Part 68: Episode LXV: Billy Lee Black and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Episode LXV: Billy Lee Black and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad DayMusic: Fuse
“The 'Ethos' was that dubious an organization... What was it that I believed in...all this time?"
“Isn't that the very reason why I told you back then...that you belong with us...?”
”...Who?”
“Shh! Bart, this is Billy’s drama bomb. Leave him be.”
"You're defiled, Billy. You left the 'Ethos' and kept company with dregs who have no faith at all. And you lost sight of what it means to be defiled. I didn't expect it out of you... You who used to live only for your faith. You should have remained like us. But fear not, Billy. I shall cleanse you. You'll live within me. You will become one with me in death..." ”I always knew y’all were a buncha queers.”
”And I thought this day couldn’t get any worse...”Jessie moseys on over and laughs...
"What are you getting flustered about, boy? It was a stun bullet. He's just taking a nap. You should've been able to tell by the sound it made!” ”And by ‘stun bullet’ I mean I didn’t aim for anything vital and it wasn’t a hollow-point shot. Heh.” “Besides, these murderers are not from the 'Ethos'! Look!"
”Huh? I can’t see anything.” “Spin your camera around.” “Ah! There we go.” "Yes, that's right. They're agents of Solaris! Probably an assassination unit under Stone's command! I got word that they were exterminating all 'Ethos' members, and hurried here. But I was too late... All 'Ethos' affiliates have already been killed, except for those on some sort of salvage mission." "You claim Verlaine and his men are an assassination unit for the Bishop!? How could you even say such blasphemy!?" ”Boy, are you some kinda retarded person? He just said he was gonna kill ya. And I ain’t seen that squinty-eyed bastard torn up anywhere ‘round here. Put two and two together...”
“Our mission is to hand out judgment on fallen priests and sinners in order to make them repent." "Is that true, Verlaine? But why people from the 'Ethos'?" ”Hey, Bart. I packed a few sandwiches. Want one? I think we’re going to be here for a while...” “...Crud. Yeah, I haven’t had lunch yet. Thanks.” "The pontiff and his brethren deserve to die! They allowed greed to tempt them into abandoning their 'duties as the 'Ethos' ' to pursue world domination. They passed their own death sentences when they allowed such desires to overtake them. And that's not all. Saving orphans and refugees...that may seem like works of mercy. But the little boys and girls kept here were actually used as a means to satisfy the desires of the pontiff and bishops. Indulging in selfish desires... This is not 'conduct befitting priests'!” ”Well there’s where that creepy man-whore story came from...” *munch* “Gross.” “Such defiled have no right to speak for god. That is why we set out on this purification work. They must atone for their sins. These are the Bishop's orders!" *shakes head* "Even if that were true, we have no right to punish others! Judgment belongs to god. That is what we were taught, wasn't it!?" "God? Where does such a being exist? You should know by now how the 'Ethos' came about... It was an organization created by Solaris aeons ago solely for the purpose of managing ignorant humans. Its doctrines are just deceptions designed to control the masses. The 'Ethos' used the two sweet fruits of 'faith' and 'technology' well to skillfully manipulate global affairs and people's zeal. Thus, they manipulated the ignorant masses to repeatedly continue their pointless wars. Eventually, battle data on 'man' and 'weapons' gleaned from these wars, were sent to Solaris itself... And analyzed to aid in ruling the entire Earth. These intentionally perpetuated wars caused much psychological discord. But faith in 'god'... salvation... was used as a cushion to soften the blow. It was a well thought-out system. But the choice of managers was extremely poor. Or did you think that acting the part of a faithful servant of god would someday yield an answer from a great god somewhere? Can't you see that such a divine being just 'never existed from the beginning'? And you don't seem to realize this, but you yourself were 'passing judgment on sinners' as much as we were!" ”Welp, Elly. I think this guy has your monologue from before beaten in not being short AT ALL! Get on with it!” "I... I have been passing judgment?" "That's right. Daily you have been dirtying your hands as an accomplice..." “Are you trying to take away my ultimate pleasure, Verlaine?” "Gah-ha!!"A gunshot is heard and Bishop Stone wanders out. I told you that guy was evil...
"Bi... lly......"
*gunshot* "Ugh!" "Verlaine! Verlaine!"
"Bishop! Why Verlaine!? What in heavens are you trying to accomplish!?"
”I should have packed more sandwiches...” “Ugh. Just one look at this guy and I feel a Bond villain speech and a half creeping up...”
"The inquisitor?" "The status of bishop is merely a convenience for my activities on Earth. The 'Ethos' was created as a Solaris sub-organization and given the task of managing earth-dwellers. But over the years the 'Ethos' started to set up convenient doctrines for itself... It then went on to gather the ignorant masses, and created a god for them to believe in. Then, the 'Ethos' even went so far as to plot a separation from its creator, Solaris. So Solaris had no choice but to eliminate all those who defy our rule and raise the flag of rebellion. The ones prepared as 'eliminators' were... the Etone. Etones, 'the Atoners', the organization I established within the 'Ethos', had two purposes... On the surface their aim was to eliminate the 'Reapers' or -Wels- that run rampant on the earth. But, that's not their only purpose. Behind the scenes, we also had selected men like Verlaine... These were responsible for observing and eliminating any corrupt people who appeared in the 'Ethos'. You didn't have the chance to learn of this, since you left the 'Ethos' so early. ...Or actually, I just never told you. There was 'another role' I wanted you to perform!" "Another... role!?" "Billy. There are certain things in this world that you're happier not knowing. Even lies and deceptions can become the truth for some people of the earth. ...Particularly those not knowing the true nature of things, or how these systems of things works. In fact, the -god- and -faith- systems set up by the 'Ethos' were the truth itself, were they not?" ”Oh my GAWD! Can you just go inevitably hop in a giant robot so we can kill you already?” "Tell me! What other 'role' were you talking about? What did Verlaine mean when he spoke of 'judgment'!?" "So you want to know? But can you bear the full weight of the truth? Billy, if you can bear that weight, then I'm willing to tell you.""..."
”I will take your silence as a ‘yes’.” *sigh* “Alright. New rule! Everyone has to pack snacks for the rest of the team if we ever run into any kind of crap situation like this.” “Sounds good...” "You believed that you were saving wandering souls, didn't you...? That's why you carried out your cleansing of the 'Reapers' -Wels- from the earth, right? In fact it was all just another control system put in place by Solaris. But what's more, your 'saving' work... that very activity you believed in so much, was in reality..."Jessie finally gets fed up with Stone’s endless rambling and wanders over.
"Father!" "You haven't changed at all since then...have you, Stein!?" "Stein?" ”It is Stone, father. Have you been drinking again.” “I downed like half a flask around the corner hopin’ this jackass would shut up already so I could shoot him.” "That's a name I haven't been called for a long time... Hearing that name vividly brings back a pleasant twinge of pain to the 'scars on this body'. You know what I mean, Jesiah?" "Heh, your brain still isn't working right. Answer me! Why do you have such 'a roundabout way of doing things'!?" ”Stop being such a passive-aggressive jackass already. Goddamn.” "That's not worth wasting my breath answering... Just consider it 'my reward in life'... Of course, that includes watching your agonizing death. I could succumb to the desire to slice up your body here and now, and drag out your innards... But I can't do that now, I have a matter to attend to elsewhere. That 'duty' comes before any pleasure I could have with you here. I haven't the time to waste anymore!"
”If you got some kinda snuff boner, I’ll be happy to oblige...” *steps behind henchmen* "I can't be bothered by insignificant wretches like you. Until next time! And, as a parting gift, I'll have these men entertain you!" "Bishop Stone!" "Well then, excuse me. Oh and Billy! If you have something you wish to discuss, come see me later. I'll be waiting for you."Bishop Stone...Stein...whatever runs of...
Despite the Bishop’s guards looking like blue versions of the Emperor’s Royal Guards from Star Wars, they turn out to just be more midget hunchback assassins in battle. Ho-hum...
After the battle, Jessie and the rest pursue the rogue Goosebumps author into the next room.
I like that Jesiah does all his pointing via rifle.
We get a quick glimpse of Stein taking off in his
"The Solaris mobile Gear, Alkanshel." "A mobile Gear!? What the heck is that?" ”A Gear that moves? How the hell should I know. All I know is the pussy is running away in it.” "It may be big but it's slow to maneuver, so we'll be alright in our Gears. But its firepower is phenomenal. Against a bigger target, like a ship, BLAM! It'd be all over." "Wait a minute! That means..." "The captain and crew are in danger! They don't know anything about this!"
Look, the massacre I can look past. Using religion as a front for slave gathering is pretty shady, but meh. Mass child molesting by men of the cloth is pushing it. But now they’re going after the Captain of the Thames? This fucker is dead!
Bishop Stone Concept Sketch