I’ve long ago decided that the reasons Sparks have minions like von Zinzer is that the minions will have the self-preservation impulse *for* them and maybe talk them out of doing the more stupid things. Even the Baron seemed to have his one physician around for that purpose. ^_^
It really depends on how deep into the Madness Place a Spark is for how much self-preservation instincts they have. A new, strong Spark tends to have the self-preservation instinct of a dodo.
Nothing wrong with dodos; they survived for tens of millions of years on Mauritius before they went extinct. Self-preservation instinct of a human, maybe?
That’s the one. I like “Spark” well enough that I instinctively apply it to any mad scientist these days as well as to “sane” scientists of Ginnys caliber. ^_^
And if you go back and check, Shaenon has spelled it “tranceiver” every single time she’s used it. It’s not incorrect, whether you agree with it or not. That spelling has been in common use since the middle of the last century.
So it’s an aroused emotional state that sets the transceiver into action? (or tranceiver, whatever your preference). How is that going to affect his flight pattern if he suddenly gets “relaxed”?
She removed all the overrides that were previously installed. I doubt she put in any new ones, simply because of her feelings for him, and the invasion of his personal liberty it would be.
Because an override – by its very definition – defeats his ability to choose. It may seem beneficial, but it would still be someone else forcing him to do something.
She put in the wifi so he can control his helicopter body without going through yet another risky brain transplant (although to be fair, with Virginia at the reins, the risk factor seems to be pretty low). But it’s just another body part. He still has to choose to use the tranceiver. And just like learning to walk, he has to figure out how to make it work.
Wasn’t that last time when the guy in green armor from Anasigma HR dangling her over the side of Annex One? Probably he’s not available anymore, but couldn’t somebody else do the same?
No, Virginia! This is NOT how you avoid talking about your feelings!
On the contrary… This is exactly how she avoids talking about her feelings.
…Point taken.
I’ve got a bad feeling about this…
Ginny has precisely the level of self-preservation instincts I would expect from any Spark. ^_^
Girl Genius? cause thats place I heard the word spark and self preservation in the same sentence
Those do *not* come in the same sentence in Girl Genius.
Well, unless it’s von Zinzer complaining to Snaug or Higgs or whoever’s there that Sparks don’t *have* a sense of self-preservation, but y’know!
I’ve long ago decided that the reasons Sparks have minions like von Zinzer is that the minions will have the self-preservation impulse *for* them and maybe talk them out of doing the more stupid things. Even the Baron seemed to have his one physician around for that purpose. ^_^
Agreed, but *nobody* has a minion like von Zinzer.
It really depends on how deep into the Madness Place a Spark is for how much self-preservation instincts they have. A new, strong Spark tends to have the self-preservation instinct of a dodo.
Nothing wrong with dodos; they survived for tens of millions of years on Mauritius before they went extinct. Self-preservation instinct of a human, maybe?
That’s the one. I like “Spark” well enough that I instinctively apply it to any mad scientist these days as well as to “sane” scientists of Ginnys caliber. ^_^
It’s a nicely evocative term.
You mean somewhere below the level God gave celery? Yeah, that tracks.
No wonder he can’t get the transceiver working, it’s missing a critical S …
How funny and true, I had to go back and check!
And if you go back and check, Shaenon has spelled it “tranceiver” every single time she’s used it. It’s not incorrect, whether you agree with it or not. That spelling has been in common use since the middle of the last century.
You ee, pdp15? It’s illy to criticize the author for miplacing letter.
Just lock lips with him Ginny! I bet that’ll get his transceiver working! (If you know what I mean.)
That probably would have been a better approach, given Nick’s reaction in the last panel.
It would certainly have been the move that Nick would prefer.
So it’s an aroused emotional state that sets the transceiver into action? (or tranceiver, whatever your preference). How is that going to affect his flight pattern if he suddenly gets “relaxed”?
Insane and yet brilliant
and not just a theorist – she put her idea to work immediately!
nono, remember, she’s the sane one
You’re assuming Mad is the only form of insane. Rule of thumb in the Narboniverse: no featured character is sane.
She’s so sane she’s come out the other side.
Why have we been trusting her to tell us she’s not mad all this time?
She’s not a Mad Scientist. That’s not the same thing as being sane.
Oh, dear. This doesn’t seem to be eliciting the reaction from Nick Dr. Lee apparently hoped for.
Well, no one’s actually shooting at her yet, so technically she’s not in danger.
Yeah. Where she’s standing, they might miss and hit him.
If Dr. Lee built “blueberry muffins” into UNITY as an override command, I wonder what she built into Nick?
Aside from the one Ira used. One that does the opposite of disabling him, I mean.
She removed all the overrides that were previously installed. I doubt she put in any new ones, simply because of her feelings for him, and the invasion of his personal liberty it would be.
Well I mean… she put in wifi. Why not put in beneficial overrides?
Because an override – by its very definition – defeats his ability to choose. It may seem beneficial, but it would still be someone else forcing him to do something.
She put in the wifi so he can control his helicopter body without going through yet another risky brain transplant (although to be fair, with Virginia at the reins, the risk factor seems to be pretty low). But it’s just another body part. He still has to choose to use the tranceiver. And just like learning to walk, he has to figure out how to make it work.
Wasn’t that last time when the guy in green armor from Anasigma HR dangling her over the side of Annex One? Probably he’s not available anymore, but couldn’t somebody else do the same?
Well, Tip could try flirting with Ginny, and that could set Nick’s tranceiver off.
That would piss Nick off, but I’m not sure that’s the proper method of excitement to activate his tranceiver.
Well, Dr. Lee could [lengthy bit of self-censorship involving downright pornographic sex acts] and maybe that’d excite Nick enough.
‘Last mission?’ “Too old for this?’ Not only is she calling on them to shoot her, but she’s deliberately taunting narrative causality.