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Rebo and Zooty have shadow tech?

AkrovahAkrovah Ranger
in Babylon 5
This is going to contain spoilers to anyone who has not seen "Day of the Dead" or read the technomage trilogy.

Ok, i may be totally out of whack here, but i just finished watching "Day of the Dead" for the first time since reading the mage trilogy and i caught something interesting. Rebo (I think. The tall one) says he has only heard Zooty say one word. "Why?" and it was in reference to "the machine" that he carries in his pocket all the time.

In the Mage trilogy when Galen circumvents the Shadow's programing of the tech, it is always asking the question, "Why?" And Shadow tech is always refered to by those that merg with it as "The Machine". In addition, the mage tech implants are described as being golden and Zooty's machine is golden.

So, the only things i can think of are A) the machine is some Shadow tech that Zooty found sometime, or B) the Machine and the implants are not shadow tech, but the Shadows were able to control the tech with the microcircutry on the tech's cell walls forcing it to their will.

I know that JMS did not actually write either of these things, but given Kosh's message to Sheridan i would say he had some input into the ep, and he wrote the outline for Passing of the technomages. so maybe the link is there.

Comments

  • BekennBekenn Sinclair's Duck
    I think there's no link whatsoever, and Neil Gaiman simply put that in there because it was fun.

    Although, actually, I'm not at all sure Gaiman wrote that part, given that he didn't know who would be playing Rebo and Zooty, at least not in the initial drafts. The parts were rewritten so that Teller wouldn't have to say anything on-screen. It's possible Gaiman did the re-write, but it's also possible Straczynski did it.
  • David of MacDavid of Mac Elite Ranger Ca
    Don't forget the end....

    [i]"Because it tells me to."[/i]

    Which always gave me the slightly creepy feeling that Zooty was, if not a slave to his machine, definitely under its influence.
  • ShadowDancerShadowDancer When I say, "Why aye, gadgie," in my heart I say, "Och aye, laddie." London, UK
    nah, i think your reading a little too much into it;)
  • David of MacDavid of Mac Elite Ranger Ca
    Really? Look at it.

    One word;

    "Why?"

    Ten years later;

    "Because it tells me to."

    While pointing at the machine and winking knowingly.

    The machine does all the talking. The machine does everything. Consider their famous catchphrase;

    "[He did it] with a [i]machine[/i]!"

    No, that metallic little antennaed bastard is doing something to Zooty, you can be sure of that. And it ain't just spouting puns in Minbari about fish and tasting good food.
  • ShadowDancerShadowDancer When I say, "Why aye, gadgie," in my heart I say, "Och aye, laddie." London, UK
    alright, so the machine is doing something. i just cant picture shadow tech being funny:rolleyes:
  • AkrovahAkrovah Ranger
    Thats a good point. But, there is another possibility. As i said earlier, maybe the tech the Mages used was not originally shadow tech, but was created by someone else. that would help to explain why it is golden, like zooty's machine, insead of black. and it would also explain why the shadows had to use circutry in the cell membranes to control it. maybe the machine is from whoever those people were.

    I may have jumped top conclusions about it being shadow tech, but it does seem to have similarities to the technomage's tech, which is from the shadows.
  • ShadowDancerShadowDancer When I say, "Why aye, gadgie," in my heart I say, "Och aye, laddie." London, UK
    i agree it has similarities, but i thought it was more or less explicitly stated in the technomage trilogy that the mages tech was made by the shadows.
  • AkrovahAkrovah Ranger
    They do make it. Currently anyway.
  • SanfamSanfam I like clocks.
    [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by ShadowDancer [/i]
    [B]alright, so the machine is doing something. i just cant picture shadow tech being funny:rolleyes: [/B][/QUOTE]

    Of course it can be! Haven't you seen the Great Shadow Joke machine?

    "So a Shadow walks into a bar..." ;)
  • David of MacDavid of Mac Elite Ranger Ca
    Oh, God, that reminds me of the halcyon days of Shadow contact lenses, and Vorlon Encounter Suit polish, and, Heaven help us all, the Tuning Fork that won the Minbari War.

    Where does the time go?
  • MartianDustMartianDust Elite Ranger
    [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Sanfam [/i]
    [B]Of course it can be! Haven't you seen the Great Shadow Joke machine?

    "So a Shadow walks into a bar..." ;) [/B][/QUOTE]

    hehe, are there any B5 jokes anywhere?
  • David of MacDavid of Mac Elite Ranger Ca
    [url=http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Dimension/9109/amuse.htm]Yes.[/url]
  • A2597A2597 Fanboy
    there was no machine, it is the stupid single eye "keeper" that is attached to rebo.
  • MartianDustMartianDust Elite Ranger
    [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by David of Mac [/i]
    [B][url=http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Dimension/9109/amuse.htm]Yes.[/url] [/B][/QUOTE]

    Thanks! There's alot!
    Funny thing about the B5 drinking game.
    Thats the 3rd different version I've seen.
    :)
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