manabi
Junior Member
Posts: 82 
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Post by manabi on Oct 27, 2021 20:19:46 GMT
Could it be that Omega is a person? Or perhaps a sophisticated computer? The fact that Shell mentions readouts and numbers makes me think some sort of etheric computer AI or something. Probably something that will be impossible to work properly until Kat the robo-goddess has a fiddle with it and "fixes" it for the Court. The mention of data readouts does suggest it's a computer, but I doubt it's etheric, since Shell & Aata are both certain Aata will be booted out for using his etheric powers to save Shell's life. I could easily see the Shadow Men trying to create a totally non-etheric computer that can manipulate and control the ether. With that as a goal, it makes sense to keep it non-etheric: If the ether can't affect it in any way, its manipulations of the ether can't cause feedback problems. |
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Post by stclair on Oct 28, 2021 1:01:05 GMT
I'm still boggled they thought they had a chance against a being that can make 2 plus 2 equal fish.
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Post by imaginaryfriend on Oct 28, 2021 1:25:47 GMT
Problem: Human speech and words are often imprecise and can be misleading without complete context. For comparison, Tesla was a person, he has devices (former projects/inventions) and other stuff (places, etc.) named after him. Back when he was alive it could have been correct to say, "I spoke with Tesla about the Tesla and Tesla instructed me to dismantle Tesla so we have parts for Tesla." The person in charge of the Omega project could be referred to as Omega. The device that is probably the most recent product of the project is called Omega. Omega may also be a place where that device was built and tested. It could also be that Omega is a level of security classification and the label got applied to all of those things/people for no other reason than secrecy. I'm still boggled they thought they had a chance against a being that can make 2 plus 2 equal fish. Coyote was in a weakened state so if not then, maybe never. The really interesting thing is that Coyote said that they almost had it. If only they'd managed a portable scrubber to denature the etheric energy sooner instead of transmitting it elsewhere for purifying, eh? |
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Post by speedwell on Oct 28, 2021 2:15:51 GMT
I don't see any reason why we should think Shell thinks of Omega as a person or even something personified. After all, in our own daily lives we say things like "the sign says", "the graph says", "the gauge says", and "the pendulum says" (when used for divination).
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Post by zbeeblebrox on Oct 28, 2021 5:12:25 GMT
Remember, young Tony was given a field project to test predictions that were presumably made by the Omega device all the way back in the late 70s. So if it's a machine, it's OLD technology. We're talking tape readers, spinning reels, punch cards. Some real Zola-from-Winter-Soldier stuff
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Post by blahzor on Oct 28, 2021 12:38:27 GMT
Yet another analysis/theory: What do we know about Omega? "But now they made some kinda machine. No, Not a machine... It's like... a way of looking into the unseen world." Reference Interestingly, the graphic accompanying this shows machinery. So it's not exactly a machine, but perhaps it started as one? We know from various sources that they've been trying to collect etheric energy. The power station system, for example. I've always just assumed this was to be used to power something. Omega, presumably. Or maybe they need a little of it to power or make robots? Unclear. Who can make a computer that can use the ether? Or anything that can use or be powered by the ether, for that matter? Only three obvious candidates: Anja, Kat, and Diego. Diego is dead and was taken into the ether - we saw his final testimony. The other two are around. I remain concerned about what Anja actually does for the court. Don is also a possibility, and we know he also works for the court directly - he seems to be at least partially an unbeliever, but really he's pretty accepting of his wife's computer and activities, so perhaps that is dated information. If we assume that Omega is an ether-powered computer or robot, or at least started out as one, that would seem reasonable. But! That doesn't necessarily mean it is entirely a slave of the court! What if Omega doesn't really want to see Coyote sucked of all his energy, or just doesn't want to see the court have so much of it? Then his plans may be a little suspect. Like, perhaps he knew this current one might fail. Or, perhaps he just isn't quite as clever as Coyote. I mean, who is??? I'm running out of steam here and don't feel like digging up the reference, but I remember seeing the shadow men doing something with some sort of interface and a huge monitor or screen recently. Perhaps that was them talking to Omega? Tom likes to drop stuff like that in, without comment.  could be they made a super super computer but could not make a power source for it to work for say longer than 1 second. They turn into trying to use Ether as a power source in the Power Station test, it works but has no sustaining energy. Find a semi-decent one but lets say it only works 1 minute now, do a bunch of 1 minute calculations to see if you can get true power, Coytoe's seemly unlimited energy. can run this thing forever and have it predict so much and do so much more like the event Annie's parents witnessed long ago |
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Post by Per on Oct 28, 2021 13:18:06 GMT
What if "Omega said" is a typo for "Omega's aid", and Aata is six squirrels in a robot suit?
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Post by torontoregonian on Oct 28, 2021 13:26:02 GMT
Could it be that Omega is a person? Or perhaps a sophisticated computer? The fact that Shell mentions readouts and numbers makes me think some sort of etheric computer AI or something. Probably something that will be impossible to work properly until Kat the robo-goddess has a fiddle with it and "fixes" it for the Court. I think we're forgetting that there's already been mention of an Omega Device, with experiments and readouts going back decades, and predictions that seem to stretch further than a single human lifespan, including possibly the union of Anthony and Surma. "Omega" is a device, one that's been in the works for such a long time, that Shell has started thinking of it as a person. If anything, it could be Aata who is the very old person who's behind the program's inception. Omega is straight-up just Tony crunching numbers in Excel spreadsheets. We know that Tony is just one of the Shadow Men working on the Omega project, so he's not in charge. As much fun as it would be to imagine that the Omega Mastermind is Tony crunching Excel spreadsheets. Isn't that what the Foley kids are doing? |
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Post by pyradonis on Oct 28, 2021 18:35:08 GMT
Found the possible picture of shadow men talking to Omega: 2nd panelHmm, maybe? But it's used as an illustration behind Aata while he's saying that the Shadow Men installed the shielding protocol in the robots over the years. On the other hand, where is there a robot in that image? Could be that there is a robot CPU connected to one of the terminals in that room. We know each robot goes through dozens of different chassis in its lifetime. I could imagine the Shadow Men setting up a system to covertly "borrow" single CPUs which are awaiting new chassis to install the shield protocol. Hence why it took years.
When Tony was not around, they talked about an "Omega device". When Tony was not around? Tony was the first one in the comic to ever mention an "Omega Device". |
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Post by Druplesnubb on Oct 28, 2021 19:23:08 GMT
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Post by drmemory on Oct 29, 2021 3:14:46 GMT
Found the possible picture of shadow men talking to Omega: 2nd panelHmm, maybe? But it's used as an illustration behind Aata while he's saying that the Shadow Men installed the shielding protocol in the robots over the years. On the other hand, where is there a robot in that image? Right, right. I'm talking about the big screen and controller. As others have said, Omega has probably been around a while. I'm suggesting that this is indeed, as Aata implies, a flashback to when they were creating, then installing the shield program in the robots. So the visible interface is on the wall, and they are talking to it using a keyboard, pretty much. I think that there is an etheric energy-powered computer, hopefully not the one Anja created, but lack evidence about the creator.
It may not have been called Omega yet, but I bet it's an earlier generation.
I'm picturing something between the MCP from Tron, and one of the computers that came to life in the original Star Trek series. They were using it to help them figure things out and make plans, and over time it started wanting more and more etheric power to power schemes, and now it wants all of Coyote's power, or else the shadow men have decided Coyote is a threat and want to take all of that power. Note that they didn't try to kill Loup - they tried to suck out his power! Again...
The only thing we've seen or heard about that might need a lot of ethereal power is Omega. But, you never know, maybe we just haven't met the intentionally created god of the court yet. Or maybe it's just the next gen Omega.
In any case, I have to think that taking all that power away from Coyote, who is generally fairly benevolent and non-court-destroying, and giving it to a new artificial being seems... ill-conceived. See earlier remarks on MCP or bad science-based Star Trek computer.
I am just amazed at Tom's writing - this is one huge plot, and it doesn't really feel like it's cobbled together at all. Still interested in what the heck is coming next!
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Post by drmemory on Oct 29, 2021 3:20:47 GMT
Agree with both comments.
It's still a mystery how they got their own ethereal energy-powered computer, without being able to figure out Diego's work. You know, the only ones we've seen that could build anything new using his principles are Diego and Kat. Even the ancient robots didn't really understand and built much more primitive successors, which, by the way, do NOT appear to be based on Diego's work at all. This all makes one wonder how Anja made her computer... direct use of magic somehow? Omega v1 was probably a copy of Anja's computer. Possibly flawed. Anja was upset because they mocked and disrespected her work, but obviously they also used it. Jerks.
Omega probably gained some level of sentience at some point and helped to evolve himself. It remains to be seen whether the shadow men and other humans understand this is what has been going on though.
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Post by somnivore on Oct 29, 2021 6:00:19 GMT
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Post by mturtle7 on Oct 29, 2021 6:33:13 GMT
Remember, young Tony was given a field project to test predictions that were presumably made by the Omega device all the way back in the late 70s. So if it's a machine, it's OLD technology. We're talking tape readers, spinning reels, punch cards. Some real Zola-from-Winter-Soldier stuff Tom mentioned in his retrospective for Chapter 64 that the exact date for that flashback was "intentionally vague", and Donny's look was supposed to be "kind of retro, even for the time". So it probably wasn't actually in the 70s. Personally, my headcanon places it somewhere in the early 90s, but Tom's pretty good about letting people decide that stuff for themselves.
Although actually, I think it's entirely possible that Court tech has always just been miles ahead of the rest of world, but always takes an age to disseminate because of the inner Court's secretive habits. After all, they've had actual, non-magical robots since shortly after Diego died, and that was what? The mid-1800s, I'd guess? Silicon supercomputers in the 70s doesn't seem like that much of a stretch!
EDIT: Also, somnivore HOW DARE YOU. THIS IS ILLEGAL, IDENTITY THEFT I SAY.*
(edit edit: this is a joke, just to be clear - it's a free forum, do whatever you want)
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Post by csj on Oct 29, 2021 12:35:45 GMT
The katculations were off
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Post by Igniz on Oct 29, 2021 13:41:57 GMT
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Post by liminal on Oct 30, 2021 22:59:54 GMT
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