Mercy Killing is an episode of Sparks Nevada, Marshal on Mars.
Sparks, the Troubleshooter, Red, Derp, and Croach.[1]
Audio
Cast
WorkJuice Players
- Sparks Nevada - Marc Evan Jackson
- Croach the Tracker - Mark Gagliardi
- The Red Plains Rider - Busy Philipps
- Derp - Craig Cackowski
- A41397X442 - Hal Lublin
- Orna Peganu - Autumn Reeser
- The Saloon Doors (The Space Saloon / La Diabla) - Annie Savage
- Folksy Hal (Narrator) - Hal Lublin
Guest Stars
Detailed Summary
After fleeing from Mercy Laredo in One Night at O'Tooles with Red, Croach and the Barkeep, Sparks sends the Barkeep home, as he doesn't need to be in this danger. Sparks is itching to showdown with Techs and get his badge back, but Croach tells him he is slow and fat now, after not showing down with anyone for months. Croach, still very drunk, is belligerent.
Red suggests asking Jim to do some mayoring and repeal the bounty. Sparks says if they go see Jim at the Mayors' Retreat, it might hurt his reputation and Red admits that's true, but they go anyway.
Arriving at the locaiton of the mayor's retreat, it is deserted except for two beings, Derp, the Mayor of Mars' moon Deimos and A41397X442, the mayor of robots. Derp tells them that Jim is gone to save Earth from an attack from MurderMen. A41397X442 tells the humans he was so inspired by Jim's speech that he wishes he could become human himself, and immediately comes down with a case of Pinocchiosis. Seconds later, he explodes, having been shot by Mercy Laredo, who then enters.
Mercy reveals she got herself a gang, too. Orna Peganu appears and envelops Sparks, Derp, Red and Croach in a stasis field, so they cannot move, except for their mouths. Orna prefers to disintegrate her bounties, despite the fact that it's cost prohibitive. An argument begins about whether or not to disintegrate Sparks Nevada, with Mercy arguing not to.
The Space Saloon arrives. She still has her arms and legs, is now going by the name "La Diabla" and possess her bounty hunters license. She wants to kill Croach as well as collect the bounty on Sparks with Mercy and Orna. Croach thanks the Saloon for being the building where he first imbibed alcohol, but still does not return her affections. Orna, Mercy and the saloon argue over the bounty for a bit, and while distracted, Red tells the others she has a button on her watch which will call Cactoid Jim to her to come save them. Croach is able to shed his exoskin and can move long enough to press the button.
The Saloon insists that she gets to disintegrate Croach, as by the rules of authorized bounty hunting she gets 3 collateral damages for free, and she chooses Croach. Croach admits a feeling for her and is intoxicated enough to express it. He is fond of her as he experienced true inebriation inside of her for the first time. This does not make her happy.
Just as the Saloon is about to shoot Croach, The Troubleshooter appears. Sparks declares that the Troubleshooter is his hero and is very happy to see her, though Red insists Jim will be there any minute to save them, anyway. The Troubleshooter forces the Saloon's AI to hard reboot. The Saloon realizes that trying to kill Croach wasn't the right way to deal with her feelings, and says Croach is the best man she's known. The Troubleshooter wipes all the Saloon's memories, and shuts her down, seemingly forever. The Troubleshooter declines to help the others with Orna or Mercy, as it's out of her jurisdiction, and leaves.
With Jim still not there, Sparks and Red lament no one is going to save the day. Just then, Mercy turns on Orna and shoots her. After more posturing, Mercy finishes shooting and killing Orna and the stasis field evaporates.
Red, crushed that Jim didn't come to save them, accepts a ride with Derp to Deimos to find a ride to Earth to go confront Jim. Croach places himself under onus to Mercy for saving his life, and offers to ride with her. Sparks says he's also under onus, and likewise decides to ride with Mercy.
Notes
- In the intro, Croach announces he's been drunk for five months instead of being from G'loot Praktaw, and the Barkeep and The Red Plains Rider are also introduced as companions.
- Orna mentions the shapeshifting Jupiter Spies in this episode, the first mention of Jupiterians in Sparks Nevada, Marshal on Mars. However they were mentioned previously in Tales of the USSA - T-Minus.
Continuity
This is the 86th episode of the Thrilling Adventure Hour. The prior episode is #85 War of Two Worlds - The Tide Turns and the next episode is #87 The Cross-Time Adventures of Colonel Tick-Tock - Electric Park. The prior episode in Sparks Nevada canon is #83, Mayors' Retreat (an episode of Cactoid Jim, King of the Martian Frontier), and the next is #91, Mutiny on the Bounty Hunter.
Production
This episode was recorded at Largo on April 7, 2012 and released on September 3, 2012.
- Writers: Ben Acker and Ben Blacker
- Director: Aaron Ginsburg
- Music: Andy Paley & the Andy Paley Orchestra
- Sparks Nevada theme: Eban Schletter