Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

"WARNING! Radar Lock! WARNING! Missile Launch!"

Jasper really thinks the habitats are dull and could use a lick of paint or two

Gavia and Ardent have never seen the habitats from outside and think it's cool

Mr Church is incapacitated by space sickness; a mutiny ensues

The Praesees explain to Jasper that all that has occured has done so according to their design

"The whole robot drone fleet couldn't destroy all the habitats! It would take ten thousand ships with more firepower than..."

"Just so you know... That big ship? It wasn't there when we left to come down to the planet."

Alice, Sedna and Church find themselves in trouble: "Lesser beings" are euthenased on sight up here!

[BenRG]

Just thought that this is an appropriate point for a little crystal-balling.

I'm really expecting Jeph to deliver a twist at this point. My guess is that Jasper Pate and the Praesees have been in communication, of sorts, for some time and that everything that has happened has been in order to manoeuvre events to get him to them. Why? Possibly they think that they can use him as an agent for their own objectives on Earth. Possibly they are naive and honestly think that he is an unselfish leader who can help them help the humans to find their way to a utopia. Or, possibly, they're smiling monsters and both Pate and the Praeses are already planning how to betray each other so they end up the lone top dog.

Whatever happens, I'm pretty sure that Pate is going to demand nanotech and gene therapy treatment to become immortal and have super-powers of sorts ("I left them a tyrant; I shall return to them a god!"). I also suspect that getting what he wants will turn out to be a punishment all of its own.

Finally, I'm wondering if Alice and Sedna will be taken away for 'humane disposal' (nasty, filthy super-soldiers have no place in utopia). Gavia and Ardent have to choose whether they want to live in utopia or if they want the scary but basically nice ladies to live.

[Zebediah]

They get to space, and discover that there are no space habitats. There's no sign that there ever were any space habitats. Somebody blinked again.

[FunkyTuba]

yeah, whoever did the blink didn't do such a great job if they're finding spacecraft and stuff buried. I'm wrestling with the idea that an Ardentified Valkyrie probably *requires* AI to run correctly if it's sufficiently advanced.

[brasca]

yeah, whoever did the blink didn't do such a great job if they're finding spacecraft and stuff buried. I'm wrestling with the idea that an Ardentified Valkyrie probably *requires* AI to run correctly if it's sufficiently advanced.

Perhaps the bunkers were built in such a way that it and the contents inside were immune to the blink.  We still don't know who or what was behind the blink and maybe when it scanned the planet to edit everything the bunkers were shielded possibly by some sophisticated EMP generator or material.  As for the personnel inside they'd eventually have to forage for food and the the facilities were either abandoned and lost to history or plundered by the residents centuries ago and only a few remain unopened. 

[jheartney]

Scenarios:

1. On takeoff, the Walker shows up, grabs the orbiter in flight and pulls it back to the ground. After the inhabitants get out, another THOOM and another new crater on the moon. The orbiter joins Gavia's nanotech in Alice Grove heaven.

2. On achieving orbit, the new craft is unable to connect with any orbital platform- both craft and orbitals repel each other. Back to Earth for another plan. Pate and Church are not in a good mood.

3. Once Ardent gets aboard the orbiter, it begins to continually evolve. By the time it reaches orbit, both orbiter and passengers have been absorbed into a new, sentient being with godlike powers. Including time travel. In this way we learn who did the Blink.

4. As soon as the orbiter gets in among the orbital platforms, it begins shooting them apart one after another. We then pull back to discover that the Earth is just part of a giant game of Asteroids being played by aliens.

[A small perverse otter]

Well, we know one thing at least: Ardent's powers are screwing up the world's balance something fierce.

[Storel]

Well, we know one thing at least: Ardent's powers are screwing up the world's balance something fierce.

And we still have no idea how he got these powers, but the Praeses would seem to be the number one suspects.

[brasca]

Scenarios:

1. On takeoff, the Walker shows up, grabs the orbiter in flight and pulls it back to the ground. After the inhabitants get out, another THOOM and another new crater on the moon. The orbiter joins Gavia's nanotech in Alice Grove heaven.

2. On achieving orbit, the new craft is unable to connect with any orbital platform- both craft and orbitals repel each other. Back to Earth for another plan. Pate and Church are not in a good mood.

3. Once Ardent gets aboard the orbiter, it begins to continually evolve. By the time it reaches orbit, both orbiter and passengers have been absorbed into a new, sentient being with godlike powers. Including time travel. In this way we learn who did the Blink.

4. As soon as the orbiter gets in among the orbital platforms, it begins shooting them apart one after another. We then pull back to discover that the Earth is just part of a giant game of Asteroids being played by aliens.

1.  If the Walker menaced rediscovered advanced technology that often I think Pate would take precautions and while Alice failed to stop it from absorbing Gavia's nanotechnology Church might be more persuasive.  Of course the thing might've burned itself out and no longer a threat.

2.  Could be a possibility unless the ship is equipped with a space suit for Church, but even if he can breathe in space he may not be as powerful in zero gravity.

3.  That would provide a lot of exposition, but I don't know where the story could go from there.  It would be a gestalt of 6 different beings which might make it difficult to function.

4.  The only problem with that scenario is the tank shooting down the space craft is always on the Earth's surface.  It never rises above them. 

[Method of Madness]

They get to space, and discover that there are no space habitats. There's no sign that there ever were any space habitats. Somebody blinked again.

That'd be interesting...and depressing.

[BenRG]

Okay, just a little implication in today's strip:

(click to show/hide)

The super-soldiers can survive in hard vacuum!

Apart from that, I have only one thing to think right now:

(click to show/hide)

The thing is a through-space displacer!

[brasca]

Well we can now confirm that the immortals can survive the vacuum of space although that seemed obvious. 

We can also confirm that Ardent's ability is sophisticated enough to upgrade an old space fighter and its contents into something that can apparently teleport into space.  This does resolve the problem of clearing out the tunnel although it's a bit disappointing since I wanted to see where it exits. 

Pate is putting a lot more trust into Ardent than he should, but I suppose he really doesn't have a choice if he wants to get into orbit.  He doesn't even need Alice or Sedna to pilot it, but leaving them behind would give them the freedom to plan some counterattack.  We'll have to wait until next week to see if the flyer is now in the middle of the orbital habitat, the moon, or somewhere else in space and time. 

[pwhodges]

Well, given Alice's surprise vs Pate's confidence, I'm getting the feeling that really does know some stuff that she doesn't.

Meanwhile she's bored by travel, and is passing the time by watching Church.

[brasca]

Perhaps Ardent really doesn't have any control over what he upgrades, but the people who implanted this ability within him do.  As such the Praeses may have just upgraded the vessel into something of their own design and teleported Ardent, Gavia, and Pate directly to a conference room for a chat while Alice, Church, and Sedna are in some isolation chamber where their super human strength is nullified. 

[Kugai]

I wonder if it uses the Infinite Improbability Drive.

[jheartney]

4.  The only problem with that scenario is the tank shooting down the space craft is always on the Earth's surface.  It never rises above them.

You're thinking of Space Invaders. Asteroids has the ship in the middle shooting at floating objects all around it.

[sitnspin]

Well, given Alice's surprise vs Pate's confidence, I'm getting the feeling that really does know some stuff that she doesn't.

Confidence is just as often a consequence of ignorance as it is knowledge, if not more so.

[Method of Madness]

I wonder if it uses the Infinite Improbability Drive.

That seems unlikely.

[JimC]

coupla thoughts.
"Controls look just like a flyer from home" so the space habitats have transport craft as well as the apparent teleport that got the kids down to earth.
Pate doesn't appear to be wearing a pressure suit, only the kids I think.

[TinPenguin]

He's wearing one, it's just his big head is filling it up.

[brasca]

4.  The only problem with that scenario is the tank shooting down the space craft is always on the Earth's surface.  It never rises above them.

You're thinking of Space Invaders. Asteroids has the ship in the middle shooting at floating objects all around it.

Yes, I was.  I've heard of Asteroids, but never knew what the game was about so I thought it was another name for Space Invaders. 

[FunkyTuba]

I wonder if it uses the Infinite Improbability Drive.

That seems unlikely.

If we can figure out exactly how unlikely it is, we can make it happen!

[Kugai]

I wonder if it uses the Infinite Improbability Drive.

That seems unlikely.

If we can figure out exactly how unlikely it is, we can make it happen!

Quite probably


I'll put the Kettle on

[Method of Madness]

(Takes a sip) This is almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea.

[Kugai]

But it is hot

[WareWolf]

I wonder if it uses the Infinite Improbability Drive.

That's impossible.

[Kugai]

I wonder if it uses the Infinite Improbability Drive.

That's impossible.

No, just very improbable



Tea?

[Tova]

What's happening to this thread?

This must be Thursday. I never could get the hang of Thursdays.

[Kugai]

It could be worse

The World could be about to be demolished for a Hyperspace Bypass

[Storel]

You mean you haven't heard? Sorry to break the news to you this way, but...

[Kugai]

*Rumages through draws*

Now where did I leave that Electronic Thumb ......

[retrosteve]

Even more scenarios:

- The gang appear in orbit only to find that there are hundreds of thousands of unlabelled space habitats in similar orbits, all similar looking. The Praesides at each habitat are friendly but have no idea how to find any specific one. Pate and the kids grow old and die while they wander among the maze of twisty little asteroids, all alike. Alice and Sedna get bored and nap for 100 years until this sorts itself out. Church leaves the vehicle and settles on one habitat where he imprisons or exiles the Praesides and rules unchallenged for millennia.

- The big godlike AI who caused The Blink, alerted by the nightwalker, has just teleported the gang to its own lair on the Moon for a pleasant chat to tell them about the new rules.

- That Pop was the end of the story. Jeph stopped advertising Alice Grove on QC because he's tired of it. The decreasing frequency of updates was a hint after all.

[Method of Madness]

That Pop was the end of the story. Jeph stopped advertising Alice Grove on QC because he's tired of it. The decreasing frequency of updates was a hint after all.

Easily the worst possible scenario.

[Tova]

That Pop was the end of the story. Jeph stopped advertising Alice Grove on QC because he's tired of it. The decreasing frequency of updates was a hint after all.

Easily the worst possible scenario.

Indeed. Argh. Signature checks out, though.

[JimC]

There's a message on Twitter stating a new AG has been written, but will probably be delayed until Monday.

[Later] and its up - and so are they. Bemused as to how teleporting comes as such a surprise to Alice and Sedna.

[BenRG]

New Comic Up

It's played for laughs but it makes sense: If the ship has been upgraded to the point where it is Clarketech, then it's kind of logical that it would be so advanced as to be able to overcome any reasonably-predictable problem for the crew.

Things I like:

• Pate's shock at seeing Earth from above and the Infinite (I hope it teaches him some perspective);
• Church just don't seem to care;
• Poor Sedna has finally realised that Alice is right: Ardent is annoying;
• Gavia has noticed that Church has nodded off; is she plotting something? After all, everyone who could be harmed by a sudden depressurisation is in a spacesuit!

Also confirmed: Teleporting transportation is standard tech for the Spaceborne (not unsurprising as it's the 71st Century). So, that confirms that Ardent was teleported to the surface at the start of the story, either by a port-ship or by a more powerful 'reach out and grab' fixed teleporter system.

It's interesting that Ardent associates 'Praeses' with 'Habitat'. I wonder if the Biotech Faction's habitats really are huge space-going trees like I speculated once before?

[Zebediah]

Church is bored. "We teleported into space? Ho-hum. Wake me if something interesting happens."

Meanwhile it's clear that Alice and Sedna have never been to space before. Pate too, for that matter, though for some reason he looks frightened while Alice and Sedna seem merely amazed.

[brasca]

The reactions of everyone is quite interesting.  This is probably the only time Pate has ever been surprised even though he is fully trusting Ardent's magical ability and intended to go orbit.  Alice and Sedna are surprised too, but  I think it's more by Ardent's ability since they have probably been to space before albeit thousands of years ago.  Church appears bored so he probably lacks any sentimentality or imagination.  And for Ardent and Gavia this is common place, but he seems more amazed that he upgraded an old space fighter into a teleporting bubble ship.  Gavia may be reluctant to look since even though she's longed to go home the most she's powerless to stop Pate and Church from invading. 

It appears that the bubble ship cannot teleport blindly.  It needs to get into orbit first and Sedna's concern may or may not be justified.  On the one hand Ardent magically upgraded a vehicle thousands of years beyond its original abilities, but it quite possibly has limited power which was burned up teleporting into space and they'll either have to wait for it to recharge or Church will have to get out to push.   

[Skewbrow]

Should they not be floating in zero-g now? (or, more accurately, be in a free fall orbit for the same effect). I guess the ship could still be accelerating up. Don't know how well Newton's second meshes with teleportation

What I find a bit strange is that this party does not carry any luggage. No spare food, water, spare clothes, nothing. Remember how well Sedna and Alice stocked up for the trip across the desert. I guess they don't need to be armed, but it's more like they expect to find the space equivalent of a burger joint sooner rather than later.

[cesium133]

When they left for the trip across the desert, Sedna and Alice were planning things. They have less control when they're being forced to act at gunpoint (err... Church-point). So that's probably a reflection of Pate's impulsiveness/lack of planning.

[Kugai]

I wonder if Gavia is thinking of shoving Church out theAirlock/Hatch, and would he burn up rentry or just crash land and be annoyed/

And will the ship sound like Majel Barrett or Eddie the Computer?

[brasca]

I wonder if Gavia is thinking of shoving Church out theAirlock/Hatch, and would he burn up rentry or just crash land and be annoyed/

I'm not sure how she'd manage that when Alice and Sedna couldn't scratch him.  However, the ship may have a voice operated ejector seat so if Ardent wants to get rid of the uninvited guests this would be the time.   

Should they not be floating in zero-g now? (or, more accurately, be in a free fall orbit for the same effect). I guess the ship could still be accelerating up. Don't know how well Newton's second meshes with teleportation

What I find a bit strange is that this party does not carry any luggage. No spare food, water, spare clothes, nothing. Remember how well Sedna and Alice stocked up for the trip across the desert. I guess they don't need to be armed, but it's more like they expect to find the space equivalent of a burger joint sooner rather than later.

If Pate knows anything about the ancient spacecraft he probably anticipated that the journey wouldn't take more than a day and to get what he wants is willing to rough it.  Moreover, Ardent upgraded is far beyond its original capabilities so who knows what it can do aside from teleport miles above Earth within seconds.  For all we know it could have a replicator. 

[OldGoat]

Should they not be floating in zero-g now? (or, more accurately, be in a free fall orbit for the same effect). I guess the ship could still be accelerating up. Don't know how well Newton's second meshes with teleportation

What I find a bit strange is that this party does not carry any luggage. No spare food, water, spare clothes, nothing. Remember how well Sedna and Alice stocked up for the trip across the desert. I guess they don't need to be armed, but it's more like they expect to find the space equivalent of a burger joint sooner rather than later.

Pretty close quarters in there, even if Church wasn't on board.  Even if it is a zero G environment, everyone's wedged in.

Church is bored. "We teleported into space? Ho-hum. Wake me if something interesting happens."

Meanwhile it's clear that Alice and Sedna have never been to space before. Pate too, for that matter, though for some reason he looks frightened while Alice and Sedna seem merely amazed.

Or is Church hugging himself because he's starting to feel spacesick?  There's a very good reason NASA's zero gravity training aircraft are all called "the Vomit Comet."  Everyone has some weakness, and motion sickness may be his.  If Jeph has this in mind, watch for Alice to be taking note.

[mikmaxs]

Yeah, since nobody knows the capabilities of the ship (Including the characters,) it's hard to predict what would happen, but if I were Ardent, and the ship responded to whatever I wanted it to do, I'd look into opening a nice little airlock hole right about Mr. Church. Even if he survives the fall back down to earth, he's going to be really, really far away.

[Skewbrow]

Church thru an airlock? An interesting possibility. Let's do some ball park math. Assume that the cabin pressure is still approximately one atmosphere. Church is a big dude, so one half of his surface area is close to one square meter. Therefore the force of the pressure difference (vacuum on the other side) on his body would be very close to ten metric tons. It would be interesting to see whether he could manage...

Hmm. I'm sure many of you remember the scene where James Bond wrestles a parachute from Jaws mid-air. If they manage to eject Church putting him to an Earth bound orbit it would be just like that. Dude falls, impacts, dusts off, and carries on. At least in a sequel.

OTOH, ejecting Church forward would mean that he stays on orbit (unless he has a personal means of propulsion).

[Neko_Ali]

There are three main problems with the 'chuck Church out an airlock' idea. Assuming they could open an airlock right where he is sitting, there is only so much air in that tiny cabin. Remember basic physics. Explosive decompression isn't space actively sucking things out of an extra terrestrial enclosure. It's sudden and dramatic equalization of atmospheric pressure between the cabin and vacuum. There can't be more than a second or two of air there before the cabin would be a vacuum, and the expelling force would stop. Secondly, explosive decompression would affect everyone. Considering again how small the area is and how close they are sitting, even if it did work, chances are that only  Church would be ejected are slim. Gavia and Pate are closest, so they would likely go out as well, if not everyone. Finally... Church has already shown he is incredibly strong and has better reflexes that anyone else there. Even caught unawares it is highly doubtful he wouldn't be able to brace himself to prevent being sucked out for the second or two of explosive decompression.

[derech]

Yep, Pate is way surprised even fearful, whereas Alice and Sedna seem more amazed teleportation happened.  Either them thinking it impossible physics-wise, or a long-gone tech...   or it's just been so long they've fully forgotten what it's like out here.    After all Sedna does talk about the navigation issues.   

One might wonder if they're actually in near-Earth orbit of some sort (or the ship has some sort of anti-gravity impulse drive "hovering" capacity etc).   Difficult to tell when the tech can pretty much be doing anything that could be imagined or even things that can't.  There's either some way they're attached or a local gravity of sorts, but seemingly nothing to breathe or maybe even no temperature control (unless they're wearing the suits just in case and don't really need them just yet).   We just don't know what atmosphere if any is in the ship right now, or if the tech is high enough to not make any of the otherwise practical things have any bearing on this situation.      As far as removing Church...   If somehow he could be ejected what then to him.   (And  for Gavia, Ardent and Pate, exactly how strong and clingy and force and gravity and temperature controlled are those spacesuits, anyway.  Do they supply air or not.  )  What happens to get Church out, how, and so far Ardent hasn't seemed the type to just suddenly space anyone, even if he could.  But if so, is it just Church that goes?  Does he do his magic trick thing and get back inside?     Either way, if they're near the planet's gravitational pull, one imagines not orbit but re-entry.     Reminds me of  John getting back planetside at  the start of Halo 3.    Not that Church has MJOLNIR armor to cushion or lock up,  but still.    Although for Sedna at least, they can be damaged.  So really,  what does a high-speed fall of some 100 miles or more do to even the heartiest of non-sleeping whatever they are?

It wouldn't seem so far story-wise (barring a twist or surprise or the reveal of plans we don't know of) that the time or situation is correct to try and attack or remove or neutralize either Church or Pate.   Aside from the safety of Ardent and Gavia (their own concern or that of Sedna or Alice) this might not be the best time wisdom-wise to start in-fighting (they are more of a group banded together at this point than combatants).    Either way, both Sedna and Alice seem to think they can't  outclass Church in the physical department.  It's not clear either Ardent or Gavia would have even an idea of where to begin, that they'd be fearful of an immediate case of being beaten to a pulp disease.

It seems likely at this point the habitats are perhaps the rulers and the denizens live on the things that run the whatever is out here.

[OldGoat]

Thinking to my keyboard.

Alice and Sedna are the same species and Church is one of them, confirmed by Pate.  Sedna bleeds.  Therefore, Alice and Church do, too.  But Church has other characteristics, too, that may not be human.  Are they mechanical in origin?

Church has some reason for serving Jesper.  Is that reason coercive, or is he willingly Pate's creature?  If the former, is it linked to whatever enhances him?

What happens if Church and Ardent come in contact?  More specifically, what effect would that contact have on Pate's hold on Church, if any?

[JimC]

The orbital habitats must have gravity, presumably artificial, because Ardent had no adaption problems walking, and Gavia wouldn't need nanotech to float if orbit were zero G. So accordingly its unsurprising that the spacecraft also has gravity.for the occupants.

[Zebediah]

There's no need to open an airlock to get rid of Church. They're on a ship that can teleport. It shouldn't take too much fiddling with the teleport controls to allow it to simply teleport Church outside the hull.

[pwhodges]

The craft has controls that are familiar to Ardent (big surprise!), and I dare say that function is not a routinely available one.  OTOH he can give it arbitrary voice commands (then why did it need controls at all?) so all bets are off.