Strip 624 -- First Seen: 2011-01-27
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
Babbette and Reggie stroll through the streets of Ares City. Imagine something like Times Square, only more high-tech with holographic signage, and the buildings mostly have rounded corners. A mix of pedestrian and light-vehicular traffic. This time, though, most of the people around them are males of ages ranging from 20 to 70.
In Mars' .38g gravity, walking looks more like it does on Earth but people still lean slightly forward.
Reggie: Still a lot more men than women.
Babbette: Okay, old man, I'm going to let you off the hook and explain why the Sadie Hawkins was full of women.
Babbette: Simply put, Mars needs women.

Panel 2
Babbette and Reggie continue strolling along a street, passing shop windows.
Babbette: The ratio has improved, but the 'early adopters' were mostly male.
Babbette: So, Mars Inc. has sponsored a sort of mail-order-bride program, where they advance fares to Mars for eligible women.

Panel 3
Close two-shot of Reggie and Babbette, leave extra room for the extra dialogue.
Babbette: The loans are repaid either by the men they hook up with, or if they don't find someone they like, they can leave after they repay the loan.
Babbette: Work is easy to find here, although for many women, the highest paying work is on their backs – and other entertaining positions.
Reggie: That's a great idea!

Panel 4
Babbette casts a dubious glance at Reggie, who explains himself.
Reggie: I mean, we need a program like that to bring women to the Belt. Since the men way outnumber the women, a woman's odds are good.
Babbette: True, but all too often, the goods are odd.