Today on Quantum Vibe: Person or property
Strip 126 - Click on page above to goto the next page.
First Seen: Mon 2011-06-13
Story & Art: Scott Bieser - Sci-Fi Adventure Monday - Wednesday - Friday.

Quantum Vibe

A thousand years in the future, humanity has colonized worlds in nearly 100 galaxies, thanks to Quantum Vibremonic technologies developed five centuries earlier. Other new technologies have created various off-shoots of humanity and extended life expectancies five-fold. The story begins with how a mad scientist and his plucky assistant, along with their robot friend, brought humanity to the stars, and continues with the adventures of some unique people in fantastic places.

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SubscribeStar Update: All Systems Go! [ Feb 11, 2019 ]

The QUANTUM VIBE page on SubscribeStar is now open for business.

Those seeking an alternative to Patreon for supporting Scott and Quantum Vibe, SubscribeStar is another option. Paypal is not available with SubsribeStar, but credit cards are accepted. Plans for accepting crypto-payments are in the works. Stay tuned.

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SubscribeStar update: Not yet [ Jan 31, 2019 ]

The QUANTUM VIBE page on SubscribeStar is open, although the site seems to be going through some growing pains.

For that reason I'm advising Patrons looking to switch over, to wait a little while longer. I subscribed to a couple of channels there and there are some billing issues. If they get cleared up within a week, I'll announce the ALL CLEAR and invite everyone unhappy with Patreon to come over.

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The Transcript For This Page

Panel 1
Still in the corridor intersection, Abdi takes leave of Nicole and Hitomi.
Abdi: Hitomi, if you're not busy, would you mind finishing Ms Oresme's tour?
Abdi: Captain Pinder has just called me to the control deck.
Hitomi: Certainly.
Panel 2
Hitomi and Nicole continue down a corridor.
Nicole: So … what is your status here? Are you free-contract? Are you property?
Hitomi: Would you ask that question of anyone else in this crew, Ms Oresme?
Panel 3
A bit embarrassed, Nicole follows Hitomi up a spiral stair-shaft
Nicole: Oh! Well, not unless human chattel slavery has been revived. And, it's Nicole.
Hitomi: Ah, well, it happens that such does exist, in certain parts of the system, Nicole.
Panel 4
Hitomi leads Nicole through a hatchway.
Hitomi: But to answer your question, I was once property, but now I am free.
Hitomi: I met Captain Pinder five years ago, on Huoxing.

Panel 5
The two enter a broad room with a very large, wide observation window. A few chairs and small tables give the room a lounge quality.
Hitomi: This is our observation lounge. I love to sit here sometimes and meditate on the stars.
Nicole: So what happened when you met Pinder?

Panel 6
Looking at Hitomi and Nicole from outside the ship, through the observation window.
Hitomi: We worked out a deal – he purchased me from my former owner, then took me off-world and manumitted me.
Nicole: Just like that?
Panel 7
Close-up of Hitomi.
Hitomi: I promised to work for him and his crew – doing what I do best, for three standard years.
Hitomi: Then I could go where I like.

Panel 8e
Two-shot of Nicole and Hitomi – Nicole looks a bit dubious.
Nicole: Three years … but you said that was five years ago?
Hitomi: I chose to remain – I now have an at-will contract and am paid a share just like the other crew-members.