abstract
| - The virus affected Kryten's subconscious, making him hallucinate a western town named Existence. He was the town's drunken sheriff, ridiculed by the locals, especially a gunslinger called Jimmy. He tripped Kryten, prompting a confrontation between the two. Jimmy encouraged Kryten to draw his weapon, saying "They say you used to be faster than a toilet stop in rattlesnake country". Kryten instead apologised for tripping over Jimmy's boot. Jimmy then told the sheriff that The Apocalypse Boys were outside the saloon and wanted to see him. Kryten had a few drinks to steady his nerves and went outside. Brother Death introduced himself and his brothers, who then proceeded to fire their weapons at Kryten's feet. They told him to get out of town within one hour, which Kryten prepared to do. Lister, Rimmer and The Cat were watching all of this on one of Starbug's monitors and decided to help him. They linked up the artificial reality console and entered his mind as characters from the game "Streets of Laredo". They found him in the saloon, trying to sell his dove-carved revolvers and his mule for a bottle of whiskey. He did not recognise them at first, but they saved him from the locals with their special skills. He then tried to leave town, but The Cat stopped him by shooting a sign that knocked Kryten flat. They then forced the drunken sheriff to eat raw coffee until he was sober enough to remember them and why he was there. When the Apocalypse Boys returned, he joined the others on the street to face them. He recognised them as what they were - a virus. Even when his crewmates were affected by the virus and had to leave, he was not afraid to face his enemies alone, calling on them to go for their guns. He was then shot several times, but shrugged off the bullets to draw his own guns, which turned into doves as they left his hands. The doves made the Apocalypse Boys disappear and Kryten awoke aboard Starbug with the antidote to the virus (RD: Gunmen of the Apocalypse).
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