[1294] It was worth it

[arf]

I'm in the creep-out camp.

Able to see the Angel's movements, and not her thoughts, Robot has put a different interpretation on what Kat said.

Bad things happen...

That phrase looks set to take its place alongside "She died and we did nothing"

[snipertom]

Creepy robot suicide cult!

What happens if kat turns her back on the creepy robot cult?

[Elysium]

Talk about mood whiplash...

[meltea]

I am kinda having problems interpreting the supposed misinterpretation of Kat's words. What exactly does Robot think she ment by saying "It was worth it".

It was worth it to kill it? I don't know.

[ebaaus]

Excuse for things (people) to die in the name of robot progress... Worth it?

[wombat]

Well. This was a really cute chapter that took a really creepy turn.

Well done.

[keef]

Maybe we should interpret it as: "Robots have gained worth"

But its debatable; probably the seed for the first robot religious war has been planted.

[thor]

Robot is either unable to recognize, or is being willingly obtuse to the fact, that a part is not a person.

Considering that he was reduced to nothing more than a CPU on a shelf once, he should know the difference. There was no CPU or brain in this part. Kat specifically identifies it a bone and muscle structure.

Somebody really needs to investigate what is up with that extra part stuck on his CPU. If I had an extra part attached to my brain, it would be a tumor. And if I didn't have it removed, there's a good chance that I would be acting erratically as well.

[Lightice]

Dec 27, 2013 9:30:29 GMT meltea said:

I am kinda having problems interpreting the supposed misinterpretation of Kat's words. What exactly does Robot think she ment by saying "It was worth it".

The death was worth the achievement. Whether advancement to more complex biomechanical structures or makeouts with Paz, that remains to be seen. It would be morbidly comical if Robot did in fact understand the context of the situation, but derive the lesson that it's noble for a machine to give its life so that the Angel's love life can go on.

Dec 27, 2013 9:48:51 GMT thor said:

Somebody really needs to investigate what is up with that extra part stuck on his CPU. If I had an extra part attached to my brain, it would be a tumor. And if I didn't have it removed, there's a good chance that I would be acting erratically as well.

I still believe that it's simply something that all the Court robots have attached, and it's the technomagical part left from Diego's original designs that combines etheric science with normal computing. Otherwise it would have surely come up pretty quickly when the other Seraphs were trying to figure out his erratic behaviour.

[arf]

Dec 27, 2013 9:30:29 GMT meltea said:

I am kinda having problems interpreting the supposed misinterpretation of Kat's words. What exactly does Robot think she ment by saying "It was worth it".

It was worth it to kill it? I don't know.

I think Robot is interpreting what happened in the same terms as the old robot in 'Give and Take'. Motion = life. He doesn't know that Kat was thinking about her distraction (Paz). All he knows is that Kat's experiment will never move again. And the Angel said 'It was worth it.' And we can see that this misinterpretation could have serious consequences.

[fishtie]

Thanks Robot. Thanks for staying classy and not at all creepy.

WAIT! THAT'S NOT TRUE AT ALL!

[dard]

I can understand the general creepiness everybody sees in this scene.

However, while I do agree that it is somewhat creepy, I see it in a more positve light than many.
At first I was a bit confused by the way Robot misinterpreted Kat's comment. However, upon rereading, I realized that Kat's comment was totally out of context so it is understandable.

Anyway, why do I see it more positively?
First, Paz is out of the equation. I was worried that the robots might blame her for the failed experiement. Now it seems that the robots in general and Robot in particular do not see any direct connection. And even if, it seems it wouldn't be seen as a negative connection.
Second, the robots don't see this death as a negative thing. Robot has made sure of that. It was a death that had a purpose and, like he misquoted "was worth it". I also think that he means more that both the life and death of the wing was something worthy. Maybe as opposed of them simply existing.
He has to know that Kat sees it differently, that she sees it as a failure, but he turns it into a victory, which will keep blame from Kat and the seraphs from Paz.

What he really intends is another matter which is left to interpretation.
He is a difficult character to figure out. Down-to-earth in his relationship with Shadow and whenever he is interacting with Kat, but then there are scenes like this.
For now I think he really means well, but his course has of course the potential to eventually backfire.

[Toloc]

Dec 27, 2013 10:29:40 GMT dard said:

I can understand the general creepiness everybody sees in this scene.

However, while I do agree that it is somewhat creepy, I see it in a more positve light than many.
At first I was a bit confused by the way Robot misinterpreted Kat's comment. However, upon rereading, I realized that Kat's comment was totally out of context so it is understandable.

Anyway, why do I see it more positively?
First, Paz is out of the equation. I was worried that the robots might blame her for the failed experiement. Now it seems that the robots in general and Robot in particular do not see any direct connection. And even if, it seems it wouldn't be seen as a negative connection.
Second, the robots don't see this death as a negative thing. Robot has made sure of that. It was a death that had a purpose and, like he misquoted "was worth it". I also think that he means more that both the life and death of the wing was something worthy. Maybe as opposed of them simply existing.
He has to know that Kat sees it differently, that she sees it as a failure, but he turns it into a victory, which will keep blame from Kat and the seraphs from Paz.

What he really intends is another matter which is left to interpretation.
He is a difficult character to figure out. Down-to-earth in his relationship with Shadow and whenever he is interacting with Kat, but then there are scenes like this.
For now I think he really means well, but his course has of course the potential to eventually backfire.

Pretty much what I wanted to write, but put far more eloquently.
The wing's existence was worthy, it has served its purpose. The Angel approved.

[agentletrush]

As incredibly creepy as this page is, I couldn't help but hear Freddie Mercury singing along with the robots.

[keef]

Dec 27, 2013 10:29:40 GMT dard said:

I can understand the general creepiness everybody sees in this scene.

However, while I do agree that it is somewhat creepy, I see it in a more positve light than many.
At first I was a bit confused by the way Robot misinterpreted Kat's comment. However, upon rereading, I realized that Kat's comment was totally out of context so it is understandable.

Anyway, why do I see it more positively?
First, Paz is out of the equation.

Agreed, that was my first impression too.

I was worried that the robots might blame her for the failed experiement. Now it seems that the robots in general and Robot in particular do not see any direct connection. And even if, it seems it wouldn't be seen as a negative connection.
Second, the robots don't see this death as a negative thing. Robot has made sure of that. It was a death that had a purpose and, like he misquoted "was worth it". I also think that he means more that both the life and death of the wing was something worthy. Maybe as opposed of them simply existing.
He has to know that Kat sees it differently, that she sees it as a failure, but he turns it into a victory, which will keep blame from Kat and the seraphs from Paz.

That's a lot of speculation, but I like it.

What he really intends is another matter which is left to interpretation.
He is a difficult character to figure out. Down-to-earth in his relationship with Shadow and whenever he is interacting with Kat, but then there are scenes like this.
For now I think he really means well, but his course has of course the potential to eventually backfire.

I think he really believes, but I'm not sure about his motivations or plans. Shadow isn't to happy with his preaching. I don't think the humans of the court know yet.

Dec 27, 2013 11:15:23 GMT Toloc said:

Dec 27, 2013 10:29:40 GMT dard said:

Pretty much what I wanted to write, but put far more eloquently.
The wing's existence was worthy, it has served its purpose. The Angel approved.

seconded

[snipertom]

Interestingly (and this could not have been foreseen by Tom), Alan Turing was pardoned of his CRIME OF HOMOSEXUALITY this Christmas eve.

Good article: www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/12/alan-turings-body/282641/

The father of computing was gay, and the first computer programmer was female. Sort of fitting that Kat happens to be both not-straight and female I guess?

[snipertom]

I can kind of imagine the Queen going "I'm sick of this! I'm almost 90 and computers are awesome! I signed gay marriage into law! Time to pardon Turing!"

[snipertom]

Then the Robot Royalists heard her words and went "I'm sick of this!" about everything

[nightwind]

Dec 27, 2013 9:52:50 GMT Lightice said:

I still believe that it's simply something that all the Court robots have attached, and it's the technomagical part left from Diego's original designs that combines etheric science with normal computing. Otherwise it would have surely come up pretty quickly when the other Seraphs were trying to figure out his erratic behaviour.

I don't know. Kat noticed that part only on S13, shouldn't she have discovered it on other robots if they all have it?
Perhaps when she is able to read Diego's code more fluently, she will discover what it's here for (my 2 cents: prophetic ability or religious delusion).

[Lightice]

Dec 27, 2013 13:03:14 GMT nightwind said:

I don't know. Kat noticed that part only on S13, shouldn't she have discovered it on other robots if they all have it?

There is no indication that Kat had ever taken a Court robot apart at that time. She was also completely ignorant of etheric sciences. The Court seems to be inclined to keep most of its more esoteric functions secret from at least the younger students, so it makes sense that Kat had never seen an actual robot CPU before, just normal computer counterparts.

[amrita]

Some great stuff in this thread. It might be important to reread the end of Give and Take before you join the creep-out camp.

[KMar]

Dec 27, 2013 13:11:05 GMT Lightice said:

Dec 27, 2013 13:03:14 GMT nightwind said:

I don't know. Kat noticed that part only on S13, shouldn't she have discovered it on other robots if they all have it?

There is no indication that Kat had ever taken a Court robot apart at that time. She was also completely ignorant of etheric sciences. The Court seems to be inclined to keep most of its more esoteric functions secret from at least the younger students, so it makes sense that Kat had never seen an actual robot CPU before, just normal computer counterparts.

This is what I thought also.

[crater]

R
O
F
L

10/10 page

seraph disposition at it's best, god robot is the best

masterful chapter

[csj]

ROBOT IS IMAM KHOMEINI YES THIS MAKES PERFECT SENSE.

TIME TO OVERTHROW THE SHAHCOURT

[eyemyself]

Dec 27, 2013 8:19:09 GMT Señor Goose said:

Am I the only one?

No.

Dec 27, 2013 8:37:29 GMT prestidigititis said:

Pretty amazing how at the beginning of this chapter, (most) everyone's hopeful for something to happen between Paz and Kat...and not only do we get that, we also get some great Kat/Rey scenes, and excellent reconciliation between Kat and Annie. And yet, it's something else entirely that we're worked up about by the time the chapter ends.

This Tom fellow is pretty okay at writing, is what I'm saying.

This is what I have been saying all along!

Robot has always been a bit... fanatical... and his personality is different when he is with humans vs. with other robots. It is hard to say how much of that difference is intentional without knowing more about how intelligent robots are. We know they are bad at subterfuge gunnerkrigg.com/?p=1139 but are morally ok with making an attempt at it. I guess what I am saying is, robots don't have a problem with lying to further their purposes... we don't really know if robot is being completely genuine with Annie and Kat.

[arf]

Dec 27, 2013 13:38:32 GMT amrita said:

Some great stuff in this thread. It might be important to reread the end of Give and Take before you join the creep-out camp.

The creep-out arises from Robot's misinterpretation of Kat's comment. Give and Take offers an explanation as to why Robot might take it the way he did.

Besides, if you look at the *very* last panel of that chapter, you will see that Shadow is also starting to look creeped out by Robot's behaviour.

[eyemyself]

Robot seems to only bust out the really fanatical behavior when Annie and Kat are out of earshot. The only hint of it we've seen when they are around is his insistence on calling Kat "Angel" which she doesn't seem to understand the full implications of.

[Deepbluediver]

Robots developing religion...well dingleberries. This is quite a minefield, if all the bombs in that minefield had a yield of several kilotons.

I can't help but draw comparisons between this and other comics that have run AI-centric story lines, including: Freefall, Questionable Content, and Dresden Codak. 
It's fascinating to see the different takes authors have on robots/androids/non-human-intelligences that aren't just "robots bad, kill all humans!"

[alpacalypse]

Dec 27, 2013 9:05:05 GMT arf said:

I'm in the creep-out camp.

Able to see the Angel's movements, and not her thoughts, Robot has put a different interpretation on what Kat said.

Bad things happen...

That phrase looks set to take its place alongside "She died and we did nothing"

I just hope they don't start saying them right after each other. "She died and we did nothing," "It was worth it." People are gonna get confused and weirded out.


I think it is really interesting how they are taking this right now. A true death means that they were truly alive. Something that the robots didn't really have a concept of, but now view it as a sort of gift from their Angel. While it is creepy, and maybe not all the bad right now. Fanatical devotion usually ends up being bad. Specifically Robot didn't understand the meaning of Kat's words at all, and likely doesn't really understand human sexuality much and if so then he wouldn't understand homosexuality.  Kat was in all likeliness a little careless with the experiment, and with new found love, she may start to give less effort towards her work as she focuses on Paz as what tends to happens in romantic relationships. When the robots see that she is working less, it means their "reward" of life, specifically Robot's new body, is being delayed, maybe as a punishment of some kind. You can't have a good story without conflict, and I've been waiting for a greater robot conflict to show up for a while now.

On a less grim note, I really hope the next page is with Paz and Kat kissing, they are too cute.

[zimmyhoo]

Hoooo shit. Dis is gonna be interesting.

Robot cult intensifying, Jeanne-duel coming soon, Annie becoming closer to the forest, stuff's going down soon.
ENTER PLOT STAGE RIGHT