Strip 181 -- First Seen: 2009-05-25
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
Establishing shot of the Water Bros. Cafe interior, looking towards the entrance. In the foreground we see Alexander Smyth glide-walking towards the cashier stand, which is not in this frame. Make Smyth resemble John Cleese, as he was around age 45 – hair still mostly black, with a moustache, and a touch of grey at the temples. He's obviously not a Belter, dressed in a pin-striped suit, but manages the Cererean glide-walk quite well. He is carrying an attaché case.

Behind Smyth, we see The Pale Man, a very non-descript man in plain clothes, just coming through the doorway.

Let's give the café a bit of an upgrade – the chairs at the tables (but not the bar) have backs on them now. Nothing fancy, but enough to provide some lumbar support. The tables are shaped as before but now they have dark, polished tops.

There are a few other customers seated at the booths and tables, but not many.

Caption: One fine day at the Water Brothers establishment:

Smyth: Excuse me, madam ….

Panel 2
Smyth is now standing at the cashier's stand, and we see Babbette the elder behind it.
Smyth: I am Alexander Smyth.

Smyth (2): I would like to discuss a possible business arrangement with the proprietor of your ice mining concern.

Panel 3
Two-shot of Smyth and Babbette. Smyth is blushing at Babbette's bawdy joke. Side view so we can see both of their faces. Babbette is smiling sweetly.

Babbette: Well, I haven't been a madam in years ...


Panel 4
Two-shot of Smyth and Babbette. Now Smyth is looking a bit confused.
Babbette: … but I can introduce you to my sons, Robert and Ernesto – but everybody calls them Bert and Ernie.