I like how Simon is trying to explain the exact point at which he feels his Security Guard captive loses the right to be indignant.
Security Agent Captain Cassandra Quinn is on assignment to the mining outpost Luna Seven amid rumors of pirates near the outpost. On her approach to the complex, she saw something moving around on the surface of the moon that shouldn’t have been. During her attempts to verify her visual sighting, a mysterious ship blasted her out of the sky. Her story starts HERE.
Meanwhile, on miner Simon Tripline’s morning commute to work, he sees something strange through a porthole. Shortly thereafter, Simon’s suspicions are aroused concerning the mysterious activities of the base’s top earner, Vin Sinclair, who becomes separated from the mining party. Simon takes off to find him, but finds Captain Quinn instead. He rescues her, but she wakes up confused, angry and armed. While they argue, something is watching them.
But the disoriented Captain Quinn threatens to shoot Simon one too many times, so he buckles in, seals his mask, and vents the cab compartment, blowing her out of the digger into the vaccuum of the moon, even though she only has 5 minutes of oxygen left. Before long, he brings her back in and tries to reason with her.
For a run-down on all the characters, see the NEW READERS page.
she’s anything but calm.
hmm, that monkey-wrench looks nasty.
will ya look at that wrench… love the comic.
Oooooo! Look out she’s going for the wrench!!!!
Great dialogue! Love it
Great dialogue, great faces!
Huh; almost looks like a Hand of Fatima (or Hamsa) on his helmet-light.
Yeah, yeah… everyone thinks Simon’s light looks like a third eye. Hmm. Maybe it *is*? Maybe that’s what makes him so Wise and Special?
Thanks for the notes, everyone!
Jeez simon! KYou have to keep your dame under control. Me thinks she’ll turn into the “Monkey wrench” in your operation. Hint Hint…
Scary wrench, indeed.
I have a feeling she’s got a little bit more training than your average rent-a-cop. Or maybe rent-a-cops will just have that kind of training in the future.
Great man, I love her reaching for that wrench. I mean we all know women, deep down – totally evil right? Right!? And yet we love them. Ah well. I fear for my buddy Simon. I think he may be in for it.
I think the rent-a-cop crack will tick her off way more than the duct tape. Keep wary Simon.
Love love love the story. Beautiful art. Thank you.
Thanks for the great notes everyone.
One thing you’ll notice – Simon had her pretty calmed down – at least she was *acting* calmed down – in the previous strip. But then he had to inflame the situation by showing her the cell. He could have let it go, but it’s that instinct to get in there and tweak somebody. I think it’s because he lives his life with really no control or power over anything all the time.
It’s like the guy whose boss yells at him all day, and he goes home and kicks the dog. Well, he winds up with a little bit of control over the situation here, and in giving in to his temper, he’s taking it out on Cassie. To a degree, I think she was doing the same to him. So… they deserve each other. It’ll be fun to see how they work this out… if they do.
Looks like somebody may be throwing a “wrench” into Simon’s plans.
Really like this strip and the characters. I’m having a bit of a problem with Quinn however. She’s rapidly becoming a stereotype dumb (stupid) blond. There may be a reason for her condition (mind controlled by aliens, hypoxia) I dunno, but she’s really acting irrational and not like any kind of a reasonable person in such a situation.
Lol I Love the writing and the Art so far keep it up
I really like the way you’ve been doing the lights but that might just be me
Ga’tor – I’m glad you’re enjoying the strip. As for Quinn, I think you’ll find she’s quite smart. It’s just that she’s a rookie, and she’s breaking training, which isn’t *always* a bad thing. If there’s a point to this character, it’s that taking the road less traveled is a double-edged sword. The same personality traits that led her to go off lane also led to her discovery of the Secret Thing we haven’t discovered yet, but it also got her shot down. However, if she hadn’t trusted the navicomputer to evade the attack, and she hadn’t had to contend with Flagg’s interference, I think that situation would have turned out differently as well. In this case, breaking training more than she did might have saved her ship.
As for what’s happening in this chapter between Simon and her, I hope *that’s* not what you feel is turning her into a “stereotypical dumb blonde”. I think she understandably woke up ready for a fight, but it takes two to tango, and Simon certainly didn’t help himself here. Plenty of blame to go around between them. Far from stereotypical behavior, I think she’s acting like a real person, flaws and all. But “dumb”? No way. Not our Cassie.
One thing I notice is that the guys who don’t like Cassie don’t seem to have a problem with the irritant males she’s facing. Flagg was a complete jerk to her, and Simon has actually assaulted her while in her capacity as a Security Officer! Yes, she should have the training to deal with it in a more professional way, and both Flagg and Tripline are getting to her in their way, but holy mackerel! They are all acting unprofessionally, but people seem to find the most fault with Cassie… I wonder if that’s because she’s a security professional or because she’s a woman. Interesting to think about anyway.
Thanks for the note!
If that were Tink sittin’ there, although she’s no rookie as far as dealing with those she considers to be rogues, That wrench would be only ONE of the things going in her mind…and poor testosterone-driven Simon would be “taught” that “attacks” can come from more than one direction.
I guess we will find out if those protective helmets are any good
” Simon has actually assaulted her while in her capacity as a Security Officer! ”
I may be wrong but saying “Shut it, I still haven’t decided wether or not I’m going to shoot you” to someone whilst holding a gun to their face is not the actions of a “Security Officer” more like a psycho low on ammunition. She got want she deserved
Airlock round 2 (maybe!)
If Cassie’s anything, she’s persistent. Maybe she doesn’t like not being in control of the situation? No gun? Use pipe wrench . . .
Simon really has a set of grapefruits. Good for him!
I really like the character development of Quinn. She is trying really hard to live up to the uniform she wears. However, sometimes when you are new and trying to hard, you overlook the little things. I can see where this character can grow and learn through out your story. You don’t gain grizzled experience overnight. I hope the readers don’t confuse inexperience with stupidity. They should just sit back and enjoy the ride.
Hey, it sounds like an ancient dilemma, logic vs temper-tantrum – the reasoning person’s last defense before stuff like, well, another airlock-ejection
JoeFoo – I think you’ve put your finger on Cassie’s stage of development.
And this is the Wild West, after all, not some safe suburban street corner in Peoria. Never forget that.
If that isn’t a bit of foreshadowing I don’t know what is.
“people seem to find the most fault with Cassie… I wonder if that’s because she’s a security professional or because she’s a woman. Interesting to think about anyway.”
That *is* an interesting question. Personally, I have sympathy for Quinn because I’ve seen what kind of a rough day she’s had, but I think I share Tripline’s resentment of authority, especially when that authority comes out the barrel of a gun. Any time you are dealing with the police, you always have in the back of your mind that they are armed, they have lots and lots of colleagues that are armed, and anything they say will be given more weight in court.
Noooo I think that the main reason I’m disappointed that Cassie’s acting like an a$$hat is that she is one of our two main protaganists. (I think) Although Simon’s had more than his fair share of face time. Perhaps I am being to much of a realist, but this is the moon and bottom line Simon saved her life. I mean five minutes of oxy is a damn fine scrape. So he saves her bacon and she gives him a raft of of crap, pulls a space gun on him, threatens him and now she tries to bash his brains out with a space wrench. I mean if I had been shot down and woke up from what I thought was certain death with only 5 mikes left on my oxy gauge, I might be a bit cautious but I’d damn sure appriciate breathing my rescuers air. Hey! I LIKE Cassie which is why I’m not fond of her acting like… well like Flagg probably would in the same circumstance. Hmmph, I still think she’s under the influence of alien brainwaves or hypoxia.
Hmmm maybe it’s just me being a old fuddy duddy SciFi fan. Heinlein’s Moon is a Harsh Mistress popped into mind when i ran across your most excellent strip. Simon seems to be a loonie through and through. And like a loonie there would be no question of a rescue although once back in base he’d no doubt bill her for the oxy. TANSTAAFL!