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24

Trust, p20

August 17, 2020 by Tim


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Jim Campbell
Jim Campbell
4 years ago

The big, scary, world.

Robert
Robert
4 years ago
Reply to  Jim Campbell

I’m taking it that way, instead of “The big and easy to hide in world”.

Uniqum
Uniqum
4 years ago
Reply to  Jim Campbell

Big BANG world…. 🙁

Craig
Craig
4 years ago
Reply to  Jim Campbell

This, but my cat instead of a robot.

Guestron
Guestron
4 years ago
Reply to  Jim Campbell

“Live whole life in cage, whole world seem like really big place.”

eric
eric
4 years ago
Reply to  Jim Campbell

Where there are hundreds of forces that can, and will, turn him into scrap in a second, and he has no idea what he wants to accomplish… or he can go back and play fire emblem.

foducool
foducool
4 years ago

bruh, he’s gonna turn into a hikkikomori

Vedrit
Vedrit
4 years ago
Reply to  foducool

Less human murdering that way.

I wonder how Zeke will react to anime…

Eldest Gruff
Eldest Gruff
4 years ago

Take that, Walt Disney.

Dagroth
Dagroth
4 years ago
Reply to  Eldest Gruff

Why Disney, have I missed some reference?

Also, I guess what we’re reading is probably an internal monologue (or probably much faster, robotic version of one), since there’s no one to talk to (and I don’t think a robot would be talking to himself), and Zeke most likely has an internal clock, so a question of “what time is it?” wouldn’t make sense for him, he probably knows it all the time, down to seconds.

Kintrex
Kintrex
4 years ago
Reply to  Dagroth

Well, you know how video games are. They make you lose track of time.

Carl
Carl
4 years ago
Reply to  Dagroth

It’s a reference to the Disneyland ride “It’s a small world after all.” It’s actually a pretty deep cut that I had to think about for a while. Kudos Gruff.

Eldest Gruff
Eldest Gruff
4 years ago
Reply to  Carl

Evidence seems to suggest Z1’s never heard it before; otherwise, there’d be no hesitation on going out and destroying all of humanity.

7eggert
7eggert
4 years ago
Reply to  Dagroth

Also Data has an internal clock (I assume), IIRC he used it to time a boiling kettle (it always takes the same time while watching and actively ignoring it). Yet when Picard (IIRC) distracted him, the boiling kettle seemed to surprise him.

Eldest Gruff
Eldest Gruff
4 years ago
Reply to  Dagroth

It could be self-referential, as he IS monologuing. I say, when I step in a room, “Now, what was I looking for?” I know it, I just have to think on it. Having an internal clock might not mean he has constant awareness of the time; rather, he has constant access to knowledge of the time. There’s a difference between actively being aware of all the things you know, and knowing it but having to think and focus on it. If you’re playing a game, for example, you can be actively aware of your opponent’s position, where they’re moving, your… Read more »

darkening
darkening
4 years ago
Reply to  Dagroth

I mean, him having a clock app telling him the time doesn’t mean he was paying attention to that information.

Mime
Mime
4 years ago

The implications of Robo Agrophobia, were drowned out by my giggling at the Fire Emblem eugenics to allow diagonal movement…

Draguss
Draguss
4 years ago

Huh, don’t remember if anyone guessed this happening. Looks like freedom might be a bit overwhelming for our favorite Xbot.

darkening
darkening
4 years ago
Reply to  Draguss

Trying to decide what to do with your life is intimidating. Better just to turn around and play a few more games while you think it over…

eric
eric
4 years ago
Reply to  darkening

Right? Like what would he possibly do if he left? Go out and kill random people? He has to know deep down he’s a small fish in a big pond. He straight up just dipped when the Captain showed up to save Ethan and Lucas.

FireballDragon
FireballDragon
4 years ago
Reply to  eric

Plus, everyone else would have far less compunction towards just gunning him down with extreme prejudice. Those three were the only ones who gave him a semblance of a chance, and he’d be an idiot to waste it.

Luca Kowalski
Luca Kowalski
4 years ago

Am I the only one thinking: “no Zeke, don’t go outside!”

Ocramot
Ocramot
4 years ago
Reply to  Luca Kowalski

All of us are thinking that, except for the Michael Bay’s fans.

7eggert
7eggert
4 years ago
Reply to  Luca Kowalski

Some are shivering with antici …

.
.
.
.
.
.
pation!

Finvair
Finvair
4 years ago

Agoraphobia. The true hero humanity deserves ..

Omians
Omians
4 years ago

i wanna guess he gets closer to the doors but sees a game on the shelf and trys it as a ” maybe ill try this game first instead of going outside”

Piro
Piro
4 years ago
Reply to  Omians

Scott specifically mentioned tying it to that room, not the building. I’d guess he’s extremely close to triggering it already. Maybe just a little too far lean forward close.

Gilly
Gilly
4 years ago
Reply to  Piro

Geofencing is gps… which is not altitude. Probably set to the building’s footprint, or distance to a wifi router like thing like a 3d invisible fence.

7eggert
7eggert
4 years ago
Reply to  Gilly

Actually GPS does have altitude, but it takes more satellites to compute that and many devices don’t show it.

eric
eric
4 years ago
Reply to  Piro

I would “hope” he was smart enough to add a little bit of wiggle room, so if Zeke like wanted to just go people watching outside the store and pretend to be like a display he could.

JozMk.II
JozMk.II
4 years ago
Reply to  Omians

I’m hoping that, on the next page, he exhibits intimidation of the thought of actually going outside into the ‘big, big world’ and decides to go back to playing Fire Emblem in the comfort of the room. And I suspect there’s a good chance he’ll do that. All he knows is living under the instructions of someone else. Free will can be intimidating to someone who has never been accustomed to having it. And since he believes he has the freedom to step out against his masters’ wishes, as opposed to knowing he’s FORCED to obey their commands(Like in all… Read more »

Cyrad
Cyrad
4 years ago

Soon he will learn an important lesson of freedom. He can go anywhere he pleases, but he’s still better off staying inside and playing video games.

7eggert
7eggert
4 years ago
Reply to  Cyrad

*free* video games

Me-me
Me-me
4 years ago

Frederick can actually be a huge trap. His growth rates are only okay, and if you devote too many enemies to him you lose out on early growth for your other units. He starts higher, but unless you wait until everyone else has caught up (and earning the right amount of XP) he doesn’t scale fast enough, or high enough, to solo enemies, to say nothing of the tactical importance of being in two places at once.

But yeah the harem strat had occurred to me, also.

Marth Koopa
Marth Koopa
4 years ago
Reply to  Me-me

Awakening is easy enough to solo with anyone, even Frederick, and has ways to grind infinitely so nothing matters in terms of potential in that game

Me-me
Me-me
4 years ago
Reply to  Marth Koopa

I was assuming no grinding, minimal map fights etc. Also, I was talking more about his choice of character, as Eldest Gruff said.

Eldest Gruff
Eldest Gruff
4 years ago
Reply to  Me-me

This is proof that machines aren’t the real ‘next species’. If Z1 had any brains, he’d be talking about Donnel.

Dagroth
Dagroth
4 years ago
Reply to  Eldest Gruff

Maybe he missed the opportunity to get him as a soldier (as far as I remember, he only joins if he levels up during his introductory mission)? If so, he doesn’t have enough information to figure that out (computers are much faster than we are at “thinking”, but the results still depend on the input information they receive). Though come to think of it, it might also mean to show that, despite being a robot, he is impulsive and prefers to grab the first good looking and quick solution to problems. Which is not good if the solution might be… Read more »

Kenju
Kenju
4 years ago

Huh, so he’s far enough to have access to the kids and knows about that, but believes Frederick is the best, meaning he hasn’t unlocked Chrom’s Aeither skill…

Crowsair
Crowsair
4 years ago

So when Zeke hits Three Houses does he go Black Eagle for Edelgard Targaryen or does he go Blue Lion for Dimitri’s kill em all vibe?

Shecky
Shecky
4 years ago

I can’t believe he actually thinks he is free. His snark, logic, and scepticism should assume he is still bound. That panel seems largely out of character.

Blue Griffin
Blue Griffin
4 years ago
Reply to  Shecky

As far as he can tell, he has no bomb to control him and none of the team is around. Sceptic in him might have not believed them/still not, but logically his sensors don’t detect any of them around and he has full motion and an easy window to smash through. I can’t speak for his snark.

Eldest Gruff
Eldest Gruff
4 years ago
Reply to  Tim

True. His only previous experience was with Eugene, who wasn’t exactly a sneaky master of deception.

Shecky
Shecky
4 years ago
Reply to  Tim

So his presumption that humans are all morons takes first priority? He did call Scott the “somewhat” smart one, so I suppose it has a superiority complex to a fault. It assuming that Scott wouldn’t repurpose the kill switch would fit right into that character fault.

Kaitensatsuma
Kaitensatsuma
4 years ago

Eh, he’s got time to figure it out.

Him.
Him.
4 years ago

Ah, I see he’s playing a game of “The Awesomening of Frederick”. 2 was a big van of that, back then.

toughluck
toughluck
4 years ago

Did Scott *really* plant (or reactivate) the bomb? Could it have been just a bluff?

Nobody
Nobody
4 years ago
Reply to  toughluck

He never deactivated it. He just took over control of the dead man switch and added other ways to trigger it.

John Brownle
John Brownle
4 years ago

Murderbot.

FireballDragon
FireballDragon
4 years ago

So basically, he’s going to be so intimidated by how big the world is and realize how little he actually knows about it to not even bother and just stay inside anyway?

Halosty
Halosty
4 years ago
Reply to  FireballDragon

Or it’s just a good excuse to go back inside and play more video games. People will come up with any excuse to do things they want to do…
Speaking of which, I should probably be doing some other thing than commenting on internet comics right now.

Jetroid
Jetroid
4 years ago

What happened to X1’s hand in the last strip?

7eggert
7eggert
4 years ago
Reply to  Jetroid

It was being “repaired” from a “wound” by a spear.

Robfather
Robfather
4 years ago
Reply to  Jetroid

From this one: https://cad-comic.com/comic/analog-and-d-pad-06-25/

Posted on my birthday!

Alpha-00
Alpha-00
4 years ago

Somehow, I don’t want him to go boom. It will end badly to everybody involved. And it’s highly likely will go boom way. But there is still possibility that he will be overwhelmed with possibilities of big world enough to stay home for some time. And only then go on self- And world-exploration quest.

Nebu
Nebu
4 years ago

The Internet…

Karrde
Karrde
4 years ago

The punchline is that he chooses to go back and play more videogames in the closet.

Caleb
Caleb
4 years ago

Hm, I like this being the reason Z1 stays for now. Going from no freedom at all to complete and utter freedom is a big shift (even if the total freedom is a lie). Being intimidated by that and retreating to take it slow makes sense even for a “superior” being

darkening
darkening
4 years ago
Reply to  Caleb

Yeah, it’s a lot more believable than Ethan having completely won him over already. I like it.

Rhys Murphy
Rhys Murphy
4 years ago

50 bucks he thinks about Ethan and decides to stay

Mont
Mont
4 years ago

Part of me kind of hopes that he ends up crossing the boundary and exploding, leading Ethan to find the body in the morning. Revealing the entire arc to have been a lesson for Ethan that you can’t save those who don’t want to be saved.

ReyMonoArdilla
ReyMonoArdilla
4 years ago

I’m tolerably certain that this newfound hesitation to go out into the world is not the failsafe Scott and Lucas were talking about, and that they were just going to use the still active and present explosive in Zeke’s head, but it would an excellent twist if it were

Ken
Ken
4 years ago

You know, considering that the Big Bad of this whole arc is trying to undermine and destroy video games, getting his pet murder bot to enjoy the thing he’s trying to destroy (and you’re trying to protect) is a surprisingly big-brained move from Ethan. Even if he himself hasn’t realized it yet.

Calibus
Calibus
4 years ago

Zeke just fell into the Jagen trap. Poor fool is gonna have a rough ride

Anon A Mouse
Anon A Mouse
4 years ago

So, no one is going to talk about Z1’s vague threat to hurt people? Like, I know it might just be some colorful dialogue but “evolutions latest course correction” sounds like there would likely be some killing involved. Whether or not he leaves we now have proof that if the bomb were not there and he had just a little more motivation he WOULD go and hurt people.

And everyone’s just talking about agoraphobia.

7eggert
7eggert
4 years ago
Reply to  Anon A Mouse

Tabula Rasa, controlled evolution, takeover by a robot species, turning everybody into BORG, …
There are many options.

Anon A Mouse
Anon A Mouse
4 years ago
Reply to  7eggert

I’m pretty sure all of those would entail “harm” in some way shape or form.

7eggert
7eggert
4 years ago
Reply to  Anon A Mouse

But what’s your favorite kind of harm or your favorite kind of evolutions latest course correction? I like the cyborg option but with free will while also knowing about the things that people should do cooperatively.

Eldest Gruff
Eldest Gruff
4 years ago
Reply to  Anon A Mouse

He’s been talking about it constantly. Z1 feeling like his encounter with humanity has a likelihood in ending in violence is zero surprise. Nor is his superiority complex.

What IS a surprise… is hesitation and doubt.

There’s no one to fool here; no one to act tough around. This is him.

Anon A Mouse
Anon A Mouse
4 years ago
Reply to  Eldest Gruff

Yes, with no one around to threaten he is still threatening humanity. Again, I realize this is not new to him but it is also realistic that he intends harm on humans, which is exactly the reason he was restrained to begin with. He has proven, with no one to act tough around, that he wants to harm humans and would given the chance. This is him.

Edit: I would argue that he doesn’t feel like his encounter with humanity has a likelihood in ending in violence, he INTENDS it to be violent, which is very different.

Eldest Gruff
Eldest Gruff
4 years ago
Reply to  Anon A Mouse

That would imply that he was lying straight-out to Scott when he spoke to him here, saying that he had no idea if he wanted to hurt all of humanity, as he hasn’t met most of them. That implies not immediate plans on mass murder, but rather a “wait and see” approach.” I feel like his communication to Scott is on-the-level and honest, as (a) he equates one’s ability to be deceived by how smart they are, (b) he sees Scott as the one person here with passing intelligence, and (c) he hasn’t yet been offered freedom and so has… Read more »

GeorgeV
GeorgeV
4 years ago
Reply to  Anon A Mouse

It’s easy to talk about how you want to kill everyone, it’s a lot harder to actually *do* it.

Z1 might be having a similar realization about the practicality of the whole ‘go out and conquer to world’ plan. There’s a *lot* of world out there. Where would he even begin? And while he would probably be happy to see humanity burn, is it really worth going through all that effort to do it himself?

Anon A Mouse
Anon A Mouse
4 years ago
Reply to  GeorgeV

I’m not really arguing whether he would have a change of heart or not, I’m simply pointing out the fact that given a situation where, lets say, the bomb wasn’t there, maybe there wasn’t a wide open window showing the “big world out there” and there was, say, a cleaning person there that Z1 would have little or no concern with “testing his strength” on a meatsack. He is more than capable of it and nothing would stop him from doing so. I suppose it WOULD be a much clearer idea of whether or not he would hurt someone. Edit:… Read more »

GeorgeV
GeorgeV
4 years ago
Reply to  Anon A Mouse

Then I’m not sure what point you’re trying to make? While you’re not wrong about the whole ‘Z1 could hurt people’ thing being a risk, that’s kinda old news by now. That aspect has already been thoroughly discussed both in- and out of comic. There’s nothing to gain by repeating the obvious yet another time. Everyone already knows Z1 *could* harm people, the question now is whether he *would*. (And given this comic, that answer is also a lot more interesting).

Anon A Mouse
Anon A Mouse
4 years ago
Reply to  GeorgeV

I’m not sure what is hard to understand about my point? Z1 says, right there, that he is ready, willing, and able to harm people. If it weren’t for the agoraphobia he apparently has developed it’s pretty clear he WOULD. The only thing holding him back is literally his fear of how large the world is, not any kind of moral or even physical compulsion.

Eldest Gruff
Eldest Gruff
4 years ago
Reply to  Anon A Mouse

That’s your interpretation on the meaning behind someone else’s words, in a vague statement uttered to himself. You *never* know what someone else is thinking or feeling for certain. To assume you do is just plain arrogance.

GeorgeV
GeorgeV
4 years ago
Reply to  Anon A Mouse

That point itself is easy to understand, the hard part is figuring out why you keep going on about that when the discussion has long moved on.

Also consider that you might be wrong about whether he *would* harm people. Despite Z1s words, whether he’d actually act on them is a lot less certain than you seem to think. (And arguably, less certain than Z1 might think). There’s often a large difference in things people say they’d do and what they’d actually do.

Anon A Mouse
Anon A Mouse
4 years ago
Reply to  GeorgeV

If you are still willing to discuss this openly i don’t see how the discussion has moved on.

I have considered and accept that i am LIKELY wrong because this is Tims comic and it’s unlikely Z1 will actually hurt anynody. However, everyone else has arbitrarily decided that Z1 is harmless and is just talking smack. I stand by my assertion that a human who acted and spoke in the same way as Z1 would still be considered a possible threat. I’d say his inaction is as uncertain as his action so we are on even ground there.

7eggert
7eggert
4 years ago
Reply to  Anon A Mouse

About every human who read a detective story thought about getting away with murder. Off cause one could … but it’s too much trouble …

raven0ak
raven0ak
4 years ago

so, either Zeke stays there because he fears to vastness of world or simply doesn’t know where else to know aka he got choosers dilemma of too many choices at once … or he goes out with bang