Strip 260 -- First Seen: 2009-09-11
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The Transcript For This Page

Panel 1
Medium close-up of Reggie, looking somewhat incredulous. Leave background vague.

Reggie: So Rogers took all his clothes off, then cycled through the air lock?

Reggie: I hate to be insensitive, but how the hell did he manage that?

Panel 2
Establishing shot: the office of Dr. Carlos Peña, Administrator of SPAM (SETI Polar Array Mars). On one wall is a south-polar-projection map of Mars, on another is a large photo of an antenna-dish array not unlike that famous one we have in New Mexico. Otherwise office is about the size of Reggie's on Ceres, professional-looking, clean. There's a computer terminal with a holo-screen on Peña's desk but it's not on presently. Peña is seated behind her desk, Reggie is seated in one of two chairs in front of it, sipping a beverage. Peña looks a bit sad.

Peña: Apparently, he just held his breath.

Peña: Personnel locks here are very small and cycle in about 30 seconds.

Peña: Our guess is he entered the lock, took a deep breath, closed the inner hatch, cycled the lock and walked out.

Panel 3
Looking over Reggie's shoulder at Peña, who is propping his chin on his hands.
Reggie: How cold are the poles in the Winter?
Peña: In the -85° to -90° Celsius range. In winter, there is no sun for over a Terran year.
Peña: It's cold.


Panel 4
Two shot of Peña and Reggie, on either side of the desk (you can do a silhouette of the scene if you like).

Peña: Sv. King, I appreciate your coming in all the way from Ceres on short notice.

Peña: But let me be blunt, if I may ...

Panel 5
Medium shot of Peña, whose demeanor has become decidedly colder.

Peña: You were brought in on the – insistence, really – of Dr. Nightingale in the School of Psychology at the University of Mars.

Peña: May I ask why they wanted you so much?

Panel 6
Medium shot of Reggie, looking calm.

Reggie: Do you know how the media are treating this incident?

Reggie: They are calling it a 'paranormal' event caused by the 'Ghosts of Mars' and similar twaddle.

Panel 7
Looking over Reggie's shoulder at Peña, who is clearly peeved, waving his arms.

Reggie (OP): You and I both know that mystical irrationalism is an ever-present threat to science and reason.

Peña: Yes, but why you?

Peña: You are not a scientist. What possible qualifications could you bring to the table?