Today on Quantum Vibe: Ducking under the Corona Strip 66 - Click strip above to goto the next strip.
First Seen: Mon 2011-03-21
Story & Art: Scott Bieser - Sci-Fi Adventure Monday & Thursday.
Quantum Vibe
A thousand years in the future, humanity has colonized worlds in nearly
100 galaxies, thanks to Quantum Vibremonic technologies developed five
centuries earlier. Other new technologies have created various
off-shoots of humanity and extended life expectancies five-fold. The
story begins with how a mad scientist and his plucky assistant, along
with their robot friend, brought humanity to the stars, and continues
with the adventures of some unique people in fantastic places.
Halfway there! [ Nov 2, 2026 ]
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Panel 1
Facing the sun, we see the helioflyer silhouetted against it, a tiny black mark on an ultra-bright disc.
Caption: The Sun's Corona, the large mass of charged plasma extending amillion kilometers outward from the Photosphere, is too hot even for state-of-the-art shielding to withstand.
Panel 2
Closer view of the helioflyer, angled a bit so we can see a bit of the illuminated side.
Caption: But strange as it seems, there are thin regions under the corona which are much cooler -- the lowest being no more than 4,100° Kelvin.
Caption2: To get there, the helio-flyer approaches fromt he southern pole, where the corona thins out to almost nothing.
Panel 3
Side view of the helioflyer diving towards the photosphere, a shock-wave visible around it.
Caption: Just below the corona is the Chromosphere, whose ionizing hydrogen atoms are mostly blocked by the shockwave of the flyer's considerable soeed.
Panel 4
The helioflyer levels off and cruises above the photosophere, with a flat horizon beyond.
Caption: Finally, at a mere 500 km above the sun's photosphere, the opaque 'surface' of roiling gasses, the helio-flyer levels off into a powered orbit at 436 Kilometers per second.
Panel 5
Inside the helio-flyer cockpit, we see Nicole in her suit at the controls.
Nicole: confirming altitude 500 km, speed 436 kph, course is on track.
Nicole: Confirming all ship's systems are in condition green.
Panel 6
Ext view of Helio-Flyer zooming across the swirling solarscape.
Nicole: Magnetic flux conditions show at 96 percent of forecast.
Nicole: I'm making a run for the equator.
Panel 7
Medium close-up of helmeted Nicole
Nicole: Time to package drop is 32 minutes.
Panel 8
Closer-in close-up of Nicole, looking a bit tense.
Nicole (thought): Assuming I can avoid getting either broiled by the Corona or ripped to shreds in the Photosphere before then.