Strip 275 -- First Seen: 2009-10-02
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The Transcript For This Page

Panel 1
Exterior shot, the Transport trundling across the dark Martian Polar surface enroute to the Array. The surface is black except where the Transport's lights illuminate a small area around itself and a larger, brighter ovoid area in front. We can make out that it is following a rough trail blazed by the hundreds of Transport trips that have come before. The illuminated surface is icy and cracked. Above the horizon, a starry sky.

Reggie (inside Transport): Is it much farther?

Irina: No. About 3 centimes.

Panel 2
Inside the Transport, Irina is driving while Reggie rides shotgun. He's trying to be light and jolly but she's completely deadpan.

Reggie: That Dr. Peña, what a guy. It took some doing to talk him into letting me stay at the Array for a decaday shift.

Panel 3
Irina speaks, but she's still deadly serious. Reggie is a bit surprised by what she says.
Irina continues driving in silence.

Irina: You did not mention the music.
Reggie: No, of course not! A promise is a promise.

Panel 4
Reggie sits there wondering how to get through Irina's shell.

Reggie: You know, Irina, a smile will not break your face.

Reggie: Let's see if a little joke will get at least a teensy smile.

Irina: Clean, please.


Panel 5
Show exterior of the Transport, perhaps from ¾ rear view for variety.

Reggie: Yes, of course.

Reggie: A man comes into a restaurant and sits down and says, 'Waiter! Get me a cup of coffee without the cream ...'

Panel 6
Inside the transport again. Now Irina bursts out laughing, taking Reggie by surprise.

Irina: HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!
Irina: You stole joke from 'Ninotchka!'
Irina: Is my favorite movie of all time. Garbo laughs!

Panel 7
Same shot. Irina is still smiling.

Reggie: Okay, uh, your turn. Got any good jokes?
Irina: I am afraid I stink at jokes.

Panel 8
Exterior of the Transport, following its headlights, trundling away towards the black polar horizon.

Irina: I like economics. We can discuss maybe dialectical materialism and the labor theory of value?

Reggie: Uh, sure.

Reggie (thought): Oh well, better than silence.