“ | This is why we went to war! This is what gets us out of bed every morning! Make no mistake, ladies and gentleman, this is how we stop Saddam from using those weapons. | ” |
Lieutenant Colonel Eric Edward King[2] is one of the five main protagonists and a playable character in The Dark Pictures Anthology's third installment, House of Ashes. He is a US Air Force Lieutenant Officer, chief nuclear engineer of the Iraq Survey Group, creator of Caelus, and the husband of Rachel. He was voiced and motion captured by Alex Gravenstein and was modelled on Dawid Kocieda.
Appearance[]
Eric is a man of light complexion. He has brown eyes covered with a pair of aviator sunglasses and wavy, dirty blonde hair brushed to the right. Instead of the right leg, he has a wooden prosthetic. He also has a faint stubble and small nasolabial folds.
Eric wears a crumpled white Henley shirt with rolled up sleeves, a black watch on his left wrist, classic jeans, leather belt and boots. Unlike Rachel, he keeps his ring close to his heart, wearing it as a necklace. For the operation, Eric wears a black plate carrier, a gray backpack with climbing gear, and an earpiece with a radio and flashlight; his weapons include a Glock pistol and a combat knife. As shown in one of the flashbacks, Eric was wearing a light blue two-button polo shirt, jeans, and was barefoot during the car crash.
Underground, Eric loses his sunglasses and wears a rappelling harness. As the game progresses, his appearance becomes increasingly stained with dust and small bloodstains. He can also be shot or bitten in the right forearm, but the wound could be patched if Nick found the med-kit.
Personality[]
Known as the U.S. Air Force's "in-house genius," Eric is highly intelligent, as proven in his creation of the satellite system Caelus. In the game, he also shows such qualities as analytical, observant and pragmatic.
Although sent to lead the operation, compared to Rachel, Eric is a mediocre leader. His authority is always questioned by his subordinates, who often disobey Eric and even give him orders themselves, which causes him to abuse his status in an attempt to remind that he is still in command. He is also frequently blamed for the events of the game as he was the instigator of the suicide mission. Still, despite his inexperience in both combat and leadership, Eric has superior knowledge in military tactics than anyone else in his squad, and is able to stand up for himself.
Outside of the war environment, Eric is described as a good man. He is caring and very loyal to his loved ones, risking his life for them, for which Rachel calls him a puppy dog. That said, he can be quite resentful, reminding Rachel of her guilt over the accident and even leaving Nick to die upon learning of his affair with Rachel.
Biography[]
Eric was born on July 28, 1967 and was a cadet at the United States Military Academy, where he met Rachel during climbing classes. They began a romantic relationship and got married in 2000. However, the good marriage did not last long - leaving a roadside diner not far from Little Hope, they crashed into a truck. This crash resulted in Eric losing his right leg and the couple split for a year. During this time, Eric developed a satellite program called Caelus.
On May 30, 2003, Eric led a team on a mission in search of weapons of mass destruction. When the American units arrived at the landing point in the Zagros Mountains, they were ambushed by an Iraqi patrol. Due to the warfare, Eric was plunged into the depths of the Zagros Mountains alongside his comrades and enemies. To survive what lurked below, Eric had to forge an alliance with the enemies from above. His fate would then be decided by the player, in which he would escape alive or die buried beneath the sands.
House of Ashes[]
Chapter Appearances | |||
Cursed | Absent | ||
The Briefing | Debut | The Assault | Determinant (Possible Death) |
The Raid | Appears | The Horror | Determinant (Possible Death) |
Underworld | Absent | Enemy of My Enemy | Absent |
Pazuzu | Appears | The Well | Absent |
The Temple | Appears | The Ancient One | Determinant (Possible Death) |
Breaking Up | Appears (Possible Death) | Brothers | Absent |
After the Fall | Determinant | The City | Determinant |
Slayer | Determinant | Strange Aeons | Determinant |
The Truce | Determinant (Possible Death) | The Vault | Determinant |
Bloodbath | Determinant | Semper Fi | Determinant |
The Signal | Determinant (Possible Death) | Daylight | Determinant (Possible Death) |
The End | Appears (Possibly Dead) |
Main Story[]
Act 1[]
Eric arrives on Camp Slayer with Clarice, who is greeted by Jason. Eric then walks through the palace with Jason guiding him around. Not long after, he meets his wife Rachel. He then briefs the squad and later talks with Rachel. After the data has already been downloaded, he with the others leave for the helicopters, to which Jason and Nick make a brief comment about him.
In the helicopter while flying through the Zagros Mountains, he doesn't play much of a role, but can be seen checking his prosthetic leg. After Mailman 2-1 raided the target LZ, Eric with his wife and assistant join in to search for the weapon silo. The Iraqis then start assaulting the Americans, to which Eric takes cover. This causes an earthquake, plummeting both sides into the caves below, including Eric.
After the earthquake, he wakes up near Rachel, and they explore the ruins together until they reach the large main temple chamber. The pair discovers an archaeologist camp there and power up a generator, lighting up the chamber and allowing them to listen to the final recording of Randolph. Immediately after this, they are found by Dar, who opens fire on them and forces them to flee. While traversing through the chasm, Rachel will slip in the next area as the ground beneath her shifts, forcing Eric to tie himself to her and hold on. Certain combinations of decisions in this segment will result in his death. Nick can potentially save him, and Dar, if alerted, can shoot and kill him.
Act 2[]
Jason and Nick with Merwin if alive will reunite with Eric. They then take cover inside the temple. Jason and Nick move on as Eric is tasked to guard the door or Merwin. When Jason and Nick heard Joey's scream, Eric meets with them. He insists he will join the team, which Jason can let him or not. If Eric joins, he will walk through the caverns with Nick and possibly Jason. As they hear another Joey's scream, Dar ambushes the Americans, whom he can injure Eric in the process. Afterwards, Nick is separated from his teammates and Eric will go search for him. Eric then finds Nick again, but possibly with Salim. If Salim confronts him, he can be shot in the head depend on whether Jason shot the fleeing shepherd or not. He will return to the temple with possibly a dead vampire, Salim, or nothing.
In the main hall of the temple, Eric may inspect Caelus's scans, the dead vampire, or talk with Salim, but he'll be distracted by a figure passing behind him. He will follow the figure, who is revealed to be a vampiric Joey attacking Jason on the crane. He can ignite Joey with the UV wand if he previously ignited the dead vampire or shoot him. As Jason and Nick inspect the radio, Eric joins them. When the vampires are alerted by the radio's noise, Jason commands Eric to retreat, but is immediately knocked by Dar. When the firefight goes on, he attempts to escape, to which he can either successfully do it, fail to do it and be shot in the process, or prevented by Salim to do so. He then falls back to the temple with the other Americans.
As Jason and Nick are about to close the door, Rachel, possibly with an infected Clarice, come in, much to Eric's surprise. After dealing with an ordeal, they continue to hear the vampires' screech, to which they retreat to the main hall. Eric and Jason attempt to hold the door shut, which may either succeed or fail. Eric will survive the vampires attack, but he will escape and can die by being blown up by the tripwires after being misled by Nick if Rachel did not shoot the vampires with the Vickers Gun. When they confront the Iraqis again, they hear the vampires' screech. Eric with the group retreats into the sacrificial chamber, where they are ambushed by a swarm of vampires. In the process, Eric encounters the Ancient One choking Nick. After helping Nick, Eric instead is grabbed by the Ancient One. Rachel can save Eric, Eric can save himself, or he will be killed by the Ancient One. If he survives, but Clarice is brought to the chamber, he will be ambushed and killed by vampire Clarice.
Act 3[]
In a possible flashback, Eric can be seen with Rachel conversing in a car near the diner near the town of Little Hope, where soon after, an accident happens. Reuniting with Nick and Rachel, the Ancient One starts to chase them (with vampire Rachel if she was infected). Eric can die by having his throat ripped out by the Ancient One or Rachel in the process. If they were spotted and Eric decides to save Nick, he will almost fall into a deep hole with the Ancient One, with Nick barely catching him. If Rachel is a vampire, she will tackle Eric and both will fall into the hole. Otherwise, if Rachel is alive, she will help him out if the hole, but Eric can fall if they fail. In the medical bay, Eric confronts Rachel about their relationship, to which Rachel can accept him and give him another chance or dump him for Nick. Either way, they move on to search for Jason.
Eric with Nick and Rachel find Jason and Salim while confronting a vampire. They escape to the Star Chamber, where he fixes his prosthetic leg. Afterwards, they may deal with an ordeal where Rachel is infected. He can use his UV wand to purge the parasite out of Rachel's body if he is aware about the vampires' weakness. Deciding to bomb the cocoon mounds, Eric will receive Nick's radio signal if the latter advanced and succeeded to plant the bombs, to which he can comply or ignore it. Retreating from the structure, he will gather with the others in the elevator. If Eric and Nick are the only survivors, they will either talk or argue.
In the caves, the group will be attacked by vampire Clarice/Rachel, whom Eric can die to the latter in the process. Eric with the other heroes successfully reaches the surface again, but is confronted by vampires once again when an eclipse rises moments later. They run for the shepherds' hut to defend for six minutes, according to Eric. Eric along with the others, fight the vampires with two flares, whom he can survive or die.
The End[]
At Camp Slayer, Eric will be seen interrogated by an agent, he informs them about the creatures characteristics and then concludes that he will make sure the creatures stay buried underground.
- If Eric is dead, his body will lie inside a body bag.
Possible Deaths[]
Chapter | Mechanism of Kill | Caused by | Conditions |
---|---|---|---|
Breaking Up | Impaled on stalagmite | Himself (Indirect) | Merwin is alive OR Jason and Nick failed all QTEs while escaping; Eric refuses to cut Rachel loose for the second time. |
Rachel (Indirect) | Merwin is alive OR Jason and Nick failed all QTEs while escaping; Rachel refuses to cut herself loose (Curator's Cut). | ||
Shot twice in the chest | Dar | Dar was alerted; Eric refuses to cut Rachel loose for the first time; Eric fails two QTEs OR Eric refuses to cut Rachel loose for the second time (Theatrical Cut). | |
Same condition; Rachel refuses to cut herself loose (Curator's Cut). | |||
The Truce | Shot in the head | Salim | Jason killed the fleeing shepherd in The Raid; Eric joined Nick; Nick reassures Salim OR Nick and Salim alert the Americans (Theatrical Cut). |
Eric joined Nick; Salim doesn't choose to hide OR Nick and Salim alert the Americans; Salim chooses to shoot Eric (Curator's Cut). | |||
The Signal | Shot in the back | Dar | Salim doesn't join Dar; Jason fails to shoot the rubble; Nick fails to shoot Dar to save Eric. |
The Assault | Explosion | Nick (Indirect) | Rachel retreated OR was grabbed by a vampire; Nick directs the survivors to the side where the mines are planted OR says nothing with the mines planted in the middle. |
The Horror | Throat ripped out | The Ancient One | Eric isn't saved; Eric fails QTE to release himself. |
Clarice | Clarice was brought to the sacrificial chamber; Eric survives the ambush. | ||
The Ancient One | Rachel | Rachel became a vampire; Eric and Nick are spotted by vampire Rachel and the Ancient One (Nick chose to run OR Eric or Nick failed QTE to shut the door OR Nick fails the Keep Calm OR Eric fails the Keep Calm and Nick completes QTE to save Eric); Eric fails QTEs while fighting Rachel. | |
The Ancient One | Eric and Nick successfully shut the door; Eric fails the Keep Calm; Nick fails QTE to save Eric. (Shared Story) | ||
Fall from high place | Himself (Indirect) | Nick is spotted by The Ancient One; Eric chooses to help Nick; Rachel isn't dead or infected; Eric fails QTE or Nick fails QTE to pull Eric up. | |
Rachel | Rachel became a vampire; Eric and Nick are spotted by vampire Rachel and The Ancient One; Eric completes QTEs while fighting Rachel; Eric chooses to help Nick. | ||
Daylight | Throat ripped out | Rachel | Rachel became a vampire; Eric fails to fight Rachel in the caves. |
Impaled | Vampires | Eric fails to fight the vampire in the hut. | |
Head crushed | |||
Eyes gouged out | The Ancient One | Nick chose to retreat from the motherlode OR Eric ignored his radio signal; Eric fails to fight The Ancient One in the hut. |
Killed Victims[]
Chapter | Character | Mechanism of Kill | Condition |
---|---|---|---|
The Assault | Rachel | Incinerated | Jason and Nick triggered Dar's tripwire OR Eric or Nick failed QTE to hold the door; Eric chooses to shoot the generator while Rachel is grabbed by a vampire (Shared Story). |
The Vault | A vampire | Certain - Eric has the UV wand and is the only protagonist alive other than Jason and Salim. | |
Daylight | The Ancient One | Burned by flare | Nick chose to retreat OR Eric ignored his radio signal; Eric succeeds to fight The Ancient One in the hut. |
Relationships[]
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Rachel[]
Main article: Eric and Rachel
Rachel is Eric's wife. They have been married for 3 years but spent the last year apart. They both met during their cadet years in the U.S. Military Academy on a climbing class and began romantically involved afterwards. Shortly after their marriage, Rachel got into a vehicle accident with Eric that resulted in the loss of his leg. Eric is still in love with her despite their estrangement and come to the base to rekindle his relationship with her. Unbeknownst to him, Rachel started an extra-marital affair with Nick 3 weeks before the current events.
Throughout the game, they act romantic around each other and have the possibility of being involved again together or grow spiteful and cold towards each other depending on the player's decisions.
Nick[]
Nick and Eric's first interaction is somewhat frosty. If Eric finds out Nick is the man that Rachel is seeing, the relationship becomes significantly more tense - however, if Nick and Eric are nice to each other and Nick chooses to be honest with Eric, they can bury the hatchet and have a newfound respect for one another by the end of the game - in this case, Eric will lend Nick his UV wand in the vault that can possibly save Nick's life during certain outcomes.
Other dialogue choices will lead to them being openly hostile - they may brawl with each other, Nick will be openly insubordinate. Having a low relationship stat will make Eric not giving him his UV wand and cut the radio while Nick asks for help, dooming him.
If they are the only survivors in the elevator ride, they can speak fondly about Rachel's memory; or they can argue with one another - Nick will call Eric a "pencilneck".
- After Jason says the mission is a bust and Eric says he can fix Caelus, Nick tells Eric he got them into this mess and that he better get them out, which angers Eric who reminds him of his rank as a commanding officer.
- Eric directly punches Nick after he hugs Rachel in front of him. (Theatrical Cut)
- Eric doesn't lend his UV wand to Nick when the latter goes down in the cocoon mount.
- Eric cuts the radio on Nick when the latter calls for help after blowing the main cocoon mount.
- If Eric and Nick are the only survivors left in the elevator, they argue and antagonize each other.
- After Jason tells the mission is a bust and Eric says he can fix Caelus, Nick tells the group they should move out.
- Eric hugs Rachel after seeing Nick hugging Rachel in front of him. (Theatrical Cut)
- Eric tries to make peace with Nick if Rachel dies after their encounter with the Ancient One.
- Eric lends his UV wand to Nick when the latter goes down in the cocoon mount.
- Eric responds to Nick's call for help after Nick blows the main cocoon mount.
- If Eric and Nick are the only survivors left in the elevator, they bond and yell out "Oorah" together in the elevator.
- They can also yell out "Oorah" with Jason and Salim if they make it.
Jason[]
Eric seems to put a lot of trust in Jason as he put Jason in charge of the raid, Eric can be shown to question Jason in his choices but can put that aside and congratulate or be angry at him for not following his orders in the raid.
Jason can be restrained in his interactions with Eric, but can also potentially show anger bordering insubordination at the casualties they have suffered and the faulty intelligence which led them into this situation. Jason doesn't fully trust Eric's commands and tries to take the lead whenever possible at his place. If Eric died, Jason can angrily express in the interrogation that Eric led them into Hell.
Salim[]
Eric is hostile towards Salim in the beginning with them having a standoff which can lead to Eric's death. If Eric survives he can be shown to be somewhat sympathetic towards Salim with him offering a bottle of water to drink, Eric blames Salim for the "death" of his wife Rachel at the cliff but even then Salim can open up about his son towards Eric even giving him his son's name which Eric in turn tells him Rachel's name. Salim shows trust in Eric even telling him the creature's weakness.
They do not interact much past this point but Eric shows reluctance in allowing Salim to carry a pistol when Jason chooses to give one to him. After that Eric can tell Jason to leave Salim behind, his reasoning is that Salim's not one of them. If Eric and Salim are the only two survivors on the elevator ride, he will express surprise that Jason went to save Salim, saying that Jason hated Iraqis.
Trivia[]
Playability[]
- Eric is the least playable protagonist, having 8 playable chapters in total.
- Eric has 7 official playable chapters in Theatrical Cut, that being one in The Briefing, Pazuzu, Breaking Up, The Assault, The Horror, The Ancient One, and Daylight.
- Eric has 5 official playable chapters in Curator's Cut, that being one in Pazuzu, The Temple, The Assault, The Horror, and Daylight.
- Eric appears in 19 chapters.
- Eric is the only protagonist in the anthology to have no exploration segments in chapters after Act 1, as he is only playable in the cutscenes.
Pictures[]
See also: Category:Pictures found by Eric
- Eric is tied with Rachel for finding the least pictures, with 2.
- Eric can find 1 black picture and 1 white picture.
- Only Eric can find Fallen.
- Eric appears in 3 pictures: Ultraviolet, Fallen, and Tripwire.
- Eric and Salim are the only protagonists who can't find the gold picture.
Secrets[]
See also: Category:Secrets found by Eric
- Eric can find the least number of secrets, with 9.
- Only Eric can find Pazuzu.
Facts[]
- Eric is an atheist, which is revealed when Jason asks him if he believes in God.
- Eric doesn't like horror movies, unlike Rachel.
Deaths[]
- Eric, along with Angela, Conrad, and Erin are the protagonists with the first chance to die in their respective games. In Eric's case, he starts with Breaking Up.
- Coincidentally, Angela, Conrad, and Eric feature two death scenes about them in the black pictures. (Familiars and Like a Stone for Angela, Cut and Run and Ship Shape for Conrad, Fallen and Tripwire for Eric)
- Eric is tied with Rachel for having the most deaths (with 10) and has the most chapters to die in (with 7).
- Eric is the only protagonist who can be killed by the Iraqi soldiers, as he can be shot by both Dar and Salim.
Other[]
- Eric shares the same face model as:
- Jack Calvary from Hidden Agenda.
- Gordon Bennet from The Inpatient.
- Hanson from Bravo Team.
- Isaac Worel and the officer from Little Hope.
- The truck driver and a state officer from The Devil in Me.
- The fireman from Switchback VR.
Trophies[]
- Eric has 12 trophies associated with him:
- He shares with other protagonists the trophies "Golden Path" and "Six Minutes of Night".
- He shares with Jason, Nick, and Salim the trophy "Ain't Got Time to Bleed".
- He shares with Nick and Rachel the trophies "Let Me Have a Go!" and "Climbing out of Hell".
- He shares with Nick the trophies "Ghost Signal" and "Oorah".
- He shares with Rachel the trophies "Double Tap", "The Thing", and "Until Death Do Us Part".
- His personal trophies are "Illuminating Evidence" and "Full Clearance".
Quotes[]
“ | Rachel and I.. we know each other. She'll understand all's fair in love and war.
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” |
“ | Eric: This is footage from the highly classified Caelus program. Merwin: That supposed to mean something to me? Eric: It's a thermal satellite that I personally pioneered. Merwin: Ohhh, well I'm impressed. Please, pioneer away. Eric: You behave like this in all of your briefings, Corporal? |
” |
“ | Jason: With all due respect, I think that's the wrong call. Eric: With all due respect, Lieutenant Kolchek, it's not your decision to make. |
” |
“ | These are unauthorized. If we break weapons conventions, then we're just as bad as Saddam. I won't allow them on this mission.
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” |
“ | Joey: You seem confident. Eric: You seem surprised. |
” |
“ | Eric: It's our only option. Let's move. Now! Rachel: When did you become so bossy? Eric: It's my job to take control. |
” |
“ | Rachel: It's Pazuzu. Eric: Pazu-who? Rachel: Pazuzu. Do you not watch horror movies? Eric: You should know the answer to that. |
” |
“ | I'll learn from this. I'll go back and work twice as hard to rewrite the program. Caelus will be stronger than ever. You don't think I can do it? You don't believe in me?!
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” |
“ | Rachel: You're seriously gonna lay this shit on me? Eric: That's not what I meant. Rachel: Then what did you mean? I did everything to get you back on your feet, but you just wallowed in self pity. You let it consume you, you let it beat you! It was you Eric! You pushed me away. |
” |
“ | After the accident, I was at the lowest I'd ever been. I couldn't cope, couldn't function. And when I needed you the most, Rachel, when I needed you by my side... You left me. Caelus pulled me out of that pit.
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” |
“ | I hadn't forgotten what this ring means to me.
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” |
“ | I want you back, Rachel.
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” |
“ | Jason: Do you believe in God? Eric: Absolutely not. Jason: Well start believing. We are under attack by... I don't know what. You wouldn't believe me if I tried. Hell... I don't believe it and I was there. |
” |
“ | Jason: Not happening, Colonel. Nick and I are doing this alone. Eric: Do you realize the consequences of this, Kolchek? Jason: I've got bigger things to worry about. |
” |
“ | Eric: This is a perfect place for an ambush. Let's keep it slow and tight. Jason: No, double-time! Joey needs us now! We gotta hurry! |
” |
“ | It's him, isn't it? I understand you're not the brightest, Nick, but even you must know what I'm talking about. You've been fucking him, haven't you? | ” |
“ | Jason or Rachel: Is it Nick? Eric: It's just a ghost contact. |
” |
“ | Rachel: I never stopped loving you. Eric: I never stopped loving you... |
” |
“ | You got your own problems. And whoever that was, that sounded like... a gold metal asshole.
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” |
“ | Jason: He always this much of a dick? Clarice: Ah! So many dick levels. He's like a two. Wait until it turns up to eleven. |
” |
“ | Rachel: I'm sorry. I know Eric can be a bit "by the book," but you can trust him. He's a good man. Jason: Don't sweat it, Rachel. Just the chain of command. |
” |
“ | Climbing gear! Fucking pencil pusher.
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” |
“ | Nick: What do you think of him? Jason: I take it you're talking 'bout the skipper? He's a nice guy. But around here, nice don't cut it. What do you think of him? Nick: Like he's got something else on his mind. |
” |
“ | Nick: What do you think of him? Jason: I take it you're talking 'bout the skipper? He's a hard ass and he wants us to know it. But I ain't bothered by that. I like it actually. Nick: Guy has a corncob up his ass. Jason: Where we're heading, believe me... We're gonna need someone tough in control. |
” |
“ | How could you have gotten it so wrong? Look around you! We went through all this shit for what? Like, a few barrels and crates?
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” |
“ | You were always a good guy... Maybe too good for me.
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” |
“ | It wasn't a bad way for Eric to bow out. At least he died a soldier's death.
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” |
“ | "Semper fidelis." Eric's decision not to let go of Rachel cost him more than what he ever expected. He paid the ultimate price for his loyalty.
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” |
“ | Nick: It's the Colonel! He's fucking dead! Jason: What a way to go. Being honest, his cards were marked the moment we stepped off that helo. |
” |
“ | Bad luck, but then again Eric cheated death once before back on that highway. Perhaps death finally caught up with him?
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” |
“ | Well you've outdone yourself this time, puppy dog.
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” |
“ | Jason: If Eric had allowed close air-support, these birds could've picked up the signal. Nick: Trust top-brass to fuck you in the ass. |
” |
“ | Nick: He died trying to save you. Rachel: He held on until the end. The rope broke, not Eric. |
” |
“ | Rachel: Was it him? Nick: Don't do this, Rachel. Rachel: Did he kill Eric? Bad move. |
” |
“ | It's encouraging to see that Eric and Nick have accepted the past and decided to make peace. I suspect that's more agreeable than having to bury one or the other. Friends... if only out of respect for Rachel's memory.
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” |
“ | It seems Eric and Nick are just never going to see eye-to-eye. They both loved and lost under the Arabian sands... their choices have driven a wedge between them which can never be lifted. Enemies until the last.
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” |
“ | Impressive, Eric is still alive and kicking. The mission was a disaster. Lives were lost. But the man whose bright idea it was-- Colonel Eric King... walks out in one piece. Isn't that always the way?
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” |
“ | Ah, and here we have Colonel Eric King, our in-house genius. He definitely got more than he bargained for.
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Gallery
References[]
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Protagonists |
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Supporting Characters |
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