Chapter 5, Page 49

Well they already collapsed the chamber with a breakdown, might as well try for a breakthrough.

Patrons are reading 3 pages ahead, we are currently on dramatic lighting Page 52.

The Meek Ch6 sketch pages have also started updating (daily!) on the Patreon :] That’s right, 5 new comics a week until the chapter is done, in Dec. This week I’ll be posting the first 5 pages free for anyone to grimace at (starting here), but after that we descend back into locked/ Patron country. As usual, my final polished comics will be free-to-read on the site starting in Jan, but the sketches are where I work out a lot of plot knots so I’ma keep that for people who like seeing the real-time development stuff.

Thanks for reading all my stuff, feels GREAT to be making new things again!

 

29 Comments

  • miri

    Anchorman voice: I’M IN A GLASS CASE OF EMOTION!!!!

    There’s definitely absolutely no way this could go wrong. Nope, none. Mike is definitely going to get out alive. They’re all going to live. There’s going to be a happy ending. *rocking in a corner*

  • They have neither the manpower nor the machinery to come back help in the short term.

  • Arianwen

    MMMMNNGNGNNANANAAAAGHAHHHHHHAMANAANAFNANMUMMY

    • awhorl

      yup exactly

  • Charlesw81

    I guess that even if Mike dies, the processor could revive him and if Bex gets the word out the cavern will eventually be discovered and investigated by humans… lets hope Mike can make it to a lake first though, so he doesn’t forget everything since he last synced.

  • Monk

    I got such a wistful feeling at the two last panels. It is the first time I felt the end of this comic nearing.

    I can see how that would be how Mare ends. With Bex surviving the cave-in and reaching the outer world and trying to break through back again; with Mike at the other side being trapped but still waiting.

    A bit dark but still hopeful end like that would definitely be fitting. But whatever way this comic will end, I know I will feel sad.

    Thank you, Der-Shing, for this story of a few misfits trying to clamber their way out of their dark caves.

  • Jovian

    ;_;

  • brokenidealist

    Those last two panels… dammit, that is just perfection in both graphic art and storytelling. Seismic shifting along the mental and emotional fault lines of the audience going on here…

  • charlesw81

    So… What is he going to throw in there to cause it to erupt?

    *slowly looks over at Kalla’s body with a growing sense of horror*

    • shingworks

      lmao, sorry, I didn’t even consider this would be something you guys might think. I promise he will not be kicking her unconscious corpse into a volcano, even I am not that cruel.

      The visual is utterly hilarious though, can’t do anything about that.

      • charlesw81

        Yeah, I was just thinking of what he could use to possibly make a large enough eruption when I saw last page with Kalla’s body and got the mental image.

        They were talking about watching their step earlier because the gasses had eroded the cliff so I figure he’s going to find some place to throw a good boulder on or disconnect in some way to send it falling.

        • shingworks

          I guess you’ll see :]

          • charlesw81

            Aw man! Now I switched back to Young Mike’s cannon ball into the pool and got another mental image

    • HKMaly

      … I was little afraid he jumps in.

  • a dude

    Mm

  • Hilen

    He’s totally cannon-balling into the lava lake. “No-one’s done it before and lived to remember it!”
    Still, I would feel sorry for thigh-friend if he actually took a dive in.

    • Brian Andersonnnn

      It’s too horrible to contemplate. From what I’ve read, living matter is less dense than lava. That would mean floating like a donut at the top of the fryer until completely carbonized. gah.

  • Ben1

    Am I right in understanding that Mike is effectively immortal, as long as he stays within the cavern?

    • shingworks

      Probably depends on the Processor.

      • charlesw81

        I’m thinking it probably depends on a sufficient DNA/Tissue sample as well. Even after Bex entered the water, had her memories read and got “gifted” with communication skills the processor sent a couple of inhabitants to extract an expendable “digit” from her. I’m guessing the processor has gathered enough DNA data from Mike… Which might explain why all the fauna was so attracted to him early on, if it was trying to collect DNA… But they did also mention Thighfriend was much bigger because of something in his biology.

        I guess there’s still a few questions we’re stuck with.

        How did Thighfriend get into his wound (spores?)

        What was all that red stuff it scattered around his body (or which naturally emitted from his body such as his blood rapidly evaporating)?

        Why did the needle nose fish attack?

        …Thought for the printed book: Mare Internum study notes on the flora, fauna and functioning of the cavern. Maybe make it out to be Bex’s notes or another Devotion scientist/s who studied the place after all this.

        • shingworks

          Haha, I’m really glad you remembered all that! I was wondering if anyone still had those bits in mind after all this time… and that material won’t be in the printed book, but in the PDF supplement, since I don’t want to sully the printed matter with my own explanations (for those who like to keep things more open to interpretation). That’ll be going out in a few weeks (after the comic has concluded here) if you’re a KS backer.

  • Lilian

    Oh look, human connection

  • JJ
  • ledaeth

    Damn, you made me feel emotions. Good stuff!

  • Hima

    Aaaaaaaand this is my third favorite (and most hilarious) moment of the entire comic!
    Person: “What are we gonna do??”
    Person with schizophrenia: “I propose this crazy thing.”
    Person: “Are you CRAZY?!”
    Person with schizophrenia: “mm”

    Mike, I love you.

    On a secondary note, I don’t know anything about volcanoes. Can you really cause a volcano to erupt if you throw stuff inside? I would have imagined the lava just… gobbles everything up.

    • shingworks

      Oh boy, time to share this video :D The lava gobbles it up, and then some

      • JJonahJameson

        Video title: “disposal of *organic* waste into volcano”

        Me: oh no, Mike

        • shingworks

          “Mare Internum Chapter 5: Disposal of Organic Waste into Volcano”

      • Hima

        WHAT ON EARTH!!!!!!!! I WAS SCARED OF VOLCANOES BEFORE BUT 1000 MORE SO NOW!! You can’t even throw an apple core in there!!

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