750 | See You Never

Don’t do it Zap! Kasey will kill you!

Waaaaaaaaaaaah!!! T_T

Oh that’s pretty.
Well done Excelsior. Mission complete.

I second the “Why??” I don’t understand that at all. It seems so unnecessary, especially in light of the extreme energy drain it will cost him to do this. Why couldn’t they have remained, potentially ready for a brand new voyage of exploration? (I know the told story is ending, but they could have ridden off into the sunset.)

THAT’S “owning up to his mistakes?!”

So he KILLS Excelsior and Robot, whom we just got back after his heroic self-sacrifice, when it’s obvious he is now the only possible person who CAN use the ship as a death gun, what with the single most powerful of his enemies (whom he just thrashed, crippled, and permanently exiled) being stopped by a simple PASSWORD. What, exactly, is there to be afraid of right now? Add more security measures! Keep what the ship can do (only in the hands of a very powerful psychic) a secret! Do any number of things, do ALL of a number of things, but don’t just end two sentient lives willy-nilly just because you’re afraid! That’s not “making a tough decision,” that’s murdering two loyal friends because you wimped out!

Sorry, I get a bit worked up about this sort of thing.

Remember, the difference between reality and fiction is that fiction must make sense. And this makes no sense.

Firstly, allow me to apologize. I am not accustomed to interacting directly with the creator of a work like this, and I forgot how we storytellers (I am unpublished but working on it) can become upset when critiqued. It is easy to take it personally. I apologize.

I generally like your work here, and I have mostly enjoyed Zap. This is the source of why I am upset, because I care about this. So, I am sorry if it seems like I was insulting you and your work, which you have labored long and hard on. I get that. Really, I do. This comic is like your baby, and we get prickly about that sort of thing.

However, second, I must stick to my guns on this one. This really does not make any sense to me. Even if we can argue that Excelsior and Robot were not “alive” to begin with, it still makes no sense. The threat is neutralized. THOROUGHLY neutralized. If he’s afraid of it falling into the wrong hands, he can take precautions, but I see no evidence of him even pausing to think about alternatives, so, no, it does not make sense.

Third, let’s argue that Excelsior and Robot are merely computer programs (I disagree, but we’ll get to that in a moment). Nevertheless, they are the work of Zap’s own hands, much as this comic is yours. How easy would it be for you to simply erase this comic and every trace of it from existence? If something were so important that it could make you even contemplate such a thing, would you not look for alternatives first? Thus, simply choosing to destroy his work, when the threat is neutralized, makes no sense.

Fourth, I argue that Excelsior and Robot ARE sentient and they ARE alive. They ARE, after all, CHARACTERS. (and I am not shouting, I am emphasizing) They are characters we love, and have laughed with. Robot, especially, is a character who has displayed many emotions, who we have enjoyed, and whose self-sacrifice when he refuses to give Gunner the password is something that many living HUMANS would fail to do. So, yes, they are alive (and beloved by your audience by this point, if you’ve done your job right, which you have), and to lose them is a real loss, a tragedy. So, to kill these two, without looking for alternatives, when the threat is neutralized, makes no sense.

Fifth, if losing completely inanimate objects like a ship or a headquarters or a house or a plate can be emotionally devastating, then how is it surprising that your audience can get a bit worked up when two lives (yes, artificial, but still lives) are extinguished at all? Especially when it makes no sense?

I promise that’s the last I shall say on the matter. I was not trying to insult or be rude, and I have very much enjoyed your work. I apologize for the offense I have given.

But, I maintain my stance. This makes no sense.

If you can allow me to feel that way, then I shall not say another word.

Ah, I see we are not going to just let one member of your audience have a differing perspective, different interpretation… in short, take something different away from your work than precisely what you intended. Boy, are you in for some rough times.

I don’t simply dislike the choice. I dislike having to take a life, but if someone is threatening me family and my freedom, I see the necessity of doing so, and I applaud it, regardless of my dislike. No, it’s not that I dislike this, it’s that I disagree with it. And you are reacting rather poorly to that, aren’t you?

Did we really see Zap think it through?

Did we really see any psychics of Zap and Gunner’s caliber?

Did we see need for anything more than a password? Which stopped Gunner.

Did we see anything to indicate Gunner could ever possibly be a threat again?

And are you actually going to argue that Robot was only a computer program so we should not feel anything for him, yet also argue that he made a choice? Is that not indicative of being alive? Living people make choices. Animals act according to instinct, even plants have some capability to move at will. Only patently non-living things cannot make any sort of choice at all. Or is Robot less than a rock? Less than a corpse? So your own argument that Robot “chooses” to die with Excelsior proves that he is alive. So, yes, Zap kills him. Without looking for alternatives. When the threat is neutralized. When his security measures have already proven sufficient and can be bolstered exponentially.

It. Makes. No. Sense.

But, I suppose if I keep pursuing this, we shall never stop arguing, will we? So, as I am guessing you shall have something hostile, derogatory, and dismissive to say to me, even though I have read your comic from start to finish and even offered a donation here and there, and as I can assume you shall remain unwilling to see any perspective but your own, I shall allow you to have the proverbial last word in our argument and bow out while I still have some dignity left unsoiled by the act of trading barbs with an ungrateful, belligerent egotist.

Fire away!

Thank you for your explanation! I thought it was clear and made sense, once I understood. (I also understood even before that there were meta-plot reasons that I won’t elaborate on, since some may be reading this on their way to finishing the series.)

It’s part of a great finish to an excellent strip. I appreciate your contribution to us all.

Best blessings to you in the days to come!

Again, commenting before reading Lepas’ reply.
Once again, you have failed to take an important point into account: Despite the fact that there may not CURRENTLY be a psychic powerful enough to be a threat, there exist a sufficient number of psychics to potentially BREED another psychic of Zap/Gunner caliber (even one of Efrem’s strength could potentially weaponize Excelsior). So the threat may not be immediate, but it DOES exist.
Considering their reactions, this is something that both Robot and Excelsior understood and accepted.
Thus, Zap had to eliminate the threat.

I think you explained things better than I did, so kudos to you for that!

I don’t know why that guy was so mad at me for trying to help him understand the full scope of Zap’s choice!

I just want you to know I’m very impressed with how patiently you handled that poster, and how firmly you stood your ground with dignity. Good for you:)
This story belongs to Chris and to you, and for a “fan” to step in and tell you you’re doing it wrong is just… ?? it’s not their story, and they’re free to quit reading if they don’t like how it’s going.
As for the rest of us, we’ll just keep applauding and blowing kisses until the curtain falls :)