Escape From Terra - by Sandy Sandfort, Scott Bieser and Lee Oaks! - Big Head Press, publishing Thoughtful Stories since 2002

Strip 52

Panel 1
Large panel, a high crane shot of the Hokey Rink and surrounding arena.

The rink is a smooth-carved surface several meters into the ice, with walls that curve up in parabolic arcs from the 'floor' and extending 3 meters high, surrounded by wide terraced platforms on which pressurized conveyances of various types can park on and allow spectator viewing. Surface craft of all manner of shapes and sizes are arrayed across the terrace layers. There are also two large bus-sized surface 'boats' parked at opposite ends of the rink, their airlock doors pointed towards ramps leading down to the playing ice.
Aside from a tall framework with netting arching over the rink, the playing surface is exposed to vacuum. Skaters in pressure-suits are emerging from one of the buses at the ends of the rink, down the ramps and onto the ice. (Can’t really tell from this distance but about 2/5 of them are females.)

Announcer (electronic): … Captain Brad Rodriguez leads the home team for tonight’s game, the Ice Hammers!

Panel 2
Exterior view of the Guzman’s viewing box, a pressurized plexiglass-and-steel, well, box (4mx3mx6m) perched atop a large conveyance that what might be regarded as a land-yacht. The yacht itself is about 8 meters long , five meters wide, and four meters tall. It’s on the centerline and from 10 to 13 meters above the ice in the terraced viewing area. In the foreground we can see two or three players warming up on the ice. The standard-issue hockey player is described in detail in the next strip.

Announcer: … the visiting team, the Rock Hunters …

Ernie: Everyone got everything?

Panel 3
Inside the Guzman box we see Ernie, Guy, Fiorella and Babbette sitting in high-tech cushioned chairs, using four out of eight which are arrayed on a slope (because the lounge atop the yacht is tipping toward the rink at about 40 degrees) affording the rear seats a good view. Also on each chair arm is a small tray on which are perched snacks or sandwiches and drinks. Ernie is looking at a 4-in x 6-in holographic display appearing above his chair arm. The display is full of sports stats.
Fiorella and Babbette are seated in the upper row, Guy and Ernie in the lower row.

Guy (thought bubble): Everything except a clue as to what is supposed to happen here.

Strip 52 - Click on page above to goto the next page. -- First Seen: 2008-11-25
Escape From Terra is updated with new pages every Monday through Friday.

Not-Safe.Space Kickstarter!

UPDATE to the UPDATE: The problem has been solved, all rewards are now available. I've extended the campaign an extra day, to April 21. Thanks for bearing with me!

UPDATE: There has been some strange glitch in the Kickstarter launch, so Scott is cancelling the campaign temporarily and will re-start as soon the cause of the problem can be determined and corrected.

Scott is gearing-up for his third Not-Safe.Space Kickstarter campaign!

(Not-Safe.Space is Scott's sexy spin-off of QUANTUM VIBE.)

For those of you who haven't signed up for one of the NSFW Patreon tiers, this will be the best way to get in on the action for a very reasonable price.

Go to THIS link. The campaign starts March 16 and runs through April 20.

One Dollar Sale Continues!

Hard to believe it, but Big Head Press published it's first novel, over 20 years ago. To commemorate our stubborn longevity, we continue to stubbornly offer each of our non serialized graphic novel stories for just one mere American dollar (plus shipping). Start your holiday shopping early and light up some body's mind with one or more of these titles.

Offer only available in the United States.

The Transcript For This Page

Strip 52

Panel 1
Large panel, a high crane shot of the Hokey Rink and surrounding arena.

The rink is a smooth-carved surface several meters into the ice, with walls that curve up in parabolic arcs from the 'floor' and extending 3 meters high, surrounded by wide terraced platforms on which pressurized conveyances of various types can park on and allow spectator viewing. Surface craft of all manner of shapes and sizes are arrayed across the terrace layers. There are also two large bus-sized surface 'boats' parked at opposite ends of the rink, their airlock doors pointed towards ramps leading down to the playing ice.
Aside from a tall framework with netting arching over the rink, the playing surface is exposed to vacuum. Skaters in pressure-suits are emerging from one of the buses at the ends of the rink, down the ramps and onto the ice. (Can’t really tell from this distance but about 2/5 of them are females.)

Announcer (electronic): … Captain Brad Rodriguez leads the home team for tonight’s game, the Ice Hammers!

Panel 2
Exterior view of the Guzman’s viewing box, a pressurized plexiglass-and-steel, well, box (4mx3mx6m) perched atop a large conveyance that what might be regarded as a land-yacht. The yacht itself is about 8 meters long , five meters wide, and four meters tall. It’s on the centerline and from 10 to 13 meters above the ice in the terraced viewing area. In the foreground we can see two or three players warming up on the ice. The standard-issue hockey player is described in detail in the next strip.

Announcer: … the visiting team, the Rock Hunters …

Ernie: Everyone got everything?

Panel 3
Inside the Guzman box we see Ernie, Guy, Fiorella and Babbette sitting in high-tech cushioned chairs, using four out of eight which are arrayed on a slope (because the lounge atop the yacht is tipping toward the rink at about 40 degrees) affording the rear seats a good view. Also on each chair arm is a small tray on which are perched snacks or sandwiches and drinks. Ernie is looking at a 4-in x 6-in holographic display appearing above his chair arm. The display is full of sports stats.
Fiorella and Babbette are seated in the upper row, Guy and Ernie in the lower row.

Guy (thought bubble): Everything except a clue as to what is supposed to happen here.