"The Capitol" is the eighth chapter of Blame!, and the second chapter of Volume 2.
Synopsis[]
Making his way across the bridge and passing discarded equipment along the way, Killy reaches a wall of cables and wiring, which he climbs through. Traveling further he encounters a young Drybody gathering sludge, who immediately runs upon spotting him. A large worm-like creature appears and eats the Drybody; Killy saves her by shooting off the creature's head. He attempts to ask her about Net Gene whereabouts, but she either does not understand him or cannot speak. Numerous Drybodies suddenly appear and take the youngling with them while surrounding Killy with crude spears. The leader seems to show a gesture of thanks before the tribe vacates the area.
Killy walks through many miles of pipes with occasional rest before he comes to a clearing; in the distance he can see buildings with smoking torches, indicating the presence of people. Inside he finds several workers for the Bio-Electric Corporation, with a ship preparing to depart. From talking to the desk worker Namie he learns of the possibility of a genetic engineer at the Corporation who may be able to help him find what he's looking for.
He hitches a ride with the delivery man Tetsan and the ship's pilot Yoshio. They discuss the Net Gene and the history of the Bio-Electric Corporation before reaching the Dry Men's territory, at which point Tetsan instructs Killy to have his weapon ready. They come across another delivery ship, crashed into the pipes, and are under attack when they investigate. Tetsan gets back inside the ship to pilot it away, leaving Killy outside to fight off the attacking Dry Men. Several make it inside the ship; after Killy dispatches the rest he makes it back inside to find Tetsan dead and Yoshio panicking as the leader blasts the controls apart. Killy shoots him in the head, and they are forced to crash land the ship at the Corporation's docks.
Killy and Yoshio depart the ship's wreckage as the Corporation's workers arrive to unload the cargo. He discovers among the cargo various preserved Dry Men corpses, including the youngling he rescued earlier, and realizes the Drybodies he killed were only trying to rescue their family. Yoshio rudely asks if he just figured this out, and Killy crushes his head in response before going on a rampage, killing everyone in sight with a grin on his face. Repeated use of his Gravitational Beam Emitter causes his skin to begin hardening and cracking, forcing him to use one of his drug capsules. The fleeing workers send their security to stop him, strange, levitating beings that are able to deflect his GBE's shots, who blast him out through the wall. Killy escapes, injured, and wanders until he reaches the city of the Bio-Electric Corporation.
Character Appearances[]
Notes & Trivia[]
- At 70 pages, this is one of the longest chapters in the series.