Grrl Power #712 – Turn on your fart light…
Let’s all politely ignore that “MassFab” is written in English, hmm? I could have written it in one of those alien 1 for 1 swap languages like the Futureama font or Stargate SG-1 Ancient or Zentradi or… actually there’s a lot of them. That was my tactic for most of the signs on Fracture Station. But everything happening on Cora’s ship is running through universal translators anyway, so there’s no need to complicate things with some squiggly-do language.
Let’s all also ignore how stark the guest quarters must be. For some reason I decided to make the wall in her room look like a cold iron dungeon wall. I know Cora said she was upgrading the ship bit by bit, but the interior design of the thing is still super slapdash at the moment. Maybe there’s “exposed brick” i.e. unfinished walls here and there since Cora is the sort of person who cares more about function than form. Once the new relays are in, she doesn’t particularly care about the plasteel finish. She actually prefers the easier access for maintenance, but exposed conduit does create security problems in case they get boarded, so she’ll eventually have all that stuff covered up.
Fun fact, Grakz usually comes with a coupon for a free rectal skin graft. Cora distracted Sydney away from the booth before she got her voucher.
Double res version will be posted over at Patreon. $1 and up, but feel free to contribute as much as you like.
I liked that Cora was honest there at the end.
Oh fuck. Oh *fuck*!
There are Mass Fabricators in this setting?!
Prepare for Supreme Commander armies of 50 meter tall robots where the scouts are the size of 2 story buildings.
https://youtu.be/NP21TTJ-cPA
You may have noticed Halo fighting some of those?
At least those weren’t interstellar and reproducing within minutes. And with an entire army/fleet of escorting units. That would’ve been real bad.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ervAflc4FiE
Cybrans inbound!
It could be worse:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSjqF5tR894
Now in better resolution
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTEK91uEvPo
I can’t remember the name of that movie, but the comment about the Ice Cream Enema reminds me of the scene where they shove an Ice Rod up the guy’s ass to, “Cool Down his Core”.
To be fair, an ice cream enema sounds more comfortable. As an engineer, Cora should have a peristaltic pump and some silicone tubing knocking around. And the ship’s fridge may contain the lactation output of some species or other, so she might be in a position to oblige Sydney. Of course, a hazmat suit would also be recommended…
You mean, this scene?
Yup, that’s the scene!
So did they all feign heat exhaustion, so that they could get ice poplicle enimas?
I don’t really want to know!!!
Had never heard or seen that programme before, simply typed in “cool down his core” into the youtube search :D
Evolution:
“I want some icecream”
“Sure, what flavor?”
“Doesn’t matter, it’s for my ass”
After getting an alien fly pulled out
considering the glow coming out from under the door Cora might be thinking about what a smaller amount of grax does to a body and not be quite prepared for what Sydney has done to that toilet
Spacecraft tend to recycle waste to cut down on the amount of resources they need to carry. This is really going to tax their system’s decontamination capabilities.
They could use it to fuel the reactor!
The toilet will be fine if it was a Ferguson ;P
You mean IBM can’t absorb the stress?
Well the Ferfuson was Al Bundy Approved :)
Granted, I don’t always have the time I’d like to properly read every single comment here, but there’s something I haven’t seen yet. A joke along the lines of “Sydney Scoville Jr confirms grakz scuttlebutt.”
Anyone can look up shipboard vernacular to find out what “scuttlebutt” means, no problem. Sydney is adding layers & layers of meaning to that. First, find the meaning of the word itself. Then look up the word “scuttle” for it’s own distinct meaning. Then add to all of that the facts that Sydney is indeed aboard a ship right now & generating more scuttlebutt to the rumors about grakz, the fact that Sydney herself (with her orbs) can function as her own spaceship, plus it’s her butt that’s getting scuttled too.
I also wonder, completely unrelated to the above…Theorectically speaking, would that red light be sufficient to de-power Superman as much like red solar radiation would?
0.o
Red kryptonite makes him angry (evil?), Blue weakens slash depowers him wasn’t it?
Red Kryptonite has a random and wierd effect. But kryptonite wasn’t in question. And red sunlight replaces the yellow one that powers him, slowly causing him to run out of power. I doubt environment-friendly levels of Grakz-motes would have any effect.
Thank you
Always did wonder about the superman/ yellow sun thing.
If he gets powered by a yellow sun how does he get his powers on earth. Our sun is white.?!?
Yellow or hotter, in canon. He only lost his powers under M-class stars, though I think K-class reduced them a bit.
Lex Luthor’s next evil scheme will be to sell grakz all over the world creating a anti – Superman fog. And that’s terrible.
Oh the Humanity!
this is a supervillan plot- it is simply put but execution is insanely difficult. and it causes suffering for all concerned.
Sydney works in a comic store, so she is probably a science fiction fan. Maybe she will be consoled by living out a quote from Dune: ‘The spice must flow’.
your choice of quote is a bit of a stinker in this context,
I was about to give it a glowing review, myself.
Grakz, the light at the end of the tunnel
We have wormsign the likes of which even God has never seen!
Is this going to become a running gag? I really hope it doesn’t but hey, if it does there’s nothing to be done.
They may think it’s sort of funny
But it’s not
It’s hot and runny…
Unless her return to Earth gets delayed by unexpected events, Sydney is unlikely to encounter grakz again any time soon. And I don’t see Max being happy to let her make regular visits to the Fracture just to pick up a takeaway, especially if it will incapacitate a member of the team who should be on call for an indeterminate period of time while they recover.
Sydney got to the Fracture because she selected a bookmark. Sydney can go there whenever she darn well pleases at this point. (Also, worth noting that having unlocked wormhole travel, Sydney is, in a sense, significantly faster than Maxima could hope to be, and may so count as being a more valuable resource than her. Just the chance to fund Arc via reselling alien tech is an option. Heck, Dabbler may even be jealous of her ease of travel.)
well issue with her wormhole is its like using the force or magic in shadowrun. use a big spell or amount of energy you light up like a Christmas tree or forest of them in the magical or technical realm. yes halo can move across space but its like comeing in to system with fireworks and red carpet saying “HERE I AM” and then “THERE I GO” when you leave but cant trace her once gate is closed. maxima can use full speed and still be stealthy technicly
OMG if Arianna finds out about that I can see Sydney’s comic shop going global with interstellar antiquities. If she’s jazzed about merchandising and funko-pop dolls of the members of Arc-SWAT she would go insane over instantaneous artifact delivery by Sydney-bubble. Remember, Sydney didn’t go through customs or anything like that, she immediately showed up and ordered food.
You mean the running one where 1) she clears a bank. reporter gasping as she’s crawling along the ground. from a burp. or 2) where Sydney injured her eye with a spicy noodle.
Maybe bottoms run in her family?
Okay, that pun was terrible. Bad Yorp!
(covertly patpats you out of sight)
*discreetly wags tail*
there is another reason why Frix cant come to Sydney’s aid….
there a doubtless a number of readers on this side of the 4rth wall who need medical attention…
laughter… there can be too much.
I wonder how long the glow persists? Possibly it may … ahem … repeat at some point in the future? Say during a press conference?
SUZIE NEWS (to Arianna): I can’t help but notice that Halo’s … ahh … butt is glowing. Has she been exposed to some kind of radioactive fallout?
ARIANNA: I believe that this used to be marsh land, so that is probably just a pocket of residual marsh gas. Next question please, on some other topic.
SUZIE NEWS (to Arianna): So Sydney is not developing some new super power then?
ARIANNA: I really don’t think so no. Now let me tell you about our forthcoming merchandise lines.
Of course, the setting being a superhero universe, Sydney could develop a new power from the ordeal.
Like a butt that lets out glowing farts when spanked.
FRIX: This appears to be a magical darkness, it will be a disaster if we cannot reach our objective in time.
HALO: Yea, even my orb’s glow is not illuminating anything. I know, lets try spanking me, that should be brighter!
*sound of trousers being unzipped and pulled down*
*smack, smack, smack*
*a glowing shows Sydney’s bum, with Frix spanking her, a demonic figure standing just beyond him*
SYDNEY & FRIX (together): Dabbler!
Just imagine if Halo had a Nuka Quantum with that meal!
Shitting red and peeing blue.
I mix a 50/50 of triple antibiotic ointment (Neosporin™) and hydrocortisone cream (Cortaid™) applied directly to the effected area for lingering exit burn effects. Just a dab will do ya.
So you’re suggesting Sydney should become a… dabbler?
maybe with a little more restraint.
That was a horrible joke and I love you for it!
Buttermilk for spicy food and minor burns I know it sounds weird but it works. Glowing butt maybe a little much for this old home remedy. Aloe tubs of it, that or some sort of nano healing cream. Frix should have an excellent understanding of female human anatomy now. Well at least the fun bits if he was smart he should of scanned her just to make sure for compatibilities sake.
Bread absorbs, the oils that cause the burning.
Are you suggesting Sydney should stick a breadstick where the sun don’t (but something else do) shine?
Alton Brown advocates drinking half-and-half when eating spicy food when you get a little overwhelmed. The milk casein causes the capsaicin to disconnect from the nerve receptors.
You know… I”m honestly surprised Cora has a “relaxing around the house” clothes option. I mean, when it’s programmed in and it never has to be uncomfortable, seems little reason to not be wearing something amazing all the time.
Without light there is no darkness.
Well there is, just lots and lots of it. So really boring. And nobody would know it existed, because they could not see anything but it.
If you are always exposed to something good, it gradually loses its appeal. It just becomes an every-day thing that is around you. Only if something draws your attention to it does it become interesting again.
The very act of being in a more mundane outfit, and choosing to change due to going out, or planning to see somebody, does draw attention to the nice outfit, especially if saying that she is ‘slipping into something more comfortable’. Not to mention being part of foreplay.
Her top has a shadow, suggesting that she’s not wearing her hard light gear. She’s probably still dressed down from her massage session earlier.
…Yeah, I, too, have to give Cora kudos/props for trying not to laugh, despite very vividly phrased provocation…and for being honest that she’s genuinely trying.
Yeah, and when Sydney cools down, she will see the humour as well, in the end :P
You guys are ignoring the worst of the possible side effects of this!
What is eating gratz ruins spicy foods for Sydney, forever?!
The HORROR!
As a spice aficionado myself, I can assure you–we NEVER learn.
As in, if I were on this ship right now, and heard this conversation, my reaction would be, “Man, I gotta get me some gratz!”
Yep. She’s definitely going back next time she’s in space.
‘Back’? She’s going to see if they can deliver :P
It’s a pity she doesn’t know you can use Vaseline (or another thick oil-based compound) as a barrier protect the area from hazardous materials.
It works.
Vaseline soaked cotton balls are also used by the camping/survival communities to help start fires, due to its flammable properties.
Perhaps it is best not to see if those embers can actually ignite accelerants on Sydney’s bum?
That was a horrible joke and I love you for it!
Eff that, the joke was hilarious!
I literally (proper use of the word) laughed so hard it hurt
Not for the first time, either, with this comic!
Please do not derail your story into furry service and hot sauce service. I am a fan of inclusive cultures. You have a really good story going here.
While everyone is talking about the Grakz results in the comments, I noticed a cool detail Dave included in the first panels. Cora is making Sydney some new glasses, which is pretty nice of her given everything else she is doing for her. I wonder if they are made of some stronger glass material, like transparent aluminum, so they won’t break as easily in the future.
Everyone is also talking about the new glasses Cora is making instead of Mr Frix-it, and whether they are just glasses or if she is ‘upgrading’ them
One thing that hasn’t been asked: did Sydney ask for her glasses to be fixed? or is Cora doing this as a surprise gift?
I suggested diamond but apparently that would be too heavy.
Self cleaning, scratch healing alien plastic would be good too.
Everyone else is expecting night vision smart glasses.
Just something that can link in to her ‘PIP-Grrl’ for the HUD would be useful
Looks like Sydney’s ‘spaceship’ suffered with a reactor meltdown and explosive decompression…
… And I get the cleanup duty!
Is the page looking ‘different’ to anyone else? o_O
By different, do you mean absent?
Yep.
Nope, there it is. Looks like they changed the GUI though.
Something is very much broken.
Didn’t mean the comic page, meant the website page itself
I updated some back-end stuff and it’s still a little screwy. I’m slowly getting it sorted out.
Are you Bugs? Thought he was the only one allowed to call it ‘screwy’ :P
Hope you are able to get it fixed, thought it was just me at first (this makes two webic sites that have had their layout changed in the last week)
I had to chuckle at the title. I’m old enough to remember that song.
This is some next-level toilet humour…
‘In lieu of an ice cream enema, I could use a poet, a medic, and a priest.’
That’s rather poetic itself, actually :).
No idea how I hadn’t discovered Grrl Power until just now. So I’ve been checking out random pages to see what it’s like and get an idea of how long the comic has been around (seriously, how did I miss this?), I landed in the middle of Sydney and Frix. Been loving all the inside jokes and sub-references, but to pull out the third seashell from one of my favorite movies from waaay back in the day, that earned my binge and then adding to my daily reading rotation! Totally digging this!
:D