ok now i’m suspicions, every random thing unity expected/wanted was there, now there is something for Sweetheart, something that it would be a bit odd to fit in with the rest. This is starting to feel like a lotus eater machine scenario.
…is such a strong setup of unresolved plot tension that I had no sense at all that the goodbyes were going to transition into the ultimate end right away. You don’t introduce a massive dangling plot thread that you aren’t going to tie up.
It would’ve been hilarious if The Authors had ended it abruptly with Tip’s “They’re gone.”, thanked all their fans, put up a week of “Cutting Room Floor” strips, then announced “April Fool!” and resumed…
I’m going to guess Lovetron is a small series of domes sheltering humans from harsh alien weather that only the native bees can breathe naturally. This UFO is bringing in colonists who’ll need to help with terraforming the place, building their own homes. Given that the only alien tech we’ve seen is dream-infiltration, teleporting and UFO flight, I’m guessing they don’t have FTL tech either, so Lovetron may wind up being Venus, to fit in with the love goddess theme?
I had the horrified thought that maybe what we saw with Tigerlily is an aspect of the ecology of Lovetron. Bees don’t have hands, so they want humanoid workers — so they have a humaniform caste that is sent in secret to target worlds (*that* part is not in dispute) with a bee “handler” or two, which finds a despised outgroup and establishes a cover persona to fit in with it (that would be the persona we know of as “Tigerlily”); that persona foments conflict between the despised outgroup and the rest of society, and uses that as an excuse to extract the outgroup as a whole for their “better life” on Lovetron — which turns out to be a better life acting as hand-servants for bees. And nobody wants to come back! (Or nobody is allowed to, other than the Lovetronian humaniform caste, coming back for more, uh, supplies once the original set is used up. You don’t need to treat them too carefully, after all, there’s always more where the first lot came from.)
There is not much textual evidence for this, but I can’t see much *against* it either, and the disturbing speed with which Tigerlily dropped the persona we knew does rather suggest that it was always a cover. And you don’t employ covers like that if you’re not planning to deceive the people you’re interacting with…
Yes, I just read _Psycholonials_: interstellar-scale systems inspired by disease spread are much on my mind, and it suddenly occurred to me that this could very well be one…
If various persons’ utopias are other persons’ dystopias, and vice versa, can a socially cohesive paradise really exist? Or do the varying differences and preferences between an ever increasing multitude of individuals make such a state exclusively impossible; thus making paradise itself paradoxical?
The space ship is run by a space government which has a space bureaucracy. The space bureaucracy requires massive and complicated space paperwork. You can fill out the space paperwork in their generiously-appointed space offices, or take them home to your space apartment and do the space work there. But the space paperwork is very hard, so you’ll be working long into the space night and may experience some space discomfort. But don’t worry about getting cold, you’ll have a space heater. (Rimshot!)
“You still have some doubts.” “Well, don’t you?” “The flaws are so obvious, too. Bureaucracy rushes and paperwork crushes…and then there’s space madness, it’s true.”
Well, whoever built and stocked the ship seems to have put some thought into keeping the passengers (or cargo) happy.
I was still wondering whether there’s a Brain-O-Mat somewhere on board for the use of the undead. ‘Cause if there was, Unity could eat there, and then Smart Unity could solve the problem and take control of the situation.
Oh dear. Anything but that.
Now that I’m thinking about it, can this be an island of lotus eaters?
Perhaps the journey *is* the destination…
“The Hell-Bound Train”* via brain ray tech.
* Robert Bloch
Gericault’s “The Raft of the Medusa.” Getting there is half the fun.
Space madness as in crazy, or space madness as in Mad Science?… Hoo boy this could get interesting fast.
One could lead to the other, and then back to the one. A mad mobius strip in microgravity, if you will.
If there is something seriously wrong, Sweetheart will no doubt find it in the org chart.
ok now i’m suspicions, every random thing unity expected/wanted was there, now there is something for Sweetheart, something that it would be a bit odd to fit in with the rest. This is starting to feel like a lotus eater machine scenario.
nah, requiring immigration paperwork totally makes sense, the funk movement wasn’t open-borders, it just wanted things to be more…funky
I’m really tickled that we’re getting more story! I thought for sure it was all about to wrap up after all the goodbyes. Thanks! <3
I think of it as being like when Dave and Artie left the lab.
This comic…
https://skin-horse.com/comic/buzz-impossible/
…is such a strong setup of unresolved plot tension that I had no sense at all that the goodbyes were going to transition into the ultimate end right away. You don’t introduce a massive dangling plot thread that you aren’t going to tie up.
It would’ve been hilarious if The Authors had ended it abruptly with Tip’s “They’re gone.”, thanked all their fans, put up a week of “Cutting Room Floor” strips, then announced “April Fool!” and resumed…
That’s what I keep saying, D. Walker. Sooner or later, we’re going to find out where that other shoe landed.
I’m going to guess Lovetron is a small series of domes sheltering humans from harsh alien weather that only the native bees can breathe naturally. This UFO is bringing in colonists who’ll need to help with terraforming the place, building their own homes. Given that the only alien tech we’ve seen is dream-infiltration, teleporting and UFO flight, I’m guessing they don’t have FTL tech either, so Lovetron may wind up being Venus, to fit in with the love goddess theme?
You come on a rescue mission to save all non-human, human made sapients
to take them to utopia
and then make them fill out complicated immigration paperwork?
And also go ‘oh no that one human is also totally lovetronian, despite not being made of bees’
Yeah something feels hinky here. I mean, it’s felt hinky for a while–
Ira is a Mastermind. He’s arranged things so even his opponents victories go the way he wants.
I had the horrified thought that maybe what we saw with Tigerlily is an aspect of the ecology of Lovetron. Bees don’t have hands, so they want humanoid workers — so they have a humaniform caste that is sent in secret to target worlds (*that* part is not in dispute) with a bee “handler” or two, which finds a despised outgroup and establishes a cover persona to fit in with it (that would be the persona we know of as “Tigerlily”); that persona foments conflict between the despised outgroup and the rest of society, and uses that as an excuse to extract the outgroup as a whole for their “better life” on Lovetron — which turns out to be a better life acting as hand-servants for bees. And nobody wants to come back! (Or nobody is allowed to, other than the Lovetronian humaniform caste, coming back for more, uh, supplies once the original set is used up. You don’t need to treat them too carefully, after all, there’s always more where the first lot came from.)
There is not much textual evidence for this, but I can’t see much *against* it either, and the disturbing speed with which Tigerlily dropped the persona we knew does rather suggest that it was always a cover. And you don’t employ covers like that if you’re not planning to deceive the people you’re interacting with…
Yes, I just read _Psycholonials_: interstellar-scale systems inspired by disease spread are much on my mind, and it suddenly occurred to me that this could very well be one…
Sweetheart has found her bliss. The others, though…
Space Madness you say? https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x91e3a
Heh. My exact thought!
“My beloved ice cream bar!”
It’s like regular bureaucracy, but more spacey.
If various persons’ utopias are other persons’ dystopias, and vice versa, can a socially cohesive paradise really exist? Or do the varying differences and preferences between an ever increasing multitude of individuals make such a state exclusively impossible; thus making paradise itself paradoxical?
How dare you threaten Sweetheart with a good time!
Sweetheart will save the day ~~~ with paperwork
Will there be paperwork?
Would you like there to be?Is it just me, or can anyone else smell walnuts?
Oh, yes, there’s a definite nutty odor in the air.
The space ship is run by a space government which has a space bureaucracy. The space bureaucracy requires massive and complicated space paperwork. You can fill out the space paperwork in their generiously-appointed space offices, or take them home to your space apartment and do the space work there. But the space paperwork is very hard, so you’ll be working long into the space night and may experience some space discomfort. But don’t worry about getting cold, you’ll have a space heater. (Rimshot!)
The part of the spaceship that contains the space offices has been designated as space office space.
And if you want to be allocated some of that, you have to go to the Space Office Space Office.
It’s located just across the hall from the Redundancy Department of Redundancy.
Under the Director, S. Pace.
I love all y’all!
“You still have some doubts.” “Well, don’t you?” “The flaws are so obvious, too. Bureaucracy rushes and paperwork crushes…and then there’s space madness, it’s true.”
Space madness is no excuse for space rudeness.
You say that as if there actually is an excuse for space rudeness.
Awright! Now we get the George Clinton reveal…
Well, whoever built and stocked the ship seems to have put some thought into keeping the passengers (or cargo) happy.
I was still wondering whether there’s a Brain-O-Mat somewhere on board for the use of the undead. ‘Cause if there was, Unity could eat there, and then Smart Unity could solve the problem and take control of the situation.
Well, Sweetheart is never going to want to leave now. Say goodnight, U.N.I.T.Y.
“Goodnight, U.N.I.T.Y.”