Home Fires questions

David Stockhoff · 02 Dec 2011, 14:08 · from 2011-December.txt.gz

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From: dstockhoff at verizon.net (David Stockhoff)
Date: Fri, 02 Dec 2011 09:08:13 -0500
Subject: (urth) Home Fires questions
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On 12/2/2011 8:50 AM, Andreas Muegge wrote:
> Almost missed this discussion...
>
> 2011/10/18 David Stockhoff <dstockhoff at verizon.net 
> <mailto:dstockhoff at verizon.net>>
>
>
>         > Was Skip once someone else?
>
>         Seems like everyone in Home Fires is/was someone else so why
>         not Skip? Question is, who? His initials--S.W.G.--don't help
>         me generate many alternatives, although some sort of "Greene"
>         seems likely. But Skip/overlay might explain why Skip wonders
>         if Chelle will recognize him on her return--despite the
>         Obvious Explanation that Skip will appear different in
>         Chelle's eyes because he has aged. Skip/overlay also fits with
>         Skip's too-easy transformation into agile hero aboard the
>         cruise ship.
>
>         > At the formal dinner, his family reunites. All three have
>         trouble recognizing one another (except when they don't). Two
>         are known to be not entirely who they think they are. Surely
>         the third is also not entirely who he is.
>
>         I do wonder how any of the Blue family can recognize each
>         other to any degree because they're all replacements/overlays.
>         Still, somehow Chelle recognized her replacement mother at the
>         airport while failing to recognize Skip. Clearly an important
>         clue.
>
> 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?
>
> Ciao,
>   Andreas

I have a few thoughts on that but no answers:

(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.

(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.

(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.

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