I know I've mentioned the love, haven't I? Because you guys are just so, so, so wonderful. Your comments and issues raised are so, so... well... wonderful!! And this posting thing is down right addictive; I'll almost be sorry when we're done!
Thank you for being here. Sit back, because this will be a really long reply!
I went back and fished this out, AnKs's comment from part 5. It registered with me then, and is so smart and really relevant to the discussion on this part:
One question keeps coming though, Was the Metropolis they left a better place or is *this utopia* a better place
Love that. And this:
And, while we're on the subject, all of these:
because this has been troubling me about your depiction of Utopia from day one. A society that needs to be taken care of, that needs to be shielded from the Not Nice (tm) things in reality, isn't Utopia; it's little children, being babysat by their betters.
That's wonderful, Mr. Kirk, but if there's no money at all and everyone does the jobs they feel like doing, then how can you have businesses which are open with any kind of reliability? For that matter, how do you get anyone to do the scutwork? It's not like you have robots to do it. Come to that...
I don't want to say too much about any of this. Just... Yes! Exactly! Dead on! (At this point I'm no longer worrying about showing my POV since it's pretty much out there...)
Ok. Our Mind Reading Department features three readers. This first comment had one BR emailing me, demanding to know what sort of black magic Chris was using to gain access to my HD.
Are there two separate bakery time zones in place here?
NAHHHHHHHH
Heh. And gads...
And I'm still trying to figure out how the Peacekeepers have cloaked their offices in the bakery from Super-vision. It makes sense if they are trying to conceal their existence from the family, since there is still the occasional Lane-Kent with powers, but I have no idea how they may have accomplished it!
Yvonne answered this correctly, KathyB. Lead-lining, but you are so dead on is asking about the cloaking, since technology would have advanced over the years... And that's all I'm saying.
who thinks that it would be funny if Lois becomes a champion of Tempus' cause
I have no comment on this comment. I just really like it. And... ok... this was one of the main ideas that started me writing. Who would hate Utopia as much as Tempus...? Hmmmmm
Now, the Mind-Boggling Part of our comments. Hats off to Hatman for this:
Hank notices that he can speed, and he worriedly points this fact out as a Bad Omen. Utopia is starting to come unravelled. With the new timeline, the anti-speeding technology was never put into effect. Very cool. Very subtle. I love the idea. But... If the timeline changed so that the speeding thing was never put into effect, how come Hank is able to remember that it existed? Shouldn't his memory of what happened change along with the reality of it not having happened? Cursed time paradoxes...
Cursed time paradoxes, indeed! I have thought myself so deeply in circles on this whole thing, often to the point of losing the plot altogether. One afternoon I drove ten miles past the turn off to my daughter's soccer field- making her late for her game- because I was completely absorbed with working out the details on this. Poor Margie. That's sort of a weird excuse to give your coach. But I digress...
Anyway, James said it way better and in far fewer words, and I was already indebted to him for the high school locker, but now even more so:
Maybe organic memory takes longer to rewrite?
That's what I'm shooting for. That it will start with technology, on the fringes. The first ripple in the pond. And it will spread from there. Also, you'll notice as we go, I took a everything *and* the kitchen sink approach to what the demise of Utopia might look like. Tossed out every theory I could think of! And I should thank Tank and Labrat here for fielding each and every theory so neatly and without complaint.
Nearly done. I know this is far too chatty!
The line with Lois being tied to a chair. Clark seeming to have a knowledge of her he might not have in their short acquaintance.
As for the not being tied in the first place, maybe there is a Dangling of the Jaws of death room
The very fact that she HAS that rule reveals a predeliction for getting tied to the chair in the first place.
Love both of these! I do think Clark would have been fairly familiar with Lois Lane's reputation, been filled in by co-workers in the short time he was there. So, that was one angle I was working off. Also, love the 'Jaws of death' room. And, really, can I prattle on some more? (Skip ahead if I'm getting on your nerves...)
I didn't come right out and say so, but I think it's an Interactive Booth. Like you find at Epcot Center in Disney World. You can sit in a simulator that places you in famous Lois Lane scrapes and you do your best to escape, the one who can go longest without yelling 'Help Superman!' wins a prize.
(I couldn't work that into the narrative without dragging things down, just like I'm doing with these comments.)
Also, I think there's an x-ray vision booth, too. Stand inside and watch the walls dissolve just like you're Superman!
Ok. Sorry. All done.
Last thing, I swear...
Would it be terribly bad form to demand The Further Adventures of Madge and Her Peacekeepers, before you've even finished the first lot?
Oh, Lab. Don't encourage me. You have no idea...
If you made it to the end of these comments, give yourself an extra
from me. Thank you for indulging me. Part 14 is on its way!
CC
