The Saga of Seven Suns: Veiled Alliances (16 page)

6. CAPTION

THE CONTINENTS ARE COVERED WITH LOFTY “WORLDTREES” — AN AWE-INSPIRING NETWORK OF MAJESTIC LIVING TOWERS.

PANEL 7

Tall panel, pulling back from Panel 6, showing that the tree is huge, and Thara is just a small figure at its base.

7. CAPTION

THARA WEN HAS ALWAYS SENSED SOMETHING PECULIAR ABOUT THE TREES . . .

PANEL 8 (INSET)

Close-up of Thara’s hand, reverently touching the scaled bark.

8. CAPTION

A POWER THAT IS NOT QUITE AWAKE . . .

PAGE 8

Ten panels

PANEL 1

From the interesting perspective of a lizardlike critter on the forest floor, we see Thara reach a dense, seemingly impenetrable thicket at the base of the worldtree.

1. THARA

CAN’T OUTRUN HIM . . . GOT TO HIDE.

PANEL 2

Close-up of Thara, showing hope as she gets an idea.

2. THARA

IN HERE!

PANEL 3

With the unusual counterpoint of delicate and pretty purple butterflies flitting through the air, Sam Roper continues to stalk Thara, knocking branches aside.

PANELS 4 & 5

A double panel, a mirror effect, showing in (4) an extreme close-up of the evil, narrowed eye of Roper, while (5) shows Thara’s wide and terrified eye.

PANEL 6

Inside the thicket, Thara looks through the leaves and vines, hiding in the shadows. She watches Sam Roper on the other side of clearing, knocking underbrush aside, looking for her.

PANEL 7

Thara sighs with relief as Roper keeps going, finally disappearing in the distance.

PANEL 8

Then in the thicket the leaves stir, alive and moving. A frond grabs her leg. Thara is startled.

3. THARA

FINALLY, I —
WHAT??

PANEL 9

Panicked now, Thara tries to fight as the leaves close in, wrapping around her.

PANEL 10

Her hand, pulling and struggling, but a vine has wrapped tightly around her wrist and hand.

PAGE 9

OK, crack your knuckles and turn on your imagination at full thrusters. This is going to be the hardest page in the whole graphic novel, and should also be the most effective, the masterpiece, the Sistine Chapel of DC Comics. I have a pretty good idea of what I’m thinking of, so let’s try to make it possible:

In the center of the page is Thara’s face, looking both terrified and amazed, eyes wide, mouth partly open, confused.

She is surrounded by large fronds from the worldtrees, each one composed of many much smaller leaflets, like ferns or palm leaves. The forest is contacting Thara, linking with her, doing a data dump into her mind.

Each leaflet is itself a
separate image
, like a small leaf-shaped panel or a TV screen. It is a dizzying avalanche of images, varying from Thara’s memories to forest scenes. Leaflets project (in no particular order): weird butterflies, forest creatures, a starry sky, a human baby, the generation ship
Caillie
, flowers in bloom, a lightning bolt, clouds, a new prefab hut; several show various human faces, an Ildiran face, a dazzling sun in the sky, the Ildiran Prism Palace (developed later in the GN), the human fungus-reef settlement, a hydrogue warglobe, a human hand, an eye . . . others, not in order, show: Sam Roper, his knife, another young woman screaming, a splash of blood. You can grab frames from later on in the book.

The whole effect is like a fractal, with a confusion of images more and more complex. COLORIST: The outlying images can just be shaded and covered with a green wash, while the central images, the ones actually touching Thara’s face, are in bright color. It looks like a whirlpool of precise color in the center fading out to less-distinct green on the outskirts.

1. THARA

WHAT IS . . . HAPPENING TO ME?

Captions (scattered across page):

IMAGES . . .

THOUGHTS TOO IMMENSE FOR HER MIND . . .

MEMORIES NEVER EXPERIENCED BY ANY HUMAN . . .

A SENTIENCE AS VAST AS A FOREST THAT COVERS AN ENTIRE PLANET. . .

PAGE 10

Six panels

PANEL 1

Thara’s hands peel the suffocating fronds away from her. COLORIST: this is dim and green in the thicket shadows; try not to give away the surprise that she is GREEN-SKINNED until panel 6.

PANEL 2

Thara touches her head, mostly covering her face with her outspread hand.

1. THARA

THE WORLDFOREST . . .

PANEL 3

In Thara’s palm she holds a handful of her long glossy black hair.

2. THARA

WHAT DID IT DO TO ME?

PANEL 4

Wide narrow panel showing a birds-eye view of the sprawling forest canopy, seemingly extending forever. Strange bird creatures and flying insects flit about in the sunlight.

3. CAPTION (THARA SPEAKING)

“I CAN SEE AND SENSE THE WHOLE FOREST NOW . . . ”

PANEL 5

Thara in shadowy silhouette, struggles, fighting her way out of the thicket.

PANEL 6

Surprise, in the sunlight now, with all the other colors around her, we see that she has turned COMPLETELY GREEN. All her hair has fallen out, even the eyebrows.

4. THARA

WE ARE PART OF EACH OTHER . . . FOREVER.

PAGE 11

Across the top, blue colored band with white letters: EARTH.

Seven panels

PANEL 1

Beautiful view of the Whisper Palace, maybe near sunset with torches lit.

PANEL 2

OX approaches the throne, where King Ben looks at him with interest.

1. OX

AS THE ONLY COMPY TO RETURN FROM ANY GENERATION SHIP, I HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH DELIVERING THE LOGS OF THE TEN RECOVERED VESSELS.

PANEL 3

Close-up of the compy’s metal hands, holding a stack of records.

2. OX

HUMAN HISTORIANS CAN LEARN FROM EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED DURING OUR MANY DECADES OF TRAVEL.

PANEL 4

Malcolm Stannis stands beside the throne, giving advice to the King, who looks at him.

3. STANNIS

IT IS REALLY QUITE REMARKABLE THAT ONLY ONE GENERATION SHIP WAS LOST.

PANEL 5

Stannis, close-up.

4. STANNIS

CONSIDERING THE DANGERS IN UNCHARTED SPACE . . .

PANEL 6

King Ben, close-up.

5. KING BEN

WE ARE MOST GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE HELP THE ILDIRANS HAVE PROVIDED, ADAR BALI’NH.

PANEL 7

Adar Bali’nh crossing his arms, making a promise.

6. ADAR BALI’NH

THE ILDIRAN SOLAR NAVY WILL CONTINUE TO SEARCH FOR THE
BURTON
. . .

[LINK]

THOUGH REALISTICALLY WE DO NOT EXPECT IT TO BE FOUND IN ALL THE VASTNESS OF SPACE. . . .

PAGE 12

Across the top, black band with white letters: BURTON.

Six panels

PANEL 1

The
Burton
in space, big and lumbering, nobody’s idea of a sleek and sexy spaceship. Perhaps the text block in reverse-out white letters against black backdrop of space wraps around the ship (or just a standard text block in the margin).

TEXT BLOCK 1

AFTER 146 YEARS OF SEARCHING, THE
BURTON
IS LOST AMONG THE STARS.

ACCORDING TO THEIR LONG-RANGE SCANS, THERE IS NO HABITABLE SOLAR SYSTEM WITHIN REACH.

PANEL 2

Closing in on the
Burton
’s hull; now we can see the windows, portholes, coolant tubes and hull plates.

Text block between Panels 2 and 3.

TEXT BLOCK 2

THE
BURTON
HAS JUST PASSED THROUGH A DAMAGING ION STORM. SYSTEMS ARE BEGINNING TO FAIL, RESOURCES ARE DEPLETED.

. . . AND HOPE IS AT ITS FRAGILE END.

PANEL 3

Very close now, we’re approaching one of the windows. We can’t see details very well, but inside is a crowd of murky-looking people.

Text block along bottom left side of page.

TEXT BLOCK 3

CHRYSTA LOGAN IS THE
BURTON
’S 21
^ST
CAPTAIN. SHE HAS BEEN IN COMMAND FOR ONLY 4 YEARS . . . AND THINGS KEEP GETTING WORSE.

A CENTURY AGO, THEIR COMPY WAS DESTROYED IN AN ENGINE ACCIDENT, AND THE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WITHOUT AN ANCHOR OR A TEACHER. SEVERAL PREVIOUS CAPTAINS WERE ASSASSINATED OR FORCED TO RESIGN.

SPIRITS ARE LOW, AND EMOTIONS RUN HIGH. NO ONE CAN CONTROL THE SHEER EMPTINESS OF SPACE. . . .

PANEL 4

Close-up of CHRYSTA LOGAN. She’s strong and pretty, early thirties, not a bimbo but certainly attractive (think of Beka from ANDROMEDA). Her expression tells us that she is not having a good day, but she is a generation ship captain, so she is dealing with it. [This, in contrast with the mortal terror on Thara Wen’s face while she was being stalked in the forest.]

PANEL 5

Stepping back, we now see Chrysta is facing a howling mob of ragged-looking crewmen, holding the equivalent of pitchforks and torches.

1. CHRYSTA

A CAPTAIN USUALLY GETS A LITTLE MORE RESPECT THAN THIS.

PANEL 6

With the howling mob racing after her, Chrysta starts racing full-tilt down the corridor.

2. CHRYSTA

NO, I DIDN’T THINK YOU’D LISTEN TO REASON.

PAGEs 13 & 14

Long, fast sequence; division at artist’s discretion. He may also want to add a few extra small panels if he considers it necessary. The impression is of a chaotic flurry of activity, mutiny from desperate crewmembers.

PANEL 1

Dario Ramirez, the ringleader of the uprising, raises his hand, ranting.

1. DARIO

WE’RE NOT TAKING ANY MORE OF THIS, CAPTAIN LOGAN! THE
BURTON
DESERVES A REAL LEADER!

PANEL 2

Chrysta raises her energy pistol, taking aim.

2. CHRYSTA

YOU KNOW THIS IS MUTINY, DARIO RAMIREZ.

[LINK]

DON’T EXPECT ME TO FEEL SORRY FOR YOU.

PANEL 3

Long shot: she fires her pistol, but the beam scorches the corridor’s metal wall as Dario ducks.

3. CHRYSTA

DAMN! MISSED THE BASTARD!

Now, a sequence of quick panels running from here through page 14, with a text block at the left side of p. 13:

TEXT BLOCK

GIVEN THEIR DESPERATE SITUATION, CHRYSTA WAS FORCED TO IMPOSE SEVERE AUSTERITY MEASURES. BUT THE COLONISTS’ NERVES ARE ALREADY FRAYED. THEY ARE HUNGRY AND TIRED OF RATIONING.
THEY HAVE HAD ENOUGH.

• Chrysta ducks into an empty cabin
  
• From the inside, she shuts the door
  
• Close-up of her hand smashing the door controls (maybe using the butt of her energy pistol).
  
• A bunch of shouting faces in the mob.
  
• Seen from inside, the sealed door trembles as the people try to pound their way in. SFX: BOOM! BOOM!
  
• Very tense inside the dim cabin, Chrysta clutches her weapon, looking like a cornered rat.
  
• The cabin door begins to open just a crack.
  
• Close-up of Chrysta, sweating bullets.
  
• Hands and fingers push through the crack in the cabin door, pushing, prying it open farther (like a NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD shot!)
  
• Chrysta, making her last stand, points her gun at the door, ready to shoot.
  
• Her hand, throwing the gun to the floor.
  CHRYSTA: DAMN! I CAN’T SHOOT MY OWN CREW. . . .
  
• The cabin door finally springs open, and the people surge inside.
  

LAST PANEL

Full width across bottom of page, the battered
Burton
drifting along in vast, empty space, around wispy nebula gases.

PAGE 15

Eight panels

PANEL 1

The mob drags Chrysta kicking and struggling down the corridor.

1. CHRYSTA

I DID AS GOOD A JOB AS
ANYONE
COULD! WHAT WILL THIS ACCOMPLISH?

PANEL 2

Dario, half-body shot, calling out orders.

2. DARIO

I’LL IMPOSE SOME
AUSTERITY MEASURES
OF MY OWN, CAPTAIN LOGAN.

PANEL 3

Chrysta is thrown into the brig.

PANEL 4

Dario stands at the doorway to the cell, looking in and gloating.

3. DARIO

MAYBE DUMP YOU OUT THE AIRLOCK TO SAVE RESOURCES.

4. DARIO

ON THE OTHER HAND, WE COULD USE YOUR BODY FOR FERTILIZER IN THE GREENHOUSE DOMES.

PANEL 5

Small close-up of Chrysta, defiant.

5. DARIO (OUT OF PANEL)

MAYBE
WE’LL
SURVIVE LONG ENOUGH TO REACH A HABITABLE PLANET

PANEL 6

Small close-up of Dario, smug.

6. DARIO

BUT YOU
CERTAINLY
WON’T!

PANEL 7

Chrysta sitting, forlorn, angry, and beaten in the corner of the well-lit brig cell.

7. CHRYSTA

NOW WHAT?

PANEL 8

Nearly identical to Panel 7, except now it’s dark; Chrysta still sitting there, but now blanketed by shadows.

8. CHRYSTA

THERE’S NO WAY OUT OF THIS . . .

PAGE 16

Full page spectacular

The cumbersome
Burton
in the center of the panel is suddenly surrounded from all sides by extravagant and alien-looking Ildiran warliners, which have seemingly come from out of nowhere.

Chrysta’s dialog balloon comes from the
Burton
.

1. CHRYSTA

. . . UNLESS A MIRACLE HAPPENS.

PAGE 17

Across the top, blue band with white letters: EARTH.

Three panels

PANEL 1

Splashy, colorful, and gorgeous. The sprawling Whisper Palace (some parts with scaffolding, still under construction); the vast plaza in front of it — parklike and dotted with statues and fountains — is absolutely PACKED with people. This is what St. Peters in Rome would look like on Easter Sunday if the Pope was giving out free beer as well as delivering his biggest Mass ever.

CAPTION

TWO MONTHS LATER…

1. KING BEN

WE GATHER TO WATCH THE DEPARTURE OF THE ILDIRAN WARLINERS.

2. KING BEN

AS HUMANS, WE OWE MUCH TO OUR NEW FRIENDS IN THE SPIRAL ARM.

PANEL 2

Close in, we’re right in the middle of the crowd now, with faces and heads all around us. In the background, we can see the King himself as a tiny figure emerging onto his speaking balcony.

3. KING BEN

WHILE WE BUILD NEW SHIPS THAT INCORPORATE THE FAST ILDIRAN STARDRIVE . . .

PANEL 3

The King standing on his balcony, raising his arms (plush robe, lots of rings on his hands), and starting his speech.