Christmas Special 2016

And a happy new year!

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  Awakeman! No: 57 [Xmas Special]

  Panel 1

  PLEIADES: <Buckle up, Awakeman,>

  Awakeman sits at a schooldesk, listening to Pleiades.

  PLEIADES: <I’ll tell you a story sure to grind your gears.

  Panel 2

  PLEIADES: <Our woes began when [insult] was elected Emperor of the World!>

  AWAKEMAN: <Wait, who is [in–

  PLEIADES: <Ancient history. Anyway, the government convinced everyone we were “undesirable,” and one by one were exiled here:

  Panel 3

  PLEIADES: The desert castle, “Pillars-of-Salt.” I don’t get the name.

  Pleiades has drawn on a whiteboard a diagram, with a castle icon in the centre of a circle, and stick figures moving toward it.

  PLEIADES: We, uh, “took over,” and created our own society,

  Panel 4

  PLEIADES: “The Order of the Sidewinder” (that one is inspired by the native snake)

  (A picture of a snake.)

  PLEIADES: and held strong together.

  Panel 5

  PLEIADES: To keep us here, we were deprived of resources,

  Inside another diagrammatic circle, with arrows sticking outwards, there is a couple of hooded people–one is cradling a baby.

  PLEIADES: and surrounded with a horrid Anti-Portal Field.

  Panel 6

  PLEIADES: It also shreds any organic compounds that try to walk out.

  (A splatter of blood.)

  Panel 7

  PLEIADES: <We did not give up hope, but relied on our wits. We used our meagre provisions to do more portal research, to find a flaw.>

  One of the Order stands outside a door, that we can now read: “Teleport Lab”, fumbling with their sleeves.

  THAT ONE: <Lost my access card again!>

  Panel 8

  Silence.

  Panel 9

  PLEIADES: <Merry Christmas!>

  Awakeman folds, head onto desk.

  AWAKEMAN: Buuuuhuhu…