I have words to put into sentences from my mind
To be honest, when Issue 7 first came out I mostly was just shocked and glazed on every small detail it was popping out like cool beautiful shots or unmasked spy or family... It was kind of scary to go back because one of my feelings was frustration that they made a "the part comes out 7 years later bc there's a 7 years time skip IN COMIC" thing. So anyway
This mansion is not in Australia (tf2 universe). This is PROBABLY in the close area to Tuefort. Australia in period 1850 to 1890 already looked futuristic.
In first image there's already a "mercenaries welcome" sign. The whole fighting ALWAYS was in Tuefort. AND they started hiring JUST BEFORE Zepheniah Mann died. And they were hired with help of the administrator, obviously. Which baffles me a little, why would she continue providing these two materials and men to fight?
Sidenote! Zepheniah Mann also died 40 years ago. Can death of Z. Mann and Australians' magnificent life be connected? As if Hale's family provides more australium to people?
She doesn't YET knows about australium's ability to give life...
What I think is interesting
The australium isn't raw. It's in bullion, not ores. And stacked and hidden to herself.
She KNEW the australium can do more. She KNEW there's a way to,, live some more? She probably seen how it affects Australians these past 40 years.
But what else? The Gray Fuck Mann. The Gray "let me pour australium in veins" Mann. Wasn't eaten by eagles. From whom admin got the idea of prolonging life. And looks barely 20, probably been pouring australium in every day,,
But my own problem is I don't understand when it happened. From 1850 to 1890 Helen BARELY changes.
And why it can be doubtful - Helen's grey hair. It's comes and goes around the same time Z. Mann dies.
And what I think? Gray's visit is probably happened around the same time Radigan was invited to work for BLU.
It would be really convenient for plot if Radigan and Gray worked together, DID build a machine that can prolonge life, but Gray knew it's actually the australium that gives life and he ran away with it. That would explain why Radigan agreed to work for BLU and later agreed to build more such machines. He got a chance to work with australium. Or work for Helen? Who can provide with all needs, including australium? Especially australium.
Would he build same machine for her? Would she keep Conaghers working for her specifically? When they know how to build these machines?
The moment Blutarch handed over Radigan's blueprints, Engineer knew he will make the same for the administrator. He wasn't scared of Blutarch and he wasn't disloyal, he just had an employer above Blutarch.
I remember people saying Engineer was free once Pauling let Helen die. And yes,,, but he could've "become free" a little before that, if Blutarch didn't get Radigan's blueprints.