Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for February 13, 2018

Chekhov’s gun?

They’re probably dead by now.

Good morning™ to the Space-Coupe-curious!

Well, I guess that finally settles the question of Dr. Sail and Dr. Ghote.

My promised summary is not ready yet, but I’ll try for tomorrow night if I can.

Space Coupes two days in a row? COOL!

Why do I have this feeling that we are going to see the space coupe that was sent to deep space again?

Lack of oxygen? Macgyver was aboard that space coupe and came up with an emergency air compressor. Food? They landed in Europa (hey Anyface, there is still a chance for Europa) and found ample supply of food and water. While there, they reprogrammed the computers and regained control of the space coupe. And, now, they are on their way back to Earth and seeking revenge… Look out Tracy!

Depending on speed and trajectory, the Coupe might be in a long elliptical orbit.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see that space coupe show up again, with or without anyone being still alive on board. Whomever was smart enough to pilot it, might have also been smart enough to pull some panels, get to some control circuits, & disconnect the programming & manually fly it, or reprogram it.

They may have gotten desperate and tried to over ride the controls. But somehow I don’t think so – we would have found that out by now.

Last time Diet Smith’s lone Space Coupe was seen Oct. 2013 when it was on a collision course with Jupiter.

Provided the hellish conditions and immense gravity of Jupiter haven’t destroyed the Coupe, it COULD conceivably be returned to Earth.

Dr Ghote was shot by Mumbles before entering,

…yet.

UNTIL NOW!

- They had no food or water.

- They were running out of oxygen.

- They didn’t dare try to override the automatic pilot for fear of doing something to lose the oxygen they had. Besides that, nobody on board knew how the programming worked.

- They were on a collision course with Jupiter.

The only remote chance of rescue was if someone had been able to intervene within hours. Mike meant to get rid of the last Space Coupe and its occupants once and for all.

Since the Moon Governor has resigned (been deposed?), I wonder who their leader is now? I wonder if that person is more or less despotic than X-Guv? Perhaps the new leader has intercepted Diet Smith’s Space Coupe and saved Sail and Ghote—or a rogue Lunarian, someone who struck out on his own after the diaspora, could have done it.

Whoever is Moon Governor now also controls the Moon’s weapons and all of the Guards. Even though they have moved to Earth, they apparently still have their technology.

Now we have a covertible out there. Maybe it can find the coupe.

When the food pantry runs bare on Space Coupes, Cannibalism!

Bonjour Mon Ami, Joyeux Mardi Gras

any chance we can stay on earth for a story. This space stuff wasn’t that interesting when Gould did it.

Not ro wory Flash Gordon will bring them back.

wonder what happend to the bonus strips?

In other words, that space coup & its occupants will be re-appearing in the strip any day now.

They come and go sometimes none some times 2.

Smith’s last coupe, the deep Space Coupe, is an interesting topic for Ex-Gov to bring up and for Joe to render visible. I have to agree with the adherents of classical crafting: “Chekhov’s gun” should play some part in the tale down the road, along some vector in deep space; maybe a planetary slingshot effect will head it back towards Earth/Terra/Sol 3; maybe some or all on board somehow survived (e.g., the clever doctors might have tinkered together stasis chambers out of scraps of “stuff”). I don’t see the Necessity yet, but it could develop at some point in the story, especially if Ex-Gov stays around, making Lunarians and space “stuff” relevant….

Just announced: Dick Tracy meets the Green Hornet starting in April and they may not be on the same team.

http://dicktracy.info/2018-dick-tracy-green-hornet-crossover/

http://dicktracy.info/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/TracyHornet-768×1142.jpg