Skin Horse

By Shaenon K. Garrity & Jeffrey C. Wells
By Shaenon K. Garrity & Jeffrey C. Wells
Color by Pancha Diaz
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2012-10-24
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2012-10-24

by shaenon on October 24, 2012 at 12:00 am
Chapter: Railway Children
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Discussion (39) ¬

  1. Dave Van Domelen
    October 24, 2012, 12:04 am | # | Reply

    “I step out to go to the can for one minute, and the telepresence unit is on its side when I get back?”

    • Frank
      October 24, 2012, 6:03 am | # | Reply

      Or “What the heck, I lose signal when the train goes through a tunnel? It was just fine when we were 20 ft underground in the station!”

  2. Towering Barbarian
    October 24, 2012, 12:22 am | # | Reply

    OK, at this point GODOT is no longer just playing games with her head. He’s out and out deliberately rubbing it in that this is what he’s doing! 😛

    • Tetra Valent
      October 24, 2012, 7:08 am | # | Reply

      Hmm, so GODOT is controlling Violet? (Or not, in today’s strip.)

      • Towering Barbarian
        October 25, 2012, 12:06 am | # | Reply

        That…is not impossible depending on how his multitasking prowess is, particuarly if the “Violet is a telefactor” theories are correct. But what the idea I’m playing with is described here.

        http://skin-horse.com/2012/disconcertingly-human/#comment-5550

        To elaborate a little more, I’m starting to view our current scenario in terms of either Agatha Christie’s “Ten Little Indians” or Richard Matheson’s “Hell House” novel. If my view is correct GODOT has gone from editing what Ginnie hears to make her think Violet was making a pass with her to making her see Violet as transformed into a cardboard cutout as a way of shredding her sanity before killing her. That one guy who committed suicide by insisting there was no danger in his sector may have been a demonstration in how far GODOT can go in shredding somebody’s mind before he uses their character traits to destroy them. The odds of this theory being correct are *exactly* a million to one against but I’m having fun with it all the same.

        Alternate theory: The cicada routine was an occasional staple in comedic manga and was derived from a legendary ninja technique of that name and leaving a picture of the person who snuck away behind sometimes happened. Perhaps Violet merely freaked Ginny out in order to get her out of the room so that Violet could make her own escape.

        Alternate theory 3: Diaboloa Ex Machina! I wronged GODOT when I was sceptical of his claim to not be a pervert and frying Violet’s hard drive was his way of rescuing Ginny so that he could get on with the peaceful business of murdering her gruesomely so that she wouldn’t be disturbed by anything nasty happening while he was doing this (“Even Evil Has Standards!”). Who can doubt that Ginny would be duly grateful? ^_~

        • Towering Barbarian
          October 25, 2012, 12:07 am | # | Reply

          “Diaboloa” = “Diabolica”. *^_^*

          • Frank
            October 25, 2012, 7:57 am | #

            It is when Godot is involved!

        • WJS
          July 7, 2019, 1:41 pm | # | Reply

          “Cardboard cutout”? You have a really weird idea of what’s happening here, and are supposing GODOT can do far more than we’ve actually seen him do.

  3. Scthree
    October 24, 2012, 12:22 am | # | Reply

    Worst case scenario: Violet Bee does not make new identities, she steals old ones. And she’s about to walk out of the nearest Vulcanized-Rubber Crafting Station with a Dr. Lee mask.

  4. Max
    October 24, 2012, 1:03 am | # | Reply

    The first rule of absconding inconspicuously is never to admit you’re intending to actually leave in the first place. Just make up any excuse to get out from view, preferably in the general direction of the nearest exit…

  5. Anderson
    October 24, 2012, 1:54 am | # | Reply

    Ooh! ooh! Draw a moustache and a goatee on her face!

  6. Grantwhy
    October 24, 2012, 2:54 am | # | Reply

    once Virginia stops looking up Violet’s dress, I think she has two options

    1) RUN! (to Team Skin Horse has the best story line potential, yes?)

    2) Science Time! (http://skin-horse.com/2012/arties/)

    I’m guessing option 1

    • Glenn
      October 24, 2012, 7:46 am | # | Reply

      Option 3: Virginia takes Body of Violet to a nearby Convocation of Mad Science (I’m sure in St Charlie, they’re more common than Starbucks), and if/when Violet wakes back up, she finds some…modifications. Why not a REAL mustache and goatee (via cloned cells)? Backup brains, maybe?

      • Tetra Valent
        October 24, 2012, 12:38 pm | # | Reply

        Ah, this is where Helen finally makes her appearance.

      • Shadowmehr
        October 24, 2012, 3:54 pm | # | Reply

        I, for one, approve of this scenario. I can’t wait until Violet gets back online to not only discover that St. Charlie’s residents have made “improvements” to her original rig, but unmodified copies are scattered all over the place in a mad scientist’s answer to Second Life.

  7. Eddurd
    October 24, 2012, 3:53 am | # | Reply

    (TUNE: “My Favorite Things”, Rodgers & Hammerstein)

    Sorry to run, I’ve a dental appointment!
    My butt is itching, I’ve got to buy ointment!
    My dog is shaggy, I’ll go groom his mane …
    These are excuses so totally lame!

    Left on my oven, I’m just realizing!
    My porn collection needs alphabetizing!
    Tip has two tickets to go and see “Fame” …
    These are excuses so totally lame!

     Got to sneak out,
     After freak-out
     From that rubber kiss!
     I’m having a night, ’cause GODOT was so right
     That I’m really bad …
     At this!

  8. Daibhid Ceannaideach
    October 24, 2012, 4:34 am | # | Reply

    Ladies and gentlemen, Violet Bee has just left the building. And her body.

  9. Dr. steve
    October 24, 2012, 5:22 am | # | Reply

    Did something happen to the guy on the other end of the teleprescence line? Did GODOT provide some misdirecting directions? Or, did somebody fail to replace their batteries?

  10. Frank
    October 24, 2012, 6:01 am | # | Reply

    Why is everyone assuming Violet is a telepresence machine? Why can’t it be, like Nick, a machine operated by a human brain, for example? I mean _that_ at least has been proven to work flawlessly in this world

    • Frank
      October 24, 2012, 6:02 am | # | Reply

      and as for today, uh, maybe the unit does need to recharge?

    • Kirt Dankmyer
      October 24, 2012, 10:14 am | # | Reply

      There was an earlier reference to Nick’s project being replaced by telepresence drones.

  11. Dewy
    October 24, 2012, 6:29 am | # | Reply

    I think you broke her, Virginia.

    Some thoughts:

    1. I can see great a great week of “Weekend at Bernies” parodies made out of this.

    2. Look for the plug at the end of her pony tail!

    3. BSODs are usually how all my dates end, too.

  12. Tetra Valent
    October 24, 2012, 7:11 am | # | Reply

    Violet is just showing off some new features. From panel 2 to 3, she doesn’t tip over, but rotates around her belly button. From panel 3 to 4, she slides along the couch. Cool!

    • Smithnik
      October 24, 2012, 11:50 am | # | Reply

      So, when she loses signal, she resets into a default standing posture. Clearly, the train hit a bump during the second panel, just as the reset would have begun, causing her to topple and then extend her legs.
      Or, something utterly nefarious and weird is going on…oh, wait, that was already happening. 🙂

  13. mulazer
    October 24, 2012, 7:42 am | # | Reply

    might be a gerbil in a robotic suit

    • Anderson
      October 24, 2012, 9:41 pm | # | Reply

      Oh god, not the hamsters again…

  14. Joyce
    October 24, 2012, 8:10 am | # | Reply

    Now’s your chance, Virginia! Open her head and look inside!

    Wait! Virginia Lee? Violet Bee? Reboot! Reboot!

  15. Joyce
    October 24, 2012, 8:11 am | # | Reply

    Also, what happened to Violet A?

    • mittfh
      October 24, 2012, 1:13 pm | # | Reply

      Violetα was evidently the alpha version, never released outside the confines of the lab.

      Virginia’s unwittingly discovered a bug in Violet ß, which will be corrected if the relevant lab gets around to building Violet γ.

  16. drbrain
    October 24, 2012, 10:00 am | # | Reply

    now would be a great time to open her head, virginia 🙂

  17. Sparks
    October 24, 2012, 10:25 am | # | Reply

    “InnerNet Explorer was unable to contact the brain in question. Please make certain your wireless connection is functioning properly, then try loading this consciousness again.”

    • jdreyfuss
      October 24, 2012, 12:20 pm | # | Reply

      She processes things way too quickly to be running InnerNet Explorer. I bet she’s running FireThoughts and got one of those random lockups you get from streaming sites on occasion.

      • Axel
        October 24, 2012, 1:32 pm | # | Reply

        That’s what happens when you install too many plugins. Why does anyone need an IRC client directly embedded into their brainwave patterns, anyway?

        • mnementh
          October 30, 2012, 9:43 pm | # | Reply

          So you’re saying 4chan ping-flooded her off the server?

          That STILL works?

          Dayumm…

          mnem
          *Kix his KickChatScript*

    • Andrew
      October 24, 2012, 1:05 pm | # | Reply

      So that’s what a blue screen does to a cyborg, huh?

  18. Saberbeam
    October 24, 2012, 3:41 pm | # | Reply

    I imagine that Virginia didn’t intend for her escape to end with Violet being unconscious/deactivated, but I think this still counts as a win. Also…

    To the tune of “I’m Only Sleeping” by the Beatles:

    Violet Bee seems to think I am open,
    Because I was, temporarily lesbian,
    Try to run away casually,
    Now I find, she’s sleepy (she’s sleepy)

    Please don’t make me late,
    For my dental date,
    Or is it for,
    My doggie’s grooming?

    Keeping away from my boss going gradually crazie,
    Excuses galore

    Lying there and staring at me blankly,
    I’m so bad, at this really

    When I woke up earlier this morning,
    Hangover, head was pounding,
    Had a conversation with GODOT,
    Found my boss, was a robot

  19. The Auld Grump
    October 24, 2012, 11:58 pm | # | Reply

    VB AFK.

  20. Scott's Folly
    October 29, 2012, 5:50 pm | # | Reply

    “Go easy.” [tips that way.]
    Anyone else think Ms. Bee is subtly taking the fish here?

  21. Knuckles
    January 20, 2022, 2:59 pm | # | Reply

    Now normally it’s a good thing when a date goes stiff for you.

    For a lesbian date though, not so much.

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