Endtown by Aaron Neathery for August 31, 2023

i honestly hope that (1) this isn’t painful for Alan and (2) that Alan still has most of that foreleg.

Has anyone seen the movie Watchmen?

Hopefully he will aim to remove some wall and trim it later. But I’m afraid that might not work. The wall is an interface between Eden and nothing. Beyond a few atoms worth of thickness caused by material in Eden being absorbed like Alan’s arm, There might not be anything cuttable.

There’s such a thing as too much freedom…

I’m afraid by the look in his eyes, Alan may opt to stay put and join the void..

I wonder if he has a “ZERO SHOVEL” for all the mess that Alan is about to make?! =)

Maybe a Zero Jackhammer…

i thought zero tools wouldn’t work in the hands of mutants… but then i remember the havoc Flask raised with her purloined zero knife.

Whatever he’s going to cut, he needs to get it done before the next SNAP.

He’s quite a cut-up with his zero scalpel – really rather disarming, in fact.

One can hardly blame Alan for not being quite so sure about this plan, but they don’t have long to do something before more snaps absorb even more.

It’s good that it will be quick, that should keep the screaming to a minimum.

The little girl will convince him to allow the cutting and not die. She might even sacrifice a bit of her tail (if she hasn’t already) to convince him.

I like Terence’s calm approach. Into the breach, he’s a good man to have with you.

Looks like a Zero Sum game for Alan; hands down

All opposed to cutting Alan’s right arm off, raise your right arm!

Oh, sorry Alan

Bird is still talking down to the Endtowners, but I admit, it’s appropriate ‘defusing the situation.’ Now we just have to see if he’s going to remove the hand, or remove a block from the wall. A Zero scalpel should be able to cut the stone. It was how the stone was cut in the first place, right? Not that it was able to last, though.

I would assume he’ll leave a thin stone “cap” on the stump so Alan won’t start immediately jetting arterial blood the way he would if the flesh part of his arm was severed by the zero knife.

This is the way….if Alan lets him. Alan may just decide to take the way out. Let the snap come. It doesn’t appear to cause pain or Alan would be yelling. He doesn’t have to let Terrence cut.

Oh no.

Terrance isn’t going to free Alan from the wall.

He’s going to FREE him.

As a topsider would normally “free” an “animal” from suffering.

At least the zero scalpel seals off the wound

“I won’t feel a thing…”

Lucky that the walls have suddenly stopped closing in, giving them all chance to stand around discussing what to do!

“But, this may sting… in the morning. If we live that long.”

This is either going to work as expected, but part of me is thinking Alan, who has always felt dragged into the middle of this against his will, might just make this his last stand.

Happy cutting!

Time for Marx to show up.

I see a panicked Alan in about two seconds with a large chunk of wall where his hand used to be.

Why not use the dittos?

this stuff is always easy for the doctors to say

Hope Alan is left-handed

(if not, he will have to learn to be)