ARQ

---

You okay?

Shit.

That guy you fried

with your clever little trap?

- That was our cousin.

- Cuz.

That's Brother.

Sonny.

You can call me Father.

And you two?

You two are the kids.

- What do you want?

- Speak when spoken to.

Where are your scrips?

No need to rush, Brother.

Let's eat first.

- We shouldn't linger.

- We haven't eaten in two days.

This fool and his money

aren't going anywhere.

He's got apples.

Nobody has apples anymore.

He does.

Okay. All right.

Go on.

Were you brats playing doctor?

You touch her and you die.

Give me your scrips.

But hold back on me?

You got five minutes.

- Who are they?

- They followed you.

No one followed me, Ren.

- I made sure.

- Nobody knew I was here except you.

You show up late last night,

then those guys show up?

You found me.

Ren, shh.

You told me to come.

That's not what I meant.

It's not your fault.

What are you doing?

They had you under surveillance.

I should've known.

What? Who?

Ren, you're gonna get us killed!

Be careful.

- We don't have much time.

- Time for... for what?

Those guys want more than just scrips.

What? Ren, listen to me, okay?

There's three of them,

and they've got a gun.

- Do you recognize him?

- No.

I think he was there

when Torus tried to arrest me.

Don't! Don't touch it.

It's rigged with 20,000 volts.

It's how this guy died.

- What is it?

- The ARQ.

The ARQ?

Arcing recursive quine.

It's what they're after.

No, they're starving like everybody else.

So unless this thing is a food processor,

I doubt they give a shit about it.

No, Torus sent those bastards

to take it back.

This is what you stole from Torus?

I didn't steal it.

I built it.

What's it do?

It's a hyper-efficient energy turbine.

A generator. That's it?

I know that look.

You're not telling me something.

- Lock the door behind me.

- Ren.

Ren, don't go.

This door is reinforced.

It would take ZMPs to break it down.

You're gonna get us killed.

I shouldn't have contacted you, Hannah.

Don't say that.

I just needed to see you again.

- Stay here.

- Don't go.

...the so-called Energy Wars,

dominate headlines worldwide.

...citizens and non-citizens celebrate

the reunification of Los Angeles Island

with Torus Corporation.

The island signed a treaty

that cedes all resources and citizens

to the conglomerate's

North American division.

The reunification comes six days after

the island's only remaining

nuclear desalination plant

was destroyed by Bloc missiles.

Bloc drone missiles.

More Torus lies.

...Bloc paramilitaries

over the Great Slave Lake Oil Refinery.

The refinery borders

the Arctic Parallel neutral zone.

Torus executives...

Man, why you always gotta listen

to this propaganda, huh?

Know thy enemy, my brother.

Yeah, well,

the Pope tells it like it really is.

Those who can't remember the past

are condemned to repeat it.

Torus execs claim that the energy crisis

threatens humankind.

I agree.

- Torus claims to be humanity's savior...

- You cut that into four pieces?

- So?

- There's three of us.

...our executioner.

Listen to the mad words of a wise man.

"What if a demon crept after you

one night, in your loneliest...

The eternal hourglass of existence

is turned upside down again and again,

and you with it, too."

- Get up, Hannah.

- What? Why?

They're coming.

Who?

Were you brats playing doctor?

Touch her and you die.

Whoa.

So menacing.

Give me your scrips.

But hold back on me?

- "You have five minutes."

- You got five minutes.

Who the hell are they?

Ren? Ren?

Stop. They'll be right back.

- We've got time.

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