WCDT - October 3rd to October 7th, 2022 (strips #4886 to #4890)

[Alexander Krizak]

Maybe it is presumptuous of me to create the WCDT, but I had the poll idea and there was no thread yet, so...

Anyway, obviously Marten is actually a clone and member of the human hivemind that secretly opposes Yay, and the reveal of this truth will allow him to stay in Northampton and move to Cubetown.

[Farideh]

Why would it be presumptuous? First come, first serve

[badbum61]

Marten CAN'T be AI/"a robot" - his speech bubbles are round!

Then again, so were Yay's, initially...

[larn]

So he's another Yay-class AI who is much better at passing as a bumbling human.

[shanejayell]

Ah, Marten.

[Wheel.of.Fish]

So he's another Yay-class AI who is much better at passing as a bumbling human.

So I registered just to pitch this.

Knowing full well it's extremely unlikely and implausible, particularly as the joke was already made in the bottom text of the comic, but Marten being a really deep-cover super-powerful AI would explain a few things:
- How he was issued a personal companion that was a classified high-grade military chassis
- Why he initially drew the attention of Hannelore
- How he manages to find jobs, as Clare pointed out - the university must have been full of people who wanted or needed that full time library job, but things just fell into place so Marten got it, which kept him in a useful sinecure.
- How events seem to fall into place in unlikely assemblages around him; maybe his presence is why Yay ended up in town. Sure, she had that story about being offended by Corpse Witch's crude work, but why would her interest have been in this innocuous weird town at all?
- Drawing in protective and useful elements around him, like the Aurelius family, Bubbles and even Faye. Through doing no more than being a chill slacker guy he's gathered quite an array of useful associates.

I dunno, if the big reveal was Marten was a high-end extraterrestrial AI all along, I'd buy it. It'd honestly be more satisfying because I slack just as hard as that guy and yet here I am without any giant protective robot roommates or a series of romantic interests who all still stay closely engaged in my social circle.

[SmilingCat]

Marten is secretly an alien of a precognitive race that was implanted in his human mother's womb. They had precognitive flashes of the kind of crap that goes on in this town, so they sent him so they would have an observer to determine that their precognition was not, in fact, defective.

Now they just use him as a transmission antenna. Marten's Life^TM is the second highest rated program on ZRSWB (Zeta Reticuli System Wide Broadcasting).

The first highest are reruns of the human program "Ancient Aliens". Because the Zetans find it hilarious.

[Gyrre]

Okay, but imagine Claire playing Molly Grue in 15 to 20 years in-comic time for a stage adaptation of TLU.

[zioninavision]

i'm very intrigued about what Yay might inform them about Cubetown!!

   i was hoping it could be something like this but i wasn't sure!!   the reality that Yay is very aware of it, and finds Cubetown to be this instantaneously, viscerally humorous is very wonderful to see and feel!! 

[shanejayell]

Yay: "I leave Cubtown there for the amusement value."
Everyone: "NOT REASSURING, YAY."

[Gyrre]

As the kids today say, big oof.

[St.Clair]

as some predicted, Yay has Opinions about Cubetown.

[Near Lurker]

Yay being Yay, I wonder if this is accompanied by the implication "your gram of sense might be exchanged for a boatload of dosh."

[Perfectly Reasonable]

So Cubetown requires -two- bouts of scornful laughter. This only increases my anticipation.

[immortalfrieza]

You forgot the truth in your poll. The answer is clearly "The Prettiest Princess."

Cubetown. Claire. You need to run. Please. For the people that love you. For your sanity. RUN!

[notStanley]

While I am not the most straight-laced of drones, being The Sensible One at a kindergarten on the scale of CubeTown might be too much like work :}  And would it require hazard pay?

[John Allenson]

Assuming Yay is correct and truthful, we've got a lot of answers about Cubetown.

Yay isn't running it or involved in it.  Which makes sense since Yay wants to avoid attention.
Cubetown isn't secretly malevolent or overtly dangerous.  Yay would have said so.
Cubetown is so chaotic that the thought of someone competent moving there is hilarious.

And my vote on Marten, he's just a someone whose coping strategy to being brought up in a chaotic household has been to become Tao.  Hurricanes are sustained by the calm centre.

[Storel]

Knowing full well it's extremely unlikely and implausible, particularly as the joke was already made in the bottom text of the comic, but Marten being a really deep-cover super-powerful AI would explain a few things:

While I agree that Marten's being an AI would explain all those things, there's another option that explains them all as well:

• Marten is secretly The Protagonist, and so has plot armor a yard thick.

And Yay's opinion of Cubetown is completely unsurprising, as most of us had formed the same opinion from watching Claire's interactions with it.

Edit:

And my vote on Marten, he's just a someone whose coping strategy to being brought up in a chaotic household has been to become Tao.  Hurricanes are sustained by the calm centre.

Very nicely put!

[Alexander Krizak]

You forgot the truth in your poll. The answer is clearly "The Prettiest Princess."

I said secretly. Marten being The Prettiest Princess is common knowledge both in-universe and on these forums.

Besides, if I put that in the poll, everyone would vote for it. Heck, as it is, "the last unicorn" is kinda running away with the win.

[Farideh]

New comic.

I'm starting to think that Claire might enjoy that job.

[Tova]

Besides, if I put that in the poll, everyone would vote for it. Heck, as it is, "the last unicorn" is kinda running away with the win.

That's pretty sus.

[Near Lurker]

Now I'm just thinking of the time the stinger implied that Claire had carved Clinton into cutlets, and I remember at the time I genuinely expected that he would be quietly forgotten like Sara.

[SmilingCat]

New comic.

I'm starting to think that Claire might enjoy that job.

She may very well spend a lot of her time there hating it, and still look back on it one day as the greatest experience of her life.

[Jimor]

At least Yay only eavesdropped on the PUBLIC comms. Progress!

[notStanley]

>public blueprints ... brochures
>
>open comms channels

That does not count as spying!  She might even join one of those public chats and chat up what a smart person they are getting with Claire :}

[Farideh]

She may very well spend a lot of her time there hating it, and still look back on it one day as the greatest experience of her life.

Yeah.


"I hated it! But wow, I made such a difference..."

[Perfectly Reasonable]

I note that Yay fails to say anything about the presence of Architeuthidae in the area...

[shanejayell]

One wonders how much of Yay's spying is involuntary? Like how they can casually access stuff without really thinking about it.

[Farideh]

I do feel that, in Yay's case, it's a conscious effort to NOT listen in on everything. Their default is 'on'.

New comic.

I understand Marten's motivation here

[Torlek]

Do it, Marten. DOOOO EEEETTTT.

[shanejayell]

Ditto. On the OTHER hand, that'd mean Faye and Bubbles are stuck with him....

[DaiJB]

Ditto. On the OTHER hand, that'd mean Faye and Bubbles are stuck with him....

I'd do it too 
Also, I think that if anyone can deal with him, it's Faye and Bubbles - Bubbles has the presence and personality to supply the fear of being forcibly disassembled...
If this fails, Faye would supply the actual disassembly...

[traroth]

Today's comic let us measure the change since the AnthroPC period, when Pintsize was Marten's *possession*...

[Marco]

I do feel that, in Yay's case, it's a conscious effort to NOT listen in on everything. Their default is 'on'.

It's like being in the same room where other people are chatting and trying not to listen...

[John Allenson]

Has Marten expressed the (incredibly) justified feeling that he'd rather not have Pintsize in his life?

Granted, a conversation might be healthier than abandonment.

[Pseudowolf]

She may very well spend a lot of her time there hating it, and still look back on it one day as the greatest experience of her life.

Reminds me of when old army guys get together and talk about their time in boot camp.

[SmilingCat]

Comic!

So I'm feeling another heartfelt discussion between Marten and Claire coming on.

(Who knew someone whose father walked out on her might have issues with pranking pintsize like this...)

[Farideh]

That is a good point, I hadn't considered that.

[shanejayell]

Ditto. On the OTHER hand, that'd mean Faye and Bubbles are stuck with him....

And that is LITERALLY Faye's reaction. Ha!

[Gyrre]

Comic!

So I'm feeling another heartfelt discussion between Marten and Claire coming on.

(Who knew someone whose father walked out on her might have issues with pranking pintsize like this...)

Well, those who row up with one or more abusive parental figures tend to either become protectors (breaking thr cycle and attempting to hrlp others in it) or abusers.

[Scarlet Manuka]

Disappear without warning, because that would be hilarious.
But have everything arranged for Pintsize to follow on immediately, and have Faye primed to give him all the info, tickets, etc. - once she's sent Marten the video of his initial reaction.

[JimC]

And would Pintsize even be welcome in Cubetown?
New hire sure.
New hire and partner. OK.
New hire and entourage?
Is Cubetown a public town anyone can move to, or is it a private estate with residence limited? Rather like Hannerdad's space Station: I don't suppose anyone who chooses can just move there.

And come to that, does Cubetown even have the infrastructure to support human residents? AI life support consists of a weatherproof room, a solar panel and a battery. Human requirements are a bit more complicated.

[BenRG]

Is it me or has Faye been working out? I mean, being sober must have its advantages but is this her trying to match Bubbles' soldierly body? Is this the inevitable result of having a much-stronger-than-human girlfriend? Or has she been trying to get in shape for her bridesmaid's dress?

I love that Faye was all for Marten moving out until she realised it would leave her as Pintsize's keeper. FWIW, I think that he'll move in with Willow, Iris and Yemisi. He's definitely got a crush on Iris. Her abusive cynicism makes her his kind of girl!

[Gyrre]

Is it me or has Faye been working out? I mean, being sober must have its advantages but is this her trying to match Bubbles' soldierly body? Is this the inevitable result of having a much-stronger-than-human girlfriend? Or has she been trying to get in shape for her bridesmaid's dress?

[snip]

It could just be the reduction of calories from no longer drinking? A number of alcoholic beverages have a lot of 'empty calories'. Especially beers and ales.

[Akima]

Is it me or has Faye been working out?

Yeah, she's looking buff. Maybe laying off the booze? Maybe heaving heavy equipment around at work? And yes, maybe Bubbles's example. Even though Bubbles has a synthetic body, she likes to work out on the heavy bag I remember. And if Faye's been following suit the workout would strengthen her arms, shoulders, chest, back, legs, and core. The heavy bag is great for working out frustrations too...

[Mr_Rose]

It's a matter of record that Faye got buff working at the fighting arena. This is just the first time she's looked really buff with biceps visible even when relaxed.

[dutchrvl]

And would Pintsize even be welcome in Cubetown?
New hire sure.
New hire and partner. OK.
New hire and entourage?
Is Cubetown a public town anyone can move to, or is it a private estate with residence limited? Rather like Hannerdad's space Station: I don't suppose anyone who chooses can just move there.

And come to that, does Cubetown even have the infrastructure to support human residents? AI life support consists of a weatherproof room, a solar panel and a battery. Human requirements are a bit more complicated.

Would they actually live in cubetown though? I was imagining it more as Claire commuting to cubetown every day, or perhaps only sometimes since she could probably do a lot remotely.
Plus, Marten probably also needs/wants to get a job if they move there, which need not necessarily (or desirably) be at cubetown.

[JimC]

Would they actually live in cubetown though? I was imagining it more as Claire commuting to cubetown every day,

If its genuinely in the ocean as opposed to somewhere more sheltered like the Bay of Fundy a winter commute might be more than a little interesting!

I have some experience of delivering IT to organisations verging towards the hot mess which has to be a related exercise, and its an awfully big benefit to be on site if you want to deliver what the majority of the people need as opposed to what the vocal minority think they want. Also if you want to change the working culture its helpful to actually interact with people as they are using the service so you can see what they are actually doing and what's going wrong.

[Marco]

Would they actually live in cubetown though? I was imagining it more as Claire commuting to cubetown every day,

If its genuinely in the ocean as opposed to somewhere more sheltered like the Bay of Fundy a winter commute might be more than a little interesting!

https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=4871 shows a really close shore (my guess is 1 or 2 km) and a lot of boats nearby, so commuting would be an option.

[derris_kharlan]

Claire: I'm going to public humiliate my brother and belittle him even though he's always been supportive of me.
Also Claire: How dare you consider being mean to an AI who has repeatedly done terrible things including sexually harassing every female around him.

Man I dislike Claire.