Girl Genius XIII: "Gott's Leedle Feesh in Trousers!"

[petersohn]

Originally Posted by eee

I wonder how Snaug is reacting to the sight of the squid? It probably brings back bad memories... but on the other hand, she apparently runs into situations like that often.

What memories? Mittelmind always clears it for her birthday.

[ChowGuy]

Originally Posted by petersohn

What memories? Mittelmind always clears it for her birthday.

He hasn't had a chance to since she met the "impertinent mechanical squid in the cistern.

[Knight13]

Bloodstone Paladins? Who wants to bet they have a legion of clank Paladins of Slaughter?

[eee]

Subterranean mecha-narwals. Why is it always subterranean mecha-narwals?

I hadn't realized the Abbess was wearing armor in addition to a sword. Maybe the Battle Goddess of the Dyne motif hasn't been supplanted after all. On the other hand, this is Mechanicsburg: It might be natural for its religious leaders to also be mega-warriors.

Sustained smiting. I think we are all in favor of sustained smiting. As long as it's not on us.

[petersohn]

Wait, shouldn't Mechanicsburg have collapsed into the tunnels created by these subterranean machines long, long ago?

[Oracle_Hunter]

Originally Posted by petersohn

Wait, shouldn't Mechanicsburg have collapsed into the tunnels created by these subterranean machines long, long ago?

They appear to create self-collapsing tunnels just like the Deep 6. Also, Mechanicsburg itself is girded with fortified basements which likely support the whole town down to the bedrock.

[Miklus]

"These are no ORDINARY subterranean mechanarwhals!"

That just slays me!

[Qwertystop]

Originally Posted by Miklus

"These are no ORDINARY subterranean mechanarwhals!"

That just slays me!

Possible new-thread title already?

[BannedInSchool]

Originally Posted by eee

I hadn't realized the Abbess was wearing armor in addition to a sword.

I think I'm gonna be in luv. Sigh.

[eee]

Originally Posted by BannedInSchool

I think I'm gonna be in luv. Sigh.

Wait until you see her with her firm, muscular thighs wrapped around her charger, urging the powerful beast to new heights of exertion and force as she wields her weapons with swift, sure hands, taking on all comers and overwhelming them with her strength and passion...

Yeah, I think I'll shut up now.

[Rockphed]

And thus we see why the Heterodynes were unstoppable: they didn't bother with already named things.

[BannedInSchool]

Sigh. I'm just going to have to wait for more stern commands.

Any real reason not to accept the General's conclusion?

[eee]

I bet whoever named Occam Hetrodyne did the same thing as Moloch's mother.

It's good that Agatha's Shadow Cabinet figured out part of what Klaus is up to, but I suspect if Tarvek were there (where is he?) they'd have gotten the rest of it: That Klaus is obeying the orders of the Other to kill Agatha, but doing so in such a way as to give Agatha and Co. as much of a chance as he can. If they figured that out it might give them more hope. But it also might give them a false sense of security: The moment 'Anevka' arrives on scene and takes over, Klaus' soft pedaling will be at an end and Mechanicsburg will be destroyed if they don't have their defenses up or Klaus neutralized.

[Analysis]

It can also be that Lucrezia still needs Agatha's body. If she is captured and finally fully fitted with Lucrezia, "Agatha" can "escape", "defeat" the evil Baron together with Gil, and then do the Europa thing.

[HandofShadows]

Considering that Lucy bot gave orders that Agatha be killed if it became "necessary" ( http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20061018 ) I don't think so.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Another possibility (and I don't know how likely it is, but I want to throw it out there) is that Klaus is being forced to obey contradicting orders. If Pink!Lu has ordered Klaus to kill Agatha (because she still has hopes of pretending to be the true Heterodyne) while Clank!Lu has ordered Klaus to not kill her daughter just yet (because she is Agatha!Lu and her death is not yet necessary), Klaus could be attempting to follow both sets of orders at once in the most extreme application of Murphy Laws ever devised (to whit: "if you are given two contradictory orders, follow both"). And this could be happening since Pink!Lu has her own agenda that she is keeping from Clank!Lu, so they may just keep upping the ante of the orders they give Klaus.

Grey Wolf

[Rockphed]

Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf_c

Another possibility (and I don't know how likely it is, but I want to throw it out there) is that Klaus is being forced to obey contradicting orders. If Pink!Lu has ordered Klaus to kill Agatha (because she still has hopes of pretending to be the true Heterodyne) while Clank!Lu has ordered Klaus to not kill her daughter just yet (because she is Agatha!Lu and her death is not yet necessary), Klaus could be attempting to follow both sets of orders at once in the most extreme application of Murphy Laws ever devised (to whit: "if you are given two contradictory orders, follow both"). And this could be happening since Pink!Lu has her own agenda that she is keeping from Clank!Lu, so they may just keep upping the ante of the orders they give Klaus.

Grey Wolf

Klaus is smart enough to contort order sets that aren't contradictory into order sets that are. Just saying.

[eee]

Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf_c

Another possibility (and I don't know how likely it is, but I want to throw it out there) is that Klaus is being forced to obey contradicting orders. If Pink!Lu has ordered Klaus to kill Agatha (because she still has hopes of pretending to be the true Heterodyne) while Clank!Lu has ordered Klaus to not kill her daughter just yet (because she is Agatha!Lu and her death is not yet necessary), Klaus could be attempting to follow both sets of orders at once in the most extreme application of Murphy Laws ever devised (to whit: "if you are given two contradictory orders, follow both"). And this could be happening since Pink!Lu has her own agenda that she is keeping from Clank!Lu, so they may just keep upping the ante of the orders they give Klaus.

Grey Wolf

This is POSSIBLE, yes. But it would require that Clank!Lu has ordered Klaus to Obey Pink!Lu as herself, since Clank!Lu has the Voice and Zola does not. It would also require that both of them be absent right now - which DOES seem to be the case - so that neither one of them could over-ride the others' orders or find out from Klaus why he's messing things up so badly. I suspect 'Anevka' went back to Strumshalten and is why there is an enormous force of men and monsters on its way to Mechanicsburg from there, all apparently under the control of the Other. I've got no idea where Zola went; maybe she's still confined to her hospital bed. Or maybe the destruction of the Great Hospital gave her... options...

[Scarlet Knight]

Originally Posted by eee

Wait until you see her with her firm, muscular thighs wrapped around her charger, urging the powerful beast to new heights of exertion and force as she wields her weapons with swift, sure hands, taking on all comers and overwhelming them with her strength and passion...

Yeah, I think I'll shut up now.

And another story for XXXenophile: the Girl Genius edition.

[eee]

GREAT GOOGILY MOOGILY, Tarvek hasn't told them Klaus has been Wasped!! Otherwise they'd reference that in trying to figure out what he's up to! What the DEVIL is Tarvek playing at?!?

[factotum]

Tarvek is playing at what he always plays at--namely, anything that provides an advantage to himself. He no doubt believes that keeping the fact Klaus has been wasped secret will be to his advantage in the long run, or at least won't hurt anyone else.

In point of fact, he may be right. How would knowing Klaus has been wasped help them? All it would tell them is that somebody else possibly wants something in the town, and that's why it hasn't been destroyed. It still doesn't help them narrow down *what* they want.

[douglas]

Originally Posted by factotum

In point of fact, he may be right. How would knowing Klaus has been wasped help them?

It would give them the option of getting Agatha into hearing range of Klaus and giving him orders.

[NEO|Phyte]

Originally Posted by douglas

It would give them the option of getting Agatha into hearing range of Klaus and giving him orders.

I suspect the only way Agatha is getting into speaking range of Klaus alive at this point is if they shoot down Castle Wulfenbach and wait for him to crawl out of the wreckage.

[douglas]

Nonsense, they just need to build a giant megaphone.

[NEO|Phyte]

Originally Posted by douglas

Nonsense, they just need to build a giant megaphone.

And then we delve into the spark physics of whether the Other's voice control gubbins can be amplified. From Aneveka's shenanigans, we know there's a command wave involved, can a megaphone transmit that?

[eee]

Originally Posted by douglas

Nonsense, they just need to build a giant megaphone.

Or another holographic projector. If Agatha can create an image of herself a hundred feet tall speaking in a voice that carried for miles once, she can do it again. And order everyone hearing her to cease attacking Mechanicsburg immediately and join her. Her projection at Strumshalten didn't issue any orders, so we don't know if it would have worked then; but if they can get the harmonics right, it might work.

The thing is, I don't think Agatha will do this. She's willing to give orders to monsters. Or Vrin, in a life and death fight. But to take away people's free will wholesale: That's too close to her mother. Even to save her city. She might issue orders to Klaus, if she can get close enough to him; but I imagine those orders would be that he is to never again feel compelled to follow the Other's orders. I wonder if that's why Tarvek is keeping quiet: Knowing that Agatha might feel she HAD to try to free Klaus no matter what the risk, just as Gil did. Tarvek seems to feel he needs to protect Agatha from herself...

[hajo]

In the last strip, the insert into the last panel - I cannot figure out what that "Crash" picture shows

[eee]

No update yet? Hopefully just a minor glitch...

Originally Posted by hajo

In the last strip, the insert into the last panel - I cannot figure out what that "Crash" picture shows

I THINK it's Agatha in her battle armor - the round thing is the eye in her headpiece - with her left hand raised. Evidently something unexpected happened when she went to whack the narwhal, and she's reacting in surprise.

[Calemyr]

Originally Posted by eee

I THINK it's Agatha in her battle armor - the round thing is the eye in her headpiece - with her left hand raised. Evidently something unexpected happened when she went to whack the narwhal, and she's reacting in surprise.

Maybe it's the purple fire? Could these be your extraordinary fire-breathing subterrainian mecha-narwhals?

[memnarch]

Ha, it's Franz! And it looks like he's still spreading the joy!