Timewaster's Guide Archive
Local Authors => Howard Tayler => Topic started by: mbarker on June 29, 2009, 01:54:49 AM
-
Given that Schlock's shape seems to be extremely flexible -- which means that his current form is largely one that he chooses -- why do you suppose he goes for the pile of poo form? With the cute hairdo? Kind of an idle wonder, but where did he learn that this was the form he prefers, and why?
-
Maybe his form can be consciously controlled, but it defaults back to his unconscious form when he isn't paying attention. Kinda like breathing in humans; we can control it if we want or need to (sometimes for very long periods of time, such as when swimming) but when we don't, it falls back into the default form.
As to the reason his default form is what it is, I don't know exactly. Maybe that form is particularly defensible? Versatile? Repugnant and therefore looks inedible?
-
So a pile of poo is basically camouflage? That does make me wonder a little about the other critters living where Schlock's species came from -- that's one heck of a big pile! So perhaps we have dinosaur-scaled creatures wandering around, avoiding the piles of poo? And a poor little mammal wanders by one -- thwap! Oops, that was an amorph, who has now gotten his minimum daily ration of fur. Sounds like fun!
-
This is probably a question only Howard could answer. I bet he hasn't thought it through (I probably wouldn't have, in his position).
A guess: it's just an efficient form. Keeping his body in a compact blob would allow him to quickly take any shape, while providing a large and functional mouth. It allows him to move about quickly (far quicker than mimicking a bipedal form) and is probably easy to maintain (not much to hold up against the pull of gravity).
Off-topic: Now we know how Schlock becomes separated from his weapons. This does not bode well for the home team.
-
Hum -- so he's basically a rough pyramid or cone. I wonder if primitive amorphs ever decided that certain shapes were decreed by the gods or something? Wasn't there something about amorphs being the result of runaway nanotech or some such, or am I mixing up my stories?
Yeah -- going down the sewers to get to the dam does avoid tailing, but... no weapons? Uh, oh, this sounds like a call for the bad guys :-)
There must be some kind of a joke about Schlock's going down the drain...
-
Hum -- so he's basically a rough pyramid or cone. I wonder if primitive amorphs ever decided that certain shapes were decreed by the gods or something? Wasn't there something about amorphs being the result of runaway nanotech or some such, or am I mixing up my stories?
Yeah -- going down the sewers to get to the dam does avoid tailing, but... no weapons? Uh, oh, this sounds like a call for the bad guys :-)
There must be some kind of a joke about Schlock's going down the drain...
Well, Schlock Mercenary is definitely going down the toilet about now.
Of course, the strip itself is actually picking up a bit.
Incidentally, I would not call Schlock unarmed even without his plasguns. He is still extremely dangerous.