Transcript For Strip 1463

Panel 1
Present-Hugo in an inset. Again we see Causa Sui cruising over the galaxy.
Hugo (thought-send): So we pressed onward, scanning the various sextants of the galaxy from medium-range.
Murphy (from ship): This was the last sextant. So, what do we have?
Panel 2
In the control room, Hugo, Murphy and Eithne gaze up at a larger holosphere. Within is an image of the galaxy, with red ribbons criss-crossing around roughly half of the area outside the center bulge.
Hugo: The distortion bands cover roughly half of the area within the arms.
Hugo: There are concentrations of greater distortion.
Panel 3
Medium 3-shot of the trio still gazing at the holosphere.
Hugo: There are four apparent foci which might be natural sources of this phenomenon ...
Hugo: Or, they might be the centers of whatever species is using this highly unlikely warp-drive.
Eithne: Why just one civilization?
Panel 4
Hugo and Murphy look at Eithne
Murphy: Beg pardon?
Eithne: Why would there have to be only one species? Each focus could be the source of a different one.
Panel 5
Hugo, Murphy and Eithne
Hugo: We've explored thousands of galaxies with no trace of an extant technological species, but there are four of them here?
Murphy: It could just as easily be four off-shoots of the same progenitor species.
Murphy: There is precedent for this in humanity's development, after all.

Panel 6
The trio gazes at the holosphere again. Eithne is pointing at one particular locus of red.
Hugo: Whatever the case may be, how do we decide which locus to investigate first?
Murphy: Whichever we choose, we should proceed with extreme caution.
Eithne: How about that one? It kind of looks like a unicorn.

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