THOSE DIALOGUE BOXES 😮
I also love the confirmation that Scarlet wasn’t just imagining things back then (or now). Plus, it builds mystery on who those voices are. Actual physical entities, or spirits/otherworldly entities?
Her favourite book, that mentions The Machine, is titled “Princess Elodie and the Silver Dragon”. There were dragons in Gaia, too. Maybe they communicate it colourful squares.
Some readers have commented on that. But it’s not an idea I had while writing the story. So, no, the Elodie doll is not needed and won’t be addressed at any time in the comic.
Blue: Aren’t you going to let Scarlet in?
Red: No. She hasn’t suffered enough yet. Losing her parents? Her boyfriend? Those were just the beginning! Now she’ll walk away thinking her entire life’s purpose was in vain! She’ll believe she’s a failure! A loser!
Blue: But–
Red: And what’s more, all of her loyal “Machinehead” followers will abandon her! They’ll call her a liar! A fraud! She’ll be shunned and ridiculed wherever she goes! Finally, my revenge will be complete!!! MUHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!
Blue: …Dude, what did that poor kid ever do to you?
Red: …The week before the Grondan invasion, we bumped into each other on the road. And she called me a name. A horrible, hateful name. I still have nightmares about it to this day.
Blue: She was six years old, you psycho!
Red: Nobody calls me a “dumb doo-doo head” and gets away with it! NOBODY!!!
Ha! This hidden dialogue on the right is the first hint of true fantasy in the comic! Until now, everything could be interpreted in the SF narrative: humanoid wolves and foxes are the product of genetic engineering, energy crystals are the product of high technology and not magic, Lavarel was inhabited by humans 50,000 years ago, the machine that controls the climate is not magic but high technology — and all that old knowledge is now forgotten.
Oh ho ho! So there *is* something to this wall after all! Who are those voices? The square speech bubbles suggest they are automatons? Perhaps some sort of security device that only lets certain people in? Given that Scarlet was let in the first time, I’m guessing the presence of the other people is the reason, or at least one of the reasons, for not letting her in.
>>>> The square speech bubbles suggest they are automatons?
But all word bubbles are rectangular… They have no tails since there’s nobody present where the tails could point to. The double borders are special, of course, but done primarily to make the boxes look good.
That doesn’t mean the speakers could not well be robots, of course.
—
>>>> Perhaps some sort of security device that only lets certain people in?
Given that both speakers are apparently capable to form coherent sentences, it would need to be some kind of AI, not just a “device”.
Blue and red could be merely a male and female voice, or some like that, for instance, a meek and an autoritarian, or simply two different characters. But there is some objective links with Gaia details, whoever are talking, they are seeing what is happening in real time, so possibly can see in a Eldor-like way (never explained the trick, doesn’t matter anyway), also, one of them is not understanding what is happening. Anyway, my guess is the “No” answer is the first appearance of the White Witch, who clearly has a plan and has not shared it with the one talking with her (nor is going to do).
A more speculative idea, I hope princess Elodie is not the White Witch.
I think this is the first page that motivated me to go look at the comments. Now that I see how responsive the creators are, I might have to go back through the archives and read ALL the comment pages.
But since this is my first comment (unless I’m getting forgetful in my old age) I should say that I’m really enjoying this story. I am looking forward to seeing what the creators have in mind. Thank you for the hard work.
Many of the comments on this and past pages make guesses or *think* they know how the story will go. I don’t and don’t with other webcomics I read. It’s YOUR story, Novil, and I’m more than happy to get wrapped up in how you envision it to be. I’ve thanked you before – and I’ll be thankful and delighted each time a new page comes up or as I re-read it as I’ve done a number of times. You weave a remarkable story!
So it’s nothing ‘special’ you have to say or do (except the button press) to get in, some ‘entity’ or ‘entities’ have to allow it. This makes me wonder why they let Scarlet enter when she was a six-year-old child… a VERY stupid move, because a child can’t do anything, and the future is unpredicted (otherwise the question “Won’t you let Scarlet in?” would make no sense.
Or do they just not want witnesses? Also a bad move, because when Scarlet leaves now without being able to show any sort of ‘success’, that will be the LAST chance for whatever.
>>>> So it’s nothing ‘special’ you have to say or do (except the button press) to get in, some ‘entity’ or ‘entities’ have to allow it.
It looks like that. But Scarlet didn’t do anything special back in the day either. She just pushed the button and then slide door opened.
—
>>>> This makes me wonder why they let Scarlet enter when she was a six-year-old child…
There are two possibilities, but you only consider the first one: They deliberately let Scarlet enter. But there’s also a second possibility: The let her enter involuntarily for some reason.
—
>>>> and the future is unpredicted (otherwise the question “Won’t you let Scarlet in?” would make no sense.
The future is also unpredictable for us, although the universe may actually be (super)deterministic.
—
>>>> Or do they just not want witnesses?
One may assume that entities controlling a portal mechanism like this would also have the ability to let only enter one person if they wish so.
… also, halfway through the whole story, with time wasted so far for nothing but Scarlet studying and suffering some tragic incidences, (that leave her for nothing/nobody to fight for except the ‘general well-being’) to NOW introduce a still-active old civilization monitoring a hidden gateway sounds … pretty silly.
Darn mysterious colored text boxes and their willingness to sacrifice all of humanity and foxkind to starvation just so they can maintain a dramatic air.
Yup, definitely looks this way. Scarlet doesn’t have any other lead ; if she leaves without anything, it would be quite unsatisfying end for the comics, but not exactly surprise: she already lost her love interest, assuming this will end well is optimistic.
39 thoughts on “Machine Girl 064”
Vincent
Oh! Red stream and blue stream speech bubbles!
(Or squares, I guess.)
Novil
>>>> Oh! Red stream and blue stream speech bubbles!
I was always annoyed when that was brought up in Gaia in the most unsuitable situations, and now I can’t even escape these comments in Scarlet… *sigh*
HKMaly
Being unpredictable has its disadvantages.
BCS
“not with *them* standing around!)?
Tiff Hudson
I love the way you did that reveal
Novil
I’m not exactly sure what you mean.
ToBeFree
wtf
BlackDragonSlayer
THOSE DIALOGUE BOXES 😮
I also love the confirmation that Scarlet wasn’t just imagining things back then (or now). Plus, it builds mystery on who those voices are. Actual physical entities, or spirits/otherworldly entities?
Novil
>>>> spirits
The dialog sounds too prosaic for something completely ethereal/esoteric.
Old Brit
I don’t see why. If there were guardians of a spirit world this is the sort of dialogue they might have if a former visitor returned.
Novil
I’d expect something more esoteric from a ghost than a plain “Aren’t you going to let Scarlet in?” At least from its first line of dialog.
cat
you know… there are distinct red and blue blurs when the portal is first opened on The Machine of Eternal Summer 022
Novil
>>>> there are distinct red and blue blurs when the portal is first opened on The Machine of Eternal Summer 022
The “red blur” is actually the light from the oval light bulbs in the cave.
Gavin
Her favourite book, that mentions The Machine, is titled “Princess Elodie and the Silver Dragon”. There were dragons in Gaia, too. Maybe they communicate it colourful squares.
Novil
Or maybe the next page will already reveal more about the mysterious speakers.
El Príncipe Austral
Ohh, hello Gaia and Bhaal!
April Showers
She needs the dolls to get in like she had the first time.
Novil
Some readers have commented on that. But it’s not an idea I had while writing the story. So, no, the Elodie doll is not needed and won’t be addressed at any time in the comic.
ToBeFree
Thank you very much for not doing that. It would have been too absurd and arbitrary for its predictability in my eyes.
MegaJar
Blue: Aren’t you going to let Scarlet in?
Red: No. She hasn’t suffered enough yet. Losing her parents? Her boyfriend? Those were just the beginning! Now she’ll walk away thinking her entire life’s purpose was in vain! She’ll believe she’s a failure! A loser!
Blue: But–
Red: And what’s more, all of her loyal “Machinehead” followers will abandon her! They’ll call her a liar! A fraud! She’ll be shunned and ridiculed wherever she goes! Finally, my revenge will be complete!!! MUHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!
Blue: …Dude, what did that poor kid ever do to you?
Red: …The week before the Grondan invasion, we bumped into each other on the road. And she called me a name. A horrible, hateful name. I still have nightmares about it to this day.
Blue: She was six years old, you psycho!
Red: Nobody calls me a “dumb doo-doo head” and gets away with it! NOBODY!!!
Novil
Not exactly how the dialog in the next page will go.
ME
Oh, that’s fantastically done. Such a great surprise and perfectly timed.
Hegel-Marx
Ha! This hidden dialogue on the right is the first hint of true fantasy in the comic! Until now, everything could be interpreted in the SF narrative: humanoid wolves and foxes are the product of genetic engineering, energy crystals are the product of high technology and not magic, Lavarel was inhabited by humans 50,000 years ago, the machine that controls the climate is not magic but high technology — and all that old knowledge is now forgotten.
Novil
Scarlet said in https://www.sandraandwoo.com/scarlet/comic/a-sky-full-of-stars-063/ that Lavarel “holds deep, dark secrets”. Maybe even things that can’t be explained conventionally.
HKMaly
What makes you think those dialog boxes can’t be AIs?
Novil
Yes, that could definitely be the dialog between two robots or other types of AI.
Lurker
Oh ho ho! So there *is* something to this wall after all! Who are those voices? The square speech bubbles suggest they are automatons? Perhaps some sort of security device that only lets certain people in? Given that Scarlet was let in the first time, I’m guessing the presence of the other people is the reason, or at least one of the reasons, for not letting her in.
Novil
>>>> The square speech bubbles suggest they are automatons?
But all word bubbles are rectangular… They have no tails since there’s nobody present where the tails could point to. The double borders are special, of course, but done primarily to make the boxes look good.
That doesn’t mean the speakers could not well be robots, of course.
—
>>>> Perhaps some sort of security device that only lets certain people in?
Given that both speakers are apparently capable to form coherent sentences, it would need to be some kind of AI, not just a “device”.
Poyntre
Blue and red could be merely a male and female voice, or some like that, for instance, a meek and an autoritarian, or simply two different characters. But there is some objective links with Gaia details, whoever are talking, they are seeing what is happening in real time, so possibly can see in a Eldor-like way (never explained the trick, doesn’t matter anyway), also, one of them is not understanding what is happening. Anyway, my guess is the “No” answer is the first appearance of the White Witch, who clearly has a plan and has not shared it with the one talking with her (nor is going to do).
A more speculative idea, I hope princess Elodie is not the White Witch.
Novil
>>>> A more speculative idea, I hope princess Elodie is not the White Witch.
This comic has a tendency of crushing hopes.
ACW
I think this is the first page that motivated me to go look at the comments. Now that I see how responsive the creators are, I might have to go back through the archives and read ALL the comment pages.
But since this is my first comment (unless I’m getting forgetful in my old age) I should say that I’m really enjoying this story. I am looking forward to seeing what the creators have in mind. Thank you for the hard work.
Jude
Many of the comments on this and past pages make guesses or *think* they know how the story will go. I don’t and don’t with other webcomics I read. It’s YOUR story, Novil, and I’m more than happy to get wrapped up in how you envision it to be. I’ve thanked you before – and I’ll be thankful and delighted each time a new page comes up or as I re-read it as I’ve done a number of times. You weave a remarkable story!
HKMaly
With the speed the comics is being published – and I mean ANY webcomic – people making guesses is inevitable.
Dah
So it’s nothing ‘special’ you have to say or do (except the button press) to get in, some ‘entity’ or ‘entities’ have to allow it. This makes me wonder why they let Scarlet enter when she was a six-year-old child… a VERY stupid move, because a child can’t do anything, and the future is unpredicted (otherwise the question “Won’t you let Scarlet in?” would make no sense.
Or do they just not want witnesses? Also a bad move, because when Scarlet leaves now without being able to show any sort of ‘success’, that will be the LAST chance for whatever.
Novil
>>>> So it’s nothing ‘special’ you have to say or do (except the button press) to get in, some ‘entity’ or ‘entities’ have to allow it.
It looks like that. But Scarlet didn’t do anything special back in the day either. She just pushed the button and then slide door opened.
—
>>>> This makes me wonder why they let Scarlet enter when she was a six-year-old child…
There are two possibilities, but you only consider the first one: They deliberately let Scarlet enter. But there’s also a second possibility: The let her enter involuntarily for some reason.
—
>>>> and the future is unpredicted (otherwise the question “Won’t you let Scarlet in?” would make no sense.
The future is also unpredictable for us, although the universe may actually be (super)deterministic.
—
>>>> Or do they just not want witnesses?
One may assume that entities controlling a portal mechanism like this would also have the ability to let only enter one person if they wish so.
Dan
… also, halfway through the whole story, with time wasted so far for nothing but Scarlet studying and suffering some tragic incidences, (that leave her for nothing/nobody to fight for except the ‘general well-being’) to NOW introduce a still-active old civilization monitoring a hidden gateway sounds … pretty silly.
Dah
Uh-oh… they actually know her NAME? Blue and Red stalkers?
AgentOracle
Darn mysterious colored text boxes and their willingness to sacrifice all of humanity and foxkind to starvation just so they can maintain a dramatic air.
HKMaly
Yup, definitely looks this way. Scarlet doesn’t have any other lead ; if she leaves without anything, it would be quite unsatisfying end for the comics, but not exactly surprise: she already lost her love interest, assuming this will end well is optimistic.
Characters
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