Digital Conundrum Special Issue - part 5-7
Frequently Asked Questions (07-13)
People these days still primarily e-mail me their questions on Digital Conundrum, and I've gotten enough of them to make another FAQ section! I also got some questions (actually, one) that a reader posted in a review which I'll get to here. Frank, Buck, and I have been very pleased to answer your questions - though Buck has temporarily run off because of all those questions you readers ask about his "strangeness"…. But we've got through them all. So enjoy, and hope that this answers some more of your questions!
Just a note: (A) stands for replies from me; (F) is from Frank Parker; and (B) is from Cameron Williams [better known as Buck].
SECTION 1
CORRECTIONS FROM "FAQ 00-06"
Buck is actually called "Cam" in Left Behind - during a flashback, his college friend, Dirk, refers to him as either Cameron or Cam. Buck doesn't seem to mind, but then, it is a flashback, and Dirk has probably known Buck since before he became a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist.
There are conflicting times as to when the disappearances occur in the Left Behind series. The book has it placed in late March - early April; the movie's website claims it took place on Christmas; however, in the movie, it looked like it occurred sometime in the late spring or early fall. It doesn't really affect how this fanfic goes, though.
"Revelation" is not the last episode of Seven Days - there were five or six more episodes after that.
Buck has won more awards than the Pulitzer Prize. The only other award we know he's received is the Ernest Hemingway Award for War Correspondence, which he earned for his story on the air strike on Israel. His Pulitzer Prize was won for a story he wrote when he was employed by the Boston Globe, which we have no other information about.
SECTION 2
THE ONE QUESTION FROM THE REVIEW BOARD
Q: Why exactly did those digimon in the Dark Ocean go against Dagomon?
A: I know, it's been a while since I've seen Digimon Adventure 02, but I do recall in the episode "The Call of Dagomon" that those digimon Hikari freed wanted Hikari to lead them against a Dark Undersea Master. Then, near the end of the episode, there was a silhouette of Dagomon against the sky in the Dark Ocean world. So my only real answer is that those digimon have always wanted to go against their master, even though they never gave a reason as to why.
SECTION 3
ALL THE QUESTIONS THE FANS E-MAILED ME, FRANK, AND BUCK
Q: Why does Buck transform into that Guardian character?
B: It's because of the Crest of Truth that I wear. Whenever the presence of darkness is very high, it just … takes over me. When I first transformed into the Guardian, I had no control over myself; but I can keep the Guardian under check with the Holy Ring, as demonstrated in Part 12. There is also another, more complex reason as to why I undergo this metamorphosis, but revealing it now would ruin the story.
Q: Is Parker ever going to backstep again?
F: Maybe. If I ever sneak into NNL. But even if I did, it would still be too late to undo the disappearances.
Q: Does Ophanimon have some connection with Buck?
A: If I told you now, I'd have ruined the entire story.
Q: Isn't there a fifth Chosen Child from Frank and Buck's group?
A: Yes. Her name is Svetlana, and she is Olga's sister. Fans of Seven Days may know already, though, that she is dead, and that is why Frank and Buck aren't out looking for her.
Q: When are we ever going to get introduced to Tsion Ben-Judah?
A: Soon. Very soon.
Q: Why does Chloe have a Crest of Love?
A: First, explain this: why does Miyako have the Digimental of Love? It works by the same principle: more than one person could have a Crest / other item that bears the same attribute.
Q: Will Chloe ever meet her partner again?
A: Maybe.
Q: What's up with that phrase Buck said when he activated the Holy Ring?
B: I don't know. I just read it. I think the author has some insight….
A: Of course I do. Remember the fragment of the verse Tsion sent Frank and Buck in Part 07? It's that same fragment in Japanese.
Q: Where exactly did you get that fragment from?
A: I know I'll get flamed for mentioning this, but it's from a prayer. No, no, don't look at me like that! The fragment is the first line of Saint Michael's Prayer, which was given to me by some friends of mine.
Q: And why did you put that quote in?
A: Hey, if Left Behind and Seven Days had their Biblical references, then why can't this fic?
Q: Did Buck really die in that last battle with Black War Greymon?
B: I don't know. You tell me.
Q: Why doesn't anybody ask Frank any questions?
F: You know, that's a good one … I don't know.
Q: Why hasn't Tentomon evolved yet with the Holy Ring's power?
F: Because I'm not as physically and mentally tortured as Buck.
A: Yeah right! Remember the Sphere?
F: ….
Q: Why are you bashing on Buck?
B: Yeah, why are you?
A: Well, Buck has his share of incidents in the Left Behind series. He has been shot at, has had bombs placed on his cars, blown up a school bus, fallen out of an airplane into brambles, survived a plane crash, almost stung by a killer locust, witnessed multiple beheadings and a double murder, survived a 9.0 earthquake, survived a helicopter dogfight, almost got trampled by Nicolae's army, and almost got run over by a stampede of people fleeing a stadium. Not to mention that he has been charged for killing a guard and for posting anti-Nicolae stuff on the Internet. So I just wanted to save him the trouble of going through all that.
Q: Where exactly did you get the concept of the Eastern Gate?
A: Buck mentioned it in The Indwelling. He tells his now-dead friend "I'll see you at the Eastern Gate" before passing out.
Q: Then what's up with that Western Gate that Buck (as the Guardian) mentioned?
A: Well, if there's an Eastern Gate, there must be a Western one, too. Besides, if the Eastern Gate leads to the Golden Land, then the Western Gate would lead to ... uh, hell - which in this fic is the Dark Ocean.
Q: Will Frank ever go through anything like Buck has?
A: It is expected in later parts of the story. To summarize, he will be shot at, survive a hail of flaming hailstones, beat up Nicolae, almost die while scuba diving, survive a helicopter dogfight, and become the target for three nuclear missiles. Not to mention being framed for a murder he didn't commit and undergoing a similar transformation like Buck's.
Q: Why did you put Buck in the spotlight for the last six parts?
A: Well, he never gets enough "in the spotlight" in Left Behind! I mean, he's always getting shot at, and that's all he seems there for, other than to give Chloe some companionship. Besides, Frank is the star of Seven Days, and he needs a break from being the hero.
Q: What is the difference between a Chosen Child and an Elect?
A: I'll tell you the one obvious difference. Elect usually have a strange power or attribute given to them. For example, Hikari could be called an Elect because the force of Light can take over her body. Buck is most definitely an Elect because he can not only be taken over by the Guardian and use his powers, but also transform into the Guardian himself. However, in Buck's case, there is another reason why he can undergo his transformation, which can't be revealed for aforementioned reasons.
Q: Did you make up the concept of Elected Children?
A: Apparently so.
Q: Does Frank's Crest have any special powers?
F: Does it?
A: It does, but I haven't had the chance to really set them loose. They were used once - rather subtly - when Metal Seadramon used the amplified power to rebuild the Dark Lighthouse. To put it in short, the Crest can manipulate time.
Q: Are any more digimon going to appear in the real world later on?
A: YES, OF COURSE! Now with both Earth and Digital World out of whack, there will be more visitations by digimon. They will all be mentioned in the Cast of Characters section of this Special Issue.
Q: Will they take gijinka (human) form, like Delores and Mummymon?
A: It depends on the situation. One set of digimon I'll introduce will be in gijinka form throughout their appearance, whereas others will be in their natural form. And, of course, Parker and Buck's partners will be in natural form as well.
Q: How exactly will this story end?
A: Why don't you wait until the last part of Digital Conundrum is posted, and then you tell me, okay? Thanks!
Q: What exactly does Buck look like? You say he's blonde, but all the official pictures show him with brown hair!
B: That's a disgrace!
A: First of all, let me get this straight. In the novel Left Behind, Buck is immediately described as a fair-haired man with rather longish hair. Hence, he is a blonde. The pictures in the Left Behind comic book are 'wrong' because of that - unless he dyed his hair for certain reasons. For a decent reference, you could see the little picture I drew of Buck on my website. Another thing I must note is that Buck's hair is longer than you think. It actually grows almost to his shoulders, but is short enough not to notice. By the end of this story, though, he'll look just like Allen from Escaflowne. So just picture Allen with much shorter hair and green eyes, and you have Buck.
Q: What happened to Nicolae and Delores?
A: I've been ignoring them for some time. Don't worry, they're still alive and well. Our heroes will run into them soon enough.
Q: Why is Takeru the only one that remembers the real battle between Devimon and Angemon?
A: First off, he was closer to the battle - right underneath Angemon, as I recall from the Japanese tapes. And in Digimon Adventure 02, he was severely affected by the memory of that battle, so that must mean that something more had happened. And there is a very subtle clue to that - in both the Japanese and English versions of the episode in which that battle occured, it looks like a scene was cut between Angemon's attack and Devimon's actual death. So if the audience doesn't know, but Takeru seems to be heavily affected, then something must have happened.
Q: How did Buck remember what had happened when he was possessed the first time?
A: You know what? I have absolutely no idea. But I'll figure it out by the time the last part of this fic is posted.
Q: Don't Buck's parents live in Arizona?
A: Actually, they do. But Buck had a flashback, and his dad does own a trucking company that runs from Texas to Oklahoma, so it would make sense to have Buck live near Oklahoma City in his childhood.
Q: And didn't Buck's mom die during his first year at college?
A: Yeah, that too. It's his mother's very death that caused some anymosity between Buck and his dad in later years. I had to change it, though, for this story. Earlier I had said that this was an alternate Left Behind universe, so I could twist Buck's past around....
Q: Did Buck really go to Princeton?
B: Yes I did! Got my journalism degree there, too.
A: Buck's right on that. However, I made up the part about him joining the fencing club. The only club we know Buck joined in college is the racquetball club, which he quit very early in his college years.
Q: Is there any information on the new Chosen Children's families?
A: There is sufficient information for Frank, Buck, and Chloe for me to post here....
Frank is an orphan, and was raised in a church orphanage in Philidelphia.
Buck was born in Oklahoma City (in this fic), and moved to Tuscon, Arizona when he was a teenager. His only living relatives that we know of are his father, the owner of a trucking company, and his brother Jeff; his mother had either died or abandoned the family when Buck was seven (in this fic).
Chloe was born and raised in Chicago with her brother Rayford Jr., and her parents Irene and Rayford Steele. Rayford Jr. and Irene were casualties of the disappearances; Rayford Sr. is still unaccounted for.
There is not enough information on Tsion's past - and he hasn't really been introduced yet. We do know, though, that he was born in Haifa, Israel.
Q: Who is the Faithful and True one?
A: You'll find out at the end of the story.
Q: Can't you just give a hint?
A: I've given you enough already! Read the story carefully!
Q: Where's Buck's mother?
A: You'll find that out at the end of the story, too.
And that is the end of the second Frequently Asked Questions section for Digital Conundrum! Thanks so much for your questions - Frank, Buck, and I really appreciate them! Coming up next: the Cast of Characters!