Transcript For Strip 1151

Panel 1
Angled view of Bok continuing his presentation to the class. We can see Mr. Foot looking on nearby.
Bok: 'Like nearly all settled worlds, Windemere was surrounded by an Oresme Shield, set up to protect its inhabitants from a sneak-attack via Murphy Drive.
Bok: 'The Murphy Drive, of course, being the technology that enabled humanity to leave the Home System and colonize the universe.'
Panel 2
Med close-up on Bok.
Bok: 'Our history informs us that 372 of our years ago, the magnetic fields protecting Windemere from solar and cosmic rays collapsed, while it's star's magneto-plasmic activity increased four-fold.'
Bok: 'The results were catastrophic: Radiation damaged both living and artificial beings, and the planet's atmosphere began to be stripped away by the solar winds.
Bok: 'Most, but not all, of the planet's inhabitants were evacuated before the world became uninhabitable.'
Bok: 'The collapse was blamed on the Oresme Shield, and excessive use of the Murphy Drive near its boundary.'
Panel 3
Angled view of Bok, where we can also see Mr. Foot looking sideways at him.
Bok: 'Our history informs us that after this disaster, the Intergalactic Council banned the use of both the Shield and the Drive within the heliopause of any settled star-system.
Bok: 'This pretty much shut down interstellar trade, and any travel aside from official Council business, or among those cultures that live among the dark-matter clusters.'
Bok: 'And this is the explanation given for our world's isolation from intertgalactic civiliation since a few decades after Zytemonde's founding.'
Panel 4
Same view, but now Bok is looking more determined and Mr. Foot is looking alarmed.
Bok: 'But our history lies. The Windemere collapse was the result of changes in her star's natural fusion processes.
Foot: MISTER CLARK!
Bok: 'Windemere was able to protect itself by converting its Oresme Shield to a Miyaki Shield, the same as space-cities use to protect against plasma storms. It is still inhabited to this day.
Foot: MISTER CLARK!
Panel 5
A band flexes out from Mr. Foot's extended hand and wraps itself around Bok's mouth, silencing him.
Bok: 'Zytemonde is isolated for political reasons, not because of any ban on the Murphy Drive.'
Bok: 'The evidence for this is …' MMFF!!!
Foot: That will be quite enough of your foolishness, Mr. Clark!

Panel 6
Mr. Foot grabs the gagged Bok and hustles him towards an exit, while speaking to the class. In the foreground we can see Sofia and Zander exchanging glances.
Foot: You will remain in your seats, quietly. I will return shortly.
Foot: Do not make the mistake of repeating Mr. Clark's outrageous untruths. It will only serve to embarrass him further.

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