Chapter 5: Pages 1 & 2 - Minerva HQ -

Dec 2014

Chapter 5: Pages 1 & 2 - Minerva HQ

Posted by Daniel Sharp / in Comic / 50 comments

I have an early flight Thursday morning, so I’m posting this early. Deal with it :P And behave while I’m busy travelling. Detla-v, you’re in charge ;)

Enjoy a two page spread! If you want high-res versions of pages like this to download, you can always become a Patron and get them :D

melaredblu

I think this might be the first page I’ve seen in a while that depicts life not completely sucking for every single person onscreen. Very refreshing.
- Delta-v
  
  Give us time.
  - Adriano #WR
    
    We’re waiting ;P
    - Delta-v
      
      I’m talking a few weeks Adriano. :)
      - Adriano #WR
        
        Oooh, but that’s so much D:
- NickDA
  
  That’s why we had all the guest art for comic relief… this story is not exactly a feel good story… it’ll hit you in the feels… just not in a nice way.
- Daniel Sharp
  
  I can promise that while things will continue to suck, they will suck less and differently than in Chapters 1-4. :)
Amberlight

The girl’s prosthetic leg does a good job to show both how well Minerva can treat their citizens and that even in the most secure place in the world people are far from being perfectly safe.
- Matt [in Middletown]
  
  Lost the leg in a vicious dishwasher attack.
  The machine, a relatively low order AI, was overzealous in its application of its directives.
  / kidding
  - Nate the Robot
    
    Watch out for dishwashers, they can be NASTY!
    - Matt [in Middletown]
      
      Always keep the dishwasher well fed?
Maarten Spreij

NewYears resolution = patron you guys and Subnormality, when I first get paid from my new job.
Love these futuristic green city views.. took me a bit to spot the scale, from the tiny people in the background.
- Daniel Sharp
  
  Yeah Seba had a lot of fun picking elements and designing Minerva HQ and Minerva City. :)
Matt [in Middletown]

Are those vehicles…bleeding lubricants?
- Sebastián Píriz
  
  yep
  - Matt [in Middletown]
    
    Creepy!
    LOL!
- NickDA
  
  Minerva tech is a mix of nano-tech and bio-engineering. Some of their components are “grown” instead of machined etc.
  - Matt [in Middletown]
    
    “Tenzin, the car won’t start.”
    “Well, did you insult it?”
    “Are you telling me to apologize to the car?”
    “Yes.”
    “Apologize. To a car.”
    “Yes, especially if you want to get away from that army of rabid deathbots running towards us.”
    - Adriano #WR
      
      Lmao xD
Matt [in Middletown]

And punching in the lat and lon, welcome to Kyrgyzstan in the Tian mountains!
Below us in the valley lay Dale..
No, there is a glacier down there.
And various other hazards to navigation.
Watch your step.
Nearby to the southeast is, or was, Baicheng Qarqi, and Karayulgun.
Directly to the west is Barskoon.
Or Barsoom if you want to tick off the inhabitants and call them Martians at the same time.
- Maarten Spreij
  
  I just looked ‘m up also and found your comment searching for “ky” :-) What strikes me as odd is that, when zooming in, the area around that coordinate looks drawn, while going further in any direction it looks more like aireal photographs again.. maybe I’m being over-imaginative..
  - Matt [in Middletown]
    
    The local geology looks seriously messed up as well.
    Like somebody forgot how fold thrust mountains work.
    - Daniel Sharp
      
      I kill you. :P
      
      Seba’s an artist, not a geologist :P
      - Matt [in Middletown]
        
        Not the drawing, the actual in real life geology.
        Overhead aerial view looks as if some young geology god got bored with nice curving mountains and played patty cake instead.
        (Check out overhead satellite view, it shows some interesting local geology.)
        Surprised there isn’t an endorheic lake nearby.
      - Daniel Sharp
        
        The http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Issyk_Kul right nearby is one :)
      - Matt [in Middletown]
        
        To the west by Barskoon.
        
        http://binged.it/1AXeKkf
        
        That *fingers crossed* should be a map centered on the messed up geology nearby.
      - Daniel Sharp
        
        That is some crazy geology!
      - Matt [in Middletown]
        
        Nasty to travel on.
        Wonder what it looks like from the ground?
        Bunch of topo maps I looked at has a bunch of nearby stuff “fuzzed out” for some reason.
      - Daniel Sharp
        
        Minerva is obviously real, has a bunker there, and got it fuzzed out. Obviously.
      - Matt [in Middletown]
        
        *Emulating rival group leader*
        “Those FIENDS!”
        *Shakes fist*
        LOL
      - Adriano #WR
        
        XD
      - NickDA
        
        Ahah! you have exposed your inner geology nerd! Got you now!!!
      - Matt [in Middletown]
        
        Eeeep!
Sebastián Píriz

This would be the center of government of Minerva. Three main buildings.

The older one was a fortress that worked as gate for the original HQ. now ocupied by the militar branch, Aegis. the hangar of the second panel is in that building

the other two buildings have a modern design and are a sign of the coonfidence of Minerva, they are secure but they obviously arent fortresses like the first one. One for Glaucus and the other one for Oculus (administration and science branches)

if you could look back to whats at the other side of the view, you’d see a complex of buildings where the citizens of Minerva live, beyond that a wall to protect the city

I think I didnt write anything spoilery :P
- Delta-v
  
  That all depends on whether we’re reading the comic or playing the game. :D
  - NickDA
    
    Ah… in that case… there are tons of hidden emergency traps and mines and stuff… and killer robot guards and more… “I’m looking at you Turkmen and Russians” ;)
    - Adriano #WR
      
      We ? But we Turkmen are peaceful tribes u-u I guarantee you ! No lies !
- Adriano #WR
  
  I will make a wise use of those informations, thank you kind sir !
  
  You had a great fun drawing this, didn’t you ? ;)
Adriano #WR

Wait…
Did you really put the geolocalisation of the secret HQ of Minerva in the picture ?
…
I think I’m in heaven !
- Daniel Sharp
  
  Or are we just putting the “public” coordinates, to lead you into a trap? >:D
  - Adriano #WR
    
    Damn are you really THAT evil ?
    - Daniel Sharp
      
      You HAVE read the comic, haven’t you? ;)
      - Adriano #WR
        
        No I just looked at pics lol xD
        
        No seriously I see what you mean.
        Your father is Georges RR Martin x)
      - Matt [in Middletown]
        
        “I just read it for the articles!”
        henh henh henh.
    - Matt [in Middletown]
      
      The lat and lon coordinates could just be off “That a way” and the sculpture points to it.
Delta-v

I know it’s almost Christmas, and Top Web Comics’ Favorites function is pretty broken, but we’ve been out of the Top 100 all month, and my nerves are fraying something fierce. But, the blue banner with Viktor’s winsome features on it still works just fine. (Give it a try, and you’ll see what I mean.) And for those who are all excited about those co-ordinates on the comic page, $5 level Patreon members see the pages a week in advance-just sayin”

Both the “Wednesday Spotlight” and “Why I Read” features are up on the Blog with new content. Just a personal note: Comic Creators usually have pages or places on their comics to link people to other comics they like, but this is my only chance to share with you, my friends, the ones I like, and the reasons I like them. You have no idea how wonderful that is to me. Thanks, Dan and Nick, for the opportunity.

The Siege of Minerva too a week off, but we’ll be back on the attack next week.
- Nate the Robot
  
  Thanks for the tip! Sometimes it was impossible for me to cast a vote…
  - NickDA
    
    Yeah, I had to log out… it almost never worked when logged in. Which then made it a pain in the neck to remember to vote.
    - Delta-v
      
      I found that if the voting portal didn’t come up, repeatedly refreshing the page eventually did the trick, but then most of the time the confirmation/vote bait page wouldn’t show up either, and I had to blind-click the “Go to the next comic on your list” button. I know I missed votes, but after four or five misfires in a row, I couldn’t tell whom I missed. :(
      
      Voting from my Favorites list has gone from a ten-minute breeze to a 40-50 minute nightmare.
Adriano

I’m amazed they can afford fat people!
Truly, Minerva is a beacon of civilization and progress!