Crimson Azure test comic
CHAPTER 1
- CRIMSON:
....Good Evening, Crimson Syndicate. This is Richard speaking. How can I help you?
- CRIMSON:
Oh hey, it’s you! Tom, right? How’re you doing? Ex-girlfriend behaving now? ...Uh-huh... Right... So what do you plan to do with her?
- CRIMSON:
Alright. We’ll take her in whenever you’re ready.... Okay... Pleasure doing business with you. Have a nice night...
- VANESSA:
These are the files of your most recent patients, Mister Crimson. They contain daily updates and observations from the employees supervising them.
- CRIMSON:
Thank you kindly, Vanessa.
- CRIMSON:
Mmmm.... I’ve been working all day....
- CRIMSON:
Mmmmmmmmmm... Yeah, that’s it...
- CRIMSON:
...Thattagirl... I’m glad I... “convinced” you to join the Syndicate.
- VANESSA:
Thank you, Mister Crimson. I enjoy working here.
- CRIMSON:
Come in.
- CRIMSON:
Good Evening, and welcome to the Crimson Syndicate, how can I help you?
- ????:
Spoiling yourself as usual, Richard?
- CRIMSON:
.....Morpheus. What brings you here?
- AZURE:
Oh, nothing. Just wondering what you’re up to. After all, being head of a company can be a cutthroat business...
- CRIMSON:
No kidding, I’ve had so many attempts on my life for the sake of a hostile takeover in the past few years... Guess I should move base...
- AZURE:
That may not be necessary.
- CRIMSON:
...? What are you suggesting?
- AZURE:
Are you aware of a vigilante by the name of Lincoln?
- CRIMSON:
....Why do you ask?
- AZURE:
While I am aware that we are extremely competitive towards each other, on a personal level, I feel you should know this...
- CRIMSON:
....Know what?
- AZURE:
....He’s onto us, Richard. I have heard that he intends to shut us both down.
- CRIMSON:
...What?! Both our companies by himself?!
- AZURE:
I’m afraid so. Currently, he’s only managed to rally support from about three percent of the city’s population, as of yesterday. We don’t know how long those statistics will hold, though... or if they’re still rising.
- CRIMSON:
.... So what now?
- AZURE:
...As reluctant as I am to say this, I propose a truce so that together, we can counter this threat.
- CRIMSON:
.... What do we face if we let him continue?
- AZURE:
Well, he seems to be rallying hackers as well as psychologists, so...
- CRIMSON:
...I mean as far as legal damage is concerned.
- AZURE:
I’d have figured that was obvious.
- CRIMSON:
Humor me.
- AZURE:
Exposure of corruption, human trafficking and brainwashing, as well as a deficit of about three hundred billion. For each of us.
- CRIMSON:
....Well, we can’t have that, can we? What do you suggest we do to correct this?
- AZURE:
... You know I work in robotics. As convenient as they are, the android race currently has one fatal flaw, placed by the humans who created them.
- CRIMSON:
...Go on.
- AZURE:
When writing one of his earliest works, Isaac Asimov devised three laws. These three laws have been integrated into the robotics industry so deeply, that no machine with an AI comes without them. These Three Laws of Robotics are almost absolute. Perhaps you will see my problem if you know them. Especially the first law.
- CRIMSON:
...Which is...?
- AZURE:
“A robot cannot harm a human being or allow a human being to come to harm.” That is the most important one for this case, because unfortuantely, that means I cannot lay a hand on him. And I doubt he’ll go down easy.
- CRIMSON:
....So you want me to eliminate him.
- AZURE:
Correct. I feel it is in our best interests, if we each want to keep our own company up and running. Unfortunately, because of that First Law, I can’t send any of my robots to take care of the job...
- CRIMSON:
...so you’ve come to me for help?
- AZURE:
Precisely.
- CRIMSON:
...Okay, so you want me to send someone to eliminate him... What’re you going to do?
- AZURE:
I’m going to see if I can’t change those statistics... We can’t let that three percent of the population go unchecked. Fortunately, Most of the remaining 97% is distributed between us two, and receives regular conditioning.
- CRIMSON:
Okay... So I eliminate Lincoln, you brainwash his followers. What would be the rewards for this?
- AZURE:
....How about you get... half of the people I subject to my.... methods?
- CRIMSON:
....Half the female audience.
- AZURE:
I suppose that’s fair, then. So how’re you going to do it?
- CRIMSON:
I think I know just who to call for this. Vanessa, could you retrieve the file for a Miss Helena Rhodes?
- VANESSA:
Yes, sir.
- AZURE:
...Helena Rhodes?
- CRIMSON:
Maybe your secretary can find some info on her?
- AZURE:
Aphrodite?
- APHRODITE:
Accessing...
- APHRODITE:
Helena Rhodes.... Arrested three years, five months and two days prior to today, for twelve counts of manslaughter, five counts of armed robbery, and thirty-seven counts of disturbing the peace.
- AZURE:
... “Disturbing the peace”?
- CRIMSON:
Street fights.
- AZURE:
Okay, so she got arrested for twelve kills, five heists, and thirty-seven street fights?
- CRIMSON:
And that’s not even the juicy part yet...
- AZURE:
Huh?
- CRIMSON:
Apparently, before she let a screw loose, she had a serious martial arts regimen... Aikido, Ninjutsu, Krav Maga... You should have seen the security tapes on that last fight before she got arrested. Woo-wee!
- AZURE:
Wait, she “let a screw loose”? As in...?
- CRIMSON:
She lost her mind, yes. After her brother passed away.
- AZURE:
And you have a leash on her?
- CRIMSON:
And to top it all off, the girl has a killer’s instinct... Literally.
- AZURE:
...Severe paranoia, resulting in extreme dislike of physical contact... Lone Wolf Syndrome, as she usually percieves such contact as threatening and responds violently... Also speaks abusively to staff, threatening to kill them... Adopted the alias “Banshee” because of her wild screams....
- AZURE:
How do plan on containing her? She’s a five-star nutcase!
- CRIMSON:
You forget, Morpheus. The Crimson Syndicate psychiatry firm is home to some of the world’s top psychologists. Nine out of ten of those people are gifted and skilled in the arts of the mind....specifically, hypnotism.
- AZURE:
...huh?
- CRIMSON:
Let me put it this way.... Aphrodite has a computer program inside of her, correct? One that functions as her brain? Well, in certain situations, a human brain is no different, except for the materials used to make it.
- CRIMSON:
Computers and androids aren’t the only things that can be reprogrammed. Human minds can be altered as well. And that’s the thing that binds us together, isn’t it?
- AZURE:
And what about this... “Banshee”?
- CRIMSON:
Jason? You there? Could you bring Miss Helena Rhodes to my office as soon as possible, please?
- VOICE ON RADIO:
We’ll have her up as soon as Jack’s finished with her daily conditioning. Should be over in a minute or two.
- CRIMSON:
Thanks.
- CRIMSON:
We give her a couple hours of daily conditioning. Probably overdoing it, but hey, can’t be too careful, especially around her...
- AZURE:
How long have you had her?
- CRIMSON:
...Coming up on.... two years.
- INTRUDER:
Hands in the air, right now! All of them!
- INTRUDER:
Well, whaddaya know? I only came here to kill Crimson, but his buddy Azure is here too! Two birds with one stone!
- CRIMSON:
He’s not exactly my “buddy”, you low-life...
- INTRUDER:
Care to finish that sentence, Crimson?
- APHRODITE:
As part of my programming, I do not wish for anyone to come to harm. On behalf of my master, as well as the Chief Executive Official of the Crimson Syndicate, I must ask you to leave if you value your life.
- AZURE:
Aphrodite, stand down. As long as he doesn’t harm anyone, we’ll be fine...
- INTRUDER:
What’re you smiling about, dirtbag?!
- CRIMSON:
Three seconds.
- INTRUDER:
...huh?!
- CRIMSON:
Two... one...
- CRIMSON:
Nice timing, Miss Rhodes.
- CRIMSON:
Guess I should be hiring for more security...
- CRIMSON:
Alright. I’m in. I’ve had enough of having a target painted on my back.
- AZURE:
As have I.
- CRIMSON:
You were right about one thing, though... Being head of a company can be a cutthroat business...