Girl Genius XV: The Weasel, the Spark, and the Wardrobe

[Winterwind]

As confirmed by today's update, too.

Spoiler

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Still trying to keep us in suspense on what happened to Mechanicsburg. Might even work if it wasn't almost certainly a stasis field/time bomb, just as we figured for like a month now.

[eee]

I'm not sure that tunic quite fits Agatha...

I like that she gets diverted from "two... and a half years" by the news the portal was supposed to be instantaneous. Science nerds, they're all the same.

Of course she might be trying to avoid thinking that Tarvek has been dead and gone for 30 months. Way too long for any chance of resurrection.

Looking back at the last strip now that it's colored, it's looks like the weasel DOES have a knife and spoon in its paws. But nothing in its mouth. How strange.

Yeah, cats, food, that's a potent combination.

[lord_khaine]

Of course she might be trying to avoid thinking that Tarvek has been dead and gone for 30 months. Way too long for any chance of resurrection.

Why would she think he was dead to start with?

He might have been stabbet a bit, but he was left in Mechanisburg of all places, with its famous hospital.

[The_Final_Stand]

Because Tweedle described the poison as very fast acting. Within a half-hour, the body can't even hold itself together. Dying probably takes considerably less time than that.

Useful bit of kit actually. Disables instantly, kills quickly, and if the body isn't found for a while then it disintegrates the corpse, which makes autopsy and revival nigh impossible.

Admittedly, if the temporal bomb theory holds, then depending on how quickly time passes within the field, Tarvek may still be savable.

[Dr. Simon]

Looking back at the last strip now that it's colored, it's looks like the weasel DOES have a knife and spoon in its paws. But nothing in its mouth. How strange.

Looks to me like the wasp-eater is climbing out of the wash jug. Likely the "knife and spoon" are meant to be water drips, also looks like it's got water, or even soapy water, dripping from its mouth.

[Traab]

Why would she think he was dead to start with?

He might have been stabbet a bit, but he was left in Mechanisburg of all places, with its famous hospital.

Its famous hospital was well and truly blown the hell up. Agatha knows this, vole was ranting about it while he was trying to kill everyone.

[slayerx]

Admittedly, if the temporal bomb theory holds, then depending on how quickly time passes within the field, Tarvek may still be savable.

It seems very plausible. If the portal was supposed to transport everyone instantly and that got extended to 2.5 years, then it possible that bomb created a temporal field that turns seconds into YEARS. Heck even if its not that extreme there's a good chance that Agatha has years to get back to mechanicsburg and cure tarvek.

[Winterwind]

I'm guessing time doesn't flow in Mechanicsburg at all. I think the person who speculated that time is frozen in Mechanicsburg for 5 years - as that was the setting on the artifact - and Agatha and company lost 2.5 years, half of that amount, since they were passing through just as the effect set in - scored bullseye.

[Sean Mirrsen]

I think the temporal bomb theory neatly explains the delay and malfunction of the transporter. The bomb went off just as the transporter activated - it likely doesn't outright stop time, or else it would never stop working, so it's more likely that it just slows time tremendously. So what was supposed to be an instant transmission was drawn out into a two and a half year stream. The receiver was never made to handle that kind of situation, and while it miraculously completed the process, it immediately blew up from overstress.

[HandofShadows]

I think the term is Time Dialation.

[Curaced]

I ws talking with my dad, and got to wondering: what would happen if DuPree and Belkar were to meet?

[Giggling Ghast]

Yeah, like I figured: time dilation field.

[lord_khaine]

Because Tweedle described the poison as very fast acting. Within a half-hour, the body can't even hold itself together. Dying probably takes considerably less time than that.

Ohh yeah, even so the castle or someone else might very well have been able to preserve his head for later.

[eee]

Ohh yeah, even so the castle or someone else might very well have been able to preserve his head for later.

If the knife causes whole body cellular degeneration - which from Tweedle's description would seem to be the case - that would only work if his head was cut off before the poison could reach it. I doubt Van, Shouting Guy, Agatha's Secretary, or the priest would think about doing such a thing, and der Kestle has no control over the Cathedral. Barring that Tarvek has somehow immunized himself to Tweedle's toys, his chances are nil unless time has been stopped in Mechanicsburg, and Agatha can find the cure for Tweedle's knife and get to Tarvek the moment time starts flowing normally again.

[Winterwind]

Klaus, on the other hand, might be able to save him, if he happened to be brought there. He would naturally be ill disposed towards Tarvek, but might do it anyway if he thought it improved his bargaining position or might give him some other benefits (potentially connected with some massively complex masterplan we cannot foresee).

The Abbess might know something about this poison, too (even though Tweedle said it was a special one he'd developed, that doesn't mean some higher ranking members of his conspiracy don't know something about it after all). Somebody in Mechanicsburg might be able to... "persuade" her.

I'm not entirely sure whether Doctor Sun surely would be able to help, too. The Mechanicsburg hospital buildings may have been destroyed, but as long as Sun is alive, I don't think that will inhibit its functions all that much. Just remembered that Sun was aboard Castle Wulfenburg at the time, so scratch that one.

So, there would be other solutions, though all less likely. Given that I think it's fairly clear that Tarvek would not be killed off without a much bigger scene, with far more drama, far more build-up, and for a bigger narrative reward - in other words, I don't think there's any reason whatsoever to worry about his survival - I'd say this all makes a time-freeze in Mechanicsburg just all that much more likely.

[HandofShadows]

I'm not entirely sure whether Doctor Sun surely would be able to help, too. The Mechanicsburg hospital buildings may have been destroyed, but as long as Sun is alive, I don't think that will inhibit its functions all that much. Just remembered that Sun was aboard Castle Wulfenburg at the time, so scratch that one.

Actually, this HELP. This means Sun can have a chance to study the poison ahead of time and come up with a way to neutralize it. No "on the fly" stuff.

[Gez]

Looks like the time dilation bomb is affecting Girl Genius updates.

Either that or the Kickstarter stuff.

[petersohn]

Looks like the time dilation bomb is affecting Girl Genius updates.

This should have been the new thread title.

[Traab]

You know, its times like mondays girl genius that make me believe clark kent really CAN hide his identity with glasses. Seriously, look at agatha, when she takes off her glasses she has this mega hottie look to her. Then the lenses go back on and she turns into decent looking librarian nerd girl. Its kind of eerie.

[The Glyphstone]

You know, its times like mondays girl genius that make me believe clark kent really CAN hide his identity with glasses. Seriously, look at agatha, when she takes off her glasses she has this mega hottie look to her. Then the lenses go back on and she turns into decent looking librarian nerd girl. Its kind of eerie.

You sure that's because it's the glasses she isn't wearing?

[Traab]

You sure that's because it's the glasses she isn't wearing?

Heh, the rest is nice too, but honestly, its the face. She could be wearing a burlap sack in panel 2 and she would still look gorgeous. What i find really amusing is how often she cycles through appearances. In some her gender is almost immaterial, in others, the fact that she is a very "healthy" girl is almost shoved into your face, and at others she just has an alluring sort of look about her, and it just constantly changes all over the place. Hey, speaking of her looks, how old is she anyways? Has it ever been stated?

[HandofShadows]

Don't think it's been stated but 19 to 21 I think.

[Elvaris]

She's Eighteen.

[eee]

Perhaps 19. Time - maybe several weeks - has passed since those halcyon days in the dungeons of Strumhalten...

...

Yes, time HAS passed. So technically, 21 or close to it, chronologically. 18-19 biologically.

[Traab]

Perhaps 19. Time - maybe several weeks - has passed since those halcyon days in the dungeons of Strumhalten...

...

Yes, time HAS passed. So technically, 21 or close to it, chronologically. 18-19 biologically.

Honestly, if it was more than a couple weeks I would be surprised. Its not that far from sturmhalten to mechanicsburg and that whole debacle took us 75 years, and them about 2-3 days tops, if that.

[slayerx]

Honestly, if it was more than a couple weeks I would be surprised. Its not that far from sturmhalten to mechanicsburg and that whole debacle took us 75 years, and them about 2-3 days tops, if that.

I seem to recall three days, but it was only like a day or two at most... This was a conversation that the circus had after their fight with klaus (unknown how much time passed since then, but i'd assume only a day at most), only one day before Agatha arrived in mechanicsburg.

[Porthos]

18 minutes to go before they officially miss an update for the first time, ever.

ETA: Just posted within the last four minutes. The streak is still alive!

ETA x 2: Um. Is it totally shallow of me to say I like Agatha's latest get up?

It is? Don't care.

That dark green really suits her, as well as the cut of the jacket. Me like.

[eee]

The tunic DOES suit her.

I'm not sure if Agatha's in the Madness place, or just mad. I'm also not sure heading to the hanger is a good move; Tweedle or the Smoke Knights might anticipate that. On the other hand, the longer they stick around the better the chance they'll be found and harried until they're captured. If there's any kind of transport in the hanger they might be able to use it to flee. One of those giant mechs would be nice. And I suspect Agatha or Krosp would be able to figure out how to fly it. Eventually.

[Porthos]

Hmmmm....

Time Window tunic.

Newly donned tunic.

Hmmmm....

The top row of buttons doesn't match, exactly. But the insignia could be covering it up. Cuffs match, though. The slightly angular bit at the shoulders might as well.

Hmmmm.

[Gez]

I'm also not sure heading to the hanger is a good move

It is. It's wintertime, they need to find warm coats.