Comment:

In case anyone's keeping track, if Orb's line in the third panel was voiced, the speech bubble would say "five-thirty", because that's what sound sounds like. Orb is saying "17:30" in digits with their subvocal relay, as easily as you or I would type - it's actually faster for them than talking, and I regret to inform you that, if you didn't have one installed by the age of five, you'll forever be the subvocal relay equivalent of a hunt'n'peck typer.

The carbon stripper doesn't require any learned skill to use, though, so if you got one implanted, it'd shunt the C out of your blood CO2 and into your gut without any effort or discomfort on your part... at least, not until bathroom time.

Transcript:

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0405– 2167/07/07/12:10 - Orb’s office
BM [electronic communication]: So how much of that conversation did you hear?
OT: [electronic communication]: Only what took place in my office, and, even then, only your side, because we’re married.
BM [electronic communication]: Thanks for swooping in regardless. You are, as always, my hero.
OT [electronic communication]: I try.
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OT [electronic communication]: But seriously, babe, we can’t be having regular lunches here.
BM (teasing a strap on their dress) [electronic communication]: Oh, I wasn’t planning on this being a “regular lunch”.
OT [electronic communication]: We definitely can’t be doing that regularly, either. I do have a schedule I need to keep, and you tend to be rather distracting.
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BM [electronic communication]: But I miss you, during the day!
OT [electronic communication]: You know I’m always home by 17:30. You can’t wait eight hours?
BM [electronic communication]: You are like air to me, Orb. I can’t hold my breath for eight hours, either.
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OT [electronic communication]: That’s a damn lie, babe, I know you have the same carbon stripper on your liver as I do, you can hold your breath for up to three days in an emergency.
BM [electronic communication]: Yeah, but have you ever actually used that thing? It puts the graphite into your bowel movements. I don’t wanna be a poop pencil!
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