Strip 300 -- First Seen: 2009-11-06
Escape From Terra is updated with new pages every Monday through Friday.

On Their Way....

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Signing and Shipping

Scott has finished autographing all the books, and we've started shipping them out. Your physical perks should show up in the next week or so (might be a bit longer for international shipments). We expect to send out vouchers (via email) to those who wanted the PDF e-books.

Once again, many thanks to our backers. Stand by for further updates.

The Transcript For This Page

Panel 1
Establishing shot, Dr. Peña's office. Dr. Ken Nightingale is seated in one of the two chairs in front of the desk, and Reggie is patting him on the back as he moves toward the other seat. Dr. Peña is standing behind his desk, preparing to seat himself in his chair.

Dr. Nightingale is of northern European extraction, tall, and lean. His hair is white, hairline just slightly receded. Thanks to modern medicine he's as fit as a 35-year-old, but likes to keep an older appearance.

Reggie: Hey, Ken.

Nightingale: Hey, yourself. So, are there any Ghosts of Mars, Reggie?

Panel 2
Collection of three closeups: Reggie, Nightingale, Peña. Reggie is speaking, Ken looks intrigued, Peña expresses a mix of curiosity and annoyance.

Reggie: Well, yes and no.

Reggie: It's complicated.

Panel 3
From Peña's POV, Reggie speaks, gesturing with one palm, while Ken squirms a bit in his seat.

Reggie: Let's start with the music.

Reggie: Actually, this is at least as old as sailing.

Panel 4
This panel illustrates what Reggie is saying. You might do some effect on the panel border to indicate this. A sailor from ancient times is standing watch on the deck of a boat
It's pitch black out and he's looking a bit spooked.

Caption (Reggie): 'On lonely night watches, the mind seeks stimulation and pattern. Sensory deprivation causes the brain to manufacture its own inner movie.'

Panel 5
Smallish panel. Reggie talking, in professorial mode.

Reggie: The mind looks for pattern, for order. Random wind and rustling leaves begin to sound like music or voices.
Panel 6
Another illustrative scene. Now, a 30-ish woman is single-handing a 20th-Century style, 30-foot sloop at night in mid-ocean. Use visual effects to indicate music coming from the ship's rigging.

Caption (Reggie): In the last century, a woman making a solo crossing of Terra's South Pacific began to hear music as the wind blew through her riggings.

Caption 2: She was an amateur musician, so she noted down, as best she could, the 'melody' she kept hearing over and over.

Panel 7
Now the woman is on dry land, a South Pacific Island (indicated by palm trees, etc.) in the middle background is a modest structure with a prominently-displayed cross, indicating a church. Use visual effects to indicate music coming from the church.

Caption (Reggie): 'She made landfall in Bora Bora and heard music coming from a small missionary church. The hymn that was being sung was almost note for note, the 'wind song' she had transcribed at sea.

Panel 8
Back in Peña's office, we see Reggie from the back, so we can see the faces of Nightingale and Peña. Nightingale is looking intrigued, Peña is looking angry.

Reggie: After the service, she spoke with the church organist, who told her it was an old Polynesian melody found all over the Pacific.

Reggie: Legend said it was given to sailors by Raka Maomao, the God of Wind.