After Friday's comic, I had a bunch of stuff I was going to speculate about, but I had a busy weekend and didn't get the post up. I'll still type it out, even though several of the things are answered, because there are things that aren't.

Q: is the watch Chen found an actual Oasis control watch? A:yes (Not a real likely trick that Pete would pull, but worth asking.)

Q: after almost 20 years in realtime (a few years Sluggy time, maybe?) will the watch still have enough battery/whatever to function? A: yes

We think that Bun-bun was messing with the computer system that controlled Oasis in the original strip sequence with Dr. Steve. That computer system was in Dr. Steve's base-lab; it's unknown what connection that system had to the computer that Chen found in the Oasis resurrection lab. Based on that:

Q: Did the computers that were destroyed in Dr. Steve's base lab the ones that controlled Oasis; in other words, did that destruction remove the effectiveness of all control watches? A: no.

Q: Whatever Bun-Bun was doing; did it destroy the ability to control Oasis? A: no. Q: did it remove voice control of Dr. Steve or someone else mimicing his voice? A: no. (Which is VERY interesting and might be a continuity glitch; right after Bunbun tampers with the computers, Dr. Steve gives Oasis a command (kill Torg) and she doesn't do it.) Q: did it give Bun-bun control of Oasis as well? A: unknown, I believe.

(As far as why the last command actual, living Dr. Steve gave Oasis was not obeyed, but that both the recorded/edited command was, Chen's command, and Robert's command all *were* followed, the computer systems may have been separate, it may have something to do with *which* Oasis clone it was, or it may be a minor plot flaw. Should I bring this up in the reactions thread? I'm afraid to; I don't want to annoy the powers that be with speculation.)

Editorial note: For plot reasons, we're assuming and taking as given that a voice-recorder with editing capabilities makes good enough output that it will fool a voice-command system designed to respond to a natural human voice.

One very interesting thing here; "burn out his tongue" is very specific and precise. As far as Torg's training with Oasis went, her conscious control of her pyrokensis was very poor. However, it seems possibly that O.A.S.I.S. overmind's control of her pyrokensis is very good and precise and quick. That may be deliberate on Pete's part as part of the plot (I'm guessing yes) or possibly just the effect that events serve the overplot.

Another interesting point--Roberts, so far mostly portrayed as a stooge, has a very precise knowledge of Oasis' capabilities and how to control them via the control watch. I presume his presence is why Shlock has kept him around, but I would think that knowledge would make him very dangerous. I presume that will probably be part of how the plot goes down.

Oh, and another point about the pyrokenesis being extremely tightly focused here and not previously, which I think strengthens my point from above (that the O.A.S.I.S. overmind can control the pyrokensis well and precisely and Oasis the organic being can control it only poorly): Oasis is blindfolded during these events, unless she somehow got her blindfold off "off camera".

Maybe it didn't fool the voice command system. We didn't necessarily see Oasis follow Chen's commands. She'd likely have been trying to free herself in any case. So perhaps Chen assumed it would work, but it did not, and so Roberts, with his natural voice, was able to take control.

Maybe Chen restored the original programming when he was on the computer. Maybe that's why a Dr Steve computer was necessary.

I'm looking over what happened back then, and it seems the command simply wasn't obeyed because it specifically interfered with a previous command (love Torg) that he hadn't bothered to remove yet. So using the watch to command Oasis shouldn't be a problem as long as it doesn't interfere with that, and all you'd have to do is command Oasis to stop loving Torg to get around it.

But I still suspect Override B1 will not be so easy to remove. Less sure than last week, but still fairly confident (how did the 'B' not stand for Bind it was so perfect!)

... IS Oasis a Demon Lord trapped in a human body?

So far that's the only beings shown to have such strong pyro powers in the comic. Possible?

I remain of the opinion that Override B-1 was intended to be protective. It was to keep Oasis out of the hands of Hereti-corp. If I was Dr Steve, I would know about Daedalus and Roberts being part of that company. I would therefore, at least, have passwords to prevent easy removal of Override B-1; I might even make it completely irrevocable by command.

Even if Override B-1 was revoked, it would not stop Oasis from being dangerous to Hereti-corp. If anything, it would make her deadlier as she would not be charging in as a berserker. She would, instead, be able to plan, wait if necessary, and then strike.

Oasis will still have, at least, the following reasons to hate, and therefore attack Hereti-corp:
1.) The Zalias: After Hereti-corp imprisoned them, and continually pursued them, Oasis would want to destroy that company to protect her adopted family.
2.) Torg: Hereti-corp and Torg are enemies. Oasis only knows of one way to protect those she considers loved ones and that is to stab (or burn) their enemies.

As an irrelevant aside: It just struck me that "Hereti-corp" can be corrupted into "Heretic-orp". A hint at some sort of heretical operation then?

Also, to the mods: Shouldn't the spell check consider "Torg", "Zalia(s)" and "Hereti-corp" to be valid words?

Well, interestingly Nosce te Ipsum does not appear to simply translate as "know thyself". While a fuller translation has different forms, it is interesting that the most popular choice via Google has it as "Nosce Te Ipsum is an ancient Latin and Greek aphorism meaning "Know Thyself". A saying that has passed through time, serving as a reminder of each individual's own divine self." (emphasis mine)

In the Nifty we have been made aware of several "deities" - including Lord Sluggy (aka Bun-Bun), and we've all speculated that Oasis comes from the Sun Twin - at least we have so speculated since we became acutely aware of her pyrokenesis (sic) abilities. So from the Nifty POV, perhaps that phrase has an even deeper meaning. That is, to prod Oasis to remember her divine origins. In yet other words "Whatever we have made you, remember you are a god...). I'm not exactly clear how that matches "A controlled mind made human" - or of what use "a controlled mind made human" was supposed to be to the (supposedly) late Dr. Steve or how her current captors think it will make a difference... But there is most definitely "divinity" of one sort or another present in Oasis. A force for good or for bad? I think ultimately good wins out - something I'm not so sure is possible if that divinity is from a demon Lord. Just sayin'.

The forum doesn't have a spell-checker (that I know of). Your browser has one though.

If you want them to be valid, you will have to add them to the browser's dictionary. Right-click on the word (when it has line under it) and select "Add to Dictionary".

I've always wondered what her other Overrides were.

Thanks. I feel like an idiot now.

Back on topic, I suppose Oasis having divine origins might fit in with "Hereti-corp" being corruptible into "heretic".

Let's not forget dragon Aylee!

I would also be surprised if Override B-1 were easy to remove. It in general seems to be more powerful than ordinary commands.

Interesting speculation on the origins of 'nosce te ipsum' and 'Hereti' both... hopefully we're due for yet more substantial reveals about Oasis.

This talk of divinity and the meaning of "nosce te ipsum" had me thinking a bit and the following rambling collection of thoughts came together.

I know it is meant to be an acronym, but the name Oasis seems rather ironic for a person who is a stabby, and pyrokenetic (sic), death machine. An oasis is usually thought of as a place in a desert where life thrives. In the same vein, Oasis has associated herself with fire while an oasis is usually associated with the presence of water.

A strange mental picture that then came to mind, given the fact that she seems to be the opposite of what her name would imply, and that Oasis exists "outside the web", is of an island in the endless sea of timeless space. It would fit in with the contrary nature of her name - dry land where there would otherwise be nothing but water. The theme of an oasis might then be played more literally with a place which has a steady supply to "time" and thus a place where life could thrive. I'm not sure if this would link with Oasis in the Sluggyverse proper though. Maybe she is also a godlike entity there, co-existing with Uncle Time somehow?

The theme of an oasis is less ironically played with there being a warehouse full of Oasis entities. Instead of a place with a consistent supply of water, we have a place with a constant supply of Oasis bodies.

What this thought of divinity, and the possible corruption of "Hereti" into "heretic" suggested a different possibility. Oasis was not of divine origin; she is instead intended to become divine. A literal "god from the machine" as it were. The why of this is not clear. A guess that it could be related to the "great tangle" in the web.

It has been stated that the destruction of Oasis will save the fate web. This raises two questions. Firstly, why that would be the case? Secondly, what role does Oasis play in creating that tangle in the web in the first place?

We know that the two main forces on a collision course are Hereti-corp and the Cult of The Destroyer. These are implied to be the two forces involved in the "great tangle". Oasis might be part of why Hereti-corp is involved. This possibility is suggested by the breaking of the webs that led to 4U city - Harbinger, that universe's Oasis, was there and under the control of Hereti-corp (or equivalent). Oasis's pyrokenesis (sic) might be important in bringing Harbinger about and, possibly, also be needed to snap the fate web. If so, the destruction of the fate web could be intentional on Hereti-corp's part, possibly to prevent the tangle from destroying all of reality.

The alternative is that she is currently an independent actor that is playing some, as yet unknown, role here. The fact that she exists outside the web and likely has some divine spark might well be important for this.

Speaking of the fate web, Zoe is prophesied to defeat "The Destroyer" for good. And yet, the fate spiders have all but stated that his would lead to the pillars of reality themselves falling.

The Omega Pillar is implied to be "The Destroyer". This suggests that Prozoato is the Alpha Pillar, Alpha and Omega being the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. Following this, admittedly tenuous, logic chain is that a different letter of the Greek alphabet will be used to name a pillar. Which one? From alphabet - i.e. alpha beta, we get beta, capital letter is "B". Who was in cell B-1 and has Override B-1? Oasis of course. This odd logic chain is why I have been speculating that Oasis will eventually replace the Omega Pillar.

An alternative is that the pillars of reality will turn out to be irrelevant. The impression I have gotten so far is that Kozaoku, K'z'k, or whatever you want to call him, is actually responsible for the destruction of human civilisation, not of all life itself. If that is really the case, then the existence of the pillars, the fate web, and all that might actually play no role whatsoever in allowing civilisation to continue. They might actually turn out to have been hindrances, assuming that their elimination did not involve the cataclysmic events, with attendant side-effects, that led to 4U city. Oasis's fire might be necessary for this process instead.

I'm sure that there are many alternatives to the above scenarios. Whatever happens, it is implied that Oasis will play some key role. Why she needs to be a "controlled mind made human" remains unclear. My thought is that Oasis started out as an artificially created entity and was intended first to become human. "Knowing one's self" can imply a number of things, but can be a key step to becoming superhuman, or more than human.

Regardless, the fact that Oasis seems to play a large role in events on the scale of a planet, possibly even a universe, definitely means that she is "more powerful than even she knows."

The fate spiders are worried about what would happen if Poopypants were slain (presumably by Chaz), not defeated.

This is definitely wrong. I do agree that Prozoato is the Alpha Pillar, but the Greek letters alpha and omega are typically symbols for the beginning and the end—precisely what the pillars of reality are supposed to represent.

On the other hand, what if the Omega part represents something else? The lowercase omega can represent angular momentum, with the lowercase alpha being angular velocity. On this thread, tau represents torque, so what would the Tau Pillar be?

On the other hand, the capital omega represents ohms, which leads to electricity. The symbol of Poopypants has three lightning bolts below it. Additionally, the letter beta can refer to electrons.

Wait, oops. My Wild Spec Alarm has been going off for the last minute. I should probably pay more attention to that.

In today's (11/6/17) strip, Oasis was commanded to "forget about Torg." I have a hunch that this is going to create some cognitive dissonance like this time Torgy and Override B-1 conflicted.

It's hard for me to believe, commanded or not, that she could just forget about Torg, but that's possibly because her love for Torg has been so long established.