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TimelineTheoriesStory


This is part of TimelineTheories ... it's speculation on how the Widow's Story works into it. --UserGunsmithCat 06:54, 9 Aug 2004 (PDT)

some speculation based on the Widow's TheStory (formatting is mine):

<pre> There was once a fell enchantment that broke apart a mighty castle, slaying many guards and reaching through the Inner Keep to lay low the Queen that held dominion there and leave but a hollow crown behind </pre>

This may be describing the Fall of Reach, and the flight of Melissa's craft from it. The base at Reach is called CASTLE. This would aid the speculation that the craft is the Applebee, Lark or Circumference.

It's just as likely, if not more, that these don't refer to physical locations and is all a software metaphor.

<pre>When she had made sure of her tools, she opened her eyes and found herself in Hell, which was a dark place where no birds sang. Other than the Widow, two alone had escaped destruction.</pre>

It may be that the accident/attack occurs in space. Most likely unless Melissa's ship is destroyed while in dock. Unless this is again a software metaphor.

The other two would indicate the SP and Flea:

<pre>The Sleeping Princess lay in a chamber of the dungeon in a coffin of glass where the Widow could not hear her breathing.

Meanwhile, the Pious Flea was so small that even the Widow, with her sharp eyes, could hardly see him, and when she looked his way, he hid.</pre>

IMO, The SP refers to a part of Melissa's AI, or a dumb AI, that operates and communicates for the ship's cryopod - which is now adrift after the accident/attack. The Flea may be another AI, possibly Covenant, which has been hidden on the ship.

It's notable that the Widow is female, the Flea male. That means the Princess, Queen and Widow are all female, only the Flea is not.

<pre>Long and long she walked until she came to the remnants of the castle's outer wall, but the wall was low and broken, and the Widow passed through like the bleak wind.

Within, she noticed what looked like a chip of precious ruby

Around it lay many broken blocks from the ruined castle, scattered across a wide plain of lodestone.</pre>

This part confuses me, but I think that may be because SPDR is confused. I think it sees a network unlike the Queen's original "domain", but similar enough that it feels it needs to be re-taken. What's interesting here is that the Flea doesn't seem to understand it's not really in the original location anymore. It's notable here that it may not think it's breaching the Cole Protocol (which is where AIs must be destroyed instead of compromised).

<pre>At the gates of the Inner Keep all the guards were dead but one,

The Widow said, "I am the servant of your Queen,

So the Widow drew her knife and slew the Manticore and the way was open.</pre>

I think this is where SPDR invades the ILB web server. Manticore Technology is a RL software firm, they make web traffic analysis platforms.

<pre>She walked through the empty corridors of the Keep searching for her Queen, past the bodies of her servants and subjects that lay dead or enchanted.

The Queen was gone, and in her place lay only an empty crown. By great enchantment she had been mazed in mirrors, and lay upon a lodestone floor amongst only her reflections. Long and long the Widow stood in thought. Then she raised her bony staff and speaking a spell, beheld herself within the mirrors: and beholding herself, was within them. And there, with the crown still upon her brow, lay the Queen.</pre>

I think much of this is metaphor for pieces of software. Her servant may be dumb AI. Enchantment might be a phrase describing the use of advanced software to alter other software. It begs the question that maybe her network was infected by Covenant tech prior to the attack/accident.

But I think here is where Widow begins to reconstruct the queen by looking into aspects of her "mazed in reflections" (fractured and seperated apart).

<pre>To mend the queen's cuts the Widow took her sharp knife and peeled skin from the bodies of her subjects, while the Queen's new eyes and ears she cut from those who had been her most trusted servants.</pre>

The SPDR is repairing old processes for the Queen's use. What's interesting here is that since SPDR doesn't seem to distiguish locations, some of these maybe adapted from our software (like, a web cam?).

<pre>She cut her a new mouth and fed her with fireflies and cakes of sand, and at last the Queen's heart began to beat.</pre>

I just want to note here - it doesn't use honey as a metaphor. Some could point a similarity between bees and fireflies, perhaps...

<pre>At the feel of the Queen's pulse beneath her bony fingers, the Widow next took thought to proclaim through all the kingdom and into other lands that time when her sovereign would once more be fit to rule. A firefly flew out from the Queen's clockcase. Catching it in her hands, the Widow asked it the time. "Almost dawn," it said, but the Widow said, "The day will break and the sun will rise when the Queen returns to rule, and further let it be known that retribution on any who hinder the return of the Queen will be swift and terrible."</pre>

Here it seems SPDR catches Dana's javascript and rewrites it. The warning/countdown appears on ILB.