Part 46: Destroy Everything!

Part 43: Destroy Everything!!!

Okay… that was one of the scariest goddamn things I've ever seen and I've had electric Super-Russians beat the shit out of me. First order of business: get our fleet to blow the hell out of Portugal and make sure there aren't any more of those things in there.

I examined the head…its programming base is different from what I'm used to but the circuitry's architecture is familiar. This is my design. Someone in the future used my research to reproduce human consciousness on a micro scale and applied it to recently-dead humans. Put that in a human-sized robot, give it artificial flesh, and you've got a Snatcher… Rrrr… so this is how Einstein felt when he said "better I had become a watchmaker."

Just because it can be used for evil doesn't mean the research is bad in itself! It's always easier to make something a weapon than a positive tool.

Of course, but…

You think you've got it bad, that's the second monster we've fought who says I'm responsible for them. I don't know what the hell I'm doing anymore…



Maybe another comic book will cheer you up!

What's it called?

Weird War Tales! This issue's about robot soldiers who---ohhh, y'know what, never mind, this may not cheer you up after all…



Braga is going down! Yarrrr! Take their booty!

Look, Crab, just because we're on a pirate ship doesn't mean you need to talk like a pirate!

Yes it does! And call me Captain Nobeard!



We just got about 2000 units of salvage from that city, wow! Our main command center is really sweet now, and it won't be long before our Fulton Recovery System is fully in play! Then we'll be able to recruit anyone, anywhere!

That's good, because without on-site recruitment it's going to be really hard to wage war on distant continents. *sigh* We find any more of those robo-freaks in Braga?

We found…one? Huh. Maybe there weren't as many Snatchers as Maria said. Without sophisticated technological infrastructure it was probably hard for them to make more of themselves.



Enough! I can't stand this any more! My beautiful kingdom, reduced to ruins by that…that monster!



Great, we've rediscovered pollution.



Die, terrorist scumbags! At least we never need to feel bad about taking on these guys!



Hi, I'm Robert Goddard, the inventor of the liquid-fueled rocket! Want me to help you build anything?

Oooh, I could use your help on a secret project or two! Thanks!



We're going to town on Lisbon! Looks like the Snatchers must have been hoarding technology because aside from some rifles and cannons, which we already took out, the rest of the troops are pretty poorly-equipped.



And it is, it is, a glorious theeeng, to be the Pirate Queen! …nah, that doesn't quite work.



Whoah, dunno if it's related to the robots but we found a bunch of kidnapped guys from Quebec here!

Make sure to run 'em under a metal detector first.

Okay. What if one of them complains about a violation of civil rights?

Then do it anyway! Killer robots from the future are kind of a bigger deal than waiting for search warrants! Gah, I'm turning into such a fascist…



Wow, the Portuguese Snatchers were loaded, I can upgrade Mother Base in one shot with all this junk! The Fulton Recovery System is online, and none too soon! Now we need a modern Sick Bay, something that'll reduce fatalities back home and promote our growth. I can use parts from their skin-growing hospital to help with that!

Now comes the part I've been dreading…we'll have to ask other nations to let us inspect 'em…or else.



*shudder*

What is it?

I need to have my troops barge into your country and, uh, basically take everything over for a while to make sure horrible killer machines wearing the flesh of men haven't infiltrated your lands.

Ha! HA HA HA!

Is that a yes or a no?

No one enters Wallachia and lives. Feel free to attack me if you want. If you can!

Ugh, I don't have time for this!



Pride feeds their blackened hearts.
And the thirst must be quenched to fuel hypocrisy
Cleansing flames is the only way to repent.
Renounce what made you
Words that kill
Would you speak them to me?
With your breath so still,
It makes me believe
The Sins never die.
Can't wash this blood off our hands.
Let the world fear us all.
It's just means to an end.
Our salvation lies in the Father's sins.
Beyond the truth,
Let me suffer now.
In my heart I just know that there's no way to light up the dark in his eyes.

…you're really not cheering me up, Leopard.



Alright, you idiots, scientific theory is about testing your basic assumptions…about everything. Don't pretend you know all the answers, because you don't. Not even I do. It's all about assuming you're a moron and working your way up from there.

You could try to sugar-coat it…



Greetings, Big Boss. I am Sargon of Akkad. I have come to help you in your inevitable battle against Babylon. My reasons are my own. Do not question them.

Uh, okay. Glad to have you on board…



The last Portuguese city is taking a beating, Boss! The Babylonians are looking for a piece of the action too. Gah, it's so weird seeing them in far-more-advanced armor and weapons than they usually had…



Should we toast it?

Nah. It's a holy city for one of the local religions. No matter how bad things get, I will not have "genocidal lunatic" applied to me. Besides…



It's got some pretty buildings in it.



Ha-ha-HAAA! I just wasted a spy trying to get into Mother Base! No matter how old or how banged-up I get, I've still got it! Woo!

Nice to see you're feeling better, EVA.

Yeah, kinda went through a mid-life crisis earlier, but now I know I'm gonna be badass even when I'm a granny!



So, he gets a letter from his dead wife, and walks down this eerie long foggy trail to a mysterious town with no inhabitants, but he finds many notes left to him…as if the inhabitants were still right there in the room with him…

Oooh, creepy! I love it!



More insurgents attacking our clients! We'll earn our pay tonight!



EVERYBODY SING SOME SEA SHANTIES!

We've got a hell of a lot of coastal cities, might as well develop some maritime culture.

Bah, I'll show you sea shanties. I'm from Japan, we are maritime culture.



I am Copernicus the Stargazer! I will help you unravel the mysteries of the universe by looking at the sky!

Okay. How's it look?

…Hmm. The sky's a bit hazy. I'll try again later.



Just did some more on-site recruitment of these barbarians attacking Cape Town! We'll have a pretty good army built up if this keeps up!



*sigh* Alfred Nobel, I totally understand how you feel now… Wonder if they'll ever make an Emmerich Prize…



Well, one good thing has come out of all this mess. We've done such a good job protecting the independent states that they're throwing their weight behind us politically. Now, there's just one thing to do…



Brrr… Vlad, are you going to let us in your country or not?

NOBODY enters my country!

Just thought I'd ask.



I hope I know what I'm doing… ATTACK!

To Be Continued!