Strip 260 -- First Seen: 2009-09-11
Escape From Terra is updated with new pages every Monday through Friday.

QV on a short break

QUANTUM VIVE is taking a break for a few weeks, as we prepare for Part 2 of the Novo Palermo story, and also for a Kickstarter campaign for Part 1, which will start in September.

In the meantime, Not-Safe.Space will continue, as a murder mystery begins and the relationship between Eithne and Diana develops in unexpected directions.

Not-Safe.Space is a NSFW strip but more than half the pages are SFW so I've set those to *not* require a Patreon membership. Readers should be able to follow the story without seeing the NSFW pages. If I've done this right.

Kickstarter successful and closed

The Kickstarter campaign for Not-Safe.Space Chapter 3 concluded successfully on April 21, and Scott extended the time allowed for late pledges until May 19.

Books have been ordered from the printer and Scott will be spending the next week or so setting up and sending the PDF files to those who asked for them.

(There are still six of you who have not responded to the survey asking for e-mail and snail-mail addresses, he'll do the best he can.)

Thanks to all for supporting this Kickstarter!

The Transcript For This Page

Panel 1
Medium close-up of Reggie, looking somewhat incredulous. Leave background vague.

Reggie: So Rogers took all his clothes off, then cycled through the air lock?

Reggie: I hate to be insensitive, but how the hell did he manage that?

Panel 2
Establishing shot: the office of Dr. Carlos Peña, Administrator of SPAM (SETI Polar Array Mars). On one wall is a south-polar-projection map of Mars, on another is a large photo of an antenna-dish array not unlike that famous one we have in New Mexico. Otherwise office is about the size of Reggie's on Ceres, professional-looking, clean. There's a computer terminal with a holo-screen on Peña's desk but it's not on presently. Peña is seated behind her desk, Reggie is seated in one of two chairs in front of it, sipping a beverage. Peña looks a bit sad.

Peña: Apparently, he just held his breath.

Peña: Personnel locks here are very small and cycle in about 30 seconds.

Peña: Our guess is he entered the lock, took a deep breath, closed the inner hatch, cycled the lock and walked out.

Panel 3
Looking over Reggie's shoulder at Peña, who is propping his chin on his hands.
Reggie: How cold are the poles in the Winter?
Peña: In the -85° to -90° Celsius range. In winter, there is no sun for over a Terran year.
Peña: It's cold.


Panel 4
Two shot of Peña and Reggie, on either side of the desk (you can do a silhouette of the scene if you like).

Peña: Sv. King, I appreciate your coming in all the way from Ceres on short notice.

Peña: But let me be blunt, if I may ...

Panel 5
Medium shot of Peña, whose demeanor has become decidedly colder.

Peña: You were brought in on the – insistence, really – of Dr. Nightingale in the School of Psychology at the University of Mars.

Peña: May I ask why they wanted you so much?

Panel 6
Medium shot of Reggie, looking calm.

Reggie: Do you know how the media are treating this incident?

Reggie: They are calling it a 'paranormal' event caused by the 'Ghosts of Mars' and similar twaddle.

Panel 7
Looking over Reggie's shoulder at Peña, who is clearly peeved, waving his arms.

Reggie (OP): You and I both know that mystical irrationalism is an ever-present threat to science and reason.

Peña: Yes, but why you?

Peña: You are not a scientist. What possible qualifications could you bring to the table?