Spacetrawler, audio version For the blind or visually impaired, July 2, 2021.
Where’s a good mechanic when you need one?
I’ve been trying to find a mechanic in the town I moved to, just to get tune-up before traveling to Montanna. Not a single mechanic has returned my call, and the only one I DID reach, said he was booked weeks out. Wild times.
Anyhow, I know it’s partially that I was looking for a two-week window, so I have no bad feelings, and so I’ve found a garage in another town. Next time I need something, I’ll try again locally.
The best mechanics secretly track your vehicle and know exactly where you are when you break down.
Mechanic ex machina!
If it works they it does here regarding mechanics, craftsmen etc it takes a while. You are new, unknown and if you lack familiar ties to the village/area you’re even more of an unknown. Persevere is my advice. Neighbours that can that you are doing work on the house/yard/land will spread the word. Acceptance comes slowly, as it should – trust but verify so to speak.
Don’t be surprised if you fix something on your own, that you offered to pay for someone to do, and later gets told:
“Oh, you should have mentioned, my brother-in-laws second cousin could of helped you with that.”
That means you are getting to be accepted, the phrase is an invite to hire/offer help in the future.
Since in the countryside, no-one is anonymous.
If your mechanic has a big sloppy grin on his face when your car, belching huge amounts of smoke-screen like clouds of exhaust rolls in. . . you done messed up.
Why no, not a personal experience. Why do you ask?
Ruddick will return…the mice are still there.
I’ve been going to my garage for 20 years. They service anything from a Fiat 500 to a Ferrari. Doesn’t matter how busy they are, they always fit me in since I’ve been going so long. They told me I’m their longest standing customer.
Choan is always so chipper. I like that about her.
Well, she IS extremely rich. That does help.
Montanna -> Montana
Umm, I feel like we missed a step here, When did Choan arrive on board?
If your surprised face matched Ciara’s on panel 2, Christopher did a good job here.
Good job with the expression on Ciara’s face in panel five.
Good mechanics are hard to find, but if you ever need one in the Houston, TX area, (especially the southeast side) I can recommend one.
Choan ex machina!
Choan. Of all unexpected prizes to arrive out of the black, we get Choan. There may be justice to the universe after all. And she seems familiar with Strib shenanigans. This is comforting, really.
Actually I’ve been fortunate finding good mechanics. The couple who kept my Dodge running for 26 years retired, but I found not one but two very competent shops eager for new customers and very good with ancient machinery. Unfortunately I calculate they’re both about 2000 km from you, Christopher, so while I can recommend them, they do not make house calls. Sorry.
I have to admit I had a warning buzzer go off in the back of my brain when I heard your local shops are backed up and not returning calls. That can mean a) Repairs ‘recur’ more often than they should, guaranteeing business; b) Roads are rough and drivers are rougher, which might mean your insurance is a mite high for being out in the boonies; c) just as likely, Few shops in the area, and the ones they have are up to their little red eyeballs in backorders. Which means a business opportunity for a new mechanic in town, cha-CHING!
Pity modern cars tend to require specialized tools and handling. No more “Zen” manuals for your VW or Honda or the like. We shall miss them dreadfully.
Mouse Count: 1-0-3-0-0-0
Two of the mice are obvious but where is the third?
There are two mice looking out from behind the food synth, not one.
That looks like just one mouse to me – I can see a head, a body and a tail. Perhaps standing up on its hind legs.
With extreme blowup, I believe it is one head over another, each with ears. One dislikes to be in error, but I accept that may be the case for me here.
Ok, it might be. I think Chris is the only one who can resolve this as he has the original artwork.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
Choan sure laughs a lot.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
The Choan company in Dune…
So close. CHOAM, or the Combine Honnete Ober Advancer Mercantiles, the near-secret combine of advanced companies and ruling families that form the basis for Galactic wealth in Frank Herbert’s Dune universe. (Duneiverse? Naaah) Supposedly based on OPEC, though its control is far greater. Ranked by Forbes as the largest fictional corporation in history.
Wait – “Stribs aren’t the first ones to try.” Try what, exactly? Disabling the Spacetrawler? And it seems like Choan is one of the few characters to know something about the Stribs and their technology.