Chương 20: 20-The Irredeemable Sin

[00: 02: 11: 14. 92] [VIDEO FEED ADJUSTS TO A LONG BLACK HALLWAY LIT BY WHITE SCONCES AND BLUE VEINS] JOHN: > SQUINTS AND ADJUSTS SUNGLASSES > SUSPICIOUS Why the long hallway for a prisoner? ONARIUS: > TENSE The corruptive influence from this one is extreme, if not worse than most of the False. ELNA: > CONCERNED awkwardly So, a demon? ONARIUS: > LOOKS AWAY *muttering Worse…

> BECKONS DUO TO FOLLOW, WHO OBEY ELNA: > FRANTICALLY WALKS NEXT TO JOHN whispering John, if what you and Onarius are alluding to, then- > SHIVERS whispering That thing in the cell is not one of the "others", it is not mindless. It is something else. Something a lot worse. JOHN: I know… > GENTLY PLACES A HAND ON {my} SHOULDER I'm not afraid of it though.

ELNA: > LOOKS AWAY SLOWLY I'm not sure how Onarius kept it contained, but that thing, if it has persisted for a long time, will be more powerful than entities like me and Onarius. The only thing that could face it is Ned, or those in the Kernel Layer… JOHN: > FASTENED BREATHING WHILE CLENCHING FISTS muttering … Or me. ELNA: > SIGHING WHILE ROLLING EYES slowly John… I don't think you understand. If that is what I think it is, it is something that can warp reality to its very will.

It can easily destroy all of us and transform this place into whatever it desires. JOHN: > DEEP SIGH I realize that… And I have a feeling what "he" wants… > SMIRKS But let me tell you something, he'll probably just make this place his mansion of sin. ELNA: > SURPRISED ONARIUS: gently We are taking care of problems that cannot be solved by simple means… > SADDENED gently … Solutions that cannot be performed myself….

[VIDEO FEED SHOWS A LARGE CHAMBER WITH MULTIPLE BLUE VEINS, 4 {"mini spires"} ON EACH CORNER, AND A LARGE, BLACK WALL] ELNA: > TERRIFIED mumbling You need all that for-? > SHAKING HEAD exasperated Onarius, I don't think it's wise to bring a human to this prisoner in question! I-I mean, John isn't like us, he could get corrupted and- ONARIUS: > SLOWS PACE I took extra precautions to prevent that. And Ned himself wanted this prisoner here as he dabbled in things that are forbidden.

JOHN: > SHAKES HEAD SLOWLY I wouldn't be surprised… ONARIUS: > SHAKING WHILE BEFORE ENTRANCE OF ROOM > SLOWLY TURNS TO ELNA SHAKEN softly Elna… I want you to stay with me. Do not say a word to the prisoner, or anything until we leave. > TURNS TO JOHN WITH DISTRESS slowly … You know what he does… JOHN: > NODS WITH A SOFT SMILE softly It won't work on me… ONARIUS: > TURNS TO {me} AND KNEELS BEFORE {me} gently You'll be safe, and that I promise. I would bring you here if I didn't think you would be in grave danger.

So, try not to draw attention, understood? ELNA: > NODS SLOWLY WITH ONARIUS ONARIUS: > STANDS UP AND HEADS TO WALL > INSPECTS WALL AND LOWERS HEAD … John, come here, please. JOHN: > DOES AS TOLD, GOING NEXT TO ONARIUS ONARIUS: > PLACES HAND ON JOHN'S SHOULDER AND SIGHS slowly Whatever happens, I will ensure no harm will come to you. I will not let that happen again… JOHN: > NODS CONTENTLY mumbling … It won't...

ONARIUS: > LETS GO OF JOHN'S SHOULDER AND USHEATHES AXE AND SHIELD > TAPS AXE 3 TIMES ON THE GROUND [VIDEO FEED SHOWS BLACK WALL DISAPPEARING TO A LARGE WINDOW. CELL INTERIOR IS COMPLETELY BLACK] ONARIUS: bellowing Come forth… You have a visitor!

> STANDS IN FRONT OF {my} LINE OF SIGHT JOHN: > INTENSELY STARES INSIDE THE CELL ELNA: > NERVOUSLY ASSESSES SURROUNDINGS [VIDEO FEED PICKS UP ODD NOISES, AND A SMALL FLASH OF LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS] JOHN: > SQUINTS AT A DISTANT LIGHT, THEN TENSES UP [VIDEO FEED PICKS UP NUMEROUS WHITE LIGHTS FLICKERING ON]???: > SEVERAL DISCONNECTED, BUT SIMILAR VOICES HEARD Well, if it isn't that deadbeat excuse of a man I raised. JOHN: > CLENCHES FISTS AND CALMS … And a deadbeat of a father… ELNA: > EYES WIDEN {Onarius… I thought you-?}???: > MOCKING LAUGHTER Snarky, aren't you? Well, you're still the same coward as you were all those years ago, Robert… [VIDEO FEED SHOWS A STRANGE, GLOWING ENTITY WITH THE LOWER BODY OF A SNAKE, MULTIPLE EYE STALKS, AND DOZENS OF HANDS WITH MOUTHS SLITHERING UP TO THE CELL WINDOW]???: > MOCKING LAUGHTER WHILE FACING EYES AND HANDS TO JOHN What's the matter, Robert? Don't recognize your old man? Especially when he's gotten even more handsome for the ladies? JOHN: > SNEERS More like ugly.???

: > EYES GLARE JOHN Says the one wearing those ridiculous sunglasses… > EYES RETRACT Oh, where are my manners? It isn't polite to not show one's face… Especially when your own son comes to visit them after 150 years… > VISIBLE HEAD WITH NO MOUTH OR EYES WITH {similar facial features to Christopher Vespermann} POPS OUT OF CHEST JOHN: > DISTURBED GAG CHRISTOPHER: > CONTENT SIGH Ah, much better… > MOUTHS SMILE Even more than that old excuse of flesh I had…

But you're of course gotten uglier; even with those shitty sunglasses, and your clothes. > EYES GO CLOSER TO WINDOW But you keep all the fancy stuff at home, huh? You don't go out unless it's business… or a certain man that helps you forward all the dough; someone you view more than a business associate… or rather, boyfriend… JOHN: > TENSE BREATHING CHRISTOPHER: > MOUTHS SMIRK Ah… Don't be jealous because your old man has become something a lot better than you.

And this place, it should've been a death sentence, but for me… > HANDS POINT TO {abominable form} shouting triumphantly THIS HAS BEEN THE BEST THING FOR ME! > DISCORDANT LAUGHTER BEFORE ABRUPTLY GOING TO JOHN, CURIOUS ABOUT THE MOVEREC Hmm… Came all this way to record perfection for your audience, 'ey Robert? The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. JOHN: > DEEP SIGH It's to help tell the truth about Onarius, and his superior… CHRISTOPHER: > MOUTHS SMIRK exasperated Truth?!

> MOCKING LAUGHTER That's rich coming from you, "John Bielik". JOHN: > ROLLS EYES mumbling Here he goes again… CHRISTOPHER: > MOUTHS SHOW SHIT-EATING GRINS Oh, you don't think I know about your other name, huh? About your little career making all those videos about the others here? The sensationalism… the spectacle-just like your old man… JOHN: > BLANK STARE An act meant to "entertain" people, not to get something for myself. > GRINS Big difference… CHRISTOPHER: > DISCORDANT LAUGHTER Ah…

You seem to think I'm bluffing, huh? Well… let me play a few clips to remind ya… [VIDEO FEED SHOWS MULTIPLE SNIPPETS OF JOHN'S SNIPS HIGHLIGHTING {exaggerated information} PROJECTING FROM CHRISTOPHER'S HANDS] JOHN: > YAWNS The Snips are not the highlight of the channel… CHRISTOPHER: > BAFFLED exasperated They aren't?! > MOCKING LAUGHTER BEFORE GLARING AT JOHN Then let me ask you then, why did you come all this way here, huh? Money? Fame? > MOUTHS GRIN The love of your life?

JOHN: > GLARES slowly To put a nightmare to bed. CHRISTOPHER: > DEEP SIGH Really? JOHN: > SIGHS I have constantly relived my life through the memories of your pathetic existence. Seeing you now, I'm not terrified; rather, I should probably laugh at how low you've dug your own hole. ONARIUS: > SMIRKS CHRISTOPHER: > EYES ANGRILY GLARE AT JOHN AND ONARIUS So, little Robert right here thinks that his old man, Christopher Vespermann, has gotten to be this way because of my ambitions? > SNORTS …

Maybe I should show all those little "letters of appreciation" to the jailor here… Just to show how obsessed you are, Robert… [VIDEO FEED SHOWS NUMEROUS JOURNAL ENTRIES FROM JOHN'S JOURNALS MENTIONING ONARIUS] JOHN: > SLOWLY TURNS TO ONARIUS, WHO NODS UNAMUSED WITH HIM CHRISTOPHER: boisterous And they called me obsessed with my money! > ROARING LAUGHTER Little Robert here can't stand to live in the Warden's shadow, let alone mine. JOHN: > ANNOYINGLY WAITS FOR CHRISTOPHER TO STOP LAUGHING Are you done?

CHRISTOPHER: > CONFUSED JOHN: > SLAPS FOREHEAD muttering Jesus [EXPLETIVE] Christ… > EYES FLARE UP exasperated Those were vent journals from 7 years ago! There is barely any mention of him until roughly when I started my WeVid career one and a half years ago, you-! ONARIUS: > CALMS JOHN AND PLACES SHIELD OVER HIM > GLARES AT CHRISTOPHER This man has moved on from you, Christopher…

ELNA: > CURIOUSLY OBSERVES THE {abomination-ewwww} CHRISTOPHER: > GROWLS Rich coming from a guy who basically does cleanup for a boss who's a control freak… > SCOFFS Ah, but the little "rubbish" down here, they're nobodies… ONARIUS: > SLIGHTLY ANGERED muttering The prisoners here- CHRISTOPHER: You mean your own "moral checklist"? > MOCKING LAUGHTER Let me tell you something, Robert; the other prisoners here are nothing compared to me, especially those who break the rules…

> SHOWS VARIOUS IMAGES THE FALSE {save for "Lysandra", I'm not explaining them} boisterous Look familiar, kiddo? The ones you covered poorly?. JOHN: > CALMS I'll admit, they weren't the best. It's a learning experience. CHRISTOPHER: > SNEERS Ah, look at Mr. Modest right here, admitting his mistakes… JOHN: > SMIRKS Didn't you learn from yours, "you ungrateful bastard"? CHRISTOPHER: > SNEERS THEN MOUTHS GRIN slowly … But, those ones are quite big for a- > AIR QUOTES slowly -"Digital Investigator"…

JOHN: > SIGHS Some things were exaggerated… CHRISTOPHER: > PLAYS SNIPPETS OF "THE MOST TERRIFYING RAGE BAIT VIDEO GAME" > RAISES {... Uh, eyes I guess?} … Like you exaggerating this? JOHN: > GROANS You didn't let me finish. > CLEARS They were exaggerated because in the world of media marketing, which also applies to creative content, some things are done like that to lure in an audience. CHRISTOPHER: > PLAYS SNIPPETS OF VARIOUS WEVID SNIPS Oh, and these weren't you learning your lesson?

> SINISTER LAUGH boisterous Well, you did manage to bring in an audience in a quarter the time I established myself as the CEO of Mundas. You got really good at playing the act, despite you following in my footsteps with a degree in media marketing. You actually made me proud though, becoming like your old man… JOHN: > RAISES EYEBROW How about you play the portions where the actual investigation takes place?

CHRISTOPHER: > FRUSTRATINGLY SNEERS > SHOWS MULTIPLE SNIPPETS OF THE {best parts of John's videos} JOHN: > SHIT-EATING GRIN {had to, just to spite that freak. NOT JOHN, I MEANT THAT ABOMINATION} Do you really think I'm that lazy to try to understand what I am producing? One of the big rules of media marketing: "Do your own research". CHRISTOPHER: > FRUSTRATED BREATHING > MOUTHS MAKE DEVIOUS SMILES Oh, please! Little Robert is doing it for his passion…

> ANGERED We both know you wanted to be viewed nicely, wanted all of that attention. > HANDS POINT TO ONARIUS slowly Like him… JOHN: > BRIEFLY TURNS TO ONARIUS CONCERNED AND THEN RETURNS TO CHRISTOPHER SLIGHTLY ANGRY I wanted to pursue my passion, nothing more. > SMIRKS And besides, if I wanted all of that attention, I wouldn't be helping my foster parents, getting my thumbnail artist a decent-paying job, making sure those I interviewed felt safe, and didn't end up as a jackass knowingly…

CHRISTOPHER: > PLAYS RECORDING OF JOHN CALLING BENEVOLENT INCIDENT 2'S PLAYER A… {you read what happened, so I'm not going to repeat it here} > EYES RAISE {eyebrows?} Really? That's rich coming from you, kiddo. JOHN: > CLEARS THROAT You forgot to mention that I am currently editing it to protect the victim's identity, something you would rather exploit for blackmail. CHRISTOPHER: frantically That is just standard business, Robert! JOHN: > RAISES EYEBROW, ANNOYED Really?

>CLEARS THROAT exasperated Like ruining the lives of a lot of people, which included murdering them?! ELNA: > EXCITED SMILE ONARIUS: > TURNS TO {me} AND BECKONS TO RELAX ELNA: > DOES AS TOLD JOHN: > CLENCHES FISTS You never had sympathy for others, not even for me. Why show me something you know I can easily refute your bullcrap? CHRISTOPHER: > ALARMED Because you have that in your veins, the old Vespermann charm. You're lying to yourself about it, dipshit. JOHN: > ANGRILY GLARES AT CHRISTOPHER Really?

How about you play the interview from the "Evil Art AI Girlfriend" then? You seem to have access to all my videos, yes? CHRISTOPHER: > FREEZES JOHN: > SNICKERS A worthless human being, someone who made his living on the suffering of others, is still obsessed with his own son? > SCOFFS You're jealous that I became a better man than you, huh dipshit? > GRINS So, play the interview; I demand it.

ONARIUS: > MOCKING SMILE CHRISTOPHER: > PLAYS SNIPPETS OF INTERVIEW PORTIONS OF THE "EVIL AI ART GIRLFRIEND" VIDEO, ANNOYED ELNA: {I'm going to skip ahead just a smidgen once the interview is over. Though it's kind of funny to see this guy so pissed off lmao} [00: 02: 42: 07. 38] CHRISTOPHER: > EYES STOP PROJECTING INTERVIEW ONCE IT'S OVER JOHN: > STRAIGHTENS UP AND GLARES MOCKINGLY AT CHRISTOPHER If I were like you, I would've done all those horrible things you did to your victims: blackmailing, arson, murder…

> EYES SLIGHTLY FLARE UP muttering … And that thing you did to 48 victims, including me. No one should ever experience that… > GRITS TEETH bellowing Do you think I exploit victims? Ruin their lives?! > SHAKES HEAD PROFUSELY WITH A DEEP BREATH I made doubly sure that those two I interviewed felt safe and would not be subject to any intimidation from those who thought they were lying. I don't dox people. You, on the other hand, would do this just to have a laugh.

CHRISTOPHER: > LOOKS AWAY DEFEATED JOHN: That video I'm making… I'm going to make sure you're included, just so that everyone knows what you did, so that monsters like you will never harm anyone else again… The things down here, I've seen enough to warrant the release of that video. CHRISTOPHER: > GROANING Is this seriously your attempt to fragment me? All that heroic bullshit coming straight out of your ass?

JOHN: > SMIRKS No, it's making sure you understand that your tricks do not work on me, and that I'll never be like you. But also, I know now that you watch me because you're jealous of a life I achieved out of sincerity. CHRISTOPHER: > GROANING mumbling There he goes again with the theatrics… > EYES ROLL No wonder your "haters" are beginning to see your sham; you do this for drama, and we both know you're doing this to get your fans on your side.

> DEEP SIGH slowly Honestly, with how this is going, you're a terrible business owner, Robert. JOHN: > SHIT-EATING GRIN Why did Mundas go out of business when you disappeared? > SNAPS FINGERS boisterous Oh, it was because of all the shit you did behind people's backs, and all the lawsuits. > GLARES AT CHRISTOPHER exasperated You are nothing more than a rotten stain of shit smeared on a marble wall, you senile, moronic, piece of-!

ONARIUS: > PLACES SHIELD BETWEEN JOHN AND CHRISTOPHER > GLARES AT JOHN panicked Calm down! JOHN: > DEEP GLARE exasperated After what he said about me and you, no! The bastard deserves it. > HEAVY BREATHING exasperated You know why I came to see you jackass?! It's because I want to let you know how much of a [EXPLETIVE] failure you are as a human being. I want you to know the pain I felt all these years. You deserve nothing but my hatred from me and everyone you ruined!

ONARIUS: > PULLS JOHN AWAY FROM CHRISTOPHER, WHO STARES AT JOHN IN SHOCK > INSPECTS JOHN gently You made your point… JOHN: > FRANTIC BREATHING WHILE GRITTING TEETH bellowing Bastard deserved it! CHRISTOPHER: > QUIETLY OBSERVES JOHN AND ONARIUS, THEN FOCUSES TO {me?} > WIDE GRINS