would Erin Tarn pull the trigger on Karl Prosek?

[bathawk]

hey was looking at a pic in the RUE with Prosek and Erin Tarn facing each other down and came up with a thought

lets say loki or some cosmic being for kicks teleported Erin Tarn into the Emporers bedchambers one night, and ol' Erin has a wilk's laser pistol in her hand, or heck maybe a good old fashioned SDC .45 automatic

What would Erin Tarn do? kill Karl Prosek in his sleep? try and debate with him knowing it ultimately be futile? or try to sneak out (from inside chi-town? probably almost as futile)

If that scenario is too unlikely, imagine a scene liek froim that awful sequel (IMHO) of the dirty dozen, where they're ready to cap a german general, and hitler shows up, and Erin is the only one aorund with a decnt firearm, same question

[grandmaster z0b]

No, she's too goody goody, she would probably try to rehabilitate him by talking to him. Clearly if she didn't have a gun then Karl would strangle her with his bare hands.

[rat_bastard]

I forsee her reaching into his chest, pulling out his heart and then lowering his still living body into lava, the best part is when the heart catchs fire at the same time as prosek.

[Chuck McDaniel]

No. She would tie him down to his bed. Gag him. Then read all of her written works to him. And to finish him off she would show him pictures and vids of happy d-bee children thingies reading to human children. Then shoot him. Wicked, wicked woman!

[shadrak]

She would force him to listen to her drivel? That amounts to cruel and unusual punishment.!

[Josh Sinsapaugh]

She wouldn't pull the trigger.

She'd bore him to death with her ideaology and then talk the gun into being less violent.

~ Josh

[Aramanthus]

I agree with the majority! Erin Tarn wouldn't shoot Emperor Prosek even if she had the total advantage on him.

[bathawk]

ok so maybe she wouldn't "mist" him...and she probably wouldn't ramble on for five hours. SO what would she do? take him hostage and try and get out of chi-town alive?, hide under the bed? take pics of him and hand them out to every hackrat in the burbs with him sucking his thumb?

"having him at your mercy" dosne't necessarily mean blowing his head off

[rat_bastard]

now would Karl Prosek pull the trigger on Erin tarn? I think not...

[Mech-Viper Prime]

i see them in a lover embrace followed by a night of wild passion sex, (el magico's thoery here) with erin tarn "escaping" from chi-town.

[rat_bastard]

i see them in a lover embrace followed by a night of wild passion sex, (el magico's thoery here) with erin tarn "escaping" from chi-town.

ewww. old people sex

[Gomen_Nagai]

actually I see a octagenarian relationship going on.. She Would have sex with Joseph II, then Drive Karl to commit suicide... With her lengthy Drivel.

[Greyaxe]

She would blow him away for the good of all "humanity". She is after all the root of all evil on rifts earth and is mearly trying to subdue the population by convincing everyone to put down their arms and live in harmony.

[socom242]

No. She would tie him down to his bed. Gag him. Then read all of her written works to him. And to finish him off she would show him pictures and vids of happy d-bee children thingies reading to human children. Then shoot him. Wicked, wicked woman!

I'm kinda thinking the same thing. She'll try and do a "Clockwork Orange" on him, strapping him down and force feeding him the "wrongfulness" of his doctrine. Of course, if it's just her alone in the room without anyhelp...she may just have sex with him...Bow-Chikka-Wow-Wow!!!

[rat_bastard]

Erin tarn would do somthing exotic like fill his personal deaths head transport with venomous snakes.

[Subjugator]

Who cares if she would?

*I* would!

[bathawk]

you guys are disturbing me on soooo many different levels

[rat_bastard]

Hmm.... I think she'll probably put him in a straitjacket, gag him and leashed him to his bed post while his wife watches. After all, she is a d-bee sympathizer, and wouldn't stop Erin as long as cause no harm to Prosek.

Then she'll use toothpick to keep his eyes open. Turn on his multi-screen surveillance system with her documentaries on D-Bees. Have a popcorn with Mrs Prozek for the next few hours, wnjoying the movies and forgetting about Karl.

If that didn't work, she would preach him till he strap himself out of the jacket and pull the trigger in his ear.

Mrs Prozek will weep while sending off Erin with a souvenir of friendship......

D-d-d-d-d-duuuuude... Not right!

[rat_bastard]

Ooh... sorry to impress such soft violence into your young mind..... but I am a Chinese, historically, we are almost certainly the champions in executing tortures.

you said it, not me....

Actually I even invented one myself. You know how a ballpoint pen can be unscrewed at either end? Well, unscrew the top end, "plug the sharp end into the victims liver or heart (preferrable). Let the blood runs out slowly. The victim should be conscience for at least another half a day. Remember to execute this after you tied the person down, not before. When we say the pen is mightier than the sword, it must have meant this method of information extraction.

EWWWWWW!!!

[Nekira Sudacne]

now would Karl Prosek pull the trigger on Erin tarn? I think not...

why not? he put a million credit bounty on her head. I think he wouldn't hesitate.

[shadrak]

Well, if she is there, she is more useful alive...I can think of plenty of things I would do to her

[rat_bastard]

now would Karl Prosek pull the trigger on Erin tarn? I think not...

why not? he put a million credit bounty on her head. I think he wouldn't hesitate.

yeah but prosek puts a million creds on peoples heads all the time, he did it to this one guy for jaywalking because prosek did not like the way he wore his pants...

[cyber-yukongil v2.5]

Don't forget, she wouldn't just have Karl do deal with, but Joseph, in a leather outfit. Though its possible that the mask would be zipped so Joseph couldn't cry for help.

Though even creepier is when the first words out of Erin's mouth are:

"this is just like the last time this happened...oh well, who's got the whip?"

[Nekira Sudacne]

now would Karl Prosek pull the trigger on Erin tarn? I think not...

why not? he put a million credit bounty on her head. I think he wouldn't hesitate.

yeah but prosek puts a million creds on peoples heads all the time, he did it to this one guy for jaywalking because prosek did not like the way he wore his pants...

not really....hell, SoT book 2 lists the current top-dollar bounties that the CS has. it says pretty clearly that the only thing with a higher bounty on it than Erin Tarn is the Mobius.

Oh yea, fun note, according to that book, a vampire is worth several times more than an adult dragon

[dark brandon]

No, she wouldn't.

Not because she wouldn't like too, but because she knows it probably wouldn't solve a thing.

Karl is more than just a man. He's built an empire around an ideology. Even if she did, the backlash would be devistating to so many innocent dbees everywhere the CS has it's hands in and she wouldn't be able to knowing so many will suffer because of her.

[dark brandon]

Oh yea, fun note, according to that book, a vampire is worth several times more than an adult dragon

Almost sensable. While an adult dragon is powerful, vampires on the other hand can reproduce at an alarming rate and use humans to reproduce.

Killing a dragon would be more akin to killing a rampaging elephant, while killing a vampire would be like killing a plague before it's too late.

While I can see a vampire being worth more than a dragon, I don't think it should be several times more.

[Aramanthus]

A more comparable rate would be useful.

[Nekira Sudacne]

Oh yea, fun note, according to that book, a vampire is worth several times more than an adult dragon

Almost sensable. While an adult dragon is powerful, vampires on the other hand can reproduce at an alarming rate and use humans to reproduce.

Killing a dragon would be more akin to killing a rampaging elephant, while killing a vampire would be like killing a plague before it's too late.

While I can see a vampire being worth more than a dragon, I don't think it should be several times more.

Yea, but 100,000 per vampire? no wonder vampire hunting is so popular...

[bathawk]

well also remeber it's pretty hard to "prove" you killed a vamp what do you do? bring a bag of ashes and claim it used to be a bloodsucker?

I suppose you would have to steak the vamp and drag the spiked remains to a coalition outpost, and either take out the steak-thenquicklyrestakehimbeforehefullyrevives

OR leave him out in the sun

Don't know if vampires are more "valuble kills" but being able to prove it is definitely a challenge in itself, especialy in bulk

[Aramanthus]

You could always either decapitate one and put the head into something that keeps light out or else you could always pop the extended canines for proof. Suppose you need a whole set to collect the bounty.

[BookWyrm]

Is there any chance to see this (in)famous illo, for those who didn't pick up RUE ?

[rat_bastard]

Oh yea, fun note, according to that book, a vampire is worth several times more than an adult dragon

Almost sensable. While an adult dragon is powerful, vampires on the other hand can reproduce at an alarming rate and use humans to reproduce.

Killing a dragon would be more akin to killing a rampaging elephant, while killing a vampire would be like killing a plague before it's too late.

While I can see a vampire being worth more than a dragon, I don't think it should be several times more.

Yea, but 100,000 per vampire? no wonder vampire hunting is so popular...

the way I see it if your vamp hunting team invests in a forger and a smuggler you can stake the vamps, cut off their limbs and heads stick them in sepperate apcs and forge documents stating that they where once CS citizens or at least lived in CS towns, then you get your human smuggler to turn in the vamp heads (as proof of slain vamps) and burn both piles... that way you collect big with what really is not a huge investment.

[bathawk]

The way I see it...Part One


Erin Tarn slumped into the padded chair across from the bed, from the weight of her situation more than her tired old limbs. With a slight grinding of her jaw she checked her clock calender, 5:08 AM. How long before the old tyrant woke? what is "early" for the man who has killed millions of innocents, many of whom were his own pepole?

Her mind thought back to barely an hour before to her small motel room she was currently staying at in Char. She had barely the time to fully awaken before the man threw his cloak about her and brought her....here in a swirling glow of magical energy, the cry from Sir Thorpe justa moment too late. Then she found herself "here" in her nightgown- the stranger let her keep his cloak at least-and she barely had time to utter a sound before the stranger shoved a wilk's laser pistol in her hand and disapeared with a wink and a smile

Obviously, as a grim scowl cracked across her face, the stranger brought her here for one reason. As the weight of the pistol felt heavy in her hand she locked across the way at Karl Prosek's sleeping form. The stranger could easily do the deed himself if he wished. But that smile! apperenly he had a twisted sense of humor to put her in this situation, so it was hardly likely she could count on him to "rescue" her

...in fact, she mused looking at the gun, is this thing even have a good e-clip? it would be a sick punchline to the joke if a flag that said "zap" came from the barrell when she pulled the trigger. wait, "when"? had she already decided what she was going to do? A bitter chuckle at her situaton escaped from her as Emperor Karl Prosek, dictator of the Coalition States stired.

"Stupid old woman" she thought to herself, as she gripped to pistol tightly in her hand. "Very well, if I make the journey to meet my maker today, I might as well spit in the face of the devil as I leave".......

End part I

anyone care to see part II?

[dark brandon]

Oh yea, fun note, according to that book, a vampire is worth several times more than an adult dragon

Almost sensable. While an adult dragon is powerful, vampires on the other hand can reproduce at an alarming rate and use humans to reproduce.

Killing a dragon would be more akin to killing a rampaging elephant, while killing a vampire would be like killing a plague before it's too late.

While I can see a vampire being worth more than a dragon, I don't think it should be several times more.

Yea, but 100,000 per vampire? no wonder vampire hunting is so popular...

Well, one dragon stays one dragon. If even one vampire lives you can have a whole swarm within a month. I think the going rate is so high just for that reason, to make it popular to keep their numbers way way down.

the way I see it if your vamp hunting team invests in a forger and a smuggler you can stake the vamps, cut off their limbs and heads stick them in sepperate apcs and forge documents stating that they where once CS citizens or at least lived in CS towns, then you get your human smuggler to turn in the vamp heads (as proof of slain vamps) and burn both piles... that way you collect big with what really is not a huge investment.

As a GM, would you really make it that easy to collect 100,000 credits? I know it would never go that smoothly in my game, therefor I don't think it would go smoothly in the "game world". Properly played vamps can rip apart even experience vampire hunters.

[rat_bastard]

Oh yea, fun note, according to that book, a vampire is worth several times more than an adult dragon

Almost sensable. While an adult dragon is powerful, vampires on the other hand can reproduce at an alarming rate and use humans to reproduce.

Killing a dragon would be more akin to killing a rampaging elephant, while killing a vampire would be like killing a plague before it's too late.

While I can see a vampire being worth more than a dragon, I don't think it should be several times more.

Yea, but 100,000 per vampire? no wonder vampire hunting is so popular...

Well, one dragon stays one dragon. If even one vampire lives you can have a whole swarm within a month. I think the going rate is so high just for that reason, to make it popular to keep their numbers way way down.

the way I see it if your vamp hunting team invests in a forger and a smuggler you can stake the vamps, cut off their limbs and heads stick them in sepperate apcs and forge documents stating that they where once CS citizens or at least lived in CS towns, then you get your human smuggler to turn in the vamp heads (as proof of slain vamps) and burn both piles... that way you collect big with what really is not a huge investment.

As a GM, would you really make it that easy to collect 100,000 credits? I know it would never go that smoothly in my game, therefor I don't think it would go smoothly in the "game world". Properly played vamps can rip apart even experience vampire hunters.

OF copurse not, you would have to end up paying like 50-75% per head In bribes just to collect on the vamps, but it is a way to profit on dead vamps.

[Killer Cyborg]

Would Erin Tarn shoot Prosek?
No, of course not.
She's a thinker, not an assassin or executioner.

As Terry Prachett once said:

Shoot the dictator and prevent the war? But the dictator is merely the tip of the whole festering boil of social pus from which dictators emerge; shoot one, and they'll be another one along in a minute. Shoot him too? Why not shoot everyone and invade Poland?
In fifty years', thirty years', ten years' time the world will be very nearly back on its old course. History always has a great weight of inertia.

What would Tarn do?
Talk to him. Try to get him to see the light.

[runebeo]

Never it be wrong and she would set a bad example for her readers. Now teleport Lord Dunscon there and see.

[bathawk]

ok ok, delete "Erin Tarn"

how about sayyyy.... Lord Coake?

[Mech-Viper Prime]

i'm telling you, they would stare each other down, then attack each other, then end up in bed for old people sex


she wouldn't kill him , only because the coalition would use this as a real to make war with Lazlo.

Karl may or may no kill her, one she would be one hell of a barter chip to have.
other choices
kill erin tarn and make a martyr of her
throw her in some deep dark cell so she never will feel the sun or wind again
try to brainwash her into a coalition spy
or release her in a non-coalition area, or to coake as a way to repay coake for saving his wife. besides karl and coalition look good about this and miss tarn allies will view her a little different afterwards, a hated enemy just release from the coalition , is she a spy, a turncoat or what?

[Dead Boy]

"Stupid old woman" she thought to herself, as she gripped to pistol tightly in her hand. "Very well, if I make the journey to meet my maker today, I might as well spit in the face of the devil as I leave".......

End part I

anyone care to see part II?

No need. I can envision it for myself. Part II:

"Karl.", an elderly and yet youthful voice sounded, stirring the Emperor form his sound sleep. "Karl? Wake up."

Groggily he did so much to the protest of his weary eyes. His sleeping chambers were dimly lit to his exacting standards, allowing him to see about him should he need to get up in the night. Much to his surprise, instead of seeing the ceiling tiles above his head, Karl saw some kind of black dot. Realizing his eyes hadn't focused yet, he moved to rub the sleep out of his eyes, but couldn't. His arm moved, but only so far. Realizing his predicament his eyes found their focus fast enough.

"I'm sorry had to be this way, but I had no choice.", the elderly female voice said in the dim light.

With his focus now in crystal clarity he could see the black dot for what it was; the muzzle of a gun hovering just inches over his face. Beyond the pistol was the visage of a woman he'd see pictures of, but never met, though he always wanted to on so many levels. Looking quickly to his hands he discovered his wrists tied to the bedposts, as where his feet, ensuring he couldn't even try to fight back. With as much rage in his steel blue eyes as he had fear, Karl Prosek gazed back over the barrel of the gun into the soft brown eyes of his executioner. "I always knew one of you would get to me. Fine. Let's get this over with.", he defiantly spat in her direction.

Nervously fingering the trigger the elderly woman tried with all her might to do the deed, but ultimately couldn't. Something unseen prevented her from doing it. Her conscience maybe? Yes, that was it. Cold blooded murder, even the murder of the personification of evil such as he was still wrong. With a shaking hand she quickly lowered the gun. "No. I'd be no better than you if I did."

In defeat she sat on the bed and place the weapon by her side, it's hammer still cocked. In her heart she had the urge to sob, but reeled it back to save face in the face of her enemy.

"That's important to you, isn't it?", the despotic Emperor coolly asked from his back, his limbs taught in an X.

"Doing what's right?", Erin asked in reply, wiping the single tear that escaped clear of her cheek. "Of course it is. That's what I've always done."

"No.", Karl lightly shook his head. Clearly she didn't understand him. "Being better than others. It's important to you to be so much better than your fellow man."

"What?!?" Erin's head snapped up in surprise and outrage. "You of all people have the gull..."

"Oh please.", Karl smiled, repressing a laugh. "I've read your works. You've traveled the world just to say that you were the one that did this, did that... went where no one else could. Admit it, it gives you great joy in being able to rub that in other's faces."

"You..." Erin's earlier thoughts of wrath returned to her for just a passing instant, but passing just the same. Within moments her even temperament returned, reactivating her capacity for rational thought and speech. "What I have done is make the world a better place. If not for me countless people would still be wallowing in the filth of ignorance you've created."

"Exactly.", Karl came back, never losing his smile and adding ever so slight of a evil slant to his brow line. "YOU... made the world a better place. YOU... passed judgement on the world and deemed it unfit for your standards. And only YOU... could 'enlighten' the masses... because all others weren't up to the task."

"Why you meglomaniacal, narcissistic, despot!", Tarn raged back, coming to her feet besides the bed. "If not for you destroying libraries... outlawing books... forcing the people into a state of illiterate oblivion, none of this would have been necessary."

"Oh... really now?"

"And just what is that supposed to mean?"

The Emperor held his tongue in a pause for a moment too long, intentionally egging his captor on before he began. "When did your first book come out? 74, give or take a few years? That means you were off on your adventures and seeing parts of the world well before I had my men raid Chi-Town library and burn the rest to the ground."

"Ah ha!", Tarn pointed to the man in victory. "I knew you did it."

"And yet...", Karl continued on despite the interruption. "... that would mean you were off to be the first to explore the world well before you had the so-called reason to educate the so-called oppressed masses of the CS."

"I'm not getting your point, Karl."

"It was always about you. My curbing the literacy rate was only a convenient excuse for you to rub your adventures in the noses of those who would never live up to your unobtainable standards." The Emperor took a moment to give his adversary a moment to respond, but when she missed the window he continued on. "In a way, you should be thanking me. If not for me and my methods your works would be lost in a sea of real writers. You would have been just another obscure author of a so-so travel log. I've had the means to launch expeditions that would put your works to shame."

"Then why didn't you?", Tarn scoffed, already disregarding much of what the tyrant ruler had to say.

"A few of my advisors said I should.", Karl answered, his eyes softening in his moment of pure honesty. "They said it would be worth the expense just to out sine and get rid of you. Me? I say you're over rated. I was going to just let you slide into obscurity like the fad your works are. In fact, I think I'll refund that project fist thing in the morning ... just to show the world that not only were your works flawed and grossly slanted, but also to show everyone that you never really were all that special after all."

Erin Tarn thought about Emperor Prosek's words for a few seconds before she finally nodded her head. "You're right, Karl. I do owe you a special thank you." *BANG* With a smooth squeeze of her trigger Tarn sent a forty-five caliber bullet through the front of his forehead, giving him a gory third eye socket that sprayed her face with blood. "Thanks, Karl."

[bathawk]

Holy crap, I really am humbled here, thanks dead boy!

"My" part two would have been similar in some ways, lot more of Prosek foaming at the mouth but ultimately laughing

1.) kill the Emorer thanks to the use of magic and give folks a reson to fear not even thier bedrooms are safe from magic users

2.) not pull the trigger and parade her to the massess "oh look, she could have killed me, but your "hero" couldn't do it, now I'm going to punish you all for Tarn being weak"!

In the end Prsek would do something stupid cauing Tarn to get in a lucky shot killing him

probably finish with "part II: the discovery" after I get in tonight

but damn dude other than that last paragraph (kind of out of nowhere IMHO) really impressed with your writing

[Mech-Viper Prime]

the only problem with karl prosek killing in private and covering it up is Erin Tarn is a public enemy of the coalition so misting her and acting like nothing happened sure he know she is dead but the public willnt and erin tarn sightings will happen.

odds are he with replace with a clone or double, then get rid of the real one and have the other openly support the coalition and supporting Prosek( perhaps in time to reveal the CS d-bees soldiers)

if Tarn is killed in private then you got tarn sightings much like elvis sightings.
you kill her in public , she is a martyr.
release her unharmed with rumors she is a cs spy, she will lose support,
"its not true, then how could she escape from chi-town then if she isnt a spy"
or just replace her with a double
or brainwash her into a loyal coalition supporter, then wait a few years then kill her or have some anti-cs forces do it( i bet then be a number of people who will kill her if they think she is a turncoat )

so the likely one is erin tarn will sit in some dark cell until karl figures out what to do with her

[Nxla666]

Could she, yes, would she, not if she really believed in what she says.


Prosek, yes he could kill her in a heartbeat, but if he had even a moments time to think he would probably take her alive and imprison her, killing her would only make her words more meaningful to the masses and that would be intolerable.

[Nxla666]

If Prosek killed her, he would surely eat her to brain to gain her knowledge. Her sweet, tasty knowledge...

I see so Prosek is the demon he despises so much.

All to often what you hate the most is whats inside yourself.

[Nxla666]

If Prosek killed her, he would surely eat her to brain to gain her knowledge. Her sweet, tasty knowledge...

I see so Prosek is the demon he despises so much.

All to often what you hate the most is whats inside yourself.

I love how this proves my point that Prosek is an inhuman monster!

I never said he wasnt a "monster", just an all too human one.

[Dead Boy]

No need. I can envision it for myself. Part II:
*snip*

Wow! Very well written. Wonderful short fanfic. Except for the end; I didn't really like that part. But you did an amazing job with Prosek.

Thank you.

As for my tallent for putting words in Prosek's mouth, I have been called the unofficial CS speach writer for the Emperor on these boards before. I have a disturbing gift for seeing things from his perspective and writing CS propoganda. Just ask anyone.

In related news, I think Tarn would be a fool to shoot Karl. If he dies, who's next in line for the throne? Joseph would be worse for her than Karl.

Maybe yes maybe no. Joseph is an evil little man but, he also sees potential in the use of magic and the literacy of the masses. after all if they can all read he can get the message of earth for humans out even easier than before.

Odds are under Joseph's he would first begin with secretly recognizing and funding the Vanguard, giving them the best of both worlds. In fact I suspect JoJo would even bring in Dr. Desmond Bradford into the secret operation, asking the good doctor to help them in various special ways such as engineering them suits of bio-MDC armor and developing special minions for them. Possably a mutated and genetically disguised from of the Dog Boy for starters. For JoJo, that would probably be his opening gambit in his bid to change the CS into something more akin to his visions. But he wouldn't act too fast or hasty. Joseph would take his sweet time with his overall agenda and do it over 20 to 30 years. Any faster would make the people question their faith his suitability for leadership, seeing as how they have been raised to think in certain terms and believe specific things.

[Nxla666]

No need. I can envision it for myself. Part II:
*snip*

Wow! Very well written. Wonderful short fanfic. Except for the end; I didn't really like that part. But you did an amazing job with Prosek.

Thank you.

As for my tallent for putting words in Prosek's mouth, I have been called the unofficial CS speach writer for the Emperor on these boards before. I have a disturbing gift for seeing things from his perspective and writing CS propoganda. Just ask anyone.


quote]


Yes, yes he can.