Did You Know Them?

**Did You Know Them?** is the name of Kyo Katayama's execution, as featured in Cornucopia of Hope.

## Sequence

*Excerpt taken from Chapter 64 of Cornucopia of Hope*

They’re dragged away, and for a moment, we’re treated to silence. Are they really going to die here? Is this not a way for them to weasel their way out of this?

The screen flickers to life, however, and we realize that it’s time to watch the Host get their dues.

Did You Know Them?

Kyo is dropped into the middle of what looks like a cocktail party. It’s a round room, with high tables and no visible door. As they stand, the camera pans out, and it becomes clear that there are people in the room. A half dozen Fey robots are fluttering around the room in waiter costumes, serving people who look just like everyone we’ve lost here.

Heiji and Bo are chatting, holding martinis, next to Alena and Masanori who seem to have worked out some kind of truce. Katherine and Miki are laughing with Lani and Pure Virtual. Aika is alone, getting a drink from one of the waiters, and Kyo is in the middle of all of them.

At first, there seems to be no pressing danger. Kyo dusts themself off and approaches one of the Feys, reaching for a drink, but the Fey ignores them, instead offering one to one of the other dead people. No one looks at them.

While this bothers Kyo, it still doesn’t seem lethal. However, as we watch, Kyo’s face gradually gets redder. They tug at their collar, as if warm, and seem to cough. It’s slow, but it gradually dawns on me what is happening. As they cough, sway, and fall to their knees, I realize that air must be being pumped out of the room. There are no windows, or doors, only a small vent up at the top of the wall where no one but a giant could reach.

Now on the floor, they crawl toward the groups of dead people. They reach out their hand to grab at Kathy’s skirt, and their hand passes easily through her, interrupting the projection that made her seem real. Kyo crawls toward the other holograms, and reaches for them again, desperate for any kind of help despite the slim odds.

Words are projected in the air in front of the confused faces of the holograms. Their eyes dart at Kyo, but return to one another quickly as the words declare their thoughts: Do you know that person? Who are they?

Tears stream down Kyo’s red face as they claw for any kind of response from the holograms around them. Finally, they manage to get their hands on one of the Feys floating around the room, and in their face they beg for any kind of acknowledgement from the robot. Even resistance would have proven that they were in the room.

But the Fey drops with Kyo, face blank and dead, and the rest of the room continues without noticing that there is one less waiter.

Kyo lies on the floor under their broken doll and looks at the ceiling, their face draining of color now. They look directly into a camera, seeming to stare directly at all of us, right before their eyes roll back in their head.

The footage doesn’t cut out there. It lasts for another few minutes, lingering on their face while the party continues on without them.

There is no rescue. There is no one to grab them while they’re just unconscious and pump air into their lungs to keep them from dying.

Their chest stops rising and falling.

The party goes on. Nobody seems to miss them.

The footage finally stops when we can be sure that Kyo Katayama, the Super High School Level Charity Organizer, is dead.