"I'm still not convinced it is Eldon. I too will vote for Leto."
Eldon is backed up against the window slowly by the accusations and finally he roars in rage. "I will break my way out if it keeps me alive!" Eldon raises his massive claws toward the window into empty space and is suddenly embraced in a warm blue light. When next he can be seen he is only a greasy smear upon the floor. "Threat to safety of passengers eliminated." The computer's voice says cheerfully. "11 Sentient Creatures Detected. 1 Mutant Scanner Detected. 1 Trained Militant Detected. 2 Galactic Agents Detected. 2 Mutants Detected." It finishes cheerfully, suddenly making every head swivel. You find Sutra in the next room, her arms curled around a small, round mutant detector that has been thoroughly smashed. It says Mutant Detected upon the broken screen, but there's no way of knowing who she was scanning when the claws took her throat and her eyes are horrified, even in death.
"NO! I told you Eldon was innocent. Why did the rest of you jump on lynching him? Leto!" Jin turns to the duke, "You say we shouldn't pick on those that look different, and you went along with lynching Eldon?! Why?!" Jin is upset not just at the lose of another civilian, but that we seem no closer to finding the mutant...
"And poor Sutra... She will be missed maybe most of all. I know that she said her people are normally laid out in the 'Lithium Conduits' -- are there any of those around before anyone tries eating the bodies?" Jin steps between the body and Ryxis -- I don't think she'd be opposed to Ryxis's honoring, but we should make sure that her customs are tried first.
Seeing Sutra's body, Thoen's face reddens and he clenches his massive fists tightly. "Why pretty lady have to be killed? Now we all are in trouble."
Turning to Jin he continues. "Thoen know where condwits are. He help put them here. He will lead you to them." Quickly scooping up the woman's body, he beckons for the others to follow as he makes his way through a maze of rooms and passages to where the conduits are, gently setting her to rest within one of them.
Bruce simply watched the others. There was no logic to this. The deaths added nothing to the survival chances of any of the others. We are doomed.
Looking upon Sutra and the machine in her arms, he twitches, reluctantly acknowledging Jin's question.
Looking from Sutra to Eldon, Ryxis blinks several times before speaking again.
Wowbagger approaches Duke Leto.
"You pompous noble fop, how could an entire planet be inhabited by millions of Fremen and you not know? You are responsible for the death of Sutra. How can you be blatantly manipulated by the Bene Gesserit? It is obvious, you have always been a mutant and a threat to all life. I may have to challenge you to a Kanly Duel."
Wowbagger addresses the assembled, "I pass on Sutra's last words before her death: Now I don't want to kill an innocent but my only other suspect is the Duke.
Kisses a friend"
"For those of you that talked with Sutra, those words should sound like her."
"I strongly suspect Sutra may have confided to a mutant. I also volunteer to test my immortality at the hands of these mutants. Unfortunately I need some protection of those of you that have that ability. Years of liquid lunches have sapped my immortality to a minimum."
For a long while, the Hollow stands near the body of Sutra and folds lower, appearing to 'crouch' by the destroyed detection device.
To Leto, "I supported Eldon from the beginning, and told you all I thought he was innocent... you jumped on him with the rest -- I just point out that I find it strange that you ask us not to judge each other by looks and then vote for the scariest looking one in the room. So, why did you vote for him then?"
Jin considers Leto's words. Dang, he sounds convincing enough -- at least that's a plausible reason to vote. "Leto, I'd be curious to hear who you would vote for tonight ()... are you going to stick to your 'it's the quiet ones', because there are a lot of quiet people trapped in here with us." Jin considers there's probably 4 or 5 that would be 'suspicious' becuase they're quiet.
And then more to himself than anyone else in the room, Jin mutters, "And I wish that damnable walking sheet () would make sense -- 'Sight Unseen' what's that even supposed to mean. uggg"
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"Now Another has raised my suspicion though I do not wish to persuade votes!"
"The hollow looks as one hiding everything, but that is appearance only and not something to raise my suspcions. Let us speak freely among ourselves and hope that some clue is given by the mutants, then let us discuss all we have seen and heard."
Hamish pokes his head out of the vent hole. He is covered in dust and other debris. He opens his mouth as if to say something and pauses briefly.
ACHOOOOOOO!
"Did you guys know that this is a closed circuit ventilation system? That duct just lead me in a giant circle. There is no way we're getting out of here.
Meowselsworth follows after to Sutra's burial with a sad cat expression and upon return speaks. "Ms. Sutra gave me pets and was very kind... I miss her already, may she rest in peace. If... If I die, buttons will light up on my helmet. Press them all at once to vaporize my body. My helmet will collect data on my life so that my kittens may access i-"
The cat seems suddenly surprised, tail floofing out at the vent hold opening up. "Mr. Cunningham, you nearly scared me to death! Anyhow, if Sutra had sent Wowbagger such a message, and I believe that sounds like her, I trust her judgment, even post mortem."
"What's wrong Duke, cat got your tongue? Or are you going to explain that Sutra's scanning isn't 100% accurate?"
Wowbagger gets on this phone and can be heard, "Yes Zapphod, there is a reason Leto went to Dune. He was a mutant and needed the spice to feed his mutant hunger."
"Sight Unseen, is that sorta like Caveat Emptor? Please enlighten us Sir Hollow."
The almost always gentlemanly Sir Jiminy grabs a napkin from the wasted dinner party settings and proceeds to help Hammish with his sneeze, wiping the goat's nose and dusting off some of the debris from his trip through the ventilation system.
The almost always gentlemanly Sir Jiminy grabs a napkin from the wasted dinner party settings and proceeds to help Hammish with his sneeze, wiping the goat's nose and dusting off some of the debris from his trip through the ventilation system.
"Thanks Jim. Your assistance is much appreciated."
"Isn't there a mutant that can kill those that scan him?"
Taraz sits in his comfortable chair hands before him with fingers steepled, surveying the discussions with distaste. His displeasure mounts as one-by-one the remaining "normals" disregard his statement of accusation against the Hollow. He does not stir as Eldon is vaporized, beams out of the station, devolves into prehistoric goo, or whatever has actually occurred. His nostrils flare when someone discovers Sutra's body, and the grinding of his teeth is audible.
The now finally frightened survivors begin to point fingers realizing the desperate situation. These unevolved beings which continue this pointless bickering have yet to see what is most important!
Taraz bellows as he stands, his hand slamming down on the serving table in front of him sending plates and food flying as the table collapses crushed under a force which belies the seeming delicate appearance of a Wastrel. Taraz straightens and suddenly appears...more. His physique seems to swell and become muscular to a degree even the top specimens of an average humanoid race could never hope to match. Light begins to leak out from his eyes as energy begins to pool there. Two additional arms appear from under Taraz's robes, and they pose in concert with the gestures he makes with the original two he displayed openly. A mandala of light suddenly appears behind his head and majesty pours out from him.
"I am a Wastrel! We have evolved beyond the possibility of mutation, aberration, or anomalies. Heed my words!" Returning to his previous state, Taraz points one cool blue hand at the robed figure of the Hollow.
"I do not like this creature. It offers up nothing to these proceedings except riddles and conundrums. If an innocent is to die, then so be it! At least those left can actually add meaning to this continued...discourse." Knowing there is likely to be opposition despite the words coming from a superior race, Taraz continues in a firm commanding tone. "I have no proof of wrongdoing, but neither have any of you, but what your own unevolved minds can conjure. I say simply too many times have the words of this purposeless being been ignored as eccentric rhetoric or the tolerated babblings of a favored toddler." Lowering his hand, Taraz steps through the area which has been cleared by Serv-Bots, and no trace of the destruction Taraz caused the dining service remains.
Taraz gestures broadly to include everyone remaining looking at each of you in turn. "Whichever of you is a mutant or anomaly, I want you to realize the futility of trying to kill us. This computer can sense and detect you even if it was (stupidly) built without any way of communicating what entity has been affected. You will never escape this place! So continuing with this charade will serve you no purpose. Stand now before us and meet your place in this universe with some acknowledgment. Otherwise, let us deal with that." And once again Taraz gestures in the direction of the Hollow with complete distrust.
Ryxis watches on in awe as the Wastrel emits beams of light brighter than the swamp gases of his home world, blinking not once throughout his entire tirade. As Taraz falls silent, Ryxis twitches before turning to the Hollow.
he says, casting a sidelong glance at the Wastrel,
Initially, there is no reaction to Taraz's outburst and transformation. The Hollow sits there in silence, still crouched by the remains of the scanner. It then offers what may be the most sensible thing it has ever said,
The empty void of the hood faces Taraz.
The nebulous thing then answers Wowbagger quite belatedly,
"So now you have something intelligible to say? Now you choose to have an emotional response to what might be a threat to your insubstantial existence, you hovering cloak? If your vote for me was in any way structured by reason existential, logical, subjective or otherwise you would look less a fool than your random outbursts previously uttered. But since you lack anything except the base response of survival to your primitive existence, I name you mutant, and it is you who have proven it now as your animal instincts betray you."
"Your humor suits you ill as you are, by the votes, most likely to die by the mob next. In me you would have an ally for your life, and you see fit to make jokes." Taraz shakes his head. "How callous you are in the face of the loss of Sutra one both innocent and worldly and the destruction of Ocid a being of rational and coldly logical discourse."
"I make no excuse for my race's superiority over all of yours, but as we have never made any attempt to subjugate you across these many stars be wise and heed our warnings."
"Taraz, you do not understand the situation. Leto and the other mutant have not voted yet. How will be he most likely die having two votes?
"I do not see the reason in the arguments against you, Duke, so in that sense I am your ally. I would not choose you for an unnecessary end. I see instead wasteful anger being directed at you since you chose to act instead of hold your tongue in the still of the void. I believe you misguided as the others. For unless some proof is offered to suggest this being of riddles and wasted thought is indeed of use, I would rather those evolved enough to have at least learned how to effectively communicate live on to see through this 'twisted game' as you say.
"As we have no means to discover the truth except through physical elimination, we can at least leave only those capable of true discussion of this problem we share rather than only wonder at the Hollow's vague pronouncements while we die one-by-one never to even understand if it was due to this creature's unknowable appetite."
" Perhaps I am assuming Jin's vote due to his ire, but as it stands I still believe your concern towards the Duke is misdirected."
"I have to side with Taraz on this one. The Hollow is a peculliar being whom I have little trust for. Being the first to vote for it I will continue to vote until I have proof it is not a mutant."
"I make no excuse for my race's superiority over all of yours, but as we have never made any attempt to subjugate you across these many stars be wise and heed our warnings."
The Wrexian huffs, curling its lips in annoyance.
"I don't really take offence to being called inferior. Helmet cats have been called inferior for hundreds of years. It's how we get free food, lodging and drink," says Meowselsworth with tired indifference in her projected voice.
Taraz waves away Ryxis' ignorance with a slim blue hand.
"Do not distract yourself with concerns of biology, mouth monster. Initiating a futile argument over what species is superior only proves your own inferiority in even participating in such a discussion when the true concern is which of us is no longer even a true representative of our birth species. If you have nothing to add other than preposterous statements which you could never hope to live up to or prove, consider that perhaps you may be suffering from the devolvement of mutation and should be the next to be examined."
"I said there was another mutant, not who it was. Sutra didn't name anyone else but you."
"Taraz, by the way, I think your hat is the one Willy Wonka rejected because it was too flashy."
"I realize your immortal purpose is to offend and ridicule. Feel good that you have had the chance to insult one such as I over such a petty thing as a hat." Taraz smiles amusedly.
"It's a nice hat. I could nap in it," mumbles Meowselsworth.
"Why everyone argue about not-important stuff? We need to find mutants and get rid of them."
"How can it be that logic escapes the majority in a time like this?" The man-cricket looks around reproachfully. "Everyone is simply guessing, unless they have scanned another. The only scanner we know of is Sutra, and the mutant got her. She told Wowbagger to beware the Duke. Unless one of you has a better basis for finding the mutant, such as a completed scan that detected one, then I suggest we make a decision based on the one actual bit of information we have at this point, rather than simply guess and eliminate another innocent. It's not perfect, but it's the best we have at a time like this."
Jin is thoroughly confused by Taraz -- first this guy is a know-nothing waif who's content to sit about and encourage everyone's lack of interest, now he's some sort of flashy ... god-child???
"Taraz, where was all this flash before? Woah. I must admit, I'm with the immortal when it comes to Leto. I liked Eldon, as scary as he was, but it was more I *questioned* why 'the duke' would vote for someone when it seemed there was no good reason... "
Jin tries to calm himself a bit, ignores the stupidity about people's hats, and tries to understand the wastrel's thoughts as best he can... "Taraz, you vote for that fracking-walking-sheet over there. He bothers me too, but are we silencing him just to silence him/it(?) or is it something else?" Jin's not accusing Wastrel of anything -- his tone is one of actually hoping for an answer to help him decide his vote.
"I don't want to see another Ocid - where the group votes without thinking..."
"Thoen, I admire your courage to vote for a mutant. I also admire your courage to wear Hulk Hogan's Fu Manchu. He will not be happy when he finds out."
"At least he's not sporting Hogan's feather boa, that thing was dreadful!"
Taraz shakes head in amazement. "At what time did I display a lack of intelligence? When have I ever displayed anything but annoyance at this situation and a desire to end it? When you all ignored me to listen to Ocid's logic or were distracted by Sutra's noisiness, I sat down to eat. And once again I called for you to listen as I made the first choice about who is mutant. Once again ignored as Sir Jiminy craved a banquet. As this suddenly drew your attentions I allowed it to proceed recognizing lower species need to feed would bring you together so a true discussion could finally begin."
"I am not convinced of the Duke's guilt. Wowbagger claims kinship with Sutra but as his sole purpose is to insult and anger those he meets, what proof has he that he was indeed entrusted Sutra's final words? I could claim the same and how would anyone know the difference?"
"It is written in the same way as all her communications to me are written, so it seemed consistent," replies Meowselsworth, "It is more to go on than Mr. Hollow being creepy and nonsensical."
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"Taraz your prediction of the votes makes me wonder if not at least one of those voting is one of your fellow mutants, and you have recognized and communicated with each other in order to throw these others off the trail. I think your friends show themselves, by voting for me, as you predicted before they voted! A devious plan mutant!"
I hold my vote till the end.
Hamish just stares at the The Hollow.
I wonder how he would respond to a headbut?
"Okay, whoever the militant is, I could use some mutant protection."
"Well, Duke, I can only say that I have never been contacted by Sutra in whom all these beings seem to have placed their trust. I merely posited a guess based on the reactions of the crowd to Eldon's untimely end. However, I may be one of the few not taken in by Wowbagger's misdirection if he is wrong about you. As changing my vote will not save your life one way or the other, I will remain distrustful of this Hollow being. I can only know my own purity as no one has contacted me with proof of any beings' legitimacy. Thus I hope for the sake of being able to board my ship and escape this wretched quarantine that you do indeed turn out to be a mutant, Duke. Oddly, it will almost be a shame, since perhaps it was your unnatural state which made you so well-versed."