"Do Not Approach Siphon"

[japester]

This thread is based on one of the preview images released today. Since this is an officially released image, it is not a spoiler!

The preview on Joystiq mentions that Elizabeth isn't seen as a person by the people of Columbia. Rather, she is a "thing" or a specimen. And Destructoid posted the following image, which shows a lab with a sign stating "Do Not Approach Siphon While Specimen is Awake".
http://www.destructoid.com//ul/24007...NE-noscale.jpg
It stands to reason that the specimen here is Elizabeth. The chalkboard shows power levels graphed versus age, and the data goes up to age 20. Sounds about right. And it shows power levels spiking at 13, with a note mentioning "menarche", so we know for sure this is a female. Some sort of siphon was installed after the menarche spike, which brought levels back down. But now they have reached previous highs, making the facility unsafe.

HMMMMMM????!

Could this be why Elizabeth is so important to the Founders? She is producing some sort of energy that can be siphoned off? I always suspected they were using her rift powers to perhaps bring in supplies or tech. But maybe there is a more direct use for the raw power she generates. And why would her state of wakefulness matter? Could the siphon harm a normal person?

Or perhaps I've got it backwards. Maybe the siphon is used on regular citizens. Could Elizabeth use it to siphon something from people that keeps her power in check? Like some sort of essence that she normally burns through? If so, liberating her could be jeopardizing her life as her power builds.

While the reviews have all gushed praise, and many interesting tidbits have been mentioned, it's this one image that intrigues me the most.

Thoughts?

EDIT: For you Venture Bros. fans, I wonder if the siphon is anything like The Nozzle? LOL

[9ice]

Do no look away from "THE NOZZLE." Nice.

Anyway, that was definitely the impression that I got, that Elizabeth was in some way connected to all the weird tech that made Columbia happen, and that her powers had to be contained for the safety of the city. I would imagine she isn't in the siphon all the time, that it's something that is used whenever she has an "episode", almost like an epileptic.

[SSRI]

It was also mentioned in another article that at some point Booker reveals that someone close to him named Anna died while giving birth. Elizabeth then asks Booker if he has a child, to which he replies, simply, "No."

Even more interesting is that "AD" is scarred onto the back of Booker's hand, and someone refers to Elizabeth later on as "Annabelle."

WTF is going on in this game.

[9ice]

Which preview was that?

[japester]

I don't know about the Anna or Annabelle references, but the IGN preview does mention Booker losing a wife in childbirth and then denying that he has a child.

[Solcold]

I think it's very possible that Elizabeth is actually Booker DeWitt's daughter....

[SSRI]

Combine what the IGN article says with what this article says:

http://www.oxm.co.uk/48276/previews/...-game-of-2013/

Read the first paragraph of Page 4, under the section titled "Religion."

I really hope Elizabeth doesn't turn out to be Booker's daughter, though. That would be so cheap.

[SSRI]

One more thing I want to point out, and this is the one thing that has me most interested beyond any other news I've heard today:

When you die, Elizabeth revives you in much the same way that Vita Chambers did in Bioshock. But several reporters have noted the oddity of this sequence. One reviewer said that Booker is transported back to a dreamlike version of his home office, from which he approaches a door and opens it to find himself back in Columbia. Several other reporters have made comments about how the sequence feels like a dream.

The reason why Jack was being resurrected at the Vita Chambers while his enemies remained dead was one of the most revealing clues about who Jack actually was in the world of Rapture. I really have to wonder if the same thing will be the case with this mysterious "dream sequence."

[Solcold]

I really hope Elizabeth doesn't turn out to be Booker's daughter, though. That would be so cheap.

Or alternatively Elizabeth could actually be Comstock's daughter...

[japester]

Or alternatively Elizabeth could actually be Comstock's daughter...

That's the official story, according to Joystiq. They refer to Elizabeth as "the miracle child of Comstock and his wife".

[9ice]

Well, they could be lying. Cult leaders aren't known for their honesty.

[SSRI]

"Child" in this case might not be meant in the strict, biological sense. They might be using it as a synonym for "creation."

[japester]

Yup, I'm not saying that is literal or even true. I'm just pointing out that the game has already suggested a tie to Comstock.

[Codex]

Things weren't as simple as they seemed in Bioshock. I highly doubt that it will be as simple as it seems from these previews when it comes to Infinite.

That said, I am loving the preview pictures today. The new Elizabeth model looks fantastic in the game world. I can't wait to see the video tonight from the VGA's

[losstarot]

It feels weird to see the Comstock portrait of a man in his forties turned into an elder like figure like Darwin... Did the character suffer tremendous changes so that they even scrapped his previous persona?? or are we seeing the result of a time manipulation involving us to switch from a reality to another, shifting the role of some important people? that would explain Liz's different set of clothes?? Questions, questions...
And that's awesome!

[luukdeman111]

Jack Ryan aged pretty quickly..... just throwing that out there...

[SSRI]

It seems like every time they make a change, in my opinion, it's kind of been for the worse. Comstock looked more daunting in the previous demo and I really preferred the previous look for Handyman as well. Now Elizabeth looks all funky, too. Who the hell knows what's going on at this point.

[9ice]

The Handyman had it's model changed?

[Solcold]

It feels weird to see the Comstock portrait of a man in his forties turned into an elder like figure like Darwin... Did the character suffer tremendous changes so that they even scrapped his previous persona?? or are we seeing the result of a time manipulation involving us to switch from a reality to another, shifting the role of some important people? that would explain Liz's different set of clothes?? Questions, questions...
And that's awesome!

I think they maybe two different Comstocks and of course Elizabeth simply changes outfits over the course of the game.

[SSRI]

HELL YEAH it did!

The older model was so much cooler. Man, I miss the ol' mustached Handyman

[losstarot]

Now Elizabeth looks all funky, too. Who the hell knows what's going on at this point.

I don't know for sure but I fear they simplified her 3D model with less polygons for her face? Could be wrong but I'll await the new footage showing her in her previous robe so we get to see if her animation is as detailed as it was back in 2011 (　＝_＝)

[luukdeman111]

HELL YEAH it did!

The older model was so much cooler. Man, I miss the ol' mustached Handyman

You do know the lore behind the handymen right? Well, actually no one exactly knows at this point but the beast of America trailer showed a sign that said, become a handyman today! Or something like that. So that would make it pretty obvious that all handymen look slightly different and that includes facial hair...

And btw about the Elizabeth - Anna thing, isn't the cosplayer after whom Elizabeth was modeled called Anna?

[fullmoonstar]

And btw about the Elizabeth - Anna thing, isn't the cosplayer after whom Elizabeth was modeled called Anna?

Anna Moleva, right. Maybe this would explain it.

Well and for the Handymen. It seems like they are part of some kind of medical improvement. The sign shows a man in hospital who seems to be too sick to live on for long...and I guess that people like that get the chance to be "rebuild" as a Handyman....But what the story behind them really is....Who could know besides the team and the lucky ones who were able to play some hours at least.

[vimandvigor]

and the rabbit hole just gets deeper and deeper

[japester]

I'm guessing the change in Comstock's appearance accompanied a shift in the story as well. The original Comstock was more of a political figure whereas the new Comstock is a religious one. Instead of a harsh-looking man draped in the flag, he is a saintly looking one with an angelic halo behind him.

I'm curious about the story behind that gnarly gash on the side of his head.

[9ice]

There's also a sign that's visible for a tiny bit in the VGA trailer. At 1:27, I believe. It's a similar style and font to the other one, saying, "PROCEED ONLY IF SPECIMEN IS PROPERLY SEDATED".

It would definitely seem between these two signs that Elizabeth is at least somewhat frequently removed from her tower for "siphoning" of some sort sort of energy source, possibly to keep her powers from going out of control, although the blackboard seems to imply it's becoming less and less effective.

[rootbeertapper]

It's an industrial sized Bacta tank O_O

[watchman]

With Elizabeth gone, who will stoke the radium furnaces that keep the city floating ????