Strip 530 -- First Seen: 2010-09-17
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
At Callahan's, in a regular (seats 4) booth, Wally sits across from Sherrie, one of the victims on his list. Sherrie is in her early 20s, and almost as well-built as Fiorella, wearing a low-cut shirt revealing ample cleavage. But her jaw-line is a bit 'hard' for a woman and also, she's cross-eyed. In contrast to Robyn, Sherrie seems quite happy to be in Wally's company. They have drinks (Wally's is a soft drink) in front of them.
Wally: Thanks for meeting with me, Sov. Krupinski.
Sherrie: Call me Sherrie, sugar. That's what everyone does.

Panel 2
Closer 2-shot of Wally and Sherrie. Sherrie poses coquettishly, batting her eyes at the boy. We get a good look at her face and her crossed eyes.
Wally: Um, okay Sherrie Sugar. What can you tell me about your attack at the SpacePort.
Sherrie: Very little, I'm afraid. It was, oh, about three weeks – I mean, 21 days ago, and I was walking along the causeway from the Port, maybe a kilometer along …

Panel 3
Sherrie leans towards Wally, laying her hand across his. If we could see his neck the hairs on it would be standing up.
Wally: And he, uh, jumped you from behind?
Sherrie: That's right! I never really saw him.
Sherrie: I wish you could've been there to protect me.

Panel 4
Wally scrambles away from the table, bidding a hasty adieu. Sherrie is surprised and disappointed.
Wally: Thatsgreatthankyouverymuchyou'vebeenhelpful!

Panel 5
Cut to: a green-grocery. Wally is talking to a guy clerking there: Dudley, who was one of the victims. Dudley is a gangly fellow of African descent, with a shaved head, wearing one of those flat-topped 'African' caps.
Dudley: Didden take a cab 'cause I wanned to save the cash, mon.
Dudley: Fella jumped me inna causeway about a klick fromma SpacePort.
Wally: And how long ago did this happen?

Panel 6
Cut to: the arboretum. It's like a park with a lot of different kinds of trees and plants, with a 20-meter-high dome holding in the air. Wally sits on a bench with Kazuo, a middle-aged Japanese man. Slight build, stoop-shouldered.
Kazuo: … They told me, oh, no crime on Ceres, and look what happened.
Wally: When did it happen?
Kazuo: It was, um, July 17 on Earth calendar. Your calendar is strange.

Panel 7
Wally is standing up, while looking at his Comm.
Wally: That's 3.2 decadays ago.
Kazuo: If you say so. Sorry I can't tell you more.
Wally: That's okay, Sov. Kazuo, you've been very helpful.