I hope she plays with him and draws it out. And I hope that TeeDee and Ada get there in time to save Acantha and keep Douchie alive for Kali to destroy all over again.
Surprisingly ( ive researched this.. ) it takes surprisingly little blood to make a big mess.
Also people always seem to have a LOT of blood to bleed. the Human body contains 1.5 gallons of blood
According to the American College of Surgeons’ Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS), hemorrhaging can be divided into four classifications of severity. The first class is the least severe, concerning a hemorrhage equal to or lesser than 15 percent of the body’s total blood volume. For reference, when a person donates blood, about eight to 10 percent of the body’s blood is removed. There are generally no symptoms of blood loss at this point, though some may feel slightly faint.
A Class 2 hemorrhage is a loss of 15 to 30 percent of blood volume. This is where symptoms of blood loss begin to manifest. “The body tries to compensate at this point with, among other things, a faster heartbeat to speed oxygen to tissues,” Alton said. “The patient will feel weak, appear pale, and skin will be cool.”
The next level of blood loss occurs with the Class 3 hemorrhage, which references loss of 30 to 40 percent of total blood volume. This could be around 3 to 4 pints of blood, for those keeping track. Blood transfusion is usually necessary with a hemorrhage of this magnitude, according to Alton.
“At this point, the heart will be beating very quickly and is straining to get enough oxygen to tissues,” he said. “Blood pressure drops. Smaller blood vessels are constricting to keep the body core circulation going.”
The final classification of hemorrhaging, Class 4, occurs when a person loses over 40 percent of their blood volume. A hemorrhage so severe requires immediate and major resuscitative help, or else the strain on the body’s circulatory system will be too great to survive. The heart will no longer be able to maintain blood pressure and circulation, Alton said, so organs will fail and the patient will slip into a comatose state preceding death.
This condition is called hypovolemic shock, and the prognosis depends on many factors, including the amount of blood lost, the rate at which a patient is losing it, and the illness or injury underlying the blood loss.
That was one of the things brought up during the ripper depositions with the witnesses describing how much blood was spilled, that it was impossible to really guess and how a little on the cobble stones could seem like a lot.
That is the same thing they taught me in EMT/Medic class. I've only had one Class IV in my entire past career. We ran large bore femoral needles and we pushed everything we had on the rig in. They guy lived only because we were less than a mile from the hospital.
No, actually, I'd prefer to see her rip his head off with one hand. Or if she's got a blade, slice it off in one swing. Would have to be a special blade to capable of cutting through bone, cartilage, muscle, etc., all in one go, but just think how satisfying! SWISH-THUNK. Bye-bye, Deci!
In Kali's place I would start by ripping out his tongue.
As a tactical move it might be a good way to prevent him from giving inconvenient orders, either to Kali if this liberation is a one-time thing, or to other cassians who might get in her way if it's not.
As a side benefit it would shut him the hell up. As another side benefit, it would hurt. A lot.
I'm partial to tying his feet to the ground and his hands to two bent over young trees. And then freeing his feet. But that's just me. Course in here we might just have to settle for tying his limbs to four service droids heading in different directions.
That look in her eye brings to mind a line from "An Officer and a Gentleman", something about ripping his head off and defecating down his neck, though in this instance I think that may be literal.
She will kiss him, deeply and passionately, make some joke about how the meatbag got what she deserved, and then marry him and have 3 brats (adopted, ofcourse) - And they will live happilty ever after ! :D
You know when reading your post at first I thought it was going to end like the kiss in Species. Where the Hybrid girl shoves her tongue through the back of the diabetic guys skull.
Ah, irony! She's going to express exactly how much she despised and disapproved of his predilection for pointlessly torturing people over all those years ... by pointlessly torturing him. Yeah, that makes sense.
I actually don't see torturing him as pointless at this point, Gilrandir.
Kali: "I'll give you a choice, boy. You can tell me how to disable all three contingencies, and after I've done so I will give you a quick death, or...
you can refuse, and I will make you tell me. then after I've disabled them, you will beg me for death, and I won't give it to you. what shall it be?"
Edit: I'm a firm believer in "The punishment should fit the crime".
If she was going for instant death, she wouldn't be talking to him, at least not in panel 4 or later. (Panel 3, it serves as a distraction from the fact that she is advancing.) She'd have just killed him. We've seen her do it, with Democlus' fellow guard - and further note that the action was to communicate that slacking off on guarding Acantha was unacceptable. Her explanation is to inform him how he's just screwed up...so she's planning something a bit drawn out. If she were going to yank his head off in the next frame, he wouldn't have time to comprehend what she'd said. I expect she'll try to get the contingencies offline, if she can, because no one wants those, but after? She's had to hold her tongue and watch him wreck her nation for years. He's killed off (nearly?) the entire family she protected. We know her position on Acantha getting hurt. I don't think he's getting off with a clean death.
As a pretense, long enough to remove contingencies? Maybe. But not as a long term plan. For one thing, he's too dangerous to reliably keep subdued that way. He still has the rest of Nova Roma at his command. For another, from what we've seen of her thoughts, I think she would genuinely [enjoy] killing him with her bare hands.
Actually I would expect something along the lines of beat him to a pulp, regen him let Maxus beat him to a pulp, regen him and shut down protocols turn him over to Caliope Taylor to use as a pincushion.
Or have the senate officially remove him (on the Cassians' recommendation) and also strongly support handing him over to New Troy for trial. Worst thing for Decimus is having AIs higher than him in the pecking chain. Especially if he sees New Rome open up and benefit from it.
{edit} Imagine how he would feel when the guard comes up to him and says, "Prisoner, this is Sewage Repair Specialist Ceci 2. You are assigned to help her clear a blocked pipe in Yellow Sector today."
Then Ceci the 2nd says, "Oh, I can see that we are going to have so much fun. Do you like Lost in Translation? I think that it was Tanya who..."
HiFranc, I don't think that Decimus is alone. There was talk earlier of him having friends in the Senate. This really could be a Palpatine moment. [How did this comment get up here? It should be two lower...]
It's a shame Kali isn't human. She could rip his head off and then shit down his neck. As it is, she'll probably pull his arms and legs off one at a time, then his nose and then his genitals. On second thought, start with his genitals and save his nose for last.
That bit reminded me of the post mortem video (and the reaction of the intended recipient) one of the characters left for another in the Spielberg series Taken.
Well, there is the old Roman custom of stripping him naked and throwing him to the mob. A couple of Emperors went out that way. I'm sure Decimus would appreciate the tradition involved.
I"m also hoping Acantha isn't dead. The way she still has her leg up and knee bent gives me hope since usually a dead person is completely relaxed and her leg would straighten or fall to the side a bit. I'm betting Kali is going to take him to pain city. No death because of the whole Contingency thing but she can make him hurt, a lot. She's an expert on the human body and how to do damage to it without killing. We also still have one player in this little show who's on the floor and very much alive.
I agree that the pose suggests Acantha's life still lingers; however, Kali's dialogue suggests her uber-Cassian sensors detect no life and that Libertatem was triggered by Acantha's detected death -- rather than merely her severe injury. (At least, in my opinion.)
Of course 'life/death' has ceased to be a binary concept even with today's medicine. Medical ethicists used to wrangle with whether death was the cessation of breath, then came resuscitation and respirators. Then it was the cessation of cardiac activity, followed by adrenaline injections, defibrillators, and heart/lung machines. Then it was cessation of brain activity -- by which standards Acantha probably has a few more seconds, even if she has bled out completely -- and who knows what the medicine of DataChasers has developed to answer that? So, seeing it more as a process, than a state, who knows at what point along the continuum Libertatem gets triggered?
Kali might be detecting no life signs, but she shouldn't have a sensor capable of scanning for brain status or blood oxygen levels at that distance. I'm not sure that one could exist, with atmosphere in the way. Breathing, absolutely. Pulse, probably. But how far the brain has degraded should be beyond her observation. So there's a period where Ada might come in and fix her, and a period where some or all of her personality is dead due to brain damage, even if basic functions can be restored (think lobotomy by blood deprivation). But the window is closing.
You would think that someone who knows how to make a speech and hold a room would take the time to wipe her face before proceeding to read Decimus the Riot Act. Even if just a quick swipe with her hand, to foster the illusion of invulnerability.
The blood of others can often be a useful thing when trying to intimidate an audience. Your own ... niot so much. At least in my opinion.
One of the most intimidating things is seeing your foe still advancing even after taking the hit. Conjures up images of the unstoppable juggernaut coming to crush you.
Oh hee hee! Now, I am thinking that if anyone out there had the knowledge and time to work out how to defeat the contingencies, Kali would. All she lacked was the freedom of action. She certainly has the motivation. However, she will be thinking ahead. If she did defeat the contingencies, if she saved Acantha's life, even, would she be able to sell this to the public and keep her life?
Acantha: ...Having deposed and executed the tyrant, Kali was blown to pieces while defending us from a praetorian heavy weapons squad. I was pretty out of it at the time, but there wasn't much of her left, and it was probably lost in the rubble.
Reporter: I see. I'm sure she will continue to haunt the nightmares of Nova Roma's children, and adults, for many years to come. ... And... when will you be returning to your duties as princess?
Acantha: Probably in time to step down formally as princess and declare the re-establishment of the republic. ...Are there many more questions? I am rather tired. ...Bovi, would you get me another glass of water?
Reporter: ...That would be my last question: while the palace has kept many secrets, I think we would have noticed such a distinctive buxom blonde... with horns. Is your attendant-
Acantha: Bovi was a gift from the allied city states that removed the tyrant and restored Aeneas. She is an android, yes. Show him your tail, Bovi.
Kali: *lifts her long skirt, shows off her bovine tail* *hands Acantha her glass of water, begins rearranging her pillows*
Reporter: Ah, thank you, ipsima. With your leave... *withdraws*
Kali: How long am I going to have to keep this up?
Acantha: I would give it a century, at least.
Kali: *sigh* *looks down at her breasts* I'm sure I didn't need this much misdirection...
Acantha *could* opt to have the Cassians openly standing right behind her, and be a good ruler by absolutely never deploying them on missions of mayhem and destruction against the people of her fair city. I mean, who'd argue? They're already accepted (though feared) as servants of the office.
No worries. @Tokyo Rose has already suggested that Watchdog and CeCi will outlast the Hate Death of the Universe. (Not a typo ^_^)
Everyone climb aboard the Hate-your-son, Topeka, & Santa Fe Express! There we will rail against a cruel reality, and work to make it crueler. After which we can go to the donut shop for crullers. ^_^
He thought he was on top of his game, but now Prince Decimus is squarely behind the Hate ball.
That seems kind of pointless. I'm surprised that their father, whose name I forget, didn't reprogram the inhibitor to free Kali before Acantha died. To make it specifically for after she dies seems kinda dumb.
I think Valerius did set it up to allow Kali to act before Acantha died. Unfortunately, Kali got distracted by Dolly and Acantha took a fatal injury. I have to wonder if Valerius didn't try to protect himself with his adjustment to Kali's inhibitor. Unfortunately, Kali didn't witness the attack and has been trying ever since to find a flaw that would allow her to act against Douchimus.
Cent and I are trying so hard to avoid spoilers at this point, I swear.
I can, however, say that Valerius's modification frees Kali to act as she sees fit if Decimus attacks Acantha with deadly force ("force that a person uses causing, or that a person knows or should know would create a substantial risk of causing, death or serious bodily harm or injury", essentially). Him slapping Acantha or shoving her around wouldn't trigger it, but the use of a weapon, hands on the throat as if to strangle, or targeted blows to the head or other high-risk vulnerable locations would count.
Burying a knife in her chest certainly counts.
Whether or not Acantha's vitals have ceased is irrelevant to Kali; Decimus's act was sufficient to free her. (Also, Acantha apparently has a knife in her heart. Kali has no reason to believe Acantha could survive this.)
I figured as much, But with that said.
I don't think Acantha is dead. I've seen enough times stab wounds were if the blade is still in place tends to slow bleeding greatly. I remember seeing a er show once where a patient had a blade directly in the heart and the patient arrived with the blade still there and they managed to save the life. Her going straight down may be the thing that may save her long enough for medical attention. Also where the blade seems to be would be a spot where the major organ is a lung, yes the aorta is close but still hopefully just out of range.
As for Kali, as she know about the fail-safes on him I expect her to hurt him and paralyze him without killing.
Clearly Decimus needs to review the statistics on accidental death due to strangulation and Kali should have reviewed the security tapes for Comic 685 -- Queen of Staves. But that would have thrown a severe monkey wrench into the storyline. ^_^
I wonder to what extent hearsay applies. if Lynn had defied the Prince and told Kali that she saw Decimus strangling Acantha, wonder what would have happened?
True. The referenced comic appears to have his hand actually clutching her throat (panel 2) while she gurgles unintelligibly (panels 5 & 6). I wasn't referring to the various other slaps and abuses he inflicted on her before or after. But even play strangulation can pose real, serious risks of accidental death and, under the circumstances and given @Tokyo Rose's description of the trigger conditions, I have to wonder whether it would have triggered Libertatem had Kali been present at the time.
{edit} In the case that she is freed when "Decimus attacks Acantha with deadly force ('force that a person uses causing, or that a person knows or should know would create a substantial risk of causing, death or serious bodily harm or injury)'"; I'm surprised that she didn't act at this point (it was only the quick action of Arianna that Acantha was saved -- Decimus was aiming for Acantha).
I dunno. I think Kali has ample reason to not give a shit about the future right now. She's been long enslaved and frustrated in her desire to end her situation - frustrated to the very last shred of sanity. Also at least three of her 'sisters' have already died in this mess. Triggering the contingencies deliberately and watching New Rome and HERSELF get wiped off the map might be an attractive option from her point of view.
I think that is Douchimus, Morituri. The shadow on the wall looks too big for Lynn. Plus that would have been about where Acantha and Douchimus met. He hasn't tried to move that I've seen.
The hair on the front of the head is pointing down. Decimus' does not, but Lynn's does. It's her shadow, so probably her hand. She's grabbing the wrong end, however. Rather disappointing, considering that its use was just demonstrated to her.
How is it possible that after getting shot the way he did that he's still standing and talking? Why isn't he on the ground, too? Was the gun all flash and no serious action?
I'm very surprised that he's still standing. A laser or other direct energy weapon capable of melting through metal at the speed we saw is going to boil the water in flesh as a mere afterthought. And then the steam pushes between organs, scalds them, and ruptures membranes. The margin of error on getting through the armor and not making a steamy mess of the flesh behind it is tiny. A plasma ball is going to do the same, plus maybe push the molten metal ahead of it, and linger next to the same matter long enough to do more than merely boil it out of the way - enjoy your internal thermal explosion. From the lack of slag on the outside of his uniform...it must've gone in. (Or been vaporized, but if it was vaporizing metal, the weapon's effects on flesh would've been over the top. Plus the metal gas would've left a noticeable mark on whatever it touched, and it would've expanded fast enough to touch both of them.) That should've boiled his insides explosively, right? How is he still standing? Did it cauterize enough that his body won't realize his doom until the destroyed organs' absence causes their respective difficulties? Is he rocking cybernetics?
tl;dr What kind of energy weapon did Aeneas make, that it cleanly punches through armor but doesn't wreck steamy vengeance upon internal organs?
Actually I'd kind of have to disagree. Death is quick and easy it's the act of dying that is a pain in the butt.
Crucifixion; Rome/Europe, Hanging in a cage; Europe/ Middle east, Death by a thousand cuts; Asia, Staking out over anthills, Wrapping in green rawhides and left in the sun; American Indians. Yes, man has spent much time figuring out the most interesting ways to end a life.
Thinking about it giving someone chemo treatments would be a good way to achieve a long painful death sentence.
True, that is indeed an important distinction.
Kinda like how Jeremy Clarkson said "Speed doesn't kill, suddenly becoming stationary, that's what gets you."
It is possible Kali already knows how to bypass his fail-safes.... after all someone had to set them up and he is not tech savvy enough to have been the one to do it.
There's knowing how to disarm the failsafe X ("You login as 'Imperator', enter the password, and select 'Disable' from the menu"), and knowing how to disarm the failsafe ("The password is "LiviusFastDieYoung".) {Note: He's already checked off the box for "Leave a good looking corpse." ^_^}
Wait... Acantha died... just like that, no big build-up of tension, or anything. This can't be the end, not for loved Named characters.
On the other hand, no problem with contingencies now. Though Decimus trusts nobody, I expect he trusted Kali enough to let her arrange all of them (but one ;).
\
So, as an existential question, if a comment is posted way down here, does anyone see it? I guess commenting systems might have a point of diminishing returns, but I can't know for sure, as I only get few comments on my series. I still love to see all the activity here. It is cool.
This is one of the best comment boards on the web, Nef. I always read all the comments, and reply to a lot of them. It really has that feel like I was at a table playing an RPG with friends.
as a side tip, if you bring tuna, Sheela won't chew you slippers....
Yep we see all the comments. Lately almost anything but the most cursory comment from us might contain spoilers. but yes every single comment is enjoyed and read!
Hey, Nef - just adding one more to your "I read Nef's comment and replied" list. :P
I do think it is difficult to know when someone replies, though. I guess you just have to check up on it. (unless ComicFury has some setting I don't know about to watch it for you)
When you find a community like you find here at DataChasers and at LunaStar which is the finished "Prequel", which is most of the regulars from DataChasers as well, you find an intelligent, erudite, funny and welcoming community.
There are people from all over the world reading this little corner of the Innerwebs. And they see things from different perspectives. All those differing points of view, make for very good discussions.
I suspect Kali is preparing to disembowel his royal douchbaggness, beginning from below, in as traumatically and slowly a enough that he realizes what is happening.
*rash stands of camera with a view cam and two icey cold beers. He hands them both to tedee and with a grin says drink every time you hear a deci bone break!*
As Cent is distracted and is in a bit of a Mood (has to reshoot several panels), I'm taking it upon myself to correct this misstatement.
The wound that Decimus took IS FATAL. That shot didn't just tear up skin and muscle; a lot of the energy was expended in getting through his armor, which is why his torso didn't erupt in a steam explosion, but he has burn damage to his heart that worsens with every beat.
Barring prompt medical intervention, Decimus and Acantha have just killed each other.
(We have made no secret of the fact that while we do our best to keep things as "realistic" as possible, we will deviate for the sake of the story. We haven't written out specs for Aeneas's gun; it could be powered by rainbow glitter and operate by shooting tiny quantum unicorns into the target. This story is science fiction, and emphasis may just have to go on the "fiction" part of it in this case. If necessary, he's still standing because the story's holding him upright.)
OMG, flashback to my childhood. I had every He-Man and She-Ra toy on the face of the planet. I had all three castle playsets. (Being the youngest and arguably least obnoxious of my generation in the family, I made out like a bandit on Christmas and birthday.)
It also makes me wish that @Centcomm had slipped a small action figure into the tube with Rose for "Rose's Reveal". ^_^ A stuffed animal would not quite be as good, but it would serve if required.
As Decimus stands there, he suffers from his wounds, his weakness, and the growing realization of what he has done. His heart beats.
He orders Kali to undo his mistakes and remedy his excesses. She refuses. He rages. His heart beats faster, the damage grows.
He demands she serve him, as she has been built to do. As she has always done. As the very nature of her being demands. She watches him coolly and denies him. His rage swells. His heart beats faster. The damage grows.
"Kali! I am the Imperator! You will serve me!"
"No."
And people want to break bones and remove limbs. Amateurs!
We are all savages behind the mask and there is something infinitely satisfying in doing actual physical damage on people, places and things we don't like.
But yes you're way works too. Actually given the last scene, I can see where the thought of her kissing him tenderly and/or, even romantically comes from.
Also people always seem to have a LOT of blood to bleed. the Human body contains 1.5 gallons of blood
According to the American College of Surgeons’ Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS), hemorrhaging can be divided into four classifications of severity. The first class is the least severe, concerning a hemorrhage equal to or lesser than 15 percent of the body’s total blood volume. For reference, when a person donates blood, about eight to 10 percent of the body’s blood is removed. There are generally no symptoms of blood loss at this point, though some may feel slightly faint.
A Class 2 hemorrhage is a loss of 15 to 30 percent of blood volume. This is where symptoms of blood loss begin to manifest. “The body tries to compensate at this point with, among other things, a faster heartbeat to speed oxygen to tissues,” Alton said. “The patient will feel weak, appear pale, and skin will be cool.”
The next level of blood loss occurs with the Class 3 hemorrhage, which references loss of 30 to 40 percent of total blood volume. This could be around 3 to 4 pints of blood, for those keeping track. Blood transfusion is usually necessary with a hemorrhage of this magnitude, according to Alton.
“At this point, the heart will be beating very quickly and is straining to get enough oxygen to tissues,” he said. “Blood pressure drops. Smaller blood vessels are constricting to keep the body core circulation going.”
The final classification of hemorrhaging, Class 4, occurs when a person loses over 40 percent of their blood volume. A hemorrhage so severe requires immediate and major resuscitative help, or else the strain on the body’s circulatory system will be too great to survive. The heart will no longer be able to maintain blood pressure and circulation, Alton said, so organs will fail and the patient will slip into a comatose state preceding death.
This condition is called hypovolemic shock, and the prognosis depends on many factors, including the amount of blood lost, the rate at which a patient is losing it, and the illness or injury underlying the blood loss.
As a tactical move it might be a good way to prevent him from giving inconvenient orders, either to Kali if this liberation is a one-time thing, or to other cassians who might get in her way if it's not.
As a side benefit it would shut him the hell up. As another side benefit, it would hurt. A lot.
DOOOO IIIIITTTTTT!!!!!!
(While you're at it, make him give up the codes that will stop the contingencies! lots of good folk will appreciate that!)
She will kiss him, deeply and passionately, make some joke about how the meatbag got what she deserved, and then marry him and have 3 brats (adopted, ofcourse) - And they will live happilty ever after ! :D
Kali: "I'll give you a choice, boy. You can tell me how to disable all three contingencies, and after I've done so I will give you a quick death, or...
you can refuse, and I will make you tell me. then after I've disabled them, you will beg me for death, and I won't give it to you. what shall it be?"
Edit: I'm a firm believer in "The punishment should fit the crime".
{edit} Imagine how he would feel when the guard comes up to him and says, "Prisoner, this is Sewage Repair Specialist Ceci 2. You are assigned to help her clear a blocked pipe in Yellow Sector today."
Then Ceci the 2nd says, "Oh, I can see that we are going to have so much fun. Do you like Lost in Translation? I think that it was Tanya who..."
The Boats or made a slave and going 'to the pain'. What to choose, what to choose...
How can people mistake Tanya for Goldie ?
It was clearly Goldie who did the .....
Hmmm I wonder how she's gonna do it....
Okay! I can work with this.
All the yes!
Or Paul Rubens in the "Buffy" film: "Kill him. A lot."
We *must* be able to revive her, for the good of Nova Roma and New Troy! How else will Lynn's kids be able to play with Auntie Acantha?
Of course 'life/death' has ceased to be a binary concept even with today's medicine. Medical ethicists used to wrangle with whether death was the cessation of breath, then came resuscitation and respirators. Then it was the cessation of cardiac activity, followed by adrenaline injections, defibrillators, and heart/lung machines. Then it was cessation of brain activity -- by which standards Acantha probably has a few more seconds, even if she has bled out completely -- and who knows what the medicine of DataChasers has developed to answer that? So, seeing it more as a process, than a state, who knows at what point along the continuum Libertatem gets triggered?
... a tissue.
You would think that someone who knows how to make a speech and hold a room would take the time to wipe her face before proceeding to read Decimus the Riot Act. Even if just a quick swipe with her hand, to foster the illusion of invulnerability.
The blood of others can often be a useful thing when trying to intimidate an audience. Your own ... niot so much. At least in my opinion.
Acantha: ...Having deposed and executed the tyrant, Kali was blown to pieces while defending us from a praetorian heavy weapons squad. I was pretty out of it at the time, but there wasn't much of her left, and it was probably lost in the rubble.
Reporter: I see. I'm sure she will continue to haunt the nightmares of Nova Roma's children, and adults, for many years to come. ... And... when will you be returning to your duties as princess?
Acantha: Probably in time to step down formally as princess and declare the re-establishment of the republic. ...Are there many more questions? I am rather tired. ...Bovi, would you get me another glass of water?
Reporter: ...That would be my last question: while the palace has kept many secrets, I think we would have noticed such a distinctive buxom blonde... with horns. Is your attendant-
Acantha: Bovi was a gift from the allied city states that removed the tyrant and restored Aeneas. She is an android, yes. Show him your tail, Bovi.
Kali: *lifts her long skirt, shows off her bovine tail* *hands Acantha her glass of water, begins rearranging her pillows*
Reporter: Ah, thank you, ipsima. With your leave... *withdraws*
Kali: How long am I going to have to keep this up?
Acantha: I would give it a century, at least.
Kali: *sigh* *looks down at her breasts* I'm sure I didn't need this much misdirection...
>:=)>
Pretty funny. :)
Everyone climb aboard the Hate-your-son, Topeka, & Santa Fe Express! There we will rail against a cruel reality, and work to make it crueler. After which we can go to the donut shop for crullers. ^_^
He thought he was on top of his game, but now Prince Decimus is squarely behind the Hate ball.
"All you need is hate (Bum buh dadada)
All you need is hate (Bum Buh dadada)
All you need is hate, hate,
Hate is all you need"
(I hear John Lennon turning over in his grave for that)
I can, however, say that Valerius's modification frees Kali to act as she sees fit if Decimus attacks Acantha with deadly force ("force that a person uses causing, or that a person knows or should know would create a substantial risk of causing, death or serious bodily harm or injury", essentially). Him slapping Acantha or shoving her around wouldn't trigger it, but the use of a weapon, hands on the throat as if to strangle, or targeted blows to the head or other high-risk vulnerable locations would count.
Burying a knife in her chest certainly counts.
Whether or not Acantha's vitals have ceased is irrelevant to Kali; Decimus's act was sufficient to free her. (Also, Acantha apparently has a knife in her heart. Kali has no reason to believe Acantha could survive this.)
I don't think Acantha is dead. I've seen enough times stab wounds were if the blade is still in place tends to slow bleeding greatly. I remember seeing a er show once where a patient had a blade directly in the heart and the patient arrived with the blade still there and they managed to save the life. Her going straight down may be the thing that may save her long enough for medical attention. Also where the blade seems to be would be a spot where the major organ is a lung, yes the aorta is close but still hopefully just out of range.
As for Kali, as she know about the fail-safes on him I expect her to hurt him and paralyze him without killing.
Just me thoughts..
I wonder to what extent hearsay applies. if Lynn had defied the Prince and told Kali that she saw Decimus strangling Acantha, wonder what would have happened?
After all, there may be time.
{edit} In the case that she is freed when "Decimus attacks Acantha with deadly force ('force that a person uses causing, or that a person knows or should know would create a substantial risk of causing, death or serious bodily harm or injury)'"; I'm surprised that she didn't act at this point (it was only the quick action of Arianna that Acantha was saved -- Decimus was aiming for Acantha).
A followup;
"you poor boy.. i know how much you loved your sister.. you must be hurting right now. come give nursie a hug"
We can all be sure the devilish duo will not do the expected.
Sometimes it's a drawnout, bloody process with much pain involved.
tl;dr What kind of energy weapon did Aeneas make, that it cleanly punches through armor but doesn't wreck steamy vengeance upon internal organs?
Crucifixion; Rome/Europe, Hanging in a cage; Europe/ Middle east, Death by a thousand cuts; Asia, Staking out over anthills, Wrapping in green rawhides and left in the sun; American Indians. Yes, man has spent much time figuring out the most interesting ways to end a life.
Thinking about it giving someone chemo treatments would be a good way to achieve a long painful death sentence.
Kinda like how Jeremy Clarkson said "Speed doesn't kill, suddenly becoming stationary, that's what gets you."
On the other hand, no problem with contingencies now. Though Decimus trusts nobody, I expect he trusted Kali enough to let her arrange all of them (but one ;).
So, as an existential question, if a comment is posted way down here, does anyone see it? I guess commenting systems might have a point of diminishing returns, but I can't know for sure, as I only get few comments on my series. I still love to see all the activity here. It is cool.
as a side tip, if you bring tuna, Sheela won't chew you slippers....
I don't have tuna, but I paid for College by tuning pianos, so you can guess the line I've heard a million times...
I do think it is difficult to know when someone replies, though. I guess you just have to check up on it. (unless ComicFury has some setting I don't know about to watch it for you)
There is none! >:(
There are people from all over the world reading this little corner of the Innerwebs. And they see things from different perspectives. All those differing points of view, make for very good discussions.
The wound that Decimus took IS FATAL. That shot didn't just tear up skin and muscle; a lot of the energy was expended in getting through his armor, which is why his torso didn't erupt in a steam explosion, but he has burn damage to his heart that worsens with every beat.
Barring prompt medical intervention, Decimus and Acantha have just killed each other.
(We have made no secret of the fact that while we do our best to keep things as "realistic" as possible, we will deviate for the sake of the story. We haven't written out specs for Aeneas's gun; it could be powered by rainbow glitter and operate by shooting tiny quantum unicorns into the target. This story is science fiction, and emphasis may just have to go on the "fiction" part of it in this case. If necessary, he's still standing because the story's holding him upright.)
As Decimus stands there, he suffers from his wounds, his weakness, and the growing realization of what he has done. His heart beats.
He orders Kali to undo his mistakes and remedy his excesses. She refuses. He rages. His heart beats faster, the damage grows.
He demands she serve him, as she has been built to do. As she has always done. As the very nature of her being demands. She watches him coolly and denies him. His rage swells. His heart beats faster. The damage grows.
"Kali! I am the Imperator! You will serve me!"
"No."
And people want to break bones and remove limbs. Amateurs!
But yes you're way works too. Actually given the last scene, I can see where the thought of her kissing him tenderly and/or, even romantically comes from.
The kissing part might have been me trying to troll people.
Didn't expect people to take it seriously.
"I do no' think it means what ju think it means." -- Inigo Montoya