Comic Archive

Zhang: Now we should finally be able to exit, right?
Heidi: Yes. Whether virtual or real… Ultrax certainly has no control anymore after going kablooie. We need to regain contact with OIB-A271. I lost all hardware in the respawn. Let's go back to Alfred and use his phone.

Setting: outside the apartment building where Alfred lives, Alfred is just coming out of the entrance.
Max: Hey, Alfred! Did the big boom wake you up?
Alfred: It was like an earthquake! What was it? Did you have anything to do with it?

Adil: Well… maybe.
Alfred: I suspected something like it. Am I right things will improve from now on? Will everyone stop becoming dumber?
Max: Damn, you really are smarter than most here…

Alana: Well Alfred, the biggest obstacle against people becoming smarter is now gone. It's up to them to make actual improvements. By the way, I think there may be a vacancy for the position of supreme leader…
Alfred: Really?

Heidi: Alfred, can we please use your old phone once more? We lost ours, and need to make a really important call.
Alfred: Sure, come in.

Heidi is on the phone.
OIB-A271 (voice from phone): It actually worked out! I must admit, it was a bit of a gamble. But, I now have full control and can bring you back. Come on, now get to the finish line!
Heidi: Hold on, maybe there's still something we want to do here before we leave…

Max shakes hands with Alfred.
Max: Alfred, we have to go… We are not sure whether all of this was real or not… At any rate: thanks for helping us out. Take care.
Alfred: I always like helping people. Are you going back to Belgium? How?

Max: Eh, we can leave from right here, we have our own special way. It may look a bit strange.
Alfred: Well, OK, goodbye then.
Heidi: Hit it, OIB-A271.

The team dissolves, the phone receiver Heidi was holding remains hanging in the air for a while.
SFX: Whoooshhh…
Alfred: Wow, cool, I have seen this in some old movie!

A similar spiraling effect as when they entered the simulation, but then in the reverse direction.
SFX: WHOOOSHH

Adil: Eww, I can still taste the cafestol…
Alana: Back at last!
Steve: Thank goodness, I actually did not barf onto myself.
Max: Ouch, my body hurts… as if I fell from a building and then exploded!

Heidi: It was incredibly immersive indeed. How long were we gone in this reality?
OIB-A271: Slightly less than a full hour.
Heidi: And how close to running out of quantum matter?
OIB-A271: About 10% left, it was becoming a close shave…