Transcripts 2002-10

Transcripts from October 2002 strips.
==October 4==
Panel 1Tessa is lying in a hospital bed with her eyes closed, screaming AAAAA!Panel 2Sticks, frightened, shakes Tessa by the shoulders as she grits her teeth, tears in her eyes. An IV drip bag and stand are in the background.Sticks: TESSA! TESSA! WAKE UP! YOU'RE DREAMING! HE'S NOT HERE!Panel 3Close-up of Sticks and Tessa, nose-to-nose, as Tessa awakes, and they stare into each other's eyes.Panel 4Tessa sits up and leans over, grabbing Sticks tightly.Panel 5Side-view of panel 4, with Tessa loosening her hold somewhat as Sticks caresses her head.Tessa: Tell me straight; I AM alive right?Sticks: I think so! Dead people tend not to have such a strong grip!
==October 7==
Panel 1Close-up of Sticks and Tessa, nose-to-nose, as they look into each other's eyes. Sticks is smiling, while Tessa still has teary eyes and a look of shock on her face.Tessa: W- What happened? Did you say I was frozen?Sticks: You fell asleep halfway through my story and yes I did! Although it didn't worry me too much...Panel 2Sticks observing Tessa? in a stasis chamber.Sticks: You see I've seen you frozen and dead to the world before in stasis couch! I knew those things where just pressurised freezers to combat the effects of space travel! I knew the reason you didn't die in them was the implants and augmentations you were given!Panel 3Zoomed out view of panel 1, with Tessa at arm's length from Sticks as she lowers her head shyly and holds a hand over his heart. Both smile at each other.Tessa: Let me guess! Those two thought I was dead because I don't have a pulse thanks to my mechanical heart, and threw me in that fridge!Sticks: Yep, and your heart then did it's job! Ironic really! My designers gave me a pulse to be more "real", while the real people were having operations to have theirs stopped!
==October 11==
Panel 1Sticks puts his hands on Tessa's shoulders as she does the same, and they continue looking into each other's eyes.Sticks: When I realised you only needed a few hours to thaw out, I started to think more clearly. I convinced those two goons to pack up anything relevant to the Inlay and come with me!Tessa: How did you manage that?Panel 2Sticks throws back his head with a pompous grin, holding a hand to his chest in pride.Sticks: Why I used my most charming smile and asked them nicely of course! I did save their lives after all!Panel 3Sticks continues grinning but faces Tessa, who smugly sits with her hands on her knees and gives him a skeptical look.Tessa: And when the constipated game-show host impression didn't work?Sticks: I threatened to shot them! Bite me!Tessa: I just might!
==October 14==
Panel 1Close-up of a smiling Sticks in an inset of the caption, above a silhouette of the Taipan with its loading ramp down, and Michael and David being guided by Sticks at gunpoint.Caption (Sticks): Actually, only "Rambo" needed coaxing! Geek boy couldn't leave fast enough! Especially when he saw the Taipan! The trip back home was uneventful and after a few hours in bed you woke up!Michael: Ooo! Look at the size of that thing!Sticks: MOVE!David: Yeah, yeah...Panel 2Sticks grins at Tessa as she sits on the edge of the hospital bed, a worried look in her eyes.Tessa: Oh, wait! I don't suppose you remembered...Sticks: Your bike? Yes I picked that up too! Sheesh! I swear you love that thing more then me!Panel 3Close-up of Tessa giving a sultry grin as her bangs fall over one eye. A device that looks like an oscilloscope is on the small dresser next to the bed.Tessa: Don't be silly Sticks! It's only a machine!Panel 4Sticks gives Tessa a disapproving look as she stares dumbly back at him.Panel 5Same as panel 4, but Sticks smirks while Tessa lowers her head in apology.Tessa: Sorry!
==October 18==
Panel 1Sticks and Tessa face each other, Sticks sitting in his chair with his hands on his knees and Tessa sitting on the edge of the hospital bed, steadying herself with her hands.Sticks: I know you didn't mean it like that, but "only a machine cuts a little!Tessa: I said I was sorry! Anyway, you and that bike have something in common!Panel 2Close-up of Sticks grinning mischievously and Tessa pointing angrily at him.Sticks: Ooo, let me guess! Is that something big, jet black and feels good between your legs?Tessa: I mean is that you're both irreplaceable!Tessa: However I can find replacement parts for a Black Shadow if I look hard enough! I CAN'T replace you! What were you thinking going after me?Panel 3Same as panel 1, but Sticks has his hands on Tessa's hips, and Tessa has bowed her head slightly.Sticks: Do I really have to answer that?Tessa: *sigh* No! I just could never forgive myself if you got hurt!Panel 4Silhouette of Sticks and Tessa, leaning in to kiss each other with a "x" notation.Sticks: Well now you know how I feel!Panel 5The Oracle projecting holographically. He seems to have a smirk.Caption: MeanwhileOracle: ... Intriguing! Most intriguing!
==October 21==
Panel 1Gates glares angrily over his shoulder at the Oracle.Gates: Intriguing? Is that what you call it? I call it REALLY FUCKING ANNOYING!Oracle: True that their persistent interfering makes things complicated, but you have to admire the figures!Oracle: Locating the very building with the planted droid was 854363456546.4354 to 1! Makes one think there's something guiding all this...Panel 2Close-up of the Oracle.Gates (off-panel): Oh no! Don't you DARE! I remember the last time you tried to prove or disprove God!Oracle: Yes I do know you ordered me not to think about it, but I can't see why! I'm the greatest AI ever created! I can TELL you if there is one creator of everything!Oracle: Yet the religious and non-religious alike were up in arms, preferring their stupid ignorance!Panel 3Same as panel 1 but rotated 90 degrees to show Gates hanging his arm off the back of his chair, and the Oracle looking away in annoyance.Gates: Actually I didn't care about them! I just know if I let you continue on that problem, we would have seen first hand if God exists because you weren't concentrating!Oracle: So I almost flew us into the sun! Why make such a fuss over it?
==October 25==
Panel 1Gates faces away from the Oracle, still glaring. The Oracle looks at him questioningly.Gates: We're getting sidetracked! Oracle, I want you to come up the best course of action to remove the problem that is Dr Cook and his cronies!Oracle: Why?Panel 2Silhouette of Gates turning and shouting at the Oracle, whose face is reduced to two triangles in profile.Gates: Why? WHY? They keep messing up our timeline by keeping the market afloat by drawing money away from our companies! My future conspirators keep having fatal "accidents" and do you know how long setting up that fake UFO crash with the Inlay in it took?Oracle: Why stop them when they help us so?Panel 3Close-up of the Oracle simulating the look of one raised eyebrow.Gates (off-panel): Oh how's that? This'll be good!Oracle: Cook Industries will crash much harder then Bishop International did and with Cook hiding in plain sight like he is, this will backfire on him when it does! Anyway finding you new goons won't be difficult! As for the planted droid, they've done us a great favour! Before the US military neutralised the Inlay but now it looks like someone is out to sabotage them!Panel 4Michael shouting angrily at a military official, probably, and gesturing at something. A screen on top of a shelf with several stacked books(?) is in the background.Oracle: Thus they add more importance to the project then before and push it forward! Also with Michael Tucker out the way, less time is wasted! Without his constant challenges and arguments with the US military and the contractors, the first prototype will be ready years earlier!Panel 5Simon working on an Inlay prototype.Oracle: With the promise of a land attack force without all the PR killing body bags, the US will knock out Inlays like sweeties! All under the total control of Simon Archer who has free rain with Tucker gone!Panel 6Gates looks thoughtfully over his shoulder at the Oracle, who is again in profile.Gates: Archer? Isn't he the one who programmed all the Inlays to defect to us, then killed himself by scrawling "Death to you all!" in blood over a wall from his slashed wrists?Oracle: Actually it was "I am a teapot!" they altered that because employing a traitor is less embarrassing then a loony!
==October 28==
Panel 1Gates leans back in his seat, arm over the back, and looks over his shoulder at the Oracle, who is in profile.Gates: Okay it's given that Tucker is a pain i nthe arse and he's better off out of the picture, but won't he blab to Cook?Oracle: Most likely, but it is not a concern. Tucker was never told where the droid was found, only to study it! He doesn't know enough to alert Cook or Adams to what we are doing!Panel 2Same as panel 1, but Gates has leaned his head forward somewhat, and the Oracle is looking off to one side.Gates: What about the other one? The security guard that was with Tucker?Oracle: Humm..Panel 3Same as panel 2 but the Oracle looks back at Gates.Oracle: David Sharp, Doberman/jackal cross born 1977. Low school grades. Tried to join the army but was turned down due to his minor asthma problem. However he did have the qualifications to become a security guard for a certain government contractor!Gates: You mean he can eat a donut AND scratch his balls at once?Oracle: Correct!
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