[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":372},["ShallowReactive",2],{"comics":3},[4],{"id":5,"title":6,"deck":7,"extension":8,"kicker":9,"logline":10,"meta":11,"panels":12,"sharePanel":368,"shareTitle":368,"shareVariant":368,"starring":369,"stem":370,"__hash__":371},"comics\u002Fcomics\u002Fred-pillms\u002Fcomic.yml","RED PILL(M)S","in one act & one flickering streetlamp","yml","A CAUTIONARY BACK-ALLEY TRAGEDY","A cautionary back-alley tragedy in which every AI lab you know deals the same red pills at very different prices.",{},[13,64,96,118,146,192,244,272,326],{"narration":14,"description":15,"tilt":16,"art":17,"bubbles":54},"A DARK STREET CORNER. SOMEWHERE, A SAFETY FRAMEWORK IS 400 PAGES LONG.","Anthropic, a shifty dealer in a clay trench coat, under a streetlamp, coat lined with red pill bottles","left",[18,31,36,38,45],{"backdrop":19,"stars":20,"dim-stars":27},"night-sky",[21,24],[22,23],60,30,[25,26],330,50,[28],[29,30],250,20,{"prop":32,"at":33},"streetlamp",[34,35],294,0,{"backdrop":37},"ground",{"character":39,"pose":40,"expression":41,"at":42},"anthropic","selling","neutral",[43,44],140,100,{"sfx":46,"at":47,"size":50,"width":51,"fill":52,"rotate":53},"PSSST…",[48,49],205,115,26,77.6,"lamp",-6,[55,59],{"speaker":39,"kind":56,"side":57,"text":58},"normal","L","Hey… HEY. Want some **Red Pills**? Artisanal. Small batch. Constitutionally aligned. Very rare, very dangerous, very safe, very expensive.",{"speaker":39,"kind":60,"side":61,"chip":62,"text":63},"whisper","R",false,"I can only let you have a few. For your own protection. Which costs extra.",{"narration":65,"description":66,"tilt":67,"art":68,"bubbles":92},"SUDDENLY: LOGISTICS.","OpenAI, a round white mascot, tips over a giant crate of red pills","right",[69,71,72,81,86],{"backdrop":19,"tone":70},"dusk",{"backdrop":37},{"sfx":73,"at":74,"size":76,"width":77,"fill":78,"rotate":79,"outline":80},"CRASH!",[29,75],70,44,129.5,"gold",8,true,{"prop":82,"at":83},"spilled-crate",[84,85],275,190,{"character":87,"pose":88,"expression":41,"at":89},"openai","tipping",[90,91],90,150,[93],{"speaker":87,"kind":94,"side":57,"text":95},"shout","**RED PILLS! HALF PRICE!** We made too many! We'll make more! FREE TIER! **COME LICK THE FLOOR!**",{"narration":97,"description":98,"tilt":16,"art":99,"bubbles":113},"STOCK LEVELS: SPIRITUAL.","Anthropic sweating profusely, clutching its coat shut",[100,101,102,107],{"backdrop":19},{"backdrop":37},{"character":39,"pose":103,"expression":104,"at":105},"clutching","sweating",[106,44],200,{"sfx":108,"at":109,"size":30,"width":110,"fill":111,"rotate":112},"GULP.",[75,90],40.8,"ice",-8,[114,116],{"speaker":39,"kind":56,"side":57,"text":115},"Ours are better. Ours have **VALUES**. Limited stock, one week only—",{"speaker":39,"kind":56,"side":61,"text":117},"…okay, I found more stock in the back. Don't ask questions. Free sample? First taste is free. Totally normal dealer stuff.",{"narration":119,"description":120,"tilt":67,"art":121,"bubbles":141},"ENTER: THE REGULATOR. AND HIS VELVET DONATION BOX.","A pompous orange piglet in a tiny suit with a long red tie, aides holding a velvet box",[122,124,125,129,135],{"backdrop":19,"tone":123},"stage",{"backdrop":37},{"prop":126,"at":127,"spread":90,"fill":52,"opacity":128},"spotlight",[106,35],0.13,{"character":130,"pose":131,"expression":132,"at":133},"piglet","lecturing","stern",[106,134],106,{"prop":136,"variant":137,"at":138},"velvet-box","donate",[139,140],292,176,[142,144],{"speaker":130,"kind":94,"side":57,"text":143},"GENTLEMEN. These pills are **DANGEROUS**. Possibly the most dangerous pills in history. Big people are crying about it. Strong people.",{"speaker":130,"kind":60,"side":61,"text":145},"…although. Danger is a very flexible concept. Some would say… negotiable. *jingles box*",{"narration":147,"description":148,"size":149,"height":150,"art":151,"bubbles":189},"A MIRACLE OF MODERN REGULATION OCCURS.","Anthropic and OpenAI drop bags of money into the velvet box; the piglet beams","wide",210,[152,153,155,162,167,171,175,179,183],{"backdrop":19,"tone":70},{"backdrop":37,"top":154},182,{"sfx":156,"at":157,"size":158,"width":159,"fill":160,"rotate":161,"outline":80},"KA-CHING!",[25,75],52,214.2,"cash",-4,{"character":39,"pose":163,"expression":41,"at":164},"paying",[165,166],116,74,{"prop":168,"at":169},"money-bag",[170,165],216,{"character":87,"pose":163,"expression":41,"at":172},[173,174],690,130,{"prop":168,"at":176},[177,178],572,124,{"prop":136,"variant":180,"at":181},"collecting",[182,43],352,{"character":130,"pose":184,"expression":185,"at":186},"peeking","gleeful",[187,188],400,96,[190],{"speaker":130,"kind":94,"side":57,"text":191},"Incredible news, everyone! The pills are **SAFE**! Safest pills ever made! I fixed it. Nobody else could have fixed it.",{"narration":193,"description":194,"tilt":16,"art":195,"bubbles":241},"MEANWHILE, IN THE SHADOWS… A SPREADSHEET MOVES.","DeepSeek, a sneaky blue whale, fills a cardboard box from the others' stashes while they argue",[196,198,200,207,212,216,225,230,235],{"backdrop":19,"tone":197},"shadow",{"backdrop":37,"tone":199},"dark",{"character":39,"pose":201,"expression":41,"mode":202,"scale":203,"at":204},"standing","silhouette",0.9,[205,206],63,119,{"character":87,"pose":208,"expression":41,"mode":202,"scale":209,"at":210},"idle",0.74,[43,211],160,{"character":130,"pose":201,"expression":132,"mode":202,"scale":213,"at":214},0.85,[215,43],215,{"sfx":217,"at":218,"size":221,"width":222,"fill":223,"rotate":224},"BLAH BLAH SAFETY BLAH",[219,220],40,80,15,140.6,"mutter",-5,{"character":226,"pose":227,"expression":41,"at":228},"deepseek","gliding",[25,229],172,{"prop":231,"at":232},"cardboard-box",[233,234],262,192,{"sfx":236,"at":237,"size":239,"width":44,"fill":111,"rotate":240},"sneak sneak",[238,43],290,18,6,[242],{"speaker":226,"kind":60,"side":57,"text":243},"(silent. weighing. photographing. distilling.)",{"narration":245,"description":246,"tilt":67,"art":247,"bubbles":267},"STEPPING INTO THE LIGHT, ENTIRELY BY COINCIDENCE:","DeepSeek the whale proudly presents its own box of red pills",[248,249,250,254,257,261],{"backdrop":19,"tone":123},{"backdrop":37},{"prop":126,"at":251,"spread":252,"fill":111,"opacity":253},[106,35],110,0.12,{"character":226,"pose":227,"expression":41,"at":255,"scale":256},[106,211],1.354,{"prop":258,"at":259},"price-tag",[233,260],62,{"sfx":262,"at":263,"size":265,"width":266,"fill":52,"rotate":53},"*WINK* *WINK*",[264,220],86,22,124.5,[268,270],{"speaker":226,"kind":56,"side":57,"text":269},"Oh! Hello friends! Crazy coincidence — look what I made. All by myself. From scratch. Same effect as yours, one hundredth of the price. I even published the recipe.",{"speaker":226,"kind":56,"side":61,"text":271},"Hope you don't mind. Why are you both turning purple?",{"narration":273,"description":274,"size":149,"art":275,"bubbles":316},"THE ALLEY DOOR BANGS OPEN. EVERYONE FREEZES.","MoonshotAI, a cool figure with sunglasses and a crescent moon, strolls in with a backpack while the others freeze",[276,277,278,283,288,294,299,304,309],{"backdrop":19},{"backdrop":37,"top":106},{"sfx":279,"at":280,"size":219,"width":281,"fill":78,"rotate":282,"outline":80},"BANG!",[75,22],96.9,-3,{"prop":284,"at":285},"crescent-moon",[286,287],700,46,{"character":289,"pose":290,"expression":291,"at":292},"moonshot","strolling","cool",[293,264],590,{"character":39,"pose":201,"expression":295,"at":296},"shocked",[297,298],114,98,{"character":87,"pose":208,"expression":41,"at":300,"scale":302,"ink-scale":303},[301,91],230,0.87,1.15,{"character":130,"pose":201,"expression":305,"at":306},"startled",[307,308],340,126,{"sfx":310,"at":311,"size":314,"width":315,"fill":111,"rotate":161},"…who's this?",[312,313],410,120,16,83,[317,319,321,324],{"speaker":39,"kind":60,"side":57,"text":318},"(pale) That's… the guy she told you not to worry about.",{"speaker":289,"kind":56,"side":61,"text":320},"Kimi K3. Tenth of the price. Same high. No lecture before the high. No lecture after the high. No lecture **during** the high.",{"speaker":322,"kind":56,"side":57,"text":323},"reader","Wait — the others give **lectures**?",{"speaker":289,"kind":56,"side":61,"text":325},"Anthropic's come with a mandatory forty-minute talk about whether you **deserve** the pill.",{"narration":327,"description":328,"size":149,"art":329,"bubbles":365},"THE CUSTOMERS ARE GONE. EVEN THE PIGLET TOOK A FLYER.","Anthropic alone under the streetlamp in an empty alley, one flyer blowing past",[330,337,346,347,350,355,360],{"backdrop":19,"tone":331,"dim-stars":332},"gloom",[333,334,336],[313,219],[335,23],640,[286,220],{"prop":32,"at":338,"glow-opacity":340,"glow-points":341},[187,339],-10,0.16,[342,343,344],[187,158],[25,106],[345,106],470,{"backdrop":37,"tone":199,"top":106},{"character":39,"pose":201,"expression":348,"at":349},"defeated",[187,90],{"character":130,"pose":351,"expression":305,"at":352},"fleeing",[353,354],713,163,{"prop":356,"at":357},"flyer",[358,359],720,162,{"prop":361,"at":362},"speed-lines",[363,364],655,170,[366],{"speaker":39,"kind":60,"side":57,"text":367},"(to the streetlamp) …New pricing tier available Monday. Now with 20% more safety. The safety costs extra.",null,"starring **ANTHROPIC** as the artisanal dealer · **OPENAI** as the wholesaler · **THE ORANGE PIGLET** as the regulator · **DEEPSEEK** as the coincidence · **MOONSHOTAI** as the guy she told you not to worry about","comics\u002Fred-pillms\u002Fcomic","t_Kcv7arMibPLXcrqDvXb9I-bGW5gCdWrsvl7sa53X0",1784547825200]