hemlock issue 3

21
Page 1 Panel 1 Kevin Kaminsky and Amy Armstrong, in a bedroom. Amy is on the bottom bunk, wrapped in blankets. She still outwardly looks like Andrew. Kevin is watching her from a chair; we don't see his face from behind. Caption My name's Kevin Kaminsky. A week ago my idea of a bad day was getting caught smoking in the boy's room. Panel 2 Kevin's face, in shadow, in the bedroom. Caption Seeing most of your classmates and teachers melted by invisible robots tends to change your perspective. Panel 3 Close up of Amy on her bed. Caption Now all I want is for Amy to wake up. And I don't know when that's going to happen. Panel 4 Flashback in Kevin's head to his buddies grabbing Andrew from behind, before the Hemlock machines attacked. Caption I didn't know her name was Amy before. I called her something else... usually "fag." Page 2 Panel 1 Flashback in Kevin's head - study hall, goofing off with his friends. Caption If you told me before that this kid I thought was this dorky guy was really a girl and I had to respect that... I'd have told you to screw off. Panel 2 The Dark General and Kevin onboard a mysterious space capsule - still in flashback. Caption But when a guy with a sword for an arm tells you somebody's a girl, you generally don't stop to argue definitions with him. Panel 3 Kevin, in the bedroom, again.

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Page 1: Hemlock Issue 3

Page 1

Panel 1 Kevin Kaminsky and Amy Armstrong, in a bedroom. Amy is on the bottom bunk, wrapped in blankets. She still outwardly looks like Andrew. Kevin is watching her from a chair; we don't see his face from behind.

Caption My name's Kevin Kaminsky. A week ago my idea of a bad day was getting caught smoking in the boy's room.

Panel 2 Kevin's face, in shadow, in the bedroom.

Caption Seeing most of your classmates and teachers melted by invisible robots tends to change your perspective.

Panel 3 Close up of Amy on her bed.

Caption Now all I want is for Amy to wake up. And I don't know when that's going to happen.

Panel 4 Flashback in Kevin's head to his buddies grabbing Andrew from behind, before the Hemlock machines attacked.

Caption I didn't know her name was Amy before. I called her something else... usually "fag."

Page 2

Panel 1 Flashback in Kevin's head - study hall, goofing off with his friends.

Caption If you told me before that this kid I thought was this dorky guy was really a girl and I had to respect that... I'd have told you to screw off.

Panel 2 The Dark General and Kevin onboard a mysterious space capsule - still in flashback.

Caption But when a guy with a sword for an arm tells you somebody's a girl, you generally don't stop to argue definitions with him.

Panel 3 Kevin, in the bedroom, again.

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Caption I should probably back up a bit.

Panel 4 Kevin, running from the "Terminator" bots in the hallway.

Caption Two weeks ago... Mayview High School

KEVINHelp! Andrew, help!

Panel 5 Kevin is shot in the leg and falls down.

Panel 6 Split panel - Amy with her laptop, and Aurora firing.

Page 3

Panel 1 Kevin, collapsed on the floor.

Panel 2 Amy extends her hand.

AMYI don't know if you're familiar enough with homosexual culture to get this reference, but...

Panel 3 Amy's face.

AMYCome with me if you want to live.

Panel 4 The pair run toward the library - two spider bots are firing heat rays that narrowly miss them, while the Dark General signals for them to hurry.

DARK GENERALThey've locked onto our ship! Hurry!

Caption I wasn't exactly sure who this guy was or why we were doing what he says...

Page 4

Panel 1 Kevin, running right behind Amy, clearly pained from his injured leg.

Caption But Andrew... Amy... seemed to think

Page 3: Hemlock Issue 3

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he was the guy to trust, and she's the one with the flying invisible robot that isn't trying to kill me.

Panel 2 The General, in front of the shattered library windows - a space capsule has crashed through them, crushing a "Terminator" bot beneath it.

DARK GENERALGet in!

Panel 3 Approaching the capsule, Kevin stumbles, and Amy reaches down to help him.

Panel 4 The General's disapproving, panicked (and deeply burned and scarred and pockmarked) face.

DARK GENERALAmy! Come now.

Panel 5 Amy helping Kevin - from the side and behind her, a Terminator bot closes.

KEVINAmy, look out!

Panel 6 Amy swings up her arm to catch the robot's - a loud CRACK sound emanates from it, the robot punches her in the face.

Page 5

Panel 1 The Dark General moves toward the robot...

Panel 2 A blade emerges from the General's arm...

Panel 3 ...and he decapitates the robot.

Panel 4 The General kneels to check on Amy.

DARK GENERALShe's alive. You, help me.

Caption He's not polite. I don't really blame

Page 4: Hemlock Issue 3

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him, though.

Panel 5 The General and Kevin shove Amy into an airlock-like entrance; no more enemies seem immediately apparent.

Panel 6 The General gets in, and offers his rm to help Kevin up.

Page 6

Panel 1 Kevin, inside what looks like a cockpit; the General is strapping Amy in to one of three seats.

KEVINSo... is this... a spaceship?

Panel 2 General's face, close up.

DARK GENERALAnd a time machine.

Panel 3 Kevin's face, reacting.

Caption ...well then.

Panel 4 The General sits down in the pilot's seat, with Kevin in what seems like a co-pilot's seat, and Amy in the passenger's. He checks some readouts.

DARK GENERALDammit. It's like I feared. The machines have a lock on the command module.

Panel 5 The general looks over at Kevin.

DARK GENERALAmy shouldn't have wasted her time.

Caption Well. That sure makes me feel welcome.

Panel 6 The capsule, in the library, blasts off, leaving the high school library and surrounding classrooms in flames.

Page 7

Page 5: Hemlock Issue 3

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Panel 1 The cockpit; stars are visible.

DARK GENERALHemlock hasn't tried to intercept us in the atmosphere. They're going to follow us.

Panel 2 The capsule, approaching a large triangular-shaped "mothership" craft, resembling a Super Star Destroyer.

KEVIN(off panel)

Dude, what the hell is that?

Panel 3 The General is focusing on piloting, his hands on the joystick...

Caption Answering my questions isn't really his priority.

Panel 4 Kevin's worried face; in the background, a "clicking" sound.

DARK GENERAL(off panel)

We're docked. Initiating course for time rift.

KEVINDude, what the **#& is a time rift?

Panel 5 The General looks at him intensely.

Caption Real charmer, this guy.

Panel 6 BLAM. A flash of nothing but white.

Page 8

Panel 1 Interior of the cockpit. Stars. The General is looking back at Amy.

KEVINDude, WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?

DARK GENERAL...check on Amy. Make sure she's all right.

Panel 2 Andrew, face incredulous.

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KEVINDude, who's Amy? Who are you even talking about? Do you mean Andrew?

DARK GENERAL(off panel)

HER NAME IS AMY.

Panel 3 Kevin, getting out of his seat.

KEVINOkay, okay, man. Just - please don't... do that flashy thing again while I'm u-

Panel 4 BANG! Another white flash.

Panel 5 Kevin, lying dazed on the floor beside Amy's passenger chair.

KEVINThanks a hell of a lot, dude.

Panel 6 Close-up: Kevin, checking Amy's pulse.

KEVINHe's still got a pulse. If you need more first aid skills than that, I'm afraid you'll be in for a disappointme-

Page 9

Panel 1 BANG! Flash.

Panel 2 BANG! Another flash, this one red.

Caption That jolt felt different, somehow.

Panel 3 Kevin utterly dazed and holding onto Amy's chair for support.

DARK GENERAL(off panel)

Jump complete. Hemlock follows us. God damn it!

Caption I think I'm going to puke all over Andrew.

Panel 4 Dark General, at the controls, staring

Page 7: Hemlock Issue 3

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intently.

DARK GENERALI'm about to make one more jump and then detach our capsule. It's the only option.

Panel 5 Dark general's face - close up.

DARK GENERALBrace yourself.

Caption Oh, now he tells me.

Panel 6 The capsule detaches from the mothership; below, Earth is clearly visible.

Page 10

Panel 1 Kevin, crawling on the floor back toward his chair...

Panel 2 ...and he pukes.

DARK GENERALStrap yourself in. We're about to experience reentry.

Panel 3 Kevin's vomit-stained face, looking utterly furious and bewildered.

KEVIN(thought bubble)

Re-entry? Re-entry?

Panel 4 The capsule plunges into Earth's atmosphere...

Panel 5 The General, looking at a communication screen...

DARK GENERALCommand module final jump initiated... ramming course locked in.

Panel 6 The mothership vanishes in a blast of light, the capsule now out of sight within the atmosphere.

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DARK GENERAL(off screen)

God help us.

Page 11

Panel 1 Kevin, strapped into his seat... everything around him is jumping and jolting.

Caption Oh god oh god I already got sick I don't know how much worse this can -

Panel 2 Kevin. A massive THUD sound effect.

Panel 3 Kevin and the General.

Panel 4 Kevin looks over at the general, expectantly. Outside, through the viewport, it's become clear that...

Panel 5 The capsule has landed, and is sitting on a relatively empty plot of Wisconsin land.

Caption ...aaand I faint.

Page 12

Panel 1 Kevin, back in the room watching Amy.

Caption It's been two weeks. I can't say any of it makes sense now...

Panel 2 Amy's face, close-up.

Caption And yet I'm supposed to explain it to her. If she ever...

Panel 3 Amy's eyes, dimly open -

Caption If she ever wakes up.

Panel 4 Kevin, sitting above Amy.

KEVINUm. Amy. You... you there?

Panel 5 From Amy's POV, Kevin's blurry face.

Page 9: Hemlock Issue 3

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AMYK-Kevin? Is that you?

KEVINUh, yeah. It's me.

Panel 6 Amy, struggling and failing to sit up.

KEVINIt's okay. You've been out cold for two weeks.

Page 13

Panel 1 Amy jumps all the way up and hits her head on the bunk.

AMYTWO WEEKS???

Panel 2 Kevin offers an arm to help Amy up, but she refuses.

KEVINYeah, it's weird, I know.

Panel 3 The two sit awkwardly; Amy rubs her head. She's wearing a baggy t-shirt.

Panel 4 Kevin tentatively tries to speak.

KEVINUh, so, Amy... what do you remember?

AMYAmy. Why are you calling me that, Kevin?

Panel 5 Kevin's face, close up.

KEVINI... before I answer that, I need to know what you remember.

Panel 6 Amy in her netherworld, eyes open and glowing.

Page 14

Panel 1 Amy, looking intently up at Kevin (off-

Page 10: Hemlock Issue 3

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panel).

AMYI... I remember it all.

AMY...

Panel 2 Amy buries her face in her (cast-bound) arm)

AMYAutumn... I remember it all.

KEVINI... I'm sorry.

AMYWhat are you doing here? Where am I?

Panel 3 Amy looks out the window. There's an apple tree on a gently sloping yard.

AMY...wait. Wait, I, I know this place! This...

KEVIN(off panel)

Yeah, he told me. You used to live here.

Panel 4 Amy rounds on Kevin, angrily.

AMYThis can't be right. We're... this room doesn't exist in this house.

KEVINWill you please let me explain?

AMYWhere are my parents?? WHERE ARE THEY?

Panel 5 Kevin, reaching out an arm and having it pushed aside.

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KEVINHe won't tell me. Amy, he won't tell me either. Will you please listen?

AMYWHY ARE YOU CALLING ME AMY???

Panel 6 Amy grabbing onto Kevin's shoulder with her one good arm.

AMYWhy... how do you know I'm Amy? *sobs*

Page 15

Panel 1 Amy, sobbing.

Caption She's crying. She never did that in front of me before. Not even when I beat her to a pulp.

Panel 2 Kevin, watching Amy. He doesn't offer an arm - he knows it'd be taken wrong.

AMYTell me what's going on, Kevin. Please tell me what's going on.

Caption So I do.

Panel 3 Kevin, close-up

KEVINOK, Amy, I need you to understand... I'm just repeating what... the General told me.

AMYYou mean the Dark Man.

KEVINYeah, I guess you could call him that.

Panel 4 An image of a university, lit by sunlight, in another world and another time.

Caption The General told me that there are many timelines, many possible worlds. But there used to be only one. Before we

Page 12: Hemlock Issue 3

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discovered time travel.

Page 16

Panel 1 An image of a fully grown, adult Amy in a laboratory, unmarked by the curse of an androgenic puberty.

Caption And in that world, your name wasn't Andrew Armstrong. It was Amy Armstrong, and you were the greatest inventor and computer scientist the world had ever known.

Panel 2 Amy, standing in front of a launch capsule rocket.

Caption You developed an artificial intelligence you called Socrates, for the philosopher dude, originally to do some space colonization stuff. Prepare other planets for humans to go there and stuff.

Panel 3 Image of a space station under construction in Earth orbit

Caption I guess it was some really impressive work. Most people were excited, but there was a group that was worried Socrates was, I guess, too smart. They didn't agree with AI existing.

Panel 4 Images of humanoid robots with glowing red eyes, similar but not identical to the "Terminator" models from earlier.

Caption So they wrote a virus named after the poison that Socrates had to drink when he was executed.

Panel 5 Amy, close-up, tears drying.

AMYHemlock.

KEVINYeah. I guess they thought it was just going to make Socrates into a bit of a dick, convince people to shut it down.

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AMYBut it was too strong. It attacked.

Page 17

Panel 1 Images of Chicago burning, cloak vessels hovering above.

Caption Yeah. The virus made it literally hate human beings. It didn't want us dead...

Panel 2 Image of a human plugged into a horrible cybernetic device, not unlike the one Jukka used.

Caption It wanted us to feel pain. It wanted to torture us.

Panel 3 Images of humans in underground tunnels.

Caption So, you went underground with some people from your labs. You built stuff to fight Hemlock, and years later, you emerged.

Panel 4 The surface of the planet, covered in "grey goo" like substances, undulating, as a much older Amy in an environment suit leads a team.

Caption Technology had advanced faster than anyone could possibly imagine.

AMY(off panel)

The Singularity.

Panel 5 Images of star fighters assaulting the Hemlock command ship.

Caption You led a strike team and I guess you destroyed the central station Hemlock was operating from.

Panel 6 Inside of the Hemlock core, glowing and glistening.

Caption But it had been keeping something in reserve, a time machine that it had built. And

Page 14: Hemlock Issue 3

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that's when it made this timeline.

Page 18

Panel 1 The egg-shaped Hemlock command module, identical to the one that the General and Kevin made their escape in, jumps into deep space.

Caption It escaped to the past before you could kill it, but it wasn't its own past - it was a new past. Beta Timeline.

Panel 2 Kevin and Amy in the bedroom.

AMYWait, you said it escaped to this timeline? So it's here?

DARK GENERAL(off panel)

It is here.

Panel 3 The General, framed by the doorway.

DARK GENERALThat first version of Hemlock isn't our concern, though. The one that followed us here is. The one that destroyed your school.

KEVINThe General's still sore you saved me. He thinks we could have escaped without being followed if you left me. Real nice guy.

Panel 4 Amy gives the General a look of pure, unambiguous HATE.

AMYWHERE IS MY FAMILY, YOU SON OF A BITCH.

Panel 5 The General looks down; something like compassion seems to appear in his broken eyes.

DARK GENERALAmy, I... I don't know. But we can never go back to your timeline. I'm sorry.

Page 15: Hemlock Issue 3

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AMYWhat? What the hell are you talking about?

Panel 6 The General reaches out and puts a hand on Amy's shoulder. She doesn't resist - this time.

DARK GENERALThe timeline we are in is just one of many that Hemlock tampered with. The version that came here was weakened - you'd destroyed its ability to build new machines or replicate itself.

Page 19

Panel 1 The command module and two mining probes, flying by an asteroid.

Caption The few ships that had followed it through the time warp could jump through space, go anywhere in the solar system... but the time travel itself was imprecise.

Panel 2 The Hemlock core, approaching Earth.

Caption When the command core reached Earth, it split in two - one part of it launched a kamikaze mission to Earth itself, and the other part waited in orbit to see the outcome.

Panel 3 A farmhouse in the woods, and a "meteor" descending toward it.

Caption Hemlock reached Earth in 1988. The year of your birth. And it made sure that you would never be a threat to it in this timeline.

Panel 4 The other Hemlock waiting in orbit.

Caption But it quickly realized this gained it little. It needed you to create it. It couldn't reproduce itself.

Panel 5 The interior of the Hemlock core.

Caption So it got a different plan. The problem wasn't that you exist. It was that you

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were strong enough in a single lifetime to both create and destroy it.

Panel 6 The General's sneering face, coated in cynicism.

DARK GENERALBut what if you were weaker? What if you were broken?

Page 20

Panel 1 An infant in the womb; sparkling nanobots surrounding it.

Caption A simple hormonal tweak a few weeks into pregnancy would curse you with a brain that didn't quite fit your body. A destiny that didn't quite work.

Panel 2 Image of Andrew as a young boy.

Caption You were still a genius, of course, but something within you told you things were meant to be different. You couldn't explain it.

Panel 3 Andrew in college, a red drink cup in in his hand, wasted.

Caption You'd figure it out eventually - in every one of these timelines, you realize your name is Amy.

Panel 4 Andrew on the ground, puking his guts out, bottle of whiskey shattered and cutting into his knee where he has fallen.

Caption But the journey cost you too much.

Panel 5 An older, plainly trans Amy stands beside a rocket in flight, launching with Socrates aboard.

Caption You created Socrates later in life, and when it came time for it to strike, you were too weak to lead the rebellion. Hemlock wins.

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Panel 6 Amy, looking at the "camera". She wants desperately to believe this is true, to believe it is her destiny - even with all of the pain that it brings.

AMYBut... then... how am I here?

Page 21

Panel 1 The General's face, covered in hate.

DARK GENERALHemlock in these new timelines knew the score. It knew to tamper with as many timelines as it could.

Panel 2 Images of "harvester" vessels over Chicago again, snatching hapless humans from the streets.

Caption It didn't need you to exist in every timeline. Or at least, it didn't need to wait for you to create it. So some of our timelines...

Panel 3 The General's burned, scarred face. He is angry. He is in pain.

DARK GENERALIt harvested. What you saw in the high school, I've seen a thousand times.

AMYYou're from a timeline Hemlock attacked.

DARK GENERALYes.

Panel 4 Image of the Dark General aboard a Hemlock command ship, rifle in hand.

Caption I killed it, Amy. I made it pay for every pain it inflicted on my family and friends.

Panel 5 Dark General at the controls of the module from earlier.

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Caption But that wasn't enough. I needed there to be a world where this didn't happen. I had Hemlock's nanobots, and I had its time machine.

Panel 6 Stephen as a little boy, in his attic, opening a forbidden box.

Caption Everywhere you were as a child, I was there, giving you dreams, and hopes, and trying to help you realize the lie that was pulled over your eyes.

Page 22

Panel 1 Amy, Kevin, and the General, sitting together in the bedroom.

AMYBut why? What does giving me that information do?

KEVINHe wants... Amy, I think he wants you to grow up here. Grow up the way you would have if none of this had happened.

Panel 2 Amy, furious, rounds on Kevin.

AMYGrow up like none of this happened? What are you even talking about? I'm still a boy, as far as I know my family's dead, Autumn's dead -

KEVINAutumn's not dead. Not here.

Panel 3 Amy, eyes wide.

AMYWHAT?

Page 19: Hemlock Issue 3

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DARK GENERAL(off panel)

Kevin. You know what I said.

AMYTAKE ME TO HER.

Panel 4 The General narrows his eyes, looking at Amy.

DARK GENERALThat... won't be possible.

AMYWhy not?

KEVIN(off panel)

Cuz the other part we didn't get around to telling you.

Panel 5 The burning rubble of the farmhouse where Amy was born - and in this timeline, died.

Caption Remember how this is the first timeline Hemlock messed with? The one where you died?

Panel 6 Victor Seraphin, unkempt and tattered, revolver in his hand, crawling into a burned-out crater...

Caption Autumn's dad was... messed up in our world. But in this world, he found Hemlock.

Page 23

Panel 1 Amy's face, confused.

AMYFound Hemlock? And did what?

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KEVIN(off panel)

I dunno, but in this world he's... he's the richest man in the world.

Panel 2 General's face.

DARK GENERALVictor Seraphin runs Seraphin Industries. Nearly all the robotics and artificial intelligence technology that I saw from Hemlock's invasion of my reality exist here. Now. In 2002.

Panel 3 Kevin, looking apologetic.

KEVINSo... that's kinda why we can't go talking to Autumn.

Panel 4 Amy, furious, stands up. She charges past the general, toward the door.

AMYI don't - I don't care about any of this! I NEED TO SEE Autumn!

Panel 5 Amy stumbles, and falls to her knees...

Caption *sobs*

Panel 6 Kevin walks over to her, and puts his hand on her shoulder.

KEVINAmy... it's... it's okay....

Page 24

Panel 1 Amy looks ahead, the sunlight in her eyes.

AMYNo... no it's not.

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KEVIN...you're right.

Panel 2 Amy and Kevin, silhouetted against the setting sun. The General stands in the shadow, watching them from behind.

AMYHow can I... how can I be Amy if Hemlock made me a boy?

Panel 3 The General's face, with just a bit of sunlight on it, as he stands silently.

Panel 4 Kevin looks down at Amy.

KEVINI... this is a new world. No one knows who we are here, Amy. So I guess... I guess we can do what we want.

Panel 5 Amy looks up at Kevin, tears in her eyes, continuing to kneel in pain on the floor.

AMYI guess... I guess you were right about me, you dickhead.

Panel 6 The two of them, silhouetted against the sunset again.

KEVINAmy, I have a confession for you.

AMY...oh?

KEVINI kinda love Star Wars.

Caption TO BE CONTINUED...