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Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. That's why Blue is on Earth riding White.<br>
<br>
This explains the weird "no this, no that" going on in Skip's
thoughts in the opening scene; the thoughts he insists on are the
fake ones. Would this imply Skip is not actually being ridden? More
subtracted from than added on to? or both? More like an injected
"agent" package than a complete overlay, but enough to make him
unrecognizable, i.e., look like someone else, to Chelle?<br>
<br>
Might Chelle have returned bearing some kind of white flag from the
Os? The guy she shot was spying for them, which must mean he let
them ride him voluntarily. Did some parallel, involuntary mechanism
operate when she had her accident and was reconstructed?<br>
<br>
Does the ship hijacking have meaning beyond its plot function?<br>
<br>
On 12/2/2011 12:54 PM, Stephen Hoy wrote:
<blockquote
cite="mid:1322848488.78453.YahooMailNeo@web84401.mail.ac2.yahoo.com"
type="cite">
<div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:arial,
helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:10pt">
<div><span>
<div id="yiv151444550yui_3_2_0_18_132110989535740">Glad to
see this topic arise from the dead. I finished a third
re-read of HF and want to share an idea.</div>
<div id="yiv151444550yui_3_2_0_18_132110989535740"><br>
</div>
<div id="yiv151444550yui_3_2_0_18_132110989535740">Throughout
Home Fires, we find out very little about the Os. What we
know for certain is that a multinational alliance engaged
the Os on the planet Johanna (Gehenna). The most recent
information available--10 or so years ago when Chelle
departed Johanna--indicates the Os are losing on the
ground. Skip entertains a few thoughts about whether the
Os would destroy a habitable planet rather than lose it to
us, but dismisses this idea. He believes the Os would
prefer to negotiate.</div>
<div id="yiv151444550yui_3_2_0_18_132110989535740"><br>
</div>
<div id="yiv151444550yui_3_2_0_18_132110989535740">Who on
earth is better suited to negotiate on behalf of the Os
than Skip Webster Grison, lifelong defender of
celebrities, cyborgs, and the unjustly accused, leading
partner of the celebrated defense firm of Burton, Grison,
and Ibarra. How convenient for the Os that, as Home Fires
ends, Skip heads to Johanna as a military lawyer, in
perfect position to represent the Os if negotiations
begin. "<span class="yiv151444550Apple-style-span"
id="yiv151444550yui_3_2_0_18_1321109895357121">Even a
murderer deserves to have someone to speak for him,
someone who will explain to the jury why he did what he
did and show him where his best interests lie."</span></div>
<div id="yiv151444550yui_3_2_0_18_132110989535740"><span
class="yiv151444550Apple-style-span"
id="yiv151444550yui_3_2_0_18_1321109895357124"><br>
</span></div>
<div id="yiv151444550yui_3_2_0_18_132110989535740"><span
class="yiv151444550Apple-style-span"
id="yiv151444550yui_3_2_0_18_1321109895357129">The overt
story of Home Fires is the classic tale of what a man
will do for the love of a woman. But what if the covert
story began with a missing fact: Skip was never
contracted with Chelle? What if... his memories of
Chelle have been implanted just before he awakes on
Yellow Paper Day? </span></div>
<div id="yiv151444550yui_3_2_0_18_132110989535740"><span
class="yiv151444550Apple-style-span"><br>
</span></div>
<div id="yiv151444550yui_3_2_0_18_132110989535740"><span
class="yiv151444550Apple-style-span">Everyone who speaks
directly of Skip's relationship with Chelle & family
has (arguable) ties to the Os: double agent Charles
Blue/White, Vanessa Henessey/Virginia Healey, Susan
Clerkin/(whose real last name is unknown), and possibly
Chelle herself. If we believe Charles White, Susan's
rebound lover Rick Johnson isn't a suicide cultist, but
a cyborg agent for the Os, suggesting Vanessa's
body-donor Edith Eckhart may have been an Os agent as
well. </span>I suspect the not-quite-cyborg pickpocket
Achille may have a little Os to his backstory, too.</div>
<div id="yiv151444550yui_3_2_0_18_132110989535740"><br>
</div>
<div id="yiv151444550yui_3_2_0_18_132110989535740">Nefarious
backstory: Skip is being manipulated to go to Johanna to
represent the Os.</div>
</span></div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial, helvetica,
sans-serif; ">
<div style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman',
'new york', times, serif; "> <font face="Arial" size="2">
<hr size="1"> <b><span style="font-weight:bold;">From:</span></b>
David Stockhoff <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:dstockhoff@verizon.net"><dstockhoff@verizon.net></a><br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> The
Urth Mailing List <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:urth@lists.urth.net"><urth@lists.urth.net></a> <br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b>
Friday, December 2, 2011 8:08 AM<br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b>
Re: (urth) Home Fires questions<br>
</font> <br>
On 12/2/2011 8:50 AM, Andreas Muegge wrote:<br>
> Almost missed this discussion...<br>
> <br>
> 2011/10/18 David Stockhoff <<a
moz-do-not-send="true"
ymailto="mailto:dstockhoff@verizon.net"
href="mailto:dstockhoff@verizon.net">dstockhoff@verizon.net</a>
<mailto:<a moz-do-not-send="true"
ymailto="mailto:dstockhoff@verizon.net"
href="mailto:dstockhoff@verizon.net">dstockhoff@verizon.net</a>>><br>
> <br>
> <br>
> > Was Skip once someone else?<br>
> <br>
> Seems like everyone in Home Fires is/was someone
else so why<br>
> not Skip? Question is, who? His
initials--S.W.G.--don't help<br>
> me generate many alternatives, although some
sort of "Greene"<br>
> seems likely. But Skip/overlay might explain why
Skip wonders<br>
> if Chelle will recognize him on her
return--despite the<br>
> Obvious Explanation that Skip will appear
different in<br>
> Chelle's eyes because he has aged. Skip/overlay
also fits with<br>
> Skip's too-easy transformation into agile hero
aboard the<br>
> cruise ship.<br>
> <br>
> > At the formal dinner, his family reunites.
All three have<br>
> trouble recognizing one another (except when
they don't). Two<br>
> are known to be not entirely who they think they
are. Surely<br>
> the third is also not entirely who he is.<br>
> <br>
> I do wonder how any of the Blue family can
recognize each<br>
> other to any degree because they're all
replacements/overlays.<br>
> Still, somehow Chelle recognized her replacement
mother at the<br>
> airport while failing to recognize Skip. Clearly
an important<br>
> clue.<br>
> <br>
> This puts the whole book into a new light. Does anyone
have an idea how it's possible that the "overlays" recognize
each other in the new bodies?<br>
> <br>
> Ciao,<br>
> Andreas<br>
<br>
I have a few thoughts on that but no answers:<br>
<br>
(1) All three are different types of overlays or riders: an
alien, a human-tech scanned download, and whatever kind of
mysterious accident Chelle is. Because of the interest the
factions seem to have in her, she feels like some kind of
sport, maybe a combination of human reconstructive tech and
something alien. Dunno.<br>
<br>
(2) But all are riders on human mounts, and to the extent
that they know what they are, may be able to spot doubled
personality in others. Fuzzy, I know.<br>
<br>
(3) Skip, also a suspected rider, does not *appear* to pick
up on this stuff quickly or at least overtly, but it's hard
to tell what he sees, isn't it? If there's a rule based on
common mechanisms, he should follow it too.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<br>
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