Hmmm… intriguing that Linna’s future is the only one without what appears to be a sentient controlling machine.
The concept of a Martian invasion themed timeline is also interesting. Presumably the presence of Martians would be a constant in all three timelines, although whether or not they attacked or even made contact with Earth could vary. We don’t have enough background on the other timelines to say, really. Linna’s timeline might be one in which the Martian’s invaded, but were defeated through a scorched earth nuclear strike which invited a decades long winter. Corvus might come from a timeline in which the Martians never invaded, or were easily defeated early on, etc.
Bonus points if the Old Machine which sent Corvus back is that timeline’s version of the Iron Mother. Bonus bonus points if the computers Linna’s scientists are using are the hardware which became the Iron Mother in Tiber’s timeline.
Tiber never said “Martian”, He states “war with Mars”, which could mean real Martian peoples, bred and evolved on the planet, or it could mean humans who have chosen to break away from Earth’s dominion (à la American Revolution) and won (or are at least winning).
I would agree with you, but for page 32. Tiber makes reference to the “Martian invasion” (actually the text is “Martain invasion, but I’m guessing that’s a typo). While that still leaves open the possibility of an earth originated colony which breaks away, the scene provides details which would appear to make that unlikely. Tessa Sr. is pictured leading the fight against the initial invasion, still looking quite vital (A joke occurs, Tessa’s mom has got it going on?), and similar to the previous picture we have of her. That would seem to place the date of the initial invasion in the near future, probably within the next 10 years.
For that to work out and have the invasion lead by breakaway Earthlings, Earth either already has a bustling colony on Mars (We’ve seen nothing that rules this out, I believe, but it appears to cause problems thematically (Why didn’t the Mars colony help out Linna’s future? What is the Guardian Moon’s take on all these Martians doing whatever they please?)), or in a very short period of time one is established, develops a population base sufficient for an invasion with several waves, and then builds / finds the necessary tech to invade (Unless the Martians are Earth robots gone rogue. Curiosity out for revenge?)
It is of course a work of fiction, so anything is possible. For my money though, probability seems to indicate a non-Earth originated Mars based force that should exist in all three known futures.
Some of Tiber’s dialogue, and maybe a little of Corvus’s, could use a little editing. I hope you don’t mind.
“We fight, but the Iron Mother told me that the world is in its death throes. There is no questioning her judgement.”
“I was sent by a really old machine, and I’m going to believe it. It’s got experience! And whirling bits that made it sound like it was really thinking hard about it. It also says it’s you.”
Just a guess before I read further, but Tussle may not be the distortion but the beneficiary of it: the futuresight used to save her from being killed. Her survival doesn’t doom the future, it was the vehicle that would have killed her; if it never reached its destination, the bad futures would never have happened.
Hmmm… intriguing that Linna’s future is the only one without what appears to be a sentient controlling machine.
The concept of a Martian invasion themed timeline is also interesting. Presumably the presence of Martians would be a constant in all three timelines, although whether or not they attacked or even made contact with Earth could vary. We don’t have enough background on the other timelines to say, really. Linna’s timeline might be one in which the Martian’s invaded, but were defeated through a scorched earth nuclear strike which invited a decades long winter. Corvus might come from a timeline in which the Martians never invaded, or were easily defeated early on, etc.
Maybe the Martians were defeated and their technology was used to create the Guardian Moon.
Bonus points if the Old Machine which sent Corvus back is that timeline’s version of the Iron Mother. Bonus bonus points if the computers Linna’s scientists are using are the hardware which became the Iron Mother in Tiber’s timeline.
Tiber never said “Martian”, He states “war with Mars”, which could mean real Martian peoples, bred and evolved on the planet, or it could mean humans who have chosen to break away from Earth’s dominion (à la American Revolution) and won (or are at least winning).
I would agree with you, but for page 32. Tiber makes reference to the “Martian invasion” (actually the text is “Martain invasion, but I’m guessing that’s a typo). While that still leaves open the possibility of an earth originated colony which breaks away, the scene provides details which would appear to make that unlikely. Tessa Sr. is pictured leading the fight against the initial invasion, still looking quite vital (A joke occurs, Tessa’s mom has got it going on?), and similar to the previous picture we have of her. That would seem to place the date of the initial invasion in the near future, probably within the next 10 years.
For that to work out and have the invasion lead by breakaway Earthlings, Earth either already has a bustling colony on Mars (We’ve seen nothing that rules this out, I believe, but it appears to cause problems thematically (Why didn’t the Mars colony help out Linna’s future? What is the Guardian Moon’s take on all these Martians doing whatever they please?)), or in a very short period of time one is established, develops a population base sufficient for an invasion with several waves, and then builds / finds the necessary tech to invade (Unless the Martians are Earth robots gone rogue. Curiosity out for revenge?)
It is of course a work of fiction, so anything is possible. For my money though, probability seems to indicate a non-Earth originated Mars based force that should exist in all three known futures.
Some of Tiber’s dialogue, and maybe a little of Corvus’s, could use a little editing. I hope you don’t mind.
“We fight, but the Iron Mother told me that the world is in its death throes. There is no questioning her judgement.”
“I was sent by a really old machine, and I’m going to believe it. It’s got experience! And whirling bits that made it sound like it was really thinking hard about it. It also says it’s you.”
Throes vs. throws ;-;
Just a guess before I read further, but Tussle may not be the distortion but the beneficiary of it: the futuresight used to save her from being killed. Her survival doesn’t doom the future, it was the vehicle that would have killed her; if it never reached its destination, the bad futures would never have happened.
I’ve got an unpublished story that talks about the ramifications of her death for one person. Someday I need to do something with it.