Transcript For Strip 1040

Panel 1
Nicole is lying supine on a table with her head encased in a helmet with some wires connected to a device mounted above the head of the table. Murphy is touching a control panel.
Caption: Three 10-days later:
Murphy: Upload complete.
Murphy: I'm glad you're taking this precaution.
Nicole: I should have done this when I made my sun-dive, but I was lucky enough to survive that.
Panel 2
Nicole is sitting up on the table, holding the helmet in her hands.
Nicole: This copy of 'me' in the storage matrix ...
Nicole: Does she, er, have any awareness?
Murphy: No. Completely dormant until downloaded into a working brain of some sort.
Panel 3
The girls are walking along a tube-like corridor.
Nicole: I still have my doubts about uploading – if this trip fails and my data is put into a new body, will it really be me?
Murphy: I don't see why not, but you humans always seem to have difficulty with the idea.
Panel 4
At the end of the corridor is a cockpit, inside a partially-opened dome. Nicole is pulling her Sun-Diver jacket out of her hidden belt-pack.
Murphy: What I don't understand is why you insisted on the transparent dome.
Murphy: This made shielding a lot more of a challenge.
Nicole: Another human quirk, you could say ...
Panel 5
Nicole, wearing her jacket, has settled into the pilot's chair, and is securing her straps. Murphy looks on.
Nicole: I'm going to be the first human to visit the Alpha Centauri system.
Nicole: And I want to see it directly, with my own eyes. Not on some monitor.
Murphy: I'm just glad we've tested this craft five times already.
Panel 6
The dome has closed, and Murphy walks away. They still communicate via thoughtsending.
Murphy (thoughtsend): If anything goes wrong at the other end you'll be stranded 4.5 light-years away.
Nicole (thoughtsend): Your optimism is appreciated.


Panel 7
Murphy stands alone at the monitor, tracking Nicole's craft's launch in tactical view.
Murphy: Launch successful, all systems green.
Murphy: You are go in 20 seconds for transit to Alpha Centauri …
Murphy: 10 seconds ...
Panel 8
Split panel – in the first part, Murphy is looking up at the monitor as she finishes the countdown. In the second, she looks downward solemnly.
PART ONE
Murphy: … four … three … two … one … transit.

PART TWO
Murphy: Godspeed, Nicole.

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