Today on Quantum Vibe: Helios Base Strip 46 - Click strip above to goto the next strip.
First Seen: Mon 2011-02-21
Story & Art: Scott Bieser - Sci-Fi Adventure Monday & Thursday.
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.
What Comes Next [ Mar 18, 2024 ]
The war is over, but This Means War has a ways to go. Novo Paolo/Bubbleopolis is still in a nebula/stellar nursery, no one knows what happened to the planet Sharen (center of the Intergalactic Council), and the status of the now-surrendered Invaders is yet to be resolved. What will they do when they learn their homeworld is basically destroyed? Will Alyss and Li be re-united? How about Diana (the real one) and Otto?
These questions will be resolved in the next few weeks, before This Means War part 3 wraps in late May.
After that, I plan to go BACK in time about 400 years, to when Alyss and Li left their home in the Sol System to colonize a new world on the far side of the galaxy. As one might expect, hijinks ensue. New subtitle yet to be determined, start date sometime in around the start of July. Stay tuned!
Panel 1
The Helio-Flyer
Caption: Even with Mercury near its aphelion of 70 million kilometers, the heavily-shielded Alpine Dream must struggle to protect its passengers and crew.
Caption: So, final approaches usually take as much advantage of the planet's shadow as possible.
Panel 2
The ship, now bathed in very strong sunlight, arcs down towards Helios Base, a complex built into a chasm at the northern pole.
Caption: Helios Base is built near Mercury's north pole inside Avogadro's Chasm, which is shielded from the monstrous Sun throughout Mercury's long rotational period.
Panel 3
The ship lands tail-first on a landing pad shielded by the Chasm wall.
Caption: The base is a joint operation, by treaty, between the Terran mercorp Gensaxwell and the L-5 mercorp Muc Ar Foulain. Both have extensive mining interests on the planet.
Panel 4
Nicole and Seamus emerge, along with their luggage, from a portal opening into the spaceport's concourse. Seamus is now using a cane.
Seamus: We have 50 hours until your date with the Helioflyer.
Seamus: You will need to spend all the time you're not sleeping, in the simulator getting proficient.
Panel 5
Two-shot of Seamus and Nicole walking along a corridor, Nicole looks grumpy.
Nicole: Thirty-two hours of simulator? But why? I have everything I need to know in this souped-up 'Plant you gave me.
Panel 6
Still walking along the corridor.
Seamus: Would you expect as good a muscial performance from a non-player with a shiny new 'Plant, as you would an experienced axe-man?
Nicole: Hurm ...
Panel 7
The two are on a ground-transportation platform, where Seamus hails a cab. The cabs are egg-shaped capsules on mag-lev casters that seem to be driverless.
Seamus: Thirty hours of simulator, plus meals and sleep, and no alcohol, until showtime, yes?
Nicole: Agreed.
Nicole: But after I get back, there will be alcohol. Yes.
Panel 8
With Nicole and Seamus seated in the cab (and their luggage presumably in back of them), their cab pulls away from the curb.
Cab: Destination, please?
Seamus: The Colombo Hilliott, please.
Seamus: I don't suppose you can do anything about the gravity here, can you?