Quantum computers have denser storage capacity and faster computing speed than "classical" computers, and are also much more expensive to manufacture. Having one quantum phone is an unnecessary flex, having several hundred when you aren't a freight shipping vessel for a luxury goods company is sus. Ironically the thing that identifies these as quantum phones at a glance is the minimalist look (much like our modern phones); handheld computers in RttS are typically cobbled together from the user's choice of modular interchangeable parts.
Transcript
Mel: How was the reclamation run?Talita: Nothing special, just prepping scrap for the automated night cycle. But you know that fusion ship that just came down the launch loop?
Mel: Oh yes! Nice ship, isn’t it? Most of it we can just dismantle and resell.
Talita: Check out what I found in the habitat capsule.
She pulls over a cart with some large boxes in it.
Mel: Eight boxes— Of quantum phones?? These are... worth a LOT of money.
Talita: Yeeeah.
15 thoughts on “Runaway to the Stars: Page 12”
Eavescrow
I’d probably go for an ‘all the buttons and dials’ approach to a modular portable computer. Especially if I was going to be in space or inhospitable planetary environments a lot.
It’s way easier to clean dust from a mechanical button than deal with a cracked touch screen after all.
Belladonna
Cool
Zofifi
Oh boy how I just love Talita in different poses bending her weird centaur body this and that. And mouth-trunk oh my.
Grape
My brain is just absolutely loving the character designs, Talita is a a treat of a character and I can’t wait to learn more about this world
Guest
I feel the exact same way! Talita is such a cool creature! Whee!
Shay
Oooh, this is about when I stopped being able to see the pages on Patreon when I had to cut back on expenses. I wanna see one of these modular handheld computer phones now, I don’t think the main cast has been seen with any? Do they only work for same-planet contact?
Hyratel
yes – interstellar comms is more like forums than chat, done in periodic update bursts over a smaller wormhole radio portal (ships take a full-sized portal)
Shay
Oh cool, thanks! That makes a lot of sense. Good ol’ forums still being relevant.
ThatDangFox
Eight boxes minus a couple.
J
Ahhh, so that’s the kind of goods Bip often transports.
Ashran
Steals, you mean. Im pretty sure Bip is a pirate, which is why their, uh, parent unit doesnt really communicate with them.
Trees
‘… Bip is a pirate…’
Oh no. I hope this doesn’t permanently change how I imaging Bip’s accent.
Avast, ye!
Amanda/OwlBear
I wonder what might be stored on those phones, could be anything, could be nothing
Guest
Centaur smuggling ship? 👀 Hey! It’s hard making a living out in space, okay?
dokki
IKR, the comic and blog posts make me yearn for details on the past crew.