Chapter 40-1 Monsters

[Unit]

A separate thought, Ink obviously remembered the mental facility from before turning, why else would he return there. He remembered his office and previous work place if he is in fact the one who sent the zombies there. So now that we know who Bill Roberts is, perhaps we can track down some of his other previous haunts and that might lead us to the zombies current hide out?

Which also leads to the questions, what memory or relationship might Roberts have had about the Arena or what may have lead him there? Apparently he spent some time in court, could he have returned there and set that up as one of his safe houses? Michael and team haven't seen much outside yet, but might they run right into some booby traps like Datu did outside the arena?

[HardKor]

A separate thought, Ink obviously remembered the mental facility from before turning, why else would he return there. He remembered his office and previous work place if he is in fact the one who sent the zombies there. So now that we know who Bill Roberts is, perhaps we can track down some of his other previous haunts and that might lead us to the zombies current hide out?

Which also leads to the questions, what memory or relationship might Roberts have had about the Arena or what may have lead him there? Apparently he spent some time in court, could he have returned there and set that up as one of his safe houses? Michael and team haven't seen much outside yet, but might they run right into some booby traps like Datu did outside the arena?

I was thinking about that too. I know follistatin and other myostatin inhibitors are marketed in a lot of bodybuilding supplements (most of them are bogus because real myostatin inhibitors are controlled). So I had an idea rolling around in my head that maybe Ink had a Biogenesis type steroid ring going and that's how he became acquainted with the Arena.

[Condor]

Kind of chilling when Victor says "start the clock".
Also expected him to tell Tanya, when she said the tank was heavy, "it's lighter in the water".

I heard a crow when Victor and Tanya were at ground zero. I knew it was different, since durring the first visit everything was dead. Then, it is confirmed that the haze was gone and the #7 show up. I hear another crow late in the episode at the courthouse...

When I heard it, I thought "oh crap, there's nothing living at ground zero."

Looks like they are setting up a wind power electric generator.

My thoughts too.

It does not come as a surprise when the mental facility where you undergo psychiatric studies is run by Nick Rivers and therefor your mental health starts to deteriorate exponentially:

I knew that name sounded familiar.

What does Kelly say as she first approaches the van? I've listened three times and it sounds like "a ring" but I'm not 100%.

"Coming"

Hmm, seems like we now know where he may have been attacked and turned, yet his eyes didn't turn cloudy.

He killed his cheating wife, her boyfriend, his family, their dog, it's chew toys, a gold fish and ripped off those 'Do Not Remove' tags from all of the pillows.. So, he was extremely butt-hurt.

The mental health professional involved with his case says that he is lucid and could freak out involuntary or at will. (Who the hell freaks out at will?)

He got the tattoos while in jail awaiting his trial.

So, first question of mine is, why didn't his eyes change?

I'm not fully convinced he's turned, just master to the "monsters". Dr Frankenstein and his creations maybe. Why assume he was turned when the van was ripped apart? It seems more likely they were just breaking him out of jail.

[Verse]

A separate thought, Ink obviously remembered the mental facility from before turning, why else would he return there. He remembered his office and previous work place if he is in fact the one who sent the zombies there. So now that we know who Bill Roberts is, perhaps we can track down some of his other previous haunts and that might lead us to the zombies current hide out?

Which also leads to the questions, what memory or relationship might Roberts have had about the Arena or what may have lead him there? Apparently he spent some time in court, could he have returned there and set that up as one of his safe houses? Michael and team haven't seen much outside yet, but might they run right into some booby traps like Datu did outside the arena?

I think Ink is very very aware of his life before turning. I think it was Witch Doctor that pointed out one thing that got me thinking tonight. His Eyes. He is the only turned one that has normal eyes. I think that is a big deal. A Sign that the lights are on up stairs. He has it more together than the others. We know he can read, write, speak, make complex traps (He pushed the cars together to make a dead end/kill zone), control himself (when the others attack they are rage machines and animals. He thinks. Played possum. Took his time getting in. Even smiled at the group in the hospital, Ect), control other Zombies, mix chemicals to make badder Zombies, and more. Hell...even his suit is well kept (Not in tatters). I think he is 100% in control and aware of what he was then and what he is now. I truly believe that is why his eyes are normal.

As for the Arena... if what I think is true is well... true... then he isn't going on instinct. Kelly even said that it seems that the assaults seemed like retaliation. That means you are planning and thinking. I think the Arena was just a place to hold the mass Horde. The reason why, I think, isn't important in story. He was a Hockey fan. That is where he caught his wife. He sold some stuff to some guys. I think that in the end he choose the place because it was big, and it was a pit. A place he can see everyone and keep control. A place where his people can eat, drink, and fight in games. I think he choose The Arena because he wanted to feel like a ruler. You can have your people play and fight with normals in the street, a garage, even The Hospital. He choose a place that is our times version of a Colosseum. I think it was because he has it all together (As much as a Zombie Crazy Man can) and he wanted to feel like a King.

[Zombie-Bane]

Ok too many post. I have an idea.

CJ and her people were Marshals that were taking Ink to the hospital or prison, where ever. The crack blew turning Ink. He is patient zero.

She is hiding something about that day that she feels responsible for not putting him down quick enough.

[DaTank]

This is gonna get interesting

[clem131]

My thoughts on the title:
The zombies, obviously. But also Tamya and Saul. If her and Vic get out safely by radioing in their position and then explain what they were doing, everyone will consider them monsters, ready to turn anytime.
But aside from Tommy's reference, the word "monsters" appears once more, when CJ says it wasn't Michael who pulled the trigger on Sean: "those Monsters from Eastern Bay did".
Are we finally getting our share of Scratch back?

[Eviebae]

Keep in mind, just cuz our heroes guess something doesn't make it true.

I'm warming to the Radon theory, but it's missing something. Radon has been accumulating in basements for awhile now, but no one's been zombified before this...unless it could be used to explain the rise of the boy bands...

I did see a few nods to the forums--like how the back of Ink's head was tattooed (thank you very much) but the explanation sounded fishy. It seemed like guesswork rather than fact. Either he was rich enough to bribe everyone in sight, or he was pretty darn persuasive. Plus, why was he tattooing those particular symbols before the outbreak?

Did anyone else think the psychiatrist gave out a boat load of confidential information to the press? Forget that, what kind of outburst is so bad that the doctors in a mental institute think it's best to let him be all by his lonesome cuz it's his preference??

[7oddisdead]

well sweet baby jeebus, where to start!!

well, I guess ill start by saying that I have no intention of putting forth a full blown theory for a while. with the info we have at this point theres a good chance that any well thought out theory could be 50% right. id rather let other people get that...ill just point out some of the details ive noticed and some observations ive made from this chapter and the previous(they kinda all go together anyways).

perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind with all this ink backstory is the diagnosis he was given.

paranoid schizophrenia

"Paranoid schizophrenia is one of several types of schizophrenia, a chronic mental illness in which a person loses touch with reality (psychosis). The classic features of paranoid schizophrenia are having delusions and hearing things that aren't real.

With paranoid schizophrenia, your ability to think and function in daily life may be better than with other types of schizophrenia. You may not have as many problems with memory, concentration or dulled emotions. Still, paranoid schizophrenia is a serious, lifelong condition that can lead to many complications, including suicidal behavior. "

based on this I question if inks wife was actually cheating on him. literally everything, every part of what he did prior to outbreak could be a part of his phychosis. unfortunately, we will likely never find out. (he killed all the witnesses)

-what purpose would ink have for tattooing himself prior to his trial? sure, it could fall under the ^above^...but what if theres something more to it? the areas he had tattooed are ones that would be visable, not only to others..but to himself as well. I really feel like an ass for giving witch_doctor such a hard time a while back over looking into the symbols. it would seem they are important after all. I think this is a good job for theory team....we'll come back to this when we have something.

-it was mentioned what could/would ink have to do with the arena? why is it such a stretch that he could have been a hockey fan?? shit, datu was. (though perhaps not anymore). another thing to think of is we are talking about a scientist. the analytical mind could easily see how a place such as that could be modified to become a real "nest". the basic shape of the arena could also be internally modified to flow like a golden spiral (fibanocci, fool!)...hell for that matter, off the top of my head I can recall a few of his tats having a spiral shape.

-theres two schools of thought going around in regard to #7 attacking the regular. either ink & co are wiping out all the lone woofs to "thin the heard" ... or #7 is working on his own, controlling his territory, with each of the numbered ones controlling an area. I like both these ideas. but ill throw out another idea.
what if the little ones need something in the regulars body to survive? the raised levels of keratin are a byproduct of whatevers going on when people turn, so for now(and pretty much everything going forward) im ignoring the entire k18 thing. but, what if the follistatin is actually something they(inklings/little ones) need to maintain their growth? it seems a bit ridiculous, but stranger things have happened in this show.

-all this "armchair scientist" stuff has taken me down a lot of fun roads, and I continue that this week.
http://quest.mda.org/news/md-briefs-...ing-stem-cells
so follistatin is also useful in stem cell research? this rabbithole keeps getting weirder.......

perhaps the little ones could have been "grown" after all...

-WHERE THE FUCK DID THE HAZE GO!?!?!?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laki
I found this to be very interesting reading, while likely it has NOTHING to do with what happened to the haze, it is interesting nonetheless to see that things like this have happened in real life. another thing to consider is theres a storm rolling in at the time vic and Tanya are at ground zero. what affects could barometric pressures have on the haze? we haven't had rain in the story since early on. that seems VERY strange to me considering where the story is taking place(admittedly, that could just be a storytelling thing).

- I know we really have to go by what Michael tells us when describing the transport van. and im sure Michael would be able to tell the difference between "broken in" and "broken out" ....but I personally wonder...something about that all just seems fishy to me. I would MUCH rather believe ink busted himself out than a bunch of freshly turned biters broke in to get at him. the man is the daddy of the inklings after all...

basically where im at right now is all the info we have been given is awesome. the thing I have to keep in mind is at this point Michael & co are just like the rest of us on here. anything said in the chapter (and the chapter previous) that sounds like an opinion....is just that, opinion. basically if its not stated as fact, I don't believe it. for two years now KC has been stringing us along with the idea that "bill Roberts/ink/towtm/pinstripes" may not be the same person just because of the way he was described by the characters....character opinion. REMEMBER THAT GOING FORWARD!

I think in the future, im just going to take the role nikvoodoo did in days past (at least in the chapter discussions) throw out your theories and ill shoot holes at 'em til something works. im saving real theories for the uber theories thread. (that's kinda what nik used to do, right?) ah well.....


have fun...or else
todd out

[Footbutt]

So Ink got his tatoos from a fellow inmate/patient... perhaps his "Markings" are to identify him to the zombies as "The One They Should Follow"?
i mean, you gotta think that one of the reasons he's still alive and in command is due to a collective respect/idenification among the zeds, right?
TOTSF, haha.