I've never met Antoine Smith, nor would I want to.
I've never met Antoine Smith, nor would I want to. He seems like a very unpleasant character -- 855, but with more sinister intentions. What I remember of him is that he and a guy named Chow or Chen (I have to check) encountered Hank Johnson and Conrad Yeats in Thomas Greanias' semi-fictional Alignment: Ingress. Chen died bad in Mexico City -- I can't unsee that photo, and Smith seemed to emerge intact. How and why? We know he was exposed to a lot of Dark XM. We know Hank was a simulacrum, so he got away with it. Why did Smith survive? Maybe he's sick and needs Devra for something. It wouldn't surprise me if he was behind luring Devra to Hulong in the first place. I never saw Fan as very deep into the Dark XM issues. I'm just speculating here, but something isn't adding up. There's a missing factor.
Very interesting statement that Smith would be in need of Devra since from the latest transmission, he seemed pretty clear to need a reason on why NOT to kill her... on the other hand I am sure he already had multiple occasion to do it and we can't say he did it... at least not yet!
ReplyDeleteAs I recall Hank Johnson had a long history with Smith even before Alignment:Ingress (and Thomas Greanias may have more from Hank's notes that didn't get published) - certainly enough that Smith was a known problem before that encounter. He runs a mercenary outfit that clears the obstacles Hulong Transglobal can't remove legitimately. I always got the impression that SE's motto could be "Putting the blood in blood minerals." Long history of nasty stuff so he may have just been better prepared, since Hulong seems to have been working with Chaotic Matter before most of the rest of us knew what it was.
ReplyDeleteOf course, the Smith walking around now has been through his own near death experience. He was at ground zero when Oliver Lynton-Wolfe detonated his CM burst to split the Roland Jarvis infomorph into shards. The resultant exposure caused accute Chaotic Matter Syndrome. Typically that's fatal, but Lynton-Wolfe managed to stitch Smith back together in return for delivering him Hulong's RedX scanner prototypes. Since OLW did the engineering on whatever Smith has become it's tough to guess what limits he might have (if any). I don't know if he's some kind of simulacrum or not, but I doubt he was restored with all factory original parts.
Chen, H. Richard Loeb.
ReplyDeleteWhat about The Chaotic Syndrome? Are there any traces on the people that have been exposed? Or is is that we cannot see them? Have they become something like the sensitives? Have they developed a new sense for Dark XM? If there aren't any traces, why? What made them immune to Dark XM? What is it that stops Dark XM to influence in them?
A agree that something is up. According to Felicia Hajra-Lee, Devra is being observed. Studied, perhaps. I think Antoine Smith is interested in the effects of the Devra Bogdanovich XM vaccine, and if it also can counter the effects of Dark XM. or if not yet...I'm sure she is his best bet on coming up with a cure.
ReplyDeleteIf N'zeer are to CM as Shapers are to XM, Smith might see the N'zeer as the entities that may help him with his dark XM problem.
ReplyDeleteAnd if Devra is a threat also to the N'zeer, Smith might just want to gain favor with them by removing her in a rather permanent way.
Hmmm OLW was supposed to do something for Smith's condition... is it maybe termporary like we saw with Jarvis? If so and Smith is using Devra :/ shame on Devra for being so devoted to one cause she was lead into things, but even more woe to Smith, once Hubert Farlowe and Devra wake up to that fact....
ReplyDeleteand so - is Smith like a dark XM vampire now?
ReplyDeleteYes, there is a lot more that has not been published. Now that I am getting back up to speed here in 2015 I will really push for the release of some super crazy chapters that have been locked away in Niantic Labs. Think I can use some upcoming Ingress anniversaries as triggers this Spring. So give me a bit of time. But this is a New Year's resolution.
ReplyDeleteThomas Greanias hurray - I still wonder what happened to Hank in those caves near Cross Plains!
ReplyDeleteMmmm, I'll take a heaping bowl of dark XM, please!
ReplyDelete