Strip 445 -- First Seen: 2010-05-21
Escape From Terra is updated with new pages every Monday through Friday.

Halfway there!

The Kickstarter campaign to print the next volume of Quantum Vibe: Novo Palermo - Part 1 is now halfway to our goal. We need your help getting the rest of the way there. Tell your friends, family members, and your pets to back our campaign.

Every little bit helps! The campaign ends midnight (US central time) November 18. So there's still time to get the word out, or maybe add another item to your current pledge.

Your reward for backing our campaign starts with a personalized signed copy of the perfect bound printed collection of the online strip. You may also choose the ebook edition, a PDF downloadable from DriveThruComics.

And back by popular demand, coasters, magnets and stickers. Click on the art on the left, to go to our campaign page where you can back our campaign.

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.

The Transcript For This Page

Panel 1
The guest bathroom. Large and luxurious, with a tub large enough for two bathers, festooned with a generous supply of bathing salts, bubble bath soap, scrubs, loofah sponges, shampoos. To one side is a sink with a wall-sized mirror and marquis lighting, also festooned with a wide assortment of make-ups, hand lotions, etc.
At the moment, Robyn is taking a bubble bath (the bubbles concealing her naughty bits); Carla, wearing a camisole and panties, is primping at the mirror.

Caption (Robyn): For the next hour and a quarter, we bathed and primped. It might have been fun except for the cold dread I felt about what would happen soon.

Panel 2
In an alcove, Robyn and Carla (clad in bra and panties, not too revealing – remember, Robyn is under-age) peruse an assortment of sleazy dresses, negligees, costumes. Carla is holding up a Catholic Schoolgirl outfit (with a short-short skirt), Robyn is examining a police 'meter maid' costume, being the least revealing outfit of the lot.
Carla: Norm says this is one of his favorites.
Robyn (thought): To bad this one doesn't come with a revolver.

Panel 3
Medium close-up of Robyn, more closely examining the meter maid outfit. Focus is on the utility belt with various cop-stuff – she is fingering a handcuff case.
Robyn (thought): I can hide Sajjan's packet in here ...
Robyn (thought): … and if all else fails, maybe I can use these handcuffs.
Panel 4
Back in Norm's living room. Norm is there now, dressed in a dark-red smoking jacket and smoking a briar pipe. Carla has on her Catholic schoolgirl outfit and Robyn is dressed in the meter-maid costume. Carla looks demure; Robyn cocks a sarcastic eyebrow at Norman.

Norman: Ah, glad you ladies could join me.

Robyn (thought): Geez, is he trying to channel Hugh Hefner or what?

Panel 5
Looking past the girls at Norman, who is beckoning them over to the large floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the stark lunarscape. The blazing sun is just above the horizon, and just to the right of it, we can see the dark silhouette of the Earth, with a very thin lighter ring on its edge, where the Sun is illuminating Earth's atmosphere.. (Note: the Earth appears to be about four times larger than the Sun, at this position.)

Norman: The window is polarized so the Sun's glare isn't too overpowering.

Norman: The eclipse is about to start. In a minute or two, we will be plunged into the Earth's shadow.

Panel 6
Three-shot of Norman and the girls, Norman standing between them, putting an arm around each of their shoulders, pulling them closer to him. Robyn visibly stiffens. Norman is glancing side-ways at her.

Norman: Relax, my dear, and bow to the inevitable.

Norman: It's going to happen whether you like it or not.

Panel 7
Close two-shot of Norman and Robyn. Robyn looks like she wants to jump right out of her skin. Norman is leering at her chest.

Norman: Might as well try to enjoy it.