The question is, does he *need* guns? This may be a situation where “make love, not war” is actually the solution – as long as it’s Nick and Gin making love.
I don’t know if I should be more impressed with the Author (who has it potentially foreshadowed) or the commenter if this turns out to be the solution. Gin and Nick’s hanky panky em field completely slipped my mind.
Well, if those are just refurbished Predator drones, maybe the robot army should try getting futzy with their RC link instead. Armed drones with an obedient AI installed into them, now that would be bad news … we can only hope that Mr. Greens aversion against NHI kept him from following through with that.
If they’re just regular old refurbished Predators, Tip could easily and quickly stop the attack with a single command. So we’ll have to assume they’re not being remote controlled by human operatives.
We don’t know if the drones are commanded by anyone who reports to him, or if he can get in touch with them in a reasonable period of time even if they do.
And it wouldn’t take much for someone in HR to find out that he lied about his qualifications to get a job there, after which he may not be able to help much.
I thought of this the other day, but kept forgetting to mention it…
Yes, Tip made his meteoric rise to the top posing as Chris Sanders. But all that he would have needed to truly be at the top was to make sure that his final promotion said Dennis Wilkin instead of Chris Sanders. Then, not only would Tip be at the top, but Chris would also be just one rung below him – which would ALSO be above Ira on the org chart.
Alternately, “Chris Sanders” could just hire Dennis Wilkin as his administrative assistant.
Also, there’s something I’d like to thank the other commenters for. This strip has many lovely references and parallels, 90% of which I wouldn’t have noticed myself — but over the years there have been many wonderful and erudite people in the comments who pointed out the allusions, and so I could enjoy them, too. So if you’ve ever pointed out a reference over the years, you can now know that I read your comment and it improved my day. Have some warm fuzzies!
I also send warm fuzzies to the erudite, the hilarious, and the musically inclined commentators. Everyone here adds something to this Narbonic community.
OH. In the book, Dorothy finds the control mechanism for the flying monkeys and recruits them before freeing them. That makes for an interesting and logical direction for these…
Now I’m wondering if “Dorothy” will successfully do that, or if Nick will step in with the Power of Love and Transceiver.
We’ve known for a long time that the parallels are not one-to-one. Unity can be Dorothy and the Patchwork Girl (she does hang around with a scruffy little dog, after all). And sometimes Tip has been more like Dorothy than any of the others were. And don’t forget, back at Whimsy World, Nick was the Princess. That’s hardly a job for the Tin Woodman.
I think Nick is *a* Dorothy in this story – as awgiedawgie says, it’s not a simple one-to-one. After all, both Leo and Sweetheart are clearly Cowardly Lions at different points. I tend to favor Tip as Dorothy more often than any other character, though, and certainly right now, as the most active on-site character in dismantling the man behind the curtain (with Sweetheart playing Toto, removing the curtain).
But the biggest reason I’m casting Nick opposite Dorothy rather than as Dorothy right now is that I think Nick’s job as Tin Woodman is about to be more important. Unity’s brains defeated HT; I’m inclined to think Nick’s heart will defeat the drones.
Sudden horrible thought: What if the reason the attack can’t be called off is because the drones don’t know that they are attacking anyone? That is, what if the drones are being controlled by extirpation victims, who, in the VR, think they’re doing something innocuous, like flinging a couple of walnuts at a bunch of targets on walnut trees?
Ooh, what if the VR seaside place that Gavotte was trapped in is the reward?
“Whoever hits the targets wins two weeks’ vacation in a lovely beachfront resort! It’s big enough for all of you! You can all win!”
Oh, dear. That does seem very A-sig. After all, Virginia was working for Anasigma when she recruited Nick, and schlorped out his his brain and put it in an Osprey without him ever knowing it. He thought he was playing video games.
Oh! OH! Nick is, metaphorically, the KING of the flying monkeys. Now where’s the MacGuffin (I think it was a crown) that allows someone to summon the flying monkeys three times.
Nick, I don’t think you’ve got enough guns for this one.
The question is, does he *need* guns? This may be a situation where “make love, not war” is actually the solution – as long as it’s Nick and Gin making love.
That… might just work.
I don’t know if I should be more impressed with the Author (who has it potentially foreshadowed) or the commenter if this turns out to be the solution. Gin and Nick’s hanky panky em field completely slipped my mind.
I would try it, even if it doesn’t work.
True. After all, if you’ve got to go out, you might as well go out enjoying yourself.
If you gotta go, go with a smile!
I wouldn’t normally take the Joker’s advice, but it does fit the situation.
Go out with a bang? I’m helping!
This might indeed be the perfect time for Nick to finally give a flying f*ck.
This looks bad. Very bad.
Time for Pavane to intervene with the Mothership!
This is Nick’s territory,
He is one of 3 Entities near by that Should be able to take a hand in hacking those things
That was what I was just wondering – if Nick could somehow hack into their systems. There are a lot though…
He doesn’t need to hack. His brain is specifically designed to interface with A-Sig aircraft.
Well, if those are just refurbished Predator drones, maybe the robot army should try getting futzy with their RC link instead. Armed drones with an obedient AI installed into them, now that would be bad news … we can only hope that Mr. Greens aversion against NHI kept him from following through with that.
If they’re just regular old refurbished Predators, Tip could easily and quickly stop the attack with a single command. So we’ll have to assume they’re not being remote controlled by human operatives.
Tips just gotta change the targetting. Worked for Dan Akroyd in “Spies Like US”
I wouldn’t rely too much on Tip here.
We don’t know if the drones are commanded by anyone who reports to him, or if he can get in touch with them in a reasonable period of time even if they do.
And it wouldn’t take much for someone in HR to find out that he lied about his qualifications to get a job there, after which he may not be able to help much.
Step one: fire everyone in HR.
I thought of this the other day, but kept forgetting to mention it…
Yes, Tip made his meteoric rise to the top posing as Chris Sanders. But all that he would have needed to truly be at the top was to make sure that his final promotion said Dennis Wilkin instead of Chris Sanders. Then, not only would Tip be at the top, but Chris would also be just one rung below him – which would ALSO be above Ira on the org chart.
Alternately, “Chris Sanders” could just hire Dennis Wilkin as his administrative assistant.
Tip was saying he was going to turn the job over to Sweetheart, quit, and go off with Tigerlily Jones.
Pfft…wedding crashers.
Here come the flying monkeys!
—
Also, there’s something I’d like to thank the other commenters for. This strip has many lovely references and parallels, 90% of which I wouldn’t have noticed myself — but over the years there have been many wonderful and erudite people in the comments who pointed out the allusions, and so I could enjoy them, too. So if you’ve ever pointed out a reference over the years, you can now know that I read your comment and it improved my day. Have some warm fuzzies!
Flying monkeys indeed!
I also send warm fuzzies to the erudite, the hilarious, and the musically inclined commentators. Everyone here adds something to this Narbonic community.
Oh, a most excellent observation, Esteis! I didn’t see that.
Can I add my own thanks, and warm fuzzies please
OH. In the book, Dorothy finds the control mechanism for the flying monkeys and recruits them before freeing them. That makes for an interesting and logical direction for these…
Now I’m wondering if “Dorothy” will successfully do that, or if Nick will step in with the Power of Love and Transceiver.
Who’s to say Nick isn’t the Dorothy of this story? There are a lot of parallels….
Nick is the Tin Woodman. Unity would be Dorothy if she wasn’t the Patchwork Girl.
We’ve known for a long time that the parallels are not one-to-one. Unity can be Dorothy and the Patchwork Girl (she does hang around with a scruffy little dog, after all). And sometimes Tip has been more like Dorothy than any of the others were. And don’t forget, back at Whimsy World, Nick was the Princess. That’s hardly a job for the Tin Woodman.
I think Nick is *a* Dorothy in this story – as awgiedawgie says, it’s not a simple one-to-one. After all, both Leo and Sweetheart are clearly Cowardly Lions at different points. I tend to favor Tip as Dorothy more often than any other character, though, and certainly right now, as the most active on-site character in dismantling the man behind the curtain (with Sweetheart playing Toto, removing the curtain).
But the biggest reason I’m casting Nick opposite Dorothy rather than as Dorothy right now is that I think Nick’s job as Tin Woodman is about to be more important. Unity’s brains defeated HT; I’m inclined to think Nick’s heart will defeat the drones.
Unity needs brains. Which makes her the Scarecrow.
Destroy?
Destroy.
Destroy!
Destroy.
And by that we mean, of course “Destroy”
Is that Remy and Mme. des Souhaits at the left of Panel Four?
Might be.
Sudden horrible thought: What if the reason the attack can’t be called off is because the drones don’t know that they are attacking anyone? That is, what if the drones are being controlled by extirpation victims, who, in the VR, think they’re doing something innocuous, like flinging a couple of walnuts at a bunch of targets on walnut trees?
Ooh, what if the VR seaside place that Gavotte was trapped in is the reward?
“Whoever hits the targets wins two weeks’ vacation in a lovely beachfront resort! It’s big enough for all of you! You can all win!”
THAT is a truly fiendish thought, Owlmirror!
Oh, dear. That does seem very A-sig. After all, Virginia was working for Anasigma when she recruited Nick, and schlorped out his his brain and put it in an Osprey without him ever knowing it. He thought he was playing video games.
Oh! OH! Nick is, metaphorically, the KING of the flying monkeys. Now where’s the MacGuffin (I think it was a crown) that allows someone to summon the flying monkeys three times.
You mean like The Crown – that software that makes you do what we want you to?
Hey, Nick! The password is “ep-pe, pep-pe, kak-ke, hil-low, hol-low, hel-loh, ziz-zy,zuz-zy, zik!”
And for a nominal fee, I’ll tell you how to stand while saying it!
I tried “xyzzy”, but nothing happened.
Careful, you almost summoned the Flinging Monkeys- three guesses what they fling!
Any of these related to the Eyeball Razor Chimps?
Well that’s just a big ‘ol pile of whoopsie doodles.
Oh, isn’t that sweet. A-Sig agents all want to attend Nick and Ginny’s wedding and each has their own shadow government issued drone.
Their presents may be in bad taste, tho.
The drones understand the connection between missiletoe and kissing; they just misheard when someone told them about it.
The camera is found, but behold! Some Predators bring a payload. Two Hellfire missiles and they’re in the abyssal, so the caterer is now on hold.
This would be an excellent time for some aliens to arrive….
At least one—Gavotte—is already there.
Are the drones Machine Union? Maybe they could be talked into a strike.
Wait, no. A drone strike is what we’re trying to avoid here. Hmmm…
A belated but very hearty chuckle here 😀