Insect Wars: Dark Zone or Light Universe?
DalekTek wrote:
quote[quote] I don’t think any Brunnen-G from Brunnis-2 went to Brunnis-1 to die. Any deaths on Brunnis-2 would have been sudden and unexpected (except for “death by aging” as a form of execution). [/quote]
And any number of lingering diseases that may have plagued them. Or simply getting tired of living, for that matter. Some may have gone to Brunnis to die simply because they were ready to. In fact, the way the programming is set up, death and memory preservation seems to be regarded as a pleasant thing by the Brunnen-G.
Valdron wrote:
quote:
Now, this doesn’t say flat out that they
never ever went beyond the shield again, but
I would suggest that the reference to ‘sphere of silence’ was preffy close.
They’d cut themselves off from the Universe.
Certainly the shield (without weak points) made it so they couldn’t see out, and made it so people can’t traverse the shield without a key to the door, but it’s another thing to say whether or not they can travel beyond the shield, switch it on or off, or turn part of it off.
Sphere of silence means they cut off the outside universe… but it doesn’t mean they couldn’t venture out if they felt like it.
quote:
MOC: By Kai’s time, the defensive shields that protected Brunnis-2 from the rest of the universe were
thousands of years old. Kai and his new born friends discovered that the shields had over time developed
weak points that allowed them to see into the universe beyond, and what they saw was not good. Their
universe was one of war and chaos, his Divine Shadow’s order was on the rise conquering and destroying
planet after planet. Kai knew that he had to travel beyond the shields to learn his planets fate,
You will note, however, that “weak points” are not equated to traveling beyond the shield. Perhaps traveling beyond the shield is something unrelated to whether the shield has weak points or not.
quote:
This clearly implies that the shields worked both ways, consistent with the ‘sphere of silence.’ The Brunnen G could not see out,
and presumably could not leave at all.
That is, indeed, a presumption. [img]images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]
quote[quote] I can’t imagine them building doors into their shield but not building windows. [/quote]
Perhaps that is simply a nature of the technology that could not be circumvented. You can travel beyond it, but you can’t see through it.
quote:
MOC: The Brunnen-G were angry, angrier than anyone could
remember. Kai was accused of betraying them, by breaching the shields, of opening the door, to enemies
who could destroy them.
My impression of this scene, was that the New Born discovered the weak points, but that most Brunnen-G were not aware that they existed. When Kai traveled out, came back, and blabbed out his story to everyone, the weak points were discovered by everyone… and blamed on Kai.
Earlier, when the Brunnen-G are telling Kai to “stay behind,” there’s no implication that exploring will destroy the shields. Otherwise, I think they’d have been a bit more adamant! There were no cries of…
Stay, within these ancient walls,
Stay, within these ghostly halls,
Stay behiiiiiiiiind…
Or you’ll break our shields. [img]images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]Actually, they say “close the door.” And they say it long before Kai leaves, implying the “door” can be opened and closed.
quote:
This doesn’t say exactly that there was no communication with the outside world since the shields went up. But the implication is there.
Ergo, there’s no suggestion that the Brunnen G ever went beyond their walls for any reason after their Shield went up, but plenty of references which support the notion that there was no communication or travel at all.
First, we also don’t know whether communication is related to the weak points or not.
Second, it is unlikely the Brunnen-G went directly from being heroes of the Insect Wars, to being introverted isolationists. It is likely a condition that grew on them over time, beginning with the building of the shields, and continuing with the halting of their aging process. They wouldn’t go from saving the galaxy to total isolationism over night.
I also think it unlikely that they would totally cut themselves off from access to the Time Prophet, who seems to play an important role in their culture.
Then there’s the matter of the ship Kai uses to visit the Time Prophet. If there was truly no travel beyond the shield, then there would be no ships for Kai to use… unless he stole that one from a museum as well.
[ 21-03-2002: Message edited by: sgtdraino ]