Chapter 11 Text Transcript
Chapter 11
CHAPTER 11
RIGHT EYE HERALD
MHE – PAGE 309
Phineas:
But like what’s the difference between a sibling clover and regular not-sibling ones?
Ulrich:
Sibling clovers share the same mother.
Phineas:
Do plants have moms?
Ulrich:
Some do. These did.
Phineas:
You’re good to climb, right?
Ulrich:
It doesn’t seem to be negotiable.
Phineas:
Ahhh!
We’ve been down here forever!
Ok, uh
Ok hang on.
. . .
Ulrich:
What is it, why did you stop?
Phineas:
Uhhh maybe we should go look for somewhere else to
Ulrich:
Phineas you get your ass up this ladder or I’ll
Phineas:
Alright alright!
MHE – PAGE 310
Ulrich:
. . .
Is this normal for you?
Do things just start exploding any time you stay in one place for too long?
Phineas:
Hey c’mon, you can’t pin this one on me.
It’s not like WE started any fires.
. . . We didn’t, did we?
Ellie:
PHINEAS!
MHE – PAGE 311
Ellie:
Thank goodness!
I heard you were sent into the mine, I thought you’d die down there for sure!
Ulrich:
Good to see you, Ellie.
Phineas:
YOU’RE A BLAZING GUARDIAN?!
OH MY GOD
Ellie:
A fan, huh?
Phineas:
OH MY GOD
Ulrich:
A Blazing Guardian?
Phineas:
YOU DON’T KNOW?!
HOW
(HOWWW)
Ulrich:
Hör auf
Ach, wait.
MHE – PAGE 312
Ulrich:
Do you mean Star Guardian? The cartoon they used to show in the mornings?
Phineas:
You like Star Guardian Sunny??
Ulrich:
No, I saw it sometimes when I changed the channel to watch Mercy’s Mysteries.
Ellie:
Um!
Phineas:
That thing where they showed old black and white movies? Jeez did you grow up in a nursing home?
Ulrich:
I’m sorry, you see I was interested in stories with ambitions that extended beyond peddling overpriced sparkly merchandise to wide-eyed schoolchildren.
Phineas:
HOW DARE
Blazing Guardians are defenders of cosmic justice!
Warriors chosen by the Yellow Queen to keep humans safe in the eternal war between light and dark!
Good and evil!
The heavens and the earth!
Stars and their-
Stars and their shadows.
. . . The Tain?
Ellie:
(Sigh)
Phineas:
I uh. I talked with a. . . stone, down there.
There were these shadow things and it called them Tain. THE Tain.
. . . They’re different on TV.
MHE – PAGE 313
Ellie:
Yes, well.
The real Sunny is pretty different from on TV, too.
Phineas:
There’s a real Sunny. . ?
Ulrich:
(good lord)
Ellie:
They change things for a reason, to keep people safe.
Most folks aren’t even aware there ARE Blazing Guardians outside the versions you’re allowed to see. We prefer to keep it like that.
Ulrich:
So you lie to the public you claim you’re protecting?
Ellie:
We do what we have to to keep things balanced.
Usually, teams of four or five are assigned to keep an eye on problem areas.
I’m stationed here alone, and I work in reconnaissance, not combat. Whatever you saw down there is classified as a minor entity.
You have no idea what kinds of things are out there.
What happens all around you every day.
If people knew what was going on it would be chaos.
So, yes, we lie. To maintain order.
But honesty isn’t something you concern yourself with, is it?
Ulrich:
Apologies! English is my second language, your subtleties tend to elude me.
Are you suggesting something?
Phineas:
Oookay, but.
MHE – PAGE 314
Phineas:
I think I get the Tain deal, mostly.
We call it different things but commanders work with lots of the same light and dark junk you guys do. It’s all circles, still. Right?
I knew starstone was alive but I always thought it was like. . . plants, or something.
I didn’t realize. . .
It’s conscious?
Ellie:
(Sigh)
You are a pain in my ass, Phineas Kidd.
You commanders are always causing trouble for us, even if you have good intentions you make things a lot more complicated.
Your abilities interfere with our magic. You’re like bulls in dish shops.
If anyone important knew you were here I’d be in SO much trouble.
Phineas:
Aww but this is so cool! I can’t believe I’m getting to meet one of you guys – !
-!
Oh my god
Oh my god you should come travel with me
Ellie:
Oh, that’s. . . very sweet but I can’t
Phineas:
You didn’t even think about it!!
PLEEEEEASE
MHE – PAGE 315
Ellie:
Wh-
What HAPPENED down there?
Phineas:
We had to fight!
They were gonna eat Ulrich so I had to
Ellie:
You FOUGHT them?!
You CAN’T fight them!
That’s impossible!
Ulrich:
We are here are we not?
Phineas was possessed, briefly, but clearly that is no longer the case.
So would you lower your weapon, please?
Ellie:
. . .
. . . One thing at a time.
Let me catch you up.
MHE – PAGE 316
Ellie:
I just got the residents to a safe distance outside town, but I can’t do anything about the structures.
Everything above ground is going to burn.
Ulrich:
You don’t have any, ah
Special Guardian powers, you can use to put out the fire?
Ellie:
Guardians have different abilities based on our jobs. I’m just a messenger.
I’ve minimized civilian casualties, there’s not much more for me to do here.
I helped a few of Hazard’s workers who abandoned their post when things got dangerous. No one’s seen him since last night, but now that I’m in uniform I can sense him on the ship. . .
If he has no interest in saving the town or his work force, I suspect he wasn’t just here to steal stone to cut for profit. I’m. . . nervous. I don’t know what he’ll do now.
Ulrich:
Here is a question!
Why didn’t you just kill Hazard as soon as he appeared? Why let him establish himself?
Ellie:
Weren’t you listening? I’m not strong enough on my own.
Ulrich:
Why go to the trouble of playing a footman if you can’t call your outfit for backup?
That’s the whole point of joining an organization!
Ellie:
I was hoping he would just take what he wanted and – this is better than –
Ulrich:
Better than what??
MHE – PAGE 317
Ulrich:
You just said you’re a peace keeper, does this look PEACEFUL to you?
People have been terrorized! Everything is on fire!!
Phineas:
Ulrich what’s the problem?
Ulrich:
This story doesn’t make sense, she’s not telling us everything and I don’t like it.
I don’t think even half of what she’s told either of us in the last day has been any sort of truth.
If you’re going to threaten us then be unclear about your loyalties, I’d rather deal with you her now than have to watch our backs.
I’ll ask one more time. What are you hiding?
Ellie:
. . .
Phineas:
Relax, Ellie.
It’s okay.
Ellie:
The Queen –
If. . .
If the Queen’s attention is drawn here she’ll destroy this whole settlement and everyone in it.
She’ll rewrite the reality around us and crush everything out of existence. Even the memory of this place will be erased.
MHE – PAGE 318
Ellie:
Sometimes the job gets to be too much for even a whole team of Guardians, and if the Queen takes notice then she. . .
She just gets rid of the problem altogether. To keep the damage from spreading.
Ulrich:
That’s ridiculous! People would NOTICE if an entire city just disappeared!
Phineas:
Not the entire city.
Just part of it.
It already happened, didn’t it? Things went south so you picked up the middle part of the old city and moved it out here.
Or you just. . .
Changed everything outside the pieces you wanted to keep.
Crazy Old Man:
He’s been here as long as the desert, probably.
Phineas:
That big turtle, uh, Careful something. He’s all wrong for a desert. He’s green.
He looks like a jungle, he needs water.
Ulrich:
N. . . No. There’s no way –
Ellie:
Don’t you think it’s weird there are NO ROADS HERE?!
NO ROADS leading anywhere!
None that even run CLOSE to what used to be a trade city?
What about the other buildings? Why would we need to build a tower that huge for a settlement THIS SMALL?!
Do you think Hazard bothered to clear out any evidence of the city outside the mining district?
WHY
Was a town in the DESERT
BUILT OUT OF WOOD?!
MHE – PAGE 319
Ellie:
The starstone and the Tain here are minor NOW, but they were a lot stronger before.
My mom was the Guardian assigned here, originally. I was still training under her when something. . .
Something happened.
So the Queen came to fix it.
MHE – PAGE 320
CARD:
HASTUR
THE HUSHED
Ellie:
I can’t remember the Queen’s – Hastur’s, face, but I do remember how it felt to look at her.
It was like there was. . . Red, inside. Red eating. Red that hurt.
Even the sky bled.
A Traveler’s Journal: Hastur
Wow. Much text. Very exposition.
MHE – PAGE 321
Ellie:
Guardians understand we forfeit our lives when we accept the service. Mama was a good soldier. She wasn’t afraid to die.
She was afraid for me. And Dad.
I thought she panicked, for a while after.
But Mama had never acted based on fear before.
Now I think, maybe,
If she had to go,
. . .
. . !
She wanted it to be on her own terms.
MHE – PAGE 322
Ellie:
It gets. . . hazy after that. It’s like there’s a spot in my memory that keeps me from focusing on it too long.
I don’t know what Mom did, but when I woke up she was gone. The rest of the city was gone, the forest. Even their names were erased.
There was just desert.
Phineas:
Ooh, so Mama went against orders.
None of this should even still be here.
You’re afraid if you call your friends you’ll get found out and Queenie’ll come finish the job.
Gods do get kinda pissy about defiance.
Sounds like your mom was really cool.
Ellie:
This situation isn’t ideal, but I. . .
I can’t just let me and my dad, these people, be killed by the Queen after my mom got herself killed to keep it from happening.
She though our lives were worth saving, even when Hastur decided they weren’t.
The least I can do is keep those lives out of any more gods’ hands.
That’s all I wanted. I didn’t think things would get so complicated.
But that’s no excuse. I won’t let her efforts go to waste just because I can’t handle what she left me.
MHE – PAGE 323
Phineas:
(Hee! Hee!)
Good stuff! I knew I liked you.
Ulrich:
. . .
These rewrites, you’re saying they tamper with memories, too?
If one arrived after the event, would there still be effects?
Ellie:
When Hastur remakes something, her reach stretches back in our timeline, enough that any weaker consciousnesses are reformatted to match her will.
Even the starstone underground probably had its memory replaced. That’s how it usually goes. It’s. . . messy, but it cleans up after itself.
But Cold Hazard, um. . .
He’s some kind of anomaly, I think. His showing up and destroying the tower, altering the town like he did changed something.
This was already an incomplete conversion, but with him here we’re like corrupted computer data.
The story I told you about Hazard being the reason the town is so barren is what everyone thinks now, but, um.
I’m not sure how long we’ve actually been here, with Hazard, like this. Or what history we believed before.
We’re so isolated now it’s extremely rare that anyone finds us accidentally, and we’re not on any maps anymore.
Folks in town can leave and visit other places, but the nature of Hastur’s power conditions everyone, even people outside the spell, to ignore details that don’t make sense.
Ulrich:
Conditioning? You brainwash people.
Ellie:
She makes sure everyone’s placated, and things keep moving. No one notices
Ulrich:
That is heinous. That is inexcusable.
MHE – PAGE 324
Ellie:
It’s not anything, it’s just how things are. I told you you’re better off not knowing, didn’t I?
In any case. . .
Commanders are usually able to ignore Hastur’s power a little bit, since your consciousnesses aren’t completely attached to this plane.
That must be why you came expecting starstone.
Phineas:
Actually Jocasta told-
Yeah that’s it. Commanding stuff.
Ellie:
I have no idea why the hell YOU ended up here, though.
Ulrich:
I’m lucky. I am always where I should be.
Ellie:
. . . Right. Anyway.
I thought Hazard was a commander too at first, but commanders don’t get involved with Tain the way he has.
You guys never work in the dark.
And normal wizard magic shouldn’t have much effect against an elder god’s.
Not only were his memories unaffected, but just his arrival changed everyone else’s memories again.
Hastur is big and powerful enough to rewrite reality on a whim. I’ve never even heard of anything that could negate an elder god’s will.
I don’t know if. . . Are you still planning on confronting him?
Phineas:
Pff yeah!?
Just ‘cause a bunch of other dumb crap is going on doesn’t mean I have to give up on what I came for.
I am NOT leaving without a ship after all this.
And I want my coat back.
And my compass.
Plus it sounds like it would help you out some if I got rid of him.
Ellie:
Well if none of what I’ve said put you off already, I’m not going to argue.
MHE – PAGE 325
Ellie:
I’d offer to help you up to his ship, but he’s got. . . defenses, set up. It’s overkill, honestly.
Like he was expecting a fight with someone else like him, or something. I couldn’t fly close enough.
There’s the elevator but you’d still need a key to make it run, and the fire’s still burning too hot near the base to get close.
Ulrich:
(Tch -)
Ellie:
I do have some basic protection blessings that could help, but there’s too much dark energy clinging to you. It wouldn’t take.
Phineas:
What about Ulrich? He didn’t puke up any demons or anything.
Ellie:
Ulrich isn’t a suitable candidate either.
Ulrich:
I’ve never taken part in any of this spirit nonsense. Just being near those things infected me?
Ellie:
YOUR problem has nothing to do with the Tain.
Ulrich:
Oh please enlighten me
Phineas:
Are you just upset because Ulrich robbed the armadillo guy?
Ellie:
. . .
Ulrich:
What?!
Ellie:
You KNEW?
Ulrich:
YOU knew?
YOU KNEW?
Phineas:
(Hee! Hee!)
Yeah!
Since you lied about it last night. Sorry!
MHE – PAGE 326
Phineas:
Your lie wasn’t bad, I just hitched a ride with him yesterday before you and me met.
You said he got wrecked by Hazard’s guys but him and his ride were fine.
Then you got all weird at the restaurant and stole bread when you got hungry. I’m not an idiot you know, ha ha ha!
You seemed kinda keen not to talk about it so I didn’t say anything
Ellie:
You stole bread-?
You’re okay with this??
Phineas:
Well it was stuff you needed, right?
Ulrich:
M. . . metal components. Gunpowder.
Phineas:
Yeah, see? It’s fine.
He didn’t hurt the guy or muss up his coach. He didn’t even hurt the animals.
I’ve seen meaner robberies. Do what you gotta do to get where you’re goin’, right?
Ellie:
But you-!
But you can’t just-
Roy:
What about me?
Phineas:
Oh, hey.
MHE – PAGE 327
Roy:
Am I uh, pure enough for your angel magic.
Guardian. Whatever.
Whatever it is. . .
Ellie:
I was wondering where you went off to. I was worried.
Roy:
I’m sorry, you shouldn’t worry about me.
Ellie:
Don’t apologize, silly!
Of course you’ll do, come closer.
Phineas:
Oh jeez, that dude totally has a thing for Ellie.
That’s so cute!
Ulrich:
. . .
Phineas:
What’s up?
Ulrich:
I don’t know what I should say.
Phineas:
You’re making way too big a deal out of this, man. You act like you murdered somebody.
Ulrich:
That was my excuse for getting involved with this at all.
Phineas:
Oh my god I thought we did this.
You gotta start figuring out how to relax around me.
MHE – PAGE 328
Phineas:
I know it’s hard because you think I’m dumber than you. Or nicer.
I like your narcissism.
I know it’s not one little robbery that’s got you all “ooh I’m such a bad guy, you don’t even know” guilt tripping over yourself.
I get it. You have some stuff. Everybody has stuff.
I play like I don’t see it ‘cause it seems like that makes you more comfortable.
But any rough you got in your edges is fine. Rough is good.
No saint I know that’s got a heart still beating in ‘em.
Your light looks good and I want it around me. Whatever else you have going on is small change.
Ulrich:
That attitude will only get you caught up with bad sorts.
Phineas:
Doing okay so far though, yeah?
Ulrich:
. . .
I still don’t know what to say.
Phineas:
That’s fine too.
Ellie:
Alright!
We’re all set!
It’ll get a little warm, but if you stay close to Roy you’ll be okay.
Phineas:
(Hee hee!)
Ellie:
His elevator key will take you up to the top.
Ulrich:
It didn’t seem very stable at all before. Is it going to run?
MHE – PAGE 329
Ellie:
I’m. . . quite close with the artist who built the tower, the kind person I mentioned before. I’ve known him for a long time.
I didn’t know it was possible to be so devoted to a craft until I met him.
His tower’s been through two calamities and it’s still standing.
If Reuben built it, the elevator will go where it’s supposed to. Fire or not.
All yours, Roy.
I have one more thing I need to check in on.
Roy:
Please be careful, Elle.
I’ll catch up as soon as I can.
Ellie:
Good luck!
I’ll see you again before you leave.
Phineas:
Yeah!
Ellie:
Please take care.
Phineas:
. . . Well hey!
Your face is lookin’ good!
MHE – PAGE 330
Phineas:
These bunnies are cool huh!
Roy:
. . .
Phineas:
Ssso how ya holding up with this elder god stuff?
You adjusting okay still?
Ulrich:
Don’t patronize me, Phineas.
MHE – PAGE 331
Phineas:
I’m not!
Ulrich:
Actually, I’m surprised how well you’re accepting that your childhood heroes turned out to be some sort of nightmare army.
Phineas:
Eh, when she said it was a god running things I figured that’s about what the story would be.
That’s just what they’re like.
They don’t come up often but I’ve met one like Hastur before. Big and mean for no good reason.
The Guardians are different than I thought, but I think we’re kinda doing the same things.
They’re probably protecting regular folks from Hastur as much as they’re protecting them from the Tain.
I couldn’t stand it myself, but if working inside the system is the only way for someone to fight then I’d rather they did that than just sit back and take it.
Especially if there’s other people you gotta take care of. You do what you have to.
Ulrich:
. . . Yes, you do.
Phineas:
That’s why you decided to do this Hazard stuff, right? You’re totally in love with Ellie dude.
Roy:
Don’t need you to tell me that.
Other peoples’ emotions are none of your business, commander.
Phineas:
Ha ha! Yeah!
But it’s hard to ignore them when people broadcast so loud.
It was rollin’ off you in waves, like neon. I think I might love her a little.
MHE – PAGE 332
Phineas:
You ask her out yet? You already seem really close.
Roy:
Hmpf
Phineas:
Come onnn spill, it’ll pass the time.
Roy:
. . . Her girlfriend is kind of a rock star. They’ve been a thing for a long time, I’m not gonna get in the way.
They’re happy.
I wouldn’t. . . know how to be with her, anyway.
I can’t keep up, all this magic she got into scares the shit out of me. This Guardian thing. I hate it.
But I want to try and make things easier for her, if I can. If the best I can do is be somebody she can rely on, some, that’s. . .
. . .
. . .Why did I tell you all that?
Phineas:
?
Roy:
What did you do?
Phineas:
Ah, nothing! Nothing!
Don’t be so paranoid!
Ulrich:
Ah-m!
I’m curious as to why she would lie about her mother being alive.
I’d assume a Guardian would excel at deception, but we stumbled across the truth accidentally.
Roy:
(. . . sigh)
. . . Man, I couldn’t tell you.
Ulrich:
(Behave!)
Phineas:
(I’m sorry)
MHE – PAGE 333
Roy:
It might have just been nice to pretend for a little while.
Ok.
That should do it.
Phineas:
(Hee! Hee! Hee!)
You got a bunch of em now!
Me and Ulrich must have been keeping them from multiplying right.
Or maybe you have a predisposition for the ethereal.
Too bad it’s all super evil, eh?
Thanks for the help.
Roy:
. . . You dying would probably make Ellie cry.
So don’t.
Phineas:
We’re gonna try our-
MHE – PAGE 334
Ulrich:
. . . Lotus Blossoms.
How about that.
Phineas:
Look Ulrich!
Ulrich:
Oh, I. . .
Phineas:
No, I think it’s muted. Hang on.
There’s probably a thing.
Reuben:
. . . structural damage.
MHE – PAGE 335
Reuben:
But the lady is tough, she’ll still run for you just fine.
Ulrich:
An automated maintenance message. The workers must have gotten tired of it.
Reuben:
I hate to deprive you of a breathtaking forest panorama.
But if you’re seeing this, outside conditions are probably a little dangerous.
So I’m gonna keep the windows rolled up and adjust your environment to keep you comfy.
We’re gonna take it repeal slow
But we’ll get you there.
Phineas:
Holy shit
Ulrich:
Rein it in a bit, Kidd.
Reuben:
Please enjoy yourselves, sweethearts.
Phineas:
Hah! Sorry.
That guy was really cute.
Oh no, did your hearing aid get messed up?
Ulrich:
The Tain were interfering with it somehow, I haven’t had a chance to readjust it.
Phineas:
Wait, since when do you have. . .
Ah! I don’t mean-
I just can’t remember when we
Ulrich:
It’s alright.
MHE – PAGE 336
Ulrich:
You were. . . not yourself, at the time.
Phineas:
Oh yeah, Brokenspectre showed up. Was she nice?
Ulrich:
To me, she was. Not so much to anything else.
Phineas:
Ha ha! Yeah, she’s a grump.
Uh, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to , but speaking of. . . er, this kind of thing. . .
Ulrich:
No you’re right, it is a good idea to be aware of any limitations a partner might have.
I am only hard of hearing on this side.
I can manage without my earpiece, but I’ve designed it with extra functionality that more than makes up for any shortcomings.
Phineas:
That’s good!
But um
I wanted to ask about your eye.
Ulrich:
. . .
What about my eye?
Phineas:
Can you. . . Can you see okay out of the left one?
Ulrich:
Why?
Phineas:
It has-
It has a- a thing
Ulrich:
Phineas don’t do that!
MHE – PAGE 337
Ulrich:
Tell me what it looks like.
Phineas:
. . . You’re cracked, there.
Ulrich:
What, my. . . ach, blue, light? Is damaged?
Phineas:
This is more of an aura thing.
Ulrich:
Why didn’t you mention it before?
Phineas:
It would have been mean.
Ulrich:
You haven’t stopped carrying on about lights since I met you!
Phineas:
This is different though. It’s a wound. It shouldn’t be there.
Ulrich:
A wound?
A wound from wh. . .
Bel:
(Oh honey)
(Oh, sweet boy)
MHE – PAGE 338
Bel:
You’re smarter than that.
Doctor:
It will be over sooner
If you don’t struggle
Be still
Be still
Ulrich:
U-um
Phineas:
I’m sorry I won’t bring it up again I didn’t want you to get hurt in a fight because I
Ulrich:
Mmn.
S’fine.
I can see fine.
Is this something I should be concerned about?
Phineas:
Well, no, I guess?
I had some too before they scarred over. They get better!
Yours just. . . isn’t healing yet.
MHE – PAGE 339
Phineas:
Gideon says souls gather up scars too, the same as bodies.
A human is a mind, a body, and a spirit. Some stuff roughs you up enough to tear through all three.
When the energy from something emotionally charged collides with your spirit it cracks. It bleeds like a body.
The significance comes from your side, so how much you bleed is up to you.
But then you fill in the breaks with new light, hopefully better than it was before. It makes you stronger.
I think scars are cool, they mean you went places and did stuff and got out alive. I like mine!
But not everybody sees them like that, so I didn’t want to make a big deal about yours.
Ulrich:
. . . And what is the difference between mine and yours? HOw did yours begin to heal?
Phineas:
Hmm. . . I replaced them.
With
AMBITION!!
But it’s different for everyone!
You’ll have to figure out how to deal with your unfinished business yourself.
Ulrich:
Do I. . . I don’t feel the same as Hazard, do I?
Phineas:
NO.
Not at all. Not even a little bit.
MHE – PAGE 340
Ulrich:
What is he? Do you know anything that could make him easier to deal with?
Phineas:
Yeah, for starters you’re not going anywhere near him.
Ulrich:
After all this you don’t actually want my help?
Am I only a pretty thing to hang on your arm?
Phineas:
It’s not that.
You know that chill you said you felt when he was around?
Ellie said it felt like drowning. She said people would just. . . explode, kinda, they’d tear apart without him even doing anything.
I think it’s gravity, it’s a void you’re feeling.
I think he has a star in his head.
Ulrich:
A star? An. . . a literal star?
Phineas:
I’m just guessing. It. . . talked to me, I dreamt about it last night. I don’t think it likes being with Hazard.
He’s keeping it suppressed, you can’t. . . do that.
Ulrich:
. . . Your experience being what?
Phineas:
Um.
Gideon. Has a star, um, also. He, uh
He keeps it in his eye too. Except it’s. The um. His right. One.
MHE – PAGE 341
Phineas:
But it’s different!
Gideon is warm, he’s. . . not, whatever Hazard is
Ulrich:
So.
Gideon is warm, Hazard is cold,
And you’re bright.
You have one too.
That creature- er, that-
That. . . Brokenspectre, is that what stars look like?
Phineas:
That’s what mine looks like.
Gideon’s kept its own shape, he wore it like jewelry, like a gem. It was still a separate entity.
Mine is fused with me. All the way down. She latched onto my heart when we were little and we. . . grew around each other.
Hazard, and Gideon, must have been older when they. . . got, theirs.Gideon wouldn’t talk about it.
But it’s not-
Hazard’s is spoiled, somehow, it’s rotten.
They’re not the same! Gideon would never-
I would never
Ulrich:
Mausebär
Of course not.
But you need to help me understand.
MHE – PAGE 342
Ulrich:
You have. . . part of a star. Gideon has a star, the same kind as Hazard does, but Hazard is not a commander.
Phineas:
Uh-huh.
Ulrich:
This is not normal!
You three share the exact same mal-
These same stars.
If commanding is not the common thread then. . . what?
What happened? What did gideon do to all of you?
Phineas:
I don’t know about Hazard. But in my case it was just an accident.
I almost died because of someone else. Gideon saved me.
I’m either here like this or not at all. I don’t know why people keep makin’ a big deal over it.
Gideon took the worst of it, you know. He got marked up a lot worse than me.
He wouldn’t do this to someone unless he had to.
Ulrich:
. . . It does hurt, then.
Phineas:
Lots of stuff that’s good for you hurts. It doesn’t matter.
Ulrich:
It may.
MHE – PAGE 343
Ulrich:
A wound accidentally inflicted is often enough to sour a relationship.
A deliberate injury, even one well-intended, could cause irreversible bitterness.
Cold Hazard is clearly not a person concerned with morality.
But are you certain his disgust with you mentor is uncalled for?
Phineas:
There must have just been a misunderstanding somewhere.
Gideon couldn’t do this to someone and just. . . leave
Ulrich:
Look at me, Phineas.
Phineas:
I AM POSITIVE.
Ulrich:
. . . Yes! Of course, you would know better than I would.
I only want to help. It would be very inconvenient for me if he killed you.
Phineas:
(Haaah. . . )
I know, I know. Sorry. I ain’t gettin’ killed.
MHE – PAGE 344
Ulrich:
You are insisting on going alone, though.
Phineas:
Yep. If Hazard fights by changing the equilibrium of his opponents’ bodies then there’s nothing you can do.
That stuff won’t usually fly with commanders.
My body’s under my control, actively, all the time.
He shouldn’t be able to kill me like that, at least.
If I can’t resist his will then I’ll lose to him anyway.
Ulrich:
. . . That is why your weight changes. You can will your body into different states.
Phineas:
Uh-huh.
Ulrich:
And my poison didn’t work.
Phineas:
Now you’re gettin’ it.
Ulrich:
. . . That’s so cheap!
Phineas:
Yeah well I worked real hard to learn my cheap tricks, so I’m gonna use ‘em.
If you’re not really after Hazard anyway this shouldn’t even be a big deal for you, right?
You can take care of your thing while I’m busy and we’ll meet up after.
(Easy peasy!)
Ulrich:
. . .LIttle room for contingencies.
Phineas:
Ah we got all the room we need. We’ll be fine.
FIIINE
MHE – PAGE 345
Phineas:
What does mawze pair mean?
Ulrich:
Mausebär
Phineas:
Mausebӓr.
Ulrich:
It’s, ah.
I have been away from my language for a very long time. I am sure I’ve strayed from what it must be now.
It is the words for mouse and bear, mausebӓr, it is. . . a silly petname.
It’s meant to be cute, but I used to use it to tease a friend of mine. She was. . . angry.
I would call her that because she was small like a mouse and vicious like a bear. It made her smile sometimes.
The definition is different to me now. A-as I said, very silly.
Phineas:
You think I’m vicious??
Ulrich:
A-hm!
I, ah
I figured the Deutsch might shake you from your downward spiral.
I. . . said it without thinking. You must make me think of her, a bit.
Phineas:
What does she do?
MHE – PAGE 346
Ulrich:
She is a florist.
Phineas:
That doesn’t sound like an angry person job.
Ulrich:
You would be surprised.
Phineas:
Ahh look!
Let’s go!
Ulrich:
Wait, I want to see.
Phineas:
(Hmm?)
Ulrich:
. . . This doesn’t make sense. The ship crashed into the tower.
MHE – PAGE 347
Ulrich:
This looks like they grew around each other.
Phineas:
You don’t know much about starships do you?
Ulrich:
I am not convinced this is a ship.
Phineas:
Ha ha! They’re pretty cool!
CARD:
Artemis Ascending
Starship
Calculated elegance,
A silver reflection of golden days
Phineas:
Lemme show you around.