[Golden Bug-Hunter]

Originally Posted by Renall

Much better than that. I do hope you keep looking into the '86 bit as well (especially as the two stories are meant to give insight into each other, so it might help figure out '96 as well), but I think you're on the right track in several places. Well, actually there's one or two things where you're nearly spot-on (like 90% in one place and 99.999% in another), but I did want to address your mythological chops...

Spoiler for The Son of Laertes:

You correctly pointed out that Andy was referencing Odysseus. Who was it that Odysseus blinded? You may find his humor a bit less erudite once that's clear. Although, as you pointed out, it's a thing that could have multiple meanings.

It's important to remember that Andromalius is kind of petty. Well, okay, really petty.

Spoiler for A Question For You...:

How did the 1996 culprit escape, or make his/her body disappear?

My myth chops are actually pretty lackluster on this score. I didn't recognize that name on my own, I googled it. Still..

Spoiler for The son of Laertes:

I do remember Odysseus blinding a cyclops, and that was the one-eyed Chiester Andy killed. So that fits, certainly, but it feels... incomplete. There's a loose end here tugging at my mind. The specific mention of being shown ill hospitality instead of 'my enemy' or 'the one who wounded me' or 'that bastard monster that ate my men'. It comes back to wondering when the Chiester's would have been Andy's 'host'.

Certainly 00 saw something or was on to something when she gave the order to trust the target lock instead of the visual confirmation. Andy's heart isn't where it 'appears' to be, and piercing that metal has to mean something regarding Andy's 'True' heart. That it's seperate and locked away from how he appears to be... so he's not really like how he looks at all if we 'decode the fantasy'.

Oh, and for the other question...

Spoiler for The last bit of Howdunit:

Jeroboam used the radio and had the pilot take her back. The police didn't recover any of the radios so Jeroboam must have taken them with her. Jeroboam told the pilot a line like 'they're camping out for a bit' or 'they'll call pretty soon' and gave him a bribe to keep quiet.

This could actually help explain why Ito doesn't want to investigate too much as well, beyond the obvious idea I had above. If briefly interviewing the pilot gave him the impression that this was dumb foreign kids playing a murder mystery prank, only they were clutzy and stupid and accidentally got their dumb selves killed, keeping the mess quiet for the public good is a really valid concern.

Ah, I'm kidding myself. That theory feels weak. An exit strategy like that is incredibly flimsy and the pilot himself would have freaked out at some point after the news came out. If the pilot was killed off I would be thinking more along those lines, but as is it seems far fetched.

Swimming or packing an inflatable raft could work. Jeroboam was definitely better prepared for the terrain than the others, so she could have been carrying that. I doubt Jeroboam is as strong as a Marine at swimming or small boat handling, but June of 96 is described as sunny and pleasant, so I don't think it would be that hard if she was willing to take the time.

Mmm, I still have some weaknesses though...

Spoiler for holes in my logic:

Cass, Natsuhi, and Kyrie are all described as having symptoms that line up with the blood loss cause of death from a skilled, almost surgical incision. I can see how drunk/hungover/dehydrated Cass could be baited into getting cut on the foot and not freaking out or getting it treated properly before they slowly bleed out, but Natsuhi? Unlikely. Kyrie? Inconceivable. There's something I haven't reasoned out here...

Oh, and that sad display above for how Jeroboam left the island. That's like Medium-Sized bombs, lol.