So we've finally wrapped up the booth I was coordinating, I got to see Melissa L.

So we've finally wrapped up the booth I was coordinating, I got to see Melissa L. again today briefly as we were contemplating breakdown and was a little distracted.  I had meant to suggest that we meet up before she heads home to compare notes before posting some of the information we got from our conversations with Hank Johnson and Susanna Moyer at the post anomaly party...  But I've got all these thoughts buzzing around in my head and I can't sleep until I get them out.  I also want to make sure that I not only get it down while it's reasonably fresh, but that it gets out soon enough to hopefully be useful.

If Melissa (or Hank or Susanna should they happen to see this) have additions/corrections, I will amend this post with notation.

Interesting Data Points Pt. 1
- As we know from the video released that night.  The physiology of the Hank who is alive is not exactly human.  Every time he referred to his body/form/"mortal coil", he would in some way indicate his right hand.  He would touch the cuff of his right sleeve with his left hand, or he would hold up his right hand as he flexed or wiggled his fingers.  The same hand that was stabbed in the video.
- Hank was very friendly, open, and candid when answering questions.  Susanna, less so.  Of course, this may be because both Melissa and I mostly asked Hank questions pertinent to the Recursion situation while Susanna got questions about moral quandaries.
- At some point both of us offered Hank our condolences for the Resistance win. He did not appear to be upset or even concerned about it.  He mentioned that, in the US, Resistance tends to take anomalies more often, but in Europe it's usually the Enlightened that take it. He was very easy going about the whole thing.  He also commented, more then once, that he appreciated our kindness.  I can't decide if it's simply a "I'd rather not be dead but I've had a good run and I'm not afraid to die" mentality or not.

Question 1:  Hank was asked about the disposition of the body.  I voiced concern that the cave was no longer as secure as it was before Hank broadcast from it.

Answer: Hank said the body was "refrigerated", "preserved", "healed", "on ice".  He said that it had to be because if he "shuffled off this mortal coil he would go back into that body.

Questions 1b: "Similar to Egyptian Mythology?  The body must be intact?"

Answer: "Exactly"

Interesting Data Points pt.2 - We did not ask what happens if this form is "killed" and the body is not intact.  It's an unpleasant topic, and possibly he does not know the answer.  But perhaps it should be discussed if this is a good question to ask in future depending on the outcome of Recursion.

Question 2: We ask about the artifacts.

Answer: Hank says he wants the artifacts so he can put himself back into his body so he can live out the rest of his days normally.  He says that when this form (whatever it is) dies, he gets "reset".  And he forgets everything that happens in the time he was alive in that form.  He doesn't want to keep forgetting the things he learns or the people (he indicated Melissa and myself) he meets.

Interesting data points pt3:
- When he was talking about getting "reset" he said "every year".  I'm not sure if he meant that he resets once per year, or if he looses every year he lived in the form that was killed...
- Seems to be indicating this has happened more than once.
- I have already posted this theory elsewhere, but it's possible Hank's work with Thomas Greanias, the video diaries, and even NOMAD is a "Momento"- like reminder to himself of what he may end up forgetting do to "reverting back to an earlier save".
- When Hank re-appeared in Germany, it was reported that he was experiencing memory loss.  It is entirely possible that the gunfire we saw in the first cave video killed the form he was in then, and that this is a new form who then picked up the camera and found the corpse.  On the other hand, it could have just been a fugue-state brought on by finding his own corpse.

Question 3 (more of a comment actually): Jarvis seems to think you'll bring the artifacts to him.

Answer: Hank smirks in a way that seems to say, "Yeah, right, and monkeys might fly out my butt.".  What he actually says is,  "Jarvis can think what he likes."

Question 3b: "So you already know what you're going to actually do with them?"

Answer:  "I have a course of action, and there's no 'plan b'."

Question 4: Hank is asked if he has any insight on what the heck ADA could possibly be thinking.

Answer:  The change in Hank's body language when ADA was brought up was significant.  But I don't think I can adequately describe it without stepping on Thomas Greanias 's gig.  He mentions that he and ADA "used to be very close", but that he really doesn't understand what's going on with her or Klue.  He mentions Klue's situation is very sad.

Question 5: The conversation turned to Dr. Oliver Lynton-Wolfe and what Hank wanted to talk to him about.

Answer:  Hank talks about how brilliant Oliver is and how he has deep insights into XM.  But Hank thinks OLW has difficulty handling it, and that's why he is so crazed.  But Hank doesn't think he's a lost cause.  "There's still hope for him."

Interesting Data Points pt4
- Hank totally didn't answer the question (#5 that is).  He spoke in answer to the question, but didn't actually reveal anything about why he wanted to talk to Oliver.  Nice subject change Hank
- Hank's point that Oliver's mind was having difficulty handling the strain of the knowledge and insight being a sensitive put me in the mind of the works of Lovecraft, Howard, and their ilk.  But it didn't seem a point worth pursuing at the time.  I was also thrown off by the next thing you're about to read.
- At one point, Hank actually referred to OLW in that way verbally.  As in, he actually said, "Oh elle double-you"...  I don't know if or how that is significant... But... while we tend to write it that way when talking about him on G+.  That's the first time I've ever heard anybody SAY it like that out loud. Trying to work out why I think this could be significant... Let me put it this way: I've been saying "Oh my God" my whole life.  It's only in the latter half of it (literally half my whole life) I've been seeing and typing "OMG".  Only recently is it finally starting to come out of my mouth unintentionally and unironically. But for people younger than me, "OMG" is synonymous with "Oh my God".  It's interchangeable and perhaps they started using them at closer to the same time. So perhaps they use it more readily when actually speaking? ...I guess I take the use of "OLW" verbally as a possible sign that this is a brand new form, because he would have tried to catch up on what he lost in a reset by reading something he had prepared for that eventuality. He reads "OLW" over and over again in notes, so "OLW" is as much a part of the person as "Oliver" or "Doctor Lynton-Wolfe".  (Or maybe I'm over thinking it...  But over thinking it is the fun part.)

Question 6: (I'm just going to do a transcript of this part to the best of my ability to remember it because the whole question and answer thing breaks down as the questioned became the questioner.)

Melissa: Asks about Anti-Magnus
Hank: "...What is that?"
Melissa: "We believe it's a group trying to erase all evidence of 13Magnus."
Hank: "Why would anybody do that?"
Melissa: "We were hoping you could shed some light on that."
Hank: Shakes his head and shrugs. "I don't see how that could be possible...  They're welcome to try."

At this point Hank is pulled away for a photo op by Joe Philley  but not before Melissa and I get a picture with him.

I think I'm actually getting sleepy now.  Perhaps Melissa L. would like to post the conversation with Susanna Moyer and Archit Bhargava that came after?  I know she's got a lot on her plate this week.  Let me know if you don't have time and I'll do my best.

Everybody else... Thoughts?  Questions?  Insights?

#Ingress   #recursion   #hankisalive