Topic: Alice Grove MCDT - April 2015 (Read 116802 times)

Zebediah · « **Reply #50 on:** 04 Apr 2015, 04:04 »

Quote from: Gladstone on 02 Apr 2015, 20:09

So, we finally get a (vague) answer on who Alice is. But the real question, which I've been wondering for most of these last two chapters, is still whose story is this, anyway?

I had a theory at one point early on that Jack was actually the protagonist, and that he would become Alice's apprentice and eventually become the conscience that she apparently lacks. But then Jack was eaten by a piranha plant, or abducted by weird dogs, or at least turned invisible.

osaka · « **Reply #51 on:** 04 Apr 2015, 04:53 »

All things considered, and given the massive mic dropping on yesterday's comic, I'm going to go with Alice being a manifestation of the world we're seeing. We should remember that the title is Alice Grove, not Alice's Grove.

Loki · « **Reply #52 on:** 04 Apr 2015, 05:38 »

Jack lives in busland with Raven, the two of them happy ever after.

Method of Madness · « **Reply #53 on:** 04 Apr 2015, 15:34 »

Quote from: Mlle Germain on 04 Apr 2015, 04:01

'Alice is an AI' theory -- I still thought she's human

I still don't think she's either.

Schwungrad · « **Reply #54 on:** 04 Apr 2015, 16:31 »

For the moment, I still favor the theory that she's a human genetically or nanotechnically enhanced to longevity/immortality and certain "superpowers" (like overriding Gavia's brand of nanotech). I get the vibe of some tech even more advanced than that of the Praeses civilization that was deliberately banned a long time ago.

Alice being an embodiment of the world or a force of nature, something akin to Tom Bombadil or Jones*, still seems more likely to me than her being an AI in an android body.

*

(click to show/hide)

Kugai · « **Reply #55 on:** 04 Apr 2015, 22:59 »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsIQ_kA77b4

KOK · « **Reply #56 on:** 05 Apr 2015, 03:22 »

Quote from: ssǝupɐW ɟo poɥʇǝW on 04 Apr 2015, 15:34

Quote from: Mlle Germain on 04 Apr 2015, 04:01
'Alice is an AI' theory -- I still thought she's human
I still don't think she's either.

I can parse that sentence two ways, depending on what sense of "either" is intended.

You don't think she is either AI or human. Or you too don't think that she is. The latter could mean that that you too don't think that she is an AI, or that you too don't think that she is human.

I have no clue which you intended.

Method of Madness · « **Reply #57 on:** 05 Apr 2015, 03:43 »

The former. I don't see how it could be interpreted any other way, I put two things and said I don't think she's either.

Oh well, at least it's clear now.

KOK · « **Reply #58 on:** 05 Apr 2015, 10:07 »

That interpretation actually only occured to me while I was typing. I was going to ask: you don't think that she is what, either?

Edit: this is probably because English is not my native language. Danish does not use the same word for the two meanings of either.

Method of Madness · « **Reply #59 on:** 05 Apr 2015, 10:33 »

I guess I do think she's human, just not standard human. An immortal human with superpowers.

BenRG · « **Reply #60 on:** 05 Apr 2015, 10:53 »

Going back a very long time, her name was Claire Bennett and her Uncle Peter and 'Uncle' Sylar taught her how to copy others' powers.

Meilu · « **Reply #61 on:** 05 Apr 2015, 21:30 »

Quote from: BenRG on 05 Apr 2015, 10:53

Going back a very long time, her name was Claire Bennett and her Uncle Peter and 'Uncle' Sylar taught her how to copy others' powers.

I love you.

jwhouk · « **Reply #62 on:** 06 Apr 2015, 06:19 »

BenRG's Reference
^
^
^
My head.

BenRG · « **Reply #63 on:** 06 Apr 2015, 07:03 »

It's a reference to the TV series Heroes. Claire's superpower was to be able to regenerate from any injury, even fatal ones. Fans and characters in-show both speculated that (like Wolverine in the X-Men universe), her powers made her functionally immortal.

Her uncle, Peter Petrelli, was an Empathic Power Mimic. Simply put, after meeting another super-powered individual and seeing them use their powers, he could mimic them perfectly.

Sylar was the main villain throughout the series. His power was a kind of super-intuition that let him understand how even the most complex things worked. He could also copy powers but he would have to kill the person whose powers he wanted to copy and examine their brain to understand how the power works and thus copy it. Interestingly, Sylar later learnt a non-lethal method of copying powers that involved learning to understand the person he was trying to copy. It occurs to me that Claire might have been taught that latter power (Sylar reformed at the climax of the show for reasons of his own).

The point is that Claire could throw herself thirty feet onto hard concrete and regenerate, so falling from that wind turbine wouldn't be much of a feat. Similarly, living for thousands of years after civilisation had moved on from Earth and then becoming the protector of the new civilisation arising in its place is within her abilities. Who knows how many other Supers' powers she might have also learnt to copy? Finally, with her power levels, it would make sense that the Praesides had exiled her on Earth to protect themselves and their 'perfect' society from her.

I suppose the reference wouldn't work with someone unfamiliar with Heroes, though.

Method of Madness · « **Reply #64 on:** 06 Apr 2015, 08:06 »

Except she could heal from the damage, not prevent it in the first place. Alice was never hurt. And a 400 year character with her power showed that yeah, she would live for a very long time, barring outside influence.

BenRG · « **Reply #65 on:** 06 Apr 2015, 08:31 »

Quote from: ssǝupɐW ɟo poɥʇǝW on 06 Apr 2015, 08:06

Except she could heal from the damage, not prevent it in the first place. Alice was never hurt.

Like I said, in a few thousand years, who knows how many talents she might have picked up, by hook or by crook?

wlewisiii · « **Reply #66 on:** 06 Apr 2015, 10:09 »

I have never seen Heroes so the reference escaped me as well.

I do find the thought of something like Jones from GKC to be more plausable than her being straight human or even superhuman, though.

Zebediah · « **Reply #67 on:** 06 Apr 2015, 10:35 »

I think Alice was human once, a long time ago. Then she became - something else. Possibly something more, but definitely something not exactly human any more. But she still remembers what it was like to be human and is still able to understand them. She actually likes ordinary humans, although she frequently finds them exasperating.

Whether her role as caretaker of this village was something she took upon herself or something that was thrust upon her remains an unanswered question. Either way, she takes it very seriously. But I expect there's a part of her that would love to leave her responsibilities behind and go explore the universe, just to go see what's out there. Hence her frequent grumpiness.

Gladstone · « **Reply #68 on:** 06 Apr 2015, 19:26 »

Quote from: Meilu on 02 Apr 2015, 21:28

Well, given the title, I'd guess Alice. But only in the same sense QC is about Marten, when really it's about all of the characters Jeph wants it to be about. Slow start aside, it has some minor intrigue. I agree with your assessment of everyone so far, however. Hopefully the babysitting thing ends sooner rather than later. He's clearly using it as a vehicle to describe the world he's creating, so once things are fleshed out a little more maybe we'll get more character development.

Quote from: BenRG on 03 Apr 2015, 00:04

Mostly, I think that it will be answering the mystery that is Alice. I suspect that, like Granny in the Discworld books, she likes being the mysterious, morally ambiguous 'Wicked Witch'. What this will be will very much a journey in which we discover that she is very much a good person and a hero. It's just that being a hero is just a lot harder with far more challenging decisions than we see in the funny papers. Alice would prefer being an anti-hero or even an anti-villain; she will always deny being a good guy, but those who know and love her know the truth (and occasionally have to hit her upside the head to stop her sulking about it).

I also have the feeling that Gavia is becoming more and more prominent in the narrative. I'm starting to think that she is like that spectacularly talented witch that the Lancre Three met in a recent book (I think it was called Black Hat). Alice is going to teach her how best to use her powers and, more importantly, when not to use them (i.e. 'most of the time'). The B-plot could be titled: "How I Became a Witch by Gavia Vicissitude". Alice doesn't want an apprentice; actually there is, according to her, nothing that she wants less! However, the girl is just too powerful and talented to leave untrained!

There may be a C-plot about Ardent's learning curve and how he grew up to be a conscientious and mature man.

Makes sense, I suppose. I was just trying to point out that, regardless of the title, we're two chapters and six/seven months into the story, and none of the three characters, least of all Alice, really feel like the protagonist of the story yet. We're watching people who know much more than us, and each other as well, and who aren't communicating any of that. This is apparently a slow-burner of a story with an actual plot, unlike QC (whose primary characters were introduced and given at least some motivation in the very first strips), so I'm not expecting a massive info-dump. Just a few answers would be nice.

Quote from: Zebediah on 04 Apr 2015, 04:04

I had a theory at one point early on that Jack was actually the protagonist, and that he would become Alice's apprentice and eventually become the conscience that she apparently lacks. But then Jack was eaten by a piranha plant, or abducted by weird dogs, or at least turned invisible.

That was my first thought, too. Especially since Jack was the most "normal" character--we'd be able to get more information from him, through his daily life in wherever-this-place-is, to his impressions on Alice and the newcomers, and so on. A window into this world, basically.

And as I said before, I'm not complaining about this. I just want a better excuse to keep reading than "because Jeph updates it the same time as QC."

Gladstone · « **Reply #69 on:** 06 Apr 2015, 19:36 »

Also, I wish I had Gavia's apple-slicing powers.

Neko_Ali · « **Reply #70 on:** 06 Apr 2015, 19:55 »

... does Gavia do ANYTHING without using her powers?

SubaruStephen · « **Reply #71 on:** 06 Apr 2015, 19:59 »

Ardent is certainly pampered if oatmeal is the most horrible tasting thing he's tasted.

Quote from: Gladstone on 06 Apr 2015, 19:36

Also, I wish I had Gavia's apple-slicing powers.

What a fancy-pants using nano-tech, I guess she's too good to use a laser knife like the rest of us. Harrumph.

cesium133 · « **Reply #72 on:** 06 Apr 2015, 20:10 »

I prefer using the Nd:YAG laser for my apple slicing needs.

Gladstone · « **Reply #73 on:** 06 Apr 2015, 20:15 »

Quote from: Neko_Ali on 06 Apr 2015, 19:55

... does Gavia do ANYTHING without using her powers?

Must be handy for the bathroom. "Hey, why am I sitting here? I bet I can just--" zip! "--yep, beam it all away! Ha-HA!"

Phenomenal cosmic power.

hedgie · « **Reply #74 on:** 06 Apr 2015, 20:40 »

And usable for much mischief.

Hmm. Alice's hair is the right colour, so perhaps she's a descendent of Hob Gadling who somehow got the same immortality.

Half Empty Coffee Cup · « **Reply #75 on:** 06 Apr 2015, 20:45 »

And so, in devouring oatmeal, Ardent throws the meals he has become accustomed to into new relief.

That kid'll never be the same again.

Thrudd · « **Reply #76 on:** 06 Apr 2015, 20:57 »

Just adding another spanner into the works here - Alice said she did not use nano tech - But one alternative answer to that would be that she is nano tech. Hmmmm.

Gladstone · « **Reply #77 on:** 06 Apr 2015, 21:00 »

Funny, though--as of Page 1 of Chapter 2, "it's been weeks" since Ardent and Gavia first arrived, and this is the first time Alice has served oatmeal for breakfast?

(Ardent is probably exaggerating--otherwise, it would be very odd for Alice to wait "weeks" before asking Ardent and Gavia about their respective philosophical differences.)

mikmaxs · « **Reply #78 on:** 06 Apr 2015, 21:02 »

Quote from: Gladstone on 06 Apr 2015, 21:00

Funny, though--as of Page 1 of Chapter 2, "it's been weeks" since Ardent and Gavia first arrived, and this is the first time Alice has served oatmeal for breakfast?

(Ardent is probably exaggerating--otherwise, it would be very odd for Alice to wait "weeks" before asked Ardent and Gavia about their respective philosophical differences.)

I was about to say almost exactly this. Ninja'd. Even aside from Oatmeal, wouldn't most breakfast choices be similarly bland?

cesium133 · « **Reply #79 on:** 06 Apr 2015, 21:21 »

"Whatt'ya mean you need food? You don't have photovoltaics in your nanotech?"

Kugai · « **Reply #80 on:** 06 Apr 2015, 21:43 »

I think Alice is going to eventually put her foot down about Gavias excessive use of Nanotech.

Gladstone · « **Reply #81 on:** 06 Apr 2015, 22:10 »

Just as long as Gavia doesn't have to put her feet down on--ewwww--the ground.

BenRG · « **Reply #82 on:** 06 Apr 2015, 23:20 »

Shades of Data in Star Trek- Generations: "I hate this drink! I loathe it!" "Another?" "Please!"

Something tells me that living with Ardent is going to test Alice's Zen quite intensely. Of course, like every sister in the history of humanity, Gavia is so used to it that it barely earns an eye-roll anymore!

Quote from: Neko_Ali on 06 Apr 2015, 19:55

... does Gavia do ANYTHING without using her powers?

Evidently not and my gut tells me that this is going to be a problem in the future, especially if active nanotech produces the signal that the Night Walker is waiting for!

Regarding continuity, this strip could be out-of-sequence with the others: a flashback to events closer to chapter 1.

improvnerd · « **Reply #83 on:** 06 Apr 2015, 23:25 »

Why couldn't Alice be an actual witch with actual magic?

Kugai · « **Reply #84 on:** 06 Apr 2015, 23:34 »

Or a Technomage.

Pilchard123 · « **Reply #85 on:** 07 Apr 2015, 00:43 »

Quote from: Igorina, Monstrous Regiment

I only said it tasted like horse piss. I never said I didn't like it!

BenRG · « **Reply #86 on:** 07 Apr 2015, 01:19 »

Quote from: improvnerd on 06 Apr 2015, 23:25

Why couldn't Alice be an actual witch with actual magic?

We don't know a lot about this world so far. However, what we do know seems firmly sci-fi rather than fantasy. Therefore, I would imagine that the Arthur C Clark rule is in place: Anything that looks like magic is actually sufficiently advanced technology.

Tophwells · « **Reply #87 on:** 07 Apr 2015, 05:21 »

I guess Gavia's too good to use something as pedestrian as a plate or a chair. This might be a good habit to pick up if you lived in a tiny space station (one with no room for furniture), but on Earth it's just irritating.

It doesn't matter how Alice's body works or "what she is". Pinning her down as "cyborg" or "android" or "genetically modified" or "naturally occurring mutant" is mostly just technobabble, at least until we have more rules for how the Alice Grove world works. The only relevant thing we know about her nature is that she's not using nanotech.

Storel · « **Reply #88 on:** 07 Apr 2015, 11:31 »

Quote from: Jeph

Alice doesn’t believe in adding sugar to things.

Or cinnamon, butter, or milk? Maybe some fresh berries? Just completely plain oatmeal? Come on, Alice, live a little!

Pilchard123 · « **Reply #89 on:** 07 Apr 2015, 11:50 »

Not quite the same, but I came across this today.

http://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/13699/how-would-the-constant-presence-of-an-affable-undemanding-immortal-affect-a-soc

Zebediah · « **Reply #90 on:** 07 Apr 2015, 12:14 »

Quote from: Storel on 07 Apr 2015, 11:31

Quote from: Jeph
Alice doesn’t believe in adding sugar to things.

Or cinnamon, butter, or milk? Maybe some fresh berries? Just completely plain oatmeal? Come on, Alice, live a little!

At the level of economy that the villagers have, sugar and cinnamon are likely either rare and expensive imports, or entirely unknown.

Butter, milk and berries are probably around, though. Honey may be possible, if there are still bees.

Kugai · « **Reply #91 on:** 07 Apr 2015, 15:07 »

It may be that Alice is working them into Natural Foods.

I would say that, as space born and raised, and going on both Gavia and Ardents reactions here, they're more likely to be used to highly processed and/or Replicator foodstuffs, and their completely unused to the taste, sight and smell of naturally occurring foodstuffs on a regular basis.

Thrudd · « **Reply #92 on:** 07 Apr 2015, 18:38 »

Quote from: Zebediah on 07 Apr 2015, 12:14

At the level of economy that the villagers have, sugar and cinnamon are likely either rare and expensive imports, or entirely unknown.
Butter, milk and berries are probably around, though. Honey may be possible, if there are still bees.

I can agree on the cinnamon though there are always analogues that fit the bill if you are diligent in your search.
As for sweeteners, just because sugar can is not local there is always something sweet available.
Honey, sugar beets or maple sap would seem appropriate to the locale and technology level but then again there may be other sources just as valid like ants ... very very very big ants.

Neko_Ali · « **Reply #93 on:** 08 Apr 2015, 07:03 »

Yeah, but the ants don't like it when you use them for sweetener... and Alice plays poker with them every Thursday.

Method of Madness · « **Reply #94 on:** 08 Apr 2015, 13:25 »

Ant-e up.

Is it cold in here? · « **Reply #95 on:** 09 Apr 2015, 14:19 »

They're too dangerous anyway. Instead of sweetener they might secrete ant-y matter.

ysth · « **Reply #96 on:** 09 Apr 2015, 18:38 »

Quote from: Gladstone on 06 Apr 2015, 20:15

Quote from: Neko_Ali on 06 Apr 2015, 19:55
... does Gavia do ANYTHING without using her powers?

Must be handy for the bathroom. "Hey, why am I sitting here? I bet I can just--" zip! "--yep, beam it all away! Ha-HA!"

Phenomenal cosmic power.

Like the near-universal use of the Waste Spell in Sartorias-Deles.

These kids seem differently dressed than the folk we've seen so far.

Is it cold in here? · « **Reply #97 on:** 09 Apr 2015, 18:40 »

Alice's strategy for avoiding trouble seems to have backfired.

Gladstone · « **Reply #98 on:** 09 Apr 2015, 18:43 »

Well, she would have gotten away with it, if it weren't for those meddling kids.

Neko_Ali · « **Reply #99 on:** 09 Apr 2015, 18:51 »

Ardent. You've been here for weeks. Get some clothes, son. Or at least a new pair of skivvies...

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Author Topic: Alice Grove MCDT - April 2015 (Read 116802 times)