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Chapter: Chapter 5: Construction

  • Talita: The jack measures the Runaway at about 120 kilotons. But the tanks are empty– And I have no idea how much fuel we’re going to get out of that old hydrolysis plant. Panel background: The empty tank of the Runaway is shown with a moth flying around inside it. The derelict hydrolysis plant interior is shown with a cobweb and spider over it. Idrisah: Luckily the gatehouse can accommodate day-of changes to mass. Talita: Good, because I wrote a low estimate.  She looks sheepish. Talita: 10 tons. Idrisah squints. Idrisah: …Will the ship even make it to the wormhole? Talita: Sure! Just… Very slowly. Idrisah: Yikes. I guess that’s fine if you can eat sunlight while you coast for decades… Panel background: The Runaway drifts through space with its solar panels extended. Idrisah: I go crazy enough on the 2 week trip to Nexus Jovia. Where’s that AI traveling to, anyways? She hands Talita her tablet back. Talita: They haven’t said. Without money and assets their options are pretty limited.

    Runaway to the Stars: Page 151

    Apr 08, 2025

  • Talita removes her shoes in Gillie and Idrisah's apartment, looking apprehensively at Gillie, who is standing up and signing at one of her scroll monitors. Talita: Gillie’s still working? Idrisah: Don't worry, we're out of frame.  Idrisah pats the couch next to her, where she is sitting with her laptop. Idrisah: I got the spare mattress out for you. Sit!  Talita sits comfortably down on the mattress with a fitted white sheet that has been placed on the floor and leans an elbow on the couch, handing Idrisah her tablet. Idrisah: Did you get the specs? Talita: Well, mostly. I had to do a lot of… estimating.

    Runaway to the Stars: Page 150

    Apr 05, 2025

  • Clayton radios in again, watching Adam throw a random chunk of metal at Dominic, who ducks. Clayton: They’re throwing scrap at each other now, boss. Talita switches radio channels and begins to sprint over to the elevator on all sixes. Bip waves goodbye with a front loader arm. SFX: clk Talita: Jesus christ. Over in 2 minutes. Later, Talita rings the buzzer on the keypad to Gillie and Idrisah's apartment building. While she waits for one of them to come to the door, she watches the construction activity happening at the adjacent building. Humans and avians seen in the distance working on the scaffolding; while a fenced off area of the roadway houses piles of trash, construction materials, and a basket lift vehicle.

    Runaway to the Stars: Page 149

    Apr 03, 2025

  • Bip: What about Gillie and Idrisah? You three talk about all kinds of things. Talita: Oh! Yeah, they’re friends. Bip: What about… me?? The front loader places its manipulator hands on both sides of its cokpit in an attempt to look endearing. Talita stares back at it, wearily unimpressed. Talita: Well, you’re definitely not a coworker. So… sure. A friend. Bip: A bestie, even? Talita glares at the front loader. Talita: Don’t push it.

    Runaway to the Stars: Page 148

    Apr 01, 2025

  • Talita hurriedly shoves the wriggling worm robot back into the cart. Talita: Whatever. It’s not like they’re currently being used. She begins to push the cart towards the Runaway, with the front loader trailing behind. Bip: Was Calcery the previous resident AI? Talita: Yeah. The worm robot pops its head up out of the pile of inanimate worms cart to look at her weary expression. Bip: Were you friends? She looks away from the cart wistfully. More worms come to life to watch her. Talita: I thought so… but… he hasn’t texted me once since he left.  She turns back and is slightly alarmed to find over a dozen worms looking back at her. Talita: And I– uh… don’t even know what we’d talk about, besides work.  Bip: Sounds like you were coworkers, not friends.  Talita: Maybe that’s everybody I know, now. She pushes the cart up to one of the staircases on the massive rail sled and the fleet of worms begin to crawl up the ladder.

    Runaway to the Stars: Page 147

    Mar 29, 2025

  • Talita walks along the length of the sled, and the front loader follows her, gesturing at the Runaway with its manipulator arms. Bip: Honestly, the biggest thorn in my side right now is the habitat capsule. It's less urgent than the exterior, but I haven't been able to work on it at all. The front loader taps itself on the side of the cockpit. Bip: Can't exactly squeeze one of these through the airlock. Talita: I actually brought you something for that.  She reaches into the large handcart they've approached and pulls out a small soft-bodied robot with a segmented worm-like form and a conical face made up of many metal limbs. Talita: I’m letting you borrow Calcery’s old fleet of electrician worms. The worm suddenly springs to life, twisting to look at Talita and extending its small camera eye limbs. Flat ribbon-like legs emerge from the node spots on its body segments. Talita stares in shocked horror. Bip speaks as if from the body of the worm. Bip: Wow, you’re being awful generous with the equipment!

    Runaway to the Stars: Page 146

    Mar 28, 2025

  • Talita looks up at how tall the extended radiators are and panics. Talita: –Actually, take them back down. She gets a radio message from the temps. Clayton:  Boss, where are you? Dominic and Adam are roughhousing. Adam: Narc! She switches to the temp channel. SFX: clk Talita: Cut it out.  I’ll be right there.  She switches the channel back to Bip. SFX: clk Talita: I have to go keep the temps from killing each other. Do you need anything else? Bip: Oh, lots! More welding, electrical work, shield patching, fuel refills for fusion and RCS– Talita: …Maybe tomorrow.

    Runaway to the Stars: Page 145

    Mar 25, 2025

  • The pair of triangular radiators raise up, then rotate apart, forming a split diamond shape. The highest tips extend above the edge of the building foundation's pit. Further away in the junkyard, where the temps have been left to their own devices, Yao notices the "ears" poking out of the hole in the ground. Behind xem, Adam and Dominic are sword-fighting with two long pieces of scrap, oblivious to the suspicious activity.

    Runaway to the Stars: Page 143 and 144

    Mar 22, 2025

  • A closeup shows the welding arc melting a round pool of aluminum that Talita is carefully dipping the filler rod into. SFX: bzzzzzzzzzz Talita: That's because the equipment you're using was designed for demolition, not repair. Bip: I'm very lucky to have your help! Talita looks up from the work and the black on her helmet window fades again. Her cheeks bristle shyly. Talita: Uh, sure. Talita starts walking back to the freight elevator, rolling her welding machine with her and detaching and reattaching her FAS harness clip along the railing of the scaffolding where the vertical poles interrupt the horizontal bar. Taking the elevator down to the base, she walks up next to the front loader and begins taking off her over-suit welding gloves and apron. Talita: Ok, try extending your radiators.

    Runaway to the Stars: Page 142

    Mar 20, 2025

  • Bip: The lag between all those phones was like thinking in molasses. I could barely keep up with our conversations! Talita: I hadn’t noticed. SFX: bzzzzzzzz Talita is hunched over and TIG welding an aluminum seam, the curved glass of her helmet completely black against the blinding light of the welding arc. Bip: That’s because you squishy people are made of molasses. She looks up from her work, the black fading in a hexagonal pattern to reveal an irritated expression. Talita: Well, if I’m welding too SLOW for you… Bip: No, you weld about the same speed as these frontloaders. You've got much better dexterity, though. And these onboard cameras are impossible to get into tight angles.

    Runaway to the Stars: Page 141

    Mar 18, 2025

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