Calvin's Quest chapter 23: How Far We've Come
Calvin assuages Hobbes' fears about the non-lethality of a weapon. Calvin complains about the quality of the song selection, to which Hobbes replies that why doesn't he search through the infinite wasteland for another iPod with full charge. Calvin sends him off to pull a sneak attack, and deal with Foxy.
Calvin and Nivlac discuss how closely their plans would line up. Nivlac says that he would have gone out into the Paradox Dimension to retrieve a weapon to aid him in the fight, send Hobbes to deal with Foxy and possibly get a sneak attack on him, and battle Calvin for control of the Pillar Mechanism. Calvin says that Nivlac already assembled the Pillar Mechanism, therefore, since he had plenty of time to use it, and didn't, meant he was waiting for Calvin to come back before using it.
Nivlac alludes to the concept of parallel universes. Calvin points out that he had the Pillars for a long time, and just obtained the Imagination Pillar, so, he asks, why didn't he just teleport out the second Calvin saw him? Nivlac then yells "THE POINT IS TO SEE YOU LOSE!" He says that if Calvin knew what was coming, he'd be thanking him.
Nivlac says that there's a storm on the horizon, a cataclysm the likes of which the Omniverse has never seen. He says that Calvin has an important role to play in events to come, and that the Omniverse needs the strongest possible Calvin to survive, and that "we both know that's not you." Calvin says "Why don't we test your little hypothesis," and plays the song on the iPod ("How Far We've Come" by the Matchbox 20).
Calvin and Nivlac proceed to fight. Nivlac continuously obtains weapons with no fuel. Eventually, Calvin begins to climb a large rubbish pile. He kicks down an ink bottle, slowing Nivlac down and dyeing some of his hair jet-black. A sound erupts in the distance, described as "if a robot could scream, the scream would sound like this." Calvin climbs to the top, and Nivlac grabs his leg. Nivlac punches Calvin in the nose, and says, "Look at you. Beaten and broken atop a pile of garbage in the dimension that will become your prison. You know what you are, Calvin? Pathetic. I should have taken your place years ago." Calvin replies that Nivlac is something worse, predictable. Nivlac turns around, to see a smug Hobbes holding a white tube with lights on it and a makeshift trigger. Behind him, the ripped remains of Foxy. Nivlac asks what exactly that is, and Hobbes replies, "What, this? Oh, nothing in particular. It's just my ION BLASTER!" and fires at Nivlac.
Calvin and Hobbes run to the unguarded Pillar Mechanism, which they proceed to activate. As it's about to levitate, Nivlac gets up, runs towards them, and says "Run."
As they levitate towards the singularity, Hobbes asks if he should close his eyes. Calvin replies, "Frankly, I don't think it will make a difference."
- Batman Gambit: Calvin knew that Nivlac couldn't resist fighting him, so he used the fight as a distraction for Hobbes to destroy Foxy and get a clean shot at Nivlac with the ion cannon.
- Brick Joke: Remember the question that started the quest? Namely, whether starships have ion blasters or plasma cannons? The answer is revealed to be ion blasters.
- Evil Gloating:Nivlac: How does it feel, Calvin? How does it feel knowing you failed?!
- And later...
Nivlac: Look at you. Beaten and broken atop a pile of garbage in the dimension that will become your prison. You know what you are, Calvin? Pathetic. I should have taken your place years ago. - Motive Rant:Nivlac: THE POINT IS TO SEE YOU LOSE! Every second you continue to exist is proof that I'll never be anything more than a failed copy, a corrupted backup, an incomplete clone of someone I could crush in a heartbeat. Do you have any idea what it's like to look into a mirror and see your own worst enemy looking back?
- No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Calvin vs Nivlac.
- Running Gag: Nivlac always grabs a weapon without fuel.
- Title Drop: The song on the iPod is titled "How Far We've Come."
