Last week I brought up the subject of what books I’m reading, and this week I want to mention a new webcomic I’m reading. I expect that if you enjoy Galaxion, you’ll probably enjoy this one, too.
Lucy Lyall isn’t new to the webcomics scene, having produced the lovely black-and-white comic Kaspall for five years or so, but she does have a relatively new comic called Spare Keys for Strange Doors. I finally read through the archive yesterday, and I really loved it! Great storytelling, great characters, and as wonderfully quirky as the title suggests. And since it’s still a new-ish comic, there isn’t a huge scary archive trawl involved. In fact, as the comic is told in short story arcs, it’s very inviting indeed. The stories are a little more adult than Galaxion, which I only mention because I know some readers have said they appreciate the all-ages tone here and I don’t want to give the wrong idea. Please do check it out! And tell Lucy I sent you. 
(But… maybe don’t let on that I only started reading this yesterday. I mean, it’s been out for months! She’s even advertized her comic on this site! Geez, how slow can I be?)
Okay Tara… you have me to the point where I’m itching to spill the beans on the Miesti. Save me!!
You and me both!
OK, I can understand the Rutani were overpowered by these parasitic Miesti, but why do they fight?
If the Miesti are trying to conquer and assimilate the humans wouldn’t they get better results if they greeted everyone and shook hands?
Speaking strictly as an armchair strategist, deception might be possible only in the early stages of conquest (remember that Vanguarthe said that it was likely their global war was started by the Miesti – probably capturing key leaders and getting them to unleash their arsenals on each other). But the current situation suggests that (a) the Miesti have the upper hand, so that deception is no longer required: just capture and control what you can and kill the rest, and (b) the free Orehu know about the Miesti and are probably wise to signs of a controlled person. (I can picture Vanguarthe shouting, Picard-style: “Don’t let them touch you!”)
Just my thoughts based on what we’ve seen so far. Errors remain my own.
Being able to identify them (b) would make them stealth-aggressors, getting close enough to attack before being discovered.
Patty was “bitten”. She’s a zombie. Lobo her before she reanimates.
Poor Patty – from funny hat-wearing crewmember to brainless zombie…..
Tara, one thing I’m curious about — is this a NEW story arc, or simply a refresh of the original 90′s story (with the ending and events to come already known)? Or do you wake up some days with a fresh burst of inspiration and decide to take it in a new direction?
This story is a reworking of the comics I published in the ’90s (which are in turn a reworking of minicomics published a few years before that, but nevermind), but the ’90s series stopped well before the end. So after the end of the next chapter, it’ll be all new ground for everyone!
Having said that, the webcomic has diverged in many ways from its earlier version, some of which are only obvious to me. And while I have the story all planned out, if and when inspiration arrives I will take advantage of it. I’ve got a map but I’m willing to take sideroads.
Does it look to you that Scavina is not believing this story?
She’s probably thinking about her husband as a Mieste robot.
Ah… the classic “bug in a brain” (or in a spine). I know this at least from Star Trek TNG, Babylon 5 and Starship Troopers 2.
Aren’t we all jumping top conclusions with the assumption that its a parasite? I don’t recall anywhere in the story so far a reference to parasites.. Maybe the Mieste take a form that readily identifies them, but they have the ability to infect hosts with a germ/virus/parasite/technology/instrument that enables them to manipulate the host to their bidding?
That’s a good thought. We don’t know one way or the other, but we JUST learned that they have a name, and that they do something to people (which then MAKES them Rutani?) Maybe one Mieste can lay an egg that becomes the command and control center for the host. Maybe they’re like a drug and you become addicted to them.
psss. I just started a TVTropes page for Galaxion, if people want to help beef it up. ( http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Galaxion )