Strip 190 -- First Seen: 2009-06-05
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
Ernie at his desk, we're looking over his shoulder at the computer holoscreen. We can see the visage of Li Chang appearing on it. Li is a wizened Asian man. You can make him look like Mako if you want. I miss Mako. He was really cool.

Ernie: Sv. Li, I'm Ernie Guzmán and I'm interested in buying your ice. What's your price?

Panel 2
Closer shot of Li's visage on the screen. He's wearing an inscrutable expression. In the lower right-hand corner, we see a number appear. Li remains silent.

Number on screen: 25 gmAu/tonne

Panel 3
Ernie leans back in his chair, arms crossed.

Ernie: Your ad says 'substantial discounts for large purchases.'

Ernie (2): How much for the whole berg?

Panel 4 - 5
Two connected panels. In the first one, Li's eyes are widened in response to Ernie's question.

In the second panel, Li's inscrutable expression returns and now a new number appears in the lower right of the screen.
New number on screen: 100,000,000 gm/Au


Panel 6
Ernie rests his chin on his fist, elbow braced on his desktop. He's looking impatient.

Ernie: We both know we'll go round and round until you discount it to half the price you're asking.

Ernie (2): Why don't we save us both some time and settle for that now?


Panel 7
Looking over Ernie's shoulder at Li on the screen. Li finally speaks.

Li: Sv. Guzmán, I cannot give you more than a 20 percent discount. My expenses …

Li (2): I am not used to having a gweilo … dicker with me.


Panel 8
Angle so that we can see Ernie's face in side-view and Li on the screen. Ernie grins at Li, Li grins back at him.

Ernie: If I didn't dicker, Sv. Li, you would not respect me.

Li: Yes, that is true.