Visual Evil 101 is to never show the faces of your badguys. That’s why Stormtroopers had those helmets — it’s a dehumanizing effect. Not only is it more intimidating, you feel less of a twinge when the hero starts killing them off en masse. Hell even changing someone’s eyes has a distancing effect… remember in the animated movie Aladdin when the Genie comes under the control of the bad guy? His pupils disappear. When he breaks that control and becomes friendly again, his eyeballs once again become fully functional.
Anyhow I kind of went over this before when discussing the Huachucas. Yes, it’s easy and effective to keep your baddies in shadow and/or behind masks. Yes, we continue to do so with the mysterious Exec. But now in addition to the Huachucas, we’ve gone ahead and given some faces to the people operating the Cambots. Part of that was as a way to sneak in further fulfillment of high-level Kickstarter rewards, but I also felt it was about time to stop being so mysterious about at least some aspects of the company.
After all, one of our themes has always been the mundanity of the bizarre, of people becoming jaded to everyday occurrences that would seem insane to us. Visual Evil 101 keeps all the cambot operators away from the eyes of both characters and audience, but the advanced class is the one that shows the faces, and shows people who might not be so different than you and I — but their empathy still seems as deadened as one of those faceless servants of the Empire. They’re not gunning down the Jawas or unarmed moisture farmers, but they might very well film it happening and be thinking of nothing more than when their shift ends.
10 thoughts on “540 – Trick Hello”
Scarsdale
Called it, she figured he’d do this, if by choice or by zombie voodoo. I’m sure the “friendlier” questioning will start soon, if she doesn’t just kill him out-right. Or just add him to the herd.
Crazyman
Gotcha!
Zombatar
This turn of events is a surprise only to Eustace. And, maybe, Eustace’s subconscious. After all, this way he doesn’t have to actually risk actually attacking Suzie, which gives him a greater chance of survival than actually attacking her. I wonder what he was promised/threatened with?
ConcordBob
Not to nit-pick, but since sights are on target, finger should be on the trigger. Especially this close.
The usual rule is “keep finger straight and off trigger until sights are on target”.
Dr. Norman (not a real doctor)
Not to nit-pick, but since that was current philosophies regarding trigger discipline have evolved.
Of course, it will depend on who you get/got your training from.
Experiments have determined that the fraction of a second to go from finger off the trigger to finger firing when appropriate is insignificant, and the risk of firing unintended is greatly reduced.
Dr. Norman (not a real doctor)
I did the google thing and I believe I saw how you reached this conclusion … but there are two parts to it – One should not omit the second part.
“Trigger Finger Discipline: · The practice of keeping your finger “off the trigger” until your sights are on target AND YOU ARE READY TO DISCHARGE THE FIREARM.” (Caps are my own)
Crazyman
She wants him alive so she can question him; otherwise, he’d already be dead.
ConcordBob
Good discussion on trigger discipline!
His skin is very pale / gray. Is this malnourishment, or has he been poisoned with a mind-control drug? I would have to go back and look a t all various of skin tone.
TKG
On a prior page we discussed what he’s likely got running in his system. I suggested that it’s probably Borrochero (Brugmansia arbora) which is already used by Colombian cartels to eradicate the free will of their victims.
Dr. Norman (not a real doctor)
Now can we satisfy my curiosity? Colt, Smith & Wesson, Ruger, or other timeline variant?