***Major Spoiler*** The ending scene of Through Fiery Trials

Julia Minor wrote:
Would the "Visitation" really have been that obvious to a sensor system? It was flashy to human perception, no question there, but there was a filter in place from the Day of Creation to allow angels and archangels, and later on mortal seijins, to use a certain amount of Federation tech without getting a Rakurai upside the head. If Merlin taking his skimmer supersonic doesn't trip the filter (or did but whatever's wrong with the Temple meant no response) a recorded hologram and low-powered tractor beam moving a single book shouldn't trip it.

By itself - probably no. By effect - clearly, because there would be all kind of talks about "Archangel's return!" in the Temple, and even relatively simple pattern recognition program would immediately notice that something is wrong.

Julia Minor wrote:

Bruno Behrends wrote:
As for the objection that the use of Federation tech to make this 'archangel appearance' possible would be too risky as it might be picked up by scanners it has already been pointed out that federation tech has been used before - even right inside Zion.

Would the "Visitation" really have been that obvious to a sensor system? It was flashy to human perception, no question there, but there was a filter in place from the Day of Creation to allow angels and archangels, and later on mortal seijins, to use a certain amount of Federation tech without getting a Rakurai upside the head. If Merlin taking his skimmer supersonic doesn't trip the filter (or did but whatever's wrong with the Temple meant no response) a recorded hologram and low-powered tractor beam moving a single book shouldn't trip it.

bit tricky to answer that one when we have no idea how sensitive and what the Temple sensors [and any AI behind them] might or might not be able to do.

I'm just trying to raise the point that the 'visitation' and especially the God light might require/produce a significant sigint telltale even in the apparent low levels of visually perceived light outside the Cathedral.

as an illustration - our current systems can pick up and decode signals from a 15W transmitter at 4billion miles, or like detecting absolutely minute traces of blood in the water by a shark.

I'm not saying this is the way it is - just saying that RFC could legitimately use this as a trigger to re-energise the temple systems - if it fits in of course!!

Well, that was one heck of an ending…probably the most cliffhanger ending of any of the other RFC novels I’ve read. I just never saw this coming at all, but the impacts will be profound, regardless of whether this is a ploy by the IC or an actual event. I just got done listening to the end of the audiobook this afternoon (PST), and I had to listen to it again. While I don’t discount that this might very well be a “real” event by Schuler, I am leaning to the belief that this is actually a “sneaky” operation by Narhman and Owl.
Somethings to consider is that RFC has a telltale styles of writing in that he lays the groundwork for things to pay dividends later, and I kept thinking back to Merlin’s visit to the temple in Zion. While there, he of course didn’t use active scanners for fear of detection, but he got extensive data on the temple complex and the radiation and energy patterns. The orbital sensors and weapons platform would likely have cut-outs to prevent a strike on a facility displaying that energy pattern. Accidently blasting your follower’s facility in the Temple Lands would be too risky. Now, this makes me wonder at the level of “smart tech” in the defensive system matrix. Was it something near OWL’s level, I doubt it since you’d once again open too great a margin for error in your narrative of being Archangels.
Be that as it may, this very well could be actually from Schuler, because of corroborating events of Saint Khody’s journal. We know he went to Schuler to confront him and it was very possible that this cause Schuler to confront Chihiro and get himself killed, after investigating and finding out that Chihiro was being the event to push for Armageddon Reef, and additionally for the strike to get rid of Langhorne and everybody else. Clearly, these people were traumatized to execute such a inhumane and diabolical plan as to make themselves god-like. Anyway, we will have to suffer through 18 months of waiting.

*finishes last chapter*



RFC IS EEEEVIL!!!!

I'm gonna go out of my mind waiting for the next book!! AAAHH!!

Out of all possible estimated outcomes, I did NOT anticipate this ending and the wait is gonna kill me!

I forgot to mention this earlier, but there another reason to believe that this is actually Scheluer's Return: Narrative.

Basically if the real Return doesn't happen until YOG 1000 everyone in the current cast is going to have to be dead.

SCC wrote:I forgot to mention this earlier, but there another reason to believe that this is actually Scheluer's Return: Narrative.

Basically if the real Return doesn't happen until YOG 1000 everyone in the current cast is going to have to be dead.

That can be settled with whoever waking on God's Day 915 and not telling anyone.

One thing that I have always wondered about was why the key that Schueler left with the Wylsyn family could only be used once.

If there was a pre-recorded message on it, that could make sense, since it might be somewhat suspicious if Schueler said the same thing every time it was activated.

SCC wrote:I forgot to mention this earlier, but there another reason to believe that this is actually Scheluer's Return: Narrative.

Basically if the real Return doesn't happen until YOG 1000 everyone in the current cast is going to have to be dead.

Merlin, Nimue, and the new #3 who vanishes very quickly will still be there. As Fed nanotech is giving (tesxtev says) 140 year life spans to favored people, some of the vesy yound people will still be around. Alannah, for example.

PeterZ wrote:

SCC wrote:I forgot to mention this earlier, but there another reason to believe that this is actually Scheluer's Return: Narrative.

Basically if the real Return doesn't happen until YOG 1000 everyone in the current cast is going to have to be dead.

That can be settled with whoever waking on God's Day 915 and not telling anyone.

Or by "Schueller visitation" activating some emergency routine.

Remember way back that it was mentioned that someone ELSE was looking for the Key of Schueler and part of the reason Paityr was sent to Charis...not only to get away from Clyntahn, but far from the mysterious searcher!


Sorry, can't recall which book that was in :/