Yay! One of my favorite graphic novel, Hicksville, made it on Rolling Stone’s list of 50 best non-superhero comic strips. Read his ongoing webcomic Sam Zabel and the Magic Pen. Fun!
Did I mention that when my friend Cedra came to visit that my sweetie and I went with her to the Secret Caverns, just west of Albany? Anyhow, we did. It’s not a well preserved cave, which means two things: one is that it’s cool that you can touch EVERYTHING, and the other is that the delicate ecosystem of the cave is pretty dead. But it was pretty, and amazing, and the 100 foot underground waterfall was pretty fantastic.
Haha, I like that people are still arguing about “deceleration” however many years in the future.
::Our agent says they’re halfway here already.::
::We’re not ready for them yet! Tell it to keep stalling!::
::It says it tried, but they’re unexpectedly competent.::
::Or productively incompetent. We thought their Inspector Clouseau and Mr. Bean broadcasts were just entertainment. Who knew resultive bumbling was a species trait?::
The crucial question is whether the crew not taking any of this seriously is a further symptom of the mission coming apart at the seams and/or actually a quite rational response on their part, having decided not to depend on the official ways of organizing things. They might as well, given that they are far away from everywhere else and those jokers back home were evidently lying through their teeth about pretty much everything. Same as with our political class – only that we’re stuck here on Earth for the time being.
A certain amount of leeway is necessary on such long trips. Even so it boarders on insubordination.
Well half way through their voyage. Good. I wonder if they will meet anyone before the reach the alien system? Maybe a ghost of a murdered crewman. A lobsterman alien? Sorry, dropping into Voyage To The Bottom of The Sea degeneration of storylines.
Are these people independent contractors? Are they govt agents? What govt? I am very curious about the background to all this.
@Night-Gaunt, your “Voyage To the Bottom Of The Sea” reference just reminded me of a bit of trivia: in 1966, the show’s producer was looking for a new actor to play the part of the chief engineer. The part was offered to an unknown actor, who turned down the chance to be on an established network TV show to play the part of chief engineer on a new SF show being produced by some guy who had written a couple of scripts but not much else.
I shudder to think what would have happened if James Doohan had taken the safe route, instead of taking a risk and accepting the role of Scotty on Star Trek.
You’re right Muzhik, I had forgotten about that bit of trivia. I don’t recall a chief engineer on the Seaview. Just Chief Sharky. Imagine Mr. Doohan as a wax work robot built by demented genius clown Michael Dunn in one of the best and weirdest of episodes.
VTTBOTS has a very good First and Second season with a smattering of gems throughout the remainder of the 3rd and 4 seasons. Their last one was a great episode going back to our Revolutionary war and about Capt. Andre and Benedict Arnold. (It was the return of Mr. Pim a rogue time traveler who wanted to change history and allow Andre to make his mission successfully.)