Saturday November 2nd 1985 (contd.)
We are flying to Antarctica to confront Veidt on Pyramid Deliveries and other things that are connected. Archie's getting frostier. We have been over the continent for the past couple of hours. Archie has a deck of cards but there are only so many times you can play with cards before you ultimately get bored. Plane rides are the same way but with this situation the air couldn't be anymore tense. People's lives are at stake Jon left us to fend for ourselves in the seemingly coming war.
"How Much further, said we were over Antarctica hours ago" Rorschach asks Nite Owl.
"Veidt's fortress is nearby, along the coastline...you feel that kicking in the engine like its about to seize"? He flips a couple of switches "Bet its ice"
"Too low headed towards cliffs" Rorschach points ahead. Dan Pulls up on the throttle and we make it over a chasm before crashing on top of the ridge.
"Everyone okay" we all inform him of our safety.
"How bad is damage to ship"?
"Nothing I couldn't fix given a few hours, it would be faster to take the hover bikes"
"Always prepared, right Dan" I say as I help Laurie up.
" I also have some snow suits"
"Laurie and I will take two" I catch the war fur suits and put one on as Laurie dawns her's as well. We step out of the ship into the frozen tundra and hop on the bikes. We float to our seeming final destination through the baron snow and ice.
We stop for a few minutes to unlock our bones and prepare for the seeming fight to come. "We have to take the direct approach we can't wait for darkness and we have no cover" Dan thinks out loud.
"We are approaching heart of darkness if Veidt has planned all of this"
"Why would Adrian want to destroy the world, it doesn't add up"
"Well we can think about it all day and freeze our asses of or we can go in and ask him and any type of warmth is looking pretty good right now" I speak up.
"Hurm" We all get back on the hover bikes and head closer to Veidt.
We come across a botanical garden dome of some kind it doesn't matter every plant is frozen over, our way is blocked by a metal door. Dan burst open the lock mechanism allowing us entry to his retreat. We look around nothing is out of the ordinary for a place in the middle of Antarctica. We open some door that leads to an opening a lot of money went into this room. We sneak up the stairs not wanting to alert Veidt to out entering.
The blonde is eating on a plate of gold, and cutting his food with ...goldware or golden silverware I don't know. Rorschach approaches from behind and gets his sleeve stabbed to the table. Nite Owl approaches Veidt with a laser. I pull Laurie back from the fight and mouth "wait" Dan gets a gold cover to the nose ans starts to bleed. Veidt breaks the laser with a stomp. I choose to run inside and try for a punch for my efforts I get tossed onto the able which buckles the tables supports sending me for a tumble. Silk Spectre jumps in with a kick and is caught by her leg and tossed into a kneeling Nite Owl.
"Now, what can I do for all of you"? We all slowly get to our feet.
"You know were here about Pyramid which is behind everything and your behind Pyramid" Nite Owl wipes his nose. "What are you trying to do Adrian"?
"I'm trying to improve the world" he picks up a chalice of wine "Like when I started out, I tried to stop crime by fighting crime syndicates" he turned back to us "By my second case I knew it was the wrong way, I investigated Hooded Justice's disappearance The Comedian was sent out by the government to unearth the mystery he reported failure to find anything"
"We despised each other Blake and I, he attacked me 'mistaking' me for a criminal, he won in the sort term, I don't know what happened to Hooded Justice did The Comedian kill him, I can prove nothing" I met him again in 1960 I avoided him and spoke with Jon but always kept my eye on Blake" Veidt picked up a picture. "Did you know Blake was in Dallas the same day Kennedy died 'minding' Nixon"
Rorschach was behind Veidt with a fork "Ever read Kennedy's intend speech? ' We in this country, in this generation, are by destiny, rather than choice, the watchmen on the walls of world freedom'" Veidt blocked the fork with the picture. "I continued adventuring though it felt hollow, helpless against forces I didn't anticipate" He pulled down on Rorschach's mask "The Comedian explained something to me back at the Crimebusters meeting in '66, the nuclear war looming over us, it opened my eyes" He punched Rorschach down "That's when it hit me, the Earth might die but what could I do"? I made a grab for his leg he elbowed me in the shoulder then struck my nose with his palm.
"An arms race between East and West, both sides realizing the suicidal risk of nuclear war but wouldn't stop unless someone had more than them" He walked down the stairs we initially came up. "Conflict would be inevitable, my plan needed preparation" All of us followed the monologing man. " had to do things at the right time, calculating loss from war, nothing would remain" He moved in front of a wall of television monitors "Jon was too powerful and unpredictable thus he needed to be removed so I hired his past associates-"
"...and gave them cancer" Nite owl spoke
"Yes, all cultivated as weapons against Jon, I researched teleportation and genetics" He stroked his strange colored cat. "Why make electric cars if we could teleport, my research was vital like my island that I purchased in 1970" He once again turned to us "I quit with sympathy two years before the Keene Act to focus on my plan, to trick and frighten the world to salvation with history's greatest practical joke" He made his hand a fist "The Comedian found out about my plan, and well I couldn't allow him to spoil my joke"
"Blake's murder, you confess"? Rorschach pointed a finger at Veidt
"Confession implies penitence, I merely regret his accidental involvement" Rorschach dropped his arm. "Imagine the perfect fighting man discovering a plot to put an end to war an end to fighting"
"How could genetics and teleportation end war"?
"Without help from Jon teleportation proved limited anything living died of shock or materializing in an occupied space and well... exploded" He shook his head "But that wasn't what Blake found on that island he found scientists and artists working on a monstrous life form, but he could only tell a person who wouldn't understand or else this plan would bear fruitless, it was a good idea to have Moloch's place bugged" He gestured to the screens "The plan Blake had uncovered was to scare governments into co-operation against beings from another world"
Dan laughs at the idea before silencing himself when he realizes Veidt is serious. "Blake eventually knew that the brutal world he relished in would cease to exist, after Blake came Jon who was distancing himself from the world cancer allegations made his mental state a reality" He sighs "Then Rorschach's theory of a Mask killer made it possible to push off suspicion from myself, when the assassin came to 'kill' me and I stuffed the suicide capsule in his mouth, he wouldn't talk to anyone"
"Who would believe an alien invasion, that's crazy" Dan pleaded
"I would teleport my monster into a specific location-"
"Said teleportation unworkable" Rorschach jumped in.
"It works if you want things to explode on arrival, after detonating my creatures brain would send signals to others killing half the city"
"Adrian you need help, I'm glad we got here before you did something so extreme, when where you planning on doing this"?
"Doing it, no, do you think I would plan this just to have it stopped by you, I did it thirty five minutes ago"
A tear made its way down my face at the death of half of New York. I pulled Laurie close to me and hugged her.
"Adrian I'm sorry I don't but this hoax invasion story, what are you really up to"?
"Listen to voice, he did it" Rorschach monotoned
"You wouldn't really kill half New York you couldn't"
"I could, I did" Dan slowly backs away "We coded terrible information to my monster's brain images sounds all of an alien world, people not killed will be driven insane no one will doubt this and so people will work together against a larger force"
"What about us"?
"Well" Veidt pulls out a remote from his pocket turning the screens to news channels all talking about the New York attack and an alien attack. People ending hostilities and the war. "You could tell people and people may believe you but you would be making thousands of deaths meaningless, your in checkmate"
"We really have to buy this, all we can do is make it meaningless" Laurie cried I pulled her close.
"How can humans make decisions like this were damned if we stay quiet Earth's damned if we don't" Dan's voice quivered.
"Then we have to say nothing" I say my voice echoes of the walls in the hall.
"Of course you would agree with me you saw logic long ago" Veidt smiled, I frowned.
"I'm in" Dan sighed
"Joking, of course"Rorschach starts walking away
"Rorschach wait, we have to compromise"
"No..." Rorschach opened the door with a push and let it shut behind him.
"Let me talk with him" I jog after him
"Rorschach, wait"!
"I mailed my journal to a newspaper Veidt will fall for this, truth will be heard" My face must have shown my shock. "If I am the only one who can say anything how else can I speak"
"You can't start Archie back up, you will die out here"
"Probably"
I put my fingers to head "Do you know what Veidt left out"?
"Hmm"?
"Veidt left me out of his tale, back in August 3rd 1977 I stopped by his office..."
August 3rd 1977 Veidt's office
"But crime will still exist and like The Comedian said it won't matter once the nukes kill all of us"
"Yes that is a problem if only there where a way to insure it never happened"
"I hate this...life"
"It is the life you chose"
"And how much longer must I wear this mask to save people that will go with me in a fiery death"
"God only knows... and so do I"
"What are you talking about"?
"I have a plan, that will stop the upcoming nuclear war"
"B-but how"?
"By creating an enemy to all of us"
"Go on"
"I have purchased an island not seven years ago with it I will take scientists and artists and make a monster"
"This monster people will rally against it"?
"No they will rally against what it represents, aliens"
"Enemy's from above that no one could think is man made"
"Correct"
"And how will you transfer this... monster"?
"Using Jon's power"
"He wouldn't agree to this"
"He wont be here to stop me"
"Explain"
"I will manifest his power then he will leave when he thinks he causes cancer"
"He causes cancer"?
"No but people around him are dropping like flies with cancer his ex, his best friend, and soon Moloch"
"You've done this"?
"Yes, and with your aid you can make things go so much smoother"
"Will I have to hang up my mask"?
"Well I can't have you getting arrested can I"
"...I'll do it"
"Of you agree with me you see logic" he smiled, I frowned.
November 2nd 1985
"I helped him skirt around I kept in contact with Dan and you so things wouldn't get noticed yet"
"...you-"
"Then I get a call..."
Friday October 11th 1985
"The Comedian knows of the island and our framing of Jon told he told Moloch in tears"
"Honey I'll take this call in another room" I picked up the receiver and left for the basement. "Just the Comedian"?
"Yes, I have found his name and address I think we need to pay him a visit I don't want him to spoil the joke too early now"
"Joke, it is a lot bigger than that mon ami, give me the place to meet"
I arrived downstairs where the rental car was parked and it had the blonde inside. "Does your girlfriend know your out"
"I exercise in the morning she will assume I am doing that,non"? We rode the elevator up to Edward Blake's floor. "Is this the floor"?
"Why would I take us here if it wasn't"
"Pardon, I am a bit nervous it is happening soon"
"Right" we stacked up on the door. He counted down with his fingers from three after they where all down he kicked the door in lock and all. I came from below with an uppercut to the muscled older man. He seemed surprised to see me there. Veidt came from the right and tossed him against the wall. He picked up the graying old man and thew him to the ground. I gave Blake a swift kick to the face. Veidt put Blake on his shoulders and thew The Comedian out the window.
November 2nd 1985
"At Edward Blake's Funeral I tossed in my hourglass marker, Veidt seemed a bit miffed at that"
"..." His breathing was increasing.
"I saw you at the funeral too, I had no idea it was you, speaking of yourself, you just had to investigate Blake's death, the mask killer theory was good I kept you on that path till I was time to bring you here" I pointed down. "I got another call you talked to Moloch..."
Monday October 21st 1985
"We have to put Rorschach to the side for a bit then you'll bring him back"
"What happened"?
"He found Jacobi"
"You can take care of that, I'll think on how I can get him in line with the plan"
"Jon is out of the picture at least"
"Well the 'mask killer' clearly didn't kill you, made Jon leave, and is about to get Rorschach arrested he'll be easier to lead at least"
November 2nd 1985
"People will never know the full truth, your journal will be written off as conspiracy people will believe the alien because it is what they saw themselves, not what is told to them by a vigilante that is not all there"
"Why are you telling me this"?
"Because Veidt doesn't realize that even with no war ahead there will still be crime, and you are one of the few people that won't let that happen,you can't let people destroy themselves"
"Never compromise"
"The world isn't black and white as much as you want to believe it is, Veidt might fall one day but until then wait and the shadows and do what needs to be done"
Rorschach walks up to me looks me in the eyes and shoves me aside with his shoulder and walks back inside. I let out a long breath into the air. And turn around leaving the truth in an icy waste.
December 25th 1985
I hold my younger daughters hand as Laurie and I make out way to Sally's front door. Laurie knocks twice at the door. Sally Jupiter opens the door to see us her eyes fall on a five year old girl. "Hello you two I didn't expect a visit from you two and certainly not from you, what's your name"?
Our daughter answers "Ursula"
"Like my old team member "She looks back to us "So did you come out here because of the... incident"?
"Yes and no"Laurie moves into the room "before that happened we were planning on coming here and adopting a child so were here to let you know, that we live in California now"
"My how wonderful and now I get to be a grandmother"
"Would you like to come to our home, it is Christmas after all and that's about family"
"Why not I'll get dressed, and I'll see your new place"
Ending?
