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You Know Ellie, We Really Are [The Last of Us Part I + II]

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  • AlphaRomeroAlphaRomero Registered User regular
    edited June 2020
    I'm sure there are some files in TLOU1 that makes it more theory than fact. I mean they've never seen an immune person before, how could they possibly know they could create a vaccine to it? And why from the brain? Surely it's more something to do with antibodies that her brain, you can't make other peoples brains like her brains, and if she has a different plague strain to anyone else, it wouldn't make a cure to the normal plague.

    It seemed more like desperation.

    Also Joel killing the Fireflys was also because they wouldn't stop coming after Ellie.

    AlphaRomero on
  • ChanceChance Registered User regular

    Also Joel killing the Fireflys was also because they wouldn't stop coming after Ellie.

    Look that's only true if you listen to what Joel literally says when he kills Marlene.

    'Chance, you are the best kind of whore.' -Henroid
  • SatanIsMyMotorSatanIsMyMotor Fuck Warren Ellis Registered User regular
    Yeah, "definite cure" is maybe too strong so I'll walk that back. That said, I don't really recall any text in the first game that spoke to the Fireflies trying at a vaccine and failing. I'd think they'd have dropped a note or something along the way intimating that they've tried this on others, etc and it hadn't worked.

    That said, I also find the conceit that there's only one doctor/researcher that can handle creating a vaccine OR that there'd only be one person who'd been exposed and was immune a bit unbelievable too.

  • ChanceChance Registered User regular
    Doctor told my mother she 100% had crohn's disease and so they 100% had to remove like two and a half feet of her colon.

    Turns out nah. So yeah she could just never poop like a normal person for the next 50 years of her life.

    I'm not saying all Doctors are idiots - I'm saying they're just as capable of not knowing exactly what they're talking about while believing they do as... well, anyone else is.

    Doc tells you they will 100% have a cure just means the Doc believes it.

    Show me a critical consensus of scientists agreeing they'll 100% have a cure by cutting this little girl's brain out and that carries a lot more water than one Doc who's pretty sure.

    'Chance, you are the best kind of whore.' -Henroid
  • AlphaRomeroAlphaRomero Registered User regular
    Yeah, "definite cure" is maybe too strong so I'll walk that back. That said, I don't really recall any text in the first game that spoke to the Fireflies trying at a vaccine and failing. I'd think they'd have dropped a note or something along the way intimating that they've tried this on others, etc and it hadn't worked.

    That said, I also find the conceit that there's only one doctor/researcher that can handle creating a vaccine OR that there'd only be one person who'd been exposed and was immune a bit unbelievable too.

    There's probably only the one doctor the Fireflies have that can do it, and he was training up others.

    He can't possibly be the only doctor in the world. I'm not sure why the only cure is an immunity and there aren't some botanists or some kind of fungal expert working on just a pure destruction of the infection.

  • ChanceChance Registered User regular
    Yeah, "definite cure" is maybe too strong so I'll walk that back. That said, I don't really recall any text in the first game that spoke to the Fireflies trying at a vaccine and failing. I'd think they'd have dropped a note or something along the way intimating that they've tried this on others, etc and it hadn't worked.

    That said, I also find the conceit that there's only one doctor/researcher that can handle creating a vaccine OR that there'd only be one person who'd been exposed and was immune a bit unbelievable too.

    There's probably only the one doctor the Fireflies have that can do it, and he was training up others.

    He can't possibly be the only doctor in the world. I'm not sure why the only cure is an immunity and there aren't some botanists or some kind of fungal expert working on just a pure destruction of the infection.

    "Okay you remember Agent Orange. Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to... Agent Fuchsia!

    'Chance, you are the best kind of whore.' -Henroid
  • ZavianZavian universal peace sounds better than forever war Registered User regular
    Yeah, "definite cure" is maybe too strong so I'll walk that back. That said, I don't really recall any text in the first game that spoke to the Fireflies trying at a vaccine and failing. I'd think they'd have dropped a note or something along the way intimating that they've tried this on others, etc and it hadn't worked.

    That said, I also find the conceit that there's only one doctor/researcher that can handle creating a vaccine OR that there'd only be one person who'd been exposed and was immune a bit unbelievable too.

    There's probably only the one doctor the Fireflies have that can do it, and he was training up others.

    He can't possibly be the only doctor in the world. I'm not sure why the only cure is an immunity and there aren't some botanists or some kind of fungal expert working on just a pure destruction of the infection.
    That's probably why the Fireflies are regrouping in part 2, there's a new doctor(s)

  • ZekZek Registered User regular
    Making the assumption that the Fireflies would definitely have made a cure is a video game leap of logic, but I believe it because the story is a lot more interesting if it's true. If you think they're delusional and Joel has to save Ellie from these lunatics, then the ending of TLOU is sort of meaningless. No different than all the other psychos they killed along the way. But it was intended to have a lot of dramatic weight, and that only works if the cure was real.

  • bsjezzbsjezz Registered User regular
    here are a couple more fun intertextual moments in the game we're actually here to talk about
    in the end of the dino museum flashback, exploring the section where a firefly(?) has confessed to their 'savagery' etc, you're trolled by pickups of molotov ingredients and strange noises to feel like you're about to fight some infected. the anti-climax reveals the only monster to be a wild hog - the same monster that haunts the island in lord of the flies, a classic meditation on the descent to savagery when society is rebooted

    when you're approaching nora in the hospital, on one of the upper floors someone - might be nora? - is listening to 'good day' by ice cube. the song deals with finding a bit of joy and humanity in a south-central LA context torn by gang violence. in the details of the lyrics the (seattle) supersonics are beaten by the lakers

    more on pulp fiction -
    maybe it's just the california setting that brings up the vibes in the end? there's something very 'gimp'-like about the way the rattlers use the infected too

    this is a hill i will die on before anything about a vaccine

    sC4Q4nq.jpg
  • AbsoluteZeroAbsoluteZero The new film by Quentin Koopantino Registered User regular
    Kyanilis wrote: »
    To me, it felt pretty well understood that everyone involved thought they could figure out a cure. Yes, obviously there still wasn't a guarantee but they ran some tests, figured out why Ellie is immune (the infection itself mutated in her) and decided that the next step is to figure out what mutated, which they needed to cut into her brain to get to. As far as we know there's nothing actually special about Ellie herself, her blood isn't what made her immune. It was a freak mutation when she was initially infected. Of course, this isn't explained until you get her there, but being able to study the mutated infection itself was going to go a lot further than anything they had come up with so far. Maybe it wouldn't have helped, there's no way we get to know that, but I don't think arriving at "it definitely wouldn't have helped" was ever the intention there.

    They go into this in 2 a bit as well
    The doctor isn't some random doctor, his specialty is figuring out these types of things. They straight up say they had to completely give up on finding a cure because with him dead they had nobody else who could hope to figure it out. It's why they never came after Ellie. So yeah, the fireflies weren't just going to cut into some girl's head because they felt like it. Everyone, including the doctor himself, was convinced it would lead to something.

    I don't get the "we gotta cut out her brain" business. Did all the MRI machines in the world evaporate?

    Also, one would think there's a possibility her immunity is genetic and could be passed on to offspring. Why does this never come up?

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  • MagicalGoatsMagicalGoats Registered User regular
    Pretty sure her infection was the source of her "immunity", due to a mutation of the fungus attacking her. She's not exactly immune, as much as she has a non-hostile strain already there holding up a NO VACANCY sign. Kinda like Aya Brea maybe.
    Only question I have regarding the ending is this:
    Is Abby immune now?

    There is no aspect, no facet, no moment of life, that cannot be improved with pizza.
  • JavenJaven Registered User regular
    I actually would definitely bank on Fireflies not having access to an MRI, yeah

  • Hahnsoo1Hahnsoo1 Make Ready. We Hunt.Registered User regular
    Javen wrote: »
    I actually would definitely bank on Fireflies not having access to an MRI, yeah
    I think some of the evidence that Ellie finds in St. Mary's in TLoU2 during one of the flashbacks is literal MRI images (too high of a resolution to be a CAT scan, even with contrast), but I'll have to double check on my New Game+ replay. I wish I had screenshotted it!

    MRIs are prohibitively expensive to fire up and maintain, but they still might have access to it depending on their power generation.

    8i1dt37buh2m.png
  • ChanceChance Registered User regular
    Pretty sure her infection was the source of her "immunity", due to a mutation of the fungus attacking her. She's not exactly immune, as much as she has a non-hostile strain already there holding up a NO VACANCY sign. Kinda like Aya Brea maybe.
    Only question I have regarding the ending is this:
    Is Abby immune now?
    Abby was never bitten. She was strung up for trying to escape and everyone assumed she was dead, but she's just, y'know. A little drowned. And cut. And bruised.

    Probably hungry too.

    'Chance, you are the best kind of whore.' -Henroid
  • KandenKanden Registered User regular
    Chance wrote: »
    Pretty sure her infection was the source of her "immunity", due to a mutation of the fungus attacking her. She's not exactly immune, as much as she has a non-hostile strain already there holding up a NO VACANCY sign. Kinda like Aya Brea maybe.
    Only question I have regarding the ending is this:
    Is Abby immune now?
    Abby was never bitten. She was strung up for trying to escape and everyone assumed she was dead, but she's just, y'know. A little drowned. And cut. And bruised.

    Probably hungry too.
    If bites can spread it though, Abby sure took a big bite out of an infected Ellie though.

  • AlphaRomeroAlphaRomero Registered User regular
    Ellie can't spread it or she'd give a pretty grim update to STDs.

  • DonnictonDonnicton Registered User regular
    Kanden wrote: »
    Chance wrote: »
    Pretty sure her infection was the source of her "immunity", due to a mutation of the fungus attacking her. She's not exactly immune, as much as she has a non-hostile strain already there holding up a NO VACANCY sign. Kinda like Aya Brea maybe.
    Only question I have regarding the ending is this:
    Is Abby immune now?
    Abby was never bitten. She was strung up for trying to escape and everyone assumed she was dead, but she's just, y'know. A little drowned. And cut. And bruised.

    Probably hungry too.
    If bites can spread it though, Abby sure took a big bite out of an infected Ellie though.
    Ellie explained to Dina earlier in the game that she can't infect other people.

  • Hahnsoo1Hahnsoo1 Make Ready. We Hunt.Registered User regular
    https://youtu.be/f6_TtIqnOsY

    https://youtu.be/pBbHy_BIz64

    The guitar mini-game in this is basically the best thing ever.

    8i1dt37buh2m.png
  • AegeriAegeri Tiny wee bacteriums Plateau of LengRegistered User regular
    edited June 2020
    TBH the biggest thing about that to me is they did not have an acoustic rendition of “Hurt” in this game.

    No song is more thematically on point.

    Aegeri on
    The Roleplayer's Guild: My blog for roleplaying games, advice and adventuring.
  • Hahnsoo1Hahnsoo1 Make Ready. We Hunt.Registered User regular
    Aegeri wrote: »
    TBH the biggest thing about that to me is they did not have an acoustic rendition of “Hurt” in this game.

    No song is more thematically on point.
    I’d like to think they tried and couldn’t do it justice, so they tapped out and went with Wayfaring Stranger, which is easier to “get right”.

    8i1dt37buh2m.png
  • KanaKana Registered User regular
    what's really impressive is that they managed to make a minigame that's also really thematically powerful.

    A trap is for fish: when you've got the fish, you can forget the trap. A snare is for rabbits: when you've got the rabbit, you can forget the snare. Words are for meaning: when you've got the meaning, you can forget the words.
  • bsjezzbsjezz Registered User regular
    i just kept thinking
    if only she spent as much time practicing her guitar as she spend practicing her murder skills

    which for a lotta reasons is i think a take you're meant to have, when you think of those scenes alongside some of the other textual details.

    sC4Q4nq.jpg
  • ChanceChance Registered User regular
    A friend of mine in the States is finally playing through it, and we basically just had this email exchange (+midpoint twist spoilers)
    Chance : Okay so where are you?

    Chamberlain : Playing as Abby, Seattle day one.

    Chance : Okay so when you kill Mel as Ellie and it's revealed Mel is pregnant did you too say "seriously?!" because it felt so weird and cheap to use pregnancy as a narrative screw to twist again? Like how many people are pregnant in this game?

    Chamberlain : Yeah, that was terrible.

    Chance : THANK YOU oh God I feel so much better.

    'Chance, you are the best kind of whore.' -Henroid
  • ChanceChance Registered User regular
    Hahnsoo1 wrote: »
    Aegeri wrote: »
    TBH the biggest thing about that to me is they did not have an acoustic rendition of “Hurt” in this game.

    No song is more thematically on point.
    I’d like to think they tried and couldn’t do it justice, so they tapped out and went with Wayfaring Stranger, which is easier to “get right”.

    Show me the recording of Ashley Johnson singin' in her shy way to an acoustic version of Hurt and tell me it ain't right. At least as right as her Take On Me.

    'Chance, you are the best kind of whore.' -Henroid
  • Hahnsoo1Hahnsoo1 Make Ready. We Hunt.Registered User regular
    Chance wrote: »
    Hahnsoo1 wrote: »
    Aegeri wrote: »
    TBH the biggest thing about that to me is they did not have an acoustic rendition of “Hurt” in this game.

    No song is more thematically on point.
    I’d like to think they tried and couldn’t do it justice, so they tapped out and went with Wayfaring Stranger, which is easier to “get right”.

    Show me the recording of Ashley Johnson singin' in her shy way to an acoustic version of Hurt and tell me it ain't right. At least as right as her Take On Me.
    It could be very very wrong! Who knows? There's a LOT of editing and effort that goes into making a song sound just right, especially in video games. Johnny Cash's cover of "Hurt" was very much lightning in a bottle, and it would be difficult to replicate without sounding over-produced.

    8i1dt37buh2m.png
  • ChanceChance Registered User regular
    Yeah but Hurt's just a pretty song. I'm prepared to say yet prettier than most 80s pop ballads.

    Idk it's a classic for me at least 'cause that whole (NIN) album was very my thing when I was a troubled teenager.

    'Chance, you are the best kind of whore.' -Henroid
  • bsjezzbsjezz Registered User regular
    Chance wrote: »
    A friend of mine in the States is finally playing through it, and we basically just had this email exchange (+midpoint twist spoilers)
    Chance : Okay so where are you?

    Chamberlain : Playing as Abby, Seattle day one.

    Chance : Okay so when you kill Mel as Ellie and it's revealed Mel is pregnant did you too say "seriously?!" because it felt so weird and cheap to use pregnancy as a narrative screw to twist again? Like how many people are pregnant in this game?

    Chamberlain : Yeah, that was terrible.

    Chance : THANK YOU oh God I feel so much better.
    we already know mel is pregnant. that information comes in the first section we play as abby

    sC4Q4nq.jpg
  • Local H JayLocal H Jay Registered User regular
    bsjezz wrote: »
    Chance wrote: »
    A friend of mine in the States is finally playing through it, and we basically just had this email exchange (+midpoint twist spoilers)
    Chance : Okay so where are you?

    Chamberlain : Playing as Abby, Seattle day one.

    Chance : Okay so when you kill Mel as Ellie and it's revealed Mel is pregnant did you too say "seriously?!" because it felt so weird and cheap to use pregnancy as a narrative screw to twist again? Like how many people are pregnant in this game?

    Chamberlain : Yeah, that was terrible.

    Chance : THANK YOU oh God I feel so much better.
    we already know mel is pregnant. that information comes in the first section we play as abby

    It is stated, but
    at that point we don't know any of those characters by name yet. I didn't even know Abby's name was was Abby then. The only character I really remember was Owen, probably because you play as Abby and are addressing Owen in that early section.

  • Casually HardcoreCasually Hardcore Once an Asshole. Trying to be better. Registered User regular
    bsjezz wrote: »
    Chance wrote: »
    A friend of mine in the States is finally playing through it, and we basically just had this email exchange (+midpoint twist spoilers)
    Chance : Okay so where are you?

    Chamberlain : Playing as Abby, Seattle day one.

    Chance : Okay so when you kill Mel as Ellie and it's revealed Mel is pregnant did you too say "seriously?!" because it felt so weird and cheap to use pregnancy as a narrative screw to twist again? Like how many people are pregnant in this game?

    Chamberlain : Yeah, that was terrible.

    Chance : THANK YOU oh God I feel so much better.
    we already know mel is pregnant. that information comes in the first section we play as abby

    It is stated, but
    at that point we don't know any of those characters by name yet. I didn't even know Abby's name was was Abby then. The only character I really remember was Owen, probably because you play as Abby and are addressing Owen in that early section.

    This always confused me when people brings up Mel. The game explicitly said she’s pregnant, it’s the reason why Owen was starting to have cold feet on getting Joel.

    Also, what else are people going to do besides fuck and get each other pregnant? Im pretty sure condoms isn’t in limitless supply.

  • bsjezzbsjezz Registered User regular
    one of the most interesting things the game does is the two sides of dramatic irony on both approaches to
    the aquarium

    i definitely don't feel like we're meant to have forgotten that detail

    sC4Q4nq.jpg
  • doompookydoompooky Wild (Let's Draw A) Horses Couldn't Drag Me AwayRegistered User regular
    Look, I'm not here to say any of you are right or wrong. But anyone who thinks singing Take On Me is easy doesn't know shit.

    we7ek91hy97o.png
  • SatanIsMyMotorSatanIsMyMotor Fuck Warren Ellis Registered User regular
    Javen wrote: »
    I actually would definitely bank on Fireflies not having access to an MRI, yeah

    Don't they literally give her an MRI? They have scans of her brain in both the first and the flashback in the second.

  • AlphaRomeroAlphaRomero Registered User regular
    Javen wrote: »
    I actually would definitely bank on Fireflies not having access to an MRI, yeah

    Don't they literally give her an MRI? They have scans of her brain in both the first and the flashback in the second.

    There is definitely an MRI scan in the second game. The second game kinda collapses the first since you think they could have at least done some exploratory work first, you can open someones skull without killing them. The only option given was like dig the brain out.

  • Dark Raven XDark Raven X Laugh hard, run fast, be kindRegistered User regular
    They kept this stuff vague because in real life, fungal vaccines just straight up don't exist, far as I know? They'd have been hard pressed to point to a precise logical sounding reason why Ellie's brain = a cure because there's no IRL mechanism for what they're going for. It's magic, suspend your disbelief!

    Oh brilliant
  • ChanceChance Registered User regular
    edited June 2020

    Javen wrote: »
    I actually would definitely bank on Fireflies not having access to an MRI, yeah

    Don't they literally give her an MRI? They have scans of her brain in both the first and the flashback in the second.

    There is definitely an MRI scan in the second game. The second game kinda collapses the first since you think they could have at least done some exploratory work first, you can open someones skull without killing them. The only option given was like dig the brain out.

    "Okay we're ready.

    Hand me the melon baller."

    Chance on
    'Chance, you are the best kind of whore.' -Henroid
  • Local H JayLocal H Jay Registered User regular
    They kept this stuff vague because in real life, fungal vaccines just straight up don't exist, far as I know? They'd have been hard pressed to point to a precise logical sounding reason why Ellie's brain = a cure because there's no IRL mechanism for what they're going for. It's magic, suspend your disbelief!

    I'm assuming they'd release it into the air, maybe make a mutant strain of the virus that is benign like Ellie's

  • Jean Claude Van CalmJean Claude Van Calm 'sup? Awesome Possum.Registered User regular
    Hahnsoo1 wrote: »
    Javen wrote: »
    I actually would definitely bank on Fireflies not having access to an MRI, yeah
    I think some of the evidence that Ellie finds in St. Mary's in TLoU2 during one of the flashbacks is literal MRI images (too high of a resolution to be a CAT scan, even with contrast), but I'll have to double check on my New Game+ replay. I wish I had screenshotted it!

    MRIs are prohibitively expensive to fire up and maintain, but they still might have access to it depending on their power generation.

    Ahhhhhhh yeah more MRI stuff and back half spoilers.
    I’ll bite lol. If the goal is ultra-realism there is a 0 percent chance of an MRI or CT running 20 years after the literal apocalypse. It is about 20 years after right? I forget exactly

    Ironically, in the context of the story there are more neurosurgeons in the world right now than there are MRI cold head rebuild technicians - so if the story really wanted to sing to me Joel would have had to kill a cryogenic mechanical engineer that was also Abbys dad lol. MRI systems receive maintenance to replace wearable parts every 6 months and every year the cold head pump used to cycle and condense liquid helium in the tank to maintain superconductivity is rebuilt as it loses efficiency. Older systems like around 2013 actually used to bleed off liquid helium, and when enough of it is gone without a refill - kablooy. There are some fixed electro magnet systems (not in super hospitals as shown though) but those coils wear down to nothing in ~8 years. So its not just the electrical power, although that is a piece of the puzzle - its that their shear physical construction around maintaining super conductivity that makes an MRI a 5000lb bomb just waiting to go off - and when it does there is no just turning the power back on.

    Considering that there are literally 10+ portable x-ray and C-arm units parked in all the hospital rooms in the game (yes I counted and took screenshots with them. Its rare they come up in games - let me have this one thing!) and the images you pick up are a digital “film” print. In my head cannon these are somehow super amazing portable X-ray images - even though thats kinda a meh answer too, its more realistic than any functioning advanced scanner.

    PSN: Grimmsy- Xbox Live: Grimmsy
  • ChanceChance Registered User regular
    edited June 2020
    Hahnsoo1 wrote: »
    Javen wrote: »
    I actually would definitely bank on Fireflies not having access to an MRI, yeah
    I think some of the evidence that Ellie finds in St. Mary's in TLoU2 during one of the flashbacks is literal MRI images (too high of a resolution to be a CAT scan, even with contrast), but I'll have to double check on my New Game+ replay. I wish I had screenshotted it!

    MRIs are prohibitively expensive to fire up and maintain, but they still might have access to it depending on their power generation.

    Ahhhhhhh yeah more MRI stuff and back half spoilers.
    I’ll bite lol. If the goal is ultra-realism there is a 0 percent chance of an MRI or CT running 20 years after the literal apocalypse. It is about 20 years after right? I forget exactly

    Ironically, in the context of the story there are more neurosurgeons in the world right now than there are MRI cold head rebuild technicians - so if the story really wanted to sing to me Joel would have had to kill a cryogenic mechanical engineer that was also Abbys dad lol. MRI systems receive maintenance to replace wearable parts every 6 months and every year the cold head pump used to cycle and condense liquid helium in the tank to maintain superconductivity is rebuilt as it loses efficiency. Older systems like around 2013 actually used to bleed off liquid helium, and when enough of it is gone without a refill - kablooy. There are some fixed electro magnet systems (not in super hospitals as shown though) but those coils wear down to nothing in ~8 years. So its not just the electrical power, although that is a piece of the puzzle - its that their shear physical construction around maintaining super conductivity that makes an MRI a 5000lb bomb just waiting to go off - and when it does there is no just turning the power back on.

    Considering that there are literally 10+ portable x-ray and C-arm units parked in all the hospital rooms in the game (yes I counted and took screenshots with them. Its rare they come up in games - let me have this one thing!) and the images you pick up are a digital “film” print. In my head cannon these are somehow super amazing portable X-ray images - even though thats kinda a meh answer too, its more realistic than any functioning advanced scanner.

    This is an awesome fucking post.
    w2298b3k29dq.gif

    The best kind of correct.

    Chance on
    'Chance, you are the best kind of whore.' -Henroid
  • Hahnsoo1Hahnsoo1 Make Ready. We Hunt.Registered User regular
    They kept this stuff vague because in real life, fungal vaccines just straight up don't exist, far as I know? They'd have been hard pressed to point to a precise logical sounding reason why Ellie's brain = a cure because there's no IRL mechanism for what they're going for. It's magic, suspend your disbelief!
    Anti-fungal vaccines are actually currently in phase 3 trials. An anti-candida vaccine would be a magic bullet for a lot of people.

    8i1dt37buh2m.png
  • Hahnsoo1Hahnsoo1 Make Ready. We Hunt.Registered User regular
    Hahnsoo1 wrote: »
    Javen wrote: »
    I actually would definitely bank on Fireflies not having access to an MRI, yeah
    I think some of the evidence that Ellie finds in St. Mary's in TLoU2 during one of the flashbacks is literal MRI images (too high of a resolution to be a CAT scan, even with contrast), but I'll have to double check on my New Game+ replay. I wish I had screenshotted it!

    MRIs are prohibitively expensive to fire up and maintain, but they still might have access to it depending on their power generation.

    Ahhhhhhh yeah more MRI stuff and back half spoilers.
    I’ll bite lol. If the goal is ultra-realism there is a 0 percent chance of an MRI or CT running 20 years after the literal apocalypse. It is about 20 years after right? I forget exactly

    Ironically, in the context of the story there are more neurosurgeons in the world right now than there are MRI cold head rebuild technicians - so if the story really wanted to sing to me Joel would have had to kill a cryogenic mechanical engineer that was also Abbys dad lol. MRI systems receive maintenance to replace wearable parts every 6 months and every year the cold head pump used to cycle and condense liquid helium in the tank to maintain superconductivity is rebuilt as it loses efficiency. Older systems like around 2013 actually used to bleed off liquid helium, and when enough of it is gone without a refill - kablooy. There are some fixed electro magnet systems (not in super hospitals as shown though) but those coils wear down to nothing in ~8 years. So its not just the electrical power, although that is a piece of the puzzle - its that their shear physical construction around maintaining super conductivity that makes an MRI a 5000lb bomb just waiting to go off - and when it does there is no just turning the power back on.

    Considering that there are literally 10+ portable x-ray and C-arm units parked in all the hospital rooms in the game (yes I counted and took screenshots with them. Its rare they come up in games - let me have this one thing!) and the images you pick up are a digital “film” print. In my head cannon these are somehow super amazing portable X-ray images - even though thats kinda a meh answer too, its more realistic than any functioning advanced scanner.
    I'm still approaching that section of the game on my New Game+, but from my memory, the resolution of the scans that Ellie finds were WAY higher than that of even a high resolution X-ray, and even the highest resolution X-ray would show soft tissue very poorly, unless the film literally was showing calcifications at the site of the infection. I think I chuckled a bit because it's highly unlikely that they would have printed off films (it would have been stored digitally).

    CT scanners are at a level of tech where they can be wheeled into a patient's room, and they don't require the massive amounts of maintenance and power generation that an MRI has. It's not beyond the resources of any hospital to have a CT scanner, although image quality is worse with the portable units, and it's not going to show soft tissue like an MRI does (although with contrast, which they would probably have available, it might be good enough).

    Again, I'll report back after I get to that flashback again.

    As a former medical professional, none of this even approaches any semblance of reality, so... yeah.

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