If that’s true, then the problem will solve itself – we know that when some of her nanites are separated from the primary mass, they begin to break down and become inert in a relatively short period of time.
There can only ever be one Unity in the long run. (Thank goodness!)
But we also know (from Idaho) that her nanites do stay active for a significant amount of time, and she can even control them. Exactly how long that is was never explicitly mentioned, but it would have to be more than a couple days for the monks (sorry, the notaries) to have injected her into every single type of animal in the forest.
It may be relevant that all those animals, as well as Unity’s own head, have a brain, but the Headless Abomination does not. That would also explain why the residents of Paradise, Alaska were still acting kind of like Unity long after being cured from the werewolf virus (and yet, oddly enough, Tip never acted at all like Unity after receiving the same cure).
If you’re talking about her “summoning” the animals to help her late in that chapter, I think there are a few details not made entirely clear that might be confusing you.
We’re specifically told that Unity’s nanites can’t inhabit living tissue for long – the living creatures reject and expel the nanites after a bit, as we see when Unity gets barfed up by the various animals. Once rejected, the animal is just an animal again, and isn’t a part of Unity.
We know that they did some off-screen preparation to get Unity into Virginia for the duel with Tigerlily, so it’s reasonable to assume that part of that preparation including rounding up a bunch of animals and re-injecting them in a mass possession.
The alternative is to assume that somehow Unity can directly control creatures that have already rejected and expelled her nanites, which really doesn’t make any sense.
Sounds like you’re the one who’s confused. Yes, Virginia said there would be rejection (not because it’s living tissue, but because the animal doesn’t have Unity’s enhancements), but she also specifically said that the purges may leave bits behind. That makes it pretty clear that enough residual nanobots remained in the animals for them to continue to exhibit Unity’s behaviour (as demonstrated in the last panel of that strip).
The only thing that wasn’t made perfectly clear is that there’s been no real indication of exactly how long the leftover nanites remain active. In the bonus story “Sandwich Day”, Sweetheart noted that Paradise, Alaska was still acting like a whole town full of Unitys. Then, when Sweetheart and Unity went back up to Paradise to rescue everyone during the blizzard – 8 1/2 years later – the people were still acting like Unity.
(Although I was wrong in my earlier comment about Tip. In the “Sandwich Day” bonus story, Tip does indeed act exactly like Unity.)
As for rounding up a bunch of the animals in Idaho and re-injecting them in preparation for the battle with Tigerlily, no, it isn’t reasonable to assume that, since Unity/Virginia didn’t even think of using the animals in the battle until after Tigerlily had knocked them unconscious during the battle.
Speaking as a fellow introvert, I’d say Leo is an example of a great many of us.
I long wondered why the population was divided, apparently at random, between introverts and extroverts, with the extroverts seeming to reap so many rewards from their interactions.
Now I see at least part of the “plan”.
Yes, the extroverts have advantages, but introverts have at least two themselves.
1) By living outside the social echo chamber they actually get to _think_ on what they know, or even whether they know what they know.
2) Introverts are naturally socially isolated and are thus less prone to communicable disease.
BTW I think the circus wagon is a great idea of Leo’s.
I’m not entirely sure it’s a building – my assumption was that it’s some kind of circus wagon, given the coloration and his being a lion. (Although where it came from isn’t wholly clear…)
As for the “eyes” detail, I imagine it’s just another case of Pareidolia in action. (Unless the wagon is a Romani vardo and it has painted eyes as protective wards against “The Evil Eye”, or something…)
It is 100% going to be Unity’s body part golem.
Damn, that’s a good answer.
If that’s true, then the problem will solve itself – we know that when some of her nanites are separated from the primary mass, they begin to break down and become inert in a relatively short period of time.
There can only ever be one Unity in the long run. (Thank goodness!)
But we also know (from Idaho) that her nanites do stay active for a significant amount of time, and she can even control them. Exactly how long that is was never explicitly mentioned, but it would have to be more than a couple days for the monks (sorry, the notaries) to have injected her into every single type of animal in the forest.
It may be relevant that all those animals, as well as Unity’s own head, have a brain, but the Headless Abomination does not. That would also explain why the residents of Paradise, Alaska were still acting kind of like Unity long after being cured from the werewolf virus (and yet, oddly enough, Tip never acted at all like Unity after receiving the same cure).
If you’re talking about her “summoning” the animals to help her late in that chapter, I think there are a few details not made entirely clear that might be confusing you.
We’re specifically told that Unity’s nanites can’t inhabit living tissue for long – the living creatures reject and expel the nanites after a bit, as we see when Unity gets barfed up by the various animals. Once rejected, the animal is just an animal again, and isn’t a part of Unity.
We know that they did some off-screen preparation to get Unity into Virginia for the duel with Tigerlily, so it’s reasonable to assume that part of that preparation including rounding up a bunch of animals and re-injecting them in a mass possession.
The alternative is to assume that somehow Unity can directly control creatures that have already rejected and expelled her nanites, which really doesn’t make any sense.
Sounds like you’re the one who’s confused. Yes, Virginia said there would be rejection (not because it’s living tissue, but because the animal doesn’t have Unity’s enhancements), but she also specifically said that the purges may leave bits behind. That makes it pretty clear that enough residual nanobots remained in the animals for them to continue to exhibit Unity’s behaviour (as demonstrated in the last panel of that strip).
The only thing that wasn’t made perfectly clear is that there’s been no real indication of exactly how long the leftover nanites remain active. In the bonus story “Sandwich Day”, Sweetheart noted that Paradise, Alaska was still acting like a whole town full of Unitys. Then, when Sweetheart and Unity went back up to Paradise to rescue everyone during the blizzard – 8 1/2 years later – the people were still acting like Unity.
(Although I was wrong in my earlier comment about Tip. In the “Sandwich Day” bonus story, Tip does indeed act exactly like Unity.)
As for rounding up a bunch of the animals in Idaho and re-injecting them in preparation for the battle with Tigerlily, no, it isn’t reasonable to assume that, since Unity/Virginia didn’t even think of using the animals in the battle until after Tigerlily had knocked them unconscious during the battle.
What about Trinity?
I could see it, but then where do the dreams factor in?
Wow. Leo is an example for us all!
Speaking as a fellow introvert, I’d say Leo is an example of a great many of us.
I long wondered why the population was divided, apparently at random, between introverts and extroverts, with the extroverts seeming to reap so many rewards from their interactions.
Now I see at least part of the “plan”.
Yes, the extroverts have advantages, but introverts have at least two themselves.
1) By living outside the social echo chamber they actually get to _think_ on what they know, or even whether they know what they know.
2) Introverts are naturally socially isolated and are thus less prone to communicable disease.
BTW I think the circus wagon is a great idea of Leo’s.
I suppose it would protect Leo from being mauled.
Um… how far ahead were these written?
Eerily prescient…
Nah, Leo doesn’t have an air filter over his window.
Are people actually putting air filters over their windows?
I was a hermit before it was trendy.
Topical…
His home looks like the Klingon Embassy… minus the pink and silver girl’s Schwinns with handlebar tassels…
Well, that’s ONE lion who isn’t going to catch COVID-19 like the ones at the Bronx Zoo did
Now _that_ is a textbook example of a zoonotic disease.
That window reminds me of Jim Woodring’s buildings. Odd windows with eyes.
I’m not entirely sure it’s a building – my assumption was that it’s some kind of circus wagon, given the coloration and his being a lion. (Although where it came from isn’t wholly clear…)
As for the “eyes” detail, I imagine it’s just another case of Pareidolia in action. (Unless the wagon is a Romani vardo and it has painted eyes as protective wards against “The Evil Eye”, or something…)
Barnum-Bailey-Ringling Bros. always wintered their animals in Florida. There should be some railcars around yet.
They wintered them in Sarasota, though – not the Keys.
Maybe someone pilfered one of the wagons when the circus was in town.
Is Leo’s atelier in his cage?
Atelier, if it’s not one thing it’s another.
That last line… I’m glad I put the coffee down. I needed the laugh, though!
How on earth did a lion get related to Br’er Rabbit? “Don’t send me to my cage, Agent Tip!”
Same thought crossed my mind!