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TicToc
Feb 20, 2007 21:05:50 GMT
Post by La Poire on Feb 20, 2007 21:05:50 GMT
An android is any human-like robot, the term is made to distinguish between general robots and human-like ones – 'android' literally means "like a human". A robot with organic parts is a cyborg. Come on people, this is basic nerdy stuff!
As we're already into Pratchett, something about the Tocs remind me a bit of the Auditors. Creepy and ever-present, but lurking in the background. Whether or not they're really up to something or if they're really benevolent remains to be seen though.
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TicToc
Feb 20, 2007 21:07:28 GMT
Post by rastarogue on Feb 20, 2007 21:07:28 GMT
The quotes have been there the whole time ;D. I feel the tic-tocs are definetly more in the robot catagory. Maybe like the little rectangular box droids from starwars that are in all the Imperial ships, the tic-tocs might be programed for only one specific purpose.
Edit: they definetly feel like the auditors, but slightly more benevolent. after all they did save Annie.
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TicToc
Feb 20, 2007 21:11:22 GMT
Post by owl on Feb 20, 2007 21:11:22 GMT
If the Tocs are like Auditors than all they have to do is hide behind the "boring door" to not be seen. It's a boring door, after all. Why would the Tocs care?
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TicToc
Feb 20, 2007 21:13:02 GMT
Post by La Poire on Feb 20, 2007 21:13:02 GMT
What would that purpose be, then? The general consensus, which seems reasonable, is that they're some sort of monitoring system, but they also help Annie when she falls, and – well, that's about it really.
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TicToc
Feb 20, 2007 21:34:25 GMT
Post by owl on Feb 20, 2007 21:34:25 GMT
Um...I dunno. Being faintly menacing? Making sure students die before their appointed time?
Wow, why did I use those particular words? Weird....maybe onto something, though. Maybe the Tocs are in contact with the Guides, and they make sure that the students only die when the guides say they should. That''s actually remarkably creepy...
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TicToc
Feb 20, 2007 21:39:00 GMT
Post by mrw on Feb 20, 2007 21:39:00 GMT
That is creepy. However, the Guides do not decide fates, if I remember Muut's comment correctly.
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TicToc
Feb 20, 2007 21:42:27 GMT
Post by La Poire on Feb 20, 2007 21:42:27 GMT
It seems likely to me, as the Tocs are everywhere at the school and they help Annie, that they're in some way connected to the school and protective of the students. However, Eglamore and the rest of the teachers didn't seem to know Annie had been rescued, so whoever controls them must have an own agenda.
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TicToc
Feb 20, 2007 22:00:25 GMT
Post by owl on Feb 20, 2007 22:00:25 GMT
They don't decide fates, but they know when someone should die. That's why they have Tic tocs to do the deciding for them.
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TicToc
Feb 20, 2007 22:03:02 GMT
Post by rastarogue on Feb 20, 2007 22:03:02 GMT
No tic-toc is deciding Annie's fate for her!
Meanwhile, that theory could work. the guides have to know when and where a person will die so that they can pick up the soul, the tic-tocs insure that everybody makes it to their appointed time and place.
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TicToc
Feb 20, 2007 22:04:36 GMT
Post by owl on Feb 20, 2007 22:04:36 GMT
*points upward* See, that's what i was trying to say. Thanks, rasta!
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TicToc
Feb 20, 2007 22:10:56 GMT
Post by rastarogue on Feb 20, 2007 22:10:56 GMT
No problem.
The tic-tocs could be part of a organization of robots that make sure nothing "foreign" gets into GC and makes sure nothing from GC is lost.
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TicToc
Feb 20, 2007 22:17:09 GMT
Post by La Poire on Feb 20, 2007 22:17:09 GMT
Shit, how fast you guys post!
What you just said sounds like a really good idea rasta. But wasn't Annie dropped on the wrong side of the river? And they didn't try to stop Robot from leaving.
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TicToc
Feb 20, 2007 22:24:47 GMT
Post by owl on Feb 20, 2007 22:24:47 GMT
Ot stop him from coming back with the Arm and Shadow. It's a nice idea, rasta, but I'm not sure whether it works.
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TicToc
Feb 20, 2007 22:31:17 GMT
Post by rastarogue on Feb 20, 2007 22:31:17 GMT
The far side of the river may have been the safer side. they are an organization of robots so why should they stop one of their own kind from coming or going?
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TicToc
Feb 20, 2007 22:43:13 GMT
Post by owl on Feb 20, 2007 22:43:13 GMT
The Arm isn't their kind, nither is the Shadow. And even if it is safer, you said "keep anything from GC in", and that edge of the river is not in GC.
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TicToc
Feb 21, 2007 3:19:17 GMT
Post by rastarogue on Feb 21, 2007 3:19:17 GMT
She was already out, so they had failed there primary objective. Their next goal would have been to keep her safe until the court could recover her.
shadow did not belong in the courts in the first place. And you will notice, the arm did not make it into the school in any threatening way, it was dismembered and neutralized before it entered. And remember the second alarm, the one sounded by the Tic-Toc's when Robot was on the bridge, it could that first they sound the alarm, and only step in themselves when others have already failed.
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TicToc
Feb 21, 2007 4:17:28 GMT
Post by owl on Feb 21, 2007 4:17:28 GMT
Hmm, true. Good points. I guess I was counting the Bridge as part of the Court. But it's not, or Annie wouldn't have gotten a detention. Hmmmm........
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TicToc
Mar 21, 2007 4:46:02 GMT
Post by Count Casimir on Mar 21, 2007 4:46:02 GMT
Ok, all of this has probably been said, I'm just offering some observations. on this page, we get a look at the innards of the TicToc: www.gunnerkrigg.com/archive_page.php?comicID=128Does that look like a blade popping out of its chest to anyone else? Last-ditch defense system? As, pretty much everyone's been saying, it seems like the birds aren't just an alarm system, but also a (rather ineffective) security force at the same time. It looks as if it's big compared to Annie. At the end of Chapter 9, the bird jumps off the lamppost at the exact moment Annie leaves the safety of the bridge (to put it mildly). And at least 5 other TicTocs showed up awfully darn fast. Coincidence? Or are there a bunch of 'em always stationed there. It seems like they do have stations in top secret areas. Also, same link as above; mechanical lungs, or batteries? A final theory; They are a surveillance system. Two possibilities; they're monitored by Eglamore, and since he was on the bridge, he didn't know Annie had survived. Although he has to have some pretty fast transport to get from his monitoring station in the school to the Gillitie Exit that fast. Other possibility; the school is watching, but doesn't care. Since GC is obviously not a normal school, perhaps the children are being allowed to break rules (they don't know that, of course!). Maybe the main lesson is not to get caught, explaining Eglamore's advice to Annie upon giving her detention. And my very last: Why does everyone hate Reynardine! I like 'im, he's cute. And he obviously has a soft spot for Annie, or even just a good side; he looked upset when Annie fell, he looked like he recognized the evil Gillitie shadow, and he tried to save Annie by dragging her back to the school by the jumper!
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TicToc
Mar 21, 2007 14:22:39 GMT
Post by Aspen d'Grey on Mar 21, 2007 14:22:39 GMT
Maybe the TicTobs are the view point the Tom uses to express the comic- the 4th wall. I mean, that's kind of out there but it just kind of makes sense too. Or I need more slepe.
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TicToc
Mar 21, 2007 19:24:22 GMT
Post by mrw on Mar 21, 2007 19:24:22 GMT
on this page, we get a look at the innards of the TicToc: www.gunnerkrigg.com/archive_page.php?comicID=128Does that look like a blade popping out of its chest to anyone else? Last-ditch defense system? As, pretty much everyone's been saying, it seems like the birds aren't just an alarm system, but also a (rather ineffective) security force at the same time. It looks as if it's big compared to Annie. I assume it is breastbone (sternum). It's indicated as #23 in the following link: fsc.fernbank.edu/Birding/skeleton.htmRegarding Reynardine, hate may be a little strong. Speaking for myself, I know I've posted things that could be construed that way, but I don't hate him - I just don't trust him at all. ;D
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TicToc
Mar 21, 2007 19:40:26 GMT
Post by La Poire on Mar 21, 2007 19:40:26 GMT
I wouldn't trust Reynardine with anything – except being totally awesome. I always admire villains done well, as I enjoy your typical Good Guys done with depth, à la Eglamore. Completely good or downright evil characters I find to be the least believable personalities and often most boring. Although there might be some truly evil and probably some blindingly good characters here, there certainly aren't any boring ones, to which the author deserves praise. But yeah, Reynardine rocks. Sorry for getting off track, that was what I really wanted to say.
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TicToc
Mar 21, 2007 23:33:22 GMT
Post by UbiquitousDragon on Mar 21, 2007 23:33:22 GMT
I wouldn't trust Reynardine with anything – except being totally awesome. This could be the greatest quote ever. I don't know if we could say for certain that Eglamore monitors the TicTocs, rather he runs to danger *swoon*
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TicToc
Mar 28, 2007 2:16:13 GMT
Post by Count Casimir on Mar 28, 2007 2:16:13 GMT
Dead thread? It should be revived. The TicTocs are interesting.
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TicToc
Mar 31, 2007 17:47:19 GMT
Post by owl on Mar 31, 2007 17:47:19 GMT
Indeed! But really, almost everything has been said...except The Crazy...which has been/shall be said in Wild Speculations, so...
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TicToc
May 3, 2007 1:14:56 GMT
Post by emptyhat on May 3, 2007 1:14:56 GMT
It's interesting that there are a couple of elements that lead us to think that the Tic Tocs are minions or part of a system.
The tic toc sound they make suggests the more primitive mechanics of a clock then a computer (not to say that they lack circuitry). also Their bird form in itself could be seen as diminitive, though of course birds can also evocative of a particular often symbolic intelligence.
But it might be that they are their own masters (along with whatever agenda they may possess). They certainly react with enough coordination to suggest inteligence when saving Annie and a survival instinct when dealing with Zimmy (one that fits the Tic Toc's birdllike form more then its mechanical nature, especially if they are surveilence.)
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CoyoteKing
New Member
Definetly not a Turing machine, Wizard 0.2 is just for show.
Posts: 34
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TicToc
May 8, 2007 0:34:02 GMT
Post by CoyoteKing on May 8, 2007 0:34:02 GMT
The TicTocs are pretty clearly robotic. Personally I think the Tictocs are drawn to magically sensitive people, or people with tendecies to attract and/or produce some sort of 'magical aura'. More specifically they seem to be attracted to those students who exhibit these characteristics (they are seen observing both Annie and Zimmy (sort of)).
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TicToc
Aug 3, 2007 10:53:46 GMT
Post by La Goon on Aug 3, 2007 10:53:46 GMT
I guess, the latest page (page 278) means a revival for this thread... So, what was that "dead" TicToc doing? Is it something all TicTocs can do? Is it something all TicTocs automatically do, if they are damaged and are unable to continue their normal functions? My first guess is that it had transformed itself into some kind of communication central for the TicToc system. Maybe it is able to send information for a greater distance than the regular TicTocs. (In that case the bottom of a ravine would be a pretty bad location, and there would probably be a functioning central/transmission station already. On the other hand - if the only option that particularly TicToc had in that situation was to transform into a station, it might as well just do it. It could also be just a really creepy malfunction
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TicToc
Aug 3, 2007 13:54:59 GMT
Post by rastarogue on Aug 3, 2007 13:54:59 GMT
YAY ;D The return of the Tic-Tocs!
Okay, It seems to me that what it did is a perfectly normal piece of code for it to have. And, as I said earlier, if one of there objectives is to keep GC safe than weakening the far wall of the Cliff makes great sense.
From the way Anja reacted, "It's one of those birds!" I postulate that the teachers were unaware of what the Tic-Tocs are and what they can do, and don't forget she is one of the science teachers, and married to an engineer/mechanic.
And why rooted itself into the shore? It may just be his way of speaking, but it struck me as important.
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TicToc
Aug 3, 2007 14:37:47 GMT
Post by La Goon on Aug 3, 2007 14:37:47 GMT
And why rooted itself into the shore? It may just be his way of speaking, but it struck me as important. It's my impression that it somehow "sucks" minerals out of the ground via the "roots" to extend itself with.
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TicToc
Aug 3, 2007 19:46:14 GMT
Post by AluK on Aug 3, 2007 19:46:14 GMT
Maybe it's some kind of distress signal protocol. It turns itself into a communications bay to send the signal as far as it can.
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