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Post by descoladavirus on Sept 4, 2014 2:07:16 GMT
I'm thinking it's the same kind of etheric science thingy as Anja's seals. There's probably an etheric computer somewhere on the ship powering that piece of paper up. I think I saw that theory in this thread at some point (maybe from you). It's a good 'un. Maybe they don't even need a computer, because THEY ARE COMPUTERS  Well, we know the ship is an enormous robot, perhaps the walking robots and it act as cloud storage? Why does everyone want the robots to be attacked?  All they have is separated Gamma from Zimmy to make the experiment work. They are not threatening any of the students in any way. So far the robots have: Grabbed and manhandled someone who is loudly protesting, forced that person away from their "safe space" (Gamma), and expressed intent to force that person to do things they don't want to do. That's bad enough, but when said person can cause dangerous illusions when upset? Not to mention there is the threat inherent in that the robots currently have complete control over the environment and none of the students has freedom to leave. If they truly wanted to do this without force or threats they would have asked Kat and Zimmy nicely if they'd visit the dock to perform the experiment. Instead they demanded their participation in the experiment. Edit: Ninja'd by Jim North. I don't think Zimmingham is illusory. I think it's very real to Zimmy. Whatever etheric thing torments Zimmy would then make it real unless kept in check by Gamma. That's I guess why the robots pose the greatest threat. Zimmingham made reality would subject everyone to dangerous things, in addition to possibly infesting them all with white legs. If it didn't just destabilize everything and make everyone suddenly cease to exist or get pulled into some inter-dimensional space. |
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Post by TBeholder on Sept 4, 2014 4:21:18 GMT
It's a talisman Post-it note! It would be pretty pointless if the effects wear of the moment the paper is removed As opposed to "NOT the secret hiding place"? Also, Annie's ability to help Zimmy "keep it together" probably isn't a fire ability. Also, Annie's ability to go out-of-body isn't a "fire-type ability". Hence, she only need to float up and tell Gamma without robots overhearing whom to contact: Lindsey, to swat aside or crunch the buoys (assuming she didn't already notice what they do and moved to fix the problem), then Parley, to hop in and punch some tickets. Checkmate. the Etheric Syphons surrounding the ship are saturating the atmosphere around the ship with an etheric charge Must be the other way around, given the events of Ether Station / Spring Heeled 2. Either way, this sort of wide-area effect is likely to be noticeable for Lindsey - and she probably knows about Zimmy. |
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Post by Phoenix on Sept 4, 2014 4:22:42 GMT
So far the robots have: Grabbed and manhandled someone who is loudly protesting, forced that person away from their "safe space" (Gamma), and expressed intent to force that person to do things they don't want to do. That's bad enough, but when said person can cause dangerous illusions when upset? Not to mention there is the threat inherent in that the robots currently have complete control over the environment and none of the students has freedom to leave. If they truly wanted to do this without force or threats they would have asked Kat and Zimmy nicely if they'd visit the dock to perform the experiment. Instead they demanded their participation in the experiment. Edit: Ninja'd by Jim North. I don't think Zimmingham is illusory. I think it's very real to Zimmy. Whatever etheric thing torments Zimmy would then make it real unless kept in check by Gamma. That's I guess why the robots pose the greatest threat. Zimmingham made reality would subject everyone to dangerous things, in addition to possibly infesting them all with white legs. If it didn't just destabilize everything and make everyone suddenly cease to exist or get pulled into some inter-dimensional space. Eh, I couldn't think of a word that meant "not-quite-real mental constructs that become real enough to be dangerous" and Gamma has described them as "Zimmy's illusions" before. But yeah, regardless of how "real" they are, they are a clear potential danger to everyone on the ship, possibly even the ship itself and Lindsey if she's close enough. |
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Post by The Anarch on Sept 4, 2014 4:41:14 GMT
I don't believe we've actually seen anyone even attempt to talk with the robots. Basically everything Kat's said since the robots appeared has been directed at them, starting with telling them not to cause any trouble. Most specifically this page, which it must be noted is the exact point that the bots actually physically laid hands on students and thus negotiations broke down. I don't think Zimmingham is illusory. I think it's very real to Zimmy. Whatever etheric thing torments Zimmy would then make it real unless kept in check by Gamma. That's I guess why the robots pose the greatest threat. Zimmingham made reality would subject everyone to dangerous things, in addition to possibly infesting them all with white legs. If it didn't just destabilize everything and make everyone suddenly cease to exist or get pulled into some inter-dimensional space. Eh, I couldn't think of a word that meant "not-quite-real mental constructs that become real enough to be dangerous" and Gamma has described them as "Zimmy's illusions" before. But yeah, regardless of how "real" they are, they are a clear potential danger to everyone on the ship, possibly even the ship itself and Lindsey if she's close enough. "This act of creation is exhilarating and frightening. Subtext and symbols loom, eager to take effect. Causality and consequence become domino chains that stretch into infinity. The more fundamental the change, the more unpredictable the variables become; reality is too complex to control completely. Ordinary questions become meaningless. 'Who created who?' 'What is really real?' Everything is as real as everything else. You learn to let go of the things you can't control and go with the flow, or go insane." -Alan Wake |
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Post by warrl on Sept 4, 2014 4:49:58 GMT
nowhere before have the Robots shown this level of planning, or malice, or any ability/desire to harm anyone. Not the least, they seem more coordinated and goal-oriented and genre-savvy: this may reflect that they are in a place with more processing power...hmm... We've seen groups of robots acting in coordinated fashion before. The seraphs have cooperated with each other to pursue long-term goals. Now they are cooperating with one - ONE - additional non-seraph robot. That robot being the ship itself. (The ship has a lot of sailor-phalanges. At this point Annie has singed a couple of the ship's fingers, and that's all.) |
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Post by todd on Sept 4, 2014 10:47:02 GMT
I wonder if much of the problem comes from the robots' mentality. They might be cunning, but they're still machines who have no experience in how humans think or perceive things. They simply may not comprehend that physically grabbing students, making demands, etc. are threatening. (They might even see seizing Zimmy and Gamma as no different from moving pieces of scientific equipment around.)
(Of course, it doesn't help that they were ultimately designed by a weak and cowardly man who murdered the woman who rejected him and then blamed it on the other Founders on his deathbed rather than taking responsibility for it himself.)
Perhaps Kat needs to give the robots some lessons in social skills (though I don't think that'll be enough at this point).
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Post by goldenknots on Sept 4, 2014 15:38:49 GMT
Has anyone noticed that the temporary suspension has had another effect? Her dress looks different after the label's applied. Maybe they "reversed her polarity"? Looking further, though, I think that the first panel of the current page has it backwards, that's all, since previous pages showed it the other way already. Dang, so much for polarity reversal.  |
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Post by Eversist on Sept 4, 2014 17:57:02 GMT
^You mean the direction that the dress drapes over her chest? Hah, good catch.
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Demonsul
New Member
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Post by Demonsul on Sept 4, 2014 19:21:36 GMT
I get the feeling we're about to see the students much more actively resisting as a group. After all, Annie's not the only one here who is capable of action.
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Post by Gotolei on Sept 4, 2014 21:24:16 GMT
Heh, ever since the seraphs turned up her dress has been popping back and forth with the frequency of Kat's hair split  (quick count: up to Dramatically Appropriate Time the seam goes down to her left every time we see it, and since then it's 50/50) And yeah as much as Tom historically doesn't like involving violence, it would be nice to see the other students actually, y'know, do something. inb4 becky ground OP |
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Post by todd on Sept 4, 2014 21:57:32 GMT
I get the feeling we're about to see the students much more actively resisting as a group. After all, Annie's not the only one here who is capable of action. Or the next page might have the robots then using some device which ties up or otherwise immobilizes all the students, to prevent any further interference (after which Lindsey will have to be the one to save the day - maybe to show again that the adults at Gunnerkrigg are able to solve these problems without any help from the kids). |
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Post by smartalec105 on Sept 5, 2014 0:07:53 GMT
Some people have mentioned Parley coming to save the day but what if she brought Smitty with her? His ability to create order would cause the robot's plan to succeed in making the Ship organic.
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Post by Jelly Jellybean on Sept 5, 2014 0:30:35 GMT
Perhaps Kat needs to give the robots some lessons in social skills (though I don't think that'll be enough at this point). Kat was providing a positive example, but the ship was a butt and interrupted her dancing. |
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Post by todd on Sept 5, 2014 0:31:13 GMT
Some people have mentioned Parley coming to save the day but what if she brought Smitty with her? His ability to create order would cause the robot's plan to succeed in making the Ship organic. Parley and Smith showing up would feel too much like a deus ex machina in any case, since they haven't even been mentioned in this chapter. |
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Post by fwip on Sept 5, 2014 0:33:49 GMT
Some people have mentioned Parley coming to save the day but what if she brought Smitty with her? His ability to create order would cause the robot's plan to succeed in making the Ship organic. maybe that's how the Seraphs intend to do it - I can't really see any other way to direct a random flare of etheric energy. They're counting on either Parley teleporting him in or have already smuggled (or invited) him aboard. |
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Post by thedoctor on Sept 5, 2014 17:30:55 GMT
I'm not sure that this is something religious. Look at it -- it kinda looks like the drawing of a long-haired girl in a dress, facing left, with something on her head. (Forgive my crude ASCII art interpretation): Your interpretation is pretty freaking awesome. I agree. I think that's it's probably circuitry-inspired, or something perhaps tangentially related to the language that's on the cube Kat has been deciphering. Just because it looks like/resembles a talisman, doesn't mean it has to necessarily be a talisman in the traditional sense. Why does everyone want the robots to be attacked? All they have is separated Gamma from Zimmy to make the experiment work. They are not threatening any of the students in any way. Well, what they are doing is taking the ship hostage and (attempting to) force Kat and Zimmy to do their will. Not to mention taking Zimmy out of her comfort zone. I'd be pretty pissed, too. Hey, just realized: I'll bet that the symbol IS horrible ASCII! It's entirely consistent with the robots' printing methods! (remember the robotically printed love letter to Kat?) A symbol powered etherically doesn't necessarily have to be written beautifully to be effective. |
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Post by mordekai on Sept 5, 2014 18:40:25 GMT
Some people have mentioned Parley coming to save the day but what if she brought Smitty with her? His ability to create order would cause the robot's plan to succeed in making the Ship organic. Parsley teleports Smitty to the ship. The robots threaten Smitty. A freak lightning hits the ship EMP-burning every circuit of every machine within. |
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Post by keef on Sept 5, 2014 21:03:38 GMT
Some people have mentioned Parley coming to save the day but what if she brought Smitty with her? His ability to create order would cause the robot's plan to succeed in making the Ship organic. maybe that's how the Seraphs intend to do it - I can't really see any other way to direct a random flare of etheric energy. They're counting on either Parley teleporting him in or have already smuggled (or invited) him aboard. Actually that would make their stupid plan a lot less stupid. |
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Post by TBeholder on Sept 6, 2014 1:37:22 GMT
Some people have mentioned Parley coming to save the day but what if she brought Smitty with her? His ability to create order would cause the robot's plan to succeed in making the Ship organic. maybe that's how the Seraphs intend to do it - I can't really see any other way to direct a random flare of etheric energy. They're counting on either Parley teleporting him in or have already smuggled (or invited) him aboard. That would turn the Wacky Hijinks Solution from pure wishful thinking into gambling that it will turn their way... which is also wishful thinking. So spinning an Occam Razor points at wishful thinking alone. Especially as it's present in the very idea that courting Lindsey will do anything at all. |
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Post by warrl on Sept 6, 2014 2:00:06 GMT
If Andrew knows Lindsey and is aware that she is happily married, I seriously doubt that his talent would help further Ship's goals - unless there is no viable orderly alternative.
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Post by fwip on Sept 6, 2014 7:38:52 GMT
If Andrew knows Lindsey and is aware that she is happily married, I seriously doubt that his talent would help further Ship's goals - unless there is no viable orderly alternative. Maybe it's unintentional. What exactly constitutes 'order'? At this point, Andrew is a plot device that Tom can plausibly bend to pretty much any ends. |
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Post by Jelly Jellybean on Sept 6, 2014 13:44:32 GMT
At this point, Andrew is a plot device that Tom can plausibly bend to pretty much any ends. And Smitty is totally fine with this situation! If being a mere plot device hooked me up with the with hot athletic character, then I'd be totally fine with it too. |
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All they have is separated Gamma from Zimmy to make the experiment work. They are not threatening any of the students in any way.
