05/30/16 No Man’s Land 22

10 Comments

1. 

   KNO3

   May 30, 2016 at 3:31 am

   Pewter giving good advice? *Admiral Akbar voice* It’s a trap!
2. 

   caribouchat

   May 30, 2016 at 4:48 am

   Did she try the other way around? (ever tried to unscrew bicycle pedals and spend hours figuring why one of them is stuck?)
3. 

   andreas

   May 30, 2016 at 7:47 am

   @ caribouchat
   While it’s true that aliens, like the British, may follow different conventions for such things, Anna has seen Quadarnie operate the hatch (if between panels):
   http://www.baldwinpage.com/annagalactic/2016/05/23/052316-no-mans-land-19/

   Letting slide the issue of how Pewter would be able to interpret alien physiological signatures as Quadarnie’s “vitals” – apparently it takes the strength of a big bully to unscrew what the big bully has screwed shut.

   So clearly the right lesson here would have been to let oneself be captured so that Quadarnie would open the hatch again – at which point one would tell one’s mechanized nanny-cum-compass-cum-Tesla-coil to “lightly” zap the alien whose reaction, if any, to electrocution one has no way of knowing… ok somehow this sounded better in my head.

   Anyway, with the benefit of hindsight, this way the hatch would likely be open and Anna would have rescued Foxglove and Teapot. Consequently, rather than being forced to face themselves and each other in a confined space, the two adults would likely each try to take charge again, leading to another quarrel, Foxglove would likely storm off in a fit, and Teapot, rather than go after her, would predictably choose to stay with poor defenseless Anna while sulking for days on end.

   On second thought, Anna, why don’t you have a go at retrieving the Dilithium/Lauridium/Unobtainium by yourself and play tooth fairy to a dragon while you’re at it. You got this 😉
4. 

   caribouchat

   May 30, 2016 at 9:48 am

   @Andreas Hrm, the NEB is quite large, and the door was hidden by it, not sure Anna could have seen anything. Anyway, you made me laugh, thanks!
5. 

   CompaniaHill

   May 30, 2016 at 10:08 am

   She’s not gonna have Pewter try the handle…?
6. 

   Helianthus

   May 30, 2016 at 12:33 pm

   @ Andreas

   “…would have been to let oneself be captured so that Quadarnie…”

   That could have been worth trying, but at some risk: zapping the the big bully while it is manhandling (nebhandling?) Anna may not have been good for Anna’s health. That looks like a powerful electrical zap would likely have caught both the handler and Anna; not to mention a good chance of Anna being reflexively squeezed by the big guy during its pain throws.
   Or simply ending with this walking guard tower falling on top of puny Anna.
7. 

   0z79

   May 30, 2016 at 1:25 pm

   For once, the little sardine tin has a point!
8. 

   andreas

   May 30, 2016 at 2:03 pm

   @ Helanthus

   True. Perhaps after he had thrown her into the hole but before closing it again? If that were even what would have happened, they seem to have let Anna be before, focusing on Teapot.

   Ah one more reason to just stop planning altogether, turned out much better that way 😉
9. 

   KNO3

   May 30, 2016 at 8:26 pm

   Yup. And now Pewter is wanted for assault. Crimebot to the rescue!
10. 

    Sengkelat

    May 31, 2016 at 3:04 pm

    Yep, one can’t always rely on others. For instance, you can’t rely on Anna to put in more than a few seconds effort trying to free you before she gives up and goes elsewhere.