Page 1 of 4

Page 142-143: Tsk, here's mommy

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2018 2:12 am
by Absalom
Looks like the last text box of 143 has 1 too many copies of "to".

Unexpected day for a comic, but nice nonetheless. Also nice to see that nothing seems critical. Perhaps Jardin will be able to convince them to break into the "artifact stores" so he can get some decent food.

Re: Page 142-143: Tsk, here's mommy

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2018 2:31 am
by Arioch
Absalom wrote:Looks like the last text box of 143 has 1 too many copies of "to".
Thanks, should be fixed.

Re: Page 142-143: Tsk, here's mommy

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2018 3:13 am
by Vyrnie
At this point I've forgotten most of the earlier information given to us, but the situation immediately makes me question if Tempo here is thinking of trading Alex for immediate safe passage out for her and the other Loroi. The enemy commanding bug in the system is one of the more talkative ones willing to negotiate too, isn't he?

How likely is this worry?

Re: Page 142-143: Tsk, here's mommy

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2018 3:36 am
by sunphoenix
Loroi would NEVER capitulate or negotiate from any position other than a blaster aimed a the Umiak's soft tissues with ANY Umiak!

They are implacable enemies from all points shown... the Loroi feel they are the one's aggrieved as it was clear that all initial attempts at "negotiation" which the Umiak initiated were all just to give them time to prepare an invasion fleet they were planning on using ANYWAYS regardless of any 'negotiations'! Clearly the Umiak are not trustworthy and anytime they open talks is just to stall for better position to continue hostilities. You can't bargain with beings who behave like that!!!

Re: Page 142-143: Tsk, here's mommy

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2018 3:54 am
by Werra
Can the shuttle even contact the Umiak without main power? As soon as they break radio silence, the Umiak know where the shuttle is and that it's completely in their hands. A deal seems unfeasible under the circumstances.

Now, what I'd be worried about in Alex place is Tempo shooting me when it looks like the Umiak find us. Shoot and incinerate that is. A living, breathing specimen of a species with natural Lotai seems rather vital to keep from them.

And yeah, the Shells aren't trustworthy at all.

Re: Page 142-143: Tsk, here's mommy

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2018 4:45 am
by sunphoenix
Werra wrote:Can the shuttle even contact the Umiak without main power? As soon as they break radio silence, the Umiak know where the shuttle is and that it's completely in their hands. A deal seems unfeasible under the circumstances.

Now, what I'd be worried about in Alex place is Tempo shooting me when it looks like the Umiak find us. Shoot and incinerate that is. A living, breathing specimen of a species with natural Lotai seems rather vital to keep from them.

And yeah, the Shells aren't trustworthy at all.
Yep, BINGO! THAT IS a threat Alex needs to worry about!

Re: Page 142-143: Tsk, here's mommy

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2018 4:56 am
by Starne
In all likelihood, Tempo and the others are just talking about the situation in the way that's most efficient for Loroi. Alex being kept out of the loop might be a little rude, but Beryl likely informed Tempo that Alex was fine long before she entered the cockpit and discussing the situation clearly takes priority. Plus, Alex is still a relatively unknown quantity to the Loroi, and they likely don't want to have to deal with him butting in with annoying questions, panicking or whatever it is humans do when they're stressed. They have enough problems without Alex turning into another one.

The chances of Tempo and the others considering handing over Alex in exchange for safe passage are functionally zero. In fact, I'm pretty sure Tempo would rather kill Alex and destroy his body before she'd ever consider handing him over to the Umiak or allow him to be captured. Humanity's apparent resistance to psionics alone would make Alex an invaluable asset to the Umiak, to say nothing of the human colonies' strategic position if the war drags on.

Re: Page 142-143: Tsk, here's mommy

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2018 5:03 am
by Absalom
Vyrnie wrote:At this point I've forgotten most of the earlier information given to us, but the situation immediately makes me question if Tempo here is thinking of trading Alex for immediate safe passage out for her and the other Loroi. The enemy commanding bug in the system is one of the more talkative ones willing to negotiate too, isn't he?
Just for reference, talky-bug is not necessarily in this star system.

Re: Page 142-143: Tsk, here's mommy

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2018 5:40 am
by boldilocks
Starne wrote:In all likelihood, Tempo and the others are just talking about the situation in the way that's most efficient for Loroi. Alex being kept out of the loop might be a little rude, but Beryl likely informed Tempo that Alex was fine long before she entered the cockpit
Um yeah, see when Beryl kept telling Tempo how fine Alex was she was actually referring to something else.

Re: Page 142-143: Tsk, here's mommy

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2018 6:20 am
by icekatze
hi hi

Considering the shuttle's high velocity and the fact that they've entered the debris field beyond the relay, I certainly hope they have some passive systems to detect obstructions in their way, or they might hear a few other audible bangs as they crash headlong into something. Although I'd expect big chunks to still be quite sparse, I wonder how big a piece of space gravel needs to be before they start weighing the danger of impact vs the danger of giving away their position.

Lucky for them, most of the other debris from the station should be quite hot on the sensors too, having just been flash heated by a huge explosion. The rest of the existing debris in the belt though will probably be hard to see.

Also, page 143. I am really liking the lighting and the non-standard viewing angles on the various silent participants. Behind the head and slightly from below isn't an easy angle to pull off.

Re: Page 142-143: Tsk, here's mommy

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2018 8:04 am
by boldilocks
icekatze wrote:Also, page 143. I am really liking the lighting and the non-standard viewing angles on the various silent participants. Behind the head and slightly from below isn't an easy angle to pull off.
I sort of cynically assumed that might be why Beryl put her hair up.
That or it's something she does to get ready in case she needs to get in a zero-atmosphere suit in a hurry.

Re: Page 142-143: Tsk, here's mommy

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2018 9:42 am
by raistlin34
Does Tempo's gesture (placing her right palm over her chest) have any meaning, or is a personal tic?

Re: Page 142-143: Tsk, here's mommy

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2018 10:58 am
by entity2636
raistlin34 wrote:Does Tempo's gesture (placing her right palm over her chest) have any meaning, or is a personal tic?
This also caught my attention. I don't get the impression from her posture and facial expression that she's pulling rank or being otherwise harsh, but she certainly is telling Talon something where she needs to additionally stress the "I" or "ME" by placing her palm on her chest. Guess this is one of those pages that will generate a lot of "Sanzai In Panel" cartoons, both serious and not so much.

That being said, something in the atmosphere of Page 143 doesn't feel quite right. It feels staged, for a lack of a better word, as if most of what happened was planned or expected to happen exactly like it did.

They all just barely survived a missile attack in an unarmored shuttle, flew through the station's rings, got singed by the blast, and are now floating in a debris field without main power and gravity, Beryl even mentions that they may be stuck here for a very long time. Further more, anywhere between the next 5 and 60 seconds they might suddenly all find themselves dead as another missile hits the shuttle and they will not even see it coming. Yet everybody acts as if nothing out of the ordinary has happened. Everyone except Alex, even Beryl, for whom today may be the closest she has ever been to actually kicking it, acts like they are reading the Saturday morning paper. Talon's remark that "Hah! They finally figured out how to open the door (i.e. it took them much longer than we calculated)" adds to my suspicion that the whole situation has been planned out.

Re: Page 142-143: Tsk, here's mommy

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2018 11:14 am
by Werra
Tempo is definitely saying "I". She's used a similar gesture in the past (pages 56 and 60).

We can only guess what she's actually saying. But I think it's something about her experience. Or we're seeing the end of their discussion and she takes over Jardin duty now.

The situation doesn't seem that strange. They're all veterans and had a lot of time to accept their imminent deaths. A bit like trench soldiers who don't even flinch anymore when bombs go off. Maybe it reads so strange because a telepathic species has outlets for distress Alex can't perceive.

Re: Page 142-143: Tsk, here's mommy

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2018 11:29 am
by entity2636
Yes, but do note, that gone is Tempo's arrogant self confidence like on Pages 56 and 60.
Werra wrote:The situation doesn't seem that strange. They're all veterans and had a lot of time to accept their imminent deaths. A bit like trench soldiers who don't even flinch anymore when bombs go off. Maybe it reads so strange because a telepathic species has outlets for distress Alex can't perceive.
I can see that being the case with the fighter jocks, Fireblade and maybe Tempo, not so much with others. In my opinion, Beryl's speech bubbles call for a couple of "uneasy pauses", now it seems like she's stating everything too matter-of-factly, just an ordinary day at the office kind of way. Are they all that jaded or apathetic?

Re: Page 142-143: Tsk, here's mommy

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2018 11:44 am
by boldilocks
entity2636 wrote:I can see that being the case with the fighter jocks, Fireblade and maybe Tempo, not so much with others. In my opinion, Beryl's speech bubbles call for a couple of "uneasy pauses", now it seems like she's stating everything too matter-of-factly, just an ordinary day at the office kind of way. Are they all that jaded or apathetic?
I think Beryl's just gone from a situation of extreme dread to a situation of relative safety, since they're playing possum.

Re: Page 142-143: Tsk, here's mommy

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2018 12:41 pm
by GeoModder
Looks like I was wrong. They're still in freefall.

Re: Page 142-143: Tsk, here's mommy

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2018 1:45 pm
by Werra
Beryl's also a Listel and has therefore quite the analytical mindset. We've already seen her switch gears on page 141, when she calmly answered Alex concerns.
That the Loroi look like frail, little cuties, but behave very masculine in many aspects is a nice conflict of expectations.

@GeoModder
I was also wrong. Looks like there are some things that can't be done from the passenger seat telepathically.

Re: Page 142-143: Tsk, here's mommy

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2018 2:16 pm
by Zorg56
Alex oxygen consumption can be a problem in case they need to stay like this for a long time.

Re: Page 142-143: Tsk, here's mommy

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2018 7:09 pm
by CrimsonFALKE
Well I guess they probably don't want him to hear about the fact they are going to have to resort eating him to live. And NO internet I don't mean in that way!