Ben Update - We're back from Ben's visit to the oncologist.
The good news: Ben is generally in good health, in the oncologist's opinion. Spindle-cell tumors in cats are very rare, and odds are reasonably good that the mass in Ben's leg may actually be a synovial cyst, not any form of cancer. To be certain, a biopsy (even an excision biopsy, a full-up removal of the entire mass) can be performed surgically.
The bad news: The cost for the surgical biopsy is in the neighborhood of $2300, which is well outside of our ability to cover at this time.
At the oncologist's suggestion, I am contacting our regular vet to ask if the biopsy can be performed there, which may bring the cost down. If it can't be... well, we'll see.
In general, the situation is not as dire as it could be.
Thank you all for your kind thoughts and gestures.
As the second panel action takes place, Douchimus is shaking on his throne... and he doesn't know why. When those 3 in the second panel show up, he will (briefly) know WHY he was shaking earlier. Then he will cease to be a problem as he is shot and carved up.
I can actually answer that one. That's Jackie Bishop, from pre-reboot (and future current) Autumn Bay (my comic). She's Centcomm's favorite among my characters, and she had this cameo planned from before my reboot. Suffice to say, she's tiny but a badass (for good reason).
I AM wondering what the backstory for her is here...
And @Centy and Rose: Keep up the awesome, ladies! Right now, you are super full of "hell yeah"!
Hmm... I was wondering what Maxus' big plan was. But taking back the palace from all forces, rebel or otherwise, was not something I had considered.
Maxus is smart and I thought he would prioritize either organizing political support for Acantha to overthrow Dex or find some way to circumvent Dex's contingencies. If you think about it, fighting the rebels works in the Prince's favor. If Maxus' forces fall or get injured in the process, so much the better for the Prince. Anyway, the Prince's blue forces seems to be the rebels' main target.
I believe that was established back when it was stated that the only being loyal unto the prince for his own sake was his cat, and we all know what the loyalty of a cat is worth. (They may be fond of you, but don't expect them to give up anything tasty or comfortable for you.)
Stun the Reds, Kill the Blues, works for me. I'm guessin' Jackie with the Mk.3404 is one of the rebels out to dethrone Prince Douchebag. Said rebels must have raided an Imperial Armory to get that sort of firepower or there are some top flight smugglers about.
Actually, Bishop got her gun through different channels. All of the weapons that Mister Black smuggled in were of New Troy make, not Lunar. There's a very vigorous black market in New Rome.
I think Centcomm mentioned that they can keep going for a fairly long time.
Several hours, if I remember correctly.
And I think it used the same battery charges, as the army's plasma rifles.
Ohhhhh ohhhh he's theeere!! EEEee!! I feel like I'm watching an action movie up in here it's so epic and well done....AND TO SEE MY MAN CAMEO IN IT <333
My heart is full <33 *sobs* THANK YOU CENTY <3
Here is a thing I read over the last couple days, not really relevant to current comic events but I think it relates to the story pretty well. http://jephjacques.com/post/14655843351/un-hearing-on-ai-rights
I'd like to add that this comms issue could be resolved if you actually equip your soldiers with independently functional radios. Basically, walkie-talkies on steroids.
That way you can stay in communication if your central systems get knocked out.
It has its shortcomings of course, but it's better than being stuck in the dark and relying on runners.
I love relatively primitive solutions to high tech problems.
Not quite the damn mechanic's stethoscope and a screwdriver yet though.
Preemptive disclaimer - I am not speaking 'ex cathedra' here...this is personal speculation based solely on 'open source' material. - End disclaimer.
Welcome to the Law of Unintended Consequence.
While it makes perfect sense to us to equip every soldier (and, for that matter, every janitor, window-washer, and dog catcher) with a personal, non-network radio, that attitude is, at least in part, the result of being part of a 20th/21st century liberal (in the classic, rather than the political sense) culture. We readers are accustomed to a world where freedom of thought, freedom of expression, and freedom of access to ideas is an assumed and accepted right.
Nova Roma is *none* of those things.
Prince D. (and, for that matter, everyone within line-of-site to him) has grown up in a society where information and ideas are tightly controlled. As the old saying goes, "Knowledge is Power"...and in Nova Roma, nobody likes to share power. Soldiers (and citizens, for that matter) are not expected to back-talk their superiors...their job is to listen, and to obey. To do that, they don't need the kind of communications gear that we take for granted.
From the Nova Roman perspective, a 'hub and spokes' comm system makes perfect sense...those at the top of the org chart can issue orders, which flow down the network. Reports flow back up the network. Since they control the network hub, they have near-perfect operational security with minimal cost and minimal complexity. The fact that their C4I system is so rigid that it will snap if a gnat lands on it isn't a perceived problem, since Nova Roma hasn't faced a military threat in a generation. They've fallen into a trap seen in some computer networks...they've created a 'secure' system that's too inflexible to adapt to change, and that's extremely vulnerable to single-point failure.
Having just met up with the Law of Unintended Consequences, I get the feeling that the Nova Roma authorities (whoever they might be) are about to meet its inevitable follower, the Vertical Learning Curve.
Dear authorities of Nova Roma.
You are incompetent.
This entire system lacks functional contingencies. You have no backup plan.
If I were going to hit a system like this as a military invader, square one, bunker buster to the central comm systems, deliver it on a low flying cruise missile followed up with a general long range bombardment of military targets while air and ground forces move in. Your system will be in disarray, you will have no backup system.
Nonidentical redundant systems!
Keep your soldiers in touch with each other, coordinate military efforts, make sure the damn artillery knows where to shoot.
If nothing else give one guy per squad a radio as part of his duty gear.
AAaaaaaaaah!
Fearmongering fuckwits! You have so firmly secured your power that you sent it squirting out the other side like a wet bar of soap! Now you just dropped the soap and we all know what that means.
You incompetents call yourself tyrannical dictators? A stiff wind would knock your regime over!
Even the Imperium of Man has vox casters! And they're more tyrannical than you!
/end frothing rant
It makes perfect sense put in the context of incompetent dictatorial regimes. I'm used to thinking as someone more in the logistics and communication department.
I'm a Safety Management major, the most important thing in all of the is communication. I'm used to thinking about that as a primary thing.
Emergency readiness is essential.
They have none of the above.
Is that Merrick From Serpents of Old standing between Ada and TeeDee? I have no clue who the girl with the Luna Mark Three Four-Oh-Four is...
I AM wondering what the backstory for her is here...
And @Centy and Rose: Keep up the awesome, ladies! Right now, you are super full of "hell yeah"!
"Let's see you wake up from THIS Motherf♡€☆s!!!" TeeDee howls as she hoses fire into them.
Maxus is smart and I thought he would prioritize either organizing political support for Acantha to overthrow Dex or find some way to circumvent Dex's contingencies. If you think about it, fighting the rebels works in the Prince's favor. If Maxus' forces fall or get injured in the process, so much the better for the Prince. Anyway, the Prince's blue forces seems to be the rebels' main target.
Something that could work in Decimus's favour is that he may notice that his guys are killed and the others are only stunned.
(Link future proofing: see comments for the page Mission Control.)
This is canon, and has been mentioned in the comic.
They even brought some armor for the rebels.
Several hours, if I remember correctly.
And I think it used the same battery charges, as the army's plasma rifles.
My heart is full <33 *sobs* THANK YOU CENTY <3
Funny how a lot of my favorite comics are all linked to the community here on Datachasers.
I love this about webcomic communities--- they start kinda intermingling with one another! :D
*lol* she quickly saw through TeeDee :D
The scientists even had party hats. :)
That way you can stay in communication if your central systems get knocked out.
It has its shortcomings of course, but it's better than being stuck in the dark and relying on runners.
I love relatively primitive solutions to high tech problems.
Not quite the damn mechanic's stethoscope and a screwdriver yet though.
Welcome to the Law of Unintended Consequence.
While it makes perfect sense to us to equip every soldier (and, for that matter, every janitor, window-washer, and dog catcher) with a personal, non-network radio, that attitude is, at least in part, the result of being part of a 20th/21st century liberal (in the classic, rather than the political sense) culture. We readers are accustomed to a world where freedom of thought, freedom of expression, and freedom of access to ideas is an assumed and accepted right.
Nova Roma is *none* of those things.
Prince D. (and, for that matter, everyone within line-of-site to him) has grown up in a society where information and ideas are tightly controlled. As the old saying goes, "Knowledge is Power"...and in Nova Roma, nobody likes to share power. Soldiers (and citizens, for that matter) are not expected to back-talk their superiors...their job is to listen, and to obey. To do that, they don't need the kind of communications gear that we take for granted.
From the Nova Roman perspective, a 'hub and spokes' comm system makes perfect sense...those at the top of the org chart can issue orders, which flow down the network. Reports flow back up the network. Since they control the network hub, they have near-perfect operational security with minimal cost and minimal complexity. The fact that their C4I system is so rigid that it will snap if a gnat lands on it isn't a perceived problem, since Nova Roma hasn't faced a military threat in a generation. They've fallen into a trap seen in some computer networks...they've created a 'secure' system that's too inflexible to adapt to change, and that's extremely vulnerable to single-point failure.
Having just met up with the Law of Unintended Consequences, I get the feeling that the Nova Roma authorities (whoever they might be) are about to meet its inevitable follower, the Vertical Learning Curve.
/start frothing rant
Dear authorities of Nova Roma.
You are incompetent.
This entire system lacks functional contingencies. You have no backup plan.
If I were going to hit a system like this as a military invader, square one, bunker buster to the central comm systems, deliver it on a low flying cruise missile followed up with a general long range bombardment of military targets while air and ground forces move in. Your system will be in disarray, you will have no backup system.
Nonidentical redundant systems!
Keep your soldiers in touch with each other, coordinate military efforts, make sure the damn artillery knows where to shoot.
If nothing else give one guy per squad a radio as part of his duty gear.
AAaaaaaaaah!
Fearmongering fuckwits! You have so firmly secured your power that you sent it squirting out the other side like a wet bar of soap! Now you just dropped the soap and we all know what that means.
You incompetents call yourself tyrannical dictators? A stiff wind would knock your regime over!
Even the Imperium of Man has vox casters! And they're more tyrannical than you!
/end frothing rant
It makes perfect sense put in the context of incompetent dictatorial regimes. I'm used to thinking as someone more in the logistics and communication department.
I'm a Safety Management major, the most important thing in all of the is communication. I'm used to thinking about that as a primary thing.
Emergency readiness is essential.
They have none of the above.