"Where I was is my business, not yours. Of course you could tell if I killed him, check for the signs I sucked out his life. Oh wait, bit mouth over there ate him, didnt' he? Can't prove it wasn't me now, can we? And I would've let the spider die fighting if it were me."
Tottering unsteadily over to the waste disposal, she sticks her head in an retches.
Sir Jiminy loses all interest in the dinner party, his appetite completely ruined by the awful events.
How terrible, two innocent citizens dead and us no closer to being free of the mutants. Tia was the first spider I had ever been friends with, we even had a lunch date of sorts tomorrow, though I didn't really want to eat that fly.
Saddened by the loss and task ahead, Sir Jiminy sits down beside Meowselsworth and pets the little cat. "Maybe the Duke will sing us another song about a spider, or even a librarian, to help us in this difficult time."
The Hollow observes the grisly proceedings in silence. After a while, the cloak drifts closer to the site of the murder and the hood turns downward.
Tottering unsteadily over to the waste disposal, she sticks her head in an retches.
Sir Jiminy loses all interest in the dinner party, his appetite completely ruined by the awful events.
How terrible, two innocent citizens dead and us no closer to being free of the mutants. Tia was the first spider I had ever been friends with, we even had a lunch date of sorts tomorrow, though I didn't really want to eat that fly.
Saddened by the loss and task ahead, Sir Jiminy sits down beside Meowselsworth and pets the little cat. "Maybe the Duke will sing us another song about a spider, or even a librarian, to help us in this difficult time."
Sutra nods gently; "Well at least we have a chance if there are only 2 mutants and 3 people with detection capabilities."
Hamish paces around the room looking for exit points.
I need to get out if this place!
He comes across a vent cover on the wall. The vent is used to pump fresh oxygen into tue room.
I can just follow the vents to the engine room and after that it's just an escape pod away from getting out of this dump!
Hamish headbuts, hooves and bites the vent cover off the wall exposing the ductwork.
"Haha, Success! See you later everyone, I'm escaping this awful place."
With that Hamish crawls into the narrow vent and disappears. The sound of banging ensues for some time as Hamish works his way further into the duct system and disappears.
Jin mutters to anyone near him, "Anyone wanna tell the goat that this is a closed circuit ventilation system? That duct will probably just lead him in a giant circle... Happened to a buddy of mine when we were aboard The Momoa, he was in that duct for days going in circles"
Ryxis gradually returns to his original size over the following minutes, as the pair of bodies are reduced to compressible primordial ooze within his belly. He glances over everybody, seeing that some observe the act with aghast.
He looks to the vents, blinking as he contemplates the Goat-Thing's actions.
Wowbagger looks at one of the corpses and up at Jin, "He's dead Jin."
"He's dead Jin."
The hours Jiminy has wasted watching classic media from the Earth archives triggers a moment of panic, he looks down at his chest in fear, Oh gods, please don't let me have worn a Red shirt today! To his immense relief he sees his shirt is white. He looks around the room to see who is wearing a Red shirt and clearly the next to die.
"A gamble? On where the silly goat has gone, interesting. I think he has run off and will be back in 6 hours, 14 minutes, 4.867 seconds - during 3.76 loops of the duct system." Sutra replies to the Duke as she sees the goat rush off.
Sutra looks down at her long diaphonous gown, shining in the luminescence of the radiance of the few remaining lights after the Hollows obsession. It's vermillion silk ribbed with gold piping. "Interesting that the Hollow caused the destruction of a light. Can it be he hunts in the dark?"
"I do believe The Hollow was wooing the lightbulb when Eldon 'voted' it out with his chair."
Sir Jiminy eyes the shards of the broken lightbulb, I sure hope Eldon doesn't 'vote' me out with a chair.
"Duke Leto Atredies, lets start with the A's. You traded a water planet for a desert planet - that was like trading Manhattan Island for some beads or a mule for some magic beans."
"A,B,C, as easy as 1,2,3... do do da do." Sutra sings as she slides over to Theon. "So who do you think the agent is? A strong silent type like you? Or are you a mutant?" she honestly asks, the innocent lilt of her voice hoping to extract a response.
"Thoen already say he is not mutant. Why you not believe him?"
Realizing that he had only answered half of Sutra's question, he continues after a moment's pause. "Thoen not know who agents are; agents always be sneaky and not tell Thoen who they are.
Who does talky lady think mutants are? Thoen smash mutants if we find them."
"We have scanners among us, yes? And agents? Maybe someone will have insight so we are not too hasty this time. We acted with too much haste, and I feel yucky in my tummy about it,"[b] says Meowselsworth, sitting down by Sir Jiminy, as he seems willing to give comfort pets. [b]"I wish I knew what mutants smelled like."
Sutra thinks on Theon words; "Sorry Sir, I just trying to make sure." she pats his arm, giving his bulging bicep a ittle squeeze of reassurance. "I think it is quite likely that the agents will quietly act in concert, behind the scenes."
Her heart goes out at the Helmet-cat's words "Don't worry at least the computer told us the numbers, perhaps if we go into different rooms the computer will speak again and we can narrow it down further?"
She shivers at the creatures' words. "Hopefully we may identify a mutant for you but..." she is quiet.
"Mmmmm, magic beans, those do sound delicious, and only a mule in trade you say?"
To Jiminy "Magic beans, Sir Jiminy Cricket, I knew you would be familiar with them. Being a cartoon character yourself. Way before Pixar studios when your character wasn't drawn so well--you were not drawn by a computer!"
"What's that Sir Jiminy, Meowelsworth got your tongue. Nothing I like better than the smell of wet cat in closed quarters."
"Now, I think I have proven I am the famous alien that insulted the entire galaxy. No way am I a mutant. I miss the spider already."
"Wowbagger, what sort of name is that? You wouldn't happen to be the same individual known as Bowerick Wowbagger, a careless man that combined rubber bands, his lunch, and an irrational partical accelerator? Weren't you responsible for the burning of Asia by Genghis Khan? And now you insult a soft kitty, a warm kitty, that purr, purr, purrs? You, sir, are a complete kneebiter."
"A cartoon character?!" Sutra exclaims at Wowbaggers statement. "Were you a super-hero Jiminy like the great Aquaman, Batman & Schwartzenegger or a villian like Cruella de Ville, Superman or Overlord Kang?" Sutra is very interested in the medium of super-characters ever since the Genus Wars.
She looks to the rest of the group, sadly realising that the tensions are increasing again.
"♫ And frightened Miss Muffet away. ♪ Sutra sings along under her breath, before realising what she is singing.
A outraged look crosses her face; "I know I a suggested we split up and see if the computer scanner could detect which were actually Mutants, but I am not Miss Muffet. I don't go 'Hi-yah' or have a crush on Kermit!" she says innocently getting confused.
"But to answer your question, the computer detected a couple of scanning devices. So I hope they are being used, and I hope the Hamish the goat-human isn't one of them else-wise he better be in the vents scanning us from a distance." Sutra answers.
"So would Mistress Ocid the librarian, it seems the intelligencia are being targetted. That is bad, I like bright things ♥" Sutra says.
"However, you are good at double-speak and have a marvelous singing voice, would you care for a dance at this evenings festivities? I am sure we can arrange much good food. Can't we computer, or Taraz?" Sutra taps on the control panels trying to access unlimited food options.
The Hollow has not moved an inch since it last spoke.
As Sutra taps on the computer holo-pad, she realises that the entity known as the Hollow has stopped mpving.
"♥ Hello, anybody, thing, anthropomorphic personification of energy- matter, or concept; in there? ♥" her sing-song voice tweets out.
She continues; "I know I am not as bright but what did you mean by: THE CYCLE CANNOT BE STOPPED BY ABERRANCE. Was it that killing is bad? Or that we all 'die' in the end? We need to analytically despatch the Mutants." she asks concerned for the well-being of the Hollow. Maybe it died too and the thirteenth life-form was the young of one of the dozen others?
Jin growls, "Enough with this babble about car-tunes -- is this just another distraction to keep us from finding the mutants?!!" Jin eyes Wowbagger, the cricket, and Ms. Sutra...
And as Leto starts up another song, Jin's mood gets worse. "Really, Leto? That song seems in poor taste after the loss of Tia." I'm tempted to vote for the wastrel just so he doesn't request any more songs... or Leto for his choice of songs - those last two sounded like twisted songs for children... maybe they're scare-stories to prevent them from eating too much?
"You seem to be a straight-forward chap, Jin, how do you suggest we find the mutant? I have been asking people straight-out; that's the sort of person I am. If I want something I ask?" she says sidling over to him.
With a wicked smile on her face; "So you you have a partner? A friendly scanner? Or do you want to eat and kill us all?"
|
"I meant to point out that baseing decisions on appearance or strangeness would net us nothing, save a propogation of hatred. Tia for example, a lovely person, yet physically capable of stringing nearly anyone of us from the rafters, and depleting us of our life and bodily fluids simultaneously. Yet my opinoin stands she was a lovely and delightful person."
The cloaked figure shifts subtly and answers Sutra,
"True those who hide in the shadows are likely to contain an assassin. Especially since no-one saw who killed Tia!" Sutra says solemnly.
"Although one mutant will be likely to be more verbose, but that will be easier to analyse." She adds.
"I don't really know either way right now," says Meowselsworth, "In light of my error last time, I will just vote to match Ms. Sutra, though I'll abstain is she requests it.
"Yes, The Hollow's wisdom is infinite, let us turn our gaze to those that have shown no care or no voice. With the kind support of the Wastrel, I tried to organize a dinner party, a gathering that would have sat everyone down together and prevented a mutant from hiding in silence. Let us not turn on one another simply for being outspoken, as we did with Ocid, for that certainly was a mistake."
Sutra is shocked at the actions of the group but knows due to Theon's statement two people will die tonight her only hope is that they will catch a mutant or they fight to mutual extinction. "Beware Meowselworth, such responsibility places us both in danger. The silent man decrees that we must find a mutant tonight; I will accuse someone so that we have a answer. That the lynched is not by default..."
She thinks taking her time. "Eldon you have remined remarkably quiet since dear Tia's death. I accuse you - tell us You are the mutant?"
Wowbagger goes up to Eldon Gorski, sniffs the air and says, "Eldon, you stink." I can't improve on the classics.
Turning to the others, "I think mutants stink."
"Eldon, do you not refute the accusation?"
"I do not think it was Eldon... if he were the mutant, why would he vote Tia to be lynched, if he planned on killing her later." Jin searches for a better canidate, but is still lost. "That shadow over there says it's the one who cares least... which sounds like he's voting *himself a mutant* really." That puts The Hollow and Tarz at the forefront. "But I'm going with the people that are trying to keep us from voting for mutants."
"Well, Mr. Eldon voted for Tia as a response to her voting for him. It doesn't seem unlikely that he'd kill her if he couldn't get us to lynch her..." says Meowselsworth, "I will do as I said and vote with Ms. Sutra, the accusation makes sense at least."
"Yes, it does seem clear that the proper vote shall be for Eldon. My apologies to you, good sir, if we are again in error."
Eldon looks up from the corner where he's been silent. "You vote for me because you are afraid of me. You are right to be afraid of me, but not because I am a mutant. I voted for Tia only to save my own hide. I did miscount, but I'm not exactly known for my intelligence, am I?" Eldon sneers while looking at Sutra. "I do not think you are a mutant either, though an aberrant by far. If we are to listen to this creature," Eldon points to The Hollow, "Then I say we vote for Sir Jiminy. He's the one who started this accursed 'party', what better cover for a mutant to hide himself?"
Sutra looks to the others; dark streaks of tears marr her face. "I don't know, sorry Eldon. I just don't want to die." she says in a small voice.
Eldon seems to grow less menacing for a moment. "No one wants to die, that's foolish and cowardly. We fight to survive, and if I'm sent to die, I will do so to the bitter end. The same goes if the mutant comes for me. "
"As it stands, you have swayed a significant number towards me. I count 5 against me. If you truly value your words, change your vote to another, convince the others to do the same for this 'deadlock'. As stands now, I believe two votes for Sir Jiminy, though I have attested I am not skilled at counting. What say you? You started this against me, now plead your case to the others and end it."
Sutra sniffles and nods;
"You are right as a general once said after witnessing the massacre of his enemies:"
Sutra continues; "Alright, I will change me vote to someone neutral - the Duke. But I will not tell people to follow me it is upon their consciences."
"An interesting choice. One I'm curious to see through. Since my vote stands for nothing either way, I'll join you in your vote. As a way of saying 'thanks'. If it's your conscious swaying it or my 'good nature', well I dont' really care. But still it is a thanks."