Comic transcript

Olive is seen peeking at Broccoli and Venus’ mealtime, but then slinks back into a room deeper into the cave.

Broccoli: Oh, right. I guess I have to do some demon slaying. Hey, Olive?

They venture deeper into the cave.

Broccoli: What’s the plan, Stan?

They stumble into Olive’s workshop. In the corner is a mask hung up on the wall, with notes all around it. A strange round wooden thing is propped up next to it. A wheel is turning underneath a stream of water on the opposite side, turning a mechanism which is hooked up to some kind of other machine. A cord runs from this contraption to some kind of invention that Olive is working on at their desk. A scroll of notes has rolled off the desk, and a variety of different metal scraps litter the area.

Olive: I see you’ve met Venus.

Broccoli: Hi Venus!

Venus looks blankly at Broccoli.

Olive: He’s a feral seedling. Won’t talk to you, but I’ve taught him a few things. Venus, to the table!

They all gather around Olive’s desk, with the contraption they were working on in the center.

Olive: Can you point to the “void-begetting powder?”

Venus points to one end of the contraption, which consists of long tubes of glass suspended in a frame, and several prongs at one end.

Olive: Good! Now where’s the sodium?

Venus: Ah!

Olive plucks a beetle off of the wall and hands it to Venus.

Venus points to the middle part of the bulb.

Olive: See? He really knows his stuff.

Broccoli: Wow. …So what exactly IS all this stuff, Olive?

Broccoli looks around the room, finally landing on the spinning wheel and its attached mechanisms.

Broccoli: And… what does it even do?

Olive: Oh, that? This is my Waterspark Generator! Water from the cave stream moves the wheel, which moves the sticky rocks over the spark metal, to generate SPARKS! And the sparks get stored in the spark storage.

Broccoli wanders over to the other side of the room and points at the strange wooden object.

Broccoli: What’s that?

Olive: That’s a boat.

Broccoli: What does it do?

Olive: It um… well it… floats on water—

Broccoli: WHAT! That’s so cool! Can I see?

The pair make their way outside, where Olive lets the boat into the water, but leaves it roped to a small post in the ground. Broccoli watches it, then looks out at the vast expanse of water in front of them.

Broccoli: That’s… a lot of tea…

Olive: It’s only the ocean.

They pluck a leaf from their head and drop it into the water.

Olive: Now it’s tea!

Olive’s mind dips back into their memories.

Olive: Years ago, I sailed the ocean, until I came upon this shore. The memory is still fresh… Living here has not been easy, but I am grateful to be… tolerated.

Broccoli: Why did you leave home?

Olive: Those scrolls and cookware you saw in my cave are all that remains of my homeland.

Olive’s leaves drift aside to reveal that one of their eyes was burned out.

Olive: Everything else was incinerated. The writings. The nursery. My dear Juniper… A whole culture just… burned away. Because of that Monster.

Broccoli: Olive I’m so sorry.

Olive: Don’t be sorry, friend. It is HE who should be sorry. And I’m sure he will be very sorry when we kill him.

Broccoli is not necessarily comfortable with this.

Olive: Between burnings, the Demon returns to his home, an island of ash. This is where he is most vulnerable. But the island is surrounded by thick fog for miles around. It’s impossible to photosynthesize in this environment. So by the time you arrive, you are weak and starving. That is, IF you survive the journey. When I was younger, I used to think that if I closed a jar really fast, I could catch some sunlight, enough to sail through the fog… But that didn’t really work out. Lately, I’ve been trying… a different approach.

Olive leads Broccoli back to the workshop, and turns on the contraption they’d been working on. It glows with a bright yellow light.

Broccoli: You made a tiny sun!?

Olive: That’s the idea!

Olive’s brief moment of levity fades.

Olive: But this one doesn’t generate enough energy for photosynthesis. I mean, I keep trying different metals, different voidspace, different everything! But nothing is working… So— just tell me how the Queen of Everything makes sunlight* and we’ll set sail!

The gift of understanding tells broccoli that the Sun is powered by Nuclear Fusion.

Broccoli: Nuclear Fusion!

Olive: What… What is that?

Broccoli: I don’t know. Honestly, you are much more like Doris than me…

Olive stumbles backwards, making a mess of their notes.

Olive: Oh GOODNESS! If the Queen of Everything is like me, we are all in TROUBLE!

Broccoli: I’m not sure why you call her that, but it’s cool you know Lady Doris! Everyone I’ve met in her other worlds has no idea who she is.

Olive: Her… OTHER worlds?

Broccoli: Oh, yes! There’s a store that has EVERYTHING, a kingdom of pantry moths, and a meadow of yarn where everyone smiles! Heck, there’s even one made entirely of casserole!

Olive: May I see it?

Broccoli: … No. I mean, I don’t—yeah no that’s not allowed. Ha ha. Not Polite and Good.

Olive: The oldest trees in Avaris said there were TWO worlds. Heaven and Earth.

Broccoli: MAYBE THEY COUNTED WRONG.

Olive chuckles a little. Then they pull out the scroll of notes, and look up at Broccoli.

Olive: Do tell me about these “other worlds.”