Official "Discuss the latest page" thread

[David]

I see Sarah's hair has grown back - does this mean that controllers shave their heads to get a better contact through the "skillcap" they plug their head into?

In Sarah's case, yes. It's also a comfort thing.

However a number of cranial augs - especially the older and cheaper ones - stop hair growth altogether. Some controllers choose such augs specifically so they don't have to shave regularly.

Also, dermal augs (ie: synthetic skin) don't have hair follicles, so anyone who has replaced their scalp will not be able to grow hair.

[David]

Hmm. Now you seem to be picking and choosing who gets what technology, David.

Isn't that my job?

So far the storyline would indicate that the basic sensor enhancement technologies to which I refer are like dirt; everything and everybody would have access to them. Like a cell phone these days.

Basic sensor enhancements? Of our six main characters, only two have sensory augs - Whisper because she was critically injured and needed cybernetic eyes, and Hal because he used to be part of an elite covert-ops unit. They're not as common as cell phones. The guard's helmet provides simple targeting optics and vision enhancement - a cheap and nasty version of Hal's ocular aug.

And the whole aspect of the guard not responding to a threat as his training would demand? How does that fit into the story? And the fact that none of the automated responses to a guard dropping off the grid didn't happen? You want to explain that little detail, too?

How do you know what training he received? How do you know what sort of automated responses the station has? You continue to make wild speculations about how my universe works and assume them to be true.

The guards on Espenson Station are private contractors - the Republic is a strong believer in the power of private enterprise, a significant portion of its military budget is linked to Radiant Industries, co-sponsors of Espenson Station. They're not elite military units - that's what Soldiers and Marines are for - they're just regular security guards. With more guards posted outside the CCR, and this one unaware of the secret entrance, he would have had no reason to except any trouble. Should he have shot a civilian on first site aboard a station where the bulk of the population is civilian? Even in a high-security area such as the CCR there's no justification for shooting a stranger on sight unless the station is in a state of alert.

As I said before, this scene strikes me as smelly because there are just too many challenges to my suspension of disbelief. I am willing to let it slide, but I think it's a weak spot that should have been caught by an editor and sent back for re-write. This is not going to ruin my appreciation of the story. But just like a bad note in a concert the jarring sensation takes a little while to quench.

I have an editor and I do rewrite based on her feedback. Don't imagine that I didn't think through all of the issues you've raised before publishing this page.

[Kahn_Iceay]

Finally got around to registering here >.>


Anyway thought I'd point out a tiny bit of oversight on the last panel. It looks like Sarah suddenly lost the tattoos by her left eye. They're visible in Panel 5 (and kinda in Panel 6) but in panel 8 they appear to be missing. Hope this is the right place to put this <.<

[David]

Finally got around to registering here >.>


Anyway thought I'd point out a tiny bit of oversight on the last panel. It looks like Sarah suddenly lost the tattoos by her left eye. They're visible in Panel 5 (and kinda in Panel 6) but in panel 8 they appear to be missing. Hope this is the right place to put this <.<

Bah, you weren't supposed to notice that

It wasn't until just before I was about to upload this page that I realised that the last two panels were wrong - I'd screwed up the sight-lines. I fixed the problem by simply flipping the images, forgetting that one of my characters is asymmetrical in design.

[Some Useless Geek]

[comment deleted]

[David]

Sorry, can't help myself.

Try

[Knowles2]

I think i needed this panel for the sometime, it brings the story up todate an let the audience catch up to or may just me.

[Fen]

I have been reading the back issues (again - yay) and I'm just full of questions. Here are just a few...

*Who's Jahnavi?
*Will Whisper ever get her doomsday device? (Chapter 7)
*Why does Whisper call Jaks 'puppy'?
*What is Daniel's back story and why did Whisper hate her previous live so much?
*I never thought I'd say this, but even though Hal's a pain I actually kind of miss him...

Also, the improvement in the artwork really shows when you read it back to back (... so go David!)

~ Fen

[whitelaughter]

Deaf-dumb-idiotic guard:
In case nobody here has ever studied this stuff, you deal with the immediate threat (the one you're facing) first (which means shoot it), then turn to whatever threats remain. Your situation is resolved when there are no more threats standing. This is basic, common security protocol. Any defensive or security school in the world will teach you the same thing.

Okay, at this point I am going to weigh in...as a security guard.

A security guard is not a soldier. A security guard's primary job is to move a security uniform around: the uniform does most of the work. The secondary function is to answer questions. Administering first aid comes third. Damaging people is way down the list, maybe tenth.

Then, consider that this security guard is 'static' - that is, standing at a single position with nothing to do. That's dull grunt work, and probably indicates a new employee. More experienced guards will be roving, checking things and answering questions.

Current day, 97% of all security alerts are false alarms. Someone has dropped out of the loop? Double check. Still nothing? Tell the roving guard to check. Then start to panic. [Given the info we've been given though, the guard was probably viewed on the security camera - so rather than going off half-cocked control has probably called in military personnel. This takes time though, hence why they haven't turned up yet].

Security guards almost never use guns. They are frankly the most useless piece of equipment a guard can be given. The risk of shooting an innocent (or prankster) far outweighs any benefits gained from carrying them. Tasers aren't much better. And unarmed against a war hero and street sam? He didn't have a chance.

[Some Useless Geek]

<sigh> Okay, I can see this is a losing proposition. I still see it as oxymoronic on the prima facia evidence, but y'all can believe whatever you want. In the mean time I'll go visit some other comics and come back to check out the action in a month or two. Perhaps the story will have progressed to the point where some of what's going on makes sense.