Looking at Chapter 21 again, I was struck by two things.
Ayase says he was told "a long time ago" to pray to the Watergod (to Ayase, who is probably in his twenties, that might be ten years). He also has that introduction from Owner-san, without which he would not have been allowed into its presence. It is implied that Owner made these arrangements for the seclusion of the watergod.
It's very interesting that Owner would do this, yes?
About the Watergod, the keeper tells Ayayse "she's alive" and "she has brainwaves." This suggests the presence of scientists to me.
But the next observation by the keeper is much more strange: "We thought she must be a human child, but she hasn't moved an inch since we found her here."
Can you imagine a human even thinking that? What human could possibly mistake the form of the Watergod for a human child? Or finding one in such a form, wait for it to move?
That comment suggests to me that the keeper, if not some of the others we see in the town near the Watergod, are robot persons. They may well have been "installed" there by Owner at some much earlier time to protect the Watergod.
The other thing that struck me was the end of that comment: "...since we found her here." An unfinished humanoid with brainwaves appearing in an isolated spot certainly raises some questions.
Were they looking for her when they found her? And when they did find her, did they contact Owner directly, did he simply hear about the find...or was he with them at the time?
And the fact of the Watergod being there in the middle of nowhere begs the questions "why?" and "how?" If the Watergod is actually a preliminary form of a robot person, was it stolen from where it was being deveolped, and if so, by whom? However it came to be there, why would Owner, upon finding it, leave it where it was found?
If it wasn't stolen, well, the story could go anywhere, couldn't it?
If it wasn't stolen, and if it truely were a "find," then I see two possibilities: one, it's a natural phenomena, and served as the basis for the AI that the robot persons possess; or two, perhaps it's extraterrestial, and again provided the basis for the AI.
OK, I'm retracing my steps through YKK slowly, so it's totally possible a later chapter adds another clue. I'm particularly curious about the motive for Owner's involvement with the Watergod.
For anyone with a good memory: have any of the known robot persons made this pilgrimage?
- seaweb
Monday, October 11, 2004
I think the watergod at the shrine has only made one apperance in the manga.
In chapter 103 "Cliff Water", Alpha finds a similar looking being near a water source. She revisits in chapter 106 "Road, Town and Host", and in the same chapter Ayase finds more of them. He says "That shape is.." and you can see two beings, one looks like the one Alpha found, the other looks like the watergod.
It's also interesting that the beings are described as mushroom like, and so are the large mysterious buildings in chapter 106. Also there are piles of what looks like limestone..
I'm very curious about those buildings, if they are the same as the watergod, and the watergod has brainwave activity.. could be a lot of processing power in objects that large.
It reminds me of the gigantic fungi that cover acres. I wonder if these beings are all linked..
- Brad
Monday, October 11, 2004
I'm a subscriber to the theory posited earlier that the fungus is mimicking the shape as well as function of buildings, lampposts, and even humans. Really, really creepy if you ask me, all other science fiction makes fungus-people evil. ^_^
-k
- Kempis Curious
Monday, October 11, 2004
The largest lifeforms on Earth are fungi. Do they even notice us?
I'm not sure if anyone has tried to measure brainwaves in these real sub-surface leviathans.
- seaweb
Monday, October 11, 2004
No analogue of a nervous system in fungi as far as I know.
On the other hand slime moulds (which are neither fungi nor animals) display some interesing behaviour...
http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s189608.htm
- Chris Davey
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
I love the Watergod. I find it so creepy, and intriguing. It also reminds me of childhood nightmares where family members whould get stuck in things or fall through floors or walls.
I really want to see more about this in future issues.
- Velurajesh Shkandlar
Friday, October 29, 2004
Reply to this topic
Topic list