Chapter 33-3 Red Winter

[Hoff4D]

Eyes are traditionally "windows to the soul". In the LO's case, their eyes are still clear, which is why I'm thinking these are some human/zombie hybrid. They still have a hint of clarity, of humanity. We don't have much evidence of it, but I believe the Little Ones are really smart. Eyes also communicate intelligence--think to all of the people who describe an encounter with a whale or dolphin "you can just look into its eyes and you know that it's thinking". I think they're perfectly capable of learning, planning, using tools and technology. Plus, they're developing physically and it only makes sense that they'd be developing mentally too. It's possible that the transition from human to LO just resets all of the synapses of their brains. The infection grows valves and arteries on hearts, so rewiring a brain isn't too farfetched. It's almost like they're children all over again -- relearning how to manipulate their environments to get the outcomes they want. From then on, it's operant conditioning. Good behaviors get repeated; You learn from what you observe, so sit in the shadows or hang in the trees and watch. If they can still understand the concept of death (something a normal zombie doesn't even consider), they can feel danger, maybe even fear, which would further encourage careful planning and risk analysis.

I'm pretty stuck on the idea that Ink is their creator, and we know there are at least 12, right? I love the idea that we have NO idea how many he's created. He could still be creating and numbering away in his lab. The fact that Ink numbers his creations intrigues me. Normally, things that you care about (even lab subjects) have names. Numbers are the opposite of humanizing. Numbers are for criminals and masses. The Jews in Auschwitz were tattooed with numbers, too. The human survivors are clinging to names as a societal comfort, and they get uncomfortable when that is taken away, like Kimmet's refusal to read Carl's nametag.

So what if their selection isn't so much an honor. Maybe it's a punishment. It could explain the self-inflicted wounds too. It could be repentance, a pain response, a response to psychological trauma, who knows? Maybe retaining some humanity is actually a curse for the special ones... Maybe they can still feel all their human emotions?

I think the 'self-inflicted wounds' we see has something to do with the way in which the virus is passed, at least as far as the little ones virus is. Based on the crummy teeth, and previous theory of choosing who to turn and who to eat, I think they scratch more to turn, not bite. Think of a little one scratching a human, it would be a crazy big scratch due to those nails, and if you grow substantially following this to be a 6' + ADLO, the scratches would make sense to grow as well, making them more prominent.....They may appear self-inflicted, but perhaps they are just the means of turning.

[Lilydragon]

Anyone else hold their breath during the autopsy? I was waiting on every single syllable that came out of Tanya's mouth.

I was! I kept thinking the LO was going to come back to life. At the end of the episode all I wanted to do was scream NOOOOOO!!! Because I didn't want it to end, and I don't want to wait for the next episode.

[LiamKerrington]

I will be doing a small tweak on this before the remaster. The story will be the same.

Remaster in the sense of new version of #33-3 or remaster in the sense of audio-cd-version?

[Witch_Doctor]

Wow, seems like almost everything I had to say has already been said.

Anyone else notice that the date of this episode puts the story at the Colony and Fort Irwin on the same day? December 16th.

Tanya says that :
The Inkling has almost no body hair (Can be taken two ways, No body hair like dolphins and whales are hairless, or no body hair as in no pubic hair)
The Inkling was flat chested (Could be due to undeveloped breasts or over developed pectoral muscles.)
A number of missing teeth yet growing others in the mouth.
Lack of root developement in teeth.
Stretch marks down the length of the limbs.
Unable to tell the level of sexual maturity.

Sounds like they very well may have started as children after all.

During the autopsy I kept expecting one of those little things that live inside the Daleks on Doctor Who to jump out and scurry across the floor.
I'm soooo glad that there wasn't a mixup with the bodies. That would have been too Three's Company-ish.
I find it strange, too, that Boulder can't be reached hours after pvt. Thomas leaves. Even Kalani managed to get out a radio call when the other tower was being over-run.
Infact, communication seems to go quickly. Someone mentioned an EMP (Cabbagepatch) an EMP would take out more than the telecom system. Almosty all electronic devices world have failed. Can't help thinking of the 28 days Later. What if the pacific states are quarentined from the rest of the world?

Gott to go to bed, beginning to type crazy suff.

[Robzombie]

Holy crap! Just finally listened, oh man oh man i was on edge during that autopsy...but what the hell was michael doing for the two weeks since the recovery mission to the autopsy that he as the head intel guy hasnt read that report yet?!

Also the fact that absolutely no emergency message made its way out makes me think that it really isnt an emergency at all and indeed the weather has affected comms. Remember when michael and the gang first arrive at fort Irwin...the end of that chapter where they are walking away from the chopper, listening, then we hear a zombie and Michael says 'oh shit', and we leave that episode thinking the place is full of zombies, but it turned out to just be one. I think this is the same thing.

Little ones, yup im more confidant that they were from the nursery.

[Privateer]

Wow, seems like almost everything I had to say has already been said.

Anyone else notice that the date of this episode puts the story at the Colony and Fort Irwin on the same day? December 16th.

Tanya says that :
The Inkling has almost no body hair (Can be taken two ways, No body hair like dolphins and whales are hairless, or no body hair as in no pubic hair)
The Inkling was flat chested (Could be due to undeveloped breasts or over developed pectoral muscles.)
A number of missing teeth yet growing others in the mouth.
Lack of root developement in teeth.
Stretch marks down the length of the limbs.
Unable to tell the level of sexual maturity.

Sounds like they very well may have started as children after all.

During the autopsy I kept expecting one of those little things that live inside the Daleks on Doctor Who to jump out and scurry across the floor.
I'm soooo glad that there wasn't a mixup with the bodies. That would have been too Three's Company-ish.
I find it strange, too, that Boulder can't be reached hours after pvt. Thomas leaves. Even Kalani managed to get out a radio call when the other tower was being over-run.
Infact, communication seems to go quickly. Someone mentioned an EMP (Cabbagepatch) an EMP would take out more than the telecom system. Almosty all electronic devices world have failed. Can't help thinking of the 28 days Later. What if the pacific states are quarentined from the rest of the world?

Gott to go to bed, beginning to type crazy suff.

Thank you, sharp eared person! I kinda figured things were going on in Tandem, but I didn't realize that both days were the same... hmm... we should pay attention to that! I have a feeling that the timing is going to be very important in the next couple chapters.

See, me, I don't know if I was worried about it getting up again, but I was worried about Tanya or Riley cutting themselves, or otherwise infecting themselves. That would've been baaaaaaaaad.

And, hmm. I had thought of that, but, putting all the data together, it does look like the little one's started as children. Wooooow, Pinstripes just got one level scarier.

I don't think its an EMP device. We've got no indication that anyone /has/ an EMP device, or would want to use one. I do think that the storm took down some lines, and is causing problems with Radio and SatPhone communications. Just so happens to happen right after the warning. I mean, unless KC plans on killing Boulder, which... I don't think will happen. Boulder is the last bastion of civilization and humanity. If it goes, and is not replaced, a lot of the work Michael is doing to figure out the nature of things becomes.... well, a bit meaningless. Facilities for manufacturing and serious research would be limited, but, without a sizable human population, what are they working to save?

That being said, I don't put it past our favorite writer, not at all!

As for a quarantine of the west coast, I had thought about that too, considering they haven't had any communications /with/ that side of the country. Its a fun thought, that should they scout out, they'll find... something hopeful. But that means the east coast would have to have had voluntarily shut down communications with the West, and that would be silly, considering they have a loyal military command on the west coast, they don't have any reason to /shut down/ communications. I could see Kimmet knowing and not telling anyone, but we haven't gotten any indication the the Colonel is holding something that huge back, and Sergeant Cross, being in intelligence, would've probably sniffed /something/ out. But, maybe no one knows the proper phone number.

Brings to question, does anyone remember if the our survivors tried to utilize a HAM radio, shortwave, or anything else that might have superior range to whatever was normally available (I imagine Boulder probably has an AM/FM transmitting station, at least.)

[Cabbage Patch]

I did a little research to see what was happening in Boulder, CO during our time line on December 16, 2009. That was the day of the Boulder Homebrewers Festival. No one's answering the phones? Maybe not a problem after all.

[clem131]

Thanks. We used that a lot in the first season. It's sorta retro for us

I am also very curious about the foley for this. Please tell me you're putting a video on your youtube account with you messing with chicken livers on the stage!!!

[Witch_Doctor]

Brings to question, does anyone remember if the our survivors tried to utilize a HAM radio, shortwave, or anything else that might have superior range to whatever was normally available (I imagine Boulder probably has an AM/FM transmitting station, at least.)

Glenn mentions both HAM and Shortwave in his telecom grab bag back at the colony. The radio silence is just mystifying. An EMP can be created by exploding a nuke above the atmosphere but that would also knock out other electronics. Sat phone and GPS satellites are still working.

Also, NAVY vessels; subs, aircraft carrier groups... wouldn't they still be out there?

Guessing the next chapter will split between Colony/Irwin/Boulder or some combination of two out of the three.

Now that the chapter is over does anyone have a clue as to what the title means? I'm probably over-thinking it. It's winter, things are going to get bloody. Nuff said, right? Red Winter, pretty straight forward, huh? On Facebook KC mentioned liking Game of Thrones when announcing the title and I thought that may have something to do with it.

Thoughts?

[Robzombie]

I think it was just in regards to the death and mayhem during the recovery mission. A battle in the snow.