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24

Trust, p15

August 5, 2020 by Tim


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Zair
Zair
4 years ago

Hmmm. If Scott can truly install a killswitch that Zeke can’t find out about, (and doesn’t through zany sitcom shenanigans find out in the future,) this could work out well. Scott’s pretty smart.

Graham Best
Graham Best
4 years ago
Reply to  Zair

Actually, this is setting up a confrontation. Ethan will find out about the kill switch, and he will have to decide whether he trusts Scott or Zeke.

Vandril
Vandril
4 years ago
Reply to  Graham Best

Or Zeke will find out about the kill switch after he starts showing promise in trusting humans, and it will all spiral downward, getting far worse before it gets better. And it will all be Scott’s fault, but he will want to use the kill switch anyway, prompting Ethan to go out of his way and confront Scott to protect Zeke. I doubt Scott will go full villain like he did in the original comic, but I do think that this arc will culminate into focusing on serious contention between him and Ethan based on how Zeke is being treated… Read more »

TomB
TomB
4 years ago
Reply to  Vandril

Or maybe he’s installed a kill-switch in Ehtan. Then if Ethan gets uppity…

Vicente Sampedro Burgos
Vicente Sampedro Burgos
4 years ago

That’s the old trick in the parents bag, work with their kids self-blame

Dodgy
Dodgy
4 years ago

Just wondering. If Zeke was built to be a warrior killing machine, why does he have two exposed cables from the back of his head? They would be his jugulars, cut them and he dies? Or did Scott connect those so he could fiddle with him?

Mime
Mime
4 years ago
Reply to  Dodgy

Scott connected those. They go to the laptop that he has been playing games on.

Peter Piers
Peter Piers
4 years ago

You have a choice. You can stay and no longer be imprisoned, or you can leave and we’ll take that to mean you’re an enemy and we’ll probably hunt you down.

…I mean, if I was in Zeke’s place (though I’m a human, bred and born), this deal would probably piss me off more than anything.

James Rye
James Rye
4 years ago
Reply to  Peter Piers

Actually, that part should read more like “stay and be imprisoned on your own will but with our threat of us ending your live if you leave or leave and get killed by us”. At least I bet Zeke sees it that way. He is still under threat just a bit less open in the face.
But hey, at least he has a choice now, lol.

Gnarph
Gnarph
4 years ago
Reply to  Peter Piers

It’s a fine line to walk; free will means you can do what you decide, but civilization is built on everyone binding themselves to a set of rules. The guys need Zeke to show that he is willing to choose to accept that social contract. In their role as superheroes they are enforcing that social contract in their community and the hope is Zeke would understand that on an intellectual level if not at an emotional one.

Peter Piers
Peter Piers
4 years ago
Reply to  Gnarph

“free will means you can do what you decide, but civilization is built on everyone binding themselves to a set of rules.” To expand on that a bit, you are free to do what you decide, but whatever you decide will have consequences whether you like them or not. You’re free to go on a murdering spree of your own will; then we’ll be free to cut you down of our own will. I mean, to retract a bit on my original comment, the fact that he’s been given a choice is relevant. It’s more than he’s ever been given.… Read more »

Taylan Ertan
Taylan Ertan
4 years ago
Reply to  Peter Piers

I mean, that is what humanity is built on. You can go out and do what you want…but there WILL be consequences for your actions. Same for Zeke here. He admit to every intend to seeing humans as nothing but inferior and doesn’t really understand the humans. So any small slight he might think a human did to him, he might decide to hurt them or kill them and get destroyed as a result because there are OTHER more powerful heroes and villains out there. This is for his own good as well.

TomB
TomB
4 years ago
Reply to  Peter Piers

Zeke’s play here: “I’m leaving. That doesn’t make me your enemy. It just means I want to go somewhere else. If you choose to hunt me out of fear of what I might do, then that says more about you than me. I just want some time and freedom to figure things out for myself.”

no thanks nintendo
no thanks nintendo
4 years ago

Yup, it’s a trick! One wrong move and bye bye hard drive.
Honestly, it’s hard to be on either party’s side. X01 is a murder bot, and has killed before, and can easily kill again before they press the switch to end him. On the other side, Lucas and Scott keep lying about X01 having choice.

Nono
Nono
4 years ago

You can be on Ethan’s side, I guess. He just wants a buddy to play video games with.

Darkening
Darkening
4 years ago

*Has* he killed anyone but Ethan? I mean, that barely counts.

TomB
TomB
4 years ago
Reply to  Darkening

I wonder how the courts would see it…

On the one hand: Exhibit A: Ethan is not dead.
Exhibit B: He is known to suffer from the experience of being ‘temporarily dead’. So there’s a case for assault if not murder.
Question to address: Did Zeke know when he killed Ethan that he could not die? If not, then there is an attempted murder case here.
Defense could be: Not age of majority (under age!) or guilty due to insanity (from torture and confinement and being under constant threat).

Might make for a fine court-room drama.

Austin Mills
Austin Mills
4 years ago

Is Scott going to set up some kind of simulation so that Zeke only *thinks* he’s free, and he’ll actually still be trapped in his body until Scott knows what he’ll do? That’d be a really complicated simulation to set up, and would almost be guaranteed to backfire, but why would he need another day to give him back his motor functions? Isn’t that just a few keystrokes to reactivate?

Dain
Dain
4 years ago
Reply to  Austin Mills

Well, we have no idea how Scott disabled the motor functions. When he first did it I doubt he planned on ever restoring them. He may have done it in a brute force manner. But. The reason that makes sense regardless. Inferior meatbags need to sleep. If you were going to release a possibly homicidal robot that might be holding a grudge… Do you really want to do it just before you go to sleep. Plus as he said. It also gives Zeke time to consider the situation and not go with his knee jerk reaction. Funny… Been reading since… Read more »

Austin Mills
Austin Mills
4 years ago
Reply to  Dain

Was under the impression it was still early in the day, so hadn’t thought about the sleep bit.

Derek
Derek
4 years ago
Reply to  Austin Mills

Yes he could, but he wants to give X01 time to think about what it wants to do. That way it can be argued that the murder bot didn’t make a rash decision with the limited time it would have been given right then and there.

Austin Mills
Austin Mills
4 years ago
Reply to  Derek

Hm. Give it time to think. That’s fair. Hadn’t thought about that. Of course, Zeke seems to think faster than people, so he’d probably decide what he’s going to do very quickly and just have to wait around bored until the meatbags wake up.

Drakontis
Drakontis
4 years ago
Reply to  Austin Mills

I don’t think Scott *needs* the time. I think it’s a matter of “Here’s what we’re going to do, and here’s some time to think of what you want to do with that information once you’re released” It’s time to mull it over, spend some cycles figuring out how he wants to play his hand, and make an informed decision rather than simply an impulsive one.

Eldest Gruff
Eldest Gruff
4 years ago
Reply to  Austin Mills

Give him time to think.

Besides, they’re in the back of a retail store in the middle of the day, Ethan and Lucas are in plainclothes, Ethan has no equipment, and Scott – whom Zeke would perceive as the greatest threat – is defenseless. Better to give them a better chance of defending themselves if he suddenly decides to go aggro.

Merendel
Merendel
4 years ago
Reply to  Austin Mills

As others have said a good part of it is basically forcing Zeke to think about things before being set free. Most likely Scott could re enable the functions in just a few minutes but it may also take a fair bit of time to put the failsafe in without being noticed. The simulation idea is just pointlessly complicated and all but guaranteed to blow up spectacularly if they ever released him from it. That would be a better choice if they wanted to eternally imprison him. AKA couldn’t bring themselves to execute him but also couldn’t ever let him… Read more »

Bwauder
Bwauder
4 years ago

I know its not meant this way, but the setup as offered read in the worst possible light this is equivalent to mental/emotional domestic abuse.
” I can’t leave him/her, well no…they haven’t hit me but they said if….”.

I realise there are good reasons for putting very specific limits on Zekes activities obviously, but while the limitations are fairly heavy, its still not free choice/will.

Kenju
Kenju
4 years ago

DAMN, now this is some seriously good writing, you should try and get this script onto a major network dude!

Yggaz
Yggaz
4 years ago

Considering that they only ask him “not to leave the room”, I am relatively sure that round or two of Ethan-bashing might take place, while technically being compliant with the one requirement 😛

Kaitensatsuma
Kaitensatsuma
4 years ago

Frankly that isn’t much of a choice.

Anon A Mouse
Anon A Mouse
4 years ago
Reply to  Kaitensatsuma

He hasn’t given them much reason to offer him anything more. His response to “will you hurt people” was “maaaaybe”.

Kaitensatsuma
Kaitensatsuma
4 years ago
Reply to  Anon A Mouse

Well, he explained within reason why it was an unreasonable question.

“I can lie to you, or I can be honest with you, and frankly you couldn’t wholeheartedly make the same guarantee to me if our situations were reversed”

Anon A Mouse
Anon A Mouse
4 years ago
Reply to  Kaitensatsuma

That just makes his answer MORE suspicious and frankly likely to give him LESS choices so there isn’t uncertainty. “Will you hurt people if we release you” “Maybe” “Will you leave THIS ROOM if we release you.” “Maybe”. You can see why this wouldn’t lead to any “Trust” for either side.

7eggert
7eggert
4 years ago
Reply to  Anon A Mouse

“What thread do you utter to make me not leave the room”
a) “I’ll activate the bomb that continues to enslave you”
b) “You made a decision, we will not hinder you”

7eggert
7eggert
4 years ago
Reply to  7eggert

*threat

Gilly
Gilly
4 years ago
Reply to  Kaitensatsuma

It is kind of like house arrest vs prison, probation vs prison kind of thing. Rehabilitation time.

Kevin
Kevin
4 years ago

He has his own choice to make, but I feel like he’s gonna murder Ethan the moment the two of them are alone. Ethan can’t stay dead and it’d give him some sort of release on the anger from being locked up like this, and he’s following what they asked so long as he does it in that room. He can’t go murdering everyone because Scott still has to send the code regularly with his phone or computer to prevent the bomb in Zeke’s head from going off.

Arcatus
Arcatus
4 years ago
Reply to  Kevin

Well.. Ethan has stated that beeing killed is a rather horrible experience, and based on the amount of time those two have spent together Zeke is probably aware of that.
So killing Ethan is cruel, and not just a fun gag to let off steam. Zeke should be able to resist that urge.
I don’t think red-eye Zeke is able to resist some Ethan-killing, but perhaps beeing set free is the act of kindness that turns him green-eyed.

Peter Piers
Peter Piers
4 years ago
Reply to  Arcatus

Until he finds out about the failsafe mechanism still inside him. Then his green eyes turn blood red, shining like a flashlight.

Peter Piers
Peter Piers
4 years ago
Reply to  Peter Piers

EditToPreviousPost – Oh, right, no blood ’cause he’s a machine. Ok, LED-red, then. Shines even brighter.

Arcatus
Arcatus
4 years ago
Reply to  Peter Piers

Exactly. Deciving Zeke will backfire at some point. Ethan will not like it ether, so there is an interesting conflict there that could go in all sorts of directions. Tons of content for the future 🙂

Zair
Zair
4 years ago
Reply to  Arcatus

Ethan has stated that, but Lucas also jokingly killed him when he asked for an arrow to dodge, and he didn’t seem upset. It’s really hard to tell how much it’s actually bothering him. Earlier this year he was telling Lucas how he’s having a hard time remembering how it felt to be afraid to die, or something like that.

7eggert
7eggert
4 years ago
Reply to  Zair

The problem is not the death but being injured and dying.

Old Greg
Old Greg
4 years ago

that’s dangerous logic there folks, if you don’t do what i say you’re proving that you’re bad. and I did everything in MY power to see if you can be good and you failed. this is classic manipulation and its bullshit. its like a kidnapper convincing you that if you leave you’re the one who failed. and i would bet that if Robot man tried to leave Scott would immediately kill switch him. Scott is setting himself up for the villain heel turn here really quickly and obviously to me (remember he was the villain in the original comics) he… Read more »

Leon
Leon
4 years ago

No, I still think he WANTS to hurt people……

Stoneward
Stoneward
4 years ago
Reply to  Leon

Well, technically speaking…we all “want” to hurt someone. We just choose not to 😀

Leon
Leon
4 years ago
Reply to  Stoneward

I’m not really convinced Zeke will “chose’ not to. He’s convinced he’s superior. It’s like a human crushing an insect because it disgus0ts him

Kaitensatsuma
Kaitensatsuma
4 years ago
Reply to  Leon

Some people choose not to be concerned about insects exactly because they are so far beneath them.

Spread the word of Ezekiel 00100001

Leon
Leon
4 years ago
Reply to  Kaitensatsuma

How would the insect feel? Then, change the insect to a human. Then, take into account that many could be killed, not one. Then, take into account that Zeke said ‘maybe’ he wouldnt hurt anyone, and he gave a pretty pathetic ‘maybe’……..

7eggert
7eggert
4 years ago
Reply to  Leon

The insects feel that they need to come back after being hushed away.

Leon
Leon
4 years ago
Reply to  7eggert

Not insects, just the one who is crushed. But, I guess the opinion of the dead or doomed doesnt matter, huh?

Humsterr
Humsterr
4 years ago
Reply to  Stoneward

No, I don’t want to hurt anybody, why would I

What is wrong with you

Leon
Leon
4 years ago
Reply to  Humsterr

We’re talking an extremely unstable psychology…….I love being demonized for not being a yes man

7eggert
7eggert
4 years ago
Reply to  Humsterr

The neighbor upstairs with high heels on hard floor, Trump giving your father Corona, that guy stealing your parking lot, that guy bombing your city, the lady who let their kids starve to death … about everybody has these moments when violence feels justified.

Leon
Leon
4 years ago
Reply to  7eggert

Everyone has a right to feel angry. But actions have consequences, thats an ironclad truth

7eggert
7eggert
4 years ago
Reply to  Leon

Some omit the final step because of the consequences.
Some will stop the initial steps because they are wrong.

Let’s assume that a ninja-bot could evade the consequences. …

Leon
Leon
4 years ago
Reply to  7eggert

Depends on how. Atonement will be greater depending on how much he’s killed.

In that sense, I’m curious to see Zeke’s record.

Keep in mind he’s sentient, therefore he can lie

HarmonicaNova21
HarmonicaNova21
4 years ago

The truest expression of free will is to submit to subjugation. Not saying it’s the best, though…

Stephen M Schaefer
Stephen M Schaefer
4 years ago

… crap.

… he’s going to kill off Scott instead of Lucas.

Eldest Gruff
Eldest Gruff
4 years ago

I think Scott is smart enough that when he decides to let Zeke free, he’s not going to be defenseless.

And I think Zeke is smart enough to not consider Scott his primary enemy.

Crestlinger
Crestlinger
4 years ago

To each their own, but Own their ‘each’. Tim to decide what you wish to do.
if uou choose to leave turn to page…

Del Cox
Del Cox
4 years ago

I feel like I’m staring at a cliffhanger and we’re about to switch to something else, because boy, do I want to see what happens next.

ravenofpoe
ravenofpoe
4 years ago

I don’t think it’s so much a threat, more of a we will have tried, kind of statement. The fail safe bomb was deactivated but not removed. But can be triggered none the less. That will certainly be a problem in some future script.

All that said, zeke will kill again, or nearly do so. He will pursue his creator. He almost has to due to the level of malice he carries for him. How Ethan, Lucas, and Scott deal with that will be interesting.

TomB
TomB
4 years ago

I would like to point out that the supposed ‘superior life-form’ dropped an ‘of’ in his second sentence in the first panel….

“Some Sort Joke Only…” probably needs to be “Some Sort Of Joke Only…”

Whose so superior now, metal pants!???!!

Jeramiah Gladden
Jeramiah Gladden
4 years ago
Reply to  TomB

I’m glad someone pointed it out, I didn’t want to be the first 😛

Christopher
Christopher
4 years ago
Reply to  TomB

My brain auto-inserted “of” while reading, and my eyes didn’t notice. Or something … I went back and realized it was missing.

Paweł Zdanowski
Paweł Zdanowski
4 years ago

I think he will choose to finish the games :d