a chance."
He turns dazedly to Mike. "You... you withdrew your vote for me, even though it would doom your fellow monster. Why? Why would you do that?" Shaking his head gingerly, he takes a seat. "Maybe you didn't know. Or... maybe you did. Maybe... queen's sacrifice?" He regards Mike with dawning understanding, and perhaps respect.
"You needed something to make them think you're human. It's not hard to believe; I nearly fell for your act. You're good! So you sacrifice your last fellow to try to get our roommates to turn on me, fry my brains. While they do that, you stab one in the back and... the poor chump who's left doesn't have a chance. Brilliant!" Sven laughs and begins a slow clap. "I knew you guys were ruthless and brutal, but I didn't know you were smart! Hard not to admire a good move like that, even from a monster. I'd hate to play chess with you. If you were human, I'd shake your hand. But as it is, your hand might bite me."
"But now that we know how smart your kind is, we need to stop you. The fate of humanity is at stake."
Dash Gunnar |
Fancy words Dash spits out as kicks at the second nunnlif's corpse savagely. If you were so sorry then why didn't you just say who the other creature was? Huh? Yeah you freaks have been real clever so far. The last one's going to be crafty till the end. Try and kill us all.
Sven Iscidae |
"I don't know about you guys, but I'm beat. Not the best time, but I'm going to catch a nap. 20 minutes - don't let me sleep longer. And you roommates keep an eye on Mike so he doesn't turn into a hentai nightmare when nobody's watching." Sven lays his head on his arms, kindergarten-style, and is soon snoring lightly.
Mike Cooper |
Mike wakes with a start, looking around with panic in his eyes. "Damn, it is not a dream!"
Standing up he backs away, getting as far as possible from Sven. "You did not let him do anything to me as I slept, did you?" Mike asks Red Robert and Dash as he glares at Sven with distrust.
"Sven, you have connived and swindled since the beginning. You have run out of victims, we know you are the geneticist. Robert and Dash, please do not let him use his unnatural abilities of persuasion to affect your decision."
Sven Iscidae |
Sven snorts himself awake and sits up bleary-eyed, wiping drool from his cheek onto his forearm.
"Uuugh. What, did everyone check out for a nap? Not good safety policy, Dash. Were you saying something, monster? Thought I had a weird dream about screeching and tentacles."
Rising, he rinses his face at the sink, then shakes like a dog shedding water. "Oh man, better. So, unnatural abilities of persuasion -- like reason and logic? And pointing out monsters and sticking with that identification instead of faffing about? Oh yeah, very dangerous behaviour - to a nunnlif."
"Time that we put the monster threat to an end." Sven regards Maxerson sadly, then hoists the body to his shoulder to add the survivalist to the pile in cold storage. "Time to save, humanity, roommates. Not that this feels much like a victory with so many of us dead."
Sven votes for Mike Cooper for Head Nunnlif In Charge.
Sven Iscidae |
"Why do you think that, Robert? Explain. Explain why I'd point out both Clive and the Duke if I were a monster? How would that make any sense? For the sake of humanity, think man. Go through it in your mind. Go through it out loud. Talk it over with Dash." Sven speaks gently to the man.
Mike Cooper |
Mike rolls his eyes at Sven, "Leave the man alone you monster. You say all these things you would not have done if you were not human, I can say the same. The previous vote was tied, it would have remained so if I had not changed my vote at the last minute. I knew then you where a monster, and it will take another vote, but you will get your due now."
Sven Iscidae |
Sven snaps at Mike, "Let him think, creature. He'll come to the right answer if he just puts his mind to it. He's upset about the Duke, who was an old friend. It probably seems like I lead the charge against his friend, but I didn't - the Duke was gone by then, only the monster remained. I'm sorry, Robert, but it's true. Just like Clive was already gone. Mike's gone, too, and this thing is trying to save itself."
Sven sighs. "I don't know what to tell the authorities about the dead people if we manage to get out of this - which we should, it's 3-1. We can still take him if we work together. But I feel responsible for Wilkins and Tharp. I've had head injuries. If they don't believe it about the creatures - which they should, we have evidence and DNA - then I'll take the rap, confess to murdering them. No point you two going to jail." He flops his notebook around aimlessly. "Somebody else can pick up the ball for the penguins."
Mike Cooper |
Mike groans, "Oh you are so noble."
Mike takes a step towards Sven, his voice hardening and growing quiet, "You, it is you who led an infiltration into a scientific outpost quietly collecting data. It is you who have murdered and caused the deaths of some of the best minds on this planet. It is you who will next be strapped into that damn machine and pay for it!""
After a moment to collect himself Mike turns to Dash and Robert, "I will not make any more speeches, Robert knows who the monster in this room is. Vote and send this creature to his well deserved death."
Sven Iscidae |
"It's not really a fifty-fifty shot, Dash," Sven says conversationally, "What you're really saying is that you think the guy who pointed out the geneticist's identification of a monster - and stuck with that to have the monster killed, and who logicked out another monster - and stuck with that accusation as well, to have the second monster killed - you're voting that that guy's a monster. Honestly, if that's true, I am the worst monster who ever monstered. Or perhaps you're not thinking it through and are making a terrible mistake, one that will live on outside this station."
Sven shrugs. "There's time. Think about it. Of course, as you're voting now, the three of us won't have any problems, because we'll all be dead. Mike will be free to concoct a story - and damn, he's good at it! - and start spreading his kind among humanity. The ones alive, they'll have the problem. Because of you."
"No pressure."
Meowselsworth |
Everyone against him, they wrestle Sven into restraints and hook up the electrodes.
"Don't ask me to forgive you, ask humanity. You and I will all be dead together in a moment, but this thing will live on to cause who knows what trouble among mankind?" Sven points to Mike.
Sven stares at Mike defiantly. "Just know, monster, that you took this little group with few resources by surprise. When you go among our people, they'll figure you out, fight you, and destroy you. You haven't faced the best of us yet." Sven sighs, then murmurs to himself, "But if they do end mankind... if they do... then maybe Mother Gaia with bring up another species to protect her from the things from the stars. Maybe one not based on damned dirty apes. Maybe this will be, not the end of mankind, but the beginning of the Age of Penguins..." He stares off dreamily into eternity as the others carry out their dirty business.
The machine is turned on, and the three remaining survivors watch as they attempt to get rid of the final creature. While Sven's body convulses, the three watch... but only two are hoping that they will see the body transform. The third, Mike Cooper, is too busy driving a scalpel into The Red Robert's body over and over. He finishes the display of aggression with a cut across Red Robert's throat while he was distracted.
The lights stop flicking, this time they remain off. Illuminated only by the small amount of moonlight that pours through the window, the creature turns towards Dash Gunnar and grins with more teeth than the security expert ever thought possible...
Sven Iscidae was the last chance for humanity. He was a civilian. The Red Robert was knifed by a monster. He was a roommate.
Dash Gunnar has no hope. He was a roommate. Mike Cooper killed them all. Mike Cooper IS the creature geneticist.