Bella's OS-tan Manga Thread

[Aurora Borealis]

Yeeeeah…that’s an old lady, obviously. Well, as old as manga will allow O__o

I've seen elderly ladies in anime and manga before, but there are not very many of them.

Well I was using Inkscape, tracing a picture of my own hands, so I could fidget around with them until they came out right.

I honestly don’t wanna spend the time. Hence, the hands are hidden most of the time.

Still, they turned out great! I totally suck at drawing hands -_-

And Kate is the name of a Slackware based distro. Maybe some foreshadowing!? :O

KateOS-tan!

I at first thought that Kate's Cafe was sort of a reference to your K8 machine! ;012

I kid you frickin’ not, just yesterday I was thinking about drawing Xenix-sama. My psychic powers know no bounds!!1! @___@

I was thinking about sketching Xenix-san too, to show what she'll look like in my second story! (She'll be based off of C-Chan's original suggestions as well as your original drawing of her)

Whoa! A deserter! A draft dodger! A typical Berkeleyite! ^_^
I always wondered how the BSD patent infringement problems would play into an OS-tan context. Thanks for answering this.

Awesome! Free BSD-tan openly dodging the Unix War draft made her even cooler, and she was a cool character to begin with!

3 (really 2): Yes, all planned out. I really like it…I think. It’ll have to do with the young ITS-san’s interactions with Multics-sama, and how this made her determined to live as free and detached from riches as possible.

Hmm... I wonder if ITS-san tried living Multics-sama's lifestyle but felt like it was holding her back, or if Multics-sama oppressed her!

4 : Leopard-san. I hope to have it open with a scene of Linux-sama, being lavished with gifts and good treatment by the GNU people, to her chagrin. She’ll wonder at this point if this was all the work of coincidence…or if it really is her destiny.

Whoa... Leopard-tan going back in time has had influence on Linux-sama? Cool! (And even fits my original Leopard-tan preconcept as a messenger from the future!)

Going back a few months, in transit to Cambridge (on her way to see the GNU people), Linux-chan will have some bad experience involving the OS (or Unix) Wars. While she isn’t personally involved, let’s say she sees a destructed town while traveling though the countryside, or meets some individuals who were effected by the fighting. She becomes discouraged and doubtful of her own place in this world, and thinks that she’ll never be able to change anything for the better. She decides to not continue on her journey, and instead return “home” to Minix-san.

Oh my... Even Linux-sama was not exempt from the difficulties of the time!

Leopard-san somehow knows about this, and knows this is a pivotal point in history. She knows (somehow) that if Linux-chan goes home, it’ll be for the worse; so she appears (under the guise of it all being a dream), and shows Linux-chan what the future will hold if she continues on her current path.

Whoops--spoiler alert…? I know this brings up some pretty horrific time travel paradoxes, but I figure since Linux-sama won’t realize it’s actually happening, and think it’s just a dream, I can be a bit whimsical.

Sweet! A dystopian element to the story! I like it!

5: Kinda. I’d also like to have a flashback involving ITS-san, WAITS-san, Emacs-kun (who’d be just a young boy) and some of the early hackers to paint a picture of the early hacker culture, which would have been brimming with fellowship, harmony, and liberation and how they slowly lost their “utopia”. This could also go to explain why the GNU people were so determined to re-create this culture with their proposed “GNU-sama” who never showed up…instead Linux-sama did, and I’d like to show how this almost accidental event changed her life, and their lives, forever.

Oh boy, have the times changed! I nearly forgot that "hackers" back then were different (freedom-seeking and not malicious) kind of breed than they are now!

How did these hackers lose their culture? But by chance, Linux-sama became its savior!

6: Not so much. As planned, it’d start with a few high-ranking Unixen very worried over Linux-sama and her recent development of power. They send some of their troopers (or maybe even go themselves) to try and capture her or take her out at some point when they know she’ll be alone. Long story short, Apache-tan will show up at just the right point to help Linux-sama out of what could have been quite a jam.

Or…if I want to integrate chapters 6 and 7...I could say Unix-sama gave the order for Linux-sama to be brought in (very specifically alive). Some Unix-tans set out to capture her; while they’re initially rather non-threatening, Linux-sama isn’t taking chances (we could have a quick flashback to some earlier scuffle between Linux-sama and some Unixen. But what they aren’t counting on is Apache-tan being with her; and together they hold off the horde of aggressors. But apparently they aren’t good enough, because Linux-sama gets captured and brought to Unix-sama, leading to chapter 8 (or 6).

So it's around this time that Linux-sama gains significance to the Unices, but they see her as a threat and are out to capture her, but Linux-sama will not be captured without a good fight! Aw yeah!

But this brings up the question of why exactly Apache-tan is with Linux-sama, and what she adds to the chapter is Linux-sama gonna be captured anyway.

I'm not sure, but maybe she is Linux-sama's ally who showed up at the last minute to help her, and she did because she supports her beliefs or something?

8: I’d like this to start with a subdued, but still very emotional, confrontation between Unix-sama and one of her creators in the last throws of the Unix Wars (early/mid 90s). In it, she questions him on why he  never told her about her relationship with Multics-sama. He replies with a comment about them just wanting to keep life simple for her, and goes on to question if knowing the whole truth would have kept her from making the mistakes she did.

Unix-sama was not told that Multics-sama is her mother for a long time?! But I think that could explain why Unix-sama went full-force against her in that fight early in her life, not holding back at all because she was unaware of the fact her opponent was her own flesh and blood!

In a flashback to the early 70s, we would see some of  Unix-sama’s interactions with GECOS-san, and her burning (yet rather child-like) curiosity about having some kind of family. To her dismay, her first job is the mundane task of working in the patent office at Bell Labs (a historical fact, Unix was first used for this job). Somehow she comes across a file on Multics-sama and begins to think that they do, in fact, share a relation. GECOS-san finds out about Unix-sama’s newfound discovery, and assures her that they share no relation; and furthermore tells her some very horrible things about Multics-sama.

Unix-sama... With child-like qualities and curiousity? *head explodes*

I like the historical fact you added in, and it's pretty amazing that a patent office worker would later rise to incredible power!

And that Unix-sama was told terrible things about Multics-sama by GECOS-san, I wonder if that fueled Unix-sama's hatred towards Multics-sama, and if that is the start of her apprenticeship with GECOS-san?

While we don’t really see any of the fight between the two, we certainly see the aftermath. She felt her life got significantly more complicated after gaining her mother’s power--almost as if it was cursed--and how she later felt that all she faced during the Unix Wars were almost like “karma” for all the mistakes she had made.

What goes around comes around! (And it was mentioned in the first descriptions of Multics-sama that after the fight, Unix-sama was not happy at all defeating her and gaining her power)

Flashing back to the mid 1990s, we see the discussion between Unix and Linux-sama (after the latter’s capture). I don’t want to give too much away, but we see how the two of them decided to work with each other to ensure the survival of their kind.

...And the Linux/Unix Consortium is founded!

I know there’s some blaring plotholes in these ideas, but I welcome and love all sorts of input.

It all looks very good and I didn't see any blaring plotholes, except for how did Leopard-tan from the future know that Linux-sama was about to throw her own life away and went back in time to warn Linux-sama of the consequences of giving up her quest?

However, if you still want to keep it Linux-centric, consider a modern day scenario where a fort (=bank, police precint or some other critical institution) is retiring NT-san and having Linux-sama take command. After a not-entirely-friendly handover of power (especially considering this is one of the last useful jobs NT-san has left in the world), NT-san hands over the fort's colors then marches out solemnly with her personnel.

But NT-tan is also a mother with lots of troublesome kids and 'sisters' to tend to! That there is a full-time job! (or was this before NT-tan had kids?)

Anyways, I like this scenario and how it ties in VMS-sama and NT-tan into this whole story centering on Linux-sama! Good job! ;010

[Bella]

***EDITED***
More post-production was done to clean up some messy areas.

Oh lawd…sorry for the HUEG post, again. Mods don’t kill me, again. Hope you like the chapter, again.

Chapter 2: Live Free or Die (part one, I shall post part two later on. Suspense n’ all!)






















Notes on this chapter so far: The title "Live Free or Die", of course, was inspired by the my home state's motto. Fun fact, the rest of this saying goes, "death is not the worse of all evils". And all the post-production of this chapter was done in Inkscape.

Still, they turned out great! I totally suck at drawing hands -_-

I try to work more on the form than on the fine detail. It could help looking at pictures and tracing them (if your vector sketching); hand sketching is a bit more difficult, but DA has a lot of good tutorials on the subject.

KateOS-tan!

I at first thought that Kate's Cafe was sort of a reference to your K8 machine!  

Hmmm...maybe it is...if we see Dy’s diner at any point, we’ll know for sure ^^

I was thinking about sketching Xenix-san too, to show what she'll look like in my second story! (She'll be based off of C-Chan's original suggestions as well as your original drawing of her)

Oooh, I can't wait to see her.

Hmm... I wonder if ITS-san tried living Multics-sama's lifestyle but felt like it was holding her back, or if Multics-sama oppressed her!

Not really either...but I imagine the two would have been very antagonistic with one another. ITS-san came from a freer culture and would have hang out with the likes of WAITS-san and such, and Multics-sama would have been pretty much pure old school.
CP/CMS-sama would have been in the middle somewhere; while she was no little hacker OS-tan by any means, she would have valued independence. (which reminds me, I gotta draw a finished CP/CMS-tan...)

Whoa... Leopard-tan going back in time has had influence on Linux-sama? Cool! (And even fits my original Leopard-tan preconcept as a messenger from the future!)

But it's such a ontological paradox...^///^

Oh boy, have the times changed! I nearly forgot that "hackers" back then were different (freedom-seeking and not malicious) kind of breed than they are now!

How did these hackers lose their culture? But by chance, Linux-sama became its savior!

Now now, crackers and hackers are entirely different things…or so the Jargon File would say.

Well, I know the MIT hacker culture (considered the first one) would have died out when the management started phasing out the PDPs running ITS in favor of newer machines running proprietary OSes.

(the "Cambridge" portion of this article explains it best)
http://crackmonkey.org/unix.html

How exactly this translates into the comic I'm unsure...

Unix-sama was not told that Multics-sama is her mother for a long time?! But I think that could explain why Unix-sama went full-force against her in that fight early in her life, not holding back at all because she was unaware of the fact her opponent was her own flesh and blood!

I’m not sure, but I think Unix-sama would have known that to be her mother even when she got into the fight with her. She'd have been swift enough to figure it out, really…which…I guess makes it all the scarier @___@

Unix-sama... With child-like qualities and curiousity? *head explodes*

I like the historical fact you added in, and it's pretty amazing that a patent office worker would later rise to incredible power!

Hey now, Albert Einstein once worked in a patent office and look at what became of him...

And that Unix-sama was told terrible things about Multics-sama by GECOS-san, I wonder if that fueled Unix-sama's hatred towards Multics-sama, and if that is the start of her apprenticeship with GECOS-san?

I'd like to point out that what would become Unix was written on a machine running GECOS, so I suppose GECOS-san would have been something of a caretaker for Unix-sama since...well, before she was born...and would have later served as her mentor (or...or whoever teaches the apprentice). Something similar to Multics/CTSS-sama, but with none of the lasting love between the two.

She'd have seem Unix-sama as a great weapon against Multics-sama (I do suppose GECOS-san would have been better at plotting than fighting), and thought it in her best interest to get quite close with her. But after the incident, I do think Unix-sama would have realized she had been used by GECOS-san to a certain extent, and vowed never to work with her again.

Speaking of which, why does Nancy (or I should say Nancy’s evil clone) from Read or Die strike me as a decent inspiration character from GECOS-san…? O___o

What goes around comes around! (And it was mentioned in the first descriptions of Multics-sama that after the fight, Unix-sama was not happy at all defeating her and gaining her power)

We have to remember, Multics-sama wasn't even that happy with her powers...I don't think Unix-sama had any qualms about them, however, it was more the thought of what she did to gain them.

[Siya]

OMG YAY!  More comic!  ^^

I'm enjoying it very much!

[Bella]

Thank you Siya-san! I'm glad you've been following it!

To conclude Chapter Two...





















Notes: You may be noticing that Linux-sama has a spear in this chapter. Whether she’s owned this all along, or picked it up at some point, will remain intentionally unclear for some time. In page two, there’s a tiny, smudgy Easter Egg on ITS-san’s bike, I don’t know if anyone will be able to find it, but it explains just what her motorcycle might be a RL reference to. Uhmm…all that Multics-sama and ITS-san stuff…I guess you’re free to interpret it however you want…but it’s pretty self explanatory. Multics-sama was more of less at the mercy of a group of people who didn’t know if their years of work would yield any return. She was rich and lived in luxury, but she didn’t have a very good life; while ITS-san was rather poor, at least she had her freedom and had a great deal of fun.

I think when ITS-san was forced to leave MIT and the culture dried up around there, she started to lose faith in the direction her life had taken. But when she met Linux-san she began to see that there was still hope left. And BTW, ITS-san saying she’s going to Europe is an allusion to one of the last public ITS machines being run in Sweden.

Yes, I see the typo on page 8.

[Siya]

A very touching chapter conclusion, Bella-san. ^^

[C-Chan]

Sorry this had to be my last and final stop for the evening,... and in fact I still have to type up the response slowly and surely since there's so much awesome ground to cover with those beautiful comic pages.  ^^

Just know that I'm even more impressed by the production value in this set, and simply can't contain my excitement for the GAWDLY work you've done on them!  

Bella-hime!  To put it mildly,... YOU RULE!!  ^v^

If you don't mind this slow bumblingly pig, please wait for me as I work up another reply worthy of this genuine genius I see before me.  ^___^

[C-Chan]

*pants* *heaves* *lurches* *crawls* *sprawls out on ground*

X____X

...

I.... won't be... defeated....

*lifts self up*

FREEEEEEEEEEEDOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!  ^0^

...

Oh wait, wrong inspirational phrase.... ^___^

I HATH RETUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRNNNNNEEEDDDD!!!!!!  ^0^

Alright this is it... absolutely-positively Zero hour!  Today is THE day!!!  

Bella-hime, prepare yourself for the Mother,.. not, the UNIX-sama Equivalenet of all Responses!!!  ^v^

*cracks knuckles*

[Bella]

Good luck...you gonna need it ^^

[Aurora Borealis]

This is some magnificent stuff! Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! So sorry I didn't get to reviewing the pure awesomeness that is chapter 2 right away!

But now here is my review!

--Part 1--

page 1: Linux-sama hitchhiking? Poor Linux-sama! I especially like her appearance on the third panel of page 1- looks like she was trying to use some charm to persuade a driver, and what a shame that it didn't work! You are very good at drawing vehicles, btw!

page 2: Ooh! Linux-sama has some sass to her personality! I also like her facefaulting expressions in panels 3 and 5! The group shot of ITS-san and Linux-sama in the last panel is very cute!

page 3: The relations between ITS-san and Multics-sama revealed! So ITS-san did not live in luxury like Multics-sama did at all but at least she [ITS-san] has a lot more freedom! I see that Multics-sama does not like the little proletariat in her palace!

The backgrounds for panels 3 and 6 are beautifully done!

page 4: Heheheh... ITS-san should have known not to grab a super moody and powerful sorceress by the wings! And CTSS-sama steps in! And is that... Multics-sama acting childish in panel 4, using the classic childish excuse of "she started it"?! 0__0

ITS-san looks especially cute in the last panel!  

page 5: I'm a little baffled as to who is being referred to in the narration (there's like no way that Multics-sama could have reminded ITS-san that humble people still exist!)  but once again the scenery is all beautifully-done, and ITS-san and Linux-sama both look very cute in the last 2 panels!

page 6: Cool! Linux-sama and ITS-san are friends and do have a lot in common such as realizing the true value of freedom!

Their hair blowing in the wind is very well done!

page 7: Poor Multics-sama! Even she gets bored living the luxury lifestyle!

--Part 2--

Given the fighting that the two had earlier, I certainly agree that ITS-san would not be trusting of Multics-sama but it was really nice of ITS-san to give her a motorcycle ride! And it sure is incredible seeing Multics-sama submissive like that!

Heheh... I like ITS-san mocked Multics-sama and her followers in the first page! ITS-san's got attitude!

It is great seeing the two happily together, and Multics-sama getting a taste of freedom but so sad that it did not last long at all and shows she really does not have any freedom at all and that she wasn't living a good life despite being so rich.

The dialogue and narration about freedom and how Multics-sama does not have any is brilliant!

And finally... Linux-sama and ITS-san part ways... They would have made a good team but it was for the best apparently.

[C-Chan]

Well I was using Inkscape, tracing a picture of my own hands, so I could fidget around with them until they came out right.

I honestly don’t wanna spend the time. Hence, the hands are hidden most of the time.

For some reason, I seem to recall you once mentioning something about violin hands.  Wondering if I'm imagining things.  ^___^

Ahaha! You are a megane fan too!

To a certain extent, I admit.  But I'm more of an HHH person myself.
(HHH = Height, Hair and Happiness)  ^____^

Whoa! A deserter! A draft dodger! A typical Berkeleyite!
I always wondered how the BSD patent infringement problems would play into an OS-tan context. Thanks for answering this.

Fufu... well in typical FreeBSD-style, she wouldn't care what the rest of her family thought of her actions either.  She's free as in Speech AND Beer, and loving every minute of it.  ^___^

3 (really 2): Yes, all planned out. I really like it…I think. It’ll have to do with the young ITS-san’s interactions with Multics-sama, and how this made her determined to live as free and detached from riches as possible.

Wow!  Did you EVER plan it out!  In hindsight, it was fantastic.  ^__^

Also happy to see you moved it up a slot like I recommended.  ^__^

4 : Leopard-san. I hope to have it open with a scene of Linux-sama, being lavished with gifts and good treatment by the GNU people, to her chagrin. She’ll wonder at this point if this was all the work of coincidence…or if it really is her destiny.

To her chagrin?  Whoops! This I have to see. ^____^

Going back a few months, in transit to Cambridge (on her way to see the GNU people), Linux-chan will have some bad experience involving the OS (or Unix) Wars. While she isn’t personally involved, let’s say she sees a destructed town while traveling though the countryside, or meets some individuals who were effected by the fighting. She becomes discouraged and doubtful of her own place in this world, and thinks that she’ll never be able to change anything for the better. She decides to not continue on her journey, and instead return “home” to Minix-san.

Actually, that DOES present the opportunity to add a little darkness to the comic.  I would probably go with the first option (the destroyed town) since it might be easier to draw (rubble over lots of people anyday), and has the potential for more silent-film style dramatic shots.

Like walking across broken cobblestone paths, downed trees, broken glass, pockmarked storefronts, half-standing gutted buildings, and a very eerie desolate silence.  There would only be a single inhabitant in the entire town -- either a resident who survived under the rubble, or a partisan who stayed behind as a sniper, or someone who rushed over to check on friends and family (unaware of the severity of the devastation).  Since ideally the individual would be relatively defenseless (hence no future CIOST member), it would be a good opportunity to cameo an OS-tan that would one day be either a Wanderer or a vintage-tan (but at the moment, would be confused, catatonic or overwhelmed with rage).

I imagine the experience would move Linux-sama to the point where she would question her non-intervention, against her sensei's wishes.

Leopard-san somehow knows about this, and knows this is a pivotal point in history. She knows (somehow) that if Linux-chan goes home, it’ll be for the worse; so she appears (under the guise of it all being a dream), and shows Linux-chan what the future will hold if she continues on her current path.

Well yeah, just a tad bit paradoxal... ^^;
But I do like the idea that's a dream that would lead her towards the den of the GNU... would certaily give her a slight messianic edge.  ^___^

5: Kinda. I’d also like to have a flashback involving ITS-san, WAITS-san, Emacs-kun (who’d be just a young boy) and some of the early hackers to paint a picture of the early hacker culture, which would have been brimming with fellowship, harmony, and liberation and how they slowly lost their “utopia”. This could also go to explain why the GNU people were so determined to re-create this culture with their proposed “GNU-sama” who never showed up…instead Linux-sama did, and I’d like to show how this almost accidental event changed her life, and their lives, forever.

Oooh!  Kudos to the ITS/WAITS/Emacs-kun proposed cameos -- those I'd love to see.  ^__^

I imagine ths would be Linux-sama's first true exposure to the mysterious 'Open Sourcery'.  Given her earlier Girl-Next-Door attitude, I imagine she wasn't particularly excited with it at first -- if anything, she might've thought it just a tad bit hokey (certainly nothing compared to the time honored UNIX sourcery, which no commoner including herself was permitted to wield).

But like any good adventurer, she accepts it anyway, tries it, practices it, studies it thoroughly, and then expands upon it utilizing creative new additions and combinations.  The fact that she's able to shape that power into something truly pragmatic and accessible would probably allow her to participate (and eventually lead) some actual reconstruction and rescue efforts.

While she still wouldn't actually participate in any fighting, she would mature through helping individuals and refugees rebuild their shattered lives (and listening attentively to their stories).

It's likely here where her loyal and faithful following is born, as her honesty, devotion and willingness to teach her spells openly (so as to help them help themselves, of course) moves them considerably.

With her reputation spreading, and taking advantage of her generous "open genome", it's inevitable that her first "daughters" begin to appear.  Willing and able to "hold the fort" in her place, Linux-sama would finally be able to continue her journey wiser and better-prepared than ever -- and in so doing, her influence EXPLODES to territories both touched and untouched by the Unix/OS Wars.

6: Not so much. As planned, it’d start with a few high-ranking Unixen very worried over Linux-sama and her recent development of power. They send some of their troopers (or maybe even go themselves) to try and capture her or take her out at some point when they know she’ll be alone. Long story short, Apache-tan will show up at just the right point to help Linux-sama out of what could have been quite a jam.

Or…if I want to integrate chapters 6 and 7...I could say Unix-sama gave the order for Linux-sama to be brought in (very specifically alive). Some Unix-tans set out to capture her; while they’re initially rather non-threatening, Linux-sama isn’t taking chances (we could have a quick flashback to some earlier scuffle between Linux-sama and some Unixen. But what they aren’t counting on is Apache-tan being with her; and together they hold off the horde of aggressors. But apparently they aren’t good enough, because Linux-sama gets captured and brought to Unix-sama, leading to chapter 8 (or 6).

But this brings up the question of why exactly Apache-tan is with Linux-sama, and what she adds to the chapter is Linux-sama gonna be captured anyway.

Mmmm-hmmmm.... guess it was good timing to suggest she was already on her journey at this point. ^^

Assuming this is a few years after Chapter 4/5, I imagine by now Linux-sama is pretty much well aware of her influence, and already has a strong mastery of her evolved Open Sourcery.  However, she's still pretty much a loner, taking advantage of the fact that a few of her more Enterprising daughters (e.g., RedHat, Mandrake, Debian) have assumed positions of leadership in her absence.

I imagine the young Apache-tan is another person she met on the road -- a long time admirer of Linux-sama and more than eager to show the older woman how far her own Open Sourcery had progressed.

Perhaps they camped somewhere in the plains, and Apache-chan was out looking for something to eat [while Linux-sama was setting a fire] when the Unixen arrive to cause trouble.  This provides the opportunity for Apache-chan to ambush some of them from behind just as they're getting ready to gang up on Linux-sama.

The Unices have very powerful magic, but it's too elaborate and lumbering to compete in such close quarters with Open Sourcery spells (which despite being weaker at that point, were still quick to cast and quick to recharge).  Not to mention that both Linux-sama and Apache-chan were both masters of melee weapons and hand-to-hand, something which probably also caught the Unixen off-guard (and which likely the previously-defeated Unixen refused to divulge for fear of embarrassment).

But Apache-chan was still young and prone to make mistakes.  Eventually, she would get caught in a diversionary tactic while another cast a paralyzing spell on her.  Unable to move but still consious of what's going on, The two Unixen might threaten her life if Linux-sama refused to surrender.

But hardy intimidated by them, Linux-sama would furiously unleash a barrage of insults questioning both their bravery and intelligence, and the integrity of the family she [once] felt proud to be associated with.  Tossing her spear and helmet over to one of them with the condescension of a mother scolding a child, she announces her unconditional surrender as a means to salvage whatever dignity the Unix Family had left (cause clearly the real Unixen weren't qualified).  And of course -- she's more than eager now to face UNIX-sama in person, even if it cost her her life.

Though her words genuinely cut through their egos like a ginsu knife, they still take her away anyway if only try to shore up their own reputation.  Meanwhile, Apache-chan is left behind -- and once the spell wears off, quickly sets to work communicating what had happened [interpreted as a would-be legend, of course] to the rest of the world.

8: I’d like this to start with a subdued, but still very emotional, confrontation between Unix-sama and one of her creators in the last throws of the Unix Wars (early/mid 90s). In it, she questions him on why he never told her about her relationship with Multics-sama. He replies with a comment about them just wanting to keep life simple for her, and goes on to question if knowing the whole truth would have kept her from making the mistakes she did.

In a flashback to the early 70s, we would see some of Unix-sama’s interactions with GECOS-san, and her burning (yet rather child-like) curiosity about having some kind of family. To her dismay, her first job is the mundane task of working in the patent office at Bell Labs (a historical fact, Unix was first used for this job). Somehow she comes across a file on Multics-sama and begins to think that they do, in fact, share a relation. GECOS-san finds out about Unix-sama’s newfound discovery, and assures her that they share no relation; and furthermore tells her some very horrible things about Multics-sama.

While we don’t really see any of the fight between the two, we certainly see the aftermath. She felt her life got significantly more complicated after gaining her mother’s power--almost as if it was cursed--and how she later felt that all she faced during the Unix Wars were almost like “karma” for all the mistakes she had made.

Flashing back to the mid 1990s, we see the discussion between Unix and Linux-sama (after the latter’s capture). I don’t want to give too much away, but we see how the two of them decided to work with each other to ensure the survival of their kind.

Fufufu... I know you talked about plotholes, but if you like my progresson of events, I think you won't have to worry about them.  ^^

In any event, this seems like a perfect way to transition from the last chapter -- having devoted nearly the entire comic building up Linux-sama as a respectable character we can feel for, it's only fitting that UNIX-sama be given the same treatment.  

In a way, Linux-sama's capture would be like an extension to that "karma" -- prior to Linux-sama being hauled into the "throne room", she might have been briefed on troubling reports about armed uprisings, massive protests and civil unrest from the Linux/FOSS followers furious at what had transpired.  The threat of yet another civil war (this time, between UNIX and UNIX-like) was at hand, and with the downfall of the already battered UNIX Family imminent, it seemed like Multic-sama's curse would finally bring itself full circle.

Even more than the war, and more than Plan9-chan's departure, this could very well be the most depressing and lost point of UNIX-sama's life.

But clearly their meeting would progress in such a way that the new "cursed" UNIX-sama would die, and an invigorated, hopeful one would take her place.  The two would emerge as good friends, war would be averted, the UNIX Family would begin to rise from its ashes, and the prestige of the GNU/Linux Union would soar.

Cooler heads prevailed, and everyone was stronger for it.

Ahhhh! This is a wonderful idea, just wonderful! I am thinking to…linearly, and I don't want my comic to be to linear. Thank you very much!

I'm hoping these other ideas will help you too. ^__^

Awesome! Free BSD-tan openly dodging the Unix War draft made her even cooler, and she was a cool character to begin with!

What makes her even cooler is that she can walk the walk as much as she can talk the talk.  No doubt a few VERY powerful Unixen might have tried to track her down and haul her back -- but expecting a pushover, they were all surprised by very RESOUNDING defeats by seemingly simple tactics.  (e.g., tossing steel pellets whenever Solaris-sama uses her magnetism)  Not realizing her own inherent genius, few if any would have admitted to those humiliating defeats (and would've just made up stories about not finding her),

How did these hackers lose their culture? But by chance, Linux-sama became its savior!

They lost their culture by the corporate types, of course.  ^___^
The same ones trying to destroy that culture today (but failing for the most part, as old tactics dull fast).  ^.^

It's really the GPL and other similar copyleft-like licenses that helped Linux-sama live the life that her cultural ancestors could only dream of.

Unix-sama was not told that Multics-sama is her mother for a long time?! But I think that could explain why Unix-sama went full-force against her in that fight early in her life, not holding back at all because she was unaware of the fact her opponent was her own flesh and blood!

Unix-sama... With child-like qualities and curiousity? *head explodes*

I like the historical fact you added in, and it's pretty amazing that a patent office worker would later rise to incredible power!

And that Unix-sama was told terrible things about Multics-sama by GECOS-san, I wonder if that fueled Unix-sama's hatred towards Multics-sama, and if that is the start of her apprenticeship with GECOS-san?

While I do like how Bella-hime described UNIX-sama's revelation of her relationship with Multics-sama, and how GECOS-sama helped repress that fact, I'm of the belief that UNIX-sama continued to harbor a small suspicion regardless.  Especially after confronting Multics-sama on early occassions, she would have just known that she was her mother.

But that's the dilemma:  Multics-sama, GECOS-sama, Bell Labs, society in general, all the taboos of the era regarding "bastard clones"... the young UNIX-sama was alone in a world that refused to acknowledge she even had a mother.  UNIX-sama lost to Multics-sama during their several first encounters in huge part because she might have feared hurting her own flesh and blood.

For this she got punished by everyone, including Multics-sama -- living as an outcast bordering on failure, surviving on scraps tossed by an enfuriated GECOS-sama, she might have finally agreed to let herself go.  

And certainly during their last momentous battle, when UNIX-sama suffered the pinnacle of injustice, she held absolutely nothing back as her pent-up frustrations unleashed a kind of berserker rage that not only vanquished, but completely humiliated and destroyed MULTICS-sama.

And as a touch of irony, once UNIX-sama emerged victorious but motherless, was it finally made obvious that MULTICS-sama herself was never allowed to acknowledge her daughter.  Surely she might have begged for forgiveness, but with the tables turned and the curse now forced onto the young UNIX-sama, it was now the daughter that turned the deaf ear to the mother.

But NT-tan is also a mother with lots of troublesome kids and 'sisters' to tend to! That there is a full-time job! (or was this before NT-tan had kids?)

HAHA!  You kidding?  All her kids are now grown-up enough to have kids of their own! ^____^;

Truth is, NT-san, like 3.1-sama, is finding herself with less and less to do as she grows older and older.  NT-san is still the only one with great multilingual skills -- but since that has not been coveted by M$ for more than 10 years, its easy for her to be displaced by either a daughter/sister, or any of the new competitors who she once used to belittle as belonging to some "Penguin Cult".  

This is a parallel to real-life data migrations by banks and stuff from ancient NT (or OS/2) systems to Linux.  The systems have to be reliable after all (with minimal crashing and maximum uptime), and Linux fits the bell better than most M$ options (without the fear of losing support, as with OS/2).

====================

Le sigh.... yeah, this is too much for me for one day.  '___'
Let me try and continue this tomorrow, ne? ^___^

*flops over keyboard and SNORES*

Added after 13 hours 16 minutes:

Yo!  Back to finish the job (although hope you don't mind if I cut a few corners... currently working with battery power on my EeePC. ^^')


CHAPTER 2
=========

PAGE 1: Fufu!  The spear makes its appearance.  ^__^
I read your afternotes on it, and I think its a smart idea.  Like with the UNIX staff, Linux spears themselves are associated a lot with Open Sourcery, but are not actually the sources of power themselves.  They're instead more like a medium to focus that power, but they can easily function without them.

It's not at all surprising therefore that there was nothing magical to her acquisition of it.  Perhaps during the time she was "surrounded by water", it was gifted to her by someone who taught her how to fish and was impressed by how quickly she acquired the craft.  In that case, she currently keeps it more as a momento of that person's generosity.

Love the particularly cute depiction of her in Panel 3 -- I've always admired how effectively you draw Linux-sama's hair while still keeping it abstract enough to draw it quickly.  I should note that Linux-sama with her leg up in Panel 2 does seem a bit strange (unless she's stretching rather than walking).  ^^'


PAGE 2:  BWAHAHA!!!  I think I see "PDP- something" on that bike.  ^___^

Gotta admire the humor in panels 3-6, especially twirly-feet Linux-sama.  

And yes, don't know why I confused the earlier old woman with ITS-sama, when CLEARLY ITS-sama rides some serious wheels. ^____^;


PAGE 3:  You've at least confirmed my suspicions that ITS-sama's hair has grown a bit longer than in your earlier drawing with her and CTSS-sama.  Kudos for knowing how to properly transition into a 3rd person narrative!  

And for drawing cacti really well!  ^__~

OH!  And bedrooms too!  Damn girl, you're just all over the place here!  Beautiful!  ^v^

Happy to see another Multics-sama star in another one of your comics -- that makes TWO instances so far.   ^___^

As always, you draw with her a remarkable grace and elegance -- it's pretty obvious that you love her character if you're willng to dip so much effort into her face/hair/jewelry even though this is one of countless pencil drawings.  ^^

Good touch making her sound arrogant -- no doubt "hovel" and "ruffian" are one of many words she would have tossed around regularly.


PAGE 4: BWAHAHA!!  I'm an admirer of this kind of subtle but very effective humor, if only because I feel it gives the comic more of a Manga feel to it.  The molting reference clearly demonstrates you're willing to leave no insignificant detail unaddressed.  ^__^

Also much appreciated to see a bit of sourcery finally -- I missed it a bit from your last comic (VMS-sama vs UNIX-sama).  It's obvious that you've become quite comfortable drawing action scenes -- between the dynamic poses of their bodies, the lashing hair, and the strategically-placed action lines, it does the trick and then some!  

And again with the humor -- nice touch to let Multics-sama seep through a bit of her spoiled brattiness.  ^__^
Also great to finally see a nice close-up shot of CTSS-sama -- aside from the slight family resemblance and the smart (albeit conservative) fashion sense, it also becomes obvious that while caring, she's not particularly affectionate.  (which I figure made her an upstart decent woman in her era)

PAGE 5:  I consider this a very effective transitionary scene -- even though there's no doubt their conversations were extremely interesting, you get the full essence of that in a single page (two of which are dripping with beautiful scenery) than you would with 5 or 10!  And funny you should mention humility in the last two panels, as they both look their kindest and most down-to-earth in that particular scene in the restaurant

Love ITS-sama with those pigtails, but the placement of Linux-sama's left arm looks a tad bit strange.  ''


PAGE 6:  Chalk one up for another fabulous Bella landscape sketch!  
And another for more effective long-distance fully body shots (particularly of Linux-sama in Panel 1-2) -- while simple, they really do much to accentuate her natural body curvature.  *purrs*  ^__^

Closeup shot in Panel 3 is also very beautifuly drawn for both women -- aside from the flowing hair, I love the little extra details you added (like Linux-sama's goggles and ITS-sama's gun holster).


PAGE 7:  Multic-sama's hand is a bit odd in that closeup, but the rest of her is great -- a nice way to capture her perpetual melancholy.  ^.^

The servant sounds particular impudent (infidel), but I imagine that, despite her position, she was still pretty much sheltered and treated like a kid.  Or is this because this takes place during the REALLY early days, when CTSS-sama was still the head and undisputed matriarch?  ^__^




INTERMISSION:

Well, I know the MIT hacker culture (considered the first one) would have died out when the management started phasing out the PDPs running ITS in favor of newer machines running proprietary OSes.

Because the computers were so ridiculously-expensive at the time, I can definitely see how that could easily starve out the early free-as-in-beer hackers.  It would be much akin to the notion of Western governments agreeing to dissolve the free internet model with a two-tier controlled system -- almost immediately you would see many of the gains done in FOSS (or even in small collaborative communities like ours) disappear overnight, simply because we could never afford to set up such a parallel complex system out of our own pockets.

That's the reason why ][-sama is considered to have started her own mini hacker revolution -- though vastly inferior even to the old PDPs, she was cheap enough and open enough to serve the needs of countless early developers (albeit still under the limitation of a closed system).

I'd like to point out that what would become Unix was written on a machine running GECOS, so I suppose GECOS-san would have been something of a caretaker for Unix-sama since...well, before she was born...and would have later served as her mentor (or...or whoever teaches the apprentice). Something similar to Multics/CTSS-sama, but with none of the lasting love between the two.

She'd have seem Unix-sama as a great weapon against Multics-sama (I do suppose GECOS-san would have been better at plotting than fighting), and thought it in her best interest to get quite close with her. But after the incident, I do think Unix-sama would have realized she had been used by GECOS-san to a certain extent, and vowed never to work with her again.

Precisely, I agree with this wholeheartedly.  ^^
(btw, the person who teaches an apprentice is usually called the "master")  ^.^

I don't think she would have been so lenient to GECOS-sama at the end, though.  Having had to cast out the last bit of morality and humanity in order to vanquish MULTICS-sama, I don't believe there was anything left to hold her back from seeking some small vengeance.  In trying to create her own personal foot soldier, GECOS-sama inadvertently raised a dog that would not just bite the master's hand, but tear it off and eat it.

In that case, I figure GECOS-sama would have fled on her own, knowing it was dangerous to stick around during UNIX-sama's rise to power.

Speaking of which, why does Nancy (or I should say Nancy’s evil clone) from Read or Die strike me as a decent inspiration character from GECOS-san…? O___o

Don't know... she doesn't really look like the kind of person to pass through walls.    ^^;
And not if you're talking about ROD the TV -- Nancy is a COMPLETELY different person there.  ^.^;

On the other hand, I did add a little sexy lip gloss to GECOS-sama in my CIOST panel pic -- the reasoning being that, over the years, she's probably cast off most of her conservative convictions, and allowed herself to explore new and creative ways to exploit manipulative, young minds.  `v'

(The kind of stuff that would force AtariTOS-san to desperately take notes.  ^________^' )



CONTINUATION:

PAGE 8:  Wah!  Cute closeup of ITS-sama! Winter gear really does it for her!  Same goes for MULTICS-sama in panels 3 and 6 -- obviously in her youth, she was quite the dish.  

It's also a treat to see MULTICS-sama so reverent -- makes you wonder if all that stuffiness at home is really just an act.


PAGE 9:  My guess is that the sun effect was done in Inkscape -- if so, that's a very beautiful and convincing use for it, as it gorgeously conveys the feel of early daybreak (despite this being in B&W).
Cuteness still reigns supreme in Panels 3 and 5, although the last one, despite the fact that it brings a smile to my face, also makes me feel a bit sad.

Cause MULTICS-sama is almost a mirror image of Linux-sama at the very beginning of the chapter.  Perhaps if Multics-sama had been able to live as Linux-sama did, she would still be alive and happy today, enjoy the eternal devotion of her Multicians, as well as the undying love from all her daughters/granddaughters/great granddaughters.

*sniffles*

Oh well... things are like this for a reason.  For Linux-sama to have been born as a beacon a freedom, she had to have been born in a world without it.


PAGE 10:  Another pleasant long shot, with an abstract MULTICS-sama clearly having the time of her life.  ^.^
I can see the "PDP-7" much clearer now.  ^__^

And wow!  The real gaul of those servant just knows no bounds!  This definitely has to be in the early days.

Love the long shot of CTSS-sama dashing to [I hope] dispense some manners on those two.


PAGE 11:  Ah! Just as I thought.  ^___^
She's not only caring but tought -- what a woman!

But she's also a bit brainwashed too -- in a way it's kinda sad that she's genuinely convinced this is the best life she can offer her Multics-sama.  Guess there's some truth to the saying that you can still "Kill with Love".

Multics-sama in Panel 2 looks gorgeous; and not sure why you were impressed by the eyes of FreeSBIE and RoFreeSBIE, when it's pretty obvious by ITS-sama's in Panel 4 that you can draw them like that too.  ^____^

Though the narrative is directed at Multics-sama's sad face, you might be interested to know I was reminded of XP-san's small introspection in Grant's last story.  Though the circumstances are different, XP-san is also living the life of a beautiful bird with clipped wings -- at the mercy of caretakers who have no real sense of loyalty, dignity or shame.


PAGE 12:  The sad faceoff shot with ITS-san and Multics-sama is both beautiful and heartwrenchingly-dramatic at the same time; the snowflakes serving to accentuate the sad and lonely aura.  It's a wonderfully-fitting end to the flashback.

[oh, and how I do love Multics-sama's wisp of hair over her face.]  ^__^

Just to let you know, I spotted a major problem in panel 2 -- you made Linux-sama TOO cute.  That's dangerous, you know?  `v'

Multics-sama wouldn't die until several years after this point in the comic, but I imagine ITS-sama is refering to the lonely and mundane life she lived in her final years of her proprietary life.

Should be interesting to note that ITS-sama has NO idea of Multics-sama's relationship with UNIX-sama -- had she known, maybe she would have given Linux-sama a new mission in life (to find her would-be "grandmother" and save her).


PAGE 13:  Add the ability to draw trains and train stations as another plus to Bella-hime's HUEG list of talents!  Are you drawing these ad-lib, or using reference shots (and if the latter, are they YOUR reference photographs?)  ^__^

Cambridge I'm assuming is were the GNU cult is based in -- but I can definitely see why she encourages Linux-sama to get there no matter what.  Undoubtedly, heading in that direction risks exposing Linux-sama to some hotspots, both from the ongoing Unix War, as well as that of the OS War just breaking out.

Kudos to the tie of ITS-sama to Europe, as well as the acknowledgement that Linux-sama knows it quite well (after all, she was born there).  ^__^
Her sharp expression, shapely athletic body and spear make her look particularly strong and confident in panel 5 -- a small reassurance to the reader that everything will be alright for Linux-sama.  Whatever the hinderance she might encounter, she'll be able to deal with them.  ^.^


PAGE 14:  Nothing more to add here, other than to compliment the gorgeous parting shots of ITS-sama and Linux-sama.  It's also very reassuring to see ITS-sama feeling hopeful and grateful perhaps for the first time in many, many years.  

I imagine she likely feels even better now in the present day -- even if she's not part of the young hacker community, it's more important for her now that there IS one in the world.  That way, even if she were to die, she would have no regrets of being the last of her kind, but rather the pride of knowing she was the first of her kind.  -v-

========================

And I think that concludes my full review of this wonderful new comic addition!  Bella-hime, sometimes I worry if my over-praise might become boring or artificial some day, but I do want you to know that it's all genuine.  You really ARE doing a remarkable job with this, and it moves me every time I see works of this scale coming from you.  ^__^

Now that you're back home, though, I would encourage you to "trickle in" your comics as they get done.  That way I can treat each one with the full attention it deserves, and not force you to endure days of silence while I'm busy typing HUEG pages of notes.  ^________^;

[Bella]

First off, I'd like to say sorry for making you write this HUGE response. I think I'll try to just post a few pages at a time from now on...

Secondly, a lot of stuff is going on right now...it's about the end of my summer break season, so I may be absent for the next week, and in and out for the next few weeks actually. -___-

I'm going to get back to the reviews later and I thank the both of you for your encouraging words, but first off...

For some reason, I seem to recall you once mentioning something about violin hands. Wondering if I'm imagining things. ^___^

No, I have freaky slender hands. People are always joking that I'd be a great violinist XD

To a certain extent, I admit. But I'm more of an HHH person myself.
(HHH = Height, Hair and Happiness) ^____^

I'm a GDHLEWandGWW person!

(glasses, dark hair, light eyes, wings, and girls with weapons, person!)

Actually, that DOES present the opportunity to add a little darkness to the comic. I would probably go with the first option (the destroyed town) since it might be easier to draw (rubble over lots of people anyday), and has the potential for more silent-film style dramatic shots.

Like walking across broken cobblestone paths, downed trees, broken glass, pockmarked storefronts, half-standing gutted buildings, and a very eerie desolate silence. There would only be a single inhabitant in the entire town -- either a resident who survived under the rubble, or a partisan who stayed behind as a sniper, or someone who rushed over to check on friends and family (unaware of the severity of the devastation). Since ideally the individual would be relatively defenseless (hence no future CIOST member), it would be a good opportunity to cameo an OS-tan that would one day be either a Wanderer or a vintage-tan (but at the moment, would be confused, catatonic or overwhelmed with rage).

I imagine the experience would move Linux-sama to the point where she would question her non-intervention, against her sensei's wishes.

I actually planned to have Linux-sama come across some kind of refugee or victim of the devastation. I wasn't sure who it'd be, but as you said, is could almost be any wanderer or Vintage-tan...I just wonder, would this town have been destroyed by the Unix Wars, or one of the first in the OS Wars...? I could probably go either way...

At any rate, this part of the storyline may or may not take a backseat to the future part with Leopard-tan. What will happen in the future portion of the storyline, and whether it should be the main focus I'm a bit unsure of--but I do think the flash-forward will open with Linux-sama literally waking up in a new time, in a new life, in a much older body.

After the initial shock wore off, Leopard-tan would take her on a tour (perhaps of the Linuxes' HQ?), showing Linux-sama some of her daughters (I plan to have an Ubuntu and Slackware-tan cameo) and telling her about some of the differences she's made. This realization--that she will change the world for the better, no matter what--will inspire her to continue on her journey. But, for the sake of suspense, her acceptance among some Unixen will remain intentionally unmentioned.

As we've supposed before, Leopard-tan can only make her "passenger's" consciousness traverse time, so when Linux-sama does finally come to--back in her current (early 1990s) body, back on that train, she will think that it was all a very vivid dream. Except for maybe some small thing left behind by Leopard-tan.

Oooh! Kudos to the ITS/WAITS/Emacs-kun proposed cameos -- those I'd love to see. ^__^

I imagine ths would be Linux-sama's first true exposure to the mysterious 'Open Sourcery'. Given her earlier Girl-Next-Door attitude, I imagine she wasn't particularly excited with it at first -- if anything, she might've thought it just a tad bit hokey (certainly nothing compared to the time honored UNIX sourcery, which no commoner including herself was permitted to wield).

But like any good adventurer, she accepts it anyway, tries it, practices it, studies it thoroughly, and then expands upon it utilizing creative new additions and combinations. The fact that she's able to shape that power into something truly pragmatic and accessible would probably allow her to participate (and eventually lead) some actual reconstruction and rescue efforts.

While she still wouldn't actually participate in any fighting, she would mature through helping individuals and refugees rebuild their shattered lives (and listening attentively to their stories).

It's likely here where her loyal and faithful following is born, as her honesty, devotion and willingness to teach her spells openly (so as to help them help themselves, of course) moves them considerably.

With her reputation spreading, and taking advantage of her generous "open genome", it's inevitable that her first "daughters" begin to appear. Willing and able to "hold the fort" in her place, Linux-sama would finally be able to continue her journey wiser and better-prepared than ever -- and in so doing, her influence EXPLODES to territories both touched and untouched by the Unix/OS Wars.

I don't know if I will (or even can) get that deep into it in the chapter, but I do plan to have the chapter perhaps open with some scenes of the early hacker culture. I'd like to have a cameo of the young Emacs-kun, perhaps ITS-san and WAITS-san working together to craft the famous book of their Culture's legends, the Jargon File.

Progressing forward several years, we see how they began to loose this culture--I'm unsure how exactly I might depict this, but maybe have a scene of their sparse territories being taken over by some corporate OS-tans...perhaps the DEC-tans? I know MIT started using PDP-11 and VAX computers running "proprietary OSes", and these displaced the native OSes. But this could mean either VMS or Unix. I digress...anyhow, it would be at this point that ITS-san was forced to become a traveler, and the free-spirited hackers would be forced to take "real jobs" and become the same people they had always rebelled against.

Except for a few of them...no, a few would continue to hold on to their past culture, led by a certain, scruffy, bearded, guru-type (gosh, I wonder who that would be?). He would vow to create a Renaissance of freedom and nonconformism; and while everything would go to plan, the leader of this new golden age (GNU-tan) would be noticeably absent, for their lack of trying to find/recruit/construct her.

Then Linux-sama--this smart, honest, like-minded young Unix-like--will literally come stumbling upon the GNU people during one of their meetings. As you said, they will teach her the secrets of Open Sourcery; and while she is grateful for them, she isn't entirely onboard with their ideology. I figure the GNU people would, on the basis of ideology, be vehemently hostile toward the non-free culture and its software and OS-tans, while Linux-sama would be somewhat more pacifist, believing that her own merit--not violence or propaganda against the establishment--would help her to gain popularity and power.

I would like to feature a few of her early daughters somewhere in this comic...I just don't know how I'm going to do it as of now.

Mmmm-hmmmm.... guess it was good timing to suggest she was already on her journey at this point. ^^

Assuming this is a few years after Chapter 4/5, I imagine by now Linux-sama is pretty much well aware of her influence, and already has a strong mastery of her evolved Open Sourcery. However, she's still pretty much a loner, taking advantage of the fact that a few of her more Enterprising daughters (e.g., RedHat, Mandrake, Debian) have assumed positions of leadership in her absence.

I imagine the young Apache-tan is another person she met on the road -- a long time admirer of Linux-sama and more than eager to show the older woman how far her own Open Sourcery had progressed.

Perhaps they camped somewhere in the plains, and Apache-chan was out looking for something to eat [while Linux-sama was setting a fire] when the Unixen arrive to cause trouble. This provides the opportunity for Apache-chan to ambush some of them from behind just as they're getting ready to gang up on Linux-sama.

The Unices have very powerful magic, but it's too elaborate and lumbering to compete in such close quarters with Open Sourcery spells (which despite being weaker at that point, were still quick to cast and quick to recharge). Not to mention that both Linux-sama and Apache-chan were both masters of melee weapons and hand-to-hand, something which probably also caught the Unixen off-guard (and which likely the previously-defeated Unixen refused to divulge for fear of embarrassment).

But Apache-chan was still young and prone to make mistakes. Eventually, she would get caught in a diversionary tactic while another cast a paralyzing spell on her. Unable to move but still consious of what's going on, The two Unixen might threaten her life if Linux-sama refused to surrender.

But hardy intimidated by them, Linux-sama would furiously unleash a barrage of insults questioning both their bravery and intelligence, and the integrity of the family she [once] felt proud to be associated with. Tossing her spear and helmet over to one of them with the condescension of a mother scolding a child, she announces her unconditional surrender as a means to salvage whatever dignity the Unix Family had left (cause clearly the real Unixen weren't qualified). And of course -- she's more than eager now to face UNIX-sama in person, even if it cost her her life.

Though her words genuinely cut through their egos like a ginsu knife, they still take her away anyway if only try to shore up their own reputation. Meanwhile, Apache-chan is left behind -- and once the spell wears off, quickly sets to work communicating what had happened [interpreted as a would-be legend, of course] to the rest of the world.

I wanted this chapter to take place around one and a half, two years after the last chapter--so around 1995, just after the Unix Wars were over. I had planed for the first part to be similar to what you proposed, but I had trouble with her defeat...

At first I thought it might be interesting for her to be knocked out by Solaris-san's (memory/emotion manipulation) power, and wake up in Unix-sama's office; while still a bit stunned at first, she would realized what was going on soon enough. While very defensive at first, Unix-sama would point out that she meant her no harm, and then the story would progress to their discussion...

Or perhaps Linux-sama would be brought in by the Unixes, fully aware of what was going on. But it had never crossed my mind to have her come in willingly...I like this idea, too. I'll have to think of which scenario would be best in the story...

Fufufu... I know you talked about plotholes, but if you like my progresson of events, I think you won't have to worry about them. ^^

In any event, this seems like a perfect way to transition from the last chapter -- having devoted nearly the entire comic building up Linux-sama as a respectable character we can feel for, it's only fitting that UNIX-sama be given the same treatment.

In a way, Linux-sama's capture would be like an extension to that "karma" -- prior to Linux-sama being hauled into the "throne room", she might have been briefed on troubling reports about armed uprisings, massive protests and civil unrest from the Linux/FOSS followers furious at what had transpired. The threat of yet another civil war (this time, between UNIX and UNIX-like) was at hand, and with the downfall of the already battered UNIX Family imminent, it seemed like Multic-sama's curse would finally bring itself full circle.

Even more than the war, and more than Plan9-chan's departure, this could very well be the most depressing and lost point of UNIX-sama's life.

But clearly their meeting would progress in such a way that the new "cursed" UNIX-sama would die, and an invigorated, hopeful one would take her place. The two would emerge as good friends, war would be averted, the UNIX Family would begin to rise from its ashes, and the prestige of the GNU/Linux Union would soar.

Cooler heads prevailed, and everyone was stronger for it.

Well put! I think Unix-sama would realize that if left to their own devices, her own family was sure to self destruct and slide into obscurity. She would have seen Linux-sama as the last chance for their kind to have a real future. This is probably why she never tried to attack Linux-sama in her youth, even if it would have been easy to kill her early on. (Plus all that other stuff going on at the time).

What makes her even cooler is that she can walk the walk as much as she can talk the talk. No doubt a few VERY powerful Unixen might have tried to track her down and haul her back -- but expecting a pushover, they were all surprised by very RESOUNDING defeats by seemingly simple tactics. (e.g., tossing steel pellets whenever Solaris-sama uses her magnetism) Not realizing her own inherent genius, few if any would have admitted to those humiliating defeats (and would've just made up stories about not finding her),

Wow, a latent genius, a demon-girl, and a total glutton? Whatta gal! ^^

While I do like how Bella-hime described UNIX-sama's revelation of her relationship with Multics-sama, and how GECOS-sama helped repress that fact, I'm of the belief that UNIX-sama continued to harbor a small suspicion regardless. Especially after confronting Multics-sama on early occassions, she would have just known that she was her mother.

But that's the dilemma: Multics-sama, GECOS-sama, Bell Labs, society in general, all the taboos of the era regarding "bastard clones"... the young UNIX-sama was alone in a world that refused to acknowledge she even had a mother. UNIX-sama lost to Multics-sama during their several first encounters in huge part because she might have feared hurting her own flesh and blood.

For this she got punished by everyone, including Multics-sama -- living as an outcast bordering on failure, surviving on scraps tossed by an enfuriated GECOS-sama, she might have finally agreed to let herself go.

And certainly during their last momentous battle, when UNIX-sama suffered the pinnacle of injustice, she held absolutely nothing back as her pent-up frustrations unleashed a kind of berserker rage that not only vanquished, but completely humiliated and destroyed MULTICS-sama.

And as a touch of irony, once UNIX-sama emerged victorious but motherless, was it finally made obvious that MULTICS-sama herself was never allowed to acknowledge her daughter. Surely she might have begged for forgiveness, but with the tables turned and the curse now forced onto the young UNIX-sama, it was now the daughter that turned the deaf ear to the mother.

I do agree about Unix-sama realizing that Multics-sama was her mother almost from the start, even with GECOS-san telling her otherwise. I do wonder if Unix-sama would have been as persecuted as you imagine, as it seems Unix took off more rapidly than anyone thought it would. Although...this may not have been until the early/mid 1970s...

Precisely, I agree with this wholeheartedly. ^^
(btw, the person who teaches an apprentice is usually called the "master") ^.^

I don't think she would have been so lenient to GECOS-sama at the end, though. Having had to cast out the last bit of morality and humanity in order to vanquish MULTICS-sama, I don't believe there was anything left to hold her back from seeking some small vengeance. In trying to create her own personal foot soldier, GECOS-sama inadvertently raised a dog that would not just bite the master's hand, but tear it off and eat it.

In that case, I figure GECOS-sama would have fled on her own, knowing it was dangerous to stick around during UNIX-sama's rise to power.

You know, originally, I came up with an idea for a scene in the comic where GECOS-san would have come to "console" Unix-sama after the incident with Multics-sama. What she wouldn't have known was of Unix-sama gaining most of Multics-sama's powers, nor that Unix-sama was very upset and a bit traumatized about the situation.

But upon Unix-sama's angry admittance to her that she had, indeed, absorbed a portion of Multics-sama's power, GECOS-san would have become quite frightened and...as you said...left Unix-sama.

Multics-sama would have been a great deal more powerful than GECOS-san and could have easily defeated her if she had played her cards right. But GECOS-san, while lacking a great deal of sorcery, would have been a tactical genius and a master manipulator...

At any rate, thanks for these excellent ideas! I shall try to work some of them into my storyline. I always like hearing the opinion of others, because it presents ideas I wouldn't have thought of...

Don't know... she doesn't really look like the kind of person to pass through walls. ^^;
And not if you're talking about ROD the TV -- Nancy is a COMPLETELY different person there. ^.^;


On the other hand, I did add a little sexy lip gloss to GECOS-sama in my CIOST panel pic -- the reasoning being that, over the years, she's probably cast off most of her conservative convictions, and allowed herself to explore new and creative ways to exploit manipulative, young minds. `v'

(The kind of stuff that would force AtariTOS-san to desperately take notes. ^________^' )

Nah, I was musing a bit--and talking more of the evil clone--but I mean, both are manipulative and cold-hearted. And I was talking about ROD the OVA.

Next up: Older Linux-sama's inspiration character....Balsa from Guardian of the Spirit?



C'mon, ya gotta see some resemblance--both are spearwomen, both travel a lot, and use their skills more for the good of others than personal gain. And Balsa is selfless, unswayed by money, fearless and a skilled fighter, yet very caring.

I never really thought of a good inspiration character for Linux-sama's older, warrior-self until I started watching this show O__o

...

...

Well, I guess I'm going to have to sign a raincheck to respond to those reviews later. Perhaps much later. But I shall return! And hopefully I will find a bit of time to work on C-Chan's birthday picture, and that A/UX-tan fanart I've been meaning to do...

[C-Chan]

Fufu... want to finish my responses up before the Bella-hime returns.  ^___^

No, I have freaky slender hands. People are always joking that I'd be a great violinist XD

WAHAHA!!!  Found it!  Knew I heard that reference somewhere... ^v^

I actually planned to have Linux-sama come across some kind of refugee or victim of the devastation. I wasn't sure who it'd be, but as you said, is could almost be any wanderer or Vintage-tan...I just wonder, would this town have been destroyed by the Unix Wars, or one of the first in the OS Wars...? I could probably go either way...

Sure sure,... but when in doubt, compromise.  ^^
The town could have been devasted by both wars -- the Unix Wars could have devastated it economically and from massive collateral damage, then destroyed outright when the OS Wars started.  War-weary areas would have been particular vulnerable, since they were easiest to strike first.

As we've supposed before, Leopard-tan can only make her "passenger's" consciousness traverse time, so when Linux-sama does finally come to--back in her current (early 1990s) body, back on that train, she will think that it was all a very vivid dream. Except for maybe some small thing left behind by Leopard-tan.

*wags tail from curisoity of this "small thing"*  ^___^

I don't know if I will (or even can) get that deep into it in the chapter, but I do plan to have the chapter perhaps open with some scenes of the early hacker culture. I'd like to have a cameo of the young Emacs-kun, perhaps ITS-san and WAITS-san working together to craft the famous book of their Culture's legends, the Jargon File.

Oh yeah, don't mind all the rambling I wrote.  Basically was trying to establish a backstory for the chapter's events, but you really should only focus on only small "snapshots" for your comic.  At most, you could do another narrated montage of sequences akin to ITS-sama's travels with Linux-sama.

Except for a few of them...no, a few would continue to hold on to their past culture, led by a certain, scruffy, bearded, guru-type (gosh, I wonder who that would be?). He would vow to create a Renaissance of freedom and nonconformism; and while everything would go to plan, the leader of this new golden age (GNU-tan) would be noticeably absent, for their lack of trying to find/recruit/construct her.

Aaa sou sou!  Now that small reference to the Hacker Culture of Olde makes sense in that context.  ^___^

I would like to feature a few of her early daughters somewhere in this comic...I just don't know how I'm going to do it as of now.

Well certainly once Linux-sama makes her peace with Unix-sama, she's gonna HAVE to introduce young Slack-chan to her role model.  Probably started off as something sweet and innocent like an autograph.  ^.^'

At first I thought it might be interesting for her to be knocked out by Solaris-san's (memory/emotion manipulation) power, and wake up in Unix-sama's office; while still a bit stunned at first, she would realized what was going on soon enough. While very defensive at first, Unix-sama would point out that she meant her no harm, and then the story would progress to their discussion...

In fairness, that would be an easier [and faster] thing to draw.  Besides, Linux-sama likely still wouldn't have been strong enough at the time to hold back FIVE Unices or so.  ^____^

Or perhaps Linux-sama would be brought in by the Unixes, fully aware of what was going on. But it had never crossed my mind to have her come in willingly...I like this idea, too. I'll have to think of which scenario would be best in the story...

Pick and choose carefully.  Remember, it's not so much a matter of making a great story, but just getting it finished. ^__^

Well put! I think Unix-sama would realize that if left to their own devices, her own family was sure to self destruct and slide into obscurity. She would have seen Linux-sama as the last chance for their kind to have a real future. This is probably why she never tried to attack Linux-sama in her youth, even if it would have been easy to kill her early on. (Plus all that other stuff going on at the time).

Sou sou!  The thought would have crossed her mind -- but what with all her daughters engaged in some savage family fued, stamping down only the latest of what seemed like a bastard copycat clone would have seemed wastefully trivial at the time.  ^.^

Wow, a latent genius, a demon-girl, and a total glutton? Whatta gal! ^^

I'm starting to worry I keep making FreeB-chan sound like some super heroine with no flaws whatsoever.  ^.^;

Before I step down that shallow path taken by so many Western comicbook writers, I should probably point out that despite all the admirable things, she IS still too laid back and too unambitious.  

I do agree about Unix-sama realizing that Multics-sama was her mother almost from the start, even with GECOS-san telling her otherwise. I do wonder if Unix-sama would have been as persecuted as you imagine, as it seems Unix took off more rapidly than anyone thought it would. Although...this may not have been until the early/mid 1970s...

Ah yes -- for maximum OLDNESS, I always start UNIX-sama's life from her UNICS years (or late 1960's).  ^__^

But upon Unix-sama's angry admittance to her that she had, indeed, absorbed a portion of Multics-sama's power, GECOS-san would have become quite frightened and...as you said...left Unix-sama.

Fufufu... Well UNIX-sama was plenty pissed by then.  Now that she had the power to take revenge on those who made her "whelp years" so miserable, it's likely she would have started manifesting some early manifestations of her more deranged personality.  A sly smile, a bloodthirsty glaze over her Bell Lab eyes, a demented twitch from one of her owl ears,.. a sudden obsession with liver, fava beans and chianti.... ^.^;

Multics-sama would have been a great deal more powerful than GECOS-san and could have easily defeated her if she had played her cards right. But GECOS-san, while lacking a great deal of sorcery, would have been a tactical genius and a master manipulator...

And as I always make the case, still is -- perhaps even more so than ever before, given the ever-failing strength of her sorcery.  She's no Unix-sama -- but owing to the years she spent raising her, she is able to read her young apprentice's tactical moves at least 60% of the time (enough to help out the CIOST out of binds).

At any rate, thanks for these excellent ideas! I shall try to work some of them into my storyline. I always like hearing the opinion of others, because it presents ideas I wouldn't have thought of...

You're welcome.  ^^
I'm glad you're able to get some interesting ideas going from hearing mine -- but I figure that just any intention offered to your work is a big help.  Hard to keep doing something if it seems like no one's reading it.  -.-

Next up: Older Linux-sama's inspiration character....Balsa from Guardian of the Spirit?

Uhhhh...  ^^'

C'mon, ya gotta see some resemblance--both are spearwomen, both travel a lot, and use their skills more for the good of others than personal gain. And Balsa is selfless, unswayed by money, fearless and a skilled fighter, yet very caring.

I never really thought of a good inspiration character for Linux-sama's older, warrior-self until I started watching this show O__o

That's a pretty compelling case -- since I can't offer any counter-proposals, I guess it stands.  ^^
I never actually thought of any character-templates for Linux-sama (likely cause she wasn't drawn by me, I'm sure) -- for me, she was just kinda "there".  Before your comic arrived, I might have spent too much time thinking about her daughters [and mother/grandaughter] instead.  ^____^'

Well, I guess I'm going to have to sign a raincheck to respond to those reviews later. Perhaps much later. But I shall return! And hopefully I will find a bit of time to work on C-Chan's birthday picture, and that A/UX-tan fanart I've been meaning to do...

Fufu... ^.^
Take your time -- don't forget that I took a whole week after your B-Day to draw you VMS-sama.  Goose and Gander, I say. ^___^

[Bella]

Okay, so...despite my schedule right at the moment, I've been trying to make a bit of time to work on Chapter Three. Basically, it'll open with a flashback of Linux-san walking through a deserted town that was the site of...either a battle or bombing run, even I'm unsure. She meets 2.0-chan and 1.0-tan in this town; they're living in a tiny, run-down apartment (but Linux-sama doesn't know who they are). She sees how emotionally damaged 2.0-chan is by the War, and how...out of it...1.0-tan seems, and is very affected by this.

It then moves forward to the present. Leopard-tan meets Linux-san on a train, and tells her she's here to keep her from making the biggest mistake of her life (not going to Cambridge, and instead going back home). Leopard soon convinces Linux-san that she can see the future, and take her along to see the future, as well.

Now comes a flash-forward to the current time. Since it was only her mind time-traveling (or so Leopard-tan says), Linux-san wakes up, many years older, in her current home. After the shock wears off, Leopard-tan shows her around, trying to convince Linux-san that she will make a difference even if she doesn't intervene in the OS or Unix Wars.

After awhile, Leopard-tan tells her that they've seen enough--that they should go back now. Linux-san still wants to know more, but it's too late. She wakes up once again, aboard the train; Leopard-tan isn't with her, and she's back in her normal body, believing all she had just witnessed was just a dream.

Or so I have it planned.

page 1: Linux-sama hitchhiking? Poor Linux-sama! I especially like her appearance on the third panel of page 1- looks like she was trying to use some charm to persuade a driver, and what a shame that it didn't work! You are very good at drawing vehicles, btw!

page 2: Ooh! Linux-sama has some sass to her personality! I also like her facefaulting expressions in panels 3 and 5! The group shot of ITS-san and Linux-sama in the last panel is very cute!

page 3: The relations between ITS-san and Multics-sama revealed! So ITS-san did not live in luxury like Multics-sama did at all but at least she [ITS-san] has a lot more freedom! I see that Multics-sama does not like the little proletariat in her palace!

The backgrounds for panels 3 and 6 are beautifully done!

page 4: Heheheh... ITS-san should have known not to grab a super moody and powerful sorceress by the wings! And CTSS-sama steps in! And is that... Multics-sama acting childish in panel 4, using the classic childish excuse of "she started it"?! 0__0

ITS-san looks especially cute in the last panel!

page 5: I'm a little baffled as to who is being referred to in the narration (there's like no way that Multics-sama could have reminded ITS-san that humble people still exist!) but once again the scenery is all beautifully-done, and ITS-san and Linux-sama both look very cute in the last 2 panels!

page 6: Cool! Linux-sama and ITS-san are friends and do have a lot in common such as realizing the true value of freedom!

Their hair blowing in the wind is very well done!

page 7: Poor Multics-sama! Even she gets bored living the luxury lifestyle!

--Part 2--

Given the fighting that the two had earlier, I certainly agree that ITS-san would not be trusting of Multics-sama but it was really nice of ITS-san to give her a motorcycle ride! And it sure is incredible seeing Multics-sama submissive like that!

Heheh... I like ITS-san mocked Multics-sama and her followers in the first page! ITS-san's got attitude!

It is great seeing the two happily together, and Multics-sama getting a taste of freedom but so sad that it did not last long at all and shows she really does not have any freedom at all and that she wasn't living a good life despite being so rich.

The dialogue and narration about freedom and how Multics-sama does not have any is brilliant!

And finally... Linux-sama and ITS-san part ways... They would have made a good team but it was for the best apparently.

page 1: I actually drew a lot of cars and trucks when I was younger; I actually wanted to be a automotive designer for some time. Maybe that's where my talent for vehicles comes in ^///^

page 2: As if we didn't know Linux-sama was a bit sassy. Sassy and extremly honest, or so I hear

page 3: I don't know if Multics-sama so much dislike ITS-san, as she dislikes ITS-san's company and attitude. They come from two very different cultures, so I think it's be natural that they not empathize with each other that much (at least at first).

page 4: Yeah, grabbing somebody by the wings when they're already not feeling so great is a very bad idea. So I'd have to side with Multics-sama on this one. But as you pointed out, I do believe for such a powerful and mature sorceress, Multics-sama would have a childish streak (later on in life). Especially when among her Multicians.

page 5: Maybe I should have refered to Linux-sama in those pages. Oh well, my bad. And thank you! I was hoping I didn't cut too much out with page 5, but I really didn't want to get things too dragged out.

page 6: I do see the two (Linux and ITS-san) as being unlikly friends, as one's a Unix-like and the other really dislikes Unixen. But I didn't really want to play up this angle, as I think once they met and got to talking, ITS-san would have realized how much they had in common and not cared about the other's background.

part two: Multics-sama would have been very...complex...I think. She's defentely a character that you can't really peg down one single typical personality for...even though we've thought of her as being arrogant, pompous, mean-spirited, manic and childish, and a half a dozen other things in the past, I don't think you could really say her attitude is dominated by any certain trait.

This should make writing a Multics-sama wiki page all the more fun T__T

But I would venture to guess that for the majority of her life, she would have wondered why such a great burden was placed on her. She was the most ambitious OS-tan of her day (or maybe in history), and would have felt she had to live up to her creators' ambitions, often sacrificing her physical and/or psychological health in the process. She'd have also struggled with thinking that she could never live up to the expectation of what she could do, although this would have lessened with age.

All in all, being born so rich and powerful was not a good thing for Multics-sama...

I do think ITS-san would be on the feisty side, though.

The dialogue/narration at the end actually just, kinda, came to me. I jotted it down right away, and knew I'd have to use it in this chapter.

Thank you for the review, Aurora-sama!

And to answer C-Chan's review...

page 1: Hmmm...I wonder who might have given her that spear...? Maybe we'll find out in another chapter....


page 2: Yeah, the bike is meant to say "PDP-10", the last platform ITS ran on. I figure hardware would be, in some cases, analogous to the home/territory in which the OS-tan lives; and since ITS-san is a traveler, it's only natural...

page 3: Thank you! I don't think I'm exceptionally good at any one point of drawing, but I do try to be good enough at many points.

And yes, I do suppose Multics-sama would have talked very elegantly; that is to say, when she wasn't talking in FRICKIN' LATIN!

page 4: Well, I figured that all things with feathers would have to molt sometime. I think Multics-sama wouldn't have been too happy about having wings; she'd have derided her creators for coming up with the idea, as they would be of no real use to her...only getting in her way during fights and being one more body part to injure -__-

I dunno if Multics-sama magicked ITS-san down or not; I actually thought that she just pushed her. But I'm not entirely sure of it.

And I do think CTSS-sama would have been very affectionate with Multics-sama; but she also would have been very no-nonsense and practical, and would have disliked seeing would-be daughter engaging in play she deemed "un-ladylike". While CTSS-sama would have liked ITS-san, she also would have thought she was too rough and tumble.

page 5: Yeah, I tossed about the idea of adding a couple of pages; but in the end, I thought it would be better if I tried to keep the storyline moving. Any strange anatomy...well, I try to check my drawings and make sure everything looks correct, but occasionally I'll miss something or just be too lazy to change it... : |

page 8: I don't think Multics-sama would have liked stuffiness at all--she would have gone along with it, but she would have perfered to live like ITS-san or CP/CMS-tan, really.

page 9: Thanks. I did try to make Multics-sama and Linux-sama's situations (asking ITS-san for a ride) quite similar; I wanted to make a parallel between the two.

page 11: OMG...you're right...Multics-sama and XP-san do have a bit in common...

*bawls*

XP-SAAAAAMMMMMAAAA!!!

page 12: Yes, I wanted this flashback to occur in winter, a season that's often associated with sadness. I actually do give a lot of thought to the seasons and settings in my story.

While I didn't intend it at the time, I now think that whisp of hair on Multics-sama's face reminds me a bit of Lisa-san....

Yeah, I do think that Multics-sama would have actually remained...dunno if optimistic is the word for it...but she wouldn't have still been doing well until the 80s. After that things would have gone downhill, until her eventual "exile" to the far North, and subsequent death in 2000.

I never did think that ITS-san would know of Multics-sama's and Unix-sama's relation, either...

page 13: I did use some reference pictures, but I didn't really copy them--I mostly need references to get a feel for perspective, as architectural drawing doesn't come too naturally to me. Some reference pix I use are my own, but others I get a bit lazy about and just end up Googling

Cambridge refers to the town that MIT is located in (and where the GNU project was/is based). I'm very proud as a New Englander that half of GNU/Linux was designed in my neck of the woods, so to speak. Just about every DEC OS, VMS, ITS, CTSS, CP/CMS, Primos-- and of course a great deal of Multics --were designed in Massachusetts, and NH has DTSS...so we have a lot of great OSes to claim as our own.  ^^

Not like them Arizonans having GECOS T___T

Linux-sama was born in Finland, but working this fun fact into the story is a bit hard--I mean, I imagined she'd talk with just a slight Finish accent, but that's a bit hard to illustrate. XD

Sure sure,... but when in doubt, compromise. ^^
The town could have been devasted by both wars -- the Unix Wars could have devastated it economically and from massive collateral damage, then destroyed outright when the OS Wars started. War-weary areas would have been particular vulnerable, since they were easiest to strike first

I'm not going to get too deep into what war caused the damage, but that's a good compromise.

Well certainly once Linux-sama makes her peace with Unix-sama, she's gonna HAVE to introduce young Slack-chan to her role model. Probably started off as something sweet and innocent like an autograph. ^.^'

I was actually toying around with the idea of having a scene where Slack-chan meets Unix-sama (near the end of the last chapter) but wasn't sure if it would be hokey or not

In fairness, that would be an easier [and faster] thing to draw. Besides, Linux-sama likely still wouldn't have been strong enough at the time to hold back FIVE Unices or so. ^____^

Sounds good! Or, I could compromise again--maybe Linux-sama started to scold them when Solaris-tan had enough and decided to knock her out...

Pick and choose carefully. Remember, it's not so much a matter of making a great story, but just getting it finished. ^__^

Exactly. Whenever I feel like making it more complicated, I tell myself I want to do a great little story, not a great big story.

Sou sou! The thought would have crossed her mind -- but what with all her daughters engaged in some savage family fued, stamping down only the latest of what seemed like a bastard copycat clone would have seemed wastefully trivial at the time. ^.^

True. Linux-sama did just kinda come out of nowhere; perhaps if the old-school, proprietary Unixen had known how popular she would become, they would have tried to do away with her sooner.

I'm starting to worry I keep making FreeB-chan sound like some super heroine with no flaws whatsoever. ^.^;

Before I step down that shallow path taken by so many Western comicbook writers, I should probably point out that despite all the admirable things, she IS still too laid back and too unambitious.

...and she eats everything that she can stuff down her gullet. T__T

Ah yes -- for maximum OLDNESS, I always start UNIX-sama's life from her UNICS years (or late 1960's). ^__^

Well, Unics was created in the summer of 1969. I've read Unix went from a concept and a filesystem sketched out on a chalkboard to a "working" OS in around a month!

Though it would be until 1971 that they started using it in the patent department for word processing.

Fufufu... Well UNIX-sama was plenty pissed by then. Now that she had the power to take revenge on those who made her "whelp years" so miserable, it's likely she would have started manifesting some early manifestations of her more deranged personality. A sly smile, a bloodthirsty glaze over her Bell Lab eyes, a demented twitch from one of her owl ears,.. a sudden obsession with liver, fava beans and chianti.... ^.^;

Deranged! You hath call the Goddess deranged! I shall chuckith my boots at you in place of her Divine Majesty!

*takes off boots*

*chucks them at heretic*

*calls*

Unix-sama! We's having a tiny pork roast t'night!

And as I always make the case, still is -- perhaps even more so than ever before, given the ever-failing strength of her sorcery. She's no Unix-sama -- but owing to the years she spent raising her, she is able to read her young apprentice's tactical moves at least 60% of the time (enough to help out the CIOST out of binds).

Ahhh, so this is why they haven't been overrun by angry Unix troops yet. GECOS-san is their tactical advisor! ^^

You're welcome. ^^
I'm glad you're able to get some interesting ideas going from hearing mine -- but I figure that just any intention offered to your work is a big help. Hard to keep doing something if it seems like no one's reading it. -.-

*bats eyelashes*

I'm reading it!

That's a pretty compelling case -- since I can't offer any counter-proposals, I guess it stands. ^^
I never actually thought of any character-templates for Linux-sama (likely cause she wasn't drawn by me, I'm sure) -- for me, she was just kinda "there". Before your comic arrived, I might have spent too much time thinking about her daughters [and mother/grandaughter] instead. ^____^'

I see...yeah, I never really thought much about Linux-sama either. Maybe it's because she's one of the few characters that's not completely sick/psychotic/screwed up in the head like all my other favorite characters! XD

But I admit there's something nice about a character who's so selfless and likable.

[C-Chan]

YEAH!!!  Bella-hime's BACK!!!  ^v^

And boy, do I have a helluva response for you!  ^___^

Hold on to your socks, cause you're gonna be witness to the greatest, most well-organized, well-documented, well-referenced and best of all LONGEST comments you've ever had the pleasure of reading off this foru--!!!!!!!!!!!! ^V^

*WHAM!!!!!!*

*gets crushed by pair of flying boots*

[Bella]

Well, I'm back-ish now...alas, the last month has been tantamount to hell-on-earth for me T_____T

But I assure you I have nearly finished Chapter Three on the comic.