Inara's Needle?

POSTED BY: SouthernSlayer
UPDATED: Monday, January 10, 2005 09:20
VIEWED: 10807
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SOUTHERNSLAYER

Sunday, December 28, 2003 1:21 PM

So after viewing the commentry for "Serenity" What do you think the needle Inara had it the box was designed to do if not to kill her? Perhaps it was designed to turn her into a reaver to avoid the pain of watching her friends die and prevent her from being harmed.

GUNSLINGER

Sunday, December 28, 2003 1:25 PM

What would make you think it was anything other than a fast poison?

SAINTPROVERBIUS

Sunday, December 28, 2003 1:51 PM

The commentary on the DVD says it's not a suicide kit.

HUMBLE

Sunday, December 28, 2003 2:14 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SouthernSlayer:
So after viewing the commentry for "Serenity" What do you think the needle Inara had it the box was designed to do if not to kill her? Perhaps it was designed to turn her into a reaver to avoid the pain of watching her friends die and prevent her from being harmed.

i've come up with another perspective on inara's needle. i noticed in our mrs. reynolds that inara said saffron had "companion training". inara and saffron also had a scuffle outside of shuttle where they both showed expertise in hand-to-hand fighting. could the needle be filled with some sort of drug that gives an improved reaction/response to combat situations? a super soldier syrum or the like? i don't think this is for suicide, as with u.s. astronauts who are given cyanide tablets for hopeless situations, i mean, a needle is cumbersome and not easily accessed if immediately needed. also, this makes me wonder why, 500 years into the future are they still using needles?

GUNSLINGER

Sunday, December 28, 2003 2:52 PM

I suppose another possibility is that it could be a drug that puts you into a coma. Reavers are strange in their behavior, i.e. they will chase you if you run, but if you sit still they will leave you alone, sometimes. Perhaps they will not mess with a person who appears to already be dead.

CB

Sunday, December 28, 2003 4:10 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by humble: a super soldier syrum or the like?

Maybe, though she seemed very hesitant to take it, as if she had to be absolutely sure they were on board before injecting it. Maybe the stuff is like an adrenal concentrate? Extremely fast reaction time and increased strength and agility, but because your muscles are being strained way beyond their natural endurance, damage can occur, or any number of other physiologiical problems.

Im not sure how much relevance this has, but I once played a game, a while back, where you could purchace a drug called "Psycho", that enhanced all your physical stats insanly (hence the name), and you could take out armed and armored foes barehandedly, but the after-effects were really debilitating, like loss of strength, mobility, or mental facilities. Perhaps Inara's injection was something like that?

HUMBLE

Sunday, December 28, 2003 5:39 PM

yeah, i was thinking this drug would probably cause respiratory, cardiac, and liver damage. probably something that amplifys your sympathetic nervous system response to danger(fight or flight response) and also extends the stamina of the person taking the drug. inara has already shown she knows swordplay, hand-to-hand combat, and firearms training/experience so i don't think it's a stretch on reality that she could hold her own in a fight. also, the drug could be a pain-inhibitor or immunological enhancement drug that minimizes effect of injuries and allows rapid healing. these are just my own speculations. the suicide version of explanation just doesn't feel right to me.

if the guy speaks softly and carries a big stick, take the stick from him while he's talking and beat him over the head with it!(what mal might have said in a future episode)

MANIACNUMBERONE

Sunday, December 28, 2003 5:56 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Gunslinger:
I suppose another possibility is that it could be a drug that puts you into a coma. Reavers are strange in their behavior, i.e. they will chase you if you run, but if you sit still they will leave you alone, sometimes. Perhaps they will not mess with a person who appears to already be dead.

Your shiny description of Reavers made me think of Grizzly bears.

SAINT JAYNE

Sunday, December 28, 2003 6:07 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Gunslinger:
Reavers are strange in their behavior, i.e. they will chase you if you run, but if you sit still they will leave you alone, sometimes. Perhaps they will not mess with a person who appears to already be dead.

Interesting, but Companions don't typically operate in Reaver space so I doubt they would have a defence against them specifically.

And death is just the first part of a wild ride when Reavers come on board.

Mal - "Now you're only gonna scare him"
Jayne - "Pain is scary."

MRPLASTIC

Sunday, December 28, 2003 6:51 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by humble:
also, this makes me wonder why, 500 years into the future are they still using needles?

Yeah. It's not like they're still using other "antiques" like gunpowder, horses, or wagons.

It's a case of different tools for different needs: in the infirmary, Simon regularly uses a pneumatic injector to deliver drugs. In this setting, the injector offers advantages of quick loading and quick delivery.

For Inara's kit, however, the requirements seem to be different: readiness despite infrequent use (a complicated delivery system such as a pneumatic injector might jam/misfire/lose its gas charge/otherwise not work) and portability/easy concealment (a syringe is much smaller than an injector) seem paramount.

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