Grind (part 19)
- Location
- Hampden Park
2nd November
22:44 GMT -5
Branding in progress. No resistance from unknown woman. Branding of unknown woman complete.
And Mr Wilson?
E-error error ERROR.
Make her want to help me.
Compliance. Alert! Unknown woman already wishes to help you. However, her concept of 'help' is significantly divergent from yours. Concept amended.
Thank you. Dare I ask exactly how she was planning to 'help' me?
Cult indoctrination.
Nothing serious, then. And what's that 'error' stuff?
error.
Yes, I got that. Explain the cause of the error message.
Unable to comply. If cause was know-.
You would have stated it, yes. Is there anything about him other than that black stuff that stands out as unusual?
No.
Are you able to preserve the structure of his brain?
No special impediment detected. However,-.
You can't tell what's going on, so can't be certain. Fine. Construct bio-regulator sarcophagus. Muffle sound, then use construct blades and cut through this wall.
Compliance.
Buzz saw constructs make short work of the plasterboard and corrugated steel. Another construct grabs the doorway-sized portion as it comes free and leans it up against an adjacent wall. The revealed room is illuminated by the glow of my constructs and the glowing sigil on the unknown woman's forehead as she stares beatifically at me. I didn't pay attention to it during my first look, but the stolen statue is standing in the centre of the room and…
Someone's covered it in blood.
"Good evening." I walk into the room. Full scan, please.
No further anomalies detected.
The orange sigil is struggling to form on Mr Wilson's forehead. For a moment it's complete, then it shimmers and flickers and vanishes again. Decidedly odd.
"Would you be so good as to-" And she's kneeling in supplication. "-tell me what's going on?"
"I was awaiting your arrival. Now, I wait at your pleasure."
"What have you done to Mr Wilson's brain?"
"Nothing, O Acolyte of Greed. Our Master speaks, and the dissolute who hear his words become like that."
"And those who are not dissolute?"
"We hear His truth, and are moved to serve Him."
"And how exactly are these thefts serving him?"
She raises her head slightly. "What reason would you have?"
What is she-? Oh. I nod. "Because I want it. No greater or lesser reason than that." I look at the sarcophagus holding Mr Wilson. "And if you've burned out a man's soul anyway, you may as well use him for something."
Her head dips again. "You grasp the lessons readily, Acolyte."
"Who is your master?"
"Our Master Is."
That's tremendously helpful. "Does he have a name?"
"Our Master transcends labels, rather it is we who bear labels to distinguish us from him."
"Did he..? Used to have a label I might have heard of?"
"If so, I do not know it."
"Do you know where he is at the moment?"
"No."
"Do you have a way of communicating with him?"
"His spirit moves through us. We are His hands as He is our will."
So, magic. Area effect compulsion? They feel a slight nudge to do something, not overwhelming, but enough to recognise it as him. Reasonably clever. "Why do they die?"
"Loyal in life, loyal in death."
That doesn't really… No, she's a cultist, I doubt that she's been told exactly how her master's mind control works. "How did you know I was here?"
"Your arrival was recorded on a superhero fansite. This-" She glances at Mr Wilson. "-dissolute one noted that you attended the morgue. Since your friends amongst the Justice League's sidekicks are investigating the thefts, it seemed likely enough that you would come here for me to attend in person."
"Have you been ordered to meet me?"
"No. I did it because I wanted to."
"And what did I do to deserve that honour?"
"You mastered Cain's lessons without instruction!" She's smiling, and her expression is making me uncomfortable. "Cain himself required the example of Har-Mammon to comprehend the power of greed."
Cain. Religion. Oh.
"The Dark Faith. Cain went to Har-Mammon, and the city's ruler tried to bribe him to go away. The more he gave, the more Cain wanted the rest where before he would have been happy with… What was it?"
"Water."
"But now he'd had a taste of the rest, he wanted it all." I bow my head slightly. "That parable stuck with me. Which means that you're a member of the Order of the Stone."
"You know it? You've..? Been inducted?"
"That depends what you mean." What were the lessons again? "I've deceived people who trusted me, killed people I didn't need to, stolen things that it was convenient for me to have and taught others what I've learned. All for the greater good."
"And lust?"
"Never really been a big part of my character, but my girlfriend has no complaints."
A few, actually, though not about that so long as I'm not using the rings. Hm, maybe I should consult with her about this? She's got more experience of personality cults than I do.
"You have learned much, Acolyte. But Cain teaches us to indulge at will, not control."
Alert! Neurological decay occurring!
"And it seems that the Master wants you to receive another lesson."
22:44 GMT -5
Branding in progress. No resistance from unknown woman. Branding of unknown woman complete.
And Mr Wilson?
E-error error ERROR.
Make her want to help me.
Compliance. Alert! Unknown woman already wishes to help you. However, her concept of 'help' is significantly divergent from yours. Concept amended.
Thank you. Dare I ask exactly how she was planning to 'help' me?
Cult indoctrination.
Nothing serious, then. And what's that 'error' stuff?
error.
Yes, I got that. Explain the cause of the error message.
Unable to comply. If cause was know-.
You would have stated it, yes. Is there anything about him other than that black stuff that stands out as unusual?
No.
Are you able to preserve the structure of his brain?
No special impediment detected. However,-.
You can't tell what's going on, so can't be certain. Fine. Construct bio-regulator sarcophagus. Muffle sound, then use construct blades and cut through this wall.
Compliance.
Buzz saw constructs make short work of the plasterboard and corrugated steel. Another construct grabs the doorway-sized portion as it comes free and leans it up against an adjacent wall. The revealed room is illuminated by the glow of my constructs and the glowing sigil on the unknown woman's forehead as she stares beatifically at me. I didn't pay attention to it during my first look, but the stolen statue is standing in the centre of the room and…
Someone's covered it in blood.
"Good evening." I walk into the room. Full scan, please.
No further anomalies detected.
The orange sigil is struggling to form on Mr Wilson's forehead. For a moment it's complete, then it shimmers and flickers and vanishes again. Decidedly odd.
"Would you be so good as to-" And she's kneeling in supplication. "-tell me what's going on?"
"I was awaiting your arrival. Now, I wait at your pleasure."
"What have you done to Mr Wilson's brain?"
"Nothing, O Acolyte of Greed. Our Master speaks, and the dissolute who hear his words become like that."
"And those who are not dissolute?"
"We hear His truth, and are moved to serve Him."
"And how exactly are these thefts serving him?"
She raises her head slightly. "What reason would you have?"
What is she-? Oh. I nod. "Because I want it. No greater or lesser reason than that." I look at the sarcophagus holding Mr Wilson. "And if you've burned out a man's soul anyway, you may as well use him for something."
Her head dips again. "You grasp the lessons readily, Acolyte."
"Who is your master?"
"Our Master Is."
That's tremendously helpful. "Does he have a name?"
"Our Master transcends labels, rather it is we who bear labels to distinguish us from him."
"Did he..? Used to have a label I might have heard of?"
"If so, I do not know it."
"Do you know where he is at the moment?"
"No."
"Do you have a way of communicating with him?"
"His spirit moves through us. We are His hands as He is our will."
So, magic. Area effect compulsion? They feel a slight nudge to do something, not overwhelming, but enough to recognise it as him. Reasonably clever. "Why do they die?"
"Loyal in life, loyal in death."
That doesn't really… No, she's a cultist, I doubt that she's been told exactly how her master's mind control works. "How did you know I was here?"
"Your arrival was recorded on a superhero fansite. This-" She glances at Mr Wilson. "-dissolute one noted that you attended the morgue. Since your friends amongst the Justice League's sidekicks are investigating the thefts, it seemed likely enough that you would come here for me to attend in person."
"Have you been ordered to meet me?"
"No. I did it because I wanted to."
"And what did I do to deserve that honour?"
"You mastered Cain's lessons without instruction!" She's smiling, and her expression is making me uncomfortable. "Cain himself required the example of Har-Mammon to comprehend the power of greed."
Cain. Religion. Oh.
"The Dark Faith. Cain went to Har-Mammon, and the city's ruler tried to bribe him to go away. The more he gave, the more Cain wanted the rest where before he would have been happy with… What was it?"
"Water."
"But now he'd had a taste of the rest, he wanted it all." I bow my head slightly. "That parable stuck with me. Which means that you're a member of the Order of the Stone."
"You know it? You've..? Been inducted?"
"That depends what you mean." What were the lessons again? "I've deceived people who trusted me, killed people I didn't need to, stolen things that it was convenient for me to have and taught others what I've learned. All for the greater good."
"And lust?"
"Never really been a big part of my character, but my girlfriend has no complaints."
A few, actually, though not about that so long as I'm not using the rings. Hm, maybe I should consult with her about this? She's got more experience of personality cults than I do.
"You have learned much, Acolyte. But Cain teaches us to indulge at will, not control."
Alert! Neurological decay occurring!
"And it seems that the Master wants you to receive another lesson."
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