[2888] "He had no idea who he was."

[imaginaryfriend]

And he's gone. We've seen people lose their memories when they go into the ether before.

Also: Always read the TOS.

[silicondream]

And now Kat'll read the contract.

Or so I assume. Maybe she just wanted a copy so she could tear it into tiny pieces and drizzle them over Clippy.

This seems like more evidence that souls forget everything as they go, though I suppose he might still have been thinking pipe-related thoughts.

[justhalf]

"Hey, guy"

I don't know why this seems so funny to me, haha.

[arf]

About this time Kat recalled watching the Aardman short 'Not Without my Handbag'

[Tenjen]

I thought her statement meant more that he didnt get the time to really discover himself and died before he managed to.

[guntherkrieg]

It seems that being processed into the Ether is the reverse of the "bucket to ocean" process we saw when the robots were being New People'd. Everything that is "you" gets siphoned out.

I wonder how mass uplifting is affecting the noosphere/ethersphere. Or will affect it (particularly when several eventually pass on).

Also, Sam has now, potentially, gone onto an afterlife of one... a parallel to Lana being trapped alone inside of Coyote (or wherever she is).

[bicarbonat]

"That always happens."

I've just realized that that adds serious weight to the axe that Annie has to grind with the psychopomps.

Unless there's some loophole for elementally identical beings, a small child's final memory of her mother (the largest source of affection in her life) was of a woman who didn't remember her.

And IIRC, Mort was the first person that she took into the ether since then – refreshing that experience of a loved one forgetting who she was. So it gives even more weight to her tears, too.

[ctso74]

"Sensible" is putting it lightly.
I wonder if Kat will go full flow-chart lawyer, and discover loop-holes.

[Gemini Jim]

Jan 12, 2024 8:14:57 GMT silicondream said:

Or so I assume. Maybe she just wanted a copy so she could tear it into tiny pieces and drizzle them over Clippy.

Ha, I like the idea of a "Pelosi tearing up the State of the Union" response. But unless she can actually break the contract, destroying a duplicate is just a fun bit of stress relief.

Hopefully, she will read it, find some crazy loophole, and hit Clippy with some D&D Rules Lawyer stuff.

[drmemory]

I'm a little surprised the Arbiter and Interpreter didn't already *poof* out. Maybe there is more to be said?

[bedinsis]

...gee, I just realized that that was probably the experience Annie had when she Guided her mother into the Ether. Of having her mother ask who she was as her memories wasted away.

[manabi]

Jan 12, 2024 12:05:59 GMT bicarbonat said:

"That always happens."

I've just realized that that adds serious weight to the axe that Annie has to grind with the psychopomps.

Unless there's some loophole for elementally identical beings, a small child's final memory of her mother (the largest source of affection in her life) was of a woman who didn't remember her.

And IIRC, Mort was the first person that she took into the ether since then – refreshing that experience of a loved one forgetting who she was. So it gives even more weight to her tears, too.

Back when her dad was duped into creating an etheric antenna to see Surma again we saw that Surma "lives" on in some way inside Annie.  Due to that, I doubt she forgot everything in the end like regular beings do.  It's also possible that she wasn't going into the Ether the way others do, but merging with her daughter.  If so, all of Annie's maternal lineage is probably inside her, but their memories are buried deep and inaccessible.  If that's so, none of them will enter the Ether properly until the line ends with Annie or one of her descendants not having a child.

That could have implications for when Annie becomes a psychopomp.  Her new powers might unlock those memories.

[Gemminie]

Thinking about her recent experience, Kat reflects that Sam forgot everything about his life just before he entered the Ether. This is exactly what happened to Mort, and Annie remarks that it always happens. It seems to underscore the theme that we are more than the sum of our memories/experiences.

Annie focuses instead on how Kat feels. Kat ... doesn't know. And Annie says that's pretty much how it goes.

Then Kat turns to the Interpreter and asks for a copy of the contract she signed earlier, which she should have done then, but, well, she's doing so now. Agreeing that this request is perfectly reasonable, the Interpreter and/or the Arbiter cause a rolled-up scroll to appear in front of Kat's face, and she looks astonished as she raises her hands to catch it before it falls. Why does she look astonished? She's matter-transmitted things into her own hands before, surely. Maybe she's just not used to other people doing it – though can't her mom and dad also do it? Sure, but maybe it's been a while since they blipped anything into Kat's hands, and therefore she's not used to it.

The Interpreter smiles a bit when Kat asks for a copy of the contract. Does that signify that there are amusing things in there that Kat agreed to without reading? Or are they simply happy that she's making a reasonable request as opposed to the other things she's been asking recently? Their expression does look a bit like relief.

No chapter end yet – so anything could still happen. Is Kat going to try to transport herself back to her lab? Last time she got teleported, she went all Machine Angel, and that may have been the only way she could do it. But now that Sam's gone into the Ether, will that cause something different to happen? Or will the Arbiter transport her back? Or is there more conversation to be had first, more information to be gleaned from the mysterious Arbiter?

[Runningflame]

Alternate dialog for panel 6: "First smart thing you've said all day, kid."

Jan 12, 2024 16:47:01 GMT Gemini Jim said:

some D&D Rules Lawyer stuff.

No joke, a guy at my current TTRPG group keeps a list on his phone of things GMs have told him he's no longer allowed to do. I'm likely going to start GMing for that group next week. Wish me luck.

[Igniz]

Jan 12, 2024 19:26:35 GMT manabi said:

It's also possible that she wasn't going into the Ether the way others do, but merging with her daughter. If so, all of Annie's maternal lineage is probably inside her, but their memories are buried deep and inaccessible.

Jan 12, 2024 19:26:35 GMT manabi said:

If that's so, none of them will enter the Ether properly until the line ends with Annie or one of her descendants not having a child.

They are entering the Ether, but as they pass their "fire" to their descendants, they return devoid of any etheric substance. That's why no guide would claim them, as there's no Ether to take.

[silicondream]

Jan 12, 2024 12:01:42 GMT Tenjen said:

I thought her statement meant more that he didnt get the time to really discover himself and died before he managed to.

It's possible. If so, Annie's response was unusually cynical.

Jan 12, 2024 12:05:59 GMT bicarbonat said:

I've just realized that that adds serious weight to the axe that Annie has to grind with the psychopomps.

Unless there's some loophole for elementally identical beings, a small child's final memory of her mother (the largest source of affection in her life) was of a woman who didn't remember her.

Realistic, if shitty, for parents who die after a long illness.

Jan 12, 2024 19:26:35 GMT manabi said:

Back when her dad was duped into creating an etheric antenna to see Surma again we saw that Surma "lives" on in some way inside Annie.  Due to that, I doubt she forgot everything in the end like regular beings do.

I don't think Annie would say "that always happens" if it hadn't happened to Surma. I agree with you that Surma's memories didn't go into the Ether, but as they drained into Annie's subconscious instead, Surma probably had her own amnesiac period…maybe even starting before she died. (This may also be why she gave Annie so little information about Renard and the Court; by the time Annie was old enough to hear it, Surma didn't remember it herself.)

If so, all of Annie's maternal lineage is probably inside her, but their memories are buried deep and inaccessible.  If that's so, none of them will enter the Ether properly until the line ends with Annie or one of her descendants not having a child.

That's how I think it works too. And the Fire will return to being a purely etheric being, but one reshaped by its centuries of mortal experience.

That could have implications for when Annie becomes a psychopomp.  Her new powers might unlock those memories.

For her and Tony's sake, I very much hope not. Or, at least, I hope Surma's memories remain locked until Tony's dead and Annie can afford a dozen therapists.

Jan 12, 2024 20:12:58 GMT Gemminie said:

Thinking about her recent experience, Kat reflects that Sam forgot everything about his life just before he entered the Ether. This is exactly what happened to Mort, and Annie remarks that it always happens. It seems to underscore the theme that we are more than the sum of our memories/experiences.

That is the most optimistic interpretation of this scene I've heard so far. I'm not sure how far I believe it, but I'm very glad you suggested it!

Agreeing that this request is perfectly reasonable, the Interpreter and/or the Arbiter cause a rolled-up scroll to appear in front of Kat's face, and she looks astonished as she raises her hands to catch it before it falls. Why does she look astonished? She's matter-transmitted things into her own hands before, surely. Maybe she's just not used to other people doing it – though can't her mom and dad also do it?

Well, when Don teleported something into his own hand, the positioning was much more precise. I doubt the Donlans just poof important items into midair and expect the recipient to have lightning reflexes.

The Interpreter smiles a bit when Kat asks for a copy of the contract. Does that signify that there are amusing things in there that Kat agreed to without reading? Or are they simply happy that she's making a reasonable request as opposed to the other things she's been asking recently? Their expression does look a bit like relief.

I think they're mostly relieved that she went through with Guiding Sam. Now it looks like Kat will fulfill the terms of the contract whether or not she eventually deputizes Annie.

No chapter end yet – so anything could still happen. Is Kat going to try to transport herself back to her lab?

Hopefully she'll test that out with another inanimate object first!