Chapter 42-3 Chasing Ghosts

[scbubba]

Still catching up on some missed posts but wanted to hop in and offer another piece of trivia that might support the idea that Ink has been working towards this plan prior to the actual outbreak.

In Chapter 1, part 1 the zombies are described as being scarred and bruised. If it were only random people being attacked on the spot, it seems unlikely that they'd all be described as scarred given the time required for scars to form. Pardon the for a moment but hear me out. What if a faction were working towards the apocalypse and managed to turn a bunch of test subjects to carry the infection to the people in the major centers? If this were the case, it could explain how so many areas were hit at once plus it would account for the scars on the initial zombies. If this were a pre-planned event and Ink was a collaborator, the tattoos could have been part of the initial planning and have significance from that regard. Who knows, it could be a bunch of nihilists that got together and decided enough was enough.

Good thoughts. I've been bothered by the "burned and scarred" description for a while.

Thinking about it now I'm wondering, would there be a particular population that might be scarred already that could have been turned quickly? The jail and prison jump to mind but I'm not thinking that inmates/prisoners would have that many more noticeable scars than the average population.

Hmm... the only other thing I can come up with off the cuff might be a particular ward/unit in a hospital. Perhaps the burn unit? They are usually kept separate from the other populations in the hospital, I think, due to a high risk of infection in burn victims (someone who knows more about this please jump in here). Maybe it was meant to infer Ink working out of the hospital at that point in the story?

[Jannit]

Good thoughts. I've been bothered by the "burned and scarred" description for a while.

Thinking about it now I'm wondering, would there be a particular population that might be scarred already that could have been turned quickly? The jail and prison jump to mind but I'm not thinking that inmates/prisoners would have that many more noticeable scars than the average population.

Hmm... the only other thing I can come up with off the cuff might be a particular ward/unit in a hospital. Perhaps the burn unit? They are usually kept separate from the other populations in the hospital, I think, due to a high risk of infection in burn victims (someone who knows more about this please jump in here). Maybe it was meant to infer Ink working out of the hospital at that point in the story?

If they did come from a place like a hospital or prison, it seems likely to me that they'd all be wearing the same clothes. The only similar characteristics mentioned was the scars and bruises. I went back to double check the description and this is how Michael describes them on the freeway:

"The first time I saw 'em, I froze. Something inside of me told me not to move. The group of them moved past my car to the man honking behind me. Their bodies were littered with scars and bruises and their eyes were glazed over. The news made it sound like people gone mad but the way they moved made me think these may not be people at all."

[UndeadSweeper]

Good thoughts. I've been bothered by the "burned and scarred" description for a while.

Thinking about it now I'm wondering, would there be a particular population that might be scarred already that could have been turned quickly? The jail and prison jump to mind but I'm not thinking that inmates/prisoners would have that many more noticeable scars than the average population.

Hmm... the only other thing I can come up with off the cuff might be a particular ward/unit in a hospital. Perhaps the burn unit? They are usually kept separate from the other populations in the hospital, I think, due to a high risk of infection in burn victims (someone who knows more about this please jump in here). Maybe it was meant to infer Ink working out of the hospital at that point in the story?

Burn victim, would that include Angel? Then he should had been high risk of infection but he stay the same.

[scbubba]

Burn victim, would that include Angel? Then he should had been high risk of infection but he stay the same.

I wasn't implying that they would turn first or fastest. Just that they could have been isolated form the rest of the hospital population.

Looking at the exact reference that Jannit posted I now recall that it was in 1-1 so there wouldn't have been an Ink operating from the hospital timeline yet, I think. I was thinking that the scarred and burned reference was from later when Randy grabbed Tanya....

As for Angel, well I guess he could have been a slow turner.... But Scratch never gave us the chance to find out.

[alexcadtek]

This is a great point by Jannit Becasue I do not recall but if you guys do let me know. I dont remember tanya saying that the girl they had in the morg had any scars or bruising.
Very good point!

[Grognaurd]

Yes, the scar reference is interesting. It does not sound like the normal populace and may imply test subjects. To add another bit of the obscure, Angel says that the mental hospital is not far from here and we might have been brought in to take them down.

This is so wrong on so many levels. Calling in the reserve units to conduct local law enforcement for a menal health problem. No Way! I can just let it slide to get the characters together and start the story with a bit of foreshadowing. OK, but real life, no way. However, it does sound like something a Family Cult might do in real life. Sounds like the mafia calling in some toughs to solve a problem with violence.

Tanya does not reference bruising and scaring, but she does make an interesting statement about supposed self-inflicted wounds. I take that to mean tht the Little ones bleed themselves to get blood under the nails. It is much easier to spread the disease with a scratch then a bite.

[Jannit]

I just noticed something on the art for the finale and apologies if this has been said elsewhere. While there are more of the symbols we've already seen as well as a few new-ish ones that I need to add to the wiki one thing really stood out. It looks like Ink is holding the strings to the various marionettes included in the picture. Seems like another mark in favor of him being the puppet master.

Any guesses on what the apparent x-ray quality of his arms in the picture indicates?

[UndeadSweeper]

Yes, the scar reference is interesting. It does not sound like the normal populace and may imply test subjects. To add another bit of the obscure, Angel says that the mental hospital is not far from here and we might have been brought in to take them down.

This is so wrong on so many levels. Calling in the reserve units to conduct local law enforcement for a menal health problem. No Way! I can just let it slide to get the characters together and start the story with a bit of foreshadowing. OK, but real life, no way. However, it does sound like something a Family Cult might do in real life. Sounds like the mafia calling in some toughs to solve a problem with violence.

Tanya does not reference bruising and scaring, but she does make an interesting statement about supposed self-inflicted wounds. I take that to mean tht the Little ones bleed themselves to get blood under the nails. It is much easier to spread the disease with a scratch then a bite.

What if the ADLO are the women from the women's complex of the prison? Could explain the longer nails.

[Gooer]

Burn victim, would that include Angel? Then he should had been high risk of infection but he stay the same.

We're assuming the virus isn't airborne, otherwise the series wouldn't of gone on as long as it has (if you catch my drift, lol). Meaning, he would still require a bite/scratch to start the turning phase. Only then could we know if being burnt would accelerate the process...

[Jannit]

What if the ADLO are the women from the women's complex of the prison? Could explain the longer nails.

How do you explain them growing over the episodes and the stretch marks if this were the case? Also, they're not physically developed in the same manner as women are.