Comics Without Pictures

Blue, Issue #4

“The Frozen, Forlorn Dead”

Creator/Writer: Eugene Argent

Artist: N/A

PAGE ONE

Panel 1: Somewhere on Mars. A screen is showing a Mars Action News Special Report. The words, “Mars Action News Special Report: Tragedy in Promethei Province” are displayed across the screen. There are also headshot photos of the Mars Action News team. From left to right, we see: Scott London (middle-aged lead anchor), Judy Byrd (young co-anchor), Max Solomon (weather), and Nick Digiorno (sports).

TV Announcer: A Mars Action News Special Report: Tragedy in Promethei Province.

TV Announcer: With Scott London, Judy Byrd, Max Solomon on weather, and the Mars Action News team.

Panel 2: Still watching the screen. Scott London and Judy Byrd are in the tv studio, behind the news desk.

Scott London: Good afternoon. I’m Scott London.

Judy Byrd: And I’m Judy Byrd. Terror. Shock. And tragedy. Today, the eyes of Mars are turned toward Kepler City, in the Promethei Province.

Panel 3: The news cuts to a live shot of Kepler City Square. There is a large fountain in the center of the square. There are many photographs of the deceased city residents around the fountain. The city structures are mostly intact, but there are no trees, animal life, or residents in the city. The only people there are mourners. There are thousands of mourners; most are dressed in black. It’s like one massive funeral. The mourners are laying flowers around the fountain. The word “Live” is on the top right corner of the screen.

Judy Byrd: It’s been just over a week since Earth System Defense Satellite 99J-09 accidentally misfired on the city, killing most of its 750,000 residents.

Panel 4: A closer shot of the fountain. There are hundreds of photos of the missing and deceased residents of Kepler City. There are also thousands of flowers in and around the fountain. Earth System President Nancy Oliver is laying a flower in the fountain. She is dressed in a long black dress and a black coat.

Judy Byrd: Condolences and charitable donations have poured in to the province from as far away as Aryan Separatist Space. President Oliver has declared today a system-wide memorial day, in remembrance of all the victims.

Panel 5: A close up on President Oliver’s hand as she drops the flower in to the fountain. There are victim photographs on the edge of the fountain. One of the photographs is of Dana Lutz, the murdered real estate agent from issue #3.

Judy Byrd: Stay here for live coverage of the memorial service, after these words from our sponsors.

PAGE TWO

Panel 1: Somewhere on Triton, Neptune’s largest moon. Blue finds herself in a dark, cramped basement office. She has just fallen out of a recycling chute built in to the ceiling. We can see the end of the chute hanging from the ceiling. Blue has landed on several bundles of old paper documents, which are also stacked up around her. There are dusty shelves of various objects against the walls. There is an office door, with a small frosted window, on the opposite side of the room.

Caption (Blue): I didn’t know where I was. This wasn’t Pump City. Damn sure wasn’t Mars.

Panel 2: A closer shot of Blue. She is in pain, rubbing the back of her neck.

Caption (Blue): I had just fallen a level or so down a recycling chute. Luckily, I didn’t break my neck. Or fall in to a vat of molten plastics.

Panel 3: Blue is on her feet. She is stumbling over the bundles of paper. She is headed for the office door.

Caption (Blue): But there was no time to pat myself on the back. I had to keep moving.

Panel 4: Blue has opened the office door. She is stepping in to a dimly lit hallway.

Caption (Blue): There was a murderer in the building.

Caption (Blue): A level or so above me.

Panel 5: Blue is walking down the hallway. There are office doors on either side of the hallway. Ahead of her, the hallway forks in two directions (left and right).

Caption (Blue): My first priority? Find a ship. Any ship. At that point I would have settled for a stray comet and a net.

PAGE THREE

Panel 1: Blue is at the end of the hallway, where it forks off in two directions (left and right). Blue is cautiously peering around the corner to the right. She sees an elevator bank about twelve feet down the hall. There are two elevators in the bank. The elevator doors are shut.

Blue (Thinking): Thank God. An elevator bank.

Panel 2: As Blue approaches the elevator bank, a red light blinks above one of the elevators. The light indicates that the elevator is coming down to her level.

SFX (red elevator light): ping!

Blue (thinking): Shit!

Panel 3: Blue spins around, looking to her left. There is an emergency exit about twenty feet away. The exit has a door that reads, “Stairway C.” There is a lit sign above the door reading, “Exit.”

Panel 4: Blue runs for the emergency exit just as the elevator door opens.

Panel 5: A foot (belonging to Mellis Erasmus) is stepping out of the open elevator door.

PAGE FOUR

Panel 1: Blue is still running toward the emergency exit. She has almost reached the door.

Panel 2: Mellis Erasmus emerges from the elevator. He has an evil look on his face. He’s holding a pistol. Erasmus is out for blood.

Panel 3: Erasmus looks down the hall. He sees the emergency exit. The door is closed.

Panel 4: Just behind that door, on Stairway C. Blue is cautiously making her way up the stairs, trying desperately not to make a sound.

Panel 5: Erasmus has turned the corner. He is in the main hallway now. There are offices on either side of the hallway. Erasmus is looking in to one of the offices.

PAGE FIVE

Panel 1: Back on Stairway C. Blue has reached the fifth floor. A sign on the stairway door reads, “05.”

Caption (Blue): I decided to get as much distance between myself and my kidnapper. I ran all the way up to five: the top floor.

Panel 2: Blue is on the fifth floor, in a really dark laboratory. There are all types of lab equipment in there. The only light in the room is coming from a small desk lamp, several feet away from Blue.

Caption (Blue): A desk lamp was on. Someone was in there. Someone other than the murderer.

Panel 3: A close-up on Blue’s hand. She grabs an unlit lamp from a nearby desk. She will use this lamp as a weapon.

Caption (Blue): We weren’t alone.

Panel 4: Blue is approaching the desk that has the lit desk lamp. She is still holding the unlit lamp for protection.

Panel 5: Blue is looking at a large blueprint on the desk. The blueprint shows the layout of the entire building. The top of the blueprint reads, “Triton Outpost 2-0.” The blueprint shows a vehicle hangar at the northwest corner of the building.

Caption (Blue): The blueprint on the desk confirmed my worst fears. I wasn’t only away from Mars. I was on Triton, Neptune’s largest moon.

Caption (Blue): Stranded in the outer system.

Panel 6: A close-up on the blueprint. There is a large square area at the northwestern corner of the building. It reads, “Vehicle Hangar.”

Caption (Blue): But, if the blueprint was correct, I wouldn’t be stranded for long.

PAGE SIX

Panel 1: Just then, Mellis Erasmus kicks open the stairway door. He is now with Blue on the fifth floor. He still has a pistol in his hand. Blue is terrified.

SFX: BOOM!

Panel 2: Erasmus is shooting at Blue. He hits the lit desk lamp and other lab equipment. Glass shatters everywhere. Blue runs for her life.

SFX (gun): POW! POW! POW! POW!

Panel 3: Back on Mars. We’re watching the Mars Action News coverage in Kepler City. The M.A.N. logo is in the corner of the screen.

A disgruntled citizen is looking in to the camera. He is talking in to reporter, Anita Chen’s, microphone. The words, “Disgruntled Citizen” are displayed under his face.

Disgruntled Citizen: I think it’s bullshit! How you gonna have a laser beam that only kills the people, but leaves the buildings intact?! On top of that, you got the beam movin’ all the way from Kepler to Secchi?! That’s bullshit!

Panel 4: Another citizen (Vivian Smith) is talking in to Anita Chen’s microphone. The name “Vivian Smith” is on the screen.

Vivian Smith: I really can’t trust the government account. Something’s wrong.

Panel 5: Anita Chen is looking in to the camera, summarizing her report.

Anita Chen: And that’s the sentiment being expressed by several mourners here in Kepler. A controversial viewpoint in this time of public bereavement. For Mars Action News, I’m Anita Chen.

PAGE SEVEN

Panel 1: Back in the news studio. Scott London and Judy Byrd are behind the news desk. They are accompanied by Buck Ofeld, a defense expert.

Scott London: Controversial to say the least. Thanks Anita.

Scott London: Now, with more on this subject, is defense expert, Buck Ofeld. Welcome to the studio.

Buck Ofeld: Glad to be here, Scott.

Scott London: Buck, where do people get these wacky conspiracy ideas?

Panel 2: A close-up on Buck Ofeld.

Buck Ofeld: It’s a two-part problem, really. One: tragedy fatigue. I mean, we’re all still suffering after Honolulu, now here’s this new tragedy.

Judy Byrd: Honolulu. God bless their souls.

Buck Ofeld: Of course. God bless.

Panel 3: A 3D animation has appeared on the tv screen. It shows a laser gun firing a group of separated light waves. Halfway across the screen, the light waves condense in to a tightly focused laser beam.

Buck Ofeld: Two: they don’t understand the nature of the Kepler accident. As you can see in this animation, a laser is a series of focused light waves, set to a specific frequency and power level.

Panel 4: The tv screen is still showing the 3D animation. The laser beam has been fired at two collinear square targets, one behind the other. The laser has burned right through the first target. But, has no effect on the second target. The beam just stops at the second target.

Buck Ofeld: By adjusting the power level and frequency, a laser can be set to burn specific substances, while leaving others unharmed.

Scott London: It’s sort of like a baked potato in a microwave. You have to take off the foil, or the beams will just bounce off.

Panel 5: The news studio is back on the tv screen. Buck Ofeld is talking to Scott London and Judy Byrd.

Buck Ofeld: That’s right, Scott. The microwaves will simply bounce off of certain substances, but burn others. Our defense lasers are very similar to those microwaves. It’s all E-M radiation.

PAGE EIGHT

Panel 1: Another 3D animation appears on the tv screen. This time, it shows the defense satellite 99J-09 firing down to the Martian surface. The satellite’s red laser beam is hitting a crude model of Kepler City. The beam bathes the city in red light. It instantly vaporizes all of the trees in the city.

Buck Ofeld: Because of some faulty software, the 99J-09 simply activated in a low power state. It sent a relatively low frequency beam that could only burn through certain organic compounds. It was a perfect storm, if you will.

Panel 2: The 3D animation continues. A red line (representing the laser) hits a satellite dish on the top of a building. The line then travels down, within the walls, until it exits (through a wall) in to an apartment. There is a 3D model of a man inside of the apartment.

Buck Ofeld: Add to that, the fact that our homes are now largely coated in a light-conducting substance, and you’ve got a major problem.

Panel 3: Inside the 3D animated apartment. The 3D man is standing in a room. A wall (screen) is showing a football game. Another wall is showing a Windows-like computer desktop. The upper part of both walls is turning red (from the approaching laser beam).

Judy Byrd: Meta-materials?

Buck Ofeld: That’s right, Judy. The beam simply traveled along the meta in our paints and structural surfaces–

Panel 4: Still inside the 3D animated apartment. The walls are all shooting red laser lines in to the apartment. The 3D man inside is breaking apart (vaporizing).

Buck Ofeld: –bathing the city’s inhabitants in a deadly red light. Without all that meta, thousands of lives would have been spared.

PAGE NINE

Panel 1: Back on Triton, in the fifth floor laboratory. The room is very dark. Blue is crouching; hiding behind some lab equipment. She is still holding a desk lamp in her hand. Mellis Erasmus is nearby, looking for Blue.

Caption (Blue): Whoever he was, this guy knew his business. No bullshit. No unnecessary running off with the mouth.

Caption (Blue): He just came in and killed you.

Caption (Blue): Which had to seem a simple task, at that moment. I mean, he knew that I was unarmed. And he knew that I was trapped.

Panel 2: Mellis Erasmus is very close to Blue. He is about to find her.

Caption (Blue): Trapped on Triton of all places. Triton; a meaningless ice-moon. Even if I could get to an airlock, and find a working space suit, I’d still have to make it to that hangar.

Panel 3: Blue tightens her grip on the desk lamp in her hand.

Blue (thinking): Oh well.

Panel 4: Blue is standing. She has the lamp raised above her head, about to strike Mellis Erasmus in the back of his head. But Erasmus doesn’t notice her. He has quickly spun around (away from Blue). He’s looking directly at us, at something off panel. There is a flickering fire light coming from whatever he’s looking at.

Blue (thinking): No guts, no glory.

Panel 5: Both Blue and Erasmus are stunned to see someone else in the lab with them. It’s Mebbe Sumdae, a 5’ 9” tall, naked, jet black alien. With his right hand, Mebbe is holding a two foot long cylindrical glass canister. The canister has a valve at the end and the letters “LN2” written down the canister’s length. With his left hand, Mebbe is holding a lit Bunsen burner to the end of the canister’s valve.

Panel 6: Erasmus fires his gun at Mebbe Sumdae.

SFX: BAM!

PAGE TEN

Panel 1: The canister explodes. Mebbe Sumdae is engulfed in flames. Mellis Erasmus raises his arm; shielding his eyes from the blast.

SFX: KER-BOOM!

Panel 2: Seeing an opportunity, Blue smashes her desk lamp across Erasmus’ head.

Blue: Take this, fucker!

SFX: SMASHHH!!

Mellis Erasmus: ACK!

Panel 3: Erasmus is unconscious on the lab floor.

Panel 4: A close-up on Blue’s hand as she picks up Erasmus’ gun.

Panel 5: Blue has opened the door to the C stairway. She pauses for a moment, turning to look at Mebbe’s body. He’s unconscious on the floor. The flames are out, but smoke is still rising from his body.

Caption (Blue): “LN2.” That was liquid nitrogen. That … thing wanted the canister to explode.

PAGE ELEVEN

Panel 1: Blue is running down the stairs.

Caption (Blue): Was it trying to help me?

Panel 2: Blue is back on the main level. She is running through the large cafeteria from last issue. (Issue #3, Page Twenty-One)

Panel 3: Blue is in the dark airlock room, also from last issue (Issue #3, Page Twenty-Two). She is in the transparent airlock, putting on a space suit. There is an exit behind her.

Caption (Blue): There was no time to figure that out.

Panel 4: A close-up on Blue’s hands. She has on the thick space suit gloves. She is opening the exit.

Caption (Blue): Not now.

Panel 5: Back in the Mars Action News studio. Scott London is reacting to Buck Ofeld’s description of the Kepler/Secchi tragedy.

Scott London: Wow. Irradiated by your entertainment center. That must be a terrible way to go.

Buck Ofeld: Indeed.

Scott London: But what about the reconstruction?

Buck Ofeld: Ah, yes. As you know, most of the city structures are still intact. Therefore, only minimal reconstruction will be necessary. It’s mostly clean up.

PAGE TWELVE

Panel 1: Scott London is talking to Buck Ofeld.

Scott London: More to that point: We all use meta-surfaces. Is there a way to make them any safer?

Buck Ofeld: Yes. We just had a sit-down with New Mars Realty, a large investor in Kepler City. The consensus is that a low-yield, alternating force-field would prevent any significant laser conduction, thus avoiding a future tragedy.

Panel 2: Judy Byrd asks Ofeld a question.

Judy Byrd: How would such a force-field be applied to existing meta-surfaces?

Buck Ofeld: Oh, it’s simple Judy. A small, dime-sized field generator would be placed at each corner of the surface—let’s say a wall. The field would block any dangerous laser light, while allowing normal touch-sensitive interactivity. My private firm already holds a patent for these generators. It should hit retail early next quarter.

Panel 3: Scott, Judy and Buck, at the news desk.

Judy Byrd: Well that’s a relief! Ha-Ha!

Scott London: Yeah. For a minute there, I thought I’d have to cancel my satellite service! Ha-Ha!

Buck Ofeld: Ha-Ha! No Scott—

Panel 4: Back on Triton. Blue is in her space suit, walking along the surface of Triton, Neptune’s largest moon. (She still has Erasmus’ gun in her hand.)

Triton is a frozen wasteland. A world of flat expanses, covered with a layer of frozen nitrogen snow and ice. Right now, the frozen nitrogen is falling from the sky like discolored snowflakes.

Caption (Buck Ofeld): Nothing so drastic.

Caption (Blue): I was having trouble seeing through the snowfall. I wasn’t even sure what the snow was made of, but I knew I had to get through it.

Panel 5: Blue is looking down at her suit’s wristband. There is a digital display that gives atmospheric and geographical information. The display is showing the current temperature, −237.6 °C. It also has a compass. Blue is walking on a Northwestern course.

Caption (Blue): To keep my bearing, I kept an eye on the suit’s wrist display. I knew that the vehicle hangar was at the northwest corner of the compound, so I planned to stay on that heading.

PAGE THIRTEEN

Panel 1: Blue hears a strange sound. She is looking down at the ground below her feet.

SFX: Pfft. Pfft.

Blue (thinking): What the–?

Caption (Blue): But Triton, it seems, had different plans for me.

Panel 2: Suddenly, a small nitrogen geyser erupts under Blue’s feet. It breaks through the surface and shoots twenty feet straight into the air. Luckily, Blue is only knocked a few feet in to the air. (The gun flies from her hand.)

SFX: KOOOSH!

Panel 3: Blue is on the ground, picking herself up.

Caption (Blue): Some kind of alien geyser knocked the wind out of me. Another nasty fall like that could put a tear in my suit. I would have to watch my step.

Panel 4: A shot of Blue picking up the gun.

Panel 5: A shot of Blue walking through the snow.

PAGE FOURTEEN

Panel 1: A shot of Blue walking through the snow.

SFX: Pfft. Pfft.

Panel 2: Blue steps aside as a geyser erupts right next to her. She completely avoids the blast.

SFX: KOOOSH!

Panel 3: A shot of Blue walking through the snow.

Panel 4: Shot from atop the vehicle hangar. We see the leg of a person (Mellis Erasmus) who is standing on the roof of the hangar. Down below, we can make out the broken silhouette of an approaching figure (Blue).

Panel 5: Through the falling snow, Blue can barely make out the shape of a large building in the distance. (The vehicle hangar.)

PAGE FIFTEEN

Panel 1: Blue is closer to the large building. It’s the vehicle hangar.

Panel 2: A close-up on Blue’s face. She is smiling.

Blue: Oh thank god.

Panel 3: Suddenly, Mellis Erasmus crashes in to Blue. (He jumped down on her from the hangar roof.)

SFX: KRAKKKKKKKK!!!!

Blue: Oh!

Panel 4: Blue’s P.O.V. Erasmus is sitting on Blue’s chest, pounding his fists on her helmet. He is also in a space suit, sweating profusely. He has an absolutely maniacal look on his face.

SFX: FWOOMPP! FWOOMPP! FWOOMPP! FWOOMPP! FWOOMPP!

Blue: Oh!

Panel 5: Looking down over Erasmus’ shoulder. He’s still pounding his fists on Blue’s helmet. The glass is beginning to crack. Blue is terrified. She has tears in her eyes.

SFX: FWOOMPP! FWOOMPP! FWOOMPP! KRAKK! KRAKK!

Blue: Oh God no!

PAGE SIXTEEN

Panel 1: Blue is reaching out to her right, looking for her gun in the snow. She sees it, but it is out of her reach. Erasmus is still pounding on her helmet.

SFX: KRAKK! KRAKK! KRAKK! KRAKK!

Panel 2: Blue is stretching and straining to reach the gun. Erasmus is still pounding on her helmet.

SFX: KRAKK! KRAKK! KRAKK! KRAKK!

Blue: arrrgghh.

SFX: Pfft. Pfft.

Panel 3: A close-up on Blue’s face. She has a look of excited surprise.

Panel 4: Blue swings her head to her left, where she hears a familiar sound.

SFX: Pfft. Pfft.

Panel 5: Grabbing Erasmus’ left leg, Blue rolls Erasmus to her left.

PAGE SEVENTEEN

Panel 1: Blue slams Erasmus down to the ground. Erasmus’ helmet slams in to the ground.

SFX: OOOF!

Panel 2: A geyser blasts upward, hitting Erasmus’ face and his right arm. (Blue doesn’t get hit by the blast.)

SFX: KOOOSH!

Mellis Erasmus: AAAAAAAGH!

Panel 3: Blue is standing now, looking down at Erasmus. Erasmus is badly injured. His helmet is damaged, leaking oxygen. His right arm is broken in at least ten places.

Panel 4: Blue is crouching down, shaking Erasmus by his collar. Blue is pissed.

Blue: Who are you?! What do you want with me?!!

Panel 5: Blue is really pissed at Erasmus.

Blue: What did I ever do to you?!!

PAGE EIGHTEEN

Panel 1: Erasmus lifts his left hand. He is holding a small, electronic device.

Panel 2: Erasmus activates the small device.

SFX: beep. beep.

Panel 3: Out in space, in Neptune’s orbit. An Earth Defense satellite is activated. It begins to turn toward Triton, Neptune’s largest moon. The words “Dept. of Defense” are on the side of the satellite.

Panel 4: The defense satellite is now pointed at Triton.

Panel 5: It fires a gigantic laser beam (similar to the laser in Issue #3) at Triton’s surface.

PAGE NINETEEN

Panel 1: Back on the surface of Triton. Blue is still holding Mellis Erasmus by his collar, angrily interrogating him. In the distance, the defense laser beam strikes down. It is cutting a path toward Erasmus and Blue. (Blue doesn’t even care about the beam.)

SFX: THUDDD-DOOOMM!!!!

Panel 2: Blue is yelling at Erasmus.

Blue: Are you behind it? The attack at Kepler? Was Lutz involved?!!

Panel 3: Blue is still yelling at Erasmus.

Blue: Answer me!

Panel 4: Someone strikes Blue from behind, knocking her unconscious.

SFX: BRAKK!!

Blue: Ans—OOOOOF!!

Panel 5: A shot of Blue’s face. She is on her back, about to lose consciousness. Her eyes are barely open.

PAGE TWENTY

Panel 1: Blue’s P.O.V. She is looking up at Mebbe Sumdae, the naked alien from PAGE NINE. He is reaching down toward her.

Panel 2: Mebbe Sumdae is running toward the vehicle hangar. He is carrying an unconscious Blue on his back.

Panel 3: Mebbe Sumdae has found the BoonPax inside the hangar. He still has Blue on his back.

Panel 4: Outside. The giant laser beam is quickly approaching, destroying everything in its path.

SFX: RUUUMMMMMBBLLEE.

Panel 5: Mebbe Sumdae is loading Blue in to the BoonPax’s hatch.

PAGE TWENTY-ONE

Panel 1: Outside. An injured Mellis Erasmus is still on his back, in the snow. A red glow (from the approaching laser) is coming from somewhere off-panel.

Mellis Erasmus: t-too late. too late.

SFX: RUUUMMMMMBBLLEE.

Panel 2: Inside the hangar. Mebbe Sumdae and Blue are aboard the BoonPax. Mebbe has started the ship’s engines.

Panel 3: Outside. Mellis Erasmus is bathed in red light as the beam comes for him.

Mellis Erasmus: Here we are.

SFX: RUUUMMMMMBBLLEE.

Panel 4: The giant laser beams rips through the scene, vaporizing Erasmus and the vehicle hangar.

Caption (Mellis Erasmus): Showtime.

SFX: DOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!

Panel 5: The BoonPax rockets upward, narrowly avoiding the laser beam.

SFX: SWOOOOOSH!

Caption (Scott London): Well, Mr. Ofeld, you’ve certainly cleared a few things up for our viewers.

PAGE TWENTY-TWO

Panel 1: Back on Mars. A view screen (inside the BoonPax) is showing the Mars Action News. Scott London and Judy Byrd are wrapping up their interview with defense expert, Buck Ofeld.

Buck Ofeld: My pleasure, Scott. An informed citizen is a safe citizen.

Scott London: Indeed, sir. Indeed.

Panel 2: A shot of the Pump City space station. The BoonPax is docked at the station.

Scott London: This has been a Mars Action News Special Report: Tragedy in Promethei Province. On behalf of Judy Byrd, Max Solomon and the rest of our team, I’m Scott London.

Panel 3: A shot of Blue inside the BoonPax. She is watching the news, holding a remote control. She clicks the remote, turning off the view screen. Blue’s face has the expression of a person who has come to terms with a grim reality.

SFX: click.

Caption (Blue): There it was—the truth I was looking for. The reason for the whole damn thing. The bastards didn’t even try to hide it. They broadcast it, for God’s sake.

Panel 4: Another shot inside the BoonPax. Blue is alone in her ship.

Caption (Blue): Money. A lot of prime real estate for dirt cheap. Land tailored for the rich, but inhabited by the poor. 750, 000 human write-offs.

Caption (Blue): Fodder, for a new business model.

Panel 5: A close-up on Blue’s face. She realizes how deep this conspiracy goes, and she can’t do a thing to change it.

Caption (Blue): Instant gentrification.

Caption (Blue): There’s a murderer in the building. Out of my reach—a level or so above me.

THE END