02/20/10 [PF #102] - Surprised?

[hapless]

I simply LOVE the last row of panels.
Seems that Keaton really did not expect such response...

[Zedd]

It feels like a Mexican standoff right now...

[Tapewolf]

I simply LOVE the last row of panels.
Seems that Keaton really did not expect such response...

Well, due credit has to go to Ren of course

[ChaosMageX]

Huh, so rather than the original fancy energy weapon from FH, Ashford now has a simple...umm...glock, I think.  How disappointing.

[Ren Gaulen]

Huh, so rather than the original fancy energy weapon from FH, Ashford now has a simple...umm...glock, I think.  How disappointing.

I didn't use any reference when I drew the gun, so it is really an amalgamation of all modern handguns. Although it does look like a Glock of some kind.

[Tapewolf]

Huh, so rather than the original fancy energy weapon from FH, Ashford now has a simple...umm...glock, I think.  How disappointing.

We did discuss this and decided that a more conventional weapon would probably be the better approach.  I'll probably go over it next week if I remember.

[Sind]

I don't know, that weapon doesn't look too powerful =/

It better be strong enough to cut through Cubi wings =P

[Chakat Blackspots]

I don't understand why she has decided to show herself now?  What did she feel that she was supposed to gain showing her cubi-ness to Ashford, besides taking those plans.  So... I guess we wait until the next comic to see if she was killed.

[Amber Williams]

I don't understand why she has decided to show herself now?  What did she feel that she was supposed to gain showing her cubi-ness to Ashford, besides taking those plans.  So... I guess we wait until the next comic to see if she was killed.

I'm pretty sure Ashford already knows Keats is a cubi. I think she was just sporting wings for dramatic flair.

Though I am curious, I was under the impression the ion-thingie was not a weapon at all.  I'm guessing that Ashford and Keats are under the same original assumption Joshua was in that "ion-thingie=mega weapon" and not what it actually is for?

[LionHeart]

Somehow, I don't think that gun is going to do Ashford a lot of good against a 'cubi who not only has invulnerable wings, but is probably a good deal faster and stronger than him...

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

I don't understand why she has decided to show herself now?  What did she feel that she was supposed to gain showing her cubi-ness to Ashford, besides taking those plans.  So... I guess we wait until the next comic to see if she was killed.

The way I read it, I don't think she really "intended" to show cubi-ness, more that she got upset to the point and reverted to her more "natural" form. And as quick and tough as 'cubi wings are, I don't know if they can outrace a bullet.  Keaton's own reaction in that last panel seems to be pretty fearful to me, which would argue that, yes, she can be shot and killed.

[Ren Gaulen]

Though I am curious, I was under the impression the ion-thingie was not a weapon at all.  I'm guessing that Ashford and Keats are under the same original assumption Joshua was in that "ion-thingie=mega weapon" and not what it actually is for?

No, the ion-thingie was a weapon, the conversion beam was not. Ashford and Keaton both knew that Jakob had a squadron of jet fighters equipped with ion cannons that were capable of decimating a military base all by themselves (see here and here). They probably both assumed that Jakob had more of that stuff or, perhaps, an even more powerful weapon stashed away.

I don't understand why she has decided to show herself now?  What did she feel that she was supposed to gain showing her cubi-ness to Ashford, besides taking those plans.  So... I guess we wait until the next comic to see if she was killed.

Ashford is well aware of her 'Cubi-ness (see here).

[Tapewolf]

Though I am curious, I was under the impression the ion-thingie was not a weapon at all.  I'm guessing that Ashford and Keats are under the same original assumption Joshua was in that "ion-thingie=mega weapon" and not what it actually is for?

There's two related aspects to this.  As Ren pointed out in his link, Jakob has developed an ion beam that is powerful enough to be operated outside of a vacuum and can be used to cut or otherwise destroy things.  This was a spin-off project that he used to create some hand-held cutting tools and armed the aircraft with (Ren, you still owe me most of page 47   ..and man, I need to fix Jakob's eyes there).
He was also using this same technology to build a beam generator that was large enough to count as a doomsday weapon:

http://www.project-future.org/strip.php?strip=48

...but he gave that up as it was distracting him from the main project and it wasn't working out for its intended use anyway (actually an asteroid shield - if Furrae has some magical protection from space debris it's fair to assume that Jakob doesn't know about it).
Anyway, while he dismantled the Big One, the plans still exist for it, hence the mission.


Now.  Separate to this project is the mass->energy converter which he is using to power to soul energy generator.  If this could be used as a weapon it would be very, very nasty.  However, The effect is very localised and it needs a ring about so big:

Diamond Light Source

...in order to make it work.  However, the mistaken belief that Jakob has been able to reduce it to fit into a truck or a bazooka is enough to scare the bejeezus out of Joshua and Ashford (strips 48 and 80 linked above) .

[Madmann135]

I have a few questions. 

If Jacob was being John Cross again wouldn't they have herd more about it instead of him being a good nature business man?  Or are they just going on past events even though Cross was terminated?

The ion beam technology seems more of a cutting tool than a weapon, similar to many Sci-Fi particle beam weapons which are cool shearing lasers.
Though I do have a complaint I just properly thought up of.  Ion beam weapons in other science fiction universes are designed to be super effective against electronics as they act like directed EMP lasers.  As I read PF I think the Ion-weapon technology had it's name mixed up with Particle-beam technology.  Particle beams in many sci-fi are shearing/cutting weapons.
Can this be explained?

[Tapewolf]

If Jacob was being John Cross again wouldn't they have herd more about it instead of him being a good nature business man?  Or are they just going on past events even though Cross was terminated?

The latter, pretty much.  Jakob's official identity at the moment is Kristofer Ausmann, who supposedly had ties to Johan Cross although nothing can be proven. 

As I read PF I think the Ion-weapon technology had it's name mixed up with Particle-beam technology.  Particle beams in many sci-fi are shearing/cutting weapons.
Can this be explained?

Strictly, an ion beam is a particle beam.  To answer your question, low-energy ion beams are used commercially in the semiconductor industry to add and remove material from a buggy chip sample during the development process.  What Jakob has done is to scale up the cutting effect.

[Sind]

Somehow, I don't think that gun is going to do Ashford a lot of good against a 'cubi who not only has invulnerable wings, but is probably a good deal faster and stronger than him...

Based on how he works for some military business hunting down Demons/Angels/Cubi, I'm gonna guess those are more then your everyday Handguns =P

[Roach Lord]

Aren't Cubi wings the toughest part of a Cubi's body? If they're tough enough to cut into the arm of a giant dark stallion entity, shouldn't they be able to blocka a bullet from a tiny handgun?

[Tapewolf]

Aren't Cubi wings the toughest part of a Cubi's body? If they're tough enough to cut into the arm of a giant dark stallion entity, shouldn't they be able to blocka a bullet from a tiny handgun?

Strictly this was written before we knew that.  All the same, if he pulled the trigger now she would not be able to react in time.

[!KCA]

Strictly this was written before we knew that.  All the same, if he pulled the trigger now she would not be able to react in time.

I assume Ashford can also shoot Keaton in response to her trying to preemptively shield herself.

[Tapewolf]

I assume Ashford can also shoot Keaton in response to her trying to preemptively shield herself.

Quite.

On another note it looks like Ren's PC has died completely now.
This is absolutely the last place I wanted to do any kind of break, but on the other hand I can't guarantee that we'll be able to update on schedule.
Ren did print out the storyboard though so he should be able to work on it - getting the finished results to me is another matter.  We'll see how things go, I guess.

[Sind]

Aren't Cubi wings the toughest part of a Cubi's body? If they're tough enough to cut into the arm of a giant dark stallion entity, shouldn't they be able to blocka a bullet from a tiny handgun?

Strictly this was written before we knew that.  All the same, if he pulled the trigger now she would not be able to react in time.

Or you could just act as if it is a specially designed handgun of sorts =P

[Sunblink]

Funny thing is, while the whole page looks completely awesome, Keaton in the sixth panel looks like how I do when I'm ranting about something... or she looks like she's giving some kind of really angry/impassioned speech.

Just put her behind a podium and it'll be perfect.

Keaton for president for life, n/n?

RIGHT SORRY, I'm done gaying up your thread Tape and Ren, you're still amazing.

[Tapewolf]

Funny thing is, while the whole page looks completely awesome, Keaton in the sixth panel looks like how I do when I'm ranting about something... or she looks like she's giving some kind of really angry/impassioned speech.

I was a little more worried about whether she'd phrase it quite like that 

[Sunblink]

I was a little more worried about whether she'd phrase it quite like that  

It's certainly better than "BITCHES I KILL YOU." That's the kind of thing I would've written.

Clearly, my prose is more intelligent and refined than Ray Bradbury's and Harper Lee's and Truman Capote's combined and I will go on to win a million Pulitzer prizes.

...  

But yeah, thanks to you I'm giving Keaton megalomaniacal tendencies. At this rate, I might as well copyright Keaton to "J.P Morris and that one girl," and yes that's a good thing.

[Tapewolf]

Okay, Ren is back, but messing around with the computer has thrown his schedule.  We're probably looking at an update tomorrow rather than today.  As if that hasn't happened enough recently 

[Gabi]

You could always officially switch to Saturday updates.

[Tapewolf]

You could always officially switch to Saturday updates.

Strictly, the official update day is Saturday.  That's mostly to give us extra leeway though.

[Sind]

no worries man, as long as there's no apocalypse or something by tomorrow 

Of course now that I mentioned it the gods of comedic irony are gonna punish us 

[Tapewolf]

I'll just mention that Ren seems to be having a busy night so while we're going to try our hardest I can't 100% guarantee that we'll be able to do it tonight either.

[Ren Gaulen]

Yeah, I lag badly right now. I'll do my best to finish my part as soon as possible so Tape didn't have to colour it till some ungodly hours of night.

EDIT

Well, I have finished the lineart, but it took me longer than expected. So if Tape cannot colour the page tonight, I am the one to blame.