Comic 1194 - Break off the sync
Posted on 4th Aug 2019, 4:14 PM
in Like a Bullet from Behind
Average Rating: 5 (3 votes) /
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Author Notes:
Alright.
You quickly check on Macland Row. He's... fine, and doing Macland Row things. You suspect he's just kind of resigned himself to weird sensations and mind shenanigans being inevitable for a while.
You break off the sync with Mom's red for now. As much as you want to push it further, you've already learned a great deal, and you need to prioritize. Carpenter is still on the horizon.
You suggest that Fuse try to work with the Juries in Bunker B. While they may not be inclined to leave there, devices for EMP purposes, robotics, and other electronics could be taken to them, and they may be willing to help (as this does, in the long term, help protect Bunker B).
Fuse nods. "Yeah. I'll give it a shot."
"I can keep tradin' up what we got," says Michelle.
Fuse heads out to go try and talk to the proto-Juries.
Seeing Dr. Finch still struggling to get something, anything, from Willard--you suggest that he instead try to focus on working with Caius. The... er... human connection may make it easier to make something happen. Blood-wise.
Dr. Finch nods solemnly. "Perhaps you are correct. I've not been able to accomplish much else on the rodent end of things, I'm afraid."
Lastly, you bring up an idea--blood ticks, or something like them. If you could make smaller blood objects to attach to people--or even to your animals--it could provide a way for you to pull from the red at anyone's location at a moment's notice, or even teleport to them in a pinch. Being able to create bugs or walls or cages wherever your blood is has been useful, you just need a way to have your blood always be where it needs to be... and currently, you still struggle with the separation between "your" blood and the blood you've put in other people being "their" blood now.
Dr. Finch adjusts his glasses. "Hm. An exterior blood source would solve that issue. It could also provide an excuse to practice working at smaller levels--for something like that, you would want a very minute entity, one that couldn't be spotted or removed easily, and that wouldn't be in the way of our normal activities. Something small enough that it wouldn't bother its... its, er... host."
"It'd also make scoutin' a lot easier," Michelle points out. "When we hit up Pierce's church, we had that problem where we had Willard in place but couldn't get to 'em fast enough--once things started goin' south we had to drive there the old fashioned way. You put a tiny blood thing on the rats and birds, then we can jump to anywhere they can get into."
"We could straight up assassinate Thale," Caius realizes out loud. Everyone stops and turns to look at him.
Caius gives a small shrug. "I mean, we could. Right? We don't wanna storm tha place through tha front gates, asshole's prob'ly got an army ready and he could be hidin' anywhere in that building. We send a rat or somethin' in through tha vents, though..."
Dr. Finch shakes his head. "Harold Hope had defensive measures installed to his ventilation system, and he was--quite frankly--a bit of an imbecile. I have zero doubts that Thale's taken similar precautions... as much as I wish it could be that simple."
"We kinda got around Hope's defenses, though," Michelle points out, "And that was without blood-ticks-ridin'-rats and everything else we picked up here lately. I know Thale's security's gotta be tougher, but... I dunno. Might be worth a shot, tryin' to sneak somethin' into Thale's HQ."
Dr. Finch breathes out slowly. "I'm... hesitant to agree. You make an excellent point, I just..." He pauses. He shakes his head. "Thale, for his limits, has surprised us numerous times, and each new twist has been progressively worse. He is weaker than Mine, absolutely--but his complete lack of ethics and his inhuman approach has given him the jump on us, both situationally and in terms of certain powers. I... I don't know what I'm afraid of, I'm just very concerned about what could go wrong. I don't know what could go wrong, and I believe that's the problem."
"He did kinda explode a guy at us," Michelle remarks, "before we had any idea that was a thing."
"And what he did to Knox," Caius adds. "Him usin' Knox like a meat puppet wasn't a shock, but all tha... that other shit he was doin' with Knox, I didn't see that comin'."
"I feel like that's all the more reason to do some scoutin' on him, though," Michelle replies. "We could figure out some of his tricks ahead o' time. He ain't gotta catch us by surprise with some weird new freaky nonsense next time we face him. Hell, we might find out somethin' on Carpenter, or find a way to play 'em against each other. There's a lot we could gain from spelunkin' Thale's vents, and I can't picture much he could do about it."
Dr. Finch hesitates, casting a glance aside. He adjusts his glasses again. "I... I feel that we should maintain our focus on Carpenter, for now. Attempting to spy on Thale while Carpenter is still in play is that much more dangerous--I would feel better about approaching one threat after the other is eliminated. Attempting to manipulate them into dealing with one another--while I admit, is incredibly amusing--is far, far too risky, not just for us but the city at large."
"It'd be funny, though," Caius points out.
"It would be funny," Dr. Finch agrees, fighting back a smile.
I do think we should focus on Carpenter first. It's weird to say, but with Nil involved I think he might be the bigger threat given our present circumstances. At least Thale hasn't presented us with a proverbial timer to his next encounter with us.
Definitely up for trying to make blood ticks while we wait for the various goings on that are happening, though. Maybe we could blood an actual insect to learn a thing or two about their physiology?
In particular though, it may be interesting to see how blood interacts with blood drinking parasites, and then theorize about that in relation to vampires. There wasdefinitely a vampire hunting kit in Zone Fifty's leftovers. This, however, is a silly thing for silly times.
Lol.
We should also take this opportunity to talk to Red, as we'll be alone together for quite some time, and both of us could use the company.
Let's at least keep the first attempts brief and non-commital as much as possible until we're very confident.
** Learn to reduce fatigue/emulate sleep. A priority as this lets us do more with our time.
* Practice bloodcrafting until it becomes second nature.
* Work with electricity and try to craft with energy.
* Experiment with acid, water, gas, and silicon based life.
* Craft new materials, like limpet teeth and superworm silk.
* Make breathing a formality, and make gas masks that turn CO2 to O2, as they are also part of us.
* Create light
Blood Ticks(or smaller)
get really good at making human-like golem so we(and or our allies) can "be in two places at once" from the perspective of an outside looker.
study Mini-Mines brain for that, get really good at making that not-brain brain.
maybe even learn to make fake birds/cats?
#2 try to keep blood speak fresh in the mind.
#3 learn to command computers, even if they're locked.
#4 learn to be the blood while still being "Mine Ametsuchi" or figuring out some other "half-way" point.
#5 try to figure out how to Danny Phantom(go ghost) at will? wont be useful for this fight but maybe the next one.
We could go full on atomic... but just working with theory might allow for some possible manipulation concepts.
Waterjet. A stream or water thin as a pencil line can cut inches of steel. (yet can be stopped by a relatively shallow pool of water) Focus and refinement around a concept might allow for a breacher weapon. We already did similar. Breaching the shell of a robot would help with Carpenter.
* Work with our aura- shifting it around, condensing it, expanding it, making it spin around us instead of randomly vibrating.
* See if we can gain control of an electronic device by filling it with our electrons.
* Make a meat mech suit for ourselves, complete with portalable surfaces and a fashionable design.
* Make various blood critters, blood tube, something with the movement of the brain leech.
* Craft blood bullets.
* Experiment with shielding from projectiles.
(Not that she would want to do that last bit)
It wouldn't be too different from how street gangs tag walls and what not with graffiti. Your "Tag" is always yours and everyone knows it. Tag someone else turf, you've just started a turf war. (It's a mental thing for her.)
In Mines case, the war wouldn't start until she shows off her tag willingly. Of course, I'm assuming Thale
doesn't regularly check on his "disposable" guards.
I always just dismissed it as something a nurse might have.
So.
Long story short, I blew out my power supply, and in getting it repaired also stirred up something sinister that had been lurking in my computer. I'm uh, mostly recovered from that, it might take a bit to readjust and getting everything rolling again. They basically had to wipe the entire system but I think I managed to salvage everything I need comic-wise. Updates should commence soon, if nothing else goes sideways.
Consider joining my Patreon! I know I'm not exactly earning it right now but I'd like to fix that. My money situation is no bueno
P.S., love the phrasing of something far more sinister lurking in your computer. So mysterious- it could be dataa leak, it could be a blown wire, it could be infinite crablike legs made of pure shadow that reach out in the night and feel around in search of your favorite coffee mug, never to be seen again.
The spa day sure did hammer out a lot of small, personal revelations. Something more 'communally intimate' might do some good for the party.
Fighting back a smile. 😊
I am on this site every day. I am on the discord pretty much 24/7. I'm worn out and fighting twelve shades of anxiety at the moment, but I haven't abandoned BiM whatsoever. This comic is my number one priority and I want to get back on it as soon as I can.
Writing's just... a thing, right now.
FUCK YOU
I like the comic. I swear it's really good.
Hope city isn't eaten.