Spiral 7.1

After the longest hiatus yet in-between chapters (though, I believe the longest chapter yet) Colby has finally relinquished the Spiral Project and handed me chapter 7.1. At about 10k words, I have to admit this might be his best chapter yet, in terms of the actual writing (not that it was bad before, but this would be the best).

I did tell him via text that I felt at times Spiral feels like a bit of a power struggle, with him and me in a tug-o-war with our two stories and trying to gain dominance and assert our literary penises, but he assured me he's doing no such thing, so I better promptly zip up. The whole idea of Spiral was that we'd take the book as the total canon, with all other ideas and plans we may've conjured to be peripheral and subject to spanners. I did say some point in the blog that I was starting to get really attached to my story (even going as far as to mention thinking of abandoning to project altogether to just write a kickass book using my story), so I only have myself to blame now that things are advancing away from it. But it's cool, I think I've come up with a suitable next chapter.

Something that will, as I've long promised, provide an overall feel for the endgame of the story. I guess you could say it'd be like the first scene in the season five finale of Lost, with Jacob and MIB ... that kind of a feel for a chapter, showing what the stakes are. Naturally what I originally had planned has had to change a bit, and I may've escalated the scope, but I do believe it is for the best and keeps in line with the ethos of the project.

AND I've thought up a really neat link for a stories ... something I've thought about for a bit now and was hoping Colby wouldn't write something that would make it impossible. Indeed, when I first started reading the chapter all hope for my plan seem scarce, but towards the end I was relieved to find it open enough to crowbar the link in.

As for my timeframe, I've given myself a week. By next Thursday I will have my chapter in for Colby. I have no intentions on making it a long one ... not like the epic 10k one he just sent, although it may end up long now I start planning it out and breaking it down into scenes. A lot has to happen to get to my ending, so it may well extend to a lengthy one. But I feel the story will need it's framing to gift it a sense of totality.

Oh, and I have a killer idea I'm dying to execute. ;)

Lost S06E03 - What Kate Does

So, I'll probably do a weekly Lost post. Today's ep wasn't one of my favourites, let's just say that. And not because, like what other people are saying, that it's somehow filler or that the alternate reality's story was inconsequential or that nothing happened. I don't think any of those charges are at all appropriate. It actually has a lot of character type development, and the juxtaposition made for a nice pathos. I suspect most people had problems because it came directly after the mindfuck that was "LA X", which I think makes it an unfair comparison. This episode felt to me to be more of a lead-up episode, particular in the realm of character development. No, the results of the setup won't be seen next episode, but for later in the season, but it definitely sets up something that could potentially 'end' Kate's character-arc.

But discussing the character arcs isn't as fun as it is to discuss the mythology. And this ep didn't offer a whole lot, but what it did is truly interesting.

Let's assume that the use of the word "infected" by Lennon is not a red herring and actually referencing the infection of Rousseau, which they actually outright showed us last season. Even then we could sort of tell, when someone gets infected they are no longer themselves (ie, Robert trying to kill Rousseau), which follows along the lines of the spreading darkness to their hearts. Though I wonder if maybe Rousseau herself was infected, OR if she really did go batshit crazy from 16 years of solitutde.

So one has to wonder ... does one have to be dead to be claimed/infected? If so then that explains why Richard wanted his Others' bodies back in "LaFleur" and why they burnt Colleen's body back in season three. There were lots of speculation last year about whether the claimed were Smokey, since he took them into the declivity in the temple wall where this infection seemed to happen (and what kept Rousseau from getting claimed was because she didn't go down thanks to Jin). The refuting evidence was that Robert and the others could be killed by bullets, which made no sense since Smokey can only make apparitions (or so we thought...).

Though if it is Smokey who claims/infects people, why did he not do the same with Locke? Why make an apparition? Perhaps being claimed doesn't mean you become a puppet of Smokey, rather your darkness is unlocked or you lose your humanity ... but basically you just become a chaotic being (the human would be gone). Smokey, to further his agenda actually needs to manifest himself as someone.

So one must ask, what is with the tests they gave to Sayid?

The first test, the blowing of ash, seems pretty obvious ... They had to make sure that it wasn't MIB/Smokey who may've found a loophole. Since the ash had no reaction with him, we can conclude that it's not MIB. Though it should be interesting what would happen if someone tied Locke down and poured the ash on him...

The second test ... This is my own pet theory. I believe that the electrocution was fake, that is the wires weren't connected to the machine or that the machine was a fake that would generate the noise. Perhaps, those that are claimed no longer actually feel, they actually become zombies. So when Sayid reacted to getting electrocuted, it convinced Dogen that Sayid was faking (or actually believing he was electrocuted ... see below), since a normal human would not react and scream in pain to no stimulus.

As for the fire poker (third test) I have no answer. I'd like to think it was fake, though it'd be hard to fake pulling it out of a roaring fire. Who knows, maybe he wanted to see what would happened to a claimed who was actually hurt? Dunno, this is the hole in my theory.

I also believe the pill was a fourth test. Something to confirm things. Give poison to Sayid, who will willingly take it from Jack. If Sayid doesn't die then he is definitely a claimed person. And I say this so I can make the "he has to take it willingly" stuff make sense. To accommodate this, I'm going to suggest that the claimed are highly suggestible beings who lose all cognitive thought. If they think they ought to be feeling pain, they will 'create' that pain for themselves or at least scream out in pain. If they think they ought to die when they get shot in the head (ie, Robert) then they will die. But if they have no reason to think this, then they will be impervious to it.

It's a bit complicated and convoluted I grant, but I see no non-mystical reason why poison has to be taken willingly. Unless they just didn't want to be the ones to administer the poison themselves and wanted Jack to take the blame/guilt.

Also, the other big reveal. If Dogen is right and Claire was infected and claimed, then that means she also died, which many people were suspecting, when the mercenaries nuked her house in the DHARMA barracks back in season four, and when Miles kept looking at her funny. It would also be the reason why Claire would willingly abandon Aaron.

This also leads to the question ... who is Claiming them? I think we're being lead to believe it's MIB, which would make sense, since he killed the Rousseau team. But is claiming one of his functions? If so, how did his power get into the Temple?

Perhaps it is Jacob and his touch. Maybe the touches from the season 5 finale were acts of pre-emptive claiming for when they died, rather than to bring them to the Island was we all suspected. In fact, did he even revive Locke when he fell and broke his back?! Or did Jacob claim the body as his own and turned Locke into a 'zombie'? Does this bear any significance on MIB using Locke? Perhaps that's why Locke could walk when flight 815 crashed on the Island, he didn't actually heal so much as delude himself into having the ability and therefore gained the ability. Which would seem like when their heart is consumed by the darkness they start acting in the best interests of the Island in blind faith. Would also explain why Locke isn't so bitter in "LA X" ... maybe he never died and still retains humanity. (Oh, oh oh! Did all of our Losties die when 815 crashed and subsequently turned into the claimed? Thus the alternate realities show us how they are when not claimed?)

Maybe it's some third party, or the Island. Perhaps it's Christian?? Or is Christian himself someone who was claimed?

It would seem, with my theory, that the Claimed for all intents and purposes think they're still alive, and that their rational faculties and moral sensibilities are in-tact. They have their memories, do not know they are dead, and act like they normally do until the darkness consumes their heart. Then what? They start killing those they love? They are enacting the will of the Island or Jacob or MIB?

Can't wait for next week's episode. STOP READING IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE PROMO FOR NEXT WEEK.

Those people who think Sawyer's gonna die from the promo are so stupid. Do they not see that MIB is also in that frame down the bottom? The 'falling' down the ladder is like an abseiling movement. Mark my words. See it happen next week. Also: am I the only one who sees a cave opening on that giant cliff?? Ties in with other major spoilers promo released just before "LA X" where they enter into a cave with scales and a black/white rock (and I think a Jacob ghost).

Fortune Read

Tonight my parents and I went to Canberra to have a end-of-the-year dinner with my Grandmother and Gordon and uncle. I should clarify that this is the the Chinese New Year, where the new year is to start on February 14th this year.

As is customary with these kinds of things, one looks to the fortune tellers to elucidate what the year of the Tiger has in store for us. Gordon and I were both born in 1989 so  we are of the year of the Snake. Under "teenagers born in the year of the snake" we had several bits of wisdom:

Regarding Academics: If you are lazy this year your school work will suffer, but if you study hard and have diligence, you will get good results.

... Well duh :P

And the other bit:

Regarding Romance: This year you will have no romance whatsoever.

Regarding Romance: You will have a lot of trouble misinterpreting signs from others as interest in you, but be rest assured you are completely wrong and they feel nothing for you.

Looks like virginity will still be on that plate this year. Unless I act fast ... I have 4 days where I still have a chance in the romance department.

New York, New York

Possibly the one bad thing about watching all these American tv shows is that so many of them are set in the metropolitan, by which I mean the towering cityscapes the likes of New York. 'White Collar', 'Castle', 'Gossip Girl' and now add 'Good Wife' to that list. They have a tendency to always either start or end on aerial shots of the city and every single time I feel a twist of angst in my heart. In particular the city of New York always gets me, what with its straight lines and central park; I am reminded why it's my favourite city. Hell, I even get all emotional when playing GTA4, particularly during the sunset. Standing over a mutilated body of some civilian with the orange lightbox background is somehow beautiful when in New York.

And it's always during moments like these that I take stock of my life. Graduating from Grammar I moved on to go to ANU. Though I am living in the city, it is nothing like the cityscapes of somewhere like New York (or even Sydney). Why is that? I know that for some - probably most - new uni students who move out to a studio in a large foreign city it's all about exorcising oneself from the parental influence. It's the same with cars and partying and yadda-yadda. I'm not in the business of pop-psychology nor am I interested in looking down on them, because personally I find nothing wrong with all that and I recognise a good number of people don't have those as their reasons.

My point is that I've never felt the need to do that. My parents and I have a very amicable, loving and supportive relationship, and at the same time, I know they know their boundaries. That line between treating me like they are my parent and treating me like they were my guardian. Should they ever cross it I merely have to tell them (I'm sure) they'll back down. I'm not about ostentatious displays of independence.

But if not to cut off parental strings, then what of the rational reasons? For that I have no answer. ANU and psychology always seemed like the right choice for me. It's just what I was going to do; I have never had any interest in going elsewhere.

Yet I have this yearning to just drop everything and move off to a city. Even somewhere nearby like Sydney could be ideal ... I have no idea what apartments right in the city are like rent-wise ... I assume expensive. I've no interest moving into a really crappy place, I'd like something that looks somewhat decent with an actual view.

In my mind moving to such a city would involve roommates and having a job, to both of which are things I am virgin, and the prospect of that experience is something that excites me. I also know that I have it very easy right now, compared to most other students, how I am legally still a dependent, and I really should have a job to alleviate my burden on my parents.

Moving out won't be an option this year, (I mean assuming I could sort out a new uni) having just signed a 12-month lease, so roommates are gonna be out of the question. But a job won't be. Perhaps that's something I can do this year. "2012: The Year Shanan Got a Job and Simultaneously Brought on the Apocalypse." Has a nice ring to it, eh?

I should stress right now, especially if you're reading this Mum, that I am not saying I desperately want to move out or am secretly planning to undercut family ties. I'm merely thinking and pondering. I have no intentions of leaving the ANU, it is definitely one of the best research universities in Australia, especially for psychology, and I'd be a fool to think of going anywhere else.

Though "2013: Year of a Roommates" seems like something you should start worrying about now.

It's like some kind of addiction ...

I can't help but continually come up with new stories. New ideas that I know deep down I will not put in the effort until such a time when the right catalyst is present. Every time I'm ensnared in the rapture, brimming with lust for seeing it manifest and completed. Yet I never start. Listen to me, I still believe that the right catalyst will eventually make itself known and inspire me.

Why do I hoard these ideas all to myself? Because they are, if I do say so myself, bloody brilliant stories. So why do I never put the effort to share them?

Either way, yesterday I came up with another story. I germ of a beginning of an idea. I've spent the last 24 hours working out the logistics of such a story. Whether or not it will have a meaning, or an ending, or what. I think I've settled on something.

It's got a very (not surprisingly, if you've been reading my last 3 entries) Lost feel about it. The whole idea of free will vs fate ... Something I've noticed that seems to surface a lot in my writing. As is the concept of God. I'm sure there's a psychoanalytical rationalisation for it. Not Lost in the sense of fantasy/sci-fi/supernatural, but thematically and with characters.

It fills the void I wrote about last time, where I wanted to write a novel based in the real world and around teens. Perhaps I'll base it in school I've been using for all my novels, maybe not. I'm thinking it will work best as a novel. A singular, without sequel or prequel, allegory written at length and from multiple perspectives.

As I write this I am excited for it. I would not be surprised if a similar work had been undertaken before ... but it excites me nonetheless. I've got a whole list of names sitting here on my desk - I've been collecting some cool names for about a month now - so maybe I can start putting names to some of my characters.

Oh yeah, and it'll be first person perspective. Fulfilling another writer's goal I've had for awhile now.