About Gemini

Let's begin this by touching on who Gemini is from The Adventures of Pinocchio. In the original story, he is only known as Talking Cricket. The name "Jiminy" is actually a reference to the Disney version of the story. Unlike the Disney version where Jiminy Cricket travels with Pinocchio and tries to steer him away from trouble, the Talking Cricket only periodically appears. When Pinocchio first meets the Talking Cricket, he kills him with a hammer after the Talking Cricket chastises him for being a brat. The Talking Cricket reappears again as a blue ghost that again laments the choices that Pinocchio has made up to the middle of the story, and at the end, the Talking Cricket is presumably revived by the Blue Fairy. I've also found it interesting that the spelling they went with is "Gemini", a reference to the constellation (as stars are prevalent in wishes, per Galileo Galilei, and that Gemini means Twin, but then it veers into frivolous speculation from that point).

Thus, a lot of people have been trying to understand who or what Gemini is, and it turns out that we have a very good indication of the "what". When we first meet Gemini, he is broken and rebooting. Sophia describes him as a friend and that he is a "special" cricket puppet. Gemini himself has a very robotic voice, devoid of any cadence that would suggest his specialness until P makes it to Elysion Boulevard. After all, Sophia states that Gemini can fix himself, and when he does, his voice indicates that he is a puppet that has far more emotion and self-awareness than even P.

The flavor text describes the Monad Lamp as "a small lamp with a cricket guide puppet inside. It illuminates the darkness with a faint light. Do not be afraid even if you get lost in the fog. The cricket guide will be with you." Sophia adds to this by explaining that Monad Lamps were toys made in the spirit of the Krat folklore about crickets being guides. From this, it can be surmised that there may have actually been multiple Monad Lamps, but the one that P ends up with is, indeed, special.

Lea's Monad Lamp

It's evident that Gemini once had a previous owner in Lea Florence Monad. In the base game version of the dialogue, in the third memory on the beach, Carlo (and Romeo) plead with Lea to take them as her apprentices. Calmly and sternly, Lea orders Gemini to "get rid of them". In the DLC version of the dialogue, Lea is far more frantic but still orders Gemini to get rid of the two boys. Overture's banner also shows Lea with Gemini attached to her belt; however, in-game, her Monad Lamp is noticeably empty when compared to P's.

It was very curious, but at the time, I couldn't understand why. That is, until we meet a very specific character who subtly tells us key information about Gemini.

The Crusher Puppet Trail

When P arrives in the Ergo Mines after successfully winning the Tracker as an ally, he comes across a broken crusher puppet. This puppet is very different from other puppets we have met, namely the broken puppet found after defeating the Parade Master and the lonely puppet who sits immobile in a tunnel in the Barren Swamp. While those puppets still have the robotic voice and stutter as they speak, the crusher puppet in the Ergo Mine speaks clearly and with a vast range of emotion (mainly of panic).

The crusher puppet calls out to P and leads him along the mines to where he is, giving tidbits of who he is. He expresses that he was dating the daughter of the highest ranking Alchemist, and apparently that was not good. He had a bag thrown over his head, and since then, he had been trapped in darkness---no sight, no hearing, no ability to move his arms and legs. He is able to communicate through these puppets, but because they are (surprisingly) so fragile, they can't travel very far.

The prescribed way to find these puppets along the Critical Path (i.e. the path that you the player will undoubtedly take to progress), is to listen for the audio cue when you step into the trigger, and his voice gets louder (spatial audio) as you get closer to his location. There is yet another indication that this is a friendly crusher puppet: these puppets have a green-yellow light for an eye very similar to Gemini's light. Hostile puppets have red eyes, and non-hostile puppets have either no eye color or blue eyes. When P finally finds the one guiding him to his location, we find a brain in a glowing liquid of the same green-yellow color.

For as long as the capsule glows green, the brain can communicate with P. Time finally comes to make a decision: mercy-kill the brain by shutting off the life support system, or leave him to slowly suffocate as gas slowly leaks out of the machine. Choosing the former results in learning the identity of the brain and receiving the record for Nightmare.

The Brain in the Vat

Alexander Goodman was an Alchemist who created the Mind Keeper Machine. While the specific purpose of the machine is never disclosed, it's clear that the machine is meant to keep a brain alive without the need of a body. Because Alexander Goodman was dating the daughter of highest-ranking Alchemist (presumably Sophia), he was kidnapped and thrust into darkness (probably by Simon and the Bastards). And he remained in darkness, in silence, and rendered immobile; however, he didn't know what had actually happened to him until P briefly became his window to the world.

Alexander's presentation in Pistis Harbor is a direct reference to a thought experiment called "Brain in a Vat", which was modernized from Rene Descartes' original "Evil Demon". In the First Meditation, Rene establishes that perhaps the world we know isn't real because we can't be sure that it is real. He proposes, for the sake of doubt, that the world is governed by a powerful malicious demon whose purpose is to constantly lie and deceive. The only way to properly doubt and therefore attempt to avoid being deceived, Rene Descartes reduced himself to merely a "thinking thing", because as long as one thinks, one exists---senses be damned. He imagines himself "as if [he] has no hands, no eyes, no flesh, no blood, no senses at all". By excising himself from everything except from the fact that he can think, he can clearly examine arguments from as detached position as possible.

The Brain in the Vat (BIV) is similar, conceived by Gilbert Harman and modernized by Hilary Putnam in the 1960s from the earlier Evil Demon experiment, the Hindu Maya Illusion, and Zhugnzi's "The Butterfly Dream". In BIV, a brain is excised from its body and placed into a life-support vat. It is then hooked up to a computer that would send electrical impulses to the brain and essentially allow the brain to live in a simulated reality including appropriate responses to the brain's output. While BIV is regarded by Putnam as meaningless, it gives way to semantic externalism (when words mean something different external to the speaker, or "being on different pages" to put it simpler) and solipsism (the idea that only one's mind is sure to exist). Essentially, the argument becomes that one wouldn't be able to know internally if their brain was embodied or in a vat because from the perspective of the brain, everything would appear true and they wouldn't know if their beliefs are actually false.

The Nature of Doubt in a World of Truth and Lies

Moreover, Rene Descartes' Meditations broaden to the application of doubt in reason and the determination of what is true and what is false. Back in his day, people were accustomed to accepting whatever was taught to them as true. If the Church said that God existed, who were they to argue that there was no God (aside from atheists)? The evidence is there in the fact that they breathe, and that action came from God. But if the world was actually all a lie, and all one could do was think while understanding that thinking about an action and an action itself are two separate things, how would one know that they were actually breathing? How would one know that what they saw or heard was real and not a trick played by some omniscient puppeteer? Rene Descartes added that he could either be awake or in a dream, and he wouldn't be able to determine one or the other if he relied on his senses.

But what does this have to do with Alexander Goodman? The second time that P encounters one of his crusher puppets. Alexander explains to P the incident that left him in the dark, and the player receives the gesture Doubt.

The mere acquisition of Doubt underscores Alexander's quest as homage to Meditations (aside from other direct references to Rene Descartes that I'll show later). After all, Alexander's story sounds bizarre. At the time of locating this puppet, there is no indication what Alexander truly is outside of his panic that he's in a dark place unable to do anything but communicate using broken puppets.

It becomes, then, that Alexander's quest is another touch of the overarching theme of the game: Truth versus Lies. The Adventures of Pinocchio weren't all completely about lying but rather about being uneducated made you susceptible to exploitation including being fooled by swindlers. In the books I read on Gnosticism, humanity's pursuit for Knowledge to truly be one with the ultimate being predicates on determining truth from falsehood.

And as an aside, P eventually unlocking the Sherlock Holmes costume from Tracker's quest is a nice little cherry on top. After all, the greatest detective also knows when to critically assess the evidence before him.

Dreams and Waking

In Meditations, Rene Descartes also questions the notion of even being conscious. If he is used to sleeping at night and he has the same experiences in dreams as he does awake, or that he can have even "more improbable experiences than insane people" while awake; how would he know if he was in his dressing gown next to the fire or undressed and asleep in bed?

The record received from granting Alexander Goodman's wish is called Nightmare, which is a nod to this argument. The description pertains to Alexander's final thoughts before he dies in the vat, expressing that even if everything was a dream, he didn't regret being human and falling in love.

Another interesting thing, though more of a little bonus (as I like to include): Alexander Goodman's fate is very similar to that of Perilaus' Brazen Bull. In ancient Greece, the inventor Perilaus proposed to the tyrant king Phalaris this torture device, which was a bull made of bronze that opened on the side. The victim was to be placed inside the belly of the bull, and a fire was lit underneath to heat the bull like a giant oven. The bull's head was made with an intricate set of tubing so that when the victim screamed, it sounded as if the bull was bellowing in "the tenderest, most pathetic, and most melodious" way. Upon revealing the Brazen Bull to Phalaris, the tyrant king had Perilaus be the first victim of his own creation. (This device is featured in Amnesia: The Dark Descent.)

Alexander Goodman's Mind Keeper Machine, of which the purpose isn't entirely known (though I can speculate), would be similar...though, likely not as a way to willfully torture victims; however, the mental duress it imparts on unknowing victims is torture in itself. After all, the Alchemists probably would not want to kill the brain of the man who built such a machine.

One last thing: COGITO ERGO SUM is also used in the short story I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison. Alexander Goodman and Gemini, both being without proper mouths, cannot scream. This epigram, however, also applies to the fact that AM, a supercomputer, simulates cycles and versions of hell for Ted and the others. While I have other things to discuss about this short story, it is worth mentioning that it logistically helps to underscore the hell that at least Alexander Goodman is made to suffer.

Addendum: Walker of Illusions

Quick aside: I occasionally forget Walker of Illusions because she's a mini-boss (and a hard one at that!), but there is a possibility that she might also be a little nod to Descartes' writings. She is a much more subtle one if she is and a conglomerate of his concepts even.

Walker of Illusions could be referencing to Descartes' idea that everything is an illusion via the Evil Demon thought experiment, a version of a BIV (considering the very prominent and enlarged brain in her glass cranium), and that her eyes are covered though she isn't blind. Her signature move is to conjure a second version of herself that registers as a regular enemy. The reference to Meditations isn't as strong as Alexander Goodman, and she could also be attributed to the Frankenstein aspect of the game's narrative.

Descartes, the Technician

This section is more of an aside to Alexander Goodman. Descartes is a a technician in the base game, and one that seemed to argue against Venigni at times. He wrote the diary (Descartes's Note) on Fuoco's awakening and worship of the King of Puppets.

When he writes on Fuoco, Meditations is used as the basis of the diary. Specifically, the irrefutable nature of a higher power compelling a being to behave a certain way. In this case, the Grand Covenant which binds the puppets to their Creator (God), who is Geppetto. Ergo, the crystallized soul, must be the key. He questions how Fuoco could have just suddenly started to act, with passion, on his own; is someone controlling Fuoco or does he have his own will? "This requires further investigation" (the Scientific Method).

He also is shown in one instance to butt heads with Venigni (amicably) as the creator of the Coil Mjolnir. The description of the Coil Mjolnir Head seems more to characterize him as the real Rene Descartes, which parallels Venigni, whom we actually interact with in-game.

Implications of Gemini

With all this discussed about Alexander Goodman, we come back to Gemini. Gemini makes passing comments about when he used to be alive, so we know that Gemini was not always a puppet and he understands the concept of life and death as it pertains to humans. Like in Pinocchio, Gemini is nothing more than a disembodied voice anchored in a puppet, just like Alexander Goodman. When we considered what Alexander Goodman can do with the crusher puppets, we can attribute that to Gemini. Therefore, prior to Lies of P, Gemini was able to pilot different puppets at will while he was with Lea.

I like to relate this idea that also uses BIV to another duology consisting of Ciel Nosurge and Ar Nosurge, in which You (the player) are a consciousness from another dimension communicating and influencing another planet's fate via a terminal (either your PS Vita or your PS3). The terminal, and later on the robot named Earthes, are machines that are piloted by your extra-dimensional consciousness. This would be similar to how Alexander Goodman, and by extension, Gemini would be able to operate puppets.

Inferences to be Made on Gemini, Sophia, and Lea

At some point, Lea sent Gemini away, which would account for why her Monad Lamp is empty during the DLC, but where did she send him? Remember, Gemini is a friend of Sophia. Sophia was sought after by Simon and the Alchemists and was taken by them (inferred by Sophia's Diary). When P arrives in the Relic of Trismegistus, Gemini makes the comment that someone was dragged away from there. At the time, the player is made to think that Gemini is talking about Geppetto, and it's a fair assumption given the ambush had just happened and we didn't have Overture yet. Overture re-contextualizes the line to hint that Gemini is actually talking about Sophia.

Later on, dialogue changes on the beach depending on whether or not Overture has been completed for that playthrough. Lea's command to Gemini to get rid of Carlo and Romeo is much more frantic and desperate, indicating that Lea's become unhinged (something to be discussed in a separate post). Gemini also makes a remark: "Lea is my..." after the final memory

[Image to be added when I get to this in my playthrough]

However, it's difficult to discern what he was implying aside from being a close friend or companion.

But with all things considered about Alexander Goodman, it's supported to determine that Gemini is likely a BIV himself, piloted puppets to help Lea including her Monad Lamp, was possibly put into a humanoid puppet to protect or save Sophia, and was placed into another Monad Lamp by himself or Sophia to be found by the only other soul that Sophia could trust: Carlo, who is awakened inside of P.

Conclusion

Mr. Cherry and Geppetto

Antonia represents Geppetto's friend and rival Antonio in The Adventures of Pinocchio. Antonio is more often called Mr. Cherry because he has a nose that is red like a cherry, which children make fun of. Like Geppetto, he is a master carpenter and is the one who finds the magic wood from which Pinocchio would be made. Antonio's role in the original Pinocchio is restricted to the first two chapters when he tries to cut the piece of magic wood and is frightened by how it spoke like a child. He then lets Geppetto take it after a brief friendly dispute.

Additionally, the last name "Cerasani" comes from the Italian word "cerasa", meaning "cherry". If P gives Antonia the cure for Petrification Disease, she will leave the Cherry-Scented Letter after she dies. Besides her name being the feminine form of Antonio and "cherries", the letter having the faint scent of cherries ties Antonia to Mr. Cherry.

When introduced during P's arrival to Hotel Krat, Antonia describes herself as a friend of Geppetto's, and she says that [Carlo] was like a son to her. As she is the one who takes on Carlo's tutelage in the arts, she progressively gets angrier at Geppetto for ignoring Carlo in a Letter from an Old Friend (Undelivered), advocating for the boy to meet his father after years of separation while in school. This letter also has the faint scent of cherries, surely indicating as before that Antonia wrote it.

In a way, this letter could be a nod to the fact that Mr. Cherry is who gets Geppetto to "meet" Pinocchio.

Antonia, the Afflicted Singer

Mr. Cherry's role in Pinocchio is relatively small compared to some other characters in the story, so it raises the question of where Antonia's depth come from. After all, Mr. Cherry didn't seem to have any illnesses.

As it turns out, Antonia's Petrification Disease storyline comes from Councillor Krespel. In this short story, the narrator recounts his encounters with the renowned lawyer and diplomat Councillor Krespel. Krespel has several hobbies concerning violins---playing them and strangely taking them apart and putting them back together. When an acquaintance brings up the singer Antonia, he tells the narrator that Krespel's entire demeanor changes. The acquaintance briefly describes the oddities surrounding Krespel, Antonia, and her mysterious singing. Some years later, the narrator learns that Antonia has suddenly died, and he pays a visit to Krespel. He eventually learns about who Antonia was and how angelic was her voice. While he fails to ever meet Antonia in-person, Krespel explains to him why he kept Antonia away from anyone that might try to ask for her hand in marriage. Krespel explains that she had been his daughter from a failed marriage with the prima donna opera singer Signora Angela. Antonia inherited her mother's voice and Krespel took her in when Angela got sick and died on the day of Antonia's intended wedding to a composer. Krespel learned that Antonia had a rare illness that if she were to sing too much, she would die. Out of fear of losing his beautiful daughter and her voice, Krespel forbade her from singing and instead would play a special Cremona violin that resonated with the voice inside of her. The two left Italy and moved to Germany in hopes of hiding from the composer that wanted to marry Antonia, only for that composer to finally find Antonia and court her again. Antonia could not help herself and desired to sing and be with the composer despite Krespel begging her not to sing. Having to choose between a short but peaceful life singing or a long life not being able to do what she loved, Antonia sang and sang that fateful night until she finally died, and her death leaves Krespel alone to grieve.

Before I move onto the specific reference to this story in Lies of P, it's worth mentioning that Antonia Cerasani has a similar life leading up to when she develops Petrification Disease. She is first found sitting before a massive portrait (a reference itself to Portrait Madame X (1884) by John Singer Sargent) of herself when she was young. She was considered to be one of Krat's most beautiful women and had a fearless and feisty personality. Her condition worsens, and Antonia solemnly reflects on her past. She asks P if she still looks anything like she does in protrait. P has the choice to lie or not here, which grants Humanity and makes Antonia feel a little better despite how sick she has become.

Bonus: The final version of Antonia's portrait has a different table and not the roses and mirror in the concept. Portrait of Madame X was initially negatively received in France because of the "vulgar" figure and scandalous showing of skin before is was much more appreciated by British and American viewers later on. Antonia's portrait shows her in a similar dress with her skin showing, which could represent that Antonia was and still is a confident and formidable woman for time period, though the gravity of her condition weighs heavily on her.

Antonia and Disease

The parallels between Lies of P Antonia and Councillor Krespel Antonia became immediately apparent to me not just by the name of the person of interest. It is evident that Antonia already had Petrification Disease when P first meets her, but Hoffmann---a Gothic mystery writer---waits until near the end of the story to reveal that Antonia has such a disease that would kill her if she sang too much. It is the question that is proposed in both the game and the story that tips off that Antonia Cerasani is based partly on Antonia from Krespel: To live a short but peaceful life, or to live a longer but painful life.

When this question is proposed to the player in the game, Polendina is the one who asks for P to make the decision for him. Polendina, while in love with Antonia, is still her caretaker and defers to someone that wouldn't let his affections influence the choice. The decision must be made in this instant, much like Krespel's decision, because the cure which Giangio produces from the gold coin tree's fruit is unstable and will become useless if the cure isn't used immediately.

Using the cure or not has no real effect on Antonia's well-being in the story's progression. She still dies after Laxasia is defeated, but should the player choose to not give her the cure, they will miss out on Antonia's scene where P plays Piano of Krat III, her final Cherry-Scented Letter, and her record Memories on the Beach, which coincidentally has some humming to it similar to Krespel's Antonia singing along to the composer's piano playing. Antonia Cerasani however is not presented as a singer, so it makes sense that the most her record has is piano and humming.

And finally, Antonia's position as the queen of high society and the sponsor of the arts is likely based on the fact that Antonia's mother Angela was a prestigious opera singer in Krespel as well as the fact that everyone in the town loved her singing.

Added Bonus: Polendina's name in Lies of P is actually Geppetto's nickname in The Adventures of Pinocchio because Geppetto had a toupee that was the color of corn-mush, or polendina. It's a bright yellow color, hence why Polendina's hair is bright blond.

In Conclusion