Chapter 27- The Thirty-First Part 3

[Adventureless_Hero]

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Now what I really came on here for:
(If this has been discussed I'm sorry)

I have been wondering...how much does each party (Michael and the others @ Irwin and Chinwe, Saul, and Victor) know about Kalani's story.
I think that Michael and co. will know everything now, but how much do the others know. Seems to me that they would only have chinwe's side, but exactly how much does she know? The lines in this chapter blurred between the two parties.

Very true. Saul, Victor, and Chinwe only have a side of the story that Chinwe was able to relay and what Kalani had told her when he arrived at her tower. Michael and crew, on the other hand, know a whole hell of a lot more as they have Kalani's journal. They actually know the full scope of it...unless, as it has been suggested by some, that they get interrupted before they can finish his journal. I really hope not but I can totally see Puck coming in and saying, "Time to get your ass in gear. Colonel wants to see you."

From Saul and Victor's point of view, nothing has changed regarding Kalani. Chinwe pretty much backed up the story he gave when he arrived at Michael's tower. However, Saul and Victor know got to hear more about CJ's run in with Pinstripes. Just think of it like this; Chinwe can't know what happened to Kalani when he was away, so that part belongs to Michaels crew, and Kalani couldn't write about the fate of Chinwe because he wasn't with her, so that part belongs to Saul and Victor. Hope that wasn't confusing! ^w^

[awkwardalex]

Very true. Saul, Victor, and Chinwe only have a side of the story that Chinwe was able to relay and what Kalani had told her when he arrived at her tower. Michael and crew, on the other hand, know a whole hell of a lot more as they have Kalani's journal. They actually know the full scope of it...unless, as it has been suggested by some, that they get interrupted before they can finish his journal. I really hope not but I can totally see Puck coming in and saying, "Time to get your ass in gear. Colonel wants to see you."

From Saul and Victor's point of view, nothing has changed regarding Kalani. Chinwe pretty much backed up the story he gave when he arrived at Michael's tower. However, Saul and Victor know got to hear more about CJ's run in with Pinstripes. Just think of it like this; Chinwe can't know what happened to Kalani when he was away, so that part belongs to Michaels crew, and Kalani couldn't write about the fate of Chinwe because he wasn't with her, so that part belongs to Saul and Victor. Hope that wasn't confusing! ^w^

Nope I got it! Thanks!

[Willy Beamen]

Please forgive me everyone but reading this put dark thoughts into my head.

What if, and again, forgive me, but what if the soldiers at Ft. Irwin are acting under their own rule and let fly all the rules of society. Think to 28 Days later in which

SPOILER 

the soldiers decided they would use the girls for their pleasure and for "repopulation" purposes.

What if poor Riley, is currently being taken advantage of? I would hate to learn of that happening and it would be a very dark moment for the story indeed, but I fear that Michael and crew may end up having to escape from Ft. Irwin just as he did from the Colony. Great! Now I'm all freaking scared for the fate of Michael and his crew.

I think you bring up a great point, we kinda forgot about Riley's whole drinking episode...what the hell was she doing? I agree when Michael rejects the idea that she was trying to drink herself to death, but what does that leave us? We know about her habits, but never before has she allowed herself to get so wrecked...she could always, you know, function. I look forward to hearing about Riley's perspective when we get to see her again.
Hopefully this woun't be some sort of 28 days later thing. That'd be horrible.

[reaper239]

she was drinking away a broken heart. they never really admitted it to each other, but i think angel and riley were sweet on each other.

[Grognaurd]

Meh, I do not think she had enough booze to drink her self stupored. While others packed the chopper she was getting the hospital chopter (she does have a small bottle or flask I think) and then part of the Lizzy Mission.)

We know that when Kelly and Michael go looking for her, Kelly says something like Riley may not have been the only one to make a path. My guess is one of the smarter zombies came across her that night. He did not harm her and only attacked when Michael tried to take her away.

Check my zombie exposure / sleep thread if you are interested

[Willy Beamen]

Angel for sure, but Riley kept her feelings guarded and complicated at best. That must have been a hell of a night for her. Can't imagine sitting in the dark, in a field of dead corn, stone cold drunk, during the zombie apocolypse. She's got balls.
I still think there was someone else with her; someone from the unexplored farm house perhaps? Someone who gave her the booze. I just hope Riley is ok enough to tell us more about that night.

[Cabbage Patch]

I've been mulling over the rescue attempt at the Arena by the survivors from the Other Tower. Here are some questions that have occured to me:

1. We know that the survivors of the Other Tower had to run for their lives, unarmed and without supplies. Granted that they had pre-designated rally points with caches of arms and supplies. But how did a group of disorganized survivors get organized to launch the rescue attempt? Who organized the rescue attempt?

2. Who were they trying to rescue? We know from Kalani's account that he was being held with someone named Martin, whose origins we never discover, but who had apparently been at the Arena for some time. The next prisoner to show up was Samantha, who was grabbed from the rescue party. Did the group from the Other Tower attack the Arena to rescue Kalani, or were they hoping to find other survivors there? For instance CJ, or Shaun, or Hope?

3. Did a group from the Other Tower actually go to the Water Works, and if so were they part of the rescue attempt? If they were part of the rescue attempt did they go back to the Water Works again afterwards?

4. What happened to the people from the rescue party? Were they all killed outright, or were survivors sent straight in to the center of the Arena? If none of them ended up in the room with Samantha then how did she learn so much about how the zombies treat their prisoners? It seems like the only other case she would have seen is Martin's. And if the other survivors were put in with her and Kalani, and they're all gone now, where did she get the idea that prisoners were taken away in the order in which they were captured?

[Grognaurd]

CP

I have also wondered about one. To quote Hicks from Aliens, "maybe you haven't been keeping up with current events, but we just got our asses kicked. Who has the charisma to turn the situation around?

As for two, no clue. Which makes one even harder. Risk all on the off chance there is someone to rescue.

This makes me believe they are more closely linked to the outbreak than has been revealed.

Martin or Marvin whatever may have been with the convoy that got hit. If he was one of the best and a gung-ho Rambo type, it would make his broken state even more poignant.

Three, my guess is they went and were gone at the time of the breach. Instead of fortifying the tower, they may never have seen CJ and retreated to the water works. the zombies will not bottle up all the worlds oxygen so water is the next most precious.

Putting together seasons one and three my guess is Samantha saw them butchered below. The guy there before Kalani hinted there was an order, but I have to relisten.

[zombeh-kitteh]

I don't know if anyone else has said this or not, but I have some observations/things bugging me, ect.

1. Kalani is probably 1/2 of the thief/shooter. I believe the other half of the plan that led to "The War" is Bill. Here's what I think: Kalani probably heard from someone or by observation that Bill was alienated/suspicious of the other people in the Tower. Who's to say that Kalani didn't use that fact to his advantage? He may have sought Bill out and enticed him with the idea that if they let the Mallers infiltrate, they would not only be spared but be part of the inner circle, or any number of pretty things that made Bill acquiesce. Burt points out during the aftermath of the war that Bill has the key to Datu's lockbox, which contained the keys to Burt's armory and to Riley's shop, amongst others. This leads them to disovering that all the stolen guns, ammo, and supplies were safe in the auxilary elevator. This booty was probably going to be the peace offering that Kalani and Bill were going to give to the Mallers once they had secured the Tower. There's no reason not to assume that Kalani probably had access to this trove and borrowed a gun from the stash and was the one who opened fire on the Mallers, inciting their attack. Scratch more than likely ordered Kalani to open fire in the event that Michael refused them entry. (I know others have said similar, I'm just agreeing with them)

2. I learned once that in a story, all the elements are important, and that usually if people, places, or things are specifically mentioned, that they play a role in the story. To date, we still have no idea about the explosion we heard in Chapter 1-1, which is more than likely the advent of the infection. Burt mentions Raydon Labs; Bill Roberts aka Ink was supposed to be transferred to a mental health facility. I believe that Bill Roberts, Ink, whatever you want to call him may be Patient Zero in this particular city, because we know that the outbreak was occuring in other cities at about the same time as the outbreak in LA. Being Patient Zero may have some kind of benefit for Ink, perhaps this is the reason he seems to hold sway over the horde.

This still does not answer the question of Raydon Labs and how it's involved in the story. Could it be that this unknown corporation wanted to experiment and what better way to experiment on human beings is on those who have been convicted of crimes? Instead of being transferred to "a mental health facility" he was transferred to Raydon Labs instead? It seems that This Bill Roberts was a particularly terrifying figure, a huge guy covered in tattoos and oh by the way he's a serial killer...he seems to be the perfect candidate to be Patient Zero.

Also, Raydon Labs seems to be a viable candidate to be the initial source of the infection; we weren't told where it is...maybe around Inglewood (Ground Zero)?

3. Eastern Bay: All male prison. Victor tells us so when Saul confronts Chinwe. So...where did the other female "officers" (for a lack of a better term) come from in the Mallers' group? It doesn't seem likely that they would allow "slaves" to drive the big rigs around to the Arena...so who are they and where did they come from? Minor point, but still.

4. Duncan/Skittles: Ink probably just let him live for kicks, as we've seen he delights in torture and mass murder. He more than likely left Chinwe alive for the same reason.

5. Hannah: I never once thought of the Mallers using hair dye to cover up her hair...I just assumed it was Hannah. Here's my theory however on why it was indeed her though: Kalani hadn't contacted them in awhile; Scratch got impatient, which is why she sent Pippin to remind Kalani as to why he was there, and to see if Pegs was there. Two birds, one stone. Scratch also has no qualms as to killing her own men, so I don't think she would have had too much of a problem executing Hannah to teach Kalani a lesson. I don't think she was including Hannah in her "the two of yours I have;" because Kalani was no longer important to her plan. Not hearing from Pippin also probably didn't help improve her mood any, and she tells Angel over the radio herself that the only thing she wants from them is Pegs.

6. "the two of yours I have." Pregnant Lizzy. I think I've said this before in another thread, but Scratch's demeanor changes slightly when she watches Lizzy puke in the furniture store. He voice gets thoughtful (or at least softer) when she says "You're sick..." to Lizzy. She also tells Tardust not to touch her, even though a minute before she had said that she didn't care if he "tore her up..."


Now to the chapter proper:
Fascinating. I loved how we find out the aftermath of the attack on Chinwe's tower and Kalani's escape and capture. Also I find it interesting that out of all the people in Chinwe's tower it was Skittles and Samantha (two of the only people Kalani talked to during his stay) that ended up being so vital to the story. I have a feeling that Skittles may have had something to do with the attempted rescue of Samantha, since he tells Chinwe that he was going to find everybody...and he was still in the vicinity when Riley, Angel, and Datu find him.

Chinwe seems to be highly intelligent, but at the same time very autonomous. She's only looking out for number 1 despite the fact that there was a whole bunch of people relying on her. Sean seems to have been the second-in-command for her tower, and he seems to be much more caring or at least compassionate than Chinwe. After all, we know from what we've heard from Hope and Victor that Sean was a good guy...I mean he helped Hope when it would have been so much easier to leave her to die.


It's too bad that Victor and Saul are only getting part of Kalani's story, but they are getting much more of an insight into the Mallers and Ink than the Ft. Irwin group, albeit that knowledge of Ink and the Mallers are pretty much null and void for them at the moment (it doesn't matter so much anymore now that they are over 100 miles away).

As always, I'm loving this story and can't wait till next Monday......

[clem131]

zombeh-kitteh: about your first point, Bill being so paranoid about his tower I don't see him doing anything to jeopardize it.

I don't think this has been discussed, but one thing that comes out of this chapter is: Tanya did not read Kalani's journal, obviously. So, what was she trying to say to Michael before being (conveniently) knocked off (an popping up just fine later)? It could have been simply "Did you read all of the journals? Because I can't find Kalani's", but since she was talking about performing some zombie research before, it might be something else she figured out by reading all journals and putting all the pieces together. Let's hope she says what it is already, after days spent doing nothing in Irwin.