maskormenace | 001

[The camera clicks to show a close-up of a nice shot of leather crotch, which quickly whips upwards to show a white crescent insignia on top of a gray upside down triangle. Look, he hasn't exactly needed to frame himself for a glorified skype conversation before, all right? The Authority would usually just headmail each other.

After a moment more of fidgeting, showing off some various shots of the strangers black trench coat, the camera finally makes its way up to his cowled face--a very, very unhappy cowled face.]

Look, you can all just skip the multiverse pep talk. Until yesterday I lived in the goddamn Bleed between realities, and me and four alternate versions of myself play poker every other Thursday. I'm familiar with the concept.

What I want is how exactly they brought us here. An Earth alternate too stupid to get itself out of the cold war shouldn't have the technology to snatch people from other dimensions.

[Especially without the Authority knowing about it. But he decides to keep that little piece of information to himself, because it's none of their fucking business.]

I tried asking the woman that brought me here, but she was too busy trying to explain to me what a gee golly great place America was. Give me answers and maybe I won't find trying this thing a major waste of my time.

[Goes to hang up, but stops at the last second, and adds:] Speaking of, don't tell me any of you actually bought that bullshit. There's no such thing as a free lunch, kids.

[And with that, he turns the feed off.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

And Vulcanus is?

I hate to break it to you buddy, you don't look too dead to me.

They were trying to wipe us out. They did everything they possibly could to put an end to imports, but they never quite made it.

And I know I am now. I was brought back -- I actually died twice. [ A scoff ] I had some bad luck back then.

Considering you're all here now and not there, I'd say they succeeded. Unless they're here too.

Or good luck. Most people don't come back once, let alone twice.

They're not -- so we did win out.

But you're right, I guess it could be looked at like that, but... well, it was just the way of things, back there. I try not to get into a habit of dying, it's pretty damn painful.