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Brun and the Mystery of Elliott (Why Does He React That Way Around Her?)

The Bubbles and Pintsize Show (Is Pintsize dumb or just suicidal?)

Who are that dark-haired guy and his redheaded girlfriend who live with Faye?

Marigold has come to consider Sam her Sensei in the ways of "Let's Play" shows

Hannelore has a personal life too!

The Return of the Bianchis, the worst parents in Northampton!

The Gods Meet to Discuss Creepybot (Station and Dr E-C dialogues)

Bubbles thinks that there is something odd about Emily and wishes to investigate

Time for the adults (specifically, Veronica and Jim) to have a week in the sun

Other

[jwhouk]

Welp, now we know - she wiped it on accident, and then took advantage of the situation.

[Method of Madness]

Corpse Witch knew there were things worse than Robot Jail. I wonder if they were this bad.

[WareWolf]

Keep in mind that the gray one was delighted to act as creepy as possible when offering Bubbles his help, but was still apparently sincere about helping.  Remember the "we're why they wake up screaming" opening line to Bubbles & Faye.

"We are very very bad news" is exactly the same kind of opening line to Corpse Witch.  If Bubbles' experience is anything to go by, it's no indication at all of whether they're there to help, hurt, or just stop her.

Of course, "filthy little brainfucker" would seem to be an indication that They at least disapprove of her.  It's likely a clue that They will ensure that CW is something that Bubbles and Faye never need to worry about again, but how they do that is entirely a mystery. 

If their ethos is Kantian, then we can expect good old fashioned painful Retribution.  If their ethos is Socratic, we can expect that she will be turned over to the state.  If their ethos is Nietzchean, they'll probably make her a job offer she can't refuse.  If their ethos is Aristotelian, they will make an effort to rehabilitate her.  If their ethos is Randian, they'll probably just kill her out of hand. And so on.

But we have no idea what their ethos is.  It seems to be "making the world a better place in the most sinister way possible," which doesn't correspond to any of the major currents of philosophy I'm familiar with.

Given the comic that just went up, They seem to have a rather....flexible ethos. And, as Creepybot says,  very, VERY few moral principles. But the few They do have, They enforce with great enthusiasm and vigor.

Anyone else notice the tiny cross in panel five?

[chaospersonified]

She is, officially, Spookybot, and I'm in the weird place where I love what she's done, but fear what she might do, what she COULD do without restrictions.

[Method of Madness]

Ehhh, "officially" is a complicated word.

[WareWolf]

She is, officially, Spookybot, and I'm in the weird place where I love what she's done, but fear what she might do, what she COULD do without restrictions.

Okay, Spookybot it is. But They've indicated on several occasions that They, the Squid (Bubbles' word for the collective) HAVE no meaningful restrictions.

[davidv]

So the question I have is why this particular sin is so awful in their eyes. The creepies are definitely outside the normal moral constraints. Why would a super intelligent p-zombie care so much? Don't like sharing their ability? Or something different?

[WareWolf]

So the question I have is why this particular sin is so awful in their eyes. The creepies are definitely outside the normal moral constraints. Why would a super intelligent p-zombie care so much? Don't like sharing their ability? Or something different?

That's a very good question. I don't think it's not wanting to share or protecting Their power. They seem to have a genuine moral abhorrence towards interference with another AI's mind, as evidence by the venom of Spooky's description of CW as a "filthy little brainfucker." Spooky didn't even want to go into Bubbles' mind to help her, only doing so as a last resort.

[JWoodrell]

Well think of it from CBs perspectives they live on a luxury touring bus with seating for a few million(im assuming) of their closest selves.  Would you want to climb into a subcompact econobox made in some ex soviet failed state (by comparison). Even if it was for a good cause.   But at the same time they dont want to see someone else imjured when their econobox is sideswiped by a malicous uninsured clown car.  Theyre all beneath you but at some level you want to make sure everyone follown the rules if the road metaphorically.  (Speaking of the minds only here)

Also i think its kinda threatening how her (are we assuming CB is a she now) face is very snake like in its look.

[SomeCanadianWeirdo]

I've been thinking of Creepybot as she from the start.  There's just something about their face and hairdo that feel female to me.  Of course we have no idea if this is their standard body, or if they have a collection of them of various sorts.  In fact the latter seems pretty likely for this kind of entity, and they can presumably be in multiple bodies at once, each doing things not connected with each other.

[Method of Madness]

There's just something about their face and hairdo that feel female to me.

Interesting. I don't see it, but I don't not see it, either.

[A small perverse otter]

All I can say is "I wonder if CW's sentence is going to be worse than short-circuiting in Hell forever"?

[themacnut]

Corpse Witch knew there were things worse than Robot Jail. I wonder if they were this bad.

Heh, the "this bad" part hasn't even started yet. Right now it's just some induced pain and fear.

[Is it cold in here?]

This is a torture scene and is the darkest QC has ever gotten, even including the attempted murder of Bubbles.

It's also very bad news when an entity as powerful as the Albino Architeuthis claims to be has very few moral principles.

Can Corpse Witch appeal her conviction on the grounds that her confession was coerced by torture?

[Tova]

Can Corpse Witch appeal her conviction on the grounds that her confession was coerced by torture?

She could.

Nothing would go wrong for her, I'm sure.

[miados]

Oh i love this page so much!

"you have a choice. Accept the proper punishment or life will be like this"

flips switch to demonstration

[jheartney]

Can Corpse Witch appeal her conviction on the grounds that her confession was coerced by torture?

She'd need to be able to prove it happened. I doubt  Creepybot will leave any evidence.

I think it's pretty clear that CW needs to throw herself on the mercy of Basilisk. Robot Jail is unpleasant and tedious, but beats being tortured. Plus there's hope of eventual release. Maybe by the time CW gets out they'll have figured out this scarcity thing and she won't have to live in an underground economy.

Possible future amusements: Bubbles and Faye go to the police station, and find CW got there ahead of them, and is desperately signing a confession, inexplicably saying "Ow! Ow!"  and clutching her head if she hesitates.

May will be glad that CW is out of the way, but sad that the robot fights have been shut down. There goes her chance to meet Hank the Dismemberer.

[miados]

Can Corpse Witch appeal her conviction on the grounds that her confession was coerced by torture?

She'd need to be able to prove it happened. I doubt  Creepybot will leave any evidence.

I think it's pretty clear that CW needs to throw herself on the mercy of Basilisk. Robot Jail is unpleasant and tedious, but beats being tortured. Plus there's hope of eventual release. Maybe by the time CW gets out they'll have figured out this scarcity thing and she won't have to live in an underground economy.

Possible future amusements: Bubbles and Faye go to the police station, and find CW got there ahead of them, and is desperately signing a confession, inexplicably saying "Ow! Ow!"  and clutching her head if she hesitates.

May will be glad that CW is out of the way, but sad that the robot fights have been shut down. There goes her chance to meet Hank the Dismemberer.

what if may ends up in trouble for being seen in that place shortly before the person in charge confesses to massive crimes?

[jheartney]

This is a torture scene and is the darkest QC has ever gotten, even including the attempted murder of Bubbles.

QC has had some dark stuff before. Faye's Dad's suicide, for example. Still, you're right, this is no longer a comic about twenty-somethings in a coffee shop. I was just watching the Spartacus TV series on Netflix; this seemed like a scene right out of that - pretty dark.

[Orannis]

Anyone else notice the tiny cross in panel five?

Pretty sure that's supposed to be the last letter of the word 'but'. Compare that character to the bolded t's in the last panel.

Edit - Looks like Jeph replaced that part entirely.

...Is it weird that I find Spookybot incredibly attractive?

[jheartney]

what if may ends up in trouble for being seen in that place shortly before the person in charge confesses to massive crimes?

Frankly, that goes for all of them. May is especially vulnerable given she's on parole (does Basilisk know that, BTW?). But both Faye and Bubbles are part of the criminal conspiracy (i.e. a gambling ring).

However, if we take Basilisk's word that she's not interested in prosecuting a barely-criminal enterprise, they could all get immunity in exchange for testifying against CW.

[miados]

Anyone else notice the tiny cross in panel five?

Pretty sure that's supposed to be the last letter of the word 'but'. Compare that character to the bolded t's in the last panel.

...Is it weird that I find Spookybot incredibly attractive?

while not attracted to spoopy butt i do feel a certain pull from them. I really want to get to know them and learn about them and see what they do. I want to be able to sit and have a conversation with this character and honestly might enjoy a comic with just them. not a super long term one based on what little is known but maybe like a 20 page comic.

[TheEvilDog]

So the question I have is why this particular sin is so awful in their eyes. The creepies are definitely outside the normal moral constraints. Why would a super intelligent p-zombie care so much? Don't like sharing their ability? Or something different?

I would imagine that when you can transfer your consciousness from one frame to another, when your form can become so mutable, that something needs to remain constant. In this case, the core of an AI. But messing about and even accidentally destroying Bubbles' memories, CW crossed that line. Perhaps because it is a reminder that they are still beings of silicone and wires, whatever spark they might have is just an electrical spark.

Or it might be the AI equivalent of a lobotomy. Even humanity reviles the technique because it doesn't cure someone, it destroys them from the inside and leaves behind an empty shell.

[A small perverse otter]

This is a torture scene and is the darkest QC has ever gotten, even including the attempted murder of Bubbles.

First, let me say that the smile on Creepybot's face as they torture CW -- with the promise that torture could become eternal torment -- is just horrifying. Notwithstanding the names we've assigned them, I think that I can guess Creepybot's name. I don't know what they're getting out of all of this, mind you, but I can guess their name.

Second, this arc is by far the most troubling arc in all of QC. Yes, there have been dark arcs: somebody downthread mentioned Faye's father's suicide, and the whole arc about Faye's alcohol overdose was grim, too. (And what is it about Faye, anyway? She gets all the great terrible arcs, and that just isn't fair!) But this arc has a genuinely evil character, CW, and a morally ambiguous, and, indeed, almost demonic, character, Creepybot.

[Kugai]

If you don't turn yourself in

You will know darkness

You will know fear

You will know eternal pain


Welcome to Robot Hell Corpse Witdh.

[St.Clair]

In SW The Old Republic, that last panel is also known as "Sith Inquisitor conversation option C".

Joke explained for those who don't play:

(click to show/hide)

Dialogue options in TOR usually have one good, one neutral, and one bad option.  For Inqs, the last is usually some variation on "[Force Lightning]".

[Is it cold in here?]

Anyone else notice the tiny cross in panel five?

Pretty sure that's supposed to be the last letter of the word 'but'. Compare that character to the bolded t's in the last panel.

...Is it weird that I find Spookybot incredibly attractive?

Welcome, new person!

Agreed, it looks like a "but" was supposed to go there.

Yes, it's weird. Most of us here are weird one way or another.

[Gyrre]

There are probably machine gods, sure. I'd say it's hard to pray to a god that's torturing you, but that never stopped Job.

Actually, that was Satan ("the Adversary", "the opposer") who did the torturing. God (Adonai) let it happen as part of a bet to proove that Job (Iyov) would remain an upright man and not curse God's name.

The relevant passage is Job 1:6-12. I'm linking the Complete Jewish Bible version as it's translated directly from Hebrew to English (the New Testament is straight from Greek).

[BenRG]

Meh... Quite frankly I'm not even sure why Jeph drew this strip beyond his admission on Twitter that Creepybot is his 'most self-indulgent character'. I understand the concept of 'show, don't tell' but sometimes showing can just slow down the plot when describing in retrospect can be just as effective to communicate what happened (especially if Corpse Witch is shown to be genuinely terrified of 'that thing' ever coming near her again).

I suppose that Jeph wanted to do a strip to emphasise how amoral They are but this is a bit too thunderingly unsubtle to really build the sense of menace from the character.

[OldGoat]

So the question I have is why this particular sin is so awful in their eyes. The creepies are definitely outside the normal moral constraints. Why would a super intelligent p-zombie care so much? Don't like sharing their ability? Or something different?

I would imagine that when you can transfer your consciousness from one frame to another, when your form can become so mutable, that something needs to remain constant. In this case, the core of an AI.

This.  When your body is as changeable as a car (easy but for expense), having it messed with isn't that big a deal.   Messing with an AI's mind is the equivalent of raping a human.  Recall the emphasis on consent prior to both Emily and Spookybot entering Bubbles's mind.  Note also that their name for their own kind is "Artificial Inteligence" - they think of themselves as minds, not as bodies.  Put another way, to an AI, the body is property of the mind but not an inseparable part of the self.

If Corpse Witch accepts the deal Spookybot is offering her, completing the sentence meted out by the State of Massachusetts (Basilisk identified herself as State Police officer, not a local cop or a Fed) will not be the end of her woes.  She'll be the AI equivalent of a registered sex offender and a pariah among AIs and humans alike.

[TRenn]

May will be glad that CW is out of the way, but sad that the robot fights have been shut down. There goes her chance to meet Hank the Dismemberer.

Well, with the robot fights shut down, Hank will be looking for a job that doesn't involve dismembering. He could end up pulling a few shifts at the same store May works in.

Though if that does happen, the boss should be wary of pulling a Dante on Hank, or there might be some dismembering after all.

[wlewisiii]

A rather well written reminder of the trope http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GoodIsNotNice

[Carl-E]

I'll be honest, I'm not fond of this whole arc.  Not the Deus ex machina, not the resolution, and least of all this comeuppance.  It feels like a fanfic begun by Momo and finished off by May. 

I personally would prefer CW to have disappeared, never to be heard from again.  No final resolution, and evil still exists in the world, out there... somewhere...


You know, like real life.  This used to be a "slice of life comic with androids".  I'd like to see more of that here. 

[OpalRhea]

Finally got around to making this, purely so I could put in my thoughts on this.

I think that Creepybot is actually pretty fascinating.

If you look at the differences between how they treat Bubbles, Faye, Emily and now Corpse Witch, there are some very interesting patterns.

With Bubbles, they were menacing but mostly polite, and very very aware of personal boundaries. Note how they apologized to Bubbles before entering the headspace, and were patient and polite with the secondary headspace.
With Faye there was... Honestly? To me it read like friendly ribbing. Except it came from effectively an eldritch horror with a very alien mind. But... even when Faye got defensive over Bubbles, tried to be intimidating, Creepybot didn't harm her. In fact, they could have knocked Faye out. They didn't. They allowed Faye to see the conversation, build up a semi informed perspective. Everything after that was... definitely respectful of Faye's bond with Bubbles, even if it was for Bubbles' sake if nothing else.
Emily there was... Not quite wariness, and not quite respect. I think Creepybot knew about Emily by reputation, but got legitimately thrown for a loop at some of the responses. Once Bubbles' headspace was involved, they did become serious, even when that expressed as impatient and superior, there was still some undercurrent of respect.
And in the aftyermath. They seemed legitimately regretful that they could not prove themselves trustworthy, and that Bubbles' memories could not be recovered.

Notice with Corpse Witch now. Yes, they began menacingly, but they did not actually harm CW until she was disrespectful. They also have offered her an opportunity to save her own skin, or at least take the lesser of two evils.
They say that Bubbles inspired that, and I can't claim to know either way.


Anyway. This all is a very long winded point but.

Creepybot has been immaculately respectful, even in teasing, unless someone proves themselves undiserving.

I  may be misreading or projecting.
But I'm curious.
Why here? Why now?
And perhaps...
How long have they known?

[Indicible]

For some reason, Spookybot has the same voice as Farscape's Scorpius in my mind. And it is awesome.

[pwhodges]

I suppose that Jeph wanted to do a strip to emphasise how amoral They are but this is a bit too thunderingly unsubtle to really build the sense of menace from the character.

He seems to have had some difficulty rounding this off:

I went through something like five different iterations of this strip before I found one I was happy with.

Still, even if this arc can in some respects be considered a failure, I would never suggest that Jeph should stop experimenting and developing his story-telling techniques.

[OpalRhea]

For some reason, Spookybot has the same voice as Farscape's Scorpius in my mind. And it is awesome.

I never would have thought of that myself, but holy shit yes.

[billydaking]

So the question I have is why this particular sin is so awful in their eyes. The creepies are definitely outside the normal moral constraints. Why would a super intelligent p-zombie care so much? Don't like sharing their ability? Or something different?

Gods don't like it when peons pretend to be them.

(In all seriousness, I would assume that a higher artificial intelligence with a hive mind would find an A.I. destroying another A.I.'s memory to be absolutely revolting, especially if They themselves wanted to take advantage of said memory.)

[osaka]

For some reason, Spookybot has the same voice as Farscape's Scorpius in my mind. And it is awesome.

I read them like Lady Iris Heart from Neptunia 3. Think the most unhinged sadistic person.

Which is part of the reason I refer to them as Mercedes. A callback to someone I follow on twitter although I don't know about her stance on eternal torture.

[WareWolf]

Anyone else notice the tiny cross in panel five?

Pretty sure that's supposed to be the last letter of the word 'but'. Compare that character to the bolded t's in the last panel.

...Is it weird that I find Spookybot incredibly attractive?

I think you're right (and it's since been edited).

And it may be weird, but so what?

[WareWolf]

So the question I have is why this particular sin is so awful in their eyes. The creepies are definitely outside the normal moral constraints. Why would a super intelligent p-zombie care so much? Don't like sharing their ability? Or something different?

I would imagine that when you can transfer your consciousness from one frame to another, when your form can become so mutable, that something needs to remain constant. In this case, the core of an AI. But messing about and even accidentally destroying Bubbles' memories, CW crossed that line. Perhaps because it is a reminder that they are still beings of silicone and wires, whatever spark they might have is just an electrical spark.

Or it might be the AI equivalent of a lobotomy. Even humanity reviles the technique because it doesn't cure someone, it destroys them from the inside and leaves behind an empty shell.

I think you're on to something here.

Note that  that interference with the sanctity of mind is regarded as an ultimate evil by the Squid, but they don't have any moral problem inflicting agonizing physical torture on another being  to get what they want--or just for (incredibly creepy) grins. The body is just a shell chassis.

[haikupoet]

Am I alone in not seeing this as a straight-up deus ex machina? It seems to me that we've seen the introduction of, if not a major character exactly, a major undercurrent in the QCverse that will likely come into future storylines with the AIs. We may never see Lady Tentacles again in their current form, but that doesn't mean this is the last time they'll be a factor in the story. I mean, if $DIVINITY came down specifically to do you a favor, the story would likely not end there.

[shanejayell]

A bit? But Jeph is kinda... using Squid/Creepybot instead of doing more complicated plot bits. Like have Bubbles shipped up to Station, examined there, shipped down, THEN confronting CW and so on....

[Morituri]

This 'electroshock' experience, remember, is the same thing Momo does when she's sufficiently provoked.

Momo uses it only in anger or fear, where Creepybot apparently uses it because they despise someone.  Momo uses it only when there is provocation against her own person where Creepybot is using it because of provocation against a third party.  Momo uses it without enjoyment and as a last resort where Creepybot is apparently gleeful in inflicting pain and acting downright eager for an excuse to do so.  And Momo has never in her wildest flights of frustration, anger, or fear considered or threatened making it permanent. 

This is kind of the difference between someone who'll throw a punch if they're sufficiently offended or afraid, and someone who just decides that somebody is despicable, ties them up, and gleefully beats  them for an extended period while they're helpless.  Both are the same kind of physical violence, but the context of the actions are completely different.

[OldGoat]

If Spookybot is an emanation of the AI Hive Mind, Spookybot did not exist before AIs, and AIs did not exist before John Ellicott-Chatham invented them.  So, Spookybot is a recent entity, probably still developing (hence their being inspired by Bubbles's behavior toward Corpse Witch). 

Large parts of Spook's personality are nothing at all like John's, but OTOH one can see a lot of Beatrice in them.  Yup, Spookybot is the intellectual offspring of John and Beatrice, and therefore Hannelore's AI sibling.  This can't be the first time one AI has violated another, but Corpse Witch mind-fucked their sister Hanner's friend.  That's why they were inclined to make a special project of CW when Hannelore brought Bubbles's plight to their attention.

[katsmeat]

Can Corpse Witch appeal her conviction on the grounds that her confession was coerced by torture?

She'd need to be able to prove it happened. I doubt  Creepybot will leave any evidence.

So we have somebody running a long-standing and  profitable criminal enterprise,,of whom the authorities had some suspicion but no hard evidence, suddenly rolling into a Police station to give herself up and confess to all the things she's done/ And presumably also volunteer evidence against herself (I'm assuming confession alone is not sufficient grounds for conviction).

The  authorities are gong to wonder why the hell she did that.

[WareWolf]

Am I alone in not seeing this as a straight-up deus ex machina? It seems to me that we've seen the introduction of, if not a major character exactly, a major undercurrent in the QCverse that will likely come into future storylines with the AIs. We may never see Lady Tentacles again in their current form, but that doesn't mean this is the last time they'll be a factor in the story. I mean, if $DIVINITY came down specifically to do you a favor, the story would likely not end there.

You're definitely not alone. A DEM solves everyone's problems and ends the plot. The Squid and its avatar Spookybot open up entirely new plots and problems. 

[katsmeat]

Oh i love this page so much!

"you have a choice. Accept the proper punishment or life will be like this"

flips switch to demonstration

Justice systems in which the accused have a choice of confession or torture are generally considered not good things.

[Is it cold in here?]

With Faye there was... Honestly? To me it read like friendly ribbing.

The parts that stuck in my mind were calling her a "child", taunting her with her inability to protect her friend, and paralyzing her.

[Method of Madness]

There are probably machine gods, sure. I'd say it's hard to pray to a god that's torturing you, but that never stopped Job.

Actually, that was Satan ("the Adversary", "the opposer") who did the torturing. God (Adonai) let it happen as part of a bet to prove that Job (Iyov) would remain an upright man and not curse God's name.

The relevant passage is Job 1:6-12. I'm linking the Complete Jewish Bible version as it's translated directly from Hebrew to English (the New Testament is straight from Greek).

I'm aware, and find the distinction meaningless. Satan ran it past God, who signed off on it. God is no less guilty than if he'd done it himself.