| From: | Mike Goldberg <m_goldberg@**.COLORADO.EDU> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Thanks for the ... |
| Date: | Fri, 25 Nov 1994 13:06:13 MST |
considering so many of you were threatening me over harming the vampire called
Action Jackson. For the life of me, I do not understand that people could
embrace something that lives on the killing of metahumanity. That would be the
equivalent of making love to HAMMER. Yet you all cried out threats as to what
will happen to me if I kill this vampire above the others.
Your threats. I consider a vampire a bigger threat than all you combined.
Only a vampire can truly outlive (meta)humanity. Only a vampire kills to
sustain itself. I refuse to draw distinctions between Action Jackson and other
vampires. I have met enough to know better than to do that. But, I digress.
Your threats amuse me. I was threatened by everyone who rescued Blitzkrieg for
what I had done. For my role within that mess. I was threatened for my
cruelity in killing Gutterrat and Steelwings. I was threatened by my
government by way of HAMMER and Erik Schmidt framing me for treason. Yet I
have outlasted all of those.
Maybe it is a sign of professionalism that even though I'm terribly different
from Doomsday and Shadowfox, that I could work with them on a project. The
only reason the project failed was because of HAMMER and his meddling MET2000.
Yet I took the blame and heat from Shadowfox because of it. And maybe it was
justly so. For HAMMER knows I represent the biggest threat to him. He doesn't
even fear Action Jackson as much.
Action Jackson . . . his status... well wait and see. Maybe I should give
a warning this time. No, that wouldn't be fair of me.
+++++ Start video
You startled to find yourself looking at a reflection of Nightmare. He's
calmly putting on a black tie. Looking at him, you can see his pride in his
eyes. He is clean shaven and wearing a black suit. If you didn't know better,
you would guess that he is preparing for a funeral. You watch quietly as he
proceeds to pick up a briefcase. He takes one last look at the mirror before
walking out.
---
The scene shifts to that of an large ork. He is dressed for battle. He walks
down a corridor, and stops at the end. Quickly he types a few commands into
the keypad. After about three minutes of watching him slowly twirl a wooden
stake, you hear a distinctive *click*. He grimaces and switches the stake to
his left hand. Slowly he opens the door. You notice it is a very massive
door.
The light from the room floods into the corridor. Suddenly, lights all over
the place glare on. There is absolutely no darkness at all in the corridor.
The ork shudders and walks in.
---
Calmly Nightmare walks down a corridor. Pausing to look in a room, he says,
"You may watch WHAT, but I will give you the same warning I have given everyone
else. DO NOT INTERFERE." Without waiting for response, he continues down the
hallway and enters a room. You recognize the room from the last time. It's
the same room that Nightmare interrogated HAMMER. This time though, the
lighting is straight out of some trid. The is a cone of light focused on a
chair, and another on the desk that Nightmare makes himself comfortable at.
---
You hear a defiant snarl from within the room. The ork fearfully walks into
the room. Inside the room, is Action Jackson. He looks better than he did the
last time you saw him, but still not good. You can see evidence of the
black-grid like scarring his body, and doesn't look like he is healing at the
speed he should. It makes you shudder to think that Nightmare may have found a
way to stop regeneration. But then again, that should be impossible. Maybe he
is just cruel enough to keep on inflicting damage to him.
AJ is lying on a table. A thick blanket covers his lower half of his body. He
is evidently restrained on the table by thick metal cables. AJ is struggling
to focus on the ork, but you can see the evidence of heavy drugs taking their
effect.
AJ: Rebar, when I get free ... I'll ... I'll ...
The ork, Rebar, walks up and punches him in the side of the head, which shuts
up Action Jackson. Muttering curses to himself, Rebar wheels the vampire down
the hallway. Opening doors, he floods the room that Nightmare is in with
flourescent light. Grimly, he pulls the table to the chair.
Rebar: Leave on the table, or not?
Nightmare: Put him in the chair.
Nightmare walks up and takes the stake that Rebar is holding. He looks on as
Rebar undoes the cables. At one point the blanket falls off, and you can once
again see the misshapen knees of Action Jackson. Fairly quickly, Rebar secures
AJ to the chair, and again puts cables around him. Rebar proceeds to make sure
that he has a clear strike to the heart with a stake. He then pushes the table
out, and starts to shut the door.
At the last second before the door shuts, a short elf, (you guess it's WHAT)
enters, and stands to the side. WHAT looks very determined. Rebar shuts the
door and both he and WHAT disappear in the darkness.
You see a little static in the screen, that soon smoothes itself out. Action
Jackson groans.
Nightmare: Action Jackson, can you hear me?
Action Jackson (He glares defiantly at Nightmare): Frag off!
Nightmare: I'll take that as a yes.
You note that Nightmare has absolutely no emotion in his voice, whereas,
Action Jackson is extremely angry at Nightmare.
Nightmare: Do you have anything _important_ to say before we start this?
Action Jackson: I won't tell you anything.
Nightmare: Good. I actually prefer that. For if you don't tell me anything, I
will just kill you once and for all. And this time, there will be no
DragonEyes or Doc Grizzle to bring you back. This time there will be no
attacking Germany for your organization's goal.
Action Jackson (eyes widen): You wouldn't.
Nightmare: I won't even bother to point fingers as to who was right and who was
wrong about your first visit here, bloodsucker. Yes you are still in Germany.
I merely start with the second. You attacked BIS, blew up a building in
Berlin, all for what?
Action Jackson just stares at him with anger.
Nightmare: Well . . . if you don't answer I'll just kill you now. I don't
really care that much, because I doubt the truth or any lie you could come up
with will help you now.
You hear a growl in a throat of someone in the shadow.
Nightmare (adressing the sound): Be quiet or get out.
Action Jackson: I didn't tell them anything and they threatened me with death.
Nightmare: Correct, you didn't tell the policlub that HAMMER belongs to. Which
matters little. I will remind you that if HAMMER had been in a position to
speak for himself, he would have ordered your death immediately. But HAMMER
isn't holding power here, and neither is the German government. I am on behalf
of someone else, and he feels the same way I do about vampires.
Action Jackson continues to stare at him angrily. Nightmare just sighs.
Nightmare: Alright, than I will take it at face value. You attacked BIS to
kill HAMMER. How amusing. But you blew up a building full of innocents to
strike at him.
Action Jackson: Barely anyone was killed in it, and the ones who died were
hardly innocent.
Nightmare: Are you so sure?
Action Jackson: Yes.
Nightmare: Thank you for the proof that your organization was deadly. Of
course it is dead now. At least in Germany. Erik Schmidt was angered to
greatly for it not to happen. He doesn't take people threatening him to well.
Trust me, I know. But anyway, you didn't tell HAMMER's policlub anything.
Probably a wise move. I wonder if you are aware of how much they are HAMMER's
lapdogs. He decided that Blitzkrieg was a threat. In his first attempt to
gain control of Firewraith, Blitzkrieg lost his left arm. HAMMER wasn't even
present at the time. His policlub didn't give any quarter to them that time.
I have no doubt that WHAT remembers it all to well.
No noise is heard in the room. Nightmare pauses for a while and then smiling
says, "So what of it? You live to kill other people so you can survive. Why
should I not save other people from the horrible night creature that you are?
Why should I spare you? All my beliefs and upbringing are screaming to kill
you and be done with it. Why? And don't tell me about the fact that people
are going to try and kill me. I don't care about the attempts. I never have."
Action Jackson: I only take blood from those who prey on society.
Nightmare: YOU ARE A PREDATOR ON SOCIETY. How fragging noble of you to kill
other predators. So have you fragging killed Deathstroke yet, or how about
Doomsday? Need more society predators. Every fragging Shadowrunner is a
predator on society! Try again AJ for I know you wouldn't kill Doomsday.
Action Jackson: Would you?
Nightmare: I don't need to kill to live for another week.
Action Jackson: If it came down to killing someone to survive for another day
would you?
Nightmare: It would totally depend on my circumstances, but I never claimed to
have any special reason not to be killed, bloodsucker. You do.
Action Jackson: And you are going to kill me for my problems? HA!
Nightmare (glares): At least I don't have to face every day the knowledge that
I have to take a life tonight in order to survive another night. At least I
don't have to live with the fact that I am not human. Your humanity died when
you became a vampire.
AJ: You claim to be so much better than me. Yet, you didn't have to kill any
of the people you didn't want to.
Nightmare: Same with you.
AJ: You lie.
Nightmare (grins): Same as you.
AJ: Don't play word games with me.
Nightmare: Stop lieing then.
AJ: Frag off.
Nightmare: Are you ready to die for the last time bloodsucker?
AJ (stares at him with cold anger burning in his eyes): Are you?
Nightmare: I've been ready to die for the past 10 years. I had to. But you
never were. You didn't come to terms with the fact that you aren't human, and
your instance to keep with the world is driving you insane. Think about it.
What is one week to someone who will most likely live for ever as long as some
human "donates" himself to feed you. What is one year? Don't you understand.
If you were in my shoes, and I was in yours, the most kindest gift I could give
you is death. Living the false life that you know have, is a mockery to what
you once were. Time is meaningless to you. So is the small thing called the
lives of metahumanity.
AJ: I'm not going insane. Wish I could say the same for you.
Nightmare: Yes, I'm insane. I would have to be to live the way I do. I would
have to be to have done the things I have done for my country. Yet, I know
that I live true. You, a vampire, live false to your beliefs. Do you have any
more reason that I shouldn't kill you on behalf of your terrorist activities
toward Germany and your the crime of your unlife?
AJ: I want a fair trial.
Nightmare: You gave that up when you became a vampire.
AJ: Put yourself in my shoes and tell me if you didn't have a choice about your
activites.
Nightmare: I don't want eternal life. I want what I deserve from the hand of
my creator. I don't want your fragging "gift of not dying!"
AJ: I didn't want it either.
Nightmare: Then I guess you can't really complain when I truly make it over for
you.
AJ: I'm not ready to die.
Nightmare: Neither were all the people that you have killed to feed yourself.
AJ: How ---
Nightmare (standing up and shouts): SILENCE FOOL!
He reaches down and picks up something next to the desk.
Nightmare: This is a stake. I have plenty of other ones if this one fails to
work.
The light follows Nightmare as he approaches. It gives you shivers to see the
outright panic in Action Jackson's eyes compared to the grim, determination
look in Nightmare's eyes. Yet there is something more in Nightmare. You sense
some tiredness, and also there seems to be some happiness at just getting it
over.
Nightmare snarls, "I'm glad to know, that the last thing you see is one of the
people I'm sure you would have tried to feed on. For your crimes against state
and metahumanity the punishment is death to your unlife."
Nightmare reaches back and swings. Faintly, you can hear a struggle. Then you
hear a scream, "WAAAAAIIIIIITTTTTT!!!!" Nightmare jerks his hand up, and slams
the spike into Action Jackson's treachea. Nightmare leaves the spike in the
throat as he turns toward the shout.
Nightmare: WHAT!!! I TOLD YOU NOT TO INTERFERE!!! HE HAD HIS CHANCE!!!
WHAT (walks into the light.... It is obvious that he hasn't had a lot of sleep
lately): He isn't to die yet.
Nightmare: Are you willing to be responsible for all his killing of innocents?
WHAT: He doesn't kill innocents to live his unlife.
Nightmare: Fine if you believe that, but I don't. Are you willing to be
responsible for all his "justified for sake of survival" killings? Are you
willing to be, when _YOU_ (he jabs a finger at WHAT's chest) don't kill?
WHAT grimaces: In this case, I guess I have to be willing, for I have a reason
and that is --
Nightmare (cutting him off): I don't care who's told you to take the blunt for
saving him. I know your reasons already. For the past few days you have made
"your" position quite clear. Yet this is the first and last time I will ask
this. Are you, by your lonesome self, willing to answer for all the killing
Action Jackson has done, and will do to keep on suriving in his unlife?
WHAT shudders, and you can see tears forming. He looks at the floor, and
answers faintly, "Yes." Nightmare grabs him by the chin, and raises his head.
Nightmare: Repeat it so I can hear you.
WHAT (having no choice but to look him in the eyes): Yes.
Nightmare reaches over and pulls out the stake. Violently he breaks it over
his knee.
Nightmare: Very well, take him and leave here at once. I hope you two have a
safe journey. And WHAT, I will follow up on the earlier request that you
brought to my attention.
Nightmare (to AJ): This time I let you go bloodsucker. If I ever find out
about you in Germany again for whatever the reason, I will not hesitate to kill
you. I hope this is clear enough for even you. Goodbye.
Nightmare turns and walks out. You see a shape from the shadow follow him out.
+++++ end video.
Well there you have it. It's over for now. Yes Action Jackson, you could have
killed me. Yes you still can. In matter of fact, if the myths are right you
have plenty of time to do it in. You can kill me in old age, and I would be
helpless to stop you. So be it.
Shadowfox and DragonEyes, will one of you answer.... what news of
Doomsday? ]<<<<<
-- Nightmare <12:00:25/11-25-55>
>>>>>[ Herr Nightmare, I have Doomsday in my charge. He's doing well.
Thank
you for your assistance in the matter. Soon we shall be leaving the safehouse
and returning to where we rightfully belong. ]<<<<<
-- DragonEyes <12:03:09/11-25-55>
***** Private: Nightmare
>>>>>[ I want to tell you this. I don't know If I could have made the
decision
to let him live. I had to struggle with the question once before, and that
time it wasn't easy. May you gain some strength from your mercy with him.
]<<<<<
-- DragonEyes <12:05:01/11-25-55>
>>>>>[ Herr Nightmare, you scum. First you turn traitor to your country.
Then
you _DARE_ take me captive, and you follow that by letting a known
international terrorist go? My how the mighty have fallen. I expected more
from you. ]<<<<<
-- HAMMER <12:06:20/11-25-55>
>>>>>[ I take it your back in Germany then. I hope you had a nice trip.
Never
for a moment doubt at my ability to strike at you, HAMMER. If I should die,
you can guarantee you will not outlive me by a week. Always look behind you,
my good friend, for I will never give you warning before I strike at you. I
hold all the cards now. ]<<<<<
-- Nightmare <12:08:20/11-25-55>
