[Epsilon Chapter 47]

[Starcat5]

47-01 - Step one - kill your way to Jerry

Oh great, the berserker has been activated. Now watch as she attacks the rescue team due to "Cubi are Shapeshifters You Moron". -_(\

[ProfesseurRenard]

I like the way Taun phrases things: "the road of plastic stone", "the river underground", "the iron tree". The bit about Archaeon and tell-tales is slightly confusing, but I'm guessing there's a homing device in Jerry's 'chariot'?

[Liatai]

I like the way Taun phrases things: "the road of plastic stone", "the river underground", "the iron tree". The bit about Archaeon and tell-tales is slightly confusing, but I'm guessing there's a homing device in Jerry's 'chariot'?

Translation: "Archaeon griped about it for hundreds of years until we installed GPS trackers in our clan trucks." X3

Actually, here's the full transliteration as I can manage it, in case Taun's archaic speech is vexing folks -- correct me if I'm wrong!

"He lies beside a tarmac road, between the sewer/water lines underground and a power line pole."

"Look to his jeep. Archaeon griped about it for centuries until they got fitted with GPS tracking devices."

[Tapewolf]

I like the way Taun phrases things: "the road of plastic stone", "the river underground", "the iron tree". The bit about Archaeon and tell-tales is slightly confusing, but I'm guessing there's a homing device in Jerry's 'chariot'?

There is a story behind this.  Years ago - and the comic story is about 12 years old now - I was going somewhere with my dad and my brother, probably celebrating someone's birthday.
We took a somewhat convoluted intersection by some pylons and someone said that it would sound interesting as a mystic prophecy.
e.g. "To go east, you must first go west, at the turning by the iron tree..." or somesuch.  I liked the idea and poached it.

[ProfesseurRenard]

I like the way Taun phrases things: "the road of plastic stone", "the river underground", "the iron tree". The bit about Archaeon and tell-tales is slightly confusing, but I'm guessing there's a homing device in Jerry's 'chariot'?

There is a story behind this.  Years ago - and the comic story is about 12 years old now - I was going somewhere with my dad and my brother, probably celebrating someone's birthday.
We took a somewhat convoluted intersection by some pylons and someone said that it would sound interesting as a mystic prophecy.
e.g. "To go east, you must first go west, at the turning by the iron tree..." or somesuch.  I liked the idea and poached it.

Sounds like a good tale. Should I be familiar with this Archaeon fellow who pressed for the GPS in the Taun jeeps?

[Tapewolf]

Sounds like a good tale. Should I be familiar with this Archaeon fellow who pressed for the GPS in the Taun jeeps?

Not really.  They happened to be one of my name Taun characters:  http://projectfuturecomic.com/strip.php?strip=241
...probably the top-left one.

[ProfesseurRenard]

47-02 - Nothing like a bit of blood-writing to make the 'Cubi race look safe and stable

Yes, I would be rather tetchy too if someone had gone on a killing spree and smeared excerpts from Asa Gray's botany papers at the crime scenes. Not an exact parallel, since I haven't yet formed an Asa Gray appreciation society, but the point stands.

[Starcat5]

I want to make a "writing on the wall" joke, but an upset tummy is distracting me.

[Starcat5]

47-03 - The prospect of losing your head can be a good way to buck up your ideas

A headache spell... I am not sure if that is clever, or just clever slapstick, but I like it! 

[Liatai]

Haha, clever! Causes the victim enough pain to induce some fear with enough theatrics, which the errant young Daryil 'cubus could feed on, with minimal lingering effects, while making the kid think he's doing something. Just not quite doing it RIGHT, because no soul comes out. But soul eating is complex, right? Of course it would take several attempts! Good parenting, Callahan. XD

[Raskahn]

The wizard of "I cast: Instant Brazillian wax!" comes to mind.

[Starcat5]

47-04 - Sometimes you can choose your family

There is the Family you are born into, and the Family you choose. With luck, there will be overlap. 

And sanity check, aside from Xer and next week's E.P. (as mentioned before the weekly News wipe), which updates are most likely to be effected by Merlin's absence? "Line Art/Sketch with Text" updates go in one category, "Missed Outright" goes in another. Unless of course there is no intention to do Sketch updates, in which case the point is moot. Not trying to pester, just wanting to know what to expect.

[Tapewolf]

And sanity check, aside from Xer and next week's E.P. (as mentioned before the weekly News wipe), which updates are most likely to be effected by Merlin's absence? "Line Art/Sketch with Text" updates go in one category, "Missed Outright" goes in another. Unless of course there is no intention to do Sketch updates, in which case the point is moot. Not trying to pester, just wanting to know what to expect.

The only thing I have right now is the Sierra update which has a small buffer and would have updated last week if I had remembered to do so.  It was this week's Epsilon I was worried about - the next one should be less of a problem.  Not sure about Bounty yet.

[ProfesseurRenard]

47-04 - Sometimes you can choose your family

There is the Family you are born into, and the Family you choose. With luck, there will be overlap. 

Nice to see that dear old Dad made it into that overlap.

[Starcat5]

47-05 - At least it wasn't a racing-style catsuit

Oh, great. Now I want to see members of Clan Daryil in those suits while shapeshifted into cats.     

...of course, we could just stuff Ashley into a suit, but the poor lad has enough on his plate keeping the computers up and running. Conversely, Lord Page isn't technically part of Clan Daryil, though convincing him to wear the suit might get Jacob to lighten up on the subject. 

[Raskahn]

...of course, we could just stuff Ashley into a suit, but the poor lad has enough on his plate keeping the computers up and running.

I'm sure we can ask Daryil to shuffle his priorities, for science? Yes! For science.

[Liatai]

47-07 - ...And this might be why Caroline is usually on desk duty

Even in an emergency, Jakob's hair remains fabulous. Lovely job with the hair and wings, Merlin ^^

Yowch, this is gonna turn ugly in SO many ways.

[Raskahn]

Yowch, this is gonna turn ugly in SO many ways.

Indeed, wrong place, wrong time. But Jak may have saved Jerry by getting involved. Lets hope Caroline doesn't do anything she'll regret.                 

Also: Bike leather =/= slut?

[Tapewolf]

Also: Bike leather =/= slut?

It was surprisingly difficult to find abusive terms implying Jakob was a succubus without using "bitch" or "cow" which may no longer work in Furrae.  I may be able to fix this by tweaking the next page.

[Raskahn]

Also: Bike leather =/= slut?

It was surprisingly difficult to find abusive terms implying Jakob was a succubus without using "bitch" or "cow" which may no longer work in Furrae.  I may be able to fix this by tweaking the next page.

My initial thought was that she was referring to him being Cubi (and the stereotypes and all) which seemed weird since she is cubi too so that's where the mind began to wonder. For the sake of not being hit by the ban hammer I'm just going to accept what comes next 

[Starcat5]

47-09 - Saved by the horn

Nice thinking, Jerry. Glad to see the blood loss hasn't caused brain damage yet. Now to keep it that way. 

[Raskahn]

I am an idiot for forgetting the obvious.

http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Vol_618.php

[Chairtastic]

47-11

She's making him take Caroline purely because she doesn't want to deal with her, isn't she?  Because it tactically makes negative sense.

Imma give her the benefit of the doubt that Jerry would want an android resurrection.  Makes me wonder -- would Jayhawk get in trouble if they resurrected someone with a DNR?  Or would you need to file a DNR with Jayhawk for it to be legally binding?

[Tapewolf]

She's making him take Caroline purely because she doesn't want to deal with her, isn't she?  Because it tactically makes negative sense.

The problem they have is not unlike the puzzle where you have to bring a lettuce, a goat and a wolf across the river.  Illiath now has two vehicles she needs to repair and bring back to safety.

If she's left alone with Caroline, Caroline might kill her while she's distracted, assuming that she's Lady Finch in an inversion of chapters 32-34.

Putting Caroline out for multiple hours is something which Illiath will probably go "Damn, I should have thought of that" later, but we don't know if it's possible to guarantee that, magic being finicky.

Even then, if she's left with Illiath, there's still the problem of the bike.  Caroline can't ride pillion if she's unconscious, and is too dangerous to trust with it if she's awake.  If she's left alone with the Jeep she may steal it if she wakes, or be murdered in her sleep by an anti-wing zealot.

If Illiath takes the Jeep and Caroline, her bike may be stolen.  If she manages to stuff Caroline in the trunk and lash the bike to the back of the Jeep (which may not be road-legal) she still has to worry about what will happen when Caroline is let out of the trunk.

For that matter, Jakob has the same worry, but he will have Hospital security to back up him.  In addition, Caroline will be able to drive home in her own Jeep when she's been calmed down enough and reassured that her son is in safe hands.

So no, none of these situations are ideal, but there's not an easy win, especially since neither Jakob nor Illiath can summon a warp-aci.

Thinking about it, "You could have communed with Daryil" might have been, too bad nobody thought of it at the time.  (I doubt Taun would be quite so accommodating)

Imma give her the benefit of the doubt that Jerry would want an android resurrection.  Makes me wonder -- would Jayhawk get in trouble if they resurrected someone with a DNR?  Or would you need to file a DNR with Jayhawk for it to be legally binding?

Realistically, it would take time and red tape to get him resurrected.  Building a replacement body that looks like him isn't trivial.  What they'd probably do is use an off-the-shelf body, possibly a panther to give him an initial revival and establish whether he's okay with it.

If not, they can send him back to death quickly and painlessly - though I don't think anyone has yet chosen that option.