Chapter 30- Short Term Memory Part 3

[Bullethead]

I remember hearing the ticking but I paid no mind to it in all honesty. Thought it was just relevant to the room they were in. I don't have a super theory but my guess is its counting down to someones death.

Not sure why but my feeling is CJ. She might do her best to work with Saul and get him to his love lizzy. Sacrifice herself in the process to ensure that Saul gets to her or maybe gets out of the Colony safely with her.

[EpiEpee]

This hasn't been brought up yet, but I want to point out the clock in the background.

To me, it's significant. Otherwise it would have been present in the library the first time. But it wasn't. And now it's here for 11 minutes straight. Quietly counting down to....?

Not only do we then hear about how Saul wears his heart on his sleeve, but you also can hear CJ's heart breaking as Saul continues to plan on leaving her for Lizzy.

Not only that, but how did the chapter end? With the clock ticking on in the silence. And it did not end on the "tock" it ended up the "tick." I like the absolute lack of resolution. It's sort of like that frustrating thing when you're listening to a song and you hear the everything resolving down to that final chord to complete the phrase but someone changes the station. It drives me crazy I know that.

Anyone else have thoughts on the clock and what it might mean to Saul, Cj, and the rest of our survivors?

I feel as though the clock is significant too-

Aren't we still essentially in a flashback with Saul? My initial thought was that it was simply time catching up to whatever he was referencing. That event probably being his attempt at getting Lizzie back from the Mallers.

Time, in a calendar sense, has also got to be playing a key role in his mind as he tries to figure out if he is the father of Lizzie's baby or not.

/*totally off-my-rocker-thoughts-ahead*/
Or maybe it's a Poe reference to the Tell-Tale Heart? Didn't the noise the protagonist heard in that story, that he felt was the beating of the heart of his victim, turn out to be a clock? And Saul's sense was questioned in this chapter, like the protagonist's sanity was questioned in the poem. /*end of rocker-less thoughts*/

I love the suspense the clock added though!

[nikvoodoo]

If I remember correctly the source I'm the tell tale heart is never revealed.

But I had the same thought upon relistening...Tell Tale Heart was the very first thing I thought of.

[EpiEpee]

[QUOTE=nikvoodoo;43044]If I remember correctly the source I'm the tell tale heart is never revealed.

But I had the same thought upon relistening...Tell Tale Heart was the very first thing I thought of.QUOTE]

I think you are probably right about the source not being revealed now that I think about it some more- I think I saw a staged version at one point that used a very prominent clock as the sound source, so the memory is muddled, leading to my mix-up.

It could, potentially, still be a Poe reference though since there have been Poe references before.

[nikvoodoo]

I think you are probably right about the source not being revealed now that I think about it some more- I think I saw a staged version at one point that used a very prominent clock as the sound source, so the memory is muddled, leading to my mix-up.

It could, potentially, still be a Poe reference though since there have been Poe references before.

I performed the Tell Tale Heart...a lot....in high school. It was the piece I used for National Forensics Tournaments (in conjuntion with the Raven...original, right?). I just looked it back over again (thank you free Edgar Allan Poe Apps!) and there is no mention of clocks.

But I do remember seeing productions myself with a clock in the room as well. I feel like it's the traditional cheap way to try to "throw off" an audience unfamiliar with the story. Or provide those that do know it a way to explain the Narrators breakdown.

[Cabbage Patch]

When CJ and Saul are arguing she hits him with, "You care more about her than your own safety? Or being rescued?" It dawns on me that this is the first time we've heard CJ say anything about being rescued.

I'd always assumed that CJ planned to ride out the apocalypse at Dunbar Apartments. I never considered that she might choose to leave if she was offered an alternative. Now I'm wondering. Would she accept an offer of evacuation to Fort Irwin? Or even all the way back to Boulder? I can't imagine Saul or Victor leaving before they find Lizzy, but now I think that CJ might.

That could make for a satisfying end to the Saul-Lizzy-CJ love triangle--CJ flees to safety while Saul and Victor charge back into the fray. I'm sure that the Army at Fort Irwin, or whoever's in charge in Boulder could make good use of CJ's organizational talents.

[7oddisdead]

this sucks...i need to do another series relisten.

I'm thinking back throughout the series of times when the music or sound effects have played an important role in the story. Times such as the sound of the rain, or burts breathing when taking aim on pinstripes..im thinking if anything, the clock sound is merely a way to heighten the tension of the cj/saul situation...the tension in the room, as it were...if anything, I could see it alluding to their time at Dunbar drawing to a close...but I can't think of another time where KC let sounds predict the story for him...so to say

[Zombiphobe]

It dawns on me that this is the first time we've heard CJ say anything about being rescued.

This stood out to me as well. I got the impression that CJ had Saul and Victor documenting the movements of the helicopter, but didn't necessarily want them making contact with the helicopter. Although, this could have just been her being cautious and general distrustful of outsiders. Afterall, look at Kalani who jumped in the first rescue car that came along after crash landing in LAX.

However, in Episode 28 - Last Dying Breath Part 2 of 3, while discussing the Man in the Pinstripe Suit CJ stated, "This guy, he's still out there, the one who cornered me downstairs and then just left. That's who I'm more interested in."

Perhaps she won't be ready to leave LA until after she takes him out.

[wh33t]

This stood out to me as well. I got the impression that CJ had Saul and Victor documenting the movements of the helicopter, but didn't necessarily want them making contact with the helicopter. Although, this could have just been her being cautious and general distrustful of outsiders. Afterall, look at Kalani who jumped in the first rescue car that came along after crash landing in LAX.

However, in Episode 28 - Last Dying Breath Part 2 of 3, while discussing the Man in the Pinstripe Suit CJ stated, "This guy, he's still out there, the one who cornered me downstairs and then just left. That's who I'm more interested in."

Perhaps she won't be ready to leave LA until after she takes him out.

Honestly here, I think CJ is hurt from some lost loved one dying. I think that explains why she is cold and solitary. I think her mentioning the whole being rescued thing was just a nervous stab at trying to address Sauls compulsive decision to immediately race to the Colony. I think CJ would know that Saul obviously cares very little for his own safety. That's why he's willing to risk himself on all of these errands. I think it's much more likely that CJ is not so much as looking for revenge, but answers to what this all is.

[2bgood]

For my own sake, I am going to completely drop the notion that Glenn and Pete are moles or spies. Pete would have to be one hell of a well trained spy to use reverse psychology so well. Recall that he didn't want anything to do with Saul and Victor. If he were a spy, he would have done his best to be likeable and trust worthy to be privy to any and all information available.
Then there is Glenn. He had no reason to be pissed at Victor, right out. At first he was probably one of the only people living at the colony that knew in his aged heart of hearts that Victor would never try to betray the colony. So when Gatekeeper told the colony folk that Victor and the new arrivals had tried to sabotage the colony, Glen was probably one of the only one's to say, "Now just hold on a second there, fella. I don't think Victor would do such a thing. That nice young man saved my life once."
It wasn't until Glen met up with Victor and Saul did he learn that Victor had intentionally taken all the guns and ammo with him, thereby leaving the colony folk in a lurch.

BUT...there is possibility that Glen and Pete are carrying a tracking device of some sort and don't know it. The Mallers may have been brilliant enough to let Roman, Glen, and Pete think they were escaping when in reality the Mallers just said, let them go, we'll track them later. Although I think it's an unlikely scenario, I do believe it is more probable than Glen and/or Pete being outright spies for the Mallers.

My favorite theory: Glen, Roman, and Pete miraculously escaped from the colony. Roman got turned. Saul and Victor stumble upon Glen and Pete. It's as simple as has been explained to us.

Please drop the tracking device idea. In a pre-Z world how many secret tracking devices are kicking around? Not many. There are some GPS solutions around - but no one in WA seems to be using GPS so I assume the satilites link aren't working as GPS's are everywhere pre-Z. It not impossible but it is a real stretch