See, I really did not anticipate this at all. Not even a little bit. I would have thought that Mr. Green was sufficiently infatuated with her that he wouldn’t do something so major quite so soon.
[ . . . ]
Unless, of course, he really only does love her for her brain.
But it just occurred to me that I don’t have a good sense for how much time has passed since she left Walnut Slave Camp. Maybe Dr. Ao has already gone through the stages of searching the VR, not finding her, and panicking?
David: This probably isn’t the line you mean, but she did say, and I quote, “As long as I’m in VR, you can manipulate me in any way.” Ignoring context, and Mr. Green would, that’s blank-check permission that TOTALLY covers brain-scooping.
Given that the surgery appears to be on her brain, she won’t be able to see what’s going on.
So first she has to request a mirror or video monitor. Which works until they sever her optic nerves.
“OK, there’s one nerve severed . . . nice clean scalpel work there, thank you. Now the second . . . Dammit, everything just went dark! Hey, could you connect the VR visual input to the cameras?”
Unless that’s an unusually dark shadow under her neck, she appears to still have her hair. Don’t they usually shave if they’re doing brain surgery?
Doctor Lee’s whole situation in the last panel looks like it was hard to draw.
That would be the sensible thing to do, but might not be necessary if the plan was just to buzzsaw off the top of her head and scoop her brain out permanently, a procedure unprecedented in real-world brain surgery.
I think they usually just shave enough so they can see where they’re going to cut.
I don’t think there’s any way of knowing what they’re going to do from that panel. They could even be trying to save Virginia from a medical problem of some sort which no-one knew about before she went into VR.
Whatever it is, I think I would prefer an anaesthetist who actually knew what the patient should be able to do.
I remember a cartoon I saw somewhere… the patient’s POV looking up- at the 3 Stooges! One is holding a large mallet… This might be an upgrade for what she’s facing…
This is probably even more dangerous than it seems. Virginia is their premiere brain-schlorper. These two are less experienced, and therefore less likely to keep her mind alive once it has been removed from the rest of her body.
What’s even more disturbing is what they might do with her body afterwards. It wouldn’t be past Anasigma to put an android brain in her skull to use her as an unexpected mole. Assuming the Wizard would trust an AI that advanced.
We mustn’t forget this is Dr. Virginia Lee we are rooting for here! It wouldn’t surprise me to see her snap her restraints, overpower her assailants, then – back in a secret redoubt – remove her VR helmet she’s been controlling her surrogate with ever since being ordered to disassemble Nick…
Ah! Brain extraction!
There’s no place like home! ^_^
See, I really did not anticipate this at all. Not even a little bit. I would have thought that Mr. Green was sufficiently infatuated with her that he wouldn’t do something so major quite so soon.
[ . . . ]
Unless, of course, he really only does love her for her brain.
But it just occurred to me that I don’t have a good sense for how much time has passed since she left Walnut Slave Camp. Maybe Dr. Ao has already gone through the stages of searching the VR, not finding her, and panicking?
Actually, Virginia practically gave permission.
Perhaps they’ll put her brain in the same tank with Nick’s! (as a sensible cost-cutting measure, of course)
David: This probably isn’t the line you mean, but she did say, and I quote, “As long as I’m in VR, you can manipulate me in any way.” Ignoring context, and Mr. Green would, that’s blank-check permission that TOTALLY covers brain-scooping.
I wager 500 Quatloos that they won’t.
We’re back to the question of whether Ira necessarily has as much control over Anasigma as he thinks he does. @_@
And what his true intentions are
Want to do brain surgery on her? Shoryuken!
Given the likelihood that Anasigma operating tables are equipped with restraining straps, this is rather horrible…
Ginny is going to be critiquing those poor doctor’s surgical technique through the whole procedure!
Given that the surgery appears to be on her brain, she won’t be able to see what’s going on.
So first she has to request a mirror or video monitor. Which works until they sever her optic nerves.
“OK, there’s one nerve severed . . . nice clean scalpel work there, thank you. Now the second . . . Dammit, everything just went dark! Hey, could you connect the VR visual input to the cameras?”
I’m not entirely certain why everyone’s assuming it’s brain surgery, I’m pretty sure the helmet’s just the VR interface.
Unless that’s an unusually dark shadow under her neck, she appears to still have her hair. Don’t they usually shave if they’re doing brain surgery?
Doctor Lee’s whole situation in the last panel looks like it was hard to draw.
That would be the sensible thing to do, but might not be necessary if the plan was just to buzzsaw off the top of her head and scoop her brain out permanently, a procedure unprecedented in real-world brain surgery.
I think they usually just shave enough so they can see where they’re going to cut.
I don’t think there’s any way of knowing what they’re going to do from that panel. They could even be trying to save Virginia from a medical problem of some sort which no-one knew about before she went into VR.
Whatever it is, I think I would prefer an anaesthetist who actually knew what the patient should be able to do.
Sounds like the old cranial screw-top method of brain surgery.
I remember a cartoon I saw somewhere… the patient’s POV looking up- at the 3 Stooges! One is holding a large mallet… This might be an upgrade for what she’s facing…
Dream over!
Or IS it?!? [drama button]
A threatening swarm of bees in the OR would be a good thing to see right about now.
My first thought is they were about to brain-in-jar her, but could they actually do that with a colander on her head?
Perhaps the “FZZT” arose from the surgeons disconnecting said VR helmet prepatory to removing it for access to her skull?
Looks like one of those surgical caps they make you wear to avoid infection and contamination. Mmm…maybe it isn’t brain extraction, after all.
Well, even though it wasn’t on the bus, it looks like the bees did indeed get her out of the VR.
I’m legitimately scared for Nick and Virginia in this storyline.
Ditto. I am way too invested in their relationship.
Nick, Manifesta: I’m way too invested in their relationship and I’m scared for their continued existence in this storyline!
This is probably even more dangerous than it seems. Virginia is their premiere brain-schlorper. These two are less experienced, and therefore less likely to keep her mind alive once it has been removed from the rest of her body.
What’s even more disturbing is what they might do with her body afterwards. It wouldn’t be past Anasigma to put an android brain in her skull to use her as an unexpected mole. Assuming the Wizard would trust an AI that advanced.
Given the number of extirpated employees seen in the walnut groves these two probably have way more experience than Dr. Lee, who wasn’t on that team…
I have to revise this opinion. There’s nothing to suggest the other extirpated (“to root out” /”to destroy”) employees were treed from their bodies…
Thank you, Shadowmehr, for pointing this out!
Goodbye, Magic School Bus. Gavotte does a great Mrs. Frizzle.
I *really* want to see Unity burst in, declaring “No one schlorps my Mom’s brain but me!”
But Unity would follow through… I hope Virginia is not about to get what that Divine Shadow appointee got in Lexx #1…
Oh, dear. Someone didn’t renew their domain registration on Shaenon.com…. It’s been taken over by domain squatters.
We mustn’t forget this is Dr. Virginia Lee we are rooting for here! It wouldn’t surprise me to see her snap her restraints, overpower her assailants, then – back in a secret redoubt – remove her VR helmet she’s been controlling her surrogate with ever since being ordered to disassemble Nick…
I guess Mr. Green wasn’t so delusional after all.
That or he thinks he can find a nice bot for Dr. Lee to pilot.