|
|
Post by Daedalus on Sept 2, 2014 3:41:30 GMT
Credit to Annie. There's lot less opportunities where throwing fire at a problem solves it in the Gunnerkrigg universe than you might think, but damn if she isn't quick on the uptake. But I feel as though there's still a missing piece of this little scenario. The ship's command was "You will make me flesh", "You" referring to Kat. But afterwards, the ship just went ahead and tried to do it all on its own with Zimmy... so that being the case, wouldn't Kat still be expected to do something not yet explained? Presumably, the etheric syphons would harness the energy but Kat would direct it with her knowledge, or something along those lines. |
|
|
|
Post by warrl on Sept 2, 2014 4:25:41 GMT
Credit to Annie. There's lot less opportunities where throwing fire at a problem solves it in the Gunnerkrigg universe than you might think As the size of an explosion increases, the number of social situations it is incapable of solving approaches zero." -- VaarsuviusSomebody had to post it! |
|
|
|
Post by fwip on Sept 2, 2014 4:31:40 GMT
Credit to Annie. There's lot less opportunities where throwing fire at a problem solves it in the Gunnerkrigg universe than you might think As the size of an explosion increases, the number of social situations it is incapable of solving approaches zero." -- VaarsuviusSomebody had to post it!ya dubble triple posted. Proboards can be pretty glitchy sometimes. |
|
|
|
Post by smurfton on Sept 2, 2014 5:34:04 GMT
Of the known characters, I call a 5-way draw. The five are: * Jones - apparently damage-proof, and able to hit very very hard. Problem: moves relatively slowly. * Jeanne - probably resistant to most forms of damage, and an excellent swordswoman. Problem: severely restricted in reachable territory. * Parley - extremely fast and mobile, and a very good swordswoman. Problem: can't hurt the indestructible, and fragile. * Annie - quite mobile in three dimensions, can do reconnaisance without being detected by Jones or Parley, has a ranged attack, and has a sword which is the only thing we know of that *might* be able to harm Jeanne. Problem: not particularly fast, and fragile; and (as far as we know) not nearly the swordswoman Parley is. * Lindsey - fast and mobile in three dimensions; can move freely in water, which is a problem for opponents who are physically dense or breathe air. Problem: effectively restricted to ocean, preferably fairly deep ocean, so can't reach far onto land. Basically these five are those who can't be harmed by the others, and those who can't be caught by the others. The only non-obvious strategy tip is that Annie needs to fly away without Parley seeing her (or while Parley is too busy with something else to immediately follow) and then stay away from everyone else. Now if Annie develops the ability to cause real-world fires while being in the aetherium herself, then Parley and Lindsey are very vulnerable to her. I don't think Eggers being out of the running is a forgone conclusion. He has access to the Donlan equipment, he implies that he might have a chance against Jones at long range, and he does know a few tricks. I mean, you don't get chosen as protector of the entire dang Court just 'cause you're big enough to wield one of those 5' 6" anime swords. In addition, the one who has the most fighting experience, hands down is Eglamore. |
|
|
|
Post by Chancellor on Sept 2, 2014 5:50:12 GMT
*scene*
-Eglamore and Jones Teleport onto the top deck of the LoveBoat.-
"Jones, you go down and try to deactivate the ship's computer core, I'll head to the ballroom and secure the students,"
-Jones nods blandly, while James points to a seemingly deserted stairwell-
"We'll use those stairs, move quietly while we still have the element of surp-"
-Jones makes the slightest of upward hops, smashing through the deck beneath her feet, plummeting with no resistance through the decks below-
"..."
-Eglamore hurriedly runs for the stairs-
|
|
|
|
Post by warrl on Sept 2, 2014 6:12:45 GMT
ya dubble triple posted. Proboards can be pretty glitchy sometimes. Combining that glitchiness with a flaky internet connection on my end doesn't help. (Extra postings removed.) |
|
kralex
Junior Member
Posts: 95
|
Post by kralex on Sept 2, 2014 11:44:31 GMT
Can't mess with a CLONG to the face.  Well, unless you have a hat, of course. But seriously, those panels of post-fireball Annie are stunning. And I love how Zimmy seems surprised that someone would come to her aid like that. I think it also references the Divine chapter where Zimmy helped a sister out with an etheric sucker punch to the face. Looks like Annie got to return the favour. |
|
|
|
Post by legion on Sept 2, 2014 11:59:16 GMT
Why do people always mispell "fluorine" as "flourine"? It's not even remotely pronounced like "flour"!
Anyway, fluorine is funny because it's the most reactive and most unstable primary element, and thus the most dangerous one (baring a few isotopes from certain rare heavy elements). It can't be burned but it can burn *everything*, including noble-gaz-that-nothing-can-burn.
Sounds like Antimony more so than any combustible does.
(Well actually, fluorine can be burned (oxidized), but that requires very special conditions, like mixing it with a ionized neon plasma...)
|
|
|
|
Post by crater on Sept 2, 2014 12:10:46 GMT
I hope it's ok that I am touching myself in the most platonic way possible @ Ann casually trowing a fireball
|
|
|
|
Post by aaroncampbell on Sept 2, 2014 14:52:10 GMT
Ah ha ha hah ah this page cracks me up...Annie is so badass here, but the robots have certainly become more genre-savvy! I am curious about the functioning of etheric syphons though... "As you know, the concept of the suction pump is centuries old. Really that's all these are except that instead of sucking water, they suck life." |
|
|
|
Post by Per on Sept 2, 2014 16:40:59 GMT
Now we have some more canon material for the debate concerning ether. It can be collected from the ocean as well as the lake. There's one question though. Zimmy flipped out at the lake since she had expected the rain to help and it didn't because it had been drained of ether. Now they're draining the surrounding ocean, but it wasn't about to rain down on Zimmy anyway. It's been fairly clear that it's rain specifically that helps, not merely being around a normally etherically charged environment. |
|
|
|
Post by Purgatorius on Sept 2, 2014 17:33:49 GMT
Anyway, fluorine is funny because it's the most reactive and most unstable primary element, and thus the most dangerous one (baring a few isotopes from certain rare heavy elements). It can't be burned but it can burn *everything*, including noble-gaz-that-nothing-can-burn. ... (Well actually, fluorine can be burned (oxidized), but that requires very special conditions, like mixing it with a ionized neon plasma...)  My dentist wants me to put that stuff in my mouth. Every day!  |
|
|
|
Post by legion on Sept 2, 2014 17:59:55 GMT
Actually, he wants you to put in your mouth minute quantities of sodium fluoride, wich is a salt, and thus has completely different properties from either sodium or fluorine taken on their own.
In a salt, one of the elements (the more oxidizing one, generally) has taken an electron from the other, so what you're putting in your mouth is not Na and F, it's Na+ and F-, which have different properties.
This is similar to how table salt is made of sodium chloride, that is Na+ Cl-, which is good too because pure chlorine is the same kind of element than fluorine (it's an "halogen"), and is only slightly less awful than it.
This is good also because sodium, the other part of these compounds, in its pure form reacts violently (sometimes explosively) with water and can make it highly caustic.
Now, table salt and fluoride salts are in fact toxic, but at much higher concentration than the elements in their pure form (in low concentration, sodium chloride is actually necessary for life, and while not necessary, sodium fluoride is extremely beneficial for tooth preservation and water desinfection).
To put this into perspective, if you accidentally pour household bleach (sodium hypochlorite, Na+ ClO-) on your arm (don't do this), this is bad and will give you a painful chemical burn.
But if you accidentally pour vinegar (acetic acid CH3COOH) into household bleach (never do this), you get pure chlorine gas, the kind of thing that was used as a weapon in the european trenchs of World War I (before far more vicious alternative were found that is), in which case, it is recommanded that you run out of your house and into the nearest hospital.
Atoms are fun.
|
|
Omnium
Junior Member
Posts: 58 
|
Post by Omnium on Sept 2, 2014 18:22:49 GMT
Following on from Legion's post, if you were to inhale the Chlorine gas produced (don't do this) the chlorine gas would react with the moisture in the lungs to produce hydrochloric acid and chloric acid. For those of you who are less nerdy than me, that's stomach acid and bleach, on top of the damage chlorine would do just by reacting with shit. The bodys reaction to having bleach and acid in it is to try and dilute it. This being the lungs means they'd fill with fluid. Which is the technical way to say your body drowns you in an attempt to stop your lungs from being dissolved.
|
|
kralex
Junior Member
Posts: 95
|
Post by kralex on Sept 2, 2014 18:26:38 GMT
But if you accidentally pour vinegar (acetic acid CH3COOH) into household bleach ( never do this), you get pure chlorine gas, the kind of thing that was used as a weapon in the european trenchs of World War I (before far more vicious alternative were found that is), in which case, it is recommanded that you run out of your house and into the nearest hospital. Atoms are fun. Since we're off-topic anyway... I read that in an area exposed to toxic gas, the recommended response is walk away while holding your breath, but not to run, because you can walk a longer distance without breathing in than you can run. |
|
kralex
Junior Member
Posts: 95
|
Post by kralex on Sept 2, 2014 18:28:25 GMT
Following on from Legion's post, if you were to inhale the Chlorine gas produced (don't do this) the chlorine gas would react with the moisture in the lungs to produce hydrochloric acid and chloric acid. For those of you who are less nerdy than me, that's stomach acid and bleach, on top of the damage chlorine would do just by reacting with shit. The bodys reaction to having bleach and acid in it is to try and dilute it. This being the lungs means they'd fill with fluid. Which is the technical way to say your body drowns you in an attempt to stop your lungs from being dissolved. ... which takes us right back to the Dulce et Decorum Est poem. And we're on-topic again! Whew. |
|
|
|
Post by Daedalus on Sept 2, 2014 19:01:51 GMT
Ah ha ha hah ah this page cracks me up...Annie is so badass here, but the robots have certainly become more genre-savvy! I am curious about the functioning of etheric syphons though... "As you know, the concept of the suction pump is centuries old. Really that's all these are except that instead of sucking water, they suck life." YESSSSSS |
|
|
|
Post by keef on Sept 2, 2014 19:04:29 GMT
I hope it's ok that I am touching myself in the most platonic way possible @ Ann casually trowing a fireball As long as you do it etherically Following on from Legion's post, -snip- Which is the technical way to say your body drowns you in an attempt to stop your lungs from being dissolved. ... which takes us right back to the Dulce et Decorum Est poem. And we're on-topic again! Whew. This forum is about the Gunnerverse, which is an alternate version of our own universe, so as long as it is about our universe it is on topic. There is no off-topic!! |
|
|
|
Post by keef on Sept 2, 2014 19:11:27 GMT
Now we have some more canon material for the debate concerning ether. It can be collected from the ocean as well as the lake. There's one question though. Zimmy flipped out at the lake since she had expected the rain to help and it didn't because it had been drained of ether. Now they're draining the surrounding ocean, but it wasn't about to rain down on Zimmy anyway. It's been fairly clear that it's rain specifically that helps, not merely being around a normally etherically charged environment. Maybe their plan is to artificially deprive the surroundings of the ship of ether. Of course their plan is nuts to begin with, so this might be just one of the flaws. |
|
|
|
Post by legion on Sept 2, 2014 19:23:08 GMT
Another way to get back on topic is to note that the main chemical pathway to get pure fluorine gaz involves, among other things, the use of antimony pentafluoride.
|
|
|
|
Post by warrl on Sept 2, 2014 19:33:42 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by keef on Sept 2, 2014 20:27:35 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by aaroncampbell on Sept 2, 2014 20:58:17 GMT
I think the first panel is the ship just being romantic. What cute little tea-lights it has made and put out for itself and Lindsey! I wonder what's next, rose petals?  But seriously, we've already seen some young minds get pretty scarred by witnessing too much, and Annie grimaced pretty good seeing something natural between two fairly related creatures. Now the plot is progressing toward a very UNnatural interaction (with at least the intention of romantic union if not the consummation). In order to achieve this goal, the robots have, with premeditation: stolen, manipulated, taken hostage, created and attempted to escalate a life-threatening situation, and disallowed breakdancing. The whole situation is very disturbing on many levels. I'm expecting that even in the best-case scenario, we'll be seeing a page very similar to this one again all too soon, except someone will being saying, "They shouldn't have done that...robots shouldn't do that...it's not right..." The worst-case scenario is that we'll see that same page anyway, but the fourth panel analogue will say, "What happened? Are you hurt?" "No, thanks to ______. She/he/they saved us all. Except... oh, poor ______!" :sobs: And we'll have lost another character for good. :-( Speaking of which, this page brings up another question: what is the name of the robot ship? Does it have one? I haven't seen any nameplates or other designations anywhere! |
|
|
|
Post by Daedalus on Sept 2, 2014 21:33:43 GMT
Speaking of which, this page brings up another question: what is the name of the robot ship? HBMS Jeanne? Student Maritime Transport Vessel 01 Mark A? HMS Lindsey_Please_Marry_Me? Le Loveboat? Vessel Sh13? Suggestions appreciated. |
|
|
|
Post by Purgatorius on Sept 2, 2014 21:45:20 GMT
I'm still worried about how the robots have solved the problem of Lindsey being already married.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Anarch on Sept 2, 2014 21:46:58 GMT
HMS Gunnerkrigg
The Not Three Laws Compliant
USS Enterprise (on loan)
The Lovescorning Hatenihilator
|
|
|
|
Post by The Anarch on Sept 2, 2014 21:47:41 GMT
I'm still worried about how the robots have solved the problem of Lindsey being already married. Giant Lindsey RealDoll. Bud is surprisingly gullible. |
|
|
|
Post by todd on Sept 2, 2014 22:14:16 GMT
Maybe their plan is to artificially deprive the surroundings of the ship of ether. Of course their plan is nuts to begin with, so this might be just one of the flaws. As I said in another post, the trouble with artificial intelligence is it's artificial. It would have made more sense for them to take everyone up out on deck, where: a) the de-etherized rain could fall on Zimmy and b) the students would be less in danger than if they were inside the ship when it transformed - but that's probably yet one more case of the robots not thinking this through carefully enough. (Alongside Zimmy being unable to control or regulate her abilities.) One other thought: Zimmy's illusions always produce a nightmare version of Birmingham, which is an inland city - and they're out in the middle of the ocean. I'm not sure I want to see where this is going.... |
|
|
|
Post by Jelly Jellybean on Sept 2, 2014 22:15:56 GMT
Why do people always mispell "fluorine" as "flourine"? It's not even remotely pronounced like "flour"! I may be terrible at spelling... and proofing... and many other things, but at least I know not to pee on it. Floorine is definitely on my short list of things not to pee on! |
|
|
|
Post by ctso74 on Sept 3, 2014 1:35:58 GMT
Speaking of which, this page brings up another question: what is the name of the robot ship? HBMS Jeanne? Student Maritime Transport Vessel 01 Mark A? HMS Lindsey_Please_Marry_Me? Le Loveboat? Vessel Sh13? Suggestions appreciated. BoatBOT: Beautiful Oceanic AI Transport or Serene Itinerating Artifical Lifeform? Self-piloting Hydrosphere Intelligent Platform? Susan? |
|
Well, unless you have a hat, of course.
