http://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/pac/IB/04/item/AnExoticMatter_Chapter3.pdf
So what exciting things did the last few pages reveal
1. The showdown takes place at this location - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%A0kocjan_Caves - as mentioned in the wikipedia page - One of the largest known underground canyons in the world and has unique ecosystem
Relating to the showdown (also from the wiki which was actually taken directly from the official park website) - At some points, it expands into huge underground chambers. The largest of these is Martel's Chamber with a volume of 2.2 million cubic m and it is considered the largest discovered underground chamber in Europe and one of the largest in the world. It is interesting to note that an underground canyon of such dimensions ends with a relatively small siphon: one that cannot deal with the enormous volume of water that pours into the cave after heavy rainfall, causing major flooding, during which water levels can rise by more than one hundred metres
Another good reference for the caves - http://www.park-skocjanske-jame.si/eng/skocjan-caves-park_caves_facts.shtml = on this page is a quote from Homer's the Odyssey - the site goes on to mention about a connection of caves to Hades - which maybe is a nice hat tip to what is happening with Hubert - (from site) -Homer’s epic poem depicts the perceptions of the ancient Greeks of the underworld, according to which the doors to the Kingdom of Shadows were volcanoes and caves. Before entering the Underworld, Odysseus makes libations and burning offerings to the Underworld gods, Hades and Persephone. Homer's epic poem, one of the oldest preserved written pieces, corresponds to the first half of the 8th century B.C. but it draws upon earlier traditions. The finds from Mušja jama near Škocjan belong to the same period.
There is a nice how to reach us location on the official site - http://www.park-skocjanske-jame.si/eng/skocjan-caves-park_tourist_location.shtml
2. Have looked at the ingress intel map, was not seeing portals in the area, not sure if I was looking at the proper location, but....
here is a neat map from the park website
and
3. Further confirmation Devra is developing her own lab and a potential faction aimed at countering Lynton-Wolfe's research and efforts (quote from the chapter)
This entire formation was a huge portal. This Was the kind of place she would need if she was to set up her own operation to counter what Lynton-Wolfe Was creating back at Niantic.
She would need to find other spots such as this that were bursting with XM. For a moment, she had the sense of achieving some small victory.
something related is that this was the fourth stop Devra had made, considering the reveal she is looking for portals, where else on her trajectory from Zageb to the Caves might she have gone. And will she come back to the caves as her homebase (more on that below)
4. It seems Devra has been shaped or effected by the XM more than was alluded to in earlier items released from Niantic (where while she was listed in the Sensitives section, it had been mentioned she was not as susceptible, or so she thought)
from the chapter:
Immediately, as it had happened to her on the train, Devra knew she Was facing danger.
and
Based on this, what is the nature of Devra's new skills - I've mentioned a possible idea that XM somehow is programming (like a computer) human's brains and/or unlocking the % of the brain we supposedly do not use (here's a hoot, what if the code has always been in the brain and the dialtone is just activating that code - would put a twist in the knickers of those against the Shapers, wouldn't it ;) - but.... what if the time skips are not time skips, but processing times - meaning not so much time slowing, but the brain moving/processing faster (not sure how to explain it)
5. Hubert's "skills" are shown again as he "knows" which way to go to follow Devra. Is this just his skill or are we seeing the developing ability of those connected by XM to be able to "communicate" almost like the hive mind concept some insects share and can sense where others are...
6. Devra and Hubert were both XM dosed... how will this affect them...
7. Devra is fighting for a much higher cause now, and that makes a person very determined, driven and potentially a little scary as she mentioned willing to give her life... It also makes me wonder if this was a parallel feeling developed by any of the Manhattan Project Scientists...
8. Someone saves Devra - who was on the other end, what was that text, and why did 855 fire the bullets like he did and where is he going... 855 says "It turns out you were right doc." what was she right about, that he could not kill her, or something else?
For now I think it was ADA who texted, but if so, why and why wait until that moment? Well, depending on ADA's motivations, maybe she wanted to expose Hubert and Devra to the XM, so had to drive them to that moment before saving them... or maybe something else
I will say this - that little phone has DAMN good reception in a deep cave LOL - or was the text sent from inside the cave (the phone call is coming from inside the house...haha)
9. Side note - I do like Hubert's words to Devra, "I'm going to close my eyes now".
10. Rome by nightfall... and then where, Milian?
11. Is Hubert dead - where is he... waiting... - which brings up all sorts of questions as Hubert has been interacting with people on g+ or has he????
So much to chew on
And, more discussions about ADA to come next time - here are a few - and I also posted an article that I like regarding computers thinking or not - http://web.media.mit.edu/~minsky/papers/ComputersCantThink.txt
It seems there are a lot of potential theories moving around and they all seem so plausible, which means we still have much to explore and uncover.
I will be updating the Exotic Matters timeline, updating the pages here with more Devra and related info and working on the XM study this week and will post as things are finished up :)
Until then, how are you hanging ADA, Devra and Hubert ;)
