Transcript

Panel 1:

In the main portal room, Julia stands before Dr. Njeri, who is introducing her to a black-armored military figure, Raynott, his striped face scarred and looking unimpressed.

Njeri: Ms. King, this is Commander Raynott, a representative from Blackcloud. His men are here to help keep this area secure in case of any surprises.

Panel 2:

Julia looks excited.

Julia: Blackcloud? I read about you guys, wasn’t it you guys who lead the Falkland Islands incursion a few years ago under the name of Iron Well?

Panel 3:

Raynott leans in suspiciously. Njeri looks to be in a mild panic as he changes subjects. Julia seems non-the-wiser.

Raynott: Where did you read that?

Julia: It was just a rumor!

Njeri: Let’s… move on. I was hoping you’d help Julia take notes of our environmental suits, Commander. Ms. King is going to be working with the SIU to document our work here.

Raynott: Right…

Panel 4:

A silver crate with the ERSO logo on it is wheeled over on a cart.

Raynott (off-panel): On loan from the Egyptian Robotics and Space Organization, Cobra Skin environmental suits.

Julia (off-panel): You’re shitting me.

Panel 5: Julia looks ecstatic as she is holding up one of the space suits. They are dull white with orange lines, rubber at the joints with a computer console built into the chest piece. The helmet is a flexible plastic inside a metal cradle that connects to the back of the suit.

Raynott (off-panel): They were designed for exploration in foreign atmospheres, so they’re air tight even in a vacuum. Insulation, radiation shielding: there’s nothing down here or through that gate that we wont be prepared for.

The on-board computer can analyze the air for toxins and controls filtering, and they have a store of liquid oxygen for deep space atmospherics.

Njeri (off-panel): We’ll be teaching everyone the basics of using these, in case of emergencies during our eventual tests of the portal.