WEBVTT - Chapter Twenty Two 0:00:02.000 --> 0:00:07.560 Chapter twenty two, Manny Rolling Fuck was as bright, shiny, 0:00:07.560 --> 0:00:10.040 and chaotic as it had been when he left, but 0:00:10.160 --> 0:00:13.320 Manny could see a real change among the citizens themselves. 0:00:13.840 --> 0:00:17.200 Gone were the lounging crowds of half naked people instead 0:00:17.200 --> 0:00:20.160 of the perpetual party. A war camp spread out around 0:00:20.200 --> 0:00:23.520 the great superstructure of the city. Hundreds of men and 0:00:23.520 --> 0:00:26.520 women were busy dawning armor, applying war paint, and checking 0:00:26.560 --> 0:00:30.400 over stacks of weaponry. Manny saw crates of guided mortars, 0:00:30.440 --> 0:00:33.800 piles of rocket launchers, boxes of high velocity ammunition, and 0:00:33.920 --> 0:00:37.040 enough firearms to equip every citizen a dozen times over. 0:00:37.680 --> 0:00:41.360 There was no discernible Rolling Fuck uniform that Manny could see. 0:00:41.840 --> 0:00:44.880 Some of the city's warriors wore powered body armor painted 0:00:44.880 --> 0:00:48.640 in garish colors and bedecked with various quotations. Fuck your 0:00:48.720 --> 0:00:52.440 Day seemed particularly popular. Many of them wore pieces of 0:00:52.479 --> 0:00:56.560 pop culture costumery mixed in with their gear. Manny recognized 0:00:56.680 --> 0:00:59.600 Darth Vader's helmet, hell Boy's red right hand, and a 0:00:59.640 --> 0:01:02.520 surprise using number of people with Mickey Mouse's face spray 0:01:02.520 --> 0:01:05.920 painted on their chest armor. An equal number of Fuckians 0:01:05.920 --> 0:01:08.319 wore no armor at all. Some of them were dressed 0:01:08.319 --> 0:01:11.479 in their normal flowing lounge garments. The weapons they wore 0:01:11.520 --> 0:01:14.199 were the only signs that they had plans beyond debauchery. 0:01:14.680 --> 0:01:17.880 Others were naked or mostly so. He saw one man 0:01:17.959 --> 0:01:20.440 wearing the helmet of a Greek hoplight and carrying two 0:01:20.600 --> 0:01:23.520 Viking axes on his back. He saw a woman with 0:01:23.560 --> 0:01:26.559 a Dragonov rifle on her back, an old German stallhelm 0:01:26.600 --> 0:01:29.360 on her head, an Ottoman mirror armor on her chest. 0:01:29.800 --> 0:01:32.639 She waved at them, excited. It took Manny a second 0:01:32.640 --> 0:01:36.440 to recognize Topas's face under the helmet. There here, there 0:01:37.319 --> 0:01:41.000 she stopped. Tullie had stopped too. She cast her face down. 0:01:41.360 --> 0:01:43.880 Many could see the shimmer of tears on her cheeks. 0:01:44.200 --> 0:01:46.880 A crowd gathered around them. In a few seconds, they 0:01:46.880 --> 0:01:49.680 were encircled by dozens of heavily armed post humans in 0:01:49.760 --> 0:01:53.240 a dizzying array of war costumes. Schoofucker Mike pushed his 0:01:53.280 --> 0:01:55.520 way to the front and ran up to embrace Tulli. 0:01:55.960 --> 0:01:58.880 Manny was surprised when she started to sob. The big 0:01:58.920 --> 0:02:03.560 man held her tight. Looked to Rowland what happened. Roland 0:02:03.560 --> 0:02:05.840 gave him a look that said, you know, damn well, 0:02:05.840 --> 0:02:09.800 what happened? But then he spoke anyway, your friend didn't 0:02:09.800 --> 0:02:14.320 make it, Schoofucker. Mike's jaw went tight, his eyes bulged, 0:02:14.360 --> 0:02:16.760 and he held on to Tulli a little tighter. Manny 0:02:16.840 --> 0:02:19.239 thought back to the night they'd spent in brain Breakers 0:02:19.280 --> 0:02:22.200 and the things he'd said about marigold Man. He hadn't 0:02:22.200 --> 0:02:24.000 really known the woman at all, but he could tell 0:02:24.040 --> 0:02:26.680 Mike had cared deeply for her. He looked around at 0:02:26.720 --> 0:02:29.160 the crowd closing in on them, the dozens of half 0:02:29.240 --> 0:02:32.760 human god monsters with helpless rage carved onto their faces. 0:02:33.600 --> 0:02:38.320 What happened, Mike demanded. Roland opened his mouth to speak, 0:02:38.600 --> 0:02:41.000 closed it and ran a hand over his bald head. 0:02:41.360 --> 0:02:44.080 He opened his mouth again, managed to squeeze out an 0:02:44.120 --> 0:02:47.240 eye before he slumped his shoulders and hung his head. 0:02:48.080 --> 0:02:52.040 I wasn't fast enough, he said. Finally, they had better gear, 0:02:52.360 --> 0:02:56.280 newer suits than I had expected, Schoofucker. Mike stared at him. 0:02:56.520 --> 0:02:59.320 Behind him, Topaz slid down to the ground and buried 0:02:59.320 --> 0:03:02.040 her head in her kne ease. Murmurs swept the crowd, 0:03:02.440 --> 0:03:05.800 and then Sasha spoke up. Your friends saved my life. 0:03:06.840 --> 0:03:08.840 Mike looked over and seemed to notice her for the 0:03:08.880 --> 0:03:13.560 first time, and who were you? His voice was not unfriendly, 0:03:13.840 --> 0:03:18.080 it wasn't exactly warm either. My name is Sasha, she said, 0:03:18.200 --> 0:03:20.600 her voice clearly on the edge of a sob. She 0:03:20.680 --> 0:03:23.280 looked from Mike to Tully, to Topaz, to the crowd, 0:03:23.360 --> 0:03:25.680 and then back to Manny. He saw a panic in 0:03:25.720 --> 0:03:28.080 her eyes, barely held in check by a cage of 0:03:28.080 --> 0:03:32.160 steely resolve. I made a mistake. I left my home 0:03:32.240 --> 0:03:33.920 for the Kingdom. I thought it was the right thing 0:03:33.960 --> 0:03:36.360 to do. I met Marigold while I was there, and 0:03:36.400 --> 0:03:39.080 she helped me see how wrong I'd been. She pointed 0:03:39.120 --> 0:03:41.520 to Roland. I tried to help him free your people. 0:03:41.960 --> 0:03:44.760 We all tried, but they were ready for us. They 0:03:44.760 --> 0:03:48.160 shot him. She gestured to Roland. They shot him a lot. 0:03:48.440 --> 0:03:50.800 They had us all dead to rights. And then Marigold. 0:03:50.840 --> 0:03:52.640 I don't know how, but she got a gun. She 0:03:52.720 --> 0:03:55.800 shot two of them, and then they shot her. She died, 0:03:55.840 --> 0:03:59.400 saving us. The silence that followed was louder than any 0:03:59.480 --> 0:04:03.720 artillery barrage Manny had ever sat through. Finally, Skullfucker Mike 0:04:03.840 --> 0:04:06.480 nodded at her. There were tears in his eyes, and 0:04:06.520 --> 0:04:09.800 Manny soon realized tears on every face in the crowd. 0:04:10.440 --> 0:04:13.240 Some people fell to their knees, others embraced and held 0:04:13.280 --> 0:04:17.000 their friends. One voice, hoarse and heavy with pain, howled 0:04:17.000 --> 0:04:19.760 out in anguish. It was met by another voice, and 0:04:19.760 --> 0:04:22.760 then another, and then another as Fucci and after Fucian 0:04:22.880 --> 0:04:25.440 tilted their head back and roared their grief out to 0:04:25.480 --> 0:04:29.799 the empty blue of the Texas sky. Rolling Fuck preferred 0:04:29.800 --> 0:04:32.880 to mourn through activity. The wailing and gnashing of teeth 0:04:32.880 --> 0:04:35.760 over Marigold didn't stop the city's medics from taking Rick 0:04:35.760 --> 0:04:38.360 and Tully to whatever building served as their equivalent of 0:04:38.400 --> 0:04:41.880 a clinic. Topaz stayed behind with a gathering crowd of 0:04:41.880 --> 0:04:45.560 mourners while skullfucker Mike gathered up Manny, Sasha and Roland. 0:04:46.000 --> 0:04:48.720 There'll be time to process later, He'd said, as much 0:04:48.760 --> 0:04:51.560 to himself as to them. There's a war council soon 0:04:51.640 --> 0:04:55.280 and they'll be wanting to debrief you. Fine, Roland said, 0:04:55.600 --> 0:04:57.720 but I'm stopping at the bar first. I need some 0:04:57.839 --> 0:05:02.320 opium and some godam tequila. Manny expected skullfucker Mike to 0:05:02.360 --> 0:05:05.160 be angered by that, given the circumstances, but the other 0:05:05.240 --> 0:05:08.280 chrombed man just nodded and said, I could use a 0:05:08.320 --> 0:05:11.800 drinker nine myself. They headed for the lift underneath the 0:05:11.800 --> 0:05:14.760 main roller. Manny started to prepare himself for the meeting 0:05:14.800 --> 0:05:17.479 with this war council, whatever that term meant. In a 0:05:17.520 --> 0:05:20.880 place like this, whatever happens, it's bound to be weird. 0:05:21.480 --> 0:05:24.240 They reached the lift, skullfucker Mike opened the door and 0:05:24.320 --> 0:05:27.560 gestured for every one to enter, and so. Less than 0:05:27.600 --> 0:05:30.920 an hour after arriving back in the City of Wheels, Mannye, Sasha, 0:05:30.920 --> 0:05:33.800 and Rowland found themselves seated around the same red wood 0:05:33.839 --> 0:05:36.880 table where they had first met Nana Yazi and Donald Ferris. 0:05:37.520 --> 0:05:40.240 The room was more crowded this time around, with two 0:05:40.279 --> 0:05:43.640 new people he didn't recognize. One was a shirtless man 0:05:43.720 --> 0:05:46.520 with writhing snake tattoos across his chest and a pair 0:05:46.520 --> 0:05:48.720 of chaps that did nothing at all to cover up 0:05:48.760 --> 0:05:51.320 his junk. It didn't help that the man's legs were 0:05:51.360 --> 0:05:54.400 spread as wide as possible. He seemed to be deliberately 0:05:54.440 --> 0:05:58.160 showing off. Manny looked away and found himself staring at 0:05:58.160 --> 0:06:01.039 a very tall, very muscular, young seeming woman with a 0:06:01.080 --> 0:06:05.120 mohawk made from thick chrome spikes. She had light brown skin. 0:06:05.360 --> 0:06:08.640 Her cheeks were covered in several long, thin diagonal scars. 0:06:09.080 --> 0:06:12.200 The woman's eyes had no pupils. They looked gray at first, 0:06:12.360 --> 0:06:15.240 until Manny realized they were actually just filled with static. 0:06:15.720 --> 0:06:18.080 When Manny finally pulled his gaze away from her, he 0:06:18.120 --> 0:06:21.160 was met with the biggest surprise of the day. Deshaun 0:06:21.240 --> 0:06:26.480 Clark was seated two chairs down from Nana Yazzi Major Clark, Manny. 0:06:26.640 --> 0:06:29.559 The Major's lips cracked open into a wide mouthed grin, 0:06:30.000 --> 0:06:31.839 the left side of his face was still covered in 0:06:31.839 --> 0:06:34.160 hemostatic gauze, and the edges of the skin around the 0:06:34.160 --> 0:06:37.440 gauze looked black and burnt. His right hand was a smooth, 0:06:37.480 --> 0:06:40.040 angry pink color, a sure sign that had been severed 0:06:40.080 --> 0:06:43.400 and regrown in the recent past. Major Clark was bloody 0:06:43.560 --> 0:06:46.560 but unbowed. It's damn good to see you, Manny. I 0:06:46.600 --> 0:06:48.520 can tell you how proud I was to hear you'd 0:06:48.600 --> 0:06:53.000 volunteered for this mission, Mr Pirrone, Manny started to say, 0:06:53.200 --> 0:06:56.560 But Major Clark put up his hand, I know, he said. 0:06:57.440 --> 0:07:00.719 Donald Ferris ahemmed, which Manny took as a gentle reminder 0:07:00.800 --> 0:07:03.719 that now was not the time for personal business. The 0:07:03.760 --> 0:07:06.000 old brit gestured first to the man with the writhing 0:07:06.080 --> 0:07:10.520 snake tattoos. This is Jim Shannon, he said. He heads 0:07:10.600 --> 0:07:14.040 up a small mercenary outfit. And the guy who roped 0:07:14.160 --> 0:07:17.600 Roland into helping, Jim said with a wink, and this 0:07:17.720 --> 0:07:20.720 cheery lass Donald pointed to the woman with a chromehawk 0:07:21.080 --> 0:07:23.960 is Kashore. She's been the city's elected warlly to for 0:07:24.000 --> 0:07:28.000 the past three years. And who might this young lady be, 0:07:28.440 --> 0:07:31.800 Nana Yazzi asked, nodding at Sasha. The old woman stood 0:07:31.800 --> 0:07:34.679 and stepped forward to greet Sasha with a hub. Sasha 0:07:34.720 --> 0:07:37.960 tensed up. She looked scared to return the embrace, so 0:07:38.080 --> 0:07:40.520 Nana Yazzi backed off and favored the girl with a 0:07:40.560 --> 0:07:44.280 warm smile. I'm sorry, child, I didn't mean to pressure you. 0:07:44.400 --> 0:07:47.920 I'm just happy you'll hear with us. Sasha relaxed at that, 0:07:48.080 --> 0:07:52.680 but she still didn't step forward. Her name, Sasha said, Rowland. 0:07:52.960 --> 0:07:54.840 She used to be with the Kingdom, now she's not. 0:07:55.480 --> 0:07:58.480 He paused a second, considered his words, and added, she 0:07:58.560 --> 0:08:01.240 beat one of them to death with a helmet. Oh my, 0:08:01.520 --> 0:08:04.840 oh dear. Nana Yazzi tisked and shook her head. I'm 0:08:04.880 --> 0:08:08.120 so sorry, Sasha, that must have been a terrible experience 0:08:08.160 --> 0:08:11.960 for you. She enjoyed it, Jim said, with a harsh 0:08:12.000 --> 0:08:14.720 bark of a laugh. I'm sure Rowland smells it too, 0:08:15.040 --> 0:08:18.400 Isn't that Radhun? You loved killing whoever the fuck you killed, 0:08:18.560 --> 0:08:21.679 and you feel shitty about that. Will let messuit stop 0:08:21.840 --> 0:08:25.280 right now, or you'll leave this room. Nana Yazzi's voice 0:08:25.360 --> 0:08:27.760 was firm, but devoid of any anger or heat. To 0:08:27.840 --> 0:08:32.920 Nanny's shock, Jim stopped the posthuman, nodded and said, I apologized, Sasha, 0:08:33.000 --> 0:08:35.320 that was a dick move, and then he lowered his 0:08:35.360 --> 0:08:39.880 eyes just a little in contrition. Nana Yazzi offered Sasha 0:08:39.960 --> 0:08:42.360 a seat and then busied herself in the corner, making 0:08:42.360 --> 0:08:44.800 Sasha a cup of tea. Once that was done and 0:08:44.840 --> 0:08:47.160 they were all settled in, Nana sat back down and 0:08:47.240 --> 0:08:51.760 looked at Nanny. What happened, is all, she asked. Nanny 0:08:51.800 --> 0:08:54.880 started talking. He told her, and by extension, the whole table, 0:08:55.000 --> 0:08:58.120 everything that had happened since he and Rowland left rolling fuck. 0:08:58.720 --> 0:09:00.920 He told them about their trouble with the checkpoints on 0:09:00.960 --> 0:09:04.080 the way into town. He walked them through the intake process, 0:09:04.240 --> 0:09:06.880 his and Roland's few days as martyrs, in training and 0:09:06.960 --> 0:09:09.199 what he'd seen in the few sections of Plano he'd 0:09:09.200 --> 0:09:12.079 been allowed to haunt during his time there. The woman 0:09:12.120 --> 0:09:14.640 with the Chrome Hawk was particularly interested in what he 0:09:14.720 --> 0:09:17.840 and Rowland had to say about the Kingdom's preferred assault tactics. 0:09:18.360 --> 0:09:20.520 They're not going to be kicking indoors and fighting house 0:09:20.559 --> 0:09:23.520 to house, Roland explained, No, just start shelling at the 0:09:23.559 --> 0:09:26.760 first sign of resistance. They don't care about civilian casualties. 0:09:27.679 --> 0:09:29.920 When Manny explained what the Kingdom had been doing at 0:09:29.920 --> 0:09:34.040 the old Tesla factory, almost everyone looked horrified. Donald Ferris 0:09:34.080 --> 0:09:36.719 spat at the ground. Most of the others cursed or 0:09:36.760 --> 0:09:40.400 at least shook their heads. Nanni Yazi teared up. Jim, though, 0:09:40.520 --> 0:09:45.640 seemed almost enthusiastic about the revelation. Fascinating, he muttered, just 0:09:45.800 --> 0:09:49.480 loud enough for Manny to hear. Once everyone was caught 0:09:49.559 --> 0:09:51.760 up the table, fired off a few questions at him 0:09:51.760 --> 0:09:54.800 and more towards Rowland. They seemed mostly curious as to 0:09:54.840 --> 0:09:56.599 what they'd been able to glean about the number of 0:09:56.640 --> 0:09:59.880 recruits in the Heavenly Kingdom. Manny didn't have much you 0:10:00.080 --> 0:10:02.559 full there, so he shut up, leaned back, and let 0:10:02.640 --> 0:10:05.880 Rowland to give the answers. An awkward silence descended on 0:10:05.880 --> 0:10:10.880 the table. After a few minutes, well Donald Ferris said, finally, 0:10:11.360 --> 0:10:13.480 I suppose we were fools to hope for much more 0:10:13.520 --> 0:10:16.520 than what you've got. As it stands, we're left grappling 0:10:16.559 --> 0:10:18.600 to try an account for the sheer number of men 0:10:18.679 --> 0:10:23.280 the Kingdom has deployed to assault Austin twenty thousand Mardas 0:10:23.440 --> 0:10:27.280 Jim spoke up and give a take a grand Manny's 0:10:27.320 --> 0:10:30.520 blood went cold. The SDF at its height hadn't been 0:10:30.520 --> 0:10:33.280 more than six thousand fighters, and those were spread out 0:10:33.280 --> 0:10:36.559 across the serried battle grounds of North Texas. The whole 0:10:36.559 --> 0:10:39.120 free city of Austin didn't have more than five thousand 0:10:39.160 --> 0:10:42.319 people in its full time defense corps. Twenty thousand men 0:10:42.520 --> 0:10:47.120 was impossible, he said, That's just fucking impossible. I'd be 0:10:47.160 --> 0:10:50.120 inclined to agree with you, kid, said Jim, if my 0:10:50.200 --> 0:10:53.040 own men hadn't double checked the count for us. The 0:10:53.120 --> 0:10:56.239 Kingdom's already marshaled half of that force on the outskirts 0:10:56.240 --> 0:10:59.840 of d f W near Lancaster. They'll be in Wakeo tomorrow, 0:11:00.120 --> 0:11:02.599 no one stops him. Hell, they could be pound in 0:11:02.640 --> 0:11:08.240 Austin with artillery. Bad Doc Donald Ferris nodded. Mr Shennon Here, 0:11:08.559 --> 0:11:11.319 he gestured to Jim as agreed to lend a hand, 0:11:11.360 --> 0:11:14.320 along with several dozen of his mercenaries. Add that to 0:11:14.360 --> 0:11:17.040 the warriors of Rolling Funck, and we've got seven hundred 0:11:17.120 --> 0:11:19.960 ish post humans. It's a large enough force to hold 0:11:20.000 --> 0:11:24.720 Waco and badly bloody their nose. But Kushori spoke for 0:11:24.760 --> 0:11:27.280 the first time. She had a deep, gravelly voice that 0:11:27.360 --> 0:11:30.240 sounded like she'd been eating cigarettes for the last ten years. 0:11:30.840 --> 0:11:33.600 Rolling Funck is not in the business of volunteering for 0:11:33.679 --> 0:11:37.400 our own Vietnams. My people aren't signing up for a war. 0:11:38.160 --> 0:11:40.640 I can guarantee our presence on the battlefield for up 0:11:40.720 --> 0:11:44.520 to forty eight hours, enough time for vengeance, she continued. 0:11:44.920 --> 0:11:49.200 After that, you're hurting cats? Is that a problem? Manny asked, 0:11:49.320 --> 0:11:51.840 I mean I saw Roland lay waste to half a city, 0:11:52.280 --> 0:11:55.760 six hundred of him. There's only one of him, Kishori said. 0:11:56.280 --> 0:11:59.479 Jim nodded an agreement and fixed Manny with his uncomfortable 0:11:59.480 --> 0:12:03.199 gray eye ice and see here, he said me. Any 0:12:03.240 --> 0:12:05.280 one a rolland Fox warrior is as good for a 0:12:05.280 --> 0:12:08.120 few dozen normal troops in a straight fight. More off. 0:12:08.160 --> 0:12:12.360 We're talking half trained partizans, but nobody is like Roland. 0:12:13.120 --> 0:12:16.319 Many looked over to Roland. The big man seemed distinctly 0:12:16.400 --> 0:12:19.680 uncomfortable with all the attention. He stared down at his hands, 0:12:19.720 --> 0:12:22.120 which seemed to be occupied with tearing up a paper 0:12:22.200 --> 0:12:25.959 drink coaster. The Matas have a lot of half trained partizans, 0:12:26.040 --> 0:12:29.840 but they've also got tanks, artillery, suits, the resources of 0:12:29.840 --> 0:12:33.760 a nation state, or close enough, rolland fuck can hold 0:12:33.800 --> 0:12:36.160 that off for a while. But without rolland the best 0:12:36.200 --> 0:12:40.120 they can do is delay the inevitable. Now with Roland, 0:12:40.280 --> 0:12:43.800 Jim continued, this is a two hour fight, tops. We 0:12:43.880 --> 0:12:45.839 set up our troops in some little chunk of the 0:12:45.880 --> 0:12:48.960 city and start dropping mortars and rockets on the van guard. 0:12:49.320 --> 0:12:51.800 They pull up and circle us and start deploying their 0:12:51.920 --> 0:12:55.080 artillery to bombas to kingdom. Come. Then, when they are 0:12:55.160 --> 0:12:59.320 good and packed together, we dropped Roland on the asses Kashure. 0:12:59.360 --> 0:13:02.640 He nodded, yes, She said, he'll hit them and disrupt 0:13:02.640 --> 0:13:05.240 their whole order of battle while our cavalry rolls around 0:13:05.360 --> 0:13:08.040 their flanks and charges. That should be enough to make 0:13:08.080 --> 0:13:11.319 them panic. Then we'd chase them down until they lose cohesion. 0:13:12.240 --> 0:13:15.559 Roland's heads stayed down. He didn't speak. Manny looked from 0:13:15.600 --> 0:13:18.800 him to Jim, to Nanna Yazzi and Donald Ferris. So 0:13:18.840 --> 0:13:21.680 what's the problem, Manny asked. If Roland and Rolling Funk 0:13:21.679 --> 0:13:24.800 are all in, there should be a walk in the park. Rowland, 0:13:25.000 --> 0:13:28.560 Nanny Yazzi said, prefers not to fight. But I just 0:13:28.640 --> 0:13:31.840 saw him. You just saw me break a long streak 0:13:31.840 --> 0:13:35.559 of not killing people. Roland's voice sounded odd, hollow and dry, 0:13:35.640 --> 0:13:38.120 and utterly without any of the mirth or mischief Manny 0:13:38.160 --> 0:13:41.280 had come to expect from the chromed man. I did 0:13:41.280 --> 0:13:44.000 that to get my memories back, Manny, he shrugged. And 0:13:44.040 --> 0:13:46.200 I did it for you because you're my buddy. But 0:13:46.240 --> 0:13:48.560 I got no stake in Austin. But you know what 0:13:48.600 --> 0:13:50.600 the Heavenly Kingdom will do if they take the city, 0:13:50.720 --> 0:13:53.600 Manny protested. You've seen what they did to Plaino. They'll 0:13:53.600 --> 0:13:55.640 do that to millions of decent people if they can. 0:13:56.040 --> 0:13:58.240 You have the power to stop that. You're telling me 0:13:58.280 --> 0:14:03.400 you won't. Roland at his eyes and just said, yes, Hugh, 0:14:03.600 --> 0:14:06.120 son of a bitch. Manny felt the anger well up 0:14:06.160 --> 0:14:09.400 inside him. It merged with his grief over major Perrone's death, 0:14:09.640 --> 0:14:13.160 Oscar's death, and his rage at the Heavenly Kingdom, the martyrs, 0:14:13.320 --> 0:14:15.520 and every other group of assholes who had helped turn 0:14:15.640 --> 0:14:19.240 his young life into a parade of nightmares. Hugh Absolute, 0:14:19.280 --> 0:14:22.800 son of a bitch, You fucking coward. Manny didn't think, 0:14:23.080 --> 0:14:25.520 couldn't think. He pulled back his fist and swung as 0:14:25.520 --> 0:14:28.400 hard as he could for Roland's face. The chrombed man 0:14:28.440 --> 0:14:31.040 didn't move, didn't even blink. Manny hit him right in 0:14:31.080 --> 0:14:33.680 the nose. He was softer than Manny would have guessed, 0:14:34.000 --> 0:14:37.200 didn't feel any different from punching a normal human. Manny 0:14:37.280 --> 0:14:39.840 swung again and again until he felt something crack in 0:14:39.880 --> 0:14:42.520 his knuckles. He cried out from the pain and pulled 0:14:42.520 --> 0:14:45.640 back to nurse his wounded hand. For a few seconds, 0:14:45.720 --> 0:14:48.440 Manny forgot about the rest of the room. He closed 0:14:48.480 --> 0:14:50.680 his eyes and let his thoughts dissolve into an ocean 0:14:50.680 --> 0:14:53.720 of physical pain. The agony of his broken hand was 0:14:53.760 --> 0:14:56.960 almost soothing. It was better than thinking about mister Perrone. 0:14:57.320 --> 0:15:00.600 It was better than thinking about Alejandro or Oscar. It 0:15:00.640 --> 0:15:03.200 was better than thinking about his soon to be shattered home. 0:15:03.960 --> 0:15:06.800 Manny felt a hand on his shoulder. The sensation pulled 0:15:06.840 --> 0:15:09.320 him out of his spiraling thoughts. He looked up and 0:15:09.360 --> 0:15:13.840 saw nanny Azzi. She smiled her sad smile and said, Manny, 0:15:13.880 --> 0:15:17.960 every one here understands your pain. Not me, said Jim, 0:15:18.160 --> 0:15:22.040 I've never been a big fan Austin. Two damn rolland 0:15:22.040 --> 0:15:24.480 threw his empty pint glass at the other post human's face. 0:15:24.760 --> 0:15:28.280 It shattered on impact, embedding shards deep into Jim's cheeks 0:15:28.280 --> 0:15:31.320 and forehead. His head snapped back and he blinked in 0:15:31.360 --> 0:15:35.240 shock A few times. Sorry, he said, I deserve that, 0:15:35.920 --> 0:15:39.360 and I deserved that. Roland said to Manny, no hard 0:15:39.400 --> 0:15:41.760 feelings I get while you're pissed, But kid, you gotta 0:15:41.880 --> 0:15:45.720 understand something. Austin's home to you. To me, it's just 0:15:45.800 --> 0:15:49.360 another city held by just another side. Half my remaining 0:15:49.400 --> 0:15:51.440 memories are of one cause or another asking me to 0:15:51.480 --> 0:15:53.920 go murder in their name. I'm fucking done with it. 0:15:54.720 --> 0:15:58.240 Minnie looked to Major Clark. The STF officer's eyes were 0:15:58.240 --> 0:16:00.880 lit by a familiar cold fire. He spoke in a 0:16:00.920 --> 0:16:04.680 tone of barely controlled anger. That is, you're right, of course, 0:16:04.960 --> 0:16:07.240 you can choose to leave, just as I will choose 0:16:07.240 --> 0:16:10.640 to fight and die. I wonder what Manny will choose. 0:16:12.000 --> 0:16:15.000 Mannie hadn't really settled on that himself. Before he could 0:16:15.000 --> 0:16:19.360 stumble through his response, Sasha spoke, I'll fight, She said. 0:16:19.880 --> 0:16:22.120 I don't know much about guns, but I'll do my best. 0:16:22.720 --> 0:16:25.440 Roland slumped back in his chair and tossed his arms 0:16:25.480 --> 0:16:29.400 up in a dramatic show of frustration. At too, Jesus, girl, 0:16:30.360 --> 0:16:33.320 I'll fight, Manny said to Major Clark, doing his best 0:16:33.360 --> 0:16:36.880 to talk over Rowland. I'll choose to fight too. This 0:16:37.000 --> 0:16:39.240 isn't gonna work, you know, Roland said, I'm not going 0:16:39.280 --> 0:16:41.880 to be shamed into fighting again. It's just not going 0:16:41.960 --> 0:16:45.720 to fucking happen. Jim leaned in. He fixed Roland with 0:16:45.760 --> 0:16:49.320 a look that seemed almost hungry. I think it will happen. 0:16:49.760 --> 0:16:52.800 I think the peculiar arc of your moral compass won't 0:16:52.840 --> 0:16:55.960 let you leave these kids to die. He seemed surprised 0:16:56.000 --> 0:17:00.960 by the revelation. Huh, fascinating enough of that. Donald Ferris 0:17:01.000 --> 0:17:03.920 sounded angry. I won't stand to see this man badget 0:17:03.960 --> 0:17:06.400 and press it into fighting against his will. We might 0:17:06.440 --> 0:17:09.479 as well dissolve the council for now and reconvene without Rowland. 0:17:10.400 --> 0:17:13.159 Good Roland stood up and stomped over to the exit. 0:17:13.400 --> 0:17:14.960 That's all you people need for me. I'm and I 0:17:15.000 --> 0:17:17.200 go get good and pissed and start my walk back 0:17:17.240 --> 0:17:19.879 to Arizona. He flipped his middle finger out at the 0:17:19.960 --> 0:17:22.119 room and slammed the door behind him. As he left, 0:17:22.800 --> 0:17:27.360 all eyes turned to Mannie. I should probably go talk 0:17:27.400 --> 0:17:31.240 to him. Don't do anything you're not comfortable doing. Emmanuel 0:17:31.600 --> 0:17:35.280 Donald said, fuck there. Jim said the best it's on 0:17:35.320 --> 0:17:39.080 the ropes. Shame him, shame him good. As he headed 0:17:39.119 --> 0:17:41.600 for the exit, Mannie looked to Major Clark. The old 0:17:41.640 --> 0:17:45.680 soldier's one good eye was narrow and focussed Mannie. He said, 0:17:46.000 --> 0:17:47.760 if he didn't want to talk, he wouldn't a gone 0:17:47.840 --> 0:17:50.159 up to the bar. He'd have just left. There's no 0:17:50.280 --> 0:18:02.280 honor lost. In another conversation, another try, Roland was three 0:18:02.280 --> 0:18:05.240 beers in by the time Manny reached him, and knowing 0:18:05.320 --> 0:18:08.480 rolling fuck that could mean he'd already ingested enough acid 0:18:08.520 --> 0:18:13.080 to kill a large octopus. Hey, mann he said, heybody, 0:18:13.640 --> 0:18:16.920 Roland replied in a voice that was just super stoned. 0:18:17.840 --> 0:18:21.080 Sorry about getting angry. Back there, the post human spun 0:18:21.160 --> 0:18:23.720 his empty pint glass around on the bar table. It 0:18:23.840 --> 0:18:26.680 was a strange sight to see. Manny had gotten so 0:18:26.840 --> 0:18:29.520 used to seeing Roland is something akin to a Greek god. 0:18:30.040 --> 0:18:33.760 He certainly wasn't omniscient or omnipotent, but he was unspeakably 0:18:33.800 --> 0:18:37.000 powerful and just as irresponsible to leave out around humans. 0:18:37.640 --> 0:18:39.960 And yet here he was fiddling with an empty pint 0:18:40.000 --> 0:18:42.800 glass like a nervous college freshman standing at the back 0:18:42.800 --> 0:18:46.080 wall of some house party. Many felt a surge of sympathy. 0:18:46.720 --> 0:18:49.920 It's okay, man, I think I actually get it, he said, 0:18:50.119 --> 0:18:52.480 like I've had plenty of chances to join either the 0:18:52.600 --> 0:18:56.440 SDF or the Austin Defense Forces. I never did. Maybe 0:18:56.440 --> 0:18:58.879 some of that's because I'm scared help. Up until like 0:18:58.960 --> 0:19:01.040 a few days ago, my plan was to get the 0:19:01.080 --> 0:19:03.239 funk off this continent as soon as I could afford it. 0:19:03.880 --> 0:19:06.960 Minnie paused and bit his lip. It was an instinctive gesture, 0:19:07.119 --> 0:19:09.879 his gut's reaction to a sudden burst of self awareness. 0:19:10.400 --> 0:19:13.800 Mannie hadn't thought about any of this before. I don't know, 0:19:14.040 --> 0:19:16.800 he said. This ship's been going on basically my whole life. 0:19:16.960 --> 0:19:18.919 I can't remember a time when I wasn't scared of 0:19:19.000 --> 0:19:21.879 something like this happening. I didn't understand any of it. 0:19:21.920 --> 0:19:24.119 As a kid. But I can remember being seven or 0:19:24.119 --> 0:19:27.080 eight years old and just being so angry at the soldiers, 0:19:27.359 --> 0:19:30.480 even our soldiers. I thought, if all you assholes would 0:19:30.520 --> 0:19:32.680 just refuse to be led into battle, none of this 0:19:32.800 --> 0:19:36.359 could happen. You know that's not how it works, ran 0:19:36.680 --> 0:19:39.119 Roland asked, as he turned away from Mannie and waved 0:19:39.119 --> 0:19:42.640 at the bartender. We loved this war ship, at least 0:19:42.800 --> 0:19:44.840 some one us due those of us who were Oh 0:19:45.080 --> 0:19:48.119 the bartender arrived, Roland ordered my time mixed with the 0:19:48.160 --> 0:19:50.119 margharita and one of those what you got him column? 0:19:50.200 --> 0:19:54.600 Oh yeah, a fucking mohito, Roland. Mannie's voice was gentle 0:19:54.600 --> 0:19:57.040 but firm. How many beers did you drink before I 0:19:57.080 --> 0:20:00.960 got here? No beers, Roland said in a casual voice. 0:20:01.080 --> 0:20:04.399 Mushroom room sweet but not bad. He licked his lips 0:20:04.400 --> 0:20:07.040 as he watched the bartender work through the herculean task 0:20:07.119 --> 0:20:11.399 of crafting his requested beverage. Roland Manny said, and the 0:20:11.480 --> 0:20:14.919 chromed man turned back to him. Ah, sorry, it's just 0:20:15.000 --> 0:20:17.040 been too long a stretch of sober for me. I 0:20:17.200 --> 0:20:20.280 got excited. What the funk was I saying? That war 0:20:20.480 --> 0:20:22.920 is fun? Oh? Yeah, as long as you don't think 0:20:23.000 --> 0:20:25.560 you will die. That's why all throughout history he had 0:20:25.600 --> 0:20:28.680 so many generals and politicians kicking off conflicts because they 0:20:28.720 --> 0:20:31.600 felt safe. And when you're pretty sure you'll live, war 0:20:31.720 --> 0:20:34.879 is an absolute hoot. That's the problem with me and 0:20:35.000 --> 0:20:38.639 fighting the problem as you like it too much. Roland 0:20:38.680 --> 0:20:41.680 grabbed his hand. The chromed man moved so fast Manny 0:20:41.720 --> 0:20:44.600 didn't even see the motion blur. Roland's hand was just 0:20:44.680 --> 0:20:48.159 wrapped around his wrist, immovable. He squeezed hard enough that 0:20:48.200 --> 0:20:51.200 it hurt. Roland's eyes bulged out and stared into Manny 0:20:51.280 --> 0:20:54.760 with a manic intensity that was frightening. Oh, I fucking 0:20:54.880 --> 0:20:57.840 love it. It's like sex on heroin and bungee jumping 0:20:57.840 --> 0:20:59.520 and getting rammed in the ass and that first shut 0:20:59.520 --> 0:21:02.120 a lick or synake when you're fourteen, all at once, 0:21:02.119 --> 0:21:04.360 and mixed with the best actual battle drugs, the most 0:21:04.440 --> 0:21:08.359 bloated military budget and history can buy. He loosened his 0:21:08.400 --> 0:21:11.240 grip and turned half away from Manny. That's why I 0:21:11.280 --> 0:21:13.720 shouldn't do it, because I'll get carried away like I 0:21:13.840 --> 0:21:16.760 got carried away in Dallas. Maybe this time I won't 0:21:16.800 --> 0:21:19.600 be able to stop when it's time to stop. Manny 0:21:19.720 --> 0:21:22.200 kept his eyes on Rowland's. The big man turned a 0:21:22.240 --> 0:21:25.040 little further to the left, but he didn't look away. 0:21:25.680 --> 0:21:27.879 How do you know that your intervention won't make things better, 0:21:28.160 --> 0:21:30.679 Manny asked. Maybe if we can kill enough in the martyrs, 0:21:30.720 --> 0:21:33.680 their power will be broken forever. Maybe your intervention will 0:21:33.680 --> 0:21:35.840 be the first step towards making this a more livable 0:21:35.880 --> 0:21:39.439 part of the globe. Roland laughed. It started as a 0:21:39.480 --> 0:21:42.280