Part 14: A Light Dinner & A Dead Martian

A Light Dinner & A Dead Martian

If I can't tell these Martians apart, does that make me a racist?

"Huh. You know, I wonder if any of those guys we rescued have anything to say about anything. Put me under again Warren, but wake me up before we go-go."
"Uh, okay..."
"Whassup!?"
"Nothing new."
"Mostly just waiting on you to get our bodies back. Why are you here again?"
"Maybe I just wanted to talk to H.G. Wells, you losers!"
"You can call me Bert."
"Yeah I could, but I'm not gonna. Are you a writer yet or is causality about to go down a point to me?"
"In fact, I am a writer. A good one. I've written several articles and am now working on a book. This trip has given me some wonderful source material."
"I'll bet it's about Mars and biological weapons you fucking plagiarist."
"Ugh, don't remind me of this horrible planet. Reminds me of all the geology classes I've failed."



"It seems that your plan has failed."
"It was mostly his plan, but I guess technically we're the only ones alive to accept responsibility for it."
"I have sorrow for the passing of the brave plant who risked his life in your venture and lost."
"Shouldn't one of you human-occupying Martian types have run some tests on the air and soil before we started doing this, to make sure we wouldn't have anyone die?"
"Look, we were busy, okay?"
"Busy? With what?"
You don't need to know.
"Right then."
"You have, Steve, even so proven your dedication to our cause. I will cooperate in your schemes from this point forward."
"My schemes? All of them?"
"It might be wise to revise your offer to 'all those schemes which actually involve helping the Martians recover from a deadly plague,' Tekapesh."
"Oh you ass."
"Yes, that. We will prepare the last of us for proper composting and farewell. Thank you for returning him to us."
"The pleasure's all mine. Now I know how Dupre felt carrying that bo-"
"Oh?"
"Just muttering to myself, Steve."
"I'm still watching you, pal."
"Knowing all this, what business do you have in this Grove?"
"Well, at first I just wanted to bring you a dead guy, but now that I remember, one of your kind apparently was planning to create even better bodies than... well Lowell's body kind of sucks. I mean, admit it."
"You believe you have a plan for something better than either pods or worms?" He looks at you suspiciously. "I had heard that there were possibilities... All right. I will agree this far, and this far only. I will agree to allow you access to our Dream Machine. Consider it done. As soon as you have devised ways to free all of the humans in the Dream World from their nightmares, and they are waiting in the Hall of Dreams for the transfer, I and my plantals will constent to returning the bodies to the humans. We will then wait in the Dream World for you to prepare new bodies for us."
"Works for me."
"But I warn you, the wait had better not be long. Or we will find a way to shorten your existence. Do not doubt that we can."
"I really, really don't recommend you get into a life-shortening pissing match with me. You have no idea. I could ruin you."



"Right. Flip the switch!"
"You know, trusting me to do this seems a little unwise."
"What do you mean, Dr. Spector?"
"At this point I am, essentially, the only person capable of actually operating this device."
"She must really trust you."
"I think she just doesn't believe Warren Spector is capable of evil."
"Well, you aren't, Dr. Spector."
"..."
"...are you?"



Alright, another dream world, another set of Martian Dreams (lol I worked the title into this). Who's left to rescue?



Melies...



That must be Lowell...



Wyatt Earp seems likely...



...and a steamboat can only mean one man. With two possible names.

I'm real tired so that's all for tonight, but tune in next time for Smith's triumphant return to the Ultima series, exactly, well... I guess he always shows up at this point, somewhere.